lisacaron

Did they want you to lose weight before they would schedule your surgery date? Or was this a 6 month program requested by your insurance company? If it was requested by the insurance company, did they ask for just a six month supervised diet plan? If so then you should be fine. Even with a moderate gain, you should be cleared to move forward for surgery. If the Dr. or the insurance company wanted you to lose a certain amount before the surgery that could delay things for you a bit. My insurance company wanted a 6 month supervised diet, but didn't require any pre-set amount off loss or penalize for any gain. I really didn't start losing weight until the pre-op diet 2 weeks before my surgery. You can contact your insurance company directly to see if they have any requirements for approval.

I am also losing slowly. It can be frustrating but I am not ready to give up or give in! Trying to make all these changes so they stick for the rest of my life. Learning to change the way I eat, the things I chose to eat the times I eat them and the reason I eat them. All those things take some time to learn and adjust to, and my body is just as much a rebel as my mind is! There are days I think it just holds on to that fat like it's gonna lose its best friend, only it's a toxic friend that has never and will never serve it any good. I limit the calories, I work it out and it responds about as positively as my kids do when I tell them they have to do something. Eventually it gets done, but I have to keep hammering away at it.

RD you are doing great. Glad you found something to work for you! Best of luck to you.

Well my friend you're doing one of them now! You’re here and you're looking for motivation!! I have not been with my band for very long, but I would think a good first place to start is with a visit to your Dr. see if you need a fill, give yourself a kick start by going back to the beginning when you first got your band. Maybe try that 5 day reset by going back to a liquid diet for a few days and jump starting a healthy eating program. Best of luck to you!

I am still struggling to get those numbers on the scale to move in the direction I want them to. Dr. is doing fills slowly for me and I like that. It's giving me a chance to get to know where I am and what I am doing at each phase, but I have those days where the darn scale will jump up 3-5 pounds on me and I get frustrated because I am not doing anything different. Not eating any more or working out any less, but I'm a woman and my body likes to have its emotional response to life's stimuli too I guess. Occasionally (pretty much every day it seems these days UGH!) I am stressed out about one or to be honest about at least 30 different things at a time, and I notice that I start retaining Water as I'm sure those lovely cortisol levels shoot through the roof in response to my adrenaline spikes. I would like to find some way to control those things!!! Stress is a killer, and makes me gain weight faster than eating a whole box of ice cream could! Sigh….and now taking deep breaths closing my eyes and ruminating on having a stress free 5 minute break before all hell breaks loose again. TGIF!!!

I just go with the flow. I find the more you keep secrets about things the more people want to know. We all want to be "in the know" so I found it easier to just let people know, and I find once they do know they are more uncomfortable then curious unless they have similar issues to mine. Which if that's the case I don't mind sharing my story with them if it can help them or a family member get healthy. Most people back off the topic and don't ask again, and eventually everyone forgets that you were gone and it's a non-issue. Occasionally I'll hear things like you look great, or how are you doing? I say thank you and I’m doing great and keep moving forward. I have found that most people really don't give a hoot, they just want to be in the know. So I hide in plain sight and I'm happier for it.

It's normal to feel a bit like you got hit by a truck. You just had major surgery. Try walking around and moving some of the gas out of your body. A heating pad or hot Water bottle can help with the shoulder discomfort but nothing works like walking and getting the gas to move out. As for the coughing up green, you need to take really deep breaths and expand your lungs so you don't get pneumonia and keep coughing that stuff up and out. If you have a fever of any grade over 100 you should call your doctor ASAP. Take your pain meds get lots of rest and enjoy some ice pops they are a wonder. Hope you're feeling better soon!

Your limiting yourself by sticking to what you don't like. Call the Dr. tell them these are not working for you and change it up. They give you these lists as a guideline, as long as you are within the Protein and calorie set for your pre-op diet it doesn't matter what type of shake you use. I use a Protein powder called Pro-Flex 20 and another called Attain, and mix them with Water and it's not an issue they are delicious. If you want this to work you have to be flexible and find a way to make it work for you. You are going to be on and off Protein shakes for the duration, and not just during pre-op. If your finding this difficult it's about to get more so, find something that works for you and then make it work.

Plication is a procedure where the stomach below the band is pleated. A portion of the stomach is folded in on itself and stitched. It works in a similar way as the gastric sleeve without having to cut, staple or remove any part of the stomach.

I'm sorry that you have to go through this but I appreciate that you took the time to share it with all of us. I think we all at some point feel like we want those numbers on the scale to change so badly and we want so much to succeed that we would do just about anything including putting ourselves in harm's way. It's reading posts like yours that are informative without being fatalistic that really help put things back in perspective for me and help me to keep monitoring not just my band but myself and my choices. Thank you.

Happy Friday to you!!! Glad you are doing well, and feeling great!

I have had the lapband and plication and so did my husband. I healed up right away and I have no trouble eating drinking or digesting food. My husband who was banded three days after me, had nice restriction for quite some time after surgery. I have needed multiple fills and I am not in that green zone just yet, and the hubby is doing well without as many fills. Everyone is different, and I know there are some people who have had the lapband and plication and have never needed a fill. Your still in the healing stages right now. As you move forward if you feel that you are eating more or not being held as long then you might need a fill then. Right now sounds like you're doing great.

If you don't feel like you need a fill then tell the Dr. that you are good and you don't need a fill. They should be asking you how long you go between meals and what your eating at the visit to indicate if you need a fill or not. If your happy and your losing weight steadily then your good, but please make sure you are getting in the nutrition that you need. That might raise a flag with the Dr. and they might want to take some Fluid out. So try to eat right, even if you have to put a reminder alert to let you know you need to grab some nutrition.

Happy bandiversary to you! I understand how you feel, sometimes I think I should have lost more weight than I have by now. I see some who have dropped significant weight in 3 months, but they are not me and I am not them. I am working every day, to learn more and understand more about myself my choices and my body. Why wait till September 1st? Today is the day, just putting the intention out there is a step forward. Why not keep going a little further every day? The positive vibes, and support are great inspiration to help us reach our goals. Thanks for sharing, and motivating me today!

Great work!

If you are in pain call the doctor. If you are not in pain and just uncomfortable with what you ate, try to walk around and see if it passes. Guy makes some good points, never throw up or force yourself to throw up. Once this passes, take time to understand what motivated you in this situation and see if you can make better choices in the future. We all make mistakes, forgive yourself this one and move forward hopefully making better choices and following Dr.'s guidlines. Best of Luck to you!

Walk, walk, walk! You can try some Gas-X strips. Take small sips of liquids. Use a medicine cup to keep the sips small. Warm liquids like decaff tea work wonders to help sooth Ice pops are another great way to get Fluid in while helping sooth the swelling inside. Feel better soon!

That was smart thinking lady!

Thank you for posting those positive vibes today! It's uplifting to read about positive things, and makes me feel inspired! You go girl!

You may be having some pain from the gas that is used during the operation. Try to move around and walk it out. Drink slowly, baby sips use a medicine cup to measure out the sips you are taking to force yourself to drink more slowly. Warm liquids like decaf tea are also very helpful in the beginning as well as frozen ice pops which. They help get the fluids in as well as help the internal swelling feel a bit better. Feel better!

I feel your pain and I love the expression bandzilla's! My husband and I were banded at the same time and it can be rough. The good thing is that you're in the same boat, and can relate to where the other is coming from. I was STARVING right after surgery and my hubby's internal swelling lasted a good long time for him so he was not hungry. Every commercial I saw had food food food and I was soooo hungry I had to stop watching TV and just read until I was able to move to mushy foods. You will get through it and laugh about it later! Best of luck to you both and keep up the good work!

I read this on here when I was first banded and I loved this one. A small Wendy's chili. (Or better yet make your own homemade turkey chili to save on calories and fat) put in a blender and add some nonfat sour cream if desired. I make the home made turkey chili grind up all the vegies in the blender to make them easier to digest and put some shredded cheddar on top lightly sprinkled. This was my life saver. The change in flavor was just what I needed. Ingredients 1 spray(s) Cooking spray 1 tsp Oil, canola 1 large Onion(s), uncooked, chopped 2 clove(s) Garlic, fresh, minced 1 pound(s) Turkey, ground, 93% lean/7% fat, raw 2 medium Carrots, uncooked, thinly sliced into rounds 2 Tbsp Chili powder 1 Tbsp Paprika 1½ tsp Pepper, red or cayenne 1 tsp Durkee Cumin, ground, or other brand 2 medium Tomatoes, fresh, chopped 1 cup(s) Tomato sauce, canned 1 cup(s) chicken broth, canned (fat free) 1½ Tbsp Vinegar, apple cider 1½ cup(s) Beans, kidney, cooked, rinsed and drained 1 medium Pepper, green, chopped ½ tsp Salt, table, or to taste ⅛ tsp Pepper, black, or to taste ¼ cup(s) Scallions, chopped Instructions 1. Coat a large pot with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add oil and onion; sauté onion until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and carrots; cook until garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add turkey; brown meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Stir to break up lumps. 2. Add chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, beans and green pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; garnish with scallions. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Please do not wait to call your doctor. It could be band related and it could be something else entirely. You had this surgery to make your life better and to be healthier. If you have pain that is serious, and you need to make that call ASAP and find out what's up for the sake of your health. Weight loss will come, don't be discouraged if you need an unfill, you can always put it back that's the beauty of the band. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Are you allowed to have any yogurt, or fat free sugar free pudding? They help offset the liquid diet and sitting and eating with a spoon gives you a sense of having a meal. Try some steamed vegies for your 2 cups it offers a variety of flavor and you can choose several different kinds. Since you have already purchased all that Muscle Milk, unless you can return some of it…your kind of stuck there, but you can try out other protein powders and drinks and then just add in a muscle milk every other one so you're not fed up with them as you will be on liquids for a bit after surgery as well it won't be a waste of money spent if you can space out the ones you don't like with something that you do. My husband and I used Premier protein shakes we bought at Sam's club I think you can also get them at Costco and/or pharmacy's. They have 30 grams of protein and the calorie count is pretty low 160 I think it was. Pre-op is difficult but you can do it! You're doing amazing already. 10 pounds down is not bad, in the very early stages a lot of it is water weight, but you are well on your way keep up the good work!

Sounds like your doing great!