lisacaron

First of all J I was not exploring any one else's or the "average" metabolic rate. It was a PERSONAL assessment. I don't need to check the "internet" or web sites for information on this because the test the doctor performed was personal to MY metabolism only. I would never say exercise is not important to life Especially for those of us that are here, however the point was that you do not have to go to they gym and kill yourself for hours on end. Simply MOVING is enough to help you start to burn and raise your metabolic rate if you do not have any other metabolic issues. There are some at the beginning of this journey that can't even walk let alone hit the gym. For them simply moving is enough to help their metabolism to burn more. Strength training and lean muscle burn more over the long haul then hours and hours of cardio alone. Please read the post as it was intended before passing judgement. I offered my experience in having this test and how I was advised what is best for me and my metabolic system. It's a good test if your surgeon offers it. To assist in the journey as we become more mobile and fit over time.

My BEST advice to you is to take things moment to moment. What seems impossible one moment will be better the next. Allow yourself some TLC, you need it your body needs it. This is a MAJOR operation, and while you may feel well after a day or so take it easy. Follow your post-op guidelines and diet. Do not go right to any type of solid or even purred food right off the surgery table. Stick to your fluids, adding Protein as applicable to the diet your surgeons office or nut provide you. Comfy clothes, ice packs, hot Water bottle, warm tea herbal or any other kind help with the gas and discomfort feelings. sugar free ice pops are your saving grace. They sooth and help with the internal swelling as well. Gas ex or other gas reliving formula will help you don't panic if you have gas pain and/or shoulder pain. My biggest aha moment after surgery was the most embarrassing, it was that first gas release! Never though I would love to fart, but OMG I felt 10x better after. Hydrate, sip from small medicine cups or teaspoons so your not overwhelmed by the Fluid intake the first day. Most of all keep your spirits high and think of how awesome your going to look and feel in a few weeks! Best of luck to you for a speedy recovery!

Hi Jeanette, Researching the good the bad and the ugly of any decisions is always a smart move. While yes these things can happen, they are complications that most of the time can be avoided by proper band practice! (pardon the pun) Following the rules that your surgeon gives you and practicing good eating mechanics and food choices will all help to prevent things like esophageal dilation, or pouch dilation. As you search for your "green zone" for optimal weight loss and satiety as you begin to have fills, making sure that you are never too tight, where you are having issues swallowing liquids or having reflux will also help to ensure that you do not experience band erosion. There is a down side to everything, but with proper usage, open honest communication between you and your surgeon, and adherence to guidelines provided to you the odds of you experiencing any of these complications is minimized. One step at a time. Keep a good outlook and don't let fear dictate your actions for you. Read, research, and then decide what is best for you. If you are having serious doubts, my advice is to schedule a session with your surgeon and compile a good list of questions and have them answered before your surgery date. Best of luck to you!

That's great news! Feel better soon!

Awesome way to measure CG. You look amazing, can't wait to see what ya got next!

Try not to stress the fill. They put the Fluid in the same way they took it out. Hopefully they go slowly and don't overfill you too much on the first go around. Ask your Dr. how much fluid they are putting in and what size band you have. I don't believe the are using the 4cc bands anymore. Today they are either 10cc or 14cc.

Oh man! I'm sorry that your having to go through this. That has been my worry every time I go for a fill. My Dr. is very conservative with the fills and I'm grateful for that. I want to reach that green zone and everyone wants to get there and we want to be there yesterday...but I would rather get there slowly and not by having to slam into a brick wall first. It has taken a bit longer for me to get the numbers on the scale moving but I'm in this for the long haul, so I'm happy with the gradual progress. I take the time in between to learn more about the band and work on my eating habits and work through my emotional/stress eating issues as well. I hope you are feeling better soon!

I don't know if it's breaking the rules per-say...If you are keeping the calorie content low and you can tolerate it then French toast is not a bad thing in and of itself. Bread especially soft and mushy breads tend to be a problem for some bandsters but not all. I've had French toast, since being banded and it went down and digested well for me. I made sure the hubby had it pretty well done, it wasn't very soft but not a hockey puck either. However, not having that thick sugary syrup on it because of the calorie and sugar content, has really put me off the meal. I tried it with a bit of fruit preserve and it was tasty, but not worth the extra caloric expense for me to have it again I felt. It used to be one of our main breakfast staples, and the hubby sure made them yummy, but since being banded and having it that once neither of us has the desire for it again. He still whips it up for the boys, when they ask but not that often at all.

I have a very eclectic taste in music. I listen to everything from Mozart to Bach, to KISS, Pink, Sarah McG, Christina Ag, Alabama, the Beach boys, Reggae..really all over the place but it keeps me smiling and singing! Lucky my co-workers don't want to muzzle me must be my Caribbean Friday parties....

There are so many to list, and so many that have been listed that I can relate to. For me today, my NSV is being genuinely happy to read all these posts and be able to relate to them and all of you!

Thanks Jean for putting all my thoughts and feelings into words. I have been learning this lesson in a very profound way this month. Not just in the way I deal with food but in the way I deal with many things in my life. There is a point when enough is enough. There are days that I over extend that point and it never feels good, and like I said it's not just with the band. I have tended to ALWAYS overextend myself past the capacity of what is comfortable for me. Getting used to always being stretched too tight or pulled too thin. Learning to master the lessons of the band, have helped me in making better choices, and learning where my tolerance is and I have been able to apply that to area's of my life that have been over extended to the point of discomfort and gear those back and push away those extra's that just are not necessary. Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us!

Congrats! Take care of yourself during this post op phase and you'll be well on your way in no time!!

Congrats! Take care of yourself during your post op phase and you'll be well on the road in no time!

Some very good advice here! Take it slow your still healing. Lay off the work outs, your not ready to be doing all that. Your body has undergone a very real and major operation. Right now it is focused all it's resources on healing and it has stalled your weight loss because the body does not know that you are choosing to put it through this trauma. It's thinking your life is in danger and there for it must conserve all the energy (fat stores) it has so that you don't die. Cut back on the exertion and give yourself some time to heal. Keep eating the good foods with the emphasis on the Protein stay hydrated and you will soon see some changes. Perhaps in inches before you see the movement on the scale. TLC is what's needed right now give yourself some and your body will respond.

Hi flipper, LBS is not going to fix your emotional eating or mindless eating for you. To quote another, the band goes around your stomach not your head. That said, LBS does help you to stay in control of the portion size that you consume to a degree, though that is not the true goal of LBS. It will help with the feelings of uncontrolled hunger, and offer a feeling of fullness faster then you might have them now. The band is a tool that you must master. Just like a carpenter or a plumber can call themselves that from day one, but to be a true master of their craft they must master all the tools that they employee in their service. You can be banded and never truly master your band. If you want to be successful and lose and keep that weight off for good then you must make that commitment to mastering the use of this tool. It is not an impossible feat, there is a pre-op and post-op diet that require strict adherence. They consist of mainly liquid diets, and soft mushy foods building up to a regular diet of Protein and vegetables. Take some time and research what the band is all about and see if you are able to make the full commitment that is required of patients under going this surgery. Best of luck to you on your journey.

Hi flipper, LBS is not going to fix your emotional eating or mindless eating for you. To quote another, the band goes around your stomach not your head. That said, LBS does help you to stay in control of the portion size that you consume to a degree, though that is not the true goal of LBS. It will help with the feelings of uncontrolled hunger, and offer a feeling of fullness faster then you might have them now. The band is a tool that you must master. Just like a carpenter or a plumber can call themselves that from day one, but to be a true master of their craft they must master all the tools that they employee in their service. You can be banded and never truly master your band. If you want to be successful and lose and keep that weight off for good then you must make that commitment to mastering the use of this tool. It is not an impossible feat, there is a pre-op and post-op diet that require strict adherence. They consist of mainly liquid diets, and soft mushy foods building up to a regular diet of Protein and vegetables. Take some time and research what the band is all about and see if you are able to make the full commitment that is required of patients under going this surgery. Best of luck to you on your journey.

Hi flipper, LBS is not going to fix your emotional eating or mindless eating for you. To quote another, the band goes around your stomach not your head. That said, LBS does help you to stay in control of the portion size that you consume to a degree, though that is not the true goal of LBS. It will help with the feelings of uncontrolled hunger, and offer a feeling of fullness faster then you might have them now. The band is a tool that you must master. Just like a carpenter or a plumber can call themselves that from day one, but to be a true master of their craft they must master all the tools that they employee in their service. You can be banded and never truly master your band. If you want to be successful and lose and keep that weight off for good then you must make that commitment to mastering the use of this tool. It is not an impossible feat, there is a pre-op and post-op diet that require strict adherence. They consist of mainly liquid diets, and soft mushy foods building up to a regular diet of Protein and vegetables. Take some time and research what the band is all about and see if you are able to make the full commitment that is required of patients under going this surgery. Best of luck to you on your journey.

Today I went to my surgeon's office and had a metabolic test. This test measures your resting metabolic rate to see how many calories you burn while you are resting, while you are active and while you are exercising. I found the whole experience to be very interesting and to be a very worth while test for those that are able to take one. I learned that you actually burn the most of your calories for the day doing nothing but resting. Simple breathing and relaxing burns off more calories then you burn killing yourself in the gym for hours on end. If you walk for 30 minutes you are burning a max of 200-300 calories. Resting, I am burning over 2000! Doing simple every day activities like walking to the bathroom or up the steps I am burning over 600! The key to weight loss is to burn more calories then you consume. For those of us that are banded we should be consuming less then 1000 calories a day. The key to obtaining a faster metabolic rate is not so much the cardio output as it is the lean muscle mass. So for those of us that can't run the marathons, or even walk very far, pick up the hand weights or just move your body up off the chair or off the couch. If you sit down and stand up 5 times you are lifting the equivalent of your current body weight 5 times and creating more lean muscle. So the answer really is to just get up and move. As you increase your strength and muscle mass, start adding resistance in the form of resistance bands or weights and you will be well on your way! I am writing this sitting up straight in my chair, clenching my abdominal muscles and lifting my legs off the floor to pump my ankles a few times! increasing that muscle mass, sharing the info with you all and getting some work done at the same time! Happy Thursday!

I agree with Hazel and Jim. I think our poster was trying to say that they have "cheated" the band themselves what have you and more then likely because of food addiction did not clearly notice that they were "cheating" themselves or eating around their band. In another post today, I explained that I'm a Sweetie! I love all those yummy sweet things. Would I throw them in the blender to have them...no (the visual makes me sick...and cures of of the want to eat it! so that's a good thing!) When I am in the middle of an emotional turmoil (today would be a good example!) I can eat things and not even pay attention to them. I'm hungry I eat. If the food item makes me "feel" better for the moment even better. I don't want to cheat my band or myself, that's not why I had surgery or why I am here. Yet it happens sometimes, and because I know it and I am aware of it I can make a change and make a different choice next time before I start mindlessly eating. I think our original poster was just trying to bring that out to the light, and ask others to share what food items trigger that mindless eating for them, that in affect "cheats" themselves by eating around their band.

It's our emotional stuff that gets in the way of the band. Sometimes we let our head our minds over rule the tool we have in the band. Even in the green zone, when troubles rise, stress and anxiety come around it's easier to fall back on the old habit of what we know. It's been ingrained in our psyche for a long long time, and it's going to take time for us to get our head around the band. Just because we put it around our stomach doesn't mean our minds have been captured by it. You may not "need" the food that you choose, but your mind makes it a NEED. It's not going to sustain your body, it might be pure sugar and nothing else but your mind and the way you think and feel about that food becomes greater then the subtle whisper of the band that tells you "no you don't need that." I know for myself when I am so overwhelmed by stress, even the positive kind where things are going amazing I have to battle my emotional need to eat something familiar and comforting. It could be that cheese danish or crumb cake, that brings back all the memories and gives me the feelings of being a little girl who was safe, secure, accepted, and cherished. It takes me back to a time that was simple and not full of such turmoil, a time where people were not looking to me to help them solve their problems, advise them on the steps to take or to plan their events. Where I wasn't responsible for the lives of others, I was just me, a part of family not the head of one. All those emotions and feelings come to the surface in the blink of an eye, in a breath I am craving that feeling again. I know that eating the danish is not going to bring me back there. It's not going to rewind my life, or erase all that I have to do or all that I am responsible for. Yet..in that moment as I lift it to my lips to take a bite...I'm transported to where I want to be in my mind. It's an escape, and I'm a sweetie. I love the cakes, the chocolate, the Cookies and pastries, and all the things that remind me that life is sweet and life is good. I don't drink, smoke or take drugs. I eat. That is my addiction. I fight it every day as much as any other addiction that is out there, and this one is so much more difficult because I must eat to live. So I battle with my head every time I make a choice of what I am going to put in my mouth. Sometimes I justify and then later berate myself, but I am learning NOT to do that. To battle the emotions and the food that is tied to them as they come up. Some I have been more successful at squelching then others. It's a state of mind, not the food itself. I know this, and I am working diligently to strip those ingrained emotions and habits and get back to the frame work that is me. Rebuilding and re sculpting in the image that I choose to embody and reflect outward to the world. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts, as I strive along side you all to do the best and be the best me I can be.

Ahh yes the dreaded hair fall! My hair also is noticeably thinner after surgery. Take care of yourself try not to stress, keep up your Protein, Biotin, multivitamin. I use Nixoin shampoo and conditioner it's a bit pricey but it has helped me tremendously with the regrowth. Make sure to let your Dr. know also and have them run some labs to rule out all other deficiency's and hopefully soon you will start to see some regrowth.

Hi Jess, Try some warm tea, to help move the gas. I don't know why but that really worked for me and helped calm my tummy also. At four days I wasn't eating anything yet, on Protein shakes and liquid diet only. If your Dr. said OK for foods, follow his directions...but maybe cut it back a bit and supplement a shake or two until your feeling better.

It all also depends on the coding that your doctor uses. See if you can get it coded by the hospital under a different code such as gastrio intestinal. Best of luck to you!

Sparkle...you are not giving yourself a chance. Take a breath... It's only 3 months since you have been banded and look at how much you have been through! Your body, does not know or understand that you want to lose weight. It only knows that it has undergone major trauma in the last three months. You had MAJOR surgery (lapband) you got pregnant and your hormones kicked in to try and promote pregnancy. You miscarried (my heart goes out to you) and your hormones are still there trying to get back to level again. The body's natural defense is inflammation and retention. Your body is holding on to everything right now fearing for your life. It doesn't realize that some of this things were intentional. (ie lapband surgery and restriction of caloric intake) all it knows is that it's experienced trauma, and it's fuel source or food source has been drastically reduced. It's being called upon to function, and it's conserving resources for this as well as to recover. You have to be kind to your body and it will respond. Eat high Protein foods, a little fat and a little carb. Keep walking and take deep breaths. Hydrate and keep moving. Try myfitnesspal for tracking your calories for what your eating and I'm sure in a couple of weeks you will back on track and the numbers will be going down. I have not been through as much as this, but my stress level running around for family and work etc. was so high the last few months I was in the same boat as you. Not losing, doing everything I was supposed to. Finally I was able to take a breath, recoup and the scale started moving again. Sometimes losing inches, sometimes a pound or so. I'm still fighting the battle with my body to recover and do what I want it to. Hang in there!

Ditto what CD said! I'm going to start saving up some time and $$ (well I will after a couple of much needed vacations this year)...so that if and when I need CS I can do what needs doing and then rest and recuperate somewhere lovely and not think of kids or work!