POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I'm really surprised that, over the past several months, I've found such a discrepancy between doctors on post op eating. My doctor said liquids for 2 weeks after surgery and mushies for the next 4. Needless to say, I'm eating normally now...I'm losing weight and eating healthy but hell, I was eating chicken, bread, etc. after the first week. I even drank a red bull the other night...slowly, of course, and tried to keep belching to handle the carbonation but had no problems. You would think there would be some kind of standard set or at LEAST a little more similarities in this whole band process with the doctors. I'm starting to feel like the band is the phen-fen of the…

HI all, I am 3 weeks post surgery and am getting hungry allot. How much should I be eating? I eat maybe 3/4 cup of food but my body doesnt tell me that I am full or hungry at that point. Maybe I am not eating enough in a sitting? I am still on mushy but other than greek yogurt nothing really seems to satisfy me. Please help!

OK I was banded 8-18-08 did great at first lots of restriction. Got 1st fill on Sept 25, did good for about 2 weeks but noticed I could eat a little more every day. I stop eating when It suddenly it feels like I will throw up or any pressure in chest. I just don't feel that way very much anymore. I go in for another fill this Friday but being a little worrier as I am I started wondering if I stretched my pouch. I have only PB once and that was from eating to fast. I have had no other problems. So my question for you long time bandsters is this bandster hell or did I stretch my pouch?? I thought when you over ate with restriction you would PB or have extreme chest pain, Is…

:thumbup: I am on my 5th week diet, "anything you can eat with a fork"... I am wondering if you all that have been at this stage (banded, 9/30/08) could give me some tips on what to avoid, as well as some things that I can now toy around with eating. Suggestions, please!!!

I’ve had my band in for 3 years and it’s not working so good:cursing: I’m filled up at 7 and my band can go to 10 but I’d think at 7 I would be less hungry and not be able to fit in a whole lot of food I want to compare my food intake with somebody who would class their band as a success:thumbs_up:. What would a normal dinner size be for you??????? Thanks:smile2:

I saw a pretty reasonable food scale at the store around $12 does anyone use one and is it accurate or are measuring cups more so?

I thought that the purpose of the pouch is to hold the food for a few hours while it digests...then slip through the pouch into the lower stomach. The food siting in the upper pouch is what gives us the full feeling and the signal to STOP eating, then takes 2-3 hrs to digest thus giving us the saiety we need. If the food slips through the band with every bite then how is that helping??? I guess I didn't do enough research first and dont understand the physiology of the process. The stuck feeling , everyone says, is the bite of food taken gets stuck over the top of the band and is not slipping through properly for various reasons. My food gets stuck almost every time…

I saw a pretty reasonable food scale at the store around $12 does anyone use one and is it accurate or are measuring cups more so?

Hi. Just wanted to say that I am feeling GREAT!!! I had my surgery done on September 19th, first fill Friday October 24th, and I am feeling really good and really happy!! I've lost 37 pounds - 16 on the pre-op diet and 21 since my surgery. I went through the usual post-op recovery aches and pains, but now all of my incisions are healed, the gas pains are long gone, I've had no trouble with any of the foods I've eaten, and I have sooooooo much more energy. Clothes that I have not worn for a long time are fitting me again, and people are telling me they can really see a difference. I have not had one second that I've wondered if I made the right decision - I KNOW I did…

Ok so I was banded Oct.3 and it went off without any major hitches I had little to almost no nausea up until the last few days. Last night as well as tonight I've felt terrible about an hour after dinner. Not enough to be sick but that OMG i'm green feeling. I've tried taking the liquid regulan they gave me and that isn't helping much at all. I have taken regulan before the surgery to help with bloating after meals because of my diabeties so not sure if that's the reason it's not working as well or if I'm just being a big baby. Any suggestions, because I can't keep on feeling this way every night. BTW last night's dinner was egg tonight was roasted chicken.:w00t:

I was really busy and waited to long to eat dinner. I'm on mushies and I think I ate too fast. I feel a little pain in my pouch area when I try to breathe deeply. Any suggestions on how to help this?

Hi there! I was banded on 4/18/08 and was just wondering how everyone was doing with losing the pounds! I feel very lucky with losing 53, but just seeing how the rest of you are doing. I am so glad that I had this surgery- even though I still miss biting into juicy hamburgers and eating whatever I want! It's OK- the payoff has been great! What a great feeling it is to get into a smaller pair of jeans and waking up in the morning feeling so much healthier!! Keep up the good work!

Ok, here's my problem....I have been getting stuck a lot the past 2 evenings after my first fill on Monday (surgery 9-22-08). My question is this....if the band is between my upper and lower stomach pouch, and the sole purpose of the band is to keep food in the upper pouch for long periods before emptying into the lower stomach, and food should not be going directly thru the opening, then why does food get stuck there? I'm not sure if I am forming my question correctly, let me try again.... shouldn't food be sitting in the upper pouch for awhile before it empties and if so then why when swallowing does certain food attemp to pass thru the band and instead get stuck? Shoul…

Hey all, just popping in to make an introduction and hopefully get some answers from people who know better than I. I just recently had the Lap Band procedure done 10-23-08. Going through the motions. Doing pretty good gas wise, but still sore. Hope everyone is doing ok. Cant wait to talk more with you guys! Renee :eek:

It's been five months since being banded and the last month or so I have been experiencing extreme hunger. I have been filled twice and getting kind of embarrassed as I feel my eating is out of control. Is this normal? Should I continue getting fills or just try to tackle the mental as I am certain most of my hunger is just being down right greedy!!! My weight loss has hit a plateau for about two months and that's getting very discouraging. I don’t know if the increase in hunger is connected to the fact that I don’t feel that I’m doing as well as I should be or what. One good thing is that I am exercising more trying to compensate for the hunger so we’ll see. Just getti…

So it's been 20 days since I had my lap-band surgery and I hit my 30lb mark.....30lbs lost in 20 days I'm so happy with the results...I LOVE MY LAP-BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!:wink_smile::thumbup: Start weight 273 now 243....YA Can't wait to hit the 50 mark!!!! Brandie

I had surgery on 10/16. I finally got over the gas pain and my incisions are fine but whenever I burp or take inreally deep reaths, I get this really bad, climaxing, spasmy pain in my chest. Has anyone ever experiened this? It's very annoying and I hope it is normal and going away soon!

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to share an idea I had about excerise. I just purchased one of those "Interactive Dance Mats". I thought it would be a good way to move without being bored out of my mind and staying in my own home. I purchased it on QVC today for $36 (including taxes and shipping). It's simular to a Nintendo Wii but it just plugs into your TV and and you can get started. It also has hand sensors so you have to move your arms too. It looks like a total body workout. I think it will be a great way to challenge myself and have fun with dancing. Also it will be a way of getting a workout through the hard winter months here in Ohio. If you purch…

I am hoping to start a help group. I am on mushy stage and needing to get in 80 grams of protein.. How do you do it.. I am still a bit swollen so get eat to much. so I am struggling.. Fill up fast. Also getting burned out on protein drinks fast Thanks in advance:confused_smile:

I had my second fill three days ago and I tried some regular food tonight. It was awesome! I hadn't had any restriction yet, but I ate about 3/4 c. food tonight and I was very satisfied, and it lasted for several hours. I even had chocolate in the cabinet that I could resist because my stomach said it was already happy. I did not have any problem with food getting stuck, but I was very, very cautious and chewed about a million times per bite. I just hope the restriction sticks, but even if it doesn't, I finally feel like the band is pulling its own weight. I feel a lot more inspired now to follow the diet better and amp up my exercise routine to start seeing some re…

got my band 10/21 (yeah!) they said the bandages would fall off in 3-4 days but mine r stuck on there good and the nurse I'm supposed to call with questions is off and I don't wana bother the surgeon again for silly stuff . Any ideas?

I'm moving along pretty well. I will say I'm stiff and sore. They have this clear bandage on them, and I can see the blood from yesterday. They haven't gotten worse, but looks icky. They say I can take a shower tomorrow, and take off my bandages. Should I put other bandages on? Any input?

Just wondering what everyone's daily calorie intakes are...

I was thinking about joining my local OA and I was wondering if may of you have tried OA and what you think? Thanks for your input! Sarah

Hey All, i got my band about 3 weeks ago, and I noticed that every time I eat(I am on mushies and protein shakes) I have gas(bad). I take the gas stripes and they work, but I was just wondering if anyone else still have gas problems this far out from surgery...Also will gas be an issue long term.??????:grouphug::w00t::pray2:

I had my band put on Oct 21st, and I'm not in a lot of pain just uncomfortable but I can't get comfortable to sleep any more than 4 hours at a time. I'm not talking the pain meds as I was having a not stop headache and felt like crap. I still don't have any pain just soreness, but I feel like crap, blurred vision and sick to my stomach and also occasionally feel hot but I'm not running a fever, plus have diarhea which is a dark green. I know gross but I'm afraid there is something wrong. Is this normal or when will i start feeling better and not like crap? Thanks for any advice you can give me

I noticed I have pain in an area to the right of my incision about 1 inch below today. I was fine all day. I did go grocery shopping (I will be a month post op on the 30th) I am really uncomfortable, almost to the point where I am thinking of taking a pain pill. sitting is uncomfortable. Standing is fine... any thoughts???

I never realized how MANY AND OFTEN there are commercials on TV for food. It really sucks when (durning pre and post op) you can't have anything for liquids!!! I need to see a Swansons Commercial for some new sort of broth or how bout some Hooters Girls selling me some Protein powder!

I've got a juicer, and was wondering if I can have freshly made fruit/veggie juices during the liquids-only phase?

Just wanting to throw my story out there. So I was banded on Oct 13.. Surgery went really well. I was told I had a large hernia prior to surgery. So that was also taken care of . I woke up with insane shoulder pain.. Which went on for a week or so. Now working on two weeks. Still really sore.. My stomach is still sore. I swear felt as it they sewed large object in there. . Now belly is itchy.. and still somewhat painful. I am just wondering if my recovery is so long due to the hernia... I have read where people have surgery and right back to work I have taken two weeks off..

my dr told me i need to drink 96ozs of water yesterday i drank 80ozs and i gained a lb does it take time for the water to leave your body she said i would lose better if i drink that much anybody help im so bloated i had a fill aug 19th ive only lost 6lbs since then:cursing:

I got banded oct 21 and today I feel a little barfy I'm on clear liquids but u think if I sucked on one saltine I'd be ok?

Hello all! I have been having a lot of acid reflux lately, and I called my surgeon about it. He called me back, and wants me to come in in the morning, to have an xray done...and if it slipped...I am going straight into surgery! :smile: I am really nervous.....I was hoping this would not happen! Gah. Any advice!? Has this happened to anyone? Josh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Band Date: July 9th, 2008 Surgeon: Dr. Jeff Baker Insurance: Medica Heaviest Weight: 314.5 Current Weight: 219 lbs. Goal Weight: 190 lbs. Freedom is only a word until it is upheld by the roots of its meaning…

I have been banded 16 days now and I do great during the day until about 8pm every night. I am not physically hungry at that point but mentally hungry. That was why diets never worked before, at night I would just give up. I have not had a fill yet and could eat a decent amount if I tried I think. I do not get hungry much during the day and a lil holds me for a long time. But I never feel like I can't eat anymore. I stop when I am full during the day and have tiny meals for bfast, lunch and dinner and am satisfied. When there is nothing to do and I am bored I am used to watching TV and eating whether I am hungry or not at night. It is getting harder to control. Any sugges…

Well after 8 months I was finally banded, yesterday! I am excited for a new healthy life, but man do I feel like crud! :sad_smile: I have gas pain in my chest and in between my shoulder blades. My stomach is soar, of course. The doc prescribed Tylenol with codeine; not strong enough in my opinion. How long did you post opers feel bad for?

Ok, first of all I know a lot of you are going to say I am spoiled and should just be happy with my weight loss, I know I am lucky to have loss so much weight so fast but, yes I am very upset at my progress this last week. I have lost around 89 lbs in three months. I hit the 86 lbs level last Saturday which put me at 300 lbs. Since then I have loss another 3 lbs this week, this is not a good week for me. I have been at the same weight since Monday. I have been working my butt off by walking over 13 miles in 3 days this week with taking a 4th day off to recover. I am eating the same, not cheating and have restriction. I am drinking lots of water and following my die…

So, I was able to graduate to the mushies stage today and I will say it is nice to not have to drink all of my food! So far today I have 44g of protein, so I am well on my way to my goal of 50g per day. I'm wondering how many of you are able to get your protein in with no shakes or protein powder. I really despise them both and so far it seems like I can do it without them, but I was wondering all of your feelings on this. Also, I'm thinking about when I start working out with my trainer again...do you all feel you need to eat something before you work out? Or are you able to do so without needing a snack? Last thing, do you just do the three meals a day? Or do you have a…

I had my lapband done in April 2008. I have lost a total of 56ish pounds. I am proud of myself for that accomplishment. Now I'm at a stand still. I had my band adjusted once and when I went back for a check up my doctor wouldn't do another fill. He actually told me he was disappointed because I had only lost 4 pounds in 3 months. I know I need to be more active. I have noticed I am eatting more then the recommended, but I don't feel full as fast as I did. I'm very frustrated with myself, which makes me want to eat even more. (gotta love being an emotional eatter!) I'm also in the process of going through a divorce, so there is the stress of that along with starting my s…

i am an inveterate golfer 59 years old, who undertook lap band surgery one week ago today. some of my motivation for surgery was to improve my flagging golf game and my endurance. i have done fantastically well in losing weight since i began my journey to lapband. at the end of 5/2008 i weighed my highest at 394 (6'4). my golf game, once quite respectable, had slowly vanished as my weight grew. in addition, my endurance flagged in the tampa summer heat.... so i began a diet 6/1/08 and sought lap band approval. by the day of the surgery on 10/17/08, i had lost a total of 47 pounds and weighed 347. today, one week later to the day, the scale tips at 338! a tot…

I have been feeling funny in my tummy for the past 24 hours. Just wondering what this is. If you don't know me, I was banded on Sept 30th, so I am 3.5 weeks post op. I had complications after surgery and ended up in the hospital for a week (possible reaction to the band, possible infection). I have been doing fine since then and I am now on mushies. Since my surgery I have lost 28 lbs. I am on CPAP and I noticed that my stomach was filling with air while I sleep, so I turned down the pressure...All better now, but it worried me that I was stretching out my stomach. I hadn't really been hungry, but yesterday I felt like my stomach was growling all day. Even after eating …

hey guys..............can anyone tell me if chewing nicorette or having a small dip will hurt me. i know.....tobacco sux. i quit smoking a yr. ago and have since done a little dip or chewed nicorette gum from time to time. i am 2 wks post op and sure would like to have a little dip or piece of nicorette about now.

I noticed I have pain in an area to the right of my incision about 1 inch below today. I was fine all day. I did go grocery shopping (I will be a month post op on the 30th) I am really uncomfortable, almost to the point where I am thinking of taking a pain pill. sitting is uncomfortable. Standing is fine... any thoughts???

Hi there I had my op about 10 weeks ago and since then have been slowly losing weight (about 25lbs) My appetite has seriously decreased and I do have restriction. There are certain foods I don't seem to be able to eat without bringing them up. I am thrilled to feel like I am no longer binge eating as I did before. My dilema is that I had a traumatic op requiring over 80 stiches and since having the stiches removed have not wanted to go back to see my specialist. Is there any reason why i should go and see him if the band seems to be working without a fill? Has anyone else experienced this and how long did it work for you without needing a fill? BTW I had this…

Hey all, I have been banded for three weeks now. I lost 10lbs the first week, 3 the second, and none the third. I am not particularly upset by the lack of loss this week - my body is healing, but I journaled my calories most of this week now that I am on mushies and found that I am only getting between 500 and 600 calories in a day. That seems awfully low. I want to avoid my body going into starvation mode and hording calories. I was wondering what calorie goals successful bandsters live by. It seems difficult to me to get in too many calories (from healthy food of course) on the portions we should be eating, but I am wondering if maybe I need to add a protien sh…

I was banded Mon. 10/20 and have been doing better each day. The gas is no joke!!! I have been walking alot and that is helping. My incisions aren't as sore except for the port one. I can feel the port and that is weird but I know that it will be better too. My whole hosp. experience was wonderful. I also had a hernia repaired which I didn't know was there but through it all I would do it again in a second because I know what a life changing surgery this is. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!!!:eek:

Hello All! I'm officially banded as of yesterday!!!! I can't believe it's done and now the real fun begins But, I didn't get an xray to make sure everything went ok....did any of you experience that?

I think I am in information overload. And I realize everyone has different informaton from their doctor's, nutiritionist, etc. But in a quick read, what would you say are the things you MUST follow. I think these are important. 1. Protein, veggie, fruit, other 2. Must exercise but does anyone have some general guidelines. I am joining a gym tonight and I was thinking cardio 5 days a week and weights 3 out of those 5. 3. Chew, chew, chew your food and no drinking with food. 4. Snacking - not sure about this one. Is sf Jello, sf popsicles okay between meals or not. Anyone else have input. I would appreciate it. Being a new bandster I want to do this right.…

I am 8 weeks post op today and down 45#. I am somewhat discouraged as I havent had a fill yet. There have been 3 attempts for a fill and they couldnt find the port. I go in on Nov. 10 for the 4th attempt. I do not feel any restriction and believe my weight would be more with a restriction. I have been very regimented in watching what I eat and exercising.

I have my first fill on Saturday and I am very excited. Can someone please tell me what to expect and will i notice a difference in my band?

Has anyone had anyone had any soda, or carbonated beverages since their band. I havent. But, Im curious as to who has had soda. I know its forbidden, but, I know someone out there has had it. Let me know. BTW, I havent had Soda since March of this year. :smile2: