Allison0927

i'm going through the same thing - i was banded 7/5 - i lost 13 pounds on the 14 day pre-op and 7 in the first week after surgery. I have lost nothing since and gained almost a pound back. i moved to soft foods on the 8th day following surgery - I HAVE NOT CHEATED ONCE! i've stayed at my dr. recommended 800-900 calories per day - plus i have been doing cardio - treadmill and swimming. I did 3000 calories per day and no exercise prior to banding - i do not understand the scale at all AND AM SO FRUSTRATED I COULD SCREAM OR CRY!!!! how on earth am i doing this well with food and exercise and only gaining rather than losing???????????

LOL i always joke with my husband that if i'm ever playmate of the month and get to list my pet-peeves - my number one is "eating anything for shock value" - this includes eating contests and those strange food shows where they eat like gourmet bugs and such.

i'm forced to be sober by the surgeon's restrictions - couldn't drink during 14 day pre-op diet - cannot drink 6-8 weeks following surgery during healing. I'm looking forward to my first drink after healing. I may end up pretty much quitting drinking though or only doing it every great once in a while because on the dr.'s 800 calorie per day diet - it leaves very little room for the calories from alcohol (even though i would only do a shot of absolute mixed with crystal light - the fewest calories possible). Best of luck to you!

UPDATE: I am now 11 days out and the gas is GONE! I am soooooo happy about that! That was the worst part of the whole experience. But it's over. The appetite is back in a way. Because I've now been dieting for so long I think the stomach is just used to less food and I'm not nearly as hungry as I would be normally. But, at least on the surface, I feel fully healed and as if I never had the surgery. I suppose the changes will hit me when I start getting fills. But for now, I feel like my normal self on a diet. That's ok though since I know there is light at the end of the tunnel (i.e., fills are coming). I started walking on the treadmill the other day. I plan to do it at least 5 days a week - 30-60 minutes each time. One other unpleasant but not entirely unexpected development: I have not eaten one bad thing or gone over my calories at all since starting the pre-op diet through today. I even started walking. BUT, my weight loss has basically frozen. I have not gained but I have not lost in the last week. I have basically hovered between 256.2 and 256.8. Back and forth for the last 5-7 days. I know this is "normal" and I did go from liquid to mushies (but the calories have stayed the same). Just letting everyone know that this truly happens (the no loss or plateau early on even though we are strictly adhering to the diet/physician instructions). I will be much more smiley when the scale starts moving again to reward me for being the perfect little bandster (sigh), But, again, the bright side is I am completely back to normal 11 days out of surgery so there's hope for anyone suffering the short-term effects of surgery. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL!!!!!!

if fruit and/or yogurt are available i would go for that. I am a lacto ovo vegetarian (no meat or seafood at all) - i eat dairy but i have always hated eggs (eggs mixed into something is ok - but plain eggs or an omelette no way). I will be having the same trouble as you (i just haven't been to a restaurant for breakfast since starting my pre-op diet). Some restaurants have oatmeal - i may try that. Otherwise, you are in a pickle. Maybe a protein shake before you leave for the restaurant and then get coffee and fruit at the restaurant? Or, unsweet cereals (i.e., special K, Kix, bran flakes) are decent. That's really all i can think of.... (unless it's a buffet and you can get lunch foods - salad etc.) Remember, restaurants are about conversation and good company not the food.

GOOD LUCK! parties and such are the hardest part of this but i will say this - you are probably way more conscious of not eating/drinking alcohol than other people are of noticing you not eating/drinking. There are ways to avoid scrutiny by walking around with a plate with a little food on it or a drink cup in your hand (just put water/crystal light in it). Don't worry - and if anyone asks why you aren't drinking alcohol - do what i did when i first learned i was pregnant but before we started sharing the news with others - tell the person you had a little too much to drink the night before and can't do it again today - any drinkers will understand that and back off LOL!

I take one chewable Centrum (with iron) per day - and one scoop of powdered calcium citrate per day which i mix in with crystal light and Water. That's all our surgeon requires.

i'm 10 days out today and i would say by days 8 and 9 i was feeling more like myself. The gas was TERRIBLE around days 3 through 6 or 7. So incredibly painful - way worse than i expected or read about even on this site. But it finally did disappear. I never thought it would but it did. You will feel better it's coming any day.

my dr. said 6-8 weeks after surgery before having alcohol - each doc different. trust me i'm counting down the days.

GREAT JOB!!!! keep up the great work =)

I agree with what you said at the end about obviously NOT weighing daily was not working. I find that whenever in the past that i've been being "good" or dieting I would weigh every day. whenever i went through "i don't care" periods - weeks and months at a time - when i didn't diet or exercise - i didn't weigh because i didn't want to know and i was afraid to. Weighing daily - as frustrating as it can be - keeps me in line. It just does. So we all have to remember -do what's best for YOU because you're the one that has to live with this and you will answer to you for your success or failures. BEST OF LUCK!!!

this post could have come from me - except the gain was a .2 instead of a .8. I was banded 7/5 - been weighing every day and seeing a loss every day - even if the loss is only a .4 or .2. Then today i gained a .2 after doing everything by the book - i was so disappointed. But, this afternoon I got my period and now i know why the .2 gain. In fact, it should have been more than a .2 gain given past experience with the time of month gain - so that tells me that i actually "lost" again. Everyone says not to weigh every day - but i know me - i will anyway. did you just move from liquids to mushies/soft foods? if so that can account for a gain too according to many posters. In any event - there are going to be gains and losses if we weigh daily - it's the price we pay - instant gratification or disappointment instead of having to wait a week for the weight.

My understanding is that whether there is a 6 month supervised diet for UHC plans goes by EMPLOYER - employers have different plans.

wannabe - when were you banded? I was banded 7/5 and am entering the bandster hell part where i'm healed (or feel healed) and yet i haven't had a fill - so i'm trying to follow an 800 calorie diet with no restriction (pure will power). I am "able" to eat the same amount as before surgery but i am not - i'm sticking to the diet and hoping my fills kick in soon. Are you really only able to eat the small cup of food with no restriction yet? that's good - but i don't get it????

wannabe - when were you banded? I was banded 7/5 and am entering the bandster hell part where i'm healed (or feel healed) and yet i haven't had a fill - so i'm trying to follow an 800 calorie diet with no restriction (pure will power). I am "able" to eat the same amount as before surgery but i am not - i'm sticking to the diet and hoping my fills kick in soon. Are you really only able to eat the small cup of food with no restriction yet? that's good - but i don't get it????

it could be that you are not eating enough calories - eating under the calories can cause the body to go in starvation mode and you lose nothing. Also - have you been working out? if you are working our and/or you are eating the correct amount of calories - then this sounds like an issue for your doc/nutritionist and don't be shy about asking lots of questions. Best of luck.

try to get the prescriptions filled ahead of the surgery - you will not feel like going anywhere right after the surgery and will want your liquid pain meds.

the good news is your surgery is still far enough away that you can undo any "damage" (real or imagined). I was banded 7/5 - i have avoided movies since starting the pre-op diet specifically because i know that i would not enjoy the experience without my popcorn (layered butter, of course) and would be tempted by the smell of popcorn. Lesson learned for you - either don't go to the movies or don't go anywhere where you may have to go that long before the next snack/shake/meal - one thing i've been learning is that PLANNING AHEAD is a huge part of this whole thing - no more eating "whatever i can grab" on the fly - and no more being stuck with no food options so that i binge like crazy when i finally do get ahold of food. Buck up - you will be fine - this too shall pass.

i didn't have any supervised diet either - i have UHC and it took me 3 months from attending seminar to banding -my surgery was last week. You can get it done within that time frame as long as you schedule your appts as soon as possible - best of luck to you!!!

good post - i love it!!!

also sounds like you may not be getting enough calories - count them out and stick within your doc's guidelines - not eating enough causes body to hold onto them in starvation mode.

love the part about the buffet - lol!

excellent job - keep up the good work!

THAT IS AWESOME - TOO FUNNY I LOVE IT!

great blog - lots of good thoughts and info!