YngGram

Dang, another thing that I am not getting right. I doubt that I'm getting enought Water. I get liquids, but don't focus on water.. next I started taking an Iron tablet, expected stools to be dark and hard. This is the norm with me and Iron. However, I swear my urine had a dang green tint to it about the 3rd day. I stopped for a couple of days and just started back up. If it happens again I will just stop. Who knew your pee and poop could be wrong?

This is a great idea, IMO. I When I finally made up my mind to do this back on Nov. 17th I started to make changes. I kwen I had to learn how to do this. First I gave up sweet tea and soda, replaced with Crystal Lite type drink. I lost 4lbs. the first week, I had to work hard to get in more fluids. Next I changed some food choices, then worked on portions and using a smaller plate. I then added a slim fast meal daily. By Feb. 29 I was down from a size 20/22 jean to an 18. By the time I started my liver shrink diet at the end of the month I had learned to eat yogurt and cottage cheese (not often)and had tried out some Protein drinks; and I had given up the pop corn I had been chowing down on nightly. Surgery day I had lost 19lbs., the most ever without being on a diet and working my body really hard. With the surgery I picked up about 6lbs. and it took some work to get it off. I think it's the gas they pump in but it didn't just go away; adding food back in I think the body holds onto it more because it doesn't know what you just did to it. Two weeks of a high protein diet (for me) then a week of full liquids (slim fast & protein shakes) week of soft food. I did a little treadmill time, but nothing regular. I am now almost 2 months post-op and have lost a total of 39lbs. and can wear a size 14 jeans. I still can't get myself to the gym but I am working on it. I have not been hungry and now that I can have "regurlar" food, the big deal is to chew well and eat slowly. Had a couple of bad episods with that, still learning.:thumbsup: The lesson is a hard one but I tend to just do things to quickly.

Good luck to you, yes it is worth it all.

YES!!! You do change, however who you are doesn't. Therefore, IMO you won't do anything at say 140 that you didn't WANT to do at 240. I am down about 39lbs. since I made the decision to do lapband back in Nov. I have gone from a size 22 jean to a 14, I am so happy with me I can barely stand it. I was just talking to my husband last week about how some of the women seem to morf into wild women and that I didn't understand where it came from. He said that I didn't because I have always been so sure of myself and because I made this choice for health reasons. I have been married for 31 years and don't have plans to go anywhere, I love him, he knows. I will slide into the 100's soon and have made him some big promises, hopefully I really do have the energy to carry them out. As I have moved through this I have talked with my husband, keeping him a part of what is going on.

Hi Robert, sorry to hear you are having problems, but it does get better. I am almost 2 months post-op. First, are you following the diet your doctor gave you? IF you can have oatmeal try some, it might help "dry" you out a little. You know liquid in liquid out. As you move through the stages your body will make changes. For the gas all you can do is walk it out, and pass it. I was really bad and worried that it would always be that way, but it slowly went away and I could be around others. I still get gassy when I eat, but not all the discomfort. Walking just helps you to heal as well. What I feel at my large incision is the port, I hope that will go down some as I lose and continue to heal. The swelling and soreness is different for each but, I have been told it takes almost a year for the full process. Do what the doc says and you should be just fine, the early stages are hard for many, I was lucky and could sleep but a couple of nights the gas woke me. :thumbup:

The band does not stop ALL hunger, it isn't supposed to. It allows you to be full sooner with less, and with good choices will keep you full longer. Don't drink until you should. I have had 1 fill, and I haven't been hungry. I haven't been since I started the pre-op, however I remind myself to eat when I should so that I don't get overly hungry and can't make the good choices (how I got overweight). I don't think about food until I am making a meal choice. I don't log my food, so I must think about what I have had in the last few meals. I want to make sure I am getting a variety of foods. Keeping up with my liquids seems to keep me in line. I must start my day with liquids because I am to tight to make my first meal solid. Just hot tea is enough to get me going till lunch of salad or my treat of Pasta (3-4 noodles) tossed with a meat and Spanish Tomato bullion.:thumbdown:

It comes off of each of us differently and different styles and fabrics fit differently. I lost about 12lbs. before my pre-op diet and got into an 18 for the first time in about 4 years; that was on the 28th of Feb. I was at 228lbs. I have now lost a total of 38lbs. My daughter took me Mother's Day shopping on Sat. and she bought me some size 14 jeans that fit really nice. However, we couldn't find anything Khaki that would even come close to fitting under an 18 (which I wouldn't try on). Some tops fit that are large, and others won't go over my breast (which are smaller). Check your measurements and I bet they are going down. My face is slimmer and I can see it. Other the few people that know I had surgery only one person has commented that I lost weight. Try some things on in smaller sizes and I think you will be happy

I am green, salads with turkey, little red meat, brocolli often. Eating shrimp and some tuna. I have never been an 8 hr person cause I am a night owl. I am walking I just don't have energy I didn't get the pills cause I remembered that they have made me constipated in the past. It might just be in my mind, housemates not pulling their weight and I think my mind is fighting them. I feel good otherwise, I will talk with docs involved andI will get some bloodwork done next week.

I find that I am a little run down. 6-7 hours of sleep and I still can't get anything done. I sit all day planning what I need to do, just can't get it done. Couple of people suggested taking an Iron pill so I got some tonight. I am doing my Vitamins daily with 1200 mg additional Calcium and Biotin. Anyone else have this problem and what did you do to work throug it?

I was banded about 6 weeks ago and I really didn't find the pre op to hard. I had cut back on my own slowly over a few months. However, what made it easier was that what I was allowed to have was enough that I was never hungry. Carnation Instant Breakfast, Slim Fast shakes, lean meat, veggies and a sandwich daily. I worked really hard to get in the Fluid, I had to time myself to drink Water. I didn't eat with my husband because of a crazy schedule he keeps and if I kept to my own schedule of eating about 4-4.5 hours I was good. I was more bored with the food than anything. Drinking something coffee flavored has always satisfied me so I sprikled instant coffee in the shakes in the morning. Follow what the doc gave you and you will be ok. I lost about 18 lbs in 2 weeks on mine.

I love the chew thing, the texture thing and it hits me at night. Celery sticks or carrots work but lots of chewing needed. I have a coffee like drink to keep me in line. If I use Swiss Miss I go with half Water and half skim milk with a little freeze dried instant coffee. Coffee tastes makes my hunger go to sleep, don't know why it works. Before the band I woud just make coffee, but I must have cream and lots of sugar so I had to make this change. The Mini Delights (Rice Cakes) from Quaker Oats in popcorn flavor if things don't settle down the way I need or if I am craving salty. They are about 90 calories a pack.

I was banded on 3/9 and I am so sick of the 8 or so lbs that won't come off so that I am under 200. I can get down to 204 and creep right back up. I thought it was carbs, but I really don't have that much. I think if these will go my life would be great.

Here's the good one. I had Chemo in 02 an haven't had a period since. Some spotting if I'm stressed, and in Nov. when I had a Nuclar Stress Test. I am 6 weeks out, last Mon. got my first fill and Mon. night there was my little gift. I figured it would just be some spotting, so I dug out the panty liners. Nope, wrong way to go. By Wed. I was searching the house for tampons. My husband laughed so hard I thought he would hurt something. He said that not only did I look funny, looked in some crazy places but that everything that came out of my mouth was something he didn't think I knew or would ever say! At 51 this is not a road I want to travel again! Oh, he also said we could work on making another "little tax decution". I told him I would make a "little decution" on him!

I was heavier coming out of the hospital than going in. My take on it is 1. They pump in gas for surgery. 2. Body builds up Fluid as part of the healing process. It took me about 2 weeks for things to settle back down. Also you slid up a little when you start on mushy and soild foods.

Why not just say "New Diet"

That is a little more that doc usually wants you to have. I was like that after about a week. My pouch was fine, but I knew I would need to learn how to do it right. I got my first fill on Mon. Today I could start the solids again, I plan to use only soft stuff for a few days. I didn't pay attention and to a bite larger than I should and paid the price! The feeling is unreal, I was sweating and having trouble breathing. After it passed I didn't want any more food. I waited about 3 hours and tried again. All was well, but the amount was so small and I was full. Now that I have restriction I can understand how this works. You will be fine, just try to keep to the amount you were told by the doc and make good choices.

I have been told this in normal. I know it's what has happened to me. I am doing about a 1lb a week. Got my first fill yesterday and I had lost 1lb since a follow up last Mon. I think the "bad" guy in mushy foods is the dang potatoe. Most of us go for that as a good food to start with but it is a bad guy to me. The eggs are a good Protein source. Things change as the body heals so don't worry to much right now. You just follow what the doc told you to do and you will be fine.

OK, first is it really all liquid? Mine was a Liver Shrink with high Protein and included a sandwich of 97% deli meat. I used the sugar free popsciles to give me the sweet, drank lots of crystal lite type drink, and yogurt keep me happy. It was not bad, and key is to do MIND OVER MATTER!!!

I had a 2 week Liver Shrink Diet, it was high Protein with No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast, High Protein Slimfast, 97% deli meat, whole wheat bread and yogurt. Lost about 18 lbs. This is the norm for my surgerical group.

Don't worry about it, I have about 2 lbs. that come and go every couple of days. I float between 208 and 210.5. The scale is a mean mean monster. I can weigh and take a bath, when I get out (hour or so) 2 lbs are gone. However, I tried it with a shower and I weighed about .5 lbs more. I have been given the following reasons from a more experienced bandster.

1. Healing time

2. Liquid in liquid out, moving to soild food causes more to just "sit" in our bodies veres the "flow" of a liquid diet. If we do 2 weeks of liquids our systems get flushed.

3. As we do mushies, most tend to go with potatoes and such that are carbs and they are processed differntly than the mostly Protein that we have been cosuming. Most of us do "shakes" made with low fat milk which is processed like the Protein from chicken.

This is what I noticed most, I was loosing OK the first week but as I have healed and the swelling gone down, I can eat more food. So while I am still under the calorie count alllowed, I am getting more than I did the first week.

I don''t have any input for the first part of your question but I do need to comment about the second part. It really wasn't explained to me that well either. The big push was that this was healing time. My band is empty and I am scheduled for a fill on Mon. The first week or so I felt some restriction but I believe that was from swelling and as it went down I was able to eat more. Of course I am not dropping the pounds as I had hoped but am doing about .5 - .75 lbs. per week. I hope that the fill will give me some restriction and I will be able to do the 3 1/2c meals per day. I really have problems with the measure being in volume, my mind is not really picking up on the full picture.

Congrats! Each surgeron has his own. I was given a 2 week "Liver Shrink Diet", it inculded whole wheat bread for a sandwich daily if I wanted, High Protein Slimfast, No Surgar Carnation Instant Breakfast, 97% Deli meat and yogurt. I lost about 18lbs. I actually put myself on a diet ahead of time by cutting out sweet tea, eating smaller protions and having a shake a day; I really think this helped to make the future changes easier to take. For me small changes made a big difference and doing some early kept it from being system shock.

I'll check in as the pissed one. I feel fine and have had no problems,I have a fill on Mon. and I do have some worries about that. My issues to list are, little weight loss since surgery, sticking to the plan; have gone down a pant size and that is now lose on me. The big deal is that my taste has changed. I have no real interest in food, I am not hungry and everything seems tasteless. I made tuna for lunch and I got down about an oz. Not because I am full, I just don't like the taste. Last week made fish and couldn't eat any of it. I sat down, looked at it and got up and put it right in the trash. Food doesn't taste like it should or has no taste at all. I can't even stand the taste of my liquid stuff. The best thing is I feel good so the other stuff doesn't matter.

I only had a couple of days like that (no reason I could think of) I just had to give into it and toke it easy. I was about 15-16 days out. I called in body adjustment time. Now that I am back to a real life, I get kicked out easily. I had to drive about 6 hours on Thurs. and back home on Fri. I worked about 2 hrs. yesterday and today and I was wiped out. I took a nap about 1:45 and was out till 5:30, there will be no problem getting to sleep tonight.

CALL THE DOC!!

There could easily be something wrong, and if not he may be able to order something that will help.

I simply stated that my doc had me on a restictive diet. As I have several medical issues it was easily accepted. Once I was pass liquids it was a little harder because mushies don't work well in pool halls. I was known for my nightly order of "hot" wings and sweet tea. Now I eat at home and can just say that I already had dinner. I spend the night sipping on Water and if I can get a red or dark cup I can add some Crystal Lite. Just go with the new diet, or I'm working on new eating habits and "friends" won't push.