betty_s

how are all my may banders??

How are all my may banders doing?

2. I pray that whatever is on the other side of this surgery feels far better than food. I'm struggling today. I promise, it does!! I'm only 5 weeks post-op, but I'm loving my band so far. 3. I'm having thoughts of self-sabotage. Well would happen if I just took a bite...(but I won't!) I still struggle with this daily, but my finance always tells me, "what about that dress you want to fix in November for your friends wedding?" Don't let them get the best of you! 4. This is the first time in the process since I've questioned whether or not I'm doing the right thing. I put of wls from 18 to 26 because I just knew I could do it myself (i've been overweight from childhood). Obvi, when I tipped the scales at 303, I couldn't do it on my own. If you've gotten this far, you know this is the right decision for you! You've got this girl! I cant say enough good things about my band so far, and hopefully you'll feel the same about yours!

hey girl! i have one recipe that i really like.. even when i wasnt dieting which is saying a lot! 1 scoop of whey Protein (i was using mrm vanilla or choc - low in carbs) 1/2 frozen banana 1 cup of almond milk 1 handful of ice cubes 1-2 T of dark choc dreams pb (this is the KEY INGREDIENT) I like to keep my protein powders low in carbs, so i use MRM, Beverly Internation UMP, and Protizyme. UMP has a Cookies and cream flavor that I really enjoy and Protizyme has a Peanut Butter cookie flavor thats pretty yummy too.

I sometimes mixed the chicken flavored Protein (unjury brand) with low sodium chicken broth. i heat the broth up first, make sure its its not over 140*F, then add the protein and shake it in my shaker bottle. good to switch it up when you mainly find sweet Proteins.

@@Bandista thank you! i appreciate your feedback. just such a weird feeling NOT being hungry! takes some getting use to!

okay, so i KNOW i've read this topic before, but they seemed to be newly post-op. so, background: i am 5 weeks post-op yesterday and had my first fill wednesday. my doctor put me 2 days liquid, 2 days soft, then back to regular. so, today was first day softs. heres the thing.. i ate 4 bites of eggs and was full. then, 4 hours later, i'm not hungry. do i eat my 1/2C of food? do i take a few bites? do i just keep on going with my day? i am working out 5 days a week (lifting + cardio), so i know my body needs some kind of calories for energy, but it seems like at this rate, its gonna be 4 bites then full. i know i'm newly filled, probably swollen, and my restriction wont be like this forever, but what do i do right now? i'd hate to force myself to eat, but i also want to be able to fuel my workouts properly. i think that's one reason my weight loss seems to be stalling so often, because most days, i'm not getting in more than 1,000 calories and burning anywhere from 500-700 during a workout along with the 2,000+ i burn just from daily activity. this is just all so new to me, so i appreciate any feedback. i never thought i would have to think about forcing myself to eat. its still hard sometime to determine when i'm full, so i'm taking it all in slowly, but hopefully getting the hang of this tool.

waking up and not dreading getting ready. knowing something WILL fit and not getting winded from getting dressed. crazy how 34 lbs makes such a difference!

@@mias76 im trying the miralax mixed into my 'sleepy time' tea at night and it hasnt seemed to help. i dont necessarily feel bloated, but i know how my body operated pre-surgery and it was at least every other day.. now its like once a week.

@@jktefft yes! try them out! and if you dont like one flavor, try some others. and if you heat the cookie dough one in the oven for a few mins, it tastes like a fresh baked cookie!!

I promised I would keep everyone updated with my fill I had yesterday, so here it is. I got to the office at about 12:30, signed all my paper work, then got brought up to the 7th floor where I would wait until it was my turn. My doctors office only does fills certain wednesdays of the month, so there were a few other people there waiting to get filled, too. Well, about an hour and 15 minutes later, it was my turn. I walked back to the room where 3 lovely women greeted me. I lifted up my shirt and tried to stay as calm as possible, since i was on the verge of an anxiety attack. The doctor stuck the needle in and removed all (if there was any in there) Fluid, so she could get an accurate measurement of how much was in there. Well, as she started to inject the saline, I felt all this Water running down my stomach. Turns out, the needle had a crack in it. Just my luck! So, she got another needle, stuck me again, and this time we got it right. She put 4.4cc's in my band and sent me on my way (after the barium swallow, of course), wet pants and all I def overreacted over nothing. It wasnt painful, even being stuck with the needle twice. I'm on full liquids for 2 days, mushy 2 days, then can eat real food again sunday. Now I'm nervous about getting stuck! I'll just have to be verrrry careful when eating.

wow!!! thats awesome! congrats!

I was wondering if anyone who had the band has tried the Advocare cleanse? Did the Fiber drink bother you when it went through the stoma? This isn't something I'm doing to lose weight; I've done the cleanse a few times, and actually enjoy how I feel while I'm doing it. It's not a 'harsh' cleanse and I feel like I need it, since I still cant get my body 'regular' since I've had surgery. So, If you have any tips or tricks, I'm all ears. I've basically tried everything I've read on this forum to help get myself going, but I'm just not the 'normal' person I used to be, and I HATE IT!

I know, in my own experience, I actually DO feel better. At 303 lbs, I hated taking the stairs, tying my shoes, or even just getting dressed because I was out of breath afterwards. I was always tired and just really felt depressed. Now, even just 33 lbs lighter, I feel the complete opposite as above. I'm going to the gym, can run at a 6 pace on the treadmill, and take the stairs everywhere I go. So, I do feel so much better, personally, but if you already felt good, great for you!

good luck!!! you'll do great!!!

You'll be fine. yes, it is surgery and there is some pain that goes with it, but its TEMPORARY. i didnt have gas pain, but was very sore on my port side/hernia side. After 3 days, the pain was little to none unless i was doing too much at home. 3 weeks should def be more than enough. I went to a wedding 7 days post-op and was fine. Yes, a little sore, but fine. I had 2 weeks off because my surgery week backed up to my already planned vacation and i was out and about that whole second week. You will do fine. I love my band and I'm so happy i made this decision. I wouldnt take it back for a second!

well congrats on handling maintenance better than expected! i dont want to be skinny either, so i can def tell where you are coming from. if i could just get to 170, i'd be happy! thanks for keeping us posted on your journey!

Thank you SO MUCH!

Where from?! I live in powhatan!

maybe @@JustWatchMe can help you, since she recently traveled and was somewhat newly banded.

low sodium (or not LS) chicken/beef/veggie broth warm green tea (unsweetened) broth of egg drop soup from a chinese restaurant

what kinda of surgery did you have?? and the 30 mins before and after seems pretty straight across for all weight loss surgeries..

Well, mine was considered out patient, but i was there 23 hours. The nurse comes in every 2-3 hours, so theres no such thing as 'quiet hospital'.. i was even woken up at 3am, when i had finally gotten to sleep, to get blood work. So, dont think you're missing out on much

i had really bad itching too. benedryl helped some, and i also swabbed it with alcohol and kept nesporin on it after the surgical glue fell off. i just had to keep reminding myself that they were healing. it sucks, but it doesnt last too long.

ugh! this was the worst for me! i couldnt sleep on my stomach, and not even my sides, because i felt like the port was tugging on my stomach. and thats the only way i can fall asleep! i talked to my nurse practitioner, and she recommended Ibuprofen PM. After about 2 weeks, i was able to lay on my side, and some on my stomach, but if i moved the wrong way, it would shoot a little twinge to the area. even at almost 5 weeks post-op, after a long day, or if i worked out too hard, its still a little sore to lay on. I would def try the ibuprofen pm, tho.