fransbeenbanded

hi there, i also had my band put in, in october of 09... the first 7 months were horrid. i totally regretted the whole thing. i even gained a few. but i had maybe lost only 20 pounds in that time.... then i june of 10, i got a pretty good fill... till then, i could eat anything anytime... so the june fill was a hit parade for me.. i started to lose on a regular basis... went back in september and didn't need a fill. i was now averaging about 10 pounds loss each visit.. then in january i got my last fill. was really tight. and the restriction is really high. the hubby is not happy. but it is working for me. can't eat anything before 10:30 am or so.... i go back to the doctor in june.. seems all my Vitamin and mineral levels are really low... but all i am trying to get across is not to give up or get discouraged... everyone one of us has a different experience with the band. some people i know, lose everything they want in a year!!! and when i weigh, one day i am ok, the next few days, i may be a few pounds higher. then i am down again, then finally i will be below... but i would get so mad at the fluctuations.. i do notice that the days after i have a salty item, i am usually higher by a few pounds... this is so not easy,, and the mental stuff is rough. people can be supportive but they really don't get it. my hubby is the best every and really means well. but he doesn't know the pain of food getting stuck to the point i can't talk. he doesn't get the stomach aches, or the tiredness when i can't eat too much.. but i am learning that when i weigh, to look at it openly and not get mad... i am down 100 pounds now. and i know i will always bounce in about a 5 pound range. that needs to be ok. but for some of us it takes longer to get results.this is the best place to get answers for what ails us... i have a few email pals that are perfect for venting and encouragement... never have too many friends that really understand how you feel, right? if anyone wants another friend,, email me anytime.. fran.snyder61@yahoo.com would love to hear from you... good luck everyone and keep plugging along. it will happen....

hi there, took me about 18 months, but i finally hit the 100 mark on the 16th of april.. just a few weeks ago!! and the tuesday before that i turned 50. 2 milestones in one week. so now that i hit the big 100,,, i have 19 to go... if i lose more than that, so be it. but i will ok if i stop at the 119.... will be a size 14 and that is something i haven't seen since the 80's... hahahahaha ....

hi there, it is so normal for us to be 'swollen' in the mornings. actually i just found out that when you sleep, the blood sort of lays in the lowest part of your body. and usually that is around your stomach area, during sleep anyway.... i can't eat until about 11am. not even hungry until then either. but at first i tried to eat anything, but it would all come back up. i can't even do a protein shake, too thick. so i drink coffee or a juice, or somthing. but it is normal. now worries. my doctor and the fellow doctors in his office just attended a seminar that addressed this exact issue. so there you have it.. hope i answered your question.. good luck and congrats on your loss...

hi there, i have been banded since october of 2009. to date i have lost 99pounds. i am feeling great. had a fill in january and still in a sweet spot. so i get blood work done and my regular doctor is upset at my cholesteral numbers. it is only 30 points high. my lap band doctor wasn't concerned about it. my regular doctor says i should try a vegan diet for a month and see.... i was like a deer in the headlights. WHAT THE HECK!!! she said since i love cooking that i would do ok with this Engine 2 diet. it is pretty strickly vegan. and i am so not into that. i like cheeses and creams and yogurts and milks, etc.... my husband said no way. i eat about a cup and half total per day. i squeek by, with getting all my required items in. i eat about 700 calories a day. get most of my proteinin. but if i switch to all veggies, i will cut my calories by almost 300.. that will surely send me into starvation mode, as i have been told. has anyone had an issue similar? everyone else i talk to says that the 30 points may have been from something i ate before my tests. i do take red rice yeast as a natural cholesteral helper....any suggestions would be appreciated. waiting for that last pound so i can hit the big 100 loss... and then only 19 to go.. thanks in advance for any help or ideas.... sorry to any vegans reading this,, i get where you are coming from,, but it just isn't for me.. thanks again everyone

Hi there,,,, don't be so discouraged yet. i was confused when i got my surgery too. i got in Oct 2009.. so i am 17 months out now.. but from about november to june i struggled. could eat just about anything i wanted. my doctor gave me a fill in that time and i was so miserable. i even gained a few pounds that april.. so in june he gave me a good fill and that was exactly what i needed. i started to eat how i thought i should. and i started losing on a regular basis too. then i didn't need a fill the next time. but i got a small one this past january.. i am doing pretty good. i eat about 1/2 of cup of food at any meal... sometimes not even that much. but i am due for another appointment in a week and i know i don't need another fill yet. so give it time. but you still have to try to eat healthy. stay away from the sugary carbs like cinnamon rolls....it is so hard and believe me, we know that here.. but stay calm and try to journal your food intake so you can see exactly what you eat.. when you are ready for your next appointment,, ask about a fill then.. if you would like to email me, that would be great too.. fran.snyder61@yahoo.com good luck!

since my surgery on oct 13, i have been a burping fool. even after a month later, i am still burping. i know the gas is gone and i don't eat alot of gassy foods. but i still keep burping, not in full sentences, but i keep burping none the less. thought something was wrong with me! but thank god for this site, i am learning something everyday it seems.

i was banded on oct 13 and go for my first fill dec 3. i get hungry alot, but try not to snack. i am stalled with losing and even gained a few back. but they are gone now. i hope i get restriction when i get my adjustment. i watched the adjustment videos on you tube. they were a bit scarey, but it will be worth it to get one step closer to my goal. 21 pounds gone and holding. good luck to you all.

i was banded oct 13 of this year. about 2 weeks post op, i started to call her Nelly. as in Whoa Nelly or slow down. i figure mine is a girl, because she is quiet (so far) and has been put there to help like a girlfriend. my grandma was a Nelly, so that is part naming it after her. i have always thought mine as a girl, so nelly just came to me. it is what my dad named all his cars too. hahaha

i haven't heard of the rose hip oil, but it sounds great. right now i am using Mederma. it is working. my largest scar isn't so bad, and not as red. there was a tiny scar that i havn't touched, just to see if the ointment works. that little scar is still very dark. so i guess for me it is working. good luck

hey everyone. i was banded on oct 13 and lost consistenly until this week. i am now up 4 pounds. i have not had a fill yet, not until dec 3. but i am on soft foods and eat 4 times a day ( 3 meals and a snack). after what i used to eat, shouldn't i still be losing. i exercise at least 5 times a week. very discouraged at this time. then my hubby was talking to someone and said 'she only lost 12 pounds since surgery'. i was so upset and said 'only?' until i started gaining i was feeling pretty good, but with the gain i am very upset. and long timers that can enlighten me, please do.:w00t:

i am in the same boat as you. i had my surgery on 10/13. i was fine and lost 21 pounds the first few weeks. now i go up and down 2 pounds here and there. i get so mad. i am eating pretty good and exercising. but i am stuck too.i get my first fill on dec 3rd. that is such a long way away. i have no restriction or problems getting anything down. so i am trying to behave until my fill. good luck to you too.

i was banded on oct 13,09. that 1/4 cup doesn't work for me either. i eat until i am comfortable. sometimes it is half a cup and sometimes a whole cup. my nutritionist was upset but i told her i was hungry all the time. i go to the doctor for my fill on dec 3. that will be my 7th week post op. i keep coming here and reading. with all the different perspectives on the matter, it is easy to find a happy medium. i would be lost without all you guys.

i was banded 10/13/09. the first week was the worst. i didn't think the pain would ever stop. but now i am fine. once in a while i feel it where my port it and it gets a bit sore. but i am still pretty 'fresh', so i suppose that is to be expected. i haven't had a fill as of yet, so i don't feel the band. but the port yes. i can touch it through my skin and if my dog steps on it, now that can hurt. but over all i am please. looking forward to my first fill so i will have a sense of fullness. i don't get full right now. that is what frustrates me the most.

i do a quick fried egg with cheese on a slice of toast. it is pretty quick and tasty.

hi there, like you i stopped losing and even gained a few back. i became very discouraged. but coming here helped. everyone is so knowledgable and kind. i know i am still in the healing phase and need to be patient. i am on soft/mushie foods right now. but my doctor said if i can cut it with a fork i can have it. i haven't had a fill as of yet so i have no restriction what so ever. nor do i have any bad reaction to any kind of food. my nutritionist was shocked. but i am trying to stick to my plan. i do get hungry between meals right now, that stinks. but it comes down to will power and hopefully i will start losing again soon. good luck to you.

just like everyone says, the band is a tool to help us. i know what you mean though. i can be hard, but we need some good ol' will power. i find that i don't have any reactions to food yet, not to sugar, meat or fats. so that gets scary for me. i haven't had a fill as of yet so i don't even have any restrictions. i am relying on basic will power. i thought i would have more problems with food than i am. but i am staying away from the junk food and candy especially. good luck

i have wii fit too, i forgot about it till now. but i love the step aerobics the best. i do alot of the balancing exercises too. i average 30 minutes per day as well. i am not losing at the moment, but haven't had a fill yet. i also do a walking video (walk away the pounds). i do 2 miles a day on that one. i just bought weighted balls to add to the resistance. i love it too. just moving i guess is the way to go. good luck.

i had my surgery on oct 13 of this year. i agree with the others. it is a lifestyle change for sure. for me, i have not had any problems with vomiting or with things getting stuck. i have not had a fill yet ( dec 3 for me). i do exercise more that i did before, but i am not a marathon runner either. i do alot of walking videos or walking outside. i agree that you should make some changes now and avoid the stress after the surgery. just change a few little things like some of the others have suggested. use smaller portions, cut out some snacking, move a bit more, etc. good luck to you in your new life.

hi there, i agree with astrasmom. i had my surgery on oct 13. i haven't lost as much as she has but i have lost. i get my first fill the week after thanksgiving, so the holidays will be a bit challenging, but i will do it. right now i do get a bit hungry inbetween meals, but i stick to sugar free popcicles to get me through. i would do it again for sure. i also agree that the first week is rough, i had trouble getting up and down that week. and the spot where the port is can be sore, but i will say again, that i would do it again. and come here often. there is so many good people with good advice. good luck with your surgery.

right after my surgery i was just walking in spurts. by my second week i bumped it up to a video that i use. is a walking video and i am up to 2 miles. i go to the doctor in a few weeks and hope he will let me go back to the gym and some weight training. but my doctor for now just has me walking. i hope this helps you and very good luck!!

thanks everyone!!!! it was great of all of you to respond. you all said things that i know, but needed to hear to get it in my head. hubby is very supportive, but i think he forgets that it is a slow process. i have increased my exercise a bit. so that should at least help a bit. i am not a big salt eater, so i don't see that as a problem. i am not a big processed food eater ( not that you can be at this time anyway ), so i think that is a plus. thanks again for all your comments and support!:smile2:

i am on mushies too right now. not sure how many calories i am eating. but i am having 3 meals per day and some protein shakes. i do get hungry between and have a sugar free popcicle. i went to the nutritionist today and she said i was right on track with everything. i did notice that once a week i am up 2 pounds and then it comes off and i lose a pound the next few days. i do get discouraged a bit, but after reading so many post, it seems normal. i still get bummed with not losing more. i have lost about 12 pounds since oct 13. not too much but is something at least.

i have been using a nonflavored protein powder. i mix it in milk with bananas or berries. that isn't too bad. i want to try the chocolate with peanut butter and see if i like that too.

i was told to eat 3 meals a day and at least 2 protein shakes. i have not had a fill as of yet so i get hungry between lunch and dinner and after dinner. i have a no sugar added popcicle to help out. good luck with your surgery. i wish you all the best.