SandyM

i find that I swell if I don't drink alot of Water. Sounds crazy, but I'm with whoever said about flushing toxins.

Welcome aboard:)

Increase your water, that helped me.

I think I remember right at the 2 week mark, I was sitting there and I thought, wow, I feel pretty good. It was a gradual thing,

I wish someone had told my gut that pre and postop.

Was this all one surgery? Just out of curiosity, how much did it cost you total?

I love jerky, but havent tried it since surgery. I'm going to try to find it.

Hey Jerry, From there and was born there but don't live there anymore. I've still got family there. I'll be visiting in a few months.

I absolutely would say you have a problem. Have you had a fill recently that has started this whole process?

You look great!!!

I found it was actually easier that I was working while I was on the post op diet. It took my mind off of the food. At first, you really won't be hungry, probably due to the swelling post op. Then, as stated settle in on some things that you like. You'll do great, and I don't think I'd wait til mid-june either.

Oh my goodness. What are you eating and are you exercising? Are you retaining fluids? Ten lbs is almost impossible in 2 weeks.

Yes, my husband says I need to start taking noacetol (NO-A$$-AT-ALL).

First off, you say you are hungry about 4 hours later no matter what you eat and that means the band is working. My surgeon says 3 to 4 hours is as long as you should go between meals. I have 3 meals and a snack which is either protein shake or Greek lite yogurt or popcorn or something. Depends on my protein needs. If you go too long your body reacts to the hunger and secretes hunger hormone which stimulates insulin which stores fat. Try to focus on eating good protein, it stays in the body better and keeps insulin levels down.

It does if it's the same volume

Yes, log into it on your PC and change your settings

It's not a fast thing, they will start seeing a difference. When they ask., just smile and tell them it's progressing.

Let me just start by saying, I've been banded 11+ months. I don't keep or have any desire for my band to be really tight and my surgeon is leaving how tight up to me. I like that. I just wanted to share my story. I have a very addictive personality. A type AAA lets say. Everything I do, I do full steam ahead. Eating, drinking, you name it. I experienced the alcohol thing when I was younger and did it much to excess. Coming from a home with an alcoholic father, this scared me and I eventually with some help was able to leave this behind. Then the devil on my shoulder became smoking. That was a really hard one to kick, but eventually, I did that too, this time on my own, but with much failure and restarting. food being an acceptable addiction crept up on me then it stopped creeping and just started moving in. After years of yoyo dieting and trying every diet I could find and making up others on the way, with thousands of dollars spent on fads and diet pills I found I could not handle this on my own. I decided to get the band. When I first got my band, I admit I thought it would cure me my addiction. I didn't know it was a tool. I had been told it was, but I still didn't know it. I had not yet found this forum and a part of me wishes I had, but another part of me wouldn't change a thing. The preop weight came off great, I didn't totally hate the shakes though I missed the lunches out 3-4 times a week with my coworkers and found it difficult to avoid the Snacks that were constantly being delivered to the office by well meaning clients. The post op diet was more difficult for me as by then I hated the shakes and had very little imagination as to what else to try. My first eggs, 3 weeks post op was the best food I had ever eaten. I had hiatel hernial repair and plication with my band. I do love the plication and believe I avoided BANDSTER HELL because of it. The surgery itself was pretty hard on me and it may have been because of the extra procedures involved, but like we all do, I eventually bounced back. I had my surgery on Friday and went back to work on Monday. Tuesday I had to go to surgeons office and have all of my residual fill removed due to too much swelling. I had my first stuck feeling that day due to gulping fluids through a straw (I forgot no straws). Looking back, it was probably alot of gas in my stomach, much different feeling than the gas around the stomach. Anyway, 11 months out, I'm down 75 lbs and only a few to goal. My goal isn't set in stone, so may be adjusted depending on how I feel when I get there. I'm not going to have any reconstructive surgeries as my body has managed to bounce back ok. Not bikini-ok, but I'm 55 and never was a bikini personality anyway. I put a full length mirror in my bathroom 4 or 5 months back so I could make myself look at me. Something I haven't been able to do in a long time. I'm just starting to convince my mind that I'm not obese anymore. I eat what I want, I just don't want as much and I'm mindful of what I eat so I don't sabotage my weight loss. I don't feel like I'm dieting, just reprogramming myself to want healthier foods. I exercise 4 to 5 days a week and mix that up a lot. I feel I have developed alot of tools to go with the band and if I lost the band, I might could manage now. I hope I don't have to find out. I just want to give a shout out to all of you out there that are on this journey with me. I know we each may do it slightly differently, but we are all heading in the same direction and it helps. I love that most out there aren't trying to tell others how to do it, but how they do it, which is sometimes different.

Just keep telling yourself how great you look and how much better its going to get. Eventually, you brain will catch up with your body. Its just part of the process. I believe if we don't allow this to eventually happen, we could end up back where we started as we have done so many times with our years and years of yoyo dieting.

Everything in moderation:)

My favorite is GV sugar free Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal with a scoop of flavored (I use banana cream) Protein. I cook it in the microwave with a little more Water than it calls for then I stir in the scoop of protein. Yum. With the protein I use, I end up with about 30 grams of protein and maybe 20 of carbs total.

Love it when people notice. Makes it all worth it doesn't it?

I've heard good and bad. My concern is if you have complications, will you be able to find someone here that's willing to take care of you. Its hard enough if you get a botched surgery here to find someone who is willing to take over your care, it might be harder from abroad. I understand the cost factor, but you have to ask yourself if its really worth the risks.

Cheryl is right. The band is just a tool. You have developed many more tools during your life with the band. Since you don't have the band but have the other tools, you'll just have to sharpen the others. Exercise, plenty of fluids, restrict your eating to meals. weigh, measure your foods, make healthy choices and avoid as many unhealthy ones as you can. You can do this. Keep posting and let us know how it's going.

Very likely dehydration. I understand your tired of liquids. But, keep something going in constantly. You'll feel better soon.