Sixpack

Hi, I was banded back in August and from then up to my first fill I was able to loose over 50 lbs. mainly through excessive exercising and the liquid diet. Since the filling began I have been back 6 times for adjustments and at $200 a visit is money I can not afford. Anyhow, we increased the filling until food was getting stuck and was quite painful and caused me to bring the food back up. A little reduction last week an one would think it should have been perfect. I still get food stuck sometimes but am able to put up with the pain and inconvenience. My problem now is that I can still eat anything I wish. My poor eating habits are still there. I can still eat too fast, not chew and am able to over eat on special occasions. Yesterday, I was able to have 2 T bone steaks with salad quite easily and can digest bread and cabonated drinks. All of these things I was told would be problems. Since the band filling began I have put back 7 lbs (mainly in the past 3 weeks) and I still continue with 5 hours exercise each day. I believe something has gone wrong but don't know what to do next. Can the band become dislodged or something similar. I am becoming very frustrated with the outcome and am getting no feed back from the doctor, just requests for more follow up appointments $$$$$ :tongue2:

Thanks again for all of your replies and for your encouragement. I must admit now that I do feel somewhat guilty and that perhaps I have been testing the band rather than using it as a help for the weight loss. I must point out though that the steak night was the one and only occasion (I swear) and all other meals have been within the guidelines given by the dietitian. My consumption of soda is not great and is only a can of diet coke a couple of days a week. My worry was that it was without any complications which gave me cause to think that there was a problem with my banding which has been my thoughts since day one. Through this forum I now realise I may have several issues to face up to and will raise them all when I next visit the dietitan in the new year. I will keep you informed. Again my thanks, and wish you all the best throughout and beyond this festive season. cheers

Yesterday I had a new experience and was sick after my first mouthful of chicken. This proved to me that the band was working, however I was able to continue on and finish my meal with no further complications. This experience showed me that the food was immediately trying to pass into the lower stomach and had difficulty. I was of the understanding that the food stays in to top pouch creating the feeling of fullness and with me this just does not happen and any sign of being full is in my lower stomach. Again there was no restriction of what I was able to eat and everything just felt like pre-operation except for the fist mouthful. I am still gaining weight since being allowed back on to normal food 5 weeks ago and am thinking seriously of going back to the protein shakes which at least did work prior to the banding

I am retired and have been exercising most of my life. I go to gym 3 mornings a week at 6.00am and usually cycle there and back (10 mile). Prior to the workout I walk or jog about 4 miles along the beach (even with my knee replacements). Later in the morning I usually do a 30 mile cycle ride with a few mates getting home mid afternoon. This causes a problem as I am usually dehydrated and also my lunch is very late. I am not supposed to drink before of immediately after meals but find this difficult as I an so thirsty. I go swimming training 3 nights a week between 6 and 7pm and again my meal time is either late or irregular. I have never been a big eater with the exception that on special occasions I do overdo it. Cake, pastry, sweets and take-aways have rarely passed my lips. All of my life, doctors and dieticians have scratched there heads as to why I put on weight. We were hoping that the lap band surgery would have helped but I am beginning to think not unless something has gone wrong because except for the pain in the centre of my chest, nothing else has changed and I am putting weight back on

Thanks for your replies but I must explain that I am abiding by the new rules as my 50 lbs loss would indicate. It does seem however that I am still on the diet that I have been for most of my life having to count the calories and leave the table unsatisfied I was expecting the band to be helpful in allowing me to eat less food and this is not the case. I was hoping that I would get a full feeling after just a sandwich but that is not happening. The larger than normal meal last weekend was not the norm but it did indicate to me that nothing had physically changed. Today I almost choked on my first bite of a sandwich yet yesterday a huge meal went down with no restriction or discomfort. My fill is now at 6.2 and was at 6.5 when reflux and heart burn made it too painful to continue at that level. It would seen that I am at the peak of fill level now.