Lap Band Surgery Questions help?

[BRANDON17 1]

I have been reading up on lap band surgery and i have read that people who have had surgery some say they ate hot wings,chilli.etc etc are these people just talking about a couple of spoon fulls or one or two bites then thats the end of your meal can someone put in to perspective what a dinner time meal consist of? i mean how much can you really eat and how do people gain the weight back with the band if you can only handle such a small amount of food.

Also when you first get the band i take it its very tight so what exactly is a fill? and what are the parameters to get the band loosened or tightened and i am under the imoression you can get the band so loose to as if you wont vomit when you eat a large meal is this true. can you go back to a regular stomach once you have reached your goal but the band is still there just out of commission.

Also I love to drink juice and soda thats my main thing I love all liquids i literally sip on diet coke all day long would i be able to do this with the band i know carbonated is bad for you but i would like to enjoy juice or a snapple every once and while whats is drinking liquids like.And another thing this really immature i know but im only 26 and every blue moon i like to drink alcohol and get a little drunk i like to party i mean would i be able to get drunk like a normal young person in moderation of course but this a big concern of mine to enjoy a night out with friends and get a little crazy.

And as i said in a previous post vomiting is a big concern for me i sort of have a phobia about it do people vomit alot with the band just for know good reason i knoe if you eat to much you will but what about reguraly one perosn told me you will vomit after surgey did you guys puke after surgery?

Thanks guys i really appreciate the help

Brandon

[Jack 855]

Welcome to LBT Brandon. You raise lots of questions that can be easily surveyed by reviewing nearly any thread in many forums.

Sipping calorie filled liquids and eating beyond satiety level, is a change you will welcome if you are serious about the entire WLS program.

If you are Morbidly Obese, you will have the opportunity to reprogram and reeducate yourself about a new life style.

There is nothing that tastes as good as being thinner feels.

I was Morbidly Obese much of the preOp 40 years, despite all my efforts to the contrary.

Your use of the term "vomit" suggests involuntary expulsion of stomach contents, with digestive juices and the mess commonly associated with a drunk throwing up in his own back seat....that isn't what usually happens to Bandsters, as most of those episodes are related to the contents of the upper stomach and esophagus above the Band. And most commonly it is self induced by an error of eating caused by the Bandster's own mistake.

Keep reading and researching; you'll find a great resource here to help you get some answers.

Cheers on your journey.

[sweetcalichic 6]

Hi Brandon! Hope this helps, I've been banded for two years and will answer your questions from what I have experienced.

A meal consists of small portions. The perfect size meal for me is the amount of food that is in a lean cusine that consits of only 2 items, not the ones that have three items. So, this is the smaller packaged ones that usually come with a meat and a vegtable. Thats to give you and idea of size. As far as chili, hot wings, etc, I can eat a small bowl of chili, maybe a cup, hot wings 2 or 3. How much I can eat depends on what it is and how my band is feeling at the time. If I havent eaten in a long time the band seems tighter and after a few bites of whatever I'm stuffed!

You can gain the weight back by eating the wrong things and the band doesnt do all the work for you. Exercise is still very important. Stop moving and keep eating the wrongs things and the weight will slowly creep back on.

My band wasnt filled with anything at the time of surgery. I had no appeitie for the 1st week while my body was healing. After that, there is a time called "bandster hell". This is before your 1st fill, you have little to know restriction, the hunger is back you basically eat whatever. This time is a testament to your will power. To answer your question, no your band is not tight when you first get it.

A fill is adding liquid to your band, this is when restriction comes into play. It is done by putting a needle into the port and injecting it with saline Water. Some are done under x-ray, mine is but many are just done in the office.

You cant just go to your dr and say, I want to pig out this weekend, take out all the Fluid and I'll be back next week for you to tighten it up. liquid is usually only taken out when you are extremely too tight, if you cant keep any liquids down inculding your own spit let alone any solid food. I've had two unfills! From my experience I don't know anyone who has reached goal and had all Fluid removed. I wouldn't, it would be too easy to gain the weight back.

juice is fine, don't worry about not being able to drink it. I had a problem with carbonation before just recently, I can handle carbonation better. This is something that will depend on your body, its a 50/50 toss up. So, I didn't enjoy a soda for almost two years. Don't worry about alcholol, you'll be just fine. I like to party and club sometimes also

I don't remember puking after surgery just because. Do I puke a lot now? Yes. Sometimes you think a food is going to go down easy but it doesnt, for some reason it gets stuck. It might be something you have eaten a million times but this time the band doesnt like it. I don't like that uncomfortable, stuck, stuffed, I cant breathe feeling and prefer to just throw it up. Sometimes, it just takes getting up and walking a little to get food to move down.

Its a lot to learn and your experience will not be exactly like mine. Hopefully, this will help! Good luck on your journey.

[BRANDON17 1]

Hi Brandon! Hope this helps, I've been banded for two years and will answer your questions from what I have experienced.

A meal consists of small portions. The perfect size meal for me is the amount of food that is in a lean cusine that consits of only 2 items, not the ones that have three items. So, this is the smaller packaged ones that usually come with a meat and a vegtable. Thats to give you and idea of size. As far as chili, hot wings, etc, I can eat a small bowl of chili, maybe a cup, hot wings 2 or 3. How much I can eat depends on what it is and how my band is feeling at the time. If I havent eaten in a long time the band seems tighter and after a few bites of whatever I'm stuffed!

You can gain the weight back by eating the wrong things and the band doesnt do all the work for you. Exercise is still very important. Stop moving and keep eating the wrongs things and the weight will slowly creep back on.

My band wasnt filled with anything at the time of surgery. I had no appeitie for the 1st week while my body was healing. After that, there is a time called "bandster hell". This is before your 1st fill, you have little to know restriction, the hunger is back you basically eat whatever. This time is a testament to your will power. To answer your question, no your band is not tight when you first get it.

A fill is adding liquid to your band, this is when restriction comes into play. It is done by putting a needle into the port and injecting it with saline Water. Some are done under x-ray, mine is but many are just done in the office.

You cant just go to your dr and say, I want to pig out this weekend, take out all the Fluid and I'll be back next week for you to tighten it up. Liquid is usually only taken out when you are extremely too tight, if you cant keep any liquids down inculding your own spit let alone any solid food. I've had two unfills! From my experience I don't know anyone who has reached goal and had all Fluid removed. I wouldn't, it would be too easy to gain the weight back.

juice is fine, don't worry about not being able to drink it. I had a problem with carbonation before just recently, I can handle carbonation better. This is something that will depend on your body, its a 50/50 toss up. So, I didn't enjoy a soda for almost two years. Don't worry about alcholol, you'll be just fine. I like to party and club sometimes also

I don't remember puking after surgery just because. Do I puke a lot now? Yes. Sometimes you think a food is going to go down easy but it doesnt, for some reason it gets stuck. It might be something you have eaten a million times but this time the band doesnt like it. I don't like that uncomfortable, stuck, stuffed, I cant breathe feeling and prefer to just throw it up. Sometimes, it just takes getting up and walking a little to get food to move down.

Its a lot to learn and your experience will not be exactly like mine. Hopefully, this will help! Good luck on your journey.

thanks for the answers sweetcalichic but as far as alcohol can you drink to feel a buzz or is it just a few drinks juts to be sociable?

[sweetcalichic 6]

Brandon, if I'm at a club, I'm drinking to get drunk, so you know you don't eat and drink with the band!? So, I don't eat before I go out and in a social setting, dancing and standing up seems to make liquids so down better! I have no problem keeping it down!

[Flip Flop 1]

If you follow what the doc says...you'll be fine!

[SageTracey 608]

Hi Brandon, I have a phobia about vomiting, too. It helps me to keep on track with my eating post-band because I don't want to do anything that I know will make me vomit. So far, so good. I haven't vomited at all since being banded. Closest I came was last night and that was from a severe bout of coughing (dang head cold!) rather than anything I have eaten. I would say I have pretty good restriction and have been lucky not to have any stuck food or inability to eat any particular foods - just much smaller quantities.

I am older than you but still enjoy the occasional alcholic drink - one thing I have discovered is that I am now officially a cheap drunk! One or two drinks on a smaller, empty stomach is more than enough for me to get that really drunk feeling. This means my husband and I have to be really clear about who is driving home before we go out.

Good luck.

[BRANDON17 1]

Ok guys I have talked to my mother and father about getting the band they say im to young and I should just go on a strict diet and excersie they best way i can but excersise is so pain staking to me and i feel the lap band will give me results quicker than doing the grueling excersise and diet.and many people have told me the band is no sure fire way to lose lots of weight.so why do it? i mean how does the band help you to lose weight im confused.

thankls guys

brandon

[sweetcalichic 6]

Brandon, I don't know how independent you are but at 26, I had my own insurance, job, apartment therefore making my own descions.

On my 1st visit to my dr, he told me some people lose a lot and some only 20lbs, that I was going to have to work with the band for it to work for me. It works if you follow your dr's orders and exercise. The band helped my by limiting the amount of food I'm able to eat and making me make better eating choices. I'm not eating a hamburger, plate of speghetti (pasta), multiple slices of pizza or chili chesse pastrami fries. All foods that I use to enjoy but can no longer because of the band. What taste better than any of those foods combined is knowing that I have lost 77lbs!

[Flip Flop 1]

Ok guys I have talked to my mother and father about getting the band they say im to young and I should just go on a strict diet and excersie they best way i can but excersise is so pain staking to me and i feel the lap band will give me results quicker than doing the grueling excersise and diet.and many people have told me the band is no sure fire way to lose lots of weight.so why do it? i mean how does the band help you to lose weight im confused.

thankls guys

brandon

[Flip Flop 1]

The lap band is just a TOOL not the be all end all for losing weight. Try this...eat 100g of Protein and about 1200 to 1400 cal drink at least 8 glasses of Water a day. You could try 1000/1200 cal but ur young and a guy so u need more cal. I;m 46, this is what I follow...I had my surgery 2 months ago and lost 40 lbs. I do exercise 5 days a week sometimes just walking 30 mins is all the exercise I do. I told my friend to follow this...she lost 20 pounds in 4 weeks, she is not banded and I have not had a fill. It is hard at first but, stick to it "Life is in session Now so live it with purpose" Good Luck!!!

[Jachut 487]

In my opinion, there's only two real dangers associated with getting drunk with a band

First is if you get so drunk that you vomit - vomiting can be dangerous and damage your band. Its best to stop drinking before you get to this stage, but I dont know many people who get that drunk on purpose so you ahve to be a bit more wary than before. But you can definitely get the buzz going.

Secondly, if you're anything like me, with a skinful, you may suddenly fancy a 2 am kebab or similar. With a band you need to eat slowly and carefuly, when you're drunk you tend to eat like a sabre toothed tiger. Not a good thing to do with a lapband.