Frederic

It's a crowd sourced project so the more people who contribute to making sure entries are accurate the better the database becomes.

Your brain is getting alot of signals from your stomach right now with time you'll learn not all if them are hunger. Some are just your stomach adjusting others may simply be healing. Many people have noisy stomachs after the band but a growling stomach isn't always hungry. Try engaging in activities that occupy your mind and hands it may help you separate your head hunger from your body hunger.

I'm trying to only eat when hungry currently that means a morning snack (usually an oz. of cheese) lunch (1/3 cup of cottage cheese, hummus, or 4 oz. of meat) an afternoon snack (1 oz. of cheese or a cup of sugar free jello); dinner (soup, tuna salad, chicken salad) and then an evening snack (1 oz. cheese or 4oz. greek yogurt).

Once I started soft foods it got much easier to drink Water (which is probably a reason my weight loss slowed at the same time). Just keep water handy and sip regularly.

Also if you sneeze or cough right after the surgery it can be pretty painful after the pain otherwise goes away but eventually that too starts to feel normal.

After the surgery you'll probably be surprised how much you use your abdominal muscles.

It depends on how active you are. I was off pain meds by day 4 and driving by day 5. I was easily able to do light housework during my week off but 7 minutes of brisk walking tired me out when before surgery I could run 20 minutes pretty easily. I returned to work (which is mostly office work) after a week off but 3 weeks post op I know I still don't have the stamina I had before the surgery but I'm hoping I'll be cleared to start doing more cardio and weightlifting after 4 weeks rather than the 6 my surgeon told me originally.

My strategy for using the scale is weigh daily (before stepping in the shower) but only compare what you weigh today to a month ago never yesterday. The more weight you have to lose the more your weight can fluctuate from day to day. It's too easy to get caught up on your day to day changes you need to be thinking long term trends.

I decided to get the surgery because I was more active and ate better than all of my skinny friends and still couldn't lose any more weight. I'm finishing up my 3rd week post op and I was off pain meds by day 3. There was discomfort and my incisions still hurt if I try to exert myself but I'm looking forward to starting to exercise more vigorously again. I would advise you to look at the post operative guidelines about diet and exercise and try to follow them while considering the surgery if you can make those behavioral changes before the surgery then the surgery will be more likely to get you the results you want. BTW: if my physician had referred to WLS as a cop out and accused me of being too lazy to just exercise and eat better he'd have been lucky if all I did was walk out rather than knock out some of his teeth. WLS is not an easy way out it is a big decision that comes with a lot of lifestyle changes and I have no respect for a physician who would imply that everyone's metabolism is the same despite the libraries of data that show otherwise.

I was also banded 2-28-13 and I was having trouble getting my fluids in until I started on soft foods last week. Before that I was losing 2.5 lbs a day. Since then it's been easy to get the water in but I've actually gained back a few lbs. I'm not worried though since I've had to add extra holes to my belts and my tight pants are now my loose pants. My favorite feature of MYFITNESSPAL is the graph. As long as today's weight is lower than 30 days ago I'm happy even when I do go up 5lbs from the day before.

Yesterday I went to a St. Pat party and I did not stick to the dietary guidelines I'd set for myself. I didn't break any of my postoperative restrictions but I did graze more than i intended and didn't stick to protien foods. This morning I knew I'd gain but I also know at least personally my biggest motivator to getting back on track was going to be seeing how far off track I went.

As I said I cast no aspersions on anyone who as already gotten the surgery. My concern is with anyone reading this thread who is thinking WLS is the answer to "losing a few pounds". I firmly believe in WLS as a life saving option for numerous people but I feel compelled to present it as what it is. A life changing decision with serious possible risks. If people don't talk about WLS seriously and honestly then mainstream culture will continue to demean it's use as a "shortcut" or "plastic surgery".

Not only have I read that article I've actually read the study it's based on. Note in the article the recommendation for people with a BMI between 30 & 35 have a co-morbidity (predominantly diabetes).

Walking is fine but I only have so much time and I'll admit I was just active enough before surgery that I was starting to get a taste of that "running high". I won't say it felt as good as being in the middle of a fight back in my 20s but it was comparable and less likely to cause any lasting injuries.

Those studies often exclude the statistical data of how likely the person would have been to lose the weight and keep it off by less invasive means such as intensive therapy. Removing gall bladders and tonsils from all 10 yr olds would also have fewer complications compared to people receiving those procedures at later ages but would still put them at greater risk than never having the procedure at all unless necessary. Younger people generally recover better from surgical procedures but unless there are co-morbidities already present the BMI just provides corallary data. Some people with "high" BMIs are healthier at older age than their lower BMI peers. The BMI is a statistical tool not a medical assessment.

I am going nuts with the restriction on my activity level. I want to do some light jogging or lift weights but the Dr. was adamant about waiting till at least 6 weeks before trying anything more than walking. I can even feel he's right I find myself feeling run down and tired after even short walks but it's frustrating I know it's because I'm healing and I'm not taking in as many calories but it feels uncomfortably similar to when a wasn't active and got tired because I was simply out of shape. I guess part of me is afraid I'll struggle to get back to the activity level I had before the band even though reasonably I should be able to easily surpass it.

This is not intended as a personal attack against anyone who has already had the lap band but I have to say getting a lap band when you have less than 15 pts to lose off your BMI to be a healthy weight is very dangerous. You are simply more likely to experience complications than experience other health risks. It's like having your gall bladder removed just to avoid something going wrong with your gall bladder. On a second note as unfair as it is; it trivializes the procedure and feeds the social idea that WLS is an easy fix for people too lazy to just diet and exercise. It's an unfair assessment but rarely ate social views fueled by a fair and objective outlook. I firmly believe WLS should be a last resort for losing weight.

Did your Dr. recommend Atkins? Normally the pre-op diet is about reducing the size of your liver eliminating abdominal fat so it's easier to navigate and place the band. I wouldn't think the nutritional profile of the Atkins diet would generate the liver shrinkage.

Our brains affect what we see more than we think. If it gets out of hand it turns into "Body Dysmorphic Disorder". If you don't see a change as you lose weight I would encourage you to start taking comparison photos either weekly or monthly. Try to wear the same type if clothes and stand in the same position. Be sure to note the date and weight with the picture. It's easy for us to overlook slow change since we "see" ourselves everyday. Sometimes our brains need to be shown "reality" in a structured format for us to accept it.