2muchfun

"Back in '70 I wanted to have weight loss surgery" You wanted surgery when you were 3? Well, good luck and keep posting. tmf

You should fill in your profile so we know more about you? It's hard to advise when we know so little about your weight, when you were banded etc? Everyone goes on a liquid diet after a fill so that's normal. Surely your doctor or nutritionist gave you some kind of manual, instructions or guidelines? You should drink enough Fluid that your body asks for. You should also go back to your liquid phase of your post surgery diet for 2 days. tmf

Usually they specify a strict diet mostly so you shrink your liver and I don't think weight watchers would accomplish this? tmf

I'm thinking I'm right behind ya! But, going to Mexico in November and the Holidays just around the corner I think I'll wait till January. Still losing weight but oh yeah, its so slow and takes so much exercise to drop just 2 lbs. But aint it wonderful? tmf

For me, I believe the thrill of losing so much weight, the added mobility and how I look and feel has pushed those emotions so far back that I never think about them anymore. But thanks for reminding me! tmf

So many of your issues are contrarian to what I've read and experienced myself? Being too tight and still able to drink pitchers of Water to force the food through just flies in the face of how the band operates. If you are too tight, and food is stuck, how can you drink pitchers of water or even a sip? Most of us cannot drink any water when we are stuck unless we want to excasorbate the problem with more sliming and pain? Have you told your surgeon or nutritionist about this problem? These all sound serious enough that any bariatric surgeon would want to know why this is happening? tmf

Hookie, it would have been good to know this kind of stuff before you signed on with this medical group eh? I know we all go into this with rose colored glasses and so ignorant about stuff like fills, but I think some of these clinics go over the top with silly rules. My only advice would be that if you feel like you are following the rules as best as you can and you're losing slowly, they should fill you. Now, if you're not following the rules and eating the band friendly foods they may have a point. I once had to insist they see me and give me a fill. Don't just roll over if you feel you're right? You may have to demand a fill? Ask to talk to a doctor. If you're losing weight just because you're on a diet, that's just painful. Most of us get the band so we don't have to deal with the daily discomfort of deprivation and the pain of always being hungry. Hope it works for you. tmf

I'm heading out to Mexico in two months and the thought of getting sick from Water or food scares the crap out of me. Vomitting is a good way to cause a band slippage. If you think about it, your stomach actually contorts itself with a violent ejection of food in your stomach. This can cause your band to tear away from the sutures that were recently sewn into your stomach to keep the band from slipping around. I know you nor I would ever want to intentionally cause this to happen but I try to go out of my way to avoid stomach bugs. So why am I going to Mexico? I love danger? Nah! I love Mexico, the beach and some peaceful solitude. tmf

I've seen several posts like this lately and the situation seems like it's a little more complex than it appears on the surface. I can understand a doctor or NP asking a patient to follow the rules and learn how to eat with the band. But, I can also see how and why a fill might be appropriate. I think it took a few stuck episodes before I saw the light and stopped eating slider foods and started to eat my 1 cup of food in the order and quantity the Dr directed me to eat. But, if you're wide open and never experience a little restriction, you could lose the motivation needed to succeed. But even tighter restriction won't slow down a cup of clam chowder, a 16 oz hershey's bar or a large plate of fettuchini alfredo. So, what comes first? You won't know restriction if you don't eat right and won't know it if the band is too loose. Work with your doctor and a nutritionist. Sounds like you are commited again to the band so follow the Dr's orders this time and by all means, copy what Missy said above and read it daily. tmf

No, not having a stuck episode. Most stuck episodes will pass within 15 minutes and you can expect extreme discomfort, sliming and maybe some PBing. But, what a diet you are on? Griled cheese sandwiches and french toast? Might be OK once in a while but I doubt you'll lose weight if you continue to eat these foods. Very little nutrition in what you are eating. Flour products have little nutritional value to them even if they are whole wheat. Once you get some fills you may find that you can no longer eat these types of food so the band may eliminate them from your diet. I know I really missed bread in the beginning. I still sneak in a LC slim bread or bagel with some deli turkey turkey on it. And, the occasional low carb tortilla with grilled chicken and homemade salsa tides me over. But, the band has directed my appetite in a different direction such as more fruit, vegetable of all kinds and leaner meats. Sometimes I think I don't even need this stupid band. But it scares the heck out of me if I ever lost it as a tool. 23 lbs is great. tmf

I take a chewable Vitamin every day. Regarding the question about drinking with the band: First, you should follow your doctors's guidelines. But, there's some new information that you might run by your doctor. I've posted the videos from youtube below. The jury seems to still be out on this subject but again, your doctor may have different ideas on the subject and reasons why you should not drink and eat simultaneously. Go to 6:30 minutes into the first video and I highly recommend watching all 4 of his videos:

You should try to develop a thicker skin than you seem to have? This seems to happen a lot to bandsters. Weight watchers is not the answer imo. Learn to eat right with the band. Weight watchers won't do that for you. Go back to basics. tmf

Another post I'd like to see every day! tmf

See a nutritionist. They can narrow down your weak points and help you lose much faster. And yes, fill out your profile please? tmf

So, it's reversed there? You can't exercise outdoors in the summer since it's too hot and humid? tmf

Your ticker has not moved in a long time? First, the ticker doesn't indicate time and second, 3 weeks is hardly a long time? If, after you've had several fills and have restriction and or in the green zone, you plateau for 2 months, that might be considered a long time. And Missy is right. Are you supposed to be on solid foods by now? That's quite unusual? Most of us were on mushies by week 3 and no solids till 4-6 weeks. And of course, you should not be concerned about weight loss till you heal which should be about 4-6 weeks. tmf

I doubt seasons have much to do with losing weight except for holidays. It's also harder to work out outdoors in the winter so that may play into it but temperatures should not matter. tmf

Insurance fraud is a serious crime and I wouldn't recommend you solicit your surgeon to do it. There are far too many eyes in surgery and too many whistleblowers to attempt something like that. jmo of course. tmf

Before commenting, you should follow your doctors orders. The jury is still out on this one. There have been new studies that dispute the drinking before, during and after restrictions. Below is a link to a series of 4 videos from a well known Dr in Australia. I highly recommend that all new bandsters watch all 4 videos. But, for this topic, video part 3 and around 6:30 minutes into the video is an explanation about the current thinking on Fluid intake before, during and after a meal: Go to 6:30 minutes into video:

I see these comments/topics a lot. You don't explain why your doctor thinks you aren't following the rules? Why did he say you need to learn how the band works? You're leaving out some very important data it seems? I can see why some docs won't fill if a patient is eating slider foods, sugar/high carb foods and drinking band unfriendly beverages? If you are following the rules he should give you a fill. But if you're misbehaving, maybe not? tmf

It would be easier to advise you if you filled out your profile? Height ,weight, male or female, amount of exercise/day and age will factor into your caloric intake? Sojourner and Maya are right on imo. I don't really count every day but if I look at what I've eaten most days it's somewhere between 1400-1800/day. I mostly shoot for satiety with Protein first and veggies 2nd. Some people here average 800 a day and others like me, average 1600/day. tmf

The band is a lot of work and requires you change your eating habits to healthy foods. Can you do that? Can you avoid high fat processed food? We mostly eat fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and chicken. Lots of salads. Sounds like a diet but it's not. Since we can't eat as much we try to eat healthier foods. And for heavens sake, do not consider the band as a panacea. The band will not help you shop for healthy food, it won't make good choices for you if you are a fast food junkie, it won't reach out and take that bar of chocolate away from you. It will help you to feel full or more satisfied with less food if you follow the rules. The band is a much slower method than the others. You may lose 30 lbs the first month and 50 through the 2nd month. But then it will slow to a crawl. 2-6 lbs a month after that. Sometimes months with no progress. Some are lucky and lose consistently every month. They're in a very small minority. This could be the hardest you've ever worked to lose weight. Not necessarily because you feel deprived, but because you will be changing your life as you know it. And it may sound fun and exotic, but it's traumatic, humbling, but deeply rewarding. Glad to see you have seen a light. Keep walking towards it. tmf

His mindset is a difficult one to overcome. Even fat people believe that crap. So they keep dieting and lose and then gain again. I've lost 50 lbs and my daughter made a comment last weekend that obese people are just too lazy to eat less. To keep harmony in the family I ignored the comment. If your insurance won't pay because it's not part of your employer's plan, you're out of luck. If it's because you have a low BMI, you may be able to have the surgery but you will have to have co-morbids to qualify and a willing PCP who will go to bat for you? tmf

Keep the scale. If you don't know you're gaining weight, how can you pin down the offending food? How do you know if you're making headway when you don't know where you are? It's probably fluids you're retaining. Especially if you are consuming a lot of sodium or any carbs? Relax, it's a very very long journey and no need to fret over small speed bumps along the way. tmf

Under normal l circumstances you should be able to see a surgeon in a week or two depending on if you can find one who can fit you in. Medical groups are paid and rewarded to keep their costs low. If they know you're moving they will probably make it difficult to accomplish your goal by November. But, if you do move, who will fill you? That can be a difficult hurdle in some parts of the country? Having had surgery already, and knowing what I know, I'd be very careful about having this surgery if I was moving. It would depend on where I moved and if there are docs there who will advise and fill me? Post surgical care is as important or more than the surgery itself. Of course, you want a competent surgeon but after surgery is very very important. tmf