Jenn1214

You're probably swollen from the fluids you had intravenously in the hospital. When I came home my fiance politely informed me that I had "sausage fingers" (he's lucky I was too weak to punch him!). I wouldn't worry about weight loss at this stage...concentrate on healing from surgery and learning how to eat again, and the weight loss will come!

Mine loosens up about a week to ten days before, then tightens back up again. Stupid PMS!

Hey all, I don't know if anyone else experiences this but most days after I work out I get a headache. It's really only at the front of my head and it's not unbearable, just weird. My trainer says it might be that I'm dehydrated but I drink water throughout. Anyone else have this issue?

I will be celebrating my one year bandiversary on March 14th. I am 68 pounds lighter than I was before the surgery. I have given up beer, soda, champagne, steak, biscuits, breadsticks, rice, fibrous fruits and veggies, and bread. However, that's nothing to what I have gained: normal cholesterol and triglycerides, no more acid reflux or back pain, more energy, greater self esteem...I could go on and on. This journey has not been easy, no matter what opponents of weigh loss surgery say. But I'd do it all over again without hesitation. I'd go through the shoulder pain, endless liquid diet, and all the rest of it every time. Good luck on your journey!

I worked for an gynecologist for a few years, and I learned that Depo is notorious for causing weight gain, the average being about 30 lbs. Most of the doctors in the practice would only consider it for women who had low normal BMIs. I would try to find another option if you can; you don't want to be behind the 8 ball before you're even banded.

It's hard at first, but you really just have to force yourself. My surgeon says drinking with meals is one of the number one reasons that the lap band doesn't work the way it's supposed to. I count the seconds until I can drink again after meals because I feel so thirsty sometimes, but I force myself to wait. It'll become second nature after a while, so hang in there!

My cycle was all out of whack after my surgery...my period was late and when I got it, I bled for almost 2 weeks. I was so freaked out I went to see my gyno. She said that the stress of surgery, as well as the strong antibiotics (just as a precaution) were enough to mess with my hormones. This is definitely one thing they don't warn you about before surgery!

I've never been able to see my port, but now that I've lost a good amount of weight I can feel it much more easily. No more leaning against the sink to wash the dishes!

I remember the gas pains...they hurt more than my incisions! I hate to be the bearer of bad news but nothing really helped mine either. I've heard people say that walking around a lot helps (plus it's good to prevent blood clots). The only thing that really helped me was lying on my left side as soon as I was able, but unfortunately it just takes time for the CO2 to metabolize. Hang in there, you'll feel better soon!

I lost weight quickly in the beginning because I was dropping water weight and I was on liquids. The week before surgery I lost 10 pounds on a full liquid diet. Since then I've lost 58 pounds in just about 11 months, which averages out to the recommended 1-2 pounds per week. I've been hitting the gym hard in the past month and while my weight loss is about the same, I'm losing more inches.

My trainer says you continue to burn calories up to two hours after a workout.

I always have my PA's voice in my head regarding portions: "Just because you CAN eat more doesn't mean you SHOULD." Usually I have little trouble controlling my portions, but when it's that special TOM it's like my band isn't even there. During those times, I really have to keep myself in check and watch what I'm putting in my mouth.

I have the same problem...when it's that time of the month, it's like "Band? What band?" It's very frustrating but the PAs at my surgeon's office say it's completely normal...urgh.

I hit a plateau that lasted about 6 weeks, so I knew something had to give. I was so frustrated I went as far as to have my thyroid checked (everything is fine). Last week I joined a gym and signed up with a trainer, and increased my protein and water intake. I stepped on the scale this morning and bam! Down 3 pounds! I also have a lot more energy, which is a great bonus. Take that, plateau!

My port is a couple inches below my belly button. I tend to lean up against the counter when I'm cooking and it hurts! I think it's because there's less fat around the port site to protect it, and I'm definitely not complaining about that!

I have no regrets. I have lost about 65 pounds since being banded and I know I couldn't have done it alone. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Sweets are big time trigger foods for me. Once I have a bite it's really hard for me to stop, so I don't keep them in the house and avoid them as much as possible. That's just me, of course it's different for everyone.

After months of my weight being stagnant, and my wedding quickly approaching, I did what I never expected to do...I joined a gym! My membership came with two free personal training sessions and I had my first one yesterday. The trainer did some fitness tests to see how I reacted to certain types of exercise and let's just say I did pretty pitifully. Today I'm in a nice amount of pain in my legs and abs, but I keep telling myself it can only get better from here. I plan to continue with the personal training so she can get me on the right track. She's thrilled with me already because a lot of her clients have trouble with their portions being too big and not getting enough protein in their diets, so I'm already a step ahead that way. Now I just have to whip my poor cardiovascular system into shape!

I've been noticing this recently: after eating, I start feeling very fatigued, to the point where I want to go take a nap. I'm not stuffing myself or anything. Anyone else have this problem? What could it mean?

When in doubt, call the doctor. It sounds like it could be normal drainage, but you never know. Signs of infection usually include redness, swelling, tenderness, and purulent drainage (pus) that has an unmistakable odor.

It seems like the only time I lose a significant amount of weight is when I'm on liquids. My fiance is having the lap band surgery in February so I plan to follow his post op diet with him for support. If I happen to lose weight in the process, only the better for me!

My fiance is scheduled for lap band surgery on February 15th. Everything was all set (we thought) until his surgeon's office called to confirm his pre op doctor's visit. They basically said "Oh and by the way, you need to do A, B and C again because the results are over a year old." Naturally my fiance got annoyed with them and asked why he was able to be scheduled for surgery when the results of these tests were outdated. The receptionist cheerfully replied "Oh, it must have been an oversight." Now he's scrambling around to try and get all these tests redone before his visit. He has already taken the time off of work, which was tough to begin with because of his job, so he can't afford to have the surgery rescheduled. Moral of the story: Be up your surgeon's backside and make sure their office has everything completely in order. They probably won't tell you there's a problem until it's too late to fix it and then you're the one who's screwed.

Definitely normal. Every time I have a fill my PA always reminds me that it can take a week or even two to really notice a difference.

I have gotten stuck twice on italian pretzels and once on a piece of bacon. I tried to eat a biscuit yesterday at Christmas dinner and had a tough time with it, so I probably won't be trying it again in the future. I avoid rice as a rule, although I've never had any trouble with it. Same thing with steak...I've never really been a steak person anyway. Eggs make me nauseous now for some reason. Not a fan of hamburger anymore either.

My mother in law always goes way overboard at Christmas, and amongst the myriad of other gifts I got, she gave me a few new tops. They were medium, so I figured I would be able to wear them in a few months. Just for kicks, I tried them on when I got home and to my utter shock, they fit! I am wearing one now as I type this. I love my lap band!