MagnoliaGurl

I too am sooooo frustrated with not losing weight. I have been banded four months and I have had four fills so far and have absolutely no restriction whatsoever. I have only lost 14 pounds and that is by sheer will power and watching what I eat and how much. Which of course, I could have done without the band. I am going back at the end of this month to get yet another fill and I just pray that there is a sweet spot some where in my band. Honestly, at this point I am regretting my decision to have this surgery...

This was such a great post.. I really hope that I get to the point with myself that you have been able to reach. While I am still only a few weeks (8) in my lap band journey, I am very frustrated. I only lost 10 pounds during the liquid phase and I've gained all that back. I just had my first fill two weeks ago and I have no restriction. While I know all of this is normal, it still doesn't help my feelings. I hope that I get to a sweet spot with my next fill..I don't even know if I know what the "sweet spot" really is anyway.. I have not weighed myself in three weeks, because I know what the scale will show. I think like alot of people on these forums, I thought that the weight would fall off of me immediately and this would all be alot easier. I know myself well enough to know that unless I start losing some weight somehow that my frustration is going to defeat me...again.. Congrats on your success..

Let me just put it this way - if scientists could figure out how to harness the gas that was coming out of my rear, I would have enough to power a small town!! And it's not just a little poot here and there either. I am farting like a bunch of frat guys after a long night of binge drinking and hot wings!!! If I had to go outside everytime I farted, I might as well pitch a tent out there, because it's pretty much constant. Funny story, the other night I was in bed and my little terrier dog was laying at my feet and of course I had to let one go and it was really long and really loud - so much so that it scared my little dog and he jumped of the bed and started barking!! I know that it's only a matter of time before I am out in public and somebody hears my internal fog horn!!!

I have the 4cc band and my fill doc instructed me to do liquids for 24 hours only so I was within that time frame when I ate the scalloped potatoes. And I didn't have but a couple of bites of the potatoes anyway. Believe me, I have not taken any chances with this band and I don't intend to!! The band is a funny thing because this morning I have not been able to eat anything, so I'm going to stay on liquids today..Go figure...

Thanks everyone for all of your input!! I pretty much expected to hear everything ya'll said, but I guess I just wanted to hear it anyway!! LOL! I still have no restriction 3 days later, but I am not going to sweat it until we get back from our trip.. My TOM is due any minute so I know that is not helping my appetite or my psyche at this point!! Thanks again for everyone's support!! PS: I hope one day I will have the patience and insight of Jazzy!!!! >

Hey everybody!! So yesterday I had my first fill and I'm pretty disappointed with the results. I have no restriction whatsoever!! Let me preface this upcoming rant with this - my family and I are going out of the country for spring break next week and I told my fill doc to be kind of conservative, because I didn't want to get sick or not be able to eat while we were gone and not be able to get any help--- Okay, that being said, I was expecting some restriction. :-? She at first put 2.25 cc in my band and after 5 minutes had me drink some water and it came right back up, so she said we definitely need to take some out. She took out .50 cc's and that left me with 1.75. We repeated the water thing and it went down ok. So, she said try that and call me on Sunday and tell me how you are feeling... After the fill, I tried some broth for lunch and it went down fine, so I thought well it just hasn't had time to "kick in yet" (whatever that means).. Last night for supper, I had a protein shake but had made scalloped potatoes and baked chicken for the family. After drinking my shake - once again with no problem - I thought I would try some of the scalloped potatoes. Guess what - no restriction at all!! I could have eaten the whole dish, but of course I didn't... This morning I ate a sausage link and once again - no problem or restriction at all!! ( I know that I am complaining about not having restriction even though it was my decision to be conservative with the fill, but come on people, I expected something!! I am so discouraged with myself and this band at this point. I am one of those who only lost 10 pounds after surgery and even thought I started with a lower BMI, I am sooooo ready to start losing weight!!! I think I will call her tomorrow and go back and get a little bit more put in... Thank you for listening to my rant!!!

I am getting my first fill tomorrow and I am both excited and nervous. My family and I are going out of the country next Friday and I contemplated putting my fill off until we get back. But it will be three weeks over due by then, and I have only lost 10 pounds and I am READY to get on with losing some weight!!!

I will be 5 weeks Thursday and I've only lost 10 pounds and I lost that in the first 10 days. I have been really discouraged by that, especially after reading everyone else's incredible weight loss during this period of time. I get my first fill Friday and I am hoping that will jump start my weightloss. I have not started exercising yet either so I'm pretty sure that has got a lot to do with it also. Hopefully after my first fill and I start exercising, it will all jump start my metabolism.

I really have to watch my spicy foods too. I have never been a huge spicy food person, but I have quickly learned that foods that are the tiniest bit spicy will set my stomach on fire. When I first started back on solids my stomach was hurting so bad, that it was keeping me up all night no matter what I was eating. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Protonix and my stomach instantly felt better.

Jennifer, I could have wrote your same post myself!! I am 10 days behind you and I have only lost 10 pounds total since my surgery. I have not dropped one single ounce since starting solids.. I realize now that this is why I didn't really want to tell anyone about my surgery, because I know that I had HUGE expectations for my weightloss and I know that all my family and friends would too. So seeing that I've only lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks, I didn't won't to hear the "I told you so's".. I have really tried to remain positive and not get stuck on comparing myself to everybody else. But it's hard not to look at what everybody else has lost at the same point I am at not be frustrated with myself!! I know that I have got to start exercising if I expect to get some more weight off.. I do somehow have some restriction, because I definitely cannot eat as much as I used to and I am getting full faster. I'm beginning to think that maybe my body is in starvation mode and is holding on to everything I am eating. I put my food intake into my spark people account and some days I am only getting 800 calories a day. I guess the biggest place we differ is that I have somehow managed to not drink while I eat. What I do is to just not keep the things that I like to drink in the house, that way I'm not tempted. I do agree with you that this makes it harder to get all your water in for the day, but that's just life. Some days I am too busy to walk around with a water bottle in my hand. And just for the record, Dr. Martinez, Dr. Miranda and my local fill doctor all told me that drinking while eating will help the food slide through the pouch easier, but it will not stretch your band, so go figure!! Anyway, thanks for posting this thread Jenn and I hope for both our sakes that this - dare I say it - tool will start working soon so I don't feel like this was all in vain!! PS: Your picture is beautiful!! You are a really beautiful girl!!

I just started back on solids today after finishing my 21 days post op. Yeah Me!! I survived "Bandster Hell"!! Hey where is my t-shirt?? Anyway, I must admit that the last 10 days I was basically surviving on water and chocolate milk. Needless to say, I was not getting all my protein in during that period. Today my son and I went shopping and I was exhausted within the first hour of walking around in the mall. Not very tasking work. What do I need to do to get back to a normal functioning energy level?? I gave myself a B12 shot this morning, but I was wondering what else some of you think I need to be doing?? As always, thanks for your input!!

Is this something new, or have I messed something up?? When I go to a topic only the original topic is showing and the rest or at the bottom as links and I have to click on them individually to read everyone's reply. I don't like that!! Tell me this is not a new format and I can change it back to the old way!!!

Great!! Thank you all for your input!! There is this new restaurant close to my home and I told my husband that after I get back on solids I am going to go everyday until I have had every salad on the menu (dressing on the side of course)!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Everybody!! I am a week away from solids and I am just now beginning to crave some good food. What I am really wanting is a really good salad. I have read on different posts that some people have no problems eating lettuce while others cannot tolerate it at all. My question is, should I wait a while longer before I attempt the salad and give my band a while to get used to solids, or should I go ahead and try some and see how it goes?? Thanks for your input!!

It's like I just woke up on day 8 and all my bloating was gone. My stomach had gone down a ton and I could see my ankles again. In my case I felt like all the bloating was a combination of the surgery, all the traveling and all the sodium filled broth. Even though it felt kind of odd to drink all that water when I was obviously retaining so much of it, it still made me feel better to drink it.. Trust me on this one... As far as the post op instructions, they are very vague in their meaning and can be interpreted different ways.. To me "3 glasses a day" means 8oz x3, because an average glass is 8 oz. (not that I could eat this much right now) Who knows if I'm right or not, but that's personally how I interpreted it.

Hey Brenda, I know exactly how you feel about the bloating.. I am 12 days post op and I'm still a little bloated in the evenings now, but for the first 7 or 8 days I was painfully bloated but it did go away, so I think yours probably will too. As far as the protein goes, I am definetely not getting enough protein at this point, but I don't think there is anything I can do about it. I can barely stand to smell a protein drink, much less drink one (even tho I am forcing myself), so I'm just trying to get through these 21 days of liquid. . I've got to say that water is the one thing that is keeping me going at this point. Before this surgery, I was not on board with the whole "drink more water than a fish" idea, but now I drink as much as I can. Yesterday, I was not in a postion where I could sip on a bottle of water all day, and I could definetely tell it last night. My back hurt and I just felt like crap. So just remember to keep on sipping!!! Probably the more experienced bandsters (i.e. Jazzyjude) will be able to tell you more ways to get your protein. Good luck and just remember, it does get better day by day!!!!!

Thanks Jazzy!! I was hoping you would give me your opinion!! Thanks for the recipe too!! I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track..

Hey everybody! I am on day 10 of my post op diet!! I cannot believe that I made it this far!! I'm down 7.5 pounds and I can already see it in my face (goodbye fat cheeks!!). I was wondering for those that are in the same stage as I am - what are you eating at this stage?? I don't really know if you can call it "eating" but you know what I mean. I have a Carnation Instant drink or a protein drink for breakfast and then some form of watered down soup like cream of broccoli or potato soup the rest of the day, or maybe some egg drop soup from the Chinese rest. Is this what I'm supposed to be doing?? Are these okay for the full solids stage?? Nothing has made my tummy rumble like it was trying to digest so I think I'm okay, but I don't really know?? Would love to know what the other bandsters who went through this were eating at this stage also.. Thanks everybody for your input..

Darlene, I was there on the 29th of Jan and the weather was warm in the 70's during the day and pretty cool in the 40's at night. I wore a light sweatshirt during the day and was very comfortable. Hope this helps...

Hey everyone, all is pretty well with me so far.. No gas and bloating is just about gone. The only thing is the esophagus spasm. I emailed Dr. Ortiz with what I was feeling and that's what he told me it was.. He said it would go away in a couple of weeks, but I'm worried because I have not seen anyone else post about these spasms on this board or any other board.. Has anybody else had these esophagus spasms right after they were banded??? I'm afraid that this could be a problem when I start to eat solid foods again!! :lb12:

Okay, anybody got anymore questions??!! I absolutely love this post and from here on out this is going to be my personal mantra!!! =D> =D> =D>

Good for you!!! I am currently 5 days post op and I am wondering how I am going to make it through this liquid phase, so it is good to hear stories like yours!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Jennifer like you I was a little miffed that I didn't get to talk to Dr. Ortiz, but I do know that he was the one that actually performed my surgery. Dr. Martinez told me that he was running late and that he was going to meet us in the OR. Dr. Martinez and I talked for a long time before Dr. O got there and then Dr. O called him on the phone and said he was coming into the bldg. But when I got in the OR, I still didn't see him.. Everybody else got to talk to him, so maybe it was because I was first and he was really busy the rest of the day....oh well... And Jazz, I was wondering if possibly part of the bloating was because I haven't had a BM in about 9 days?? I'm pretty irregular as it is, but I really think it would help if I could go.. I took some Milk of Mag a while ago so maybe that will get things flowing again..

Okay, so I just got home last night from my trip to the OCC and I wanted to let everybody know about my experience and also ask you all some questions. First off, let me say that the whole experience was just like everyone here said it would be. I went by myself and was apprehensive about that, but once I got there everyone at the OCC embraced me and all the other patients and their families did too and took great care of me. The OCC is just as beautiful and clean as everyone describes and my surgery went off without a hitch. The only thing I would complain about (and it's not really a complaint) is that I didn't even get to see Dr. Ortiz. I was the first one to go into surgery and he didn't come talk to me before hand or after. Dr. Martinez talked to me and I really, really liked him. But I was just surprised that I didn't even get to talk to Dr. Ortiz, but anyway not a big deal I guess. My surgery was Thursday, so I'm on day 5 of my clear liquids. I didn't have much of anything yesterday because of my long travel back home, so by the time I got home I was tired and hungry and ill. But I drank some broth and now I'm okay. I did not have the gas problems like everyone has described (not so far anyway), but I'm just really bloated, but it doesn't really hurt. I am having some kind of spasm though and it's really weird. Every few minutes I will have this tightening feeling. It feels like it's either my lower esophagus or my upper stomach. I didn't have a hernia or anything, so I'm wondering what this is?? It only lasts about 5 seconds and I just breathe through it. Did anybody else have anything like this and is it normal?? Should I call the clinic and tell them?? I want to thank everyone for all their tips and and advice and I'm so glad to finally be part of this club!!!

Oh yeah, I know I'm gonna overpack!! I am a chronic overpacker.... I can't help myself.. Smiles, my surgery date is January 29th. I have met one other person on here that is having surgery the same day and we have been emailing back and forth so at least I will know one person there!!