Sherri

Lindsay, Thank you so much for your post. My weight today was 185 and I am 5-6. I am able to eat protein still but if I drink cold drinks fast that gives me more problems. Especially if I am not relaxing when I drink , like when I am working out hard. I am a bit tired and I think I do need more fats .. I will get the flax seed oil and maybe try to add some avocados. I think you are right about needing more calories on the days I work out.. My cardio monitor says I burn about 500 calories from my work out. I am working out with a trainer twice a week at the gym 1/2 hour weights and 1/2 hour cardio. I also do cardio on the third day myself. Today I am going to start a beginning running class that will end in a 5K in September. They meet once a week and then give us a plan for two more days to run a week at home. It looks like today we will walk for five minutes and and run for one minute during the group. Hope my knees hold out. I have the 12 cc Johnson and Johnson band from the OCC and it has about 10cc's. I don't think they use this band in the USA. My doctor here was not used to adding so much fluid. I had to assure him the OCC said it was OK. I am not too fond of eating protein. I do like the Greek Yogurt , string cheese, and cottage cheese. The chicken and fish are getting old. I am not too creative on ways to prepare them. Do you have any suggestions on other proteins? Thanks again for the info..

Lindsay, Thanks so much for the reply. Yikes........ I had no idea about the one ounce of protein per body weight. My doctor who did my fill said if I could eat 3 oz of protein each meal that was enough. He even said I did not have to eat anything except for protein , water and vitamins until I reach 75 percent of my weight loss. Also that it should be about 600 -800 calories a day. My trainer who is a dietitian is having a fit when I tell her about only eating protein. Today I was able to have a protein shake for breakfast , 3 oz chicken for lunch and 3 oz fish for dinner. I was able to drink today without having any problems at work. I still am debating driving four hours tomorrow for an unfill. I wonder if I can increase the protein like you said and not have any problems. What is your typical diet that you eat each day? You look wonderful... Thanks so much for the reply

I had a fill using floro last Friday in Nashville. I was only able to eat 2 oz of chicken yesterday and 3 oz today at lunch today. It took me about 25 minutes to eat it. Before that I was only able to tolerate protein shakes, yougurt and cottage cheese in very small amounts. I am wondering if I should go back for an unfill on Friday or not. I have lost about 8 pounds since Friday and I would really like to be able to keep my current fill if I can. I also have trouble with liquids if I don't sit down and relax when I am drinking. Today at the gym I tried to drink water when I was on the treadmill and I about threw up. I was ok when I got off and drank it slow and waited for it to go down. Does anyone else have this happen? I have a history with my fills being too tight even using with Floro. When they take out fluid then I am too loose and can eat about anything. Any suggestions? ps I am cooking fish tonight so I will see if that will go down or not.

I just had a fill yesterday . Now I have 9.8cc's in my band. I hope I will feel some restriction now. Just wondering if anyone else has a large amount in their band. Does anyone know how much fluid total can be added? The doctor who did my fill said after 9cc's there is a higher chance of adhesions. Kind of worried about that . Thanks so much,

Kim, Thanks so much for the reply. I am going to go out today and buy one of those pedometers to count my steps.

How many calories does everyone eat per day? I was told by the Surgeon that is doing my fills that 500-800 calories is the average for the people who are loosing about 2 pounds per week with the Lap Band. Do those of you who are losing weight find this to be about right? He said people who are Morbidly obese need to eat less calories per day to loose weight. He also said as long as I take my vitamins and make sure I am getting my protein, veggies, and water then that is all I should need... I guess you must have to have a band that is pretty tight to feel full after that few calories...? I get my next fill the end of the month and I hope and pray for some more restriction at that time.

Lindsay, I need to do a food journal... Thanks so much for the idea. Sherri

Thanks so much Lisa.... I need to watch my intake more... I really do since I have no restriction now. I tried Yoga for the first time last week and I enjoyed it.. I will keep in mind that this is long term. I just wished I was one who lost weight at a faster pace. Thanks again, Sherri

You should be proud.. You look great....

Lindsay, You are so skinny now... Does your port stick out of your stomach where you can see it now?

Thanks so much Roxanne for the support. I am so happy to see the pictures and read stories about the Lap Band really working . I made a mistake being honest about having Lap Band surgery with my friends, family and coworkers at the hospital where I work. Everyone thought I was CRAZY for going to Mexico for surgery. I think they still do,especially after all the issues I have had. I constantly feel pressure that I need to be loosing weight so I can show everyone that I did not just throw my money away... Kind of feel like a Lap Band failure at this point. But I am not giving up.... I hope and pray my next fill will give me some restriction and not be too tight. As I have found out the hard way, it is hard to determine exactly how much fluid needs to be put in your band at the time of your fill. It also was very expensive to find a US Wt Loss Surgeon who would accept me as a patient to unfill me after my overfill at the Fill Center. I will never have a fill again without Floro so that is also an added expense. My friend and I had our surgery done at the OCC at the same time. She lives in Portland has not been losing weight either. We both had our first two fills at the OCC together. She finally found a doctor in Portland who will see her for $2,100 for a one year period. This includes 6 fills without Floro. At least the Plication has no aftercare cost and may be a plus for those who do not have many options that are near them for fills.

Wow, You never needed a fill at all? I had no idea that some people never need fills.

Jane, Did you end up with the Lap Band or the Plication? Hope all is going well post op for you.

I would head back to the OCC as soon as you can so they can take a look under Flouro and make sure all is well. Maybe just .2-.6 cc's will be all you need to hit your "sweet spot" . Let us know what you find out. How many fills have you had to get to 10.3 cc's?

I can relate too. I sure wish I was a person who felt some kind of restriction with my Lap Band. I have been banded for 6 months and I truly feel the majority of the weight I have lost has been by my own effort. I just don't like protein and I have to force myself to eat it and then my vegetables.. Dr Acosta told me after my first fill at the OCC that I may be the kind of person that the band would not work for since I crave sweets and carbs and both go right through the Lap Band. He said I should think about everything I was about to eat and then if it would dissolve quickly in a cup of water then I should not eat it. Things like cookies, breads, candy, chips etc never make you feel full. He said he would rather have me go out and buy an expensive steak and eat that since it would stay in the pouch longer and then I would not feel as hungry. Hang in here .... I think there are people who the band works easier for. I wonder if the plication or gastric sleeve might have worked better for me? It seems like quite a few people who have Lap Bands have been going back to the OCC for Plication in the last few months.

I am kind of frustrated because I am gaining weight. I don't have any kind of restriction and and can't get another fill until next month so I am trying to do what I can to loose weight on my own. I have been exercising 4-6 days a week for about two months now. I went ahead and booked a trainer to make up an exercise plan for me to follow. I have to pay extra but it has given me incentive to show up to the gym or loose the money. I am hoping that I will learn to love exercise so I will want to go to the gym and work out on my own. I think my weight gain is probably muscle weight but still it makes me mad. What types of exercises do those of you who have lost large amounts of weight recommend that I do? I think I need more cardio than I am doing? I am trying to do 30 minutes every day but usually get it in three times a week. I tried a beginning spin class.. Not sure if I like it or not...My butt hurt for a week after that class. I think I am still too fat to fit on the small seat. My trainer has had me lifting weights and working on my core strength but I really feel that has aggravated my neck issues. Last week I broke out of my comfort zone and took a Pliates Reformer and a Yoga class even though I felt so out of place. I am really making an effort without anything to show for it on the scale. Any suggestions?

I ordered a few books from Amazon for Wt loss surgery patients. They gave many more ideas for foods than the handouts they gave us at the OCC. Does Dr Ortiz still say 21 days of liquids? Most of the books that were written in the USA added "mushies" after the liquids. I remember watching Dr Ortiz's U Tube where he said to eat regular food after 21 days. After my second fill Dr So had us eat lunch before we left the OCC. I think most of the US surgeons have you do liquids for 48 hours after a fill. Here are a few ideas to get through the liquid phase. Sugar free Jello, Sugar free 5 calorie Popsicles, Freeze Crystal Light in a water bottle for a few hours so it is slushy. Special K Protein powder that you put in your water. Make homemade potato cheese soup and put it through the blender to take out any lumps. Diet Sugar Free pudding. Greek Yogurt, Make your own protein shakes using almond milk original flavor.. 60 calories per cup.. The vanilla flavor is better but 90 calories. Add ice, protein powder and 1/2 a frozen banana. Put in the blender until smooth. Malt o Meal or Cream of Wheat hot cereal made very soupy . I used the Brown Sugar Splenda that is reduced calorie and added skim milk or almond milk and it tasted like a dessert. Just be careful of the sodium in the canned soups. Too much can make you retain fluids.

Hang in there. I was tired too. Make sure when get enough protein when you are on your liquid diet.. You can have protein shakes and Greek yogurt as soon as Dr Miranda says it is OK.. There is a light muscle milk that has 20 gms protein and 150 calories at Costco. They also have a chocolate shake at Costco with I 24 gms of protein and 140 calories. Even though you are tired try to get in 30 minutes of exercise every day. It will help you have a bit more energy. When you are on liquids your calorie intake can be as low as 500-800 calories a day . I bet that is why you are so tired. I ordered a few cookbooks from Amazon.com that were for Lap Band Patients. It gave me some new ideas for foods that I could make. If you like split pea soup here is a recipe... Add split peas, carrots, onion, celery, and potato. I used chicken broth and cooked it all day in a crock pot. You can then mash it with a potato masher until it is soft. Hope this helps..... As soon as you get on a regular diet you will have more energy..

Hang in there. I was tired too. Make sure when get enough protein when you are on your liquid diet.. You can have protein shakes and Greek yogurt as soon as Dr Miranda says it is OK.. There is a light muscle milk that has 20 gms protein and 150 calories at Costco. They also have a chocolate shake at Costco with I 24 gms of protein and 140 calories. Even though you are tired try to get in 30 minutes of exercise every day. It will help you have a bit more energy. When you are on liquids your calorie intake can be as low as 500-800 calories a day . I bet that is why you are so tired. I ordered a few cookbooks from Amazon.com that were for Lap Band Patients. It gave me some new ideas for foods that I could make. If you like split pea soup here is a recipe... Add split peas, carrots, onion, celery, and potato. I used chicken broth and cooked it all day in a crock pot. You can then mash it with a potato masher until it is soft. Hope this helps..... As soon as you get on a regular diet you will have more energy..

Just stay away from the fill center in IL . The Nurse there had the needle in my stomach for about a half an hour putting in and pulling out fluid. She had no idea of how much saline to put in since I had no feeling of restriction just drinking water. Dr So told me the third fill is usually about .5-1cc and she put in way too much. Total overfill. Then she went out of town within the 72 hours that they are to be there to unfill you... The only other option I had using the Fill Centers to fix their own mistake was to drive about 8 hours from IL to Alabama to get unfilled. I also would have had to re pay my original fee for the unfill since it was a different doctor. When I talked to the Fill Center in Al they told me they were a "pain center" and just started doing fills ...They have flouro there but personally I would want to make sure the person who is doing the fills does more than a few fills a month like they do in IL and several other fill centers. Just my two cents.

Glad you had a good appointment at your fill center and you can now eat more than a few bites. You are so right it is a Learning Curve and our bands can only do so much for us..