OnTheWay to Thin

It is different for everyone, I am in week 4 now. I found that once I started mushies that weight loss slowed dramatically. Also somewhere between week 3 and 4 all the swelling must have gone down because I am getting much more hungry now and the first 2 weeks I was full and satisfied with very little food. So I am in what they call bandster hell and waiting for my first fill which I hope will be similar to the first 2 weeks after surgery where I had restriction with the swelling.

My god you are taking huge risks with your health and the healing process of your stomach. You just had a major surgery and the diet that is given to you after is to make sure you heal properly. If you continue like this you are likely to end up with either a slipped band or erosion and neither is a good thing. You went through this surgery because you are supposed to be committed to weight loss, you need to call your doctor and speak to a nutritionist and get yourself straightened away. I suspect you are very young but you are really taking huge risks.

The whole premise of lapband is for someone who is mordbidly obese (at least 100lbs overweight) and the weight loss is meant to be slow, no more than 1-2 lbs a week. Many US doctors will not do surgery on someone of your size because the surgical risks outweight the benefits. Had I only had 40 - 50 lbs to lose I never would have had this surgery as good old fashioned dieting and discipline would have accomplished that. All the guidelines I have ever read, and I researched and read everything I could find on the subject would NOT recommend this procedure for you. I am not trying to be a downer, but this is serious surgery for serious problems with weight and luckily you are not there. You really need to think long and hard before you do this to yourself. Because everything you need to do you will still have to do with the band, i.e. diet and exercise. The band is a tool, not a magic bullet or quick fix, it is a long term solution to an even longer term obesity problem and you seem to think this is a quick fix. It is not, it is hard work and dedication to diet and exercise.

Nothing works for everyone, that is why there are so many options out there. I firmly believe you really have to look at yourself and your successes and failures in the past and evaluate what is best for you. It sounds like the lap band was not the right choice for you as you seem to have given up on it, but for many it has been widly successful. Good luck in wherever you decide to go next.

Basically soft food, well cooked pasta with sauces, cooked potatoes, or potatoe salads, pasta salads if not aldente, cooked chicken with sauces, cooked turkey with gravy or sauce, omlets, well cooked veggies that can be mashed (ie avoid broccali and items that dont sofen) avoid beef and red meats, veggies like corn and celery or asparagus that are stringy and hard to digest, but otherwise if you look at the menus, I have found that I found workable dishes wherever I go. I also use the computer to check calories and nutritional information before I go to a specific restaurant if available. Good luck.

I have a friend who had lapband with good success which is why I got interested. Then a coworker and I both decided to do something about our weight about the same time, I opted for the lapband, it just seemed the best answer for me and I am not comfortable with rerouting my digestive track or the complications that come from the GB. That being said, the coworker that I started this journey has since changed and is planning on going with Gastric Bypass. We both consulted different doctors, nutritionists and so on and made different decisions based on our needs and life style. So what I am saying is you have to do your research, but also have to do a lot of personal reflection about what life style changes you personally can and will make to make this successful. I believe the answer to that is different for each and every person. Only you will know what is right for you after you research all the options. Good luck to you on your journey, there are lots of good sites out there with boat loads of information on all the options, really take a good look and interview doctors to see who your beliefs most mesh with. Then you will know which choice is right for you.

My girfriend had wls surgery and 3 weeks later had a total hysterectomy. It made it difficult but not impossible. She used the combined time to recover from both and was successful with both surgeries.

My instructions were nothing over 10 lbs for 2 weeks then nothing over 20 lbs for 2 more weeks, after 30 days then just use caution for 2 more weeks. At 6 weeks they said no problems with anything you could do before.

Hey we are in this together! Why dont you ask your coworkers if it would be ok to move the candy dish to a new location, that is really hard to have it right there all the time! I have done that and no one had a problem with moving it.

They can tell by liver function tests that there is an issue (this is a simple blood test) and they will usually confirm with an ultrasound of the liver.

I am with you all, surgery date 28th of May and to begin with I could see the restriction and lost steadily until I hit 9 lbs, then the restriction went away, weight loss stopped and bandster hell began! LOL, I am fighting the hungries and have 3 weeks till 1st fill. My willpower is not holding as strong as I would like but I am a work in progress I guess.

It depends on your doc and the severity of the problem. They may have you go on a special liver shrink diet for a while to lessen the issue as I have seen that done many times. Talk to the dr and they will let you know what you need to do.

If you have given him chances before, and there has been no long term change it is not likely he will ever change and you are right if you go back you are likely to be in more danger than before. Your children will respect you more for getting out of a bad relationship than staying in one and seeing you abused every day. This is also likely to turn them into abusers, so you are doing the right thing, raise them to the best of your ability and show them that it is not ok to treat women that way. You will all be better for it. Our thoughts are with you and let us know how you are doing.

No you cant take anything you bring with you to the hospital, they will give you what you need the other is for when you get home. As for what to take to the hospital, as little as possible. Now purses, no jewlery or anything of value, leave that all at home, basically you just need you, your insurance card, copay if you have one, and enough clothes to keep you decent coming and going.

Happy Birthday !!!! You have done very well with the 50+ lbs of weight loss so we know you can do it! Sounds like the injury really sidelined you and has you very down, you just need to find something else to do while you heal that you can divert yourself with when tempted to cheat on your band. Also one thing I have been doing is I found out all of the semi free foods, i.e. foods with little to no calories, so if I feel the need to just eat, I eat those and satisfy that need... You may also need another fill, how long has it been since you had one? Hang in there. This is not an easy thing and we all have to take it one day at a time.

You are not getting enough calories to lose weight, your body is in starvation mode and is saying hey wait a minute, if all I get is 500 calories I am not letting anything else go... try upping it to 800-1000 calories a day and the scale will move again.

I agree with the diamonds thing, I love jewlery, but do you? Is there a special stone or piece you have wanted that you could always have with you? A ring, pendant, charm, something that can be a daily reminder of your accomplishment? Good work.

Call your doctor, they will need to check and make sure everything is good. It may be that you are just swollen and that is making the band more restrictive but better safe than sorry.

This post cracks me up. As a recent bandster I have only lost 23 lbs, however, I think 15 of it was boobs. I went from a very snug 44 C to a loose 42 B and I think I can go to a 40 very very soon... how sad, LOL, but my friend is having a GB and she loves her boobs and is determined not to lose them, I had to laugh and tell her she does not get to control where it comes off...

this is especially important after a fill... you may have a bit of swelling from the fill so the rule is take it easy for a few days after a fill and go slow to see what you can then tolerate.

The band cant change head hunger, or obsessive tendacies, but once you get to your sweet spot with the correct amount of fills it definately helps by making you full and satisified after smaller portions. This takes time to get to and it also takes time to change old habits. Hang in there it will get better.

I used a book that I found on weight loss surgery and it suggested adding a new food or two each day until you are 30 days out. That way if you have any reactions/issues you will know for sure what caused the issue. So far no problems, the last thing they advise adding is beef, steak, corn, asparagus, celery and carrot, as they are all hard to digest so I started with very moist cooked chicken, soft veggies that could be somewhat smashed, very soft fruit... I have not added grains yet, rice, breads, but have added a small amount of well cooked pasta with no problems. Go slow, and your body will tell you when you have an issue. Good luck.

You are missing the emotional connection you have with food, rather than the feeding your body to sustain you. This takes some time to change, you need to learn that food is for survival and that you eat to nourish your body, not as your friend, comfort and best buddy, this is tough to learn and is something we all face to differing degrees after this lifestyle change. Hang in there, it will get better.

Dont panic, the main thing is to make sure you have enough on hand to be comfortable after surgery. For me that was protien water, chicken and beef broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, gas x strips. I was able to go to the store and all that by day 3 so it is just the first few days you need to worry about especially if you have help at home.

Since your DH has such a wonderful family, just do what I do, I adopted them, I basically lost all of my family in the past few years, they all died, and many of weight related complications, ergo why I am giving the band all I can. But I felt so alone, I went to a thanksgiving day party just after my mom and brothers death at a dear friends house and they could tell I was upset, so one pulled me aside and asked what was wrong. I explained the holidays were hard because I had no family any more, and she looked at me and said of course you do you have everyone here, we will all be your family. So long story short family is what you make of it and if there are those that are not happy and healthy additions to you and yours you have every right to cut ties with them. Good luck to you.