zandile100

I am 5'7" and weigh 187 and fit into size 14 right now. My size 14's are just starting to get a little baggy but size 12 is still too small.

I had a fill a few months back that did the same thing. I did a day of mostly warm liquids, next day regular liquids then mushies, and then went back to solids but focused on banding basics. What has really helped me loose weight and not get stuck is taking pencil eraser sized bites. If I can stick to that, I don't get stuck no matter what I eat. Best of luck! It is hard to remember the basics when your band has been loose for awhile.

I love Greek yogurt, hummus, goat cheese, refried beans and cheese, olive tapanade, cream of wheat cereal, hot chocolate milk, sf tapioca pudding, 60 calorie lime popsicles from trader joes, some times the instant mashed potatoes made with a lot of milk and I have started making my own chicken broth which is amazing with little noodles and Parmesan cheese!

It takes a long time. I was starting to feel like the band wasn't going to work but it did! It took me about 8 months of fills every 6 weeks to get the fill level. I was losing weight very slowly before this but my weight loss has really picked up since getting restriction. Hang in there.

I love fro yo! I have to be careful with the toppings because the cold I think constricts your stomach and then the toppings can get stuck. This is a nice treat for me. I usually end up freezing most of it and going back to it later.

I experience the same thing. The PA who does my fills said that it is normal but that eventually the "fill would stick" and I would continue to lose weight after the initial week. I loose like 5-7 lbs the first week after a fill and then like a pound a week after.

I went through the same thing. With plus size clothing it takes more weight to go down a size than in "regular sizes." It took me losing my first 40 pounds to go down a size in jeans. It was really disappointing and discouraging to find this out. On top of that I didn't realize that the 18W I was fitting into before the surgery is actually a size 24. I just thought I was a size 18. So after losing a little weight I thought I could fit into a size 16 in the non plus size section and was horrified that I couldn't even get them over my knees. I fit in to my first size 14 jeans at Calvin Kline the other day. They fit comfortably but I don't ever seem to want to wear them because I think they will be to tight. I better start wearing them before they get too big.

My tastes totally changed as well. Some of my favorite things like fruit flavored candy and most fast food now has a soapy taste to it. I also never put salt on my food before but I do now. I think because I am eating such smaller bites I try to bring out the flavor more with the salt but I am not sure. Since surgery I also try to avoid anything that has artificial sweetener in it and I notice that I don't like things as sweet as I did before.

The above advice is great. I would just like to add one thing that I have noticed about my lap band journey. Everyone is different so this might not apply to all but I have found that at this point it is very hard for me to eat mindlessly. I think this was one of my big problems before. I used food to help me zone out. With the lap band I have to remember to very little bites, very slowly. If I eat big bites with out thinking I get stuck which hurts. It has been amazing tool to help me stop this type of eating.

I also really disliked yoplait 2x protein. I love the Fage 0% or 2% plain yogurts. I used to like the Chobani until I started having the Fage yogurts and now the Chobani dosen't taste that great to me. I think Chiobani has changed their formula from a few months ago but who knows. I will sometimes get the Fage 2% type and put cherry jam in it for a treat and it is amazing! I also like to put my own honey in it.

I also like the pure protein bars with 200 calories and 20 g of protein. I find that I can always eat these, even on a bad day. They keep me full for a very long time. I just eat very very tiny bites and chew very carefully. I really hate protein shakes and like the feeling of chewing something is much more satisfying for me. I get a box of them and always have a few in my purse. Always having something on hand prevents the odd fast food trip when I am really hungry and out.

Does food or liquid even really sit in the pouch for that long? When i eat something my band does not like, I feel it almost instantly. If the food were sitting up there taking 30 mins to go down I don't think I would feel stuck instantly. Just a thought I have been having recently.

I had the same problem! First off don't do anything that is going to make you sweat. That made mine so much worse. I also put benadryl cream on them and took benadryl at night. My dr said that was ok but you might want to call yours bc they seal the wounds with different stuff.

does anyone know if the 14cc bands can get as small as the 10cc ones with enough fluid?

How wonderful! Congratulations on your weight loss! A size 6!

I did weight watchers after surgery but before I had restriction. I think it is good for tracking what you actually eat but I would just not worry about getting all of your points in. You can totally adapt any program your Dr. gives you to work. Just listen to your band and body about how much you need to eat. It totally saved me during "bandster hell."

When I was shopping for the food I was going to be eating after surgery like liquids and mushies I wish someone would have reminded me that I was going to be eating way less of those foods. I bought boxes and boxes of things like baby cereal that I would never eat now and ate only a tiny, tiny bit right after surgery. Some times they help in a pinch after a fill but most of that food I will not use. Also be prepared for your taste buds to totally change. Basically don't store weeks of food up for you to eat after surgery because you are going to eat a tiny amount and you probably won't want what you picked out before.

I think 28 pounds is great! Do you feel like you are eating way less and are less hungry? Do you have any restriction yet? It can take a number of fills before you feel less hungry. For me it took 4 fills which were only given to me every 6 weeks, so it took awhile. I have lost weight slower than a lot of people on here. But for me this is different than every other crash diet I have been on. This is the rest of my life and I am totally ok with taking things slowly.

Hey All! I have lost 43lbs. This past month I have finally gotten to my "sweet spot" and and I can really tell a difference in the way and amount I eat. This is the most weight I have lost in my life. My last weight loss attempt, three years ago, it took me a YEAR on weight watchers to lose 30lbs and I gained that all back + an extra 40lbs after I stopped going. I am so excited for this weight loss to stay off!

Totally the opposite for me, I have started enjoying spicier foods more after surgery! I think it is because my bites are so small that there is not much flavor in each bite so I like foods with more potent flavor. Before surgery I would take like 1/4cup bites and now I take pencil eraser size bites.

I have also heard of what I think is called the "ROSE procedure" for gastric bypass patients who have gained back some weight. The advantage it that it is done endoscopically with out incisions. It reduces the size of the pouch. My Dr. does this procedure as well as the lap band on gastric bypass. Good luck with whatever you decide. I think it is great that you are getting help now before you gain any more weight back.

Betsy B you have been so successful! I am wondering if you know what your calorie count is per day? How many calories & protein are your shakes in the morning/evening?

I take the Solaray B-Complex chewable in strawberry-kiwi flavor which I think tastes pretty good and has 300 mcg of Biotin which is 100% daily value per day in one chewable tab. It is not very expensive and I just order it online. I have also started using Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. I am not sure ant of this has helped yet but at least I feel like I am doing something. Good luck!

Rhonda - For my protein I have a Pure Protein shake that is in a can which has 35 grams of protein and I have a chicken burger that has about 25 and then do little things like have milk in my coffee, a few nuts and beans with dinner that add a little more protein here and there. If I don't the shake or chicken burger I don't feel like I get enough protein. When I first had my surgery I had Unjury Strawberry protein powder and it was clear and sort of tasted like kool aid. I could see someone who does not like protein powder liking that because it doesn't taste like a regular protein shake.

It is great to hear from all of you! And also good to hear that the hair loss will only last about 3 months. I am working on restriction. I can pretty much eat anything I want but just not as much of it. For the past few weeks I was doing Weight Watchers and counting points which I think accounts for 10 lbs of my total loss. I don't think I would be continuing to loose with out restriction if I wasn't doing that. I can tell my band is going to be amazing tool and need to be patient. I will just think of it as a long term investment! Thank you all for the updates!