Sunta

I can drop about five or six pounds in a week when I first start dieting by sticking to all liquids. Try Slim Fast, protien powder drinks, and sugar free juices. Stay away from chicken broth or anything else with alot of sodium. I lost alot in my first week after surgery just from the liquid diet. You don't have to starve, the Slim Fast is very filling. Also, drink like 90 ounces of Water a day. That will flush the water weight out really well. Good luck!

Yes! I was shocked when I tried on my pants having lost 17.4 pounds and they were not one bit looser! I attribute this to the majority of my weight being Water weight lost from inside my body, and some loss from my face, hands, and feet instead of actually fat from my legs. My legs are the biggest and therefor will be the last to go. I do notice my shirts are a tiny bit looser, but that's it. I was expecting to be down almost two sizes because I read somewhere that every 10 pounds is one size, and I was really shocked when my pants fit as tight as ever! Also, I haven't done any exercise so there's no muscle to make me smaller. Ah well, it will all come with time :confused:

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to report that I checked out just fine at the ultrasound! I am relieved. But now I have to address why my calves are cramping! I think it's low potassium/calcium/magnesium so I went and got those supplements last night and will see if they make a difference. The ultrasound really hurt. I thought she was going to push the little sensor right through my leg and I was yelping in pain! I guess it's worth it though to know everything looks fine.

In other news, today is day 17 for me and I am getting really hungry! Soup is not filling me up at all. I also have developed a lump in my throat feeling. Anyone else have this? I think it's coming from swallowing pills that I have to cut in half; the jagged edges irritated my esophagus. Also, I had some potato soup just now and it had tiny tiny shreds of potato in it. I chewed each tiny piece, but it still felt like it had trouble going down, and now I have this lump feeling. Hopefully it will disappear with time. One good thing: My gas pain is much, much better since I went off dairy! I feel a whole lot better. I'm gaining more energy every day and feeling much better in general. Hugs to everyone!

Good luck to both of you. You will sail through and be back home in no time. Congratulations and keep us posted as to your progress.

Hi,

My friend just sent me an email today about a book called "The Diet Cure". It's a new book and the author claims that her program will erase carb and sugar cravings. I believe it's based on taking Omega 3 fatty acids and amino acids as supplements along with a fruit/vegetable/whole grain diet. There are tons of great testimonials on her Website. If you go to Amazon.com and type it in the search the book comes up along with alot of positive testimonials. I'm thinking of giving it a shot when I can start eating normal food again.

I think it's a shame that Gideon was voted off but Kevin stayed. Gideon is clearly the better singer. Usually my choices mesh with what happens, but this time they didn't. My choices for the winner are Mandisa, Paris, or Chris.

Hi,

I have been struggling with alot of anxiety and depression in the last two weeks since surgery, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing? I find myself feeling really low, thinking thoughts like "what if this was a huge mistake? What if I have to have another surgery because of future problems?" and I also find myself extremely anxious and upset over worrying about getting a blood clot (I am going to be tested for one this afternoon). My worrying is excessive and distracting. I have had problems like this in the past, but they were well-controlled with Zoloft (I am now on Wellbutrin as Zoloft made me gain 45 pounds). Is this just a temporary side effect or am I backsliding into some anxiety state?

Hi!

Today I am 16 days post-op, and today is the very first day I suddenly got really hungry. I mean like really hungry like "I have to have something now or I will pass out" hungry. Up until today, I have had basically zero hunger. It's another week and a half before I start mushy food and now with this hunger I'm thinking "hmm... hope I can make it that long!" Also, I am with you on the burping. I burp constantly. I also had a horrible, horrible, painful gas problem until I went off dairy two days ago. About one hour after I stopped dairy, my gas became 80-90% better. I'm sure your stomach is still really swollen and that's why you aren't hungry. Up to today I've only been able to get in about 300-600 calories. Now so far today I think I've had about 500 and it's only 12:30pm! Enjoy being not hungry while it lasts, because I just had a big bowl of Soup and I'm still hungry!

Hi Tammy,

I didn't have a filter, but I did have blood thinner injected before surgery, compression stockings during and after, and am currently on blood-thinning injections every day that I have to give myself in my stomach. In addition, I have developed calf pain and am going today for an ultrasound of both calves to rule out any clots. I have to do the injections for a month all together. Now I kind of wish I had a filter placed so I could stop worrying so much. I worry about it all time so in a way, I envy you because at least your mind can be at ease knowing any potential clots would be caught. Maybe I'll ask my doctor to put one in...

I am very sorry to hear of your slip. I just got my band two weeks ago and am terrified of it slipping. I have a hiatal hernia which means I am at a higher risk for slippage. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.

Hi Everyone,

Just got back from the doctor and here's what I have to report:

Bad news: have to get ultrasound to rule out blood clot in calf (it keeps cramping and hurts when I walk or drive. Since I'm on blood thinning medication and am only drinking 600 calories a day, I suspect low potassium/calcium/magnesium levels to be the culprit and so does he, but wants to rule it out just to be on the safe side).

Good news:

*I lost 17.4 pounds: 4 pounds pre-op and 13.4 pounds post-op

*I am now allowed to take my pills if I cut them into small pieces first! No more crushing them and yukky yukky bitter taste!

*I can have anything as long as I Water it down enough and blend it enough to go through a straw. That includes blending homemade Soups, yogurts, fruits, etc. This gives me alot more variety than I thought and I am thrilled. The next 13 days should fly by!

*Gurgling in throat: normal (he said my banded stomach is like a lava lamp LOL! As fluids go down, air comes up!) will dissipate with time

*Horrible gas and diarreah: normal but he wrote me a script for an antibiotic just in case it's a stomach flu. However, seeing as I went off dairy yesterday and today and am 90% better, I am assuming I am now lactose intolerant (wonder if it's permanent) and will hold of on the meds unless it gets worse again.

*Pain in chest and back when I drink: normal and will dissipate with time

*Port pain and muscle soreness: normal and will take a few more weeks to go away.

So all in all, a successful visit! I am bummed about having to get an ultrasound, but I do agree with erring on the side of caution.

I'm excited to have lost 17.4 pounds!!!

Hi Everyone!

I just got back from the doctor for my two-weeks follow up, and I am happy to report that I've lost 17.4 pounds total! Four pounds pre-op and 13.4 pounds post-op. I am very happy with this loss and hope it continues.

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to my first follow-up appointment today and here's what I'm bringing up to my doc:

Horrible gas

Calf cramps

Gurgling in throat even when not drinking anything

Pain in center of my back

Can I swallow whole pills?

Can I advance to mushies?

Anyone else bring up these concerns at first post-op appt. and if so, what was the outcome?

Hugs,

Becky

Hi,

I really admire your positive attitude, good for you! I was anxiously awaiting news as to what had happened. Do you feel better now with being unfilled? I hope it fixes itself! Keep us posted...

Gosh, I feel for you. I had a nightmare that I forgot I had been banded and I ate a huge cheeseburger and french fries! And then, in my dream, I was horrified and I must have been semi-lucid because I was arguing with myself in the dream if I really did that, or I dreamt I did it. It took me a good five minutes after I woke up to figure out it was just a dream. Thanks for posting your experience since it will be more of a reminder to keep me on my toes. Hope you feel better now!

Hi Everyone,

I just looked through the scar stages pictures to know what to expect, and I am really freaked out! Everyone's picture has a tiny incision right under the bra area, while my incision there (in the center of my upper abdomen, directly under my bra) is like three inches long! Also, my other incisions/scars are not positioned the same as everyone else's! Did my surgeon know what he was doing???

I think I've progressed alot slower than most people, but I couldn't even leave my house until 11 days after surgery. The day after? Oh no, I was doped up on codiene every four hours like clockwork. The day after that came the horrible nausea. I still can't bend down and I have horrendous gas and I'm two weeks out. So, I really think everyone is very different. It seems I'm at the far end of the bell curve though.

When I flew to London, I stopped over in Paris, and in the airport, they had these little lunch places. The French people were sitting in there eating these tiny slices of pizza, like the size if you cut one of our regular slices of pizza into three, and that was their one piece. The yogurt containers were about three ounces, and the sodas were about 6 ounces. I never saw anything like it. I also read an article once that said the average caloric intake for a French person is 1,200 per day! When they're not on a diet! In the same article, it said these French people went into a Mcdonald's and ordered a happy meal and they were "stuffed". In another article I read, a British woman and her mother came here to the states and went out to dinner, and when the plates came out, they burst out laughing because they thought it was a joke because the portions were so enormous. They were horrified to find out that it was a "normal" restaurant portion. When a friend of mine (who is very slender and eats very sparingly as it is) went to Paris, he stayed with a friend, and the friend would give him a tiny slice of quiche for Breakfast, and my friend was ready to pass out! His friend was disgusted with him for being hungry all the time. The French also do not snack in between meals, ever. In my old job a few years ago, there was an intern from France, and one day we ordered Chinese food. It came in one of those round metal containers (about 10 inches in diameter). She said to me "no offense, but I have to say, you Americans wonder why you're all so fat, and the reason is this" (she pointed to the container) "Back home", she said "this would be lunch for me and four other people. Here, it's lunch for one person." Also, I met a girl from Germany who had moved here to the states, and she said that since coming here, she had gained 18 pounds without changing her portion sizes or the type of foods she normally ate back home. She attributed this weight gain to the fact that all of our food is so heavily processed. She said in the UK, all foods are fresh and often organic, and that they purchase foods fresh every day instead of relying on canned, frozen, and boxed foods like we do here. So, my two cents is that yes, we eat waaaaay more than the rest of the world and our food is crap. My best friend is Indian, and she said their plates are much, much smaller, and their large pizza is the size of an individual pizza here. Also, she says all their food is fresh and unprocessed. I believe that if Americans ate like the rest of the world, a large percentage of obesity would go away.

Hi everyone, it's my two week anniversary today! I went back to work yesterday and it was pretty rough. the gas pain was beyond horrible. I kept running to the bathroom every half hour. I've decided to try a whole day with no dairy products and see if that makes a difference since it seems my gas becomes the worst about 1-2 hours after drinking anything with dairy. I did get Lactaid but it didn't make any difference. Today I'm sticking to strictly soy milk and smooth Soups with no milk. I'm wondering if anything is amiss with my band since so many people seem to be gas-free at two weeks out. I see the doctor tomorrow thank goodness. I am still sleeping in my recliner because laying on my side in bed pulls on the surgery area too much to sleep comfortably and laying on my back in bed is not comfortable. Thank goodness I got the recliner. I don't know what I would have done without it! Glad everyone else seems to be doing so well. Roxanne, glas to hear your gas pain is a bit better. I feel for you!

Ok, I'm having this fight with my husband because I swear that the fruit 2 O and the Dannon flavored waters he bought me are lightly carbonated! I can feel the carbonation in the back of my throat when I swallow! And when I shake it up and then open it, I can hear the bubbles fizzing. He swears they are not carbonated. In fact, the Dannon even says "not carbonated" on the bottle! I don't care what it says, I know how my mouth and throat feel when I drink it! And yesterday when I went ahead and drank an entire Fruit 2 O anyway, I had the most horrendous gas pains ever! Any thoughts?

My favorite protien mix is "Unjury" protien powder. It tastes great and it mixes completely smooth unlike alot of other powders I tried.

Anne Wilson from the rock group Heart has the LAP Band. I believe Randy Jackson from American Idol has the VBG. There is also a female boxer (I can't remember her name but she's a famous boxer's daughter) who has the LAP Band. I also read that Sharon Osborn has the band, but I'm not sure if it's the LAP Band or another type of surgery.

Hi guys,

I'm on day 13 now and while I had two good days last week, yesterday and today it's back to gas, gas, gas! I've never had so much gas in my life! It keeps me bloated and I have a feeling of being stuffed to the point of nausea all the time. I see my doctor on Wednesday and will surely address it then. I couldn't even think of eating right now. I'm disappointed that at nearly two weeks out I am still having such a hard time. It seems like alot of people are eating mushies and feel that they have a normal stomach. My stomach hurts all the time. One good thing is that the surgery site is improving alot. I wish I could find something to really take this gas away!

My mandatory support classes (included 3 nutrition classes, meeting with nutritionist, psych evaluation, endocrinologist visit, and "aftercare" such as lifestyle classes and ongoing nutritional support) cost $1,200 out of pocket. I was really steamed when I found out there was another program I could have attended that would have cost $400, but I was roped into the more expensive one.

Hi Margo,

Congratulations on your great weight loss! I wanted to mention, since you said exercise is a problem, that I heard awhile back that walking more steps throughout the day can be as effective as working out for the same amount of time. For example, even parking as far away from the store/house/job as possible can add the equivilent of 20 minutes of exercise per day! You can get a pedimeter that will count your steps and calories burned. This way, you don't have to have an exercise routine, but rather, the cumulative effect will give you benefits. So it's kind of like "tricking" your body into exercise without feeling like you're exercising. Other suggestions in this article I read included taking the stairs instead of the elevator, adding a few blocks to walking the dog, walking over to talk to a co-worker instead of sending email, walking the kids to school, walking up and down every isle of the grocery store, and walking to talk to neighbors instead of calling.