Syrah

I'm a fairly new bandster but I find that some people here are very militant and adamant about their opinions and advice, and have little tolerance for others who see things differently, even if their knowledge comes from their own doctors. It's not many people, but now I guess we will have one less such poster. :ohwell: Good luck, Dislexi.

I didn't do a barium swallow. About 3 hours after surgery, I did some other kind of swallow to check for leakages or problems. Whatever it was, the stuff was horrible!! It was a fluid that could be re-absorbed by the body if it leaked. Very nasty!

Several people report major weight loss without a fill, which I'm not understanding at all. I asked my surgeon about this at my first post-op appointment. He said that he believes those who keep losing (months and months after surgery, for example) but have had no fills, simply have bands that are too tight to begin with. He thinks this is a bad thing, since there's no real fix for an unfilled band that is too tight (except to remove it).

See you people... that had restriction without a fill and lost weight are sooooo lucky! I know that some of you are "RULE FOLLOWERS" (no meaness intended) but it's 100% easier to follow the rules with restriction. But don't you (you means anyone) think much of the weight loss prior to the first fill is related to the pre-op and post-op diets of Clear liquids? My doctor never used strict diets, either pre-op or post-op. I was on apple sauce and cream of wheat while in the hospital, before I was released. This has me thinking my weight loss during this period will not be as drastic as some others' here. I will be interested to see if I lose much weight by the time of my first fill (I'm not weighing myself until then - I lose slow and don't want to be discouraged). On the other hand, I do feel restriction, 2 weeks post-op, without a fill. Whether it physiological or psychological, I am not nearly as hungry as I was pre-op.

I like to order soup. Then - because it's liquid - I can have a glass of wine with it as well. :mad:

Slimfast + protein powder shake for breakfast. Refried beans and a bit of salsa + cheese for lunch. Snack was a bit of cheese and a couple of wheat thins. I may get brave and try some pureed chili for dinner. Beef scares me but I guess I've got to try it sooner or later.

I stayed one night. My surgeon has only ever let one person go home the same day, and that patient was a surgeon himself. My doctor wants his patients in leg compression stockings (the ones that inflate and deflate) for the first 12 hours, to prevent clots. He also wants to see you eating liquid foods and moving around a LOT before they let you go. Frankly, I loved my hospital stay. It was more like a hotel. No kids to look after, no dishes to do, people at my beck and call, just my own reclining bed, TV and a morphine pump at my side.

Yes, once in a great while is what I meant too. I think we are in agreement. But I fully intend to indulge in an occasional treat. I think it's unrealistic to live like a food monk! lol!

JeninCo, I eat about 4 wedges of Laughing Cow per day. I buy the low fat creamy swiss. It is 35 cal per wedge with 2.5 g of protein per wedge.

I started out with 1/2 decaf and 1/2 regular, about a week after surgery. I'm two weeks out now and I allow myself 1 regular cup per day. This is against my doctor's orders (he said 3 mos without caffeine). I just make sure that I drink tons of water throughout the day. His biggest concern was dehydration. I can't be convinced that 1 cup of coffee is going to dehydrate someone who is drinking tons of water every day.

When you eat, are you focusing on Protein? I have been eating a lot cheese lately to get my protein in. It fills me up and stays with me. Good luck!

JeninCo, don't you think that over-eating is the real problem, for most people here? Not a hamburger here and there, or a slice of pizza, etc. - but the amount? In other words, a McDonald's burger is ok once a month, but not every other day. I have been a fatty for a long time and I stand by the theory that the most successful eating plans (for losing weight) are not all about carrot sticks and lean meats. They are about variety, moderation and exercise. Strict food limits, IMO, is a recipe for trouble.

This may not be much help, but my pre-op dietician told to eat three meals a day (no grazing!) and two snacks, and that the meals should be about 3/4ths cup in size (up to 1 cup). I was told to focus on proteins and produce. I was told not to count calories, and I am happy not to get into that because I think I would obsess. But I do see a lot of people here fretting about calories.

I started the infamous "Is Sucking on a chicken Nugget Cheating?" thread. Boy, did that stir things up on the boards... This has me roaring! LOL! I am glad you made it through ok. Not much of a pre op diet for me, here. They just told me to cut back on sweets and carbs. And then I was eating pureed food by the time I left the hospital. My doctor does things very differently from most here, I've found.

I don't think pizza is that horrible, Healthwise, if you stick to one slice and don't eat it daily. It combines a lot of different food groups that are considered healthy, in moderation. I also think the nice thing about the lapband is that you CAN eat most "normal" foods (and not live on chicken breasts and salads forever), and still lose weight. You just can't eat much. Living on "diet" foods and being very restrictive is, IMO, potentially problematic. For me, if I deprive myself entirely of any food that's not not completely weight-watcherish, I am going to deal with more cravings and weird eating behavior. Dislexi, what do you mean, eat 2 oz? I am under the impression that each meal (once healed) will be about the equivalent of 3/4ths cup.

Congealed cheese + carby crust = don't do it! I just envision a big gummy ball of chewed crud stuck in your new pouch. I think you are too early out for that. If you insist, only eat the topping (the cheese and meat, etc.) and leave the crust. Make sure your bites are about the size of a pencil eraser.

Berry, do you ever eat and just feel like you are no longer hungry? (vs. feeling "full"?) I haven't really felt "full" since right after my surgery (2 weeks out). But it doesn't take much before I feel satisfied / the hunger goes away.

I looove Advil, but I waited at least 10 days to take it. It can be hard on a stomach, especially after surgery. Liquid tylenol works pretty well (Walgreen's). I also recommend a heating pad. Good luck!

Are you talking about PRE surgery? If so -- I was told not to worry too much if I couldn't pee. My surgery wasn't until 11 am and I couldn't drink after midnight so I figured I wouldn't be able to pee. They said they could draw blood instead, to get the labs they needed (which was basically just a pregnancy test, just to be safe). Since I have great veins, I didn't fret. But I ended up being able to pee a little bit. Don't worry about it. If you are talking about post-surgery, I dunno. I was cath'd until about 7 pm. Some docs don't cath, some do. But not long after it was removed, I was up and peeing by myself. Not very much, though. You do retain a lot of Water after surgery.

It's not clear from your post but are you drinking enough fluids? I dumped the vicodin after about 36 hours. It just made me loopy and spacey. Can you go without it, and see if you feel any better?

I know you aren't super fond of the shakes, but I use them for Breakfast (sipping slowly) and have gotten used to them. I've found this to be a pretty good Protein concoction: 1/2 scoop chocolate Slim Fast, 1/2 scoop chocolate unjury powder, and 1 cup skim milk. The calorie count is about 200 and the protein count is 20 g. (10 g protein in the Unjury, 9 in the skim milk and 1 in the Slim Fast.) Another idea: Blend 1 prepackaged cup of sugar free Chocolate pudding (60 cal), about 1/4 cup skim milk (30 cal) and 1 full scoop unflavored Unjury (40 cal). That would give you 22 g of protein for about 130 calories. Also, IMO, you should be getting more like 60 g protein per day.

I have been afraid to try beef or chili with beef. I have heard so many people say they can't tolerate it.

I am in the mushy stage right now. I have pureed some tuna with a bit of light mayo and sweet pickle relish. It's ok. But I also hate the thought of pureed meat. I bought some liver paste (braunschweiger) but haven't opened it. To be honest, I've preferred to get my Protein from cheese (Laughing Cow light swiss cheese wedges - only 35 cal and 2.5 g protein!), refried Beans (pureed and heated, topped with pureed mild salsa and a few shreds of cheddar cheese - it's like eating an appetizer without the chips), and yogurt. I use sugar free vanilla yogurt with just a dab of strawberry jam. It's like a fruit parfait. I still use Protein shakes once a day too, primarily in the morning. You are right. Pureed meat is gross. When my kids were babies, I tried to give them baby food meat and they absolutely hated it. What was I thinking!?

I just left mine on until my first post-op appt. (6 days after surgery). I was freaked out about taking the bandages off and messing with stuff.

This is precisely why I avoid the scale. Mine is broken and I'm thinking that I won't get a new one any time soon. If possible, stop weighing yourself and don't compare to others. My doctor puts patients right onto mushies, post-op, so I know I've not lost nearly as much as others here who were banded when I was. I won't get weighed again until my first fill on 5-9. I am not filled either but I don't have a lot of hunger. Hopefully this will be he same for you. Good luck!