jms462001

I drink gallons of water and have taken the stool softeners alone, but the stool softeners won't help if nothing is moving!

I take colon cleansers from the health food store regularly. That's the only thing that works for me and I am very thankful they do as I have to take pain meds regularly!! Right now I am taking Colone. It is an all natural dietary supplement. It has a variety of roots, barks, and seeds, but I think the Cascara Sagrada is the ingredient that works really well. I guarantee you will have no more problems with constipation if you take it! It also keeps the weight loss going.

I had trouble with the ticker too, being computer illiterate as I am!! If you do a search on here, someone gives very explicit instructions that helped me. The good news is I got brave after all my weekend eating and weighed today and was so happy to be down 2 more pounds. I was scared due to the family dinners and the Dr. telling me I would gain some back now that I am eating real food and losing post surgery restriction. Now, if I can just rely on good food choices and will power until Jan 6th when I get the first fill or however many fills it takes to get restriction ugh!!!!!!!

I doubt he cares so much if they are fresh or frozen veggies. His main point is to be sure one eats no veggies that grow under the ground such as potatoes, yams, carrots, beets and such.

I just think of sugar as poison and have for years. That usually keeps me away from it because it really is poison. My experience with pumpkin pie filling from a piece of pumpkin pie the other night really reinforced that thought again for me!! Anyone know why I would have had such a problem with that when I have had no problem with any other foods getting stuck??

1 TBS of PB satisfies me for a very long time!!!

The physical specialist they have told me none of my physical therapy abdominal exercises for 4-6 weeks because they are way too strenuous. At my two week post-op visit, my surgeon said if it doesn't hurt me it doesn't hurt him!! He told me I could do anything! I wonder how much expertise some surgeons have over and above the actual surgery! The co-surgeon says eat only meat, poultry, fish and vegetables that grow above the ground for the first year! He has had the lapband surgery and I guess that is how he lost 100 pounds. The nutritionist they hired to advise their patients said to consult with him on any advise the Dr's give!!

I had never wanted to feel mine till I started reading about everyone feeling theirs!!!! It turns out I can't feel it anyway. My incision is a bit raised. Is it supposed to be felt right under the incision or to the side?I hope it's there lol!!!!!!

Yeah, I wondered about the sx too!!!!! My idea about the port site was pretty much opposite. The surgeon quickly showed me and I'm sure he indicated it would be right under my left breast. Instead, it's on the left side of my lower stomach. I can't bring myself to feel for it!!!!!!!!!

You are still on liquids aren't you? I wouldn't worry about the burping. There is alot of gas there from the surgery and burping is good. You need lots of fluids. Just remember to sip them throughout the day.

My instructions say eat 5 times a day with emphasis on protein up to 1/2 cup but never more. It says NEVER weigh my food because an ounce in weight i not the same as an ounce in volume. I do not always, or I should say seldom, measure my food, but I can tell I don't go much over 1/2 cup. I eat until I am no longer hungry and try to tell how to stop before I am full! I am still learning! I also find it difficult to eat 5 times a day and usually eat only 4 at the most. I do get in at least 1000 calories I believe and all the protein.

My Dr. waits the full 6 weeks for the first fill as he wants to be sure healing is complete. He does a second one two weeks later though, and I think another 1 month after. Then for the remainder of the first year, he schedules apps every 4-6 weeks to see how we are doing. I am on a regular diet as I am into the 4th week. I made a big turkey dinner on the weekend as my son came into town and we had a family get together. It seemed like I ate quite a bit, but I had no problems. This week I am doing well on program, but it seemed like I was eating a lot because I just felt like I was eating too much ( you know the feeling). So today I used the fit day food calculator and found I only ate about 1000 calories which surprised me and I am never hungry. I have not weighed since last week because since I started food I just "knew" I must have gained!! Now my confession!! I have had no problems eating meat, bread stuffing, broccoli, chicken, ham, or any other foods I have tried. I ate pumpkin pie filling from a piece of pumpkin pie last night and it just would not seem to go down, I could not swallow (or so it felt) and it seemed to be stuck there even when I went to sleep. This morning it felt like I had horrible phlegm in my throat which was really difficult to bring up. The entire experience was horrible and needless to say I learned my lesson!! I thought pumpkin pie filling would be like pudding, or at least smooth enough to go down easily, so I could not understand the problems. I have read that some people have problems with cinnamon (which I love!). Does anyone know why I might have had such a problem with it when I have had no problems with anything else that commonly causes problems for people??

Everyone seems to have their own taste when it comes to protein drinks, but i swear there are some nobody could drink!! I tried to get as many samples as I could and have lots around!! The one I like best was the Muscle Milk Light and it is very high in protein. I make just half when I have it. I like the Chocolate caramel and I add a bit of Peanut butter (something many would no doubt find gross lol) and my fav is the strawberry banana and I add a couple frozen strawberries and a half of a banana. A half of a shake keeps me satisfied for a long time. But, since I was allowed real food I much prefer a can of light tuna or occasionally albacore for a whopping 30 grams of powerful protein!!!

And many of us with challenges such as severe arthritis have to find what works for us. But, there are no excuses for anyone. The exercise bike works for almost everyone who can et their butt up on it, Water exercises are great, and physical therapy can teach the right exercises for most all conditions. Time. I guess we all have to find that, but I know it is just an excuse when I use it because I can always squeeze it in somewhere!!! We don't need that much to do what we need to accomplish.

All expert advise aside, I think any exercise we lapbanders do, regardless of when we eat our carbs, will be a huge advantage, especially if we compare it with the exercise some did before the band!!!

As much as I hate the thought of gaining even an ounce back either, now is the time we need to heal and get ready for really being banded. I have started telling people that my band has just been placed. I now must heal and it won't start working for me until I've had a couple fills. Secretly, I'm hoping it might be doing something to help me keep making good choices and lose a couple more pounds!!

I'm also just about 3 weeks and have had some stomach aches after meals. I contribute it to starting more real food and also going longer between meals. Gas is still some of the problem too, I think and constipation is sometimes a problem I'm dealing with.

This is what I'm trying to recognize!! Seems like "full" creeps up on me before "not hungry" shows up!!! I really have to work on that part! I'm always afraid if I stop too soon I'll be hungry again in a half hour! I suppose I'll get it after awhile.

You must not be eating the same as you used to or you would not have lost 3 pounds. And, a pound a week is a reasonable and good loss!

Meat loaf was good for me when I went out to dinner. Baked beans were yummy as my first real food!! I am making a turkey dinner tomorrow and the nutritionist told me to eat the turkey with some gravy (not too much of course!!!) I am not 3 weeks out until Monday. I'm very jealous of everyone getting fills. I have to wait until Jan 6th and I have not felt any restriction with any food going down even though the Dr put some fill in during surgery supposedly.

I agree!! It is not just small variations either. I can't imagine people staying on liquids for a month or actually 6 weeks counting the pre-op diet. I would probably be close to my goal before I got my first fill and in need of plastic surgery!!!!!!! Actually, I know I couldn't do it and I commend those who are able to stick with it!

I am so glad I am allowed to have chicken salad and tuna salad week 3 along with other soft foods. I even ate meat loaf at dinner last night and have had baked beans. I was getting very tired of protein drinks and soup and all that stuff for two weeks and the appetite has been coming back. Some Dr's are very strict, but my Dr absolutely won't give a fill until 6 weeks post op because he said I would not want to have any adhesions in the port area left unhealed or something like that soooooo he said I probably won't lose anymore weight the next month and will most likely gain a couple pounds, but not to worry because we are in it for the long haul and in a year it will all be gone!!!!!! I hope he's right!

The first two weeks, I was full with very little little liquid or soup. Now I am close to 3 weeks and the appetite seems to be picking up because I can eat an entire can of tuna at one time! I would much rather get 30 grams of protein from that than a protein shake! I just won't eat albacore too much so that I don't OD on mercury! Supposedly I got a bit of fill at surgery, but I don't feel much restriction now.

You have lost 6 pounds since 10/27. We are supposed to lose 1-2 pounds a week with the band. Sounds like you are right on track!! Congrats on your weight loss thus far.

I was also hungry day 4 and the center told me to go on to week two and have some cream soups. That cream of tomato sure was good!!