lorena st

Ask your dad to define "normal"? I assume the normal way is to exercise and count calories. If you are like most people on this site, you have tried and failed (usually numerous times) at normal. As Cindy C stated earlier, yoyo dieting is very harmful to your physical, and I would add, mental health. At this point you are choosing to be healthy over normal. Perhaps in 6 months to a year, when you have successfully lost weight, your family will be more supportive of your choices. If not, you will have to wonder why they would prefer you to be obese and "normal".

My favorite mushie food was Jugo Juice protein shakes (I could only manage to drink half of one, which is about 170 calories). Tropical mango was the best! Low calorie, great taste and very healthy...who could ask for more.

Congrats on the weight loss! What a good idea to start a pre-diet, diet. I remember the first 3 days of the pre-surgery diet were miserable, because I was so hungry. You will hopefully avoid this. Dr. M will be very impressed with your committment and the weight loss!

Congratulations...this gives me something to look forward to. I have just been banded for 3 weeks and only lost 3 pounds since surgery and was getting discouraged. Thanks for the good news. I hope in 6 months, I will have lost that much weight. Keep up the good work!

I think a lot of people, especially strangers or co-workers, are uncomfortable commenting on other peoples appearance and so it should be. For all they know, you could be ill. I think everyone has heard a story of an obese person being asked when the baby is due or the bald guy being teased when he undergoing chemotherapy or the mother being quizzed on the parentage of her children. Better safe, than sorry...when you comment on peoples appearance (especially people you don't know very well). So your lack of comments, could be due to the fact that people are just trying to be polite.

Benefibre is working for me...I am now as regular as clockwork! I take 1 tsp. in a glass of water in the morning and in the evening. Benefibre has no taste and does not affect the water in any way (no thickening). You can mix it with any liquid (including your protein shakes). Good luck.

I agree with all the other posters but have something else to add. My doctor had another patient who did not follow the diet, but didn't tell him. Her surgery was the day after mine and she was 4 hours in surgery instead of 1 hour (like me). Her liver had not shrunk and they almost abandoned the surgery after they started. They carried on and finished it, but she did have some post-surgical complications from the anesthetic. Had they abandoned the surgery, she would have had to pay again, to have the surgery re-sheduled (this would have cost an additional $16,000 to $17,000 dollars in Canada). Are you prepared for those risks? Be honest and upfront with your surgeon. He wants you to have a successful surgery, as much as you do. He may still go ahead with the surgery, but he needs to know what you have been up to.

My vote is to tell who you want to tell and not be pressured into doing something you do not want to do at this time. This is a private, medical procedure and not everyone needs to know about it. At this point in time, my husband, my doctors and this forum know I have had the surgery. My kids, my parents, my co-workers and my friends do not know, but that could change with time...I get to decide the timing. And to those people that you have shared this information...they need to learn how to respect a confidence (this is their problem to sort out, not yours). My main reason for not sharing, is the fact that I have failed so many times in the past at losing weight. This is a pretty drastic solution to what most of my friends and family think could be more easily and cheaply sorted out. I disagree with that opinion, but that is my problem to sort out.

I was banded on the 17th. The surgery went well and I am healing quickly. I had gas pains for a couple of days after surgery, but the gasex and codeine took care of that pain very quickly. Amazingly, the surgical scars didn't hurt at all, although I can feel the port, it doesn't hurt. Had a major problem with constipation and my family doctor sorted that out yesterday (what a saint!). What a difference a day makes, I feel like normal again and nothing hurts (yeah!). I'm on mushy food (had a poached egg and a small amount of mashed potato for breakfast). I'm managing to eat 700 to 800 calories of food per day but I'm not all that hungry. The Jugo Juice protein shakes are awesome, but I could only manage to drink about half of one of them. My goal is to take up scuba diving again, like in about 6 months (as I was not comfortable doing it at my current weight) and do some major hikes in our nearby Rocky Mountains, next summer. Also I would like to rejoin Masters Swim Club (something I did for years, but as I got larger, I stopped going) by next spring. I think that is enough goals for one day.

I can relate. I am one week post surgery and was in a lot of pain. I went to my physician today and had to have the impacted stool removed manually (this is as bad as it sounds! but I feel so much better now). At this point I am having 1 teaspoon of benefiber in water/juice/milk after each meal. Hopefully this resolves the issue and does not allow it to get to the severely impacted stage again. Please see your doctor and see what he/she recommends, especially if this is a long term and/or recurring issue.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried the milk of magnesia, but not much success. I will try the yoghurt tomorrow.

I am 1 week post banding and have been suffering for constipation. It started 3 weeks ago with the pre-surgery diet. I am drinking lots of water, but I am still on the mushy food diet. What would you recommend?

Glad to hear all is well. My surgery went well, but it took me a few days to start feeling better. I go back to work today, too. I hope that I make it through the day. Good luck to you at work and I hope the day goes well. I didn't see much of Vancouver, as I flew in on Sunday night and after surgery, didn't feel like going out. The weather was great and I will go back to see the sights next year. I go to see the doctor in two weeks, but I suspect that I am a few weeks away from my first fill. I haven't been hungry at all, but I assume that will change. Finished the liquid diet week and I am now starting the mushy food week...yeah! Good luck with week two and I'm looking forward to solid food week 3.

Hey...Just checking in...How did your surgery go? I hope it went smoothly. Good luck with the next week of recovery. I'm now banded and starting to feel a bit better.

Hi, I'm getting banded on October 17th and starting week 2 of the protein shake and veggie diet (minor slip up yesterday, had small portion of turkey (it is Thanksgiving in Canada!) instead of a protein shake. It sure was hard cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal and not eating any of it. The protein shakes are starting to taste okay now, but I am looking forward not having to drink these things!

Thanks for the positive thoughts...What was the first week after surgery like for you? That is my big worry, so far.

Hey, Good morning and good luck to you and perhaps I will see you in Vancouver. How's the pre-surgery diet going?

I will certainly let you know how it goes. 10 days and counting.

I am from Calgary and will be getting banded by Dr Mitchell in Vancouver on Oct 17th through SWLC. I am 53 years old and have been struggling with my weight for almost 30 years. Time for a change!

Hey, I have the same doctor and clinic and I am scheduled for October 17. Good luck with your surgery and keep us posted. I'll let you know how my surgery goes. Vancouver will be nice at this time of year. As to the internal dialogue, I've been having a similar one for 30 years, and I can tell you it gets me down. Thanks to Xavier for letting me know, that there is hope that this "internal monologue" can go away! I look forward to that most of all.

Just started pre-surgery diet and scheduled for banding on October 17. Hungry and tired and still have to cook, but not eat, Thanksgiving dinner (I will enjoy the veggies and protein shake!). Wish me luck (Thanksgiving and surgery).