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So it's been six weeks since my surgery, and I can't wait to get my first fill. This is truly Bandster Hell and I am so frustrated I could scream!! I haven't felt any restriction since the second week after my surgery. I don't think I've lost as much as I thought I would by this point. I dropped 10 lbs before surgery and probably another 18 or 19 lbs since then. I know, I know -- everyone is different, but my stomach growls SO much and I'm trying so hard to stick to a healthy food plan. Not being able to drink liquids with my meals has been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I went out to dinner last week with a girlfriend, and the waiter couldn't believe that I didn't want any water. "Are you sure?" he kept asking. "Can I get you something else, like tea or coffee?" I know he was trying to be helpful, but really -- no means no. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. It does help... :thumbup:

Clearly you are not short of dedication, drive and willingness to succeed. Your exercise program is impressive. I am no expert when it comes to the fine anatomical details that contribute to a highly functional metabolism. However, I can succinctly enumerate some ideas that might help you as they have worked for me in achieving and maintaining an athletic build at my ideal weight. 1. Nutrition and diet: They say 80% or more success of weight loss comes from the kitchen, outside of the gym. Eating at the right time, the right types of food in the right quantities to match your body type are going to make a difference. Let us break those items down: 1. The right time: The body needs a constant source of the macros every 2-3 hours to keep the insulin response consistent in the blood stream. Ideally, one should eat a small meal of 200-300 calories when waking up, every 3 hours, until going to bed. This is especially important if you are very active to prevent the body from going into starvation mode due to a net negative of calories from working out the amount you do. The first meal at rise will " wake up your metabolism" and the last meal at bedtime will keep the metabolism burning throughout the night. However, it is important that these two meals be of the right food. I do not fast. Period. I have read a lot of good things about IF and 5:2, but it is just something I have no practical experience with for maintaining a healthy body weight with an athletic body fat percentage. For this reason, I cannot offer any advice on it. 2. The right food: the first meal should.be a fast digesting Protein such as whey because your body has gone all night without food. The last meal should be a slow digesting protein such as casein (shake, pudding, etc). The casein molecule are larger than whey molecules and take longer to absorb. This will keep your metabolism burning during the night. The meals during the day should be protein first. Try and target about 30 g of protein every meal. All meals should be low carbohydrate except for before and after working out. Before working out, your meal should target a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein. Keep the carbohydrate one that is low on the glycemic index so it does not burn up too quickly. The carbohydrates consumed after a workout should be the faster burning variety in order to assist in transporting nutrients to your muscles faster. 3. The right quantities: each meal should be about 200-300 calories. It is enough to satisfy hunger and fill you up, but not too much. We want to prevent insulin spikes that result in storage of fat. 4. Body type: Each body type is going to respond differently to food types. This is true if you are a pear, an apple or a box body type. Look up what foods are best for your body type. Now that we have stressed the importance of nutrition, let us look at exercise. 2: Exercise: you have quite a comprehensive exercise program, but I cannot help but wonder if your body has become too efficient at it. Your body needs a constantly changing set of intensity in order to respond. For me, cross fit workouts fit the bill because every workout is different and very intense. They are short too. Most workouts fall between 10-20 minutes with some on the shorter side and some on the longer side. However, I am not in a workout for longer than 30 minutes. All the lifts are compound (both power and Olympic lifts) and all the cardio falls under what is called metabolic conditioning. Metabolic conditioning is designed to push you every single time. Here are some example workouts I did this last week: 95/65 lb Thrusters x 20 reps 5 Muscle-Ups Thrusters x 15 reps 4 Muscle-Ups Thrusters x 10 reps 3 Muscle-Ups Thrusters x 5 reps 2 Muscle-Ups Thursday February 6th, 2014: (Compare Results to January 3rd WOD) EMOM for 12 Minutes: Full Squat Snatch x 1 with 3 second hold at bottom of OH squat then Seven sets of (total of 28 minutes): 30 seconds of Rowing (for max meters) Rest 30 seconds 30 seconds of Handstand Push-Ups Rest 30 seconds 30 seconds of 24″/20″ Box Jump Rest 30 seconds 30 seconds of Push-ups Rest 30 seconds Wednesday February 5th, 2014: EMOM for 8 minutes: 3 Front Squats @ 75-80% then For Time: 1000m Row 50 Wall Balls 20#/14# 30 Thrusters 95#/65# Tuesday February 3rd, 2014: "Open WOD 11.1" 10 min AMRAP: 30 Double Unders 15 Power Snatches 75#/55# The Power snatch loads are as follows: Men and Masters Men 45-49, 50-54: 75lbs/35kg Women and Masters Women 45-54: 55lbs/25kg Masters Men 55-59, 60+: 65lbs/30kg Masters Women 55-59, 60+: 45lbs/20kg Rest Exactly 5 Minutes then... "Open WOD 12.1" 7 min AMRAP of: Burpees This workout begins from the standing position. The Athlete will move from flat on the ground to touching an object with both hands that is 6 inches above their max reach. Score is total reps completed in 7 minutes. Monday February 2nd, 2014: 15 minutes to find heavy Push Press then 7 Minute AMRAP: 10 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups 10 Alternating Pistols 10 Handstand Push-Ups Rest exactly 2 minutes, and then… 7 Minute AMRAP: 10 Burpee Box Jumps 24"/20" 10 Shoulder to Overhead 115#/75# The lifting portions of the workouts are done at a weight that makes sense for me. Consider moving away from the machines for your weight lifting and into free weights where more emphasis uis placed on correct for and correct muscle activation. Free weights also require a bigger emphasis on balance and agility then machines. I know this is a big step and may not be right for you at this time, but I offer it for your consideration.

I was banded 5/28/10 and just had my first fill yesterday. I am a little puffy at my port site too... especially after I exercise or at the end of the day. As it seems pretty flat and normal in the morning. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that the port is attached to a muscle and we use those muscles all day. I know folks who have had lapband surgery years ago and they do not still have a puffy port area. I guess we just need to be patient and let it heal but patience is not my strongsuit. LOL

So my surgery is tomorrow and we are in the midst of waiting on hurricane Sandy (Boston,Ma)... My doctors office called and rescheduled my surgery time from 8:00 to 10:30 so I'm praying hard that she don't interfere!!!

My motivations: * To get off of all of the BP meds *I have always wanted to run. My goal is the cooper river bridge run in charleston south carolina. I also want to get some jeans from Gap and Tommy Hilfiger.Ive never been able to fit in them. Not even in high school. Boy Im gonna shop now, I told my husband hes gonna have to get a second job just to pay for all of my new clothes and shoes. LOL My husband and I moved to the beach about 10 years ago and Ive never been ever to feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit. This motivation is for my husband who is awsome and deserves to be able to walk on the beach with his wife not his whale.

I'd just like to be healthy, and like Besty said, comfortable! At 19 I've really turned down a lot of things because of my weight and carrying around 120lbs of extra fat is really NOT enjoyable. Most of all it'll be good knowing I'm healthier and was able to lose the weight before any serious illnesses struck. But of course, I can't wait to try on size 6 pants and fit them! :thumbup:

Feeling the same sleeved on 28/10/13 and living on protein shake thru the day 4 tsp of puréed veggies for dinner water, water, water tomorrow is 2 weeks. I'm so over the shakes but trying to keep up the protein the verges feel like a waste of space ???

I'm nearly 19 months out and I eat like a normal person. I consume around 1200 calories a day of whatever I feel like eating. I aim for 90+ grams of Protein and an equal amount of carbohydrates. Now, I did have my metabolism tested and for me, this range of calories is suitable as I could expect to gain on anything over 1300 calories without stepping up my exercise. I didn't get to the point where I could even dream of consuming more than 1000 calories a day until one year post op, though. For much of the first year I was hardly able to consume 800 calories a day, and it was a real chore to do that much. I don't exactly graze but I do think I eat more like six tiny meals than three regular ones. I'm happy with that. Since hitting goal I haven't needed to record my food yet as I never see more than a pound and a half +/- on the scale. I'm happy where I'm at and I feel normal. I do eat half a sandwich and feel satisfied. If I push myself, I can eat a half cup of Soup with the sandwich, too, provided the sandwich is grilled cheese or something else without meat. Cake bores me post op, so I don't even need the whole slice - just a bite or two and I'm good. There is only one food that I want to eat by the bucket and it's popcorn. And honestly, after about 2-3 cups of it I'm done eating it, anyway. It's the only food I want to eat 2-3 cups of, though! My feeling is that if you do the head work as your body is losing the weight you'll get to goal and find you have a healthy relationship with food. I started out post op really restricting carbs and calories and found that just like prior to surgery food was ruling my life. I was thinking about it all the time and making myself crazy. Once I got to the realization that the diet mentality had to end and accepted that I'd lose weight more slowly than I had imagined prior to surgery, I was able to slowly but happily drop the rest of the weight over the course of 17 months. I feel that part of the reason to choose such a drastic surgery is to drop the diet mentality forever. I wanted a diet I could live with, and I sacrificed getting to goal in nine months to have that. I still got to goal and trust me, it's just as fabulous as it would have been had I done it in half the time. For those of us that don't feel hunger and have huge restriction it's more of a challenge to eat than you think. I still rely heavily on Protein shakes or I'd never reach my protein goals. I still have a hard time eating more than 2-3 ounces of protein in one sitting, or anything more than one scrambled egg with some cheese. ~Cheri

Congratulations, It is such a big step in the right direction of a new life...My journey started Mar 28, 13 (surgery on the 27)...It is going really good...No gas pain like everyone has complained of but I was luck on that...I am starting my mushies and I am glad to be eating some real kind of food...But the hardest part is not to drink after to wash everything down...But its all good.... Down 10 so far....GOOD LUCK...

I ate before I came, but wanted to attend and show my support and offer my donation. Had lapband surgery 10/12/16

hi my name is linda. i was banded 10/26/07.immeditly lost 20lbs.and have been 215-220. i was down 2 more today.im hoping im going to be on the move down again.my next goal is 200.ill be 53 on my next bd.ive always been heavy.even as a child.my family and i moved from li ny 8/89 to everett wa .dr.macdonald @nw did my band.even though its been slow going im glag had it done.everyone have a great evening

Was sleeved on 10/24.. Lost 20 lbs in 3 weeks and nothing since.., I'm very discouraged and depressed about this.. Is it normal? Getting my protein in almost everyday.. Any help or ideas?

It has been almost 7 months post-op for me and I must say that it has been a rough go. When I first got banded I lost 20Lbs in the first 2 weeks and maybe 15 since then...I've always struggled with my weight, my heaviest was 349 back in 2005 when I was only 19 yrs old. With a bad report from the doctor I immediately changed my lifestyle as far as eating and exercising. and within that year I lost 60lbs. These last 5 years I've really been struggling with my will power and determination. I've always been an emotional eater and it seems like the last few years has given me a lot of emotion. After having the LB surgery i felt confident and when I finally decided to go with the surgery no way was I gonna mess this up or fail. And it just seems like that's what I'm doing is failing EVERY single day. My plans were to start this new year off with a drive that I once had but once again LIFE happens and this time LIFE was taken away from me. I lost my only sibling, my older brother 29 yrs old only 4 years older than me, we were close than ever to a very TRAGIC HORRIFIC BRUTAL accident on December 30, 2010. Two months later I still can't grab a hold of myself. I can't focus on this Lap-Band, I'm working against it...I'm full and I still eat...the same stuff I struggled with pre-op...Counseling really isn't working for me because my emotions are worry-free in there but when I'm home they come back. I REALLY want to do this and be successful with this surgery....I don't want to be a failure anymore...I have ALL the tools I need and I know how to use them, I just don't know how to keep my willpower/motivation for a WHOLE 24 hours. If you guys have any kind of suggestions PLEASE feel free to respond. My 26th birthday is coming up April 12th and I really want to be 10 to 20lbs smaller, if there are any Michigan Bandsters please contact me...I know I have family support to try to deal with the loss of my brother but I don't have anyone who knows personally what I'm going through with this Lap-band...

Yes mam.... that is true.... It is mind over... If dont mind it wont matter...lol.. no seriously... thats cool... u can do it... Once I get my official approval i will have to do i guess a total of 14-days but if u subtract sat and sunday it is 10-days...lol but can do it.. just think about afterwards...

Hi, I was banded in TJ by Dr Corvalla on 3-19-07 at Angels Hospital. My wife too. We have nothing but good things to say about him and his team. For the then price of one band here in the States my wife and I were banded. So I say go for it! I have lost over 80 lbs and I'd do it all again if I had to. Good luck, JRATKELL

(cross-posted in the August sleevers sub-forum) Hi everyone. I was sleeved on Wednesday and the surgeon released me to come home yesterday. He was hesitant about whether to have me stay an extra night, but when I said I'd rather go home, he was cool with that. I feel so much better at home than I did at the hospital, so it was definitely the right decision. I've been keeping up on my pain and nausea medications and that has helped. I did have some nausea problems in the hospital and threw up twice. Not that there was much of anything to throw up, but the heaving was very painful, and I'm still sore in some extra parts because of it. Overall the pain hasn't been bad. Except for the gas pain the first night. I was ok from the time I woke up from surgery (10:30am) until about 11pm - really was doing great. Then the gas pain started and it was awful. I couldn't sleep, so I was doing laps around the hospital at 4am. I managed to burp enough over the next few hours that I felt better. For some reason, my gas was all in the upper regions and wanted to come out as burps rather than farts. I'm finding that breathing deeply is a bit painful, but I think that is because of the throwing up. But if yawning is the most painful, I'll take it. Just means its time for another nap Oh, and I slept really well for a nap yesterday when I got home, another one in the evening, then slept great at night. So much better than in the hospital!

THREE DAYS UNTIL SURGERY!!! Let me tell you (and myself in case I forget or get feeling sorry for myself later) that the excitement IS REAL! After today, it’s only the Optifast shakes for 24 hours. No more protein bars or soups or anything. But I can do this. I’m a little discouraged by the past couple days. I’ve been drinking over 100oz of water a day with 5 Optifast products and 2 servings of jello. The first 6 days, I dropped a pound a day. But now, I’m stalled. Is it the water? I’m not peeing nearly as much as I was in the first week despite drinking more water now than I was then. I feel like my hormones are all out of whack now. I have the worst period I’ve had since my early 20’s. Heavy, crampy and nonstop for 5 days now. I have the Nexplanon implant in my arm, which I’ve had since January 2017. After 4 months I had completely stopped having periods and it was a magnificently glorious time in my life. Now it’s like all those missed periods are getting together for one giant party. It’s awful. They also brought 5 nice pimples with them. They weren’t there yesterday, but I looked in the mirror this morning and BAM! Say hello to my little friends! I’m just feeling really down. Have I done something wrong? Why can’t I lose those few extra pounds? Am I bloated? Too much water? Too much protein? Just crazy hormones? WTH? My surgeon doesn’t have a weight loss requirement for me before surgery Thursday since I’ve already lost 53 pounds on my own, but I feel like I’m a failure before I’ve even really started. Is this foretelling my future? Am I going to be a mess who can’t even lose weight after having a sleeve? I’m excited by the surgery getting closer, but the overwhelming feeling now is that I’m disappointing everyone but myself most of all. HW: 311 CW: 257 SW: We’ll see on May 10! First goal weight: 191 lbs Second goal weight: 159 lbs Goal weight: 142 lbs 5’6” 34 yo female in NC

Welp. Here are the dreaded before pics. I can hardly believe I was 55 pounds heavier than this when I started the journey! But here they are as promised. Today everything changes! HW: 311 CW: 257 SW: We’ll see on May 10! First goal weight: 191 lbs Second goal weight: 159 lbs Goal weight: 142 lbs 5’6” 34 yo female in NC

What? This is the second post i see about that! This is unreal! That would make the lap band the most annoying , torturing thing. My doctor is known to be very strict with his instructions and he is the once who installs the most lap bands in canada, he says to eat fast, in 10 minutes to feel full. I know that is different, but he says, and i have tested it, he says that when eating fast, it hits ur hunger nerves in your stomac to your brain, and you fool your brain! It works for every one of his successful patient ive talked to. Also, he is very tough with fills, he does not like to fill the bands a lot, only when hungry during meals, he does not want his patients to block on food and vomit after and slipping the bands. As for drinking, he said drinking right after is no problem, but after the meal wait 1h30 min. I think the 10 min thing is the most ridicoulous thing ive ever heard! Imagine the catastrophe:)

Your surgeon is crazy. Here's what mine says: 1. Wait 15 minutes after drinking before you eat. Don't drink until an hour after you eat. 2. Don't spend more than 20 minutes on one meal. Chew, chew, chew. When you think you're done chew some more. 3. Take toddler sized bites (Mine actually says the size of a pencil eraser but it would take a year to eat at that rate). Unless your pouch is the size of my fingernail, there is no reason you need to wait 10 minutes between bites. Maybe a minute at the most. I remember you posted about this before...who is your surgeon?

Hello Everyone!! I just had my 3rd fill today- for a total of 4.5cc in a 10 cc band. I can feel some really good restriction! Im a little surprised though. My last fills I just felt a little restriction that subsided by the end of the day. But I had my appt at 9:30 this AM and I can still feel it really good. So good in fact that all I have had is about 1/2 cup of soup all day and I'm not hungry at all! Im super excited since my weight loss has been really slow. But I was just wondering if anyone else has felt like this- after a few days is it possible that this restriction will "go away?" I really hope not, I feel like this might just be "the one!" YAY I LOVE MY BAND!:thumbup:

I have not had any of these problems. I tend to under eat my sleeve. Oh wait, In the beginning, I use to have food sit right in my esophaus which felt really wierd, but would be gone in 10 minutes. I do have alot of constipation which can sometimes be painful passing. But other than that, no problems. I do have stalls like everyone else. But overall, no slimes, I do burp but not much and I have alot of gas and I fart!. I can handle these. I love my sleeve.