Bandista

Lake walk! Snowing lightly here and sub-zero temps on the way -- figured I'd better get out while the going is good. It's a three mile walk with a friend whose little dog keeps us at a breathless pace. Plus we have lots to discuss so the talking helps the exercise, too. I always feel great afterward and yet there's still some old lazy voice tellimg me I don't really want to go. I'm learning how to shut that down and seek joy and health instead. A complete rewiring takes time, I guess, but I'm getting there. Here's to it!

I lived in Italy at one time and one of the things I love about that culture is the evening "passage." People walk arm in arm, slowly, noticing everything and just enjoying being out and about. A bit of window-shopping, people-watching....and it's free!

There is a big gap in western medicine and nutrition -- we are just not there yet but I think it is starting to happen. I say listen to your body. Personally I have been such a restricter in my life and so I am being careful to moderate rather than outlaw. I don't eat foods with artificial ingredients, I buy organic as much as possible, etc. If we are eating so much less, we can afford to get the good stuff, right? And I have loved juice fasting in the past. Unbelievable energy and clarity. I think I will start planning for a fast soon. That sounds like a great idea! We have two juicers in our basement.....

Personally I cannot do aspartame and I'm very wary of any artificial sweeteners (sucralose, etc.). I like it that Steevia is a plant. I've grown it in my garden (not that I actually dried it and ground it, etc., I just buy it). Give me a plant over a test tube concoction any time, but that's just me.

Thank you -- this is so helpful. Experiencing same thing.

If the band is about esophageal signals going to the brain, maybe the gum is sending the wrong message? Artificial sweeteners tell the brain food is on the way, but also for banded people maybe not chewing gum has to do with how are meals are supposed to start and finish in a timeframe so that satiety is achieved. Just a thought....

My surgeon doesn't share the amount of the fills either. I'm sure he would if I pressed for the information but I think he's probably right that it's just another thing to obsess about. I have enough trouble with the scale!

Hi there, I like the idea of fluoroscopic fills but my surgeon just does it the old-fashioned way. So far it's working, though, and I'm grateful for that. Here's what it's been like for me (I've had four fills to date): We discuss how it's going, appetite, portion size, how long until I am hungry again. When we decide a fill is the way to go, I lie down on the table and put my arms over my head. Surgeon finds the port and marks it. He gives me an anesthetic and that pinches a little but is not really painful. Then, each time, he is giving me his arm to sit up again because it's over. Very fast and I can't even believe it's done already. Then I sit on the edge of the table and drink a glass of Water, chatting for a bit to make sure I feel fine and the water is going down easily, etc. I bruise easily and so my port area has some color for several days afterward, but there is no sensation or pain, etc. I am feeling restriction and have had a few stuck episodes. I'm losing weight and not feeling that appetite monster on my shoulder -- I'm not thinking about food all the time. I have an appointment next week and think I will go anyway just to touch base and have the accountability, etc., but I won't be getting another fill as I do not want to be too tight. That is very important to me. Best wishes!

Hi there, I hear you on the solar plexus pain -- just went through this yesterday myself when I got stuck on mushrooms. I have heard that eggs can be problematic because they are often two textures -- the whites can be rubbery, for example. I think every one is different as far as how and when their bands feel tighter or how long it takes to completely feel the effect of a fill -- and of course other factors like flying, weather, time of the month, etc. Isn't it something figuring all this out!? I am feeling tighter myself all of the sudden. Had my last fill on January 6th and am scheduled to go back the 20th. I have had four fills and I will not get another next week since I'm feeling restriction, not eating more than my tennis-ball sized portion, etc. Sometimes I do get hungry again before the 4-5 hours have elapsed but I think I need to be with my band the way it is for a while while I get used to everything. It may be that I'm in the green zone already.

Yesterday I got stuck -- again! Second time was last week so this makes three. Good grief. Anyway, I realized today that it wasn't the chicken thigh -- it was the mushrooms. There is no amount of chewing that can make a rubbery mushroom small enough for me to swallow comfortably. Thought I'd share my little brainstorm for other new people who may be going through the same learning process. And if I want mushrooms I will whir them up with the stick blender next time or enjoy them raw. But in the stews, etc. that I make: no more shrooms! It's a snowy Saturday and I've got a beef stew going. Here's how I make it: get a nice-looking piece of pot roast with plenty of marbling. Heat up the Le Creuset (Dutch oven) on top of the stove -- good and hot. A thin layer of high-heat cooking oil. Brown all sides of the roast, using tongs to rotate. Add in lots of minced garlic, fresh Thyme (or dried is fine), salt and pepper. We also put a pinch of chili in everything we cook. Pour stock over the whole thing. Cut up potatoes (thin) and carrots and add those to the liquid -- maneuver so the meat is on top. Let it all simmer for a couple of hours until the meat is falling apart. Remove the meat and veggies, pour the liquid into a jar and put it in the freezer to let the fat come to the top. Remove the fat. Meanwhile the meat has cooled enough to be cut or torn into small pieces. Put meat and veggies back into the Dutch oven with the broth minus the fat. It will thicken up if you keep simmering. Voila. I find this style of cooking very band-friendly. Happy weekend, every one!

My post-op protocol was one day clear then on to full. I loved the tightness and the lack of appetite. Just a bit of something like potato leek soup was plenty for me. I had lots of tea, chicken broth, Popsicles, watered down juice, etc. Could not tolerate a protein shake. Later for mushies I really enjoyed homemade applesauce, cottage cheese, etc. My tastes were different from what I thought they'd be. Good luck to you -- it sounds like you're doing great!

Wow, thanks for the inspiration this morning! My goal is to Lise 100 and I'm nearly a third of the way there. Good luck to you!

Eeeek, I hope I didn't sound preachy -- you know we are all talking to ourselves when we are writing on here!

This sounds unusual to me and I would call my doctor right away. May have nothing to do with the band; pain is an indicator of something not right. Kidneys, for example -- don't let something like that progress as kidney stones are extremely painful. We are not doctors here -- go see yours!

Hi Coach, I am pretty new and have now had three stuck episodes. Most recent was yesterday -- leftover chicken and mushrooms. I think one or other may have been too rubbery and I was not able to chew it up enough -- probably eating too fast. I am learning if there is the slightest tightness in my chest I need to stop completely, give up on that food as I will soon be getting stuck. But I didn't do that yesterday, I kept at it because I must be a slow learner or something. Each time I've gotten stuck the same thing happens. The slime people refer to is the production of saliva. I think this is different for different people. Mine is just regular saliva but some people report foamy liquid. I have to spit out the saliva. That's the beginning. All the while my chest is hurting and I know that I've gone and done it. Damn it. The incident has to resolve in spitting up the food out of the pouch. I hiccup rather violently and then the spitting up comes as a relief, though of course it is very unpleasant. I don't eat or drink anything after for quite a while. I realize my food needs to be succulent and easy to really chew up well. Nothing tough or rubbery which I might swallow anyway just out of habit. Good luck to you and congratulations on your new banded life. I am so happy with mine, even with these few learning curve stuck episodes.

This is the time for walking! Incorporate the elbows, like a Russian soldier,

OMG That is brilliant! If my fat could talk......

One day I noticed it wasn't sensitive anymore, wasn't yowling if I bent over, etc. Good luck to you!

Hi Fnika, glad you're here! Don't forget how important followup care is in this process. It's one of the things about the band in that first year. If you're dragging your heels about getting a fill you may be worried that you'll have to give something up. I am determined to do this without deprivation because I know how restrictive I've been in the past and how that hasn't worked for me. But what I can and do now is listen to my body. I'm surprised by what it wants and doesn't want. If there's something I'm craving, by having a good fill I can have a teeny tiny bit of it and feel completely satisfied. It's unbelievable to me, that feeling of being able to enjoy a small bite and then stop. I could never stop before. What I want is good food. If I can have that in small amounts and then wait 4-5 hours and then have good food in small amounts again.......there is no deprivation. I am not on a diet.

Wow, what a great post! I feel so fortunate to have realized that I would never be successful at dieting. No matter how good at it I was, I was never good enough. I can't get over how differently I am feeling about myself now that I am banded. It isn't just the thirty pounds down and physical changes, it's the knowledge that this dilemma of eating has finally been solved. What a relief! Yes, there are harder days and temptations and all the blah, blah, blah, but I am filled with hope.

You are doing so well, Candace -- we sure do learn a lot about ourselves in this process of choosing ourselves and our health first. Not every one is going to be on board with that. Misery loves company and misery is not for you. Not any more. Good luck with everything, including Valentine's Day. You are not really alone, you are on a path of healing and you will be surprised where you are a month, a season and a year from now. Best wishes!

Makes the food pass through more slowly. Just kidding! Now, if I could stand on my head maybe that would mean I wasn't this heavy or I was thirty years younger.....that I could stand.

Hi Joanne, so glad to see you here -- I know you had some tech issues. We missed you! I am a novice, just banded in November, but what about the 5-day pouch test or all liquid reboot phases that some people do as part of routine band maintenance. Do you think a full liquids rest for your stoma might help things get back to where you feel comfortable? I do a shake every morning of Muscle Milk and frozen peaches or blueberries, etc. It is absolutely delicious and I feel like I could drink a few of those every day and be done with it. However I know I'm supposed to be eating real food, which I enjoy, so I'm making sure my other meals are fish and veggies, chicken and veggies, chili, etc. Still, I think I could go for this occasional all-liquids to get back on track or regain the messaging the stoma needs to provide to the brain, etc. Good luck to you and don't forget it's January which for me anyway is not an easy time. Don't let the January blues get you down -- you are picking yourself right up and getting your band back the way you want it. I truly admire your fortitude and wonderful attitude. Have a great day!

I love watching your progress -- just about to drop into Onederland! Yippee! We had similar stats beginning and I am a couple of months behind you....so there's hope for me, too. You are doing beautifully, including this learning curve around slowing down, small bites, taking a moment to notice everything. Am I full? Or the sentence I am using on myself lately, "have I had enough food, for now?" That "for now" really works as it tells me not to worry, there will be more food later. And the answer is usually "yes, I've had enough for now."

Great post, CG! Those visuals are really something. Only a pound -- well, give me that a hundred times and WOW-ZA!