JoJo1

You may not have restriction anyway untill you get several fills, so don't worry about being stuck until you get restriction. If you get stuck, you will know it. I drink several big swallows of water and bring it up. Then I do liquids only for 12 hours. I hardly ever do it any more because like one poster said you learn pretty fast what to do and not do.... You will be fine, I promise, the key is staying positive and believing you can do it well!!!

It is physically impossible to drink through a straw and not swollow air. The air is the reason we aren't supposed to drink fizzy pop any more. You may want to do away with the straw for a couple weeks and see if it helps you. I gave up pop after my surgery and then one day, I went to Wendys and got some chilli and a small water. Since I was in my car, I just drank out of the straw thinking the real problem was fizzy pop. I found out right away that the problem is the air. I paid really close attention to what was going into my mouth and that is when I realized the problem with the air. No matter how you do it, a whole straw full of air is in your mouth and you can not let it out. The only way is to swallow it... I haven't used a straw since then. I use caffiene regularly so I know this is just a straw full of air.....Reflux is a separate issue but it is always worth trying getting rid of the straw to see if it is being exacerbated by the air!!! Hugs!!!!

You can definitely be swollen after a stuck episode. It may be okay to get another refill in a couple weeks, but you have to be able to get water in. You should always go back to liquids after a stuck episode for at least 12 hours to calm the swelling. Hugs!!!

I knew this wasn't going to work on me. I even joked to my sister - one of the few people I have even told about this thank God - that I would be the one anomaly that this wouldn't work on. You are a clear example of people living their belief system. You clearly don't believe it will work and wollah!! Guess what!!! It doesn't work. Try changing this belief and see the miracles it can bring into your life!!! It isn't as hard as it sounds. Everytime this belief pops into your head, replace it with "I can do this" Simple as that. Hugs!!!

I have to add a few things to these posters thoughts!! Sounds like you are being beat up just a little by them. They are trying to hold you up just like I am. You mentioned that you have been overweight your whole life and feel like you are alone in this. I have been reading these posts for quite some time, and I believe you are definitely not alone in this, in fact the majority of the people who have been banded have been overwsweight most if not all of their lives. I too have been fighting it for as long as I can remember. I am 58 years old and can remember when everyone dieted low or no carb in the 60s. I think our perception of time is another issue here. Every time I have started a new diet, my perception of time gets messed up. I weigh myself after the first week and feel like I have been starving forrever. I usually lose more the first week and then get the idea in my head that I am on the right track and then get excited. Then of course the next week, I either don't lose or lose only a timy bit. Just like on the Biggest Loser, they are usually dissappointed in the second week. I always kept up the diet for at least a few more weeks but eventually became so frustrated, I gave up and went on a binge. Any of this sound familiar? I don't think I am alone in this either. This is sort of like the place you are now. Your perception of time after one month seems a little silly to those of us who have been at it longer but we have all been there. I just try to find other things to do when I am feeling like you are right now. I go for walks, read self help, read a novel, or find a good TV show. You will be fine and a new much thinner you is just waiting to come out and greet the world. Hugs!!

You haven't said why you haven't lost weight. Either you have not used the band properly or you are not eating enough and are in Famine mode. You can get yourself going again. Find out the reason and go after it. You can do it!!!

Meat, Eggs, cheese, fish, poultry, and green vegs work the best. Remember that breads and starchy vegs like potatoes, rice, corn, peas, and certain kinds of squash are the same as sugar once it gets into your system. So do the meat first then green vegs like salad, green beans, cauliflour, brocolli, cucumber etc will work the best. The problem with carbs, is that they make you produce more insulin and with that comes hunger. If hunger is an issue, try cutting all carbs for a couple weeks and you will not only be less hungry, you will have lots more energy!!!

You could be there already, but you might wait to decide for a couple weeks. A lot can happen in that two weeks including getting even tighter. Hope it is perfect !!!!

Any time you PB, slime, or vomit, you are going to be swollen again for about 6 to 12 hours.. You need to go back to liquids for that amount of time after each episode. Otherwise you just keep irritating already irritated tissue....

You are swollen for a few days up to two weeks after a fill. Just take it easy but if you can't get water down, you need to go get some taken out asap!!!

I just put whatever the family was eating in the blender and thinned it down usually with broth. I some times added velveeta cheese to boost the protein some. I used the soup to go stuff too.

They are if you can handle them. I have trouble but I can eat things others can not. Also choose fresh meat as often as you can since it has less salt etc. Nothing better than fresh anyway. I buy Chicken breasts and then put them in the crock pot and then put the leftovers in small one cup plastic dishes to take to work. It works well for me. I also do this with round steak, and cube steak. Pork would also work well. Best of luck!!!!

Mine is Geraldo!!! Don't have a clue why it just is!!!

I was told from the beginning not to expect more than one pound a week. My loss has been much like yours but I started in September. It is imperative that you start thinking positive. It will not only make you happier, it will increase your weight loss too. Remember one pound a week is normal and others who are losing more are only just different people who are either heavier, or are losing more water than you are right now. Hugs!!

Congratulations!!! I have found that being positive all the time is the biggest help for me. On days when I realize I have snacked a little too much, I just start again the next day with new resolve and I have completely stopped beating myself up over anything. Staying positive only means changing the neg thoughts that show up into positive ones. It is hard at first but it completely works. Weight loss is better, pain is less noticeable and food is easier to manage. You can do it!! Hugs!!!!

This happened to my daughter about 6 months ago. She started drinking beer of all things, and drank it all day and into the night. She started throwing up and couldn't stop. She ended up getting an unfil and then still had to go to the hospital for intravenous anti nausea meds. She learned a valuable lesson. I doubt if this is what is going on with you because you only had one drink. Probably ate something also that was spoiled or not completely good. It will pass. Soon I hope......

Lol!!!! Rofl!!!

They had me do liquids for a day, then mushies for a day before eating solids. If you end up having any trouble, you might want to do 12 hours of liquids.....

When you first get a fill, you are swollen for a little while. Then as the swelling goes down, you may find that you did not really have restriction but were noticing the swelling instead. Also, as you lose weight, and your fat goes away, you will need more fill to take up the space from the weight loss. Personally, I think I have just become used to the restriction, and now feel like I can eat more, so I have another fill scheduled. Some bands in fact do leak. I don't have any personal experience with this but have read about it in forums. The other thing that may happen, is that two weeks after a fill, the band may feel much tighter than before making a partial unfil necessary. I worried about this because I got my first fill two weeks before I went on a trip. It ended up being fine, but I probably should have planned a little better. I got a fairly aggressive fill my first time, 2cc in a 4cc band. It ended up being perfect. I need to just trust my doc I guess....... Hugs!!!!:wink:

Last time I had a glass of wine at a bar, it was $8.50. Not very cheap even if you only have one!!! LOL!!!

I know, it is amazing how we want to have something to help us lose weight, but then when it happens, we are not sure we want to give up food. You may also have to do some plain old fashioned mourning. It sounds like you are doing that. Find a way to get some protein in. I got a sugar free liquid protein online before I was banded. However there are ways to do it. If your family is having meat, put it in the blender and thin it way down with chicken broth. Then melt some cheese and add that. Heat it up too cuz the heat makes it more satisfying. Also ad some fat to it. Don't use low fat cheese, you are hungry so you need to get some good protein in you. The fat helps too and it may be part of why you are feeling bad now. If you are shakey drink some milk. It has a little protein and some carbs. You might have low blood sugar. This may be part of why you feel like crying too. I promise it will get better!!! Hugs!!!!

I just had an epiphany when you were talking about the water. I love Diet Green Tea but have a hard time finding it in my small town. I have had to drink water since I don't like anything else. I have had much less hunger to deal with since I have been drinking water.... Wow thanks. I also do much better when I choose band friendly foods. Protein, and green vegs. When I first got my fill, I had trouble with some proteins. I found that my homemade meatloaf went down fine, so just kept trying different kinds. Sometimes I was only able to eat a few bites of my protein and sometimes I was able to eat more. I lose better and have less trouble with hunger when I use real food. I also don't buy or use anything low fat. I believe we need a small amount of fat in our diet and we need it to be the real stuff. Some vitamins cannot be used by the body with out real fat, and it also increases satiety a lot.... Not to even mention the chemicals that are in many of the low fat foods. They often replace the fat with sugar which is a no no for my diabetes. Just a few of my thoughts!! Hugs!!!!

Also after a stuck episode or throwing up go back to liquids for another 12 hours then add thicker liquids then very slowly the mushies. A stuck episode causes more swelling so you have to be careful for awhile.

I agree, do liquids only for a day, then try protein shake watered down. Add mushies very slowly. It should settle down. It will be very different for a couple weeks then you will get used to the restriction and be able to eat very small amounts of almost everything.

I alternate between two real eggs and Flax Meal cereal I make with boiling water and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Sorry guys I think eggs beaters is a pile of chemicals...... (I know, it is just my opinion) Hugs!!!!