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I started at 74kg(163lb). I am only 5 foot so although that doesn't sound huge it was. I looked about 11 months pregnant as all the excess weight was around my middle. I now weigh 50kg(110lb).So I am well within a normal BMI. I look great , feel great and don't regret get banded at all. I have found the whole process relatively easy. The weight came off slower than if I was heavier but it was still steady. I got to 52kg within about 6 months. I am now 2 years out and seem to be maintaining quite easily. I have been on holidays and eaten "fairly normally" and come back without having gained. I don't count calories, track, or do any special diets that exclude specific food groups. I just eat smaller portions of what I consider to be normal healthy foods.

I can't understand why you would be ashamed about having diabetes. I also can't understand why you wouldn't tell the people close to you. If you have a medical emergency such as a hypoglycaemic episode (very low blood sugar) they need to know what is wrong, be able to recognise it and know what to do. As for the rest of your questions phran seems to have given you some very good answers. All the best.

That is a pretty standard post op regime.It's hard but it's doable. If you want to start progressing ahead of schedule you should be asking your Dr not looking for approval on a website! Whatever your Dr says is what you should do.

Your band sits outside your stomach/oesophagus. Presumably this means he will need to make an incision in that area and then pull the band into the oesophagus and out. I can't see the advantage myself. It is not as though it is going to be incision free and presumably he is still going to have to cut you abdominally to remove the port. I would have thought taking it out the same way it went in would be the easier and preferable option.

I would say you are too tight.If you are hungry between meals because you have not been able to eat a reasonable meal because it hurts too much that is a problem, Going to mushy food as the above poster suggested will not help. The band is designed to work with solid food - you do not want to get into a habit of eating mushies or sliders. They do not fill you up, they are easy to overeat, they leave you hungry and as they are often high calorie they can lead to weight gain. Your Dr also gave you what I would consider to be a huge fill. To go from 5.1 to 8.3 in one go is enormous - flouro or no flouro. I would suggest going for a small unfill.

I've lost my car before and I wasn't that old at the time. Couldn't remember which floor of the multistorey carpark it was on. It wasn't old age and wasn't post surgery but my son was only a couple of years old so it could still have been that. I still believe that porridge brain syndrome starts when you are pregnant and doesn't end until they turn 21. My youngest is 16 so I still have a few years to go and then Alzheimers will probably kick in!

I think this person posted this just to stir. How long has she been banded, yet this is the first time she has posted anything. Think about it - rather weird.

What you do 90% of the time is what is important. If you want a treat occasionally that is fine. If you deprive yourself completely you are more likely to fail. Not being able to eat "good Stuff" is way too diet mentality and that hasn't worked for most of us in the past.

Stop trying to shrink your clothes - you deserve to treat yourself to new ones.

This is not a proven fact. This is merely a theory espoused by a handful of Dr's. Yes it is now believed that the food passes through a lot quicker than originally thought but it certainly doesn't only take a minute. Even Allergan do not know how long it takes but they still state that the food is emptied slowly from the upper pouch into the lower one. The reason I know this is because I asked them the question and they called me, we had a long conversation and they could not give me an accurate answer. There are a number of factors at play - stimulation of the vagus nerve, slower emptying of the pouch and also it is now believed that the food "bounces" 3 or 4 times before passing through. However the funnel comparison is still a good one. Whilst the first bite may pass though in a minute or so the rest of the food will start accumulating on top and it will go through slower. Think about it - if all the food went through in a minute you wouldn't ever PB . Also when you have been eating and then you take a bite that gets stuck it is not only the food that was stuck that you regurgitate it is generally also the food that would have been sitting in the pouch that gets regurgitated too. The difference between regurgitation and vomiting for those who are unsure Regurgitation is food from above the stoma, it is not digested or mixed with stomach acids/bile and looks (and tastes ) the same as when it went down. Vomiting is from below the stoma. The food is partially digested and is mixed with stomach acids/bile. It tastes awful and vomiting is a horrible experience. Sorry if the description is gross but a diferentiation needs to be made.

Here is the info from Allergan's site. Contraindications The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if: You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohns disease. You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery. You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery. You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel). You have portal hypertension. Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance, you might have a narrowed opening. You have/experienced an intra-operative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement. You have cirrhosis. You have chronic pancreatitis. You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the LAP-BAND® System has been placed, the band may need to be deflated. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill. In rare cases, removal may be needed.) You are addicted to alcohol or drugs. You are under 18 years of age. You have an infection anywhere in your body or one that could contaminate the surgical area. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure. You might be allergic to materials in the device. You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device. You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.

As far as I am aware having an autoimmune disease is one of the reasons given on the lapband site for a band not being recommended. When I have a chance I will try and find the info and post it.

I am quite surprised that they decided to band you. Having an autoimmune disease is supposed to be a contraindication for being banded.

When I was a kid my Mum used to tell me there is no such word as can't. Think about it. Why can't you stop drinking during meals? Not because you can't but because you don't want to. Put your mind to it and you will discover it's not that hard really. Have a drink before your meal - wait 5 min or so and then eat but don't drink whilst you are eating and for at least 30min afterwards but preferably longer. Your drinking during a meal is simply an engrained habit and habits can be broken. If you have a drink prior to eating then you are not going to be thirsty.There are conflicting opinions on drinking with meals even without WLS. Some people believe it aids digestion whilst others believe that it hinders it because it dilutes the digestive juices. What is known is that after WLS drinking with meals can affect the level of fullness. Imagine how annoyed with yourself you would feel if after spending so much money the thing stopping you from losing weight was a refusal to give up drinking whilst eating. Watch this , it's quite interesting. With a band a lot of people can eat anything - I certainly can. Restriction is not about limiting the foods that you can eat. It is about eating a smaller portion of food and then being satisfied /not hungry for approx 3 hours afterwards. It is not about feeling full or only being able to eat 3 bites of food or anything like that. Once you start getting fills you should find that achieving this is a lot easier. There are lots of different opinions on carbonated drinks. You may find that in the future you can tolerate them and your Dr allows them but that is the future. Stick to the rules. remember the band is a tool that you have to utilise it is not a magic wand that does it all for you and you will be successful.

I would love to know how having been obese for a while makes your bones heavier? There is a lot of scope within a normal BMI. There is no way that at the top end of that range that a person would look skinny, gaunt or like a starving refugee! You have to aim for a couple of things. A weight that is healthy. A weight that makes you happy. A weight that makes you look good. Having said that though to not aim for a normal BMI after going through the process of being banded is selling yourself short - I think fear is what keeps many people from achieving this goal. I believe that a lot of the people that say they will be too skinny don't really think or feel that - they just don't think that they will be able to achieve it. Mimi , you are the same height as me - I am sure that you can get to your goal. Rest assured that maintaining with a band is really a lot easier than you think. I have been on an extended overseas holiday where I didn't worry too much about what I was eating. I came home weighing the same as when I left. Yes my weight does fluctuate but not much. It seems to go up and down within a 1kg(2.2lb) range.

I assume from this that you have never actually been stuck. Generally the pain from being stuck and the inability to to swallow even your own saliva means that to try and dislodge the offending item is the preferred way to go. What generally causes a band to slip is excessive overeating, having the band too tight, getting it filled too quickly and excessive vomiting. When food is stuck and you bring it up it is regurgitation rather than vomiting. Doing this occasionally although you should try to avoid it is not a major problem.If you do it a lot then it is a problem. Vomiting such as the kind you get when you have stomach flu is the type of vomiting that is more likely to make your band slip. In that instance the food is coming from the stomach below the band, usually with force and it is usually repetetive and uncontrollable. If you do get any kind of illness that causes you to vomit like this you should get an anti emetic from your Dr urgently. As for the carbonation - that is something that has been argued time and time again. Lets say that the jury is still out on that one. There are as many Dr's that say carbonation is fine as there are ones that are against it.

You are eating smaller portions, not snacking and you are not hungry. What do you think that means? It means the band is doing what it is supposed to do. That is what "restriction" is supposed to feel like. What restriction isn't :- Not being able to eat certain foods Feeling full after only 2 or 3 bites Feeling full on 1/2 cup of food and then not feeling hungry again till your next mealtime A physical feeling that stops you from eating too much Something that stops you eating high cal foods If that is what you are aiming for you are likely to end up too tight, miserable, you may get reflux, you will probably gain weight and your band may even slip. Your band is doing exactly what it should be doing at the moment. Do not rush to get filled as quickly as possible and do not go chasing an elusive "sweet spot" - that often leads to problems.

I also felt nauseous. I think a lot of it was to do with the anaesthetic , but I think the other problem was that everything I was eating or drinking was sweet. As soon as I started eating homemade soups it seemed to make a huge difference. I think I was in desperate need of something savoury.

Actually I lied - it was June 2009!

I was banded July 09. I have lost a total of 24kg (53lb) and am now maintaining at between 50 and 51kg. My band is not overly tight. I can eat most things so long as I am careful but sometimes I do have episodes where I eat too fast etc and something gets stuck. I am not a model bandit as I don't exercise. I am happy with where my weight is at. Yes I would be even happier with a flat washboard stomach like all those 20something airbrushed models in the mags but that is not likely to happen. I fit into an Aus size 8 pants(us 4) and 10(6)top. My only issue is it is so hard to buy jeans that fit well as I am between a size 6- 8. If they fit my legs they don't fit the waist and vice versa. See it can be hard buying clothes even when you're not overweight. I saw one of my neighbours today that i haven't seen for 3 years and at first she didn't recognise me and then she told me how fabulous I looked. She asked what my secret was but I didn't think announcing to someone I don't know well in the middle of our local post office was a particularly good idea so i just told her i eat a lot less! My only regret is that i didnt do this sooner.

Typically people that have the realise band need higher amounts of fill than people with a lapband before they feel anydifference. It has something to do with it being a low pressure system. I have even heard of people that have had more fill in their bands than the supposed capacity.SO I wouldn' be giving up just yet.

Rice and doughy foods are a problem for a lot of bandsters. It is because they can form a plug in your band so it has nothing to do with how much you chew. Generally wholemeal or seeded bread is easier to eat than white and toasting often helps too. When you are eating rice don't eat it on its own, mix it with other foods. E.g eat meat and rice together as this way it is less likely to form that annoying plug. If you try this and you still have problems then you might be one of those people that can't tolerate these foods.

If you follow the rules and don't have your band too tight the chances of slippage are actually quite low. What if you went for a sleeve and had a leak, or a bypass and died from malnutrition ? or even worse did nothing and died young from obesity related illness? It's all relative, everything in life has a risk, you have to weigh it up and see if the risks out weigh the benefits or viceversa. We should try not to base all our decisions on fear. One of the most dangerous things people do every day is either cross the road or get in a car but they carry on doing these things. If you do get banded and at some stage in the future you have complications such as a slip then generally you may need the band to be unfilled for a while, you may need further surgery to correct the slip, you may need the band replaced or you may decide to revise to another surgery. Generally these situations are not particularly dangerous or life threatening. The only thing is you will need money to pay for whatever correction is deemed necessary. It is normal to be scared before surgery, you would be the exception if you weren't. But soon you will be on the other side and wondering why you were scared and wishing that you had done this sooner. All the best.

Found the link. I think this gives a really good visual. For some people maybe drinking with meals doesn't affect how soon they get hungry afterwards , either that or they have the will power to only eat what they are supposed to and then not eat again till the next meal. But for those of you who are struggling you may want to watch this and then start following this rule. Lack of success may be due to some as simple as not following what for many is a basic rule.

I watched a really good you tube clip the other day that demonstrated why really well. Will try to find and post it.