stylist43

! i was banded on 12/31/08, almost 2 years ago, and i've been all over the place. the first year i did really good and lost a fair amount of weight and was on the right track. about october of 2009 i got a fill and it was too tight. i didn't get around to doing anything about it because my dad was really sick at the time and i was constantly with him in and out of the hospital over a period of 3 months. i went and got an unfill in feb 2010 where they took almost everything out of my band. i came back in 4 weeks and i had gained back 9 lbs. they put more in and i did ok. i got another little bit put back in in april, since then i've been eating all over the place and i constantly eat around my band because those are the things that are easiest for me to eat. i've gained 20 lbs since i was at my lowest weight after my surgery. i'm not totally sure why i fell off course or what made me do it. i think i just love the taste of junk food too much i'm just now desperately trying to find the motivation and courage to get everything on track again. i wanna do this for my dad. he was the one who totally supported me and wanted my band to do great things for me. he passed away in january so now i feel like i need to show him that it can i'm going in to the doctor monday to get a little bit of a fill and hopefully get myself back on track. you'd think after two years i'd get the hang of it. if anyone has any support or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. (and thanks for letting me post this...even doing this makes me feel a little better and more confident)

thank you so much for all of your replies! its so good to know that i'm not the only one who's a had a few set backs. it's all about getting back up, dusting yourself off, and going at it again. i went and got another fill on monday. i can tell a world of difference! i was at 5.4cc and now i'm at 5.9cc. when i was at 6cc before that's when i felt that i was too tight so she didn't want to put me back up that high quite yet. she also wants me to keep a food journal and record when i exercise to keep myself accountable for what i'm doing and eating. i'm hoping that this will help.

i'll put some peanut butter in when i make protein shakes. a little milk, chocolate protein powder, a tablespoon or 2 of peanut butter, and sometimes a banana in the blender (sometimes with ice, sometimes over ice) tastes delicious! :smile2:

I was banded on 12.31.08 and was doing very well with my band and had lost around 60lbs. In October I had a fill and it turned out to be an over fill and I was only able to eat mushies and very soft foods. I should have taken Fluid out right away but with the holidays and my father passing away I didn't get around to it until February. I was at 6.5 oz and had all but 3 oz taken out. For 4 weeks I was able to eat whatever I wanted and I took full advantage of that. From double cheeseburgers to pizza to Chinese I ate all of my old favorites which definitely got me out of my healthy routine. I ended up gaining 9lbs After the 4 weeks I had 2 oz put back in for a total of 5 oz. I feel more restriction now but am still stuck in my old eating habits. I eat the things that are easy for me to eat like candy, Cookies, and chips. It hurts to eat veggies and chicken and beef. I need to get myself back on track with my whole program and I'm not sure where I should begin. I'm hoping that there are others out there who have had this same issue and can give me pointers in the right direction. I need help! lol

thanks for the advice ladies! i really appreciate it! i think that i may look into WW just to help get me going again. is there an online tool where i can track what i'm eating and how much i should be eating?

i think that i have the same problem that you do. i tend to eat too fast and throw up fairly often. i'm pretty sure that it's because that i finally have restriction and i'm not using it to my advantage. this has been going on for a couple months, but it's slowly getting better. i went and bought myself toddler sliverware to remind myself to eat smaller. i've also been told to sit a nickle next to you while you eat to remind yourself small bites. i haven't thrown up in 2 days so it's helping! :thumbdown: i don't think that i have any slippage yet as i don't have any of the symptoms so i'm finally getting back on track and using my restriction...i hope that you can too!

I was banded on Decemeber 31, 2008 and it's been an up and down struggle. I had been loosing around 7 or 8 pounds a month which was awesome. On March 20th I had to have my gallbladder taken out. It took a few weeks to recover from the operation and at my check up for that I got my third fill. Things were going alright and I hadn't been loosing much which I assumed was due to the surgery. After that fill I felt more restriction in my chest so to speak. It is almost painful to eat anything that is thicker than oatmeal or yougurt. I get sick pretty much on a daily basis where something doesn't sit right and I need to throw it up. I was thinking that this is what restriction was like, but I'm still so hungry all the time! It makes me want to eat more and then I have to throw up. To make matters worse in the last 3 weeks or so I've gained 4 to 5 pounds. I have no idea what I need to be doing differently. Should I get another fill so I'm at least not so hungry and looking for something to eat? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :thumbup:

i actually just had my gallbladder taken out this past friday. i've been dealing with the symptoms on and off for 3 years or so now. They've always told me that it has been the flu. I've had several ultrasounds done and none of them ever showed any gallstones. On Monday, my surgeon schduled me a HIDA scan which tests liver and gallbladder function. They told me that anything over 50% is considered normal...mine was at 16%. When he got it out he said that it was definitely very sick looking and was positive that this is what was causing my pain. My symptoms were upset stomach, cramping, vomitting, the "trots" lol, pain in my right ride up through my back. Mine came and went every 3 weeks or so and then I would be sick for 4 or 5 days. I felt really good after my surgery...way easier than the lap band surgery! It felt like a pulled muscle on my right side and I just take a few Tylenol when it starts to hurt and that takes care of it. I can't believe how much better I feel just a few days out! Its definitely worth looking into! hope this helps!

I was just wondering how many of you here workout at home and what you do. Do you use videos or equipment? Have you had success with it? I've been going to the gym but I don't know if that's really for me as it's usually so busy and I'd just like to do something from the comfort of my own home. Just seeing if anyone has any ideas for me

I'm just wondering if anyone else has the same symptoms that I do around their TOM. My whole body aches, gas, bloating, and a severly upset stomach. It's almost like the flu. Before I was banded I never once had any of these symptoms around my TOM so would banding make that change? I've been trying to figure out why I'm feeling so miserable every so often without eating anything different, etc. and the only thing I can assume is it's my monthly "gift". Anyone else?

I also forgot to say that if you are interested there is a weight loss support group at Sanford that meets the 3rd Monday of every month at 7pm. This month's meeting is this coming Monday. Its for people at all stages of their weight loss journey. It would be good to attend if you have any questions. I have all the other info on it if you are interested :thumbup:

i'm from SD too! Sioux Falls to be specific :thumbup: i was banded on 12.31.08 by Dr Glatt at Sanford. He did a wonderful job and I've been pleased with him thus far. I actually had my first fill yesterday and it went well; other than the fact i waited almost an hour for him to do it! lol let me know if any questions

i have been able to feel mine somewhat if i kinda feel around. i have a lot of belly fat so it's pretty deep in there according to my surgeon.

my port is about 3 inches above my belly button. that incision is the biggest one i have (2 inches) and i have 5 total

welcome! i hope everything goes well for you :thumbup: good luck with your band and welcome to the family :tongue:

i like my band thus far, but i'm hoping that i'll eventually be less hungry, tired, and have more energy! lol but i'm assuming it all gets better....right? :tongue2:

i was banded on 12.31 and i've lost around 11lbs so i can understand where you are coming from. i feel hungry pretty much all the time and it's awful. i also have absolutely no energy to function most days. my first fill is on the 11th so i'm looking forward to that. with all that being said, i'm still so gald that i have done this! there's no way i would have been able to lose any weight at this point without it. if we can lose around 10 lbs a month in 10 months that's 100 lbs! Wouldn't that be amazing? Right now I know for me, that my boday is just getting used to not having nearly as many carbs, caffeine, and overall junk food like it has for the last 7 or 8 years. It's a definitely a process but it's going to be so worth it in the end :cheated: keep your head up...you're doing an amazing job! :tongue2:

i know that i definitely miss fast food! i ate it probably 4-5 times a week at least. Since my surgery I've had it 2 or 3 times and each time I've gotten chicken nuggets. I used a lot of sauce on them to make them go down a little bit easier. My cravings for bacon cheesburgers aren't nearly as bad as they were before...lol Another craving that I have is for Jimmy John's! I love their bread so much! They do an "unwich" which has the same meat at a sub, but its wrapped with lettuce instead. That would be fine, but I crave the bread and not the meat! lol I've found that I spend a lot more at the grocery store now, but I'm spending less money on food overall which is nice.

i go to beauty school 40 hours which is a full time job. i decided to be straight forward with them and tell them exactly what was going on with me. i didn't want people to speculate and start rumors since a lot of them are high school age. lol i was plesantly surprised that they were all very supportive of me.

I will be 4 weeks post op as of tomorrow and I'm feeling awfully sick. I feel nausea, dizzy, and hot along with either feeling constipated or having "the trots" lol I'm at least trying to drink water to stay hydrated but the thought of food and eating makes me want to vomitt. This has been going on since this past Saturday. This is the second time in the 4 weeks that this has happened to me. Should I be worried or is this sort of normal? Thanks!

yay for you! congrats on getting banded! i guess i don't have a whole lot of advice for you other than to walk lots and rest lots. for me it hurt a lot to move from side to side while sleeping so i tucked pillows in all up and down my sides to make it more comfortable to sleep. i'd also put a heating pad on my tummy when it became sore and that seemed to help a lot. i hope everything goes well for you :cursing:

-being able to cross my legs comfortably -wearing a bathing suit without feeling like a whale -not being "plus" size and being able to shop at normal stores -going up stairs without getting winded -getting rid of my nasty looking double chin!

mine was just clear liquids the day before surgery and then nothing after midnight the day of surgery. most people that i have heard of have to do a somewhat longer time which i think would have been better for me so my body would have gotten used to having only the clear liquids after surgery.