mommalee

I save some of my calories for a bed time snack. I usually eat fatfree, sugar -free pudding or ice cream. Its my bedtime snack! I cant sleep if I am hungry.....

I know you can have too few calories and that can wreak havoc with your metabolism! You need to consume 1200 calories a day- Minimum! Half those calories should be protein. You also need a little 'good' fat each day, such as a slice of avacado or a tbs of olive oil, etc.

Boy, I didnt know you could lose a fill. How do you know you lost one? I was doing fine until Friday and I was suddenly ravenous! It was wierd. I consumed at least 1800 calories that day but couldnt help it--I felt like I was starving. I had a fill on Tuesday and am back to my normal 1200 calories and feeling like the band is doing its thing. Still, it was sure strange to have that 'out of control hunger feeling' hit me so suddenly. I wonder if its a hormonal change. By the way, if I eat less than 1200 calories I find that the weight doesnt want to come off. I exercise by doing swimming aerobics 3X a week. I hope to add walking but right now my feet are being fitted for special supports as my dr. found out I have a wierd tendon problem because of an extra bone in each foot. If the supports dont work it will mean surgery-ugh! :sick A really good structured diet to follow is the Duke University diet. They have a book out now and I would recommend it for those wondering what to eat each day. You may not be able to eat ALL the foods with the band but most of them are eatable if you chew well. I am losing about a pound a week now, slow- but it is steady! Since my surgery on May 3, I have lost 23 lbs.--4 lbs pre- op and the rest after-mostly in the first few weeks. I just hope I can maintain losing the 1 lb a week but even if it slows down to 1 or 2 lb a month its a heck of a lot better than gaining! Starting weight: 257 Current weight: 234

I was just reading the last few posts and want to say that I am truly sorry to hear the troubles some of you are having with weight loss--or lack thereof! I am following the rules and keeping my calorie intake at 1200 and so far its coming off, slow but steady. If it werent coming off or quit coming off I would be soooo depressed. Anyway, I sure hope that you all find some answers to what is going on with your bodies.... On a lighter note, I revisited the May bandster thread (I got my band on May 3rd) and after reading some of the posts I got a little bummed when I saw a lot of people banded after me had lost twice as much as I have! Dont think I will be going there anymore--just gonna stick with the 'Slow Losers' where I feel more at home....ha:)

Hi there! I came across this 'Slow Loser' thread and would love to 'join' your group. I am not a fast loser by any means and just being able to relate to others like me is fantastic. I had my surgery on May 3, 2007. The first 15 lbs came off fairly fast--then slowed way down. I know from past experience that my weight loss will be slow from here on out but I paid 20,000.00 to get this band and I am determined to make it work for me. Knowing that others are slow losers--(even with diet and exercise) is a real encouragement.....I am so glad I 'found' you!:clap2:

Your body needs calories/energy to heal so dont be in a hurry to burn them all up doing cardio. Maybe do 10 minute walks 3 times a day and work up to the more intense cardio. Most drs do have serious restrictions on using adominal muscles for the first several weeks. Walking is the preferred exercise for cardio until at least 6 weeks post op. (of course this varies from dr. to dr.)

Your drs guidelines are the exception rather than the rule it seems-- Most of the bandsters posts I have read have restrictions from their drs that are similar to mine. I would really be careful, especially with your abdominal exercises. Like I say, better safe than sorry.

I have been allowed to eat chicken and fish and salad and veggies and toast and eggs since I was 2 weeks post op. I have to chew well and eat slow BUT I noticed that it stays with me for hours after I eat. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and toast, lunch or dinner I usually have 3 oz of the chicken or fish and a few spoonfuls of veggies OR small baked potato and I am full and satisfied until my next meal (I have 3 'meals' a day). SO my point is this: those of you who are still on liquids and pureed foods will probably be a lot less hungry when you get on the more solid foods. At least that has been my experience so far....In fact my dr. told me that liquids would not satisfy hunger and one of the reason they want you to NOT drink with your meals is that it pushes the food thru too fast and you get hungry sooner.....

I just want to encourage those who are beginning to get hungry now--dont be afraid of it! I was feeling hungry a week after surgery. It seems like you are eating a lot at first when you go back on solids but I always total up my calories and never have I been able or wanted to eat more than 1200. Just for the record, that is the amt of calories consumed on a normal diet, such as Weight Watchers. The goal is NOT to lose weight fast, but to lose it steadily over time. (1 to 2 lbs a week) That way you lose fat and not a lot of lean tissue. Also, if you dont eat enough calories it can slow your metabolism. Exercise--I am shocked that anyone would go against dr. orders and risk damage by over-doing it. My surgeon told me that the reason he wanted me to stick to walking only the first 6 weeks is because you can rip internal stitches. (He also said absolutely NO lifting of anything over 5 lbs the first 6 weeks.) SO, I would say--be safe rather than sorry. You may think its okay but why chance it? Remember-- Time is our friend and the weight WILL come off eventually!

Hi everyone! I finally found a few minutes to read some of the latest posts. Its been a while since I posted so here is an update on my own experience -so far. I was banded on May3rd. Port was sore for 2 weeks, then tender for another week. I am back to normal except that I have noticed that my tummy is still a bit swollen, especially after being on my feet for a while. I didnt start back to aerobic exercise until my energy level was good and I was able to eat soft foods. I wanted my body to use the calories and energy to heal before exercising and I am glad I waited. I have been eating well for the last couple of weeks, about 1100 to 1200 calories a day. I get hungry and feel like I could eat a lot but once I eat something like a small piece of chicken with a little salad or small baked potato I feel totally satisfied. I have 3 small meals a day and I can eat just about anything as long as I take it slow and chew well. I make sure that each meal has protien such as chicken, tuna, cottage cheese or eggs. I drink 16 oz of water during the first hour after I get up in the morning because if I dont I wont get enough water by the end of the day. Well, thats about it. I will see dr. on the 16th for my first fill----OH, and I am losing weight steadily--about 1.5 to 2 lb lb a week now. I have lost 10 since surgery.

You get hungry with the band but you should feel satisfied for several hours after a small meal. Ginger--650 calories is NOT enough, no wonder you're hungry. I am eating 1000 to 1200 a day. If you dont eat enough calories your body will go into survival mode and slow your metabolism....you should be steadily losing 1 to 2 lbs a week once you up your calories and of course you should eat low fat, high protien food first. That, with exercise to get the heart rate up 30 min a day should help with the hunger and depression....The weight IS going to come off-slowly but surely. (dont compare your wieght lose to others-everyone is different. I lose slowly also) And I would stay away from the scale--it doesnt tell the whole story of whats going on in your body!

Hi all you A-May-Zing Bandsters! I havent been on-line for a few days so have been taking time to catch up on everyones posts. The pre and post op experiences of each of you are so varied that it makes for interesting (and informative) reading.... I feel very fortunate that I have had such an easy time of it so far. Today is my 55th birthday and I really thought my age might make my recovery harder but am glad to report that it didnt. Today I am 13 days Post Op and feel up to just about anything not too strenous. I went shopping one week post op and went again yesterday to get some summer sandels. My clothes are getting baggy on me--what a great feeling! :hungry:I am eating baked potatos, applesauce, cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, soup, cooked veggies and tomorrow I get to start on baked fish, tuna with diet mayo, whole grain toast and protien bars...I eat real slow and chew the heck out of everything. Food tastes so much better now for some reason. Maybe because I actually have time to enjoy it instead of inhaling it like I used to!! I can eat and stay full for a lot longer now, even tho my portions are pretty small. By the way, I am finding that the one 'hard' thing for me is remembering not to drink liquids 30 minutes before or 90 minutes after I eat.... :clap2:Congrats to all those who have crossed to the banded side and Best wishes to those who are soon to be banded-- Rest, take your pain meds (dont try to tough it out), Get in lots of protein for quicker healing and stay hydrated!! sip sip sip--an ounce every 15 minutes the first few days after surgery worked well for me.

Thats tough because everyone is so different. But be assured, we are all here to help/support you thru the expected and unexpected!

Welcome.....YOu 'qualify' for May!

Iwas going to tell you to read the post I made to Ginger but you beat me to it! Glad to be of help!

I got really hungry around day 5 but found I could eat bigger portions and now I am fine. My 'eating' schedule the bariatric dr. gave me is as follows if its any help to you: Day 3-4, smoothies, pureed soup, v-8 juice, low fat yogurt that doesnt have berry seeds-protien drink. Day 5-6, add bananas, applesauce Day 7, add oatmeal consisitancy foods, cottage cheese, well cooked veggies, (except stringy stuff like celery and aspargus). Day 8-10, Soft boiled or scrambled eggs, canned frutis, baked potato Day 11-12 SLOWLY add fresh fruit. Day 14--baked fish, tuna with non fat mayo, toast, crackers, rice, pasta, vegetables, whole grain cereal. Avoid fruit peelings, corn, asparagus, celery, sugar or high fat foods. Do not use a straw to drink as it causes gas. No caffien or carbonated beverages. Eat slow and CHEW EVERYTHING UNTIL ITS MUSH AND DO NOT DRINK LIQUIDS 30 min BEFORE OR 90 MINUTES AFTER YOU EAT AS YOU WILL FEEL HUNGRY AGAIN I hope this helps!! am eating about a cup of food every hour. Just eat real slow and quit when you feel satisfied.

Just checking in! I had my surgery May 3 so this is already day 6 post op . I got to add applesauce and smoothies and bananas to my 'diet' yesterday. I havent had any real problem with hunger. I try to take in small 2 oz portions of approved 'food/drinks' every 15 to 30 minutes. I also have a few oz of protien drink when I wake up during the night so I dont wake up famished in the morning. I passed a lot of gas the first few days BUT I didnt have any gas pain at all. I wonder if its just me or the dr. gave me somthing in my iv. I will have to ask when I go in Friday for my first post op visit. Anyway, I am beginning to feel more like my old self--just a bit sore and tired yet.... Best wishes for our recent group of banders--Hope it all went A-okay!

Maybe you read about someone vomiting after being banded? I was getting a bit nauseous in the recovery room and they put something in my iv that took it away instantly.....

It sounds like you had a rough beginning but everyone is different so dont feel like you're behind!! I used an excellent bariatric center here and they made sure I knew exactly what I needed to do and needed to expect. They got me started in the hospital and had me on liquids right after surgery--1 oz every 15 minutes all day when I was awake. The next day I started sugar free pudding and protien drink--same thing. They didnt send me home until they knew I was keeping it down okay. I have been careful to go slow and to burp between sips if neccessary. (Air bubbles can cause pain if they pass through your new opening.) Also I have Water by my bedside to sip at night after I get up to use the bathroom, etc. I wish you the very best for your new journey

You should be able to hold one ounce of fluid at a time. Try slowly sipping an ounce every 15 minutes, DONT use a straw, make sure fluids are room temp (not real cold or real hot). you need 48-64 oz fluid a day. Your protien drink and Water and Clear Liquids all count toward that goal. Keep track of each ounce you drink. Dont worry about Vitamins right now, just concentrate on drinking the ounce of fluid every 15 min. Also, you should be urinating every couple of hrs or so and that will show you are getting enough fluids.

Can you all beleive that we are almost through the first week of May???? I am so glad I found other May banders to chat with while I was awaiting my band date (the 3rd). I feel like it helped me be even more prepared for my surgery and its sure nice not to feel all alone....You're a great bunch. I am feeling pretty darn good, other than a bit tired :notagreeand some soreness in the port area. Didnt need to take any pain killer today--planning a little walk outside in a while since its a beautiful day here in So Oregon. My birthday is May 15th and on that date I get to add baked fish, chicken, cooked veggies to my diet--:hungry:what a nice present for me!! BEST WISHES TO OUR MAY 7 BANDSTERS

Glad that helped! Its nothing to be embarrassed about:nervous -I had to remind myself to drink Water sometimes too--in fact I even have to do that now that I am banded....sip sip sip

The headache happens to a lot of people who are on the pre-op diet. Be sure you are keeping hydrated with water in addition to the shakes. After day three it usually gets better and I applaud you for sticking to the diet in the face of all that temptation! IF it should get overwhelming--eat a lettuce, at least its mostly water!

Hi everyone! Day 3 since surgery (May 3rd) and doing great.:Banane43: Boy, I feel lucky that I only had to do a liquid diet for a week before surgery. I was allowed pureed soups, protien drink and sugar free low fat yogurt so it really wasnt bad! I did eat some lettuce and raw carrots when I just HAD to chew on something. Lost 4 lbs by surgery day. I posted my surgery experience last night if anyone wants to go back and read it. Today I get to add v-8 juice, pureed soup and low fat sugar free yogurt to my post op diet. :hungry: All are considered liquid....Had hunger today but a couple of oz of protien drink satisfied that. Ive been doing one 0Z of water, or protein drink or fat free pudding every 15 min while I am awake.

Hi everyone! I am home from the hospital and after sleeping off and on I thought I would give you the update? My surgery was May 3. VERY postivie experience. Worst part was waking up from surgery and being so dizzy and the dry sore throat. Told the nurse I felt nauseous and she put something in my iv that took it away immediatly. AS I was waking up I heard the dr. and nurses laughing and saying "look, shes grinning!" My dr. said it went great and my first question was" How was my liver!?" He said it was perfect and the dr. assisting him was jealous. ha Pre-op was so nice, private waiting room, warm blankents, comfy gurney and very friendly competant nurses. When they started wheeling me to the surgery I thought, "this is it! last chance to change my mind!" ha Soreness in port area, maybe a pain level of 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. Clear liquids every 15 minutes all day, walking a few hours after surgery. Stayed overnight, then went on protien drinks, sugar free pudding and skim milk every 15 minutes for a couple of hours to check tolerance, saw dr. and nutritionist and then was released from hosp. Got home around 11am and took the prescribed liquid pain med and slept off and on all day. No gas pains at all so far....they put a lot of diff. things in my ivs--one was pepcid--maybe something for gas? I dont know. Just know I am burping and farting fine with no pain....Tomorrow I get to start on yogurt and v-8 juice and pureed soups along with the other liquids. 30 ml every 15 minutes when awake. I am doing great! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!