PrincesaJenE

Please SOMEONE what is a PB? I've asked the question before and no one has answered. Details please.

You know you are a bandster when . . . .

You drink a sip of water/ice tea just because its sitting there and think - damn, another 30 minutes before I can eat!

WHAT IS PB? I've heard that term quite few times and I don't know what it is?

Pick Me! Pick Me! I'm 29 years old, no children and I too live in southern Cali - well central Cali - Depends on who you ask. I live in Kern County about 2 hrs north of LA.

I was banded on 2/13/09. So just 11 days before you. I've only lost 20 lbs so far and am a little frustrated as well. I have had one fill - I think I'm ready for another - but my Doc wouldn't give me one when I went in this past weekend.

I would LOVE to befriend you - I want someone to share this process with too. :wub:

1 (Baby Goal) - After losing 40 lbs pull out that box of super cute clothes that I packed away two years ago because they were just too tight. :wub:

2 (Teenage Goal) - Not have to buy 2 plane tickets when flying :eek:

3. (Adult Goal) - Play outside with my nieces and not worry about getting tired. I'll be the best Auntie Ever!:wub:

(I'm gonna add 4th though I know its breaking the rules - Wear my shirt tucked in!)

I actually JUST stumbled upon MyFitnessPal.com about 3 days ago. I have never gone more than a day of food journaling and even that may have been inaccurate. It was too much work writing everything done, finding the nutrition facts and having it all total up.

MyFitnessPal does ALL THE WORK for you. I am AMAZED. They have so many different foods in their database. I have yet to run into anything they dont have (its only been 3 days though). Another feature I LOVE is the fact that you can save a meal. For instance I often premake crab salad with baby greens, avocado and cheese. I can add all these ingredients and amounts and save it as a meal. That way, next time I don't have to find the ingredients, just click on the meal.

Its awesome. I give it FIVE THUMBS UP. I'm at a computer all day so its no problem going in an adding things throughout the day. You gotta try it.

Wow Luchay, Did you share this attitude with your doctor before getting the band? Sorry to burst your bubble but you HAVE to have SOME commitment to this process. I don't mean to sound harsh but I can't beleive your doctor even banded you without this committment. I liked what one bandster said earlier about finding a balance. You gotta give somewhere - either diet or exercise or somewhere. The band only assists you with your efforts. You HAVE to be committed to this process in some way if you can't be then honestly you shouldn't have even bothered.

They do say that people who like sugar atruggle most with the band. I like what you said about eating less. Go with that. Eat less and less. I'm a sugar person too. What I did was suck on a piece of hard candy like a jolly rancher after some meals. This really helped with my need for sugar after a meal but didn't pack on a BUNCH of calories. But was the sweet treat I needed.

I've also tried things like Tea. Sweet Tea (Sweetened with Splenda) seems to curb that sugar cry. I also liked the idea of taking it day by day and trying not to eat sugar for a day. You can then maybe up it to 2 days, 3 days, etc. What you have to be sure of is to not BINGE on sweet during the end between time. Remember this process is about moderation.

You"ve got to be willing to make concessions somewhere. A bunch of small concessions are what make a big difference. You gotta be committed to DOING something - this band isn't a cure all by any means I wish it was. Good Luck To Ya!

I'm kinda having a similiar experience. I was banded on 2/13/09 - exactly 2 months ago today. I lost 20 lbs the first month (Yay). I felt fabulous. My goal is to lose 3-5 lbs per month. I felt like I was on a roll. I was a little surpised at how much I could eat. There is a model of a stomach with the lap band in my Doc's office and it looks like the stomach is the size of a walnut. I had also been warned that my stomach could accomodate about 6 grapes worth of food. I could easily eat a cup - a cup and a half of food. What I could eat was definitely less than the gobs of food I could eat before but I had this idea in my head that I would take 2 bites of a sandwhich and be about to burst. Au Contraire.

I was supposed to get my first fill at 4 weeks out but because of some complications with finding my port we decided to wait 2 more weeks. When I returned 2 weeks later I had GAINED FOUR LBS. I was devastated. My Doc said it was okay - that the band before your first fill is open and attributed the weight gain to this. I received 4 ccs. I felt like a I got full a TAD bit faster but not much. Since then I have become scale obsessed and weigh myself 3-5 times a day (ok - maybe more - basically every time I go by the scale)

Week 7 according to my home scale, which can be a little capricious, I lost about 9 lbs. Week 8 I shot back up like 6 lbs and pretty much stayed the same all week.

I returned to the doc this past saturday for what I thought would be another fill. I had lost 3 lbs. So basically I was at a total weight loss of 19 lbs (1 lbs less than I was a month ago). The doc asked me how much I could eat, I told him a cup or so, he said that sounds perfect. He said I should be losing about 1-2 lbs a week - no more. I told him that I stay full for 3-4 hours. He said I was doing fine and would not give me a fill. I was so excited about getting a fill because I want to see steady and substantial weight loss - which I feel I'm not getting right now. But my doc insisted I was doing well.

I felt a little discouraged yesterday but now I'm feeling okay. I looked through some of the before and after pics on one of the posts and I saw so many people with dramatic weight loss. It was then that I realized that I probably am right on track. One girl lost 100 lbs in nine months. If you break that down that is 10 -12 lbs a month. I've lost 20 in 2 months which would mean 100 lbs in 10 months. To lose 100 lbs in 10 months would be AWESOME. So I'm gonna give it some time and see how it goes.

I've had no problem thus far - but I've only had 1 fill. I have heard that you have to eat it really moist. Tip for grilling. Wrap it up tightly in foil. This helps keep it moist.

Good Luck!

Good Luck!

I tried to search around on your profile for your weight because that's a good determinant of how much you should be losing. Research says that you should lose no more than 1% of your body weight each week. So you had your surgery 12 weeks ago - that equates to about 2.5 lbs a week (MAX). So if you're between say 250 and 300 you're doing FAB! Good luck!

I opted not to tell anyone but my immediate family and 2 close friends. The girls in my office and I are all very close. its been 7 weeks now and surprisingly no one has really noticed. I've heard people don't usually start noticing until 50 or 60 lbs. I've lost 25 lbs thus far. I was on liquids only 1 day back at work (I took 1 week off). I knew I wasn't going to tell anyone so I started with "the story" early. When I went to my first appt they gave me all the handouts with the various lifestyle changes I would need to make. One of them was soda - so after my first appt - about 4 months before surgery - I stopped drinking soda. So by the time of the surgery it was already in place. The week before surgery - I did encourage a health kick in my office where we all stopped eating out and began sharing meals. So I had an excuse to bring in all my yogurt and V8 etc and stock our fridge.

Basically I tried to phase things in over time so all these strange changes in my eating habits did not happen all at once and draw attention. My co-workers did find it odd when I started bringing Protein drinks to work - but I just told them my doc said I needed to get more Protein in my diet (which was true) and, extra bonus, that it promotes weight loss.

Since the surgery there is a girl in my office who is trying to watch her weight - I've been splitting things with her. She loves the fact that I'm helping HER out. There have been a couple of times when its been said "you hardly ate anything" - my excuse is that I ate something right before, or I had a big Breakfast, or didn't really like the food.

I don't wanna to tell more people - sometimes I feel myself bursting at the seams wanting to tell. But I don't want it to get around the whole office. I want to see some dramatic weight loss before I share - fear of failure I guess.

Whatever your decision - good luck!

I don't understand - if you have enough will power to go back to liquids (which I personally found to be the hardest part) than why don't you feel you have enough will power to sustain a solid food diet?

Liquids is actually not a good stage to be on - its only to promote healing. In fact, you may end up consuming more calories than if eating solid food. You will always be hungry because liquids go right through the band. The band is meant for solid foods not liquid. You say you are losing weight - that's good. Research says that the in the time before the first fill you are expected to lose very little if any weight. The fact that you are losing now is a good sign and shows that the band is working. Don't expect too much at first. Remember this is a process that will take months or years. On average you should be losing 1-2 lbs a week or about 10% of your body weight.

Now I haven't experienced "bandster hell" - but my advice would be to find ways to control you eating. Are you eating 3 meals a day? Are you having a snack in between meals. Remember 3 meals and 3 Snacks a day is what you should be doing. Be sure you are having A SNACK rather than SNACKING.

Good luck.

That's what I thought - but last night before writing the post I DOWNED a glass of ice tea cause I was thirsty after playing tennis. I felt so incredibly FULL. And even a little miserable for like 30 minutes and I thought - I wonder if I'm stretching my pouch.

Hmmmm, I have Aetna. I didn't have any problems like this. My doctor had a special team that worked on getting insurance coverage. What I would do is tell them just what you said in your post. If you could prove that both before 06 and after 06 you were heavy just submit a letter that says I went on WW and lost blank pounds. You should be able to submit the documentation for WW with your weigh in information. Additionally, tell them how you gained it all back and how you're looking for a long lasting solution that you believe you've found with the lap band. This is my only suggestion - but I don't see why it won't work. Good luck - I'd like to know how it all turns out.

I'm just 7 weeks into this process but I have to agree wholeheartedly with those who say don't do it. The thing that I've found most extraordinary about having the band is how I had to disassociate food with so many activities. You know "let's watch a movie - and order a pizza", "We're all going for mom's house - what for dinners?", "We're staying in tonight - let's pick up some snacks". I think you're buying into the fat person in you. We have to think like skinny people. Their world does not revolve around food. I understand that food is one of the highlights of vacations - believe me I do. I myself am relieved at the small portions I eat now. I'm embarrassed of the amount of food I used to eat. The amount of food I eat now makes me feel satisfied and that's what food is meant to do. Don't put the onus of this decision on your relatives. They want to see you healthy. I'm sure they'll take note of the weight you've already lost and support you in your efforts towards continued weight loss. My fam are my biggest supporters. They keep the bad food away from me and have even changed their eating habits to ensure I stay on track. I don't think you should expect or accept anything less than that from your family.

If you came back from you vacation not having had your band unfilled I can almost guarantee you you won't miss those extra spoonfuls. If you do get unfilled you just might find yourself regretting it. Remember why you made the choice to be banded in the first place.

Enjoy your vacation -whatever you decide.

What is the "sweet spot'. I've heard this phrase quite a bit. What do people mean by that? Also, what is a "pb"?

Can you stretch your pouch by drinking too much liquid. I drink a lot and sometimes can feel full from drinking. Am I stretching my pouch when I do this? I've had one fill of 4ccs on my 14 cc band. Isn't the hole still big enough for liquids like Water and ice tea to flow freely through?:welldoneclap:

I was told this by my doctor. He said that the Lap band is for someone who only wants to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was very discouraged after that visit - so discouraged that it took me 18 months to pursue the surgery again. I'm 7 weeks out and I've lost 25 lbs. Imagine where I'd be had I done this 18 months ago. I've heard that bigger patients actually lose more! I've also heard that GB is better at the beggining but after about 18 months to 2 yrs its all the same. I would see another doctor and discuss this with him openly.

The first doctor I went to told me not to get the lapband because someone as big as me could not lose the kind of weight that I needed to loose (200 lbs exactly). He said the LB was for someone needing to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was so discouraged - I really didn't want to do gastric bypass because the band just seemed so right for me. He discouraged me so much that I didn't pursue the lapband for another 18 months. I am so glad to read about you all doing so well. It reaffirms that I can do it. Imagine if I had done this 18 months ago? I'd be on here with you all writing my success story! 7 weeks banded 25 lbs lost! I'm on my way. Stay tuned - Success Story, June 2010?

Angel, This may sound silly but I want you to go to a bookstore and find the book "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Suess. Yeah -Dr. Suess. Its a kids book - but it has a very adult message that I think is apropos for you at this time in your life. Read it! The first time I read it I got misty eyed. What you have to understand is that sometimes you just gotta suck it up! Its okay to be sad, its okay to be self conscious, it okay (sometimes) to make poor decisions - what is not okay is to relinquish control of your life to these other things. So people laugh at you at the gym? So what? So your mom is ignorant and naggy - tune her out or listen to her and know that she has no idea what she's talking about. As for excercise if your knee is hurt- exercise with your arms. You have options - you're just too focused on obstacles. You never mention in your post if you've even lost any weight. YOU have to be in control of your destiny - that doesn't mean you'll have the best control all the time. But you have to be responsible for yourself. You have to own whatever decisions you make and persevere through life's mishaps. Good luck! Hope you enjoy the read!

Yay! I'm so happy to hear this! I thought I was the only person in the world who had scar tissue that was affecting this whole process. I'm so happy to hear there are others out there like me! Now, I did not bend the needle . . . but my first attempted fill went crazy horrible bad. My Doc just couldn't get the needle in. He kept asking the nurse for longer and longer needles. He had me laying tilted upside down - practically standing on my head. :blink:He had me stand up, sit down, etc. etc. No luck. All the pushing on the scar tissue was very painful. :cursing:There was blood all over the doctor's gloves and he called in for reinforcements who pushed and prodded on me too. When the doc caught a glimpse of me and the tears running UP my face (from being upside down) he called the game. We tried again 2 weeks later and the needle popped right into the port in under 10 seconds with less than a pin prick of pain. While he was filling it though the needle came out - he had to tilt me back upside down and it took him a couple of minutes to get it back in - all the while I feel as if I'm suffocating on the Water that has backed up in my throat.:biggrin: He removed some saline and I was good to go. Feel great - I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone and that we can laugh at our scar tissue debacles!:thumbup:

So you wanna cry - I ACTUALLY did. I remember sitting on the foot of my Mother's Bed (My Mother who was very critical and a little judgemental of my decision to have the surgery) about 4 days after the surgery crying my eyes out to Mommy saying what did I do? I asked for this? LONGED for this? Paid for THIS? I was not necessarily in PAIN but I was all kinds of uncomfortable - painful discomfort! About a day later I realized that my biggest problem was the gas - I HAD never had painful gas in my life. It wasn't till I burped a big burp that gave me some relief that I though - could this be gas? How silly! Gas X took care of it. I took it easy for a good week after surgery. I'm now 6 weeks post op and I literally feel fabulous! 20 lbs down - tons of energy and just plain old excited about the possibilities. I look back on that night on the foot of my mom's bed and chuckle to myself. I hope soon you'll get to chuckle as well!