ElfiePoo

I have to second the post about thinking ahead to what you're going to do about fills if you have no medical coverage. For most banders, fills (and unfills) are a fact of life. Some lucky few only need a couple. I've had about 8-9 visits for fills and unfills over the last year. Most docs charge close to $200 for each visit if paying cash. There are a rare few who charge a more reasonable fee...given that we're only in their office for 5 minutes. The vertical sleeve isn't as drastic as the bypass and you don't have to deal with 'adjustments'. It might be an option to look at just for your own information. .

Native, I don't understand why you can't have your coffee. Post surgery I was never limited on any type of drink (other than carbonated). .

I only missing being able to take normal sized bites. Even if I chew them well, it's still too much all at once for the band. I used to be the first one done at a meal...and I mean done 10 minutes before everyone else. Now I'm always the last one done. .

It depends on the diet or way of eating you choose to do. If you're doing low carb, low fat, restricted calories...you can have pretty much what you want as long as it's sugar free and fat free and fits into your daily calories. If you're doing Atkins, like I do then I can eat the full fat dressings but I have to watch the carbs, so many times even the sugar free stuff is outside my carb budget. If you're just watching calories, then you can eat pretty much what you want as long as it's budgeted into your daily calories. .

I lost mine way back but a couple times I asked the waitress if I could order from the Seniors menu and explained why. Usually they say no problem. Sometimes they had to get a manager but then the manager approve it. I think they figure when they see a fat person wanting to order off the seniors menu, they must be telling the truth cuz we wouldn't normally choose to eat less. .

Bobbie, Yes I gave up almost all carbs and did give up all carbs that don't come from vegies...ok, with the exception of the flax and almond meal but they don't have the immediate effect on my insulin levels. I also don't eat them that often because they're just too freakin' tasty! .

Sparrow Hospital has a bariatric center in Lansing but you'd have to call them to find out if they accept patients who've done their surgeries elsewhere. .

Step away from the cigarettes! I am so sorry you've lost another job...so much for the powers that be trying to convince us the economy is on the upswing. Yeah right. As Elcee said, unless you have the money to do a revision to GB, it is what it is and you need to make that band work. Even if you don't have someone locally to do a fill, you might start looking around further afield because there will come a time when you need one...or possibly an unfill. You know, I am a carb addict. I could easily live on Pasta and bread. Oh wait...I did and that's how I ended up at 330 lbs. However, when I finally did eliminate them (starting with sugar and then all wheat products), it was easier after awhile to dump all the rest. Now I get my carbs mainly from low carb vegies and when I need a 'carb' fix, I make a flax muffin because it gives me the same head satisfaction due to its texture and flavor. Here's the recipe I use: 2 Tbs flax meal 2 Tbs almond meal* 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp splenda 1 tsp cinnamon powder 1 egg 2 tsp butter Stir dry ingredients together in a coffee mug. Melt butter and stir in. Then add the beaten egg and mix well. Pop into the microwave for 50 seconds to 1 minute (don't overcook!). It will pop right out of the cup. I pour DaVinci's Sugarfree vanilla syrup over it. Yummy. I've also made a pancake with this recipe and it's pretty good. For 'bread', I leave out the splenda and cinnamon and use about 1/2 tsp of garlic powder or a variety of herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.), and pour into a round or square storage container (about the size a slice of bread would fit into). I nuke it for about 30-40 seconds (since it's thinner). Let cool, slice horizontally and voila...2 slices of 'bread'. *You can just use 1/4 cup of flax meal instead of the combo of almond and flax meal, but it helps drop the carbs a bit by using almond meal.

I'm a slow loser as well. I average about a pound a week despite the fact that 'according to the charts', I should be losing 3-4 pounds per week given that I'm eating a fraction of what I used to and I'm exercising...something I never did. On the plus side, it's obvious I've lost weight and many people think I'm losing more than I actually am because my body is firmer, less bloated, reshaping where the fat lies (not so much in my belly anymore). I'm not worrying about the weight anymore. For me it's all about creating healthier habits and controlling my diabetes. Losing weight is just the bonus. .

I think this person has a bias toward bypass or didn't do thorough research. He/she certainly didn't look at the long term (greater than a year) results from either surgery. *Everything* I've read says that bypass has far more post surgery complications than banding. Also, while bypass patients do lose more weight during the first year and resolve their diabetes faster as a result, what this article doesn't say is that at the end of 3 years, results are similar for all groups. The difference being that banding doesn't result in a lifetime of dealing with all the medical concerns related to malabsorption and rearranging your internal workings. Sadly, the long term results for all WLS isn't that great if you look at how many actually take all their excess weight off. However, if they lose 50 or 60% of their excess weight, the surgery is deemed successful...and they don't follow them to see how many put it back on. .

After my band tightened from my last fill, I'm eating about 800-900 calories per day. I used to eat 1200. For me, the difference is in the fats and cutting back slightly. When I was eating 1200, I'd eat 2 eggs and 2 sl bacon in just a bit of butter for Breakfast, lunch and dinner were 3 oz of Protein with vegies or salad using butter on the vegies or full fat dressing on the salad. I also use half and half in my coffee (about 1 Tbs per mug) and had 2-3 cups per day. Since my band tightened, not only am I not hungry but I don't even have the desire to eat but I know I have to. So now breakfast is 1 egg in .1 oz butter, lunch and dinner are 3 oz protein and a small salad with full fat dressing. I'm only drinking one cup of coffee (with the cream) now and the rest of the time it's decaf tea, plain. I wasn't trying to do that...it's just what I feel like eating.

HB, I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. . No jobs at McDonald's! The food would be way too tempting, particularly if stressed out! Walmart is better. My 15 year old business is on the verge of going under. I've actually started the process of selling off my inventory of essential oils, putting the warehouse up for sale, etc. I told my husband that I'm then going to go to Walmart and apply for a position as 'greeter' so I can do the Jeff Dunham thing and tell people, "Welcome to Walmart. Get your shit and get out." .

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling less 'frantic' this morning about this whole band removal. I had a chance to speak with the insurance department at the bariatric center and they told me that I do not need preapproval to get my band out since I am having complications (pain) from it. I also don't have to have the sleeve done at the same time. The process for getting approved for a second WLS is the same whether I do it when the band is removed or at a later date. She said it is usually harder to get approved for a second surgery but mine should be a snap since I need the revision due to problems with the band and because I've shown a steady loss since getting the band. Since another psych eval is required for the revision, I think I'm going to go ahead and schedule it and talk about my concerns and reservations with her. My husband suggested I do a series of visits with her. However, despite the fact that it's two more surgeries instead of one, I think I'm going to get the band taken out and wait on doing the revision. That's just such a huge step and I'm not ready right now to take it. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the lack of hunger and lack of desire to eat and use this time to really focus on eating properly to control my diabetes...low carb, keeping my calories below 1200 and trying to get in an hour of exercise each day. Any weight loss will be a bonus. .

It just keeps getting better...not. I had an 8 a.m. appointment with my surgeon this morning and it looks like I'm headed back into surgery. The pain in my arm has gotten to the point that I just can't take it anymore. Since lying down causes the pain to start full force, I've been sleeping in a recliner. The pain is still there, but less so at that angle. I can't sit in the passenger seat of a car because within minutes I'm in intense pain. The range of motion in my left arm is impaired because I can't put my hand behind my hip, lift my elbow up to shoulder height or lift anything heavy enough that causes me to tense my chest because that apparently puts my band in contact with my diaphragm causing me severe pain. Since I'm sitting and lying in ways to prevent the pain, I now have muscle pain in my neck and shoulders causing almost constant headaches. We were supposed to go visit my son and dil in Florida next month, but I can't sit in a plane that long because of the pain. My surgeon's advice was to do an exploratory and see if they can find where it's rubbing and fix it. Worse case scenario is that they would remove the band if they can't solve the problem. The only question then is whether or not to just remove it and close me up...or remove it and do a sleeve revision...and while I need to take care of this soon because of the pain, I'm just not sure I'm ready to commit to doing the sleeve. This was supposed to be so simple. .

If you can keep your carbs around 30-45 and from vegies, you can do a higher fat diet (the fat helps control the hunger) safely. I know the current belief is low fat, but I know from personal experience and the experience of other long-time Atkins dieters that you can actually eat a higher fat date *WHEN* you keep your carbs low and, over time, improve all of your lab work. I do Atkins and my diet is about 30% Protein, 60% fat and carbs are around 30-45. I'm now off all my diabetic meds and my latest lab work came back with my LDL/HDL in normal ranges as well. I'm not trying to convince you to do Atkins, just letting you know that a higher fat diet is not necessarily bad and the higher fat helps control the hunger....and thus the overeating. .

Answered in your duplicate thread. .

Actually, a cup of watermelon is slightly less carbs less than a cup of raspberries or blackberries and almost half the carbs of blueberries. In any case, a cup of watermelon is about 11 carbs and is doable on a low carb diet *IF* you can control how much you eat (not a trigger food). .

Jackie, I thought they made a full body spanx...or maybe it was another brand? Personally, I found that just buying a new bra made a world of difference! Not only was the material 'tight' and not stretched out (giving no support) but I was able to wear one that was actually the right size for the girls. .

Sandy, You've answered your own question. You can't do it without the band because you get tired of being hungry...and that's what the band is supposed to take care of. Cleo is right. It doesn't work for some people but they don't know what percentage are failed by the band (like Cleo) and what percentage fail the band. All you can do is go into this with the hope that you will be the one the band works for. I've struggled for the better part of a year with my band but I did finally find that sweet spot. Some people have a shorter learning curve and are successful from the day of surgery. I wasn't one of them. I ended up being overfilled, then completely unfilled and was actually on the verge of a revision to a vertical sleeve. The only point I'm trying to make is that I never gave up and I actively worked at making this band work for me. Now, not only do I not have hunger for about 4 hours after a meal but I've even lost the desire to eat. I eat my 3 oz of Protein and 1/2-1 cup of vegies and I'm content until my next meal. *That* is what the band does for me. It gets rid of that all consuming, constant hunger that I've lived with for most of my life which means I have a much better chance at controlling the eating. .

^^THIS^^ The hardest part for me was breaking the *habit* eating whenever or wherever just because I knew it would taste good. At 6 cc (in a 14cc band) I didn't have hunger, but I still *wanted* to eat and I could still eat anything I wanted. The surgeon's office said to come in for a fill because they're finding that the sweet spot is not just a cessation of hunger for some people, but the loss of the 'desire' to eat as well. So 2 weeks ago last Tuesday I went in and they put in another cc, taking me up to 7. For some reason, it takes about 2 weeks for me to feel any reaction to a fill and this was no exception. Almost like clockwork, last Tuesday my band suddenly tightened. I was unable to eat little more than Protein shakes for almost 2 days. At this point, I have to be very careful to take small bites (baby spoon size) and chew well and wait between bites...something I didn't have to do at 6cc...BUT my surgeon was right. In addition to a cessation of hunger, I've lost the desire to eat. I eat my 3 meals because my body tells me it's time and I feel the signs of hunger...but as soon as I eat, I'm good for about 4 hours or so. The band works differently for everyone, so you just have to pay attention to what your body is telling you and then work with that. Good luck. .

Please forgive the long vent. I'm frustrated, angry and ready to just throw in the towel at this moment. I just had my son get on the scale because I was sure there was something wrong with it but his weight is the same as it has been for the last several weeks. Mine, however, says I've gained 7 lbs since yesterday! C'mon...I know my water weight fluctuates a lot but this is ridiculous and when I look back at my Fitday, I didn't eat anything that would result in my holding fluid today! Tuesday and Wednesday was mostly protein drinks...about 800 calories each day...because my band tightened. Thursday was about 900 calories but I was able to eat a salad with some grilled chicken in it. On Friday I started eating like I was prior to my band tightening except I've cut back on the fat (no bacon), less butter, etc. and my calories are coming in at around 800. When I look back at my Fitday, the week prior to this was around 1000 calories. I hadn't been paying much attention to that daily total since I eat pretty much the same every day but for some reason after my last fill I started eating less fats so my daily calories went from 1200 to around 1000. I really don't know what to do. I've already had the discussion with my regular doctor and we've already done all the blood work for hormones, thyroid, etc. and it's all fine. Yes I'm soon to be 55 but I'm not even perimenopausal yet. All my lab work is 'normal'. I don't even want to go in to see her anymore because I can tell she thinks I must be cheating on my diet...that I should be losing more than a lb a week on 1200 calories and an hour of cardio every day. How can I argue...I think I should be too since it's half of what I used to eat and I never exercised at all before. Oh, and I'm not building muscle. What's she going to say when she sees I'm gaining??? I'm sitting here so depressed and in tears. I've never worked harder at losing weight and I'm gaining!!!??? At this point I have to say I'm feeling so defeated and just...weary. .

As someone has already said, it is unfortunate that so many band doctors have no clue how the band works. As a result, there are way too many people looking for the band to physically restrict how much they eat and they're ending up overfilled and dealing with stuck episodes on a daily basis. That way leads to a greater risk of band erosion and slippage over time. I will qualify this to say there are exceptions to everything, and some people do get physical restriction, but based on the posts here on the LBT, most of us do not. The band works by putting pressure on our vagus nerves which then tell the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Some people get enough pressure with just the band. Most of us need varying amounts of fill. When we get to that sweet spot of just enough pressure, we can eat a reasonable meal (my doc says 3 oz Protein, 1/2 c. vegies, 1/4 c. starch...maybe) and go 4 hours or so without hunger. So what you want to look for is cessation of hunger. As for his 'advice' to let the band do the work and not you...he's misinformed. The band will help with the hunger but we still have to choose to make good food choices and we still have to choose to put the fork down because even when I was overfilled I could overeat and eat the wrong foods. I have 7cc in a 14cc band as of 2 weeks ago and this is a typical day for me now: B: 2 scrambled eggs in .2 oz butter L: a cup or so of boston lettuce with 3 oz of some type of protein (grilled chicken, deli ham, hard boiled egg, tuna, etc.) with homemade blue cheese dressing D: 3 oz protein, 1/2-1 c. vegies

I don't track just sugars. I track *all* carbs so the sugars take care of themselves. I'm only eating about 30-45gm of carb per day which means everything I eat is automatically lower in sugars. .

I can only eat salads now if it's made from boston. Anything else is too fibrous. My favorite, romaine, is a thing of the past. .

Stacey, Good to hear from you! Get that gallbladder taken care of! Gallbladder surgery is nothing like it used to be. My mom had hers out decades ago and she has this huge incision down her belly. My aunt had hers about 15 years ago and she only had 2 small incisions (similar to our band surgery incisions). My daughter-in-law had hers done a few years back and they took hers out with a small incision in the belly button! Recovery time is now only about a week or two versus the 3 months when my mom had hers done. Definitely worth it rather than dealing with all that pain!