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I had major problems with constipation for about two months after surgery. It was on and off. Get some fiber meds that you can add to your drink, also, there is a tea called "smooth move" that helps. Drink A LOT of water and hang in there. This is a stage that you will get through. Once you start eating and can include more fiber in your diet, your system will straighten out. Remember that this is a far healther option than by-pass because your system is intact. It just needs to adjust.

Good luck!

You amaze me Julie.Ann! More than 100 pounds in well under a year. I loved your blog about surprising your family. How awesome was that!

Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, but takes up less space. You may be in better shape now than when you graduated from high school, which is why you wear smaller sizes at the same weight. I also read an article that said that clothing sizes have changed, and are larger now than they were 10 or 15 years ago. Depressing thought.

Hey, Sarahp626, I agee with you! Everyone has an opinion about what I should be - it gets old. I'm a lot older than you and Julie.Ann, and am worried about having all that loose, stretched out skin. So I am deliberately going for a slower loss. I'm right at 50 pounds off, and had the surgery on Nov. 24 - so that's 9 months, right? The bottom line: I'm not hungry, I don't feel deprived, I feel and look a helluva lot better and I'm not done yet!!!

Mary

Julile Ann,

I had my surgery with Dr. K. on Nov. 24 2008. After seeing your posting on the LabBandTalk site, I came to your blog to find "the secret" to your success. I was working my way backwards from your most recent post and found this letter. It really hit me too.

Somehow, I keep looking for a magic solution; I keep looking for the "secret" to succes. In fact (like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz), the power has been with me all along! The band isn't the magic wand, but rather it is a tool - just as Dr. K. said it is. My job is to work WITH it and not expect it to work all by itself.

I have to keep in mind that every time I put something in my mouth, I am making a choice. So why would I try to work around the tool that Dr. K. put in place? (And I paid so dearly for). Like you, I have to condition myself to live with my new, unhungry self. This is so new to me.

Thanks for sharing so much on your blog - you are helping others with the struggle of our lives!

Mary

Very best wishes to you skinnyminney! I had it done on Nov. 24 and it really wasn't too bad at all. Do follow the diet your Dr. gives you, and be patient. This is a tool that will make a huge difference, but you may still have to address some of the head-hunger that we all have.

I just had my 3rd fill yesterday (by the way, the fills don't hurt at all), and I feel like I am there. I couldn't eat an entire healthy choice frozen meal for lunch because I got full! I lost about 24 pounds leading up to this third fill, which I think is about right. Do drink the fluids to avoid constipation.

Good luck, and I'll look for your posts!

Karen - Thanks for the dose of reality! Congratulations on such great weight loss in a few short months!

I got my first fill yesterday afternoon and am still getting used to it. I find that mushie foods don't stay with me very long. I also am realizing that the band isn't a magic wand. I still have to work on my poor eating choices and slowing it down.

I got the okay to start excercising. I joined Curves before the surgery and am looking forward to getting serious about it. What kind of excercise are you doing Karen? Does it get easier with weight loss? I too started at 265 and am down 14 pounds.

I just got my band a month ago and get my first fill on Monday Dec 22. The last week or so has been a real struggle not to regain the weight I lost during the pre-op diet and post op liquids. I work in higher ed and there is food EVERYWHERE!!!!

But here's the thing, fellow bandmates...We are human. This journey represents major changes to our lifestyles. The band is just a tool to help us. But we have to be vigilant about changing our habits. That takes work - and that work never stops. aclubb - I have to agree that what you have accomplished during a time of great stress is nothing short of miraculous. I admire you for collecting yourself and getting a grip NOW before you completely undo all your hard work. You have remembered that despite not having a lot of control over the divorce, the job-market and your housing situation: you have control over your eating. I hope that thought empowers you to keep at this.