Just wondering

Thanks everyone for that valuable information - Its a learning curve, nothing comes easy. Just a waiting game.

Westy

Hi Westy, it took me 4 fills to feel anything and my band only holds 4mls. My doc takes it slowly and I currently have 3.6mls in it. I had 2mls removed once to go overseas and it was as if I had no band. I was starving all the time and could eat just like pre band. This time to getting restriction is the most frustrating time I think. Some people only need 1 fill and some need 6. Don't beat yourself up about weight loss at the moment. Sometimes you really have to do all the hard work yourself because the band has not kicked in yet. These are the unspoken things when they are selling the band.

I find that after each fill it takes weeks for my swelling to subside, I think this is a possible cause of my vomiting, well adds to it....have had 3 days free from vomiting, and it has been 7 weeks since last fill.....I think I am very sensitive to fills and the pressure it puts on my stomach, thus swelling and if the smallest thin g gets caught, it seems to take days to a week to settle again...

I think I have only 1.75ml in a 7ml band...have a fill appointment next week, but will put it off.....

Cate xoxoxo

Hi Westy,

It really is different for everyone. I have a 14ml band and currently have 10ml in it. I started with no fill and only last week had another .5ml put in. I have good restriction now, but still want another fill. I have had soooo many appointments with the doc as each time he only puts between .5-1ml in. So you could proberly say from the time of operation, including the 6 weeks after with no fil, it took about 3 months before I had any real noticable restriction.
Sounds like ages compared to some who need hardly any fill. It's all good though, we will get there regardless of how quicky

Sorry cant help I must have a different type of band I have a 10cm band that has a total volume of four mls that can be put in.Iam at two mills.

Hi Everyone need a bit of feedback

Had my first fill yesterday 6mls, but did not seem to get much restriction from it. Having to go back in 3 weeks for another fill. Does it take some time to get restriction? What sort of weight loss should you have in the first couple of months.

Westy

I think the key is moderation... anything in moderation is fine.

You know within yourself that if you eat a cheeseburger for three days in a row its not good and you shouldnt do it.

My attitude towards food these days is quite simple, eat what I want in moderation.
Of course cheeseburgers are no good but they are no good for someone without a band aswell but people still eat them.

If your well behaved 80% of the time you can have a brain fade 20% of the time.

If I know my option isnt going to be healthy I make up for it with the next meal or the next day by pulling in the reins again.

So my food mantra is 'moderation' lol


Cheers,
Donna xo

Trace I can still eat kabana just don't eat the skin and chew well.

Whether we were chronic over eaters or made bad food choices (or both) we all reached the same place.

I think Delia hit the nail on the head.
Delia wrote: I want to be able to eat the food I like and want for my body in the right portions without having to think about it.

I am so glad I have never been a junk food eater have never liked chocolate, cakes, lollies etc I just love chips every now and then. I have always been a healthy eater but just have too much instead of 1 sushi roll I could have six, foot long subway instead of 6 inch, soup and chicken caesur salad instead of just one or the other etc etc. I solely got the band to make me eat less of my healthy food. I did like kabana too but well I already know proabably won't be able to ever have that and will never try. It's all good :)

Tanya you are right I feel.
Everyone is so different. No two of us are the same.
We will all need different food in our diet for different reasons.
The band is not an easy fix for most people. It is a tool and we have to work with the best way we can.
Delia

What a great attitude you have. I do believe you do not have to diet anymore. My GOAL is to eat what I want and not have to worry about it anymore. To be able to eat a biscuit and not want more. To eat banana and skim milk for a day if I have fluid as I know it gets rid of it fast. To eat a balance of foods for my health and well being. I know what the dietician tells you to eat is good food and a low carb plan but in a way it is still a "DIET". Now never use that word again. Call it a food plan, a better way of life, healthy eating , you choice of food whatever. I hate the word diet like you having tried everything.

After a binge and most people do still have them but you can’t eat as much or you binge on sweet stuff. You do think of I will “that word you do not say” but they soon find out it is just like it used to be and back on the yo yo. Sometimes things go wrong and you do eat the wrong things but pull it up as quickly as you can. It is very few of us who get restriction right away and this is where you have to be very careful with your food choices or you will end up with the wrong food. Sugar craving come back so fast. You can get away with a little of it but after that the craving are back in full swing.

It is far better to keep going to your Doctor like Beth said regularly and getting fills or just for a chat.

Mine asked me before I was banded if I would be committed and coming back regularly as it helps so much. I don’t always see my banding Dr. (I could if I wanted) but I see this lady Doctor who is so good to talk to. I broke down in her office the other day. She was so good and had me laughing before I went out the door. She spent about 30 mins just talking and re assuring me.

I never want to go back to where I was before banding. I never want to “that word we don’t use “again even thought the other words do mean the same. I want to be able to eat the food I like and want for my body in the right portions without having to think about it.

That is my Goal and if I can achieve this 95% of the time I will be happy.
Delia

Hi Tracey. My thoughts are that what you choose to call 'healthy eating', the next person might call a 'controlled calorie' or 'high protein diet' - it's just semantics. I am guessing that the 'special diets' you mention are each persons best effort to eat properly given their personal needs and what they know about themselves, now that hey are banded.

Tracey, I felt like you at first. I definately did not want to "diet" ever again. But I think because you have a smaller capacity for taking food in you tend not to waste it on junk and get the good stuff in. Unfortunately it doesnt prevent you eating ice-cream, cake and lollies. Worst luck.

Thanks so much for replying guys much appreciated I was soooo worried thinking oh god after being on every diet in the world I would have to continue on the same road. I will never ever use the word 'diet' again it's just a better way of life I am now living :) and I will continue to see my doctor and my dietician they will just be part of my family from now on and my dietician is great and only half an hour away and I dont mind at all traveling to Adelaide to see Dr Wilson and each time will get more and more exciting going clothes shopping wooooo hoooooo

I'm yet to be banded, but I imagine that if the amount of food that you could get down was limited, one would want to make sure that it was healthy food. I don't imagine that I will be on a "diet" as such but I do think that I need to ween myself off chocolate and other naughties that I will be tempted to put in my mouth. I'd like that little bit to go a long way and we all know that vitamins and minerals from supplements aren't as valuable as the nutrients that we can get from our raw foods etc...

Note that I am saying this now, and please feel free to remind me in a few months when I am having a turkish delight for lunch... cheers..

Tracey,

I can't speak for other people, but I do not see the way I am eating now as a diet. I try to eat everything, however, there are some things I just cannot eat. I do try to make healthy choices, however, because as my intake is limited, it would be so easy to fall in to the trap of eating bad things, because for some reason, the bad stuff like chocolate and chips always goes down easy!!!

As the weight drops, the motivation is there to keep going.

I have heard of people going to weight watchers, jenny craig etc after banding. I myself can't understand why...I would think there would be great trouble following their programs and again, you are paying for it!!!

I think the most important thing that my surgeon told me, is that the people who are most successful at the band continue to see their doctor regularly. He prefers 6 weekly, but 3 monthly at the least. I see him about 4 to 6 weekly, don't have a fill every time, but it is just for a chat, motivation, etc. I will also say, that my surgeon does not use a dietician or a psychologist or a fill doctor. He does it all himself. That impresses me, and for me, it is working fine....

My two cents worth....

Yep I did it so I never have to diet again. Something went wrong around the 3 year mark. I started gaining weight. I know a lot of bandits at this mark who are gaining as well. I know that is not what you want to hear and I think it totally sux.

I am very curious so please don't anyone bite my head off but I had this banding done because I had tried every diet, fad diet and weight loss club, I went into this thinking never again it was just healthy eating but I notice people still do special diets is this the norm or personal choice. I never wanted to do that again please please please don't anyone be offended I just need to know and anyways I have run out of diets to do I have done them all :)