downhomechik

Smoking is worse for your health than being overweight .. I know how hard it is to quit as I am six years smoke free but somehow it always takes news of an irreversible complication or disease related to smoking to convince someone the dangers. Not trying to preach just saying one in five deaths are related to cigarettes ... If someone said you can ride these buses but one out of the five will crash yet you can opt not to get on the bus at all what would you do? Sorry I now teach fresh start smoking cessation as a give back ... I had cancer due to smoking at 40 and I survived praise god.... I consider quitting one of the greatest gifts I gave myself... Just food for thought.

Marci-great job on your weight loss! Canderson04 - I was banded on 7/4 and don't get a fill until 8/20. I now understand Bandster Hell. I have recently started to get hungry. I didn't for quite some time after surgery. I'm keeping my plates saucer size and measuring portions. I am walking. I feel like I'm on another diet and feeling a tad deprived and sorry for myself. HOWEVER...I've lost almost 40 lbs starting with pre-surgery required weight loss+ post surgery so I have alot to be thankful for and alot lost! I will endure this and will be as successful as possible. WE CAN DO THIS!!! WE'VE come this far! Let me know how your first fill goes!

Took me about 7 days and I used a body pillow which helped cushion my port

I'm much colder now so the hot weather definitely agrees with me!

My daughter was dead set against this as was my son. Until I started getting the tests to see if I qualified for surgery and they found the hiatal hernia, the diabetes, the high blood pressure and I showed them how my being overweight was contributing to my unhealthiness and that studies have proven that losing weight prolongs your life. I went through therapy for my legs and back they hurt so bad and all due to being overweight. I fell all the time just because my balance was off. After that they supported me. I didn't bother telling a lot of people at work because people can be so harsh. Yes, they all think this is the easy way out. They don't realize the committment and the lifestyle change you undergo.

I'm right there with you...3 weeks out and starting soft foods. I had been losing regularly each few days and now no loss in 5 days. Intellectually I know that is okay but I am like a kid in a candy store. I started to see dramatic loss the first few weeks and I thought, holy cow this is great! Now that its tapering off I'm a bit more scared. The will-power is hard without a fill yet. I won't get one until 8/20 so about a month away. I am just trying to limit my intake to no more than 1/2 cup each sitting. I was hungry today between breakfast and lunch. Drank crystal light instead and I made it to lunch (seemed endless)...then I brought too much canned chicken for lunch and had to force myself to only eat half of it then log it right away on myfitnesspal so I would be accountable! Food choices are kind of hard right now because I'm afraid to eat too much solid food yet.

I was told not to use straws but I took a large sip from Water bottle yesterday and it happened to me. I have gas frequently. Had zucchini tonight and I sure wish I hadn't. Gas x and time in the Lu not fun

I can totally relate. The volume is mental based. Get a smaller plate. If that plate is full -I think it tricks your mind. Instead of looking at a plate half empty you see a full plate.

Keep with the liquids you will be happy you did! Every day that goes by you will be healed all the more. Today I put on a pair of jeans I haven't wore in 8 years (yep I saved them!) and I feel so good about how far I've come...I could cry. All these years I fought with my weight and being unhealthy-legs, back, heart burn...its so great to climb out of bed and enjoy going through my clothes!!!

At three weeks post op - I have lost 18 lbs. That's nearly a pound a day. I am just beginning soft foods. I also log everything on myfitnesspal.com It helps with accountability.

I had the same issue and was told it could be the residual affects of anesthetia. It went away by drinking lots of liquids and frozen pops helped too.

I'd pick something minus the carbonation. I like to have a drink now and then but I'll go more for vodka & cranberry juice or a glass of wine.

Sorry to hear of your challenges with insurance. Maybe your doctors office can help you appeal. There are places on internet to do an appeal process. The preop liquid diet probably isn't any fun at all, but think of all the weight you will have lost in that time frame! Good luck and we are here for you!

That is wonderful I am almost three weeks out and 16 lbs down!

Excellent advice well-written. Thanks and it inspires me to work with my new friend the band!

I found soups worked best and lots of good ideas on this site under nutrition

My dr said the port is attached to muscle which heals differently it's not floating around

I would call them tomorrow. My network said they submitted the paperwork, I waited three weeks and never heard anything so called the insurance company and they had never received the paperwork. It ended up getting submitted by network on Thursday, June 28th and approved on July 3rd. I called every single day to the insurance co to see where it was because my Surgery was scheduled for July 5. It was very stressful!

Congrats on making the first step by calling a doctor and/or psychologist. Also, do you have local support groups you can attend? We have them in our local area and talking face to face with people is so helpful and they live close by...so maybe a buddy system can help? And posting on here and coming back often will help as so much good advice and support people here!

Kime-lou, Good for you! I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and so far so good for me too! I'll take one pound a week if that's all I get because nothing worked before! I get my first fill on Aug 20. Surgery was July 5. I have to wait so long because I'm traveling abroad and Dr. says it would be best to wait to till until I return so I'm home, nearby in case I experience any issues with my first fill. I wish I'd done this years ago as well! Keep up the good work Kime-lou!

Congrats. It's good to know the option exists and happy weight loss

I totally agree. I had to jump through hoops...several support meetings to attend, several meetings with the fill technician and the surgeon, nutritionist meetings on what you can eat liquid, puree, soft afterwords and we had to fill out our menus we created and take it back; all sorts of homework and video requirements; pre-surgery meetings...to inform the patient of what will happen and the consequences of not following "the plan"... it saddens me that so many people don't even know what to eat after surgery or what to expect at all. My network dealt with the emotional head hunger alot because this is what fails people alot of the time. I'm glad this site exists to help everyone!!!

Day after would be my choice. I hated having company the day of the surgery. I just wanted to deal and sleep. It does depend on you. I don't like having people around when I'm sick...how about you? That should answer your question.

I will be three weeks post op on Thursday. I've lost 14 lbs so I'd say you are doing fabulous! Mushy is my stage this week too (according to my health network guidelines). I have only just started getting hungry. Last week I only lost 1 lb but I'll take every pound and be happy. It took me 5 months to lose 20 lbs on my own so no complaints from me or regrets! When did you first start getting hungry? Loose scrambled Eggs, mashed potatoes, mushed up veggies all seem to work for me-I ate a mushed up meat ball the other day that had been in the crockpot all day and only had room enough for 1/2 of it which both shocked and excited me at the same time. Yogurt but I've found 4 oz of yogurt fills me up too much (I can feel it in my throat right now...) for awhile so next time I'll limit it to 3 oz.