Mangofish

As I mentioned in the other protein thread I eat the Detour Protein Bars - 30 grams of fat and tastes so great. It actually tastes like a candy bar - at least the crispy caramel.

Detour Bars - I get the crispy caramel. 30 grams of Protein and they are beyond yummy!! Go w/the low sugar one. Then I make a gallon of the Crystal Lite Protein drinks. I think it is 8 or 9 grams of protein per serving and you can always add splenda to make it sweeter.

Lots of people including myself thought the pounds would melt away without exercise and effort. I am now maybe losing 4 pounds a month after 5 fills - am scheduled for another fill in 2 weeks. But it looks like you're making progress so that is awesome!

Banded since late August 2009. First Fill late December. No Restriction until April after fill #5.

I really get embarrassed when people imply I haven't lost much weight. I try to look at it that I would be 250 probably instead of my current weight which I haven't checked in over a week. At the same time I own up to my cheating ways. I am actually thinking of trying nutrisystem. Last time i tried it I was always hungry after the meal. I am just too busy to come up with a food plan right now.

You may not have restriction until your 4 or 5th fill at the very least. Some people have posted they do not have restriction until 8 or 9 ccs in a 10 ccs. Don't beat yourself up.

Also eating salty foods makes you retain lots of water. I ate a big bowl of popcorn and added a TON of salt and went up 4 pounds. Next day back down.

Yes they do!

Throwing tantrums? Pigging out to see how much your band can hold? We all want weight loss but yelling at the doctor's and staff when you gorging on KFC - really??! I own up to my slow weight loss: I should've done my own research instead of having blinders on thinking I would have biggest loser type weight loss. It is MY fault and I honestly haven't ate the best food either either but yelling at the doctor's office is something I haven't done since I was 8.

Thank you for posting this thread. I had an inkling to do it but didn't feel like getting yelled at. I was so sick of seeing the "I just had surgery 2 days ago - why haven't I lost weight" threads. I hinted around on another thread. Maybe you should post this over in the Pre-Op board? I think it is my fault for not doing more research on how long this weight loss would take and not asking the correct question to the doctor.

You are so correct!! My doctor and all the pretty brochures had me starry eyed that I would lose all this weight like immediately after surgery (and some people do lose a lot right after) but it was this board and my mentor who informed me about Bandster hell and you're not really losing weight right after surgery b/c your body is healing nor will you really really drop the weight until you get REAL restriction - the kind where you cannot wolf down food unless you want to be in pain. Also everyone is different. I don't even bother getting on the scale (like right now) b/c its that time of the month and I retain water. I retain water too if I eat too much salt which completely sucks when I get on the scale. Up 3 pounds one day, gone the next, 2 pounds up the day after then a drop of 4 pounds altogether....rinse and repeat. I've read some of the posts on the Pre-op board and it seems as if some people are under the same starry eyed assumption. What sucks is many people who have lost the weight on the band leave the boards so we can no longer get advice on what works best.

3 to 4 pounds after just 1 fill sounds good. Some people gain weight. 1 fill didn't do crap for me and actually neither did fill # 4 so don't beat yourself up.

I fell into this high expectation of immediate weight loss after surgery until my mentor had to point out you HAVE to get fills to the point of restriction while also letting your body heal. It is like every week there are 2 to 3 threads "I just had surgery 3 days ago and I haven't lost weight" or "I just had my 1st fill and I can eat whatever" and it's like people, calm your @$$ down - it took me 5 fills before I got decent restriction and the sole reason I am in onederland (because I stayed at 201 forever) was because I asked the doctor to be slightly more aggressive AND b/c I got myself to run/walk 2 miles for nearly a week straight. Granted if you get filled tight enough I've read others who posted that they lost weight without exercise. Sorry, not to be harsh but this ornament will only become a tool when you get decent restriction. good luck!!

There needs to be a permanent thread posted about how contrary to most people's expectations (including mine) right after surgery where people expect to lose all this weight. Chances are you're not and you are Not a failure during this time - your body is healing. This isn't gastric bypass. Until you get filled it's just an ornament around your stomach.

I am in the middle of finals and soon to be moving. I am eating non-stop for the past week and still lost half a pound because I finally got really good restriction after my 5th visit (6cc in a 10 cc band). Good restriction means I try like hell to eat bad stuff but it is painful. I tried to eat pizza - pain! So I only ate the toppings and not much before I got full. My point is (and I paid out of pocket too) is you are not going to lose weight without restriction and you need to push your doctor to get fills every other week if it takes that much to get there. My doctor was like "I'll see you in 2 months" after every fill but I came in once a month but then he admitted he had patients who came in a week after a fill b/c they didn't feel anything. Don't get discouraged just get filled.

Wow. This is actually a good idea esp. since CPR could wreak havoc on us. I remember a poster on here mentioned she was in a car accident and her band flipped. I may have to look into getting one.

YAY to you!! I also saw 199.5. SO HAPPY!

I had surgery August 21 and wasted, YES WASTED, 4 months because I was too scared to get a fill after reading the scary experience people had. 5 fills later and I haven't vomited or had anything stuck tho I've close on the stuck. It was a 15 second scare. Once you see the pounds come up you started to want to go tighter and tighter. Just had a fill today. No pain, no fuss. I was in and out in 10 minutes from the doctor's office. If you get your fills done slowly then you should be able to know when you'll get tight enough to start eating more slowly and smaller bites. Good luck!

Congrats!!!!!!!

Well it is good to know I am not alone in this crazy ride. I was at the doctor's office talking to a guy who just had gastric and he was saying he lost 25 pounds in like 1 week. It took him about an hour to eat a little yogurt. Argh! I still wouldn't trade my band for GB. Good luck everyone!

I so need a fill. If I can eat a foot long sub sandwich without any problems I guess 5 cc's in a 10 cc band is not restriction. Oddly I can't eat french fries at all. I feel as if my friends who do know look at me and wonder why I'm not losing after paying $$$$. Going for another fill next week. Onederland seems more like dreamland. I just wanted to get down to 190 for my graduation next month. Totally sucks and I got banded last August!!!

No problem on bread or pasta. Haven't tried rice. I did eat french fries the other day at a restaurant - it nearly came back up. Had to run to the bathroom and put my arms up. I don't eat much of pasta or bread tho.

I am 5 feet 8 and a half and my goal is 145ish. I am at 201. I got my first fill in December and 2 more later on and it is beyond slow going even with me running on the treadmill. It is depressing but I know if I haven't had my band I would be gaining weight. I am 29 and would love to be at 165 by the time I hit 30 in January.

I am deathly afraid of puking too. I would rather swim with rats ala Fear Factor than barf. Last night it almost happened with the worst food ever: fish. I ate salmon too fast and all of a sudden I felt the need to barf but I took a gulp of my crystal lite then ran down and sucked on a candy. I kept saying to myself "you are not going to barf". It worked barely. I just had a fill, my 3rd, and didn't believe it made much difference - boy was I wrong!! I am still scared this morning from it. So my advice: just because you can easily swallow large bites doesn't mean your band isn't working & you could still feel like throwing up.

I just a got a fill yesterday (3rd) and was so tight I could barely drink water but then it disappeared the next day. It is so frustrating and expensive at $200 a pop. I completely understand your situation but you got keep pushing yourself for another fill. My doctor said every 2 months - yeah right. I went 4 weeks later and will now go again next month.