gottobeme

I think I will look for the Werthers...I don't know if I'll be able to stop at one or two though. If not I will give them to my kids and tell them to hide them from me. They are a great help to me that way!

Be sure you are drinking plenty of Water. I actually set the alarm on my phone for 10-15 min the first few days and drank approx 1 oz of Water at a time (I was afraid to try to drink more or faster). I was told dehydration is the most common reason people had problems post op. Be more concerned about getting your liquids in than anything else. Try for at least 48 oz of Fluid a day right now. More is better. sugar free popsicles help get your fluids in and are tasty too!

Days 3 and 4 were the worst for me! It gets better!!

I was lucky and never had the gas issue from surgery...from what I've read though the best thing to do for it is walk, walk, walk.

Here are a couple of older posts I found that you may find helpful...I did...

They both mention "soft signals"

It is a terrible term and it should be outlawed.

What it means is that you can eat a smaller portion of food than previously and that should satisfy you for a number of hours afterwards.

It does not mean that you will stop wanting chocolate and suddenly start craving lettuce.

It does not mean that you will eat 3 spoons and not be hungry again until your next meal.

It does not mean that you won't ever have head hunger again.

What you should be aiming for is to eat the recommended portion of the type of foods that you have been told to eat by your Dr. You need to eat slowly, chew well and wait between bites.You need to be aware of your body signalling that it has had enough and these signals can be different for everyone.

Some may hiccup, sneeze, have a pain in their shoulder..................

Some people find that they are no longer able to eat certain foods but this is not the aim. In fact the more restricted you are the harder it becomes to eat healthy foods and the easier it is to eat soft/slider foods.

If you are hungry a couple of hours later then eat a small healthy snack. Most bandsters are not able to eat 3 small meals a day with no Snacks even if that is what a lot of us were initially led to believe would happen.

HTH

I am 4 plus years out and just recommitted. I could have wrote your post many times over the years. Many many times. I never felt like I found my spot.

The last few weeks I have been focusing on the rules and really concentrating when I eat. When I eat white fish that is soft and mushy, I can eat way more. I love home made chili but I can overeat it. So I portion out a cup and stop. Mushies take discipline.

When I eat a denser fish like Salmon, I really have to slow down and chew well and be mindful. chicken, forget about it. We don't get along. Hamburger, same thing. I realized I was avoiding foods that were dense and I couldn't eat as much of. Well duh. That is the point of the band right? Or I would take too big of a bite and not chew well and get stuck. Viscious cycle.

On Sunday my hubby and I had a nice turkey dinner at the inlaws. I was so scared to eat because I thought for sure I would have issues with the turkey. I ate slow, chewed well and listened to my soft stop signals.

My soft stop signals are usually a slight runny nose, or I sigh. If I push it, they turn into hiccups.

It seriously took me 4 years to finally LISTEN to my signals. Now I stop. And guess what, I really am full for a good 4 hours. I am not going to lie and say that head hunger doesn't still come around before that 4 hours... but I don't listen to it anymore. (Well most of the time... I am not perfect... Yet)

Recognize the difference between head hunger and real hunger. Focus on dense Protein and avoid mushies.

Soft foods will mush up and pass through. You will be able to overeat soft foods. Trust me. I did it for a long time. Focus on dense solid Proteins.

Proteins first. Green veggies second. Winning combo.

Before I was banded I read some posts on here that mentioned "soft" signals. If I can find them I will see about re-posting them.

I am 11 weeks post op and have not needed a fill yet. Although I would say I have not been through bandster hell I will say that the first couple of weeks after surgery were the toughest (full liquid for me). Day 3 or 4 seems to be when people start to question what they have done - based on my own experience and from my friends her on LBT. If this happens to you just remember it is very normal and things will get better!

I think it is hard to know if you have restriction until you are allowed to eat mushies or soft foods. Follow your own doctors orders...every doc has their own protocol so listen to yours, ask questions here but always follow up with your own doc! We can give great advice but it is no substitute for your doctors care!

Best of Luck Thursday!!!

I have read older posts where people reccomended having one for after surgery. My clinic never mentioned anything about one though.

Both PA's have an extensive bariatric background according to the one I saw........mind u this particular PA is not banded and the hefer is my size. I almost felt like telling her to apply the lap band diet to herself because she could also afford to lose a few. From the get go this person was VERY condescending because she saw that I had mentioned reflux at my last appt.and gave me the lecture from hell w/o letting me get one word in edgewise

This sucks! I think I would say something to her if you are unfortunate enough to have to deal with her again. Many times PA's have a much better bedside manner than doctors and are able to spend more time with patients. It doesn't sound like she even takes the time to listen/read about each patient. Please report her!!!!

Not knowing everything that was said I am going out on a limb here...

I was banded a week before you and when I went for a fill one of the questions I was asked was about eating soft foods. I think the idea behind the question is to make sure we are eating band appropriate foods at this time since some soft foods, like ice cream, are high in calories. My guess is that the PA meant a balance of good foods and restriction and not restriction alone. We do still need to make healthier food choices, remember it's just a tool.

That is a tough decision. I was talking with a friend earlier and she was asking about having surgeries for the excess skin, I told her since I would never be able to afford it - it wasn't an issue!

I would probably go for the TT or thigh lift. I have always had huge thighs and add the rolls of skin to that...YUCK!!!

Thank you for your story!!!

There are many people who come on this forum and are in a similar situation.They are also afraid to go back to their doctor. When I went to my WLS seminar one of the PA's told us a similar story. What I took away from his story was that they are there to help us - not to berate us.

I have recently started getting a lot of compliments on my weight loss. It is no secret that I have had WLS. I do tell people though that I can still gain the weight back and keeping it off is the scary part for me. Stories like yours are great reminders that we are not alone on our journey!

If I am sitting or standing I can feel mine. I can even look at my stomach and see where it is, although someone else would not be able to. If I am laying down flat I usually can not feel or see it.

I hope that info helps you.

I agree with honk. Once in a while it happens, don't knock yourself out about it!

I had impaired fasting glucose, depression and sleep apnea. My BMI was 46 when I started my WLS journey and under 35 by the time I had surgery. My insurance - which is affiliated with the clinic I go to - uses the BMI you start the program with.

It gets better! If your doctor allows you to have cottage cheese and greek yogurt as part of your full liquids they will help. Don't worry about gaining weight right now. Your body is healing and it is normal for many people to gain weight during this time.

I am vegetarian, so it is mainly soy for Protein. I try to stay around 10% fat, but since that is completely relative, yours may vary. cheese is my vice, though, so some days I overindulge.

Do you have any advice for veggie meat replacements for us? My daughter is a vegetarian and we often use Morningstar, Boca, and Quorn meat replacements. I haven't had any of these myself since surgery (10 wks post op) because I wasn't sure about the amount of carbohydrates in them. My nutritionist said tofu was okay but I have never tried it and although I have heard it is easy to use, I really have no idea what to do with it.

Seems like tomorrow is THE DAY to be banded. Best of luck to all of you!

Okay so maybe it's just me - and if this post is accurate I am sorry for your loss. . .Why is it that most doom and gloom posts are posted by people who have either just joined or have only ever made very few posts? We do all need to be aware of what is happening in our bodies and how it relates or does not relate to our band. Many of us are already obese or morbidly obese and prone to some of these conditions with or without the band!

If you are considering being banded don't let stories like this one scare you away. Do research for yourself and talk to your doctor and care providers. Educate yourself as to what is normal and not normal after being banded and advocate for your own health!!!

My doc wants me to come in once a month regardless if I need a fill or not so they can check in with me. It's time for my next fill and I'm hesitant. I know logically it makes sense since I'm having these issues with being hungry and snacking, but I don't get stuck right now and I can pretty much eat anything I want (I stay away from bread just because I don't want to start that again) but I do get full quickly and can't hold much...it just doesn't last long. If I get another fill I'm worried I'll start getting stuck and having pains and not being able to eat salad and such.

If you compare what I was eating for a meal (or the whole day) from 6 months ago to now, it's crazy how different it is. I feel like I'm eating 20-30% (calories and portion size) of what I used to....so why am I not losing? I know my doc will ask about what kinds of foods I'm eating, and I've been fairly good about trying to mostly eat lean Proteins, but I don't want to feel like I'm "dieting"....I just want to have restriction so I'm not eating too much and not too often.

I understand how you feel.

Talk with your doctor - if you are satisfied with how things are going right now, they should be too. One of the reasons I chose LB was because I felt a slow weight loss was better for me and I was more likely to make a lifelong change if I took it off slowly.

I also have the same concerns about getting a fill and then having a stuck episode. I have not had any and hope never to have one!

Okay so this looks weird - I was trying to do a "partial quote" from my3sons75 and messed up. - The first two paragraphs are from her post!

My doc wants me to come in once a month regardless if I need a fill or not so they can check in with me. It's time for my next fill and I'm hesitant. I know logically it makes sense since I'm having these issues with being hungry and snacking, but I don't get stuck right now and I can pretty much eat anything I want (I stay away from bread just because I don't want to start that again) but I do get full quickly and can't hold much...it just doesn't last long. If I get another fill I'm worried I'll start getting stuck and having pains and not being able to eat salad and such.

If you compare what I was eating for a meal (or the whole day) from 6 months ago to now, it's crazy how different it is. I feel like I'm eating 20-30% (calories and portion size) of what I used to....so why am I not losing? I know my doc will ask about what kinds of foods I'm eating, and I've been fairly good about trying to mostly eat lean Proteins, but I don't want to feel like I'm "dieting"....I just want to have restriction so I'm not eating too much and not too often.

I understand how you feel.

Talk with your doctor - if you are satisfied with how things are going right now, they should be too. One of the reasons I chose LB was because I felt a slow weight loss was better for me and I was more likely to make a lifelong change if I took it off slowly.

I also have the same concerns about getting a fill and then having a stuck episode. I have not had any and hope never to have one!

Two reasons to Celebrate today. . .

My daughters 17th birthday and I am down 100 lbs from last August!

70 pre-band and 30 post band.

Having anxiety and panic disorders are things your doctor should consider when treating you. I can't imagine a good doctor would reprimand you for gaining weight when you were dealing with such difficult things. They should instead praise you for taking your life back!

I'm very confused about the pre op diet!!! It says pretty much no carbs but the skim milk that I drink my shakes with have 11 grams! What do I do?? I am doing the two Protein shakes and small dinner. I'm dying for something sweet! I'm on day 3 and I really feel like crying. I'm so hungry

I wouldn't worry about the carbs in the milk. I'm pretty sure they just don't want you eating bread, Pasta and the other carbs out there.

What types of Protein are you using? There are non-fat greek yogurts, low fat cottage cheese as well as protein shakes/bars are usually a good source with lower amounts of fats. chicken and Fish are the better meats to eat for high protein/lower fat.

No fill needed today...YAY!

I do eat toasted bread now. There is a local bread called Natural Ovens made in Manitowoc WI. They have a carb conscious bread that I use. I also eat reduced fat triscuts, wheat thins and pretzels. I make sure I chew them well and have not had any problems with them.

Well....I am that 1%...band infected....had to have removed June 16th..almost had band 2 months...never had a fill, and had a port site infection....there was no band erosion....so they are not sure just where the infection started.....can have band replaced in 3 months....at this time...I will try to take this next three months as a time of trying to do it on my own(as I did lose 20 pounds) and make a decision on replacement as it gets closer....

I did not feel that I wanted to take a chance of getting really sick from an infection and opted for removal....I waited over a year for this band....now more waiting.

Good luck to all..

Marlene

Good Luck Marlene!

I think the best thing you can do after removal is to continue to eat as healthy as possible. Whether you decide to have another band placed or go without it will help. I lost 70 lbs on my 6+ month pre op before I was banded and feel that was part of why I had such an easy recovery. I know an infection can happen no matter what and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it. If you have another one placed I hope your next recovery is smooth sailing!!!