flowers

My doctor handed me samples menus and was like yours, have at it attitude to me. I never heard of the things here like only eat 1 cup or 1/2 cup or 1 1/2 cups and dont drink while you eat stuff. He just said what he wants me to eat and when I asked him about a low gi diet, he said stick with my diet, I have a great success rate. Very odd the differences I read here.

Might not be the best for you, but I love Carnival Instant Breakfast shakes. They are soooo good. They have SF and one marked 4X protein, both will do when I need to do a day of liquids. Easy and cheap to get in the grocery store. Much better than canned versions.

I am in Texas, so I went thru El Paso to Juarez. The hospital is right across the border there. I lost 9 pre opt, and 52 since banding July 9th. I think the surgery care was much better than I have seen in the U.S. when my Dad was sick. Tons of nurses and IV for pain for 24 hours. I was alone, so I needed the after care you get in Mexico but not here in the U.S.

Im almost 5 7 and Iv been down to about that weight, true Im small boned, but if you look at my ticker I intend to get to about 120 lbs, depending on saggy skin, maybe a few more lbs than that. I dont want to be too saggy. I KNOW I can do it and so can YOU. No one knows how determined you are and how hard YOU will work at it. I went to a seminar and was the only one in the room still wanting to get a lapband. The lady leading the seminar asked me if I will be happy with only losing half the weight, duuh, of course not. As you can see from my ticker, I am getting close already to that half way mark the leader of the seminar told me I would probably achieve. I ran into her at the DFW Yahoo group and she is considered something of a guru, she lost 128 lbs or something and then she had to have it removed and a sleeve now, so she isnt very positive on the lapband. Its up to YOU what you will actually achieve. Im going to lose ALL of my weight down below what is considered normal weight and Im 58 years old, and all those other things against me.

I have osteoarthritis. I never even knew that was considered a co-morbidity. So I did have one. My bones are 80 years old according to the bone doctor who treated me after I broke my shoulder a year ago.

I don't know if the lapband was the wrong answer for me or not. I dont feel like I probably was overeating, but eating the wrong foods to lose weight, so now I feel like Im back on my diet. I watch my sugar and carbs, but still eat pretty much otherwise as I did before being banded. I think the band helps me in the evening when I want to snack, thats my hard time. Im also walking daily. Im age 58 and without the walking I dont lose, so I walk, and walk some more. I need to start strength training my arms, can feel my arms are weak. So much to do and its hard to keep at it. For me the band only helps me stop eating junk at night, but thats enough that I hope this time I wouldnt slip back into junk food habits. Iv had 3 fills and can see on the fluoro machine how tight I am, yet I can eat anything. So I think you do have to still watch your eating, just having the band isnt enough to make you lose as much as most of us want. OP Im another July bandster, was banded July 9th.

wow, I didnt even know it was possible to lose 30 lbs in two weeks. congrats. I know I have been lucky to lose at a steady rate of a pound or so a week and Iv had 3 fills which dont seem to help much and walking every day. I didnt have to do liquids except 3 days, so that may be why others lose so much more at the beginning. Iv read many seem to do liquids longer. I did mushys for 4 weeks though.

What does your fill doctor said. Mine wouldnt fill anyone until they are more than 5 weeks out. Some wouldnt fill you if you are losing the way you are losing so far. Each doctor has their own criteria. There is not one answer. Iv just now had my 3rd fill and not sure it was necessary, as she said Im still tight and hardly filled me last time. I was banded July 9th.

Restless Monkey you say now no one treats you differently, but I can honestly say I believe they do. Iv been thin, a real head turner and sometimes think I put on weight to push men away. When Im thin, men especially, but even women treat me differently. They smile at me more. Iv seen their eyes follow me thru a room. Iv also run into predudice on other boards where people, young people especially, make unkind comments about folks weight. Men now dont want me just for my body, that instant attraction. When you get thinner, dynamics sometimes even change with other women, now you are a threat to their man. Some its true will act the same, but some wouldnt. When I start losing the weight and get closer to goal, folks start telling me, "You've lost enough weight" as if its their decision how much I can lose. It can be like they don't want you to look too good. There really is a difference imo.

When I start not losing weight for a week or so, I bake salmon, its the only fish I can eat plain, just baked with spices and I nibble on it all day and within 2 days my weight drops. fish oil is good for you and the high Protein pushes me back into losing. Im sure others have their own tricks. I never count calories and I havent been real good even about following rules, but I do try and push the protein and Iv cut carbs/sugar down to as close to nadda as I can get. I snack on rolled up lean ham for instance, or scramble an egg. Sugar and me are enemies, so if I watch sugar I lose .... well Im also walking about 3 or 3.5 miles a day to burn those calories. Im 58 years old, and have as many excuses as anyone else but I just got busy and am going to do this. I think the band helps some with appetite, but since I was a nibbler, Im not sure the band helps me, but Im still going to reach goal. You have to want it.

I woke up from surgery hungry too. Some have more swelling which makes them not so hungry the first couple of weeks. I couldnt have a fill until after 5 weeks passed, so I was hungry for 5 weeks, some less some have more. Iv had 3 fills and still hungry, but it could be head hunger too, but it feels like Im hungry. I ate an entire Lean Cusine last night, and not a real small one, lots of whole grain rice and I had been snacking all afternoon so shouldnt have been hungry right? Trying to cut back today to make up.

I think meds which are needed as opposed to mashed potatoes are a different issue. The mashed potatoes I could have 3 days after surgery, I did liquids 3 days and then mushies for 4 weeks. Each doctor is different. That's a issue of not making your stomach work any more than necessary. Its not because you couldnt eat them if you wanted to. The meds are possible, even if they briefly make your stomach work to prevent whatever. Some people have swelling after surgery and a day or two or some for a couple of weeks which makes them feel restricted as the swelling goes down. Some of us had almost no swelling. I have never had a food get stuck, and my fill doctor showed me on the fluoro how tight I am, as tight as she is willing to make me. Not everyone has stuck food, and Im tight. Iv never had any vomiting or any of that, not even with three tight fills. Some fill doctors dont use fluoro and barium swallow test every fill so maybe they are getting too tight, or tighter than my fill doctor allows. Too tight is not normal with every fill doctor. There are some that guess and stick you without fluoro, but thats not the kind I use. Iv always been able to take any size pill too. If you are getting food stuck and vomiting you are too tight.

Congrats. I hope in one month Im where you are, you are doing so darn well. You should be so proud of where you are now. 65 lbs, wow. Thats a huge milestone, you are more than half way to your goal.

It's a mystery to me too. I read on here about getting chewable Vitamins and bought 2 bottles under the belief I wasnt supposed to take regular pills. Then I have my surgery and my surgeon gives me antibiotics big enough to gag a horse for me to take for a few days. I took them, no problems, but the advise I saw on here was confusing. I still have those chewable vitamins I bought from advice on here, anyone need them?? lol

You can do it if that's what you want. It took me a while to want it, and then I could commit. I just started walking. I'm walking 3.5 miles outdoors. Doesn't cost me a dime, but I did get a heat rash in the summer and now I'm like brrrr, but I keep on walking. Get a walking tape for indoors if you really can't make yourself walk outside. I think walking sheds weight faster than most exercises. Exercises are good for building muscle which Im going to need to get to, but putting that off. If you are hungry grab some Protein, a piece of rolled up ham, cheese once in a while, fry and egg in pam, etc. I even have a box of SF popsicles in my freezer, not my favorite thing, but I do what I need to. I do admit to cheating tonight, went to a pizza party, but only ate one and a half pieces. I also skipped lunch to do it. Its will power and if you want to do it enough, you will.

One of their challenges was to walk or run up and down a hill for what 14 hours?? I do a little jogging and walking 40 minutes a day. 14 hours in one day??? OMG I cant even think of it.

If you are PBing after only 3 bites of dinner, then you don't need another fill, you might even be too tight the way I read it. The way some feel satisfied is they are only eating 1/2 cup of Protein food or 3 oz of meat (3 oz doesnt do it for me either, Im eating more). If you dont drink and wash it on down, the protein will sit there and that's where you get the full feeling.

I eat everything, salads too. The only food that I notice a small restriction on is fruit. I ate some raw fresh pinneapple yesterday and felt a little restriction, forgot to chew it up and have had that happen with cantelope. Other than that I eat everything.

We arent supposed to eat them??? Where did you hear this. Opps. I bought a whole tray of them from one of those Deluxe Walmarts that sells them, and ate all 12 of them by myself. I also ate sushi on my cruise. Someone forgot to tell me not to eat them I guess.

I think it's perfectly normal for the fill to become less over time, but perhaps since you lost no weight, you are losing inches? If you are losing some fat around your band that could cause less restriction as well. Most of the time people feel less restriction they are also dropping weight. Maybe you are just getting used to the restriction too. Another fill should help, if not then talk to your doctor.

Im 5 7 and 185 lbs right now. Top was over 240 lbs. I am small boned and dont think the BMI really takes that into consideration, and Im sure some people would say 120 lbs is too thin, but its what I used to weigh and feel good. I had gotten to where I couldnt hardly bend over and tie my shoes. I cant wash my back in the shower (harder because I broke a shoulder last winter plus the weight). Like most people I cant find clothes that fit right, so I was having to go to ebay to look for clothes. I couldnt walk into a regular store and buy anything off the rack. Even at 185, I cant really zip up a size 18 dress I tried on today, but almost. I dont want to die early from health problems.

I usually check twice a day too, in the morning and at night. If Iv dropped some weight, it often shows up before I go to bed, so I know Ill jump out of bed in the morning and weigh myself nude in the morning to see the new number. As long as you dont obsess about the days when you dont drop, I see nothing wrong with weighing. I like to know and see it, it motivates me to stick to my diet. If Im feeling weak and want to grab something sugary, I jump on the scale to reinforce how good Iv done. Some sources of Protein such as soy powder will make you feel hot and cold. Soy is what is in the over the counter medication for menopause. It does affect your tempeture if you are drinking shakes that have soy protein in them. Its not your imagination.

There are doctors who will claim that if you dont allow the band to heal and the stomach to rest you could cause slippage down the line, at a later time. The point of liquids and then mushies is so the stomach muscle doesnt move much. Every doctor has the post op diet a little different though, so there are variances, but I havent heard of any less than one month. I could easily have eaten most anything as far as I can tell right off the bat, but they made me have Jello. Even after a fill where the doctor says Im tight Im on mushies still today to let my stomach rest. I nibbled on some turkey just now as today is almost done, I know Im not supposed to have solid food until tomorrow morning. Iv cheated by a few hours I admit a time or three. I did liquids all day yesterday though, as prescribed after a fill. BTW welcome to Bandster Hell, thats what they call the phase when you are not restricted and want to eat more and can, but have to use sheer will power to get thru until you are restricted enough to help your appetite. You sound like you are there. Some people have some swelling after surgery which acts like restriction. I didnt have this, thats why I could have eaten anything.

Where have you found these figures?? Iv never lost 2 to 3 lbs a week, so I must not be doing well either :cursing: I thought 1 - 2 lbs was average. .... and Im walking 3.5 miles a day for exercise, I rarely miss a day.

You are losing on average over 7 lbs a month. I think maybe your expectations are too high. Anything over 1 lb a week is considered good. I know we all want to lose 5 lbs a week, but for most people it aint going to happen. If you are losing steadily, just stick with it and eventually you will be where you want to be. Im impatient too. I think 10 lbs gone is nadda, and then I sit back and count the weeks it will take to lose 10 lbs and step back and say whoa!!! Every 10 lbs to me is a new goal, and each time I pass a new 0 mark, I Celebrate. 23 lbs in 3 months is doing good. Dont get discouraged, just pat yourself on the back. I looked at tickers and dates of surgerys here for a long time before my surgery and realized it would take me over a year to get into the 120s where I want to be. Hard to wait I know, but we will get there.