ElfiePoo

Isn't it nice to be worrying over 'where' normal weight people shop instead of worry about whether or Lane Bryant will have something in our size? .

I'd have them check for a slipped band too. My surgeon said if I started to have any unexplained pain (as in I knew it wasn't something I ate, etc.) to call since one sign of a slipped band is pain. Not trying to scare you but it doesn't sound right that you had an unfill and you're having difficulty. Good luck! .

OK...please don't take this wrong, but maybe therapy might help? I know anorexics have this issue of body image and seeing themselves as fat when they aren't. I'm not suggesting you're anorexic but you might still benefit from therapy to adjust your body image? .

Manda: I have no clue where you got the idea that any of us are on a 'cabbage' diet. We are discussing cabbage as a part of our meal...just as broccoli or brussel sprouts or any other low carb vegie would be. Don't feel sorry for us...we *love* cabbage! Mattie: Have you ever tried oven roasted cabbage? I brush it with olive oil, sprinkle with just a bit of Kosher salt and pepper and bake like I do any roasted vegie. Yummy! Zen and Rainy: Try a marinara type sauce with meatballs over spaghetti squash. I think it makes a very nice substitute for Pasta. You can also use shirataki noodles (found near the tofu in the supermarket) which are zero carb I believe. They're made from glucomannan a dietary Fiber. I don't care for them but some low carbers swear by them.

Just curious...you say if you do exactly as you're told, you'll be successful. Since you said that didn't work before the band, you must have some expectations of what the band will actually do to make you successful now, yes? Now what happens when the band does not 'do' what you think it will? Essentially, you're right back where you were pre-band...doing it on your own. I can honestly say that the band had no part in any of the weight I lost. If anything, it slowed my progress because I went through stages where I couldn't eat the foods I needed to and, because of hunger, resorted to the higher calorie/carb sliders. I'm very very happy for those who are successful with their band, but both sides of the story needs to be told. The *band* does fail people. There are many of us who did exactly what we were supposed to...and yes, we even lost weight...but we did it with no thanks to the band. People who come to these boards need to see both sides...not just the 'happily ever after' fairytale endings. It's the only way they'll be able to make an informed decision. .

Some part of your band system rubs against your diaphragm sending a pain along the phrenic nerve to the left shoulder. Some people never get it. Some get it but then it subsides as they lose weight. Some, like me, find it gets worse and have to have their band removed. .

You can tone the muscle under the skin, but you can't do anything about the saggy skin. It's all about how long you were overweight, how much you were overweight and mostly...genetics. .

Ditto on stopping comparisons between you and your friend. Personally, I find the idea of even expecting to be full on 3 bites a bit ludicrous since our adult bodies still need nutrition to function properly and 3 bites isn't going to do it. I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on how much you should be eating, but a lean cuisine is about the right amount of food. My doctor's plan called for 3 oz of Protein and 1/2-1 c. of vegies and start with the protein. Too many people are told the band should physically restrict how much they eat and, while that may be true for some, read these boards long enough and you'll find that it's not true for the vast majority of us. What it *should* do is get rid of your hunger after a reasonable meal (and 3 bites is not reasonable) so you can go 4 hours or so to your next meal. Until you reach your sweet spot, expect to be hungry. . .

Eating higher amounts of protein has never been proven to cause problems in *healthy* kidneys even in people who follow a paleo diet that is all protein and daily consumption can be higher than 150gm. Elevated creatinine levels can be caused by a number of things including medications, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. I don't see how the band itself could cause elevated creatinine. .

How is this different from the old stomach stapling? I'd ask because there were many problems with sectioning off the stomach but leaving it intact (had to do with the stomach trying to heal through the staples)...which is why they do the vertical sleeve now. I'd check into all the pros and cons of this plication before agreeing. .

Nope...they'll just use it as a "you're going to need to change this, this and this" checklist to show you how you should be eating...and will need to be eating after you're banded. .

You are right...it is just a tool but when the tool does not work as advertised and promised, it's a bit like buying a screwdriver when you needed a hammer. Many of us were told that the band would restrict the quantity of food we eat. That's what I was reading on this forum and what I was being told by the clinic during my research period for WLS. It *NEVER* did...and it doesn't for most of us. We needed a screwdriver and were sold a hammer. I do think the bariatric community does not put enough emphasis on how much hard work is involved because even if the band does control the hunger, the person still has to overcome years/decades of bad eating habits. Habits the person needs to be working on even before they get to where their band is working as well. One of the things I learned over the last 16 months of being banded is that the band is not the right 'tool' for me. The cravings and obsession over food never went away. All the time I thought it was hunger driving me, it wasn't. It was the physical cravings and the band did nothing about them. Long story short...I discovered that my problem was that *all* carbs (with the exception of the low carb vegies), cause such an immediate and intense reaction in my insulin levels and that's what caused the physical cravings I mistook for hunger. After 2 weeks of no grains/gluten and non-vegie starches (wheat, rice, Pasta, potatoes, etc.), my cravings were gone. I have no fill in my band and I'm eating about 800-900 calories per day...and I'm not hungry! The point I'm trying to make is that even though the band isn't a miracle cure...that's the way it's being pushed. So too many people who need that hammer are buying the screwdriver. .

Why do you believe it's the protein? .

G'day bandsters! I'm in a spring kind of mood these days and today's chilly rain fits right in. Up early, got all my work done before noon and no clients to see in the afternoon, so I've been cleaning my house. For the first time in 3 weeks I can actually see my dining room table. Quite a feat since it's the 'drop it here' spot for things that don't have a permanent 'home' (definitely not enough storage areas in this house). I'm a little queasy at how much dust my Dyson sucked up in just the living room though. Obviously it has been overdue. No weight loss on Monday this week but that's ok because I lost quite a bit over the previous two weeks. My question now though is...can one possibly become anorexic after a lifetime of overeating? I'm only half joking. I've had no fill in my band now for about 10 days and I'm not only not hungry, but I really don't feel like eating either. I'm pushing it to just get 800-900 calories in. I'm not complaining! It's such a nice change! Denise, I hope you're having a good time in Hawaii and that your husband's 'horrible day' has resolved itself! Tell him to suck it up and pull up his big boy panties (a la Shammah). One does not go to Hawaii to have a bad day! Hmmm...I'm staring at a wall that has paw prints below the line of pictures. I am so going to kill our demon kitty. He likes to stand on the back of the chair and stretch up to the pictures and then knock them off the wall. An easy stretch since he's so big he can stand on his back legs easily and tap me on the butt. So off to wash the guilty prints from the wall. Ta!

When I've been unkind to my band, I can tell the area swells because food gets stuck more easily. .

In one of the support group meetings I attended early on, there were people who weighed over 400 pounds and who had the band. Despite the popular view that someone who weighs 400 pounds is less likely to be successful because (according to one gastric surgeon) "most people who get to 400 pounds aren't very good at following the rules." I wish he could've met these people because they were very successful if their weight loss was any indication (and it is). Some surgeons believe that the more overweight you are, the less successful you will be, but the reality is that bypass and vertical sleeve will not be successful either if the person can't follow the rules. I don't know if there is an upper limit based on the logistical problems of putting a band on someone who would obviously have a lot more fat around their liver and stomach but you might find your answer by doing a search on the 'net. .

Cheryl Ann, A failure is someone who gives up completely and stops trying. You were just taking a vacation. You've taken the first step back in the right direction by making an appointment with your doctor. If it has slipped, it's my understanding that it can be repaired. Some people have had the band just readjusted and stitched back into position with a complete unfill. Others have had their band out and were required to have a 'rest' period. Whether this is just another of the different quirks of each surgeon or whether there's a reason I don't know. I wouldn't stress about it because, at this point, it is what it is. Some people are successful at cutting back on their sweets or carbs. I'm not one of them. Most likely due to my diabetes, I'm extremely sensitive to carbs and, like an alcoholic, have to avoid them completely. You'll have to decide whether it's something you can control or must avoid. Good luck.

I am insulin resistant; however, as of December 2010 I am medicine free. No more insulin in the morning or insulin with my meals. Despite weight loss, I still needed my insulin. It wasn't until I dropped my carbs to 30gm per day and eliminated the foods most directly responsible for sugar spikes (wheat, gluten, grains...basically any carbs except those in low carb vegies) that my body finally got its act together and my blood sugar stabilized. .

This could be phrenic nerve pain. If you look at diagrams of where the diaphragm is located and then look at its function, it's not hard to understand why tensing of muscles in the torso might cause the band to come in contact with the diaphragm in stressful conditions, from overeating or even just the position of the body. .

My psych eval was about a month before surgery as well. As everyone else said...be honest. I know a woman who lied to the psychiatric about being a bulimic because she knew it would most likely disqualify her for the band until she got help for the bulimia. She did not stop her bulimic behavior after being banded and ended up with band erosion and permanent loss of her band. Keep in mind that they aren't looking for a way to keep you from getting the band. They're looking for things that might cause you to be unsuccessful and that need to be worked on/aware of...even after being banded. .

Erin, Just my .02...this may not be about your band at all. You sound like you're suffering from depression and it needs to be treated. If your mom won't take you to see your regular doctor (not the band doctor) to get help, ask another friend or relative. Therapy helps, but I also know that when my doctor temporarily put me on anti-depressants after my son was born (years ago), it was like someone turned on the light. I had no idea just how dark my world was until it wasn't. If you're not covered by insurance and have no money, there are usually free clinics or agencies that will help. Please...seek it out. You're worth it. .

My biggest discovery over the last 16 months has been that, while I do not 'officially' have a wheat/gluten allergy or sensitivity, they are the direct cause of all of my cravings...most likely because they cause an immediate reaction to my insulin levels. It was only when I finally rid myself of these items (bread, Pasta, etc.) that the cravings went away and my blood sugar lowered to the point where I could get off my insulin. While I don't crave them, I do miss them because, for me, having 'just one bite' isn't an option because I know it will set off immediate cravings. .

My son bought a Magic Bullet for me. Big disappointment given the expense. I only use it when I'm mixing my Protein powder and almond milk because a shaker (has a round little wire ball you drop into it) still leaves clumps of powder. If I'm adding banana, I have to use the blender because the bullet leaves clumps of fruit. .

Wow...I so agree! I cannot believe someone would actually say something like this. Oh wait...yes I can. Obesity is the last bastion of accepted discrimination.

Rottie, How are you doing on your raw food diet? Any difficulties with the band at all? .