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I think everyone is diff't and it also depends on how tight your fill is. I do not do well with any bubbles in my drinks.

Guys, I need some help w stopping sweets. I seem to never have any issues with getting desserts down. I still eat candy, ice-cream, cookies, brownies and cake. Since my band won't allow me to emotionally eat the carbs, I feel like I have been eating more sweets that ever to fulfill that emotional hunger. For me, emotional hunger is about feeling nurtured. I know my weight loss would be much more if I could let go of the sweets. I especially need to get it under control now with the holidays coming. We all know how many desserts will be around for the next 6 weeks. Perhaps, I could give myself permission to eat one form of sweets only and just ween myself off them. I know I crave them bc I eat them everyday and craving would reduce if I cut way down. Thoughts? Tips? Thanks!

Thank you so much for your support! I totally agree with your message - I need to be gentle with myself and just try little tricks to make myself do better. I have taken the first step of putting it "out there" w the LBT community that I want to overcome this self-destructive bad habit. I have done it with cigs so I can do it with chocolate/desserts. I could not quit smoking so I cut WAY down so now I only do 1-3 a day v a pack a day. Now my cravings have gone WAY down as well. It does work. Thanks again!

In my experience you band can get looser bc it has adjusted itself to the new fill level or bc you lost weight or bc you have been eating in a band friendly manner or just bc it feels like it. TOM can make tighter too. Time of day can make it tighter. Stress can make it tighter. After a while you will get more used to its various "moods."

In my experience, it did take a while to adjust to my fill. I think it is up to you and how much you can tolerate bc everyone is different. Right now it sounds like you are very tight so you will have to feed yourself like you are a baby. Very small bites, very slow, very soft, chew like crazy etc...It will loosen up after a while but you may have to be willing to go back to the liquid/mushie diet for a while. You will not be eating too much on Turkey Day! If you don't want to deal with all that go get it unfilled a bit. GOOD LUCK and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Hey Guys, I too am newly banded and bipolar. I was diagnosed almost a year ago and FINALLY was put on the right meds for me last December. So far everything has been fine in terms of being a BP bandster. I do tend to sometimes get irritable when I really want to eat and I can't bc it will make me sick. Part of that may have as much to do with me adjusting to the band as it does with my BP. BTW, I had to change up some of med dosages bc the pills were too big for my band. I take lexepro/wellbutrin in the am and depekote/serequal in the pm. Thanks for starting this thread kmcoolone. Losing weight used to be a big manic trigger for me before I was diagnosed and put on the right meds. I will keep an eye out but I am losing very slowly and it doesn't feel like that all consuming feeling I used to have w the thought like when I am skinny I will be sooo fabulous everyone will love me etc...

I just forced myself to read every post in this thread to educate myself and also become more conscious when I eat. Since my fill (1.8 in a 4 cc), I had been PBing several times a day - everyday. However I have now learned that there are things I can do to greatly reduce or even eliminate this behavior. Most have been listed here - go very easy in the morning, loosen up with warm liquid, take some very slow and small "starter" bites to loosen you up etc... A lot of it for me to be honest is my stubborness. If I want to eat something and the band will not let me then I want to still try and eat it. After three months with the band, I am finally allowing myself to become friends with the band and surrender to it more. Does that sound ridiculous? Thanks for everyone's support.

What is wrong w me? I am having a terrible time giving up the emotional comfort eating gives me. I find myself eating more than my band can handle and spitting it back up. I did not do this bf I got the band - I would just binge and food was my friend. I know this is wrong and I am feeling so discouraged! Should I get my band removed or do I need to give it more time and hope I will adjust.

I agree with everyone's sentiments. The brain does not automatically switch overnight. I think a big way we learn how to be successful bandsters is by eating too much and/or foods that do not work with our band. The discomfort is a huge teacher! I also agree that you cannot make a set in stone list of not allowed foods. Everyone reacts differently and by trial and error we will learn what works for us. Now, everyone please stop talking about Taco Bell!! I am getting a serious craving going here.

Hi Guys! I goy my 1st fill 4 days ago - 1.8 cc's in a 4 cc band. The first 2 days I felt diff't/tighter but OK. Then all of the sudden I feel very tight. I can do Protein shakes in the AM and Soups in the afternoons evenings. How do I know if I have the right amount of fill? I would think I should give my body a couple of weeks to adjust and then decide? Are you extra tight at first after a fill and then it loosens up a bit or is how I feel today how I will feel until I lose a chunk of weight and my stomach shrinks? Any help will be very appreciated as obviously I am new to all of this. Thanks!!!!

I agree there is a major adjustment period. One thing I am struggling w is that when I get super hungry which I do - then I almost can't help but wolf down a few bites and then of course I suffer the band revenge and I have gone from one misery into another. I have faith that this will get eaier over time!

That is so nice of you - I really appreciate your support. I think much of it is just learning how I am supposed to eat now which is a polar opposite of how I ate before! I am excited about the band - I can already tell it is going to make all the difference for me. :thumbdown:

I will give it a couple of weeks and see how I feel. Thank you everyone very much!

In some ways I would think there is a fine line between PBing and throwing up. Sometimes w PBing I do strain to help the food come back out and relieve discomfort but not full on retching like if I had the flu or ate something bad. I need to just slow down and be careful but I also feel like I am in the beginners period where I am having to learn some stuff in terms of how I should now eat thru trial and error if that makes sense. It seems like it is taking my mind a while to catch up with my body and know that I have to make a 180 degree turn in how I eat now v how I ate bf which is the exact opposite of how I should eat now. Mindfully, consciously, very slowly, very small bites, very small portions. All of us that have weight issues probably never ate this way bf or we would not have weight issues. I am just now integrating what a MAJOR permanent lifestyle switch this is v just a way to lose weight. It is all good and I know I can do it!!! Thanks for everyone's support.

Can someone help me understand what we mean when we say throw up? I read again and again that it is something we really want to avoid bc we may damage and/or slip our band. I often have a couple of bites come back up but I do not think of that as really throwing up. Am I wrong? Is that called reflux? Am I damaging my band? Thanks!!

Can someone help me understand what we mean when we say throw up? I often have a couple of bites come back up but I do not think of that as really throwing up. Am I wrong? Is that called reflux? Am I damaging my band? Thanks!!

I think this is a very important topic. I have been told that you will absolutely know if you have slipped bc you will be in extreme pain and not be able to even drink water. Sounds like others are conflicting this info so now I am confused. Also, everyone says avoid throwing up at all costs. What is considered "throwing up". A lot of times I might spit a bite or two of food back up (sorry to be gross but I know everyone knows what I am talking about) but I would not consider that throwing up. Am I wrong about that? Am I doing great harm?

OK - this is probably the downside of getting the surgery in Mexico bc I do not have quick access to answers for my questions. I am confused by who manufactured my band. It is called LAGB. I do not see much info on this one. Is that one diff't from the allergen and the realize bands? Also, The size is 10cm and then it says full range is 4 cc. Does that mean I can only hold 4cc's of fill or 10? I could ask my fill Dr but she is 2 hrs away and thought I would take advantage of all the wisdom on the lap talk board. THANK YOU!!

You are not alone. I lost my mom 2.5 years ago and I also miss sharing my joys and sorrows. My faith gives me strength and helps fill the void.

Hang in there - in the long run a week will go by quickly and you will be safe. It will all be worth it I promise!!!!!

Honestly, I have not really lost any weight yet.....I feel very little restriction right now. Fingers crossed that my fill tomorrow will help. I have to drive 2 hrs to get it and since I am a full time working single mom it is tough to get there. I am hopeing they will lean on the generous v conservative side on the fill. TBD! PS - My surgery was 8/24 and I quickly lost 10 lbs then gained back 6 so....nothing much happening yet. This site encourages me to be patient which is helpful.

Hey Y'all, I am a new richmond bander. I had my surgery on 8/21 (5 wks ago) and I lost 10 lbs but I think I have gained it all back bc I have had no restriction the last couple of weeks. I am not in that strong weight loss mindset yet. I am going for my 1st fill tomorrow and am hoping for some restriction. It looks like you guys are @ 5 months out. Have you found your "sweet spot" yet on the fills?

I got banded on 8/21 and I kind of feel the way you do. I do not eat as much as I did before banding but when I read about some ppl staying on just liquids for two wks and just soft foods for 3 wks I am like huh?? As long as I chew well I can eat just about anything (I had a cheeseburger last weekend). If I eat too much I do get VERY burpy. A girl from my docs office said that the concern is that I will slip my band and that has not happened (she said it would be EXTREMELY uncomfortable if it did). Anyhoo, I lost 5 lbs after one week and I have not weighed this week. It said the lap-band is not really working until you get your 1st fill.