Search the Community

April 11, 2008 As most overweight people i have been fat since about 5 or 6 years old. I've always been into sports so i had lots of muscles etc. I was made fun of but but i took it OK. I'm a real jokester. Anyway i did every diet took weight off put it back on and then added another 20 or so pounds. when i reached 354 i couldn't believe it. So I told myself lap band for me. July 10, 2007 attended the meeting at NYU the next week i started the journey. 6 months of Dr. visits, all the stuff NYU wanted and then on March 3, 2008 I was banded by Dr. Ren. I have lost a total of 30 pounds so far, I got my first fill 4/8/08 doesn't seem like its tight enough i need more, next fill 5/7/08 I will ask for more!!!! April 19th still the same holding at 30 or so pounds with no restriction, I can and do eat everything, i called the Dr. Ren's office last week they told me to eat meat and chicken.............I am sooo confused they tell us not to eat that stuff cause it will get stuck.what's up. Next fill may 7th we will see. I want to stop crying about this. Viv:sad:

WELCOME!! I, too got on the site and just looked around. I finally joined some weeks after finding this site. I found that everyone on here was so helpful because right after I had the sleeve surgery I had a difficult time. I love my sleeve and I know you will too. It doesn't matter how slow you lose because the great thing is that you WILL lose. Congrats on making the best decision for you!

I had the SILS (Single Incision LapBand Surgery) So I just have one incision at my belly button. Tomorrow will be two weeks for me and I don’t ever remember any swelling but one side of my incision isn’t healing perfectly. One of the stri trips got yanked off and took the scab too early and it hasn’t healed right ever since. The other side is great. I think this side rubs on my pants too much so I put a big band aide over it to try and protect it from my waistband.

Is anyone else having major pain while eating and drinking. I I eat it hurts and I am nauseous. I called and went to my doctor he said to go back To liquids. I did today and I couldn't even get the protein shake down....I am five weeks out. I just Had an upper GI but I didn't know if anyone else had experienced this.

I thought the very same thing the night of my surgery! I promise..if you do what your weight loss surgery team tell you to do..you will lose weight. I am out 9 weeks and some days and down 53.5 # so I am sure you will lose weight! I'll save you a place on the loser's bench!

I asked myself these same questions... but then I remembered all the times I have stuck with a diet program for months and lost 40-60 lbs each time. After a certain amount of time I would get so tired of eating foods that I do not like and start back with the bad eating habits and then gain back all the weight I lost, plus some. I am now one week post op and I'm hoping that I will stick this for life...but if I don't, I am also hoping that my stomach is so small that there will be uncomfortable consequences if I cheat and that will deter me. I realize that I have to eat healthy most of the time but if I eat a slice of pizza occasionally or one cookie, then it's not going to make me gain weight back. I think now with my new stomach it will be easier for me to eat moderately and only occasionally treat myself.

Thank you. As a new vsg person only 3 weeks post op, this information is very helpful.

My question to the ones that have had the surgery already is.... How often do you workout and is it easy for you to lose the weight quicker after having the surgery compared to doing it on your own? I've been watching youtube videos and no one mentions working out just eating better and then the ups and downs after the surgery. I know there will be ups and downs. I eat healthy now and I workout 5-6 times a week so I'm used to it for after the surgery.

Wow...ice cream?? Tsk Tsk Tsk... live and learn sweety. Stick to Clear liquids, broth, sugar free pops, Jello, and i guarantee in about 2 days you'll feel good and in 5 days you'll feel almost like your old self, but lighter. Stay positive and walk walk walk, that's the ONLY thing that really helps gas/bloating pain. Walk every two hours, especially after eating/drinking anything and drink very small sips. I am 6 weeks out today and feel AMAZING!! Have lost 21 lbs since surgery down 2 dress sizes, have more energy now, no pain, eat real food (tiny amounts which I am good with) and feel terrific and happy. Good luck!

I have to take my lunch to work each day and can get tired of cold tuna or chicken salad. My friend told me about this and I bought it and now have one at work. It's called a Redi Set Xpress. I saw it on a cheesy infomercial and bought one. Now they sell it at walmart and target, so I might go buy one for the house. It's great for not only reheating leftovers, but you can also use it to make "grilled" chicken, beef, steaks, etc. it also claims you can make little cakes in it, but I haven't gotten that far. I've reheated steak, chicken, shrimp, tilapia, and pork loin in it. It warms it up fine and doesn't dry or toughen it up. I had a filet of tilapia that was breaded...used my little gadget and got it warm and still somewhat crunchy without it getting soggy like it would in the microwave. I've also used it to "heat" up a wrap of flatbread, ham and cheese. Hot and toasty and delicious!!! I think I paid about $50 when I got it online. Well worth the price for allowing me to eat leftovers without worrying if it will dry it out or toughen it up. I plan on trying it to make a fillet of tilapia and a chicken breast this week. Haven't done that before, so far I've only used it to heat or reheat. If anyone out there has used it or has feedback, let me know. Kristi Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

Wow, that sucks! Sorry you went through this!! At 6 weeks i had a few pains and my doc took out my gallbladder. No hoops. No fuss. I hope you continue to recover nicely! Don't overdo it.

I am 7 weeks post op and have gas all the time... I think it just is what it is. Yes, they are no smell farts lol... not to be gross. Not sure if it ever goes away.

I started it, but only took it for about 1 week. I didn't have the really bad stomach symptoms that I had the first time, but, like the first time, I just really feel drained when I take it. I may start again. I can't decide, but for now I am not taking it. I go for my more "agressive" fill on Friday. I am really kinda nervous. The scales are just not moving right now. I started back at the gym today, so hopefully that will help. I am also following Atkins more closely. I am not counting carbs, etc, but I am focusing on eating low carb foods.

Another weird thing I noticed as well is I always seem to lose weight right after a fill and then the next two weeks I fluctuate back in forth. I am really wondering if my restriction is not where it needs to be. I am a little concerned though because my band is only 11cc and I have 8 in there already.

I'm in my 3rd week post-op and just wondering how long the burping and such lasts? Everytime I swallow something I drink or eat, my throat gurgles and I burp. It's getting embarrassing Does it stop soon I hope?

Hello fellow bandsters, ex-bandsters, and bandster wannabes. I am not posting this to beat anybody up or anything like that so please don't take it that way, but I'm just writing because I can't understand why so many people feel as though the band has fell them. So I'm ranting basically. I have been reading many posts in which people who have had surgery around the same time as myself and even after me are having or has had complications with their band and I can't understand that. Grant it, I do understand that many have had success and because of other issues with their body they had to have their fluids removed for either pregnancy or other surgeries and for whatever reason, the band is selfish. It doesn't apparently want us to have babies or other surgeries that we need for our continued overall good health. Okay, I get that and the band stops working and needs to be removed. Okay, cool. However, I have read other peoples stories and apparently funds were not available for aftercare to get the proper adjustments needed to stay restricted. I keep reading posts that state they never achieved the "sweet spot" and all I can say is I'm sorry. If you are self-pay, again, I'm sorry that you weren't able to keep getting your fills because proper fill capacity is the key. Yes, I realize many of you also have to drive miles and hours just to get that and believe me, I understand gas and money these days. But at the same time, you should have been given the guidelines to follow in order to successfully lose weight (types of food to eat and avoid and amounts) and if your bariatric team did not do that, then shame on them. The band can't say, however, "Don't put that ice cream in your mouth. Don't drink this or eat that." Only you have total control of what goes in your mouth. I have also read many people's journeys in which they didn't even need fills and have lost impressive amounts of weight. To you I applaud and congratulate you because I was not that fortunate. I had to get my fills and unfills when I was too tight. That's another problem I keep reading about over and over. If you are too tight, you will not lose weight you are in the red zone and are setting yourself up for failure. I hated that I had to get an unfill or two or three because I loved that tightness and I wanted to lose weight so bad, but I'm so glad that I listened to my professionals because it paid off in the end. So what am I saying, the band does not fail. YOU FAIL, I'm sorry. There are some unfortunate souls that well your body just doesn't want as you say something "foreign" in you. Well, God bless you and I hope you have found another way to lose weight. For you new people, IT IS NOT EASY!!!!!! Even in maintainence, it's not easy. Again, if you have the proper restriction YOU WILL NOT OVER EAT PERIOD. Can you eat anything you want? Yes for some of us but not everything. After being banded, some foods and drinks we just can't do and that is a plus for many of us because we don't need them in the first place. Why is it still hard in maintainence? Because you have to still be careful about not eating too fast and chewing your food really good so that you don't get stuck. For me and I'm sure for a few others, that is a daily struggle. So all in all, the band is a great tool to help you lose weight if YOU REALLY WANT TO, but YOU have to do the work. The band is just placed around your stomach and that's it. It doesn't think for you. Again, I'm not trying to disrespect anyone but just clarifying the fact that the band doesn't fail by itself. Best wishes to all of you.

Wow today was great. I lost 10 pds. in three weeks. I am down 41 pds. now. The doctor said I was doing great. He had a little trouble with finding the port so was stuck twice. I had to wait three hours to see him but that is turning out to be the norm. to wait.lol I just keep doing what he tells me to do and he said not to focus to much on the numbers on the scale but how well I am following the program. It still helps to see the progress on the scales though. It really does motivate me to keep going strong.

Stacie- I am sorry for your lost. I just lost one of my Jack Russells two weeks ago--Checkers was almost 17 and the very first of the six JRTs that we've shared our lives with. PLEASE don't feel bad for eating. It's a manifestation of the grief you are experiencing. You'll gain control of your eating in time but for now you have enough sorrow without worrying about your diet. Rejoice in the 14 years you had with your sweet dog and that she died in your arms knowing you loved her.... Are you familiar with the story of the Rainbow Bridge? I won't copy it here because it always makes my cry, but just google it and you may take comfort from reading it. Laura

Jim I do too. I tell others to only weigh themselves once a week to save themselves the anxiety of the scale- because I know that's the smart thing to do. Ya think I can follow my own advice? Nooooo lol. I'm hopping on that dang scale morning and night both some days. It's like some weird addiction.

I was banded 8/16/07...I have had considerable weight loss with the band and pretty much no complications. At first I followed the rules to a tee, knowing that I needed to build up to the eating-solid-foods bit to really know how this band would work. I was 322.5 one month before surgery...then 302 on the day of surgery....and am now 260 after just over 2 months of getting banded. That's 42 lbs. people! And I have never had a fill. My dr. says that if I feel restricted enough then I don't need one, also my weight loss seems very good. Everyone is congratulating me, but here is the bad part...I don't feel like I am doing right anymore. These past few weeks, I have had ice cream, bbq, fried foods, not much excercise at all (less than 30 minutes 2 times a week), and birthday cake! Sometimes I feel like I severly struggle with wanting to eat because my head says so, not my stomach, and frankly I have a hard time knowing if I should eat or not. I keep up on my Water, and for the most part keep up on my Protein, but I just hoped that someone out there could tell me if they have experienced a similiar situation or if I should be worried about a slippage or (GOD FORBID) erosion. It's like I'm on auto-pilot. How come the scales go down each morning when I am not doing everything they say to do? I feel guilty about it, but since I am losing, everyone else thinks I'm just being silly. I warned you, it was a dumb question, but what does restriction feel like? And do you think I'm just feeling guilty about eating bad foods and not excercising?

I appreciate everyone's comments. You are all so encouraging. I really paid close attention to my body at lunch today, and started keeping up with my food/excercise on FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal (it was so easy!) Anyway, I can see now that I think previous comments about before banding portions and after banding portions will just never be comparable, even if I feel like I should be eating brocolli instead of ice cream, I'm talking about a once in a month (if even) event. Who am I really hurting? Not my tummy, evidentally! I guess I was just having a day. Thanks for bearing with me! When you spend 27 of your 28 years as the fat person, you just develop a bad sense of self-judgment . Thanks again for snapping me out of it. I see the dr. in a few weeks and will just tell him how I really feel.

Had my first appointment today! Im down a total of 12 lbs according to their computer. Its 10 lb according to my scale because I weighed myself on surgery day at the Y ...but they did not weigh me before surgery. I had been worried that I was doing something wrong because I wasnt losing as much as some that Ive read about! She said generally they see 6lbs lost at 2 wks post op appointment (the one I had today) and 12 lbs at 6 week appointment (1st fill). So- Im not doing too bad afterall! Am slightly excited! I also bought my first pair of pants from "the regular side" of the store today! They ALMOSTTT fit! Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

I read that some people go 9mths without the first fill because they're losing. I have good restriction too. I was banded 8/27/09. My doctor is strict on waiting 6 weeks before the first fill and I thought that would be imposible, but I have lost 11 pounds already and that's awesome.

I was sleeved on 9/19 and lost 32lbs so far but have been at a stall for a few days