anglov

The new title of my blog. Same website new name. Why WTF?? It stands for Where's the Fat?? Please check it out and join to follow my blog. I was banded 14 months ago and have lost 115 lbs. I have good days and bad days. I am sure you can relate. See what can and can't happen 14 months post op. http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/

Been there. What happened with me is my throat was constricted so bad it spasmed so I couldn't throw it up. I finally did throw it up and I kept going and going until nothing was left. After that even water got stuck. It took the next day before the swelling went down. You did everything right. Relaxing is key although feeling panic is more true. The panic feeling I think causes it to tighten more. Hot liquids helps but like you I had a time that it didn't. Gravity helps too. Getting up and walking around and taking deep breaths to relax. Its called sliming when you have that thick mucousy stuff. That is your body's natural mechanism kicking in to slime it up to help what is lodged to go down or up depending on the case. Here's the bad news...I was banded 14 months ago and still have that problem. Lately most days stuck and throwing up. I went months without an real problems then bam! Back again.

It has been awhile since I have been on here. My weightloss has slowed considerably. I am now down 115 lbs in 13 months. I have been struggling with getting stuck or really constricted when eating but I am supposing that it is mainly stress related. I am working on that. I don't give up and go back to mushies. I keep trying different foods to find what works. Things that worked before I have issues with now. The key is to eat slowly which I will admit I don't do. Sometimes I wait too long to eat and then I end up eating too fast and well it gets ugly from there. Other times I eat slow but because my kids are bickering at the table I get stuck and it might be something as simple as green beans. I am sitting here today re-evaluating what I am eating and how I am eating. I started a new job so I need to work that into the equation. My former boss ( I got a new job 3 weeks ago) and I used to eat lunch together a lot because I sat right next to her and we ate at our desks while chatting or working. The problem is I eat lunch out 4 days a week now. I don't eat bad foods persay just homemade you can control the food such as sodium and fat. Although I don't eat fat free I know that my home-made food is lesser in fat than the restaurants. I have a few new recipes on my blog: http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/ and updates on what has or has not been going on lately. Advice, it is perfectly natural to have times where you seriously wonder if the band was the right choice. To this day, I still have those moments when food gets stuck over and over. I get so frustrated (which only adds to the stress factor) and even depressed about it if it happens for several days continuously. I am 13 months post op and still deal with those feelings. It's normal. I truly don't regret it at all. I mean who would REALLY regret losing 115 lbs in 13 months? I would have never done that without the band. I am human though and at times I get so tired of fighting myself because of the band. I make it harder than it needs to be. So back to re-evaluting...My former boss and I still eat out. Well, we run out and grab food and bring it back to work. I go my way and she goes hers and we eat separately now. Weird, I know. I need to break that cycle. Monday is the only day that I eat my lunch brought from home. I need to start bringing it more often and just tell her no. I feel so bad though because she is struggling now that I am gone to my new job. She uses the drive to get food as her time to vent to me over her struggles. I know she needs to do that otherwise she will crack under the pressure. I have always been her sounding board. We worked together for 10 years. I will need to think on how to handle this delicate situation. I enjoy shopping now for clothes. I can buy off the rach at most any store. I still buy some larger sizes. I wear an 18 in pants. I wear an XL or XXL in shirts. The normal XXL not the plus size 2X. There is a difference. I have a lot of loose skin around my belly and my upper arms so that is the only reason why. I see plastic surgery in my future but not for a very long time. Well, check out my blog site. I have lots of more indepth info and recipes. As I have said before, I don't eat fat free. I usually try low fat or if it is high protein then I am not so picky. I have been successful so far so something is working for me. Best wishes everyone and if anyone needs to chat or talk about things then give me a holler.

Fills aren't bad at all. I was banded 13 months ago and still belch and hiccup when I am full. If I am hungry you can hear the most embarrassing gurgling in my stomach and unfortunately everyone around can hear it as well. It sucks when it happens in a meeting. YIKES!! Weight loss for the band can take 3 years to get to goal. Don't expect too much too soon. It may or may not happen fast. Everyone is different. It is so true that it is trial and error. More error than anything since some things that worked for me no longer do. It is ever changing.

I totally understand your mindset. I hate exercise. I will just say it. I try it and easily quit. I have all that I need right here at home but I just won't do it. I have a recumbent bike, treadmill, elliptical, exercise weights, bands, ball, Wii exercise games, videos, Wii fit, zumba. Yep, don't touch any of them. If you find what works let me know. I can't or won't get motivated.

50 lbs is fantastic! Lap band is not quick weightloss for most people. It is usually a slow weightloss over 3 years. My question to you is what do you consider a normal size meal? My surgeon has said that a salad plate size meal should be the normal for lap band. That is per lap band standards now. They have even come out with a lap band plate that shows the portions you should have on your plate. My weightloss was slow at first then it picked up now it is slow again. I am down 115 lbs in 13 months. I was banded May 12 2010 but having said that, my weightloss is not the norm. It has also slowed down a lot lately. I have only lost 2.5 lbs in the last month. Any loss is a win win in my book. Don't be so quick to over fill yourself. Major restriction will not mean more weight loss it can actually cause the opposite. Your body still needs a certain amount of calories and nutrients to function normally. If your restiction causes too much of a reduction in calories, fat and nutrients your body will go into starvation mode and hang onto everything you eat. I hate exercise and to this day don't do much of it. Well lately none at all. Life gets in the way, too much going on at work, etc. Always an excuse. Getting the amount of protein in is key and what has kept me losing. But not exercising has caused me to have lots of hanging loose skin. I am paying for not exercising. Good Luck!!

Today is my one year bandaversary. I am so happy I decided to have this surgery. My grand total for 1 year is 112.5 lbs lost! Check out my blog http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/ for my anniversary post. Good luck to everyone out there banded or considering to be banded. It is a journey I am happy I am taking.

I'm sendng good thoughts to you on Monday. What an amazing journey. There are ups and downs but so worth it.

So very true.

It sounds like your body is in starvation mode. When I was first banded I was on an excelerated schedule to get back to regular foods too. pudding is not proper nutrition. I have to have minimum 70g of Protein a day. Your body needs a certain amount of certain foods to function. I was eating scrambled eggs and pureed fish, meat, Beans to get protein. I hate the powders and shakes personally. I am surprised that you were cleared for that strenuous of exercise so soon. I had to wait weeks before getting in a pool. I was told to go slow regardless.

It is so easy to find excuses to not exercise. I do all the time. I have the same problem with food. Here it is a year later and I still rush my food at times. Getting stuck or sliming is the WORST!! I pay the price often enough.

Since the surgery I have a new love of guacamole. I never did before and now I love the stuff. Crazy good! Well, I haven't been on here in almost a month. I am down 107 lbs as of today. I had my surgery almost a year ago. One year will be May 12th. I plan on that day posting a look back at the past. Today I thought I would share a VERY IMPORTANT TIP.............. DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF OR YOUR JOURNEY TO ANYONE ELSE'S. I know, it's easier said than done but it is so important. Everyone is different. Everyone's body responds differently. What works for me may not work for you. It doesn't hurt to try but it is very easy to get discouraged when things don't work out the same as others. It may not be that you are doing anything wrong it's just not in the cards for you at the same pace as others. I see others on here upset because they aren't advancing the same as others. I used to be one of them. I wasn't losing weight as fast in the beginning as others who had surgery around the same time. I compared myself all the time. I don't anymore. I am ME. I have tips and things that have worked for me and it is only as a suggestion to others. It may work for you too and it may not. Trial and error. Here are few differences I have. I don't drink protein shakes anymore unless I get a fill and I only drink one for that day. I don't eat a mere few ounces at a meal. I eat a salad plate size portion at each meal. This is my surgeon's and lap band's recommendation. Lap Band has even come out with a lap band plate showing the size portion you should have. I was beating myself up over vacation last year because I thought I was overeating. I came back from vacation and had lost 12 lbs. WOW. They told me it was because I was eating more. Okay so I took that advice and ran with it. I now eat that much when I can and I incorporate high protein foods. Life is good and it works for me. Find YOUR niche and you will be so much more happy than you are when you compare how you are doing to someone else. Much Love and Respect to everyone who is on or are about to embark on this journey!! Angie http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/

@Sweetsagi, 45 lbs is a HUGE accomplishment!! Be proud of what you have done. Just think, that is 45 lbs you no longer carry around. Like I said, trial and error. Find the right amount of food that works for you. There are some days when I can't eat very much in a sitting and that is due to what I am eating. Some foods take up more space. I am here for you. Keep in touch even if you need to vent or bounce an idea off me. You are still doing great!! AWESOME!! @Clohse, Great Job! We are all winners here. You are you and I am me. We are fabulous each in our own ways. Keep it up.

Most everyone has this problem. Guys and Gals alike. Mine kicked in at about 6 months post op. I literally thought I was going to be bald. I started taking Biotin. 5000IU a day. I should have started it from the beginning. It doesn't help hair loss but helps the hair you have grow so it doens't look so sparse. My hair is back to normal now almost a year post op.

I am almost to an XL. I can't wait. I still am happy I don't have to go to the specialty stores. I hated when people watched me going in them. Now I don't have to. At Old Navy the bigger clothes are with the women's in the store. It is nice to browse and find sweet clothes on the clearance rack. I bought a few items in smaller size as a goal to work towards.

What is the saying...This too shall pass.... I didn't have gas right away with my surgery and had aches and pains weeks after surgery. Almost a year later and I get twinges from time to time. Gas happens even now and it is painful. It will get better!!

Believe me when I say the journey is worth it. The liquid diet is the hardest part of it all. That's not to say there won't be trying times but the weight loss and benefits from that will outweigh what you are going through right now. Don't let the depression get to you. Fight it!! Think of the positive you have to look forward to. I had surgery 11 months ago and don't regret it at all. I have hard times, still do to this day. In the end it is all worth it. Also, don't compare yourself or your successes or set backs to others. You are your own person and your success or set backs will be yours alone. No two people are the same and no two journeys are the same. I learned that the hard way. I saw others dropping tons of weight within their 1st few weeks and I was jealous and depressed. I finally realized, it wasn't me. We are all different. I take all of mine as mine and deal with it. This forum can help you vent, help you work through your frustrations and give you positive ideas but keep in mind your journey is not the same so don't get down if you aren't progessing the same as someone else who is at the same place in their journey.

But not in the bad sense of the words. Being a loser can be a good thing if you are obese. LOL! My weightloss has definitely slowed down and I am good with that. I have made tremendous headway in 11 months since my surgery. May 12th will be one year and I am currently down 103.5 lbs!! Something I NEVER would have thought was possible. My life is so much better and there is so much more to it now. My health has improved. If I was not to lose any more weight I couldn't be more proud of where I have come since that day nearly a year ago when I stepped into the outpatient center for my life changing LapBand surgery. I enjoy life. I don't worry about diet or food or calories for once in my life. I eat what I like. I eat what I feel like eating. I only avoid those foods that cause issues but sometimes I try them just to see if they still bother me. Yeah I am a sadist. My favorite food right now is Qdoba's three cheese nachos with chicken. I get the chips on the side. I put black beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and guacamole on it. I use probably 10 chips out of the huge bag they give me. Since I have started eating that most days for lunch my weight loss has upped a little. Here's the skinny on it...well not so skinny...1350 cal., 75g fat, 27g fiber, 55g protein. Yeah it is a lot of everything good and bad but that also includes all the chips which I don't eat. Here's the thing, I eat this for lunch 3-4 times a week. Since doing so, it has kick started my weight loss again. I mean that is a lot of protein in one meal and I am addicted to it!! Like I have said before I don't eat low fat intentionally. I eat what I like and try to choose lower fat options. I don't do fat free anything. I don't like it so I am not going to force myself to eat it. What's the point? I want to enjoy life, not struggle with it. Hey the point is, whatever works for you, GO FOR IT!! I found my niche. I can't say it would work for anyone else but you have to find what it is that makes it work for you. Check my blog out for my recipes and thoughts. http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/

Been there done that, many times over!! Keep in mind you would have to throw up ALOT all at once to cause slippage. It doesn't just happen if you throw up a few times in a few weeks. Since my last fill about a month ago I have thrown up about 2-3 times a week. It wasn't that I was tight really it was just things that normally I could eat wouldn't go down or I would be eating and they would go down fine then all of a sudden it was like the food "prairie dogged" back up. Right now I can eat basically normally and am not going to get my fill this time. As long as I have these episodes then for me it is not time for a fill. When I start shoveling the food in then it will be time. @Gorda...I do the same thing. I focus hard and visualize my food sliding on down. Sometimes it works but not often enough. I HATE to throw up and really it isn't throwing up for me most of the time it is more like a glob of slime popping out. I know gross right?

I paid out of pocket for my surgery and I had requirements to meet. No smoking, which I didn't do anyway. Smoking doesn't allow you to heal as well. I had to stop drinking carbonated soft drinks. I had a pre-op diet of a 2 week liquid diet. I had a psych eval that I had to pass plus nutritional classes and education classes. Then I had pre-op testing for labs and stress test. I went to my educational meeting in November 2009 and had the surgery May 2010 after going through the requirements. Every surgeon is different, that's for sure. Just ask you doctor's office for specifics. Good luck! It is definitely work all the hard work. Kelly is right, there is nothing easy about it. We all struggle in one way or another at one time or another. Well worth it though!

Congrats!! I too won't be in onederland for a while so I imagine that feels great!! I can't wait till I can say that I am in onederland!

Wow, your vitamin D is low. Mine was a 7 but that was AFTER surgery. I took 50,000IU of Vitamin D a week for 12 weeks, it was a prescription. I now take 5000IU a day for maintenance of an over the counter Vitamin D. It's best to get that under control early on because weight loss can cause it go low again. I know it frustrating but really it is better to get all of that taken care of before surgery. You may have more of the same problems after surgery and if it wasn't taken care of prior then it would be in the severe category and cause major health problems. My low Vitamin D causes joint pain, fatigue and depression. Now that I have been on the maintenance I feel much better. It will all work out. Keep the faith!

What a great accomplishment!! Keep up the great work and you will get to your goal...