JoiaRox

Good luck to you! It sounds like you've come to the right decision on the LapBand, based on the story you've told. I'm almost 4 months out from my surgery now and am loving the results! I'm 29, and wanted to get this weight thing under control (or at least on the way to that!) before I hit 30 in August of this year. Obesity-related illnesses run rampant in my dad's side of the family, and I didn't want to be another statistic!

Well, I'm a few months out of surgery...and I have a hard time getting calories IN! So, yes...I splurge on a Skinny Vanilla Latte or a light frappuccino from time to time. I know I'm consuming calories that way, but it's not daily and I'm still losing weight :biggrin:

I thought it was "the day of the fill" because, I swear, the literature they gave me said that. So, I made sure I had ONLY liquids the entire day, and had my fill at 2pm. The doctor says to me, "Okay, so you're on liquids now for 24 hours." I said, "Seriously?! I've been on liquids since dinner last night!" To think I could have had an omelet for breakfast...lol.

I'm 3 months out of surgery and it took me 4 fills to reach restriction...even though I've had restriction now for a few weeks, learning to eat again has been tough. I still reach for food I know I can't handle, try to eat it, and get the pain that I knew was coming...perhaps my brain has short-term memory loss about how much the pain from eating the wrong foods or overeating causes?! Be kind to yourself, though. Luckily, I haven't had any significant weight gain since the surgery. I've gone up and down a few pounds here and there (especially during Spring Break), but I've maintained a constant downward trend. When you've had enough fills, there will be a COMPLETE change in how/what you eat...even if your brain doesn't accept it. I'm still fighting with my brain/eyes on a daily basis...but I've recommitted to myself today and plan on having a good journey from here!

Reality check...if you're not sure you can jump through hoops or are impatient...you're not ready for this. Even once you have the band, it may take months to reach restriction (I'm a lucky girl and got restriction in about 2 months of fills). This entire LapBand deal is a PROCESS, a JOURNEY...if you can't wait the 6 months for your insurance to make sure you're a worthy candidate, and for you to mentally prepare yourself...self pay and wish yourself the best of luck..

I had my 4th fill yesterday (now up to 8cc in a 14cc band) and I'm down 3.8 pounds this week! Yay! Tickers and Challenge Spreadsheet updated :frown:.

My doc told me that the band is meant to be in place forever. Once I reach goal, he'll take out half of the saline so that I can hang out in maintenance. I'll gain some, drop some, but should stay relatively at the same weight. Remember, this is life-changing, meaning it SHOULD last your whole life :thumbup:.

Try "8 weeks on - I can eat anything," because that's what I dealt with. I headed to my doctor's office for my 3rd fill at about 8 weeks post-op, frustrated because I could still eat a 6" Subway sandwich without problems. I told my case worker and doctor that I could, and sometimes did, eat ANYTHING. Bread, eggs, melted cheese, Pasta...you name it. All the things everyone here talks about getting stuck with, I could still inhale it. True, I was fuller longer (at that point I had 5cc in a 14cc band), but it bothered me that I could still eat normal portion sizes of any food under the sun and have no problems. I *did* get stuck once, for about 30 seconds, and had the sharp chest pain...but it subsided quickly. With that information, my doctor filled me up to 7cc on that 3rd fill...WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I immediately battled with several foods over the next couple days, having intense stuck episodes (sliming, gagging, vomiting) because my brain hadn't been used to what a SMALL bite and CHEWING really was. Trial and error, though, I've learned over the last week (3rd fill was last Saturday), and after the initial swelling of the fill went down, I'm finding I probably need one more fill to take me to that sweet spot...last Sunday I could barely handle HALF a 6" Subway sandwich (had to try it again to see if I could handle it), and even that took me nearly 15 minutes to get down. But, I was able to eat steak last night...about 6oz...for dinner. I think the initial swelling from the fill went down and I'm very close to that infamous "sweet spot." What I've learned about stuck v. full... FULL - You feel full, just like you did before the LapBand. Not like when you were "overfull" from eating far too much in one sitting (double quarter pounder with cheese, supersize fry, 2 apple pies, etc.)...but just full like you know you've had enough to eat. It's not uncomfortable, and if you eat your meals slowly (as we're instructed to do), you'll notice that you get to that "full" state in about 15 minutes of eating. Once the food is cold? Stop eating...you're probably full. STUCK - HELL ON WHEELS! Imagine this...you're a high school teacher and have a 40 minute lunch before your last class of the day (sophomores - Biology), and you're planning to give a lecture for the period which requires you walking around the room and talking about biogeochemical cycles. You didn't bring a lunch, because your restriction from the fill you had two days prior has been pretty awesome...but you find that you're a little hungry. So, you grab the only thing in your classroom to eat - a snack sized bag of Doritos leftover from a BBQ you hosted recently. You eat them, being sure to chew and take small bites...but then you get lost in entering daily attendance and checking e-mail and subconsciously shove a whole chip in your mouth and chewing it up a little before swallowing. Then? The hell comes. You feel like the bony edges of the chip are poking out of your esophagus, causing SHARP pains in your sternum area. You head outside the back door of your classroom to dry/slime vomit three times...eyes watering, you walk around the "back yard," massaging your chest and trying to alleviate the pain. You're 29 years old - this can't be a heart attack. You look at the clock...only a few minutes left before the sophomores come scrambling into the classroom. You tear up, cry, agonize over the pain you're in...the sophomores come in, you can barely speak as the pain continues to subside over the next half an hour. You're done dry/slime vomiting, but the pain is still in control. THAT is the difference :thumbup:

I had my first NSV (non-scale victory) yesterday and I thought I'd share...I put on a pair of gym shorts that have an elastic band so that I could head over to the gym in my apartment complex and get some work out in. While walking the short distance to the gym, I had to continuously pull up the shorts. I hopped on the treadmill, and within seconds learned that I had to hold up each side of my shorts, all scrunched in my hand, in order to walk my 3.5mph and avoid showing my see-through black panties to everyone else in the gym! After 20 minutes of that, I finally hopped on the bike to get in another 10 minutes of workout without stressing about my shorts falling down...lol! I usually work out longer than 30 minutes, but the constant agony of pulling up my shorts (because they were literally, and quickly, sliding off my ass) was too much to deal with. So, although I cut the workout short, I think that's an awesome problem to have! Goodbye to my old, dear, elastic band sweat shorts! :thumbup:

I'm over two months out of surgery now, and finally at restriction...but trying to figure out WHY you're not supposed to drink before/during/after meals. Can anyone explain this to me? I've heard varying ideas...one being that the liquid fills you up in addition to the food, leaving you hungrier faster because the liquids digest quickly. Another? The liquid will make the food "slide" through the stoma easier, again making you hungrier faster. Hmm. Anyone? I usually don't pay attention to the drink rule...although, now that I've gone a week with restriction, I find that having a small drink while eating isn't an issue. Can someone give me the science/rationale behind this?

My scale is broken...lol. Been stuck at 305.2 since Tuesday! Gotta love the TOM, right?

I voted for 7cc because that's what I have now, after my third fill. While I definitely feel restriction now, I think it'll take one more fill to be at my sweet spot. Doctor said he may take me up to 8cc next time, so we'll see!

Thanks girl!! Life is awesome now - got the third fill this past Saturday and HELLO RESTRICTION! It's definitely been a trial and error learning curve as I reteach my brain and mouth to take SMALL bites and CHEW CHEW CHEW! But, it's awesomely insane to hardly ever be hungry! On the odd chance I do get hungry? A few bites fill me up. I'm still making sure I get my calories/protein/water in every day, but it's glorious!!!!

I've tried all of the flavors and the only one I didn't like was the Pom Razz Sangria (ewww!). I've always mixed mine with water - they're so thick and yummy anyway, they don't need the added calories of milk! If you're taking a good vitamin, the added calcium you get from the 4oz. of milk you'd add is a non-issue as well. Go with the water :thumbup:

RIGHT THERE WITH YA!!! I had my third fill this past Saturday and WOW, what a difference! Trial and error has been my "friend" since starting solids again after the fill...I've heaved, I've puked, I've slimed, I've had the coronary-like chest pains. UGH! Today was the first day I had no problems, but GOODNESS did I learn after my trial and errors to take SMALL BITES and CHEW THE LIVING HELL out of my food before swallowing!

KUDOS to Ms. LB! After Saturday's fill, I finally have restriction! It's bizarre... SUNDAY (breakfast) - couldn't finish the eggs and cheese I made (read last post) SUNDAY (lunch) - bought a footlong Subway sandwich...took 15 minutes to get a quarter of it down, and it was rough SUNDAY (dinner) - ate two bites of ravioli (whole ones) and immediately threw them up. Learned the art of "small bites" and "chew chew chew" in order to get dinner down MONDAY (breakfast) - yogurt & Vitamins MONDAY (lunch) - more Subway...rough going down again MONDAY (snack) - Chex Mix, eaten VERY slow MONDAY (dinner) - 2% Fat Free Velveeta Shells & Cheese The weirdest experience that I've endured over the past couple days...I'M NOT HUNGRY! EVER! I was just telling my boyfriend that I eat because I look at the clock and realize, "Hey, it's lunch time." I realize that I don't have to eat according to a clock, but if I don't eat at given points of the day, I'd never consume anything! As it is, I'm under 1,000 calories today and still not hungry. I'd been eating roughly 1,300-1,400 a day in order to lose weight...and now I can't even get that much in! To Ms. LB (my band)...you effin' rock for FINALLY doing what the doctors said you would do. I'm okay with you having a hard time with Subway bread, and rejecting the first two, large bites of ravioli...you and I can learn to coexist for the betterment of ME. I have another fill appointment on the 18th - not sure if I'll get a little, tiny adjustment or not. At only 2 days post-fill, it's too soon to tell if this restriction will stick around...but I'm definitely lovin' it! :thumbup:

First of all - HI! I'm from Bakersfield, too! Why aren't we friends?!? LOL! Could be that you're undereating...how many calories are you getting? I'd suggest upping your calories 200 to see if that helps give you fuel. It's weird to think that we have to eat MORE to lose weight, but if you're working out as hard core as you say you are, your body probably isn't getting enough fuel to burn and is holding on to what it's got. I know that I have to play around with my calories when I start seeing a stall...in the beginning, I was proud of myself for eating less than 1,000 calories a day, but soon found the scale at a plateau. Once I jumped to 1,300-1,400 calories per day, voila!

Go for the fill before your trip! I had my surgery on 1-7-10 and just had my third fill two days ago...and I'm just NOW feeling some restriction. I had my first fill 4 weeks post-op, second fill 3 weeks after that, and third fill 2 weeks after that. As long as your doctor is okay with you getting a fill that quickly, go for it! You'll kick yourself if you wait, get the second fill later, and STILL aren't at restriction (like I, and many others, have). Go for it!

You go girl! I don't know why, but my ecstatic moment wasn't until I hit 30 pounds, which I hit a few days ago. YAY for us! :biggrin:

Body chemistry is different for every one, and even for the same person at different sizes. Plateaus happen because our body chemistry has changed. If what you're doing now isn't working, mess with the chemistry...if you don't want to change your workout routine (less or more), then change your calories - maybe you need to eat more/less for a variety of reasons. I found that when I started working out after surgery, the 800 calories a day I'd been consuming simply wasn't enough. My body needed MORE fuel (as silly as that sounds in weight loss) to account for the working out. As soon as I upped my calories to 1300-1400, I've been continually losing...as long as I work out! Keep experimenting with the mix of calories and burn and you'll find another level you can continue to lose out...until you plateau again :biggrin:.

I guess I lucked out here. I'm not married, but have a wonderful boyfriend. He met me right before I started this process, so he met and fell in love with the heaviest I've ever been. Found me attractive in every way, including physical. He's more than supportive on this journey, and he's looking forward to the new, "hotter" Joia that will emerge over time. BUT - knowing he loved me at my heaviest...sure tells me a lot about his character and the fact that he loves me for ME. The skinnier Joia will just be a bonus for all of us!

One more thing to remember...1 pound in 3 months means YOU are not doing the work. Even with restriction, this isn't a magic tool that will allow you to eat senselessly with no workout and expect the weight to fall off. All restriction's brought to me is smaller portion sizes and staying full. The 32+ pounds I've lost in 2010 are because I'm counting my calories (yeah, every single damn thing that goes in my mouth), and I'm working out. You HAVE to commit to a life change or all the restriction in the world won't make this work.

I also have a large band, and I sure got discouraged after fill 1 and fill 2 brought me NO restriction. February was a tough month for me, because I was feeling the Bandster Hell as early as late January (got banded 1-7-10)...I desperately wanted the fills to do SOMETHING, and two fills in...nothing. I got fill #3 on Saturday (3-5-10) and got up to 7cc in my 14cc band. Although I did feel restriction yesterday, and even threw up my dinner two bites in (not used to having to chew SMALL bites yet)...we'll see how long the restriction lasts! Although it was all tough going yesterday, I was able to get down eggs, a sandwich from Subway, and ravioli (eventually) for dinner. I think one more fill will get me to that "sweet spot." But, I definitely understand your frustration. Large bands just mean more fills/saline are needed before you get to restriction. Don't give up - it comes, I promise!!