JulieNYC

Kimmason, WIll your doctor's office let you schedule your first fill -- even though it's still several weeks away? That might let you feel like there's an END to this feeling. I have to tell you, the pre-fill stage is the worst. I didn't have a day quite like yours during the liquid stage, but at week 4 when I was allowed to go to solids but still had 3 weeks until my fill, I was MISERABLE. I ate every bit of what I ate pre-band. I even gained. I thought I'd just gone through major surgery only to have it not work at all (even though I knew logically the fill would make a difference). But, you WILL get through it. Once you get a proper fill, you WILL feel different and more in control. It will be easier not to choose high calorie foods once you've got the band helping you. In the interim, I'd suggest allowing yourself some slack on the type of liquid you have, but do try to stick to liquids and let yourself heal. This is a tool you want for the rest of your life and though I doubt the one slip hurt you, I wouldn't take that as a license to eat real food. Drink chocolate milk if you crave chocolate. Puree marinera sauce with cottage cheese if you feel like pizza (it tastes quite like pizza sauce and is very filling for a liquid). You can do this!

I wouldn't worry about your band being "almost full." There's still a long way to go with 3.5. Most docs will fill a 4 cc band to at least 5 if necessary. Plus, the more you have in your band, the more each tenth of a cc affects your stoma size. Think about it -- since the outside of the band is a fixed diameter, as the inside gets smaller and smaller with more fill, it takes less Fluid to make the already smaller inside diameter even smaller. You've got plenty of room in your band if you think you need more fill! You're weight loss is great. 5 more lbs to your mini goal! Way to go.

This is the most accurate description of pre-banding hunger I've ever read. I didn't realize until I read it that this is exactly how I felt. The THOUGHT of hunger was hunger pre-band. Now, hunger is something I feel with my whole body, not just my head. My stomach growls or just has a feeling of movement, but it's more than that. I actually feel like I NEED food, from my fingers to my toes. It's more of a physical thing that hunger ever was before. I'm still working on the full thing. I know what too full feels like. It's much higher physicially (below the breastbone) than it was pre-band (at or just below the waist). I've tried asking myself "could I stop now" after every bite. The answer is often "yes" but if I do stop, I'll be hungry again sooner than I'd like to be. So the answer is somewhere between "could I stop now" and "gee I wish I hadn't had that last bite." Usually those feelings are about 6 bites part. I guess I could try eating 3 of the bites and seeing if that's just right.

Call the nutritionist at your doctor's office. Mine let me modify slightly, within strict parameters, as long as I stayed within the calorie, Protein and fat goals. For me, this meant I could have 1 soy product a day (or 3 oz chicken). But, please call your doctor's office. You'll feel so much better going into surgery knowing that you did everything you could to make your surgery go smoothly and that everything you ate was at your doctor's guidance. You can make it. You won't be hungry once you come out of surgery, and that will be worth this short term misery -- I promise!

Given my higher BMI, my doctor just said "let's get you under 200." In my adult life, I've been as small as 175, which put me at a size 12-14. If I could get there again, that would be great. Maybe when I get there, I'll want to be smaller. Who knows. I'm going with my Dr.'s goal for now, then I'll readjust if I want to.

I'm all for it LapBandit. Let's keep this thread alive. I'm not sure what my ultimate goal is either. I think I'll have to get closer to it to know. I think I'll have PS around 160 (my Dad's a PS, which is nice in terms of costs), which should get me to 145 (I bet they cut off every bit of 15 when this is over). I can't even imagine what that would be like. I got down to 175 about 6 years ago and I wasn't skinny, but I was totally happy with my life. I'm only 5'2, so I really should be smaller than that, but for the moment, 250 would be great. LapBandit, I need a goal weight by Christmas/New Years'. We're about the same weight. Do you have a goal that far out? What do you think it should be? I'm toying with 230, but don't want to set myself up for failure.

Indianlight, I felt exactly the same way before my first fill. It was the hardest part of this journey for me so far, including the surgery itself. I felt like I had just gone through major surgery to get this weight under control and NOTHING was different. Fast forward 2 weeks to my first fill and AHHHHH, relief. My first fill didn't get me to my "sweet spot" but I did feel a little different -- different enough to know that I was on the right track. Hang in there until your fill. This time is for healing. Be careful -- try not to go crazy with food, but know that the end is near. This IS going to work. Take care,

Come on Elisabethsew! You can do it! 2 more lbs is nothing! Way to go! Woohoo! Brenda, that's amazing! 15 years above the 2's and now you've done it! I bet you look 15 years younger. Woohoo! That's incredible! I know how you feel -- now I'm obsessed with getting to 250 so that I'm closer to the 1's than the 3's. Closer to the 1's? Who AM I????? It seems so foreign.

Squiggle, Your concerns are 100% NORMAL and I had the exact same top 3 concerns prior to my surgery. You are doing the right thing -- just get this behind you and you'll be on track for a wonderful new life. (1) What if you don't make it? OK, the chances of this actually happening are MICROSCOPIC. You've been through all the testing and have been cleared. This is among the safest of all operations performed under general anesthesia. You have confidence in your doctor. That said, what helped me through this concern was planning (even though many think it's over the top given the mere tiny chance of not waking up, it made me feel better to know things were in order). I updated my will, I wrote a letter to my SO (that he only got to read if I didn't wake up), I left a list of financial information for my Mom (bank accounts, significant assets, etc.). My letter to my SO said that I truly believed that this was what I was supposed to do and that I didn't regret it, even if he was reading the letter, but that I regretted not being able to spend our lives together. I told him I was doing this to be able to have the best life together possible. If this approach appeals to you (some find it morbid), maybe write a letter to your son. The only purpose is to give yourself peace in going into surgery, because you WILL wake up. (2) You followed the diet well enough. I really obsessed on this point too, so I know how you feel! If you went a carb or two over (or even 10), you're still going to have lost weight. I predict you're going to be AMAZED at how much weight you've lost. I started at about your size (a little less in LBS, but I'm only 5'2) and I lost 15 lbs on the pre-op and though I gave it my best effort, I really didn't follow it as closely as I should have. And I still lost 15! It's going to be the same for you. You've done what you can, forgive yourself for the rest, and go into surgery knowing that you trust your surgeon. (3) Your lapband will not fail. I frequent another bandster group where the leader always answers this question with a curt "you're not that special." The band works -- particularly if you work with it (get your fills, DON'T let yourself stay overfilled, even if you think it means you'll lose faster, because it doesn't mean that, eat healthy foods most of the time). You're starting an amazing journey. I'm so excited for you!

That's so exciting Labpandit! Congratulations. You're my hero. Molly, I can't wait to see your numbers, come September 1st. As for me, I'm trying to be at 280 by September 7th, which is my next doctor's appt. That'll put me down 20 lbs from my last visit, 6 weeks prior, which would be nice. Good luck to all!

Margo, you're a goddess! Look how fabulous you are! Way to go. Congratulations on your one year bandiversary and you're great new look. I hope I look as great one year out!

You look FABULOUS dahling! Those pseky little 8 lbs will be off in no time. You are amazing! Way to go.

2 of my colleagues (the ones who know about the surgery) and I actually have an office pool going as to which of my other (10 or so) colleagues will say something first. I think people notice before they're actually willing to say something; weight being such a sensitive issue and all. At least I hope that's the reason they haven't said anything and not that they haven't noticed! Congratulations Jlogantx!

Ditto, ditto, ditto. Only regret is not doing this sooner. There is nothing my band limits me on (except binge eating) and it has opened up a whole new world.

My advice is get the band as soon as you can and then wait to get your first fill until after you get back from Mexico. You'll be fully healed and probably won't have any/much restriction without a fill, so you'll feel like your old self and will be really ready to kick into weight loss action when you get home (and filled). The timing couldn't sound better in my opinion! Congratulations.

Eileenja, This is precisely why I weigh every day, even when I don't want to. I can't always be perfect with food, sometimes I might skip the gym when I shouldn't, but what I can do is weigh every day and be accountable to myself. My psychologist, who works with a lot of WLS patients, advocates weighing once a week or (better yet, by him) once a month. For me, that would lead to a slippery slope. I understand the dangers of scale obsession, but it's the right thing for me. I don't beat myself up when I retain water, etc. -- it's about me being in control. My advice is to weigh. And probably to get a fill.

4-3: JenRN - 263/257/248/150 - 15 total 4-3: jenn28 - 282/265/229/165 - 53 total 4-3: Picardy3 - 298/300/271/150 - 29 total 4-3: tipper - 300/290/259/165 - 41 total 4-4: Sugar1 - 311/289/231/150 - 80 total 4-4: Dak – 255/251/225/150 – 50 total 4-4: Angels - 264/255/235/? - 29 total 4-4: Harpseal Al - 327/295/220 - 34 total 4-5: Boo - 208/203/188/130 - 20 total 4-6: Disneynut - 290/287/260/125 - 27 total 4-7: Guysis - 234/197/134 - 37 total 4-10: JulieNYC - 358/288/150 - 70 total 4-11: Vickie1177 - 320/297/267/137 - 53 total 4-11: tellymelly - 240/235/184/135 - 55 total 4-11: Fel0816 - 307/284/265/to get under 200 - 42 total 4-11: dsrjrr - 231/230/210/130 - 21 total 4:11: truckinmama - 262/234/160 28 total 4-13: Nursekathy2u - 358/356/335/175 - 23 total 4-13: NJgirl - 248/230/212/140 - 36 total 4-13: Miper70 - 217/201/145 - 16 total 4-17: Amourette - 22.5 total 4-17: Jeepergurrl - 242/222/140 - 20 total 4-17: MelAnne - 245/207/150 - 38 total 4-18: Danaclark2 - 270/260.5/245/150 - 25 total 4-18: LapBandit - 392/369/347/336/324/308/298 - 94 total 4-20: Omamoon - 220/211.5/202/130 - 18 total 4-20: KimInMD - 288/288/253/156 - 35 total 4-21: Yoda - 273/257/231/150 - 42 total 4-21: kristielynn - 310/302/259/150 - 51 total 4-22: alisonb - 286/270/176 - 16 total 4-24: Eficka - 125/117 op.day/106.6/69 - 18.4 kgs/40.4 lbs total 4-24: Ceparano - 255/270.5/235/170 - 35 total 4-24: Kat - 289/281/246/165 - 43 lbs total 4-24: hlj25950 - 262/257/241/160 - 21 total 4-25: momof2boys - 270/266/244/145 - 26 total 4-26: Bostongurl - 264/244/208/145 - 56 total 4-27: tinaj - 226/221/210/150 - 15 total 4-27: lookingout - 185/178/165/101 - 20 total 4-27: flowergoddesstn - 214/204/190/130 - 24 total 4-27: Dimples0323 - 284/284/241/145 - 43 total 4-28: Susan4794 - 283/267/260.2/145 - 22.8 total 4-28: bluehill - 333/278/145 - 55 total 4-28: Irish Girl - 224/214/182/135 - 42 total

Susan, I'm so glad your port revision went smoothly and that you're not feeling too under the weather. Let us know how the recovery goes and we're all thinking about you. For recipes, I do a lot of stirfry! Sugar snap peas, Water chestnuts and baby corn (the kind that is more like a pickle than corn) all chopped up and stir fried with Pam in the wok with soy sauce and ginger. YUM. You'd hardly know it's a vegetable, and less than 50 cals/cup to boot (and I rarely eat a cup). For Protein, if I don't feel like really cooking (or adding tofu to my stirfry -- a girl can only eat so much tofu) I have found Mrs. Paul's "Healthy" fish sticks. 170 cals for SIX sticks and lots of protein (lightly breaded but baked not fried). I usually just cook 4. So easy and not at all fishy. Also, if anyone has an Applebee's, the Chili Lime Tilapia meal for 310 calories is a DREAM. It makes 2-3 meals for me and is super tasty. I had it when visiting a friend in Albany and it was like $8.99. I got back to Manhattan and it's $14.99 here for the same thing! Then again, it does make 3 meals....

That's fabulous!! Way to go!

Ok, warning to all that I'm having a bad case of bandster euphoria right now, so beware! I am 4 months post-op this week and as of this morning I'm -70. I still weigh more than many people who start this journey, but I just wanted to report in to those in my favorite group (Supersized Bandsters) who are a little bit behind me in their journey, as there seem to be a few of you in that category posting lately. At the beginning, before deciding to get banded, I felt so discouraged. I felt like nothing would work for me, and even if it would, I had so much to lose that the journey would be so, so long that it was depressing to even think about it. I had spent a long time (10 years or so) weighing 260, had lost down to 175 beore I started law school about 6 years ago, then quickly gained up to 358 just after law school and entering the work force for the first time. I felt like I was so far from my personal "normal fat weight" (the 260ish or so weight) that why bother. I knew how hard it was to lose 100 lbs, having lost 90 lbs 6 years ago and having just gained it back plus friends. In comes the lap band. WOW. It took me a long time to decide to go for it (like 3 years of research), but this is the tool I have always needed. I don't stay super tight, so I don't have a lot of PB issues or food texture issues, I just have a tool that is like a light switch that has switched off my hunger. I physically CAN eat a plate of nachos if I try hard enough, but most days I just could care less about food. I'm sewing more, playing my violing, exercising and working more. I sleep all night, every night and I feel great. So cool! All that is to say that My BMI is still in the 50s (14 lbs to go, I'm only 5'2), but at my height, life in the 200s is completely different from life in the 300s. My bones (feet and back) don't hurt at all. I don't constantly feel bad about myself. There's no exercise I can't do. What I'm trying to get across is that for anyone who has 200 or more to lose, don't think that it'll be 150 lbs before you start to feel good and that it's not worth the journey. There is something special about getting below every century mark that is, in itself, worth the journey, whether it's getting from 500 to 499 or 200 to 199. Relatively speaking, I think I feel just as good now having lost 70 as I did when I wa at the stage where I'd lost 70 before, even though this time puts me at 288 and not at 188. This is a meaningful journey and the journey itself is rewarding, even when the ultimate goal is far off. I would do this again, even if I never lost another lb (which, obviously, I will). Good luck to us all!

Tim, I did my very best on my pre-op diet and I still cheated fairly substantially on 3 occasions within the 2 weeks. I felt horrible about it, but in the end everything went fine. All you can do is your best. Stay on the straight and narrow until your surgery and remind yourself that it's just a few days and you're doing your part to make sure you have the smoothest surgery possible. It's not a predictor of success or failure. I cheated and am doing great now that I have the band as a tool to help me. Also, I would never tell you to go against your doctor's orders, but you have it harder than most in that you're not allowed any liquid protein. Broth and Crystal Light for a few days will weaken anyone's will to diet! Good luck. You're going to do great.

My post-op depression lasted a little longer than what most people here are describing, so I wanted to tell you about it (and assure you that it does end) in case you experience something more like what I did. Basically, I felt like getting banded was such a huge decision. Then, it was over, yet I didn't feel any different at all, particularly around week 4, once I was back on solid food, per my doctor's instructions. Weeks 4-7 were very hard for me because I had no restriction without a fill. I went in for a fill on week 7 and it did nothing for me. I was SUPER depressed (like didn't want to get out of bed to go to work). By week 9, I'd gotten 2 more fills and had very good restriction. The depression lifted almost immediately, once I saw that the band WAS different from all the other weight loss programs I'd tried. That was all I needed to move on from the depressive episode, but it was a very, very hard time for me, waiting to get proper restriction. Just know that it is coming and that this IS different.

Marcy, I did the same thing getting stuck at 296-297 for what seemed like the longest time! Then I went on vacation, ate wayyyy off my normal routine and still the scale dropped 5 lbs. The band rocks! Molly, you're doing great. I can't wait to see what your September weigh in number is. I left an express pass for you with the border patrol at Twoterville and I just know you're going to sail through! For me, I'm counting down 17 more lbs until my BMI leaves the 50s. That's going to be a big one for me. I can't wait!

Booda, I've been reading several boards for more than a year and though I've heard many people say their doctors advised them they were at particular risk for having to have the surgery converted to open, I've only heard of one person who actually had to be converted. Some surgeons will not convert and will just not place the band (which is super rare too). Per my doctor, there's just not much of a chance of conversion to open with an experienced laparoscopic surgeon, particularly if you're not in the super, super obese category (i.e. BMI < 70).