niki

I am at 8cc and feel slight restriction, I still think I keep eating too much (more than 2 cups of solid food...). I still have a bit more than 40lbs to loose and this has been a hard, slow battle... Very frustrating when I see so many people loose weight so quickly :tired (I'm happy for them but terribly sorry I'm not one of them...) niki

You did the right thing by coming here to look for further information on the matter. here you'll find mostly people for the band, but it is important for you to listen as well to the advantages mentioned by those who had the by pass. While doing some research you'll surely find many pros and cons on each side. You took the first step and that's the hardest one, it takes lots of courage. Good for you! Lots of luck, niki

Writting your mom a letter or a card is a very good idea. Let her know how much she hurts you with that sort of remark and then try to put all that aside. Forget mom, forget MIL, forget all the people that are ignorant about the band, they are not able to give you much help right now, are they? so, it's better not to discuss it with them as you will not learn anything new about the band from them, they'll just get on your nerves and that's something you don't need right now. Now it's the time for you to focus on yourself and to learn as much as possible about the band. That argument of the «easy way out» is by far one of the most stupid things ever heard about the band and typical of ignorant people. I don't even bother to discuss it anymore... Best of luck. niki

Being banded doesn't mean you have to give up on food, on the contrary, whenever you go out with friends, you get to savour food and you become more picky with what you choose. Besides, if you're not «pigging out» you are so much more attentive to the people you're hanging out with and enjoying their company. You'll soon notice that it is indeed a matter of quality over quantity. It is impossible not to find something that suits you in a restaurant menu or at somebody's place. It's like when you are in a party holding a glass in you hand (no, you don't have to give up drinking socially), you just keep it in your hand and take little sips every now and then, you don't have to gulp it down and go for a refill immediately after. The purpose of the band is to increase your life style, not the opposite. You just have to do your share, and things should be fine. niki

That's a very tricky matter for me. I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and I know I'm doing the right food choices, therefore I would expect to loose a lot and notice a dramatic change on the scale, but against all expectations I'm loosing at a VERY SLOW pace and I hardly notice it on the scale. My PT keeps telling me that's only natural because my fat mass is being replaced by muscle, which evidently is good, but muscle weighs more than fat and that's why the scale doesn't show much of a difference. On my clothes I don't notice much either, but when I carefully look at myself in the mirror (I always have to focus first saying to myself I can't let myself go with disappointment...) I do notice that my body seems to be getting a different shape and looking more firm than it used to be. It's really hard, I know. It takes a tremendous effort. I have to remind myself everyday that maybe some people loose weight much faster than I but still, that shouldn't affect me to the point of wanting to give up going to the gym or eating correctly. This has been a slow process for me and I still have a long way to go. Keep up the courage! niki

Well, you have to be the one wanting to go to the support group, it can't be just because your mom wants you to... I don't have any support group available where I am, but even if I had I think I'm doing fine by my own and getting tons of useful information and support right here at LBT. niki

Experience tells me to forget the book and keep reading and researching different threads and posts here at LBT! much more useful, complete and updated than any book. niki

Why should it matters what other boards say about LBT??? Until now LBT has worked very well for me, I have my band for over two years, because I always find something useful here, whether I read something that directly concerns me and my band or whether I reply to someone's question hoping it will help that person as I've been helped before. And whenever someone has a problem or a complication with the band, it's only natural to speak it out here at LBT, to share it and hear other people's oppinion. As long as I'm OK, you're OK, we're OK! no problem at all with what other boards say... besides, nobody is forced to hang around LBT against its own will, so why bother? niki

Jack is right - mark his words! constipation can happen both in obese and in thin people. It only depends on diet habits and on what you eat. I've been obese most of my life but never had any constipation problems, always ate (and still do) lots of fibre and greens, and this has been working just fine for me. niki

Poor you!!! Try drinking some green tea or lemon herbal infusion to wash away that nasty taste from your mouth. Centrum chewable are pretty ok. niki

I can feel my port very well. It doesn't hurt a bit (not a good sign if it hurts). I guess that in some cases when there's a BIG weight loss (which is not my case being such a slow looser...) it might show a bit right under your skin because the fat right under the skin surface went away. It's kind of funny to touch it with your fingers and feel it there, almost as you do with a piercing or am ear ring. niki

Hi Sasha You surely came to the right place! happy to know you've taken that first step. Being banded is a new opportunity, sometimes the last one, we're giving to ourselves, therefore we better hang on to that. Read a lot, do lots of research, you'll find many good advices and tips here. Wish you lots of success for your new life! niki

My port is a few inches below the incision. If I were you I would leave those patches (superglue) right where they are, you don't want to damage your scar this soon while it's still so fresh. As for food, you might notice while doing some research here at LBT that each doctor has a different post-op diet. In case of doubt, try to stick to what your doc told you. best of luck with your new life as a bandster! niki

We keep on learning every single day... very useful! thanks for sharing! niki

I'd pass too. It's too soon and can you imagine how terrible it would be if you eat something and it gets stuck during your meal at this people's house??? should that happen sometime (hope not!) I'd rather be at my place or with people I'm at ease with, not at some people's house I hardly know... niki

Scale is a BIG enemy of mine, and I've been banded for over two years. Now, I only step on the scale once a month or not even that, I leave it for when I go to my doctors office. I always feel frustrated with what the scale shows me, even if I know I have been exercising and doing correct food choices. Besides, when exercising regularly, your fat tends to go away and give place to your body muscle, therefore you won't really notice much difference on the scale, but believe me, it's there. Your body is changing, little by little. Don't try to loose at high speed, you'll have too much loose skin flopping around, go slowly and give time for your body to adjust to the new reality. Besides, considering all those years we took to get obese, why should we be so hard on ourselves and expect to melt down all that extra weight in such a little time? be positive, think positive, the band is there to help you, not to fight against you. niki

You should be feeling better as soon as your diet changes into more solid food.Try avoiding too much fibre food as this will only increase your bowels movement. Try having some smashed bananas (real mushy, as puree) this usually helps. Watch out for that immodium as it can easily cause you the complete opposite from the problem you're having right now. hope you'll feel better soon, niki

Yes, I think it is the other way round, the more you loose, the less-tight your band feels (that's why we need to go for another fill every now and then). Maybe the reason you are PBing has nothing to do with what you feel as if the band is getting tighter, I mean, you surely feel as if the band is getting tighter but in fact the reason is something else and that's why you have those PBs. Try calling your doctor and see what he thinks about that. Hope you'll feel better soon, niki

I wouldn't worry too much. Your stomach is probably tired and sore from the PBing and that's why it hurts, but I wouldn't think there was any damage done to the band. Take it easy for the next 48 hours, try to have liquids and mushy food for a couple of days and when you restart with solid food pay attention to what type of food doesn't go down that well (asparagus can have lots of fibre). niki

I guess we all spent so many years eating the «wrong way» and not even paying any attention to what we were doing, that now we're banded to have to re-learn to it correctly. At home I use a dessert/small dish, tiny fork or coffee/dessert spoon. Put fork down between bites. Never go for the second bite before seeing if first one went down well. Never drink water or any other liquid during meals. Ant then, yes - chew, chew and chew some more till its almost liquid stuff going down your throat. Try seeing if there are any particular foods that don't go down so well - chicken breast, pasta, bread,... niki

I think that most of us agree from our own experience that stress is no good for our bands, so even knowing that it is easier to be said than done, we must really focus when eating and avoid at all times to be under stress at mealtime. There are so many bad things going on which we can't control, that at least things like eating, chewing and swallowing properly is something we must believe that we can do it correctly. It's in our own hands, and I must believe everyday, at every meal, that I CAN DO THIS! Even if you have to unfill your band, it's best to keep it in you than having it removed, knowing that some time later you can always have it filled in again. best of luck to you. niki

You should probably call your doctor and let him know what happened to your port. I never had any problem with my port but I guess that as long as your doctor can still access to it easily and if you don't feel any particular pain in the port region, it should be fine. niki

Don't bee too hard on yourself. We all feel we've failed somewhere, sometime, every now and then. Learning how to eat properly once you're banded is really an art. Do a bit of research through different post here and you'll find lots of helpful tricks such as using a small dessert plate for your meals, little baby fork, not drinking during meals, etc. Most of all, don't let yourself get to that stage of feeling so ravenous hungry that when you get to your food you'll gulp it down at once. And remember, most important of all: chew, chew and chew! trust me, it makes all the difference. Believe it or not, you'll have to work along with your band, not against it. The band is there to help you out. niki

It really depends and I guess each and every one of us will have a different answer. I'm soon going for my sixth fill, I'm with 7,5cc on a 10cc band and everytime I had a fill I didn't really noticed much difference, some would last a couple of weeks and others would last a few months, but I never really felt much of a restriction. niki

After a fill my doctor always tells me to stay on liquid diet for a couple of days to give some time for the stomach to settle down after the fill. You seem to be having some «hard» food (chips, crackers???). Take it easy on yourself. Hope you'll soon feel better. niki