Pnw_Red

I agree--take a pregnancy test and then get in to see your doc. I also have a goal weight I want to hit before getting pregnant, but you know, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. Losing this much weight can also throw your hormone for a loop, as can any surgery requiring general anesthesia. Take a deep breath, take the test, and talk to your doc! You can handle this!

My surgeon's office would tell you to get an unfill. If you can't eat real food, you're too tight. I know there are people who like to run really tight, but you run a much bigger chance of a slip or other complications if you're so tight you can't get any real food down. If you have to take vitamins just to get in your basic nutrition, you're too tight. Yes, ultimately you will loosen up after you lose some weight, but you could cause damage in the interim. Some people report contining to tighten up after a fill for up to two weeks! So you may even get tighter before you get looser. Based on what I know about how my surgeons office does things, I'd say get an unfill, wait and see how you feel. If you can eat real food, feel satisfied after a bandster-size portion (waiting up to 20 minutes to let your body register) then you're in the right place. Good luck to you!

I'm going through the same considerations that you are right now. I started at 320 and am now at 265. While I'd LOVE to get to goal first (around 170 is my goal) I've decided to give myself a solid year of working on weight loss. At the end of the year, if I'm under 200 pounds, then we can go ahead and start trying. If I'm NOT under 200 pounds, then I'll probably re-evaluate.

I took a week off (I work in a lab too--12 hour shifts and lots of standing/lifting.) I was absolutely fine after a week and could have returned much sooner. I think you'll find there's a pretty big range of experiences in recover, but I felt really good after surgery and didn't even take the stronger pain meds.

Yes, you will have to be on a diet. Period. HOWEVER, once you have a few fills and get restriction, you WILL be able to diet because your hunger will be reduced to tolerable levels. I know it seems impossible, but when that physical hunger is under control, the rest gets a lot easier. Easy? No. EasiER, yes. The band is the difference between struggling and failing and struggling and succeeding. Unfortunately, the struggle will always be there, as supremely unfair as it seems. Hang in there and get another fill if you can!

Hey! I'm not a super regular poster here, but I'll be at the meeting. :incazzato: There is usually a really good presentation about a topic related to the lap band. I think this week's topic is on "Mindful Eating." After the presentation, we split into various groups and discuss issues related to the band. There's usually a group for emotional eaters and then everyone else is grouped up either by banded date or some other random category depending on the night. I've only been to two groups, but thought they were both really informative!

I was banded April 22 and got my first fill Wednesday. I had restriction right away and it only started to fade away the last few days before the fill. I could have gotten a fill 2 weeks earlier but like you, I just didn't need it. The nurse at my surgeon's office has the motto, "Ride it until the wheels fall off!" Ie, don't get a fill if you don't need it! If what you have is working for you, go for it!

Thanks! I had my fill about 3 hours after lunch and did just fine. No problems. I had soup for dinner and chili for lunch today and so far, so good. I can tell I'm tighter, but I'll give it a week or so before I decide if this is enough. (I only had her add 1 cc instead of the usual 2cc for a first fill since I've already had restriction.)

I know people have said they eat lightly for a couple days after a fill, but should I do anything different before? Ie, not eat for a few hours before the fill? My first fill is this afternoon, which means a few hours post lunch. I planned on eating lightly today and then following the fill with a day of liquids and a day of mushies.

Wow, that's AMAZING! Congratulations!

Today I stepped on the scales and I'm at my "before" weight from the last time I tried Weight Watchers about six years ago. I lost about 35 pounds before I gained it all back (plus another 55.) On one hand it's depressing to have to start all over again. On the other hand, I'm really back in familiar territory! 54 pounds lost this year!

Thanks everyone! To clarify, my doc's info says it's ok to either split calories up into 3 meals or meals plus Snacks. I'm just curious what has worked for other people who have lost weight. I tend to agree that eating too little is going to be detrimental to my weight loss (and I DID stall out on 800 cals a day.) I'm astonishingly NOT hungry much of the time, which is GREAT, but leads me to have too few calories if I only go by hunger. However, not being hungry makes it easier to stick to the planned food for the day! I think I'm going to continue with the 1-2 snacks a day and see how things go. Thanks!

My doc's office said they had one patient who lost 160 pounds without a fill! I'm about 5 weeks post-op. My doc's office usually does fills at 4 weeks, but I haven't needed one yet. I'm not very tight compared to some, but I definitely have restriction. Most people I've talked to were starving to death around week 4 and were waiting until their first fill.

For those who have successfully lost weight or are successfully losing weight--do you eat 3 meals a day, or do you split your food up between meals and Snacks? I'm about 5 weeks post-op, haven't had a fill, but seem to be one of the fortunate few that have enough restriction to feel a big difference already. I'm generally picking healthy foods and am finding that, without at LEAST one snack a day, it's hard to get up to 1,000 calories. (I never imagined myself with such a problem . . . :wink2: ) I stalled for three weeks at 800 calories a day, which is what eating 3 meals and only when hungry was adding up to, so I'm pretty interested in keeping the calories up around 1,000-1,200 for a while, especially as I'm getting more exercise in. Any thoughts on the meals only versus snacks approach?

I'm 5 weeks post-op, no fill, but I have some restriction (though I'm obviously not as restricted as others.) I can barely eat the 3-4 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies my doc's office recommends at one sitting and yet I think I eat WAY more than most who post menus here. I track my calories and most days I have to work to get up to 1,000 calories. (I was at a weight loss standstill at 800 calories, so I've made efforts to increase calories and started losing again.) Today-- B: 3/4 cup Kashi Cereal, 1/4 cup strawberries, small amount of milk. S: 16 oz nonfat latte to get in milk. L: 3.5 oz chicken thigh, 1/2 cup roasted cauliflower D: 3/4 cup Silverado Chili, 1 Tbsp light sour cream S: Kashi crackers, laughing cow cheese, 1/2 cup grapes. Total--933 Calories Most days I have cereal for breakfast with a little fruit, a latte (12 oz milk), 1/2 cup LF yogurt with some fruit, then lunch and dinner are as close to 3-4 oz meat and 1/2 cup veggies as I can eat comfortably.

You need to follow your doc's orders! I have seriously the most lenient post-op eating schedule I've heard of, and even my doc had me on liquids only for the first week. I'd encourage you to rally yourself for a few tough weeks and stick to your doc's plan as close as possible. It's really a very short time in the grand scheme of things! Yes, it's hard, but you'll get better results with less stress and worry if you stick to plan. Good luck!

Anesthesia can TOTALLY mess up your cycle. I had an appendectomy in high school and it too a YEAR for my period to regulate back to normal. Not unusual at all.

WAHOO! ! ! That must feel GREAT!

Congratulations! What an awesome milestone to reach!

I notice that I'm aghast at the food that I see other people eating! Not so much hubby (though there is that too) as when I'm out in public and I watch somebody down a HUGE plate of food. It's crazy!

I had huge bruises around two of the incisions, but not around the port incision. Depends on the person!

Name: Jenn (aka PNW Red) Date you were banded: April 22nd Weight loss to date: 15 since surgery, 48 total How are you feeling?: I'm feeling pretty good. I haven't lost anything in two weeks, but I sure don't feel like I need a fill based on what I'm eating and how I feel. I'm trying to actually get my calories UP a little so that I'm around 1,000 since I'm totally stalled out.

I lost 15 pounds the first ten days, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. I had already lost 35 pounds BEFORE surgery too. If you're feeling ok, and have no medical concerns, I'd say enjoy the loss and just be aware that it will slow down once you start food!

I gave away a bunch of my clothes to a friend who desperately needed them, but the stuff I knew she wouldn't like (dressy stuff) I took to a women's consignment shop. I intend to use the credit towards future purchases as I drop sizes.

Keep up the good work! My doc lets us start mushies at a week, and I was like you--dropped 15 pounds in the first ten days. For me, the weight loss did crash to a halt when I started mushies, and I even went up a couple pounds. It doesn't make sense from a calorie standpoint, but remember that your intestines are probably all cleaned out after a couple weeks of liquids. :thumbup: For me, I know I've been exercising and my muscles are sore, which always means a little Water weight gain for me. Just keep going and believe that the weight loss will come!