shrinkAdink_05/10

By comfortably tight i mean that when I would get my fills the doc and I would play with how much fill he could put in before Water wouldn't go down and then he would back out just enough so that the water would go thru again. I ALWAYS got the max fill. This has meant that after a very small amount of food I feel STUFFED and with that feeling also comes a feeling of satisfaction. I think it crazy that after such a small amount of food I feel like I just pushed away from the table at a buffet! LOL...a good kind of crazy Unfortunately many doctors won't give their patients a "max" fill or even give them a choice about how much is going in. My mother-in-laws doc just gives her what he wants her to give , good enough or NOT. I think those docs are in it for the money. Mine isn't...my doc has been amazing!!

At 6 months I was down 60 lbs, looks like you are right on track! GREAT JOB!! Catlana...tighten up that band! I relied strictly on my band to do the work and kept it as comfortably tight as possible. As soon as I realized I could eat more I got straight back to the doc for a fill. If it worked for me, I am certain it will work for you Keep up the good work!

Don 't be sorry Getting it all out there is how you "get it all out". So what, no big deal...you say what you feel and others help you overcome those issues by being brutally honest. (Sugar coating anything will never solve a problem as we have all figured out pounds later LOL) I happen to think you are a beautiful girl and think you are going to be shocked at how quickly life will change for you. You will look, feel and think differently more and more as time goes on and making posts like this will help you learn and grow as your body and mind are changing. Don't ever be sorry for being yourself! Learning to love yourself comes with the journey and everyday it gets easier and easier as you get skinnier and skinner Good luck my friend, I'll be watching you

Hmmmmm…that makes me sad for you, envy and/or jealousy can be poisonous. So, are you saying that once you are in the 190’s that you too shouldn’t be able to use your band to lose weight? Would you really consider yourself skinny at 199? When you get to that point, while yes, you will feel better, you certainly will then know (as did I) that 199 does NOT look or feel skinny on a 5ft 4in frame (my height). Now that I am in a size Zero down from a size 20…I not only FEEL skinny, I AM skinny…LOL In fact I am trying to gain about 10 pounds back. I started at 220 and lost my weight in less than 1 year because of a sincere desire to have a chance at a healthier lifestyle. It makes people angry to hear it, but it has been SO, SO easy for me with the band. When you do exactly as the doctor says and keep your band comfortably tight, you cannot fail to reach your goal weight easily and quickly. I am proof of that and NO…I didn’t go to the gym J In fact I hate the gym. I never drank a Protein shake, they gag me and I despise vegetables LOL. Oh, I could go on and on. I think you are being absolutely silly, probably one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard on here, but at least you’re reaching out to others for advice on the matter which tells me that you don’t like feeling that way? Seriously, remember this post when you are 199 pounds and then imagine what you would do if someone says, “OK, you’re too skinny to have a band now that you’re 199, you can’t use it anymore, just suffer on your own.” Whether you START at 199 or end up at 199 on your way down the scale, DOES NOT: A) Mean you’re skinny or Mean you shouldn’t be applauded for wanting and fighting to be a healthy weight or C) Be denied the use of a Lap Band. It sounds like a simple jealous/envy issue and trust me, one day in the near future, the other “fat” people around you that know your weight loss secret will be jealous and will envy you too. Guess what? You won’t care what they think, you’ll just be happy you did it and if they want it, they too can do it. I never in a million years thought I would ever be in a Zero again in this lifetime. I hoped for at least a size 7…what seems impossible to you right now, WILL become a reality in time.

My doc says go for it. I drink better and get less air with a straw. Some people however can't tolerate it and get TOO MUCH air in their belly. In fact when I go for my fills I take a straw with me to use, otherwise I get too much air in my belly and then I can't determine if my fill is complete or if I really just need to burp to get the trapped air out. LOL....the straw alleviates this problem and I always get the perfect fill, which is just ANOTHER reason I reached my goal so quickly! A perfect fill everytime is most important to success.

You are so sweet and generous!! Wish I would have thought to do the same. Mine went to Goodwill. This is so much better!

I will have to disagree! I have been what the doc calls the Poster Child for LapBand as I have been religious about getting a new fill every single time I can see that I am able to eat more (too much) I have not had to work at it...I have not been to the gym except for the first 2 months after banding. I eat what I want, when I want and have for the last almost 2 years since surgery. I wasted tons of money in the first few months trying to find a Protein shake that I could gag down since they all taste like crapola...so I have never drank one since. While my hair did thin and I ended up cutting it all off, I think this is pretty normal no matter what. I have been tested for every single little deficency possible and everything is Golden! YES, the band absolutely IS a miracle cure!! It does take many months to feel like you are at your "sweet spot", but that is completely normal! I started out in a size 20 pre-surgery and in less than one year I was in a size ZERO! Just look at my pics IT ALL HAD TO DO WITH FILLS!!!! Fill, Fill, Fill! If you want to be able to still eat like a horse, that is your perogative, if you won't tighen your band then you won't lose, SIMPLE AS THAT! Me, I always kept my band as tight as I could comfortably stand it. I haven't had any fills in about 5 months and feel perfect! If anything I will get an unfill to gain back about 5 lbs.

Funny that you thought to ask this. It would have never occured to me. But, YES...my feet did shrink. It never occured to me that my feet had gotten fat too! I was in an 8, and now I am back to a size 7. I have some really cute shoes, now none of them fit

Good Questions! I wanna know too I had the tummy tuck, and breast lift with fantastic results. Now my thighs look like wads of chewed gum...really skinny, but ugly. Butt cheeks are like deflated balloons. Just curious how the after turns out and is it worth it?

As far as messing up your band...it could. There is the possibility of having your band slip. You want to avoid sliming, vomiting etc. at all cost. What have I done when I am stuck? Panic!! LOL. No really, a few things I have done are: I reach up to the sky and stretch as tall as I can then rotate my torso from left to right. I have bounced up and down to help shake things up a bit. I have tried the meat tenderizer thing...just barfed, didn't work and it tasted nasty. If you deeply massage the area where your ribs meet that helps the discomfort and can help move things along. The last thing I have done is have my husband pound as hard as I can stand up and down my band...helps the discomfort and can help get things moving too. I have however been stuck to the point of no return. It meant a trip for an unfill after not eating for 6 days and only dribbles of water would go down. I was miserable and don't recommend waiting that long. I lost 12 lbs that week...very bad way to do it!

As far as the chip thing goes...well just look at them, if you dip them in water, they instantly turn to mush. Therefore, they will easy slide through the band, you could eat the whole bag if you wanted. Because they are so thin I tend not to chew them up well enough and swallow too soon, so I end up feeling like I have a whole potatoe in my gut. It's so uncomfortable that I don't even crave them any more which is an AWESOME thing! I am however able to eat corn chips & tortilla chips, oh and pretzels. Since they have more texture, I can tell when they aren't chewed up good enough, so I am more aware of when it's time to go down the hatch. I would venture to guess that if you want to have some chips and you like these kinds you will get full and pretty fast. (Again, dip one of those in water, they don't desolve, not quickly anyway.)

Well...in MY experience...When I have gotten stuck in the past it generally has started with only one wrong move like swallowing something by accident before I have chewed it well. It happens because yes, I keep my band very snug. (but still comfortable) So one wrong swallow and I suffer for days. What ends up happening is simple really. You get stuck, you slime and BAM you have irritated your stomach and it swells around your band making you more restricted, kinda like how you were the first little while after surgery. The only way I can remedy this without having an unfill (which I hate to do because in only days you see that you can eat way too much again and need to go back in for a refill) is go back to the basics from right after surgery. Clear liquids for a day, full liquids for a day, then mushy food. It gives your band a chance to rest to get the swelling back down. Works for me, try it...hope it works for you too

That is so weird! The same exact thing happened to my mother-in-law. Earlier this year she had the tubing replaced for the 3rd time. She actually was able to get the manufactor to pay for half the surgery since this was the 3rd surgery w/ the same band. Hmmmm...wonder why this happens?

I have never counted anything. I eat what I want, when I want. Rule of thumb is eat your protein first, veggie then fruits. bread last. I use toddler plates to prepare my meals. Biggest portion meat, 2nd slot veggies then tiny piece of bread. I have had many tests since surgery that show all my vitamin, protein, etc levels are in normal limits. That's just how i do it. Don't have a clue how many calories, fat grams, grams of protein etc. This is a life style change, not a diet...so my counting days are over I eat until I am satisfied and then stop. I also make common sense choices about what I am eating. (However I do not do sugar free, fat free etc. YUCK)

Whoever is telling you that is just jealous. I heard it all before my surgery and I did it anyway. Absolutely the BEST thing I have done for myself in my adult life. I have NEVER heard of someone dying from Lap Band.

I worried about the same exact thing. YES, this is normal. It won't be long and you'll ge dropping weight like you never have before! GOOD LUCK

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST WAY TO GET A FILL!! You are lucky as am I, that we have doc's / PA's that do it in this fashion. I passed EVERYONE I know in reaching my goal in less than one year because of this method. Other doc's give whatever they give regardless of how much restriction you get out of it and then won't see you for 4-6 weeks, no matter what. It slows down the weight loss process and fills the doc's pockets. I know several people, including family members who have lap band, all of which get the...you get what you get method and they are still, years later working towards reaching their goal. I feel so bad when they see me and their jaws hit the floor knowing I had surgery years later and now I am done and they are still struggling. FEEL LUCKY MY FRIEND!!

AGREED! I am 5 lbs below goal and reached it in less than 1 year. I can't eat burgers which used to be my very favorite food, but funny how when it doesn't sit right in the belly, you simply lose interest. I can't eat fries, can't eat chips...(except tortilla chips or corn chips, weird?) can't eat most cereal's either. Unlike most people I can still eat the heck out of bread though. Can't eat ground beef, but I can eat steak and shredded beef still...that too is weird. I guess I am one of the lucky few that the band has been a "magic fix" and I am happy about it! I REALLY like my newly found size Zero!

JACHUT, I agree with everything you said....and B-52 well said... "I believe everyone here is a failure when it comes to dieting with will power alone." So, here I am only 1 & 1/2 years out of surgery. I met my goal right at one year. I went from 220 down to 126 pounds. Size 20 to a ZERO...WOW. I am now under my goal and trying to gain a few pounds back. At 9 months I had reached my goal of 135 so I had my tummy tuck and breast lift done. I look and feel amazing. I never thought I would ever look in the mirror and feel anything but disgust...I was wrong How did I do it? I wish I could say from diligently sticking to a Protein packed diet and hours a day of exercise. NOPE, none of that. I eat what I want, when I want. When everyone says it is physically impossible to overeat, they are correct...so long as you keep your band well adjusted. That was my secret to my weight loss. Plain and simple...eating less. I am fortunate to have a doc who did fills in a way that most don't and if I had a fill and was not satisfied with the restriction I could go in the next week for another one, where other doc's will say, "you get what I give you and that is that and you can't see me again until 6 weeks, regardless". These people, (and I know some) have had pretty slow weight loss which they find to be frustrating and feel like they will never get to goal. As soon as I feel like I am able to eat too much or I am not feeling full or satisfied soon enough, I know it's time for a fill. The best thing ever is that when I eat what I want, whenever I want...(since I keep my band well adjusted), I feel full and VERY SATISFIED, very quickly. I went to the gym for the first 2 months after surgery and even worked w/ a personal trainer, but then my step-children came to live my husband and I, so I went from 3 full time chidren in the house to 5. I just didn't have time anymore, or energy. Protein shakes....yuck! Tried every flavor in every brand. After wasting tons of money, literally hundreds of dollars, I gave up. So, other than a few sips, I didn't do protein shakes. Instead I just drink a lot of skim milk. (I will say though that my hair fell out by the hands full as a result. My long beautiful hair is now cut up to my earlobes. It got very thin and then with the new growth sticking out everywhere it looked ridiclous, so I loped it off. The good news is that it only fell out for the first few months. It IS growing back thank God!) My doc calls me A POSTER CHILD FOR LAP BAND. He remarked that he wished he could stand me at his door so that I could greet all of his new patients. Through everything after Lap Band, I have remained very healthly. Every few months I have had Vitamin and protein levels checked amongst other thing. Everything has always been normal. Even when I was losing so much hair, my protein levels remained in the normal range. Look at my picture, I call myself skinny now and it didn't happen by being perfect or a health fanatic....FAR from it. Don't keep yourself waiting....DO IT!! I still have habits that I haven 't broken, but my habits have been nipped in the bud. My biggest bad habit is I havn't given up Coke. I hate diet anything. I will at most to low fat, but refuse to do fat free or "diet" foods or drinks. The cool thing is that now, it takes me hours to drink (sip) one can of coke, where used to I would have 3+ 12oz Cokes a day! That one Coke is all I need to feel happy and satisfied, I never feel deprived. I don't do coffee or Starbucks drinks, so I think of my one Coke as my daily coffee. Seriously....LOOK AT ME. I am so far from perfect. I had such HUGE self doubt and thought I would never be what I could call tiny ever again. It is so easy for you to be in my same skinny jeans...a size Zero that is!

I agree with Cazzy. Lap Band is the best thing I have ever done for myself in my grown up life. Look at me now, it nuts! No one believes me when I tell them that in 8 months I lost nearly 100lbs. Funny thing now is that I am trying to gain a few pounds back I NEVER thought I would hear those words come out of my mouth! In 1 year I went from a size 18/20 to a ZERO, no joke! The surgery is SO simple and virtually pain free. I hope I am not stepping out of bounds by saying you would be nuts not to do it! Save yourself I would do it 100 times over again GOOD LUCK!

DITTO to what KBaum said. My C-section....HORRIBLE. Lapband...easy as pie I have had many surgeries....gall bladder, kidney stone removal, bladder, both feet, breast lift, tummy tuck and c-section..Lap Band by far has been the easiest, least painful, most exciting and worthwhile!! I had surgery on a Wednesday and was back to work at the bank on Saturday. I do wish I would have taken at least one more day off, that was a VERY long day!

After losing all my weight mine looks like a big golf ball sticking out, lol. I'm ok with it...I wouldn't dare be cut again just to move it.