elcee

It doesn't sound right. I would tell you to call your Dr but you saw him today. Did you ask about it, tell him how bad you feel? If not why not - Dr's aren't psychic!

Humming bird what do you eat. After looking at your list there doesn't seem to be a lot left!

You may have a blockage. Don't worry about food at the moment the most important thing is Water so that you don't dehydrate. Are you able to drink or does that come back up too? You are probably very swollen from all the PB'ing.If you can't keep water down try sucking ice chips as these may help.If that doesn't help then you need to see your Dr fairly urgently for a small unfill - not being able to eat isn't a major problem - not being able to drink is! Hope you feel better soon.

There isn't a limit to the number of fills but there is a limit to the amount of saline that can be put in. Here in Australia Dr's like to take the slow and steady approach so we tend to get lots of small fills e.g .2ml etc. in the US Drs appear to be more aggresive and seem to put in bigger fills eg 4ml etc. Also every person is different and the amount that they need to reach their"sweet spot" will be different.I have a 10ml band and only have about 3ml total fill. Some people have far more than this. I believe with a Realize band that more fill is required to reach restriction and that some people even have more fill in than the supposed band capacity. So the bottom line is don't worry. If you feel you need a fill go and see your Dr and they will work out what is best for you. HTH

I also used to be a big grazer.If I was at home and not working i would be back and fore to the fridge all day. With the band i am not really hungry so I do a lot less of it but I haven't stopped completely.I think a lot of it has to do with boredom/habit rather than hunger.On the plus side when i do feel the need for a snack I try to take the time to think and choose something that is healthy and won't ruin my"diet". I usually eat a couple of nuts/seeds, yogurt, nestle diet or crackers with some protein.

If you choose the right type of bread it is not empty calories.Wholegrains are good for you and they do help to keep you regular among other things. This in itself can be quite a problem for a lot of bandsters, particularly ones that focus on Protein and forget some of the other food groups. I agree though that things such as garlic bread are just empty calories. And ANYTHING that you eat too quickly once you are banded will cause you problems - not just bread!

Why do you need to have the fluid taken out? Surely so long as you inform the anaesthetist etc they should be able to work with it.

You are unlikely to have stretched your pouch as without fills the food still passes almost straight through. I am surprised though that you are eating chicken breasts already. They are not normally part of the post op diet until about week 6 or 8. Are they on your surgeons diet for this stage? Chicken can cause problems so be careful.

Its a very common problem - bread is on the list of problem foods and a lot of bandsters can't eat it at all. Try wholemeal rather than white bread and also try it toasted as that usually makes it easier to eat. The problem with fresh bread is that it can form a doughy ball that gets stuck at the stoma.

i have never heard of this before. The lap band diet goes through stages from liquid to mushy to soft to solid. To get through all the stages normally takes between 6 - 8 weeks. there should be no reason why you can't eat meat although once you start having fills and getting some kind of restriction it does get harder. What you need to ensure is that the meat is tender(try slow cooking methods), moist(it goes down better with some kind of sauce/gravy) and that you only take small bits and chew really well.

I have never been told that I can't use a straw.I would suggest that you try drinking with a straw prior to the event and if it doesn't make you uncomfortable go ahead and drink your cocktail through a straw. The only downside is that for some reason drinking alcohol through a straw seems to make you intoxicated quicker - so just be careful!

I'm 153cm which is just a tad over 5'. My surgeon never gave me a goal - I think they are happy once your BMI is in the healthy range. I currently weigh 54kg which is approx 119lb but I'm aiming for 52.5kg 115lb. I am by no means skinny and still have some excess weight around the middle.

Himow I would have to agree. Mels diet before was a lot closer to what my dietician recommends than it is now. The point of the band is not to starve oneself - you should still be able to eat a good variety of healthy foods in small but not miniscule portions.

Try making and cooking your own meals. Most convenience meals tend to be sliders. They have very little solid Protein in them and seem to consist mainly of carbs. I think the only reason they are lean is because they have nothing in them - sometimes you are lucky if you find three small pieces of meat! If you make meals yourself ensuring that you have some good quality, solid protein (meat,chicken etc) then it is likely to fill you up for a lot longer. Also remember that you won't feel full in the way you did prebanding. What you are aiming for now is to stop eating when you are no longer hungry. HTH

!!!!! I don't think anything was put here for the use of mankind. I prefer to take the view that we should be caretakers. I don't see why animals shouldn't go to "heaven" too - if it doesn't have any animals then it must be a pretty awful place and not one where I would want to be!

I am in total agreement. Exercise is good for you and has lots of benefits yes but it is not essential for weight loss. You also need to be careful of the type of exercise you choose if you do follow a formalised exercise regime as lots of sports people suffer injuries. Even playing Wii can be dangerous. LOL. I know I should do more exercise but I am happy with the loss/rate of loss that I have achieved by only doing the "incidental" kind.

I have heard that this fixes the problem most of the time.Good luck

Andrea it is actually 63.8lb as 1kg = 2.2lb. You have done really well - congratulations.

I've lost 44lbs.

Why don't you phone your Dr and see what he/she suggests.

User names - just wondering how you came up with yours. Some are fairly obvious but then others are really intriguing.If you are happy to share I would love to know how you chose yours. Mine is really boring. elcee = my first 2 initials L C for Lynn Christine.

You shouldn't focus too much on the 1/2 cup, 1 cup or whatever. In Australia a recommended meal is approx 40gm Protein + 1/4 cup starch + 1/4 cup veg . Obviously this differs from surgeon to surgeon. The focus is more on learning to eat less but recognise when you have had enough.Eating slower helps you to do this.Also try serving your meal on a side plate rather than a dinner plate. You don't want to get too tight because you think you should only be eating 1/2 cup and end up only being able to eat sliders.

Yes I would say you are too tight. You don't want to only be able to eat slider foods as they will make you put on weight and start off a vicious cycle(you will think you need to be tighter etc) The band is designed to work with real foods such as solid Protein. If you can't eat these then you are probably too tight. Don't be scared of going back to get a small amount of fill out. Often just the tiniest amount is required and you will be amazed at how much better you will feel.

You shouldn't be eating/drinking so close to bedtime. It may cause problems with reflux.

I love it with some sweetener and cinnamon. Its thick, creamy, yummy and very satisfying. Its also great with fruit or natural muesli.Or added to savoury dishes in place of cream