kiz

I just started using a liquid calcium citrate product from Vitamin Shoppe. One tablespoon has 60% RDA and only has 5 calories and 1 g of carbs. It has a little bit of a chalky flavor, but it's not bad at all. You can mix it with a drink, but I take mine straight. When I travel, I'll take my Viactiv though, since it's easier to pack.

In addition to Oregondaisy's suggestions, some doctors place the band in with a small fill. I've read that some people have up to 3 cc. If that's the case, you might need a little removed if your doctor thinks your trouble with soft foods has gone on too long. Are you able to tolerate solid protein at all?

1. Your stomach is still healing. You have fresh stitches, that can be pulled. You don't want your stomach churning too much early on, and soft food is much easier to digest. 2. Your may still have swelling around the banded area. You run the risk of getting stuck and maybe even pb'ing. Both of these issues can contribute to future slips.

Since it's been a few days since your fill, have you started mushies? As long as you can get fluids down (gulping is going be out), and you've been able to proceed thru the mushie stage and to the solid food stage at your doctor's direction, I'd think you're fine. If you start sliming and pb'ing your food (while eating properly - small bites, chewing well, taking your time), or liquid, for that matter, you're too tight. Personally, my band is tighter in the morning, so if it's just a morning thing, that may be part of the issue. Also, you may still have some swelling from your fill. Some posters' bands get tighter after two weeks. Mine seems to loosen up a bit though.

Funny that I found this thread today. I just put on into a size smaller pants this morning. My husband had said this weekend that my jeans were too big, but I didn't think I was ready to move into the smaller size yet. I was happy to tell him that he was right, and I was wrong - but this one time only. I've had pretty consistent weight loss, nothing stellar, and I've hit my fair share of plateaus, but I know if I keep plugging along, it's going to come off. I feel like I've lost at a very healthy rate. More than the pounds, the biggest change I've noticed is how much energy I have now. I guess you take 50+ pounds off of someone, and they tend to walk faster and with much less effort.

Teri, I am so sorry to hear that! I just saw the thread, and was happy to be catching up on everyone's news, then bam. Is there any chance an unfill with fix the problem, or do you know yet? I'll keep you in my prayers.

My doctor said that up to two cups is okay, of course, none is better. I've never been a caffeine drinker, but this question comes up often. *I'll add the normal disclaimer: Your doctor's rules may vary, so proceed with caution.* lol

For a lot of us, especially with the first fills when the weight is coming off quickly, there is a reduction in restriction w/i two to four weeks, but what you are describing is something completely different. I've lost some fill too, which I really don't think is lost, so much as with low pressure bands, not all the Fluid can be retracted. I've never had the experience where the doctor has given me 6 cc and only 2.5 cc can be pulled out, and you've had this happen on a number of occasions. One thing they can do is to use dye in the saline, and under x-ray, they can check for a leak. If that's the leak test they did, and it came up negative, I'm not sure what the next step is. I'd like to know that too. Also, if the leak isn't very bad, they can use a special saline (sort of like "fix a flat"), that is thicker, and I've heard it can do the trick. From what I understand, a leak at in the band itself is rare, but not impossible, and most leaks are in the port or in the tubing attached at the port area. I hope you're able to get this resolved soon.

Interesting info, Steve. It's great to know that if the band ever poops out on me (knocking on wood that it doesn't), that there are amazing new techniques that are being researched as we speak. I would never jump right in for any new technology because I'm pretty skeptical about the latest and greatest, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. With the ever growing problem with obesity, there's money to be made, and researchers looking for new breakthroughs.

I liked the Carnation SF, Slim Fast (whichever one was low in carbs), and Boost Diabetic (low in carbs). I really don't mind the protein shakes, in general, but those were my favorites. I still keep Boost in the fridge for after fills, and for a quick breakfast on occasion.

You just got a fill, NCQueen? You're gonna to be a looser!! (lucky you) I'll take that heavy trophy off your hands.

I've had my band for a little over six months, and I've not had a pb incident. I have great restriction, but not so much that I can only eat 1 or 2 bites of food at a time. I eat 1/2 cup for breakfast and lunch, and a little more at dinner, and I feel very satisfied with those meal portions. Depending on what I ate for dinner, I may or may not eat an evening snack, but I usually have a piece of fruit sometime in the late afternoon. I did get stuck twice (entirely my fault). The first time I was doing everything in my power to get stuck (not really on purpose, but I was an idiot). I was eating broccoli and chicken, and I could tell from the beginning it was a little hard going down, but it tasted so good, I ignored ALL the warning signs. I felt the food was sitting heavy in my pouch, my nose started running, I hiccuped, and yet, I took ONE more bite. I ate too fast and too much. I did a little sliming (twice) and remembered that I had papaya/pineapple chewables that I had read about here. I chewed one, and I had relief almost instantaneously (under 30 seconds). The pills help digest protein. The second time was I tried to eat high fiber cereal w/ milk. I had been eating it dry, but decided to "treat" myself by adding milk. I felt stuck for about two minutes, slimed a couple of times, and I poured my cereal and milk down the drain. Now, if I'm eating something that feels like I'm heading toward getting stuck, I STOP eating. I wait for a few minutes, and when things settle down, I try again, but slower and chewing a little more. It can be a learning process for some of us. So, don't be afraid of the band. It's important to follow the bander rules (chew well, eat slowly, listen to your body), and if you at some point you get overfilled, don't fall into the trap of thinking you'll lose weight faster because you're so tight you can't eat more than a few bites. That's when you'll run into trouble, and chances are, you'll make up for all the food you can't eat by relying on soft foods which are often higher in calories.

That's really good advice, Jack. Going on liquids for a couple of days may very well do the trick. At least you'll know that any swelling you might have experienced should subside. It's really terrific that you're so organized with your journaling. Another thing to consider is that some women have problems with tightness during TOM.

It's too bad your doctor doesn't do fills under fluoro ever, because that would really give him a true picture of what you're telling him. At this point, it seems to me the only thing you can do is to tell him just how big of portions you can comfortably eat. Hopefully, he might consider boosting your fill a bit more than he has in the past. Also, I would ask if you can come back in less than six weeks if you don't feel like you have restriction. Sooner or later, you will get to a comfortable restriction level, but at this rate, it may take a little while. Your doctor may be of the mind that this is the safest way to work with your band.

jenni, it's great that you're keeping a food log, so you can get a better picture of how you're doing meal wise. If you continue to have problems with solids on a routine basis, you might just need to have a teeny bit of saline removed. Even .1 or .2 could do the trick for you. Especially in the early stages, I found my band loosened two weeks after my fills as the weight dropped off. Others have said that their bands tighten up after two weeks, so it's very individual. If, going forward, you find you're getting more and more dependent on soft foods, I would definitely consider talking to my doctor about a small unfill. I really don't think any of this indicates a problem. It's just a tweak in your band adjustment that may be necessary.

Thanks so much for sharing that. I felt your excitement through my computer!!

I have the Realize Band, and it's 9 cc. The Lap Band comes in various sizes, and I'm sure someone will be able to give you the info on them.

To be perfectly honest, I don't count cals or Protein. I do measure my intake though. I was supposed to drink three protein shakes/day with an added 1/4 cup no-fat powdered milk to boost the protein amount. Now, I add a half scoop of Protein powder to something I'm eating almost every day (ie sf pudding, LF yogurt, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, etc). I drink 1/2 bottle of Isopure occasionally, to boost my protein intake. Khashi has a Cereal that's high in protein and Fiber, and if I'm running errands and don't have time for Breakfast, I eat a Khashi protein/fiber bar. There's lots of ways to add in extra protein to you regular diet, once you pass the liquid stage. The one thing I hate to do is count, but if I will at some point, if I have too.

This hasn't happened to me, but several posters have said that it takes two weeks for their fill to kick in. Maybe that's what has happened to you. Also, once you have a bad pb incident, there's a very good chance that you may have swelling, so it's helpful to go back on liquids for a couple of days to let things settle down. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Anne, do you get your fills under fluoro? Sometimes it's helpful, when your not getting good restriction, for the doctor to see exactly how fast the barium is traveling through your band before he gives you a fill, and then afterward to see if it's enough to slow the food down enough to give you the feeling of satiety.

The swelling was keeping you from eating very much after the surgery. It lasts longer for some than others. It wasn't until about week three or four that I could eat more than 1/2 cup of food. At my four week check up, I talked to the NP about that, and she wanted me to be sure and keep my meals under one cup, and to change my snack from something low cal/low fat to high protein. So, I had three meals/day under one cup each, and a 1/2 half cup snack (tuna, Greek yogurt, etc). Your pouch should hold about 4 oz (volume), but when you don't have good restriction the food can pass through the band quickly. You should talk to your doctor about what s/he wants you to eat and the amount though. Some doctors prefer several smaller meals, for instance.

Hi justjenny, and welcome. I was banded just a couple of days after you. It sounds like you're doing very well. Congratulations on you terrific weight loss! I'm sure you'll find lots of helpful information here. I hope you find some shake recipes that you enjoy.

Hi, trish, and welcome. There's no set amount of fills or fill level to get you to the right restriction. It depends on your doctor, how much saline he puts in each time and your body's reaction to the fill level. My first fill was under fluoro at six weeks (I think it was 4.2 cc). I went in two weeks later for an in office fill, and I think it was around 1.9 cc. Two weeks later, the restriction I was feeling started to wear off again, so I asked for another fill under fluoro. They took an x-ray before they did the fill, and the barium went down in a swoosh, so it was obvious I could use another fill. That one lasted a month, got another, month later got another, and had another one two or three weeks later. This last fill took me to 8.4 cc in a 9 cc band, and it's going strong at almost a month. This seems to be the one that's going to stick for awhile. I have great restriction, but I'm still able to eat all types of foods w/o issues and stay full a good four hours (sometimes less and sometimes more).

Oh my gosh, I could shout it from the rooftops - YES, I would do it again in a heartbeat!! I know some people have problems, and I'm very sorry for that, but I've been very fortunate, and this band has been a miracle tool for me. I was at our lap band support group meeting the other night, and a pre-bander asked the group if anyone had regrets. There were brand new banders to people who long ago reached their goal and had been banded for years. Not a single person regretted getting the band, and I would say everyone felt quite the opposite. I just can't imagine lugging around the 50 lbs I've already lost ever again.

oooh, that was low, tapshoes. But I can't stay mad at you, especially while I'm holding this beeeutiful trophy.