ANewMe428

Your story is amazing Eric. You are such a motivation! I'm so happy for you & your success!

I made lasagna cups with the following:
1/2 cup ff ricotta
1/2 cup lf cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese
Spaghetti sauce
Mix the egg, ricotta, and cottage cheeses together. Spray ramekins with Pam. Spoon cheese mix in until about 3/4 full. Top with spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese. Bake on baking sheet for about 25-30 mins at 350. Allow to cool. They refrigerate and reheat well.

One week post op I wasn't hungry at all most the time and lost 6lbs, the following week I had no restriction at all and gained 3lbs. I started drinking Protein Shakes again at breakfast, and sometimes for lunch (but not always) with a normal meal at dinner, and started walking. Did a lot of walking that week and I lost 9lbs in one week. I weigh myself weekly. So I make sure I get my walks in for the week because if I don't I feel like I'm gonna gain weight lol.. I don't eat what I'm suppose to either. Portion sizes I mean. But I do eat healthy. I am 3 weeks post op and definitely have no restriction, but I can go hours before feeling hungry again. Sometimes I'll eat dinner and in an hour my stomach starts growling, but I know I'm not hungry, so I don't eat, I just drink, drink and drink and it goes away. As long as you're eating healthy and getting exercise in, I'm sure you'll lose. That's what I'm doing. Everyone is different tho..but you should give it a try. I usually walk (fast paced) for 30-45 minutes a day..I had my post op appt on Friday and asked when I'll be getting a fill, and he told me 4-5 weeks, my mouth just dropped! Lol that's 7-8 weeks post op..but I think I'm doing ok without the fill, but as long as I get my walking in. I usually get satisfied/full with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of food, with the exception of a salad, I can eat a pretty big salad . You'll be ok, just stick to your Protein and veggies. Do you by any chance count your calories? I feel that has been a BIG part of my success so far, to be able to keep track of my caloric intake..

I walked in the survivor lap of the Relay For Life today. I've been cancer free for 11 years now! The last time that I walked it was in 2011. I looked at some pictures and realized I was at my heaviest (395), now I'm at 323. The pictures show a huge difference. I was 369 when I called to make my consultation and 333 on day of surgery (5/6). So obviously i didn't lose all my weight with band but i was only 26 pounds lighter when i set up my consultation. I didn't even want to wear the survivor shirt at my heaviest because it was way too tight (biggest they had 3X). In fairness today was a 4X. But, it feels good to be 72 pounds lighter than my heaviest weight. I went from 395 to 315 dieting by myself but ended up at 369 and decided to have surgery and am now at 323. This time I'm not gaining it back!!

Cat whisperer I'm sorry u had to go thru that. I'm happy you've gotten it taken care of. Thank u for sharing your story. Everyone has something different happen so its always good to have different variations of surgery. I wish u & us all a healthy speedy recovery.

I'll be banded Tomorrow May 6th. Any last minute advice or suggestions? ? Still nervous but i'll be alright lol

You one smart dude. You're right, 30 to 24 is 3 sizes, womens sizes go by two. 30-28-26-24 etc..
OP, congrats! Don't it feel good and a great motivator.

:wub:I had my surgery on may 1, 2012 and was a size 30/32, i just tried on a size 24 pants last night and they fit!!!! i am ubber excited about this. they are a tad bit tight in the belly from what i am used to but i can fit two fingers in the waist, so i know they are a good fit. :wub:
I AM DOING MY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wub:

I certainly hope so. Thanx for the words of encouragement!

Thanks! Right back at you!!

ERIC I'M SOOOOO PROUD OF U! YOU'VE BEEN DOING GREAT! !!!!!!

I just got home from my two week post-op appointment (surgery was 5/6 so just shy of two weeks). First they were shocked at how much weight that I have lost since they last saw me in the office (less than a month ago, 30 pounds!). They were all ecstatic for me and one of the nurses (who is banded), remarked how jealous she was
Then, they took my blood pressure. It was low. They cut my dose in half!!! I have another appointment in two weeks, she said depending on how my BP is she might take me completely off of it! I can't even explain how happy I would be to get off of this medicine. I have been on it a few years. I'm only 28, it sucks to be on it this young. I went through 8 rounds of intense chemo 11 years ago. The most common long term problems deal with heart problems. I need to do my part to minimize the likelihood of heart problems. Cutting my dose in half is a GREAT start!!!
Coming home I got stuck on the highway (office is an hour away), in a lightning storm. Even when I was driving 9 miles an hour on the highway I had a huge smile on my face!! I use to dread going to the doctor. I usually gained weight, my BP was high, some type of problem came up.., But, after today I can't wait to go back in two weeks! I KNOW I'll weigh less than I did today and I HOPE that I can go off of BP medicine. Even if I can't, I know eventually I will!
Thanks for reading!

So today is my first week after op. So far, I'm feeling better, but first week was rough!
I still really nauseous (this is the worst part for me, more than the Gas pain), and I had a couple of episodes that I thought I was going to throw up, but it was a HUGE burp, and it hurt a little. Mostly now, I'm feeling really weak, and I don't want to eat anything, literally. I never thought I would say this but I'm not really interested in food at all now! (so weird). I tried to get a couple of shakes, but after a few sips I was so nauseous that It's super hard for me eat something more solid than Water. I'm having a greek yogurt now, and so far is working it's way, but I still feel super weak. I know it's because I haven't get any foods or Proteins, but I really feel kinda down right now and I don't want to eat
14 pounds down in a week.
any ideas to get some energy back? this is my problem now, I'm at work and it's so hard not to think I just want to sleep.

I didn't think about putting Protein Powder in pudding. That's a good idea!

Oh dear, if you're losing 14 lbs a month, that's very rapid weight loss. I bet a pound of fat just melted right off of you while I wrote this message!
Please remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. I know you wanted a fill, but if you're losing weight like that, you are well on your way!
And remember, haters gonna hate and bandsters, they gonna lose weight!!!

Just wanted to check in. I'm 10 days post-op and feel great! No gas pain, incisions are tender but don't hurt. I lost 16 on Pre-op, 11 since surgery and 20 on my own before Pre-op. 47 in the last few months. I just had my blood pressure medicine dosage cut in half, and might even be taken off of it in the next couple weeks! My nutritionist is ecstatic with how I have done! If you are on the Pre-op or dreading it know this, you CAN do it! It's tough, but so worth it! Trust me I know it sucks! I once got snuck in the kitchen opened up a leftover pizza box and ripped off the topping to scarf them down (I justified it by saying I wasn't eating the bread aka carbs Lol), and just as I went to put them in my mouth I realized how crazy I looked sneaking pizza toppings in the middle of the night! Lol I tell you this because although I have done well I am FAR from perfect. You don't get to 369 pounds by having self control. I wanted to give up at one point of the Pre-op, day screw this this isn't for me.. I can't tell me how glad I am that I didn't!!! Good luck! If you have any questions PM me or reply. I'm rooting for every single one of us!

The pre op for me was hell. I had 3weeks of liquids. But was able to eat egg whites & 4oz of boneless skinless chicken breast 1/2the time. I lost 23lbs in 3weeks. That was great but the hunger headaches were unbearable. By day 5 it started getting better. sugar free popsicles, sf Jello & crystal light saved my life. U can do it!

POST-OP LAP BAND DIET
The Lap Band reduces the size of the stomach and dramatically decreases
the amount of food needed to reach satiety or fullness.
Fluid:
• Adequate Fluid intake is crucial to prevent dehydration.
• Drink at least 64 ounces (8 cups) of sugar-free, non-carbonated fluid
daily.
• Absolutely no carbonated beverages.
• Do not use a straw when drinking your fluids.
General Guidelines
The first band adjustment usually occurs approximately 6 weeks after your
surgery. Follow the guidelines below for best results.
1. DO NOT EAT AND DRINK AT THE SAME TIME ! ! Wait 30 minutes
after meals to begin drinking fluids. Stop drinking 30 minutes before
your planned meal.
2. For the first six weeks, use a Protein supplement (shakes, drinks, etc.)
along with your diet.
3. Eat only three meals daily once solids have been added to your diet.
4. Avoid foods that are difficult to digest: nuts, tough meat, celery, etc.
5. Avoid doughy or sticky foods: soft white bread, Peanut Butter, dried
fruits.
6. Chew all food to a pureed texture.
7. Eat slowly taking 20 to 30 minutes to eat your meal.
8. Sip only low calorie beverage between meals.
9. Take your Multivitamin every day.
10.Do not snack!
Weeks 1 – 2: Full liquids
• Consume liquids that are thin enough to drink through a straw,
but don’t use a straw! Drink the liquids in small sips.
• Include protein supplements (shakes, drinks, etc.) daily to make
sure you meet your protein requirements.
• Look for sugar-free alternatives to liquids since it is easy to
consume too many calories through liquids alone.
• Full liquids keep your stomach from working too hard by
decreasing pressure on the band. This will prevent any vomiting
in the immediate post-surgical period.
http://www.siumed.edu/surgery/bariatric/files/lapband_diet.pdf

No offense Tezzie, but I see so many posts like yours and I just don't get it? You've lost 49 lbs and you've only had the band 7 weeks? Do you have any idea how many people would love to have half your success. I wouldn't consider 49 lbs as a disappointment? Sorry, don't mean to be mean, rude or judgemental, but you got it good gal.
Your mind is playing with you. Telling you to be disappointed for no reason just so you can eat bad food. Bad mind, bad bad.
tmf

Since I'm constantly scouring this site for before and after photos to keep me motivated, I figured I'd post a few of my own. As of today, I am down 75 lbs since banded 10/11/12 which I think is fantastic. I have to admit, though, some days I feel and see the difference and other days I see the old me in the mirror.

You fix that by stop eating around the band- which is exactly what you're doing. You get your "stop" or "full" signal after little food so you try to wash it down so you can eat more. You're totally defeating the purpose of your band, which is to leave you feeling satisfied after little food.
I would very strongly suggest you talk to your doctor, tell him what you're doing, and see what his suggestion is. If you continue to eat around your band like this you're risking stretching your pouch and even possibly a slip.
Best wishes.

It's an Honest Question, WE all are anxiously awaiting the weight to "fall-off" But the reality is that We didn't gain over night it's not falling off overnight.
The Purpose of a Fill is to provide RESTRICTION,.
It doesn't tell your head or your stomach YOUR FULL
If your doctor is doing Fills at a rapid pace BEWARE pouch enlargement can happen and Does.
If your Tight or Over eating and the food doesn't have anywhere to go it can and does sit at the Esophageal junction where the band is placed, this can and does lead to issues with the esophagus and motility issues (imagine not being able to swallow) Need I say more?
But if I can still eat, and swallow anything I want Don't I need a Fill? Depends, did you just have one? are you only weeks out of surgery? Did you fall off the wagon and hope this will be your motivation?
Again, all valid questions
If you just got a fill, nope more IS NOT always better. (sorry but were a society that wants instant gratification)
if your only weeks out from surgery, your still healing, give your insides time to catch up with what just happened, Sorry but here is where MIND over HUNGER comes into play
GET BUSY, EXERCISE, DRINK Water ..lol (yes, we all feel like were floating away)
Did you fall off the wagon? If yes, this is a good place to start but you also need to resolve in your mind WHY did I fall off? (not FAIL) I don't like that word, you didn't FAIL you were BRAVE and chose a WLS as a TOOL to help you get HEALTHIER
SO it's going to take work, it's NOT EASY, if it was NONE of us would be here :ph34r:
~~ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY~~

I went back today I'm one week post op. It was a lil rough at work today but i made it thru. . Plus I have major back pains. Not sure if MY BODY was ready to go back. I will see how I feel tomorrow & if its anything like I feel now. .. i'll be off a few more days. Everyone heals different. Someone on here said they were@ work the day after surgery. I can't imagine that. Some ppl a few days off worked. So I took a week to be safe. Think I needed 2 weeks.

8 weeks post op today, 18 pounds down since my surgery. My band was placed unfilled but still I respected all postop directives and I'm pleased with my loss and my level of restriction felt by the band alone. I went to get my fill reluctantly, because I'm quite fearful of getting stuck or having PB/vomiting issues and frankly, I'm fine with a slow loss.
My fills are down under fluoscopy and I told the radiologist that I didn't want a dramatic fill, something small, particularly because I travel a lot internationally and do not want to have to find myself seeking an unfill in a place where I have no insurance coverage.
He told me something that I found interesting; when you get a fill of, say, 4 ccs, it doesn't mean that you have 4 ccs of saline in your band. Some of that saline is in the tubing, and tubing lengths are different. If you have more tubing, some of that 4 ccs will be in the tube and not in your band. So you just can't "order up" 4 ccs because someone you know found their green zone with 4 ccs. This is why filling under fluoscopy is so important...the radiologist can see how the liquid flows and judges a fill "adequate" based on speed that it exits the pouch, and no reflux occuring.
On the summary, he noted that 4 ccs was done per my request and that ideally he would have put in 5 ccs. I'm glad he didn't do what he wanted and listened to my needs.
So now I'm home, spooning down some applesauce VERY SLOWLY and seeing how that goes down. It can't be any thicker than that cursed barium, right?
Wishing everyone good success with their band!

Surgery went fantastic. Feeling great today...very little pain! Going to go for my four walks today. Best decision EVER!!