Melissannde

That is really fast weight loss. Congratulations! One thing you might want to talk to your doctor about is to watch for gallbladder issues. Really rapid weight loss can cause problems with the GB. There's medications that can be given to prevent problems down the road. Just a FYI. It took me 5 months to lose 70 lbs and I came up with GB problems.. something to think about. Again, congrats on your success and may it continue!

Vicky, While I haven't been diagnosed with arthritis in my knees, I definitely have some pain issues going on. Yes, Zumba CAN be hard on the knees, esp if you have an instructor who is big on jumping. I have two pieces of advice: 1) look for some kind of dance shoe. Nike I think makes one called Musique or something like that. One of my instructors has a shoe that is really unique by the name of GlaGlas. I wear my old New Balances that are worn enough that they don't have as much traction as they used to.. you want a shoe that will slide just a bit. A split sole might also be useful, but not mandatory. Talk to some of the instructors and see what they suggest. 2) Look for a Zumba Gold class. Zumba Gold is basically a low impact class. I've done both regular Zumba and Zumba Gold and I actually got more out of the Zumba Gold. If there's not a Zumba Gold class in your area, modify the regular Zumba. If the instructor does jumps, you stay on the ground. If they do side steps with twisting motions with the knees, just do the side steps without the twist. These are things that I do and no one has any problem with me not doing the steps exactly as the instructor does. I also take a dose of Tylenol before dancing. If you think Zumba might be too much, at least for now, you might like Yoga or Pilates. I find that these are excellent for making me more limber.

I rarely did Protein drinks after surgery. In fact I recently gave away a nearly full canister of powder that I used once or twice. I didn't worry about protein during my refeeding time. However, my doctor has his patients back on regular food in two weeks. If I had to go a longer time before being back on solids, I might be more worried about protein intake. I lived on Campbells Bean with Bacon soup, thinned with 1/2 can of chicken broth and blenderized. sugar free Jello, Sugar Free popsicles, chicken broth, beef broth, yogurts. Other campbells soups too, but bean w/bacon was my favorite. Bariatriceating.com has a recipe for white chicken chili that is out of this world. I made it as is for the family and put mine in the blender.

Should you be concerned? No, not at this point. Wait till you go in for your first fill and then if they can't access your port, then you can be concerned. Relax, it's likely just your body changing as you recover from surgery.

try freecycle. www.freecycle.org I just got 7 , yes 7, bags of clothing this past weekend from a freecycler. I pulled out what I wanted and re-freecycled the rest. All I had to spend was the gas to go pick the stuff up.

Oooo.. I <3 <3 <3 Body Pump. Our gym doesn't offer Body Combat, what's it like?

The gym I go to has 4 different Zumba instructors and I've taken from each one. Every instructor has a different style and different levels of intensity. If you go to one place/instructor and don't fit in, try another. I've been doing Zumba for about a year, some dances I have down, others I still can't get, but no one cares. Just keep moving and enjoying the calorie burn. Ditch the workout.. join the party!! (~ Zumba's motto)

Jake, my doctor suggests that we try eating our 3oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of veggies, then wait 20 minutes. Then if we're still hungry to have more veggies (this is with the understanding that the veggies aren't drowning in butter or some other high calorie sauce). Also my doctor says to wait at least 30 minutes after the meal to drink to allow what food we've eaten time to make us feel full. Drinking the 32oz of water was a good strategy, I just can't tell from your post if you waited a bit before you drank. And not to be discouraging, but sometimes it takes more than one fill to get good appetite dimming. It's not our goal to get "full" like before surgery, the goal is to feel satisfied on smaller amounts. I often have to walk away from the table and give my stomach and brain time to communicate. I can always go back for more if I'm REALLY hungry after 20 minutes. Hang in there, it will get better. You might also read the label on that Honey Bourbon sauce.. if it has HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) or lots of sugar in it, it might be contributing to your hunger. btw, I must tell you your name makes me smile.. I have a great nephew named Jake and Tucker is a family surname.

Most of the time hair loss after weight loss surgery is due to a process called Telogen Effluvium. There's a really good article that explains it in detail here: http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/ywm22/wlsandhairloss.php I'd like to add that if you are of a certain age, and post-menopausal, it might be MORE than surgery & weight loss going on. I had started to have hair thinning before banding, after banding it got worse. I went to my PCP and had lots of blood work drawn..there are many imbalances that can result in hair loss but nothing was out of order. I got referred to a dermatologist and the Dermatologist determined that my hair loss is not temporary, but permanent due to severe hormonal changes. I've been placed on Rogaine and am thinking about looking into Propecia. While it's very likely that the stress from banding and weight loss is the cause and the thinning will be only temporary, if it really bothers you, get it checked out. In my case, I can prevent further loss, I can't get back the follicles that are gone forever.

Considering how obese I was and that the obesity had already contributed to cancer for me.. no, I don't think so. In fact my only regret so far has been that I didn't do this SOONER.

Try grating a zucchini and using it in place of the pasta. That way you get your veggie and a semblance of pasta. Spaghetti squash works well too.

b = bob's redmill steelcut oatmeal with chopped apple, f/f half & half & some DaVinci s/f pancake syrup. Only able to eat 1/2, rest saved for tomorrow. L = 3oz of beef pot roast, 1/2 cup veggies (green Beans, onions, tomatoes, kohlrabi <in place of potatoes>) preworkout snack = wasa cracker, laughing cow cheese, apple slices Postworkout = Syntrax nectar Protein drink D = same as lunch.

I was never required to crush my medications. We were told to use liquid tylenol at first and by the time we were back on solid foods we could take tylenol capsules or caplets. My doctor doesn't want us to take NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) such as Aspirin, Bufferin, Aleve, Ibuprofen, Anacin, etc. Please check with YOUR doctor about what you can take.

Every doctor is different as every patient is different. My doctor usually has his patients back on solid food by the end of two weeks if all is going well. You have to find a doctor that you trust and can follow 90 to 95% of their guidelines. YMMV

I've had a few sips of diet coke in the almost 2 years I've been banded. Never caused me any pain or distention or slippage. I do not drink a whole soda nor do I take the sips very often.. maybe every 4 to 6 months I'll have a few swallows.It was almost a year before I had any after my surgery.

Yes, I have had this too. And I had rapid weight loss at the beginning of my journey. But I'm not getting my GB out, even though my surgeon would like to take mine out. I have an extremely high deductible on my insurance which would essentially make me self-pay, and I don't have 20K laying around for surgery. So I will eat low fat, and take my chances. I do have a few stones, but they are very small. Yes, I know I'm taking a chance, but it's my choice. I only have GB pains when I eat high fat foods. Last pain episode was July 4 when I ate two pork ribs. Probably I could've gotten by with eating only one.. it was the second that did me in. Make sure that having your GB removed is really what you want to do. There are side effects that are not often talked about.. like diarrhea after eating high fat foods. On the other hand, many people have theirs removed and have little to no side effects. Just be sure you are well informed because they sure can't put it back once it's gone. Best of luck to you.

The refunding you infrequently get with the band is not accompanied by nausea. The food usually is not mixed with gastric juices so it doesn't taste nasty. It's a whole different thing than the N&V we're all familiar with from being ill.

Since the regular size only goes up to 14, I'll hold off a bit, since I'm currently in an 18 and on my way to a 16...but it's a great idea!!

Hi Rennie, I'm sorry you're getting a bad feeling about the band from this posting. The Hungry Hungry Hungry thing is not the experience of many bandsters. I think what was meant to be expressed.. and done very poorly IMO.. was that there will be times you are hungry, but the band will help you control it. Some folks go into banding either not being told, or they didn't hear this part, that there is a time immediately after surgery that you don't feel hungry because of the post-op swelling. Once the swelling goes down, hunger comes back and it seems worse than ever for a period of time. Between surgery and your first fill can be anywhere from 4 weeks to 2 months, most surgeons seem to settle at 6 weeks. The first fill might help DIM the hunger a bit, but then again it might not. It may take anywhere from 3 to 4 fills to get really good hunger dimming. People talk about restriction on this site alot. I don't believe in using my band to restrict my food intake. I don't use it as a strangulation device (thanks to a bandbuddie on another list for that great quote!!), but as a tool to help me make better choices. With my hunger restrained, I can more easily chose healthier foods. Not that I don't slip up and make a bad choice now and then.. but it's one chocolate instead of a bag.. or one plate of nachos instead of 3 or 4. Hope this helps a little.

I'm sorry I didn't reply to your original post. I did see it last night, but was tired and went on to bed thinking someone else would do it. Sorry. I've had discomfort in my port area after eating, but I can usually attribute it to eating too much. I knew I was eating too much and did it anyway (I'm such a blockhead sometimes) because it kept tasting so good. However, having discomfort after only 1 bite would concern me. Especially since you report that the last fill left your port area swollen. Let's hope it's just a tad of overfill and nothing worse. Let us know how it goes.

You might look at WASA crisp & light crackers. They are 20 calories each, but very large crackers. Very bland in taste so that whatever you're eating with them the flavor comes through. Whole grain, some Protein, but don't recall the number. If you have calorie room to spare, look at Dr. Kracker Organic pumpkin Seed crackers. They are whole grain, very thick and filling. But one is 100 calories. Again, don't know the protein count, but I'm sure they have some. Crackers are tough for me because I can eat most of the mindlessly.. and before I know it I've eaten way more than I should. The Dr. K are so hearty that doesn't happen. WASA makes a few other varieties.. the crisp & light are the lowest in calories. Have fun in your search.

I don't remember worrying too much about the amount of Protein I got immediately post-op. There's protein in almost everything, just varying degrees. I don't know where you are on your post-op re-feeding schedule, but you can add Protein powder to many things or use chicken broth to thin Soups or (if not on clear liquids) use skim milk. I wouldn't force myself to eat. Our bodies have plenty stored. Now is the time to heal. Listen to your body and follow your doctor's guidelines as closely as possible. Congratulations on your new life!!

Hi, I suspect that the N&V from the Lortab has made your band just a bit irritated & swollen. Have you tried backing down to liquids or soft foods for a period of time? If the soft foods do well, then slowly advance back to solids. Treat it like you would after having a fill. I know you said you have an appt on the 18th, but I would go ahead and call and talk to one of the support staff and see if they have any other ideas. There might be other pain meds that you can take that won't make you as nauseous or they might suggest an anti-nausea med to take with the pain med. They may also want you to come in sooner for evaluation. Call and let the professionals decide. Hope you feel better soon.

Or to "search" for them!! ROFL

If they are depressing you, get rid of them.. give away or sell. If you can make yourself put them away for a period of time, 2 weeks, month, whatever and then try them again, then keep. I know how you feel, before banding when I would try and try to lose weight and then go and try clothes and no progress.. waaaahhh. And I'd eat to kill the pain. I just got 7 bags of clothing (.. omg.. it started out as 3) from a gal on freecycle. There's every size from 12 to 22 in the bags. I'm slowly going through them and picking out what I want and the rest I will re-freecycle. Right now about in an 18, but I just found a sleeveless (!!) dress in the bag in a 16 that I'm keeping because maybe by Spring I'll be down to that. I don't like sleeveless, but for free I can figure something out to wear over it I also shop at a local charity store that supports local Hospice care. I've gotten some real bargain there. Hang in there, you WILL get smaller. And the suggestion to exercise is a good one. I find that doing weight lifting is reshaping my body as I lose. The class I take isn't about body building but shaping and toning. The one I take is called Body Pump, but there are other good classes out there. Look around in your area.