mediummike

Normal. Especially with the high protein shake/liquid diet. You'll go from watery (sorry) to nothing. Check if your doctor is ok with metamucil powder. Even with that, took over a month after surgery to "normalize", and that will depend on you dr prescribed after surgery diet.

Tried weight watchers, lost weight and gained it back...trust me, everybody who has been banded has a similar story - that is why we decided to band !! And the overwhelming majority of us are thrilled with this tool.

almost 6 weeks post op - had baked trout, squash soup and a glass of wine. All went down well - yes, I did chew slowly and took my time. It was also a good experience in that I remember thinking how little I actually ate and how satisfied I was and realized I can still go out for dinner and enjoy myself.

My nutritionist introduced me to Samrtforme products (Smartforme.com). I think they are pretty good, especially the "juice drinks" and their liquid diet shakes were pretty good too, as well as very high in protein. They cater to bariatric surgery patients..

No need for a fill if you are losing and not hungry - good for you !!!

as always - listen to Jack - great input

My dr uses no anesthesia and the whole process takes less than 5 minutes (5 minutes to find a port ?????). I lay back, don't look, feel a very slight prick and voila- done. The only thing that bothers me is looking at this thing sticking out of stomach, so I don't look at it. Very simple, easy, painless procedure for me.

$80 in NYC - and everybody thinks NYC is so expensive !! I do not think my surgeon will see patients that he did not operate on

Loprofyl - I love that - awesome ! Good for you and keep it up !

1200 calories is not the answer for everybody. I'm 6'4" and do cardio and lift weights 5-6 days a week. If I stuck to 1200 calories, I'm sure I'd not make it through the day. I am definitely closer to 2000 and am losing weight at a very good pace. There are formulas/websites out there that tell you how many calories you need oer day just to live - I am about 3500 (easy to find on google). On top of that, I am burning a lot of calories at the gym as well, approximately 800, so I need 4300 minimum per day just to sustain my weight. Of course, that is not the goal, which is why we try to do less. You can do the math to see what works best for you, but as I often advocate - listen to your body. Do you feel tired or do you feel energetic ? It is also important that you keep proteins up if you are working out a lot as well as they will give you the long term energy you will need. 1200 is definitely not the number for everybody. My nutritionist and I agree that 2000 is my target and is more realistic.

Non Scale Victory

wow - did you really more than double your c's ? that does not sound normal, especially if you were having no problems losing weight. are you sur eyou didn't go from 1.3 to 1.8 (adding .5cc) ? That would make more sense. Either way, sounds like you need to take some out.

the best NSV there is (outside of health benefits)

btw - my surgeon just told me to lose try a high protein low fat diet and lose a "few" pounds before surgery - that's it...

wow - sounds like your surgeons were getting a peice of the action. seems ridiculous...

I think the point is a little bit of anything is ok. Moderation is key.

Just from drinking much less would be my guess. Liquid/mushie stage will be over before you know it. I will say it was pretty easy for me as my huger was just not there for 2-3 weeks after surgery. The great side benefit was rapid weight loss ! Keep the proteins up...

Yup, Fenton is right on - and yes this is normal. Mine lasted 2-3 weeks...

wow - carefull with those mixed drinks - lots of empty calories. i was a former big time beer drinker. i opt for bourbon on the rocks these days. you can always dilute it down with water or club soda if you like. likewise, rum and diet coke is much better than a gin and tonic. i would just say be mindfull of your mixers. by the way, i can still enjoy one or two beers pretty easily...especially beers on tap

Monday through Friday (at work): B: Protein Shake (Was never a breakfast eater). 70 calories, 15g Protein L: Fish - poached salmon or tuna fish (plain). Serving of veg du jour at work cafe Snack: Protein bar (easy to do when busy). 150 cal, 15g Protein D: Tuna or other fish with some veg or fruit. Sometimes turkey chili or other high protein substituted for fish - goal is to keep it under 300 cal and at least 25g protein Snack: Sometimes have a yogurt. 100 cal, 6g protein Weekends I'll usually have egg beaters or a yogurt in the am with my girls instead of a shake. Afternoon snack will be yogurt or fruit.

Normal. You're going in for surgery (albeit a simple one - it is surgery nontheless). You'll be fine - the procedure is simple and the recovery is quick. I walked out of the hospital 4 hours after my surgery and was on the treadmill the next day. It is a great tool and keep thinking of the benefits you and it will provide for you in the long term.

There will be exceptions to everything but I think you will find most people have had a positive experience with the band. As noted, just realize there is no "miracle pill" - you have to work with the band and you will see results.

My first fill was 2.4 cc's (10 cc band) - no restriction at all. 2nd fill was 2.0 cc's and I did start to feel some restriction. Not a lot, but definitely noticed some and also some foods were easier than others - bread is now tough to do. Looking forward to my 3rd fill in 3 weeks.

Agree - with all the posts - do not wait ! Go for it now and you will be happier on your big day.

You should check with your pharmacist if it is ok to crush the pills (some pills should not be crushed). If it is ok, then you can buy a pill crusher for around $5. I had to use this for the first month after surgery for my meds. In terms of absorbtion, the band is different than bypass in that in does not slice and dice the stomach which can lead to absorbtion issues, so I don't think you'll have any problems there (But check with your dr just to be sure !)