bambam

I agree with with Jodi said. I have had 3 fills (empty band at surgery) with 3 cc the first fill, 0.5 cc the second (son's wedding was right after my fill and I didn't want to be overfilled and have issues), and 2 cc at my third fill. I definitely feel I have good restriction now. I'm eating much less, am satisfied from meal to meal, and am losing consistently. I guess for now this is my sweet spot, but like Jodi said as we lose more weight and fat around our stomach, our bands will need adjusted again. At this point I have no urge to get another fill for a while. I am having to really work on chewing well and taking small bites (something I didn't work very hard at earlier simply because with little restriction I didn't have to) and there are days where I feel the golfball in my chest, so I don't want to be any tighter. However, when my hunger returns and my weight loss slows I'll be back in for another fill to keep the weight loss going.

I began noticing hair loss at 3 months after surgery. I have always gotten a good amount of protein in so I think some people lose hair regardless, due to the operation, diet, stress, etc. It hasn't been huge amounts falling out or anything - I just notice more hair in the shower when I setp out and more hair in the sink when I do my hair in the morning. From what I hear it isn't permanent or long lasting, just another blip on the radar for some.

If you are 4 weeks out and have been experiencing diarrhea since surgery I would be concerned about you getting dehydrated. If it were me I would contact my family doctor and let them work with the surgeon's office to try to figure out what is going on. You shouldn't have to go through your family doct to get answers from your surgeon, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Are you taking anything that might be causing you to have diarrhea? (any laxatives, stool softeners, etc). I'm no doctor, but I wouldn't think it normal to be dealing with this a month out. Hope you feel better soon!

Some foods don't taste the same to me anymore - especially those I used to binge on - chips, doughnuts. While I think some things truly do taste different to me, I also think part of it is the relationship I had with those foods- maybe it wasn't so much the food that I liked, but being able to sit down and eat a huge quantity of it to comfort myself?? I can eat 3 potato chips and it does nothing for me now. In the past I would have wanted to devour most of a bag. Whatever it is, it keeps me away from those things for the most part - although to be honest I still find myself trying my "old favorites" once in a while, but usually am disappointed by the taste and don't eat much of them.

Robbie - I couldn't agree with you more. To say, "No thanks, I'm not hungry" (and truly mean it!!) is such a neat feeling. While I still struggle with occasional head hunger and clean the plate syndrome, most of the time I'm just plain not hungry, and more often than not I'm leaving food on my plate at the end of the meal. Whodathunk???? :scared2:

I can relate as well. I've always had issues with constipation - oddly enough I've been more regular since surgery, but there are still days where I struggle, especially if my Water intake is low. I also had a colonoscopy (for polyps) and my GI doc told me to take Miralax daily. Now I find I don't need it regularly, but I take it off and on as needed, sometimes a full dose, sometimes a half dose, sometimes none at all. If you haven't tried it yet I suggest that product. I just pour it into my first bottle of water of the day and I'm done. It's so much easier than going through the discomfort caused by constipation.

Smaller bites and chewing like crazy are something I struggle with. After surgery I slowly eased back to bigger bites and less chewing because I didn't have that much restriction. However, now that I have good restriction it has come back to haunt me that I didn't work harder at it and make it a habit. Even though you can take bigger bites and chew less than you will need to once you have good restriction, my advice would be to eat like you already have good restriction, just so you get in the habit of it. I wish I had been better about that - it may have kept me from havingf a few painful experiences!!

I asked about this at my last fill a week ago. I asked the nurse why the scale had only changed 2.5 pounds in 4 weeks, but my clothes were getting baggier. She explained it like this: If a pound of muscle is this big (held up one closed fist) then a pound of fat is THIS big (held up both closed fists together). I really needed that visual to understand this concept. That makes me much more content with NSVs!!! It's nice to know what exercise I do is paying off and changing that fat to muscle and taking up less space under my skin.

My doctor's office recommended the higher protein cereals such as Kashi, or adding protein powder to cream of wheat or oatmeal (I don't care for those cereals with protein powder added in). They just told me to chew well, eat only the milk that is absorbed in the cereal (usually about 1/4 c.) and pour the rest of the milk down the drain.

Hi Alisa - I usually get about 1200 calories in a day. I was at 900-1000 for a while but I just wasn't losing and my nutritionist suggested I increase my calories, that has made a huge difference. While it's not specific here's what I usually eat for my meals: B: 3-4 ounces of Protein or 1 square of eggbeater egg bake 1/4 to 1/2 banana L: 3-4 ounces of protein (beef, chicken, fish, etc) a dairy (low fat yogurt) D: 3-4 ounces of protein 1/4-1/2 c of veggie Now that I have restriction my amounts have decreased a bit, but I still have no trouble reaching my calories, usually 1100 is about the lowest for me. Hope this helps some. If I can help further, feel free to message me!

My surgeon says a minimum of 60 grams of Protein daily, so if you are getting whatever amount your surgeon recommends in the foods you are eating, you don't need to add the Protein Powder. Once I started eating regular food I didn't need them. Now that I'm getting some restriction I am adding a little back in again. I really am not a fan of the protein powders, so if I can get my protein in other forms, I prefer to! If you are interested I track my food, calories, protein, Water, exercise, etc., on dailyplate.com. I think it is a great resource and a great way to keep track.

It's very normal not to lose much if any during this period. My doctor told me to do the best I could, but not to be surprised if I gained. Weeks 2-5 after surgery I was up and down the same 3 pounds, actually was down 3 pounds when I went for my first fill. Hang in there, it will get better and you will see the scale move. This period before you get restriction (and it may take several fills to get there) is bandster hell for a reason. Just go by your doctor's directions re: portion size, food choices, etc, and it will pay off. It sounds as if you are doing great! Keep up the good work!

Like Restless Monkey my doctor said to be cautious of pasta and rice as they continue to absorb and can swell in the stomach once eaten. He advised making sure they are well cooked (having it at home versus when eating out so you have control over this). I try to limit them as much as possible due to the nutritional value.

Just had my first PB episode. I was so proud of myself for having gone almost 4 months without one. Last week I got my third fill which has finally given me true restriction and I feel I'm having to relearn taking small bites, chewing well, and even trying to figure out what my band can and can not tolerate now. It's a whole new experience in the last week. I've had a few golf ball feelings in the last week so knew I needed to slow down and chew better. Think my PB this morning was due to not going with my Breakfast smoothie but trying a piece of toast instead. Never again!! I've never been one to get sick easily and it took me an hour of sliming to finally PB and feel better. Don't plan on going there again. Lesson learned!!!

Hi Pete - Congrats on the 70 pounds lost!!! It sounds like you might need a fill. The one sure way I can tell I need a fill is if I am hungry in between meals. If I were you I would call your doctor's office and talk with his/her nurses about how you are feeling. They can let you know what they feel you might need.

With my first fill I felt it about 3 weeks later - it wasn't true restriction, just that I really didn't want to eat as much. Just had my 3rd fill last week (at 5.5 cc in a 10 cc band) and I definitely have restriction now. The signs that you need a fill: hungry between meals not losing weight With my second fill I really didn't feel much difference and I was hungry about every 3 hours. This last fill really made a difference. I have had to take small bites and chew the heck out of them and it is only taking a small amount to fill my pouch. We are all so different, you just have to see how your body responds to it. Good luck!!!

I log my food and exercise on dailyplate.com and remember when I first signed up it gave me a higher calorie count too, according to my height and weight. I bypassed that and just said I wanted to eat 1200 calories a day (per my doc's office). Just to be safe, check with your doctor or nutritionist on how many calories they want you to have a day. They are the ultimate resource for you to make sure you are following their plan. Best of luck!

It sounds like your doctor feels nothing is wrong. So for now I would keep an eye on the symptoms, but if you're really not comfortable with your doctor's response I would make an appointment. The increased gas could be from eating slowly, you may be swallowing more air than you were before - or it could just be your body's way of reacting to the different eating style. My sister-in-law's band slipped and her symptoms were acid refux at night and inabilty to eat withoujt getting nauseous - some days were good and some weren't. But she truly didn't fell well prior to her new band placement. Lastly, I would keep an eye on the stomach and side pain. If it continues keep track of when it happens, if you've just eaten, etc. If your doc felt it was gallbladder related I'm sure they would have said something. It sounds as if you are doing great with your band and are at your sweet spot for now. Being satisifed from meal to meal, continued weight loss, and no PBing episodes is my idea of perfect restriction!!!

1. Can't imagine eating steak again. The only steak I really like is filet mignon and I'm not about to spend big bucks for something only to discover I can't eat it!! Had shredded beef once and that was enough of that -steak would be pretty similar for me I think. 2. Can't stay away from Tastefully Simple Chai (it's my one indulgent thing). 3. Favorite food - a lean burger with fat free cheese - no bun. Favorite Recipe: A smoothie I have for Breakfast sometimes - 6 oz of pineapple juice (individual can) 8 oz. fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/2 c frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 scoop vanilla Protein powder. Asked my NUT about the smoothie who said it was fine but to watch portion size. It makes 16 oz. I go for a fill Wed and will check on that. I've discovered the things I used to crave and binge on (chips, chocolate) just aren't as much fun since I can only have a small bit of each. Guess it wasn't only the food that I loved, but sitting down and eating large quanities was a big factor in my "enjoyment." Boy that sounds so weird to type!! It's almost like "Why bother???"

Hi Karen - In my opinion what you are experiencing is normal. My doctor warned me that my port area would hurt the most and the longest. Not only because it is a larger incision than my others, but because the port is stitched to muscle. I'm a side sleeper and for the first several weeks I slept with a thin pillow across my stomach so when I rolled from side to side my incisions (and the port) were a little cushioned. You might want to try that to see if it helps until the area isn't quite as tender. Of course, if you continue to worry about it you should talk with your doctor or his nurses. Best of luck!

LBG - 14-15 pounds in 2 months is great!!! That is an average of about 2 pounds a week - just where you should be!!! I know what you mean about inches going and I know you want to see the scale continue to go down too. At times I feel my clothes are more loose, but it's not showing on the scale, but I'll take that too!!! Just know that eventually the scale will start to move again. I think we have put our bodies through so much that sometimes they just need to catch up with what we are doing. With your exercise are you eating enough calories? You want to have a deficit, but if you are exercising a lot you need to replace some of those calories you burned to fuel your body. I log my food and activity on dailyplate.com. I've lost 63 since my HIGHEST weight ever and 42 pounds since starting the LB process. I try to indicate that in my numbers, but I think it gets overlooked sometimes. Still, I'm thrlled with the 42 pounds. Some of that was on the preop diet of course. Here's what a typical day is like for me: Breakfast: 4 ounces of Protein if I have a "meat" or smoothie today omelette Lunch: 4 ounces of protein fuit, veggie, or a dairy Dinner: Same as lunch I have 4 ounces of protein for lunch and dinner and will have 1 fruit a day (usually half of a banana for my potassium) 1 veggie a day (1/2 c or so), and a low fat yogurt if I don't get my dairy in elsewhere. I occasionally eat a carb or sweet, but try not to have too much. That has a been a struggle the last few weeks when I've needed a fill. It's much easier to resist those foods when you aren't truly hungry. That's pretty much what I do. I wish I could say I love to exercise, but I don't. I find myself doing things like yardwork, etc., for most of my exercise. Have tried to get better by going hiking, bike riding, and we do love going on walks, so baby steps I guess. At least I'm moving again insead of a couch potato. Hope this helps! It sounds as if you are doing great - keep up the good work and have faith in the process!!

I currently get Depo injections and have noticed no problem with weight loss. I was banded 3 months ago and am down 42 pounds since beginning the lapband process. (My ticker includes weight I lost on WW prior to surgery). My weight loss has come to a standstill in the last 3 weeks but I'm going in for a fill next week, so it's not related to my injection in any way, just the need for a fill. However, I think people respond differently to the medications, some may notice weight problems with them and some may not. JMO!!

I had my first fill of 3 cc and lost 12 pounds in 6 weeks. Was thrilled! Went in for my second fill - my doc usually does 2 ccs at the second fill, but I was doing fairly well and had a son's wedding coming up so asked for just 0.5 cc. That was three weeks ago - I maintained the first week following my second fill (the week of the wedding), lost 1 pound the next week, and gained 1-1/2 pounds this week (eating 1200 cal a day). I'm going in for another fill next week and will ask for the other 1.5 cc he was willing to give me. I'm hungry every 3 hours and while I'm not overdoing on calories and am doing some exercise, I think I definitely need more restriction. (Also dealing with some bloating issues right now so I'm not stressing out over the scale being up). What restriction I did feel has slipped away. Am ready to feel that content feeling for a longer period of time again - it makes it so much easier to make healthy food choices when you aren't starving!!

Lapbandgirl - I'm glad you posted this. I'm 3 months out from surgery. Lost great after my first fill of 3 cc, then had a small fill of only 0.5 cc (at my request - we had a son getting married and I didn't want any issues the wedding weekend). Since that fill I maintained 1 week, lost 1 pound the next, and was up 1-1/2 pounds this week. I know I couldn't physically have gained that much this week as that would mean an extra 5000+ calories and I've been sticking to 1200 a day on average. I've been sluggish and bloated and think I am retaining Fluid. I'm scheduled for another fill next week as I am getting hungry about 3 hours after eating. Will ask for the other 1.5 cc my doc would have given me last time. In the meantime, I'm sticking with the process, making sure I get my Water in (I was short a couple of days), trying to make good food choices, and trying to continue to be active. I don't do the amount of exercise you do, but I'm moving more than I ever have before. Just needed some reassurance about the lack of progress on the scale and was thrilled to find this thread. I definitely need more restriction than I have right now!!

I too had low potassium prior to surgery. My family doc put me on potassium 2 x a day until surgery and it was where it needed to be the day of surgery when my surgeon rechecked it. I was worried! My potassium was again low after surgery and I had to have a potassium drip in the hospital. I just had low potassium again (3 months postop) at my annual physical and tried to drink more and eat more potassium-rich foods (half banana daily) and it is back up again. Hope your potassium improves and you are soon able to go ahead with surgery - I know what a worry it is!!