How to get back on track?

My twin boys are 7 months.  My band was completely emptied during pregnancy, I gained 65 lbs (one baby was 8 lbs the other 7 lbs 15 ozs) .  I've gone for a couple fills since pregnant.  Between that, nursing twins, and training for a 5k (which I ran a few weekened ago in 33 min!), I've lost just about all the baby weight.  At my last fill, I requested a barium swallow to check my band since I wasn't able to do that at my 1 year anniversary.  I didn't want to get filled any more before checking. They determined my stoma was slightly stretched due to being too tight.  They took out fluid and now I'm down to 2 cc's.  I imagine a number of things could have caused me being to tight at only 4cc's....hormones, uterus, organs moving back into place, etc.  But I also know I'm not the best Bandster since being pregnant.

Tomorrow I'm going to check where we are, see if I can get a small fill.  I was at 8 cc's before I got pregnant.  My question is...I'm having a hard time with some of the rules.  Not drinking with meals, taking small bites, etc.

How do you guys get back on track after falling off the wagon?  Any support or advice would be much appreciated!

 
A stoma can't really stretch, there is a silicone band over it.  Are you referring to your pouch?

A bypass stoma can dilate, but not a band stoma.

Sorry, yes, pouch...I had the terms mixed up.

First of all...congratulations on your twins.  I also have twin boys, although mine are 9.  It is so much fun raising twins. 

When was nursing I was RAVENOUS.  So I imagine you are having a hard time sticking to band rules while nursing.  Much like with pregnancy, you need so much fuel to nurse.  Try to pick one or two rules and just stick with them, even if you can only do it one meal per day to start with.  Eat your protein first...it's important for nursing anyway.  I also try to drink lots of water about 30 minutes before I eat...it keeps me from feeling so dehydrated during and immediately after my meals.  If I fell less dehydrated, I'm less apt to sneak water after my meal.

Congrats again!

 Hi Jamie-

I just came back to the board after being absent for many years.  I came back for the same reason you posted....how to get back on track.  I found the following info...

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/lapband_postsurgery_diet_nutrition_exercise.html

It takes you right back to the basics of how to eat with the LapBand.  Just reading it was motivating for me, to refresh my mind of how I am supposed to eat.  

I am going to give it a try.

Good luck-

Susan

Congrats on the babies :o)

I think getting back on track is so hard to do but it can be done  wont be easy but you can do it :o) .

Not drinking with my meals and after was probably the hardest for me to get use to and 85% of the time I do really well with it.

Dont keep anything to drink with your meal. If its not there you wont drink it . I just put my water glass or whatever I'm drinking in the kitchen while I'm eating.

After you get done eating I always chew some gum , or have breath mints right after dinner.  That helps to get the food taste out of your mouth.  I do this all the time .    Or get busy doing something right after dinner.  I get on the computer FB and that helps the 30 min go by really fast :o)

If I eat something spicy I will take a very small sip just to get the burn out and that is it .


As far as exercise , you can start taking your babies for a walk . My son when he was little loved going on walks you entertain them and getting exercise in to boot :o)

Good Luck

I think the easiest way to get back on track is to get the things out of your house that will tempt you. Also make sure that you have a lot of healthy snacks available.

The not drinking during/immediately after meals is just 2nd nature to me now. As far as the small bites..........well not wanting to get stuck is enough incentive for me to do small bites.

Something that I have noticed with some very successful WLS'ers is that many of them plan meals very well. I don't do that. I generally just look in the freezer or pantry and decide what it will be that day or for the next day. I have recently made it a goal to start trying to plan out a menu for the wk. and make larger portions and start freezing the excess so I will have more in the freezer that I can just heat up that's a healthy option. We'll see how that goes, lol.