coloradobanding

I was unfilled for approx. 12 weeks and absolutely LOVED it!! As a disclaimer, I have always aspired to lose weight with restriction until I learned how to eat, and then planned on living with an unfilled band (just FYI). Personally, I found it much easier to eat the right foods (chicken breast, broccoli, carrots, etc.) and did so regularly. You can eat slider foods with the band full or empty, so you are always going to rely on some kind of will power. I felt so free without a fill that I was anxious and unafraid to eat the good foods. I have a very small fill (2cc in 10cc band) and that is definitely my "sweet spot." My advice is to look forward to being unfilled and use the opportunity to eat the good foods (those that bandsters usually have a problem eating while restricted) without issue. I don't see unfilling as a problem, I see it as the solution, but that is just me! Good luck, you can do this!

There are many different anecdotes to curtail hair loss, including Protein intake. I personally had more than my required protein intake daily since day 1 so the protein theory was not my issue; don't know what was. I had the exact same problem, but it has just recently began to stop (8+ months out for me). My doctor told me that hair loss at 4-6 months out from surgery (most surgeries) is normal because of the shock to the body. The good news is that he also told me that when the thinning/fall out stops, your hair will grow back thicker and quicker than pre-surgery. My hair is very long and thick, so I'm not looking forward to the "thicker" part, but every doctor and person for that matter, has an opinion on this and it's different for everyone I'm sure. Don't worry, you will be fine. My hair loss lasted about 8 weeks or so, which is what my Dr indicated. Hang in there, no wigs, just new clothes!:frown:

Just wanted to see how everyone is doing, this is a great thread! I've lost the "bulk" of the weight I wanted to lose after surgery and am very happy with my size now (14-no W, just a regular 14!) although I do intend to keep losing. Now that I have a little prospective I wanted to post my list... Never again...will I be the fat mom picking up my kids at school...now I'm the "Hot" mom Never again...will I shop in the plus-sized section of ANY store. I only shop "normal" sizes. Went from 2x to L Never again...will I hesitate to buy a tank top for fear of my flabby arms. My arms are getting toned and are "regular" not fat Never again..will I wear capri pants in 100 degree heat in Florida because I'm embarassed to wear shorts Never again...will I avoid shopping at The Forum (at Caesars) because I can't fit into anything at any store Never again..will I wonder if my children are proud of me :biggrin:

I know this sounds odd, but cooking for my family actually HELPED me!! I had no desire to eat it, but cooking made me feel normal and alive. I hope the same goes for you. Good luck to all of you, you're going to do GREAT!!!:biggrin:

I would also suggest oatmeal and soup as well. One trick I learned is that if there is a taco bell around I can make anything work. I will order a burrito with lots of Protein (Beans, chicken, etc-wouldn't get chicken that close to surgery) and a little cheese & sour cream (very little as is high in fat). Then I just unwrap the burrito and take a fork and eat.

CONGRATULATIONS DEEK!!! I can tell in your posts that you are confident and excited on your decision, and I'm so happy for you!!! Please let us know how you're doing or if you have any questions. I would also suggest not telling anyone who doesn't absolutely need to know. It is SOOOO much easier dealing with your lifestyle change without the rest of the world watching. Best of luck, and again, congratulations!

It can take time, be patient! You've lost nearly 50lbs in just under 3 months which is HUGE!! You should relish in the fact that there is 40+lbs off of you! Regardless of how you see yourself, you should be very proud!

My doctor said 4-6 weeks. I waited a full 8 weeks and still had a little port pain. Every doctor is different, hope you feel better!!

I do better understand your point, thanks for the post. To clarify, I had already done everything you listed and much, much more. I have been overweight since age 7. I saw 3 doctors before the age of 13. I was on 17 diets before the age of 16. I did WW, Jenny Craig, 6 week makeover, Atkins, South Beach, had 2 trainers, 2 gym memberships, paid for a nutritionist, went to a weight loss doctor, did phen-fen (back in the day before it was banned), phentermine, hoodia, 2-day diet, and the list could go on and on. So I'm hoping that will take me off the list of those who "never gave weight loss a true, honest try in the past." For some reason, I think the severity of the decision for surgery, has kick started something in me that nothing else has. Maybe the risk of the surgery, or the fear of not following the doctors orders and hurting my body did, I don't know, maybe all of it maybe none of it. Maybe somehow it got into my head and "flipped the switch" so to speak I don't know but it worked. I needed to take off an enormous amount of weight and that was just too overwhelming to even think about without LBS. After I took it off, I certainly didn't want to live the rest of my life "fighting my food." I wanted to confidence to eat pizza if I wanted it, just not 2 pieces..only 1. I wanted the ability to go on vacation and NOT have to wonder "can I eat this, should I eat that" etc. I always wanted to be "normal" which to me was eating without restriction or fear. But being able to make sensible decisions and be confident that I am in control, not my mind, not the band, but ME. I like the point you made about not learning "diddly." You stated it perfectly I think. You stated that you had therapy, classes, etc. but it wasn't what you already knew. SO TRUE!! The big difference for me, is instead of just "hearing" it, I "listened" and decided to take action to change. So far it's working like a charm, and I think anyone who has TRULY changed their lifestyle (not just heard what they SHOULD do and NOT do it), but truly CHANGED their lifestyle, life without fills is TOTALLY attainable!! Just my .02

I have another I just have to share!! I went to a friends party (birthday party for her twin boys) and I was SHOCKED to see how big she was! This person and I have always been about the same size and in constant competition with eachother as long as I can remember (good competition, not cat fight :biggrin:) I knew in the back of my head how LONG and HARD she took to pick out the perfect outfit and she looked REALLY REALLY bad! You could tell she was wearing Spanx under her pants (which were really tight) and her blouse was too tight as well. At the beginning of this year she was a good 2-4 sizes smaller than me, and it made me so jealous! I was looking at her clothes and thinking how much smaller I was and guesstimating that I was 4 sizes smaller than HER!! She told me I looked great, and I felt it too. The real kicker is, that people that I used to aspire to be as small as, were asking me my diet secrets, and I was smaller than them..IT WAS AWESOME PEOPLE!!!!! :blushing: Oh one more to add (don't mean to gloat, but it makes me so happy), I saw pictures of me when I had lost weight in my 20's (I'll be 40 in less than 2 weeks) and felt fantastic. Well that picture is 2 sizes bigger than I am now, and I look better TODAY then I did in my 20's! I LOVE MY BAND and new HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!!!

Everyone has an opinion, and I enjoy reading your posts. However, I still don't understand how you can equate learning a new lifestyle with the band vs. should have known it all along. Maybe you're not understanding me, or I'm not understanding you. Either way, here is an example of what I'm trying to convey. All my life I've been told to eat my veggies, avoid sugars, avoid fats, fast food, etc. All my life I've been told I need to exercise to be healthy. All my life I've been told to eat less and I will lose weight. Are all these true? YES! Did I follow this advice? NO! Why? Because that was not what my body was "trained" to do. I "trained" it to eat fatty foods and be sedentary. Did I know that by changing my behavior my weight would change as well..YES. But did I do it? NO. WHY? I didn't know how to start or maintain it and got overwhelmed so I just "threw in the towel" and decided I was destined to be fat my whole life. THEN WAIT...Weight Loss Surgery :biggrin: The answer to my prayers right? I will just have the surgery and won't have to worry about diet or weight anymore, it will just come off...WRONG! Those misconceptions I had before I got educated about the surgery were hard to deal with. But I decided I was serious about losing weight, so I would do "whatever it took" to get the surgery and take off the weight. Fast forward to today. After almost 9 months of eating the way I should to be healthy, and working out the way I should to be healthy, I'm smaller than I've been in over a decade! The band PROHIBITED me from eating large amounts, and the Dr. PROHIBITED me from eating things I shouldn't as it would damage my body from the surgery. NOW that I have done this for this long (many months with no fill at all) I STILL maintained my diet regime and exercise WITHOUT the NEED for the band. HOWEVER, that said, having that "safety net" if I were ever to "fall off the wagon" is WONDERFUL and does help me to stay on track. If you're implying that I could've lost the weight I've lost and changed my lifestyle without the band, you are COMPLETELY WRONG!!!! There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I would've done this without surgery, and I am so thankful it helped me get to where I am. I NEVER had this surgery to use it for restriction alone. I looked for it to do what it was "advertised" to do. Which was to begin with restriction, all the while helping me make better choices. No the band doesn't do that, but the counseling and follow-up doctors visits and support groups DO! I agree that people can "eat around the band" and other things, but I believe that those people are in the minority. People who go to this extreme (surgery) are serious about losing weight and will change whatever needs to be changed to achieve long term weight loss success. This is just my experience and opinion. But please don't assume that because the band "taught" me how to eat and what to do to maintain weight loss, that I could've done it without the band, that is absolutely the farthest thing from accurate I can think of. I understand you way of thinking and reasoning, but in my case, and many others I'm sure, that reasoning doesn't apply

I completely disagree with this opinion. I definitely needed the band to begin with for many reasons, but mainly because I needed to change my lifestyle and take off a lot of weight. To say that if you can manage with the band after you have successfully changed your lifestyle, you never needed the band in the first place is completely inaccurate IMO. I agree that those who manage to take off the weight and maintain it on their own, without the band, is hard and many do regain. However, if a band patient begins to gain the weight, they can begin getting fills again, which is completely different than someone who lost it with Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. I absolutely NEVER stated or referred to getting unfilled then going back to a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, what I did state, is that if you do use the band as a tool, and it actually did teach you to change your lifestyle, then you don't need it; which I absolutely stand by 100%. Of course if someone gets an unfill, and they go back to bad eating habits and don't work out they're going to gain, that's apparent. My point is that if they TRULY changed their lifestyle to included proper eating and exercise, they don't need to band for restriction. I certainly didn't go through all this trouble, expense, surgery, recovery and hard work to EVER equate the band placed inside me to an "accessory" and would never think of equating it to such as you did in your post. My point is that everyone works the band how they see fit. My opinion is MY opinion and what is working for me. I agree that many people who have WLS did so for different reasons. And I agree that many probably rely on the band for a lifetime. But I'm sure I'm not the only one who uses it in this way. I'm not advocating that my success will be the same for anyone else. She posted a question, and I posted my opinion in my reply. However, I don't appreciate the implication that I never needed it in the first place just because I have the audacity to use it as it was intended. And have the gall to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regime with little or no Fluid in my band. May I be in the minority? Sure I can, but those who take the weight off, and KEEP it off, all have one thing in common, and it's not a band. It's a healthy diet, exercise and a complete lifestyle change.

I would highly suggest you call your doctor and demand they do tests to see if your band has a leak. I would never accept an answer like the one you received with such an important issue with my health. If you doctor still handles this request with such a flippant attitude, I would immediately go to a different doctor, up front money or not.

Even though the food is pureed, I would suggest against foods that are that high in fat. The dressing and potato salad are way high in carbs and fat. My Dr. wouldn't allow such things in my post-op diet. It was very specific. Just my .02

I will likely be in the minority here, but here goes. I TOTALLY suggest getting an unfill! For many of the reasons you listed, but for many more that you didn't. I personally got the band to REALLY use it as a "tool". I wanted it to restrict my eating and basically "force" me to eat correctly, slowly and less. It HAS worked and I am thankful. But I NEVER got the band with the intention of keeping it filled until I have issues. Once I figured out what I needed to do, and what I needed to eat, I am ready to get a complete unfill FOREVER!! I have done exactly what I wanted to do thus far, and have had the absolute BEST experience with the band I think possible. If you do get an unfill, and you begin going back to your old habits, get a small fill and work yourself up from there. The band has always been advertised as a "tool" to help people lose weight. We all know it takes a lot of hard work to get this weight off and make a lifestyle change. Once that is done, and you're comfortable with your progress, I see no issues whatsoever about getting a complete unfill. ESPECIALLY if it is causing issues! I would think that those who are at or below goal would not need the band anymore, but I see that it is not the case in general. I see many people who are terrified that, without the band filled, the weight will come back in. In my opinion, if you've really made the changes necessary to lose the weight and keep it off, the band is useless, thus, so are fills. That's my .02

I would caution you to be prepared to struggle to find food while traveling, I know I had a very hard time (no rental car). I would suggest yogurts and scrambled eggs whenever you can find them, and also supplement with Protein shakes. That soon after surgery I would not eat any chicken breast or other "caution" foods. Cottage cheese is also good and filling. If there is a mexican restaurant or mexican food choices, you can often get refried Beans with cheese or something similar. It can be done, but it will take some effort, best of luck!

Congratulations everyone!!! That is a HUGE milestone for most of us, including me. I'm not there yet, but I am so close I can taste it!! Keep up the good work, and "slow but sure" is really the absolute BEST way to lose weight!! Although the frustration can test us to the limit, we will not have saggy skin, saggy neck or need cosmetic surgery. On top of that, the slower you lose, the more likely you are to keep it off. After working this hard, I do NOT want it coming back!!! :biggrin:

My breakfasts usually consist of a bowl of shredded wheat with bananas and light soy milk. Which I follow-up with a Muscle Milk while driving to work. Actually the total protein is around 26g which gives me a good head start for the day. I always try to "trick" my body, so I will have scrambled eggs with ham sometimes or some FiberOne Cereal. I usually have a Nutrisystem "3 cheese Pasta with chicken" meal for lunch which has 22g of protein which I love. It's easy and delicious (I got these at Big Lots for $1 a piece, they are the "old" Nutrisystem line..Nutrisystem "nourish") and one serving of fruit, usually an apple or a banana. I follow this up with like 1/4 of a Protein Bar mid-afternoon (2 hrs later) For dinner I try usually eat chicken breast in some form with broccoli. My favorite way to prepare it, which I use in many, many different ways is this. I take boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in chunks, season generously with garlic salt, and put in a glass baking sheet. I then take a can of LaVictoria "Green chile enchilada sauce" and mix it all together. I then cook it at 275 for about 1.5 hours. I take it out, and shred it with 2 forks, mix it up again, and put it back in the oven for another hour or so. It makes it incredibly tender and delicious. I use that chicken for tacos (family favorite), "tortilla free" enchiladas (with lettuce, tomatoes, ff sour cream), sandwiches (with the Earth Grains sandwich slices-yum), plain with pinto Beans, and more. I don't eat fish and rarely eat red meat, so it's usually chicken. I also try to get broccoli in my diet daily in some form, so we eat the chicken/broccoli casserole a lot. Chicken breasts, low-fat cream of mushroom Soup, soy milk, cheese and brown rice. Hope that helps!

YES, not getting enough Protein, along with not eating enough calories is a BAD BAD BAD combination! You MUST get your protein first. That is the first and foresmost rule for WLS patients. Rule #2 is eating 3 balanced meals a day. It sounds like your body is in starvation mode and you will not lose weight until you start eating. I eat a whole grain breakfast w/20g of protein; 30-40 grams of protein for lunch and 30g protein w/veggies for dinner. I walk 2 miles a day AND a 1hr workout almost daily. I've lost about 2-3lbs a week for the last 2 weeks since I made a conscious decision to eat breakfast (very bad at this) and eating balanced meals the rest of the day. GET YOUR PROTEIN!!!

I find it funny how different bodies fit in clothes, great thread. I'm 5'6 starting weight 254-size 20-22 235-18W 215-16W 209-14W

I drink a PepsiOne almost daily (only one). And I also always drank with my meals. I haven't had any issues and am losing at a pace that is perfect for me.

I see your point and agree that everything in moderation is key. With the exception of satisfying low blood sugar, I see no point in having sugar in any form in my diet, especially from juice, applesauce etc. But that is just me and I'm not diabetic, if I were I may think differently.

That sounds awful!! What did the band do to cause emergency surgery?

I don't know if you are asking about slimfast or slimquick, they are 2 totally different things. If you just mistyped slimfast, but was referring to slimquick, I take the pills. There is only one pill available (to my knowledge) and they don't specify Hoodia or night. The powders do, but the powders didn't taste that great so I opted for pills. Hope that helps. As far as getting the OK from the doc, he said it was fine. However, you should always check with your doctor first, don't rely on what mine said to me :w00t:

You're both doing GREAT!! The band is so funny and annoying it can get very frustrating. I lost an average amount of weight for the first 3 months, then BAM, it just started kicking in and it really does work. Keep your chin up, you're doing fantastically. The band does work, and you will wake up one day and think..FINALLY. There is another thread on here titled "this band really friggin works" or something to that affect. Find it and read it, it says it all. :w00t: