GoingforGoal

Morning tightness seemingly stays with us no matter how big or small we get lol. Plan on liquids for the morning to get you through, but liquids or mushies like Protein shakes, smoothie with protein mixed in, or yogurt are better than Starbucks coffees because it provides nutrition. I think us 'oldies' get lax in our rules and it's a natural process to want to revert to easy/lazy food choices like sliders etc. I recommend getting your early literature on the band diet, write out a diet that ensures adequate protein and give it a whirl for a few weeks. I think anything you commit to over a week is easier to adopt longterm and hopefully this will reset your brain into identifying and consuming foods that are ideal for min. nutritional needs. As for muscle mass, if you do not exercise and you are not eating sufficient protein, you will lose muscle mass. There's only 2 ways to get it back and build it up 1) increase protein intake and 2) strength training (lifting weights) simultaneously. This is a great way to fill in space if there's slack skin, increase overall strength and offset undesirable weight loss. Remember, slider foods will not give us sufficient nutrients and you will see the results in muscle loss, skin integrity, increase in infections (or longer standing colds for instance). Be sure to get minimum protein and take your Calcium and Vitamin supplements (I also recommend vit b and biotin).

Sliming is the natural mechanism of creating mucous in your throat to help dislodge or move along food particles and/or agitants stuck in the throat. By default, having the band creates a funnel effect. So the food stops at the stoma and slowly slides through the stoma. If it stays too long, the body natural sees it as something being stuck in the throat and begins making mucous. Unfortunately, when that happens, the mucous just sits on top of the food and starts backing up the throat. This requires requrg (not vomitting) to expel the mucous, otherwise it creates compounding pressue which is uncomfortable, and can even stretch the pouch w/ increasing volume/pressure building (although I dont know anyone who can tolerate it that long ahahah). You usually become very nauseous as the pressure builds with an urge to vomit if not relieved. Avoid that phase at all cost as it is not good for the band.

Hello bread addict and welcome to bandland. As for your incision pain, try ice packs to alleviate the pain. Since you were recently banded, you can still continue pain meds to keep you mobile if the pain becomes increasingly uncomfortable. It takes on average of 2-3 weeks for the port/incision pain to subside once the underlying tissues fully heal and the abdominal muscles are no longer irritated by the sutures. I too have lower back issues. 3 disc herniations as a matter of fact. I can testify that wl has helped with the symptoms tremendously and i would assume it would help even more w/ bugling opposed to herniated disks. I too require surgery and am trying to postpone it. The wl allows that to be a possibility, however, I require steroid injections approximately every 2-3 months to keep acute pain under control. Bread- who doesn't love it. I'm actually fond of specialty breads like pumpernickle, broule's, tea breads etcetc. (suddenly I'm hungry). I am near 4 years banded and although bread is not a staple food for me any longer, I can occasionally indulge in it. There are tricks (ie eating thinner slices, eating only single slices, alternating bites with foods that are no problem etc) to prevent sticks but I would encourage you to practice your foundation rules before learning how to incorporate the trickier foods. But alas, one day you can wrap those lips around some bread again...(don't be surprised if you lose your taste for it << that's a good thing lol) The graphs you see are called tickers. If you click on your name (top right corner) a menu box appears. Click My tickers and edit it there. Good luck

Hello and yes, I've been pregnant WITH the band. The first thing to accept is that the recommendation is to not get banded until at least 1 year after the band. By than your weight loss and eating habits will stabilize and you will certainly be fully recovered from the surgery and hopefully have dropped alot of weight as well. There are a few of us who have been (or are currently preggo) with the band. Some of us got through the entire pregnancy and breastfeeding phase without ever needing an unfill (me) and than there are those who suffered from severe morning sickness, lost appetites, etcetc who needed unfills to sustain themselves and baby. The only advice I have is to let your OBGYN know upfront you have a band and that when you come in for assessments you want him/her to review your band status (ie check your and baby's growth, discuss any adverse symptoms etc and determine if unfill is needed). My other piece of advice is this... I was fortunate to not have had to unfill my band. I gained a mere 20 lbs (I started at 200 lbs when I got pregnant). I lost that weight rapidly and maintained it easily all becasue I was in green. If for any reason you unfill, be sure to not get too lax and gain excessively. Self control will be your top priority. Than get back to fills as soon as you can even if it's just to maintain weight and than progress back to wl mode. Good luck

I too was one of those who had no appetite for weeks on end but by week 4-5 it was back just in time for a fill the 6th week. I wanted to emphasize one thing, despite no hunger, you must continue to eat and meet minimal nutritional demands to avoid 'going into starvation mode' or experiencing signs of dehydration or low sugar etc. The Protein intake should be min. 60g per day. Regardless of how you accomplish that (shakes or meals) ensure that's being done. The reason you have no hunger is because your band compresses the vagus nerve which sends signals to the brain that you are full. The inflammation and newness of the band's presence and pressure on the nerve is sending constant signaling that you are not hungry. With time, this typically dissipates especially when the pouch is slightly enlarged w/ normal eating and the stoma relaxes due to be being used. For now, as long as you meet basic needs, enjoy this restriction... you have a headstart in the game

OH welcome to the morning bandhell club. Many (could I dare say most) bandsters have the most difficulty in the mornings with their bands being tight. You will hear about people who will drink Hot drinks before eating to losen the band. Or those who forego solids for breakfast to avoid the adverse symptoms. I think most of this has to do with the fact that the band has been unused for an average of 10+ hrs. So without any stretching with food passing, without hydration to keep the cells full (which leads to flat cells in the esophogus and stomach = restriction until rehydrated) the band is at it's tightest restriction and needs to massaged and worked back into user mode (hahaha). Make sense?

hahah let's see how many I can come up with (btw I love the laundry calculation ahhah) 1. I can fit more clothes in a suitcase for trips (or leave enough room to go shopping and bring it all back) bahhahahha 2. I can fit on rollercoasters, airplane seats and any other close or small sitting arrangement without feeling like I'm going to get booted or take over someone else's space 3. crossing legs..def 4. (TMI moment:) better sex, more flexible, more positions...and wearing lingerie with the lights on (you get the drift) 5. I can see my toes, I can bend, sit indian style etc..just overall more flexible 6. I have a major spinal issue in my lower back and the wl has helped tremendously relieving symptoms But while on topic..here's the things wl has done that I don't like 1. I cant tell the diff between my son (10 yo) and my clothes when folding laundry some times = wasting time ahhaha 2. I can't manhandle my bull mastiff (130 lbs) when he wants to pull on his leash (hey some counterweight is useful hahaha) 3. my children can overtake me in our wrestling matches 4. I have this addiction to buying clothes in the junior section (their clothes CAN BE way cuter lol) hahaaha

I am the product of two thin parents who didn't know the first thing about health. You know, the 90 lb mom who eats cheeseburgers and pasta galore but never gains a pound lol. Well, I wasn't so fortunate. I ate what I was given, I was given free reign of the kitchen w/out any foundation for healthy choices and as a consequence I was overweight by age 7. I struggled with my weight from this early age and remember weighing 100 lb at at 10 when we did our physical challenge in PE in 5th grade. But the weight only packed on because I had no guidance, no support...my parents simply turned a blind eye. As I aged I became more and more self conscious. And ironically I was never picked on, but comparing myself to others was burden enough. By time I was 18 living on my own, I started every wayward diet alive. I did my own research and became very knowledgeable in health/nutrition. My problem..was a lifetime of bad habits that seemingly were impossible to break. This is one of the reasons I find it imperative to instill healthy habits and education in my very young children. So I seesawed back and forth, some diets more successful than others. But I aged, I had kids and it just resulted in failure. Food became a coping mechanism for me as early as high school. Not happy? eat a piece of cake= happy again. Horrible and I struggle to this day with stress eating. The band has been a lifesaver. Obviously it helps cut portions and calories, but it also did something that no other diet has done. It's as if it's slowed time down. All those issues (stress eating, binge eating name it) can now be dealt with over time. You can still partake in these bad habits but at a much smaller scale and as you go through the journey you learn to identify and control these issues in other ways. This is the real burden to tackle for some. Unlike before the band where one bad day can result in one month of bad eating...the band helps me address my diet and my issues alike.

Oh I have a long list lol.. Rice, Pasta and Breads give me the hardest trouble. I am convinced these recoagulate in my pouch as it waits to pass through the stoma acting like a large unchewed bite inevitably getting stuck. Very dry or thick meats Some fruits/vegs like oranges and asparagus because they are too fibrous/stringy and apples because the peel is too thick and does not break down well I avoid large sandwiches (think italian subs and hamburgers). I find that you inadvertently take huge bites which typically results in swallowing bites that are not well chewed. That's pretty much it. Now I have tricks to get around some of these like peeling an apple, or toasting bread, eating sticky foods like pasta w/ sauce, cooking only marinated meats or with sauce, keeping sandwiches no more than 1-2 layers (ie cheese and meat or meat and lettuce etc), I don't necessarily see this list as a negative thing. I know before surgery a newbie may think its unbearable to never eat pasta again (as an example). But in reality, the negative feedback (discomfort) you experience with certain foods has been a lifesaver and I simply avoid these foods to avoid the discomfort. And what happens is you simply lose your interest/taste for these foods. This is coming from an Italian who ate pasta allllll the time lol. Most of the foods I can't eat, I should'nt eat haha and really helped w/ losing and maintaining my weight

Good Morning fellow bansters, In light of some recent posts, I felt compelled to start a discussion on LBT forums and what you can expect. At large, there are 3 phases to wls. The initial research preop phase, the postop losing phase, and the maintenance phase. Within each of these groups, you will find like-minded and not so like-minded individuals who are here to share their experiences and their story. Most of us speak to our level of experience. Anyone with over one year of being banded is probably the most qualified to give advice, however, anyone can contribute. Some individuals have additional experiences and knowledge sets unique to them which can serve us as a lbt community. Examples include those who have had complications, those with medical training/education etc. There's also those who have limited knowledge/experience, but yet still want to support and guide those with even lesser knowledge and experience and to reinforce their own learning. When you post to the LBT community, you will get a wealth of information in response. However, some of the responses can be terse, irrational, unfounded, misguiding or simply confusing/contradictory to other responses. It is your responsibility to gather all the information and determine what is appropriate to make an independent decision on vs something that should be discussed with your physician. It is also your responsibility to determine who is misleading you and not. This is not a medical resource center, you are speaking to individuals of different levels of education and experience with the band. This is true for emotional vs educational posts as well. Some responses are supportive, some are keeping you accountable, some seem understanding and some seem accusatory. Sort of like real life right? No one is monitored here. You can speak freely without being overtly offensive. However, negative feedback is sometimes warranted. In order to grow in your journey, honesty is best. It will hopefully help you thwart negative behaviors and instill good ones to ensure success. Please do not expect positive support all the time. Tough love has it's place and is exercised on occasion. Now, this post is also to address accountability. And I wish to take this from a 'oldies' perspective opposed to a newbies perspective. You will come across many 'oldies' who have had their bands for years. We deliberately come to the lbt site for continual support in our maintenance phase, but also to help newbies with a wide spectrum of needs ranging from general understanding of the band as a mechanism to how to live day in and day out with their bands. Most of the topics discussed on lbt is repetitive. The answers become more and more concrete as everyone becomes more educated on the rationale for the answers given. But there are times when a person's post can simply be a huge red flag. The response to these type posts typically become terse real quick..and here is why: 1. We wish to educate wls patients and want to prevent unsafe posts from serving as educational posts for others in the learning process. It only takes one poor post to misguide an individual in their journey. Bandsters will do anything they can to negate the wrong information simply to inform and educate. 2. We want everyone to realize that there are very real consequences to not following band rules. Too many people are becoming too lax with their rules and it's resulting in terrible complications that could be prevented. Posts that hilite poor band habits can also yield terse comments. This comes from an angle of accountability. The worse thing we can do is allow someone to leave feeling as if their decision was a small mistake, no big deal, nothing to worry about..its ok, you'll do better tomorrow. Let me reemphasize the very real consequences of these decisions and who has to live with those complications. It serves us better when we receive honest feedback that helps us adjust our mentalities and behaviors for the better. Support posts are great for those down and out days, not the posts where someone has identified a behavior that could put their life at real risk. It is very easy to receive negative or honest feedback as an insult. But please realize, most of the posts come from a place of understanding and support. We are very scared for people who seemingly have very little knowledge yet have a band. It's a scary combination. For those banded for years, you see the same repetitive mistakes and ultimately complications and/or failures. We are here to support you through this process with refreshment of the band rules, tricks to the trade, and support you through obstacles. We do our best to provide you accurate information and some of us (raising hand) have spent over an hour researching information for fellow bandsters to ensure they get the right information. Somehow this gets convoluted into others perceiving this feedback as "rude, cyber-bullying, offensive, unsupportive" etc. I think if you invested in reaching out to some of these oldie bandsters and knowing their experiences, how much they contribute, the typical responses they offer..you'd be pleasantly surprised that these are some of the most caring and supportive individuals investing a lot of their personal time for your benefit alone. Being apart of this community, for myself, has been both rewarding and infuriating at times. As an RN I see people post inaccurate medical information all the time and it's simply irresponsible. Please refrain from 'educating' people by saying things like "I heard" "I think" "It might be". If you do not know the answer for certain than please refrain from answering at all. The forums are a wonderful way to communicate and get quick responses. But don't feel compelled to answer all of them if you cannot contribute a safe and accurate piece of information. But by all means, if you have the answer, help your fellow bandsters so they can make wise decisions or become better eduated in their band and the band lifestyle. Thank you for listening. Wishing everyone a safe and successful journey.

Thanks guys. And I agree Cheznoel..this is a community and we are concerned for it's members. I often get terse when I too am scared and fearful someone could be doing grave danger to themselves but won't listen Keep posting, keep learning.. new or not, this is a lifelong journey we can all grow from

Wow that's a long transition. How long have you been banded? The norm I see is a few days of liquids (to include thicker ones like Protein shakes). But that is usually after 6 weeks of being banded and already transitioned to solids. I'd be curious to learn more about what your docs protocol is Thanks for sharing

HotButterFly you are my new best friend Side note: I would slap the crap out of my doctor if they gave me a sticker. Just shows the doc thinks they are dealing a child ey? Good grief. Are you seeing a pediatrician or what? lmao Bayou... (and the many other successful bandsters) It truly is a privilege to know you all and to learn from your success stories and to share my own. The reality is, we are a united community who wish to accomplish at least one similar goal and have an excellent resource within each other and ourselves. Inner strength and community support= success in my book

That just depends. If you had a recent fill, many of us start with tighter restriction immediately after a fill and than it gradually loosens when inflammation subsides and we resume normal eating. If you can feel partial restriction than it's most likely this If you had a sudden total loss of restriction or had a restriction for a long period of time and than you feel a gradual loss in restriction there is a possibility of a leak. The only way to know is to have the doc take out all the Fluid and ensure the same amount from your previous fill is still in the band. 4cc is still on the smaller side of fills and my bet would be that you are just ready for another fill

Whether you can figure out how to delete your account or not, has nothing to do with you continuing the conversation. You are a very aggressive/defensive individual who needs to learn how to walk away. The information your doctor is giving you (if you are accurately sharing it verbatim) is simply inaccurate and unsafe. May I suggest a second opinion? Oh wait, that would prevent you from eating your burrito so why the hell would you do that? You got about 10 different opinions here which you chose to ignore their message and warnings, rather you turned this into a fiasco that has really lost it's purpose. We like to help those who want help, not leeches who suck our time, energy and resources for the sake of 'being right' (but we all know how dead wrong you are and that's the comical part about all of this) So get off the forums, listen to your doctor (or the parts that sound good for you) and may you be as successful as your antics will allow you to be.

Most people who have overfill emergencies are typically closer to green. However, that is arbitrary, because green is very different individual to individual. So I suppose the safer thing to do is to presume even one fill can get you there. I would recommend postponing it only because my husband found himself in this very position and it was god awful. Had to drive home (3 states away) to see his doc on an emergency call on a Sunday (this is the first doc in my lifetime that I know who would do that lol). Being overfilled where you cant eat/drink is miserable. It leads to severe dehydration, overall sense of feeling sick, severe pain, frequent regurg/sliming etc. Just not worth it, blah. Have fun at Disney. The good thing is the food isnt all that enticing so hopefully you can get around eating poorly

Hi Kristi, nice to meet you. We are an open community. If you spend some time with us you'll get to learn the names and faces. We also have a chat feature on this site where you can get to know us on a personal level if interested. Do not hesitate to email (through LBT) as well if you want to get to know them. We are all open and willing to share our experiences and provide support. Welcome to the LBT community

Hello and congrats on your decision to get the band. We were all nervous when we started and I am confident we can help put your anxiety at ease. Right now you are about to enter the very early phase of getting tests done, getting education and preparing for the surgery. Nothing to worry about on this part so put your mind at ease for now. We'll talk surgery anxiety as you near that phase and we'll be standing here on the other side to congratulate you when it's all done.

It changes over time. When I was at 250 my green was 4- 4.5 and I inched my way up to 5 to get me down to 195. I found that this was a good maintenance fill for me and 3 years later I got a new fill (0.5cc= 5.5 cc total). But a few months later after it's relaxed I need another 0.5cc to get to my optimal. I would estimate 6 is my sweet spot.but that wasnt always the case. Take day by day. Realize we are all different because our anatomy is diff. So what 5 cc does to me may be too tight or too loose for you.

Just for clarification purposes, you do have a pouch with or without fluid in the band. Your band was placed around the upper portion of your stomach. This new stomach that was created is what we refer to as the pouch. Here is a picture to give you a visual. Also, the fact that you are not supposed to eat solids to avoid vomiting is only a small part of the long list of whys. The primary reason is to not further inflame an already inflammed area. This is what leads to slips, erosion, and occlusion (or complete closure) of the stoma. Yes our doctors give us different guidelines, however, they are not extreme polar opposite guidelines. An aggressive doctor may wait a 3 weeks a conservative doctor will wait 4 or 5 weeks before introducing solids. Not a day compared to a month. Instead of fighting us, accept that we too have been banded and most of us have lived with it through fills, some have had complications (and can give you testament of why you don't break the rules) and have a real understanding of the band and the risks inherent with this apparatus. This is a forum for learning, not throwing f bombs and being hostile. We consider ourselves to be a community. Most of us end up finding some genuine friends here. Take it or leave it, that's your choice. But an open mind is a must.

In light of some recent posts, I felt compelled to start a discussion on LBT forums and what you can expect. At large, there are 3 phases to wls. The initial research preop phase, the postop losing phase, and the maintenance phase. Within each of these groups, you will find like-minded and not so like-minded individuals who are here to share their experiences and their story. Most of us speak to our level of experience. Anyone with over one year of being banded is probably the most qualified to give advice, however, anyone can contribute. Some individuals have additional experiences and knowledge sets unique to them which can serve us as a lbt community. Examples include those who have had complications, those with medical training/education etc. There's also those who have limited knowledge/experience, but yet still want to support and guide those with even lesser knowledge and experience and to reinforce their own learning. When you post to the LBT community, you will get a wealth of information in response. However, some of the responses can be terse, irrational, unfounded, misguiding or simply confusing/contradictory to other responses. It is your responsibility to gather all the information and determine what is appropriate to make an independent decision on vs something that should be discussed with your physician. It is also your responsibility to determine who is misleading you and not. This is not a medical resource center, you are speaking to individuals of different levels of education and experience with the band. This is true for emotional vs educational posts as well. Some responses are supportive, some are keeping you accountable, some seem understanding and some seem accusatory. Sort of like real life right? No one is monitored here. You can speak freely without being overtly offensive. However, negative feedback is sometimes warranted. In order to grow in your journey, honesty is best. It will hopefully help you thwart negative behaviors and instill good ones to ensure success. Please do not expect positive support all the time. Tough love has it's place and is exercised on occasion. Now, this post is also to address accountability. And I wish to take this from a 'oldies' perspective opposed to a newbies perspective. You will come across many 'oldies' who have had their bands for years. We deliberately come to the lbt site for continual support in our maintenance phase, but also to help newbies with a wide spectrum of needs ranging from general understanding of the band as a mechanism to how to live day in and day out with their bands. Most of the topics discussed on lbt is repetitive. The answers become more and more concrete as everyone becomes more educated on the rationale for the answers given. But there are times when a person's post can simply be a huge red flag. The response to these type posts typically become terse real quick..and here is why: 1. We wish to educate wls patients and want to prevent unsafe posts from serving as educational posts for others in the learning process. It only takes one poor post to misguide an individual in their journey. Bandsters will do anything they can to negate the wrong information simply to inform and educate. 2. We want everyone to realize that there are very real consequences to not following band rules. Too many people are becoming too lax with their rules and it's resulting in terrible complications that could be prevented. Posts that hilite poor band habits can also yield terse comments. This comes from an angle of accountability. The worse thing we can do is allow someone to leave feeling as if their decision was a small mistake, no big deal, nothing to worry about..its ok, you'll do better tomorrow. Let me reemphasize the very real consequences of these decisions and who has to live with those complications. It serves us better when we receive honest feedback that helps us adjust our mentalities and behaviors for the better. Support posts are great for those down and out days, not the posts where someone has identified a behavior that could put their life at real risk. It is very easy to receive negative or honest feedback as an insult. But please realize, most of the posts come from a place of understanding and support. We are very scared for people who seemingly have very little knowledge yet have a band. It's a scary combination. For those banded for years, you see the same repetitive mistakes and ultimately complications and/or failures. We are here to support you through this process with refreshment of the band rules, tricks to the trade, and support you through obstacles. We do our best to provide you accurate information and some of us (raising hand) have spent over an hour researching information for fellow bandsters to ensure they get the right information. Somehow this gets convoluted into others perceiving this feedback as "rude, cyber-bullying, offensive, unsupportive" etc. I think if you invested in reaching out to some of these oldie bandsters and knowing their experiences, how much they contribute, the typical responses they offer..you'd be pleasantly surprised that these are some of the most caring and supportive individuals investing a lot of their personal time for your benefit alone. Being apart of this community, for myself, has been both rewarding and infuriating at times. As an RN I see people post inaccurate medical information all the time and it's simply irresponsible. Please refrain from 'educating' people by saying things like "I heard" "I think" "It might be". If you do not know the answer for certain than please refrain from answering at all. The forums are a wonderful way to communicate and get quick responses. But don't feel compelled to answer all of them if you cannot contribute a safe and accurate piece of information. But by all means, if you have the answer, help your fellow bandsters so they can make wise decisions or become better eduated in their band and the band lifestyle. Thank you for listening. Wishing everyone a safe and successful journey.

Ahhh congrats on your engagement and upcoming wedding. I too am getting married (renewal of vows) and I understand that desire to want to be the most beautiful bride possible Congrats on deciding to get the band..best of luck on your wl

Only things I can think of is floating or flipped port or stitches pulling out. Please let us know what the doc finds, I'd be curious to know. Thanks and good luck

I was pregnant with the band as well. I did nto need to unfill, but I had no negative symptoms and both baby and I were gaining appropriately. I would definitely encourage you to get even a partial unfill. The relief will allow you to resume eating normally opposed to avoiding food to avoid symptoms. Good luck and congrats

Guymontag... Where's the "get lost" button again? (laughing) I need a good laugh this morning. This entire thread is a waste of all our time. If you expect nothing but positive feedback and hand holding than put that in front of your post so we all know what you expect. That way we can simply ignore the question, not give you honest feedback and allow you to gamble with your life on your own time. Hon, don't bother replying..we are already know your response: F**K off snob! Am I right? Damn, I'm good. Yeah, the maturity and intelligence and the lack thereof is just too much for me. NEXT