marthie66

Help! Okay, this is the deal-----back in June I got to were I could not eat or even drink anything! I went to my doctor and they removed about half of the Fluid in my band. At that time I had 6.8 cc's. I gained 14 pounds in one week and was not eating too much of anything, but had no restriction whatsoever! I went back and they put me back to 4.25 cc's and still had no restriction. So, yet another fill, this time to 5.75 cc's. Oh, it is working! I am having a lot of trouble eating again though. I have no problem with salad but I can't eat much of anything else. Please tell me what I might be able to eat, how to prepare it and help me! I have lost about 70 pounds post surgery and 20 pre-op and I am one year out! The weight loss has come to a complete halt and I am very discouraged!

Well, it's been awhile since I have been on here but I really need some help or advice from some of you that have already been through this. I was banded in August of 2008. I have lost about 60 pounds, not as much as I would like to have lost BUT I am 60 pounds:Dancing_wub: better off than I was this time a year ago. I have lost weight in the past ( 100 pounds) and when I lost it it seemed to come off equally all over my body BUT this time my belly fat is hanging on for dear life! I walk and do crunches and lift some light weights, what can I do that will help BURN OFF this BELLY FAT? My belly is making me crazy!!!!!:wub:

Well, I haven't been on here in a few months and I knew that I could come here for some help. I had my 4th fill in January. Just a fourth of a cc~~~just needed a little tweeking! Was doing pretty well with my eating and losing some weight, kind of slow but I don't mind as long as it is coming off! I was wanting to know if stress plays a role in the tightness of the band in any way? My dad had a massive heart attack a couple of weeks ago and it seems like ever since then that I am having troble eating. I use a baby spoon and try to eat slowly but it just seems that I can't eat much at all! What I can eat one day I may not be able to the next! And is slimming and PBing different than vomitting? I know I should call my doctor but I thought I would ask some of you that may have had some of the same things going on that I do!

OK! I'm in! I am going to do 45 minutes on my treadmill at least 5 days out of the week BUT will try to do it 7 days if possible! I go to the gym twice a week and will use those two days to lift weights! Glad I came across this because I need someone to stay on my butt~~~my husband is too nice to push me to exercise! ~LOL~

Okay, how does this exercise challenge work? I notice y'all are all doing different stuff! Please let me know, I had a good routine going and then came Thanksgiving and I got busy getting ready for that and all the things my son had going on at school. I'm ready to get back on track!

Don't weigh yourself everyday! Stay off the scales! I felt the same way and even though the weigh loss was slow I was losing inches like crazy! Give your body time to adjust. I was discouraged also but it has been two and a half months since my surgery and I am now very happy with the band. Hang in there. Give it some time and remember it's just a tool! Good Luck!

what's the difference in the "realize band" and just "lap band"?

I'm still laughing! Your post was just too funny! I'm almost two months out and I'm losing slowly but the inches are dropping but I will keep this in mind for the future! Good Luck!

Not only are you thin and in shape BUT you look way younger too! Congrats!

Are you drinking your required amount of Water? My doctor requires at LEAST 64 ounces of water daily~~~~just thought that your urine might be strong if you haven't been drinking enough to flush your system. And, about the hair, I already had thin hair so I have been scared to death of lossing any more so I make darn sure I eat enough Protein and take my vitamins!

If you aren't covered by insurance or you can't get approved then pay cash like I did! My insurance would pay for the surgery but I had to be on the plan for 12 months and I didn't want to wait! If you can't afford to pay cash, you can always take out a loan. Because with the money you save in medicine and food you will be able to pay back the loan!

Hey, just had my first fill yesterday and when they weighed me I weighed the same as I did a week after surgery. I lost 11 pounds that first week and that was it! People kept asking me how much I had lost and telling me how great I looked! Well, where I had my surgery we get three free months at the gym at the hospital and we get our own personal trainer~~~~so, I also saw her yesterday and I may not have lost any more weight but I had lost 17.5 inches, so sometimes the results are not on the scales! Yeah, I want to see the scale move too but I am happy knowing that the inches are dropping!

Don't beat yourself up over this~~~just start over! Forget the past and look forward~~~you can do it! Don't be ashamed of yourself just because you got off track, just get back on~~~shame is for those who fail and NEVER try again! Good Luck!

About the burping, for the first couple of weeks or so I had trouble burping like a normal person! I would stand up and bend forward at the waist and it usually worked! I still have a little trouble but I can burp like a real person now, too! And, check Wal-mart again for the K20 Water, it's not usually with the bottled water, I found it with the crystal lite and kool-aid!

I couldn't drink Water at anytime of the day for the first three weeks! It gave me severe indigestion! I can now drink about 8-12 ounces of water before indigestion hits so I drink the Special K20 Protein water for the remainder of my liquids.< /span>

Yes, I drink the K20 Protein waters and I think they are worth the extra calories as well, because I needed the extra help in the beginning getting all my Proteins. The pre-mixed ones in the bottle have more calories and carbs than the powder mixes do, so I use the powder and add to my own Water. Where do you find the Tide Me Over drinks? I'm here in Texas and if I can find them I would like to try them also. I know this may sound strange but for the first two or three weeks plain water gave me indigestion so without the K20 water I would have dehydrated! ~LOL~

Congratulations! Way to go!

Okay, I don't think this whole lap band thing was explained to me real well! Yes, I was told that is was only a TOOL and not a cure! Some of y'all are watching your carbs while others of you are counting calories. I noticed that some of you keep your calories between 800 and 1,000 calories daily. I have been told by doctors and other people that if you cut your calories too much then your body goes into "starvation mode" and holds on to everything and you won't lose. I don't see how I am going to get enough calories eating 4 ounces of food! My doctor said to eat 5-6 times daily but still even at that I am not consuming many calories at all! Does your body just eventually realize that this is what your body needs? Please help me understand this!

Do you have restriction? If your Dr. is telling you to go back on a liquid diet for the first day after a fill, that is to allow time for the swelling from the fill to go down, not permanent. Our band is ONLY a tool by which we lose weight. It does not do ALL the work for you; you must work also. Some things to assess:

• Attitude (is everything)
  
• Band restriction
  
• Diet (low carb/high protein)
  
• Exercise (Cardio and Strength at least 30 min per day)
  

If you can honestly say you have a grip on ALL of the above, you may have a legitimate argument. Be honest with yourself. I have lost 20 lbs between the pre-op diet and post-op with little to no exercise because I'm just 8 days post-op. I haven't had a fill yet but certainly cannot take in the amounts of food as I did before. There are way too many people on here who have had much success with the band; some easy and fast, some hard and slow. The answer lies within you, how hard will you work for what you want to achieve? Only you know. I wish you much success. Don't give up, persevere and see this to the end. :biggrin:

Can you tell me how many carbs you can consume daily? I'm on my last week of mushies and I was just wondering. I go for my first fill on Monday! I'm excited but also a little nervous~~~my doctor has said nothing about calories or carbs yet.

I share in your frustration! I was banded 08/18/08 and I lost 12 pounds on the liquid pre-op diet and 11 pounds the first week after surgery. I have gained a couple of that back. I am also walking 30-45 minutes a day and the scales aren't moving! I have no advice or help to offer but I wanted you to know that you are not in this alone! I'm not giving up! Hang in there!

There has to be some truth to this about getting enough Protein because when I talked to the nurse at my doctor's office and told them I hadn't lost a pound in more than two weeks they told me to be sure I was getting enough protein~~~~thanks for sharing, it was very reassuring!!!!

I don't often like to eat eggs either. For some reason I just can't chew them enough no matter what. I used to LOVE hard boiled eggs and I find those are even worse than scrambled. My dad makes the best omletes too so I was bummed. Before having the band, I find salsa better for flavor than cheese and you can get less calories. You don't always have to eat breakfast food for breakfast. Most breakfast things are high in sugars and carbs or fat.

Well, I'm new to this, was just banded three weeks ago so I am still on the pureed foods, but you said to use salsa because of lower calories than cheese~~~well, I don't see how you get very many calories eating as little as we eat. My doctor told me that for right now I don't have to worry with calories, how many calories do you get when you go to solid foods? And, I have always been told when on diets in the past that if you cut your calories too much your body thinks you are in starvation mode and your body holds on to everything and you won't lose, is that the case with the band? This site has been so informative, please, please, please keep the information coming!

Well, I was banded August 18th and the first week of weight loss was awesome but I have not lost a pound since! Every time I drank Water I got indigestion! So, needless to say I have not been drinking water, so I decided a couple of days ago to give water another try and thank goodness I am able to drink it! I really think it has made a difference. I don't know for sure, because I don't weigh every day but I do feel like I am losing! WATER IS DEFINATELY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS!

I know it doesn't take long to get tired of eggs so to change it up just a little add cheese! cheese like eggs are low carb and high Protein. Good Luck!

:thumbup:Hi! Just want to start by saying "thanks" to so many of you for the helpful post! I was banded on August 18th and things after surgery were NOT what I had expected. I had always bounced back from surgery really fast BUT this time was different~~~then I got to thinking about how much older I am now than I was with past surgeries. So, the first week was a little rough but the weight loss was AWESOME!:thumbup:I had lost 12 pounds pre-op on the liquid diet and during my first week post-op I lost 11 pounds! I haven't lost any more, in fact I have gained a few pounds back! I was totally discouraged and found myself on this website looking for anwers~~~~~THANKS! I found so many people had been right where I am and everyone was so encouraging with their messages! I knew I would not continue to lose weight at the rate I was that first week BUT I did hope to see the scale move a little!!!

I have my first fill on September 15 ( just next Monday) and I am just waiting to see how things go from there. I have not really been hungry! I have to eat every two and a half to three hours in order to be able to get all my Protein in for the day.

I will admit that I am a little nervous about the fill but I have a GREAT doctor and his staff is the BEST!

Y'all keep up the good work and maybe I will be able to encourage others at some point!:biggrin:THANKS AGAIN!