2muchfun

It is. Drink more. Just don't guzzle. And you will be hungry till you get a fill that gives you restriction. Until then it's just another diet. Bet no one told you about that did they? tmf

My nut also suggested jerky. I buy these packages of beef jerky at Costco. Each package has about 20 individual 3-4 oz packets with about 90 calories each. Great for a snack and helps with stimulating the vagus nerve so it keeps me satisfied. tmf

If you're going to eat meat like that you better be sure your mouth can imitate a high quality food processor. Even then there's no guarantee. And one more thing? Some people do swallow Water to help dislodge food but it only creates more pain and pressure for me so I stop everything and wait an hour or so for the pouch to massage that bolus of food through the stoma. So far, so good.

150 lbs would be just fine I would think? A heart to heart, mind to mind sit down with your know it all doctor is in order.

6

If you are exercising by now you might want to add the Protein drinks. Protein is necessary to build and retain muscle mass. Otherwise you will be losing fat, Water and muscle. Protein helps to satiate your appetite for longer periods of time(not your problem, yet). tmf

Very good idea! Please post here when the list is started(finished will never come): My List: I did this because I failed at every other method and attempt(many times). I want to live to see my grandkids grow up. I want to be active for many years to come. I love the freedom that skinny gives me. I want to tie my shoes, put on my socks without holding my breath. I love that my clothes fit. I wanted to regain control of my life. The confidence of conquering my addiction has made me fearless. To Be Continued... tmf

I understand the fear. I was scared Sh**less that I didn't think I could handle not eating my comfort foods. It's like they were going to take away my binky!! Fact is, I still can but I don't crave those foods anymore. Here's a comment from another guy who went through this ordeal. I don't recall who he is but I like his attitude: "In my case, the most fearful thing I had to do in order to succeed with my band wasn't switching to skim milk, surviving a liquid diet, or giving up bread. The most fearful thing was giving up my emotional attachment to food. In the nearly 5 years since I was banded, I've made a lot of progress with that, but the attachment is still there. It forms one of the innermost layers of my turtle shell. Working on that layer will probably be a lifetime job for me. At times I'm not even sure I truly want to get rid of it altogether. At times I'm afraid that if I shed my shell completely, I won't be able to survive. On the other hand, I seem to be doing fine without that thick old b***h layer. So I'm going to pay attention to my dreams rather than my fears and pray for a miracle. And why not? It can't hurt to try!" tmf

Let's assume you're 20 lbs overweight since we don't know much about you? I know I'd have a real good sitdown with that doctor. Doctors are used to getting their way. They're sort of a God in their own office and rarely get challenged. You might have to be very aggressive with him or change doctors. Healthgrades is a company that rates doctors and if he's being a prick you can threaten him with bad reviews, not that that will persuade him. But, it's your body. If you're still overweight, he should listen. And if you do edit your profile(and you should). It's much easier on a PC. tmf

Terry, there's an edit button at the bottom of your post. Click on it and delete what you posted and leave it blank or replace it with something else. editing abouit 3 hours after posting. tmf

That's why God invented burping

Please fill in your profile?

May I quote you in the future? That was a good one. tmf

Don't be so sure? It took me 4 fills to start to lose weight and I've seen many more that took more than that. One fill did nada for me. IF, she's lucky, one fill may give her some restriction but there is no certainty of this. tmf

Probably, but anyone would be hungry if they are on liquids.

What are his fill protocols? You don't want some doc who is ultra conservative and only gives fills every 2 months and only gives .5 CCs per fill. How often can you get filled? Does he give out his cell number for emergency calls? Does he charge for fills? And for how long? Is there a nutritionist on staff? How many bands has he placed? Should be 500+ What about drinking and eating at the same time? What other expenses can you expect? Some docs use out of network surgery assistants and they bill you separately? What are his dietary protocols after surgery?

Laparscopic for me and I've never heard of the surgery being done any other way but I suppose it's a possibility? No pre op diet for me. Also, I think some docs do it with every patient, some with none of their patients and some docs modify their protocol depending on the patients weight, mind set and current health? tmf

BTW-There are some new docs in the area who are just getting their practice up and running. If you have insurance they can bill, I would think they would take you in just for some income. tmf

In case no one answered your reply, I was banded Nov 28 2011 and lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks. Then nothing for the next 3.5 months. I felt a little restriction with fill #3 and then fill #4 really did it and my weight loss took off. It sucks, you're in "bandster hell" till you start to get restriction. I was pissed off for quite a while because I thought I'd have restriction immediately but of course, I didn't. It turns out that this is all a good thing. It takes time to learn how to eat right with the band. It took me about 10 months to learn the lessons and I still think I'm learning. Welcome to Denver in advance. tmf

One of the bariatric nurses at North Suburban said Dr. G takes patients outside his practice. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/surgeons/197-doru-georgescu/

Most people cannot feel their stomachs. You're most likely in "bandster hell" and will be till you get that fill that gives you enough restriction to feel satisfied. tmf

You should fill out your profile?

Burping is one of the signals that you've had enough food. If you're getting stuck you're probably not eating small enough bites or not chewing enough? I assume you're eating solids?

If it was stuck before the band, I don't see how your band was too tight? The fluid would have gathered at your stoma and not your esophogus? Surely you would have had many stuck episodes over the last 18 months if this were true? Are you seeing a bariatric doc or just a surgeon? Was this NP part of the bariatric surgeons practice or just with your medical plan? tmf

Sounds like a stuck episode.