Am I working or is the Band going to work

[mattie7632 24]

When I first started eating after surgery, I was still swollen I'm sure, and that swelling prevented me from eating more than say 1/2 cup at at time and I was definitely full, plus went hours before being hungry again. That is the goal for me, and that's the restriction I'm aiming for. I do understand that this is a tool and works differently at different stages for everyone, but the way I see it, we paid a whole lot of money for this tool, and I want my money's worth. If I have to use livestrong.com to count calories, weigh my food, etc. etc. then personally, that's dieting and that's what I'd have to do without the band. So, we shall see, but my doctor will be hearing from me if he's not filling my band enough in the next fill or two for REAL RESTRICTION to be the result.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I snipped your post a bit.

I've been wondering about your posts talking about ghrelin being influenced by the band. I was under the belief that bands didn't affect it. But I found this study http://jcem.endojour...t/88/9/4227.pdf Interesting reading.

So many times medical 'science' finds something works, thinks they know why, does more research, finds out it is an entirely different mechanism.

I don't know what this study says because my computer froze. However, I posted the following before and it explains exactly how the band, vagus nerve and grehlin work for me:

Could someone direct me to scientific research that shows the band works by pressing on the vagus nerve and causing satiety?

GA_googleFillSlot("LBT-TextAd05");

I found this video and it exactly explains my obesity and experience with the lapband (which has never reduced my hunger or caused satiety).

[mattie7632 24]

That was a fascinating video. And kind of sad actually. If the band has not reduced your hunger, have you found it to be successful at all?

[Mom4boys 0]

The way my doctor has us eat is to weigh and measure our food, not to eat till full. The full feeling is different after banding... what we're really trying to achieve is a feeling of being satisfied, not full. He suggests 3oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of veggies per meal. That's what I serve myself (I use a scale I bought years ago to do eBaying.. think I might have pd $20.00 for it, or less). I eat that, wait 20 minutes. IF still hungry after 20 minutes, I'm allowed more veggies. Most of the time, the 3oz & 1/2 cup is enough.

If you don't have a food scale.. 3oz of Protein is about the size of a deck of cards (3 dimensional) or the palm of your hand. 1/2 cup of veggies is a Large serving spoonful or about the size of a tennis ball. Those little glass custard dishes from my childhood hold about 1/2 cup of veggies too.

You could try eating the way my doctor suggests and see if that will work for you. We are allowed Snacks between meals if needed. Keep them low calorie, low carb and high protein. Things like reduced fat string cheese, low carb yogurt, 1 teaspoon (not tablespoon) of Peanut Butter and an apple, 100 calorie packet of almonds, 50 calorie packet of beef Jerky (jack links teriyaki steak nuggets are really good).

Between meals, get in your Water. Minimum of 64oz a day.

And the previous poster is right.. a teeny fill can make a huge difference. Hang in there.

Such GREAT advice here. I copied it and pasted it into a word document to keep in my food file so I can read it OVER, and OVER, and OVER again!!

[Humming Bird 275]

The band does work differently for everyone and they usually will find out by trial and error if and how it works for them. However, I still insist that bariatric doctors should have a set standard of care from the time you go to the seminar until you have surgery - from the basic testing, to the pre- and post-op diet requirements as well as recommendations for the solid foods and liquids. There should be a model of the band and stomach in each office and its and the port's placement explained. Patients should be told the size of their band and why and how many cc's in each fill. Patients should be told that they could be hungry until they reach that sweet spot. They also need to be told that the band doesn't work for everyone. Each person will have problems with certain foods that others don't, but that is not what I mean. Doctors are just all over the place with their advice and explanations resulting in tremendous confusion in patients.

I do understand what you are saying. To prove your point ........ what seminar? what basic testing? (I had no seminar and no pre-op testing)

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I do understand what you are saying. To prove your point ........ what seminar? what basic testing? (I had no seminar and no pre-op testing)

Many, like me, were required to attend a WLS seminar by the surgeons who would be doing them. At this seminar information about both lapband and RNY was given. The office nurse and nutritionist were present. There was a Q&A.

Next was an appt. with the surgeon and tests were ordered. Now here, I believe, doctors can order different pre-op tests based on the patient's health history but my surgeon was a one size fits all - EKG, stress test, sleep study, sonogram of gallbladder, upper GI, endoscopy, 24 hour urine study, sonogram of leg veins, blood work and the basic vital signs - BP, etc..as well as the psych evaluation. There was a big long sheet of the tests required and it was up to me to get them all done (some were scheduled by them).

Six months of a pre-op diet with nutritionist (required for insurance) followed by 2 weeks of liquid only pre op diet and then 2 weeks of liquid only post op diet. Then mushies, then soft food, then solid food.

Post op testing the day of surgery was an upper GI and blood work. I can't remember what other post op testing other than blood work was done.

And you have proven my point. Why did you not have pre-op testing? What if you had some undetected heart problem or sleep apnea that would present a problem with anesthesia?

[Humming Bird 275]

Many, like me, were required to attend a WLS seminar by the surgeons who would be doing them. At this seminar information about both lapband and RNY was given. The office nurse and nutritionist were present. There was a Q&A.

Next was an appt. with the surgeon and tests were ordered. Now here, I believe, doctors can order different pre-op tests based on the patient's health history but my surgeon was a one size fits all - EKG, stress test, sleep study, sonogram of gallbladder, upper GI, endoscopy, 24 hour urine study, sonogram of leg veins, blood work and the basic vital signs - BP, etc..as well as the psych evaluation. There was a big long sheet of the tests required and it was up to me to get them all done (some were scheduled by them).

Six months of a pre-op diet with nutritionist (required for insurance) followed by 2 weeks of liquid only pre op diet and then 2 weeks of liquid only post op diet. Then mushies, then soft food, then solid food.

Post op testing the day of surgery was an upper GI and blood work. I can't remember what other post op testing other than blood work was done.

And you have proven my point. Why did you not have pre-op testing? What if you had some undetected heart problem or sleep apnea that would present a problem with anesthesia?

I had no health insurance. I did have a sleep study done 3 1/2 years prior to lap-band because I snored like a train and I had very bad fatigue. The sleep study showed no apnea.

I asked the surgeon questions and told him I did not need a psych eval. and he agreed with me. When I say I had no pre-op testing I do mean zero.....nothing..... not even one drop of blood was taken. He probably does do some pre-op testing on some patients, I don't know. All I know is he did not require any for me. I did a very tiny bit of research, talked with a couple friends who had the band, had a long consult with the surgeon, paid for the surgery that same day, went on an Atkins pre-op diet for a couple weeks, got banded and had hiatal hernia repair, had a couple fills, dropped 111 pounds, stopped snoring, and all is well .... knock on wood.

oh, and I spoke with the NUT for a bit on the phone and she faxed or emailed me the phases to follow after surgery .... Clear liquids, creamy liquids, soft food .... yada yada....

[shelyshely 0]

Thank you Knaroz for the dinnerware suggestion, I love it. I think I'll go after work and get me some baby forks and start using our smaller plates (I think they are dessert plates). And as a lot of you said just eating slower, I already do that to an extent but I think I could slow down even more. From what everyone has said it looks like it is up to me to control my portions until I get to the sweet spot, I just hope it is around the corner.

I think I am just suffering from a slight case of depression, I broke my arm 4-weeks ago and had a steel plate with twelve screws put in. My husband trying to make me happy would buy me Cookies, candy and trinkets during my time off from work, so I fell back into craving Snacks and sweets. Now I am back at work as an office manager (did I say this was a work related injury) they put me in a smaller office and said I should just answer the phones (they don't want me to over do it) they rarely ring. Business is so slow I read CNN stories all day and fight falling asleep at my desk. I think the boredom at work, the aching arm, physical therapy, and cravings are all bringing me down. I just need to get over this hump in the road.

Thank all of you for your support it has given me some hope.