JerseyGirl80

Hi Kim, I'm sorry you do not have support at home , to get through this process and new lifestyle support is a necessity. That's the main reason this website is here, we are all in the same shoes, although some of us have more support than others. Remember, the decision to change Yourself and Your life, is Yours and Yours alone, nobody elses. I know it's difficult to do this, or anything when you are getting negative comments or energy from the ones you love and trust the most. I find most people that have said negative things to me are either uneducated about what exactly the lap band does, or they were my "enablers", and my "fat buddies" that don't want to be left behind. It's mostly because they aren't ready for change, we are creatures of habit, and some of us get a wake up call before others. And sometimes the negative things come from people who see being 20 pounds over their ideal weight as the end of the world and really have no idea what it's like to REALLY be fat, so they judge us for not being able to do it ourselves. Most people have no clue what it's like to feel hopeless and trapped in a big body every single day. If this is something you want, I'd suggest educating them on the positive things the band can bring. Take them to a seminar or your doctor appointments.. Get them involed, let them know this is something You want. If they are your friends or family and love you, they will take the time to put what ever pre conceived notions about it aside and open their minds a little. But if not, it's still ultimately your choice to do it or not to. Good luck to you, and remember this is about You, not them.

Hi Tony, I agree with everyone. The beginning, as much as we want it to be it's not really about losing weight. I was banded Dec 13th and my first fill is also on Jan 18th. I haven't lost much since my post-op liquid diet. I even gained 5 pounds over Christmas & New Years, thankfully 4 of the extra 5 are gone, but I am struggling to lose as well. I'm always hungry and can eat much more than I thought I'd be able to after surgery. But I've been doing my best to fill up on veggies and Proteins, staying away from the bad carbs, drinking all my Water and not having any liquid calories. I've also been working out when I can. Hang in there, I'm feeling discouraged myself and I'm very impatient! But we have to give the band a chance to do it's thing before we start regretting it.

I was banded Dec 13th, I lost 13 pounds on my liquid stage after surgery. I didn't start feeling any real hunger until about a week after surgery. The hunger was satisfied with liquids but after about a week and a half I was hungry for real food. Once I entered the "mushy" stage and ate food, all my cravings for junk, and the fantasies I was having about my favorite foods like burgers and any kind of fast food (which have been my drug of choice for years) were gone and healthy foods were good enough. Although, after 2 weeks I was able to eat like a normal person. I had no restriction after the initial swelling of my stomach went down. I was able to eat less than my old stomach would but was and still am able to eat ALOT more than I initially anticipated. After I started eating food (which was over Christmas and New Years) I gained almost 5 pounds back. At this point, 4 weeks out today, I am eating everything from Pasta to steak without any problems. But I am "dieting" and eating mainly veggies and meats along with my Protein shakes. I have lost 4 of the 5 pounds I gained over the holidays, thankfully. My Doc told me that until my I find my "sweet spot" (where the band is filled enough to keep me from eating too much and I'm comfortably losing weight), I have to really work at losing and keeping the weight off on my own until the band starts working for me. My first fill is Jan 18th, and I'm really hoping I feel a difference right away. Everyone is different, some people feel enough restriction from the get go, others need several fills before it's working for them. This can be a slow process for some of us, so be patient. So far since the beginning of my journey (seminar July 2010) I've lost 26 pounds, most of it on my own but motivated by the band. I'm feeling better already, so so far, I'd say it's worth it. Good luck to you!

Have you tried Pure Protein brand? I get them at Target, they come pre-made in cans, they're really the only ones I like. They also make powder but I haven't tried that yet. I add a can in the blender with some ice and frozen fruit. Chocolate and cookies and cream are pretty good, but I don't like the vanilla. The cans don't contain whey, I know that's usually recommended but I've been ok without it. It's the whey that tastes like crap! Any protein shakes I've tried containing whey have made me sick to my stomach, they're just disgusting to me so I refuse to drink them. I've also tried some kind of protein shot, it was grape flavor, it was the most disgusting thing I've even tasted in my life. I was only able to drink maybe a quarter of it and tossed it, yuck!

Hello, I'm in the same boat. I've lost 25lbs since the start of my process to date. My surgery was Dec 13th. I gained a few pounds over the holidays. I am eating less making healthy choices, also exercising and still having trouble losing. Don't get discouraged, from reading alot on these forums this seems to be the norm for a lot of us. As everyone is different some lose right away and some take a few "fills" to start feeling enough restriction to jump start our weight loss. Hang in there and be patient. Your body is also still healing, don't push yourself too much or start regretting the surgery already. This is a slow process. If you are gaining significant amounts of weight back, you should talk to your Doc and/or nutritionist. Cheer up! Your journey has just begun!

I had my surgery Dec 13th, I didn't work that week and took off the following Monday, even though I planned to go back that day. I returned to work the next day, Dec 21st, but only worked half days the 21st, 22nd and 23rd, we had off the 24th and a snow day the 27th, so I really took it easy getting back into things. I have a desk job, and those half days were more than enough for me. I was happy to be out of the house, but I felt really tired. I had to keep getting up to walk around the office because my bra was rubbing against one of my incisions and I have a tendency to press my stomach against my desk so that was really irritating me. I was very uncomfortable for the most part sitting in my normal work position. I have returned full time back to work and I'm still feeling a little tired but I noticed I'm feeling much better this week. My incisions are still a tad bothersome because of sitting at my desk but other than that I'm ok. Hang in there and don't push yourself, you are still healing,take as much time as you need to recover and remember everyone is different we all heal at different paces. So I guess it's taken me about 3 weeks to start feeling more like myself. Hope you feel better soon!

Welcome Courtney ! I also have PCOS so I know what hell it is and how frustrating it can be to workout, diet and get no where. Good luck with your journey!

Same for me, but I did have to answer about 100 questions on a scan-tron about myself.

I've always drank at least 64oz of water a day, one habit I was able to keep after years of doing weight watchers. But somedays I just don't want it. Sometimes I use crystal light packets, I only use half a packet per 16oz because it's a little too sweet for me. What I've been loving lately is True Lemon, it's basically crytalized lemon flavor, it tastes like u just sqeezed some fresh lemon in your water. For my protein I throw it in a blender with some ice and a little frozen fruit. When I was on just liquids I had this 3xs a day and that gave me 72 grams of protein. I'm still having this every morning for breakfast.

We are here for eachother! We don't want to shut out our loved ones, but sometimes it's easier to talk to others that are going through the same things. We need this little place on the web!

Loving everyday ~ I agree with Mommy2P. I have a similar situation going on with my bestfriend, we are as close as sisters could be, but it's very hard. I try not to even bring up my band, or eating or working out unless she asks, because I feel like I'm rubbing it in, even though I'm not. It's normal to want to talk about this because this journey is so exciting, of course we want share it with our bestfriends and sisters and who ever will listen, but we also have to know when to keep things to ourselves or keep it between other bandsters. Your sister is probably feeling left behind, or maybe she's used to being the skinnier sister and now it's looking like she won't be. This may sound terrible but somewhere in her head it probably made her feel a little better knowing that you were bigger than her, not that she felt this way to be mean, but it's just how things are sometimes. I can only imagine that this could really upset someone. I've always been bigger than most of my friends, and all of my family members, but sometimes (this is awful of me, I know) I felt a little relieved that I wasn't the biggest person out of my circle of friends. Unfortunately we all have terrible body images of ourselves, no matter how big or small we are, and us women really put ourselves through hell trying to subconsciously keep up with one another. I'm sure she is happy for you, and just sad for herself. I don't think it's really about jealousy, that's too harsh of a word, it's more like her being out of the spotlight and most likely hearing how great you are doing from every angle. Hearing all that is probably just reminding her of her failures and her weight struggles. But do not feel bad about this. You have done something wonderful for yourself and you should be proud. Eventually your sister will come around.

For me blood work, an EKG, a chest X-ray, a psych evaluation, and meeting with a nutritionist was all that was required by my insurance (Aetna). I did not have to get an EGD. Some insurances do require it and some require a stress test, mine didn't. These tests may also have to do with your overall health level, size, or age, for example if you have upper GI problems or heart conditions your Doc may order them just to be safe.

I used to be so tired and cranky if I didn't have my coffee in the morning. But since my surgery 3 weeks ago, losing a little bit of weight and quitting it (for now) I haven't felt the need for it. I thought I was going to get crazy. My nutritionist also recommended to limit it once I was allowed caffeine again due to dehydration. Instead I've been drinking sugar free hot chocolate at work the last few days, it probably does have a little caffeine but not as much as coffee and it tastes much better. I guess it's a mental thing, I need something hot to drink in the mornings and the hot chocolate is a good substitute for me.

This really annoys me, my surgeon vaguely mentioned this at my last appointment a few days before my surgery (which was Dec 13th 2010). I was so excited and nervous about the surgery that this just went in one ear and out the other until I started reading things on the forum. I thought something was wrong with me, I thought "Oh God am I such a pig that I'm starving and can still eat with a band?!" but no, I guess I'm normal. I would have really liked to be aware of this before hand. I went into this thinking I was finally going to have some control of my eating right away. I knew I would have to do a lot on my part too and it's not all the bands job to make me thinner but if I had warning I would have been more prepared for my "dieting" instead of being thrown into it. I guess it's my fault for not getting on the forums sooner and learning as much as I could from other bandsters. My Doctor gave out more information than anyone could consume, but this very important detail was just like "oh and by the way...." at the last minute, they got some nerve! Poo on these Doctors!

Hey! I'm 30 and a crazy cat lady too hahaha! Good luck getting things rollings, the anticipation of approval and the waiting for your surgery day is the worst part. I had mine done Dec 13th, things are going well so far.

Welcome RhondaR, My surgery date was December 13th so I'm right with you! I've actually moved along past the pureed stage and I'm eating regular foods. My doctor said it was ok as long as I chewed really well and stayed away from tough meats for at least another week. You sound like you are doing great, keep it up!

Thanks for posting this. I have the exact same thing going on for me. I read this and thought, "did I post this?" lol. I had my surgery 3 weeks ago and I can pretty much eat anything and almost as much as I could eat before. I drink diet soda and can even handle eating meat and some bread. I do get fuller faster but I'm still eating ALOT. I lost 13lbs after surgery and I gained 4 over Christmas and New Years. I lost 2 pounds as of this morning though. From what I've been reading on here the lack of restriction is normal. We may not feel any restriction until after a few fills, until we find that "sweet spot" as they call it, when there's just enough of a fill so that we are comfortable but only eating about 4oz of food. I really don't think you will hurt the band as long as you chew really well and don't over do it.. I too am starving every few hours after eating, it's so frustrating!. I'm trying my hardest to make healthy choices to keep my weight down until my band is where it should be. Just hang in there!

Welcome to the site! My boyfriends mother is in her mid 60s, she had the lap band put in May 2010, everything went well with her surgery. She's losing very slowly, as she has arthritis in her knees she has not been able to work out until recently. She has lost about 50 pounds and is finding it much easier to get around and do things. She's looking fabulous and no longer has high blood pressure. This week I'm getting her to work out a little with me, we will be doing Leslie Sansone's walk at home DVDs, they are great for any fitness level. I'm excited to get her moving, as well as myself. I just had my band surgery on Dec 13th and everything has gone well so far. I find it a little odd that your doctor was pushing the bypass on you. My doctor asked me what I wanted, he didn't push anything on me at all. If anything he asked what I thought would be right for me and my lifestyle after he explained all options to me in great detail. It's your body and your decision, he can make suggestions but it really is your choice as to what you want to do with your body. Good luck to you and I hope everything goes well!

I like muscle milk light but only the chocolate flavor, vanilla tastes fake and strange to me. These come pre-made in boxes (like a juice box), I haven't tried the powder. But as far as protein goes, I prefer Pure Protein in the cans because they have much more protein, again I prefer their chocolate flavors and cookies and cream over the vanilla. The Pure Protein vanilla is really gross! Anyone try throwing their protein shakes in the blender with a little bit of frozen fruit and some ice? It's much more filling than just drinking it straight from the can/box and it's so yummy!

Congratulations! I don't share your surgery date but I was just banded on December 13th, so I'm just starting this journey too. I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

I have a bestfriend too that has been pulling away. We've been friends since freshman year in high school, we are now 30. I had my surgery and it took her 3 days to text me to see how I was doing. All of my other friends were texting and calling my boyfriend the day of the surgery to see how it was going. But nothing from her but a lousy text 3 days later. We don't talk or see eachother like we used to before I started making changes in my life. I was upset for a moment, until I really thought about it. I hope what I'm going to say makes sense. For years her and I were fat together, we ate together, binged together, took comfort in eachother, we even would work out and lose some weight together when we'd get on a health kick once or twice a year.. Then after a while, we'd gain the weight back together and give up on ourselves, together. The mentality between us was "I'm fat, but you're fat too so it's ok, at least I'm not alone". We kind of put this wall around ourselves, so when one of us changed it was inevitable that it would be hard on the other person. There no excuse to not be supportive, but how could I not expect it and not understand it? I'm not being selfish about this, and I'm realizing she's feeling left behind. She has not gotten to the point that I have, her mentality is still in that comfort zone we trapped ourselves in, so maybe she's a little angry, sad or upset. I can't say that I wouldn't feel the same way if I was still stuck in my fat comfort zone and my misery partner got up and left me to do better for themself when we've done everything together for so long. I don't know if anyone else has had a relationship like this, which obviously was a damaging one because all we did was enable eachother, but stop and think a minute before you judge a friend that you feel has not been acting the way you think they should be, in their mind there may be some reason. They aren't acting this way to hurt you, maybe they're acting this way because they're hurting. I know my friend is happy for me deep down inside, but that doesn't make it easy for her and her feelings right now. She'll get over it and she'll realize it's just silly, and I hope she will do something to help herself lose the weight too one day. She needs some time to get used to the idea that I'm making strides to do better by me and I have to be sure not to change my inside while my outside changes.

I had my surgery on a Monday and by Wednesday I had a decent BM, it didn't take long for me. My doctor suggested taking Maalox if I had trouble going, luckily I didn't.

Hello and welcome. Just remember it is your body and your life, so in the end it is your decision. I hear from people all the time "oh you can't do it yourself?" or "so you're taking the easy way out" and I tell them, if I could have lost the weight myself, I would have, and it's not "easy", maybe easier, but the weight is not magically going to fall off with the band. I don't know if your family members struggle with weight, but I find that most people that don't are the ones that like to make us feel like failures for not being able to do it ourselves. I try not to dwell on the negative things, I have no support from my family, all my support comes from my bestfriends, my boyfriend and his family. My boyfriends mother got banded in May, she's doing well, very slowly losing but she's feeling better, looking better and getting around much better. She is 65 yrs old and also has arthritis (which the weight loss is helping). She had high blood pressure and was off her meds for it in less than a month after surgery. So losing definitely helps with those ailments. I'm 30 years old and I've been on a diet for at least 15 years, yo-yoing and making myself crazy trying to be "normal", I never strived for "skinny" just "normal" and could never quite get there. Now that I'm getting a little older, dropping any weight is seeming to be more impossible, and my health was starting to suffer because of it. I just got my band on Dec 13th, so I don't know how well it will work for me, but I know I made a good decision for right now, I'm feeling better already and I've lost 13lbs. Good luck to you and remember whatever choice you make should be for you and no one else.