marys

I was the skinniest and happiest in my life on the phen/phen protocol and thank goodness i didn't suffer any heart problems - I felt in my head i was 'normal' around food. I've since tried phentermine alone many times before banding and never ever had success - just jitters, no sleep, etc - it did nothing for my appetite. A friend's doc told her you needed a 'downer' (not the doc's words) to act together with the phentermine to make it effective. I was just prescribed raductil which i think is merida - but i got it in Mexico from my surgeons nutritionist - so far it's working good - i have pretty much no appetite, i take one 15mg pill a day and i've lost a few pounds. for me that is a miracle - i can eat 600-800 calories a day and not care about anything more. ihope it lasts never thought i would diet or take pills with the band but for me i guess i need it all. I think if you are nervous about taking it and have had some issues with dependency in the past - i would tread carefully - sure, if you take it as prescribed, probably no problem...but if you are prone to taking more..be careful.

Actually I just updated it from 9-11 - and yep that is true - I can't go into it again but i've posted all over this board - thrown in the towel, depressed beyond belief, metabolically tested, etc etc etc. I just returned from my unfill and i went for a consult to have the band removed - after the consult i ended up with an unfill so i could eat 3 bandster meals a day + two Snacks - they felt my eating was erratic and pbing too much - i have food diaries for over 1 year, i exercise regularly and can't get a damn pound off. I also have appetite supreseents now but i know they will quit working as they always do but i'm eating what most bandsters report eating now - about 600-800 calories a day. I first tried 1200-1500 - gainecd, then 1000-1200- pretty much maintained so here i am. I'm sure i will be considered a band failure butwhat can i do? I've been on the verge of quitting so many times but at least i haven't gained - by now i would have been up 40 lbs as in the past. I wanted to lose 65lbs but now I would be THRILLED to lose 20 - in fact, i don't even care to lose 65 cuz that seems absolutely impossible and it would take about 10 years so maybe it will happen. I only know 2 other bandsters in my shoes and let me tell you it is a lonely lonely place - everyone assumes you are doing something wrong and while I am not perfect I am pretty damn close - lol

Dr. Ortiz was my doc too - cottage cheese is a mushy and while pretty good protein, it won't fill you up like a solid protein. Also, he suggests a meals last no more than 20 minutes - I also recently met with his nutritionist and she said i could have two snacks but make them calcium rich like a small cup of skim milk or low fat yogurt. B: 1 egg fried in Pam + 1 slice thin ham S: High protein sugar free pudding L: 1/2 tv dinner (chinese food) split with friend S: sugar free hot cocoa, small piece of cheese D: 5 forkfulls of salad and 5 bites of spaghetti with meat sauce Exercise - skied for 3 `1/2 hours Today B: oatmeal with dried cranberries S: hungry cuz no protein at breakfast 55 goldfish and no planned food! L: high protein pudding S: sugar free hot cocoa D: wlill be fish and vege tonight Exercise: Walked for 45 minutes

i agree with everyone else - i had major second thoughts, cancelled the surgery two days prior and ended up talking (and crying - ugh) to the sugeon about my fears - needless to say, he allievated all of them (most) and had me actually smiling by the end of the call. He told me if i came down and decided to not go through with it up to the last second that was fine but it is very common to be scared etc. And, for weeks and maybe longer, on and off i felt like what the heck have I done but that all passed (mostly - ha) too! As long as you have done all your research, and feel comfortable with your doc - try to relax and know you are not alone in these feelings. I also wish I had tackled this problem MUCH younger - You may be able to tackle it 'on your own' but I've learned from banding just how entrenched bad eating behaviors are and they take a lot to change.

Thanks Katieo for your encouragement - and I noticed you are quite a bit younger than me - I am 40 - and have a lifetime of yo yo dieting that i am sure contributes to my problem losing weight. And, I only know of a handful of other bandsters like me who truly do follow the rules etc. Best of luck to you on your journey to getting banded. Mary

absolutely positively DO NOT TELL ANYONE at work and be careful who else you tell - imo you can always tell people - even one or two years AFTER surgery - no one should know except your very closest loved one - again, just wait - once you tell you can not take it back. also, in my case i haven't lost any significant weight and the pain is unimaginable - it would be worse if i had told co workers and my mom, etc and had them constantly scrutinizing me - ugh can't even imagine it it is your business but please think carefully

G Curtis - I have several questions - 1. do you get your fills/unfills under flouro? I had one fill without it and found out later at my last unfill it was extremely different then i thought - my regular surgeon said without flouro you can lose Fluid when they extract the needle, etc. So maybe you really don't know what;s in there -what was taken out. 2. have you pb'd since your unfill - if so, yes you may be swollen and need to stay on liquids, etc although you say you are on liquids during the day. 3. if you can only do liquids and squishy dinner for two weeks imo you are too tight - how long can one stand that mentally and physically - i'm sure you are starving lastly, i can't figure out fills myself as you can see from my ticker - i am still working at it. what amazes me is that i have less fluid in my EVER and i feel the best restriction now and haven't pb or burped since the unfill. My very first fill was 2.3 and i really had to watch my eating - most people go up in fill amounts - i seem togo down - please don't give up - jeez you are at goal i think you said! go for fills/unfills that work - don't focus on the amount. good luck

The longest time I was skinny and maintained my weight was when i worked in a gym, exercising about 4 hours every day-could eat anything i wanted and loved life. When I got the band my hope was that i would learn to eat like a normally thin person - eating when hungry, stopping when full, eating a wide range of foods in moderation... well since i haven't yet been able to lose my weight with the band i continue to obsess about what i eat, when i eat, how much i eat, exercise etc. I don't want to but i'm still trying to figure this out. I have food diaries for every day i have been banded (minus a few) and have also tried 1200-1500 - nothing, 1000-1200 - no loss but pretty good at maintenance (that is with exercising hard 4 days a week), now I am trying under 1000 and using an appetite suppressent prescribed by my band doc and I find i am eating very low - still exercising yes i am obsessed, no, I don't want to be but I have been through the ringer trying to lose weight - I can not express here the utter desperation and frustration i have felt to not have the band do what i expected/wanted it to do. I have been to the brink of giving up many many times and something always gets me to try again. After two years, if i haven't lost 25% of my weight I will be considered a band failure and it is unlikely i will make it. but if i can lose 25lbs in 2 years i will at least feel like i'm getting there. I'm envious of those who are where i want to be - i wish i was with you but i can't relax for one second

Fills and finding the right restriction still somewhat allude me - at my recent consult an unfill was suggested so that I could eat three bandster meals per day and I'm loving it - I'm not weighing for one month unless I feel my pants get tighter so I'm not sure if this will work but i'm curious from others: 1. Do you consider eating liquids or mushys for breakfast/lunch too tight, or just right? I know MANY bandsters that regularly only eat dinner and some continue to get fills. My surgeon thought I wasn't losing because my eating was erratic - i never knew from day to day/meal to meal what would work - every bite wondering if it would go down. Pbing several times a week.... 2. Do you consider eating 'carbs' bad etc.? Again, my nutritionist has said carbs are ok (even crackers, bread, rice - of course she is talking about a usda portion of a few crackers, 1 slice of bread, 1/4-1/2 cup of rice, etc - eaten last. 3. What constitutes an ideal fill for you - Any thoughts, etc. are appreciated.

i completely agre with Denise - unfortunately the pain would have to be dealt with by the abused - and most of those mean ass bullies never change and continue to be abusive throughout their life - although i must admit i have experienced that look on people's faces when I have looked amazing and that does wonders for ones ego - lol.

oh my gosh - i know what you mean - I absolutely love biking but i have tons on 'junk in my trunk' and really felt your pain. The gel seat and padded bike shorts (which look horrid on me lol) help but it also gets better with time on the bike - eventually you adjust a bit and it doesn't hurt so much.

Leener - I feel your pain and am in a similar situation to yours - finding the right restriction has been very hard for me. I am actually doing better with less restriction then i've ever had, i'm enjoying eating and haven't pb'd since. I was also prescribed a medication for appetite control that is helping - I did follow the band rules with eating, exercise and still do so that might be a place for you to start over agin - sad, but true, we really have to work at this with numerous behavior and lifestyle changes. It is not good to pb everyday as it becomes a cyclic thing and you don't get nourished, it messes with your head and could hurt your band. I would call the doc, stay on liquids for a day or so (and if they don't stay down- get to the doc immediately) and see if things settle. Bandsters even at correct fill level should be able to eat three meals a day with solids although many can only do liquids for Breakfast. You deserve that! And also, you didn't get your first fill for 6 months and most don't lose until then so Celebrate 15 pounds - i can't wait to get there at 13+ months out. That is super esp considering all your challenges. Good luck and try not to give up.

Hey there - hang in there as many of us were hungry too - it's just a matter of finding good liquids that you like/may fill you up more. Call your doc's office for better instructions cuz this is most imp to not eat anything you aren't suppossed to - the first three weeks are really for healing and keeping that band stiched in place so don't cheat! i had to do Clear Liquids for one week then i could have some more types of liquids for the rest of the three weeks - no milkshakes for me though as those are too thick - i had v8 juice (used to hate it), thinned tomato Soup, sugar free hot cocoa, full strength juices (yum), ramen noodle broth, myoplex lite Protein Shakes, Iwas instructed to not really worry about calories just healing so you can be pretty creative. good luck - this will pass soon.

I was just prescribed Raductil 15mg by my nutritionist at my recent unfill - i am thrilled as it is working and i have very little appetite with no side effects to date. I feel like everyone else that say I can only eat a few bites and i'm stuffed - but i never eat to stuffed. It also seems to effect me mentally as I don't care about food - the head hunger aspect. I only felt this once in my life on the phen/phen protocol and I've always said that was the best for me - I could eat two tortillo chips and not care about another one. Even with the band I still struggle with head hunger, stopping when full, etc. I'm willing to live with that and do my part working with the tool - but i want to lose weight - that's why I got it. I have always followed the bandster rules (not perfect but about 95%) but wasn't losing - i am happy i have this tool to support me and to see some results. When banded i didn't think i would ever 'diet' or take these pills again but i still have to do both to be successful. I'm hoping my 'loss to date' will continue to increase!

I can understand getting bored with a 'diet' and you are smart to look for ways to change your eating before you want to binge (well, as much as one can binge with the band - lol). Are you treating yourself occassionally - it is ok to have a cookie or piece of candy occassionally, etc. For me I just have to have extreme portion control and not keep large quantities of tempting and bad for me things in the house. I sometimes alternate with having one treat meal a week and go out to dinner and eat pretty much what i want or i've had one pack of m&m's - lots of sugar free treats, like popscicles, pudding cups, I'm lucky that other then my period time I am not a huge sweets person but I've learned if I'm craving it and I don't have it - I'll eat more of other stuff and eventually give in anyway. I'm big on portion control etc now and i try to do that rather than denying myself things i'm really craving. Lastly, someone once told me...if you smell bread and then want it you can overcome that but if you are really craving something and it won't go away, that's something to pay attention to - try to find substitutes or small portions and interesting foods to add to your diet.

i had this after my unfill and on liquids with sugar free syrup and it was the best coffee i have ever had in my life -people around me could smell it and i was beside myself over how good it was- seriously go out and get it immediately. I'm glad to know the calorie count isn't too bad - wasn't too worried about it that day as i was only having liquids but wondered for the future.

i burped a lot but since my unfill no burping at all - interesting but i just had it so it may be too soon to tell.

i think it takes much more to stretch your pouch (many times over eating) and i was wondering if your fills are done under xray? I just learned that without xray when they pull the needle out you can lose some fluid - also is the doc measuring the fluid he/she takes out before putting more in - you may think you have 3.9 and really have less

Persistence - yes, throwing up violently from flu, illness or even pbing can slip your band - ask your doc to prescribe an anti nauseu - i think i have phenegran that works immediately. please be careful and i hope you feel better Mirella - I know you want to lose weight but i think you are pbing too much - i am much looser now and not pbing at all. I'm happier eating more and healthier meals - solid foods. I never felt full with a Protein shake for breakfast and yogurt or soup for lunch - it just goes right through and its not how the band ism eant to work long term - sure we are all tighter at times but my doc convinced me I would probably now start losing weight by eating more regularly. 30pounds in a month is an awful lot of weight to lose and may be not too healthy overall. I met a mom and dgtr at my last unfill and both had to have their bands REMOVED due to being too tight for so long (one 3 years and one 5 years). Believe me I wanted to be too tight but i like food too much - i wish i had your weight loss but please talk to your doc and nutritionist for better advice. you can't have your band this tight forever and you'll need to learn new eating behaviors, etc so it's best to start now. Good luck

stopped taking it! I don't know but i think they made me dizzy - no rhyme or reason but i got dizzy twice and once i stopped i was ok - sure don't want to discourage anyone but for me, just decided to stop taking them.

I think i've always waited too long between fills - i would and will assess every month now - i can't waste any more time. Once a month seems to be ok in the U.S. (and even Mexico) - no sense waiting if you don't feel it's enough - just be sure you read the thread about adjustments - i now print it out and put check marks next to everything to make sure i am really ready etc.

Definitely feel your frustruation - have it too still trying to find the right restriction after over one year. Are you getting your fills under flouro? I had all but one under flouro and found the fill amount was quite a bit different then was suppossed to be put in. I won't have another without it - I'm suppossed to eat three meals and two Snacks a day now to see if that will help me lose weight - sorry to hear that doesn't work for you. I do watch my portion sizes very closely and always stop before 'full' - i'm not a bandster that is 'stuffed' with two bites - you may have had several fills but you aren't probably restricted - i suggest getting a fill under flouro, if after one month you don't feel restriction - go back. I've also heard several folks say that didn't lose weight until after 6 months

self pay - mine cost 9500 and included pretty much everything except air - since then i've paid between 400-600 (depending on how i traveled) for each fill so it is pretty high. I'm not sorry but i'm still struggling to figure out the right fill level and it's cost me much more then i thought in that regards. In my opinion fill level (correct fill level) is more complicated then the surgery! Knowing what i know now i might also have opted for us surgeon although my bmi was probably too low to have a local support group - again something i never thought i would need but now wouold love it!

Every doc and nutritionist says somethng different so you should go by what your doc says and what works for you - but i just had an extensive consult with my nutritionist and band surgeon and he said i could eat three meals and two snacks a day - my snacks were suggested to be calcium rich like a yogurt or small cup of milk - she said watch out for cheese (my weakness) but that was ok too in moderation. They she said each meal should have 1-2 oz of protein, a vege, a fruit and a carb - the carb should be one USDA serving which includes 1 slice of bread, a few crackers or 1/2 cup of a starch - she said be careful with fats and stay away from oil (use pam and use the spray low cal salad dressing) she also said it is ok for me to eat my salad first as i love veges. I got an unfill and have been finally able to eat without every bite pryaing it goes down - i have to exercise more restraint now but i am so happy to eat like a 'normal' person. I have learned to stop before (way before) full and my head always wants more but i can do it. Chewing and going slow have taken me a year and it is still challenging at times. As long as you are not pbing every day you are right it is a learning expereience - you don't want to get in a vicious cycle of pbing, getting swollen and doing it all again. Most docs want you to go on liquids for a length of time after a pb cuz of the swelling, even if you cant feel it.

Hey Boo - just wanted to say congrats on your weight loss success - I'm so happy for you. I went for a band consult to get it out but Martinez talked me into to an UNFILL (AGAIN). I'm happier though cuz i'm eating better and haven't barfed yet - a record for me. He thought i would lose weight if i ate three meals and two snacks a day - i told him if i could eat that much and even not lose i'd be happy - i've had breakfast two days in a row and almost cried - i'm not to weigh for one month unless i feel like i'm gaining to give my body time to recover - he thought i was eating so inconsistently that my metabolism is messed up - i love being able to eat again~ keep up the good work - i am truly happy for you! mary