kym828

have you tried keeping track of your calorie intake? i lost very slowly in the beginning because even though i was eating less than before it was still enough to make me maintain my wt instead of lose wt. try staying around 1200 calories for a week or so and see if that helps. hang in there - it will work - even if its only 1 lb a wk that is still 50 lbs a year thats 50 lbs you will never see again. kim

i have always had the same problem. i usually take a doggy bag home and have left overs for a couple days. my bf was getting so mad at me when we would go out to dinner bc he felt i wasted so much food and he felt obligated to eat it... after he gained 15 lbs we decided we would share a main entree and i might get a soup on the side. kim

i agree with karen - i think you should wait it out. it sounds like a good fill to me and in my experience what you and karen are both describing is what true restriction fills like... some days you can eat anything and everything some days you cant hardly eat a bite or two. i say go with it and stay with this fill for awhile. kim

Becky57 i am so glad you mentioned the acid reflux as you got closer to goal. i have noticed since i am getting very close if i eat 2 hours before bed i have to elevate my head to sleep to avoid acid reflux... i freaked the first time it happened because i have never had that before a day in my life. with everything else though, i listened to my body and tried to pinpoint if it was a certain food i suddenly couldnt eat or what and the only thing that was different is i was snacking while watching tv late at night with my bf - just taking a couple bite of his chips that i never did before... once i realized thats all that had changed i stopped eating by 730 or 8pm at the very latest. i tend to be a grazer taking one bite of something then waiting about an 30 mins later and taking another bite... my pouch is probably never empty except in the morning. i am 21 months post op and have gone from a size 22 24 to a size 12. i have lost 77 lbs since banding and 102 from my highest ever. i couldnt be more happy with my band but it isnt always a pleasent journey... i have puked on myself driving down the road and have learned to keep barf bags in the car. i have had meserable experiences out at dinner parties with family and friends. so far none of that has made me regret my decision, but it does remind me every day to slow down - the food isnt going anywhere..it will be there when i can handle a bite. kim

i would recommend waiting until the scheduled fill of aug 28th. i cant explain why it can take so long for a fill to kick in but for some reason it does. i know we want this to all work immediately but it is better in the long run if you stick to the schedule and dont become impatient for it to kick in... some people have had that terrifying feeling of getting over filled and then having to get it completely unfilled and wait and start all over.. even if it takes 2 or 3 months to get to the right fill restriction it is worth it. just my opinion kim

Kimmy thanks, one thing you will never hear from me is that i am a perfect bandster. i want to live and i know at times i put myself at risk for slippage but i have gotten to know my band and if i irritate it or my esophagus at all i will go on liquids for a day or two just to let things relax and make sure i have done no damage. an example of soda this morning... i opened a can of diet cream soda (my personal favorite) poured it in a glass and let it sit for about 20 mins before i took one sip... i took too big of a drink and had to let out one of those awfuls burps where you arent sure if you are going to burp or pb (yes you can pb just water or any liquid). after the burp i knew it was still too bubbly ---- the soda sat there for another 30 mins and then i was able to slowly sip if over the next hour... that was my breakfast. Daniel, once you get used to having no soda... which you really should not drink it at all for the first 6 months, you will find that you dont crave it like before and it just doesnt taste as good - maybe because you cant drink fast or something. i was one of those people that when i ate fast food or anything i always had a large soda with me... now i get a free water or nothing at all... i have found i cant drink if i want to with a meal because i will pb. its much easier for me to drink all liquids an hour before or after eating and i have learned to not even try at anyother time. kim

Daniel no soda or beer for 6 months, after that you need to pour it in a glass and let it sit for at least 20 to 30 min to lose some fizz. one thing you will notice is you will probably lose the desire for soda and beer - and i was a heavy drinker of both. now i drink about 2 diet sodas a month and thats taking a sip here or there... i never drink a full 12 oz soft drink - i just dont have that desire anymore. same with beer - it is easier to drink a vodka and cranberry or something along those lines. the one thing to remember is how many calories soda and beer have. drink diet soda if you feel you have to have it. i have noticed that alcohol can burn for days after a hard night of partying... i eat such little food and that alcohol hitting the upper pouch and going thru slowly has to be eating at my stomach and esophogas, so i highly recommend limiting these drinks. i would never have gotten the surgery if someone told me i could NEVER have something again, however, i have no regrets and i eat and drink whatever i want but sometimes i pay for it with pbing or heart burn. good luck on your decision. kim

NOT NORMAL AT ALL! When you guys are looking for fill doctors ask how they do it? do they feel around with their fingers to find the port and mark it with a marker (which they should)? do they leave it in and ask you to sit up and take a drink of water? Once the needle is in the port, it should not be pulled out until the fill is completed - that way he needs to add a little he just pushes more in and if he needs to take some out for you to swallow its already in the port and he just with draws the saline slightly until the water goes down. i have been going to the same fill doctor in denver for 1 1/2 yrs... he actually has me lay on the table, puts the flora machine over me turns it on for just a sec while he marks my skin with a marker where the port is. turns off the machine, gives me a local shot to numb the area and then he hits the port with the first try. he has an extension like an IV thing hanging from the needle so i can move around to take my sip of water. the whole process takes less than 10 mins. remember if its your first fill, go on the safe side and only get the recommended cc's for your band for first fills... it can take up to 2 wks before a fill kicks in. thats what happened my last time - i got one in early may 08 and i thought for sure by mid may i would have to go back... it finally kicked in and i am still very tight and pb more than i should. dont ever go back to that place and for the newbys if you can go back to dr ortiz for at least the first one, do it, that way you know what is normal procedures or what a quack you have gone to and you can leave. good luck kim

BeBe, It usually takes me two weeks to notice a fill hang in there and dont adjust it yet or get too upset. as for the restriction, i too start to feel it back up in my pouch - which seems to lay off to the right side of my body - strange but thats where i feel food backing up - under my right breast... its the signel to stop immediately - being stubborn and wanting just one more bite of something wonderful - i sometimes push it... however, its painful... my mouth begins to water and i dont know if i need to burp (very loudly) or PB just a little gross, ummm bubble of slimely liquid, is the best way i can describe it. i still have a very hard time with steak and chicken and i still have to take very tiny bites and dip it in something moist like the steak juice or chicken juice. also if i drink too soon after eating or while i am eating, i experience more girggles than normal like there is a star wars battle going on in my stomach... its sooo embarrassing. i have found that if i have to be in a place where its very quiet like getting a massage or a lecture hall - i wait to eat after or eat many hours before. kim

i too have gained and lost the same pounds over and over... my poor skin is now starting to show the signs of the abuse too! with the band i have been able to lose steadily but slowly (which was my intention to begin with) i know i am at the point where i need another fill as i can eat whole meals right now... i should never be able to eat a whole hamburger or 2 pc of pizza but right now i can... the thing is - i am maintaining and not gaining. yes i do exercise alot but i cant tell you how wonderful it is not to see those scales going in the wrong direction and getting frustrated and giving up like i would have in the past... i know the tool is there and i know as soon as i get this much needed fill i will start losing again. its the best invention ever and i am so glad i chose this instead of the gastric bypass which has helped millions but i know what a pig i am and if i can stretch out a stomach that has been cut in half i know i would!! my band wont let me do that - its way too painful to pb all the time. good luck! kim

alot depends on the size band you have.. if you have the 4cc band then i think 1.6cc was good for a first fill. everyone is different - it is very much a guessing game with the first few fills. i would advise anyone to go on the side of caution with fills - if you are pb'ing often (more than once or twice a week) i would not recommend a fill for now. you dont want to damage the band. i always figured if i lost 4 lbs a month i was successful but i wanted to lose slow with very few fills. i am down 70 lbs at 17 1/2 months (about 74 wks post-op) - it seems very slow but this time last year i was a size 20 and now i am a 12 so it does work.. just be patient and listen to your body. kim

i weighed every morning the first 16 months - now that i down to almost the size i want (12) i just go by how tight my jeans feel and wt maybe once a week. now i am more concerned about getting my big rearend in a size 10 than what the scales say. if the jeans start feeling tight though i do make a conscious effort to wt the next day to make sure i am maintaining or losing.

Hi everyone... i have added more pictures at 16 months post-op and down 70 lbs. the wt loss has been slow the last 4 months but the inches are still coming off. i am a comfortable size 12 now. dont give up everyone, the band really does work if you just give it time and stick to a plan. kym828 http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd187/kym828/

i would wait to get your first fill after the cruise. you should be able to eat fairly normal by then but remember to eat slow, take small bites, and bread items might not be a wise choice. its easy to forget you have a band so if you try to eat normal and not pay attention you could get something stuck and damage your band/stomach as you really are still healing at that point. enjoy your trip! kim

Stock Princess, thats the best part about the band, its ready when you are ready!! the fitday.com website is an excellent idea. if you hate exercise like i do then try to find something fun to do, whether it is swimming, a dance class, hiking or just walking around the neighborhood. any execise is better than none. i have no doubt you will be successful with your band. kim

sassy, i was just like you, i lost very little wt from nov 06 to april 07 --- i would suggest you start counting calories.. for some reason i though eating 2/3 less in food would make me lose but i was just maintaining.. i had to really cut the calories down to 1200 to 1400 a day to see any wt loss... i still have averaged 1 lb a week but now the difference is huge... hang in there a refocus.. thats the best part about the band - you can start over every single day and not feel so bad! you can do this. kim

they told me 3 months before i could do sit ups even though i could do other exercises 3 wks after surgery.. put off heavy lifting as long as possible.. now that i am 16 months out i dont notice the band when exercising and lifting but i certainly feel my port and sometimes i twinge it like i over did it but nothing to keep me from continuing to work out - everyone is different but in the beginning you really need to time to heal before going full heavy speed ahead. kim

Kris, congrats! you look wonderful... thank you for sharing. its so easy for us to move on with living life that the newbies dont get good followup stories of where are they now?? yours is truely a great story and i am so happy for you. i am sure you will have continued success! kim

well i dont know if this will help or not but i have been banded 16 months and have had 2 major plateaus during that time frame. the latest i have only lost 2 lbs (3 months!)since right before christmas. it could destroy me if i let it, i exercise at least 1 hour 5 days a week and i try to maintain a 1200 calorie a day diet. sometimes i eat a little more and sometimes a little less. my point is, i do weigh every day just to keep myself focused... there are times when i retain water and i can see as much as a 5 lbs gain in a 24 hr period - knowing i did not stuff myself helps to keep that in prospective that it has to be water weight. now the positive part in all this is the inches are still falling off, i get a compliment at least once a day of how i am melting away, which makes me laugh if these people knew i still weighed over 200 lbs they would freak. i have gone from a tight 14 to a loose 14 and a tight 12 over that same 3 months. I have been very conservative with my fills, every time i think i could eat a horse it never fails i will have a bad day where i cant eat anything - my advice is to be very careful when you start getting fills - there is nothing worse than being too tight and then having to have the band emptied and start over... plus there is always swelling with fills and it takes awhile to know if it is working or not. same thing when you pb - you might cause swelling and it would be best to eat soups for a day or two to let your band/stomach/esophagus relax. One last thing, i cant eat 3 meals aday. As soon as i got to the proper fill i had to be up and moving 3 to 5 hours before my band would relax enough for me to eat anything. i do not believe in drinking calories so i dont do those morning shakes. i drink one cup of coffee for breakfast and tons of water and thats it. Everyone is different, please dont freak out on yourself if you see a little wt gain or if some days you eat too much or too little... this is a very long road and the band is not a quick fix. It will work if you have the patience and just relax, remember you still weigh less than this time last year and these high numbers will never appear on your scale again. hope that helps someone from the kind of old timer here. kim

i have a sweet tooth and i have switched to sugar free or low calorie ice cream bars.. they are usually between 50 and 100 calories and i have one at night after dinner - sometimes two if i have not hit my calorie total for the day. they really do work to take the edge off and make you not feel deprived. fruit has always made me crave more food - i think its the high carb thing or something but that one ice cream bar makes me feel wonderful... it might be worth a try..

Name and Location: Kim Colorado Springs Age: 39 Gender: Female Band Date: Nov 2, 2006 Height: 5'8" Highest weight: 284 Day of surgery: 278 Current Weight: 211 Goal Weight: 175

i told everyone about the surgery, but i also told them it takes 2 years from the date of surgery to be where i need to be and that i will only lose 1/2 lb to 1 lb per week over the full 2 yrs. no one really noticed the first 6 months other than i didnt eat near as much. now that i am 16 months post op people dont remember how larger i was and new people are surprised i was every that heavy... stress to people it is meant to be a very slow process for your body and mind to adjust... this is not gastric bypass and the slower the changes the better for your body. the ones that doubted me i said to check back with me in 2 yrs and see if i have lost all the extra wt... kim

Thanks Tootsie-lou and Mindy - i appreciate the comments and advice. i wanted to update those of you that can relate to my situation. i have news, it does get better. i can finally see the changes in the mirror and my minds eye to match my body- i still have some adjustments to make but now when i look at the before pictures i really dont recognize that unhappy, fat person. As for the dating scene, i dont remember men being so flakey in my early 20's and teen years. I am having fun going on lots of first dates, some second and third dates. The wierd thing i have noticed is i have been stood up numerous times even after the guy has comfirmed the date... the first time it happened i was pretty upset in nov 07. now it seems so normal that i just laugh at the guys lack of guts to at least send a text saying something came up. I have learned to not take it personally and i actually say a little pray each and every time i meet someone new that God will reveal any red flags imediately ... thats what makes it so easy to laugh about - i just say thank you God... next..... i plan on posting more pictures at 18 months post op --- i will keep you posted.. the scales havent really moved much but the inches are still disappearing. the best part lately is that i can cross my legs like a real lady in any chair... i cant remember the last time i could do that!! i know there are alot of newbys on here - i look forward to reading your stories at 6 months and 1 yr post op - there is always more to learn. kim

The gas pain in my shoulder lasted 10 days - it was just an achy painful feeling... that was the only thing that really sucked about the whole process... on day 11 it was magically gone and everything was good from that point on. the gas-x only helped my about an 1 hour at a time but i kept taking them just to get a little relief. walk as much as you can.. its suppose to help and its worth trying when you have that bad shoulder pain. kim

congrats!! and yes the band will stay in place during sex and exercise - i started walking at 30 days but waited the full three months before i started doing situps.... kim