Jennifer Hathaway

my tummy does that too. lol! and burps and hiccups a lot too.

and i am "normal"! people have foreign objects placed everyday in hip replacements shunts, etc, it is not normal to not have your stomach or to have your intestines rerouted. i have a friend that had the sleeve and she has gag reflex issues because of the surgery, i eat way more normal than she does and i will stress again i am in maintenance and she is still not at goal and we had surgery a month apart.

oh and for the record i can eat a kids meal not just 2 bites. and i can eat anything =i want BUT i CHOOSE not to. until u have the band u really cant say what really happens.

i dont go to the dr every month for an adjustment either. i am in the green zone and have been since april and also since april 20 lbs BELOW my drs goal for me. i am not sure where u got your information but the poch in a sleeve CAN stretch, the band can be adjusted. the gherlin hormone that is a normal body functioning hormone that u need for balance is removed with the sleeve BUT your body eventually figures out how to replace it and then it comes back stronger than before. there is only a window of opportunity called the honeymoon period with the sleeve and rny of about 18 months, there is NO honeymoon period with the band because it is adjustable. this is straight out of a bariatric doctor's mouth at my clinic support groups. and i dont want to seem nasty but i am only out a year and half with my band and i have been below goal since 11 mon.ths, and the wo men with the sleeve and rny in my group out years are still NOT at goal.

I chose the band because it wasnt going to be a surgery where my body parts were removed or rearranged. and if anything happened it was reversible and then if i couldnt keep my band i could then have a different procedure if needed. i have been at my clinic support groups and heard horror stories about leaks and infections after those other surgeries. ultimately it is up to u though, it is your body and it will also be up to you to decide how much maintenance u are willing to do. the b and has more maintenance probably but that to me is a good thing, it keeps me in check and i think i am more intune with my body because i have to figure out when and if i need adjustments. good luck! dont make a hasty decision if u already had your mind set on the band.

I have been banded since may 25, 2010 and hit 20 lbs BELOW my drs goal for me in april 2011. She wanted me to be 169 (started at 262) but I weigh between 147 and 152 now and have since april. U can do it, don't be intimidated or discouraged, have the surgery u want. Good luck!

The premier protein chocolate at costco taste like chocolate milk and are ready to drink. They have 30 grams of prot in 11 oz and only like 160 cals and 1 or 2 gr of sugar. I know what u mean about the smell, these don't do that to me. Good luck. And I am a year and half out and my band is so tight I have to drink a shake for breakfast cause I can't eat then. So the ones saying u shouldn't drink them later are not completely correct. My dr says it is perfectly fine and almost all her band patients only tolerate liquid breakfasts. I have been below goal since april and I am not starving or anything.

Oops I added wrong. Lol!

I haven't experienced this at all. I was told absolutely NO carbonation before my surgery a year and half ago and I haven't had any. There are rules for a reason and if I don't follow them it will put back the 115 lbs I lost and my surgery will have been for nothing. Please cut back and drink things like diet snapple and green tea. When u get away from it, it is easier. I was a 3 bottle a day regular dr pepper girl and weighed 262 lbs I now weigh 153 and wouldn't have it any other way. Good luck.

I find my gurgling comforting. It means my band is nice and tight! It is like a funnel and I can hear my food or drink slowly draining. By the way I noticed a lady that is naturally thin was also gurgling when she ate. So there must be something to it.

I can tell you I got my band in May 2010 and lost all my weight plus getting 24 pounds below my drs original goal for me by April 2011. I barely exercised and really just watched what was going in my mouth and how much. From april until last month I maintained within 1 pound. BUT now I have started slipping into bad habits and eating less protein then I was, more fattening creamer in my coffee, regular things rather than light and I have put on 5 pounds! My band is extremely tight but I slacked off just like I always have when I dieted and got to goal cause I thought I was done with the "dieting" part and could add more calories and just maintain. Haha that is a big "FAT" joke! I am back to watching my intake and I dropped 1/2 pound, but I know now this is a lifetime of eating this way not just until u get to goal. It was super easy to lose my weight but I will always have to work at keeping it off. If u don't think u can get your head in the game yet maybe u should wait it out. But if you are ready to follow the rules and learn along the way then anything is possible. As far as I am concerned this "work" is totally worth it to me. I may get bored with foods I can and can't eat but I love how I feel and look and that is what keeps me going. Good luck!

My worst stuck episode was on leann chin bourbon chicken. That stuff is covered in sause but it is grilled beforehand. That makes it hard, dry and charred. I have been sticking with FRESH out of the oven or crockpot chicken that is very tender and moist and things are so much better. Don't put chicken in the microwave either, that really sucks out the juice. Good luck, u will figure out what u can and can't tolerate.

If beer is something you can't give up then u shouldn't be banded. Most doctors say no carbonation as it can cause the band to slip and also beer has a lot of calories and sodium. I used to drink beer and vodka with diet coke. I haven't had or even bothered to try any carbonation since before my surgery in may 2010. You really need to talk to your doctor about their specific requirements though.

Drinking with food is a BIG NO NO! If you can't tolerate the bread then don't eat it! You will stretch your pouch over time or cause a slip. I can't eat sandwiches with 2 pieces of bread anymore, I have to eat them with only one piece or not at all. A lot of bread is just carbs and fillers.

I have to agree that it will be different for you. But I am 22 lbs below goal and have lost 117 lbs. I had 7.65 and then had .10 removed and I am pretty good right now. Good luck!

Oh yes! After 117 lb loss and sitting 22 lbs below goal...My shoes have gone down at least 1 size, my ring size went from 9 to 6 1/2, my bra size down a couple sizes and I went from 22 pants to 4's! I love my lapband!!!!!

My doctor says 1 cup of food for each of 3 meals and a glass of milk between. I can only eat about a cup of dense protein anyway or it is too much. I have been 22 lbs below my doctors goal weight since april and staying steady for the first time in my life. Good luck!

To original poster: I was heavy when I married my 1st husband who was abusive. I lost about 80 pounds and felt great, I cheated on him with my 2nd husband who then proceeded to cheat on me! I have now been with my soon to be 3rd husband for 4 years and I have vowed NEVER to cheat again even though the first one kinda deserved it. What goes around does come around, I was totally in love with my 2nd husband and he was my everything except that he cheated. My now fiance met me when I was thin, I then got comfortable and gained weight and then pregnant with our daughter and gained even more weight. He was always in love with me and wanted to be intimate all the time no matter how big I was. I am now thinner than I was when we met and our relationship is so awesome now! I can't even imagine leaving. I guess what I am saying is really think about what is causing you to feel that way, were there already issues before surgery and weightloss? For me it was a controlling and slap happy husband and I basically woke up when another man chased me. I have definitely learned from my past. But I am at a good place now and I pray everything continues that way. Congratulations on your weightloss, just don't let it get the best of you. And also you have kids to think about. I still have to deal with husband 1 because we have a 12 yo son together.

I am at goal and eat 1 cup. Anymore and it hurts.

Chobani black cherry all the way!

I still am afraid of certain foods. I am more than a year out and have only had 2 sliming episodes. One was dry chicken and the other was rice. So now I just don't eat rice, not healthy anyway. Bread is another hard one, I have to always take off a piece from a sandwich because it will get stuck, one piece with something on it is usually ok.

Yes you can set that goal. I lost all my weight of 117 lbs in 11 months. I have been at below goal since april. Just follow the guidelines and you should be able to.