true2self

Praise the Lord!!! I am so glad to hear you are doing better. I hated it when I had to have some fill taken out, but I am glad I am doing better. I probably won't get a re-fill for a while.

Just be careful. I did the same thing and tried to use Proilosec to help, but I had to get a small amount taken out anyway.

NM Sunshine, It sounds like you need to get a slight unfill. You will feel so much better. If you are waking up like that at night, you should consider the unfill so you don't cause more stress on your body. I believe that is why my immune system has been so affected. I could not eat like I should and I had a lot of trouble. Now I am doing so good, eating, and even losing weight better. I eat 5-6 small meals a day and I am loving it.

I am doing better that is why I can eat. I had some taken out a couple of weeks ago. My stomach was really burning. I didn't understand that, but then it got difficult to even drink. That is why I had an unfill done, but now I am doing better. I just found out I have mono, but I don't know if that has anything to do with my stomach burning when I ate or drank or not. Now I eat small meals and feel better. Resting a lot. Not losing though, but that will change once I can work out again.

I understand that, but I want to be healthy. I have been sick for a year due to wrong choices...mainly trying to depend on the band to do what I needed to do for myself. Now I am eating good things and more ready to get a fill if I need it at my next visit. I am adjusting right now because I need to eat to get my health back. Eating, drinking, and taking vitamins is the way I have to do this now. Good luck!!

I had this burning happen to me, but I had to have some fluid taken out of my band. I am now eating again and loving it. I still have to be careful, but I am glad to be eating again. I have had trouble adjusting to the band this whole year, but I am hoping to be doing better now.

Joann, That is a good idea or maybe it could be just Breakfast in a cup!! I also like to have a salad once in a while and found a great way to mix some crunchy greens so I don't overeat. It requires you to chew: Cole Slaw mixings, Broccoli Cole Slaw, lettuce cut in slivers, add some sunflower seeds and top with dressing. I have found if I eat things with a little crunch that requires me to chew I eat less. Plus I enjoy the chewing process because then it feels like I am eating and not just inhaling food.

Indiogirl55, I like my food a little spicy so here is what I do in a one pot wonder (great name for the recipies). chicken, yellow & green squash, onions, bells, mushrooms (I like the mushrooms from a can), tomato sauce, chicken or ground turkey, and red pepper. I cook everything the same way you do, but the red pepper gives me the spice I like. I do a Breakfast one that is good also: Turkey sasuage, onions, spinach, greated cheese, frozen chopped hashbrowns, one carton of egg beaters. Cook the turkey sasuage and onions together. Spray a square pan. Stir together all the ingredient, pour in a pan and bake at 350. If you like a little kick add hot sauce or red pepper to the mixture or top with hot sauce aftere it is baked. Cut into small squares and you have breakfast on the go.

Hi Katrina, You should be good to travel after surgery although every one is different. My friend started her traveling the weekend of her surgery. She had surgery on Friday, went to a graduation Friday evening, then traveled to another graduation Saturday evening that was about an hour away. The Saturday graduation kept her moving for about 4 hours. She was tired and wore out, but she felt good. After two weeks, if you do well after surgery you should be fine. I was sick for two weeks after my surgery, but I was able to travel. Just remember you will need to rest as much as you can in your down times. It helps a lot.

Sounds like you are at your sweet spot!! A great place to be. You want to be able to eat the quantities you are eating and enjoy the process of losing weight. You will continue to lose weight as you eat right. When you start noticing you need more food in less time apart, then you want to think about getting a fill. I am doing much better and hopefully will be at my sweet spot soon!!

Glad everything is going great for you and you joined the group!! Now you are more prepared to do the work required to lose your weight. The lap-band is an awesome tool to bring back control into your possession.

I was like you in that I was hungry and could eat sooner than I was suppose to. I ate things that would mush and still be filling. Eggs are a really good filler with the protein you need. I would stay away from the bread for a while. I know you are getting sick of protein drink, pudding, jello with cool whip, and yogurt, but this stage is also about training your habits. If you can eat mushy foods pretty easy, I also would make homemade soups (chicken, turkey, & Beef) and then blend them. I would pack the soups with meat and veggies. Brown beans mashed are great. Feels like you are eating a meal. Also add salsa to the beans with a touch of cheese and you have a meal. Cottage cheese is always good. I also like to make a spinach dip combo with a can of puree chicken. Great. Keep up the good work. You are getting closer to eating small meals. Especially you can eat some food pretty good. Be careful about picking up old habits. It is easy to get back into those patterns. I have had my surgery a year ago, was sick due to drainage from allergies, had to be completely drained, and I am starting over again. Not a bad thing bc I can eat now. However, I am hungry a lot so I am working hard to control the hunger with the right foods, drinking my water, and working out, and eating frequently. Hope these ideas helped.

I know exactly how you feel. Your right that you need to start eating because it is a mind game you are playing. Just remember you can start slow. You can eat a small amount so you feel the control of what you are eating. I learned I needed to eat to lose the weight. I was like you in that I was dealing with thoughts of not being able to lose weight since I had been on liquids for so long. Then I didn't eat like I needed to and could not lose the weight. After talking with a fitness instructor and the dr. office, I learned I was not eating enough. So I increased what I was eating and lost 12 lbs in six weeks. Not bad. I liked that. Now I am trying to deal with the mind issues in another way like not depending on the band alone to lose the weight. So I am working on that. You will do great!! Trust me!! Just eat small amounts and you will feel great! We have all been overweight for a long time, so it should take us some time to lose the weight giving ourselves the grace to learn from our mistakes.

Hi Indi, I went and received a fill on Monday. I think I am were I need to be 1.5 with a 9.75 band. I realized that I was using the band wrong. I was able to go on a road trip with my husband this week after I had received my fill. I was able to face some truths about myself. The biggest was that I was depending on the band to be my salvation for weight loss and that is why I received more than what I needed in a fill. That is also why I had to have so much taken back out bc I was so sick with to much of a fill. Now my head is where it needs to be. I have a feeling that I am at the fill I need for a while, but I won't know until I get past this week. I am just a little swollen. I seem to be able to eat still what I want, but smaller quantities. I am writing down what I eat so I can see what I am doing. I am going to start working out on a regular basis soon. I have recruited some friends to start walking, and I am going to be starting a lap band support group soon with the assistance from my Dr. office. Things are looking up. It is amazing how wonderful you feel after gaining a right perspective about things with a better attitude. My goal is to work toward losing my 63 pounds before my next anniversary date of July 6th since I didn't make it this year. I am determined not to beat myself up and just look at this as an opportunity to start over. Thank you for your encouragement. I will continue to check in with you and see how things progress. Is there a way we can be buddies so we can chat one on one. I don't know how to do a buddy page, but maybe you can coach me with that. Look foward to talking with you soon......

Hi minou, A couple of insights for someone who has had the band for a year. First of all, you are doing great if you can use will power for a bit until you find your sweet spot. Don't try to eat until you feel restriction bc then you are relying on the band to change your habits instead of you learning how to discipline your eating. A sweet spot is when you can eat little amounts and feel satisfied after you eat without wanting to eat more, but realize the battle to retrain yourself has to happen in your mind first. You should get to the point where you can eat small amounts and feel satisfied. That sounds like what you did. Remember being satisfied does not take away the want for more food. There is your true battle. So keep up the good work and don't wait for a feeling of restriction. Eat as little as you can to feel like you have had enough. If you end up eating six mini meals due to this process of feeling hungry soon, that is good. The key is to see if you can go 3-4 hours w/0 feeling hungry. If you can, you don't need a fill until the hunger time starts coming more frequently than 3-4 hrs apart. As far as how many fills it takes. That is different for everyone. I know someone who has had three fills the entire year and lost her weight in one year (100 lbs). That did not happen for me but that is bc I was relying on the band more than the discipline to lose the weight. I went to far with the band, was sick all the time and had to have the fills taken out. I started out eating great and everything great for about 9 mo., lost 45 pounds, but wanted to hurry the process a little bit more. WRONG THING TO DO. I was so sick that I could not even keep liquids down. Had to have the band completely drained. I am starting over with my fills at the beginning level and more determined to be true to myself and do what I need to to lose the weight correctly. I am already off to a good start. So even though you are excited about losing the weight, take your time and do it right. After a fill, you should stay on liquids for 24 hrs and then introduced smashed foods for a day or two before eating a meal. Just that simple discipline helps you do what you need to to start your focus off right. I was like you. I could eat more and didn't find full until my forth fill and then I was doing good. When I went to the Dr. office, I wanted to lose more weight faster than the 1 1/2 pounds a week, so I got another fill (fill #5). Big mistake. Hang in there. You are on an exciting trip so take the time to enjoy the journey even in the disappointing spots. Eat right, drink according to the rules, exercise, and take care of yourself. Try to get involved in a support group. This is probably a great start for you.

I just thought that was cool. I had no idea that an individual could have a band like that. I think it should help with the weight gain during pregnancy. My daughter is considering it, but she is trying to work it out with diet and exercise right now. She just had a baby, but I think it scared her to get a lap band with the possibility of becoming pregnant again. That is why you peeked my interest.

Onmywaydown, You are so right. I have an appointment for Monday and so ready for a fill. I weighed myself yesterday to see where I was. I have gained 15 lbs. So if I can face my doctor on Monday, you can too. Tell me how it goes. I know we will get on track. I have to remind myself that I am not a failure, but I am learning. I am just stumbling around right now. At least I am stumbling. Soon I will be walking up tall!! That is my goal...my desire.

Glad to hear everything is going so good for you. Hang in there!

I am off to a great start today and I wanted to let you know. I am writing down what I eat, exercised, and feel a new motivation to start again. So thank u for your support. I would like to be a mentor, do you have to sign up in a program or just support those on this website? I have already been encouraging others and I really believe it is helping me. Have a great 4th! I know you are busy!!

Cool! I am blending my shakes right now, but that looks like a great idea.

I am right with you. I have lost 43 lbs in a year. I was at the sweet spot, but then I had to have some taken out because I was sick...other than lap band complications....and could not eat. So they took some of the fill out. I am going in Monday and asking if they can put the fill back to the level it was before I had to have some taken out. I understand the discouraging part of fighting will power so much. First ask your doctor if he/she will increase the fill amount for you. Remind him of how you are able to lose the weight, but you are battling with hunger and getting discouraged. Hopefully that will help. Otherwise, hang in there because the sweet spot will come. I wanted to have lost my weight in a year, but my year is here so I will have to hope for more weight loss by December. Keep working out. If you want to snack since you can eat more snack on carotts, veggies, and fruit with a slice of cheese. That seems to help me. I enjoy a desert with 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 apple, and sprinkle with cinnamon and splenda. It is great. Then you have your Protein drinks/shakes. I notice if I eat the right amount of protein, I am not as hungry. Maybe that will help you.

Do you like them? What flavors do you buy?

The sleep test is done to determine the level of sleep disorder problems. It usually helps candidates qualify for surgery. The liquid diet helps shrink you tummy and liver so the band will be applied easily. The liquid diet consist of slim fast, broth, Popsicle, tomato soup, just anything liquid but high protein level until surgery. Some Dr. have a protein drink they want you to use, but I used slim fast a lot. I was scared of pills at first but now I do okay. I take them on an empty stomach.

Hello! I have had my band for a year. I struggled with the gas a lot after surgery. It was painful for me, but I was also sick for about two weeks. A friend of mine had hers done and she was great. She recovered like someone from out-patient-surgery will no problems. Traveled the second day after surgery and did great. She struggles with reflux a little now though. The doctors said that they had to do surgery on the hernia before they could put the lap band on, but she is doing better. Glad to see you joined the family. I just found this web page and I am so thankful. You will do great.