Frustrated

[Guest trt]

I have had two fills. I throw up when I eat healthy food. Of course food that is not good for me seems to go down with no problem whatsoever. It seems that if you can exercise more, eat right etc, why would u need a band? I am begining to think this was a big mistake. Becuase it is now painful to eat meat and healthy foods, I am eating food that is less healthy to keep from feeling pain and being uncomfortable.

In six months I have actually gained 20 pounds. More than I would without the band because I would have eaten healthier foods.

Anyone else in this situation?

[Shell]

What exactly areyou eating in a day? Break it down for us per meal maybe we can help you . How many calories do you consume? Are you eating your 60 grams of protein a day, drinking all of your water? Do you drink with meals? All of these things make a huge difference. Just because you have had two fills doesnt mean you have enough restriction. you may throw up becasue your bite size is too big and you are not chewing enough or waiting long enough between bites. I have this problem of food not wanting to go down when I eat too fast or take too big of a bite without chewing it enough. I now use a very small fork which really helps with my bite size. Dont give up!

Let me know what you eat in a day and maybe I can offer some helpful advice to you.

Hang in there

[Guest trt]

I now eat foods that go down painlessly. Primarily hot pastas. I used to love to eat bbq meat but I no longer can. I am still avoiding ice cream and other very fattening foods. I do drink a lot of water before and after I eat. If i drink while I eat it backs up and I throw up. I am eating much less than I did before the band. Since I cannot eat a meal I tend to graze on foods during the day. When I am too busy to graze and I dont eat frequently, it seems as though my band tightens which makes it even more difficult to eat. I cannot go out and eat with people any longer because I have to excuse myself to throw up. My caloric intake is less than 2000 per day.

[Shell]

When you eat the solid meats do you take big bites, the key is tiny tiny bites and chew chew chew , this is where the small fork( crab/lobster fork) comes in handy for me, it forces me to make my bites smaller,

Pastas are all carbs which only makes your body crave more carbs and junk food, which could bewhy you graze al lday, I have thesame problem when I eat carbs, Iam hungry all day long, so I start my day with strictly hard protein.

It could also be that you are a tad too tight which makes you eat softer foods which do not aide in wieght loss since they go right through the band and do not stay in the pouch, have you thought of having a slight bit of your fill removed? You would be amazed at having .2 cc's removed can make such a difference in being ableto eat your hard proteins but still give restriction to loseweight. Eating soft foods or carb loaded foods regardless if it is less then 2000 calroeis are not thefoods the band is designed for

If you ar PBing ( throwing up) more then once a week, you may be too tight. Throwing up frequently is not good for your band it can result in your band slipping, you do not want that do you? If you are eating food that is alot less healthy to avoid throwing up then you may need to get some of yourfill removed. This can be dangerous to your band and your health. I was unfilled for 2 months due to problems and I was able to lose 5 lbs, it can be done. I.m not saying get completely unfilled but remove a little. What is your current fill level? I'm sure if your Dr. knew you were avoiding protein and eating pastas to avoid throwing up he would agree to get some fill removed.

Here is an excerpt from the Inamed handbook that is valuable to your situation

With the Lap Band system in place, you should be able to eat only small ammount so the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your stomach pouch with :junk: food that lacks vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in protein and vitamins and low in carbs. Solid food is more important then

liquid food or soft food. The lap Band system will have little or no effect if you only eat liquid or soft food. It passes through the stomach outlet very quickly and does not make you feel full.

Here is another excerpt form the book

If the adjustment (fill) results in too tight of a stomach opening you could have a hard time eating most foods, sometimes this causes people to avoid solid foods. They may drink liquid meals or soft food meals and this may result in weight gain. A band that is too tight may cause reflux symptoms and can also cause frequent vomiting.

I hope this info helps you

[Guest trt]

It sounds like my band may be too tight. At this point I am eating via pain aversion. I will try getting it reduced and see if it helps.

[Shell]

Very wise decision trt

You are doing the right thing for the longevity of your band and your health.

Keep us posted, let us know how things go for you once you remove a little of your fill.

Good Luck to you

[TracyW]

Hi Michelle,

Your information helped me, Thanks TracyW

[Nikkiw]

Hi TRT,

I have hard a very hard time with my lap band too. I'm at surgery no 3 with two previous slippages and are due my third adjustment and I am now almost at my pre surgery rate of 3 years ago. Life is not always a bed of roses with a band and it is far from the quick fix option.

This time round im being overly careful. It's more about the texture and quantities so keep trying.

Good luck

[Guest trt]

Have u lost weight?

[Nikkiw]

I did initially. I lost 25kilos but have now put on about 15 of those. Hoping my adjustment today will get me back on track

[clg8579]

Trt,

Who did your surgery? Have you told your fill doctor your problem? There are some very simple rules to follow once you are banded - eat SMALL bites, eat protein first, do NOT drink with a meal and in fact, wait one hour after eating before drinking, etc. If you are not or cannot follow these for any reason you really should talk with your doctor. Why go through all of the risks of having the band and not have it work properly????? Please keep us posted on your progress.

Chris