tsteves1

My Dr suggest a balanced diet but emphasis that you eat your protein (majority of your meal), then your veggies and last a small amount of carbs (if still hungry). I think the point is that we are trying to lose weight and build muscle so protein is very important. He doesn't really say no/low carbs but as we all know that is usually the least nutritional portion of the meal and most of us have made that the base of our meal our entire life. So I guess his recommendation comes down to ... stop filling up on carbs. LOL

That is nice to know, I was wondering when I would feel up for everything!

I am just about 3 weeks post op and my incision are looking very good. I would say that you should be ok 7 weeks post op!

Yeah I was afraid to come back to work as well. I was actually supposed to be off until next Monday but my medical leave was denied and i didn't feel like wasting more PTO. In the process of disputing that now so that I can get my week of PTO back. Helps that I don't have system access so I can do too much so not really under as much stress as usual. I should get access back today then I will be full speed ahead.

Thanks! I am happy with the loss so far. I hope I don't gain now that I am on mushies. I think i can keep it all under control especially now that I can move more!

Nice to know I am not the only one struggling with Water. I am on mushies and my surgeon said to practice not eating with meals and it is hard because I feel like I have to schedule my drinks as well as the food. I start solids on 3/26 and my first fill is scheduled for 4/3 so it will be nice to hear how you do with the transition and the fill.

So I had my 2 week post op appointment on Monday and my Dr was super happy to see that I had lost 6 lbs since surgery. It was very funny because I was stepping on the scale the nurse gave me the whole now remember it is likely that you did not lose weight at this point and that is fine because this is the time for healing so please don't get discouraged. Then the number popped up and she was like ...... or you could lose a very nice amount! I was super happy. I am feeling a ton better, just the muscle that the port is in bugs often. Today I am back at work and I feel like I did a major workout on my stomach muscles just sitting with correct posture all day. I am scheduled for my first fill on 04/03 which is the day after my birthday. So exciting.

Hey!! it looks like you are having surgery on my birthday!

Congrats!!

I would be curious to find out too! I took off my bandages yesterday and saw how small the scars are and was so surprised. 4 of the scars are the width of my thumb nail and the port incision is just a little more than an inch! Yay!!!

I ended up not having to have anything from a PCP. They took my word that I have been overweight at least 5 years and the approval was still very easy. I have my psych eval and promised to keep in contact with my bariatric case worker as well as my behavioral health case worker and got a first letter approval! I was psyched and I am banded!

That is great news that you will be able to be getting your lapband! Im sure you sleep apnea will improve and you will be a very successful bandster!

I step on the scale pretty much everyday but I don't take it seriously as I really don't trust my scale. I will only use the numbers on scales I can trust for my updates. So far I only use my Dr's scale!

At first I didn't really tell anyone but as it got closer I told more people and a few days after surgery I posted that I was doing well since my surgery on Facebook and some people asked what kind of surgery and I told them. I figure the reason that I didnt tell in the beginning was because I didn't want the negative comments so I figured afterwards I could not have people try and tell me their negative opinion and their only choice is to wish me luck! I must say though I still haven't received any negative feedback which is totally surprising! I am happy that so many people are positive and my co-workers are all willing to help me, my boss is even starting up her weight watchers again in a show of solidarity! It is all personal preference! I am happy that people know and I have grown to have such a large support system!

I will have to try some of these. The re-fried bean with salsa sounds pretty good. I have never had greek yogurt but maybe I need to give it a try. Last night I made a can of beef and vegetable soup and tossed it in the ninja and it was so gross I just poured it down the disposal and had a Protein shake. I cant wait for the mushies! I think that will be much easier than puree.

So I had my lap band surgery on Monday 2/27 and I was on liquid diet the first week. This week I am supposed to be doing pureed, and the mushies for the following 2 weeks and then solids week 5 as my first fill is week 6. Problem is, I have no idea what to do for the puree diet and I am starving. Since I don't know what to do i have just stuck to liquids. The suggestions from the Dr say I can eat anything, just pureed to the consistency of a liquid. Anyone have any ideas for this so that I can feel a little more satisfied without eating totally gross nasty stuff? Or is it smarter just to stay on liquids and do lots of Protein shakes? Man I am so looking forward to mushies, there is al least hope with that phase!

Pre-Op - 5'6 270 - Size 18 currently at about 25o and still on 18!

That is a very good cautionary tale on how important the fills are. I am lucky because my surgeon tentatively schedules the first fill for week 6, which i think is fabulous! Keep up with the fills and the good work! You will get that 5 lbs and more off before you know it.

You are very right in your explanation of the reason the fills can be pretty pricey. It's totally understandable. BTW it is great that you guys have such an amazing medical system!

My first year of fills is included in the price of surgery. It is my understanding that my insurance also covers the fills later on and I would just need to pay for the copay.

Had a pretty good weekend. Went with my husband to Kohl's on Saturday so that he could spend the cash he earned and then we took the dog to the dog park and I wandered around a bit which was nice. Then Sunday I went to the mall with my husband and friends, got to do some shopping then to the dog park again. My body did feel really sore all over Sunday night, I think because I was trying to be so careful while walking that my body was just really tense. Tried to sleep in my bed last night and spent the night tossing and turning and getting no sleep so this afternoon I took some pain meds and took a nice long nap. When I woke up to take the dog out i was up and down the stairs in record time so I think I am making progress. That's all I could ask for is progress. Tonight I will take pain meds before bed and seep on the couch. Goal for tomorrow is to take the dog to the dog park and walk at least 4 laps around while she plays! It's nice reading all of your posts to know that I am not alone in this journey!!

That sounds amazing!

Feeling better today! Went to the store with my hubby and we took Kona to the dog park and I got to do a bit of walking. The gas pain is still there and it hurts when it tries to come out LOL. The port is the worst part at this moment, it feels like it is pulling and causing stress in that area. Also I am so scared the port is gonna flip or something. I am feeling a lot more positive about the whole thing now, for a few days I was doubting myself which made me sad but I am better now.

My Dr quotes the average of 66% of excess weight loss. This is because how much you lose is truly up to you. He said he also quotes losing the 66% within 2 to 2 1/2 years. He was very honest when we talked about goals. He said that he has patients that lose all of their excess weight within a year and some that only lose 50% and at a slower pace. He set my goal at 66% and said when I get there we will talk about the potential of getting to or at least closer to my normal range. He said for some people getting to their normal range isnt really a realistic goal because they dont want to put fourth the type of effort that it may take and that losing half is still great. He forsees me being one of his patients that gets to the normal weight range and doing it a lot faster than average but said we will wont know until further down the line what is really best for me. Anyways I know that was a bit rambly but the point is that its all dependent on you. I will say that I talked to many Drs about this, also my insurance and the psychologist all said that this procedure was an amazing choice and much healthier, at least for me, than the alternatives. Hope that helps!

Every Dr. is going to be an advocate for some things and have an issue with other things. Apparently this Dr you saw just doesn't like the lapband. If you are really set on getting it then you should get another opinion or 2. Be sure to find somone who is an advocate for the band with a lot of experience so that you can feel comfortable knowing you have someone that will be there with you during this amazing life change.