Rachel412

My doc says 60-80 g a day. I know some people do more, I'd imagine that'd be fairly hard as a vegetarian without ODing on soy!

Hmm. I didn't have a pre-op diet and I came through it just fine. Heck, those first couple of days you're so drugged up that you don't notice any cravings anyway You can do it if you want! But I don't really think it's necessary.

Yes, it HELPS you lose weight, but it doesn't do the work for you. YOU still choose what, and how much, you put in your mouth. Once a band gets filled to a good spot it'll help you feel satisfied quickly and for some people, it'll stop them from overeating. Other people quickly learn to "eat around the band" and don't lose weight. It's not a miracle cure, it doesn't do the work for you. As you'll hear a million times, it's a tool!

Gosh, I'm sorry, that all just sounds horrible

This surgery isn't a scam, but it also isn't a quick fix or a miracle cure. And if you have a surgeon who is lying to you and leading you to expect that it is, you'll definitely have problems and be disappointed!

My experience is good and I'm glad I have it, but I think you're going to have a very hard time getting approved for surgery with such a low BMI.

I know very little, but if you go look on obesityhelp.com you'll see a lot of banner ads for surgeons in Mexico. I'll warn you that the band needs a lot of care after surgery to work correctly, so you'll still need to find a local doctor to work with unless you live close to the country you get surgery in.

No more eating tonight! Make yourself hot tea. Lots of it. Drink it until you go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day and you can write today off as a mistake. However, if you keep having hungry days, maybe it's time for a fill!

Yay, I'm so happy for you!

I don't think that they're necessarily treating you badly, but if you aren't comfortable with them, DEFINITELY find a new practice! You'll be spending a lot of time there after surgery and you really need to trust them and feel comfortable.

Banders don't have any problems with malabsorption. We can have a hard time swallowing medium to large pills, but I know for sure that anti-depressants are not a reason for you to not get the band! I'm glad your mends are so helpful and your bipolar is under control

Oh no! Well, I guess if you're going to have a problem, that's a good one to have

That's great news! I'm glad the unfill made a big difference and you're feeling better. I'm also glad you stuck up for yourself and went in to see him!

Gosh I don't know. I'd call your doctor.

My doc does 4-5cc on the first fill. I wouldn't think of it as being your sweet spot yet- you need to live with it a couple of weeks and see how it settles. I just don't want you discouraged if the swelling goes down and it doesn't seem to be helping! If it's helping to keep you full 4-5 hours, it's doing it's job. If you're PBing and sliming all the time, it's too tight.

Hey, welcome!

I was banded about 6 weeks ago. Since then I've lost 24 pounds (35 total), gone back to the gym, and totally changed my diet. My husband and I are leaving on a week long cruise this Friday and I had NO summer clothes to wear that didn't look like stuff I'd owned for 10 years (because well... most of my stuff... it's old!) so I went shopping yesterday. My pant size has been pretty much the same forever because even if my hips are smaller, my thighs are still huge. Anyway. I usually buy 24s for pants, but yesterday I comfortably fit into 20s! That's almost an 18, and NORMAL stores carry 18s! My shirt size went down too, from a 22-24 to an 18-20 and I even got one 14-16 that looked cute on me. WOO HOO!

Yeah, I agree that 3 lbs. a week is very attainable in the beginning, but the smaller you get, the harder it is to get pounds off. Don't set yourself up for disappointment

I think the outfit you're planning on taking is perfect. I stayed overnight so I also brought PJ pants to wear under my johnny. I had to be completely naked for my surgery except for the socks the hospital gave me. My port is kinda high up on my chest, like under my rib cage, so it's best I didn't have a bra on, but I put it on once I was settled in my room post surgery.

I didn't have a pre-op diet but the surgeon's staff warned me not to eat a "last supper" and stuff my face. They said "trust me, when he gets you open, he'll know". And I guess it makes sense, all that food would still be in your system somewhere... so don't do it. ESPECIALLY if you're been on a liquid diet, it'll be so obvious. We ordered chinese food on the night before my surgery and it was disgusting. I barely ate any of it

Well, it might be... it depends on every school. How much do you weigh? At 250 in college I was able to fit in the chairs with the desks attached.

Oh that stinks!

Have you tried cutting your food into smaller bites and putting down your fork and knife while you chew? I've been known to count chews, too.

Most people don't hit their best level of restriction until they've had at least 3 fills. It's a slow process in the beginning, so yes, you're normal. Now's the time to train your brain to dish out and eat smaller portions, even if you're still hungry afterwards. You'll be glad you did once you get to a good fill level.

Uhhhh no We're on a tight grocery budget and honestly, it hasn't shrunk any, because I'm still buying the same amount of meats and fruits & veggies- the stuff I avoid now is all the cheap stuff! And anyway, the cost of my fiber and vitamin C and chewable multivitamins sure eats up whatever "savings" I might have