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I HATE THE WAY I'M WIRED. I HATE THE WAY I'M WIRED. I HATE THE WAY I'M WIRED. Sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall and end what's going on in my head. I hate the voices. The fear of change. The self destruction. The weight gain. I want it all to end. I create my own problems. I hate that I have to relive this over and over again. I have no control over all of this. I hate that I put Paul through this all of the time. He doesn't deserve to be around this. I don't know what he sees in me. I'm such a horrible person to be around. These are the things the voices tell me. I feel so depressed. I've gained 3 more pounds. I try and try to control the binging, but I get such anxiety over it. So what's the solution? Medication. I've tried that, it doesn't help. There seems to be no solution. I want to end all of the suffering. But I can't. I just want to crawl under a rock and disappear...:think

My husband is paralyzed and bed bound, I had to do everything myself. I still had to feed him too. You will be tired and sore for a few ays, but it will pass. I am glad I did this around the holidays, no more 10 pound weight gain!!! I just went to a dinner that my surgeon had for his patients. I was only 2 weeks out from surgery, so I had only a couple spoonfuls...no meat either. He said something that might help...if the family gives you grief about what you are eating, or not eating, tell them that you are here for the company, not the food. That sounds like a wonderful answer. Make the holiday about the family, the people, not the food.

Nikki - hope the little guy is recovering from his operation. Kids recover so quickly! Well its been 2 months since TOM has been around - but I guess I'm not done with this bs yet! Dang - you all just wait til you go thro menopause - it sucks. BUT the good news is I didn't have the weight gain - so do you think.. can I hope?... maybe when I'm done I'll have dropped a couple more pounds. LOL

Hmmm, I'll go out on a limb and say most people that have post surgery tummy tucks etc have a lot of fat still under that skin - if you ever see true excess skin only aprons, they're rather thin. But that's fine, why on earth NOT get rid of the fat and the skin in one fell swoop. So more likely than not, your belly is skin AND fat. Lots of fat deposits hang around that are near on impossible to shift with diet and exercise, I have a mid abdominal pouch that just wont go. Its only at the very end of my journey that I could truly say I've noticed excess skin, - that crepy wrinkly stuff. I have it on the very bottom of my belly - hidden by even hipster bikinis thank goodness, and the tops of my breasts which is the only spot of my body where I have bad bad stretchmarks - ironically from puberty, not pregnancy or weight gain. I've had a consultation for a breast lift, which I will probably have in a year or two and been told that even still, that crepey empty flaccid skin will remain, it would take an implant to fill it out. Actually a bit of extra skin doesnt worry me, skin and skin alone to the degree I have it is completely invisible even in a bikini. But the fat that gives you that muffin top, erk. For me though, I'm trying to suffer it out and lose more weight as I simply cannot afford $13,000 worth of lipo at this stage of my life.

Here are many of the most common symptoms of PCOS. Remember, though, you can still have PCOS without having ALL the symptoms. Ovarian cysts Cramps Weight gain (primarily around the abdomen) Extreme difficulty losing weight Male-pattern hair-growth (on chest, abdomen, face, etc.) hair loss Acne Abnormal hormone levels Insulin resistance Fertility problems

Not only can PCOS cause weight gain it can make it nearly impossible to lose weight ,, hence why we are all here ! Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Symptoms this is just one site but google PCOS and read the symptoms , treatments, ect about it I bet you have more symptoms than you realize. Just an FYI never take one docs "answer" or Opinon about anything. docs are like everyone else , they have their own Opinions , beliefs and ideas on everything including diseases and treatments. at the very least If i find out something about my health I will go home and verify it on the net some how. I NEVER take a docs word along . Mindy

Wow. Thanks for all your advice. I had no idea that PCOS can cause a lot of weight gain, and cause all these things. I just thought it was a chronic growth of cysts. I know a good female doctor, but she is not on my insurance group. I'll have to see what I can do. I'm now very concerned and confused about my doctor's response to my inquiries. What an A-hole. He didn't even bother to explain any of it to me. I guess I should have known when I had a uterus the size of a 5 month pregnancy for two years..... DUH!!!

I am with you all...199 by Thanksgiving! (and then keep it there after thanksgiving, HA!) Just a thought, and I wonder how many of you would feel the same...in the past, Halloween was usually my gateway to a solid weight gain through the holidays. NOT ANYMORE!!! Feels so good..... Keep up the great work everyone!

Oh, BG, hugs and hugs and hugs. I really think it is happening to everyone. I think the excitement has worn off and now it is just us and the band. I don't know what to tell you, as I feel the exact same way. If this were just another diet, it would have been shot. I would of had all the weight back on plus some. I guess that is the best part of it. There is no weight gain for you. Love ya dearly....I hope you can see some light at the end of the tunnel......and then share some with me.

I too have struggled with PCOS and was told that I am darn near infertile. I won't believe it though until I TRY to get preggers. My sister was also diagnosed and told she would not ever conceive but she now has a two year old little boy! MY nephew gives me hope, because according to doctors he should not exist. The weight gain started at about 17 and it came on really fast. I made this decision because my insulin resistance moved into diabetes earlier this year and I want to be healthy and live a long life. As for the cysts, I am used to them. Sure, they hurt but when you are in pain alot of the time, I guess your body's tolerance raises above that level. I hope to live pain free someday and oh yeah have a baby!

DannyBoy, I'm with ya......we need fills!!!! Get one. Btw, how tall are you? Hotty, I wanna believe!! I get to the point where I'm restricted, but I can eat more than I want, maybe 3-5 tacos...then I complain to my fill person that I can eat 3-5 tacos and don't want to be able to....and she gives me that fill....then I am....gak.....closed off. I try to tough it out, get dehydrated, about to pass out......hubby gets worried...and I make the trek for an unfill...so depressing. How do you feel after fill? Are you too tight and then you loosen up? How did you get to the point you are at now? Suz....we need to talk about our Body Bugg! Either you're burning calories in circles around me or I'm over-obsessing about my intake. Either way, I'm not logging in food right now. Now until I get control of my weight gain. Gawd, Stef...where have you gone girlfriend, I miss ya!

Pain and only being able to tolerate liquids= TOO TIGHT! Don't chance it-get an unfill. Don't be afraid of a slight unfill. I won't guarantee a slight weight gain, but your health is more important. I struggled with a too tight band for months and ended up with a slipped band. I only have .6cc in now, but I have good restriction. It took a year to find that out. Go see your doc!

Hi, Thanks to those who replied. I spoke to the nurse yesterday - it is her who takes care of the dietary side of things. She has ok-ed me to have soft foods with plenty of chewing, as the swelling around my stomach has obviously gone right down if I am hungry and able to tolerate soft solids. She has also said that she will do a fill on my next appointment (in 3 wks - 5 wks post op) so the future is looking brighter. RE: the weight gain. We have come to the conclusion that it may have been caused by the fact that the Optifast diet is designed to put your body into ketosis, and now that I am on mushies a lot of the easy mushies are quite high carbs. Hopefully my body should sort itself out soon and continue to lose. Thanks for your replies.

Vickietoo you can start over in your mind minus the surgery. I believe that with all my heart. This is the fourth time today I shared this article I read. I took a good long read at it this morning and it hit the spot. I was just filled on Friday. I live in Florida and fly to Colorado for my surgery, and now my fills and followups. I have to admit I was just in an odd place mentally and physically. I was SO GLAD I took the step to fly out to Denver. Sometimes doing the followup be it in our own hometowns or out of state or wherever, it looms at us larger if we are having difficulties. Take the step. Make an appointment with your doctor and follow through. I felt so great after leaving my doctor's office...joyous, victorous, and a reward and pride in myself that I care for myself to know that I need more than what I myself can give. So enjoy this read. Know you have many like you and much support here on Lapbandtalk. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources.

I find myself posting this again because it helped me so much today. A good read. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources.

I pulled that article for you Gummiebear. It's a good read. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources.

Congratulations Green. It is great about the involuntary weight loss. I have never had that. Lots of involuntary weight gain though.LOL I don't envy you your root canal treatment. I have had that, and since then I have had dental implants. When the implants went in I looked as if i had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. Are you now fully recovered from your face lift? I hope so. My face is getting really saggy now that I am losing weight. I don't know what to do first TT or face lift. I think probably face as i have big bags under my eyes. Won't ramble any more. I am really pleased for you though - goal and losing!

Hello Friends: I just posted this in Dr. Kirshenbaum's thread but thought to share it with you all. I just got back from Colorado where I had a fill and a good consultation where the article below came up. It helped me put FILLS into perspective. Once of the challenges I have had is going from thinking about food, being able to eat anything, to changing and the state of being where I am not able to eat whatever I want and do I THINK I am hungry or am I really hungry? and what about those of us who are emotional eaters or have some nasty habits to break? The article will make reference to colored zones, green, yellow and red. I think I am now sitting in GREEN which feels awesome. I hope you find this beneficial as a tool to help you in your journey. I did. Patty Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources.

Drewslou... you'll want to read this post. I'm going to type an article I got from Denise at Dr. K's office. Feel better. 75 is still a lot less of you. ......... Hello friends who commented...more from me after I type this for you all. It's a great read. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources. ADD FLUID OPTIMAL REDUCE FLUID Hungry Early and prolonged Difficulty swallowing Big Meals satiety. Reflux - hearburn Looking for food Small meals satisfy Night Cough Satisfactory weight loss Regurgitation or maintenance Poor eating behavior ................................................................................. Friends if you contact Denise at Dr. K's office, she has index cards with the above information in COLOR and printed so that you can nicely tuck them in your purse or pocket. FREE

Hi Gals... I had my band removed on Nov 5th and, although still a bit sore, am so happy to have it gone. I can only echo the relief of no longer having to vomit at any given time and for any given bite of anything. To have gone a full week without throwing up seems to be such a blessing. I totally disagree with the naysayers who are predicting weight gain for those of us who have the band removed. I don't understand why someone would want to plant those kinds of negative seeds. I believe we can do it, gals...and do it in a healthier, less physically risky way. I wish you God's best. Again, do not accept the prophecies of doom. We can, and will get rid of this excess weight. Seek out whatever support works for you and do not fear or underestimate your ability to create a healthy nutritional lifestyle.

I have been diagnosed with pcos also but the doc waited from July last year to march this year to tell me. after the ultrasound last year he was like 'you have a cyst on the ovary and a fibroid in the uterus' nothing else was mentioned until i mentioned that hubby and I wanted to have another baby and he says 'oh, then we had better get the pcos under control that is what is messing up your cycles' that and the pre diabetes and said the weight gain was causing both problems. so I went on metiformin. went from 292 in march to 278 in July for pre op and am now down to 228. my question is, does one cysts mean pcos? from what I have read it does not. but maybe I am wrong.

Yeah, my brother is so hateful. He is usually calmer but all of the sudden he is just all over me. I called him today to tell him that I want to have a good relationship with him but I will not be talked to like that. It all spiraled out of control and he came right out and said "I won't support you, you're taking the easy way out. All you need is some self control. Just quit eating so much junk and excercise and I guarantee you will lose weight". It was no use explaining that I have all kinds of medical conditions that contribute to weight gain. He won't listen. He thinks he is right and that is it. I did speak with my dad today and I finally got a lot off my chest. I told him that he has hurt me a lot over the years with things he has said about my weight. I told him that I have a lot of anger towards him about it. He actually apologized and said that sometimes he has said things to me that he wishes he hadn't. He said that he thought if he kept saying things that it would somehow "jumpstart" me into doing something. I told him that I have tried many times and that my medical conditions really don't help. It was a really good talk and he is supporting me. I am really happy about it! As for my brother, well I guess we are going to be like those siblings that never talk to each other. My mom is really sad because she thinks that we are all each other has once her and my dad die. When I asked him why he has all of these angry feelings towards me and I started talking about feelings, he hung up on me. I think there is more than meets the eye with his anger but I don't know what it is. I told my mom that until he apologizes for his behavior, I am not speaking to him. The last thing I need in my life is another negative person. I just wish I didn't have to cut my own brother out of my life

I have had a very hard time losing weight even before surgery. I lost like 10 pounds and gained 2 pounds in the third week after surgery. My body tends to get used to a certain weight and it will try to rebound to that point. Hearing that all of you have lost so much already has been something I'm pondering but I haven't given up hope. I just got back from a week-long cruise to the caribbean with all that entails. I was able to eat anything and everything. We went to the buffet for dinner each night instead of the fancy dinners. It was really very good. I was dreading coming home today and having a confrontation with Mr. scale. Well, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't gained any weight. I realized as I was going through the week that I was filling my plate up but eating very little of it. My husband was coaching me the entire time: "imagine what you think you would eat and cut that in half." Stuff like that. But I could really tell the difference between how much I could eat before and what I was able to eat now. Even so, I really was prepared for a weight gain. The last time I went on a cruise (April), I gained like 6 or 7 pounds. My point is that even though I feel like I can eat anything, my portions are obviously more under control (not from me) than they were. For this I am so grateful. I get my first fill on Nov. 20th and am really hoping for a bit of restriction to kick my weight loss into gear. Good to see you again Holly. I was worried about you. Have you seen NicNacNut?

Hi all, I'm Audie. I was banded May 2, 2007. I have the 10 cc band. My starting weight was 326 lbs ... my highest weight EVER. I had a series of traumatic experiences that led to emotional eating and subsequent weight gain! I am now down in the 240s and still losing. I just got my third fill ... and let me tell ya, this site kept me from panicking about it! :clap2: At the doctor's office, the Water went down without any restriction so I really thought I had dropped a lot of money on a fill just to be able to eat whatever I wanted again. WRONG! The next morning I woke up and I could feel the restriction. I have been pretty miserable. I can only get two bites and truly only sip water or else I end up throwing up. I am a very sensitive person, so I'm pretty sure my tummy is very irritated. He also withdrew all the liquid to see where I'm at. I'm over 4cc's full in my band. So after reading the forums, I decided to give it another week or so. As if I sip, I can get a glass of water and Protein shakes down. Takes a long time, but hey, that's ok! I've lost quite a few pounds, though, in the past couple days. However, there are a few issues going on that I haven't yet experienced. My acid reflux became non-existent after I was banded. Now all of the sudden, I had a case last night! Isn't that the weirdest? And I have trouble sleeping, so some nights I take a tylenol PM. It went down friday night, but not saturday night ... so it's weird my tummy fluctuates that much. I've been losing weight all along, so that isn't an issue for me, but this is the first time I've felt this much restriction. I don't want to go for an unfill because if I keep dropping weight, the restriction will lessen. How long can a person's stomach stay irritated from this activity? I went from like 3.25cc's to over 4cc's. I know everyone's bodies are different. :woot: Thanks! And this seems like a great forum. I was excited to find it last night! Audie

I decided I didn't want to keep my surgery a secret from my closest family but I also didn't want to have to keep explaining it over and over and I certainly didn't want to argue or debate with anyone (something my family is known for, including me! ) So I sent out an email in advance and the results have been great. No one argued or disagreed, at least, not to me. I received some well wishes before and after surgery. And while there may be questions when I see them over the holidays, my hope is that I've cleared up a few things in advance. Here's my email: Subject: Do you know what Lap Band Surgery is? (Warning: this is long!) It's a procedure in which an inflatable band is placed around the upper portion of your stomach. There is a tube attached that runs to a port that is placed just below the skin. Saline is injected into the port to inflate the band. The idea is to create a pouch of the stomach through which food initially passes. When this pouch is full, you feel full and so eat less. I am having this procedure on Thursday. I have researched it extensively and have visited the surgeon, a nutritionist, a psychologist, and my own family doctor. All have been supportive but I was especially pleased with my own doctor's opinion, since he has no affiliation with the others, though, coincidentally, he knows the psychologist. (She has a regular family counseling practice and does not work for the surgeon.) My doctor said that he has about half a dozen patients who have had the procedure and all of them are doing great. He was very positive about me doing this. Also, he performed all of my pre-op tests and I am in excellent health. I have about 70 pounds to lose. The Lap-Band will not cause me to lose it especially quickly. However, it should help me keep it off. You may recall that I lost 70 pounds four years ago, too. I fought to keep that weight off with continual dieting and exercise. Unfortunately, diets don't work, and 95 percent of people who lose weight will gain it back. People tend to be blamed (or blame themselves!) for this regain but there is more and more evidence that our bodies are programmed to regain this weight. I read a recent study with rats: two groups of rats were given the same amount of food. The rats who had previously lost weight GAINED while those that hadn't stayed their normal weight. Of course, those of us who have struggled with our weight for many years don't need these studies to convince us this is true! Here's what's going to happen to me: I go in for surgery at 7 a.m. at Austin Surgical Hospital. It's a laparoscopic procedure that should take no more than an hour. After I've recovered, I'll go home the same day and I'll go back to work Tuesday. For the first week or two, I will be on a diet of Clear liquids. Then I'll be on full liquids (anything that can go through a straw) for another couple of weeks. Then I'll be on soft foods (foods that can pretty much be swallowed without chewing) for a few weeks. Finally, I'll be able to start adding normal food. I will need to chew thoroughly and slow down the eating process. I will also not be drinking with my meals because liquid just pushes the food on through. Eventually, I'll be able to eat most foods but more slowly and in smaller quantities. The process is slow in order to allow my stomach to get used the band while I get used to learning to eat differently. After six weeks, I'll go in for my first adjustment, called a "fill." My surgeon is conservative about filling the band, one of the reasons I chose him. I want to take my time and adjust to each change. I am not in a hurry about losing the weight, especially knowing that this will be the last time! The perfect amount of restriction is being able to eat almost anything I want in small quantities without being hungry but still losing weight. While some people get exactly the right amount of restriction with no fill at all, it is more typical to get three or four fills, or more, several months apart. Also, as one loses weight, there is less pressure from fat on the outside of the band, so the band can loosen up, requiring a fill. The band can be unfilled a little or completely if I ever get too much restriction or have a medical reason for needing more food. Also, the band can be removed completely in a similar surgery and my stomach would return to normal. However, this is only done if there is a medical reason for it. It's considered permanent like a knee replacement or defibrillator. This is a big difference from gastric bypass surgery, which is a permanent reconstruction of the stomach and cannot be reversed. One of the best articles I read that summed up the procedure is an ABC news article about Khaliah Ali's book, "Fighting Weight." She is Mohammed Ali's daughter and she had the Lap-Band surgery. An excerpt from her book is in the article and she does a good job of summarizing: ABC News: Excerpt: Khaliah Ali's 'Fighting Weight' I have other links if you would like to learn more about it. Mr. Longhorn and the girls will be taking care of me after the surgery, though I shouldn't need much. The surgery is considered comparable to gall bladder surgery. I'll be up and walking a lot that weekend to get rid of the CO2 gas that the surgeon will pump into my body during surgery to create room to work. Many people have very little pain afterwards. I'm getting the latest version of the band, made by Allergan/Inamed. While complications have been rare, this band has improvements designed to address those complications. I'm sorry this is so long but that's why I decided to let y'all know in an email. I didn't want you to confuse what I'm doing with gastric bypass surgery. I also wanted you to know what to expect when we're together for meals in the future. And I didn't want to have to repeat this "lecture" over and over! :eek: Love, Longhorn Feel free to use any part of my email if you find it helpful.