2muchfun

Running scared, That made no sense. If you are allowed to drink then as you say, the sensation isn't triggered? I don't get it? Or, your surgeon says that in 45 seconds the food has moved far enough that liquids won't defeat the purpose?

Read Jean McMillans article on the right side of this page under "Recent magazine articles". Here it is: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/support/post-op-support/how-to-eat-like-a-bandster-r58 You may need to find those foods that are nutritious and satisfying. It can take some time, sometimes months to sort this out. tmf

Could be worse, could be that we can't eat pizza anymore

As you read the many different stories on this forum you will grow to understand that most all have a different experience. So much depends on your weight, age, insurance, family support etc. For me, I knew people who had gastric bypass surgery. I didn't want that much of my body taken away and I was on the low BMI with co-morbids so I decided on the band. I first went to 3 different seminars put on by different doctors. I selected one of the doctors but was unhappy with their communication skills and went with another doctor. It took me nearly a year to get insurance to cover surgery and that's a completely different and very long story. I had to go on a 6 month supervised nutritionist assisted program. I visited with a shrink once. I was required to go to a class where they teach you how to live, eat and survive on the band. Wish I had taken it after surgery though. I didn't have to go on any diet before surgery except liquids the day before. Like all bandsters I was put on a liquid diet after surgery and then pureed foods and then soft foods for the first 30 days after surgery. I've had 6 fills and now feel restriction and weight loss. tmf

"Diets don't work"!!! Just responding to your comment about relatives pressure to do it the old fashioned way. Actually, I dieted quite successfully for about 25 years but I was younger, more athletic and much more active. My knees went about 10 years ago and I started this online company so I sit at a computer 50 hours a week. Gained about 70 lbs and could not diet myself back into health. So for me, diets did work and probably do work for many people but there comes a time when some of us need an extra tool to battle our obsession and I think I've found mine. I read where about 95% of people who go on a diet fail within 2-3 years. That's a very ominous statistic. tmf

Maeg, you're going to need to be more specific. There are 500 page books written on this subject so there's a lot to know and learn. My advice is to lurk around for a few weeks and watch for subjects that interest you. I had my surgery 11/28/11 and I wish I would have paid closer attention to what was going on here on this forum. I highly recommend you read a lot of what Jean McMillan has to offer. Look on the right side of this page under "recent magazien articles". Click on the "View All" button and you can search the archaives. Jean wrote a book about this and she is very knowledgable. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. tmf

OK, I get it now. Apples, eggplant(ick). Never thought of those choices. Live and learn. tmf

Hey, no worries. I was in bandster hell for 4 months and everybody heard about it from me. I whined and was so discouraged. I'm sure stuff like this was posted on this site but I was looking for quick answers to a problem that had no other answer. BTW- Once I got restriction(Late March) I lost 19 lbs and counting. So, be patient. tmf

You need to be thinking of nutrious food options. chips may fill you up but they're a wet blanket if you plan on losing weight. tmf

I just read this again for the 3rd time: "It's just a diet till there's restriction". Until you get that fill that helps you find satiety, you must diet or you won't lose weight. tmf

What are you eating? And how much are you eating? I saw this blog post yesterday and it may answer some of your questions although it may not be what you want to read. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/blog/6837/entry-23410-the-gut-wrenching-truth-get-used-to-it-cause-its-the-way-it-is/ tmf

I agree, give it a week or more to see how your body adjusts and you'll also want to see how solid food and your pouch get along. I had a fill one week ago and so far solid food and my pouch are at odds with each other, sometimes. I may need a slight unfill but I'm finally enjoying the satiety/restriction. tmf

Sounds to me that you are where you want to be? tmf

I like to think of the green zone as the time when your band is adjusted(filled) to it's utmost potential. That's not to say it's filled 100% but the band is working in harmony with your body, mind and stomach. It's the place where your pouch/stomach is telling your body after a small meal, "OK, I'm satisfied now". Some may call it restriction but what we truly seek is to be no longer hungry i.e. satisfied. It's where there is no or very little discomfort eating food, it's where we are losing 1-2 lbs a week. It's a balance we all seek but it's also a moving target as we travel towards our goal. tmf

Likewise, if you don't want to be called on the carpet for posting untruths, don't post. People come here for support, not lies. I'm sure most people view your posts and scoff, but there are some bandsters who are struggling and posts like yours could be very damaging. I'll be watching! tmf

Read the post above yours. That's the author and her url is on her post.

Heather, I was banded back in November and no one pointed out the obvious one thing you pointed out. Hope I didn't harm anything because I wasn't an A+ student the first 30 days. All seems to be well now but seems like so many valuable insights come from this site. So many Dr's and staff are oblivious to important information that could make this journey so much easier. tmf

Gayla, Boy do I feel scolded. I speak the truth. Where, unless you just tuned into this site, you make comments that are not true and should know better. If you think you can come here and make comments that are totally false and no one will call you on it, you now know you can't. The facts are on my side. The lapband can work for many people "They are selling a "golden ring" that does not exist. Expectations for extreme weight loss with just the "tool" of LapBand does not exist." Literally hundreds of people who have had success with the band have posted and made comments on this site. For you to unequivably state that extreme weight loss does not exist is a false assertion. Why say it when it's obviously not true? You only undermine your own argument and make yourself look foolish. There are dozens of way that the band can fail. There are thousands of people who have had success with the band. Yours failed for you and I can take your word that it wasn't your fault and you didn't fail the band. It's OK to be angry and we all can sympathize, but don't denegrade our efforts simply because you had a bad turn of luck. tmf

There are many places on the internet to find food nutritional values. Fitday.com is good source and it's free. Google "food nutritional values" and you should get 12 million hits. At this point I wouldn't worry so much about the quantity of Protein. Most any meat will have protein as well as Beans, milk products etc. It may take a month or more to find your satiety levels so take it slow and easy. Start with 2-4 ozs chicken or fish and then veggies. Venison can be very dry so I'd hold off on this one till you see how your body handles soft food like fish and chicken. This is the period where you are blindfolded in a maze and you are trying to find the finish line. Don't fret because if you listen to your body's signals you will make it through this period with flying colors. It sounds like you haven't been much of a student of nutrition over the years? I highly recommend you buy Jean McMillan's book, "Bandwagon". You won't regret it and it's chalk full of great advice from a fellow bandster. tmf

Gayla, you are so wrong. The ring does exist and exists for thousands of patients. You and your doctor are just flat wrong. But it's good to have whiner's like you visit the boards to bring everything into perspective. tmf

You will hear this phrase often as you tune into this site. "Bandster Hell" is where you are. Most of us experience this until you get a fill that gives you the restriction that will slow the advancement of food through your pouch. Until then, it can be like you never had surgery. For me, I was in BH for 4 months and 4 fills before I finally got some kind of restriction. You may be lucky and get restriction with one fill. For others, 13 or more. Welcome to your new journey. I recommend you read the magazine article from Jean McMillan titled "Restriction, the Holy Grail". Look on the right side of this page for "Recent Magazine Articles". Click on the "View All" button. tmf

Prepare yourself to start an entirely new regimen if your fill works like my 5th and 6th fill did. Got my 6th fill last Friday and I do believe I'm entering the green zone and out of the green mile. I don't get stuck like I did from fill 2-5. I seem to know when I should stop eating(not that I obeyed)(paid for it though). Satiety lasting longer. Hope this one works for you.

In an earlier post you said there is a study that states that 50% of bands fail? Can you provide a link to this study? tmf

Stephy, I'm in the finance business and I didn't think of that. ^5 to you. tmf

Jean, I agree about the refresher course. I sure wish I would have read your book "Bandwagon" before my surgery. I think I would have handled many of the problems and concerns that I had shortly after surgery when I entered bandster hell and stayed there for nearly 4 months. Reading the book now, I'm not sure I would have really understood many of the challenges I was about to face. But it's so good to be able to read now and understand. Many "aha" moments! tmf