39andholding

Laurita, I was banded 11/20 but first fill is not till 1/6/10. :

Swangal, I for one am very sensitive to sodium intake. For instance, last Wed I was 165 when I weighed in the am (I am very short, so still 65 lbs overweight) Then the next day I had gained 2 lbs, and there is no way I ate 7000 calories LOL... It was because I had about 4000mg of sodium (2 big cans of soup throughout the day) My caloric intake was still at 1000 or less. So I suggest to try some low sodium soups or more no-cal drinks & Jello & popsicles. Good luck and yes, please concentrate on healing first!

I am just post-op (Nov 20) but IMO if you are consistently losing 2-3 lbs a week, you are on target. Maybe you could lose 5 lbs a week with NO carbs but is that healthy or satisfying? Will that mean when you lose the weight, you will revert to bad habits and go nuts eating the bad stuff? I have seen so many people lose weight on Atkins just to gain it back because they can't go low-carb forever. Good luck and keep up the good work!

I too like the protein shakes for breakfast sometimes. There are some mornings I am just too on the go to sit and chew... but I certainly understand the worry about drinking our calories.

:w00t: Um, now I'm telling on myself. I was banded Nov 20 and still supposed to be on full liquid. No fills yet. :rolleyes2: I am losing good (2 lbs / week) I guess because I'm still under 1000 cals per day.

Hi there... I haven't looked around to find this answer so I hope you can answer for me, if you don't mind :rolleyes2: What's the problem with rice? Does it get stuck or is it a slider? I had some last night and chewed it really well and had no problems. So that's when I started thinking, :w00t: that maybe it's a slider, not a sticker. :w00t:

I'm addicted to FB games. I agree with the PP who said that you feel much better getting away from them. I still play but I tell you sometimes I am playing and thinking "gotta get this monkey off my back!" :thumbdown: I lose much better when I am just moving around the house, and I mean basic things like laundry and dishes, then sitting there playing video games. Good luck, I'm rooting for you! :eek:

Hi all, Going to post my question here first to see if I get any feedback. Background - Surgery was Nov 20. Had 2 weeks high protein/low carb liquid diet before the surgery. Supposed to be on 1 week Clear liquids and 3 weeks full liquids post op, and then move to soft foods. I have had a few days of food here and there (I miss chewing :scared2:) I am down 16-17 lbs since Nov 5, the day I began liquids, probably down 6 since the surgery. So not too bad. My question is, I have noticed at times a pinched-nerve sensation in my back. It's that feeling you get when you feel like you need to crack your back (twist left and right, bend over or stretch to hear it "pop") What I have noticed is that I get this sensation coincidentally when a lot of time has passed since I have eaten. I am wondering if this is a "new" type of hunger pain I will feel when it's time to eat? It is different than the old hunger pains that were in my tummy... like I said, these are square in my back. I am feeling it right now, and it's been since 10am that I ate; and it's 3:15 now... so I am going to go eat and see if it goes away. This has happened about 3-4 times since surgery and each time the pain has subsided after I ate. Just wondering if anyone else has felt the same thing? I am not supposed to officially go to soft food till Dec 18th, but I feel great and I know some are not on liquids for an entire month... so I have been eating real food (following normal LAP-BAND®® guidelines for portion size and chewing), especially when I'm out of popsicles and Jello.

This past saturday I made what I called "cream of thanksgiving soup" :tongue2: where I boiled the veggies to over-cooked and then threw them in the blender with turkey (also some leftover chicken) and a cup of Water, a bouillon packet and mashed potatoes... blended it up... it was yummy.

Completely normal and OH SO DISGUSTING My surgery was Nov 20 and I am still supposed to be on full liquid... however I have had a couple days where I had a mushy (like mashed sweet potatoes or applesauce) The potty issues get better once you have not-so-liquidy food. Ever since I "cheated" by having a day with mushies, I have not had the crazy diarrhea. And the gas went away... the stupid broth is just really bad for the gas & runs I guess? :tongue2: I know it is not good to go against doctor's orders, but I have no regrets because I feel 100% better now that I am not blowing up the bathroom every 20 minutes. :nono:

I've been fairly open about it (I didn't post it on Facebook :tongue2: LOL!!!) but to anyone that got smart with me about it being cheating... I would probably just be honest and say "Yeah, I thought that at one point until I learned about what it is and what it does... I know I could have lost the weight by myself without it, as I have done MANY times, but I always gain it back because I go back to eating the way I always did... and now, I won't!" And while I totally admire the Biggest Losers, I sometimes wonder if they won't resort to their bad habits too. They are hard to change, often just ingrained in our being... I am a member of the clean-plate club and no amount of re-training will change that, I will never be able to throw half a plate of food out (i've probably done this like 3 times in my life!) so I have to serve myself a smaller portion, period. And it is ingrained in me also to want second helpings... now I simply will not be able to do it.

Sorry to bump this old post :tongue2: Dr. G banded me on Nov 20. Back in May, he also did my gall bladder surgery. (I had GB problems already when I started seeing him for WLS, so it was just a decision to get the GB out first.) His demeanor - uh yeah "cocky" maybe, but personally I LIKE this in the guy cutting me open. He is extremely busy; on the Friday of my surgery, he was there from 6a to 10p.... and I think it is like that A LOT with him. Anyway, I would call his attitude like a PP mentioned "doesn't beat around the bush." He simply does not have time to mince words. My mom used Dr. Krish (as he is called, his partner) and he is a very sweet man. The staff is awesome, no complaints there either... I have had to wait at the office though, significantly past my appt. time. I just bring something to read. My surgery was done at Pasco Regional, and while my mom had a great experience there, I did not. Regardless I am 10 days post op and happy. Oh, I saw the claim from my insurance company, and they were billed about 25k. I do believe that a self-pay person would pay less than that but not completely sure. Also, when asking about price, don't forget to ask about the cost of the anesthesia, since that can sometimes be billed separately... so the hospital might say the surgery is 17k, but the anesthesia could be quite a bit more. As far as insurance is concerned, the company you work for tells your insurance company what to offer the group. My husband has a great policy under United Health Care, and I was approved for surgery on three separate occasions, each within a week (1st approval, I canceled surgery to get gall bladder surgery, 2nd approval, I postponed the surgery; 3rd approval was the final one.) I know other people who carry UHC and have no WLS coverage... again, it is just what the employer dictates (as to what they will pay... my husband's employer gets employee contributions for the health insurance, and we pay about 400/month for the family for our coverage... another employer might aim at keeping costs low and employee contributions to a minimum; and therefore might not offer coverage for WLS!)

I would contact the doctor! That sounds serious. :::hugs:::