GoingforGoal

Glad to hear you are taking the steps to learn more and make a decision as to what is best for you Please, continue to ask questions. We are here to support you

Yep. Be sure to stay hydrated to compensate

Very nice You look mahvalous

OH Jesus Mary Louya. OK so this is how you beat this crap..you take a diuretic and laxative a couple hours before you weigh in. Don't eat or drink before weigh in. You insist on weighing in NAKED. That's right Aetna, let us resort to unhealthy loopholes so we can fake losing weight to satisfy your stringent requirements that completely conflict with the patient's disease. Insurance companies don't understand medicine, they understand numbers. And in this case, the numbers satisfy their completely irrational decision. Keep pushing hon... (and please disregard my advice, it was a joke)

Looking great David. Having 3 kids of my own, the wl is really gonna be helpful chasing the rugrats around

lol dare ya to get a full chest wax...dare ya (at least you have an excuse now lol)

I started at 250 and am now 150. I'm getting cosmetic surgery in October after 4 yrs banded. Short answer, no lol

Nope those bad boys are here to stay unless you get cosmetic surgery (in which it usually takes most but not all of the marks away) (think tummy tucks, arm tucks) etc. Creams help some, but it only diminishes the appearance not erases it. And Mis is right, losing weight makes the skin fold where you have stretch marks...as if it wasnt bad enough ey

Yeah

Welcome Back... stay awhile

lol oh yes, we do hahaha

I too am 5'7" I started at 250 lb size 22 I am now 151 lb and am a size 6 pant and size xs shirt AND I still have about 10 lbs to go. Every individual looks different at different weights due to body type, where they carry fat, how much excess skin they have (and where), if they worked out or not (ie lean muscle loss vs muscle toning) etc. I was a size 12 at 175 Here are two pics. Black dress is recent at 151 (size 6) and the floral print top is size 12 at 175. As you can see, I could def lose more at 175 and I can still tweak areas at 151. Hope this helps

Congrats AZ. I know that was a huge NSV for my husband who flies internationally regularly

If you do not have any satiety, than 2 things: 1) keep going for fills, especially since you are able to eat larger volumes and not feeling restriction 2) the vagus nerve (runs alongside the esophagus to the brain), is what sends the signal to the brain that you are full. The increased pressure on this nerve when you eat (and have food sitting in the upper pouch) is what triggers this response. However, it is not immediate. The best advice I can give is slowwwwww it down deliberately. This space between bites allows your vagus nerve to send off a signal and your brain to react. THat way you can stop eating sooner than later. Granted, you'll need sufficient restriction to accomplish this. As the old saying goes, just because you can eat it doesnt mean you should. Limit intake to 1 cup per meal. Hungry or not you still risk complications like stretching the pouch. Hang in there and continue w/ fills

Don't have much to contribute but I did want to clarify that what you are doing is regurgitating not vomitting. I know it seems like a silly distinction, but the two have very different risks pertaining to the band. Regurg is typical when you get lax on the rules ie eat to fast between bites, too large bites, not chewing or eating foods you know are problematic. Sure the band can be too tight, but usually this is discovered soon after a fill and enough time has passed for inflammation to dissipate. Unfortunately, the closer you get to green you can under and overshoot green by a mere 0.1cc. Put a little in or take a little out and it has a huge impace on how you feel and what you can eat. Without knowing what your typical diet looks like I can't critique your diet persay. But if you feel you are eating better and have your eating under control than don't sweat it

Only told my mother and MIL. Husband knows because he was banded same day, but not the kids. I didn't tell anyone else (friends, extended family, coworkers). When asked about my weight loss... I said high Protein, low cals and working out... which is what it is LMAO

OK I'm going to answer the question upfront and than explain. You are NOT READY for the band. This is not to say you are not a good candidate and that you cannot benefit from the band. It means, from your line of questions, that you have not done enough research and have a poor understanding of the lapband lifestyle. I would encourage you to concentrate some one on one attention with some of our oldies who have been successful on their bands for years. Get a real inside perspective of the pros/cons. Ask the q's that concern you the most and than make an informed decision. To quickly address some of your statements above: 1) vomitting is not common and it's to be avoided at all cost 2) there isn't a single exercise I know that is contraindicated by the band (except when you are recovering immediately after surgery). There are professional body builders, cardio teachers etc here with bands and most bandsters workout combining cardio and circuit training 3) any procedure has risks and complications. The goal is to be educated on them to know how to prevent them. This requires compliance and a can-do attitude. Our stats show a small percentage of these risks, some of which are avoidable 4) We are individuals. Some can eat bread, others can't, some can eat eggs, others cant. There's no definitive list of what ALL bandsters can't eat. It's a trial and error process. However, most bandsters come through this not missing these foods and have lost their appetite for problem foods. As a newbie it is impossible to relate and understand a life without a fav food. We were all there. But for the most part, you can incorporate any food back into your diet once you establish good eating habits. This is just for starts, but all of your worries are unfounded and this is why I feel strongly that you can benefit from more learning. At the bare minimum, attend any educational seminars your bariatric center may offer. Go through the tests to qualify for your procedure. In this timeframe, research!!!! and when it's time for surgery you can make a definitive decision and not feel you wasted time or should have done all your requirements sooner. Best of luck

Hi Iam Sounds like your stoma is still pretty swollen and the softs are just irritating it. GOod thinking going back to the fluids. Keep in mind, lots of bandsters are tighter during the day. So next time you want to progress to softs, try later in the day AND try drinking something hot before hand to get the stoma as relaxed as possible. I know we all have timelines as to when we are supposed to transition, but sometimes we just need an extra day or more before we can without adverse reactions. Don't try to push through this pain. It will only further inflame the area which will set you back to being on liquids longer. The fact that your food is not passing is just an indication that 1) band is too tight still and 2) your bites may be too big or you are eating too fast. After a small bite, put spoon down and wait 30 seconds. See if it makes a difference. Cravings are normal when you are deprived of any sweet, fatty or salty foods. Try to be creative and find ways to satiate those cravings...maybe a icepop for instance, crystal lite (or similar) drinks

Good question PJ I know alot of newbies dread over the inevitable stuck episode. It's not fun, but please don't let it frighten you (and all you newbies reading this). So here is a typical "sensation" guided experience when eating w/ the band: 1. You diligently take a small piece of food and chew it to a mushy consistency 2. You swallow as normal 3. You wait, KNOWING, that any bite could be the one that a) can trigger your brain to say it's full so you'll want to stop, can create those subtle physical signs that say you are full and c) can be a 'sticker' lol 4. It doesn't take long, usually food passes within a few minutes through the stoma. But I would guess it would take no more than 15 seconds after swallowing to know if the food will pass or if you got a sticker Some sensations to be tuned into when eating: 1. When you eat what should be your last bite..your new pouch may feel heavier, like a full stomach would. It's not painful, it's just a sense of fullness (some called it satisfied). This fullness puts pressure on your vagus nerve which tells the brain you are full. Be patient and you'll see why you can be satisfied/full after mere bites. 2. When you ate either one too many pieces, or drink Fluid on top of a piece of food that is thicker you may get a sensation like a drain being plugged. It doesn't quite hurt, but you just know it's not going down. This is also getting stuck, but these are easily rectified by regurgitating (not vomitting). This is why you don't eat one bite right after another quickly, or drink w/ meals because a thicker piece just may need more time to filter through (again think 2 full minutes) and you are only going to make it even more uncomfortable by putting pressure behind it which does NOT help push it through the stoma EVER lol 3. Large pieces (think unchewed, or food that will take saliva an hour to break down) that get stuck typically pass through on their own, but it can be quite uncomfortable, even painful. The best way to describe it is like giving birth (ahha ok that's extreme) but still. You are squeezing too large of an object through to small a hole and it the stretching just burns as if you are stretching it to it's limits. Now it's not being stretched its just being irritated. Some people use papaya enymes to help breakdown the food. Others try regurg. Some grin and bear it. It just depends on how well you know your body, what you ate and if you experienced this before and are comfortable with one approach over the other. Sometimes vomitting is induced (naturally) because it can be a nauseating experience and your body wants to allieve that pressure). 4. Than there's sliming. This is the body's natural reaction to a food particle stuck or just sitting in the pouch for a long period of time. THe mucous is designed to 'catch' stuck pieces and bring it to the stomach. However, body doesnt realize that this only compounds the problem and slime simply gets regurged Sorry for the long answer to your simple q, hope this helps

Tala, congrats on feeling green It's great ey ? So, let me start by saying, day 1 of fill can give you a false idea of what your restriction will be. The stoma will be swollen and as that swelling dissipates you may feel your restriction going down. This is why we get fills every 4-6 weeks to stay on top of that restriction loss. But eventually you will be green and although swelling goes down, you still feel that perfect restriction. When I reached green, it was 3 years until I needed to tweak my band restriction. I am still tweaking it to get it right. But the point is, once you are there it lasts much much longer Enjoy and respect your band

Sweet spot as in green zone right? hahaha Green= able to eat approx 1c per meal and feel satisfied, able to stay satiated at least 3-4 hrs, minimal to no adverse effects, losing weight That's the basics, but for me, it's also when the band is closed enough to allow food to sit comfortably for a few minutes before passing allowing more time for the vagus nerve to send signals to the brain that I am full. AND wide enough to allow me to eat most foods- not just liquids and mushies lol

I tell them the answer... for me, 100 lbs

That's a hard question to answer because every facility operates differently. For example, I went to a mandatory info session before my first appt w/ the doctor. And that appt was exclusively with the doctor for labwork, weigh in, general assessment and scheduling of tests. It might help if you put the facility and doctor you are seeing so someone from there can better inform you

This symptom is too generic and requires testing/assessment from your doctor. It is important we all remember to not filter our symptoms exclusively through the band. We are still inclined to get common colds, flus, diseases and disorders alike that have nothing to do w/ getting the band

I can understand buffets, but I hope noone is using this for kid's menu items. Rarely do you find a grilled chicken and veggie entree. Smaller is not better. Save your money, eat an appetizer