Rachel412

congratulations, I bet it feels amazing!

Congratulations!

Well... I tend to measure by volume, not weight. A pound is 16 ounces. A cup is 8 ounces. So 4 ounces of meat is about 1/2 a cup. My Breakfast is usually a container of greek yogurt with 2 or 3 spoonfuls of Kashi GoLean Cereal sprinkled on top. lunch can be a small can of chicken (mine are 3 ounces) mixed with low-fat mayo, and I use 5 or 6 celery sticks to scoop it up and eat it. dinner... it's a piece of meat about the size of a deck of cards and a cup or so of salad.

I have BCBS of PA. I did the 6 month supervised diet and once my paperwork was submitted, I was approved within 2 work days.

Well, it can't hurt to ask anyway. I don't think the doctor will prescribe it, but it might spark a good conversation between you.

Maybe you're just hungrier because you're recuperating from being sick?

Wow, you look AMAZING!!! (and by the way, there's no good reason to apologize for your before pictures, you look fine to me!)

I love reading banders' blogs I don't have one (not about banding anyway) but I just wanted to chime in!

I weigh daily too. My husband tells me not to but I can't help it Generally though, since I know it changed day to day, I count the losses but not the "gains". So if I'm up 2 pounds from the day before, I go "huh" and keep working at it and eventually it comes off again.

Oh good, I thought it was just me

There are a bunch of over-the-counter meds that will help with this. Are you banded? For how long? This is a new symptom? How long has it been going on? If this is a new thing for you and it's painful, you should call your doctor. Sometimes it's a sign of something else.

I didn't use anything special to clean my belly- they do that before they cut. I was just told no lotions or creams, only deodorant, no make-up. I think if you had the discipline to lose 50 before the surgery, you'll do great afterwards Make sure you have a heating pad waiting for you at home, it really helped me with the incision pain and gas pain after surgery. You will feel weak and sluggish for a couple of weeks, then you'll start to perk up.

I did! My surgeon always has people stay overnight, we do the barium swallow the next day. It was nice to get the pain pump and the nurses' help when I needed it.

I had a 6 month pre-op wait period and insurance said I had to see her 6 times, so I did. I still see her though, she's part of my surgeon's practice.

I think that's a great mindset to develop before your surgery. I think the magic bullet outlook often comes from surgeons who do not appropriately prepare their patients about how the band works and that they'll need to work along with it. My surgeon's office does support groups once a month, and they're mixed groups- pre and post ops, gastric bypass, band patients. And as a bander it can be really discouraging for me to sit there and hear a bypass person say "I had surgery in December and I've lost 100 pounds!" (and yes, I did hear that last month). I come home and wonder if I made the right choice- but once I think on it an hour or two I KNOW I did. The adjustability of the band, the accountability to myself, having to learn to train my eyes to see what a real portion is, slow and steady healthy loss... that's what *I* want!

Yes, it's all normal. Get your water, enjoy the lack of hunger while you can. And once you get your pipes working again, watch out, because water in=water out and you'll probably have the exact opposite problem of the one you're having now!

Honestly though, for those of you who gained... eating normally I'd probably gain a lot more than 5 pounds in a month, so even if you gained 5, that's still a success!!

Awww, thank you! I haven't told most people IRL about my band (just my immediate family and one friend) so I like hanging out here- I get to talk about the band and learn, learn, learn.

The hiccups are from irritation to your diaphragm, and they should go away when the swelling goes down. I'd definitely call my surgeon and ask for a stronger anti-nausea med, you really need to give your stomach a chance to heal! I'd lay on a heating pad for your back, or try sleeping in a recliner or on a lot of pillows so you're upright. And just a tip... my surgeon told me that patients who sleep a lot after surgery often become dehydrated because you're not awake to drink as much, so MAKE SURE you're getting all of your liquids in. I hope you feel better soon!

How did you order the samples? They sound great!

I think people who tend to have a lot of stuck episodes, PBing, vomiting are people who prefer to keep their bands very tight-- too tight. Of course there are also people who have problems from day one with the band- you just never know how your body will handle it until you get it.

Funny, I haven't seen that one at CVS... must be looking on the wrong shelf!

Great job Brenda!!

Avoid any food advertised on TV? I think that one's a little harsh... I eat greek yogurt, cheeses, beef, pork, chicken... they're all advertised on tv.

It's normal Don't beat yourself up. I did the same, sort of a panic, but when I had to follow the per-op diet, I did it.