kossde

There is a reason why doctors tell you to give it two weeks. Your stomach is healing, you aren't 'familiar' yet with your band which may lead to PBing, and there might be a slip. That said, as far as eating too much goes- after my surgery, I gained approximately 10 lbs before my first fill. I've lost 50 lbs since my first fill so don't stress it right now, just try to get used to new eating habbits - get enough protein, eat protein, veggies, and starches in that order, take small bites, chew thoroughly, and eat slowly. Also- since this one is a hard change to make, you definitely want to stop drinking liquids while you eat immediately - even if you don't feel the need to - because this is one of the hardest adjustments to make so you might as well make it as soon as possible Good luck with your lapband!!

When you spend all morning staring at your breakfast thinking, "in a few hours, I might be able to eat that."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> When you give up on TV dinners (even the $1 kind) because they are just a waste of money.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> When you go to visit family or friends and the host takes you shopping for the food just to, "make sure we pick something you can eat."<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> When your family keeps commenting on how much smaller your butt has gotten and doesn’t seem to consider it rude.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> When your co-workers start calling you Gangsta because you spend all day holding your pants up (I was 4 sizes smaller and didn’t realize it until I went shopping for new clothes)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> When you shop for clothes that are just a bit too small so that they will last more than 2 months<o:p></o:p>

You know, I think this 'last supper' is pretty common. I had about a week and a half notice before my surgery. So excluding the pre-op torture week, I had about 3 or 4 days notice. I didn't really gain any weight though because I was already eating at max-capacity. I did, however, go out for steaks the night before the pre-op diet began and considered that my official 'last supper,' since I can't really eat steaks now. Good luck with your surgery :eek:

It’s so interesting to see how different families react. Things for me were very different. My mother actually signed me up for a lapband seminar without telling me, and about the same time, my father began giving unsolicited daily updates on a woman he works with who recently had lapband surgery (ie, “She’s already lost 20 lbs, isn’t that great?”). What’s strange is that my parents are divorced and don’t talk to each other – but they both started hinting at the same thing at the same time!! I couldn’t/wouldn’t have done this without my family, and I am so incredibly happy that I did. I owe them so much- they, all of them – grand parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, step parents, and siblings, have been 100% supportive.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The only person who had any issues with my getting the surgery was my best friend. She’s a bit of a nut job so she started going off on how risky it was and how I should diet. You would think that since she is even larger than I am, she would understand that diet doesn’t always work – god knows her and I have tried to diet together a million times without success. But, I just told her I was gonna do it anyway and she accepted that – really what else could she do? I’m now trying to convert her- she needs this surgery too- she was recently diagnosed with diabetes and insists (get this) that it’s ‘temporary’ diabetes and will go away sooner or later!! ARGH!<o:p></o:p>

I think those are excellent questions. When I get stuck, it always lasts only 5 minutes or less and feels quite horrible- like I can't breathe (though obviously I can) and have a rock stuck in my throat. I aslo feel the urge to take a big gulp of Water (BIG mistake unless you are a fan of PBing). However, I think if you follow your doctors orders pre and post fills, you should be fine (I didn't usually the orders and that's probably why I got stuck so frequently right after my last fill - it sucked.) Usually for me, getting up and moving really helps unlodge whatever was stuck.

Being as you are only one week post-op, that could really be anything- your port settling in, gas, pain from the muscles in your stomach healing. I would call your surgeon just to see what he/she says, but I wouldn't panic just yet

Sometimes I get headaches right after I eat. I wonder if I might have a problem with low blood sugar. I'm not diabetic, but with all the food and carbs I used to eat as opposed to now, I wonder what kind of impact that has on my metobolic functions :smile2:

I had my third fill back on July 30th- and this is the third in three months- that's right, one a month. The first two fills were so-so. I had restriction, but somehow managed to unconsciously manipulate food into my stomach anyhow – my family termed it, “grazing.” I was eating all day, although slowly. I lost about 17 lbs on the first two fills. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> My third fill, though, sounds about like what you are describing, Dacer123. I have some VERY serious restriction right now. I can only eat about half a boiled egg for breakfast and maybe a fourth a cup of food at a time. At first, I was thinking the same thing you’re thinking, “Am I overfilled?” But I asked myself some questions:<o:p></o:p> 1) Can I drink 64 oz of water a day? Yes<o:p></o:p> 2) Can I eat without PBing? Yes (I’ve only PBed once since the surgery 4 months ago- made the mistake of gulping a glass of tea after eating a tortilla chip- talk about disgusting!)<o:p></o:p> 3) Am I still getting the amount of nutrients my Dr recommends? Yes<o:p></o:p> 4) Am I happy and comfortable? Absolutely!<o:p></o:p> You see, I’m the kind of bandster that will take advantage of lesser restriction. My addiction to food is very thorough, so I need this kind of restriction to keep me on track. What do you think about yourself? Is this what you need, or will it only make you miserable?<o:p></o:p> By the way- since July 30<SUP>th</SUP>, I’ve lost about 15 lbs. I’ve taken up exercising to keep my metabolism going and I drink my protein religiously (it only takes a few days of skipping the liquid protein for me to turn into a pumpkin.) By the end of this week, I’ll have lost 60 lbs since the beginning of my lapband journey. When I hit 72 lbs lost (250 lbs), I’m taking my family to six flags to celebrate and I’m actually going to ride a rollercoaster!<o:p></o:p> Good luck with your band!<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>

I've lost 50 lbs so far (YAY!) but only one dress size and I am most definately not big boned. I'm not discouraged though. I think it just depends on how and where you're losing weight. Like me, I lose weight all over so my stomach goes down really slowly, but all in all I look smaller (tho my blue jeans haven't realized that yet).

Does it hurt? Not really. I don't think I even felt the 'punched' feeling that everyone else did. Of course, it WAS very uncomfortable. I had trouble sitting still after the surgery and spent several days either sleeping or walking around aimlessly wishing I could just sit down and relax. I think that was due to the gas, though. I'm eight day post-op now and almost back to normal. The worst part of the entire surgery for me was the lack of energy. I am just getting my energy back and I still can't stomach those disgusting Protein shakes. Good luck! Don't be afraid of the pain - it's worth it! Worse case scenario, you get some lovely pain medicine and sleep your recovery away.:confused:

Ok, I'm only five days out of surgery and now you have me looking forward to mushies so I can eat Chili and chicken salad with my mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs. I'm starving too!! :biggrin:

My doctor told me to drive whenever I wanted as long as I wasn't on pain meds. I was banded last Monday and began driving on Wednesday. Of course, I didn't drive very far and utilized my 17 year old sister whenever possible to tow me around, but I think as long as you aren't on the pain meds or anti-nausea meds and can comfortably drive, you should be ok.

I was banded 4-6 and today was the first day that I didn't have that big of a problem with a bloated stomach and rumbling. This may sound kind of crazy, but it's like I had to learn to burp all over again. For several days there, I could feel the air bubbles kind of bouncing around inside my stomach very uncomfortably but nothing I could do would get them out. Today has been a lot better- I've been burping a lot, which is ok with me because it keeps me from feeling like I have a balloon in my stomach bouncing around :thumbup: Anyway- I know I only have you beat on the band by two days, but each day is a huge improvement over the previous day! It's all about adjusting, that's all :eek:

I heard somewhere that there were two reasons for pre-op deit. The first reason, of course, is to shrink the liver. But as we all know, that can be done on a low-cal, low-fat diet. The second reason, however, is to shrink the stomach which I would imagine is easier without solid food. I had heard that the reason for shrinking your stomach was to allow for a smaller band which might cause less slipping and other post-op problems. My Dr required one week of Clear liquids before surgery. It sucked, I won't lie. But, I'm on day 2 after post-op and doing pretty well. I have to give him some credit - I had thought it'd be harder for me.

Help me! I started my clear liquid pre-surgery diet yesterday and I feel terrible. My head hurts, I'm exhausted and hungry, and the worst part- I can't stand the Protein shakes!:puke: Ok, so to lay it out clearly- I can't stand milk. Ever since I was two years old I have refused to drink anything with milk in it- this includes chocolate milk (tho milk chocolate is certainly ok). So, I bought a strawberries and cream Protein shake yesterday thinking, "Mmm Strawberries.." and BOOM! It smells like MILK! and worse - it TASTED like milk! So I bought one of those Atkin Protein shakes and that also tastes like milk. I'm not above holding my nose and downing the terrible stuff if I have to- BUT, I have to know. Is there any way I can get my protein and get my energy back without having to drink a milk or milk like substance? I'm about 85% sure that if I have to drink this after the surgery, I may vomit. Any help or insight would be much appreciated.

I live with my mother, stepfather, and younger sister. I started my pre-op diet yesterday and made it a point to gather everyone up in one room and clarify for them what they are ALLOWED to eat until I am back to solids. They can have Pizza, Salad, Balogna Sandwiches, yogert, and sea food. Yeah. That's it. And, I also pointed out that should I find anything in the house that tempts me - my own food or theirs - I WILL throw it away. I'm not doing this to be mean- but everyone in my house (excluding my skinny butt step dad) can stand to lose a few pounds so it's not like they will starve, right? Besides, This is hard for me. I don't have the will power to stare down a bag of cheetos and not partake! :puke:

Today is day 1 of my 7 day preop diet. I'm on clear liquids and a max 2 protien shakes a day. This is going to be hard!! I keep thinking about what food I want to eat. Ah Well, I'll manage somehow :smile:

My pre-op diet starts on Monday. I will have one week of clear liquids and then the following Monday, I'm going in for surgery. This is going to be hard! But, I've already instructed my family that they have two choices of things to eat this following week: Salad and Pizza - the two things that I would rather starve than put into my mouth. I will stock up on sugar free jello, organic chicken broth, and black / herbal tea. mmm... Chicken broth :teeth_smile: But, I'm going to do it. I've worked my butt off for 4 months to get this surgery- no WAY I'm going to risk it by not following the pre-op diet. For one week (if not a moment longer) I can go without food. I'll just have to find other ways to occupy my time - Maybe I'll write a novel about a lady who gets lap band and loses a lot of weight :rolleyes2: Good Luck to you!

When I went to see the nutritionist, she gave me a lot of tips about how to eat less. We sat and discussed what my eating habits were and how to change them. I learned a lot, but she also told me a lot of things I already knew. I guess each nutritionist is different.

Hey my band date is April 7th! So we're really close. And, Yes! I TOTALLY get what you're saying about food. With me, though, it's boredom. When I'm bored, I start hunting / gathering in the Fridge and Pantry. I always prided myself on never developing an addiction – I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs. So, the day I discovered / realized that I’m addicted to food was a very dark day indeed. So I'm looking forward to the band. I'm tired of my life being centered around food. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, I'm always thinking about my next meal. If we go on vacation, I’m thinking "Where are good places to eat." If we go shopping, I come along because I'm hoping we go have lunch somewhere really nice. If I hang out with my friends, there has to be food involved. So some ‘shock’ therapy will do me good I think. I’m ready to branch out and discover better/healthier ways to enjoy myself! I look forward to the day when I finally say, “It doesn’t matter what I eat as long as it’s healthy.”

I've already got my last meal planned. It's going to be Steak and a big fat baked potato. I am going to eet like a queen! :biggrin:

Geez, this is a wonderful topic to discuss. Kudos for thinking of it. I want to ride a rollercoaster again (though I dont think I'll be waiting for my ideal weight to do that). I want to take up jogging. I want to ride a horse along the beach in Cozumel with my mom and sister. There's a million things that I don't/can't do because of my weight. I want to spend all day at Disney World and not feel exhausted by the end of it. I want to take up Tennis. I want to borrow clothes from my little sister and actually be able to fit into them!! I want to shop at a normal people clothing store. I'm getting so excited just thinking about it!! (SQUEE):crying:

You know, I think they can take a lot of different things into consideration. My Doctor kept telling me that they were looking specifically for medical records, but when it came down to it, they approved the request with proof in the form of a letter and pictures. I almost want to think that Aetna might be utilizing more 'common sense' than the doctors offices are giving them. The thing is, now that Aetna has dropped their requirements from 5 year history to 2 year history, worst case scenario, the person wanting the surgery waits a year and tries again. It's possible that Aetna is taking that into consideration as well when making these decisions. :thumbup:

When I first started my 90 day diet, I did the same thing. I didn't take it serious. For the entire first month, I made sure to get the necessary veggies and stuff but continued as well to eat whatever else I wanted. By the end of the first 30 days, I was 3 lbs heavier. When I went to my Dr, she said, "You won't get approved for this surgery if you don't lose weight! I was hoping you'd lost at least 18 lbs before the surgery, but I don't think that's going to happen now." Those words really hit home. I immediately began taking the diet serious and following my dietitian’s suggestions for how to control my hunger. By the end of 90 days I was 23 lbs lighter. My doctor was shocked and I was quite satisfied to have proven her wrong. Aetna approved my surgery request pretty easily. Everything seems to be going really smoothly. I should have my surgery date by the end of the week. I'm really excited!! Good luck to you- and remember, the diet will get easier as long as you remember what you're fighting for :biggrin::biggrin: :thumbup:

I have a friend who is just as overweight as I am, and when I told her about my decision to have lap band, she swore up and down that surgery is going to be a mistake. I already knew what her opinion would be before this whole thing began - she's a person who is afraid of change and afraid of commitment- she knows it and I know it. So, from the beginning, I told her flat out that she didn’t have to be happy for me, but as a friend, she had a responsibility to at least try to be more optimistic. And, she's a good friend. She really is trying. She hasn't said anything to me, but I honestly think she's almost to the point of wanting to begin the lap-band process herself. Sometimes you just have to be honest with a person who is being negative. No one likes or needs negativity in their lives. Especially when they work as hard as we all do to achieve our goals.