2muchfun

It sounds like a stuck episode? Did you have a lot of flem/slime in your esophogus and spit it out? I know it sounds impossible to get stuck on scrambled eggs but I've done it before. Eggs are very unpredictable for some reason. On the bright side, if it is a stuck episode, you are getting some restriction and that's good. tmf

I had something similar this morning but it was just hunger. So I ate and it went away. tmf

Lifestyles? tmf

You're still in the healing process and shouldn't be concerned with weight loss yet. Once you get a fill that gives you restriction you will start losing. Plateaus are common for up to 3 months but usually only 2 weeks. Bandsters fall into the trap of thinking that if they lost 20-30 lbs immediatly after surgery, this rapid weight loss would continue on into infinity. Not true! The weight you have lost is 90% excess Fluid retention. Depending on how obese your were before surgery will determine how much you lost right after surgery. In reality, you probably lost 3-4 lbs of fat. From this point on you may lose 2-8 lbs a month depending on how many calories you consume and how many calories you burn. 2-4 week plateaus are very common. Until there's restriction....It's just another diet...B-52(forum member) tmf BTW-yes, you are doing awesome!

This month? two weeks is hardly a plateau. Maybe two months but not two weeks. Keep doint what you're doing and it will come off. You're most likely adding some muscle which will offset any fat loss but you're slimming down in inches. tmf

It's understandable how many of you came to the conclusion that we should have lost more weight. Most of us were enticed into the lapband with grandiose visions of losing 10-12 lbs every month and the weight would simply fall off. The band would do it all. And of course, all of this would happen immediately after surgery. HA! Surprise, that aint happenin! Now you will have to work with your band, now you will have to learn to communicate with your band, now you will have to learn how and why your body reacts to different food choices. Many of us are still freshmen seeking a doctorate so be patient and stay the course. I embellished this quote and don't recall where I stole it from: The jealous competitor. – Don’t be jealous of others. Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Stop comparing your journey with everyone else’s. Your journey is YOUR journey, NOT a competition. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. If you want to measure your progress, compare yourself to who you were yesterday or last year. tmf

I believe that many of us do not know or understand how to eat with our bands for many months post surgery. I'm still learning. I think I was to tight for about 6 weeks and got a .25 unfill. That seemed to do the trick but it's still a struggle to eat small, chew big and go slow. If you think you aren't doing those three things, and from what you posted, you may be the problem and the solution. You're in great company because so many of us took months to learn this. tmf

So, you're that one lucky one who never had to have a fill? Congrats! tmf

Ask for your limitations and they're yours...Richard Bach I don't mean to come down on you but why so glum? Why is the glass half full? You can choose to be negative or choose to be positive. Admitting failure now certainly won't get you to your goal? Did you ever think that everyone on this board was just like you? All of us felt like "weight loss failures". Surgery is the last resort and it should be. We're all failures here Casey, so you're in good company. And if you keep reading this forum you'll see dozens of people exclaiming how much they love their band. So knock off the poor girl jive and join the rest of us losers(weight that is). Talk to us and tell us when you are happy over your weight loss and talk to us when you reach a plateau. That's why we're here. You will succeed if it's what you truly want. Check out these stories: http://lapbandgalsjo...y.blogspot.com/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/153444-i-love-my-band/#entry1812141 tmf

Hurl! I had not thought of that. Hurling would be very bad and when I was younger I hurled my share. You're right though, I just had a beer thanks to thebestmom prompting and one beer is like 2 beers a year ago. tmf

Most doctors will ask you to not drink any alcohol for 6 months. Why? It lowers you inhibitions and you might eat too much or foods you shouldn't eat. Also, carbonated beverages will expand in your stomach and if you drink too much could cause the sutures around your stomach to tear away. However, we all live in the real world so here's what I do. I limit myself to 1-2 drinks per week. Occasionally I'll have a beer. Just one. Sometimes we have wine and I may have two glasses of wine. Alcoholic beverages are empty calories and should be avoided as much as possible. tmf

First, please fill in your profile so we know you better. Makes it easier to make recommendations. Yeah, you could be stuck. So I posted this a few months ago but I got stuck pretty bad on some food(can't remember what) and I had just drank some Water prior to eating. So, I went over to a wall, stood on my head(with the help of my forearms) and the water in my lower stomach pushed it away. Then the same liquid helped the food pass through my portal when I sat upright. Lesson learned? NOT! I chew and take much smaller bites now but I still get stuck about 3 times a week. Small episodes of stuck now so I'm not miserable like before. But I still get distracted and shove toomuch food in my piehole sometimes. tmf

One more topic/post that all bandster wannabe's should read. I love these kind of posts. tmf

All newbies should read Jean McMillan's Bandwagon book. Over 500 pages of stuff you need to know. Her magazine articles are on the right side of this page. FYI-There are so many phases to this journey it's difficult to say what we eat. I eat about the same as before just a lot less. I am eating healthier. More veggies, more salads, less dairy, less flour, less sugar. Seems to be easier with the band. tmf

Sounds like you're too new to plateau? Have you had a fill? Do you have any restriction? Do you count calories? Until you have restriction it's just another diet...B-52 I would consider a plateau as not losing weight for one month. But you're probably still in bandster hell? 20 lbs is great btw. What I do to overcome a plateau is to consume liquids for 24 hours followed by 6 days of Atkins no carb dieting. I also exercise very heavily every day at least once. tmf

For those of you who have made a snap decision that you are slow losers, it is far too early to make that assumption. If after one year you've lost less than 40 lbs you might be able to make this claim but there is so much you do not understand about the band and the journey you are on. 2 months does not make a trend. 2 years maybe? It's understandable how you came to this conclusion. Most of us were enticed into the lapband with grandiose visions of losing 10-12 lbs every month and the weight would simply fall off. The band would do it all. And of course, all of this would happen immediately after surgery. HA! Surprise, that aint happenin! Now you will have to work with your band, now you will have to learn to communicate with your band, now you will have to learn how and why your body reacts to different food choices. You're still freshmen seeking a doctorate so be patient and stay the course. I embellished this quote and don't recall where I stole it from: The jealous competitor. – Don’t be jealous of others. Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Stop comparing your journey with everyone else’s. Your journey is YOUR journey, NOT a competition. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. If you want to measure your progress, compare yourself to who you were yesterday or last year. tmf

Polly, I'm a big Agatson fan myself. South Beach helped keep me from obesity through the 90's and into the 2000s. Sadly my knees gave out and I've had this desk job for 11 years so I got fat. So, you come to the forum with body function and nutrition knowledge which is wonderful. So many patients do not understand how and why their bodies react to their food choices. You should do great. tmf

Yeah, I'm a scale addict. But I do believe that as long as you understand why we gain and how we lose it's no big deal. Like Elcee said I also weigh myself at least twice a day. How can you know where you're going if you don't know where you are. And Amanda, I doubt you would have posted if not for the "pregnant" comment. I know how some people can be so cruel without the intention of being cruel. My best friend saw me and said he thought I wouldn't have a gut anymore. Well, I do, but a much smaller one you a$$! Guys can talk to each other like that. tmf

Fills do not get any where near the band so the answer is most likely no. The port will be many inches and a rib cage away from the band. If you are sore around your band you may have some edema from the fill. That's why you are supposed to be on liquids until the swelling goes down. Once you can eat solids again you will know if the fill is working if you can feel food passing through the portal slowly or even having slight stuck episode. tmf

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing the next 3.4 months. You don't say anything about fills, restriction, calories and foods you eat? I didn't start losing till I went in for my 3rd fill and 1st nutritionist meeting. She helped me immensely. I was able to shave about 300 calories off a day after we went over my daily intake of foods. I highly recommend seeing yours. My 3rd fill gave me my first restriction and first opportunity to learn how to co-exist with my band. tmf

Carbs can cause you to retain fluids so the short answer is yes. You are in bandster hell now. This is the phase of your journey that the swelling around your band has subsided and you have no saline in your band so you're portal is wide open. You will be hungry much of the time. It's no fun and you just have to keep eating healthy or you will gain. Here's a link to another clinic's lapband manual. http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/docs/Gastric-Band-Patient-Manual.pdf You should be able to find many of your answers here. I would also recommend Jean McMillan's Bandwagon book. Her magazine articles are on the right side of this page. Keep in mind you are still in the healing phase so don't be so concerned with losing weight just yet. tmf

If you follow the rules and haven't lost any weight over a one month period you should be slightly concerned. But day to day is no reason to be concerned. Like Patty said, you can gain lbs just by your cycle. You can gain 10 lbs in one week if you eat too much sodium, or carbs and your meds can cause you to retain Water. Don't sweat the day to day ups and downs. We're not machines, we're much more complicated than that. tmf

Jrae is right. Follow his/her advice. tmf