Bandista

Like Chasing, I like those 100 calorie packets of almonds.....keep them in my glove compartment. Also the 20 gram protein bars occasionally and I like the Pure Protein version, too. Kind of like a candy bar and totally not something I'd ever, ever have allowed myself pre-band. Target has a 200 cal 20 grams of protein bar that is yummy also. But these are just once in a while as I want to eat "real" food. I'm going to make those truffles - yum! Thanks, Steph!

Yippee! Yippee! So happy for you!

I was very glad to finally "go" -- did the Milk of Magnesia routine and had to run for the bathroom right around day four or so. Also drank Smooth Move tea. Agree talking to surgeon's office is important. It's a very common issue and I wished my doctor would have dealt with this aspect ahead of time -- and I didn't even do pain meds which are notoriously constipating. You will be feeling much better soon! Just an FYI, I still have troubles in this department. I think my body was used to so much more volume in terms of veggies -- I was a huge salad and veggie eater and now I'm eating so much less of course. So I've been having flax seeds, chia seeds, having an occasional beet juice if I go to a juice bar, Miracle Fiber in my shakes, psyllium, Fiber Chews -- you name it. Finally I figured out I needed more magnesium. I used to take three big calcium/magnesium tablets each night for bones, sleep, etc., but magnesium is important for other things as well. Like digestion! I stopped taking the pills because they are too big and chalky. Got a liquid version and that is working great. For ME. Every one is different, etc. Good luck to you!

Fantastic! So happy for you -- what an amazing change. Really appreciate the inspiration about now. I am three months out and love thinking about my one year anniversary and where I'll be. Hopefully as successful as you!

I am at fill # 5 as well and paying close attention to where I am hungerwise as well as size of the "meal" and how long until I'm hungry again. My surgeon is going for a tennis ball sized portion and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. I'm doing pretty well. Not too hungry and so I think I may be approaching green zone territory or perhaps already there. I don't want to be too tight. At first we did fills pretty frequently (nothing in my band at placement) -- I believe this surgeon is of the small frequent fills school of thought. I have no idea how much I have in my band and I know it doesn't really matter. My plan is to ride this out as long as possible and only go back for another fill if I'm feeling real hunger too frequently or too soon. Good luck -- it's hard sorting this out, isn't it? Best wishes!

Very funny! Now that it's February I can let myself start thinking about gardening -- as in planning for April when we can start.

This really varies. My protocol was one day clear then one week full liquids and on to mushies one week then smooth foods one week then regular foods. I was not really hungry post-op and this was a good time for me to work on behavioral modification, like putting my utensil down between bites, using smaller silverware and little bowls, saucers. Sometimes I'd go to a lot of trouble making something like a yummy blended soup only to find myself not really hungry for it. That is a beautiful thing. My appetite did return and then I went through the process of getting fils before getting back to that place of not being hungry. There is nuancing in the beginning when patience is required but you will get there! And it's best not to compare protocols too much as your surgeon will have it laid out for you. Some have protein goals and meal plans, etc. Just keep at whatever is prescribed for you and your diligence will pay off big time. And if you're worried you won't be able to do it, know we all had that fear. You can!

Hi Mariana, congratulations and welcome! It's very exciting turning our lives around like this. I am so happy to have my band. It's been three months and I feel like I'm getting a handle on my new lifestyle. It takes some time to get the fills right, etc., but it has gone very smoothly. Best wishes to you -- it's fun to think of spring and where we will be, then summer, etc. Eventually a year out, two years -- I'm not setting any records for loss but it is working and I'm getting there bit by bit. I know I will succeed, which is completely new thinking for me after so many failed dieting attempts. This is a lifestyle change. Yippee!

Hi there, after I attended the seminar and met with the program coordinator, the next step for me was a psych eval and meeting with the nutritionist (same day, back-to-back). I had to take a test with a number two pencil, the kind where you circle an answer on a 1-5 scale. There's a lot of reframing of the same questions. I could tell they were looking for compliance issues (are you likely to do what the doctor tells you), extreme depression (do you think about killing yourself), etc. It was interesting. Then I met with the counsellor to discuss any issues I might have. We talked a lot about previous weight loss attempts, body image, etc. I had already met with the nutritionist so it was, in a way, a continuation of the previous discussion. Also I let her know that I had recently started seeing a therapist to discuss food issues and eating triggers -- some one to go through the process with me. That was very helpful and I recommend it if possible. After my psych eval I finally got to meet the surgeon and things went pretty quickly from there. Good luck to you!

Thanks so much, Jean. I've been adding some magnesium to my drink -- a 32 ounce bottle filled with water, 1/2 cup aloe and 1/2 cranberry. I try to drink at least two of those a day plus I am a tea drinker, so I get a lot of fluid in. I've tried the Smooth Move tea (another version of senna) but agree that's not a good long term solution. I suspect at three months out my body is still adjusting to the new reality of much less food, etc.

Wow, congratulations on your success so far -- you are doing beautifully!

Thanks for the reminder to take measurements -- I have been doing that monthly since just before surgery and was due for a new set if numbers at the end of January. I love the pants size as a way to celebrate success. Started at 18 long and now in 14 long same brand Lee jeans. Hate the scale for standing still or going up then down then up, etc., but loving my pants. Important to remember it's about health and comfort and energy levels, etc., not just the bloody scale.

Hi Wanda! We are ready for a foot or so, too -- wood stove cranking, school called off in advance. Sounds like you're doing well. I didn't have any fluid in my band at placement but have had five fills since surgery in November. Definitely getting there! Glad you found this forum -- it's a great way to stay on track, compare notes, encourage one another. I don't know any one who has had weight loss surgery and I have been pretty secretive with regard to friends and family, so for me this community is very important. I know the people here "get it" and that means a great deal.

Thank you -- great idea! I have seen those. We live in a very rural area of NH with some great roads. Live on a dirt road, next one is paved, narrow and winding. Would be perfect for biking except for the cars not paying attention. So I think driving to a bike path is the way to go, however silly it seems. I find myself thinking about it all the time here at the beginning of February. That is some serious rewiring happening in my banded brain! I just signed up for an art workshop in October at the shore and the first thing I thought was, "oh, I bet there will be cycling paths!" And I don't even have the bike yet.

Take it easy, Mel -- maybe a really quiet day of snow, a sleep-in, watch some movies -- baby yourself and your band and maybe it will all settle in? Sending best wishes your way!

Clean out your pantry and do not buy junk. Commit to eating clean for five days -- you won't believe how great you'll feel when you're chemical-free and sugar-free. Watch out for artificial sweeteners. Check ingredients in everything. Know you are worthy of real health and you're on your way. Choose yourself first!

I don't know his much is in my band, either. My surgeon is not into sharing that and I don't press for the information as I know it's irrelevant -- we are all different. I had nothing in my band at surgery and have had five fills now. I'm pretty sure these are small fills enabling me to adjust bit by bit to a tighter band -- listening for signals, etc. I don't have an absence of hunger but I am less and less worried about where my next meal is coming from. Getting there!

Wow! What an inspiration! I'd better get busy because I want THAT success. Congratulations -- I am so happy for you!

Yippee, congratulations! The walking helped me the most -- every time I had to get up to pee (which was often), I'd slip on my sandals and a robe and go up and down the corridor. I think it really helped kick off the instinctual healing. And I was just so happy to finally be banded that the actual pain didn't bother me much. The discomfort was purposeful or something like that. I had an Ibuprofen drip at the hospital then at home managed on liquid Tylenol. I had a prescription for narcotics filled but didn't need that -- it's something I avoid as I don't like the side effects (constipation, blues, that out of it feeling, etc.). Enjoyed Popsicles so much during this time! Sending you the very best -- all these newly banded people. You are in good company.

Buddha walks up to a hot dog stand and says make me one with everything. Okay, so there's an old New Hampshire couple. Husband says to the wife, "Get your coat, I'm going down to the pub." She responds, "oh, am I going with you then?" "No, but I'm turning the heat down before I leave." Ba-dum-dum..... and one last one.... PMS is not funny. Period. Feel better and keep that sense of humor! Don't forget to take something for constipation if you've been on pain killers -- I'm sure there are a lot of jokes about that, but I won't go there right now.

Please be gentle.....you've chosen yourself and your health and you will work through all this. These early days can be difficult. It's a great time to work on listening to your body and that's what you're doing. You tested it and it's telling you something. It was helpful for me to realize I am not forfeiting anything or giving up food. I had to change my mentality as I had been and on and off dieter for twenty years. Deprivation can really mess with our heads.

I am only eating when I'm hungry......

Hi there, hope you have a good night and healing sleep -- congratulations on your surgery!

Shel, you look gorgeous! A good reminder of the importance of taking pictures -- and measurements, etc. Crutches have a lot to answer for in the bad back world. You are not the first to have a disc issue following mobility issues. Maybe take this time to do stretching? Your body has to be getting used to losing so much weight and now the crutches have out this pressure in your back. You are doing beautifully -- don't get derailed by this little setback. And of course it's a tough time of year. Yes, even in Paris. Less light, the harder months before spring and not being able to exercise when you had really gotten your brain/body used to that lift. This is all temporary! Know that you have accomplished so much. I love where you are in your head -- what you've learned about yourself. Your posts are such an inspiration. I wish you could come over for a cup of tea and we could share back exercises. Do you know the Mckenzie technique? He's a Kiwi and the stretching protocol he advises is being adapted into mainstream PT here in the States. It's the opposite of what was being recommended a few years ago -- how to get that disc encouraged back into place. The booklets are very inexpensive. Robin Mckenzie: http://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Back-Robin-McKenzie/dp/0959774661 January is behind us, a beautiful spring before us. You'll be on your bike again in no time!

Sympathies! I have been stuck three times on this journey. The most recent time I decided a Popsicle would be good afterward and I started the whole cycle all over again. Won't do that again! In each case it's been related both to speed of eating and consistency of the food. Rubbery fish in one case (cold at that, but I had let myself get too hungry and was reaching for "good" protein out if the fridge -- didn't even heat it up!), rubbery mushrooms another time, slippery beets wolfed down my first episode. I hope ice learned my lesson. I'm three months out and five fills in -- hoping I might be in green zone range. Good luck to you!