angie61

would love to hear your menu for tomorrow! Sounds like you're on the right track!!

Well I went back to my doctor and the dreaded happened....I got a complete UNfill!! :-( It was a struggle. I never felt completely full. I felt hungry a lot and boy did I struggle. I felt out of control. My band was my lifeline...I was without a fill until I went back AGAIN to the doctor on Friday. He said "are you hungry?" I said "yes, why? are you serving breakfast??" lol....but then I told him "YES, I'm always hungry" he asked me if I wanted a fill (duh!!) he said "Hop up on the table!" Praise the Lord, I got my fill and I can't eat!! yay!! (well, I CAN eat, but in the normal "not much" way!) woo hooo!!! and he said "Good job on not gaining a ton of weight" ( I only gained 5 lbs in about 6 weeks) at a pound a week I'm glad I didnt stay away much longer! One thing I learned from this is humility(Pride comes before the fall) Don't be too proud, be humble and keep working in it and give praise to God!! Also I learned not to overeat! The food will always be available. So, now I have a question....."what is the poucht test? I have never heard of it! Happy Sunday everyone!

This is funny! I am 4 years out (got this done AFTER my husband and I split up) and I haven't been in an intimate relationship yet! So I have NO CLUE how differently I'll feel...but just in general I do feel much more womanly and sexy! Can't wait to meet my future husband! :wub:

A few of the rules I remember which made me successful at losing 50 lbs. were: >use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate >3 bites of protein, 3 bites of veggie, 1 bite of carb, repeat until satisfied >eat every 3 hours >fill up on protein for snacks, (hard boiled egg with a piece of cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, chicken breast etc.) >never drink your calories, except for a protein shake >No carbonated drinks > do not frink for 30 min. before and for 30 min after a meal >eat slowly, chew much, small bites >Limit fruit, due to the sugar it converts to Can anyone help me think of anymore? especially designated for lapbanders? I realize all doctors do not give the same instructions.

I had my surgery in July of 2008. I slowly lost about 50 lbs. I got down to about 173-ish and still want to get down to about 155. I started noticing in the last 3 or 4 months that I was able to eat more. Before, if I went out to lunch I could eat 1/2 of a sandwich and maybe 4 or 5 fries. a couple of weeks ago, I ate the whole burger and all of my fries! I decided that although I am no longer covered by my insurance for a fill or even a visit to my LB doctor, It would be worth the money to go ahead and see what he had to say. I didnt want this to get out of hand, as I was back up to 180-ish. My willpower is still not good. I went to my doctor. He asked me a few questions...Do you have any reflux? OHhh yes! If I miss my omeprazole, I have pain in the middle of my chest and jaw pain (its called referred pain) "Well, Angie" he said, "I think your band may e too tight!" I wasn't happy about it, but I let him draw out 0,5 cc. He says I have 8.5 still in my band. He said "I bet you your reflux will be gone before you come back to me in 2 weeks" (May 17th). He sent me for un upper GI. It was funny to watch!! My radiologist (who obviously doesn't know much about lap bands) was amazed at how slow the liquid I had to drink went down. (I'm not sure how slow it's supposed to go down either, but 5 min after about 10 swallows and the fluid was still in my upper esophagus.) When he laid the table down (with me on it) he said "I can see why you have this problem! it's going up in your throat!" So---I'm not sure what my doctor is going to say or do. I'm hoping he isnt going to unfill me any more, but Im afraid he will because I am still having the reflux every bit as bad as before! I'm so discouraged. I'm doing well in the EXERCISE dept. I'm doing a ZUMBA class 2-3 times a week (love it!) and walking/ running on my treadmill 1-2 times a week (I actually RAN/JOGGED a whole mile this morning!! That was a first for me. I walk a lot but never ran for that period of time before. It's just the food dept. I struggle with...Feel your pain...we will have to encourage one another!!! We CAN DO THIS!!!!!!

Stephen, Many of us (including me) want to know how both you, and your wife are doing? Please update us when you get htis message!

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I have been separated for two years now (not divorced yet) .We were married for 23 years when I left. He was unfaithful. He continues to "date" this other woman but seldom openly. He and I remain friends, but it is really hard and hurtful not to be "married" to him. By the way....he put me on his insurance plan so that I could get this surgery done AND paid the 2,500 mandatory gym membership (that I can't go to because it is 1 1/2 hours away from my home.) I Think I should go ahead and file for divorce (he won't, for some reason he doesn't want to get a divorce...maybe so he'll have an excuse NOT to commit to her???) but I'm really afraid...it's a BIG step.:tongue2:

Thanks to all for your replies and great advice. I'll just keep plugging forward. I just get discouraged, because I BARELY feel like I've even HAD surgery. Yesterday was one of those days when I overate and I get discusted with myself for reverting back to old habits. I ate for breakfast, a scrapple and egg sandwich on wheat toast. For lunch I ate two good-sized bowls of chilli (made with lean ground beef at least! LOL!!) I ate a big handful of veggie crisps (like a healthier version of potato chips, about 6 bite sized candy bars (someone's $5 gift exchange for a small office party, and I was the "lucky recipient") 2 or 3 handfuls of bite sized saltines WITH cream cheese on them!! and then some good friends invited me out to eat last night, and I went because I needed to get out of the house, but all I could eat was a HALF of a chicken salad on Wheat toast and about 6 french fries!!! I just had a day where I wanted it so I was going to EAT it! I do usually exercise more self control than that, but there are some stressful things going on in my life especially here at the holidays (as with most everyone else), feeling lonely, etc (third christmas not with husband after 23 year marriage) and my self control was like my self esteem at the moment.....LOW!!!! Today is a new day and I vow to do better! Going to church to get my JESUS on, and He'll help me get through this. Thanks everyone!!!!

Just thinking out loud...I got my surgery on July 30th. I have lost around 22-25 lbs. since the week before surgery and as I have heard others say, I feel as if I did it through pure diet and willpower on my part. I do well with the willpower for about 2-3 weeks and lose oh maybe 5 lbs. then I start to get discouraged (as I always have with diets)and gain 2 or 3 back because I overeat! I'm going in for my fourth fill on Tuesday. (After my second fill my doc said he usually doesn't have to give a third fill and after my third fill he said he RARELY has to give a fourth fill) so hopefully he will run out of adverbs and this one will do the trick. I am truly discouraged and I feel as if I have wasted the "Honeymoon " period...or does the honeymoon period begin when you start really losing the weight?

Jack, Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful response to my whining. I think what I'm hearing you say is to be appreciative of What I HAVE lost and the small non scale victories that I may be taking for granted and just keep on working toward my goals and try not to give up...? I think that was a great piece of positive advice and I'll try to keep it in mind. I'm 20 something pounds lighter than I was and I can move forward and try to inch along in my weight loss, or I can regress and say to heck with it and sabotage everything I've done so far....hmmm, think I'll move forward. Thanks!!

I'm curious as to why there would be swelling? I'm trying to reason it out, but I can't imagine why there would be if the saline is injected into the port, travels through thin tubing to the "intertube" inside of the band?? I've heard this many times, so I'm sure nobody is making it up, but why??

I figure it's nobody's business but my own. I chose TO tell my friends and family and everyone has been VERY supportive, but if they weren't, well then they are the ones I just don't talk to about it. It's nothing I bring up in general conversation anyway. I have only lost 25 or so lbs. and alot of people I haven't seen in a while just kind of look at me and say "you really look good!" like they notice something different but they can't quite put their finger on exactly what. And I just smile graciously and say "Well Thanks!" LOL!!!

Ok, I have a question for those of you who have restriction. Is your "full" feeling different than your old full feeling? In other words instead of your belly feeling ful as it has previously, do you now, instead feel full higher up? like in your epigastric area? (OR THE AREA BETWEEN YOUR BREASTS?) :thumbup:

Yea, so I'm going to the doctors office in a few minutes for my first fill-5 weeks after surgery. I'm really discouraged because I think I've gained 2-4 lbs. depending on the difference in their scales and mine. I know they don't necessarily expect you to lose much during that time (because I think the band is basically empty until first fill after surgery?) I honestly have tried to follow the doctors instructions, ate the right foods, 6 small meals (healthy in between also) and walked 2-4 miles 3-4 times a week. But I think the problem is portion sizes. I eat almost the same size portions as before surgery. Willpower is not a virtue of mine. I don't think I will notice much after the first two or even maybe three fills, or at least from reading these boards. I guess what I would like is for someone who felt like me, to tell me it does get better! As I have heard others say....if I had willpower to stop when I should, I wouldn't have needed the band. Please tell me it gets better. I do have the realize band.:crying:

Sassymama, Actually, it's three small meals and 3 snacks (referred to as mini meals), the idea behind that is to keep your blood sugar at an even level, therefore preventing hunger. When your blood sugar spikes and then drops (like after a sugar or carb overload), the end result is hunger.So my surgeon reccommends we eat every three hours example: Breakfast, scrambled egg whites, a piece of canadian bacon ....mini meal 3 hrs. later:string cheese (protein)....Lunch south beach wrap and a piece of fruit....3 hours later mini meal: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce...Supper 3 oz. protein, veggie, small carb...3 hours later....you get the picture. This prevents hunger/overeating..

Thanks for a quick response friends... I can be patient if I know that eventually there will be good restriction. I don't expect to lose it overnight, but I just want to know that in a month or so it will get easier in the sense that I will have help (restriction) from my band. If I had great willpower and strength to do this on my own, then of course i never would have had to GET the band to start with. If I see the scale (or the clothes size starting to come down, then i get SO totally motivated, on the other hand...if I don't see this or worse, see it going the other way then I flop! Again, thanks for giving me this encouragement... I will get back on track right now. I had a bad day today ,because of my attitude. But I definantly just had an attitude adjustment! Thanks again for being so positive!!! You've done great by the way!! all of you! Angie

Please!!! Is there anyone out there with the realize band that can tell me a success story?? I have read basically only failure stories on the realize forum. I have the realize band (surgery date 7/30/08) I have lost 6 lbs since the day of surgery (gain and lose 2-3 lbs here and there) by willpower and exercise alone. I had my first fill a couple of weeks ago and honestly...I don't even feel like I had any type of surgery. I cannot do this alone....I need help from the band. I am willing to do my part, but I can't do it alone for very long. Is there anyone out there who felt this way but had good results/restriction later? The regular lapband people seem to have excellent results, but I worry that there wasn't enough research done on th realize band and that it isn't as effective. My next fill is 10/7.... please someone answer me.:smile:

the realize band only holds 9 cc...correct? This whole realize thing is really beginning to frustrate me. I hear only stories about NOT having any restriction with lots of fills. I got my realize band placed on July 30th. and I have lost only 6 lbs. (gain and lose 2-3 lbs along the way) since the day of surgery. I got the surgery because I needed serious HELP! I cannot do this for any lenght of time on my own, and so far, that is what I am doing. I'm reallly discouraged. I'm willing to do my part, but I feel like my band isn't doing IT'S part. Are there ANY out there who have the realize band that truly feel the band is doing it's part?

My surgeon reccommends we eat every 3 hours. This prevents you from getting to a point where you are starving, therefore make bad choices. Eat small snacks (called midmorning meal, afternoon and evening mini meals) such as a string cheese, or i/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese and a no sugar added applesauce, a few slices of shaved deli meat wrapped in a pc. of lowfat cheese, etc. (high protein being the key). Honestly this will stop you from being hungry if you try to eat every 3 hours on schedule! Hope this helps!

Welcome to the forum! The best advice I can offer in reference to reading these boards is to remember: Each person has his/her own personal experience. Don't feel badly if you didn't lose as quickly as Mary or as much as fast, or in the same time frame,etc. etc. etc. I made that mistake at first until I realized that EVERYONE is different! If you follow the rules as your doctor instructs and exercise as you know you should and can, It will come off. Just as everyone has something that works better for them WITHOUT THE BAND,and everyone loses at a different rate WITHOUT THE BAND, the same holds true with individuals WITH the band. Best of luck to you...the band is VERY helpful (in my experience after the first fill) Just remember how important it is to eat slowly and chew well (this, more than anything has helped me to feel satisfied MUCH quicker than how I usually eat) You'll do fine. Come here for much needed support! We're with ya girl!! P.s. I'm 47!! We older chicks can be sexy too!!haha!!!

Aw-www. I feel your pain. I'm so sorry this happened to you! It's such an invasion of your privacy! I'm indignant for you!!

Every surgeon has different rules, so do follow yours. But I went to a nutrition seminar last week and it did clear up a few things for me. (I had my surgery July 30th) We were told to follow the 3-3-1-rule, that is 3 bited of lean protein, 3 bites of veggies, 1 bite of carb, chew slowly(of course) and eat slowly, then 3-3-1 again.The idea is to fill up on the protein and veggies and not the carbs. She also told us when reading labels try to make sure the amt. of protein vs. the amt of carb are similar. In other words don't eat something (protein bar or otherwise) if the amount of protein is 4 grams and the amt. of carbohydrate is 30. Beware of hidden sugar in things even as benign as yogurt. we were told not to worry much about calories, we are to pay most attention to carbs, protein, fiber and sugar. (and if you are hypertensive or renally impaired, sodium) You've done this before and now you have a wonderful tool to help you along the way...go for it girl!! I haven't lost much so far because I'm weak when it comes to portion control. I have done lots better than before the band, but until I get to my sweet spot I am exercising pure self control (and I do lack alot in that dept.) I go for my first fill this thurs. the 4th. Hope I am able to see a difference then. My doc told my friend (who had her surgery a week before me) that the first fill is for getting used to a slight restriction, as we didn't get any fill at the time of surgery. Best of "luck" to you!! You can do it. we're all in this together. I think if all these other women can do it, so can we!!! Angie :tongue2: