Sojourner

From what I can tell, the number of "dots" related to your forum "title", which is tied to the number of active posts you have made. As the number of posts increases, so does the number of 'dots"....I have no clue as to the formula the forum uses to determine this...

I have to agree with everything the post before me mentioned...it reads that you are not aware of how many calories you are having, nor are following any set patterns with your meals. Consulting with a dietitian would be very helpful to better understand what changes in your diet you need to make. I believe strongly in the benefits of imposing some structure and time management on yourself to not only keep you accountable but also aware if you have gotten off track with your diet or missed out on your exercise for the day. To the greatest degree possible, try to have meals at set times...have the meal planned in advance so you will only be looking for the ingredients you need. Get rid of any tempting diet busting carbs you may have in your home, and make them very inconvenient to get. Make it a priority to meet your daily Protein goal, as if you don't this can slow your weight loss. I allow myself to have a glass of plain iced coffee in the morning...but after that for the rest of the day and evening I only drink Water. There are many calories in beverages we don't always think about. My dietitian referred to drinking fruit juice as the same as drinking sugar water with relatively few nutrients. food choices should be lean Proteins, carbs should be Fiber ones...i.e. fresh fruit or vegetables. As others have mentioned, don't guess at the actual size of the correct portion, measure it out by volume. Research has shown that those who measure portions are will loose more weight than the "guesstimators". Try to keep in mind that you are an individual, your weight loss journey will not be identical to others, even relatives. It's negative and discouraging to compare yourself to others. Just try every day to do your best to remain compliant with your diet, continue to get some exercise, and the results you want will come. Believe in yourself...and best wishes...

Check your level of motivation to be successful with diet compliance post op...What are your reasons and goals for having this surgery? Write them down, and refer to them often. The liquid diet was the most difficult part of this journey for me; and I'm certain there are others who would agree. Things which helped me the most were to structure my time and shakes...so that the shakes were what "replaced" meals, and have a variety of liquid choices available. I had a craving for salt, and chicken broth was the only thing which helped. Don't forget you can also have SF Jello and SF popsicles. The other major help for me was to stay busy so that I could distract myself and not think of eating. If you have other family members in your home, you may want to be in a different room with them during their meals. The time does go by...take it a day at a time.

That was basically the sensation I recall experiencing when I was first diagnosed with acid reflux...though that was a number of years prior to having my band placed. I'm not certain what a bariatric surgeon would advise. My doctors have advised me to continue to take Prevacid daily as I've done for years.

At first, it's difficult post op to drink all of the Water you're supposed to have. I've always enjoyed drinking water, and really struggled with this the first few weeks. I had a difficult time remembering to both drink and eat. I found it helpful to "structure" my time, so that every day before lunch I needed to have XX # of oz, then by mid-afternoon another 20oz...I still rely on that schedule to keep me on track to have at least 80 oz of water a day. I also keep a bottle of water with me most all of the time, and sip from it frequently.

Yes, this is a difficult time...but not a reason to disregard the rules for your diet. You have to learn some effective coping skills to get you through. I've found that drinking Water and other "free fluids" (FF/SF) helps to manage my hunger. The water usually will trip the hunger sensors, and helps to avoid eating until the next meal time. Also helpful for me is distracting yourself with getting involved with a project or going out to exercise. Best wishes...you are not alone!

I can feel my stress level get elevated while I drive. I'm still a bit anxious on the road since my accident last year. I've discovered that sometimes it's difficult for me to even drink a sip of water while driving without feeling stuck.

I have experienced similar abdominal pain post op which after exhaustive testing was diagnosed as biliary dyskensia, and will be having surgery to remove my gall bladder next month. Along with this pain has been near constant nausea. Initially I thought it may have been because I had eaten too fast, and I knew my portions were the correct size. It didn't matter which speed I ate, the pain was still present. Do you still have your gall bladder? Are you timing your meals to eat slowly with small bites? If so, I would let your surgeon know how you have been feeling and seek their advice. Special note though, my bariatric surgeon missed my diagnosis entirely. It was my PCP (internal medicine specialist) who saw the hospital lab test results and investigated further to discover what my bariatric surgeon initially tried to pass off as a pulled muscle. I did confront him about that, and he apologized for not recognizing the symptoms for what they were. Second opinions may be helpful...

Happy Belated Birthday...and congratulations on your achieving your goal! You also inspire others with your success! And take credit for all of daily focus, determination and motivation which brought you to this point. This journey is not an easy one, and you are a validation of what is possible with a positive mindset...well done!

Congratulations on completing the next step of your weight loss journey!

As others have posted, there are legal restrictions to the disclosure of your private health care information. You should not feel pressured to disclose to anyone information which you do not want to. Your surgeon's office is well versed in how to address this situation with your employer. It's your call if you want to disclose your WLS to others. From an emotional perspective, it's much healthier to have appropriate boundaries with others...stay in your comfort zone with disclosure about your surgery. You can always say that you don't feel comfortable with discussing the topic. Others should respect that...

Avoid the coffee...as per my surgeon it's not considered a clear liquid. Yes, Jello is considered a clear "liquid"...as long as you don't add anything to it. I had cravings for salt during my liquid diet phase, so plain chicken broth was perfect to stay compliant with the diet and provide the salt I wanted.

Your pouch may become irritated with the change in restriction created by the fill. Following your surgeon's instructions with a liquid diet allows for any needed healing and not irritating your pouch. I'm advised to have only liquids for 2 days and soft foods for 1 day after a fill. I comply with the rules as designated by my surgeon; he has the medical expertise, and I'm paying him for it.

My surgeon was strict with meeting his weight loss requirements; if you did not weigh below his designated weight loss number for you by the day of your pre op appointment, you were not scheduled for your surgery. No exceptions. I was advised of this, so I was determined to make it happen and have my weight where it needed to be or lower. What have you been doing in an effort to loose weight? I followed the band diet pre op to loose weight (lean Proteins, low carb Fiber, strict portion control), and I got an hour of cardio exercise in every day. I lost 13 pounds in 21 days...8 pounds under what I needed to loose. Best wishes for success...it can be done, but it takes focus and a realistic timeline.

Anything that can be put in the blender and pureed can be considered a mushy...I used moist meats mixed with light mayonnaise ( dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey, tuna, eggs, and shrimp), and fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, honey dew melon and cantaloupe). You likely won't be able to reach your daily Protein goal with the Proteins you eat, so during this phase I continued to have 1 Protein shake a day. Try not to become obsessed with your scale...you may gain a pound. That's just part of the adjustment and healing processes continuing, and normal. Throughout your weight loss journey, you will have a slight fluctuation in your weight; this is normal, can be attributed to many factors, and don't allow it to discourage you. Congratulations on your progress!

Cazzy is correct...and the band is only a tool; if you do not have the right motivation and determination to be compliant with diet and lifetime commitment to changes in your lifestyle and patterns of eating, you are likely to become discouraged and fail to loose weight. The safest way to complete the placement of the band is with laparoscopic surgery; otherwise the surgeon has to do much larger incision. The risks of post op complications is increased. If your liver is too fatty, then the odds are that the surgeon will have to make the larger incision. The pre op diet is designed to both shrink the fat in the liver and to help you become acquainted with the diet compliance and lifetime changes for adopting healthier eating patterns and exercise. Starting this journey with the mindset to find a different doctor who will let you skate by without loosing the weight necessary is not predictive of a positive weight loss journey for you. For success, though you may not like or agree with the "rules", however the rules and requirements are in place for valid reasons. Seeking to change the rules to fit what you want to do tells me that you are not sufficiently motivated to change your beliefs about healthy eating and exercise. IMHO... Loosing the required pre op weight is not an easy task...but you really need to get in touch with your reasons for wanting this surgery. The weight loss journey is one which required daily commitment to following the rules, and is not an easy walk in the park. Best wishes...

What you are describing reads like you may be harming your knees. From my experience, and what I have been told by my orthopedist "crunchy joints" are not normal, and the "crunchy" sound or feeling may be cartilage being damaged or ligaments which may be inflamed. Either way, it would be a sound idea for you to be evaluated by an orthopedist to be certain you are not harming your knees by participating in an impact exercise program.

You have completed most of your post op healing, and now are able to eat more. It's necessary for you to limit your eating to the number of meals and the size of portions which should have been specified by your surgeon's post op instructions. Until you have restriction with additional fills, you will likely be able to continue to tolerate most foods, including bread. Just because you can eat it does not mean that you should. Now is the best time to hone your will power and determination to resist eating more often than you have been advised to. I continue to get hungry between meals, but find that I am able to avoid eating between meals by drinking the "free fluids" (FF/SF) that we should be having daily. I keep a bottle of Water with me most all of the time, and sip from it frequently.

The pouch is created by the placement of the band to limit the size of the portions which will contribute to a feeling of getting full with much less food. A typical bandster meal is comprised of measured portions, requires timed through chewing of food, and compliance to make healthy choices for lean Proteins and limited Fiber carbs. With increased restriction, it will take longer for you to feel any hunger between meals. For some, who are in their green zone, don't experience much hunger. The band does nothing to manage "head hunger"; you have to learn the appropriate life skills to work through this. There are many ways to "eat around the band", and none of them are conducive for a successful journey with weight loss. Realistically, until you have some level of restriction after several months post op, you will need to rely on your will power and determination to be successful to remain diet compliant and loose weight. Your relationship with food needs to change; so that you accept that you eat to live, not live to eat. Food is not your friend. It would be very helpful for you to seek some counseling to better understand the psychology behind why you are eating between meals and when you are not authentically hungry, which are likely at the core of why you are obese. People typically seek solace with food, eat out of boredom or anger at themselves or others. No matter how you look at it, this is an unhealthy belief system and does need to change. I hope some of this information is helpful...

It's normal to become anxious any time you are confronted with the realities that some aspects of your life are about to change...inherently people don't embrace change. We all have our reasons for wanting/needing this surgery; stay in touch with them as you are on your journey, as this will enhance your probability for success with weight loss and odds of increasing your health states. Having a band does not mean that you will experience episodes of food getting stuck, or vomiting. You will be realistic to anticipate some pain post op. It is temporary and if you are prepared with the necessary prescriptions from your surgeon you will feel remarkably better in only a few days post op. To resolve pain post op, walking short distances in your house will go far to help resolve post op gas pain. Most "stuck" episodes with food are attributed to distractions which contribute to incomplete chewing, or to eating too fast; then food may get stuck depending on the amount of restriction in your band. If you follow the rules, and don't have too much restriction, you will find over time that with following the rules( portion control, diet compliance with healthy choices for food) life is pretty much the same as pre op. Also remember that for every post you see regarding pain and stuck episodes, there are many, many others who have not posted about how many uneventful meals they have had. Yes, there are the real possibilities that you may experience complications with your band. I have had a couple thus far, however these were not related to my band, only my weight loss. Since having my band placed, I have never vomited, PB'd, or gotten food stuck. I make the effort to remain aware of my actions while eating to be certain to chew everything well. Yes, you will need to give up excessive carbs, carbonated beverages, over sized portions among the most common. These items are not conducive to successful weight loss. All surgeries come with risks...and if you have never had surgery, it can be highly anxiety provoking. It will be essential to stay in touch with your surgeon's office if anything out of the ordinary occurs, and they will tell what to look for. I hope some of this information is helpful... Best wishes...

Weighing yourself too often...even daily can create unnecessary negative feelings about your journey success. It is totally normal to have minor fluctuations in weight throughout your entire weight loss journey. As others have written, this is a time for healing, and getting in better practice with diet compliance. Make the correct choices with your diet, practice portion control, get in your exercise, and resist the urge to weigh yourself daily. Best wishes...

One of the significant up sides to the band it the ongoing assistance it can give you to avoid regaining the weight you loose, if you continue to follow the rules. Long term success, with every conventional diet, which was mentioned in an earlier post in this thread is not the actual weight loss, but keeping the weight you have lost off. It's so important to tune out the negative opinions of others. To be emotionally healthy you need to be able to think for yourself, and make your choices based on what you know to be your own needs. There is no better time than now to begin that process of becoming more emotionally healthy, along with physically healthy. Others do not know your entire reasoning for your surgery decision, nor do they have to contend with your daily challenges...as such, they are not qualified to "weigh in" with their opinions.

A stool softener should also help...and it's important to stay properly hydrated with Water or other free fluids. I know that now, when I have to return to a liquid diet post fill, it really messes my entire system up for a week.

I'm retired...but if I had still been working, I would have been totally ready to return to work in 2 weeks. A month off does seem excessive; would there be any "modified" work that you could still do (avoiding lifting, etc) for a couple of weeks as you continue to heal?

Some restaurants (Red Lobster is one) are now offering half sized portions for their menu items...also places like the Cheesecake Factory have different size portions, one for lunch and a larger one for dinner. I usually order the lunch sized portion, even at dinner time with no questions asked. Sometimes I like the meal so much, I happily take the left overs home and have several meals from the one menu item. I have never had questions asked about my menu choices. I agree that the kids menu usually does not offer healthy choices. The one exception to this is Chick fil 'a. Their kids meal of grilled chicken nuggets and a side order of fresh fruit is ideal for a bandster.