Leaderboard

Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be an excess of negativity on this forum lately. Personally I come in here for the support and commradarie that is offered, but if I was no banded yet I would be scared after reading the whining and complaining. People say they didn't know about bring stuck or sliming or puking- well if u looked into it at all u would know People complaining they aren't losing weight, but they are also not counting calories or watching what they eat AT ALL. even before you have a fill u have the ability to watch what u are eating and not gorge yourself. If u hate ur band - FINE - but accept blame if u aren't working with ur band and don't blame everyone else

Definitely try through insurance. I just don't see a good reason not to.

I realize that not everyone will agree with my saying this, but here is my .02... I think it's well and good that our NUTs and PAs give us advice about what to eat, how many calories, etc but this is really a personal journey. What works for me may not work for someone else. Rather than trying to stay within the calorie/protein/carb range they gave you, why don't you try some different things and see what works for you? Try raising your calories a bit, lowering your carbs, increasing your Protein...small "tweaks" can get things moving again. You don't say if you track your food, but I find this to be very helpful. When my weight loss has slowed down I can look back at my food journals (I use myfitnesspal.com) and see what changed in my diet. During a recent stall, I looked back and realized that my protein levels had dropped...most surgeon's suggest 60g per day but mine wants 80-120g per day which I was doing at the beginning but I looked back and could see that my protein was averaging 60-70g so I made a conscious effort to increase my protein simply by substituting my normal Breakfast with a Protein shake and it made a huge difference. Yes, this band is a tool but many of us aren't given a complete instruction manual on how to use it. This isn't a tool that you can do steps A, B, and C and get results...you need to work with it to figure out how to get the best results. Good Luck!

I have my food journal public...I'm vickyd205 on there.

You can friend me but I'm in the same stage you are....not sure if I will be of any help, but we can fight the liquid beast together!!! Maybe even get ideas from what we each eat, etc.??? kittyforet (kristi in the real world )

While I can see how my post can be construed as negative it really wasn't meant to be. I was merely expressing frustration at how some people are complaining abt lack of weight loss, but not working with their band. We all got banded because we were unsuccessful in our independent weight loss attempts and I think it is wonderful to have a forum to come to. My post was coming more from the direction of thinking about the yet unbanded and their reading the negativity I am sorry that people are taking my post as negative. It is not how I meant for it to be taken. I know we all get frustrated and don't have a perfect experience (I know I am FAR from perfect). So again I am sorry to anyone offended by my opinion

I am also being banded on June 28th, what are you ladies having to do the day before the surgery? Im still on optifast, just cant eat anything after midnight the night before. Im very excited!

Almost a week later, here is my surgery day story!!! Sorry for the long post! Each day gets better as far as pain and what I can do. I've been walking daily, got a pedometer and trying to make sure I increase each day. I don't walk to increase my heart rate or do real exercise, just to get moving. . Not ready for real exercise!! Surgery day, June 20, 2011.... Had to be there at 7:00, was first in line. By 8:00 I was in the gown, had the iv, and met the anesthesiologist. At 8:10 Dr. Reilly came in and then it was about time to go. At 8:30 they were wheeling me into the OR and that's all I remember!! I was wheeled into the OR, looked up for a second, and didn't get the chance to say or do anything else!! They blindsided me!!! Woke up at 10:30 in recovery to the leg things squeezing my legs. Throat was sore due to being intubated but pain wasn't too bad. After a little bit they helped me dress and go to the restroom. Was nauseous but the nurse held a peppermint-smelling stick under my nose and that took care of it. I had to sit in a recliner in recovery for a bit, took some liquid pain medicine (NASTY!!) and then went home. We were home before 12:30. Then I rested on the recliner and walked every hour, first along the downstairs of my house, working my way up to puttering outside. Walking really helped. sleeping was pretty much non-existent, but I wonder if that was due to post op nerves. I was like that after my last c-section, didn't sleep for about 24 hours after, too wired, too much adrenaline. Now I sleep a little at a time and rest when I can. Only had the main gas pain that first day, and after that just abdomen pain...it took a few nights of sleeping on the recliner couch or the rocker with the ottoman before I could actually sleep in my own bed, but getting up and down was the worst...once I was walking for a few minutes I could handle it. Since I could not stand the liquid pain meds (did I mention it was NASTY, even with cherry flavoring added???) I took childrens' dissolvable tylenol and then liquid childrens tylenol once and those were blah too, so after trying both of those, I stopped taking pain medicine and was ok without it....each day gets better and the pain goes away....now just mild itchiness at my steri-strips. Thursday I was able to drive so I treated myself to a pedicure. Friday was somewhat normal and yesterday my 8-year-old had 2 flag football games that I went to...my dad nicknamed me Ginger, since he said I was walking gingerly...I tend to walk these last few days with my shoulders hunched up so I am trying NOT to keep doing that. Started full liquids today after almost a week of Clear Liquids, and it is so much better to have a little more variety!! I am so sick of drinking fruity-type drinks!! But I bet it will be just a few more days and I will be sick of drinking my Protein shakes again!! Bring on the mushies!! LOL The hardest part is making sure I drink enough liquids right now. My NUT said to drink 1oz. Fluid every 15 minutes, and that makes my soup get cold!! So i eat a few spoonfuls, then wait a few minutes and eat a few more...Am I supposed to be taking my time already when I eat and following the no drinking during a meal now, even though I'm not on solids?? I go back for post-op on July 18 and fill status will be decided then. My stats so far... Consultation weight, 223.4 Pre-op meeting weight 217 Surgery day weight, 209 (was worried I hadnt lost any!!) Today's weight, 202.8!!!!!! Wearing the pedometer to log my walking and keeping a food diary is helping...at first I wasn't going to do the diary, seemed like a huge pain, but my NUT needs that once I see her on the 18th, so I've been faithful at that. I understand that once I start "real food" again that it will help me get not only the correct nutrients, but also allow me to monitor my intake to control weight. thanks for reading!!!

I went today for a fill and my port is flipped. Surgery again in 2 weeks (I am less than 2 months post-op)