Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[mominlv13 1]

NO loss for another week!! NOT getting discouraged!! Have to stay away from the carbs this week and MORE exercise!!! Will be getting another fill in one week. Just happy no gain!!!

Fran

xo

[rochelle721 0]

I was going to post the same thing as mom... the weight came off so fast in the beginning. I'm 6 weeks out from surgery and only lost 1 pound last week. I'm not discouraged (I keep telling myself). I remember before the surgery, if I didn't lose any weight in a week's time, my latest diet was called off and I'd gain more weight than the last time! I'm so grateful for my lapband "guardian angel"! Also, thanks for all the support this group supplies!!

[flowers 0]

Well I don't really think there is a set answer to how many pounds til a fill. I've only been banded just under 5 mos. I have a large band so have lots of room for fills. My doc is very aggressive with fills. I had a 4cc prefill at surgery and my first fill after surgery was 3 cc . My opinion is you need more restriction, but remember the band is only a tool, you still have to do the work, the band doesn't do it all.

Wow, I dont even know what to say. You have been banded a few weeks more than I have and lost 77 lbs. I had no prefill, my surgeon was dead set against it. My fill doctor is even more conservative. When I say Im not doing anything because of my band so far, I mean it. Im just eating regular, or a lean cuisine frozen dinner, or a bowl of Cereal in the morning. And like I said walking. No Protein first, no small bites. I have only felt a little resistance a few times, cantelope I feel it. When you say 1/2 cup, doesnt that include if I have some fruit after a meal? Or just you just arent even having that.

My band has been such a waste so far. I tried at first to eat the bandseter way but without resistance I askmed myself why? I guess I should have gone in last Saturday for another fill. Im up to 3.6 cc in a 10 cc band which I think is ridiculously small when you are paying $200 for each fill.

Thanks for your reply, it sure makes me feel like Im wasting time and doing this all wrong. The fill doctor isnt there until Nov 29th again. I got banded July 9th. So, Im not losing like ya'all for sure, just by cutting back carbs and walking.

[peaches9 3]

Wow, I dont even know what to say. You have been banded a few weeks more than I have and lost 77 lbs. I had no prefill, my surgeon was dead set against it. My fill doctor is even more conservative. When I say Im not doing anything because of my band so far, I mean it. Im just eating regular, or a lean cuisine frozen dinner, or a bowl of cereal in the morning. And like I said walking. No Protein first, no small bites. I have only felt a little resistance a few times, cantelope I feel it. When you say 1/2 cup, doesnt that include if I have some fruit after a meal? Or just you just arent even having that.

My band has been such a waste so far. I tried at first to eat the bandseter way but without resistance I askmed myself why? I guess I should have gone in last Saturday for another fill. Im up to 3.6 cc in a 10 cc band which I think is ridiculously small when you are paying $200 for each fill.

Thanks for your reply, it sure makes me feel like Im wasting time and doing this all wrong. The fill doctor isnt there until Nov 29th again. I got banded July 9th. So, Im not losing like ya'all for sure, just by cutting back carbs and walking.

I totaly hear your frustration!~ but you must remember that you are still in the healing phases. My doc told me that you might not start to feel restriction until you've had 3 or 4 fills..now depending on your fill schedule that could take up to a couple of months.

Try to watch what you are eating, even without your 'restriction' there is still a lot of W/L strategy that you can invoke.

This is a life long journey, not a fast W/L scheme... stay the course your lbs will DROP off once you have attained your sweet spot.

for example I was banded in 11July 07 it took 6 wks before my 1st fill, then every 2 wks I'd go in... it wasn't until Nov before I had RESTRICTION...

Be well :thumbup:

[flowers 0]

I totaly hear your frustration!~ but you must remember that you are still in the healing phases. My doc told me that you might not start to feel restriction until you've had 3 or 4 fills..now depending on your fill schedule that could take up to a couple of months.

Try to watch what you are eating, even without your 'restriction' there is still a lot of W/L strategy that you can invoke.

for example I was banded in 11July 07 it took 6 wks before my 1st fill, then every 2 wks I'd go in... it wasn't until Nov before I had RESTRICTION...

Be well :thumbup:

Im almost four months out from banding. I guess I think Im past the healing stage??? I think my post said I was banded July 9th. My fill doctor wouldn't give me my first fill until 5 weeks or more past surgery, and then she seemed to not believe what size band I had and only gave me a 1.8 cc fill. Then another 1.8 cc the next time. I was supposed to have gotten my 3rd fill last Saturday and blew it off, didnt seem worth $200. She schedules every 10 minutes and its all or nothing. 3 cc too much, down to 1.8, done. wham bam thank you mam. Having had surgery in Mexico, fill doctors dont want to touch me and the few who will are too busy. 1.8 cc in a 10 cc band I thought was ridiculously conservative for my first fill. I was furious you want to know the truth to have wasted my time and money driving 5 hours and paying $200 for 1.8 cc.

I dont feel I have any choice but to go back to her, but there are reasons I blew her off last Saturday and think my lapband has been a wasted effort. I have no confidence I will have restriction after a 3rd fill at the rate she is going. Both first and second fills when I asked how much, she says 3 cc too tight, so 1.8. No in between?? She doesnt want any questions and I dont want to make her mad at me, but Im not happy. I dont understand why she cant do some fill amount between 1.8 cc and 3 cc. Its one or the other from her reply. If I couldnt take 1.8 cc, I was afraid she would give me such a teensy amount I still wouldnt have any restriction. Yes, Im pretty frustrated about this whole band thing and just decided to forget I had it for a while and walking to lose weight. I did at least 6 miles yesterday.

[Great2BThin 5]

Wow, I dont even know what to say. You have been banded a few weeks more than I have and lost 77 lbs. I had no prefill, my surgeon was dead set against it. My fill doctor is even more conservative. When I say Im not doing anything because of my band so far, I mean it. Im just eating regular, or a lean cuisine frozen dinner, or a bowl of cereal in the morning. And like I said walking. No Protein first, no small bites. I have only felt a little resistance a few times, cantelope I feel it. When you say 1/2 cup, doesnt that include if I have some fruit after a meal? Or just you just arent even having that.

My band has been such a waste so far. I tried at first to eat the bandseter way but without resistance I askmed myself why? I guess I should have gone in last Saturday for another fill. Im up to 3.6 cc in a 10 cc band which I think is ridiculously small when you are paying $200 for each fill.

Thanks for your reply, it sure makes me feel like Im wasting time and doing this all wrong. The fill doctor isnt there until Nov 29th again. I got banded July 9th. So, Im not losing like ya'all for sure, just by cutting back carbs and walking.

Well you aren't doing everything all wrong, and I sure didn't mean to imply that with my reply. You probably should've gotten that fill, however. You are doing many things right, you are exercising, you are cutting back. now you just need to tweak a few things. I think it is important that you eat your protein first. That fills you up the most. And yes, my 1/2 cup servings include the fruit if I have it. Like InigoGirl likes to say, we didn't get a band on our heads just our stomachs. It takes some time to get the head into the game. We still have to fight those demons that make us want to eat, or say forget it, it's not worth it etc. I'm not real familar with how the process works if you get banded in Mexico but I have heard that getting fills in the US is a problem. Are you going to a FillCenter? if not is there one near you? or another doc who can do your fills? Is it possible to ask for more time at your next appt to discuss your fills? Or is it possible to call your surgeon in Mexico and discuss this with him, maybe he can advise you on how to go on fills, etc. Once you get better restriction it does get easier but it still doesn't get easy.

[lynnt1215 1]

I feel miserable.

Last night I had a few bites each of chicken and lamb for dinner and was full, I chewed very well...and now feel like I am stuck. Discomfort and pain all night, little sleep.< /strong>

today I am only having liquids, but still feeling "stuck".

Should I wait and see if it clears or call my doctor...after 7 months this is the first time I have had such a feeling and for such a long time.:tongue:

[fluffycat 1]

I get that feeling all the time. If I am truly stuck, then I have to bring the food back up because it will never go down. However, sometimes that feeling is just from overeating. In that case, it will eventually pass through but it may take a couple of hours of complete misery. Now you would think I could control how much I eat so I could avoid that feeling, but I have found that not all foods react the same way. The more dense the Protein, the quicker I get full -- sometimes 3 bites! Also, the band reacts differently at different times. Mornings are tighter than daytime. Its really hard to get a handle on this. Sometimes I just slime and wait it out. I don't like to vomit it back up so I am really chewing my food to death these days. The wierd thing is that what comes back up tastes just like it did going down. I guess it hasn't had time to mix with stomach acids. Yum--enjoy it twice!!!

[Maggies 0]

Well, I did my first weigh in this morning and have lost 8 1/4lbs. this week. Not bad, can't wait to see next weeks. My port area is still hurting, is that normal? Maggies:shades_smile:

[Apples2 19]

Congrats on the weight loss, Maggies. Keep going, girl!!!!!!.

The port area can be tender for awhile. But, if you think it's infected, red or rashy, check with your doc.

[jbflorida 1]

Flowers--you need a different doc. Remember, the doc works for YOU!

What gets me about the band--which I love and have NO regrets for getting--is how FICKLE it is. I have had 3 fills, last one in Sept, and am scheduled for another this Thurs. Sometimes I think I need it and then, WHAM--restriction! I can eat something and then 2 weeks later--Oops! Stuck!

Sneaky little thing.

[lynnt1215 1]

I get that feeling all the time. If I am truly stuck, then I have to bring the food back up because it will never go down. However, sometimes that feeling is just from overeating. In that case, it will eventually pass through but it may take a couple of hours of complete misery. Now you would think I could control how much I eat so I could avoid that feeling, but I have found that not all foods react the same way. The more dense the Protein, the quicker I get full -- sometimes 3 bites! Also, the band reacts differently at different times. Mornings are tighter than daytime. Its really hard to get a handle on this. Sometimes I just slime and wait it out. I don't like to vomit it back up so I am really chewing my food to death these days. The wierd thing is that what comes back up tastes just like it did going down. I guess it hasn't had time to mix with stomach acids. Yum--enjoy it twice!!!

This feeling usually will only last me for a few hours. My main concern is the length of time this has "hung" on. Breakfast today was coffee and for lunch I tried some light Soup. after about 4 spoonfulls I knew to stop. The pain is subsiding a bit.

As I have said before, the band is a fickle thing..we can always expect something differnt from it!!!

[Great2BThin 5]

Lynn, I hope you are feeling better soon. I have no advice as that's not happened to me for that long of time either, but I am curiously reading your responses just in case it does.

My band seems to be fickle too. Lately since I was sick it's much tighter but not like it was. It seems to be loosening back up as I recover. I almost got an unfill but think I am going to be okay. Not sure now though about wanting a fill in a few weeks when I go in for a check. Especially since my appt is a few days before I go out of town for the week of Thanksgiving for a week. I may wait til my 6 mos post op appt which is the first week of Dec. Can't believe tomorrow will be 5 mos of banded life for me.

[IndioGirl55 32]

It's posts like this that have me nervous. Iv had two fills, 1.8 cc each time in a 10 cc band, so I hardly feel any restriction. I was supposed to go in today and pulled back. The doctor wouldnt be back until Nov 29th, so it will be a while before I can go.

Im still losing just dieting and walking and be carefull of my sugar in my foods. I started to think about it and my family has had good foods all week I couldnt say no to, and wouldnt be able to eat some if I got really tight. Cant eat bread I hear. Right now I can still eat everything.

Either the band was never for me, or I just dont have confidence my fill doctor will get me tight enough, she keeps saying for sure Ill feel some restriction .... and I havent. Fills seem like a waste of time based on the two I have had for $200 a pop. Im losing at least a pound a week, just watching it. I just cant make up my mind about getting a 3rd fill, the other two just did nothing for me. I feel like Im throwing money out the window.

Flowers

I am sorry that you are so frustrated..

Here's my 2 cents....

Your band is only a tool - and that tool isn't going to work without being properly maintained... You say you didn't go to get your fill last Saturday cuz you didn't want to be too tight - cuz you wanted to eat. Again your band is only a tool - it doesn't control what you eat - your brain does that.

I have good restriction - I can eat most foods as long as I eat slowly and chew. Even with good restriction I can still consume mashed potatoes - candy, cake, ice cream - slider foods - and if I chose to eat those foods I would not have lost weight and if I chose to eat those foods often even now - I would gain weight..

This isn't about dieting it's about making a lifetime lifestyle change in your eating. We can't continue eating unhealthy and expect to lose weight. You can't spend the rest of your life on a diet - it isn't going to work.

You are doing good in exerciseing and losing weight without much restriction but - I gotta tell you - you MUST convey your concerns to your doctor or like someone said find a new doctor.

You don't need to concern yourself with the size of your band and the # of cc's in it - just worry about if it works - I could have 2 cc in a 14 and be loose as a goose - but you could have 2cc in the 14 and be tight. The amount of fill is diff for everyone.

So please don't give up - you can do this !!!!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

My band has been such a waste so far. I tried at first to eat the bandster way but without resistance I asked myself why? I guess I should have gone in last Saturday for another fill. I'm up to 3.6 cc in a 10 cc band which I think is ridiculously small when you are paying $200 for each fill.

Is there any way you can find another fill doctor? You are right about doctors not wanting to do fills on people who had their surgeries in Mexico. Can you call around

and try to find someone else who gives fills if they didn't do the surgery?

Some doctors use fluro where they can see the band and how much restriction you are getting with the fill. The doctors that don't use that, usually will have the patient drink Water and leave the needle in, and ask you how the water is going down. If the water feels like it's just barely gurgling down, they take some out. If the water is going down but slowly, they can tell if you need more or less.

You need more restriction. You are trying to work with basically an empty band. If you can't find another fill doctor, you should try talking to the doctor and tell him/her that you are hungry, and feel like you have no restriction. You shouldn't have to leave without them having some way to check the restriction they gave you.

For whoever asked how many pounds you need to lose in between fills, I haven't had a fill for almost a year. It doesn't go by lbs, it goes by feeling full on a small amount of food, and not getting hungry again for a few hours. When you start feeling hungry again very soon, it's time for another fill.

I hope this helps someone!