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That is TOOO funny! But I COMPLETELY get it ! You are just more aware. Keep it up :cursing:

CONGRATS!!!! I do not feel hunger either! At least not the way I used to. Pre-band I was always hungry. I don't know if it is the band placement or just me, but I still don't really feel hunger. My stomach growls and rumbles, and I think, "Oh I better eat." I have heard some say, they have severe 'head hunger'. I think before the band I had more head hunger than real hunger! Good luck and keep up the good job!

Thank you so much for MOST of your replies :cursing:! I feel that the band IS working! I do not believe that the LB is the answer to all, I feel it is a tool to be used. With no fill I can still only eat a cup to a cup and half of food. So it IS working for me. Before I could eat triple that! My theory, and take it as strictly my opinion here . I would rather be able to eat a cup to a cup and a half of food and lose slower....than be able to eat half a cup of food after a fill to lose faster. I am not saying I will never get a fill, but I just know that since surgery I have had a completely different mind set about food. I think about everything that goes into my mouth. And contrary to what some might BELIEVE, if I could have done what I am doing now without the band I would not have been over weight all of my life!!!!!! I was just trying to find out if anyone had reached goal without a fill. I am still just a newbie with a band, trying to figure this all out ! Thanks again for all of the POSITIVE posts ! Good luck to you all! If we have come this far we can go the distance (with or without a fill)!!!!

I am not married and do not have any children, but I often eat with friends and family. I eat what everyone else eats, just much smaller amounts! When I go out to eat I order off the child's menu. When having home cooked meals, I just eat what everyone else eats! This has not been an issue at all for me .

I was self-pay (insurance would not cover) and therefore after MUCH research decided to have my surgery in Mexico. I paid almost $7,000 total, this included a flight for myself and my mother, pick up and return service to the airport, preop tests, surgery, one night in hospital, and one night in hotel. That does not include after care. Before I went for surgery I found a fill doctor that will take patients from Mexico, and he is going to charge me $250 a fill. I had looked into surgery here in the states, and was going to be charged $14,000. Mexico is not the right decision for everyone, but it was the right decision for me.

I count calories on occasion. Just to get an idea of how many calories I am eating a day. I do this about once or twice a week. Other than that I pretty much eat what I want, I just try to make better choices. I have found that if I do not eat enough calories my weight loss really slows down. I never subtract calories burned, I just don't keep up with calories that often.

Wednesday: B- 2 scrambled eggs with salsa L- 1/2 cup fried rice and about 1/4 of terriaky chicken S- 10 Almonds D- one cheese enchilada, 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 spanish rice

At first I ate a lot of tuna and chicken salad. I also would make turkey rolls. I would take a piece of turkey lunch meat and put some cream cheese on it and roll it up. I would eat FF Refried Beans with cheese and salsa. I used to eat a lot of soup, but I got tired of that really fast! I guess from eating so much of it on the preop and postop diet. Hope that helps some

I do not know how much sodium is recommended. Though I will say that when I eat salty foods my weight loss slows down. When I stay away from salty foods I loose faster. So you are not alone in this!!

B- Two scrambled eggs with salsa L- Three California Rolls S- Half an apple with peanut butter D- One cup of Taco Soup S- Pop Corn

Having the Lapband surgery was the best decision I have ever made! I know that everyone is different and has different experiences with the band, but all of my experiences have been nothing but wonderful! I would recommend to anyone! I have many friends that have done RNY, and that was just not the surgery for me. I am glad I went with the band! Good luck with what ever you decide!

I have only had a problem with very stringy meats. I had some pulled pork the other day, and I did not do well with that stringy meat at all! I can eat chicken with no problems, but I CHEW CHEW CHEW!!

When I was first banded I had painful burps. I found this to be because I was taking too large of drinks at one time. Before I was banded I would drink a lot of liquid at one time, and that is painful after the band. To help with this I used a toddlers sippy cup for about a week after banding. This taught me how to take smaller drinks. Playtex makes one that looks like a small travel coffee mug, I found it in the baby section of Wal-Mart. I still burp, but there is not the pain associated with it when I was first banded. Good luck with your band!

Well I will tell you I am a HUGE list maker/planner! Though you do have a pretty big list :thumbup:! I had my surgery in Mexico so I had to fly before surgery, so I took a lot myself....though I stayed at my destination for a week :tt2:! My number one, so glad I had item, was a child's sippy cup! Pre Lapband I drank liquid in big gulps and a lot at one time. I took too big of a drink in the hospital ONCE, that caused me some pain. So from that moment on I switched to the sippy cup. I used that for about a week, it really trained me to take small sips instead of the big drinks I was used to taking. I actually got my sippy cup at Wal-Mart. Playtex has one that looks like a small travel coffee mug....not SOOO babyish :tongue:. Good luck with your packing :wink2:!!!

This is a great thread! I am going to try some of your suggestions to see what works best for me! Pre-band I had no issues like this! I have just recently started taking stool softners to help, but it is totally hit and miss.

When I was first banded I weighed constantly, multiple times a day. I knew that was not good for me, so I started weighing once a week. I found that was to infrequent for me! So I now weigh once a day first thing in the morning. I only record my weight "officially" once a week though! Weighing once a day helps me adjust my eating habits to promote loss.

I have yet to have a fill and am losing about a pound a week while eating 1000-1200 calories a day.

Angie, I was banded 12/3 and have yet to have a fill. I am averaging at least one pound a week and I am COMPLETELY ok with that. In my opinion slow and steady wins the race. So I think your one pound a week is WONDERFUL, keep up the good work! I am not sure about the Lean Cuisines, but obviously you are doing something right you are losing!!! Good luck with your appointment.

I can eat anything I ate before surgery just in MUCH smaller amounts. The key is to always take small bites and chew very well! The only thing I have not had post surgery is carbonated drinks, soda or beer.

I Direct the Student Teaching Programs in the College of Ed at a University in Texas. Before I went higher ed I taught fourth grade.

I have been banded 8 weeks now, and absolutely love my band. Though I do have a question. About 6 months before I was banded I got a bad stomach virus, I could not keep anything down. What happens when you get a stomach bug when you have lapband? Has anyone experienced this? I have not thrown up since being banded so I have no idea what would happen if I got a virus.

For me personally I stalled a bit a few weeks post-op. I was very good about making sure I got my Protein and I still stalled. I think personally that this is just a time that your body holds on to everything because it thinks you are starving it. Everyone is different, but I do believe this is a normal thing. I know I went through it. Have a great weekend!

Congrats on your weight loss! I lost a lot of weight my first two weeks post-op and since those two weeks I lose 1-3 lbs a week. I have not scheduled my first fill, and I do not plan on scheduling one until I stop losing weight. I can eat more than I thought I would be able to eat, but that is still about 1/4 of what I used to eat! So all is good. If I eat too much I feel SUPER full and have a little pain. So I really try to portion everything out so that I do not overdo. Now I just need to get on the exercise band wagon! I am going this weekend to buy a treadmill so I can just get moving! I know exercise is part of successful weight loss. I hope you all have a great weekend!

I think I will have my doc prescribe me some phenegran to have on hand just in case something like this every comes up! Thank you all for your responses. Have a great weekend!

I officially weigh in once a week. Though I am on the scale every morning just to see. For the first few weeks after banding I was on the scale multiple times a day. I was becoming obsessed so I now limit to once a day :confused:. Though I have cheated a bit, but tend to not like the results when I weigh in at night....morning is ALWAYS more weight friendly!