Killer Fruit

dina anderson · 03-13-2007, 01:50 AM

Hi mary,

I noticed that you've had your band for quite some time but your weight loss is 11 lbs..? Is that correct? I'm curious because I was banded on Feb 22nd and I'm not losing any weight hardly at all. I'm wondering if it doesn't work for some people? Also, why did you have to have the "unfills" a couple times? I haven't had a fill yet and am very curious about this whole process. I want to be successful but I'm very worried that I won't be. Can you tell me about your experience? Thanks so much, I appreciate any help you can give me!!

marys · 03-13-2007, 07:46 AM

Hi - no, dont mind you asking but I've been over it so many times - I'll keep it brief. I don't know why I don't lose weight and yes, 11lbs is about right. I'm pretty stable now.

I only know one other bandster like me - she is quite a bit tighter then me but lost about 15lbs and has pretty much given up = she eats spoonfulls of food.

I eat well - esp since my unfill (more solids then liquids). I had two unfills - one was because I was stuck on a piece of sushi (stupidly ate it in the am) and was throwing up and so swollen I couldn't keep saliva down. My latest unfill was an attempt by my surgeon to allow me to eat more solids in hopes my body would lose some weight (I was probably too tight and eating a lot of soft and mushie food).

I do almost everything right - I eat three very very small meals with minimal or good protein snacks. I drink alcohol rarely and gave it up completely for many many months. I exercise regularly and hard. I eat about 1/2 of what I ate before. I gave up on food diaries but have them for over 1 year and have eaten between 600-1500 caloreis and nada.

I 'binged' once with the band and I severely overate twice and paid for it. I don't overeat now. I don't eat junk, ice cream or milkshakes. I have had treats but they are very small, controlled, (for example i did have 4 godiva chocloates on Valentines Day) but never touched another one. I have wonderful habits and am slowly breaking my old bad ones.

The band has done everything it is suppossed to do for me except I just don't lose weight. I am now looking for a specialist/endocrinologist but may end up waiting until I move later this year and have health insurance again. I am getting one more small fill at the end of the month because I can eat more, I just don't and what the hell a tighter band will at least help with that. The only thing I haven't done is made my band so tight I can't eat and can barely drink which I know MANY others do - I just refuse to live like that although that might work.

You will most likely not be like me - never thought this would happen to me - it is a medical mystery I'm sure. This will be my last fill and after the specialist I am totally resigned and accepting of where I am. After two years I will give up and maintain the status quo. You just had surgery and will need fill/fills to lose weight but I'm sure it will happen. Just look around you here - everyone else reports terrific losses - although you will have to work at it.

good luck.

dina anderson · 03-14-2007, 01:23 AM

Thanks so much for all the info. I hope I am successful, but it is pretty discouraging when I'm eating WAY less than before and I haven't dropped a pound in a while. I feel like I could be eating McDonalds every day and still staying the same too. It's frustrating. I will get my first fill in the middle of April so I guess I'll see what happens after that. Thanks again for all the info!! I really appreciate it. :)

bitteroldhag · 03-18-2007, 11:13 PM

I tried an apple and it didn't work. I tried canned peaches--didn't work. I even have trouble eating an avocado unless I chew a whole lot. Still I think if I chew enough I can eat some canned fruit. I pb'd on banana the other day. The stuff just stuck together in my esophagus even though I chewed it up very well, so no more banana. I will try some other fruits. One thing I did do well on was mixed citrus fruit salad. That went down well and was really good. The citrus is already pretty squashy in the can which helped. But I have very little esophageal motility which causes me to pb a lot.

Louisianagirl · 03-19-2007, 03:13 AM

I am not a big fruit eater, I use a half of Banana in my protein shake, but that is the only fruit I really have eaten since banded. My Dr. said to stay away from coconut and grapes. It makes a flap over your stoma and stops you up. The grapes you can peel the skin off and eat but I would guess the skin on any fruit wouldn't be good to eat. I know I don't eat the recomended amount of fruit I should. Is there anyone else out there that dosn't eat much fruit?

HelenC · 03-19-2007, 12:05 PM

Canteloupe goes down pretty well! :)

piercedqt78 · 03-19-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelenC

Canteloupe goes down pretty well! :)

also makes a great smoothie.....~Mandy

magnolia · 03-21-2007, 05:10 PM

so what fruits work well..this is the first i have heard that fruits are hard to eat. I thought it was only bread and meat that were difficult. The list of foods that work seems to get smaller and smaller.

piercedqt78 · 03-21-2007, 05:29 PM

Some people have problems with anything that gets "gummy" when warm, chewed or wet. (flour tortillas, rice, bread) Some fruit skin is hard to chew well enough for it to be mush. I can't eat apple with skins, bananas (unless they are in a smoothie) and I have to eat oranges very slowly. I do fine with meat even steak if I take my time. ~Mandy

LapBandit · 03-21-2007, 05:30 PM

Don't get discouraged Magnolia! Some foods that people struggle with work just fine for me. It's weird because we all seem to be different in this aspect.

So, I'd suggest keeping in mind the foods others have had problems with but still try them...just be careful until you see what works for you. I can honestly eat just about anything...some things I just know from experience will require more concentration. For example, I'm one of the "killer apple" crowd but I still eat apples-I just go SLOWLY and chew really well!

Lisa99 · 04-09-2007, 03:58 PM

I have no problems with fruit. I'm pretty restricted and don't eat solids until about noon, but regularly eat grapes without peeling and oranges go down fine.

Now if we were talking about steak or dry chicken breast that would be a different story...they have left my life for good. :think

waterlily1072 · 04-13-2007, 12:04 AM

I have a hard time with most fruit. Canned is easier and delmonte has 25cal snack cups of fruit with no sugar added! I can eat those if I go slow. It's weird even when I could still eat bread I had a hard time even with canned fruit. Maybe a juicer is a good idea :cry