Re: Where has my fill gone?

[Guest guest]

, I was banded on Feb 6, 2007 and did not have my first fill for

six weeks which was the norm at my surgery center. That gives the

time to heal and for the swelling to go down.

As for your feeling about the surgery, it sounds to me that you

assumed that the surgery was the magic answer-- not sure that it is.

(Neither is RNY from what I have heard from others). The band still

requires commitment -- making the right choices, not eating something

JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, etc. It took me a number of years to make the

decision to do this, mainly because I see it as a lifestyle change

commitment -- not a quick weight loss scheme. I lost weight quickly

on a number of diets over my 60 years, but gained it back just as

quickly. To me, the band is a " Weight Loss Assistant " -- not the

" Weight Loss Supervisor' -- that is me. So, I had to make a

commitment and stick to it. And, I am not sure yet that you know the

difference between real hunger and head hunger. You will always have

head hunger -- that requires a lot of work on my part (years of

therapy and self searching). The band has helped me feel the

difference. The hardest part for me right now is head hunger that

accompanies stress. I am selling my house and ,moving to a new one,

just being built. Talk about stress. So I am having a lot of trouble right now.

But my weight loss is/was slow and steady (although I do not weigh

myself at home).

If you dont think that you have to " diet " with either weight loss

surgery, I am pretty sure that it will not succeed for you. I hope

that you can figure out how to make the band work WITH you -- and

not expect it to work FOR you. It takes two...............keep at it.

At 12:01 PM 9/2/2007, you wrote:

>I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

>don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

>

>I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

>first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

>FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

>time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

>overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but I'm

>so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

>helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

>from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

>slide backwards and get discouraged.

>

>If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to battle

>dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

>

>This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

>That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

>up.

>

>Will it ever get better?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I totally understand the committment part. I've had therapy, attended support

groups, mapped out my food, I eat with a shrimp fork, I chew, chew, chew, I

followed (until this week) the food plan to the letter. I've lost 47 pounds (10

prior to surger).

I understand that the band is a tool but right now it is like a rubber hammer.

It just isn't working. I know it isn't magic and I don't expect it to do the

work for me. For five weeks now, I've been limiting my meals to 4 oz, drinking

-eating protein etc. ALL ON MY OWN. I know the band is there so that helps me

some, but I just thought it would be a better tool. I do not feel ANY

restriction so right now it isn't even a tool and I think that is what is

discouraging me.

All our therapies tell us to think of this as a lifestyle change and I am....but

I thought the band would help me make this lifestyle change by making me feel

full faster. Feeling full is the best way to fight head hunger - right now I'm

fighting head hunger just like I did when I was just 'dieting'. I'm totally

committed to weight loss....I just wish it wasn't so hard....I didn't expect it

to be so hard.....I'm not sorry I did the band, I just wish I had confidence

that eventually it would work for me.

Thanks for the advice though...I really do appreciate it. I especially like the

eating something " JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN " - I hadn't thought of that before.

Thanks for letting me gripe. I'm just so frustrated .....

Webb (aka Grandma )

Grandma to (7 yrs old) -DX 03/03-Pumping 3/04, Alyssa (4 yrs old,)

lise (born 7/5/06)

Jackie (8 yrs old ) and (3 yrs old)

Angel Bear Pump Stuff Inc.

www.angelbearpumpstuff.com

815-483-0327

Every day is a good day - because it can always be worse.

Re: Where has my fill gone?

, I was banded on Feb 6, 2007 and did not have my first fill for

six weeks which was the norm at my surgery center. That gives the

time to heal and for the swelling to go down.

As for your feeling about the surgery, it sounds to me that you

assumed that the surgery was the magic answer-- not sure that it is.

(Neither is RNY from what I have heard from others). The band still

requires commitment -- making the right choices, not eating something

JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, etc. It took me a number of years to make the

decision to do this, mainly because I see it as a lifestyle change

commitment -- not a quick weight loss scheme. I lost weight quickly

on a number of diets over my 60 years, but gained it back just as

quickly. To me, the band is a " Weight Loss Assistant " -- not the

" Weight Loss Supervisor' -- that is me. So, I had to make a

commitment and stick to it. And, I am not sure yet that you know the

difference between real hunger and head hunger. You will always have

head hunger -- that requires a lot of work on my part (years of

therapy and self searching). The band has helped me feel the

difference. The hardest part for me right now is head hunger that

accompanies stress. I am selling my house and ,moving to a new one,

just being built. Talk about stress. So I am having a lot of trouble right now.

But my weight loss is/was slow and steady (although I do not weigh

myself at home).

If you dont think that you have to " diet " with either weight loss

surgery, I am pretty sure that it will not succeed for you. I hope

that you can figure out how to make the band work WITH you -- and

not expect it to work FOR you. It takes two......... ......keep at it.

At 12:01 PM 9/2/2007, you wrote:

>I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

>don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

>

>I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

>first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

>FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

>time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

>overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but I'm

>so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

>helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

>from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

>slide backwards and get discouraged.

>

>If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to battle

>dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

>

>This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

>That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

>up.

>

>Will it ever get better?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I appreciate frustration. I hadnt realized from your post that you

did all that!!!

I feel like I have been preparing for this for a lifetime...a number

of dress rehearsals, and this is the real thing.

To be honest, I was the only Lapband person in my 6 month group check

in -- the rest were RNY. I lost 43 lbs, they all lost 80 -- BUT

they complained of hair loss, nausea, fatigue, etc, while I was this

cockeyed optimist. I am not saying that band is good, RNY is bad, but

it is a totally different experience. And, I have heard of failures

from both people with RNY and with Lapband...So it is possible to

screw up either one!!!

The fact that you hae alrady lost 47lbs is FABULOUS!!! It is always

amazing to me that we dont focus on what we have accomplished, but

instead deal with what we havent done. Give yourself a hand!!! I dont

know about you, but I am thrilled with my loss. I am by no means

thin, but my diabetes numbers are great-hell, all my numbers are

great. I am looking great in clothes - still bigger than average, but

not much anymore. I feel that I have success now. Anything more is,

you will pardon the expression, gravy. The lowest I have been in

recent history (that is within the last 20 years) is about 35 lbs

less than I am now. So that would be a good thing if I make it. The

nutritionist floored me when he told me that on my chart they have me

as 1/3 the way there!! I havent been that weight since I was a

teenager, one afternoon for 10 minutes on the way up. I dont care if

I ever get there...part of my journey has been putting together

realistic expectations..and giving myself credit for every step of the way.

Yes, , this is really difficult. I didnt have any restriction

the first six weeks (after the swelling went down) -- and thru the

first and second fill. I didnt PB untilo my third fill a few months

ago. So, I did a lot on my own steam.

To tell you what I am worried about now..is little slippage...not the

band, but my resolve. Oh, its OK to have a spoonful of ice cream, or

what not. I feel my resolve slipping. That is what I need to work on

-- and get another fill when I go back in Oct -- I decided not to

monkey with it while I am going thru my move.

Sorry to ramble. I sympathize ...I really do. But give yourself a pat

on the back!!!!

At 01:10 PM 9/2/2007, you wrote:

>I totally understand the committment part. I've had therapy,

>attended support groups, mapped out my food, I eat with a shrimp

>fork, I chew, chew, chew, I followed (until this week) the food plan

>to the letter. I've lost 47 pounds (10 prior to surger).

>

>I understand that the band is a tool but right now it is like a

>rubber hammer. It just isn't working. I know it isn't magic and I

>don't expect it to do the work for me. For five weeks now, I've

>been limiting my meals to 4 oz, drinking -eating protein etc. ALL ON

>MY OWN. I know the band is there so that helps me some, but I just

>thought it would be a better tool. I do not feel ANY restriction so

>right now it isn't even a tool and I think that is what is discouraging me.

>

>All our therapies tell us to think of this as a lifestyle change and

>I am....but I thought the band would help me make this lifestyle

>change by making me feel full faster. Feeling full is the best way

>to fight head hunger - right now I'm fighting head hunger just like

>I did when I was just 'dieting'. I'm totally committed to weight

>loss....I just wish it wasn't so hard....I didn't expect it to be so

>hard.....I'm not sorry I did the band, I just wish I had confidence

>that eventually it would work for me.

>

>Thanks for the advice though...I really do appreciate it. I

>especially like the eating something " JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN " - I

>hadn't thought of that before. Thanks for letting me gripe. I'm

>just so frustrated .....

>

>

> Webb (aka Grandma )

>Grandma to (7 yrs old) -DX 03/03-Pumping 3/04, Alyssa (4 yrs

>old,) lise (born 7/5/06)

>Jackie (8 yrs old ) and (3 yrs old)

>

>Angel Bear Pump Stuff Inc.

>www.angelbearpumpstuff.com

>815-483-0327

>

>Every day is a good day - because it can always be worse.

>

>

>

> Re: Where has my fill gone?

>

>, I was banded on Feb 6, 2007 and did not have my first fill for

>six weeks which was the norm at my surgery center. That gives the

>time to heal and for the swelling to go down.

>

>As for your feeling about the surgery, it sounds to me that you

>assumed that the surgery was the magic answer-- not sure that it is.

>(Neither is RNY from what I have heard from others). The band still

>requires commitment -- making the right choices, not eating something

>JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, etc. It took me a number of years to make the

>decision to do this, mainly because I see it as a lifestyle change

>commitment -- not a quick weight loss scheme. I lost weight quickly

>on a number of diets over my 60 years, but gained it back just as

>quickly. To me, the band is a " Weight Loss Assistant " -- not the

> " Weight Loss Supervisor' -- that is me. So, I had to make a

>commitment and stick to it. And, I am not sure yet that you know the

>difference between real hunger and head hunger. You will always have

>head hunger -- that requires a lot of work on my part (years of

>therapy and self searching). The band has helped me feel the

>difference. The hardest part for me right now is head hunger that

>accompanies stress. I am selling my house and ,moving to a new one,

>just being built. Talk about stress. So I am having a lot of trouble

>right now.

>

>But my weight loss is/was slow and steady (although I do not weigh

>myself at home).

>

>If you dont think that you have to " diet " with either weight loss

>surgery, I am pretty sure that it will not succeed for you. I hope

>that you can figure out how to make the band work WITH you -- and

>not expect it to work FOR you. It takes two......... ......keep at it.

>

>At 12:01 PM 9/2/2007, you wrote:

> >I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> >don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

> >

> >I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> >first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> >FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> >time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> >overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but I'm

> >so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> >helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> >from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> >slide backwards and get discouraged.

> >

> >If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to battle

> >dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

> >

> >This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> >That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> >up.

> >

> >Will it ever get better?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

>> I do not feel ANY restriction so right now it isn't even a tool and I

think that is what is discouraging me.<<

You need another fill. It's that simple. Try to eat THOUGHTFULLY until

you get one but there's no need to declare surrender.. The band works

when you have it properly adjusted, It may take one or two or three more

fills to get there. When you DO get there, you'll be amazed at the

difference.

[Guest guest]

Hi , I know how you feel. I was banded April 23,

07. I have had four fills each time its tight for a

few days, then there is nothing. I have talked to my

Dr. about how much I eat, he might do some e-xay to

see if the band may have slip, or I mighr have a small

leak. I go to meetings, and listen to every one else

tell how they are never hungry, snd have to remind

themself to eat, here I set thinking what wrong with

me. I still feel this was the best thing for me, I

just need to get all the bugs work out, and retrain my

brain about my earing habits.lyndasb@...

--- cindywebb1667 <cindywebb1667@...> wrote:

> I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo

> frustrated I

> don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather

> than the band.

>

> I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt

> restriction the

> first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I

> NEVER feel

> FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel

> hungry all the

> time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill

> because I'm

> overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating

> too much, but I'm

> so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like

> the band is

> helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd

> fill three weeks

> from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he

> doesn't want me to

> slide backwards and get discouraged.

>

> If I was going to have the pain and expense of

> surgery only to battle

> dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

>

> This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast

> protein bar!

> That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy,

> but I never throw

> up.

>

> Will it ever get better?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, you need some patience!! Didn't your doc tell you that we need

about 3-5 small fills, a month apart, to get to a good level ? the

stomach is very sensitive, and we have to creep up slowly. The first

1-2 fills are not even meant to be " enough " , but only as a small,

gradual introduction to pressure.

It frustrates the heck out of me that the docs'don't go over this

with us - or that we have not read it before in all our band

research. It's a basic fact of banding!

Ther is lots for you to do , so this is never wasted time!

All fills cause a bit of swelling, and this is the ARTIFICIAL

restriction you felt for a day or 2, until the swelling resolved.

NORMAL !!

Also, a good bandster-sized meal is about a cup of food. Where in the

world did you get the idea that 2 pieces of toast and a protein bar

are too much?? These are not good Band choices, but are not too much

food!

The restriction we feel has as much to do with good EATING choices,

as with a good fill.

TRy this for breakfast: a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, and

some sliced berries, moistened (not drowned) with nonfat milk.

That is the good protein and fiber we need. Later, with a good fill,

about 1/2-3/4 cup will be a good breakfast.

I'm pretty sure I sent you my Band Guide through Obesity Help, but

it's also here in the files. Please review it - it covers all these

basics that are essential to know.

Keep the faith! It didn't take you only a month or 2 to become

morbidly obese like the rest of us, and it's not going to come off in

a month or even a year. THis is a gradual process that will allow it

to STAY off this time, if you eat well and do YOUR part!

Sandy r

Sandy R

>

> I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

>

> I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

I'm

> so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> slide backwards and get discouraged.

>

> If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

battle

> dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

>

> This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> up.

>

> Will it ever get better?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Lynda, do you have ANY restriction at all? After 4 fills, you should

be feeling at least SOME. But what band do you have, and what fill

level ? 4 TINY fills in the LARGE band, for instance, will rarely be

enough. Please tell us a bit more -

Sandy

>

> > I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo

> > frustrated I

> > don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather

> > than the band.

> >

> > I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt

> > restriction the

> > first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I

> > NEVER feel

> > FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel

> > hungry all the

> > time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill

> > because I'm

> > overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating

> > too much, but I'm

> > so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like

> > the band is

> > helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd

> > fill three weeks

> > from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he

> > doesn't want me to

> > slide backwards and get discouraged.

> >

> > If I was going to have the pain and expense of

> > surgery only to battle

> > dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

> >

> > This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast

> > protein bar!

> > That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy,

> > but I never throw

> > up.

> >

> > Will it ever get better?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

sandy, the hardest part for me is the inconsistency of the

restriction. i used to always be tight in the am...but sometimes i am not.

same with the evening. i am trying to have mini meals every two or

three hours vs bigger meals less often. when i do that i feel

better..but i dont always do that.

re 1 cup of food...i remember writing down what i ate and discussing

it with the nutritionist, figuring that i was eating too much, but he

reminded me that i was eating about one cup of food at the meal,

which is fine. i think that part of my problem is lack of reality in

portion control -- not knowing when is too much or too little!!!

thanks for your posts...very enlightening.

At 10:02 PM 9/2/2007, you wrote:

>, you need some patience!! Didn't your doc tell you that we need

>about 3-5 small fills, a month apart, to get to a good level ? the

>stomach is very sensitive, and we have to creep up slowly. The first

>1-2 fills are not even meant to be " enough " , but only as a small,

>gradual introduction to pressure.

>It frustrates the heck out of me that the docs'don't go over this

>with us - or that we have not read it before in all our band

>research. It's a basic fact of banding!

>Ther is lots for you to do , so this is never wasted time!

>All fills cause a bit of swelling, and this is the ARTIFICIAL

>restriction you felt for a day or 2, until the swelling resolved.

>NORMAL !!

>

>Also, a good bandster-sized meal is about a cup of food. Where in the

>world did you get the idea that 2 pieces of toast and a protein bar

>are too much?? These are not good Band choices, but are not too much

>food!

>

>The restriction we feel has as much to do with good EATING choices,

>as with a good fill.

>TRy this for breakfast: a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, and

>some sliced berries, moistened (not drowned) with nonfat milk.

>

>That is the good protein and fiber we need. Later, with a good fill,

>about 1/2-3/4 cup will be a good breakfast.

>

>I'm pretty sure I sent you my Band Guide through Obesity Help, but

>it's also here in the files. Please review it - it covers all these

>basics that are essential to know.

>

>Keep the faith! It didn't take you only a month or 2 to become

>morbidly obese like the rest of us, and it's not going to come off in

>a month or even a year. THis is a gradual process that will allow it

>to STAY off this time, if you eat well and do YOUR part!

>

>Sandy r

>

>

>

>Sandy R

> >

> > I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> > don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

> >

> > I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> > first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> > FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> > time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> > overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

>I'm

> > so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> > helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> > from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> > slide backwards and get discouraged.

> >

> > If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

>battle

> > dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

> >

> > This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> > That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> > up.

> >

> > Will it ever get better?

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi !

I was banded 7/25/07.

Could you try eggs or sausage or oatmeal for breakfast? Some people

like protein shakes for breakfast and find them filling. Or maybe you

could eat some of the protein from last night's dinner - a bit of

steak maybe?

I am truly sorry to hear you are so frustrated - even though I don't

quite understand why (no sarcasm intended I am honestly taking in what

you have said). You've lost 37 pounds in under 6 weeks? You are

losing at an average rate over 6 pounds per week - that is 3 times the

very best rate of weight loss I was told to expect - it seems like a

real win to me. Maybe you are hungry because you are not eating

enough food or enough of the right foods. How many calories are you

getting in each day? What about fiber?

One more idea, how much water are you getting? Are you drinking lots

of water or no calorie liquids in between meals? Sometimes I will have

a feeling in my stomach that seems like hunger I will drink at least

8oz of water and feel fine.

I also notice that my stomach rumbles more than before that is not

always a indication of hunger, if it growls I drink water or crystal

light which generally quiets the noises until my next meal. If I am

truly hungry prior to mealtime I eat cottage cheese or a boiled egg -

I make half dozen at a time so that they are always available.

Keep up the amazing work you are doing, YOU ARE DOING GREAT...and

remember, you made a conscious decision to pick the band - you can

make the decision to keep working with the band toward your goal weight.

hpy2bnpy

>

> I totally understand the committment part. I've had therapy,

attended support groups, mapped out my food, I eat with a shrimp fork,

I chew, chew, chew, I followed (until this week) the food plan to the

letter. I've lost 47 pounds (10 prior to surger).

[Guest guest]

,

You have had many great responses to this already. I only want to add

that you are not alone. We were all there at one time. This is all a

nomal part of the process. To answer your question: YES!!! IT WILL

GET BETTER.

Over the past year I went through the phase you are in about three

times. That's why we post, and that's why we go to support meetings.

We need to find out that we are normal. I did have to quit going to

support meetings that had lots of RNY patients, and some of those

people are dear friends, but they just don't have the same issues as

a banded person, and I needed support, not to feel like I had to

defend my band choice.

Hang in there! We are rooting for you! Remember, with the band we are

on the " losing " side, and that's a good thing.

banded 7/21/06

367/272/150ish

>

> I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

>

> I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

I'm

> so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> slide backwards and get discouraged.

>

> If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

battle

> dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

>

> This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> up.

>

> Will it ever get better?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

denise, i had the same issue with the duke support groups heavily

weighted to the rny.

that is why i, too, rely on this online group of banded folks to

share understanding, trials, and joy!!!

At 10:05 AM 9/3/2007, you wrote:

>,

>

>You have had many great responses to this already. I only want to add

>that you are not alone. We were all there at one time. This is all a

>nomal part of the process. To answer your question: YES!!! IT WILL

>GET BETTER.

>

>Over the past year I went through the phase you are in about three

>times. That's why we post, and that's why we go to support meetings.

>We need to find out that we are normal. I did have to quit going to

>support meetings that had lots of RNY patients, and some of those

>people are dear friends, but they just don't have the same issues as

>a banded person, and I needed support, not to feel like I had to

>defend my band choice.

>

>Hang in there! We are rooting for you! Remember, with the band we are

>on the " losing " side, and that's a good thing.

>

>

>banded 7/21/06

>367/272/150ish

>

>

> >

> > I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> > don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

> >

> > I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> > first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> > FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> > time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> > overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

>I'm

> > so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> > helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> > from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> > slide backwards and get discouraged.

> >

> > If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

>battle

> > dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

> >

> > This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> > That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> > up.

> >

> > Will it ever get better?

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sandyr,

I did get your band guide and read it. My doctor told me at my first fill that

it might take more than one fill to get optimal restriction - I didn't realize

that I might not feel ANY restriction until then. I guess I just didn't fully

understand it.

Now I'm worried I might have done damage cause I've 'fallen off the wagon' this

holiday week-end and really did eat too much. Could I have hurt my band?

Thank you,

Webb (aka Grandma )

Grandma to (7 yrs old) -DX 03/03-Pumping 3/04, Alyssa (4 yrs old,)

lise (born 7/5/06)

Jackie (8 yrs old ) and (3 yrs old)

Angel Bear Pump Stuff Inc.

www.angelbearpumpstuff.com

815-483-0327

Every day is a good day - because it can always be worse.

Re: Where has my fill gone?

, you need some patience!! Didn't your doc tell you that we need

about 3-5 small fills, a month apart, to get to a good level ? the

stomach is very sensitive, and we have to creep up slowly. The first

1-2 fills are not even meant to be " enough " , but only as a small,

gradual introduction to pressure.

It frustrates the heck out of me that the docs'don't go over this

with us - or that we have not read it before in all our band

research. It's a basic fact of banding!

Ther is lots for you to do , so this is never wasted time!

All fills cause a bit of swelling, and this is the ARTIFICIAL

restriction you felt for a day or 2, until the swelling resolved.

NORMAL !!

Also, a good bandster-sized meal is about a cup of food. Where in the

world did you get the idea that 2 pieces of toast and a protein bar

are too much?? These are not good Band choices, but are not too much

food!

The restriction we feel has as much to do with good EATING choices,

as with a good fill.

TRy this for breakfast: a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, and

some sliced berries, moistened (not drowned) with nonfat milk.

That is the good protein and fiber we need. Later, with a good fill,

about 1/2-3/4 cup will be a good breakfast.

I'm pretty sure I sent you my Band Guide through Obesity Help, but

it's also here in the files. Please review it - it covers all these

basics that are essential to know.

Keep the faith! It didn't take you only a month or 2 to become

morbidly obese like the rest of us, and it's not going to come off in

a month or even a year. THis is a gradual process that will allow it

to STAY off this time, if you eat well and do YOUR part!

Sandy r

Sandy R

>

> I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

>

> I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

I'm

> so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> slide backwards and get discouraged.

>

> If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

battle

> dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

>

> This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> up.

>

> Will it ever get better?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

sandy, how do we get hold of you band guide?

At 09:14 PM 9/3/2007, you wrote:

>Sandyr,

>

>I did get your band guide and read it. My doctor told me at my

>first fill that it might take more than one fill to get optimal

>restriction - I didn't realize that I might not feel ANY restriction

>until then. I guess I just didn't fully understand it.

>

>Now I'm worried I might have done damage cause I've 'fallen off the

>wagon' this holiday week-end and really did eat too much. Could I

>have hurt my band?

>

>Thank you,

>

> Webb (aka Grandma )

>Grandma to (7 yrs old) -DX 03/03-Pumping 3/04, Alyssa (4 yrs

>old,) lise (born 7/5/06)

>Jackie (8 yrs old ) and (3 yrs old)

>

>Angel Bear Pump Stuff Inc.

>www.angelbearpumpstuff.com

>815-483-0327

>

>Every day is a good day - because it can always be worse.

>

>

>

> Re: Where has my fill gone?

>

>, you need some patience!! Didn't your doc tell you that we need

>about 3-5 small fills, a month apart, to get to a good level ? the

>stomach is very sensitive, and we have to creep up slowly. The first

>1-2 fills are not even meant to be " enough " , but only as a small,

>gradual introduction to pressure.

>It frustrates the heck out of me that the docs'don't go over this

>with us - or that we have not read it before in all our band

>research. It's a basic fact of banding!

>Ther is lots for you to do , so this is never wasted time!

>All fills cause a bit of swelling, and this is the ARTIFICIAL

>restriction you felt for a day or 2, until the swelling resolved.

>NORMAL !!

>

>Also, a good bandster-sized meal is about a cup of food. Where in the

>world did you get the idea that 2 pieces of toast and a protein bar

>are too much?? These are not good Band choices, but are not too much

>food!

>

>The restriction we feel has as much to do with good EATING choices,

>as with a good fill.

>TRy this for breakfast: a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, and

>some sliced berries, moistened (not drowned) with nonfat milk.

>

>That is the good protein and fiber we need. Later, with a good fill,

>about 1/2-3/4 cup will be a good breakfast.

>

>I'm pretty sure I sent you my Band Guide through Obesity Help, but

>it's also here in the files. Please review it - it covers all these

>basics that are essential to know.

>

>Keep the faith! It didn't take you only a month or 2 to become

>morbidly obese like the rest of us, and it's not going to come off in

>a month or even a year. THis is a gradual process that will allow it

>to STAY off this time, if you eat well and do YOUR part!

>

>Sandy r

>

>Sandy R

> >

> > I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> > don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

> >

> > I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> > first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> > FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> > time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> > overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

>I'm

> > so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> > helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

> > from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> > slide backwards and get discouraged.

> >

> > If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

>battle

> > dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

> >

> > This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> > That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

> > up.

> >

> > Will it ever get better?

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I really think you just need another fill (or 2 or 3) After my first one is when

my hunger kicked in even more, because all the swelling had gone down from

surgery. but after a couple more I started feeling it. it is a continuing

process. you will eventually get restriction with your band. after a little

while that restriction will go away and you'll need another fill. the sweet

spot everyone talks about is not just a single point, it changes as you lose

weight because there is fat around the stomach where the band is placed and as

you lose fat it loosens the band. so you have to get more fills to replace the

space that the fat was filling.

I find that putting myself on an eating schedule works really well for me. when

its feeding time I eat, when its not I don't. I try not to worry about being

hungry, and concentrate on other things. this way when I'm a little tight and

don't feel like eating, I get enough food in. when I'm just tight enough, I'm

hungry at those feeding times, and when I'm looser, it keeps me from eating too

often. this is not always easy to do, and sometimes I really struggle with it

when I'm very loose, but it does help me most of the time.

When I can't seem to stick to my eating schedule and am eating more food more

often, I try to change the foods that I am eating to work better into my calorie

targets for the day. so say I was trying to get 1000 calories in a day. if I

was eating 3 meals I would allow them to be around 325 calories each, if I

needed 4 meals than they would be about 250 calories each, and if I was eating 5

meals a day I would limit each meal to 200 calories. I frequently adjust my

food to work with my level of restriction. Also when I am looser I try to eat

foods that fill me up better, or I can have a bit more volume of due to their

calorie count.

Keep your chin up. you can do this.

- Ada

5'6 " Age 26

364 / 285 / 216

Consult/Band Day/Now

7.20.06/3.19.07/9.3.07

Lap Band by Dr. Greene in Rockville, MD

---------------------------------

Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

Check out fitting gifts for grads at Search.

[Guest guest]

Hi , Don't get discouraged it took me almost nine months to get the right

fill. Now before you get real excited about that I an not the usual bandster

most people get restriction way sooner than that. call the Dr and see if you can

make an appointment for as soon as possible. Don't wait and then make the app.

it may make you wait longer. Tell the Dr you are sliding back and maybe he will

give you a more aggressive fill. I was not happy with my band the first nine

months but now I love it.

Ales

RNY 7/11/02

Revision Banded 10/27/06

Where has my fill gone?

I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but I'm

so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three weeks

from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

slide backwards and get discouraged.

If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to battle

dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never throw

up.

Will it ever get better?

[Guest guest]

,

I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted to mention a

few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm only a fellow bander, so

my advice is of course for your individual consideration.

First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called a 30/30 rule in

terms of drinking and eating. This means that you should not drink 30 minutes

prior to eating, during or 30 minutes after. Not drinking beforehand leaves

your stomach dry, allowing food to stick and stay in it longer. If you drink

during eating, you will enable yourself to eat more. The water helps to flow

the food through the band. Should you drink right after eating, the same effect

will happen, leaving you hungry earlier. Perhaps this could help you eat less

at a meal, ie, just the equivalency of your stomach size.

Second, protein has been proven to be the best hunger deterant. When you eat

carbs, your body takes it in very quickly, raising sugar levels. Since the

digestion process for carbs are so quick, you tend to feel hungry faster and

have the feeling of needing food again soon after as your body's sugar level

comes back down rapidly. Also, if you do not use this energy, it is then stored

as fat. Protein takes longer to digest and therefore stays with you longer. It

is also a necessity for your bones and muscles when losing weight. Further, if

your diet is higher in protein than the other food groups, you have the

opportunity to put your body in ketosis. Former Atkins attempters understand

about this. Read up on it. When you are in this state you are in a high fat

burning stage. Make sure it is healthy for you, ie. not good for diabetics.

Exercise is also a great way to deter hunger as well as drinking water, which

another person posted.

Third, do you eat slowly? Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30 minutes to eat.

This is key to figuring out my fourth point.

Finally, do you understand what full really feels like? I personally had to

figure this out. It's not being stuffed, as many of us equated full to be,

pre-band. Full is when you no longer have hunger pains, feel content and

satisfied. It is not when you get pains in your back or left shoulder. At that

point you have already overeaten and can be stretching your stomach. The

purpose of eating slowly is to wait for your brain to tell you you are

satisfied. This response can take 15-20 minutes, giving reason to eat slow as

mentioned in my third point.

Again, I'm no expert. These are only things that my nurtitionist and doctor

have educated me on. I hope they give you a bit of guidance and some food for

thought.

Most importantly, you are doing fine in terms of your weight loss! Next to the

Lap-Band insertion being less invasive than the RNY, the most important factor

to me in choosing it was that the weight loss is slow...and HEALTHY. Stay

strong and believe that you can use the band as a tool and be successful as a

result.

All the Best,

D

5'4 " Age 32

262.2 / 237.2 / 160

Pre-Op/Now/Goal

Banded August 14, 2007

[Guest guest]

" Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30 minutes to eat "

D- You can only eat 2 oz at a time???

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't we supposed to be able to eat 8 oz at a

time?

Sometimes being a loser is a GOOD thing!

5'11 " 306 / 231 / 180

PreOp / Now/ Goal

Banded 09/14/06

>From: d_harman@...

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: Where has my fill gone?

>Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:35:41 +0000

>

>,

>

>I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted to mention

>a few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm only a fellow

>bander, so my advice is of course for your individual consideration.

>

>First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called a 30/30

>rule in terms of drinking and eating. This means that you should not drink

>30 minutes prior to eating, during or 30 minutes after. Not drinking

>beforehand leaves your stomach dry, allowing food to stick and stay in it

>longer. If you drink during eating, you will enable yourself to eat more.

>The water helps to flow the food through the band. Should you drink right

>after eating, the same effect will happen, leaving you hungry earlier.

>Perhaps this could help you eat less at a meal, ie, just the equivalency of

>your stomach size.

>

>Second, protein has been proven to be the best hunger deterant. When you

>eat carbs, your body takes it in very quickly, raising sugar levels. Since

>the digestion process for carbs are so quick, you tend to feel hungry

>faster and have the feeling of needing food again soon after as your body's

>sugar level comes back down rapidly. Also, if you do not use this energy,

>it is then stored as fat. Protein takes longer to digest and therefore

>stays with you longer. It is also a necessity for your bones and muscles

>when losing weight. Further, if your diet is higher in protein than the

>other food groups, you have the opportunity to put your body in ketosis.

>Former Atkins attempters understand about this. Read up on it. When you

>are in this state you are in a high fat burning stage. Make sure it is

>healthy for you, ie. not good for diabetics. Exercise is also a great way

>to deter hunger as well as drinking water, which another person posted.

>

>Third, do you eat slowly? Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30 minutes to

>eat. This is key to figuring out my fourth point.

>

>Finally, do you understand what full really feels like? I personally had

>to figure this out. It's not being stuffed, as many of us equated full to

>be, pre-band. Full is when you no longer have hunger pains, feel content

>and satisfied. It is not when you get pains in your back or left shoulder.

> At that point you have already overeaten and can be stretching your

>stomach. The purpose of eating slowly is to wait for your brain to tell

>you you are satisfied. This response can take 15-20 minutes, giving reason

>to eat slow as mentioned in my third point.

>

>Again, I'm no expert. These are only things that my nurtitionist and

>doctor have educated me on. I hope they give you a bit of guidance and

>some food for thought.

>

>Most importantly, you are doing fine in terms of your weight loss! Next to

>the Lap-Band insertion being less invasive than the RNY, the most important

>factor to me in choosing it was that the weight loss is slow...and HEALTHY.

> Stay strong and believe that you can use the band as a tool and be

>successful as a result.

>

>All the Best,

>D

>

>5'4 " Age 32

>262.2 / 237.2 / 160

>Pre-Op/Now/Goal

>Banded August 14, 2007

_________________________________________________________________

Kick back and relax with hot games and cool activities at the Messenger

Café. http://www.cafemessenger.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_SeptHMtagline1

[Guest guest]

AMEN. Beautifully stated. I totally agree with everything. The

hardest thing for me is to chew to kill and slow down.

At 10:35 AM 9/4/2007, you wrote:

>,

>

>I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted to

>mention a few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm only

>a fellow bander, so my advice is of course for your individual consideration.

>

>First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called a

>30/30 rule in terms of drinking and eating. This means that you

>should not drink 30 minutes prior to eating, during or 30 minutes

>after. Not drinking beforehand leaves your stomach dry, allowing

>food to stick and stay in it longer. If you drink during eating,

>you will enable yourself to eat more. The water helps to flow the

>food through the band. Should you drink right after eating, the

>same effect will happen, leaving you hungry earlier. Perhaps this

>could help you eat less at a meal, ie, just the equivalency of your

>stomach size.

>

>Second, protein has been proven to be the best hunger

>deterant. When you eat carbs, your body takes it in very quickly,

>raising sugar levels. Since the digestion process for carbs are so

>quick, you tend to feel hungry faster and have the feeling of

>needing food again soon after as your body's sugar level comes back

>down rapidly. Also, if you do not use this energy, it is then

>stored as fat. Protein takes longer to digest and therefore stays

>with you longer. It is also a necessity for your bones and muscles

>when losing weight. Further, if your diet is higher in protein than

>the other food groups, you have the opportunity to put your body in

>ketosis. Former Atkins attempters understand about this. Read up

>on it. When you are in this state you are in a high fat burning

>stage. Make sure it is healthy for you, ie. not good for

>diabetics. Exercise is also a great way to deter hunger as well as

>drinking water, which another person posted.

>

>Third, do you eat slowly? Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30

>minutes to eat. This is key to figuring out my fourth point.

>

>Finally, do you understand what full really feels like? I

>personally had to figure this out. It's not being stuffed, as many

>of us equated full to be, pre-band. Full is when you no longer have

>hunger pains, feel content and satisfied. It is not when you get

>pains in your back or left shoulder. At that point you have already

>overeaten and can be stretching your stomach. The purpose of eating

>slowly is to wait for your brain to tell you you are

>satisfied. This response can take 15-20 minutes, giving reason to

>eat slow as mentioned in my third point.

>

>Again, I'm no expert. These are only things that my nurtitionist

>and doctor have educated me on. I hope they give you a bit of

>guidance and some food for thought.

>

>Most importantly, you are doing fine in terms of your weight

>loss! Next to the Lap-Band insertion being less invasive than the

>RNY, the most important factor to me in choosing it was that the

>weight loss is slow...and HEALTHY. Stay strong and believe that you

>can use the band as a tool and be successful as a result.

>

>All the Best,

>D

>

>5'4 " Age 32

>262.2 / 237.2 / 160

>Pre-Op/Now/Goal

>Banded August 14, 2007

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

D, Some good info here! Thanks!

But a couple things are not what many of the longterm, highly

experienced docs believe, and may be old, outdated bypass info. Just

for everyone's considerattion, this is what many of the longterm docs

teach:

Water-loading is an impt bandster concept - this is drinking a full

glass of wter right before a meal. This saturates the GI tissues,

which helps in several ways. It lubricates the mouth and throat so

food goes down easier (very impt), and makes it less of a need to

drink WITH meals. The water also plumps up the GI tissues a bit, to

help us feel full on less food. The " no fluid for 30 min before " is

an old bypass rule that most feel does not apply to Bandsters.

I've used the " Water loading " technique for years and find it very

useful, personally.

Protein is VERY impt, for sure.:-) but it should be only 15-20% of

the diet - this is the National recommendation for health. Most

peoople in the US eat far too much protein, and this is a big part of

why we became so obese. The formula for protein needs is 0.8 gm/day

per kg of IDEAL body weight - not actual weight or goal weight. for

almost all women this will be the usual 50-60 gm a day we state

often, and that is in most of the Bnd written literature. For almost

all men, 60-70 gm/day. Even this amount has a 30% " cushion " - we

actually need far less.

The good carbs should really be about 50-55% of the diet - the

veggies, whole grains, nonfat dairy, and a bit of fruit. Low csrb

diets have repeatedly been proven to be dangerous, and Adkins is no

different. Thats' wht most in the medical community have abandoned it.

Do a Google " Scholar Search " on " Low carb dangers " and one can find

many of these studies. We have all tried Adkins, i'll bet - and it

clearly didn't work well, or none of us would be here, banded!:-)

The rebound in wt regain from such unbalanced diets is tremendous,

not to mention the dangers of so much fst in the protein. THIS time,

with banding, the goal is to learn healthy ways to lose slowly, that

will KEEP the wt off this time. This reuirees learning lots of new

things, and forgetting many old thingd that didn't work anyway.

I'm also not sure what you mean by a 2-oz meal? 2 oz is a bypass-

sized meal. I'm wondering if your doc is primarily a bypass doc? Many

are...and still give the same rules to Bandsters. This often does not

work well at all. There are a great many differences in bypass needs

and band needs, which is why i always recommend a doc who does

primarily or only BANDS. Ther is so much to learn that is different

thn bypass things, it pretty much tsked a fulltime BAND practice to

learn, in my experience.

a good Bandster-sized meal is 1-1.5 cups of food WHEN we have a good

fill level. Before that, we'll need more to be satisfied. The pouch

is surgically made for this size meal, so it can expand slightly and

innervate the nerves at the top that tell us we are satisfied. A tiny

meal of only 2 oz will not innervate these nerves, and a very impt

way that the band helps us is sabotaged. With LESS than about 1-1.5

cups of food 3x a day, plus a couple small healthy snacks, (about

1200-1500 cal for women)we have NO hope of meeting the nutrition

guidelines for health.

We're not simply trying to starve ourselves to lose yet again (it

will just come BACK yet again)- thi time, we are trying to learn

healthy ways of eating and meeting nutrtiino needs that will last a

lifetime. We can't possibly exits for a lifetime on 2-oz meals.

Great explantion of the " satisfied " vs " full' part - you're very wise

already, even if banded only a few weeks! good for you! :-)

I cover many of these things in my published Band Guide for Eating,f

you're interested. You can print a copy from the files here.

Glad you're here! the best to you!

Sandy r

at goal x 3.5 yrs

MoonshadowRN@...

Kuri patient educator

>

> ,

>

> I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted to

mention a few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm only

a fellow bander, so my advice is of course for your individual

consideration.

>

> First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called a

30/30 rule in terms of drinking and eating. This means that you

should not drink 30 minutes prior to eating, during or 30 minutes

after. Not drinking beforehand leaves your stomach dry, allowing

food to stick and stay in it longer. If you drink during eating, you

will enable yourself to eat more. The water helps to flow the food

through the band. Should you drink right after eating, the same

effect will happen, leaving you hungry earlier. Perhaps this could

help you eat less at a meal, ie, just the equivalency of your stomach

size.

>

> Second, protein has been proven to be the best hunger deterant.

When you eat carbs, your body takes it in very quickly, raising sugar

levels. Since the digestion process for carbs are so quick, you tend

to feel hungry faster and have the feeling of needing food again soon

after as your body's sugar level comes back down rapidly. Also, if

you do not use this energy, it is then stored as fat. Protein takes

longer to digest and therefore stays with you longer. It is also a

necessity for your bones and muscles when losing weight. Further, if

your diet is higher in protein than the other food groups, you have

the opportunity to put your body in ketosis. Former Atkins

attempters understand about this. Read up on it. When you are in

this state you are in a high fat burning stage. Make sure it is

healthy for you, ie. not good for diabetics. Exercise is also a

great way to deter hunger as well as drinking water, which another

person posted.

>

> Third, do you eat slowly? Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30

minutes to eat. This is key to figuring out my fourth point.

>

> Finally, do you understand what full really feels like? I

personally had to figure this out. It's not being stuffed, as many

of us equated full to be, pre-band. Full is when you no longer have

hunger pains, feel content and satisfied. It is not when you get

pains in your back or left shoulder. At that point you have already

overeaten and can be stretching your stomach. The purpose of eating

slowly is to wait for your brain to tell you you are satisfied. This

response can take 15-20 minutes, giving reason to eat slow as

mentioned in my third point.

>

> Again, I'm no expert. These are only things that my nurtitionist

and doctor have educated me on. I hope they give you a bit of

guidance and some food for thought.

>

> Most importantly, you are doing fine in terms of your weight loss!

Next to the Lap-Band insertion being less invasive than the RNY, the

most important factor to me in choosing it was that the weight loss

is slow...and HEALTHY. Stay strong and believe that you can use the

band as a tool and be successful as a result.

>

> All the Best,

> D

>

> 5'4 " Age 32

> 262.2 / 237.2 / 160

> Pre-Op/Now/Goal

> Banded August 14, 2007

>

[Guest guest]

sandy. you have made my day. i had difficulty with the liquid thing

and in fact drank right up to meals, but then waited 30 minutes after

a meal to drink.

i thought i was cheating. i can rest easy.

i have been trying to keep to the south beach approach -- mostly

protein, good carbs and good fats. i do still try to have protein

first....and have a combination of protein and carb for snacks.

my nutritionist recommends a one cup meal...8 oz. i missed the 2oz

thing in the post.

i wish you were the educator at my center. they are rny biased.

where can we get your guide>

At 01:01 PM 9/4/2007, you wrote:

>D, Some good info here! Thanks!

>

>But a couple things are not what many of the longterm, highly

>experienced docs believe, and may be old, outdated bypass info. Just

>for everyone's considerattion, this is what many of the longterm docs

>teach:

>

>Water-loading is an impt bandster concept - this is drinking a full

>glass of wter right before a meal. This saturates the GI tissues,

>which helps in several ways. It lubricates the mouth and throat so

>food goes down easier (very impt), and makes it less of a need to

>drink WITH meals. The water also plumps up the GI tissues a bit, to

>help us feel full on less food. The " no fluid for 30 min before " is

>an old bypass rule that most feel does not apply to Bandsters.

>I've used the " Water loading " technique for years and find it very

>useful, personally.

>

>Protein is VERY impt, for sure.:-) but it should be only 15-20% of

>the diet - this is the National recommendation for health. Most

>peoople in the US eat far too much protein, and this is a big part of

>why we became so obese. The formula for protein needs is 0.8 gm/day

>per kg of IDEAL body weight - not actual weight or goal weight. for

>almost all women this will be the usual 50-60 gm a day we state

>often, and that is in most of the Bnd written literature. For almost

>all men, 60-70 gm/day. Even this amount has a 30% " cushion " - we

>actually need far less.

>

>The good carbs should really be about 50-55% of the diet - the

>veggies, whole grains, nonfat dairy, and a bit of fruit. Low csrb

>diets have repeatedly been proven to be dangerous, and Adkins is no

>different. Thats' wht most in the medical community have abandoned it.

>

>Do a Google " Scholar Search " on " Low carb dangers " and one can find

>many of these studies. We have all tried Adkins, i'll bet - and it

>clearly didn't work well, or none of us would be here, banded!:-)

>The rebound in wt regain from such unbalanced diets is tremendous,

>not to mention the dangers of so much fst in the protein. THIS time,

>with banding, the goal is to learn healthy ways to lose slowly, that

>will KEEP the wt off this time. This reuirees learning lots of new

>things, and forgetting many old thingd that didn't work anyway.

>

>I'm also not sure what you mean by a 2-oz meal? 2 oz is a bypass-

>sized meal. I'm wondering if your doc is primarily a bypass doc? Many

>are...and still give the same rules to Bandsters. This often does not

>work well at all. There are a great many differences in bypass needs

>and band needs, which is why i always recommend a doc who does

>primarily or only BANDS. Ther is so much to learn that is different

>thn bypass things, it pretty much tsked a fulltime BAND practice to

>learn, in my experience.

>

>a good Bandster-sized meal is 1-1.5 cups of food WHEN we have a good

>fill level. Before that, we'll need more to be satisfied. The pouch

>is surgically made for this size meal, so it can expand slightly and

>innervate the nerves at the top that tell us we are satisfied. A tiny

>meal of only 2 oz will not innervate these nerves, and a very impt

>way that the band helps us is sabotaged. With LESS than about 1-1.5

>cups of food 3x a day, plus a couple small healthy snacks, (about

>1200-1500 cal for women)we have NO hope of meeting the nutrition

>guidelines for health.

>We're not simply trying to starve ourselves to lose yet again (it

>will just come BACK yet again)- thi time, we are trying to learn

>healthy ways of eating and meeting nutrtiino needs that will last a

>lifetime. We can't possibly exits for a lifetime on 2-oz meals.

>

>Great explantion of the " satisfied " vs " full' part - you're very wise

>already, even if banded only a few weeks! good for you! :-)

>

>I cover many of these things in my published Band Guide for Eating,f

>you're interested. You can print a copy from the files here.

>

>Glad you're here! the best to you!

>

>Sandy r

>at goal x 3.5 yrs

>MoonshadowRN@...

>Kuri patient educator

>

>

> >

> > ,

> >

> > I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted to

>mention a few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm only

>a fellow bander, so my advice is of course for your individual

>consideration.

> >

> > First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called a

>30/30 rule in terms of drinking and eating. This means that you

>should not drink 30 minutes prior to eating, during or 30 minutes

>after. Not drinking beforehand leaves your stomach dry, allowing

>food to stick and stay in it longer. If you drink during eating, you

>will enable yourself to eat more. The water helps to flow the food

>through the band. Should you drink right after eating, the same

>effect will happen, leaving you hungry earlier. Perhaps this could

>help you eat less at a meal, ie, just the equivalency of your stomach

>size.

> >

> > Second, protein has been proven to be the best hunger deterant.

>When you eat carbs, your body takes it in very quickly, raising sugar

>levels. Since the digestion process for carbs are so quick, you tend

>to feel hungry faster and have the feeling of needing food again soon

>after as your body's sugar level comes back down rapidly. Also, if

>you do not use this energy, it is then stored as fat. Protein takes

>longer to digest and therefore stays with you longer. It is also a

>necessity for your bones and muscles when losing weight. Further, if

>your diet is higher in protein than the other food groups, you have

>the opportunity to put your body in ketosis. Former Atkins

>attempters understand about this. Read up on it. When you are in

>this state you are in a high fat burning stage. Make sure it is

>healthy for you, ie. not good for diabetics. Exercise is also a

>great way to deter hunger as well as drinking water, which another

>person posted.

> >

> > Third, do you eat slowly? Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30

>minutes to eat. This is key to figuring out my fourth point.

> >

> > Finally, do you understand what full really feels like? I

>personally had to figure this out. It's not being stuffed, as many

>of us equated full to be, pre-band. Full is when you no longer have

>hunger pains, feel content and satisfied. It is not when you get

>pains in your back or left shoulder. At that point you have already

>overeaten and can be stretching your stomach. The purpose of eating

>slowly is to wait for your brain to tell you you are satisfied. This

>response can take 15-20 minutes, giving reason to eat slow as

>mentioned in my third point.

> >

> > Again, I'm no expert. These are only things that my nurtitionist

>and doctor have educated me on. I hope they give you a bit of

>guidance and some food for thought.

> >

> > Most importantly, you are doing fine in terms of your weight loss!

>Next to the Lap-Band insertion being less invasive than the RNY, the

>most important factor to me in choosing it was that the weight loss

>is slow...and HEALTHY. Stay strong and believe that you can use the

>band as a tool and be successful as a result.

> >

> > All the Best,

> > D

> >

> > 5'4 " Age 32

> > 262.2 / 237.2 / 160

> > Pre-Op/Now/Goal

> > Banded August 14, 2007

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

No matter how much I learn it seems there is more to learn.

Sandy, my doc told me not to drink 30 minutes prior to nor 90 minutes

after a meal. Your saying we can drink before? We were told that

drinking washes the food out of our 'pouches' too quickly. If I

don't drink 30 minutes prior to a meal it is hard for me to get the

meal down. I get soooo thirsty I have to sip some fluids during the

meal. 90 minutes after really isn't a problem.

Also, I was under the impression that 1 cup is the MOST we should

eat. Maybe I'm eating what I should (I'm still losing) BUT feeling

guilty about it because I 'think' it is too much. I'm going to re-

read your band guide.

My doc's practice started doing lots of RNY but now does lots of

Bands too (not as many). I'm wondering if they are really using

a 'one size fits all' approach to educating us when RNY vs LAP is

very different.

I appreciate everything you post because not only are you trained in

this stuff - you actually LIVED/LIVE it.

It took years of bad habits to get me here - I guess I'll just have

to be patient to get where I want to go.

> >

> > ,

> >

> > I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted

to

> mention a few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm

only

> a fellow bander, so my advice is of course for your individual

> consideration.

> >

> > First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called

a

> 30/30 rule in terms of drinking and eating. This means that you

> should not drink 30 minutes prior to eating, during or 30 minutes

> after. Not drinking beforehand leaves your stomach dry, allowing

> food to stick and stay in it longer. If you drink during eating,

you

> will enable yourself to eat more. The water helps to flow the food

> through the band. Should you drink right after eating, the same

> effect will happen, leaving you hungry earlier. Perhaps this could

> help you eat less at a meal, ie, just the equivalency of your

stomach

> size.

> >

> > Second, protein has been proven to be the best hunger deterant.

> When you eat carbs, your body takes it in very quickly, raising

sugar

> levels. Since the digestion process for carbs are so quick, you

tend

> to feel hungry faster and have the feeling of needing food again

soon

> after as your body's sugar level comes back down rapidly. Also, if

> you do not use this energy, it is then stored as fat. Protein

takes

> longer to digest and therefore stays with you longer. It is also a

> necessity for your bones and muscles when losing weight. Further,

if

> your diet is higher in protein than the other food groups, you have

> the opportunity to put your body in ketosis. Former Atkins

> attempters understand about this. Read up on it. When you are in

> this state you are in a high fat burning stage. Make sure it is

> healthy for you, ie. not good for diabetics. Exercise is also a

> great way to deter hunger as well as drinking water, which another

> person posted.

> >

> > Third, do you eat slowly? Each 2 oz. meal should take you 30

> minutes to eat. This is key to figuring out my fourth point.

> >

> > Finally, do you understand what full really feels like? I

> personally had to figure this out. It's not being stuffed, as many

> of us equated full to be, pre-band. Full is when you no longer

have

> hunger pains, feel content and satisfied. It is not when you get

> pains in your back or left shoulder. At that point you have

already

> overeaten and can be stretching your stomach. The purpose of

eating

> slowly is to wait for your brain to tell you you are satisfied.

This

> response can take 15-20 minutes, giving reason to eat slow as

> mentioned in my third point.

> >

> > Again, I'm no expert. These are only things that my nurtitionist

> and doctor have educated me on. I hope they give you a bit of

> guidance and some food for thought.

> >

> > Most importantly, you are doing fine in terms of your weight

loss!

> Next to the Lap-Band insertion being less invasive than the RNY,

the

> most important factor to me in choosing it was that the weight loss

> is slow...and HEALTHY. Stay strong and believe that you can use

the

> band as a tool and be successful as a result.

> >

> > All the Best,

> > D

> >

> > 5'4 " Age 32

> > 262.2 / 237.2 / 160

> > Pre-Op/Now/Goal

> > Banded August 14, 2007

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>> How can you tell if you need a fill?I had about 2 weeks a go they put

1cc in on top of the 1/2cc.I have a total of 1 & 1/2cc's<<

Are you losing 1-2 pounds per week? (If yes, you don't need a fill.)

Are you exercising regularly? (If no, try exercising regularly)

Drinking enough water? (If no, drink more.)

Eating bandster-sized portions of good food? (If no, start measuring

portion size)

If you answers are no, yes, yes, yes -- you probably need a fill,

[Guest guest]

I will vigorously disagree with your nutritionist on one item. There is NO

reason to quit drinking before eating. The water goes right through and doesn't

in any way affect the food that you eat a minute after drinking. Now if you

drink WHILE eating, that's the worst, as it just washes the food right through.

And if you drink right AFTER eating it will do the same. I will always drink

right up until time to eat, as among other things it keeps me from feeling

thirsty (physically, not mentally) in that hour after eating. And, I avoid

drinking for an hour after eating. Same 60 minutes of not drinking, just at a

different time.

dan in maui on the beach

Re: Where has my fill gone?

> ,

>

> I've been following the responses you have received and I wanted to mention a

few items of interest that haven't been touched. I'm only a fellow bander, so

my advice is of course for your individual consideration.

>

> First, I was advised by my nutritionist to follow what is called a 30/30 rule

in terms of drinking and eating. This means that you should not drink 30

minutes prior to eating, during or 30 minutes after. Not drinking beforehand

leaves your stomach dry, allowing food to stick and stay in it longer. If you

drink during eating, you will enable yourself to eat more. The water helps to

flow the food through the band.

[Guest guest]

How can you tell if you need a fill?I had about 2 weeks a go they put 1cc in

on top of the 1/2cc.I have a total of 1 & 1/2cc's

penny day

-- Re: Where has my fill gone?

,

I really think you just need another fill (or 2 or 3) After my first one is

when my hunger kicked in even more, because all the swelling had gone down

from surgery. but after a couple more I started feeling it. it is a

continuing process. you will eventually get restriction with your band.

after a little while that restriction will go away and you'll need another

fill. the sweet spot everyone talks about is not just a single point, it

changes as you lose weight because there is fat around the stomach where the

band is placed and as you lose fat it loosens the band. so you have to get

more fills to replace the space that the fat was filling.

I find that putting myself on an eating schedule works really well for me.

when its feeding time I eat, when its not I don't. I try not to worry about

being hungry, and concentrate on other things. this way when I'm a little

tight and don't feel like eating, I get enough food in. when I'm just tight

enough, I'm hungry at those feeding times, and when I'm looser, it keeps me

from eating too often. this is not always easy to do, and sometimes I really

struggle with it when I'm very loose, but it does help me most of the time.

When I can't seem to stick to my eating schedule and am eating more food

more often, I try to change the foods that I am eating to work better into

my calorie targets for the day. so say I was trying to get 1000 calories in

a day. if I was eating 3 meals I would allow them to be around 325 calories

each, if I needed 4 meals than they would be about 250 calories each, and if

I was eating 5 meals a day I would limit each meal to 200 calories. I

frequently adjust my food to work with my level of restriction. Also when I

am looser I try to eat foods that fill me up better, or I can have a bit

more volume of due to their calorie count.

Keep your chin up. you can do this.

- Ada

5'6 " Age 26

364 / 285 / 216

Consult/Band Day/Now

7.20.06/3.19.07/9.3.07

Lap Band by Dr. Greene in Rockville, MD

---------------------------------

Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

Check out fitting gifts for grads at Search.

[Guest guest]

, I don't know a soul who doesn't occasionally goof!

Until we get to a good fill level and our hunger is dimmed, it's very

hard to eat well. all we can do is the best we can do - a bit better

every day and week, with occasional lapses.

When you goof, pick yourself up, dust off, learn, and climb back on

the " band wagon " to better health.

I'm sure you're fine - when we have a good fill, it's hard to overeat

on the foods that can stretch out the pouch - and before a good

level, it's very unusual to do any harm.

Sandy r

> >

> > I think I know the answer to this but I'm just soooo frustrated I

> > don't know what to do. I'm wishing I had RNY rather than the band.

> >

> > I was banded 7/24/07 - had a fill 8/24/07. Felt restriction the

> > first two days (swelling) and now I feel NOTHING. I NEVER feel

> > FULL. Why the blazes did I have surgery to feel hungry all the

> > time? I was losing great, but now at a standstill because I'm

> > overeating. I'm afraid I " m doing damage by eating too much, but

> I'm

> > so darn hungry (mind and body). I don't feel like the band is

> > helping at all. The surgeon said I can have a 2nd fill three

weeks

> > from 8/24 if I'm not feeling anything cause he doesn't want me to

> > slide backwards and get discouraged.

> >

> > If I was going to have the pain and expense of surgery only to

> battle

> > dieting again I should have had RNY !!!

> >

> > This morning I had 2 pieces of toast and a slim fast protein bar!

> > That is WAY too much food. I feel mildly queasy, but I never

throw

> > up.

> >

> > Will it ever get better?

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>