A New New Dawn

I agree with sticking to liquids for a day or two and it will (ideally) pass. Just sip them as able since you are nauseated and some warm tea may help w/ the stomach and nausea. Hang in there.

Your feelings are quite normal. Many of us worry about failing yet again after failing so many diets before. The good thing about this, it's not really a diet. It's a lifestyle change and if used properly can become your new bff. It sounds like you are your own worst enemy and probably afraid of being judged. One thing I struggled with is people that knew I had it, didn't understand the difference between this and GB so they expected the weight to be "falling off" me. You are expected to lose about 1-2 lbs per week. Initially, I exceeded that and now seem to be right at that amount. If you are willing to make lifestyle changes and believe in yourself, you can and WILL do this! You are spot on with setting smaller goals along the way. It helps to feel you are accomplishing something when you have those instead of focusing on the whole picture. Best wishes to you on your upcoming surgery!

I would strongly suggest meeting with one first to discuss options. Perhaps just getting unfilled or even a slight unfill would alleviate your problems.

I agree with everything Love and Gym_addict say. Plus, I think your goal may be a little lofty but I think if you track and get moving, it will happen. The only other thing I would add is I know when I am not drinking enough liquids and taking in enough protein my weight seems to stall. As soon as I increase both, it picks back up again. Best wishes to you.

I agree w/ Hely. If the chicken is moist enough, I do fine but if it is at all dry it doesn't work well. Marinating it too helps w/ the tenderness.

That's great news!!! Congrats!

It depends... I have sleep apnea so if I fall asleep and forget to put my mask on my snoring (that I don't even realize I do) or sleeping w/ my mouth open does that too...

Have you met with a nutritionist? If not, I would URGE you to do that with someone familiar w/ the band. Most of us are given guidelines of what to eat. Just eating healthy is not good advice, in my opinion. You need sample menus, guidelines, etc. For example, my NUT and dr. have me on 1200 calories per day and 60-70 grams of Protein. If I do not get in the proper protein, I am hungry. Eating solid Proteins, followed by fruit/veggies will help keep you satiated and help you lose. You are not a failure, it just sounds like you need direction. Also, make sure you aren't taking in too many liquid calories. Those won't do much for you and no more than 1 Protein shake per day.

Thanks for sharing! That is amazing. You have done a great job!!!

Sorry to hear this. Have you talked to the nutritionist or dr. about this? Maybe it is how or what you are eating.

Yes, no worries. It is normal from the swelling and all the liquids they pump you up with for surgery. Right now, it's best not to weigh as you want to focus on healing. Congrats on your surgery.

Gorgeous!!!

Glad today is going better for you. You will find ways to work through it and certainly venting to fellow bandsters can help as well. For now, try to take it one day at a time. Today you are one day closer to moving to the next phase.

How much longer until you can progress to the next phase and what is the next phase for you (every doctor is different)? I agree with keeping busy. Read, walk, etc... anything to occupy your mind. I give you credit for sticking to the plan though and not giving in to your temptation. That will really help your healing process.

I haven't gotten stuck either since they are so small. Technically, it is a seed used like a grain and here is some info about it's nutritional value .... http://chetday.com/quinoa.html and here's a recipe my family loves, you can omit the corn if so desired http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/

As my doctor told me, there are 2 reasons we get gas. Either the food we are eating or swallowing air. If you have not changed the foods you are eating from before surgery it may be swallowing a lot of air. For me, it took me a bit to figure out why i was waking up every morning burping and had a lot of gas... Well, I have sleep apnea and use a cpap machine. After losing a significant amount of weight, I needed the pressure turned down on the machine and that problem subsided. In case you use one, you may want to look into that.

I bought small Rubbermaid containers. They hold 1.2 cups so I almost fill them. I use them for taking lunch to work, storing leftovers in individual portions in the freezer so I have them ready to go, and many times at home I will serve my dinner in them and it keeps me in check and measures my food.

I love it, as do my kids. It has so much great nutritional value. I make it with vegetable broth, black beans, cilantro, and crushed red pepper..

Thanks for sharing! I am going to try that skinnytaste one. I also like emilybites.com recipes.

As always, a great article and a great dose of reality! Thanks for always keeping it real!

You're welcome. My doctor and nutritionist told me Protein first as it will keep you full and is what you need the most of nutritionally. You should get in at least 60 grams of protein per day. I also notice when I get in the appropriate amount of protein it makes a huge difference in my hunger and in my weight loss. I will tell you first hand, it makes a HUGE difference in the portions I eat by eating my protein first as well. When I start w/ chicken or meat, for example, I am easily full after that and some veggies. If I start with a starch or other food (ie. salad), I can eat and eat and... Also, it is very important to "take it easy" after being stuck. Your stoma gets irritated and inflamed so even though the stuck food passed by eating solid foods right after you can irritate it more and are more likely to get food stuck again. I had this happen recently and after struggling for 2 weeks I had to finally give in and get an unfill as I could barely get liquids down. It was definitely a learning process for me. Glad you are feeling better.

I agree with taking it slow and not going w/ ice cold. At this point, you probably will only be able to take small (frequent) sips to get liquids down. Also, if you are still experiencing pain, are you trying your pain meds? If lukewarm sipping of water/liquids isn't tolerable, I would suggest calling your doctor's office.

I think a visit with your surgeon and/or nutritionist may be a great place to start. Also, are you following the "banded guidelines" of about 3-4 ounces of solid Protein to start your meal and then 1/2 c veggies? Most docs recommend no more than 1 cup of food. Since you say you are over serving yourself, I would suggest going back to the basics of weighing and measuring your food. If I am having something like chili or stew I actually serve it in my little Rubbermaid 1 cup bowl so I know I am not over serving myself. If I am having meat/protein I will weigh it to make sure it isn't over 4 ounces. I, too, can overeat/serve easily if not doing this. Second, make sure you are taking very small bites, pausing 30 sec-1 min between, then going for the second bite (putting your fork down in between helps). If you are doing this and still having difficulty getting foods down, you may need a slight unfill or perhaps there is something else going on like a slippage of the band. I am not a doctor so your doctor could assess that best. Also, keep in mind, if you have had a stuck moment, you should stick to liquids for a day or two, then mushies, then back to normal eating. If you are trying to eat too soon after, it may still be swollen/inflamed and you will make it worse or get frustrated that food isn't going down. I haven't done the "5 day pouch test" myself but have seen others on the site that have done this to get back on track. Best wishes to you and congrats on your success.

I would urge you to talk to your insurance and ask them these same questions. Also, did you have to go through pre-op testing for the surgery you are already scheduled for? Maybe some of those hoops you would have to go through could already be satisfied with some of the testing you have already completed. Best wishes to you either way.

A lot of that is SPAM too. I have the exact same message from the same email address on one of my pictures.