NicoleW8ing

I am so irritated right now I can barely contain myself... hence the post. I'm eating between 1000-1300 carlories per day. I'm not at max fill yet, so for now, this has provided me with ample weight loss. Anyway, for lunch, I've been having Michelina's Lean Gourmet pizza Snacks... the box flaunts their 200 calories and they fill me till dinner time. Love them... I've been eating them for a week and tracking them in my Nutrition log. They come in the frozen lunch typical package, just one person meal. I look a lil bit more closely at the box today as I'm eating and I see Serving Size: 2 per container!!!! First off, it's clearly by its packaging and design made for one person to eat... secondly, right on the FRONT of the box it says 200 calories... in really tiny letters, it says "per serving." Do these companies think this is a joke? Haha! Fat person trying to get thin, Haha! Stay fat, fatty! I mean, why is it even legal for them to market their product like like that? Needless to say, I threw away the rest of my portion and will no longer be purchasing them. 200 extra calories is something I definitely do not need.

I get about 200mg Vitamin E per day with 2 Children's Chewable Multivitamins from CostCo. They taste like Flinstone's, go down super easy, and give me almost everything I need. Add two calcium chews and some sublingual B12 and I'm vitamin'ed up! Check out the Children's Chewable Multivitamins... IF you take 2, you can get mostly everything and don't have to worry about it getting stuck.

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been having some personal problems unrelated to the band, but it seems everything has cleared up. I seem to be kind of an odd case. Don’t assume my situation is/will be identical to yours, by any means. Here’s the story… Week 1 and 2 post band were the best. SOOOO tight, so not-hungry, and losing weight like crazy. From Week 3 until yesterday (the beginning of Week 8), I was miserable. I believe this is what so many bandsters call bandster hell. It wasn’t painful, wasn’t awkward, it was just… well… not there. I wasn’t tight, wasn’t full, and put back on 3 pounds in that period. I was hungry all the time. On June the 5<SUP>th</SUP> at 1:40PM (3 days shy of 1 month post-op), my first fill was attempted. For 20 minutes, I was poked and prodded at. My port was inaccessible due to swelling from my surgery. I was devastated. And hungry. On June the 19<SUP>th</SUP> at 3:20PM (6 weeks post-op), I had a 2cc fill in a primed, but not filled, 14cc band. This had no effect whatsoever on my appetite. I bled like a stuck pug for about 2 hours after the fill and it was a 6 or 7 on a pain scale of 1-10. I was not happy. Yesterday, July the 7<SUP>th</SUP> at 2:40PM (1 day shy of 8 weeks post-op), I had a 3cc fill to bring me to a total of 5cc in a 14cc band. Today, I feel less hungry. I am not where I want to be (back in that Week 1 and 2 kind of tight feeling), but, it takes less to fill me up now and I stay full much longer. I am scheduled for another fill on July the 21<SUP>st</SUP>, where we will move to 8cc. As of this point, I have not thrown up, I have not PBed, I have had no pain whatsoever, and I have not had any gas since Week 3. I am eating what I like to eat. Healthy food that tastes yummy in moderation. From Week 3 until today, I was extremely depressed and discouraged about the band. ALMOST, not quite, but ALMOST wishing I had bypass. Now, I love the band again. The difference of a lil Fluid, huh? My food staples: Turkey burgers, broccoli and cauliflower with parmesan cheese, sliced roast turkey (deli style), cheese sticks, salad, oatmeal, Wyler’s 0 calorie Water flavor packs, and 100 calorie snack packs. Food I’ve eaten with no problem that I shouldn’t have eaten: pizza, Hamburgers, chicken Fingers, Graham Crackers, biscotti, Flat Bread, and pretzels. In one way, I’m glad I can still eat these foods socially and when the cravings are bad. The new moderation of this fill will help me even when I do eat those foods to limit my in take. My point of this post is to document my experiences. If you are feeling the depressed, discouraged, hating-the-band feeling post-surgery for no other reason than it’s "not working," as I did, it gets better. It’s still going to take me self-control and moderation, but today, it’s much easier than it has been since Week 1 or 2. It will only get better once I get to my goal fluid of 8cc. Good luck bandsters/future bandsters!

I am so sorry for your loss.

Welcome Pamela! I am actually from Raleigh. I just got banded on May 8th by Dr. Enochs. I LOVE HIM! He has the greatest bedside manner and he is SOOOOO sweet and down to earth. Highly recommended. His site is Bariatric Surgery, Weight Loss Surgery, Lap band in Raleigh - Bariatric Specialists of North Carolina I have two friends on this forum who are also going with him, though they have not had their surgery yet. I'd encourage you to do some soul searching. I did not go through any of the depression that a lot of people seem to experience post-band, mourning food. It seems like that would be traumatic. I can honestly tell you I have not felt this healthy in my entire life... and I am only 19 days post-op. Please, feel free to PM me with any questions at all. It's a great choice, but it's a very personal choice.

Unfortunately, without a good doctor who will listen to you, very little as possible. Communication needs to happen so you can find your sweet spot. What a jerk that he treated you like that! I am so sorry your experience was tainted by his rudeness. Please find a new doctor so you can fall in love with the band again... make sure there's a great bedside manner and mutual respect. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted.

Hello-- Sorry to hear about your issues. My mom is a respiratory therapist and I was speaking with her on the phone while I was reading your post. She recommended a vascular specialist, a pulmonologist (sp?), and a cardiologist. Breathing problems are NOT to be taken lightly. Get every inch of you inspected. Once you see all those specialists and nothing is wrong, then you should start exploring psychological issues. UNTIL THEN, take care of yourself and see some specialists.

Thank you for the advice and support. THis made me feel a bit better. I was afraid that when you guys saw 1000 calories you'd go, "GASP! YOU PIGGY!" I'm glad to hear you're around 1200-1400 and still losing. That makes me not stressed out by it. There were some days where I would only eat half of my cheese stick because those extra 40 calories were going to put me into the 1100 range. I guess I should chill with the obsession too. Thanks so much for your advice!

Hey all... I have become slightly obsessed with calories at this point. yesterday marked exactly two weeks since surgery and I've been on mushies for a week and I am to start filtering in soft foods. I've lost roughly 31 pounds since surgery, so I am happy with my progression so far, but I am worried about my intake down the road. For more than a week now, I'm consuming 800-1000 calories. Never ever more than 1090. I think you all are significantly less than this. I find the 1000 calories to keep me VERY satisfied without feeling "too full" or "bloated" and I am not hungry in the least. When I was consuming less (around the 600-700 mark), I felt tired and lethargic. Now, I'm full of energy. The dietician and my doctor said to listen to my body. Sounds fine, right? You should know, I do not start exercising until next Monday and I have a desk job. Pretty sedentary lifestyle. I am DEEPLY concerned that the majority of you seem to consume far less than me. I am wondering if I am in need of fill or some more self-control. I feel like the band is working, because there is no way on earth I could ever consume this little pre-op. I'm also concerned how something like this will affect my weight loss down the road... will it be easier to cut down on calories more if I weigh less? How do you all view 1000 calories versus weight loss? Is it possible that I have a faster metabolism or do you all think that most of my weight loss thus far has been Water weight? Like I said, I cleared this with my doctor... he says listen to your body. But, I'm seeking personal experience and wisdom from you guys. Thanks a bunch!

My grandmother's house has all 3 of her bathroom's carpeted. It's nice especially on a cold morning so your feet stay soft, warm, and snuggly. :thumbup:

Is it horrible that pre-band, I had eaten at least 70% of the items on this menu. /cheer for no longer hungry for grease/fat/carb/sugar/calorie fest!

I just got started on soft foods yesterday and I had a bit of mashed potatoes with some salt, pepper, and butter. SOOOOO FILLING, so delicious, and it got me A LOT closer to my carbohydrate and calorie goal. I still am not eating enough to get my goal but getting closer every day. I go for HIGH CALORIC beverages to try and get the calories I need. Once you get on soft foods, try the Chick-fil-a chocolate milkshake with NO whipcream or cherry (bad for us), throw two scoops of Protein powder and some skim milk in... one of those lasts me for two days but it's a great way to get TONS of protein (because of the powder and all the milk), it tastes DELICIOUS and it gets me some fat and calories. Keep in mind, once we can eat, that'll be bad, but for now, it's AWESOME to get us closer to our goal nutrition.

YAY! MY SAME DAY BAND BUDDY! Hey... Willsmommy, how are you feeling? You and I were banded on the same day!!! :cry_smile: There are TWO commanders-in-chief for this lap band thing to go right... just two. #1 is your body, #2 is your surgeon. Listen to them. Do what they tell you. If you are forcing food down, don't. That's bad. If you are feeling burpy, gassy, and crappy after eating, hold off eating that kind of thing for a while. I doubt you did any damage, just be gentle on yourself. I saw it on here somewhere that our stomachs are like that of a small child's in the beginning.... delicate, sensistive... tehy need to be protected. I think of that a lot. It kills me that I can't remember who said it. Today is my first day of mushies and I am starting off slow. Applesauce, pudding, Mashed Potatoes. Next Thursday, I'm going to start on blended/puree'ed mushies. Go slow. Play safe and conservative. You're NEVER going to regret being too conservative. I don't have any more gas pains at all, some port site pain (2 or 3 on a scale of 1-10) when I lean, bump, jounce, or flop my stomach. (Lol!) You'll be fine. Remember, there's a lot more conservative doctors out there than ours. Your doctor seems quite generous/liberal but he knows your body and his banding techniques better than anyone on this forum. Follow his orders and watch for signals from your body that it doesn't like what you're doing. People might scoff at your decisions/choices because they do not your doctor or your body. Follow your commanders and forget the rest. Good luck and you're in my prayers.

Congratulations. That is just SO amazing!

Once the wounds close, Vitamin E will help with scaring. I use Antibiotic Cream (just Neosporin) in the mean time, which I cleared with my doctor. My wound is almost healed, but it's got some scabs and I don't want to use the Vitamin E till the scabs are gone. Good luck!

I cut down smoking from about 1/2 pack a day to 2-3 per day about 2 weeks before surgery. Day before surgery, I threw em out and haven't lit up since. I actually don't even have the urge. My biggest motivator is the risk of this: Deep vein thrombosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia We're already overweight and smoked for years, I don't want to increase my risk factors anymore.

Oh yeah... that's about the only reason I still take the pain killer. Shoulder pain sucks.

I am so sorry for your loss. How did he gain 75 pounds in that six days especially if he was on a respirator? My Lord! What happened? What actually caused his decease? My heart goes out to you and thank you for your sound advice.

I totally agree with the "one pound at a time" perspective. I need to lose in excess of 150 pounds but I don't even care. Today, the scale went down another pound and I am elated, because that brings me a pound closer to my old pants (or insert your own NSV... my big NSVs are my wardrobe. I have TONS of clothes transitioning from when I got bigger, so through the transformation, I'll have a new lil wardrobe each milestone).

I struggled with the pre-op diet, as month long last supper seemed more appealing, so here's some motivation for you all... (click to make it big)

I am having that same, rolling, stuck-halfway gas. Occassionally, it seems to come up though. I love the Viactive, but I am holding off on them until next week when I can have mushies. For now, just the sublingual B12, chewable Multivitamin. Next week, I'll be back on the Calcium.

Hello-- I, too was just banded and pretty young. :tt1: Sounds like you have kind of an unsupportive social network, which makes me sad. I know how hard it must've been growing up around all "twigs." The shoulder pain gets much better, just keep moving. My doctor has me on Clear liquids until the 15th (Thursday). Not too much fun, but I'm hoping it gives my body plenty of time to heal. The clear liquids aren't too bad. KEEP WALKING, it eases that shoulder pain. Also, if it gets bad, use a heating bad and GAS-X helps me a lot. Good luck and you are in my prayers.

Thanks for all your kind words everyone! Good luck to those of you coming up, you'll be absolutely fine. Melissa, I'm so happy you'll be going with Dr. Enochs. He's wonderful.

I was banded May 8th and I am having some gas discomfort. Have not had a BM yet. The last time I ate solid food was Tuesday, May 6th, and my last BM was Wednesday, May 7th. I spoke to my doctor yesterday and he said if I didn't have a BM by Tuesday, then we might have to do an enema, but he said a few days is nothing to worry about, especially after moving to an all liquid diet. Best talk to your surgeon, but I wouldn't be really concerned about it. I'm still on the Clear liquids and not hungry at all. Actually, I become like stuffed (like I just ate at a buffet or something) after drinking 1/3 serving of Protein shake. I had 1/2 of a sugar-free popsicle for lunch and it was delicious. Passing gas, the very rare times I can, is such a blessing. It relieves a great deal of the pressure. But it happens maybe once every eight hours or so.

This sounds absolutely freaking delicious. I am going to have my fiance pick up some on the way home in preparation for the 15th when I can go to mushies.