Jodi_620

Not by the book but my diet is closest to South Beach. I eat low GI carbs with healthy lean Proteins. I do not eat anything with white flour in it. I get my carbs from natural sources, oatmeal, fruits, veggies and dairy and occasionally have whole grain wrap bread. I don't eat starches (pasta, potato, rice, corn etc.) and I don't eat sugar. I don't count carb and Protein grams but it is pretty much the same principle. I actually keep South Beach frozen dinners on hand for when I am in a pinch for something to eat. And I use their Cereal bars every so often to satisfy my sweet tooth.

It is gas in the digestive tract and very normal. I made all kinds of noises especially for the first few weeks. My system still does that but not all the time...only when digesting.

Glad to hear that!

Did your doctor or nutritionist discuss what you should be eating at this stage? Mine told me to eat eat solid proteins veggies and healthy natural carbs like fruit, dairy and whole grains. I am to eat the protein first, then the veggies then the carbs and stop when I feel satisfied. Don't be afraid to eat. When you try something new, eat slowly and take small bites until you are sure you can tolerate it. Watch foods like bread that can swell up and get stuck and for fibrous veggies like broccoli, celery and asaparagus as well as meats that are tough or dry. If you can chew it to a liquid form then it should be safe. Oatmeal,eggs, lean meat, fresh fruits and veggies are all great choices. I am not supposed to eat foods that are high in fat and calories and low in nutrition, you are eating less so you need to be sure to get good nutrition in. I am also not to eat soft slider foods as a meal (soups, shakes, puddings, applesauce etc.) It needs to be solid so that it can fill you up and keep you full.

It depends on the type of slip and how severe it is. Some people don't have any symptoms. Some have indigestion, some are unable to eat and some have severe pain. Some like Annie need only to get an unfill to readjust the band and others need surgery to readjust it some even have to have it removed.

Do you still have your gallbladder? Gallbladder problems are commone after losing a lot of weight.

Until you are sure you are eating properly we can't give you an accurate answer as to what is causing your discomfort. You have to pay close attention to how you are eating make sure you are taking small bites and chewing well. You should be sitting down at the table and not be distracted while you eat. Pay attention to what you are doing and train yourself to do it right. If you don't you are guaranteed problems with fills.

***NAME*************START WGHT.*****CURRENT WGHT.*********GOAL**********LBS. LOST ***:scared2: *************:biggrin:************* ***********:biggrin:**********:laugh:*** 1000words..........237............225............220...........12 1dayatime..........259............250............239............9 aJoneen............213............210............199............3 alliemorris73......229............229............199............0 Ariel..............193............193............183............0 Barb12590..........207............197............187...........10 Bea1129............198.5..........194............183..........4.5 Brandy.............208............203............198............5 CQQlgirl...........188............186............170............2 crzytchr...........265............256............250............9 JasonR.............366............366............351............0 Jodi_620...........174............165............159............9 KikiVal315.........229............223.5..........215..........5.5 Kirsty39...........237............234............217............3 laurigee...........170............162............158............8 Leslie2Lose........215............214............199............1 LilMissDiva........244............244............225............0 lindar172 .........257.8..........249.8..........240..........7.8 LisaB..............189............182............170............7 mamanmidwife.......275............268............255............7 MegMegs13..........266............260............250............6 mominlv13..........282.4..........274.6..........270..........7.8 noosagirl..........138............138............124............0 Renee74............198............192............185............6 renewedhope........162............161............150............1 SailorChristy......251.5..........248............230..........3.5 southernmissy......209............201............195............8

When we are overweight we also have excess fat around our organs including the stomach. And as we lose weight the fat dissolves around the stomach which makes the band get loose. You can stretch your pouch if you constently keep it overfilled. As long as you are following the band rules it shouldn't happen.

It gets better every day. You should see a significant improvement in the first week any pain after week one should be very tolerable and improve daily.

Maybe you were supposed to the first time but he just forgot to tell you. The only other reason I can think is that your fill was bigger this time and he felt you needed to take it easy. Of course you should follow your doctors orders but if you do go back to solids, stick with softer solids and take it slow, your tolerance can change with each fill.

The first fill rarely does it. There is not a straight answer for how many it took for me. Each fill was better. Fill three was great, I lost fast within the first two weeks then the band got loose and I needed another fill. Fill four was the same thing so two weeks later I had to have fill five that was six weeks ago and I have been losing steadily 2 pounds a week.

I think that you need to make an appointment right away. The black tar appearance has me thinking that you may have some bleeding somewhere.

I am very happy to hear that Brad. Good Luck!

I have had five five fills since being banded six months ago and the only problem I had was being a little too tight on my last fill, I got a slight unfill and problem solved. I do not eat yogurt, drink shakes or miss out on good food. I eat normal food and more than 1/4-1/2 cup per meal. I do not count calories, I do not measure or weigh my food, I do not keep diaries, I do not live on liquids and mushies, I am rarely hungry and I don't throw up or have indigestion. I am healthy and I get plenty of nutrition. In other words I am living a very normal life with the band. Furthermore, I see a ton of people on this site that are sucess stories. Yes there are people with issues and questions and they come here for support and guidance but if they take the advice and do what is right the majority of them are able to get back on track. I can tell you that I was not happier being fat. I feel healthier, empowered, energetic, in control and I am looking great. I am already off my presciption, I sleep better at night and I have no back and knee pain. I can walk and run and climb stairs without a problem. You didn't even give the band a chance. It typcially takes a minimum of four fills to start making it work.

Not only is it normal it is very good for you. Besides being a natural appetite supressant, water flushes your system of excess water gain and toxins and keeps your digestive system going. The best way to know if you are getting enough water is to check the color of your urine, when it comes out clear you are getting enough water. You just don't want to drink too much before bed or it will disrupt your sleep.

Good to hear joiful, keep up with the solid proteins and watch those carbs and I'll bet you will really start seeing results!

I can do ground beef just fine. It takes smaller bites, a little more chewing and I have to eat slower but it does go down.

That sucks. Mine didn't ask anything too personal. She went over the results of the test which helped her define my personality as addictive and told me how to handle that as far as Lap Band is concerned. She quizzed me on my knowledge of the Lap Band to make sure I knew what I was getting into. She asked about my schedule to see how it may impact my eating habits after being banded. She asked about how family feels to see what kind of support I will have. And she let me know that some people have emotional issues when they realize they can no longer turn to food and that if necessary I could come and see her if it gets to be too much for me. She had me sign a promise that if at any time it was determined that I need counseling to make the band sucessful that I would seek it. That's about it.

I was on Metformin ER 2000MG per day. After surgery I couldn't swallow pills and the ER can't be broken up so I just stopped taking them. I decided that I was scheduled to see my Endo in a few weeks and I would ask him for something that I could swallow. My endo recommended staying off them for six months then going back for some bloodwork. I did that and my bloodwork was done last week, everything is normal and my PCOS is in remission. The Metformin worked great for me for a couple years but after five years it wasn't doing so well and my periods were few and far between. But less than two weeks after surgery with no Metformin my period came and they have been regular since. I do watch my white carbs which I think will always be necessary for us PCOS folks. I think that is what has made my weight loss so successful. I grew up in a tiny town in PA (near Ebensburg) what area are you from?

Strained chicken noodle soup is typically just a tiny amount of mushy chicken and lots of pasta which is not what you want. Fish has a ton of protein and fills me up pretty well. Salmon filets, salmon patties, tuna, shrimp and cod are good choices.

I can eat a hamburger patty but: 1.) I make my own out of the leanest beef 2.) I eat it without the bun 3.) It takes a lot more work to get it down so much so that I don't want it often. Most beef takes more work, you have to take small bites and chew it for a long time. The best way to get rid of the sugar addiction is to watch your carbs. Everytime you eat carbs your blood sugar levels spike suddenly then drop suddenly, when it drops you crave more sugar and the cycle starts again. Get the white carbs out of your diet, white flour, sugar, Pasta, potato, rice. Get your carbs from whole grains, fresh fruits and always eat it with a Protein to help keep level blood sugars. Get sugar free treats for when you have a sweet tooth. It takes about 5-7 days of avoidance to get the stuff out of your system then the cravings get much easier to handle.

Mine did my first fluoro with my first fill and now that I am at six months he wants to do another one with my next fill to make sure everything is OK. With the first one, He inserted the needle into my port did a slight fill then had me walk over to the x-ray machine. He had me swallow just a tiny bit of barium the consistency of Pepto Bismol while he watched it go down then he had me swallow Water and watched that go down, it was very quick. With the pre-op upper GI I had to swallow some stuff the consitency of rock salt then chase it down with barium the consistency of yogurt (UGH! that was terrible!!!) Then I sipped the chalky stuff through a strawwhile lying down first on one side, then the other, then on my tummy while they scanned me all around then the table stood me up and they scanned me all around again...much more involved.

My doctor does not allow shakes as a meal and he says I need to avoid soups and other soft foods. Eating this stuff defeats the purpose of the band. Try hard not to skip meals or wait until you are too hungry...I get stuck every time I do that because I am so hungry I eat too fast. I mentioned it once already but if necessary use a baby spoon until you get accustomed to eating properly. Broccoli does not work for me, the fibers in the stem get stuck big time! chicken breast can be difficult if cooked too dry. If it is not juicy then cutting it up and adding a little broth to make it wet might help and CHEW-CHEW-CHEW! And I am sure you know but I have to say, McDonalds cheesburger...not a good choice! 330 Calories, 14G Fat 790MG sodium and 36G carbs. Not much at McDonalds is very healthy so you don't want to go there very often.

I don't count calories and keep a diary or weigh my food...that was stuff I did preband and it didn't work for me. I do follow the band rules eat the right foods, only eat three meals a day and eat them the proper way. I am rarely truly hungry with the band. When I am, it is usually time for a fill. If you are eating solid Proteins and following the bandster rules but you find that are eating more, hungry between meals (I mean truly hungry-not head hunger)and not losing weight then the band is not doing what it is intended to do. In joiful's case I would say that her true hunger is coming from eating soft foods and from not watching her Protein intake. Her head hunger could be from too many carbs or it could be emotional...of course the band does not help in that area. She seems to be able to distiguish between the two. I know in my experience when the band it doing its part to control the real hunger it is much easier for me to do my part and deal with the head hunger.