stateofzen

Full liquids are still liquids-- the only difference is that you can't see through them. I ate soup with no chunks-- tomato soup, butternut squash soup, broccoli cheese soup (where the broccoli was too small to chew). Yogurt and Protein shakes I think were considered Clear Liquids by my doctor. But that was it.
Mushies for me added in refried Beans, chili that was blended until it didn't require chewing, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese (I made a ricotta cheese/cottage cheese seasoned base with marinara on top, baked, that was good and suggested on this board). I think I also did a baked "quiche" at this stage-- beaten egg with cottage cheese, baked.
You need to check with your doctor's office. I can't believe there are still surgeons sending people home without detailed diet lists. If you haven't already, recheck any paperwork you got from your support staff to see if it contains directions on your diet.
As for the Cheetos Puffs-- well, I wouldn't add them back in for at least 6 months. Don't get me wrong-- I think people can have non-nutritious food on occasion and be fine. However, I worry that if you're really concerned about how soon you can eat something that has ZERO nutritional benefit after having weight loss surgery, that you are setting yourself up to struggle to lose. But if you want to kickstart your loss even before your band begins to help you, I'd commit to healthy eating. You can always add the treats back in later after you've developed some new habits.

Start by going back to your doctor. You will more than likely need a fill. The doctor can take all the fluid out of your band to see how much is in there and start all over with the fills. Taking responsibility is the first step, go forward from here. You already have the tool, now its time to start USING the tool. What works for me is first and foremost, go on a VERY low carb/high protein diet. Get past the point of craving the carbs and sweets. Once you can get that behind you, then you can get to the best part, which is seeing the weight come off. BUT, you have to get in to your doctor first, get a fill, and start over again.
The best thing is, today is a new day. YOU have the choice of what you are going to do. Yesterday is gone, you cannot change what happened, tomorrow is not here yet, so make today the first day of the rest of your life.
Choose your attitude, remember, your attitude is 9/10's of your success! You CAN do this, remember why you got the band and how you felt when you were making the right choices. That feeling will come back and you will gain that motivation to get the ball rolling again. Dont give up on yourself!!!

Id wait and do both at once.
Cosmetic surgery is a big upheval with a band and brings quite a risk of weight gain. I didnt unfill for my TT nine weeks ago but have suffered suchdiscomfort since that i advise doing so. Ive unfilled my band once for a major surgery and it has never been the same, i definitely would not choose to unfill it twice.
Its taken me a loooooong time to be running and spinning and bodypumping again at anything like my previous schedule. Avoiding weight gain has been HARD.
Alo, its common to get a little depressed after. Your new body is still not perfect, and changes take a long time to see. Nothing else in your life changes eithet, you kind of have a post surgery letdown. I also ouldnt want that twice.
Then theres the money. Cheaper to have one anaesthtic.

I'm sorry you're dealing with a weight gain, but try not let it get you down. Your priority now needs to be to figure out how to save the $150 for a fill, even if it means nickle and diming it for a while-- you have a band for a reason and if it's not working for you because it's empty, of course you're likely to regain! I think if you put a plan in place for the "in the meantime", you will have a greater sense of control and accomplishment and something to work toward.
If my band was empty, I'd be gaining too-- not because I'm a bad person or a failure, but because without the band I'm incredibly hungry and I eat larger portions. That's why I had to have the dang thing in the first place, and it didn't magically change me (or you!).
You can do this!

I'm hardly going to be wagging my finger at Paula Dean. She isn't much different than the rest of us, except that she found a way for her love for fatty unhealthy food to make her a heck of a lot of money (when the rest of us just got fat). I wish her the best in her quest for health.

I'm hardly going to be wagging my finger at Paula Dean. She isn't much different than the rest of us, except that she found a way for her love for fatty unhealthy food to make her a heck of a lot of money (when the rest of us just got fat). I wish her the best in her quest for health.

My Dr wanted me to have this surgery about 18 months before I actually got to the point where I was ready to have it. Like you, I felt like I should be able to do it on my own, but in the past, I'd lose some, then gain again. I felt like a failure at life, because if I couldn't control my weight, then how weak was I?
But the truth is, I eat less than my 5yo now in order to be at a BMI that is considered 'normal'. I am not sure how I was supposed to do that without a lapband. Especially since, unlike other addicts, I have to use what I'm addicted to 3 times a day, and apparently have the 'will power' to stop eating after just a few mouthfuls. Or to not eat again when just a tiny bit of food results me in being ravenously hungry an hour later. C'mon now, under any court of law, that would be cruel and unusual punishment!
The good thing about the band, is if you've successfully lost weight before, you'll probably do wonderfully while you're in 'bandster hell' (the time between surgery and getting enough fill to keep you satisfied on very little food). Because the truth is, I lost most of my weight before getting to my sweet spot. But what the band does now, is helps me keep it off.
I know it's scary, but it does work for a lot of people. I am one of those people. I got to goal then wandered off to live my life for nearly a year, not really posting or checking into this site, and I suspect that's what a lot of people do when their band works. But when you have problems with you band, what do you do? You check the net, you post, you ask for help. That's the mainstay of this site. I don't think you necessarily need to consider all the issues you read about here to be a representative sample of all lapbanders.
Anyway just my 2c.

I'm hardly going to be wagging my finger at Paula Dean. She isn't much different than the rest of us, except that she found a way for her love for fatty unhealthy food to make her a heck of a lot of money (when the rest of us just got fat). I wish her the best in her quest for health.

The only thing that may stand in your way is your age and the fact that 125 might not look as good on you now as it did when you were in your teens and twenties. But you get to set your goals, no one else.
I know that during the seminars that the local surgeons do, they continually warn people that they shouldn't have the surgery if they think they're going to be skinny when it's all over. I believe they do that because on average, most people won't lose all of their excess weight. But heck, just look around you here-- there are lots of super-star success stories from people at all ages and starting weights so obviously it IS possible with the a well-tuned band, a committed bandster, and possibly a little luck.

I think the way we view our bodies is a choice, and only you (not your boyfriend, best friend or me) can truly choose how you're going to live in your own body. If you choose to focus on the loose skin and the imperfections, and allow yourself to stare in the mirror and beat yourself up mentally, then you're going to feel bad. Instead, when you have those negative thoughts, you can make a conscious effort to "talk some sense" into yourself. That loose skin is a battle scar of a battle WON. If you can work on accepting that your body is not perfect, but it's YOURS and it's amazing, then you'll feel better.
I look pretty dang good in clothes, but not so good naked. My breasts bother me the most (if I let them), because they are 90-year-old breasts on a mid-thirties woman. I do plan to fix them when I can afford it, but until then, I work on accepting them. I treat myself to really really good bras that make them look awesome, and I've moved to the point where 95% of the time, I accept them and can even make jokes (that even I find funny- not defensive jokes) about them to my husband and close friends. The other thing I do is catch my own negative talk (i.e. ewww, my boobs are so disgusting!) and choose to be more balanced (i.e. ok, so they don't look great BUT wow, I don't have back pain anymore, I can see my ribcage under them, I wear a much smaller bra and they DO look good in a bra/clothes, plus, I can be active without being bothered by my enormous fat breasts so it's not as bad as it seems). This helps me a lot.
It is up to you to work on accepting yourself, and you have to do that consciously by monitoring your thoughts about your body and not allowing yourself to be your own worst enemy.

Did I pack on all the weight "naturally"? With all the fast food and chemicals and who knows what goes in the food we eat now ....... ehhh....I'm with B-52, frankly, I don't give a damn. The lap band is what made over 100 pounds drop off my body and I could care less if it is natural or easy or hard or drastic ........ It is the only thing that has worked for me and I am so very happy! That is what really matters.

I don't tell people I'm not close to (i.e. coworkers who aren't also personal friends) because it's really none of their business and I've gotten enough judgment from other people about my weight and eating-- I'm not interested in more. Now that I'm a year and 4 months out, I feel like it's too late even if I wanted to tell-- some people might feel "betrayed" even if they legitimately have no right to feel that way. I don't really regret being cautious, but I do feel like I'm in a corner where it would cause problems now for me to "come out" to acquaintances who have been very complimentary about my losses. I suppose if someone came right out and asked I would definitely tell the truth, but so far that hasn't happened.
People who haven't struggled with true obesity (and even some who have) are still very ignorant about what it takes to successfully lose and KEEP OFF excess weight. The research is very clear that dieting in the traditional way does not create long-term weight loss, and in fact, stimulates long-term weight gain, but "common sense" says it's so easy to lose weight- just don't eat as much and exercise! I think it is going to be a difficult thing to change opinions about bariatric surgery, but it will happen someday. In the meantime, you have to do what is right for you. This is YOUR LIFE.

You have to be sure you want the band and know what you are getting into, the band is WORK. All weight loss surgeries are but the band is especially.
For the most part we still have to make good food choices and "diet" and work out and be careful to not "eat around our band" by eating junk food, because that stuff certainly goes down like butter.. We have to be patient, coming out of surgery you may not have restriction for months, it can take one or several fills before you feel any difference. I mean believe me, it works and helps ALOT, but it takes time and patience for most of us. You won't see results as fast as you would with the sleeve. I'm not saying you don't know what you are getting into, because I don't know what you've researched or been told. But, I find that ALOT of new banders have no idea that it involves work and patience, alot of newbies just think the weight is magically going to fall off right away in large amounts, that isn't always the case. You have to be prepared for every possible out come. This is life changing, just be sure that it is the right thing for you and that you WANT it, not just "guess" that it's what you're getting because they told you to.
I have a realize band, some will say the lap band is better some say realize is better. I really don't know what the difference is honestly or if one is really that much better than the other. I let my doctor choose which he thought was best for me.
You'll see that many people have lost 100lbs with the band, some less, others have lost even more than 100lbs, so it is definitely possible. I have (a total) of well over 100lbs to lose. I've lost 62 so far, and I still have about 90lbs to go to get down to an actual "normal" weight, but honestly I will be happy with a loss of another 60 or 70lbs. I try not to focus on numbers so much, I just want to look "normal" and I'll know when I get there.
My doctors also thought (and still think) I will do well with the band because of my age and also because I know how to eat right. I've lost weight tons of times, I just haven't ever been able to keep it off. So I guess all those years of practicing eating right are finally paying off. I'm a slow loser, I've lost alot less than what most people here lose within their first year but that's also because I have PCOS, this makes it even more difficult to lose weight. I'm happy with my progress and I'm actually happy that it's coming off slowly. It's giving me time to live and eat realisticly. If I was perfect at my eating and worked out 6 days a week, sure I'd be losing faster but I also know that that is not how I will live my life forever. Being gung-ho about excersing and eating rabbit food is just never a lasting thing for me and never will be, that's what got me so fat in the first place. So I do everything in moderation, I work out when I can and eat well 90% of the time. So I have to lose slower than most, so be it, I'm still losing. I think when doctors say that younger patients will do well with the band it is because younger people seem to be able to adapt to new things and change their habits a little easier, they also find it easier to be more active. Not to say that older patients don't, because many of them do well too.
You can do this too, and it can be right for you. You just have to be determined and don't get caught up on how everyone else did, or is doing. It's possible to lose the amount you need to lose, you just have to want it. I wish you the best of luck!

This is something I recently posted to someone researching.
I would say that there are three regularly occurring post-op posts that you should be aware of as you prepare. Being aware will help you deal with the psychological aspect of the band in the weeks and months following surgery.
1. Be aware: You may experience a lot of discomfort after surgery that is pain related. People vary so much on this and of course everyone hopes to be one of the "bounce right back" folks, but be prepared to be in a lot of discomfort for up to a week or even more. It is NORMAL to be depressed and/or regret having the surgery immediately post-op.
2. Be aware: It is very likely that your weight loss will stall or even reverse (meaning actual gains) during the first weeks to month after surgery. This is counter-intuitive to people, because they just had weight loss surgery AND they are on a liquid diet and not eating. But it is NORMAL to plateau or even gain Water weight while your body is recovering from the stress of surgery. Try not to despair. If you keep at it, you will begin to lose weight soon enough.
3. Be aware: A lot of people feel very hungry and ready to eat eat eat almost immediately after surgery. For a lot of people, the band alone doesn't do anything for weeks to month until it is filled. This is what people refer to as Bandster Hell. A smaller subset of people do feel a reduction in hunger right away-- but if you don't go in automatically expecting you'll be a lucky one, then you won't be as baffled and disappointed if you aren't. It is NORMAL to feel hungry and frustrated until you reach the appropriate fill for your body, and that may take weeks to months.
Knowing these things and expecting them will help tremendously with your emotional reaction to the band. If any of these things happen to you, you are in good and prolific company. Don't despair! Figure out before your surgery how you might cope with them when they come up and odds are, they won't be a problem for you. Knowledge is the key.
I would add the following to that list:
1. The average loss at 2 years with the band is 60% of excess weight, according to band literature. So if you need to lose 100 lbs to be in a "healthy BMI", then the average person will have lost 60lbs by the end of year 2. This is the average, which means that there are going to be a few people who lose 0 lbs in 2 years and an equally few people who lose 100+ lbs in 2 years. Most people are going to be right around that 60% mark (I wish I knew what the standard deviation is, that would be even more helpful).
2. Weight loss is not constant and linear for most people, even if they are very very consistent with their eating behavior and activity level. It seems like it should be-- calories in/calories out-- but there are a lot of people that tend to lose in cycles and you may be one of them. For me, I lose weight in chunks, then I "plateau" for a few weeks, then I drop another bunch of pounds within three days, then "plateau" again. You may also be one of those people-- don't let it worry you.
3. Exercise may temporarily stall your weight loss or even make you gain, especially if you are starting or intensifying your program. I have been working out consistently for the past two weeks after about 10 years of nothing. I have GAINED weight even though my eating hasn't changed and I'm burning more calories. That's normal. I know if I keep at it, I will drop that plus some more and have a healthier heart and more stamina to boot.
4. This is hard work, even though the band DOES make it easier if you let it. I get full on small amounts of food-- not "stuffed" full like I was used to, but "ok, I've had enough and my body doesn't need more" full. This is REALLY hard to get used to. Full is never again going to feel like full has felt in the past. But, I can still eat past the point where my band says "eh, you've fed your body as much as it needs" and very very often my brain says "do it, you know you want to, mmmmm it tastes so good, just one more bite!". It is a real struggle sometimes to listen to my band and not my head hunger. I actually have a little mantra when I'm eating and being mindful. I say "if I'm not going to listen to the band when it says stop, then why did I bother with this surgery in the first place?" That tends to turn down the volume of the head hunger.
I think people naturally go into this surgery very optimistically. They go to the seminar and the surgeon and the carefully selected successful patients of that surgeon talk about how amazing it is. They come on this board and look at the success story forum, and the "I lost 100 lbs" forum, and the "before and after" picture gallery. They see people's tickers (like mine) who have lost huge amounts in months, not years and they expect only the best , most luckiest results, and ignore the fact that the average expected loss in 60% of excess weight at two years. I understand this because I did it too, and I fully believe that I have been incredibly LUCKY so far and that it's "easy" for me to say this but I do think that bandsters who are really in touch with reality and not overly optimistic are going to be able to emotionally adjust to banded life better.
Do not get the band if you expect it to work like bypass. If you want super fast results, and you want malabsorption, then get the bypass. With the "plusses" of the band, including its adjustability and its reversibility, come some costs and one cost is that it requires adjustment which is unpredictable in some ways, and it's associated with a slower rate of loss.

PS - Let me shout this out! YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE UNTIL YOU STOP TRYING!
Clearly you have not stopped trying if you are still asking for help, so you are NOT A FAILURE>

Ms. Lady,
You must be at worse entertained. Threads I don't care for I don't read. (like the vomit thread).
If you are offended there is a sign at the door disclosing the content of THIS thread.

Ladies, I just think some of it is out of our control. In fact, when I hear about how hard you all work with slow results, I know that it isn't a matter of what I did right that you're doing wrong-- no way! I lost 100 lbs and part of it was just plain old dumb luck. Many of you are way healthier in behavior than I am.
I hate to say this because I don't want to be the cause of anyone's pain and I truly believe that it isn't fair-- but I don't exercise and haven't really done much in the way of sustained physical activity this entire time. I ate low carb for the first 6 months and have been more relaxed since then, so it isn't even some magical calorie or specific food-type eating plan that got me 100 lbs down. Honestly, I think it's that I actually have a relatively small build underneath all of the fat, and that I hadn't dieted or messed with my metabolism at all in 10 years before getting surgery, so my body was willing to cooperate if I just ate less and ate healthy most of the time.
I only say all of this because I want you to know-- you are not a failure and most of you seem to be doing even more than I did but having slower results. It's frustrating and unfair, but as long as you stay honest with yourself and keep pushing, I have to believe that eventually you will see better results.

I was very seriously considering RNY until I could not come up with any good evidence of the positive effects 10-15-20 years out. I'm 39. I don't want osteoperosis or not be able to drive at night because my vision is so poor from lack of nutrients. The studies I've seen show that 95% of RNY patients after 5 years suffer severe malabsorption issues even while following the prescribed Vitamin protocol. I take Vitamins and minerals already. i believe in their importance to every function in our body. I cannot- will not- have such a drastic procedure (that cannot be undone) when I see those that kind of outcome. And I can't talk about it on most forums because most people have had RNY and I'm not looking for a battle nor do I want to freak them out, because they can't do anything about it having had the surgery anyway.
I want to go about losing weight as I have in the past- but without the hunger or the ability to eat more than I should in one sitting. I've been successful in the past with tracking my foods, eating yummy but very healthy meals, exercising at the gym, doing cardio in my target heart rate range, strength training to prevent muscle loss......I know how to do it the right way. I just find myself becoming exhausted of it after a period of time. And getting started when I feel so down on myself. My thinking was that I'd need to do all those things I mentioned including counting calories, Protein, carbs, fat and Fiber, but having the band would be my extra motivation, my extra kick in the ass to keep me going and help me in my problem areas- eating too quickly, too much and being hungry on 1200 calories.

Actually scientifically there is no relation to size and race although one study did find that white and black avg the same while it was the middle eastern man who took the lead in avg erect size. The vagina is actually able to contract and relax its muscles to accomidate the size of the male she is with at that time. But as far as race and size it is all myth. As a nurse with 15 yrs i have seen hundreds if not thousands and i can say on average there is no significant difference that i have seen. Human sexuality.... Funnest class from college!

The beauty of the band, ebeeze, is that it's endlessly adjustable-- not having success in the first year is very disappointing and frustrating, but you can absolutely start anew as you're planning and get it to the point where it is helping you.
To me, that's what makes the band amazing. If you had the bypass, if you didn't lose the first year you are definitely not going to all of a sudden lose in year two. But the band can absolutely still work for you. Just don't give up.

I am sorry, but this attitude is really concerning to me. I know a lot of people on this site look up to you because of your success and experience, as they should, but this is extreme.
Sure, people who don't eat a lot of food aren't fat. . . but they also aren't always healthy or even alive. You are right-- don't eat enough and you will in fact eventually starve to death.

The thing I always think, but rarely say when someone posts this - the help me, I've gone off track threads - is that the very act is indicating the fact that you're still not facing the responsibility and consequences of your choices. The very decision of how to frame it - not "what are some motivational tips" but "someone please help me" is telling - its more than just a coincidental choice of words, its pleading for someone to come and make it all right so that you dont have to do it yourself.
And that inability to accept responsibility is a prime trait in every single overweight person. The ones who succeed are the ones who suddenly understand that weight loss really IS simple, if you simply accept the fact that you make choices and you wear the consequence. But read through this board and you'll see its endemic - I'm fat for this reason, for that reason, I cant lose weight because I'm stressed, or I have a bad hip and cant exercise (so somehow that means I'm excused for my diet as well), yada yada yada. That victim mentality is alive and well, whether it causes obesity or is a result of obesity I cant figure out, but one thing is true - ditching it is the single most important step towards a thin life.
You do sound like a fill might be a good idea though - this tool doesnt work that well if you dont keep it tuned up.
Honestly, everyone here has sympathy for the situation you're in, everyone here has been there, and everyone here knows what its like. But only YOU can fix it.
Think about it, on a deep level. We can all give you support, which you deserve like everyone deserves. We can all tell you what works for us in this situation or that, which can sometimes give you food for thought or even lead to a lightbulb moment where you suddently get it. But we cant truly help you, you have to do that yourself.
What do you want more - ice cream or a healthy thin body? Its that simple. You just have to choose.

Good morning fellow bandsters!! I had surgery 12/9/10 and I'm doing well. As you can see from my ticker, I'm over halfway to my goal. It feels great! I'm registered to run a 5k next month. I would have never thought a year ago that I would be doing this. I have been training for it and I can easily run the entire thing nnow. Before, going to the mailbox was hard. I think alot of times we focus solely on the numbers on the scale instead of the other great things happening on this journey. Things like losing inches, eating less, getting more active, eating healthier and just having a different mindset about our health. And as some of know....it has to start in the mind before the body follows. For those just starting out or only a few months post op...hang in there. I was discouraged too. The scale wasn't moving fast enough, I thought that I would just start dropping weight after surgery and continue until I got to goal. That didn't happen. I thought that the band would just stop me from eating. That didn't happen. I was discouraged because I wanted bigger fills and my doc was only doing small amounts at a time. Now in hindsight, I'm glad that they were small amounts because it gave me time to wrap my head around the lifestyle changes I needed to make. For the new bandsters or the ones struggling, keep your appointments, schedule nutrition visits, join a support group. I truly believe that post op care is critical. Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to share this with everyone. Good luck!!

It sounds to me like you know the score and you're just venting. Vent away! It IS frustrating and counter-intuitive and we all want to be the exception to the "healing period" rule. I think no matter how educated we are pre-band, there is a still part of us that really thinks that we'll wake up two weeks after surgery and have lost 30 lbs overnight.
Don't go cray-cray on us (It's not the oatmeal)

Dolce, I would suggest that you get a therapist who specializes in eating disorders or check out FAA or OA. You may have a food addiction.