Jodi_620

Thanks Suzanne. Yeah, definitely don't give up-you'll get there...that last 20 pounds was soooo stubborn.

I love salad too and I was allowed to have it as soon as I was back on solids. I never had a problem getting it to go down but I find that when I have good restriction, salad doesn't agree with me very well. My theory is that with restriction, the salad just sits in my pouch too long and gets all gross and slimy and for several house I belch up this really gross taste of old lettuce . If I am less restricted I have no problems though.

I think that at around 35-40 pounds I had to go down in size. After that clothing size went down pretty quickly and I was getting very little use out of my clothes before they had to be donated and replaced.

I was told to listen to my body. If you try something and it hurts, stop doing it. Be especially careful not to to do any heavy lifting or cause too much strain on the abdominal area for the first six weeks so that the port and tubing can heal in place properly.

This is according to my doctors guidelines, you are going to get different answers because guidlines vary from doctor-to-doctor. Your best bet would be to ask your doctor. But anyway, during all phases I was to have 60 grams of liquid Protein per day. Whether I got it from broth, shakes, milk or what ever item on my list, was up to me. Once on solids I was not to use shakes as a meal. I am to have three meals per day made up of solid food. This is so that I stay satisfied longer. 200 calories in liquid form will not stay in my pouch as long as 200 calories in solid form. So if I were to eat a liquid or mushie meal I am more likely to get hungry between meals or eat more at my next meal. If I am unable to get my 60 grams in with my three meals, then I can use shakes as an in-between meal supplement. But I focus on getting the protein in my solid meals to avoid adding the unecessary in-between meal calories.

Most all of the sensations you feel will be from the restriction and restriction sensations are mainly felt in the esophagus (sternum to throat). Your stomach is a muscle and it does not have nerves that allow you to actually feel the band around it. You may also have some sensations from the port, especially in the beginning. Most of the healing discomfort comes from the port area. You will be able to feel the port with your fingers and sometimes I feel it shifting or even pulling when I am using certain ab muscles. There really is no reason why you will not be able to adjust. You do have to re-learn how to eat or you will suffer the consequences but you stick with it and eventually it becomes second nature.

I have never kept a food diary and I don't count calories/fat/carbs, weigh or measure my food. I just eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I average about 3/4 cup per meal sometimes eating a little more. I focus on lean Proteins and fresh fruits, veggies and dairy and watch my carbs. Breakfast is a.) Egg Beater omlet with lean meat, cheese, veggies b.) oatmeal cooked in lowfat milk with berries, raisins, dates or nuts. c.) Cold Cereal with fresh fruit and lowfat milk lunch is typically lean Protein with salad greens or protein leftover the dinner the night before. Favorite Lunches: a.) Salmon patty with mayo, shredded lettuce diced tomato on top b.) Chili c.) chicken breast diced on a small chopped salad Dinner choices are endless, we pretty much have whatever I and DH are in the mood for. I make all the dishes that I made pre-band, some dishes had to be reworked to lower fat and carbs and/or eliminate foods I can't tolerated anymore. For instance, I can't eat thick crust so I make a thin crust pizza from low carb wrap bread. I do not make potatoes, rice and Pasta very often because we do not want all that starch in our diet and I try to stick with fresh lean meat and a side of veggies, or meat and veggie stews. We even have takeout every once in a while. Personally, because I knew it would be best for me long-term, I did not want to go into this with a "diet" frame of mind. I chose the surgery because I wanted to eat like a normal person and not have to obsess and track every morsel that goes in my mouth. I choose healthy foods, avoid eating between meals and avoid the processed carbs (to cut back on head hunger) and the band controls the amount I eat and the hunger. I'm not saying that counting, tracking and weighing is not the way to go, just that it is not for me.

It is normal to have no appetite after surgery. The length of time depends on how much swelling you have. Unfortunately, I got my appetite back at around day 7 but I have seen others on this site that didn't get theirs back for a month. Don't wait until you are dizzy, get some nutrition in at least 3 times a day, take your supplements and enjoy this blessing while you have it 'cause it ain't no fund when the hungries come back and you still have weeks till you can eat solids or have a fill

That is port site pain and perfectly normal. This area causes the most discomfort. Your port and the tubing is stitched to muscle and there is a lot of nerve tissue in that area. It gets better every day but it took several weeks for it to heal completely. Just listen to your body and if there is any pain when exercising or lifting don't continue.

I started losing right away and it has stayed steady.

What you can and cannot tolerate varies by person and by restriction. I can eat pretty much any meat most of the time but when I am really tight after a fill, I have to be extra careful. Some days I am tighter and can tolerate less. Sometimes the meat is too dry and I can't get it down as easily. I can eat most fruits/veggies except the fibrous ones like celery, asparagus stems and broccoli stems, apple skins, peach and plum skins and dried apricots. I can not tolerate doughy foods like thick pizza crust or soft breads. As long as you follow the rules for how to eat, you will learn to gauge what you can tolerate and when you need to take it easy. Where exactly do you feel the pinching feeling?

It is normal to gain 5-10 pounds during this stage. Watching what you eat will help to avoid that. Eat lean Protein and veggie based mushies. Like sil said, avoid the carbs. You will not have to stay on a liquid diet to lose weight, you simply need to start using your band. But first you need to allow yourself time to heal. Once you start getting fills you will start using the band. Just be patient.

Sorry to hear that you have an unsupportive doctor. I have PCOS. I was being treated for it and my thyroid disease through my Endocrinologist. My primary doctor was also aware of my condition. Both my Endocrinologist and my Primary Doctor supported the surgery. Not only has the surgery been a success dispite having PCOS but I was able to go off the Metformin and I no longer have any symptoms of having PCOS.

There are three possible causes of hair loss due to weight loss surgery. 1.) Not enough Protein. Be sure to get around 60G of quality protein per day. Try to get it in every meal you eat and if necessary supplement with powders and shakes between meals. 2.) Nutritional Deficiency. Make sure you are taking a high quality daily Vitamin. You may also want to add a Hair, Skin and Nails supplement. They have a ton of B Vitamins and Biotin which is good for hair, try to find one with around 3000mcg of Biotin 3.) Stress. The stress from a sudden change of diet and a surgery can cause your body to go into survival mode. It can temporarily shut down non-essential processes like hair. It will eventually recover on its own. If you cover all three above you should be fine. The timeframe for both loss and recovery is usually 3 months. So your hairloss usually starts at around 3 months and will start to recover around 3 months after you fix the cause.

How is your weightloss? I was terribly itchy as I was losing weight mainly in areas where I carried the most weight, stomach, thighs, breasts etc. I would leave marks from scratching so much. I think it was due to the skin shrinking back due to the melting fat. It has lessened since my weight loss is not so rapid anymore.

It is awful, isn't it? Sliming just happens when a piece of food cannot pass through the band opening. It can happen with a food that you have been able to eat in the past and it doesn't necessarily mean you can't eat that food again. You probably had a piece that just didn't get chewed enough or maybe a clump of food that tried to pass through and it blocked the opening. I had a couple sliming episodes due to stress-stress will instantly make me tighter and if I am eating at the time...

My restriction sometimes changes from day-to-day. Stress, timing, hormonal changes, allergies/flu are all factors that can change your restriction level. Make sure that you are calm and have time to sit down and focus on your meal. Avoid the dry, doughy foods. Make sure you are eating slowly, taking bites about the size of the nail on your index finger and chewing well. If all of that checks out, look at the other possible factors mentioned above. If all else fails see your doctor.

I have tried almost every diet out there and have lost 40 to 60 pounds on some of them. I was never able to keep up with it for more than a few months and I always gained the weight back and then some. It was sooo hard in the beginning. For me it was two weeks liquid protein pre-op, two weeks of liquid protein only post-op then two weeks of mushies. I didn't get to chew anything for six full weeks Now 10 1/2 months later, for the first time since I was a toddler I am in the normal weight range. There is no doubt that I will reach my initial goal very soon and even surpass it before I reach the 1 year mark. The band has helped me to completely changed my whole outlook on food and eating. I am not struggling every day like I did on those other diets so there is no doubt that I can keep from gaining it all back. The hardest part is where you are now. Just keep reminding yourself that although it seems to be forever, it is just a short period in your life, in the end it will be SOOOO worth it.

Not a March 09 bandster but just to ease your mind...You probably just used a muscle that is sutured and not healed yet. This is normal, it takes a full six weeks to heal. Listen to your body, don't push yourself...if anything causes pain stop right away (as if you would keep doing it). The port site related pain lasts the longest because there is so much nerve and muscle involved.

Most of us know just how you feel. Just take it one day at at time. It will get better when you reach the mushie stage and better at every stage after that. Before too long this will all be a distant memory and you will be saying that it was all worth it. Till then, take in as much liquid Protein as you can handle and keep busy.

I have it every morning because I am almost always tighter in the morning. A cup of hot tea 30 minutes after each meal usually gives me relief. I often also have it throughout the day but not as bad, typically moreso for some time after a fill. This sensation is what I personally consider to be good restriction. Or it can sometimes be an indication that I have eaten just a little too much. Try eating just a little less than you normally do until you find your comfort zone and have a hot drink after waiting the specified amount of time after a meal. I have a hot drink before I eat my Breakfast just to loosen things up a bit. I am not sure when you were banded but if that doesn't work and you are recently banded it may just still be swelling. If you have already had a fill, you may be just a little too tight.

No, you can not feel the band around your stomach. But you can and will have sensations related to having the band. When you are tight or stuck or PB the pain or discomfort is usually felt in the esophagus and sometimes it can become irritated or swollen if you eat wrong or are too tight. If you eat too much or get stuck the food can back up into the esophagus.

I think waiting to drink during the liquid stage is just for the practice. Liquid passes right through the band anyway. You should not drink with your meal once you start on mushies. There may be times when you need to take a tiny drink to wash something down but I don't guess you will be making a regular habit of eating nasty tasting or too hot food. Taking a tiny drink from time-to-time won't hurt you, but doing it regularly can hinder weight loss.

Yes, there is usually a fee for consultation. What I did was go to the free seminars that I think most surgeons have. I went to three different seminars, chose my surgeon then had the consult with just him.