[CraigT]

Alright all you banders..... Give us the straight scoop.. The Great, good and the not so awesome...

[margie2u]

I was banded 7/10/09. I,m doing great now.During surgery I had some bleeding issues and had to have a stitch near my ribs. Recovery took a little longer but it was well worth it. I had my first fill last Fri. and had lost 22 lbs. My daughter was banded 9/08 and has lost 70. We,re on this journey together.

[Lana]

I was banded in 2006. Surgery went well, recovery went well, lost about 40 lbs. then boom - then things just stopped working. Couldn't get the right fit (with fills), it was either too tight, too loose and eating became nothing but a hassle. I gained all my weight back and now I'm having the revision to RNY in 2 weeks.

The band was just too hard to cheat and the port became a real annoyance.

[cookie62]

I had lapband surgery on Feb 2, 2009. I just had my 6 month check up and have lost 84 lbs to date. I had first fill in April and second fill in June, Second fill has been holding. I can eat about 3-4 ounces of food at a meal, plus one or two snacks a day. This is keeping me at about a 10lb a month loss rate. That works for me. As long as I can see progress, I don't care if it is slow. I'd rather lose 4-8 lbs a month than put on 10 lbs a year which is what I was doing.

It was important that I could be able to taste and try different foods without dumping issues. I work in a kitchen and I'm the default taste tester- I like almost everything and I can tell the person if it is made correctly, or what it needs. Even with the occasional treat, I do good with what I eat and my weight loss. I wouldn't go back and do it again differently.

[mommy6]

I was banded 11/12/09 but I have gained 12 pounds. I have had 3 fills
but I can't seem to figure how to use this tool to lose. I eat too much
I think...it is more than 4 oz and sometimes it really hurts and I upchuck
like a cat! I know I am eating much much less than before that alone I should be losing. I don't care how fast....I just want it going down!

How many calories do you eat a day? I love to cook....not plain food
I love the layers of flavor in food....I do try to cook healthy...and replace
things like butter with applesauce/peach sauce'carrots....

I am getting worried this isn't going to work....I can't afford another surgery and not sure my insurance would pay if I could.....

Any suggestions?
Thanks so much....so glad all is working for you

[not quite Barbie]

I would suggest you look at some of the posts on how RNYers have to eat and try to follow our example as much as possible. The rule about not drinking with your meals should work for banders as well. If you don't drink with our meal the food will stay inthe pouch longer and you'll feel fuller longer.

Eat protein first, then your veggies and then carbs if you have room.
Stay away from the bad carbs.
Avoid slider foods - stuff that will go right through the opening and into the lower stomach, like ice cream, soups, soft foods.
Drink lots of water, but not 30 minutes before the meal, during the meal, or 30 minutes after.

Good luck!

[cookie62]

This is in reply to Mommy 6,

I had trouble at first learning how much to eat. I finally started measuring my food. I would only eat what would fit in a 3/4c measuring cup. Once I ate my food, I would wait a minimum of 1 hour before eating more. I found that most of the time, I was full, but just didn't know it. It has taken me a long time to learn when I'm full, but not too full. I have the same problem with overeating - back up it comes. My husband who has the RNY has the same problems if he overeats. I found that if I eat the solid food first - meat & vegetables, then I filled up longer and didn't eat as much.

I had a problem in October, my stomach got irritated and the Dr loosened my band all the way for month and then started slowly re-tightened it. I gained about 20 lbs back and just now have lost almost all that I gained. I'm still at 90 lb weight loss, and its been 13 months. But I'm back on track and hope to keep losing more weight.

The best thing that I can say to do is eat your protein first - the more solid the food, the more you get filled up. The solid foods act like a stopper and keeps the other foods from falling through the opening. This fills you up faster. Also, I found that I needed to eat 5 small meals a day. If I waited and ate 3 meals, then I got too hungry and would over eat. I found that a simple snack of cheese ( 1 or 2 ounces) or a hardboiled egg would tide me over until a meal time. Definitely do not drink for at least 30 minutes after a meal, the liquid just washes the food through and then you're hungry again.

I hope that you get on track, the Lap-band takes a little more effort, but I think that it is worth it in the long run

[mommy6]

Thanks so much...I still haven't lost and I know I am eating too much......do you eat
with the family...same food? You really are doing good.......I pray this works
all my friends had the other surgery.....they are down 100+
I need to drop now...health and my 5 year old starts school....I want to be smaller
so I can do things with him..... I have 6 kids and they all wish I wouldn't have done
this.....but I must lose.......keep in touch.....I will measure now.....let you know

[SuperNyickMomma]

Hello,

I was banded July 8, 2010. Just now finding out the eating is tricky. I have had 1 fill of 5cc worth. I guess it holds 11cc. Its weird that certain foods I can't eat on their own but can eat them when with other foods. Like deli turkey I can't eat when its alone but can eat it with hummus. And sardines! OMG! Two bites and I thought I was dieing it hurt so much. Where as I could eat a whole little fishy before band fillining. I can easily drink with a straw which makes me happy. Like drinking with a straw.

And I too don't lose it in a hurry. Doesn't bother me. Stalls don't bother me either. Gaining is irritating. Mostly because it takes so much effort on my part to lose it in the first place! What gets me through the tough patches is what I have lost on a whole. I have lost 60# in almost a year!!! Thats HUGE for me. I have never in my entire life lost so much in just a year and stuck with it for sooo long. Usually I would have given up by now and just talked myself out of it. The closer I get to the 100s the harder it gets usually. I always sabatoge myself. Tell myself its impossible to be less than 200. This time I know it will be different. This time I will win this battle.

[Bugaboo77]

This is a great thread.
I was just banded on Nov. 8---so 5 days post-op now. The pain is MUCH better today at the incision sites. I am doing a full liquid diet until Monday, which is when I start a pureed diet. Cream of Wheat was on my full liquid diet, but apparently I didn't mix it with enough milk. It was mashed potato consistency. Note: I've never eaten cream of wheat before. haha. Well, it was thick so 1. I didn't like the texture at all, but 2. The little bit I managed to eat all stayed down so far! So happy! Maybe that means I will be able to eat some mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving in 1 week and keep them down!

Not many people know about my surgery so I am trying to think of ways to 'cover up' when I get together with family for Thanksgiving. The only family members that know are my parents and sister. I know my grandma will say something when she notices that I hardly have anything on my plate.