2012

Lap band hell is the time after surgery where you are following the band rules of eating (liquids, mushies, solids, 1 cup, 1/2 cup, whatever your doc tells you) and you don't have any restriction to help you get through this. Some people really struggle with this because they are hungry and are having to adjust, so they refer to it as "hell". My personal experience is that it was not totally terrible (I believe because they put saline in my band at the time of surgery), but was an adjustment none the less. As far as gaining weight after surgery, I personally did not, but some do. It could be a matter of eating/drinking above what your NUT recommends, which would cause gain, but you also have to remember after surgery the focus is on healing, not losing, it will come (if you follow the rules) in due time.

Good luck to both you of, you will do just fine!

Ricotta cheese and pizza sauce. Chicken broth and refried beans. Tuna or chicken salad in a food processor. On the tuna/chicken salad, I would ask your NUT what all this can contain, I was permitted relish, but I know of at least one person was not, so listen to whatever they say.

Quite honestly, and don't take this the wrong way, but I thought you were a guy from the picture until you started talking about having a c-section. But it's funny none the less

Thank you Cheryl, I'm at a stall right now and this helps put things back in perspective.

Well, I love sugar and carbs, that is where my weight gain came from. This is horrible, but I'm going to put it out there, but it was nothing for me to eat an entire cherry/chocolate/you name it pie by myself in a day. I was getting tired of buying bigger clothes and continuing on this downward spiral. I'm not even that old yet, but felt like I was 80. Years of in dabbling in raw foods, optifast, weight watchers, so on and so on, I finally decided it's time to do this and I did. My insurance did not pay for it, so I did and really want this to come up with this big chunk of change. The first few days of liquids are rough and personally I went through withdrawal, I was not a happy person without my sugar and carbs, but I powered through and here I am almost 6 months out and 69lbs down and could not feel better. I'm smiling a lot more and am happy for a change in a long time. I too got in the bad habit of drive thrus, I'm too tired to cook, it's too late, blah, blah, blah. But now, I want to cook and find it hard to eat at drive thrus. I'm not saying lap band is a super miracle, but it sure as hel* did something to me to get away from those sugars and carbs and the cravings have calmed down big time. Just giving you another perspective on things. I would make a goal for yourself to do the liquids for a week, instead of just a day and make yourself do it. Read success stories on here, whatever works for you to keep you motivated, or just shoot me an email, I'm on here every day and I can check on you and then you have some accountability. Then see how you feel after that week.

Jack, I just gotta say your post cracked me up , too funny.

My port site was sore a few days and then for the next couple of weeks if I bent too far one way or another, it was a little sore, but not really painful or anything.

I didn't get a binder and I never even heard of one until on here when people have mentioned it. Though, it would have been nice for the first couple of weeks. I was always worried about my pants rubbing my belly, but all worked out.

Merry Christmas! I love sweet potato marshmallow pie, but my mom did not make it this year . Great job at the dinner and that was really thoughtful (and supportive) of your sister to do that with the desert.

Smaller plates are also nice, most people call them salad plates, this way your plate looks full compared to a regular plate. sugar free popsicles were big for me right after surgery. My throat was sore the first couple of days and these helped sooth and were just good in general. Have a pillow around to press against your belly when you get up from a sitting position. I also have the Bella and it works pretty good, inexpensive (and probably on a big sale right now or this week) and does the job.

Hi, in the beginning I was very moody and got mad pretty easy, it was crazy and I thought something was wrong with me, but now everything has evened out and all is good. Just give it some time. I was a sugar/carbaholoic before surgery and dropping that way of eating quickly and add in no caffeine right before and after surgery, I don't think this helped. But it will get better.

Join me and several others (from LBT, just search the forums on LBT for myfitnesspal) on myfitnesspal and you can see the tracker every day I'm 2012ALM if you join and want to be friends. It's totally free and I have only had to enter 1 food that I could not find. Super easy and has an app too, I just use my laptop.

Don't be worried, track your food and then you actually know what you are eating At least that is my lifeline for now and I'm very fortunate and it's been a consistent loss since July.

Depending on what part of Indiana you live in, and if you are close to Cincinnati, I paid $13,000 with Dr. Curry.

Actually, this might be a better option: http://allthingsd.com/20120821/a-chance-to-call-15-friends-to-video-chat-in-high-def/. That Skype article I had above was older and after looking into it further, it looks like there is a fee for multiple callers on a video chat. This article in this message is from August 2012 and says it's free and you can have up to 15 people and people can be sent invites to join the video conference, but I have no experience with this program.

Honestly, I'm not that well versed on Skype, but I found this online to help shed some light on the topic, it looks like you can get at least 10 people on at the same time http://blogs.skype.com/en/2010/09/10_way_video_calling.html. I do know Skype is free, but I've only used it once with my mom and that was fun (she is not tech savvy at all )

Hi Tomander, I'm just throwing a thought out there and not sure how much interest or if it's even a possibility, but it would be neat if you had a skype type option where others could join your coffee group from different locations. I'm in the US, but would like to be a part of this and I'm sure there is free WiFi at a coffee shop and some type of free setup to do this (hey Alex this might be nice to add to LBT ) My support group is not all that great and people don't show up, I never get the updates when they are having it (they say it's computer glitches) and when I did finally make it, I was the one and only person who showed up, hence I'm on LBT all of the time for support or just to hear what others are experiencing.

Are you by chance still wearing old clothes that don't show the loss? I know on days that I wear my old clothes (always kept them in hopes I would return one day, and I am woohoo ) that fit more snug, people actually notice, but with baggier clothes (really trying to hold out on buying clothes as I keep going down pretty steadily) no one says a thing. But it may help I work in an environment with a lot of nurses, doctors, and health minded people, so they encourage getting healthier, if that makes sense. Like LovetheNewMe said, they may be jealous or just not know how or what to say. I have one person who is always complementing me, but at the same time, says she is afraid that she does not want to offend me in the same conversation. Like people don't want to make you feel bad about what you used to look like I suppose is what she means.

If it makes you feel any better, I ate some buckeyes today that someone made for me, but I added them to my food journal (MFP) and I'm accounting for them and adjusting the rest of the day to stay in my numbers that my nutritionist advised. They were really good!

I can't really help you with the insurance issue as I was self paid, but maybe the doctor's office (lapband doc) you are working through has a specialist that can advise you? I know the one I go to does, but I didn't use her.

I'm 5'4 and my doc set a goal at 160 if this helps and I'm 35.

I agree, I tried the protein shake in the morning early on and it went right through me, so I would only use these to supplement if your protein is lacking for the day (I do myself, but it's usually an afternoon snack). I also suggest looking up bandster hell on here, you are going through it. You have to heal and through this stage you will be hungry, your body is going through a big adjustment, but you will get there. And water will help like stated above, drink lots of it in between and make yourself stick to your docs instructions on eating as far as how much, you need to develop the habit now before you start getting the restriction to get used to it. Hope this helps.

Honestly it sounds like this lady dropped the ball and just gave up. If you think you are stretched and/or have not gone in for a fill for that long, then go to the doc and figure out how to resolve the issue(s), she may have just needed a fill. Maybe I'm more motivated since I was self paid, but if I have issues, you bet your a** I'm going back to the doc. And see, 4lbs down, you are well on your way! It's difficult in the beginning, we are learning a bunch of new habits all at once so it takes time, but you'll get the hang of it. And if you are not tracking, I suggest it, it's very helpful, myfitnesspal is awesome (and free), I'm 2012ALM if you want to be friends.

Vj, just wanted to let you know you got me motivated by this post and I went through my closet and got rid of a lot of clothes today, actually I had a really fun time trying on pants and finding they are too big . And I see you are from Louisville, I'm only about an hour away from you in Northern Kentucky, not too far from Cincinnati.