BDS_Geologist

It's been a banner week for me 7.5 lbs lost. 10-10-08: 248 10-17-08: 240.5 This has been my best week so far. Last week, I only lost 1 pound, but I worked out hard all week. I think that I was adding more muscle mass last week which slowed the weight loss. Even though I didn't drop pounds that week, my body fat dropped 1%. Bryan

The Knoxville Lap-band support group meets on the 4th Thursday of every month at the Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville. The meeting runs from 6:30-8:00 PM. This month's meeting will be next Thursday the 23rd. The size of the group varies, but it's a very friendly and helpful group. No need to call ahead, just show up. Bryan Lap-Band: It is held at the Church Street United Methodist Church in downtown Knoxville at the corner of Henley street and Main street. Meet in room 124 in the Church Life Center (the building with the gymnasium.) For more information please contact Marc Gamble, moderator, at 865-604-8239.

Just walking is probably your best option for now. The Exercise Physiologist at my surgeon's office said that we should avoid lifting anything heavier than 10lbs for the first month. He said the emphasis should be on "activity" during the healing process and save the "exercise" for later. Since I was already working out before the surgery, he gave me clearance to do "light" workouts at the gym, starting 2 weeks after the banding. This meant no straining and keeping in mind that it was activity and not exercise. Basically, I used really light weight on the machines and did a billion reps. It was good to have the activity, but I never came close to hurting myself. Early on, you should really focus on recovery and start really exercising after a month has past. Bryan Banded 8-26-08

Gastric bypass usually takes less time to lose the excess weight, but it comes with different risks and consequences than banding. Bypassing connects your esophagus to your large intestine, bypassing your stomach. You won't be able to digest food in a normal manner anymore and many bypass patients end up with nutrient absorption problems. Also, gastric bypass is not generally reversible, in most cases. If patients are so morbidly obese that the risks are worth the benefits, then a bypass is right for them. Banding is a tool that helps you eat smaller meals, but only if you follow the rules. You will still digest food normally, but the benefits of banding can be defeated by poor eating habits and bad food choices. It takes discipline and it's not a magic weight loss bean. Bypass was just too drastic a step for me, but you need to decide what is right for you. Bryan Banded August 26, 2008

Congratulations on deciding to commit to being banded! I was equally excited after attending the seminar. I would like to temper your expectations regarding the timing though. I went from seminar to surgery in "light speed", as compared to many, but it still took 3 months, and it wouldn't have happened that quickly without lucky cancellations by others, and the fact that my insurer didn't require the 6 month medically supervised diet. I called my surgeon's office the morning after the seminar and thanks to the first "lucky cancellation" I was able to get my consultation on the next morning. I then found out that I didn't need to complete the 6 month diet, as many insurers require. After that I had a delay in getting prior med records from previous doctors, a 3 week waiting period before my insurance company denied the procedure, another 3 weeks before they figured out that I was eligible for surgery, 2 more weeks of paper work catching up with the approval. Finally, at the beginning of August, I got all of the paperwork and called to scheduled my banding. "Lucky Cancellation" number 2 kicked in at that moment, since the my Surgeon had canceled his attendance at a symposium and there was one more surgery appointment available on Aug 26. Without the cancellation, I would have had to wait until October for the banding. I got lucky with the timing and got through the whole thing quickly, but for many, it can take 6 to 8 months (or longer) from the time that you attend the seminar, until you have the procedure. Stay excited and stay enthusiastic about taking control of your weight, but don't too disappointed by how long it may take to finally get banded! Bryan

Great video, it was very inspirational. It's great to see that she took control of her weight issues and is making great progress. I only wish that this tool existed when I was in my 20's. Bryan

1) Not being packed into an airline seat. 2) Not taking so many diabetes meds 3) Not having to pay extra for BIG MEN's clothing 4) Looking down and not being able to see a body part that I hadn't seen (except in the mirror) in quite some time! :regular_smile: Bryan

I'm using Diet & Exercise Assistant v.7. It's a computer desktop application that I can also run on my PDA/Phone (Palm Centro). It's got a great data base of nutrition built into, and is completely customizable. I can build a recipe for a meal using the nutritional information for each ingredient in the database, change the portion size to what I'm actually eating and it tracks it all. With the PDA/Phone syncing, I don't have to be anywhere near my computer to keep up with the food diary. You can even track your weight, exercise/calories burned, blood pressure, and measurements. It cost $25, but it's really easy to use and suits a techy like me just fine. Here's a link to where to buy it online: Keyoe There's a free demo version that you can take for a test drive. Bryan

Some other tricks to make Protein shakes better are: 1. Add a tablespoon of dry unsweetened cocoa powder (even to chocolate flavored protien). It only adds 12 calories, (3 gm carb, 1 gm fat, 1 gm protein) and really intensifies the chocolate flavor. 2. Add a tablespoon of fat free, sugar free, instant Jello pudding mix to your shake. It adds flavor, thickens it up, and generally makes it pretty good. My favorites are butterscotch and cheesecake flavors. 3. Add a tablespoon of fat free cream cheese. It takes a minute longer to blend up, but it adds very little calories and makes it very tasty. 4. A couple of fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, cherries, strawberries, etc.) give a subtle, but different taste to chocolate or vanilla protein mix. It helped me, and I hope that this helps you too. Bryan

I had my first fill (4 cc) four weeks after banding. I felt a restriction right away, but I've lost another 8 lbs in the 3 weeks since the fill and I'm not feeling any restriction at all. Late last week I was able to eat more than I usually could without any discomfort. I've got another fill scheduled for tomorrow. It's just a matter of rolling with it. As you loose more weight, you lose fat around your stomach that was helping with the restriction cause by the band. So the more you lose, the more cc's you need in your band. Bryan [/url]

This is a cliche' and I've heard it all over the place (even on this forum). cheese can have a high fat content, but it's also rich in Protein and Calcium, and moderately low in carbohydrates. Eaten in moderation, it can make your post-band meals more satisfying and cut your cravings for food that is really bad for you. Forget the cliche's and have a little cheese. Bryan

My wife has been very supportive. She even tried to hang with me through the all liquids phase 1 diet (although she'd eat solid food for lunch). She couldn't do it for the whole 2 weeks, though. At least I didn't have to endure seeing a nice juicy steak on the table while I choked down a Protein Drink. My parents, brother, and sister have all been very supportive. Their support comes over the telephone and in emails, since they live in Pennsylvania and I'm in Tennessee. Bryan

Dear Boo Boo Kitty, Don't let it get you down. You've just been through a change to your whole re-learned eating-losing routine. Having only been banded for a month, I'm probably the last one who should be handing out advice, but you may want to try reverting back to the presurgical diet until your fill. It might help to break your current eating pattern and put you back on a weightloss track until you get your fill. Don't loose heart. You've made such amazing progress and 11 pounds isn't very much considering where you started. Bryan

Definitely do NOT spend a bunch of money on Protein powder. I get EAS pure whey Protein Powder from Sam's Club (3 lb bag) for $30. It's 91 servings of 23 protein grams, comes in vanilla or chocolate and tastes pretty good. Walmart and Target also carry this brand, but it's in smaller more expensive bags. You may (I did) get tired of sweet Protein drinks, so also try AnyWhey pure whey protein isolate (unflavored) $35 for 2 lbs. It has very little flavor, so it was great to mix in with broth. I prefered the whey protein to the soy protein. Soy seemed to be a little more chalky. You don't need to spend much money to get high quality protein. Good luck Bryan

Lots of sugar free liquid helps with the hunger pangs. I was there 2 weeks ago myself. It's a tough time, but you have to tough it out. My second week was my roughest week. Bryan Banded August 26, 2008

Sorbitol is sweet, but you can't digest it, since it's a such a long chain sugar. The bacteria in you digestive tract can digest it, though and generate gas. I can't eat sorbitol without turning into the Fartmonster. It won't hurt your pre-op diet, but it won't help you learn to eat differently either. Bryan Banded August 26, 2008

Pain killers are a wonderful thing. I felt just like you did on day of my banding (1 month ago today). Day 2 was pretty good too, but the gas and other discomfort really kicked in on day 3. I had some pretty excruciating pains in my left shoulder (some people say it's due to gas others say projected pain). Happily, my friend liquid hydrocodone and tylenol wiped that out too. Try to remember, they just cut a bunch of holes in you (I had 6) and you're going to need time to recover. Pushing yourself too much, too early, will lengthen your recovery not accelerate it. Be careful and I hope that you lose all of the weight that you plan to. Bryan

I'm going to have my first restaurant meal this evening. It will also be my first Phase III diet meal. I was banded on August 26th and got my first fill two days ago. My wife and I are going to Q'doba and I'm going to get a naked burrito (love the name!) with chicken and black Beans, no tortilla, no rice, no cheese, no sour cream. I'll at least get to eat non-pureed chicken and beans and my first bite of salad in a month. I feel a little bit weird about trying to order from the children's menu, so I just plan to take home whatever I don't eat. At this point I'm not talking about the lap band procedure with anyone but close family and friends. Talking about it to a food service worker who I don't know is outside of my comfort zone. I'm down 22 lbs so far, and down one pants and shirt size. Time to buy some new clothes, but only enough to get me by until I'm at the next size down. Bryan :crying:

I just had my first fill on Tuesday 9/23. 4 ml and it felt pretty tight for about the first 12 hours. I guess that it cause a little inflammation. That has since subsided and I'm feeling pretty good now. I'm looking forward to my first Phase III diet meal for dinner tonight. We're going to Qdoba for a naked chicken burrito (in a bowl, no tortilla, no rice, no cheese, no sour cream). At least I'll get to eat a little chicken and black Beans without being pureed into mush, AND MY FIRST TASTE OF salad in a whole month! I've lost 22 lbs so far. Bryan

It's good to wean yourself off caffiene during the pre-op diet. You won't get any on the morning after your surgery. And you will have a splitting headache in addition to any surgery pain that you have. Bryan Getting banded next Tuesday August 26!

The only difference was that my post surgical diet won't be just Clear Liquids for 1 week. I can go straight into Protein shakes on the day of the surgery and maintain that for 2 weeks.

I just got back from a 4 hour training session with my Bariatric Nurse, Exercise Physiologist, and Nutritionist. Out of 8 people in the class, I was the only one NOT getting a gastric bypass. I was also the only man in the class. Of course I had different classroom materials with different instructions, timeframes, etc. I asked about a pre-op diet, and was told that they want me to be on my weight loss diet, but didn't insist on all liquids. They stressed the idea that a "last supper" mentality can cause problems with swollen liver and more waste to pass leading to constipation. I'm still going to stick to my 2 Protein shakes per day routine and make the best of it. Getting banded next Tuesday August 26. Only 6 days left. Bryan

I made the decision to only discuss it with my Wife, brother, sister, and parents. I needed to find out whether, and to what degree they were supportive of my decision. Every one of my family has been very supportive from the start. The only problem was that my wife felt like she needed to provide specific information about my lapband surgery to her boss to get approval for the time off that she needed for my surgery. Now it's a topic of conversation in her office. I'm not happy about it:cursing:, but it's too late to change it. I informed my boss that I'd be taking time off for surgery, but didn't offer an explanation, and when asked I said "If you really need to know, I'll tell you, but it's personal and I rather not discuss it." I may feel more comfortable talking about it after the procedure and when I'm showing some success at weight loss. Until then, it's nobody's business but mine and the people who love and support me. Bryan Scheduled for banding on August 26. 1 week from today!!!!:thumbup:

Looks like its just T minus 8 days for both of us. I'm going to meet with the nutritionist at Dr. Boyce's office on Wednesday, so I'll get any additional info that I need then. I've been sticking to 2 Protein shakes per day with on regular light meal (low fat and carbs). I figure that it couldn't hurt, in the absence of any official instructions. Bryan