jen_1381

I too did a fair amount of research as to which I wanted. After finding so many similarities, I asked my surgeon which one he preferred to place. He said that honestly, it was whatever mood he was in that day and the OR had on hand. He asked if I had a preference, which I did not. He said that he slightly favors the Realize band over LapBand because of the port. The bands themselves are like comparing apples to apples. From what he found, the port had been less likely to flip on the Realize bands. But, he also said, that it was just his findings nothing scientific. He placed the Realize band, 10 cc, and he said he always places his ports on the right side (It's about an inch down from my rib cage). I had my first fill on Tuesday (3 cc) and it was a breeze. First attempt he got it (he also said that the ports can be more difficult to locate and fill in a person with more abdominal fat). Four weeks post-op, the only issue I had was trying to press my luck with that "one last bite" even though I had gotten my full signal and knew darn well I shouldn't have tried. But, you live and learn. I had severe indigestion for about 10 minutes.

I got my first fill yesterday, my surgeon put on 3 cc. He had me sip Water in the office to make sure I didn't get too tight, and it went down fine. He recommended transitioning back to soft foods over the next 48 hours, starting with liquids. After the fill, I sipped on a Protein drink for a while, drinking about 4 ounces, and about 20 ounces of water throughout the afternoon and evening. I also went on a 3 mile jog last night. When I laid down for bed (finally!) my stomach was SO LOUD!! I didn't feel hungry at all but it was gurgling, growling, groaning, and just simply being annoying! I was thankful my husband was working graveyard or I know it would have kept him awake. This morning, even after drinking some tea and my liquid Vitamins (mixed with some Bolthouse juice) it started up again. So loud my husband heard me across the room! This just started since the fill. Is it just reactionary since I'm on liquids again, and my stomach thinks it's hungry, or does a fill "set it off" like this?! I know I probably sound really silly, but the office I work in is kind of quiet...I'm hoping my stomach can shush itself today!!!

I've become addicted to Pinterest lately, but all of the recipes I'm drooling over are ones that I wouldn't dare eat!! Pizza casserole, Bacon-wrapped Chicken, Chicken Taco Chili....and the desserts, oh my goodness, Smores Cookies?! Cookie dough/Peanut Butter Cup/Brownie batter baked together in a cupcake pan?! It's too much! I think to myself - I could just make this for my husband and his work friends to eat on, but the temptation is too real for the desserts. The inner fat girl is screaming for some carb-loading!! So instead, I save all of the pins about workouts and easy healthy snacks. Booo

I remember in the first WLS seminar the nutritionist recommended now chewing gum. Has anyone heard this, and if so, what is the reasoning? I would imagine that swallowing your gum could be problematic, and I know chewing gum stimulates your gastric juices...but is there a risk to chewing gum post-band? (FYI - I sure hope not - because if so I'm being a non-compliant bandster!!)

Congrats!! May 18th was the first day of my new life. Good luck to you on your new adventure!!

It's okay to admit that you failed yourself. I can guarentee you that you are not the first person to go back to your surgeon and say you need to start over. The fact that you realize that you want to try again is commendable! I would say start with your surgeon. You'll need to have your band checked and filled. Also - think hard about the reasons why you stopped the bandster lifestyle. Is there a trigger emotion that leads you to food? If so, when you feel it, what other things can you do besides eat? Maybe see a counselor or psychologist if you feel like those feelings could still be a threat to your future success.

I am five weeks post-op. At every surgeon visit after surgery (I've had two so far) they ask on a form if you would do this surgery over again. I always, happily, check "YES". To be completely honest, it is a challenge. My husband is SO supportive, but even little things like him asking me to grab the Oreo's are a struggle. It's a mindless question for him, but to me it's putting temptation in my hands! You have to have will power. Until you have restriction in your band and get to the allusive "green zone" it is a mind-controlled diet. I had barely advanced to soft/moist foods and got a fill so I'm back on liquids for a day then mushies for another day. I haven't experimented much with a lot of foods, but I did learn the hard way that when you feel full, you HAVE to stop. I was always a "one last bite" person, and tried that tactic on Saturday after I felt full and I had the WORST indigestion of my life, for about 15 minutes. For me, the full feeling is a pressure-type sensation in my chest. I have been able to sucessfully drink coffee but I haven't done it very much. I used to be a coffee addict. At least a pot a day. I quit for about 2 months then realized that one cup of coffee would cure a migraine. I've had probably 3 cups since surgery and they've gone down fine. As a rule, I'm avoiding foods that I know aren't nutritious for me, like the bread and pastas. I'm in the mindframe of protein, veggies, then fruit if I'm still hungry and that's IT. Eventually I'll venture out but for now, it's working to help the weight loss. Also - exercise is important! You need to do something every day. Sometimes I only have time to hit the elliptical for 10 minutes, but I do it. But as I said it is a challenge, it is one that I am SO, SO happy I chose to take on. The feeling I get when I go to bed at night knowing that I ate healthy, exercised, and am working towards my goal is amazing. I'm proud of myself for the first time in years.

I'm going to embrace the sagging skin. My husband laughs at me because I lay in bed a night playing with the loose skin on my tummy. It's an accomplishment! To think that it used to be full of fat cells, now it's just skin. I'm going to see it as an victory, UNTIL I hit my goal weight and maintain it for at least 6 months. Then, I think a nice little tummy tuck would do the trick Maybe some lipo from my thighs (maybe they can inject it into my butt?!).

Happy to hear you're feeling better today! That's the glory of a new day. It's a new chance to start over. I try to wake up every day thinking it's going to be a great one. As for the joint account - my husband and I had one together before we got married. As long as you trust someone on that level, I wouldn't worry about it!

That's what they refer to as a "non-scale victory" , or "NSV". Good job! It can be frustrating that the scale isn't moving when you really feel like it should be, but you're clothes are looser! Your body is going through so many changes. I find that after I start something new, like advancing my diet (I'm five weeks post-op) my body seems to hold onto EVERYTHING I put in it. I gained 4 lbs in 2 days when I went to soft/moist food last week! About 5 days in, I was back to my lowest and moving down but I almost had a freak-out moment when I saw the scale going up when I was barely eating anything! Hang in there. As frustrating as it is, see it as a marathon not a sprint.

This is one of the golden rules of having a Lap Band. You have to ALWAYS seperate your food from your liquid. Each surgeon has different time periods, my surgeon said no fluids 20 minutes before and 30 minutes after. Some surgeons have you wait up to an hour after. The theory behind it is: you don't want to Fluid to wash the food through your stomach. Drinking while eating may allow you to eat more than you need to. It was a hard habit to break, I started practicing about two weeks post-op. Now, it's not so bad except when I eat spicy food and need a drink to cool down!

Thanks for the tip! I bought a digital scale from Walmart (don't remember the brand name) and it shows your weight, body fat, and hydration level BUT if I step on, see the number, step off, and get back on, the second number could be 1-2 lbs different. I just purchased the Ozeri one off Amazon you guys suggested. Free shipping and bonus code are still available.

Ooh Gina good thought! That was the first time I drank a protein drink since I've been off the full liquid diet. After surgery, my stomach didn't seem too loud but so many changes were going on I doubt I would have noticed. Good insight!

This is the hard part, being on a halfway normal diet without restriction. This is the part that you have to use your new willpower and white-knuckle it. Measure your portions. Protein first, Veggies and Fruit after that. Water really does help keep your hunger satisfied. I'm not saying what you did with the eggs is wrong, but I wouldn't even consider eating five right now (I'm 5 weeks post-op, just transitioned into soft food last week but got a fill yesterday so I'm back on liquids). Controlling the quantity is just as big of challenge as chosing the right foods.

Had my first fill today. I was afraid the surgeon wouldn't do it since I was ahead on weight loss. He said he'd expect me to lose a pound every week to 10 days, and I lost 7 lbs since my two week post-op visit and today (9 lbs per my scale, sans clothes). He put in a full 3 cc's and I can completely feel it. He had me drink a cup of water before I left to make sure he wouldn't need to remove fluid. All was gravy until the drive home when I felt like the water was going to come back up. He said to start out slow though, liquids until tomorrow night, then puree, then back to soft. I'm going to seize this opportunity to get my diet completely in line with what they recommend. I didn't "cheat" per se, but I wasn't eating the healthiest options over the past five days. My next fill is July 16th and he said if I'm down 4 pounds by then he would be ecstatic. My goal for the next month is to get down to 205. I'm doing a combo jog/run every day for at least 20 minutes and have been taking in around 80-100 ounces of water. Feeling great. So here I go onto my next little goal. 8 lbs in a month...I can SO do this!

Gym. That's right, I think I'm going to join a gym. I've always said there's two things I personally don't believe in, Orgainzed Exercise and Organized Religion (don't take that the wrong way - I'm not against any religion by no means, I just have never been one to share my spirituality with others). I've been doing well, every day I'm losing, even if it's just a few ounces (they add up!!), but I find that my workout routine that I had envision pre-op just isn't happening. By the time I get home from work, I convince myself that I was active enough and relax. There's a community center right down the street from my work, I think I'll get a 3 month pass and just keep gym clothes in my car. Time to kick it into gear.

Well I really let myself down this weekend. I was doing SO good, following the diet to the letter, and then the weekend hit. Started off with a little road trip to see my family on the coast. I did fine that morning, at some turkey for breakfast. For lunch, we took my nephews to the local pizza place and I ate about 1/3 of a taco salad (minus the chips, onions, tomatoes). Took the rest home and got about 4 bites in, and I felt full. I thought I would take one last bite (it was so tastey) and I was in PAIN. Horrible indigestion feeling. I pressed my luck and lost. So the rest of the evening I was too full and mad at myself to eat anything else. Sunday, we all went out to breakfast and I had about half of an egg white and turkey omlet. Ate the other half for lunch, and this time I listened to my full signal and stopped immediately. Then came the big family BBQ which is where I feel like I slipped into old habits. I found myself crusing by the snack table - granted I ate only healthy, soft foods, but I ate slowly enough and spaced out enough, I ate more than I should have. I stepped on the scale this morning, and have gained back 4 pounds. Saturday night I had gone on a 4 mile jog and was considerably sore the next day, plus I had forgotten to take my diuretic BP pill all weekend and am feeling bloated, but still, FOUR POUNDS! I'm back on track today, I know I cannot do this to myself again. Not only did I feel crummy while eating, but I feel horrible today. I work hard to lose every ounce, and my mindless eating overtook a whole week of being good. I get a fill tomorrow, hopefully that will help, but I definitely learned my lesson.

My BMI was 35.6 when I had my pre-op visit and 34.8 when I had surgery. I'm 5'8 and started at 243 lbs. I am now around 212, four weeks post-op. I had hypertension and high cholesterol as my co-morbidities, my insurance required two. Insurance actually denied my surgery the day before I was set for surgery, and my surgeon appealed it. He had put "hypertension" as my co-morbidity instead of "uncontroled hypertension" but he cleared it up and I was approved. The best thing I can suggest is to work closely with your WLS coordinator. They can be your best friend through the process, mine was. They are so good at working with the insurances.

Hang in there! It's a learning curve for sure. You think before surgery that you're prepared for the changes that lie ahead, but after it's done, and you have no choice but to go by the rules, it's kind of a shock. I can tell you though, it does get better. Much better. I'm 4 weeks out and feel fantastic. The weight is coming off, I've figured out my eating routine, and exercise is becoming an addiction.

In my moment of doubt, the day before surgery, I almost cancelled because I had lost over 18 lbs on the pre-op diet. I thought - - I can just keep dieting and do it myself, again! Then reality slapped me in the face and I realized that there is no way I could do it on my own. I had too many bad habits, most of all the fact that I never felt full. Even now, I'm down over 30 lbs and 4 weeks post-op, I get asked all the time why I had it done, I was barely overweight. I just reply that it was a personal choice and I wasn't comfortable in my skin. If they persist I change the subject

I am four weeks post op and had hamburger last night. I had about 1/3 of a jalepeno burger patty (just the meat itself, it has the jalepeno's cooked in). I was taking micro-sized bites and used salsa to moisten it, and it went down fine. I did notice that after the meat, I could only get down a few bites of my steamed veggies, I was full. I felt a little daring trying it so early post-op, and I think it's the only kind of red meat I could tolerate now (unfortunately, no steak for this girl!) but it set okay.

I haven't had a pop in months and honestly don't even miss it. I do drink 80-100 oz of Water daily. If I get a little bored with it (like today) I'll add a packet of the Crystal Light sugar free flavoring to it. Also, maybe try lime? Since you don't like lemon. At first, I had to force myself to drink that much water. It was a chore. But now, it's like my body craves it and if I don't have water constantly around, I feel like I'm dying of thirst!

I just keep reminding myself that I only need to give my body what it needs, not what my brain thinks it needs. Protein, Veggies, Fruit. The day I transitioned into soft foods (last week), it was one of the physician in my office's bday, and they had the most delicious looking cake, as well as pizza and chips. I had to tell myself before I went in the breakroom that I didn't NEED it, and also secretly kind of felt sorry for the people pigging out, knowing they would have to work extra hard to keep from gaining from all those calories!!

My favorite was pureed canned chicken with a spoon of fat-free sour cream and a spoon of low-cal vegetable flavored cream cheese. I would also puree some tuna with the healthiest mayo I could find and some garilc. By the time I hit the mushy stage, I was dying for some flavor! I also took fat-free refried beans, a spoon of fat-free sour cream, and some hot sauce. Taste just like the inside of a Taco Bell bean burrito! Greek yogurt was also a staple, as well as V8 juice.

Wow Jim - great job on the weight loss so far! Djbryan - I would also agree with the others that the stats are off. And like most of them said, yes there is a certain degree of risk with any surgery (some more than others), there is a definite risk to living your life obese.