2muchfun

Lots of good advice here. So many patients place so much concern on the surgery when the after-care is just as important. There are so many patients who post here that they don't know what to do next and can't find any doctor to give them a fill. If you go to Mexico, make sure you have a support system here before you make that plunge. BTW-Find a nutritionist near you who is familiar with WLS of all types. They can be so valuable. tmf

Only about 90% experienced the same. You're still in the healing phase. Your band won't start working till it gets the right adjustment(fill). Till then, it's just another diet. Good luck. tmf

For me, prior to the band, even eating healthy foods would not have satisfied my appetite. My satiety trigger took a lot to activate. I simply had to eat till I was so full there was no room left for food. Now, thanks to the band, I feel satisfied much sooner so I eat so much less. Of course, the band hasn't stopped me from eating Cookies, cakes and pies. It does seem to help me eat less of those foods but I know I'd blow up like a balloon if I was around that stuff too often. I went to a lunch buffet yesterday. First time in many many months. What astonished me was how large the portions of food on others forks as they shoveled quiche, quacamole, pies and cakes into their pieholes. OMG, I cannot eat bites of food even close to the amounts of what I saw yesterday. That's part of it too I think. So, I know I could not have done this without the band. My food choices prior to surgery was about the same as it is now, only then, it was much more and hey, why not throw some extra cheesecake on top of that too. tmf

Kime-Lou, you're fretting over something that happenes to all of us. It's normal. two weeks is really nothing in the grand scheme of weight loss. When you get to a 2 month plateau, then pull the panic button but two weeks of not losing is nothing to be concerned with. After 6 months of being banded, you're weight loss will slow down to 2-6 lbs a month. Much of the early weight loss was water/fluid that your body stored. Now, it's fat you will be losing. You say you burn 800 calories more than you consume? Mathematically, that's about 1.5 lbs of fat loss a week. But, the scale does not show actual fat loss. The scale will show your weight including any extra Water you've retained due to eating too much sodium, meds, menstrual cycle or carbs. Most of us will plateau for a few weeks and then suddenly 2-3 lbs will just fall off. You're doing great considering this is the Holidays? tmf

Well, first of all, you're going to want anesthesia. This isn't much fun without it For me, the anesthesia was incredibly traumatic. It took me a week to start to feel normal again. I was in shock for the first 3 days. It's just an uncomfortable feeling for me. I don't see where many other forum members complain or comment on the anesthesia? It's mostly the pain from incisions and shoulder pain from the gas they pump in you. Good luck and no need to worry over it, it's a necessary evil. But it does make me be very careful not to mess up my surgery because I do not want to go there again. tmf

Cheryl is right. This is so normal and plateaus can go on for a month or more. Sometimes it's just Fluid retention and sometimes it's muscle mass addition. And sometimes its neither and your body is just adjusting to the new lifestyle. Losing weight is a math equation if you can throw out the emotional aspect. But it's not standard linear chart to your goal weight. It's more like a stock chart where there are days, weeks and months of positive gain(weight loss) with an occasional pullback. See below, the line is improving as it goes up but there are days and weeks of static movement.

What feeling?

Every doctor is different so you should speak to his/her office? Did you get a pamphlet or instruction book before surgery? I was on liquids including shakes the first 4 days and then mushies for another 4 days. tmf

Nessa, some bandsters do not lose weight. It's a fact. But, it's rarely because they followed the rules or approached their journey in a rational manner. You have to understand that some obese people do not want to give up their food addiction. They will find ways to sabotage their surgery and will eventually fail. Most of these bandsters post here and seldom give complete answers to needed information. Like, what are you eating, do you exercise etc. Some people simply do not lose because they think they have to eat 500 calories a day still. That won't work in the long run. Some are angry and blame the doctor, band, this forum. Maybe a small fraction of those are accurate, but the vast majority of us lose weight. You have >75% or more chance of succeeding with the band but about 2% if you just diet. Only you know how hard it is to lose your weight? If you know a better way, you should try that first. tmf

Heather, your post is a very common post 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". Good luck! tmf

And of course, people who are unhappy or are recipients of a failed band will post more often than someone who is successful and just goes on with their life. I know if I buy a product and spend a lot of money on it, I'll find a review board someplace and speak my mind. So, what happened to Nessa2012? Her profile disappeared already? tmf

Another contrarian point of view. I've drank beer from day 31 on. Only one of course. Seems like one fills me up much more than pre surgery. Now, on occasion, I've drank two, but hours apart. Seems like Corona is flatter than miller lite or most domestic beers. Chugging is out of the question. I think the reason why they want you to avoid carbonation is the fizz can expand your pouch and could be very painful. If you do break the rules, do it very slowly. Sip like you're a 13 year old girl having your first beer. Be very careful if you had a fill in the last 2 days. Take it easy and stay safe out there. tmf

Taijos, It is normal and you may be mistaking full for satisfied? Satiety is the goal here. You have reached the green zone when you can eat 1/2-1 cup of food and you feel like you are satisfied and can stop eating. If you can eat 300-400 calories of healthy foods per meal with the proper nutrition distribution, you are probably in the green zone. For many of us that means weeks or months of learning how to eat with the band. It's a re-education of your eating habits and it seldom comes naturally. For most of us, it meant finding restriction by eating the wrong foods or eating the wrong way and discovering that the band won't allow everything we eat to pass through without a struggle. Stuck episodes and sliming were part of the education for me. This makes you re-think how you eat. How fast you eat, how large your bites are and how much you chew, play a large part in reaching and managing your green zone maintenance plan. The green zone rarely just happens, it's a aha moment and comes and goes as will your band's attitude. Hope this helps? tmf

Every doctor has a different protocol. Some want only liquids, some low carb and some doctors, like mine, have no pre-op dietary plans. Also, doctors can and will vary from a basic pre-op plan depending on the patient. If he/she feels that your liver may be too large, he/she will probably go with an atkins type diet. You should go to a seminar and ask what the doctors pre-op diet is? tmf

First, you should fill in your profile so we know you better and can offer more informed advice? Sometimes we think of eggs as a slider food and it really isn't. You still need to take very small bites and chew, even if it's scrambled eggs. Learning to eat with the band can take many months. I know I thought I knew it all after 6 months of being banded but it took me nearly 9 months before I finally got it. And to this day I still have stuck episodes with sliming on occasion. There is also the possibility that you are too tight. The only way to know is to follow the rules and if the sliming and getting stuck continue, you should ask for a small unfill. Likewise, give it some time as you could also still be a little swollen from the fill. The tiny extra squeeze around your stomach can cause some irritation which in turn causes some edema in the band area. This narrows the passage from the pouch to the stomach. Good luck. tmf

You should do what your doctor tells you to do? I don't think any of us are privvy to his guidelines? I was banded November 28th, 2011 and I know what you are going through over these holidays. I ate a lot of Soups, especially egg drop Soup, tomato soup, some vegetable soups where the veggies are soft. About 3 weeks into it I was allowed to eat deli turkey and that was terrific. I also ate some meatloaf and hamburger helper foods. I would stay away from meat for now. Especially chicken and steak. Dry meat and breads could get stuck in your band and compromise the surgery. You don't understand how to eat with the band yet. If you get food stuck in the band, you could damage the sutures he placed around your stomach to hold the band in place. Mostly, I ate a lot of the foods I was allowed to eat. I know they recommend 1/2 cup but I don't like being hungry so I ate more than that. Hard to get fat on a cup or two of tomato soup. tmf

After a few months you find it's much easier. However, there are those doctors who believe it's OK to drink before, during and after you eat. You might double check with your doctor. Go to youtube and look for Lapband, Dr O'brien and video 3 to see what he has to say about this? tmf

When I first started the process in October of 2010 BCBS required 6 months of doctor/nutritionist oversight. By the time I made it through this process my BCBS dropped that requirement. But, each plan could be different. The only way to know is to login to your online BCBS account and see what your benefits are and what they require of you? It was all there in writing when I started this. tmf

I rarely get real hungry. As long as your band is adjusted properly and you understand your band you shouldn't be hungry. I think I shared the same fear you have before surgery. It's just that now that I'm banded, I just don't care and I don't fear being hungry. I found this quote and don't recall who said it, but it seems to fit. "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!"

You and I can agree on one thing? WTF was uncalled for. No excuses. But the band is useless? I would hope you meant that it was useless for you? The evidence otherwise is overwhelming. And I believe most all of us were made aware that other WLS techniques provided quicker and more lasting weight loss. But I know I made an informed decision to go with the lap band as did most other bandsters. Sounds like you either made an uninformed decision or was it just bad luck? No, it doesn't always work, and for many of those that it did not work, they have themselves to blame. I'm not saying the band or the doctor aren't culpable. But, the fact is, 98% of dieters fail. What would the % be for bandsters? 25% fail? Maybe? I'll take my chances and think my odds are good. tmf

Size of band and how many CCs are in it have nothing to do with restriction and getting to the green zone. Everyone's stomach is shaped differently and has a different thickness. Also, not all surgeons place the band in the same spot. You might find your green Zone with just one or two fills. tmf

Not always a good thing for us guys Fortunately, with the band, for guys, it works the other way tmf

If this is an impulsive decision, I would advise to spend a year or so to research this, read this forum before you make such a drastic step? tmf

No, my doc has never been pissed and I only lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. He just kept giving me fills. But it was the 3rd fill and some great advice from my nutritionist that made it all work together. Did you look at some of the other posts I suggested? Here's one of the better posts. Posted Today, 12:49 PM seeme1954, on December 13, 2012 - 12:23 PM, said: I am 6 weeks post op feeling no restriction. Why did I get this surgery when everyone on this forum talks about losing all this weight without fills. Most of you are saying its not the band. Then why would you or I have gotten it to just be on a diet. I can diet without band. I am regretting my decision Boy do you ever sound like me......after my surgery I was told I needed to count calories, measure/weigh all my food, keep a journal, etc, etc....I WAS PI***D! ANOTHER DIET??? I did not need surgery for this....I could do this at WW, Jenny Craig, etc, etc.... However, I did eventually learn what it is all about.....for me anyway, everyone has a different experience..... Having the band surgery is nothing more than having this device installed....that's all, it is not really activated yet....first stage is post op healing, eating the right foods so as not to damage the tender post surgery area, etc. In my case it took 30 days. THEN the adjustments started - Fills! This is a step by step process, adjusting the band, to get to that point where the band really starts to do what it is supposed to do.... It took me 6 months from surgery to get to that point.... That 6 month period from surgery, was also for me a time to learn the lessons that I would need later in order to survive with a tight band.... I called it "Bandster Bootcamp" or "Basic Training"....it is also called "Bandster Hell" because everything you do during this time is mostly will power, self discipline....white knuckling all the way....very frustrating.... But once I hit that groove, where the band takes over...it has been all a piece of cake....I began loosing weight without trying....my appetite disappeared, lost interest in food. Only ate when I felt like I needed to.....beats dieting hands down. Critics say it is the easy way out...I say SO WHAT...I LIKE EASY, and I LIKE BEING SKINNY!!! That was 2 years ago, and the feeling has not gone.....having this surgery was the best thing I could ever have done...only regret is that I did not do it a lot sooner..... But there was a big learning curve in the beginning.....now it is normal day to day life....never have to diet again! You, ♥carolinagirl♥, donna12 and 4 others like this Like This Unlike Surgery 1/31/2011, Final Fill ......6 months after surgery....Green Zone ever since! Hit Goal weight at 12 months.... All medical Issues - reversed!! It's All About Restriction! (Otherwise It's Just Another Diet.)

Well, every doctor is different so what I eat and what your doctor told you to eat could be different? Here's a manual from another clinic that gives you some suggestions. http://www.peachtree...ient-Manual.pdf Wait, I just noticed that Dr Simpson is your doc? He gives you a book and his website is very informative? Did you check with Simpson? tmf