puddin

It's interesting that everyone says this is fast. In fact, on my doc's website it says you're on Clear liquids for 1 day (even though he told me one week). After the first week it's pureed or blended foods, so not quite mushie? Still don't know what mushie means. My doc called after 3 days and said I could pretty much "drink like normal", which is strange, because I thought I'd be too swollen to do that. Anyhow, thanks for the feedback. I'll have to find other (liquid) ways of getting calories in. I REALLY don't want to be at 500 calories/day. I think ultimately I'll heal slower if I'm not getting enough calories and protien.

I'm sure I should already know this information, but for some reason it has passed me right by. My doc has prescribed 1 week of full liquids (today's the last day, THANK GOODNESS) and 4 weeks of "pureed and strained foods". Does that mean I fully skipp the full liquid phase and moved right on to mushies? Are mushies different from pureed and strained? I don't follow.

I'm sitting here laughing my head off at your posts! I SO wish I had that problem. I've been banded 5 days now and can't get the gas OUT of my body! It just roams around like it's got nothing better to do.

Erin, congrats! Isn't it nice to have the surgery DONE? I was banded Monday and just want to share some things I've found to be helpful: 1. Walk at least 5 times a day. It really helps with the gas pain. 2. Use your ice pack! I found the gas pain felt much better if I kept the ice pack on my diaphragm. 3. Limit your fruit juice intake. I just discovered today that fruit juice is the reason I've been having MORE gas, and 4. Drink fluids with calories for energy! You may have already known all of this, but it's stuff I've just discovered, so I thought I'd share. Good luck to you in the next few days. I hope you feel good!

You all sound like you did so well! I was banded on Monday (2 days ago) and left the hospital 2 hours after surgery. I'm doing ok. I have a LOT of gas pain, but it's not in my shoulder, thankfully. When I woke up from surgery it didn't hurt too bad for me, but about an hour later I could start to feel the gas pain. I think the worst part is just not being able to get comfortable. Other than that, it's not too bad. I "amen" the walk, walk, walking. It helps, really.

I'd really love to hear some tips out there from successful bandsters who've lost 100% (or pretty close) of their excess weight. What do you eat? How many average calories? What's your exercise routine? How much weight did you have to lose?

Today I accidentally stepped on a snail on the sidewalk in front of our house. And I thought, I too am like that snail. I build a defensive wall around myself, a "shell" if you will. But my shell isn't made out of a hard, protective substance. Mine is made out of tinfoil and paper bags. Looks like yours is made out of volleyball and dirt.

I'm pretty sure that I'm fat because of genetics. I have been fat since I was 8 years old. I've never been depressed, usually exercise, never been a compulsive over-eater, never felt emotionally attached to food. Even now when my surgery is less than a week away, I could care less if I get my "last meal" in. It's a big "fat" mystery to me why I'm SO overweight. But whatever, I've always been happy and had decent self-esteem. I just want to be able to do the things I haven't been able to do for my entire life!

Gosh, you all talk about this PB thing like it's the worst thing you've ever experienced! I'm not banded yet, but I'm reconsidering this decision based off these horrible vurping stories. Is it really as bad as it sounds?

Thanks y'all. I think I may be able to handle the occasional vurp after all. I've dealt with kidney stones every 6 months, I think the PB effect may even take a back burner to that.

I'm so incredibly glad my doctor doesn't require a liquid pre-op diet. However, he does require a 1-week clear liquid diet followed by another 4-week liquid diet (not necessarily clear liquids). That's going to be painful! How did anyone else survive the clear liquid phase? Did anyone else have to DO the clear liquid phase?

I'm fairly concerned, too, about the possibility of killing my metabolism by constantly lowering the amount of calories I eat so my body tries to survive by slowing it down. I'm not banded yet (Sept. 12), but I know enough about the band that even if I do kill my metabolism, I'll probably keep at least 50% off. Sounds pretty negative, eh? Well, I still plan on reaching my full goal and I have a lot of drive to do it. But based on information I know about metabolism, I can surmise that not going below 1200 calories a day, doing cardio 3X per week, doing weight training 3X per week, and getting in plenty of protien will probably keep my metabolism in ship shape (crosses fingers).