BandedBrunette481

After surgery, you'll eat much less than you could before surgery! Some of that comes from the fact that you'll just feel less hungry in general (although some people say they don't get the appetite suppression like others do) and some of that comes from the fact that you physically cannot eat over a certain amount. Overeating with a LapBand is really uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful so you'll learn pretty quickly what your limits are. The problem is when people constantly push those limits. You don't want to constantly overeat with the band or you risk complications like stretching your pouch or band slippage. The band will also not work for you if you don't eliminate "grazing" behavior. The band works when you eat a healthy, but small proportioned meal because the food has time to sit in your little pouch and your brain gets the message that you're full. When you eat a little here and a little there, snacking away, it goes right through the band and your brain won't get the I'm full message like it's supposed to and you'll be hungry. So you'll be surprised how much you really can still eat after being banded if you don't follow the LapBand "rules."

My suggestion is to do as much research in the next few weeks as you can to prepare yourself! This site is a good place to browse to find answers to specific questions you have, all you have to do is type a few keywords in the search bar. But I caution you to take what you read of people's experiences with a grain of salt. You'll see a lot of the bad experience stories on here along with the good ones. Do not let that scare you!! If you follow your surgeon's guidelines, your chance of complications is minimal. I also encourage you to read blogs on this site or on the web in general. There are a lot out there devoted to LapBand success stories and when I first started my journey I found it comforting to read. I felt more prepared reading what others did to be successful. I have a blog, the link is below if you want to check it out. I have a lot of info about my journey from insurance approval to now. Other good blogs to try are LapBand Gal and BandedWendy (video blog). You'll find links to other blogs in these places as well. Best of luck to you!!! You'll do great

You are going to be just fine! I wasn't really that nervous until I got to the hospital, but once you're there they give you some nice medicine to help you relax so that's a plus haha! It was my first surgery ever so I was nervous about complications and such but I just kept putting it out of my head and distracting myself with other things, like how awesome it was going to be to be able to go swimsuit shopping with my new body! Getting my LapBand has been the best thing I have EVER done. I have never felt better or more in control of my life, my health, and my body. It's honestly so fantastic! And I haven't had a single complication. If you want, you can check out my blog. My whole story is on there along with progress pictures. I've been pretty successful so far and it logs everything from insurance approval to now! Best of luck to you!

My doctor says 1 pound a week is average, but you'll probably lose more than that in the beginning because of the pre-op diet and the first few weeks of the post-op diet. So, conservatively, you're looking at like a 25 pound weight loss in 6 months. I'm 5 months out and down 45 pounds (that includes the weight I lost during the pre-op diet) but I also don't diet or exercise as much as I could. I went into this looking for help with a lifestyle change, not another diet, so I am not a perfect bandster by any means! I do think my experience is about average though. So congrats and best of luck to you in your journey!! You're going to love it

Don't fret, I'm willing to bet most of us did the same thing! I know I did. My mom kept asking me why I wasn't trying to eat healthy before I had to start my pre-op diet and my response was "Because. When I have to eat that way, I will. Right now I can eat however I want so I'm going to." And I did exactly that. I ate as I pleased, not so much that I gained weight, but I maintained my weight until I had to start my pre-op diet. That was like the starting line for me. I mentally prepared myself for it to be so it's not like it was a shock when I had to start the diet. I was fully prepared for it to suck lol But making that my starting point for my new healthy lifestyle, being determined from then on has worked for me So don't beat yourself up over it! Just know that once you start the pre-op diet you MUST commit to the lifestyle change if you want the band to work for you. Would it be a good idea to start preparing and practicing the good habits now? Absolutely. It's recommended by both surgeons and nutritionists. I'm just telling you my story and letting you know it won't make you a failure if you don't get it all perfect right now. Best of luck to you!

It is never to late to get back on track! You took a big step in gaining control of your health by getting the LapBand. It's not about the band "not working for you" it's that you have to MAKE the band work for you. If you restart, follow the rules, and be patient, and diligent, the band does work, I promise I think you should totally go back to your surgeon or find another one you feel more comfortable with and get back on track. It often takes more than just 2 fills to get to the right level so you feel full. This is the part that takes patience. Until you are able to find that right fill level with your surgeon, yeah, it is going to take a lot of hard work on your part. You're going to have to count calories, say no to foods you really want, and essentially be on a "diet." But once you get used to all these habits, it's much easier to stay on track. But you have to be committed to it or the LapBand won't do much for you and you'll gain weight. That means you have to stay active too. You don't have to become a runner overnight or anything, but daily walks are a great start. Anything you enjoy that gets you up and moving. It's hard. As a recovering food addict and chronic couch potato, I get that. But if you just push through the hard parts, you'll be amazed at yourself. You can do this if you put your mind to it! I know I already said it, but it's not too late!! You can still make this band work for you. What I find motivational is reading other people's success stories on here or on blogs online. I have a blog and I can say that most of us LapBand bloggers are super honest about our successes as well as our failures. Nobody is perfect. But it's nice to see what worked for other people and when I was first starting out it gave me hope and motivation to see others doing so well. So if you feel in need of inspiration, I highly suggest checking out some success stories or blogs. The link to mine is in my signature below and here are some of my favorite bloggers Banded Wendy LapBand Gal My Bandemonium cheese and Sunkist

It depends on what food stage you're in (ex: during my pre-op diet phase I was eating like 100 grams of Protein a day but the first few weeks post op you'll be struggling to get past 40) but in general, once you get past the first month of surgery, it should be about 60-80 grams of protein per day. That's what my nutritionist says anyways

I had my surgery through Alexian Brothers and don't have any real complaints. My surgeon is good, and I haven't had any serious issues with my care. I will say that my surgeon is personable when I see him, but I don't feel like he really knows me personally, you know what I mean? He's still just my surgeon. But he's good at the surgery part, so that's enough for me. I also like that they have many office locations to choose from and I don't have to go to the hospital for fills and follow up appointments. If you're looking for a more personal connection with your surgeon and just as adequate after care, you can try going to Central Dupage Hospital. I've had friends who have had their surgery there and they have had nothing but good things to say about their experiences. The main difference you'll find is that the requirements and "rules" for the LapBand are similar, but different for each place. Alexian Brothers moves at a faster pace after surgery, meaning you will move to a new food stage each week post op (liquid, pureed, soft, regular). You will also have a 2 week liquids only diet before surgery as well. And my surgeon allowed me to get 3 cc's put in my band at my first fill. I haven't had any complications or problems with moving along this fast, but it does make some people nervous. My surgeon also does his fills under a fluoroscope (an x-ray machine that allows him to see the port and band) which helps him know how much Fluid to put in or take out. At Central Dupage Hospital, they have their patients do a 2 week liquid diet pre-op but they are allowed to eat one small meal of just Protein and veggies with their Protein shakes. They also require their patients to stay in the pureed food stage for around 4 weeks before moving on to real food. And they are less aggressive with their fills, meaning 1cc is pretty average for a first fill there. They seem to have a more slow and steady wins the race kind of program. You also have to go to the hospital for all of your fill and follow up appointments. They also don't use the fluoroscope for fills unless they suspect a problem with the band and want to see how it looks when you swallow liquid. Not that that's a bad thing, just a difference! So it all depends on what you're looking for really! I'm sure there are other places to go in the northwest suburbs, but I thought I'd give my input on the two I am familiar with. Best of luck to you

Some people get to eat food on their pre-op diets! I wasn't one of them, but I've heard of people getting to drink the protein shakes plus one small meal a day consisting of just protein and veggies (which you ate). So you haven't ruined anything, don't worry! Just stay on track with your doctor's requirements from now until your surgery and you will be good to go

Congrats on your upcoming surgery date!! I too am a planner so I understand your desire to be prepared! I was glad to have my recliner, my pain meds, a place to pace around, a heating pad, tea, and comfy clothes. You mentioned that you don't have a recliner, but I think sitting propped up in bed will be a good alternative. It's really just the getting in and out of bed that's going to be the tricky part. Your abs are going to be SO sore. You will be surprised how many movements you do on a daily basis involve your abdominal muscles when you get home after surgery and can really feel them haha. This is where the heating pad comes in handy though! It helps with the pain and was my lifesaver. I kept my medicine, the heating pad, and a Water bottle right next to my recliner all the time so I didn't have to reach far for them. When you get home you're probably going to sleep a lot, but when you aren't sleeping, and when that gas pain kicks in, you're going to want to walk around. I had my surgery in the winter, so I had to pace around inside. I would be up at all hours just doing laps around the living room! The walking helps get all your insides moving and it really does help get rid of the gas pain, I swear. You'll notice the longer you sit, the more uncomfortable you feel. So before you go in for surgery find a place to do your walking, whether it's outside or a path you can walk inside your house. You'll be grateful. I also mentioned tea as one thing I was glad I had because that's what I drank the most of post-op. Warm liquids are great for easing the post-op pain and that was my warm liquid of choice (that was also on my surgeon's approved list). I bought decaf and herbal teas because I was told no caffeine after surgery. You probably won't feel up to grocery shopping for at least the first week so make sure you have whatever foods/liquids are in your surgeon's post op diet requirements on hand! Best of luck to you!

Towards the end of my pre-op diet I was kind of in the same boat. I wasn't gaining, but I didn't lose. I didn't lose very much on my pre-op diet at all, in fact, and I wasn't even allowed to eat any food, just protein shakes. Like others mentioned it is probably just a mix of water retention and bloating from the diet adjustment. What actually helped me was increasing my water intake and going for long walks. The water helps flush your system out and the walking aides in getting your insides moving better so the bloating goes down. Best of luck to you! Hang in there

It depends on the food I'm eating, but I typically only have to wait 10 seconds or so between bites. You'll start to notice that some foods go down no problem and some go down slower. The ones that go slower it takes more conscious thought to not eat too fast otherwise it hurts lol I admit that I don't pay much attention to how I drink liquids like water. I have to be gulping it pretty fast for there to be any sort of discomfort. You'll start to notice your body's cues, just be sure to listen

They only had me use medicine cups to help measure my portions for meals when I first had surgery. They just told me to sip liquids. I found it hard to stay hydrated at first because I just didn't feel like drinking really. I ended up sipping a lot of warm tea during the day and that seemed to help, but they never told me to do it out of the medicine cups only every half hour....that does seem a little bizarre. I would double check that that's what they meant lol

Thanks for the tip!! That's what I really need, is just some guidance on the right workout routine. I suppose a personal trainer wouldn't be out of the question either, but I think I'll start with the good old trusty internet haha

I totally said that to my doctor at my one week post op visit! I swore I could feel the band and he assured me I was not feeling it lol the pain was just some acid reflux. As for the tightness/tenderness, my nutritionist said that this was due to the pressure of laying down. All your internal organs undergo some pressure when you lay down to sleep at night, but sometimes the extra pressure plus the band can cause some minor swelling around the band. That's why people often complain of feeling tighter in the morning. Basically she said it was nothing to worry about, but obviously if you have concerns, don't hesitate to talk to your own surgeon