FLORIDAYS

Sounds like kerosis but I would mention it to your dr in case there is another reason for concern.

My dr said it was better not to use one right after surgery for fear of trapping gas and also you tend to drink more And faster which again could cause problems. I started back on straws a few months after surgery but I am still careful about drinking too fast. Check with your dr for her / his advice.

For me it means before or after I ingest any solid foods. Usually I am ok drinking a small amount before food but I need to wait at least 30 minutes after eating food or iliquid seems to push the food back up.

I never took a laxative. I didn't have a bm until day 4 I think. After that the protein the optifast kept me regular.

I am not a trained nutrition expert or a dr. But I too was started on 1500/1600 calories and truth be told it was too many for my sedentary lifestyle when I was 2 months out. I was losing too slowly and I know myself well enough to know that wasn't a good formula for me. I had a chat with my dr and he agreed to let me do 1000 calories and see how that went. Well it worked like a charm and here I am down 215 lbs 23 months later. You may want to have the same conversation with your dr.

Best way to be sure.... I was allowed the Optifast shakes, caffeine free tea, Water, crystal light, and broth if I REALLY needed it. My excitement for those 2 weeks was the 25 calorie sugar free Popsicle I was allowed daily.

Maybe during the maintaining stage...but until then during the losing phase you need to count your calories, measure your portions and stay away from fatty food, sweets, fried food and alcohol. If you don't your loss will be pretty darn slow and you will become frustrated and have more chance to fail.

Very simple actually.... I didn't cheat on my pre op or post op diet I counted calories and tracked everything I ate starting when I went on mushies I drank 8 cups of Water every day I ate 1000 calories per day for 23 months 3/4 oz of Protein, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 c starch at every meal... About 300 each calories for Bfast, lunch and dinner... I limited 2 Snacks per day to fruit and a treat not more than 50 or so calories I took my gummy Vitamins I visited my dr monthly and got fills when the above food didn't keep me full for at least 4/5 hrs at a time In a nutshell I followed my dr's orders and made up my mind this would work for me!

I think they are few and farther between. I have only had 2 this year... in March and in October. Compared to my first year where I had 4 or 5. In addition to the evaporation Mis spoke of remember as you lose weight the fat around the stomach is reducing and sometimes thats cause for a fill... its very individual as with so many medical devices.

I was banded on a thursday... back to work on tuesday and wednesday for a 1/2 day then back full time on Thursday. I would say the pain level was a 2 as I never needed to take my pain meds. The gas pain level was a 6 for about a week and the discomfort level was maybe a 5. I felt normal at 2 weeks out. But everyone is different....

I dont know your specifics...like weight and height but I do not understand about the body fat percentage. Do you mean BMI? I heard that they dropped the requirment for BMI to 30 so it may be your insurance company's standard. You may want to check with them... and if its not them I would go speak with another surgeon.

I felt good restiction at about 4-5ccs.... but everyone is different do you cannot go by others on this one. SInce you are averaging 2 lbs each week thats pretty on par. If you are monitoring your portions, satisfied not to eat more than 4 hrs apart and keeping your calories down... you are doing everything right. Just keep at it. The weight will continue to fall off. If you arent tracking your calories or portions... start. You will lose more.

I think they key to to weigh every morsal of food and track every calorie you put in you mouth. You might be surprised how much you are eating over the course of a day. I allowed myself 1000 calories for 23 months and lost 215 bs. They have handy aps which will let you track it so easy on your phone. I use caloriecounter from Fatsecret on my Droid phone and Ipad. It was a life saver especially when eating out. As for the mind set.... surgery was a last ditch effort for me. I was 50 yrs old.. had tried every diet which would work until I got bored and gave up and gained it all back plus 10. When I decided on the band I promised myself to follow the dr's orders, track my calories and make it work. I just set my mind to it. And when temptation comes... I just walk away from it knowing I am stronger and thinner than that piece of whatever. During the losing stage It is shear willpower in my opinion. Then when you reach your goals you can induldge every once in a while and the band will govern you to a point.

Not just no.... but hell no. Even if I had someone in the business close to me unless they were a trained bariatric nurse I wouldnt let them near me. And I am not sure I would then either. I dont eat where I work if you know what I mean. In addition to the fill... my Dr visits give me the opportunity to ask questions, discuss my challenges and get the support I need. Also the Dr who put my band in holds a pretty high rank on my people I trust list.... I wouldnt dare compromise a lay person with that responsibility.

Weight can be a security blanket. Its not uncommon to be concerned about change. Its the unknown and no one is usually comfortable with it. You may want to seek counseling to help you deal with the pending changes to your body. It wouldnt be a crime to talk to a professional and might do you a world of good. It you want to see what losing 215 lbs looks like.. check out my gallery on my profile. Granted it doesnt show the wrinkly thighs I have, the saggy butt or the frowning belly button... but I look pretty decent in clothes and according to my husband the rest of it is better than the hard fat was... even tho he loved me then as well.

As CHEZ said.... keep being a good bandster and I bet your mind will change as you get thinner... Believe me being naked in bed at 162 lbs is a FAR cry from what it was like at 377!!!

Great news! But please stop thinking about cheating or ways around doing what works. If you cheat on your post op liquids and mushies you can cause harm to your stomach, band and overall health. Then once you go on regular foods if you cheat you will not have the success I am sure you desire. Just some words of wisdom from someone who has been there Best wishes for a succesful surgery.

I work in HR in the medical field. 2 years ago When I was doing my research and making my decision I asked every one I knew who worked in patient care and also in medical records to get an informal opinion poll on band vs bypass. I am not a Dr and have no medical training and have no scientific proof but .... it was overwhelming in support of the band. The sleeve wasnt in the discussion as I believe it was too new then but the bypass apsorption problems seemed to be the most common... lots of follow up and treatment and a lifetime of medications for many. Just wanted to share....

I bet you are so proud of yourself. Best wishes for your continues success!

Depending on what type of diet your Dr has you on post up.... I would bring those supplies. Its usually clear liquid for the first week but check with his staff. I would also bring Maalox for gas after surgery, pain meds which your Dr prescribed and any other personal items you would normally pack for a trip... make sure you bring comfortable clothes and shoes. As for the hospital... I brought my husband and he carried my identification. The hospital had everything else I needed... water, socks etc.

I didnt know about the sleeve 2 years ago but I would not have done anything where my insides were rerouted, moved or altered in any way. The band is completely removable. I felt a strong comfirt level with that.

I was told I could walk only for the first month. Because I healed really well I was cleared for all other activity following that first month. If you do not uinderstand what the Dr is telling you ask him again until you get the information you need.

I agree to eat very slowly. try using a baby spoon to make sure you are taking small bites. It should take you 20 minutes to eat less then a cup of food

Yeah it was no fun. I need to call the passport office to see what I can do as this current passport doesn't expire until 2019.

Many factors dictate if you will have flabby skin. The amount you need to lose, our age, the speed in which you lose are the big factors. Some younger gals say exercise will help. For older ones it may or may not. No one knows what condition their skin will be in once you lose... It's just a chance we take.