hopeendures

For me, like you, it was the repeated success followed by failure. I lost 160 lbs over two years, and managed to maintain my weight for a blissful two years before I changed everything about my lifestyle, (divorce, new business, different hours, parents died, kids moved out...etc) and suddenly, all that careful organization just needed to be entirely reorganized, and I failed to do that. Without a structured plan, I had no self control. I gained back 100 of what I had lost before I said, "OK....time for drastic measures. I need a powerful tool to help do what I know how to do."

Isn't it shocking, when you start journaling, to see what you eat? There is a great website for helping with the journaling deal. Click here to see it: Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate and it will track your calories, Protein, carbs, fat, sodium, Fiber....everything to help you know where you are lacking, or exceeding. And it has a fabulous search engine for specific foods, brands, restaurants. It sounds like you are making pretty good choices. And there is nothing wrong with eating every two hours, if you can keep your total at around 1200 calories! Discovering how to "budget" your calories is just as daunting as learning to budget a limited income! Good luck! You are doing a great thing for yourself!

Oh yeah...it's standard to grab a big ol glass of milk to wash down whatever massive amount of calories I'm planning to consume! But...so far, I have found that it's just a matter of getting past the initial part of the meal. Of course, my meals are still consisting of mushy stuff. But I take my meal, and leave my [coffee, Water, milk, etc] in the kitchen. I live alone, so I don't bother with sitting at the table. I leave that part of the house entirely.

I went to Monterrey too! I had Dr. De La Garza. I was very happy with the entire experience. Congratulations on 80# down!! WOOT!!!

NO pre-op diet. The weekend right before my surgery I treated like a deathrow weekend. I ate at my favorite steak restaurant. I had pizza. I had a Peanut Buster Parfait. Surgery went smooth, and recovery has been almost effortless. I did have two weeks of full liquid diet post surgery, which I adhered to religiously. I'm now in the mushy stage.

The first five or six days, I was hungry as a panther. My stomach would rumble so enthusiastically that at times I swear it felt like a baby in there moving around. You won't feel much restriction with the liquid diet. Even if there was more restriction, liquids would still slide through. It does get better though, even before you go to mushies. As long as you are feeding your body all the necessary nutrients, you're fine on the hunger thing. Each time I felt hunger pains, I told myself that my body was snacking from my hips! Using Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate will help you track nutritional information. I don't know about the liver pain. If I were to hazard a guess, I would guess it's gas pains, (common), but if you are concerned, you should contact your surgeon, or whoever is providing you with aftercare. Good luck!

I was alone too. I stocked up on Protein drinks, propel, (I had Vitamin Water too, but it didn't go down too well), chicken broth, and Jello. But, considering two days after surgery, I flew home (12 hours) alone from Mexico, I realized it wasn't a big emergency. Recovery from this has been easier than any surgery previously. Good Luck!!

I just wanted to thank the posters who recommended protein shots, and MyPlate. I've been struggling to get enough protein each day. I don't care for the shakes, and I've been taking in only about 800 calories a day. None of it solid yet! I was starting to feel a little listless, and worrying that my hair might fall out. (I'm more afraid of that than starvation! Vanity!) I got the protein shots, and after just one day of ingesting enough protein, I feel better! So thank you!!! And I love thedailyplate! What a cool site!!! For those of you who don't know, thedailyplate.com is a food journal, which calculates your calories, and keeps track of how many grams of protein, etc. Great tool! Thank you to the person who mentioned it! I bet there are a lot of other great little tidbits people have discovered on this journey. Let's hear them!

GNC carries the protein shots, (1 case = twelve 2.8 fl.oz. bottles): $35.99 There are other forms of liquid protein as well. I bought one called amino fuel which has 100 calories per serving, and 23g protein. It's not a treat to take...but I just take it like cough medicine twice a day.

Hi Brad, I do understand your position on being ashamed of having to get the band. I felt the same at one time. But, after fighting and clawing my way to a 160# weightloss, and feeling good about it, I gained it all back. And I realized something. I can be ashamed of needing this incredible new tool, or I can be ashamed of the fact that EVERYone can look at me and know I have a serious weight problem. The other question is, would you refuse to use a backhoe to excavate a work site, simply because it was too much easier? I don't think so. This is a tool. There is still some challenges involved. I would not call it "easy". It's just much more efficient! You have already made the decision. Now, it seems, you are struggling to come to terms with your own perception of what that decision means. I would urge you to ease up on yourself. You are making a healthy choice, and giving yourself a tool that will make it possible, (not just easier) to carry it out! If you need it to be tough...well...a couple weeks on a liquid diet, and you should be sufficiently satisfied. lol

Hi Racquel! Welcome to lapband Grand central. I have learned so much from just reading the forums, and other people's questions. It's great to be able talk to people who have gone through the same types of things, makes it less worrisome. How has your experience gone so far? I am just 1/2 a week ahead of you in the process. So far, I'm happy with my choice. Mary

I flew to Monterrey Mexico for my surgery. There was a driver waiting at the airport with a board with my name on it. He took me to the hospital, and the coordinator met us at the door, and paid the cab driver. From there she took me to an intake room, where I met with a doctor, and they asked me a lot of questions. Then off to be x-rayed, and have blood drawn, and have an ekg. At that point, I was escorted to a delux-ish hotel room on the 4th floor. At 7 am the next morning, two interns showed up at the hotel room door with a gurney, and a gown. I changed into the gown, hopped onto the gurney, and was wheeled to surgery. A number of doctors, and nurses attended to me, giving me information, and asking me questions until about 7:45, and then the anesthesiologist told me it was nappy time. That's the last thing I remember before waking up in recovery. I don't remember anything clearly about that time. My first clear memory was of being in a hospital room. I felt no abdominal pain, but I thought I was having a heart attack. The left side of my chest hurt, and it radiated down my left arm. I pressed a call button, and a nurse came quickly. She went and got my surgeon, who came in smiling, and told me that everything went great. He assured me I was not having a heart attack. He explained that it was from gasses, and that it would pass in a couple days. I was up walking around within a few hours of surgery, and was surprised and delighted at the minimal amount of pain. I have had numerous abdominal surgeries, and this was by far the easiest of them all. The next day, I was moved back to my hotel room. The day after that I flew home. That was the roughest day of all, because I was delayed in the Dallas airport for 7 hours, but still quite manageable. After I had slept 12 hours at home, I felt so good and so normal that I was having a hard time obeying dr's orders, and keeping my activities to a minimum. I told my sister that I feel so good, I worry that they had just stuck bandaids on me, and told me "go home and have nothing but liquids and you will lose weight!" lol I am excited, and thrilled to be banded. I wish I could afford to pay for my daughter and sister to have it too. All the women in my family look just alike, at least until my band does it's job! WOO HOO!!!

Wow! You got some emotional responses. It is true that each surgeon has a different set of rules. I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted the day before surgery. I did too. Went out to pizza the night before. I didn't have anything after 8 pm....12 hour fast. My surgery was smooth, and I'm healing quickly. (Incisions are just little red marks now). It wouldn't hurt to let your surgeon know about this. No point lying to the person who has your health in his hands! But relax. Stress will do you more harm than ramen!

Hi It sounds like you are doing pretty well. I would suggest Healthy Choice fudgesicles. They have only a hundred caloreis, and 6g of Protein. Not bad for a sweet snack!

I know it's horrifying to put on even a few pounds when you have invested so much to lose it, but one thing that has been told me again and again through this process. That first 6 weeks isn't about losing weight. It's about healing. As soon as you get a fill, you will be losing again, and will find that those things you crave aren't so easy to eat. They will lose their sparkle. You're going to be fine!

Hi Jay, I am a self pay patient that went to Mexico. My entire cost, including 3 night's stay, (two in the hospital hotel room, and one in the hospital room) my airfare for two, I took a person along to make sure I was ok, and all surgery and care, was $8,000. My care was outstanding, and I could have easily done it by myself, and saved about $800. But better safe than sorry. They met me at the airport with a sign bearing my name, took me to the hospital, did the ekg, blood work, and x-rays, and took care of me so well from start to finish, then took me back to the airport, and I was on my way home three days later. I know there are disadvantages to going to Mexico, (such as not having ready access to your surgeon should complications arise) but for me, it was the only possible option, and the experience has gone smoothly, and all been positive so far! Good luck!!!

What don't they tell you? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that no one told me that immediately post surgery, I would feel as though I were having a heart attack! I was genuinely worried until my surgeon explained that the gas they pump in during surgery puts pressure on the spinal cord, and that's what I was feeling. It lasted about 3 or 4 days, and then it was gone. So heads up, if you feel pain in your chest, radiating down your left arm, don't panic. I remember being surprised that there would not be a fill until 6 weeks post surgery. I thought that meant no restriction, but that hasn't been the case. I went to Mexico to be banded, and took 13 days off work to do it. (My regular vacation time). I didn't need nearly that much time. And I told only my boss why I was going. I work in a highly public situation. when I returned to work, apparently my boss, (who I didn't ask to keep it zipped) had shared my journey with literally hundreds of customers who had asked about my absence. At first, I was disturbed by this, but they have all been so wonderfully supportive, and positive that I am ok with it now. I told all of my friends, and they have been fabulous as well. Everyone knows my history of losing and regaining weight, so this is an exciting new chapter in that battle. Check out my profile to see pics of my past attempts, successes, and failures. I don't feel that I am weak in will power. It's the staying power I lack. This is the tool that will change it for me. (Besides, why is called will power? It should be called "won't" power!) Good luck!

Oh Crystal, That sound scary. I have not had any such experience. Thank goodness your surgeon is nearby! Glad to hear it's better!

Sorry about the multiple postings. It kept telling me there was an error, and I kept trying again. Apparently they all worked.

Hi Grammy, I'm 44, and I've been banded just 17 days. I was dreading the first weeks, because you start out with no fill, and a full liquid diet. My surgeon put me on two weeks of liquid diet, and I thought I would never be able to follow it, but low and behold, I did. The poster below is right. It simply changed how I felt about eating. It is a powerful tool. If you look at my profile, you will see I have been WAY up, and WAY down. Through all the diets, and all the success...I never lost the feeling of food having power over me. That just seems to be gone. I sincerely believe that food is a worse ism than alcohol, or heroin. The reason I believe that is that you can completely avoid contact with either of those, but food is always going to be in your life. The Band: It's not magic...but it's darn close.

Hi Tammy, It's not like indigestion at all. Hmm...how to describe sliming. First it happens when something sticks in the lower esophagus. There is a sensation that ranges from discomfort to actual pain. If you have ever eaten a piece of meat, and swallowed it before you should have, and felt that feeling of it moving slowly down your esophagus, you know what it feels like. The actual sliming, the closest I can come is this. Shake up a bottle of soda, and then take your thumb off the opening, and watch. It's frothy, and it bubbles up, and it will not go back down, because for the moment, that is a one way road. It's not acidic, but it will not be denied. It has to come up, and you will have to spit it out. As near as I can tell, there are only two choices. Spit or drown. It's not a frequent occurrence, and I have learned to try foods that are new to my new stomach at home. In public, I only eat foods I know I can tolerate well. So far, I've never put on a public slime show....thank goodness!

Are you monitoring your caloric intake? And when you count them, do you count liquids that have calories? Those are the sneaky ones.