Keemi13

Had my band to MGB on 14th Jan. Doing great. Down about 20lb from surgery date. Have had no issues at all, never an issue getting Water down. 2 weeks liquid and nearly finished 2 weeks blended. It’s been easier than I thought, especially compared to eating with the band. Only thing I worry about is the amount I can eat already. As I went from band to bypass the surgeon had to leave a bigger pouch. I feel I can eat a lot and be hungry again quite quickly. Hopefully this will change when I move to more solid food. I’m surprised I feel hungry quite a bit, and not just head hunger.

Hello beautiful people!
My surgery is booked on 24th June! For a revision to mini bypass and lap band removal! All in one surgery.. im so scared, and looking for some support and success stories! I dont know why im so scared this time, my mind is just going to the weirdest places! How was recovery for anyone who went through the same? i just need some support right now 🙂 This pre-op diet is also so hard when im so anxious like this! 😟
Thank you 🙏

Currently waiting for my surgery right now. I have been a nervous wreck and almost chickened out of it.

My surgery time is finally here!!! I have so many mixed emotions but joy is at the top of my list. This journey has been a long time coming but it's just the beginning!! I will be getting the VSG today and I'll keep you all posted. TTYL[emoji177]

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Just had my anesthesia pre op and covid test today. Not the most pleasant thing in the world, but not as bad as I though it would be. Now to wait for the results....
June 22 can't come fast enough! This anticipation is probably worse than the actual surgery!

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My bypass is tomorrow!!! Glad to hear so many people doing so well after surgery! I'm praying for the same!!

Hey ya'll! I searched, and there doesn't seem to be a topic for the June bypassers yet, so I guess I'll start one. I had surgery on Monday the 8th, so 2 days ago. My recovery has been a lot easier than I expected, but I'm really concerned that I'm drinking/swallowing normally and can get down all the fluids I want, which has been a lot since my mouth has been so dry.
I haven't had any nausea or vomiting or even any gas pain that I can tell. I do have some discomfort, but am not sure that is gas pain. Anyway, I am just really worried that I my surgeon didn't make my pouch right or something since the fluids are just flowing freely.
How are you doing post-op so far? If you haven't had surgery yet this month, then stay tuned because you will likely find these posts helpful once the time comes.

@@dede_mont
Sorry to hear about your cardiac problem. I would suggest calling your nut and getting them to help you with a meal plan that will work for you.
I am guessing you have to stay away from salt as well.
Some ideas are to make chicken and use homemade stock to create your own fat free gravy which will make the chicken easier to eat.
Low fat cottage cheese......I eat this almost daily.
Shrimp, Fish and turkey.
Can you have olive oil? I would think so but I am not a nutritionist. I use strictly olive oil for sautéing meats and veggies.
Also you can find a heart healthy marinara sauce or make your own from homemade. This is excellent on chicken as well as shrimp.
Personally I would start looking up heart healthy recipes on Pinterest and you can pretty much replace any starches. I do this type of thing all the time.
Make yourself some chicken or turkey chili, add Beans (no pasta). Make it from scratch using chili powder to season and I know they have mrs dash as well.
Just some ideas to get you thinking about it......hope things get better soon.

Good Morning!
I know Im a month or so late to the party here, but here's my advice (being I actually do have a slip and have to have my band removed next week)
#1 you're only 7+ months into your band. Under no circumstances should you be eating pizza 4 days after a fill. Do your Clear Liquids (I found 3 days work good for me, you'll find what works best for you), 3 days on full liquids (creamy Soups, greek yogurt, etc.) 3-4 days on "mushies" (scrambled eggs, mashed potatos, cottage cheese) then move onto soft foods like boiled chicken, super steamed veggies, etc. bread, Pizza Crust, toast, english muffins, croutons.....they are way to heavy to put against your band and you will notice that over time. You will most likely not eat bread at all. I hardly do and Ive been banded over a year and a half now. And you probably won't miss it at all, I know I don't.
If you don't take care of your band and have to keep vomiting to dislodge a clog - you can end up giving yourself a slip. I know I did and I am more than pissed off at myself over it being it has to come out and be replaced. All because of vomiting from not eating the right foods and forcing myself to purge the cloggs.
Take care and be smart!
Hugs~
Amanda

"Unfortunately, some people never "Find It"...change can be hard. We have lived our entire lives eating the wrong foods the wrong away. It takes many people out of their comfort zone and choose not to progress forward."
@@B-52 nailed it. I find that when I struggle (and I do) it's because I'm resisting change. I still want to eat what (and how) I used to eat. This is definitely a learning process, and I really have to want it. Because change is hard.
That said, the band does help alleviate hunger. So the change required from me is "only" mental. Piece of cake, right?

Thank you soo much @@CherieRyde! So good to know there are ppl out there who know what im facing! Happy 1 year anniversary! ????????

Speaking as a dental professional .. this is pretty common. We are working our joints pretty hard when chewing everything as much as we need to before swallowing. Do yourself a favor .... don't stop chewing things as much. Also, be careful of WHAT you are eating. I tried eating raw carrots the other day. My jaw started popping, so I chewed a little less. The carrot pieces (even though they were tiny) got stuck and I had to throw the carrots back up. THAT pain was worse than the TMJ issues. Also, apples with the peel are hard for our bands, and we should be cutting them anyway. Remember ... small bites, chew a lot, and be careful. I'm still learning and I've had my 1 yr surgerversary.
You've got this.

I think I know what you mean.. You feel its moving but it's actually just the pressure of the band pushing inwards when you lean forward maybe.. The feeling is normal.. But technically It shouldn't move..

April 20th was my one month surgiversary . Had my month one post op with the surgeon on the 23rd ..I'm down 26lbs ..10lbs of fat BMI went from 43 to 39
I've been eating all Protein ..only carb intake has been from fruit and vegetables and practically drowning myself in Water which is helping tremendously with the "bathroom visits " ☺️ .
My surgeon checked my band and said that it looked perfect so no fill was needed ..said I was doing great and cleared me to start working out ...????????
I'm extremely happy with my progress..I'm down a size in shirts and pants ....it's still a little weird adjusting to my pants being too big and being able to wear clothes that I still have tags on in my closet but I'm getting used to it little by little
I think my biggest struggle will be my head catching up to my body changes .????????????????????

Keemi, I find that I get a sore throat -- usually at night -- and sometimes on one side only, when I have not taken in enough fluids for the day! Never noticed this before the band, but now after, I can tell I need more hydration by the way my throat feels. In all my years on this forum, I've not seen anyone else mention this -- but for me, keeping up on my Water intake keeps the sore throat away. Go figure, but you might try upping your water intake. :-)

Keemi - My surgeon put me on over the counter PrevAcid. The dosage says 1 pill a day for two weeks. He said 2 pills a day and continue. Since I've done that, absolutely no acid reflux. Each doctor will be the different so you should call and ask if this is okay.

I had a beginner hot yoga class but the temp was warm, not hot. But the reason I didn't keep going was my LOUD knees. We held poses for several minutes, and my cracking knees sounded like a machine gun. I couldn't help but burst out laughing uncontrollably. Since I am sure I was a disruption to the class, I dropped yoga and decided walking was more my thing.

I posted this in response under another thread, but since it got so long I decided to cut and paste it as a new thread also....
Hang in there....It DOES WORK....
LAST CHANCE???? My Health was deteriorating fast! My family history was grim, having lost both my brother and sister from obese related illnesses...sister was the worse going through amputations, cardiac and other circulatory surgeries, infections, and finally renal failure....they flat out said she had too much going on to qualify for kidney transplant.
I started down the same road, diabetes out of control, my blood work was all over the place, nothing was normal. Had clogged arteries resulting in one hart attack, had to undergo cardiac surgery...
My PCP was very blunt and honest, told me I was a walking time bomb and did not have long to live. Stated if I could but loose 50-60 lbs, this would all start to reverse itself. It was my LAST CHANCE!
Knowing that I have tried every diet under the sun, and failing miserably at every one of them,
He recommended weight loss surgery and referred me. WLS was my LAST CHANCE!
That is why I have never taken this lightly...full steam ahead...I can care less what others think, let them find their success. I found mine!! NO WHINING HERE
I want this band to do the maximum performance, everything I anticipated.Would not settle for anything less...
And it did!!! Lost over 100 lbs in a year......all my illnesses have been reversed...no more medications or insulin injections.
I go to the gym every chance I get. (it's 4 am as I'm typing this, will be at the gym at 5)
My hunger/cravings are in check, have no interest in food or eating most of the time. And when I do eat, the band limits my portions, making it impossible to overeat or binge. Also, when I do eat, all I do is eat wisely, making healthy choices.
No more diets, no more calorie counting.....
Does not mean I don't enjoy the treats in life...I do! It's just that I don't make a pig of myself...all things in moderation thanks to the band...
Head Hunger....perfectly normal, but it goes away eventually....I have gone out of my way to purchase something I was craving, only to throw it away after one or two bites.....
The band turned my life around...all my Dr.'s are astounded...(and I have/had a lot of them)
I do not, have not, any weight loss goals...how can I ??? I was OBESE because of a lifestyle of bad eating and being a coach potato....NOW my lifestyle has changed, and the reverse happened, I went on the opposite direction and lost weight until I was back to what my body determined was normal...where it should be for someone who eats right and gets plenty of exercise.
Maintenance?? I don't get it...I have been on many, many diets so I understand what maintenance is in terms of dieting programs.
But I am not on any diet program....simply put, because of WLS, my eating, what and how I eat, has been changed...and it will stay that way for the rest of my life....it is the New Normal for me. So there is nothing I can do differently.
I suppose I could get Fluid taken out of my band, to allow me to eat more, larger portions...but that makes no sense to me. Why would I want to do that?
I was fat-obese because I ate too much of the wrong things, I am now at optimal weight with very little body fat% because I eat less, way less, and eat good wholesome healthy foods...it's that simple.
Sprinkle on top of that fat burning exercise and there you have it. (notice I said fat burning, not calorie burning)
I should say, concerning my health improving and illnesses reversed, a Heart Attack, (MI) the damage is done to the cardiac wall - muscle and cannot be fixed, and with this, there are 2 medications I will take for the rest of my life....
BUT that does not stop me from running 3-5 miles 5 days a week, and strengthening what I do have.

After 19 .5 weeks, I think I am finally feeling restriction with my band..
I had a Fluid fill on Thursday and I am sitting here on Monday at work eating my chicken and salad for lunch and finding that I need to chew like I've never chewed before. The first couple of bites were a bit difficult to swallow so I'm slowing it down and taking smaller bites which is working well. I am actually at the ever elusive green zone??? I really hope so...

Welcome to the forum @busyandblessed. It can take time and several fills till you have the correct restriction. I know it's hard, but be patient and stay compliant. I promise you will lose the weight without starving. I eat around 1,200 calories a day and have done so since I was banded just over two years ago. I also limit my carbs and make sure to get in all my Protein. You can see by my ticker that I've lost all my excess weight. I'm sure you will as well. Good luck.

@@coachk11233 If your on the fence.... Do more research... go to some support groups in your area... talk to people that had WLS... all the different types. Look around here... you will see people that love the band, love the sleeve and love the GB.... but you will also see people who Hate the band, hate the sleeve and hate GB.... I'm sure you will make the right choice.

Hey! Yes it's amazing. I work out 4-5 days a week. An hour on elliptical and now I just started adding weights.
I wish I was at my final weight, but I still have 60 to go.
But thank you all!
Still can't believe it's me! Whoop!

Wow! Looking amazing! Good job! ????????
Did you work out regularly to reach to this final weight! U look awesome!!

Hello all!
So I had my real first OMG moment.
I went dress shopping for a wedding I'm in, left picture is 2 weeks after surgery, jan 19th and right picture was today! April 12th.
Same dress but 5 sizes smaller.
84 pounds down from
December 27th 2015.
I was blown away by the side by sides. I can't stop looking and smiling at this picture!! This is, by far, the best thing I have ever done for myself. Today...I'm very proud! ????????

I also loved my Popsicles during this time -- MinuteMaid frozen lemonade if I recall (okay, I recall perfectly!). GERD is definitely a symptom of being too tight but unless you have a primed band (?) this should not be an issue. (Note some surgeons put some Fluid -- amount varies -- into the band at the time of surgery as some kind of a head-start). I would call it in and maybe they will bump up your appointment. I believe in a very close connection with the doctor post-op -- a key to success. They want you to succeed. Put those medical professionals to work. Above all, keep all those first year appointments. There is no co-pay not worth the success of this endeavor. I liked the accountability and reassurance. Good luck to you! You're going to do beautifully and feel better each day!