Rachel412

Don't give in to temptation anymore. You have post-op diets for a reason, you don't want to pull any stitches around your band. Chew some gum if you really want something to chew. You're almost out of this part of it!

4 weeks is plenty and yes, you'll be able to have a drink or two- just know that the alcohol might hit you a lot faster after surgery than it does now.

I don't think being able to feel the food go through has anything to do with restriction- I've been able to feel it since I got banded. I feel food and drinks going down, and anything coming up. But I don't think most people feel the same way.

Down to 236 from 238 last week

Right now I'm what I consider to be my green zone. Yes, I feel the food pass through the band as I eat (always have though). When I'm done eating, I often feel a sensation that is similar to what "full" felt like pre-band. It's sort of a pressure... kinda hard to understand. If I over-eat, I have that same feeling but much stronger and it's really uncomfortable, so much so that I'm more careful with my portions so I don't have to deal with it. I stay full for about 5 hours. In fact, I haven't been hungry much at all since this last fill, so I do need to make sure I eat my meals. I have never been stuck or PB'd. If I stay at this level I will be very, very happy.

Pain for the first couple of weeks after surgery is totally normal. It's not hunger- when your hunger returns, it'll feel exactly like you're used to feeling. I didn't start feeling good again until 2 weeks past surgery... in fact, I'd say days 9-10 were my lowest point because I had so little energy and was still pretty sore.

I absolutely think it's possible to be addicted to sugar/carbs. I have PCOS which means (among other things) that my body doesn't process insulin correctly. So being insulin resistant, every time I have sugar or a carb, my body gets confused and asks me for more, and more, and more. That's an oversimplification but you know what I mean At this point, I really think your best bet is to avoid your trigger foods altogether. I'd get some sugar-free flavored syrup and you can use that to sweeten yogurt, or cottage cheese, and it'll feel like a sweet treat but it's still healthy.Some days I can have a small cookie or a bite of brownie and be fine... and some days just one bite sends me down a path of eating everything in sight. I wish I had a magic solution, 'cause I'd use it too!

I think a good goal weight is where YOU feel good, and healthy, but not too thin. The BMI charts are helpful to pick a number but I do think in general, BMI is a load of crap so don't get too caught up in those numbers. Congrats on your great loss so far!

The way I see it is, right away you usually lose after surgery, and then your body has a hissyfit. I think of it like a 3 year old having a temper tantrum. You body says "I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND I REFUSE TO LOSE WEIGHT UNTIL I FIGURE THIS OUT!!!"

I weigh daily but I only ever count the downs, not the ups. I know our bodies fluctuate wildly from day to day so I don't stress if I'm up 1-2 pounds from the day before.

It's not going to change the level of how hungry you feel, but it should make it so once you eat a small meal, you're not hungry again for 4-5 hours. If I was in your position, I'd get another small fill.

This part really sucks for most people, and you just need to get through it. We all do. Do what your doctor told you, try different ways to make your shakes, maybe get some new flavors. I'm rooting for you!

Hi Greg! Are you getting stuck when you eat solid foods? Are you having 2 shakes a day because you can't get food down? Sounds to me, first of all, like you're not getting enough protein- you need to ditch the Slim Fast and get yourself some protein drinks that are low carb. If you're having problems eating solid food, you need an un-fill. You should be getting most to all of your calories from solid foods, not drinks. One shake a day is OK if you're having it in place of breakfast, but two a day isn't good.

I brought p.j. pants to wear in the hospital once the surgery was over. I also brought slippers but didn't use them since they gave me slipper socks. I also brought my laptop so I could chat on facebook when I was having trouble sleeping.

you did the right thing. if you can't get liquids down, you're too tight.

No, they go right through your stoma. If they dissolved before they got there you'd have a LOT of patients with erosion problems. So it depends on the size of the pill and what you can tolerate. I can swallow my glucosamine, which I consider to be pretty large... but it does feel like a tight squeeze as is goes through my band. So no, you don't HAVE to get chewables, but really, the more of your Vitamins and pills you can get in chewable or liquid form, the easier it'll be for you. If a pill gets stuck in your stoma, it can do a lot of damage while it dissolves.

That was an interesting read

An adjustment might help you feel full sooner if you over-eat, yes. But you shouldn't be relying on the feeling of being full to control your eating. There's a link in my sig about the myth of restriction with the band that might help you.

Aquazumba?!? Wow, this is the first I've heard of it!

good luck today!

I agree with the others that you sound too tight, especially since you can't eat until the afternoon. Get a small unfill and enjoy your trip

Oh man Well if the stitches on your port gave way, I don't think you'd feel a difference up in your chest where your band is placed. The results from the x-ray were normal? How much of a fill do you have? By you saying you can eat less and less, I'm thinking you need an un-fill, but I'd assume your surgeon would have done this automatically when you told him that you were so uncomfortable. I'm sorry you're so miserable If I were you I'd also be looking into a revision. What good is weight loss if you're constantly in pain and miserable?

You're looking fabulous!!

I do the Fiber Choice chewables, 4 a day, plus I use Splenda with fiber in my hot drinks. Makes a big difference for me.

Hiya! The feeling you need to look for isn't "full", it's "not hungry anymore". The feeling you're probably used to as "full" back before you were banded was really over-full. It's a little tricky to learn to recognize that "not hungry" feeling, and it's even harder to listen to it and walk away from food, which is why generally we're told to measure out our food and stop eating when it's gone.