TexasFire

There are a few things I've learned about my body so far. I feel the difference between "stuck" and PBing. Although PBing is a really bad stuck that doesn't go away. Regular stuck for me is not as strong a feeling, but similar, and usually comes on slower so I know to stop, and goes away within fifteen minutes or so. PB is much more aggressive in me, and happens like you when I dont chew well enough or take too big a bite. Stuck happens every time I eat now, usually after about six bites. The other thing that I learned about my band is that hunger goes away yet I dont feel full like you said...but that the full feeling is going to come from my chest now instead of my belly. Its weird trying to get used to that fact. We all want that after Thanksgiving full belly, but I never get it now that I have the band. When I am full, I feel it in my chest. I talked to my NUT about it and she got so excited and said, "THAT'S RIGHT! BY GEORGE, YOU'VE GOT IT!" So that is the signal I go by now. Still strange, but I follow it. As long as I'm not hungry, I'm fine. I just need to watch the boredom snacking in the evenings. It's a pain in the butt to take time out of my workday to eat AT ALL, but when I get home at night...ALL BETS ARE OFF! LOL Good luck with your band and your second fill, Suzzie! And try paying attention to how your chest feels instead of your belly. Maybe that will work for you, too! It's worth a shot!

For you folks out there who have had a second fill, how's it going? I have the small AP band, first fill 3cc and second fill 1cc. The second fill I had first thing Monday morning, and my NUT says if the meat doesn't go down, it's too tight and to come back. Well, the problem is that it is so borderline! I'm not going back, for sure...but things get stuck regularly and it's been almost three days. Anyone else experiencing this? Is this what restriction is? I keep listening to my body, trying to figure it out, but I think I need a translator! :car:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I'm sure that felt WONDERFUL! Keep up the good work!

Quote: Originally Posted by captain danbo I have been told to only eat three small meals a day. I have also been told to eat 1/2-1 cup each meal. I try to eat a serving of Protein (meat) serving of fruit and a serving of veggie for each meal. Now the problem is when I take 3oz of fish 6-7 grape tomatos and 1/2 a small apple it is more like 2 1/2-3 cups of food each meal. I do this three times a day (I change ingredients each meal) my cal intake is 500-600 each day. That cal count includes my protein drink my fiber supp and all the other ingredients I use for cooking. I know that sounds low but it looks like to much food to me. I would like to know what people are eating in order to get only 1 cup per meal 3 time a day and still meet the protein requirements. Ja9va&Insup: I also had a had a hard time making a movement I went 9 days with never needing to go #2. It kind of had me freaked out a bit so I starting taking a Fiber supplement, now every other day I am good to go. I take Fiber Choice chewables and I think they taste just like candy. I buy the sugar free orange, eat three of them a day (6 grams total)and it seem to work just fine. Sounds like you and I are working the same plan. For the last 48 days, my average daily calories is 548, but that is including the first week after surgery, so the number is a little skewed. More accurate these days is about 600, though today I couldn't even get in 400...things are getting stuck long enough that I gave up trying to finish at lunch and at dinner. It does seem like a lot of food! I can't imagine how low the calories would be if I ate only a cup of food! For dinner, I usually broil some type of fish (about 3 oz.) and add a cup of brocolli or brussell sprouts and that's it. I get fruits in at lunch time since they are higher in calories usually, and pair the fruit with tuna or chicken salad. I have a protein drink for breakfast with some benefiber mixed in. I do snack...sugar free jello, sometimes a granola bar but again watching the sugar, no sugar added pudding on occasion, sugar free popsicles, sometimes a graham cracker. I don't think twice about the jello or popsicles...at 5 and 15 calories each, I won't deprive myself if I wanted FOUR at a time! LOL Never happened, but I wouldn't think twice about it if I wanted to. (Okay, now I want a popsicle!) I got the Benefiber and also got a bottle of the Fiber Choice chewables in orange. Those chewables do taste pretty darn good. I was utterly SHOCKED at the size of them when I first opened the bottle, though! Thank goodness they taste good! And they work, too! I do two teaspoons of Benefiber in my morning protein shake and two Fiber Choice chewables in the evening now. This has straightened me out...my Dad always said I took after him, being FOS...this surgery made it for real until I got those fiber supplements! LOL

It's done on an individual basis, but I believe the most common first fill is 3cc's in the 10cc band. (I've got the new AP band that holds 10cc's. I think this is getting to be the most commonly used band now.)

My BMI was 36.5 with no comorbidities. I was approved on the first try and had lapband surgery two days after I got the approval letter in the mail. I have United Health, but every employer selects their own plan "a la carte" even within the same insurance company. The week after surgery, hubby changed jobs and now has a BCBS of Texas plan that doesn't cover lapband at all. I had to move FAST! LOL I do know from AIGB that most who have United where lapband is not an exclusion, they have the easiest time getting approved.

Wow...I edited ONE letter in ONE word, and that mess below is what resulted! SHEESH!

<p>I am definitely feeling the effects of my second fill yesterday. </p> <p> </p> <p>It was a little harder to get my protein drink down this morning, but I got it all down in about 45 minutes to an hour. </p> <p> </p> <p>I took tuna and some grapes with me to work today, and when I got to the third small bite of tuna, it was starting to stick. I stopped in time, thank goodness. It took about ten or fifteen minutes to subside. Tried again, same thing. Tried again, same thing. </p> <p> </p> <p>So the realization I came to is that I can only eat two or three bites at a time so far. And it fills me up for a couple hours, too. So this is a good thing. This is different than how I felt after my first fill...if this is what true restriction feels like, I can live with this!</p> <p> </p> <p>We'll see if it lasts.</p> <p> </p> <p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p> <p> </p> <p>I can relate to the "lack of movement" issues! I eat brocolli every night almost, but it apparently isn't enough. I eat some fruit, but try to keep it minimal due to some fruits being so high in calories. Unfortunately, grapes are one of my faves and they are high in calories. The best is watermelon, but what banded person can eat a watermelon before it goes bad?!?!? LOL</p> <p> </p> <p>I've resorted to ExLax a few times, but I just hate that you never know when and where it is going to kick in. </p> <p> </p> <p>I may try the BeneFiber.</p>

My second fill was today. I received 1cc, for a total of 4cc's. liquids for the rest of the day. I will update on the restriction status, as last time it disappeared after about three days.

I got my second fill this morning. This one hurt! But just from the needle, like a bad shot. I lived. She put 1cc in this time and says, "The rule is, if the meat don't go down, it's too tight and you come back!" O-TAY! So the weird thing is, now my stomach is growling like crazy...I'm STARVING! I haven't been this hungry in a long time. And I'm on liquids today, of course. So Jello it is! Happy Monday to all! Have a fantastic week! :whoo:

Oh and my second fill is in the morning, so I am expecting a few hurdles afterwards. I know what to watch for this time, though, and will be much more careful about my eating. WISH ME LUCK! :whoo:

Oh yes! I've definitely had this happen...several times. It always works itself out, but it is agonizing until it does. When it happens to me, it always ends in a PB to some degree.

Boy, oh boy! I sure hope there isn't a right and wrong to this thing! LOL Actually, other than chewing and no Water with eating, I don't know of any hard and fast rules. I can tell you what I do, which is log every bite I put into my mouth every day on My-Calorie-Counter.com. I always stay under 800 calories (except for once), but many times have around 600 calories a day. I drink tons of water, I don't excercise (but I flip houses, so I get enough of a workout!). I really need to start formally excercising...did you know that the band will give gastric bypass a run for it's money if you excercise?!?!? I think that is awesome, but have yet to try that theory. LOL I try to eat a little bit several times a day. I don't deprive myself of much at all, but monitor quantities severely. As you will see is common with most folks on here, I had restriction for about three days after my fill, which was at three weeks after surgery. I got 3CC's in my small AP band. I'm going again Monday for a second fill, and that will be about six weeks from surgery. I can eat much more at a sitting than I should, and I don't know how long I can be "good"! LOL My lifesaver really has been My-Calorie-Counter.com. I didn't have a clue about labels and calories before being banded. In fact, I had never been on a diet in my life...I watched my Mom and sister do it enough to know that I was not interested. Being banded and living with the band doesn't feel like a diet to me...just a life-change/adventure. Every day is a party! :biggrin1:

I love water with lemon, too. What is True Lemon/True Lime/True Orange?

Okay, my turn to vent: I think I'm the weird-o here, but please don't hate me. (LOL) I'm not having problems eating too much, but just the opposite. And a few other problems are "head hunger" for the wrong foods (crunchy/salty) only because I know I can't. I've never been an emotional eater, ever. I think I've always kept my metabolism in starvation mode because I wouldn't eat at all until 2pm to 4pm, and then just grab something and get back to work. I don't have a sweet tooth very much at all, but absolutely crave the crunchy/salty snacks. So I'm trying to eat small amounts all throughout the day to keep my metabolism revved, but I swear taking time to eat is a royal pain in the *SS. I never understood how I got fat, aside from no excercise and eating too late in the evening. Does anyone have any ideas to help with this? Anyone else in the same boat? I've always been known as "the cheerleader", ever the optimist...but this is making me crazy.

I didn't lose much since my first fill...I think about 6 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. Okay, seeing that in writing, it IS a lot, but not like in the beginning. And I agree, I was restricted for the first few days after my fill, then it was gone. I have hope for this fill, but won't be disappointed if it takes one or two more.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've only had one fill, but from my experience, there isn't much to it. The function of it seemed exactly like a shot to me. (Though a bit rougher! LOL) It didn't hurt at all, just pressure from the needle going into the port. The only thing that didn't go well with my fill is that I still have no restriction, but that is very common. I wouldn't worry if I were you...you'll do great.

cmp2007: I'm so glad to hear that your fill went well! I understand what you are saying about going back sooner if you aren't restricted. As we talked about before, I did go ahead and move up my second fill appointment to next Monday from the following Monday. I haven't heard anything regarding flying with the band...did you ask while you were at the office today? I will be interested to know how that goes...I might be flying to Vegas soon from Dallas. Faith: My sis had GBP in 2005, and she went through the hair loss phase, as well. It grew back and thickened up beautifully when she started maintenance and it hasn't been a problem since. So, maybe we will experience this for a while until we get to goal and start maintaining. I'm starting to get a little of this, as well.

(Whoa! Have you ever tried to edit a post? It's a jumbled mess! I don't know HOW anyone would do it with all those smiley faces between each character!) Anyhow, I was going to edit my last post to include a "THANK YOU" to bigbaby, also, but she gets her own! THANK YOU! :confused:

That does help, thank you! I always cook my fish the same way...garlic salt and Mrs. Dash Table Blend, and it's scrumptious! It just did not work with the tilapia. Thanks again!

I would LOVE to know how y'all prepare that tilapia. I bought ten of them and when I cooked it, it was 100% tasteless and disgusting! So I still have nine left...and I love tilapia! I don't know what I did wrong? :help: Well, I did it. I changed my fill appointment from the 30th to the 23rd. That will be two fills in roughly six weeks, but I just don't feel any restriction from the first and I believe I am ready for the second. But we'll see how it goes. My first fill was 3CC's, and I'm hoping for another 3CC's. Aside from things getting "stuck" once in a while, I can hardly feel that I'm banded at all!

What the heck is jerk sauce? LOL

Oh crap! My nutritionist appointment was today and I missed it! :omg: What a crazy week! I guess I will have to call in the morning and apologize and make another appointment.

I've always heard this and believed it without questioning it. Now I'm questioning it. I am well versed in the GB as my sister had it in 2005...so how come these folks' bodies don't go into starvation mode? They can't eat much of anything for the first year and they lose like crazy! I'm beating myself up a tad for even talking about this, as I blew my calorie goal today for the second time since banding. I just could not resist that baked potato with dinner! It was good, though, and I have done really well at keeping it under control, so I guess it's not all that bad. I just can't wait untill my next appointment when I can get a recommendation for daily calories.

I have a question: What is the thinking amongst my June Bandster Buddies regarding calorie-tracking? I read some of the other threads and see some recipes that have GOT to have huge amounts of calories. (You wouldn't BELIEVE one of the protein shake recipes unless you've seen it for yourself!) I am fanatical about my food log. I track everything I put in my mouth at My-Calorie-Counter.com and try to always stay under 800 calories. I overshot only one day and usually I am around 600 calories. What advice is everyone getting from their doctors and nutritionists? I haven't received any advice regarding caloric intake, but I have an appointment with my nutritionist soon to ask all these questions. I want to have the best banding experience possible, as we all do, so I would love to know what everyone's thinking is on this.