A New New Dawn

Truth be told, there is mourning of sorts for a lot of us as we have to change our relationship with food; however, we have to stay on track as we didn't undergo all of this for nothing. You CAN do this. Some days SUCK (no nicer way to put it) but overall, the benefits LONG outweigh the suckiness of the foods we miss. It gets easier as the weeks go on and when the weight starts falling, it is inspiration to keep on going. I am sitting in my cube at work with a HUGE bag of Halloween candy behind me that someone brought in. Sure, I would love to have a piece or two but that candy won't taste as good as skinny feels! So here I sit w/ a hard boiled egg to satisfy my hunger and life IS good.

We just want you to be healthy and successful! Good luck to you!!

Can you do cottage cheese or ricotta cheese? You can get the lowfat versions and add those to moisten what you put in the blender. Also, I bought other Soup bases (low sodium) and added those to chicken or beef to moisten it. You can add salsa as well or Pasta sauce.

To add to all the other great posts above, the post op diet is for proper recovery. You can cause your band to slip or not be positioned correctly by eating solids too soon. It takes weeks for the recovery process and when you are eating solid and heavy foods you are putting extra pressure on your stoma (the band, sutures, etc) and can cause harm. It is sooooo important to listen to your surgeon's instructions. Also, mushy foods can be greek yogurt (high protein), scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and blenderized meals. I made my normal meals for my family and put my 3-4 ounces of meat in the blender with chicken broth or a sauce of some sort and while it may not have looked good, it tasted fine. Those are just some ideas for Protein. Note that it is very important to eat protein first as it will keep you satiated. Sorry if the replies seem harsh but by not following your post-op instructions you could be jeopardizing your health, recovery and success with the band. You will get through this - we all did! Best of luck to you.

oh no, are you able to get the liquids down though?

Truly every doctor is different and has a different approach as you know. Some doctors do a slight fill during surgery, some no fill at all. Others are aggressive about doing fills but some doctors do very little. I have a 10 cc band and had no fill during surgery and have had 3 fills post op (at 4.5 cc now). Also, note that many of us don't feel any restriction until after a few fills or so. You may not feel any or much of a difference after your first one. It will come though.

I would urge after any stuck episode that you stick to liquids for a day or two, then mushies, then soft foods.... It is irritated and inflamed right now so you need to take it easy. Sorry you are experiencing this and good luck to you.

Many people require several fills. I think you just haven't found your "green zone" yet. Keep following up w/ the surgeon until you get there.

Remember to follow the rules and guidelines you are given. Come to this forum for support after your banding too. Congrats on your new journey.

This is normal. Please do not focus on losing weight but on healing for the first month or so. Also, many people do gain. They pump you full of so much liquids during surgery and you are bloated, etc.

The first 4-6 weeks it is normal not to lose or even gain. Please, please focus on healing not losing right now. Your body is going through a huge adjustment.

that's an awesome story and congrats!

Oh my word... my fiance likes to hunt (though doesn't get to often). We are so different as I am sooooo squeemish and he will eat about anything. He shot an elk (in Texas of all places) a few years back and I threatened him to never try to sneak an elk roast on the table or I was done and he didn't..... More power to you!!!!

If they are falling off naturally I wouldn't worry about replacing them. Your incisions should be closed by now. One of mine fell off early and my incision opened up a bit. I got butterfly bandages from the store and put one on so it wouldn't open up anymore. If you notice any inflamation or oozing, you may want to call your doctor.

I don't think anyone appreciates being referred to as a "cow"... ouch. Congrats on your NSV and for achieving another milestone.

Guessing it may just be nerves if you were nervous about it.

I would suggest logging what you are eating (using myfitnesspal or something comparable). Many people don't realize they are eating more calories than they realize or way less than they realize and either way is detrimental to weight loss. You should probably be around 1000 calories per day. Also, I was plateuing after just walking and switched it up. I found a great deal on Zumba classes in my area and am doing that a couple times a week. It has really helped. Lastly, if you are still struggling, I would meet with a nutritionist. (My bariatric clinic has a couple on staff). They may be able to offer some guidance to help kickstart your weight loss again.

I am so sorry for what you have experienced. I am getting mine just fine but my body definitely changed after 2 different abdominal surgeries. For example, about 8 years ago, I had an emergency appendectomy and was very sick in the hospital for a week. I used to get debilitating cramps and after I had kids they went away. Well after that surgery they came back with a vengence every month. Weird. Now after having this surgery, I am back to very heavy periods and no cramps again. It is just weird how it can impact your cycle or effects of from other surgery. I hope you get back to "normal" soon. I agree with Mis73 to do a pregnancy test though to be sure and not assume. Good luck to you.

What a beautiful dog! My daughter dreams of when she has her own place, etc. and can have a husky!! It is her dream dog and she oogles over them anytime she sees one. They are so beautiful.

Me and my daughters! Mom power walked and they ran. By the end of the day my friend's pedometer said we walked almost 7 miles (to and from hotel, the 5k, etc). before64.bmp

I don't believe straws will harm you per say. Many doctors recommend against them because you can inhale a lot of air and cause pain (kind of like the carbonated beverage effect) gas pain. When I was in the hospital, they didn't allow it either and didn't for any bariatric patients.

Also, note that in a standard size serving of Bailey's (not including if you add milk to it) there is about 1/4 of the calories most of us are told to have in a day. If you are having 2 (assuming they aren't larger than this size) that is more than half the calories we should have in a day. That could be a big culprit drinking so many calories. Original Irish Cream (Bailey's) Serving Size: 3.38 oz (100 ml), Calories: 327, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 25g, Protein: 3g

I have noticed from others that sometimes after being banded for a while, it is easy to forget or stray from the original guidelines or some banders didn't get adequate information from their centre initially. For starters, I would log what you are eating (ideally through myfitnesspal or something like that that will track calories too). You should not exceed (per my doctor) about 1200 calories per day and should have about 60+ grams of protein. Try not to exceed 1 cup of food per meal and have a planned healthy snack in between meals (piece of fruit) or something. If you are not able to get even yogurt down, perhaps your band is a little too tight which may be causing you to eat some unhealthier items (sliders) that will go down easily and that may be part of the problem. It sounds like you could really benefit from a visit (or 2) with a nutritionist to get back on track. You shouldn't feel so defeated and frustrated with your food choices. I am able to eat most anything as long as I eat slowly and eat small bites. I would urge you to see out one (my bariatric clinic has ones on staff) and they have a lot of great ideas and advice. I truly don't feel deprived and only did when I was too tight and struggled getting solid food down. I also have found healthier ways to still enjoy many foods I loved before but now in a healthier way. There is a website called Emily bites (I believe) and there are many recipes that you make in cupcake pans so they are portioned out into appropriate sized meals. They are healthy versions (ie. lasagna) of everyday foods. I really enjoy them. Good luck to you!

Definitely check the portion and if you added anything... You would have to add a lot of oil and cheese, bread, etc. for it to be that high. An egg mcmuffin w/ no cheese is only around 250 calories and an egg alone is about 80.

that is AWESOME!!!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!