gbakerc

not starving is one of the biggest things for me. I am never starving. I still have to try not to eat out of habit. But I think I could go the whole day without feeling like I am starving

There is nothing I can't eat. I struggle with bread and pasta but I can eat anything if I chew it enough. I would'nt be concerned about not being able to any things. I will say I eat much less. I made pizza last night and I was able to eat one piece. If I eat a hamburger I eat half. You can typically eat what you want. Just less

I think so. I don't have alot of restriction but I know it when I swallow too big of a bite. I went from being able to eat anything to having to avoid bread and rice. I have another fill on the 11th. I am tight in the morning and could swallow a bowling ball by lunch. Sounds like you are getting close. I struggle with chewing as much as I should. So it sounds like you have some restriction just not enough to satisfy you. Greg

So let me get this straight. You got a band and decided to get 1 fill and expected it to work. Unbelievable. I am aware of no promises that the band makes. For it to work you must have restriction. I have heard of a select few that achieved restriction with one fill. I have 7.7 in a 9cc band and I am just starting to get restriction. Sounds like you were ill informed or did not do research as to what it would be like. You stated you aren't losing weight no matter what you eat. What are you eating and how much? Many of us have struggled including myself but you need to realize it is a process. If you can't deal with getting the fills which give you restriction then the band will remain a silicone and plastic ornament around your stomach. You have no lawsuit but you have hope if you have the band. Good luck. Greg

One question? Do you have restriction? That is a big deal. I am losing slow as well. I had restriction at my 3rd fill but it was short lived. I am getting a 4th early next month. I have lost and maintained 40 over about 5 months so I am trying to stay positive. Good luck

I feel similar to you - the sodas. No one was a bigger fan of coca cola than me, I probably drank 2 liters per day. Not the diet stuff either. I gave it up cold turkey on 9/9. It was tough but I had to do it. I am struggling at this point. I am right at 40 down with vary little restriction. I had some after my 3rd fill but it has diminished. I just started training for a 10K so hopefully that will help, I would recommend food journaling. I am trying that to get back on track. I like thedailyplate.com Greg

They are pretty cool. You see the barium going through so they can see how quickly it passes. It gives them an idea of how restricted you may be. Not foolproof but they can be more aggressive than with blind fills.

sounds like a Floruo fill. It is done in radiology, but I have never heard of it being done by a radiologist. I had 2 under Flouroscope, and one in the office. I have another scheduled under the flouroscope in 2 weeks. I have never had the fluid removed. They just fill the band and have you drink barium and see how fast it goes down. They adjust the band from there.

A little more info would help. What and how much are you eating? Are you tracking your food? Are you exercising? The Dr will not make it ultra tight. It is a process. I found myself not losing and figured out when I started putting my food in on thedailyplate.com that I was eating 2X as much as I should be. Good luck. Greg

I think the key to success is to not put too much pressure on yourself until you have restriction. That doesen't mean eat whatever you want, just don't obsess over the scale. I lost 20 in the first month and then it took another 3 months to lose 20 more. I have tried to convince myself it will happen. I will say once you have some restriction it makes eating less much easier. If it is possible get fills as often as you can until you get restriction. My doctor lets you come back every 2 weeks. I wish I would have heeded my own advice. I would be farther along. Best of luck

I agree chew slowly and start slowly. Consider it a bonus if you have restriction. I had 3 fills before I reached any level of restriction.

I am pretty tight in the morning. 8oz milk with carnation sf breakfast powder, throw in 1 tbsp of peanut butter throw in the bullet and it gets me through until lunch.

That sounds too tight. You should be able to eat comfortably. At least 1/2 cup of food. I think a small unfill was a good move.

liquids pass through fast so typically they will not fill you up. I experimented last time with a shake that I love. SF carntion instant Breakfast. 1/3 cup powdered skim milk for Protein 8 oz of skim milk 1 tbps Peanut Butter and a few ice cubes. Tastes great though it isnt ultra low in calories. Try not to be dissapointed if you dont get restriction on your first fill. Most do not find full restriction from that. I had 3 so far. I am close but not there yet. Your loss has been great so far. Greg

I had my first 2 done under flouro and 3rd in the office. the 2 under flouro looked perfect at the time but neither provided long lasting restriction. The 3rd has provided some restriction but I think I need another to get there. You should be able to drink without noticing a difference. The test comes when you eat. if you don't chew enough you will know.

I had it on a Wednesday and went back to work Monday I could have gone back Friday if I had to but I was quite lucky. I had very little pain and recovered from the anethsia quite well.

I have BCBS of California and they cover fills. There are many different policies for bcbs depending on your specific policy,

I have been at 35 down since 10/23. I Just had my 3rd fill and I feel as though I have decent restriction finally but It has been a real struggle. I am hopeful I will start losing again, Greg

sounds rough. I have heard some using childrens ibuprofen because it works well with swelling. may be tough to get down if you cant hold down water but may be worth a shot. Good luck

I am in the same boat. had my last fill in at the begining of December. Still very little restriction. Lost 5 pounds through thanksgiving and probably gained 3 since the last fill. Hopefully he won't be too hard on me. Greg

I had 2 fills to this point and my 3rd is Tuesday. My question is this. I have only had them done under flouroscope and I am getting this one the old fashion way. How do they know when they put enough in? Do they just put a little in and hope? just hard for me to visualize. Under Flouro you can see how much will go through. I have some restriction and feel as though I am close, but not just there yet. Greg /n

they are similar but have different designs. The lap band has 7 individual chambers and the realize band has 1 chamber. The ports are also installed differently. The lap band's port is stitched in and the realize band is essentially stapled in with a special tool. The realize band has a slightly lower profile port. in my opinion they are both good products that do essentially the same thing. Greg

I agree. floro can give an idea of how quickly barium can go down. so they can guestimate how quickly food will go down. It allows them to be more aggressive. I had 5.2 with my first and 3 on my second. Just trying to figure out how will he know how much to put in?

mainly timing. I am trying to get one more fill in this year while insurance pays 100% the doctor only does flouro on Thursdays and next thursday is new years eve and I cant get away fron work

I have not PB'd but I have been stuck (mildly) several times. As I am just getting restriction I am also learning to chew as I am supposed to. Not sure what Pbing feels like but you know when you are stuck. Somewhat painful and to me a burning sensation. Luckily after a few minutes it passed. I wouldn't worry too much. Greg