PrincesaJenE

Ugggghhhh, I'm a little frustrated. I went to the Doc yesterday for what I thought would be a fill. My Doc wasn't in and I had to see another Doc. He wouldn't give me a fill! I lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks. THREE POUNDS! My goal is to lose 3-5 lbs each week. The doc asked me how much I was eating each meal - I said 1-1 1/2 cups of food. He said that's perfect. If I can eat a half a sandwhich and be full then that's exactly where I need to be. He asked how long before I felt hungry. I said I feel full for 3-4 hrs. He again said great! He didn't want to fill me and I start to vomit and feel sick and then have to unfill me. He said that things seem good and we shouldn't mess with it. The thing is - everything he said sounded right but my weight has been yo yoing over the last month and I've lost no weight this month really. After a month I was at 20 lbs lost. 6 weeks out I was at 16 lbs lost (gained 4), 7 weeks out 25 lbs lost (lost 9 in a week), and now I'm right back to 20 lbs lost (gained 5 in a week). I don't get it. Though I expect there to be weeks where I lost nothing I did not expect there to be weeks that I GAINED. I'm a little frustrated - okay a lot. But I'm trying to tell myself that its gonna be okay. I just need to see some progress soon. Well honestly - there are things I can do to improve. I REALLY need to incorporate exercise. I have for walks and stuff but no real exercise. One thing these past 20 lbs has given me is energy and I feelt antsy. I'm going to go renew my gym membership on Monday. GOAL 3lbs this week!!!!!

I've had no problem thus far - but I've only had 1 fill. I have heard that you have to eat it really moist. Tip for grilling. Wrap it up tightly in foil. This helps keep it moist.

Good Luck!

Good Luck!

I tried to search around on your profile for your weight because that's a good determinant of how much you should be losing. Research says that you should lose no more than 1% of your body weight each week. So you had your surgery 12 weeks ago - that equates to about 2.5 lbs a week (MAX). So if you're between say 250 and 300 you're doing FAB! Good luck!

I opted not to tell anyone but my immediate family and 2 close friends. The girls in my office and I are all very close. its been 7 weeks now and surprisingly no one has really noticed. I've heard people don't usually start noticing until 50 or 60 lbs. I've lost 25 lbs thus far. I was on liquids only 1 day back at work (I took 1 week off). I knew I wasn't going to tell anyone so I started with "the story" early. When I went to my first appt they gave me all the handouts with the various lifestyle changes I would need to make. One of them was soda - so after my first appt - about 4 months before surgery - I stopped drinking soda. So by the time of the surgery it was already in place. The week before surgery - I did encourage a health kick in my office where we all stopped eating out and began sharing meals. So I had an excuse to bring in all my yogurt and V8 etc and stock our fridge. Basically I tried to phase things in over time so all these strange changes in my eating habits did not happen all at once and draw attention. My co-workers did find it odd when I started bringing Protein drinks to work - but I just told them my doc said I needed to get more protein in my diet (which was true) and, extra bonus, that it promotes weight loss. Since the surgery there is a girl in my office who is trying to watch her weight - I've been splitting things with her. She loves the fact that I'm helping HER out. There have been a couple of times when its been said "you hardly ate anything" - my excuse is that I ate something right before, or I had a big Breakfast, or didn't really like the food. I don't wanna to tell more people - sometimes I feel myself bursting at the seams wanting to tell. But I don't want it to get around the whole office. I want to see some dramatic weight loss before I share - fear of failure I guess. Whatever your decision - good luck!

I don't understand - if you have enough will power to go back to liquids (which I personally found to be the hardest part) than why don't you feel you have enough will power to sustain a solid food diet? Liquids is actually not a good stage to be on - its only to promote healing. In fact, you may end up consuming more calories than if eating solid food. You will always be hungry because liquids go right through the band. The band is meant for solid foods not liquid. You say you are losing weight - that's good. Research says that the in the time before the first fill you are expected to lose very little if any weight. The fact that you are losing now is a good sign and shows that the band is working. Don't expect too much at first. Remember this is a process that will take months or years. On average you should be losing 1-2 lbs a week or about 10% of your body weight. Now I haven't experienced "bandster hell" - but my advice would be to find ways to control you eating. Are you eating 3 meals a day? Are you having a snack in between meals. Remember 3 meals and 3 Snacks a day is what you should be doing. Be sure you are having A SNACK rather than SNACKING. Good luck.

Only 15 lbs? That's not bad at all - average weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week! They also say that BEFORE a fill you don't see significant weight loss because the band is still wide open. You should be proud of yourself. I'm seven weeks out and have only lost 25 lbs - should I be worried? What do you mean by you have to reapply to your insurance? You have to reappy to get a fill? The fills aren't covered? That's crazy. I wonder if mine automatically covers fills.

AFTER THE FILL I'm not sure what everyone means by "restriction". I don't know that I feel "restricted". I do feel like I get a fuller a little faster and have eaten a little less since my fill. Still feel like its a good amount of food and when I eat with friends and family it takes me more time to eat my food than to eat their food. I feel proud of how little food is on my plate rather than embarrassed about how MUCH food is on my plate. There's been nothing that I can't eat yet. I have tried to stay away from the doughy stuff just cause I've heard horror stories. I'm not that big of a fan of bread anyway. So, its' been 7 weeks and I'm 24 lbs lighter - YAY! I probably would have lost more if I would have gotten filled the first time around. I've never vomited, I've not felt miserable, since the first few days - I feel fabulous. Nothing has ever gotten "stuck" nor have I ever had to "dislodge" anything. Those words are scary to me and blessedly I'm not exactly sure what they even mean. I am very pleased with the results thus far. For the most part, I don't even feel like I have the band - just that I eat less, have more energy and my snug fitting clothes now fit like they're supposed to. No one other than the few people I've told - fam and a couple of friends - have commented about my weight loss. I can't wait til my coworkers say - hey you're loosing weight! I'm fighting the urge to run out to my garage and pull out those 2 boxes of my favorite clothes that I had to pack up because they were too tight! I'm gonna wait until I've lost at least 40 lbs to do that! I can't wait - I had some cute stuff! The one thing that I haven't yet incorporated is exercise. I do get up and get moving more - around the office and at home. I've walked to a nearby park and played around there a couple of times. I also bought a stretch band that I use for arm exercises as I watch tv. However, I need to incorporate a full exercise plan that includes 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week. WEIGHT LOSS Well I've made up for the 4 lb weight gain - I'm down to 347 for a total of 25 lbs. Woo hoo. I did this week stop drinking juice. I was probably drinking 300 calories a day in juice. Now Ice Tea and I are friends! I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. I also bought some of these new Sobe/Lifewater drinks that have zero cals. My Fav is the apple pear. So far - I couldn't be HAPPIER. I feel FABULOUS! :wub:

AFTER THE FILL I'm not sure what everyone means by "restriction". I don't know that I feel "restricted". I do feel like I get a fuller a little faster and have eaten a little less since my fill. Still feel like its a good amount of food and when I eat with friends and family it takes me more time to eat my food than to eat their food. I feel proud of how little food is on my plate rather than embarrassed about how MUCH food is on my plate. There's been nothing that I can't eat yet. I have tried to stay away from the doughy stuff just cause I've heard horror stories. I'm not that big of a fan of bread anyway. So, its' been 7 weeks and I'm 24 lbs lighter - YAY! I probably would have lost more if I would have gotten filled the first time around. I've never vomited, I've not felt miserable, since the first few days - I feel fabulous. Nothing has ever gotten "stuck" nor have I ever had to "dislodge" anything. Those words are scary to me and blessedly I'm not exactly sure what they even mean. I am very pleased with the results thus far. For the most part, I don't even feel like I have the band - just that I eat less, have more energy and my snug fitting clothes now fit like they're supposed to. No one other than the few people I've told - fam and a couple of friends - have commented about my weight loss. I can't wait til my coworkers say - hey you're loosing weight! I'm fighting the urge to run out to my garage and pull out those 2 boxes of my favorite clothes that I had to pack up because they were too tight! I'm gonna wait until I've lost at least 40 lbs to do that! I can't wait - I had some cute stuff! The one thing that I haven't yet incorporated is exercise. I do get up and get moving more - around the office and at home. I've walked to a nearby park and played around there a couple of times. I also bought a stretch band that I use for arm exercises as I watch tv. However, I need to incorporate a full exercise plan that includes 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week. WEIGHT LOSS Well I've made up for the 4 lb weight gain - I'm down to 347 for a total of 25 lbs. Woo hoo. I did this week stop drinking juice. I was probably drinking 300 calories a day in juice. Now Ice Tea and I are friends! I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. I also bought some of these new Sobe/Lifewater drinks that have zero cals. My Fav is the apple pear. So far - I couldn't be HAPPIER. I feel FABULOUS! :thumbdown:

After the debacle with my FIRST first fill I was VERY nervous. I had my scheduled appt which was now six week after I my surgery and 2 weeks after the failed fill attempt scheduled in my blackberry. Every time I looked at my phone for about 5 days there the appt was looming. Even the nurse when I first walked in gave me a pitiful look and gave me some encouraging words. This time I went in - the doctor reassured me. He layed me down and voila - in less than 30 seconds her was in - sans all the pushing and prodding. He said he mapped it the last time so he knew right where to go. He began to fill me as I drank the water - small gulp - nothing, small gulp -nothing. He kept asking if I could swallow and I was like of course I can. Eventually he told me to start taking big gulps. So I did. Big gulp - nothing, another big gulp - nothing. Finally - the gulp couldn't go down. It felt as if water was back up from my stomach, all the way up my esophagus right to where I could feel it at the back of my throat. He was like great - and then - the needle came out! YIKES! I was sitting up as he did the fill so he put me back down real quick. He pushed and prodded on my stomach and finally found the port. It took him about 5 mins this time get the needle back in. The whole time I'm laying tilted back - my head almost upside down feel suffocated by the water that's at the back of my throat. Once he got the needle back in - instant relief - the water went right down. So there I was with my first 4cc fill out of the way. My doc did admit that he got a little scared for a moment when the needle came out - which actually made me feel good - I thought I was the only one. So now I am 7 weeks post op (one week after my second first fill) and my home scale if fluctuating between 3-5 pounds lost. That makes a total of 23 -25 pounds 7 weeks post op.

After the debacle with my FIRST first fill I was VERY nervous. I had my scheduled appt which was now six week after I my surgery and 2 weeks after the failed fill attempt scheduled in my blackberry. Every time I looked at my phone for about 5 days there the appt was looming. Even the nurse when I first walked in gave me a pitiful look and gave me some encouraging words. This time I went in - the doctor reassured me. He layed me down and voila - in less than 30 seconds her was in - sans all the pushing and prodding. He said he mapped it the last time so he knew right where to go. He began to fill me as I drank the water - small gulp - nothing, small gulp -nothing. He kept asking if I could swallow and I was like of course I can. Eventually he told me to start taking big gulps. So I did. Big gulp - nothing, another big gulp - nothing. Finally - the gulp couldn't go down. It felt as if water was back up from my stomach, all the way up my esophagus right to where I could feel it at the back of my throat. He was like great - and then - the needle came out! YIKES! I was sitting up as he did the fill so he put me back down real quick. He pushed and prodded on my stomach and finally found the port. It took him about 5 mins this time get the needle back in. The whole time I'm laying tilted back - my head almost upside down feel suffocated by the water that's at the back of my throat. Once he got the needle back in - instant relief - the water went right down. So there I was with my first 4cc fill out of the way. My doc did admit that he got a little scared for a moment when the needle came out - which actually made me feel good - I thought I was the only one. So now I am 7 weeks post op (one week after my second first fill) and my home scale if fluctuating between 3-5 pounds lost. That makes a total of 23 -25 pounds 7 weeks post op.

My 1st fill was a little scary. My doctor had told me after surgery that due to some scar tissue they had to implant the band a little deeper than usual which would make it harder to fill. I was scheduled for my first fill 4 weeks after being banded. Again the scar tissue is the biggest culprit in this debacle. I have quite a bit and its a little painful to touch. Sometimes just sleeping on my stomach can be uncomfortable. Well as you fellow banders know - the doctor has to push on your stomach quite a bit to find your band. Well the doctor was pushing and prodding and he couldn't quite locate my port. Once he did find it he had a hard time getting the needle in. He kept moving me around. He had me laying flat, tiltle backwards almost upside down, for a while he had me sit up and then even stand up. He kept calling the nurse for a longer needle. After like the 4th needle she came back and said - we have no longer needles. That's when the nurse got in on the action. She gloved up and was pushing and prodding to trying to get a solid hold on my port. They must have stuck me at least 10 times. I was a little scared and all the pushing on my scar tissue was painful. Every time they get a hole of the port I could feel it inside me which was making me a little nauseus. Despite this, I was okay until I saw the Dr's hands covered in blood. I started to cry - when my doctor noticed I was crying he called the game. Said that he had put me through to much - this whole process was atleast 30 mins. He said we'll try again in 2 weeks. I left the office and cried on the phone to my sister in the parking lot.

My 1st fill was a little scary. My doctor had told me after surgery that due to some scar tissue they had to implant the band a little deeper than usual which would make it harder to fill. I was scheduled for my first fill 4 weeks after being banded. Again the scar tissue is the biggest culprit in this debacle. I have quite a bit and its a little painful to touch. Sometimes just sleeping on my stomach can be uncomfortable. Well as you fellow banders know - the doctor has to push on your stomach quite a bit to find your band. Well the doctor was pushing and prodding and he couldn't quite locate my port. Once he did find it he had a hard time getting the needle in. He kept moving me around. He had me laying flat, tiltle backwards almost upside down, for a while he had me sit up and then even stand up. He kept calling the nurse for a longer needle. After like the 4th needle she came back and said - we have no longer needles. That's when the nurse got in on the action. She gloved up and was pushing and prodding to trying to get a solid hold on my port. They must have stuck me at least 10 times. I was a little scared and all the pushing on my scar tissue was painful. Every time they get a hole of the port I could feel it inside me which was making me a little nauseus. Despite this, I was okay until I saw the Dr's hands covered in blood. I started to cry - when my doctor noticed I was crying he called the game. Said that he had put me through to much - this whole process was atleast 30 mins. He said we'll try again in 2 weeks. I left the office and cried on the phone to my sister in the parking lot.

That's what I thought - but last night before writing the post I DOWNED a glass of ice tea cause I was thirsty after playing tennis. I felt so incredibly FULL. And even a little miserable for like 30 minutes and I thought - I wonder if I'm stretching my pouch.

Hmmmm, I have Aetna. I didn't have any problems like this. My doctor had a special team that worked on getting insurance coverage. What I would do is tell them just what you said in your post. If you could prove that both before 06 and after 06 you were heavy just submit a letter that says I went on WW and lost blank pounds. You should be able to submit the documentation for WW with your weigh in information. Additionally, tell them how you gained it all back and how you're looking for a long lasting solution that you believe you've found with the lap band. This is my only suggestion - but I don't see why it won't work. Good luck - I'd like to know how it all turns out.

I'm just 7 weeks into this process but I have to agree wholeheartedly with those who say don't do it. The thing that I've found most extraordinary about having the band is how I had to disassociate food with so many activities. You know "let's watch a movie - and order a pizza", "We're all going for mom's house - what for dinners?", "We're staying in tonight - let's pick up some snacks". I think you're buying into the fat person in you. We have to think like skinny people. Their world does not revolve around food. I understand that food is one of the highlights of vacations - believe me I do. I myself am relieved at the small portions I eat now. I'm embarrassed of the amount of food I used to eat. The amount of food I eat now makes me feel satisfied and that's what food is meant to do. Don't put the onus of this decision on your relatives. They want to see you healthy. I'm sure they'll take note of the weight you've already lost and support you in your efforts towards continued weight loss. My fam are my biggest supporters. They keep the bad food away from me and have even changed their eating habits to ensure I stay on track. I don't think you should expect or accept anything less than that from your family. If you came back from you vacation not having had your band unfilled I can almost guarantee you you won't miss those extra spoonfuls. If you do get unfilled you just might find yourself regretting it. Remember why you made the choice to be banded in the first place. Enjoy your vacation -whatever you decide.

What is the "sweet spot'. I've heard this phrase quite a bit. What do people mean by that? Also, what is a "pb"?

Can you stretch your pouch by drinking too much liquid. I drink a lot and sometimes can feel full from drinking. Am I stretching my pouch when I do this? I've had one fill of 4ccs on my 14 cc band. Isn't the hole still big enough for liquids like water and ice tea to flow freely through?:welldoneclap:

I was told this by my doctor. He said that the Lap band is for someone who only wants to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was very discouraged after that visit - so discouraged that it took me 18 months to pursue the surgery again. I'm 7 weeks out and I've lost 25 lbs. Imagine where I'd be had I done this 18 months ago. I've heard that bigger patients actually lose more! I've also heard that GB is better at the beggining but after about 18 months to 2 yrs its all the same. I would see another doctor and discuss this with him openly.

The first doctor I went to told me not to get the lapband because someone as big as me could not lose the kind of weight that I needed to loose (200 lbs exactly). He said the LB was for someone needing to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was so discouraged - I really didn't want to do gastric bypass because the band just seemed so right for me. He discouraged me so much that I didn't pursue the lapband for another 18 months. I am so glad to read about you all doing so well. It reaffirms that I can do it. Imagine if I had done this 18 months ago? I'd be on here with you all writing my success story! 7 weeks banded 25 lbs lost! I'm on my way. Stay tuned - Success Story, June 2010?

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will, and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard to gain the weight and lose the energy. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest simply because I was tired, restless, and sore I'm not used to being at home all the time. I lived off of broth, sug free jello, sug free popsicles and water. On Vday my sis made me jello shaped into a heart - how sweet! The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questioned whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad - yummy! Pretty much just a tablesppon or so of each. All together about a cup of food. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprised at how much I could eat. But was happy because they seemed like reasonable portions. I did not feel deprived at all. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. It didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the LAP-BAND® and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. The 5th and 6th week I even had sushi (no rice - sashimi). Salmon and Tuna and the inside of a spicy tuna roll. The spice didn't bother me at all. I must admit - I have had a fry here, and a spoonful of ice cream there. All in moderation though. For example - before the surgery I could easily eat a handful of 6 or 7 cookies. I ate a cookie the other day and nibbled on it for over an hour before I threw about 1/2 of it away. I felt so good - before I would have eaten the cookies just to eat them. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get filled but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks I had gained 4 (YIKES) (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week) WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 2 Weeks later, another 10 for a total of 20. YAY!

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will, and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard to gain the weight and lose the energy. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest simply because I was tired, restless, and sore I'm not used to being at home all the time. I lived off of broth, sug free jello, sug free popsicles and water. On Vday my sis made me jello shaped into a heart - how sweet! The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questioned whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad - yummy! Pretty much just a tablesppon or so of each. All together about a cup of food. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprised at how much I could eat. But was happy because they seemed like reasonable portions. I did not feel deprived at all. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. It didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the LAP-BAND® and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. The 5th and 6th week I even had sushi (no rice - sashimi). Salmon and Tuna and the inside of a spicy tuna roll. The spice didn't bother me at all. I must admit - I have had a fry here, and a spoonful of ice cream there. All in moderation though. For example - before the surgery I could easily eat a handful of 6 or 7 cookies. I ate a cookie the other day and nibbled on it for over an hour before I threw about 1/2 of it away. I felt so good - before I would have eaten the cookies just to eat them. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get filled but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks I had gained 4 (YIKES) (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week) WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 2 Weeks later, another 10 for a total of 20. YAY!

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest. I lived off of broth, soup at hand, pudding, and yogurt (mostly yogurt). I didn't really have an appetite. The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questions whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprise at how much I could eat. I've felt like this is what a normal person would eat. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. I didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the lap band and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get banded but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks still at 20 (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week)

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest. I lived off of broth, soup at hand, pudding, and yogurt (mostly yogurt). I didn't really have an appetite. The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questions whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprise at how much I could eat. I've felt like this is what a normal person would eat. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. I didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the lap band and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get banded but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks still at 20 (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week)