bambam31

Congrats Becky! Imagine how good you'll feel next year at this time! Brad

MJ1, you've entered bandster hell. The swelling from surgery has subsided and you're left with an empty band. The primary focus right now is healing not weight loss. That's why the doc has you on a liquid diet. It may take 2,3,4 fills or even more to achieve satisfactory restriction. It will take a lot of will power to continue weight loss during this time. Don't get discouraged - it will get better though! And don't worry - your pouch is fine! Brad

Yep... Mine makes all sorts of noises - hungry or not. I consider it musical weight loss. Brad

Well, I'm still a work in progress, but I can tell you that I lost the first 35 pounds with very little exercise. I thought this was going to be a cakewalk! Then... well... it all came crashing to a stop. So I started riding my bike moderately but the weight loss was a slow crawl... Then I joined a gym and started doing Spin classes. Whoa! :laugh: That's when I found out what intense exercise means... I thought I was going to die for the first 3 classes. Then it started getting easier and I had to push myself harder with more resistance. And now I do 5-7 spin classes a week, combined with a small amount of strength training. I went for my 5th fill last week and had gone from a standstill to losing 17 pounds... My fitness level is getting better every week and my heart rate recovery time is falling consistently. I'm with Jachut on this... You have to challenge yourself. If you walk 2 miles along the same path all the time - your body will become efficient at doing it and you'll no longer get the same result. The harder you work - the higher the result - plain and simple. Brad

In addition to Plain's advice I would try, as a test, cutting food into very, very small pieces and chew it to mush before swallowing. Eat a bite and wait to see how that feels. Then very slowly eat more. I'm just wondering if your stacking too much in at one time. Some people seem to have an intolerance for beef or chicken. I would try fish in this manner and see what that does. But if very small pieces of all solid food gets stuck - you're or certain overfilled. Carefully experimeting and troubleshooting should yield you a clear answer. Good luck! Brad

Well I don't want to insult anyone or be unjustly judgmental but wallisj - you obviously have not completely given up on the band or you wouldn't be posting. I believe you are in desperate hope for some answers. Personally, I believe your best course of action is get your emotions in check and then deal with the band. I know if I'm having a particularly stressful day my restriction is abnormally tight. I just have to make corresponding food choices. Exercise is an incredible stress reliever - it's almost like a reset button. Don't give up - fight. You have too much invested already to just call it quits. Nancy, I've read a lot of your posts and I know you have a lot of experience with the band and I appreciate your sharing that. It does us no good to only surround ourselves with what we want to hear. But I too find your comments way off key. I fight with food struggles all the time. The band is no miracle - it's only an assistant. Sometimes it's a brutally structured assistant - but it requires us to make the right decisions, most of the time no less. Brad

Thanks for sharing Jacqui! I love reading posts from people who've done it and more importantly, how they did it. That's what inspires the rest of us. Brad

Good Luck! It will get much easier once you get restriction - I promise! "Anything that will go through a straw :eek:" That ought to get a few responses around here.... LOL :smile2: Brad

Holy smokes! Are you sure they didn't drop you off the table? Brad

Jacqui... surely you're being mendacious... :smile2: LOL Brad

Alright I can't help it... Am I the only one who thought the "sx" in the headline was an acronym for "sex"??????? I read that and thought "WTH's going on at her house? It sure aint happening at mine!" Brad

I know everybody says do what your own doctor says but if mine had imposed some of the VERY CONSERVATIVE restrictions I've read on LBT I'd be wanting to do what somebody else's doctor says... :smile2: Brad

I just love all of the different philosophies of these surgeons... it is comical for sure! Brad

Yah... julie.ann and rafa2 are experiencing two totally different things. Julie, if you're getting adequate nutrition I wouldn't be concerned about what time the clock says. rafa2... I agree with Julie, you're still experiencing the swelling trauma from surgery. Focus throughout the day on sipping liquids to stave off dehydration. You'll see improvement very soon. Brad

This is definitely true! I shriek when I think back (no so long ago :smile2:) to my couch potato days and how tired I always was. But, as a matter of being time constrained, all of us have to use our time wisely and exercise as efficiently as we can to get the most bang for our buck so to speak. Brad

That is certainly a VERY aggressive fill schedule and not the norm. If your surgeon has a good track record and experience with bandsters then I wouldn't blatantly go against his/her treatment. However, I'd be asking a lot of questions and would lobby against a very big fill - but a small one would probably help you. All doctors have different theories on band patients... Some refuse to allow a fill less than 8 weeks apart - mine does it in 4... My surgeon has patients drink a 20 ounce bottle of Water before leaving the office to be certain you can at least get and keep fluids down. If yours doesn't do this - take water with you and preliminarily test the fill before leaving the parking lot. Water should freely pass. Then follow your docs post-fill diet with caution to be certain you don't get stuck. Literally eat a bite and then wait a bit to make certain it isn't going lodge. Post fill diets are another matter of being all over the map. Some docs require patients to follow a liquid or mushie diet for two days after a fill - mine does not at all. Same food after the fill as before the fill. Just follow your docs instructions, because after all, it's your doc that you have to answer to. Very few people (there are some) have any meaningful restriction after the first fill anyway - and you don't appear to either. It took me until #3 to get meaninful restriction and #4 to get satisfactory restriction. I was banded in August '08 and already went for fill #5 today - while some people banded at the same time are waiting for their 2nd and 3rd fills - so all the docs are different. Good luck and keep us posted - it furthers all of our knowledge base! Brad

Alright, I wasn't trying to invoke a riot :smile2:... As far as people using internet advice as Gospel... well... that's a lot like defending yourself in court - you have a fool for an attorney. After all, anyone COULD pose as a representative from ANY profession on here and then copy and paste internet research - so ALL OF US on LBT should be exercising proper judgment. Our surgeons' should have the final say on any questionalble theories or practices. In fact, I'm going to pose this same question to my nutritionist and see what her opinion is. I know there are many many theories about nutrition, Vitamins, supplements, etc. We should just use this forum to advance the discussion and mine ideas... OK... with that said, I think you both are really saying similar things. Although urwhatueat is speaking of nutrition in general and Jachut is speaking of nutrition as it directly relates to exercise. Correct me if I'm wrong (BOTH of you)... I was told (by a trainer at the gym) to limit carb intake for more than an hour before exercising (cardio in particular) because when your heart rate enters your target zone it will burn the EASIEST fuel first - carbs in the bloodstream - because your body is an efficient machine. After than, it will turn toward converting stored fat into glucose as it's energy source. Hence, they recommend keeping your heart rate up for more than 30 minutes so you spend time in the fat burning "zone." Then, immediately after exercising, your muscles need a mix of carbs and Protein for recovery. And the carbs help your muscles use the protein. They also recommended around 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body weight as a target amount of your DAILY INTAKE. Lively discussion promotes learning. Brad

Hey Gman! It really depends on where I'm at in my fill. I go back every 4 weeks for an evaluation, and thus far, have gotten a fill (of varying amounts) on every visit - the 5th one was today... For the first week after getting a fill, I can usually only eat about 3/4 of a cup or so of food - depending on what it is. By weeks two and three, the band is a bit looser and I can eat a solid cup at a time. By the 4th week I could eat much more than a cup and that's when I have to really impose some discipline. During the first week after a fill I'm VERY cautious about cutting food into VERY small pieces and chewing very well. But as the month goes on I tend to eat a bit larger pieces (as the restriction decreases) because I get better restriction that way. Really small pieces tend to get through the band pretty fast at that point. I have a 4cc band and it's about half-full now. Surgeon said that the band loosens because of the loss of fat tissue beneath it, and noticing the decrease in the fill as the month goes on is exactly what he wants to see happen. I'm really glad I have a reasonably aggressive doc as far as fills go. It so helps keep the hunger at bay and make better food choices. Good luck! Brad

Congrats on busting through the plateau Shamrock! Those plateau's are so pesky! Lellow, thanks for the kind words! You're going to be at goal well before the end of your summer! It's it amazing how much better we all feel since August? I can't wait for next August! I did get my 5th fill today and the surgeon looked my chart over and called me his poster child. :thumbup: I bet I had a grin from ear to ear. Good luck to everyone and congrats on your losses! Brad

You know, just for humor, get one of those kids Water applied tatoos of a bullseye for your next fill appointment. The look on your doc's face would be a Kodak moment for sure... :blushing: Brad

I've had an awesome month. I was practically stalled out and then joined a gym during the second week of November. I got my 4th fill on November 18th and since then have lost 17 pounds. I'm going to gym 5 - 7 days a week, sometimes twice a day depending on the classes they're having. It's been the difference for me. The weight loss is going to slow back down soon but even so the exercise is giving me so much motivation and energy. My fitness level has already improved so much! 5th fill today! Pre Band High: 266 Surgery: 254 Current: 209 Brad

Don't you just love the holiday season? All those nasty temptations... My nutrionist said it was ok to sip a beverage while eating, but the key word is SIP... Since having good restriction, anytime I try to DRINK with food in the pouch, I get a very uncomfortable "bubble" feeling. If you have good restriction, the Jello shots might not have gone directly through the pouch either. If I eat a slushy smoothie it even collects in the pouch somewhat. Brad

The whole higher Protein, lower carbs theory is for just starting out IMO... Once you can eat solid foods consistently, a well balanced diet, which includes some reward foods is certainly appropriate. Everyone has different foods which cause problems, especially depending on their level of restriction. Personally, I have not been able to eat any breads since getting my third fill in October. Crackers are a huge no no for me now too. It would seem, however, that some of your food choices are not band friendly - or more specifically - not tutornmom friendly, because everyone has different tolerance levels. Careful experimentation is the best test. I would try softer and less doughy foods. Also try VERY small bites and chew, chew, chew before swallowing. Good luck! Brad

Well.... My New Year's Challenge was 214... I stepped on the scale today and it was 209... So I don't have any idea what to set for a goal - I'm just going to keep on keeping on and I end up wherever I end up... Headed for my 5th fill today and I can't wait to see the surgeon's face when I show up with a 17 pound loss for the last 4 weeks... :blushing: Boy I love the gym and sweat... Brad

Your surgery swelling has worn off and the hunger is a screaming back. Call your surgeon and see if they will let you advance to more food choices. Everything else you describe seems most normal. It may take many fills before you get adequate restriction. Stay focused and get exercising - you'll be fine! Brad