2muchfun

Just an FYI. You should start a new topic instead of posting here. Otherwise you won't see a lot of responses. Pick any forum? Like introductions or lap band story? 6 months out I had lost about 30 lbs so not much different from you. You might want to talk to a nutritionist to see if there are things you're doing wrong. If you start a new topic, include how many calories you eat? Exercise? Kind of foods you eat? Are you steadily losing or in a plateau? Just give us more information so we can help? I didn't look at your profile but if it's not filled out you might want to do that so we know you better?

Amazing what photoshop can do jk

I believe you posted something like this just yesterday and the replies were good. You cannot expect to lose weight every day or every week no matter what you do. It's just a fact we all have to deal with. Having the band does not mean a steady reliable decline every week in weight loss. Our bodies are unique and can retain Water for many reasons. TOM, sodium intake, stress, medications, weather and so on. Just because you don't lose on the scale does not mean you did not lose fat and losing fat is the goal. It won't always jump up and say it out loud. tmf

Well, I drink right before and right after. Sometimes I'll have a glass of wine with my meal. Your doctor will tell you what his protocol is with drinking. Most docs won't allow 30 minutes before and after and none while eating. Some docs are fine with eating and sipping and drinking before and after. Follow your doctors orders.

You've lost 23 lbs? What are you expecting? I know it's been said before but the band is not a magic wand. There's no genie here? Maybe you should attempt to lower your expectations? tmf

Eat protein Eat cold food so your body has to warm it up. Eat spicey foods. Drink green tea. Walk, take the stairs. Exercise like Kime-lou said. Eat low glycemic foods(high fiber)

Aint it though! I remember many Sunday afternoon football games sitting down with a bag of chips, salsa or queso and eating the enire sack. Then I ate dinner

Portion is fine but did you want more food? Did you feel satisfied? Immediate satiety is important with being able to stop eating for many of us? Oh, some people can eat their 1/2 - 1 cup of food and stop and the satiety lasts and this is how you should try to eat in the beginning. But, as time goes along, you will develop your own satiety signals so just stop and listen to what your stomach is telling you? When you hear us all say the journey is different for each of us, believe it. Remember, "when a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it". Dr. Michele May

What are the fill protocols? In other words, how often can you get a fill, does it cost or is it insurance paid? Does the doc do the fills or a nurse? How many lapband cases has the doctor performed? What are the pre op dietary restrictions? Post op dietary restrictions? Is there a nutritionist on staff? Is there access to the nut? Have fun!

I never went through that emotion. I went through the "Do I really want to do this" syndrome for about 2 years before I realized I have to do this or die young. After I mentally pulled the trigger I was all in. You're experiencing what I and many others experience. You love food and the fear of not being able to sit down and eat a 24 oz chicken fried steak smothered in gravy with a side of mashed potatoes is overwhelming. Well, I can still sit down and have that meal occasionally but I could never eat more than 8-10 ozs without feeling over full. It's an emotion that was just unnecessary. Don't fear, you can still eat what you ate before but you won't want to since you'll be on a health food kick with the euphoria over losing so much weight. Good luck. tmf

You'll be in "bandster hell" until you get the fill that gives you enough restriction for the band to work it's magic. That may be 1 fill or 6. No one knows. Till then, like our esteemed forum member B-52 says, "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet" tmf

You've lost 34 lbs so you must be doing something right? That's huge for just 2 months. And, it also sounds like your trading fat loss with muscle gain? It's nice to lose weight but even nicer to lose fat.

Your post is very common mainly because almost every one of us has had the same experience 6 weeks or more into this journey. Seems like most all had selective hearing when we went through the seminars, research and nutrition meetings? I know I did. I really thought I'd immediatly start losing weight and feel satisfied with a small meal. HA! Not a chance. Some are lucky and it does work that way but for most, not! You'll be in "bandster hell" until you get the fill that gives you enough restriction for the band to work it's magic. That may be 1 fill or 6. No one knows. Till then, like our esteemed forum member B-52 says, "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet" tmf

Good thing Bush isn't still president, the U.S. would have invaded your home by now searching for Mass Weapons of Destruction

I agree with Can-do. Also, you should spend some time with a nutritionist. You sound like you're eating many of the wrong foods at this point. Lots of soups, mozzarella sticks, potatoes won't give you the satiety you need for the band to work it's magic. Soups are good for you but will leave you with the feeling you want more. More Protein up front is required for the band to work properly. tmf

It does sound like you eat too big of a bite and or don't chew enough and eat too fast? What do you mean you make it come back up?

I just posted this to someone else with similar questions? "Sometimes people think they are too tight but in reality, they have a hard time conforming to eating small, chewing big and taking longer to do it all? If you aren't abiding by all the rules you will feel too tight? Here's what I recommend and it's worked for me. Do liquids go down easy? How about cream Soups or even noodle or chicken with rice type soups? If you can consume slider foods without getting stuck you should be OK. Following the eating rules means you are chewing small amounts of food into mush or slider food. Eating too quickly or too big will make it seem like you're too tight? Make sense?" In your case, it sounds like you just love the taste of food. I do too. Getting an unfill will only allow you to eat more and your pouch may not give you that satiety feeling you now have. If you want to gain weight an unfill may be in your future. But it sound like it's just right to me? You may need to examine your need to eat more to satisfy your craving. When a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it. And congrats on the huge weight loss

Looks like you've been at this for a while and I see you got a fill nearly 3 weeks ago? Sometimes people think they are too tight but in reality, they have a hard time conforming to eating small, chewing big and taking longer to do it all? If you aren't abiding by all the rules you will feel too tight? Here's what I recommend and it's worked for me. Do liquids go down easy? How about cream Soups or even noodle or chicken with rice type soups? If you can consume slider foods without getting stuck you should be OK. Following the eating rules means you are chewing small amounts of food into mush or slider food. Eating too quickly or too big will make it seem like you're too tight? Make sense? And congrats on the huge weight loss! tmf

Fills do cause some inflammation right at the band and it usually doesn't happen till later. That swelling makes the opening smaller of course. It will probably go down so you'll be OK but I agree, call your doctor and let him know? tmf

No pre op diet for me either.

Later on you might find that getting stuck is more serious. For most of us it's like a golf ball size swelling just under our sternum. It can be mildly painful depending on your pain tolerance. But for me, it's just very uncomfortable and lasts about 15-45 minutes. Usually it's caused by solid foods not passing through your stoma(band) causing food to back up in your esophogus. Then you slime(saliva like junk) and hopefully some of it comes up? tmf

Productive Burp=PB'ing. It's the process of trying to burp up excess food that has collected in your esophogus because you're stuck. Stuck meaning food is lodged in your stoma(band) and is backing up food behind it. It's not throwing up or vomiting and I wish I could do it much better than I do. tmf

You will see horror stories from time to time. Some people are very very addicted to food and just can't comply with the eating style. You don't diet, you eat less because you're satisfied with less food. Some people can't make that adjustment. Some people have never tried to even diet before and turn to WLS to keep from dying from complications of being morbidly obese. These people may find it difficult to follow the rules. The rules sound so simple, yet they are so difficult for so many. Eat slower, chew more and more, eat smaller bites, look for satiety signals and most of all, eat healthy. I failed at diets because I was always hungry. It was uncomfortable. I don't want to feel that way. I don't feel like that anymore. tmf

Your profile doesn't make your suggestion irrelevent. It's just difficult to know what level of experience you're at with only 17 posts? And throwing up is not good. PB'ing isn't either but I know we all do it. And it's OK for it to go through the band but very uncomfortable before it does. That's why we PB? Your font is very small. I've seen this a lot today from some other new forum members? Did you change the font or font size? Hard to read, you might want to try to make it bigger? tmf

If you can swallow soups or slider foods with no problem, you should be OK. Eating small, chewing big is pretty much the same if you do it right and I still get stuck 2-3 times a week myself.