bandedrd

I experienced that pain for many months after surgery (I'm 2 1/2 yrs out). The most severe area was my neck/shoulder. I still feel this pain a bit if I over eat. I asked around at the time and finally asked my doctor. He said it might be some pressure on a nerve (can't remember the name of the nerve) that runs kind of diagonally across your body in the vicinity of the band. Hang in there & keep up the good work!

Drink LOTS of water between meals, cut way back on the tea and processed foods. You didn't mention specific foods, but if you're eating a lot of cheese, that can have a "clogging" effect. After you eat your protein, choose fresh veggies and fruit (that you can tolerate/won't get stuck) to add a little fiber to your diet. Can't stress the water thing enough. I'm a dietitian by profession, who also happens to be "banded." (Ironic, huh?) I know I see a big difference in my appetite and "elimination" when I don't drink enough water. Another thing to think about is the type of calcium supplement you take (if you take one). Calcium Carbonate can have a constipating effect on some people. Calcium Citrate is a better choice, and is better absorbed too. Hope things go better for you!

I'm a Registered Dietitian and was banded about 10 months ago. We (the few RDs where I live who see lap band patients) tell folks no fluids 30 minutes before, and 1 hour after meals. Others in this discussion have stated the reason for waiting an hour (or more) after eating well -- helps the food stay in your pouch longer, which makes you feel satisfied longer. From personal experience, when I follow this guideline, it is much easier to stay on track with portions. As far as how long to wait before eating after you've had fluids, I think it depends on the person. If you "fill up on fluids" right before a meal you won't be able to hold the solids your body needs. And considering the small portions we are supposed to be eating, every bite counts as far as meeting your nutrient needs. Plus, you will probably get hungry sooner if you don't eat the portion your MD and/or RD suggests, especially in the beginning. If you can drink something, wait 15 minutes, eat a 1/2 cup portion and stay somewhat satisfied for about 4 hours, then that obviously works for you. I personnaly need to wait 30 minutes before eating. Otherwise, I can't tolerate the solids very well. And that has been true from the beginning for me. It is not an exact science (like many things in the medical field). The guidelines are certainly there for a reason, but I feel there is a little wiggle room to find what works best for you. Keep up the good work!

I don't drink either for religious reasons, but plenty of folks drink them in moderation (1-2 cups/day) with no ill consequences. I do know from my professional practice, that the caffeine in coffee and tea can act as a diuretic and promote dehydration if you don't drink enough non-caffeinated fluids. Also, tannins can bind with iron and prevent you from absorbing the iron. If you are drinking them in moderation and taking in plenty of non-caffeinated fluids, you should be fine. But if you're a junkie:smile2:, depending on how you are doing with your diet and supplement regimen, you could fall short of meeting your nutrition needs. Talk to a registered dietitian about making sure you meet your needs.

I'm in Virginia, kind of the northern part of the south :-). Military brat, so I grew up all over. BUT, my parents are both from West Virginia, and I grew up eating "southern food" along with every other type of food. Both of my parents had gastric bypass surgery 5 & 7 years ago. I chose lap band b/c I have two small children and I thought recovery would be faster/easier as I chased a 9 month old and a 3 year old around. I'm 10 months post op, and only 30-32 lbs down. I too am working on getting to that "sweet spot" with the fills. I admit, though that since I don't have a lot of restriction, I eat many things that would be best left alone for a lap band pt. About 4 months ago or so, I started ignoring the fluid rules too. That makes a big difference in feeling full. Hope to get back on track with my next fill which is next week. Oh, and on top of my giving into temptation, I'm a registered dietitian by profession. So it's really embarrasing to have all of this nutrition knowledge in my head, fail to apply it, then have to face my doctor! Even all the hospitals I've worked in in my career (all in the south) serve the good southern food in the cafeterias. It's funny, patrons complain about unhealthy choices in a hospital cafeteria, but when the kitchen staff offers healthy alternatives, the patrons still buy the fried stuff. Sorry for the vent. Anyway, I get on here every few days, if you want to communicate. Hang in there!

The best thing to focus on is protein. Your MD or RD (dietitian) will tell you how much you need each day. If you meet your protein needs and limit portions sizes according to the nutrition guidelines, you don't have to worry about grams of carbohydrates because there won't be any room for "too many CHOs". Even after you begin eating solids, always make sure you meet your protein requirements with each meal. When we lose wt, we lose some muscle with the fat, however making sure you get all of your protein and exercising regularly will spare some of that muscle loss. The more muscle or lean mass you have the more efficiently you will burn calories. That's my "dietitian" answer 'cause that's what I do for a living. (Ironic, huh?) From my experience living with the band for the past 10 months, there are times when I don't concentrate on meeting my protien needs and eat things that are high in simple sugars and fat. Even though I can't eat as much of those things as I did pre op, it's halts my weight loss, and leave me feeling tired. Hope that helps... Keep up the good work!

In the same boat here--9.2 ml in an 11 ml band. I must admit, though because I've been hungry, I often fail to follow the guidelines. Going for another fill at the end of next week. I've heard that even a fraction of a ml can make a big difference at this point. Don't lose hope!

It's great to know I'm not alone. My MD has never mentioned anything about restriction depending on size, but it sort of makes sense. I have actually thought alot about the anatomy of it all because I have just over 9 ml in an 11 ml band and not enough restriction yet. I've lost about 32 lbs in 10 months since surgery, painfuly slow, but better than gaining! :smile: Part of reason for slow wt loss is that I break "rules," but the reason I break rules is because I'm hungry! Yet another confirmation that the band/WLS is a tool, not the answer. It's funny, I've told my patients that for years (I'm a registered dietitian), but when you go through it yourself it REALLY hits home. :smile2: I'm going for another fill at the end of the month. Hoping to find my "sweet spot" this time. In the meantime, trying to refocus on the guidelines. Hang in there!

If you don't have the discipline to pick a day/time once a week to weigh yourself (I certainly don't), then maybe it's not a bad idea to toss your home scale. I weighed myself several times a day right after surgery even though I know weight fluctuates throughout the day. Almost 10 months out now and I'm down to a few times a week. I like knowing my number, but it is a bit maddening and sometimes I think I should toss my homescale and just use one where I work to weigh once a week. Best of luck!

I really appreciate your post. I too am new to the site. I've been frustrated for the majority of my journy so far (only about 34 pounds lost in 10 months). Have known all along it is me and not the band preventing the weight loss I expected, but it's good to hear others experience the same thing. It's especially great to hear that inspiration/motivation can come later in the process! Keep up the great work.