OK, so it has been almost a month since I updated my blog, I wanted to let everyone know what is going on. I went for my third fill on March 9 with Dr. Jay & received 1 more cc, so I now have 2.5cc in my 4cc band. The last time I was in his office I weighed 252, that day I was only 248. It has been a very frustrating couple months. The first 1 or 2 weeks I didn’t really notice much difference with my restriction, now is a different story. I am tight & I think I have reached a point of restriction that people talk about, I am really hoping that I start losing weight again. I wake up pretty early and make my coffee, I used to drink several cups with no problem. Now, I have to really sip and continually microwave 1 cup to get it down. I start loosening up (somewhat) about 9am and I move on to a morning protein shake. For lunch I also have a shake or soup. I tried eating food for lunch and I pb’d a couple times, it is just not worth it! So, general rule for me right now is no solids before 3pm. I am able to eat a nice dinner, but my bites have gotten very tiny and I really am eating super slow and chewing everything up very well. Since the begining of this process I have heard, sip, tiny bites, and chew chew. Well, I FINALLY really realize I MUST do that, or I end up in pain and can’t breathe or pb.

I also recently started working out at a place called Slo Fit. It is a heavy circut training workout with a trainer that is very intense. I am really enjoying it.

This may be TMI for some people so, but I don’t care, this blog is also to help folks who are thinking about lapband. I have gotten extremely constipated over the course of the past 5 months. I have done the benefiber & metamucial but still felt eeeky. Two weeks ago I started taking Garden of Life, Superfood (powder form). It has really helped me. Obviously, I do not eat as much fruits and raw veggies as I used to, so I believe this is doing the trick, I feel much better and this morning I was down a couple lbs.

So, here is to staying on track, eating the way I am supposed to and exercising. Even though it is not easy and I am still having to work at my weight loss, it is so worth it! I LOVE MY BAND!!!

I have decided to go to my fill doctor on Monday March 9th. I will let it be his decision whether or not I need more restriction. I personally feel that I do. But, he can look at everything under fluoro and tell me what he thinks. I will let you know how it goes next week.

I took this photo of my self this week. You can’t really see it, but I am wearing a pink and brown top. I bought it 2 years ago when it was on sale & it was 2 sizes too small. It was my hope that one day I would get into it. Well, I decided to drag it out of the closest this week. Viola! It fit perfect!

OK, I had my last fill on January 7th and since then, I have only lost about 5 lbs. I have restriction when I eat. For instance, I can only eat a half a bowl of soup or chili and I am full & for breakfast I usually have 1 egg and a couple pieces of bacon. So, I am definitely eating a lot less than what I ate before I was banded. Honestly, I have been battling on whether or not I should go for a third fill. I just don’t want to have too much or I won’t be able to eat much of anything. I am enjoying my life the way it is, I can eat most everything-just smaller portions. (Minus white bread) I have heard some of my friends go back for more and more fills and sometimes they get to a point where they are unhealthy. Hair falling out, etc. I am really confused on what to do. I know that 5lbs a month doesn’t seem like much, but in all reality that is 60 lbs in a year! So, I would totally be happy with where I would be in a year. Losing weight at that rate would put me at 85 lbs lost in October 09 which would be my one year anniversary. That would be within 20 lbs of my goal. I guess I am trying not to be to expect too much and I am also trying to really be patient. Of course, I want to be thin, NOW! But, I didn’t get fat overnight, so that is not a realistic goal. I do not think I will book a fill right now. I want to see how Feb. goes and continue to teach myself that portion control is best. I think I am going to really increase my exercise and see if that helps. I also keep remembering that Dr. Ortiz says a person only needs 3-4 fills in their lifetime with their band, this is a different opinion than some Doctors. Dr. Ortiz says this is only a “tool”, so I need to stop thinking about getting results really fast, afterall that is one reason I did not choose gastric by pass.

It’s All or Nothing
(A Cognitive-Behavioral Study)
By: Jennifer Ross Sawyer, MA, LPC, NCC.

My Life Has Been All or Nothing

I’ve always heard that everything in moderation is a good rule to follow. However, my life has been all or nothing—at least where food is concerned.

I wonder if anyone else has felt this way…

If I were dieting, I was strict. I remember going on Weight Watchers one time (of many), and I was invited to a dinner at a friend’s home. I had communicated to her what I was allowed to have and what I was not allowed to have. One thing I was not allowed to have on the program at that time was corn. When the vegetable bowl came around the table, I was horrified that the vegetable, which was mixed vegetables, had corn in it. I tried to pick the corn out, but my friend poo-pooed my fear of eating the corn. And, so, reluctantly, I ate the mixed vegetables with the corn.

Or course, by then, I had ruined my diet. There was no way that I could check off on the chart on my refrigerator that I had executed a perfect day on the program. And so, when I returned home that night, I ate a big bowl of ice cream, some crackers, and anything else I could find in the house…After all, either I was doing Weight Watchers perfectly, or I wasn’t.

The same has been true in many other circumstances. I have failed by taking a wrong bite, and ended up eating myself into oblivion for the following week.

Everything in moderation is a good rule to follow. The all or nothing rule is one that determined my willingness to be mindful about my food intake.

Until I reached the point that I absolutely could not stand myself, until I thought of myself as a disgusting failure, I could not come up with the courage to structure my food intake. For months, I would go along in complete denial that the scale was going up, up, up— “pretending” to be a “normal” person, like the other girls who never gave food a thought. When I lost weight, I felt great. I’d keep that good feeling but live without intention until I hated myself so much that I’d have to do something to end the self-hatred.

A patient told me yesterday, I lose weight, feel great, gain weight, hate myself, and this goes on and on.

It’s all on nothing.

One of the most helpful things I have learned is this:

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down. What is important is how long it takes you to get up.

You are worth it. You are not perfect. You are not despicable. You are human. Love yourself. Let others love you, too.

I am thankful for weight loss surgery because through this surgical intervention, I have learned to live in moderation, to love myself, and to allow others to love me.

Same Band, same surgical group and same follow-up…Why do some patients fail while others succeed?

During the first two months, before your first fill, the presence of the band just hanging around your stomach will keep you from feeling too hungry. This means you and the band will work as a team. It offers you a chance at eating less and not feeling the extreme hunger you are used to when you were doing this all alone.

The band is a tool.

First three weeks (liquid phase): It will help you feel less hunger. Do liquids, just liquids…vary them. You don’t need the protein of constant shakes or high calorie liquids. Don’t do just one type of liquid, and please don’t use a blender! Do not use substitute shakes more than once a day during the last week.

Liquid phase is three weeks is 21 days

Yes you will hear that some patients did less days of liquids and nothing happenned. Well wait until six months have passed and you find yourself struggling with more band adjustments and not feeling the restriction. These patients enlarged their pouch. Once the harm is done it won’t show up imediately, but it will hinder your weightloss and you may never reach your goal. Now I ask you is it really worth it? By the way the only way to correct pouch enlargement is through surgical repair.

Solid phase between three weeks and your first fill.

Most patients lose weight. Some will challenge the band. Here is the mentality. You decided to have surgery, you will carry a foreign body around your stomach for life, you shelled out some money the least you can do is help this little ring out. How? Once you are on solids challenge the band, not by eating everything in site and then asking I don’t feel restriction, is this normal? Of course it is normal, the band is healing in place totally lose. The real challenge is by testing how small a portion you can eat three times a day without feeling too hungry.

Reasons to follow these guidelines.

I have studied thousands of patients and found common things to those who succeed and those who fail. Those that follow these statements tend to lose around 30% of their excess weight during the first two months. They also reach their weightloss goal earlier (sometimes less than a year) and with less fills and no complications.

If you follow these guidelines, once the 6 to 8 weeks are up, you won’t be wanting a fill because poor weightloss requires it…you will be getting one because this last weight-loss effort and you deserve it!

Dr. Ariel Ortiz, MD, FACS
Board Certified Mexican medical doctor under license #2526822