Froggie D

I have been banded for about 4 months and including my preop I have lost 58 pounds. I ate for all the wrong reasons and thought I was an emotional eater. Every emotion made me want to eat - anger, hurt, depression, happiness, fear, anxiety, etc. I thought a bout food all the time, even after I just ate a full meal. Well, I am here to say that the band has reduced my hunger and it has made a difference in my obsessing over food. I still have to eat the right things and not let myself go wild, especially when I am depressed or angry or hurt or bored, etc. But the difference in my actual hunger is amazing. I can go for hours without thinking about food. That never happened before the band. The band doesn't just prevent me from eating too much, it actually reduces my desire for food and then I can control my emotional hunger. I can't explain it, but it is different.

Thanks Monkeymomma. So far this week is better. I did not get to the gym last night but back to 60 minutes with my trainer tonight. Tonight we did some cardio and a lot of shoulder and back strength stuff. I am going to be sore tomorrow. It was hard after missing five days. My foot is slowly getting better. Hope your GI stuff is better, too! Have a good week, everyone!

My nutritionist said to be very careful of the protein shooters as many of them are made of inferior kinds of protein and do not have all the necesary amino acids in them. You get the calories without really getting the quality protein your body can use. She said to look for whey, soy or egg proteins.

Great work. It is so exciting getting to Onederland! Congratualtions!

Good luck to both of you, Trazola and LOVELYLADY. You will do great. Follow everything your surgeon tells you to do, just to get a really great start. Post and let us know how you are doing! :bolt::welldoneclap:

My nutritionist said chewing gum could casue you to swallow air and create gas, so I just avoid it. I think it would depend how you chew. She also said many of the Protein shot or shooters are made with inferior protein that may not include all the amino acids so are not well utilized by your body. Not sure which ones fit into this category. She suggested only using whey, soy or egg protein sources of protein powders or drinks.

It is extremely common. When you have surgery they pump your abdomen full of gas to give room to manuver around. When done they pump it back out. Being inflated may aggravate a nerve that runs through your diaphragm. This nerve also runs to the shoulder area and when irritated may cause referred pain in the shoulder. This is the pain you are feeling. I had this pain after gall bladder surgery as well as my lap band. Mine was also aggrevated by coughing from an allergy attack after my lap band surgery. It got better pretty quickly, but if I ate too fast for the first few weeks, it could cause that pain to flare up again. Walking helps sometimes and a heating pad can help. Your pain meds or Tylenol will help some too.

I have missed almost a whole week of exercising. First my car broke down and I could not get to the gym Tuesday so I missed my training session. I did cardio on my own the next night. Then Thursday I saw a podiatrist who gave me a shot of cortizone in my foot for a Morton's Neuroma. He told me to take off and rest my foot. I will go back and do some cardio tomorrow and have trainer sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. My foot is really bothering me. I have to go back for surgery after my vacation in August. Yuck! At least I have lost weight this week. I have lost 2.8 pounds after not losing in a while. That feels really good! Glad everyone is doing so well!

I have been there and done those things. Very depressing! Now after being banded and losing some of my weight, I am not suffering from the heat nearly as much. In fact my husband has always been the "cool one" and now I am the one putting on a sweater - really a new experience for me. I now fit in booths. I can lean into my plate and not spill on myself. It is amazing. As for not being able to go out to eat, yes you can still go out to eat! You will have a post op time when you are doing special foods so restaurants are hard. But after that you can go out. You will never eat as much as you did in the past. You will select leaner, healthier, lower calorie foods when you go out. You will allow yourself occassional treats, but not as often and not as big of portions. To my surprise, I am finding going out to eat just as enjoyable as it ever was, I just don't feel as guilty afterwards! Keep that positive attitude and you will do great with your band. It is a wonderful tool and has helped me inprove my life and my health so much. I love my band! :smile2:

So tomorrow is your day? Best of luck to you! My surgery was April 7 and it was not as bad as I thought it might be. I had guilty feelings too for being "so selfish" in wanting something just for me - it cost too much, it was because I was weak and had no will power, it was a burdon on my family to have to go through it with me, I am a failure and don't deserve it - those were my feelings. Well, guess what? It was not as hard as I thought, I am already spending less on medications, my medical problems have reduced and so have all the worries about my health, and my family is so happy I am losing weight and can do more with them and enjoy life more. My "selfishness" has paid off in many ways. Banding is not a magic bullet that works by itself, but it is a wonderful tool. If you work it, it will be worth it, believe me. I wish you all the best. Your journey is just starting. There will be many ups and downs, but the band helps and we are here for support. Let us know how your surgery goes!

I was banded on April 7 and I have to say the roller coaster ride of emotions before the banding is a bit overwhelming! You experience every emotion possible - IT IS NORMAL!!!! :smile: You will also have more emotional roller coaster after you are banded so be prepared. I had some mood swings and blue/tearful times the first month out. My surgery itself was not bad and recovery was actually pretty easy. As for the "taking the easy way out" idea - that is just not true. The band has helped me immensely in losing weight, but it is NOT EASY! It takes dedication, hard work, planning, and willingness to make lifestyle changes. I always was a person who could set goals and work hard to achieve them, except with my weight. I felt like a total failure with no self control. I was sure I would be a big failure at the band too. Well, guess what? I am being successful with the band! It has been that extra push I needed to lose weight and I am certain I will be able to keep it off! I always felt I was hungry all the time and because other people were not hungry all the time and constantly focused on food like I was, I figured it was a moral or will power issue, that I was just a weak person. I expected the band to "punish me" when I ate too much and prevent me from being able to give in to my cravings. What I have experienced is totally different. I do not feel that constant hunger now and do not crave nearly as much as I used to. Sure, I have to make good decisions on what to eat, and have the right foods available. But, now that I have my band, I know what not being hungry actually can feel like! I can eat, get satisfied and go for hours without thinking about food. I am sure this is not just psychological - it is a physical change from the band. It is a totally new experience for me! I do not think I am at my sweet spot yet, but the difference I feel is astounding. I have had 3 fills so far with a total of 3.0cc in my band. I have lost a total of 58.8 pounds including my pre-op (35.8 since surgery). I still go out to eat with friends and family. I eat until comfortably full and do not obsess about food like I used to. I have gone from a 2x to a 16 so far and have gone off my diabetes meds, cut my blood pressure meds, and no longer take pain killers for joint pain. I am having my C-pap titrated this week as it is too strong. The rewards are beyond my wildest expectations. Like many of the posters above, I only wish I could have done this 30 years ago. So go into this experience, should you decide to go ahead, with your eyes wide open. It is not "easy" and "the easy way out". It is hard work and dedication. But the rewards are amazing. It has given me just the extra edge I needed to make the commitment and stick with it. I am about half way to my goal and am determined I will get there and keep the weight off. Good luck in making your decision and with your weight loss. I love my band! :smile2:

There is so much more to it than the numbers. Weight is only one approximation of health. Don't get too hung up on that. Two people who weigh the same can be totally different based on muscle mass and fat/lean muscle composition. If you have enough muscle mass, you will not look like a bag of bones, even at a very low weight. If you lose all your fat and have no muscle mass, you will. Get on the internet and look at some of the articles about muscle mass. I was looking at the the famous people who have low fat to lean muscle ratio like Bo Derrik at the height of her career. She had very low body fat, but no one would ever say she looked like a bag of bones, I don't think. She had high muscle mass and looked wonderful. You have to find what looks and feels great to you. Tables and number are just averages and only guides. Be proud of what you have accomplished and work toward good health, not a certain weight!

I had my surgery on a Wednesday, took pain meds 1 day and went to liquid Tylenol. I had some soreness and so left shoulder pain, but that eased in a few days. I went back to work on Monday and worked a 5 day week. Had some tiredness and it was two weeks before I really felt normal again. Overall, it was a very easy experience. I am almost 4 months out and have lost a total of 58.8 pounds including pre op - 35.8 since surgery. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Best thing I ever did for myself! I am off my diabetes meds, reduced my high blood pressure meds, back pain gone, not taking Ibuprophen at all (used to take constantly for knees, hips, feet, etc), getting my C-pap machine retitrated this week because it is too strong for me, and have gone from a 2x to a 16 in clothes. It was worth every bit of the little pain I experienced! I love my band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:smile2:

I was supposed to have my first fill at 4 weeks and I postponed because I was experiencing restriction and still losing. I went in at 5 weeks and we decided to do 1.5cc instead of 2cc like they normally do. It was fine. At a little over 8 weeks they did another 1cc and at 12 weeks 0.5cc. So I have only 3cc and am still losing weight. Everyone is different. If you have restriction, you don't want to add too much more and maybe be uncomfortable. My doctor said his formula for fills is if you are 1) eating without too much getting stuck, vomiting, PBing, etc., and 2) are still losing weight and 3) are satisfied for 4-5 hours without experiencing lots of hunger, he does not fill. If you are having too much getting stuck, you might need an unfill. If you are hungry too early and/or not losing weight, you need a fill. The band works differently in everyone and you just cannot compare yourself to others. The amount of Fluid in the band is not necessarily indicative of your experience so focus on the results, not the number of cc's in your band. Work with your doctor doing your fills. It is a negotiation each time I go in and I am losing quite well. Best of luck on your journey. By the way, 20 pounds in a month is FABULOUS. The average is 1-2 pounds per week! You should be very pleased with that amount. Keep up the good work!:smile2:

I have tried the chewable cherry and both flavors of strips. They work the same, give really quick relief, and taste great, so why mess with a pill?

The shoulder pain, as others have said, is caused by the gas they use to inflate your abdomen. It causes pressure on your diaphragm and irritates the nerve running through it. That nerve also runs to your shoulder area and when it gets irritated, it can cause referred pain to the shoulder. This is long after the gas is gone so treating for gas pains is really not helpful. The pain meds are the thing that will help ease it, but the irritation really just has to go away over time. Walking and a heat pack seemed to help ease it for me, too. I had the referred shoulder pain when I had my gall bladder out too. If you have pain from gas in your stomach and intestines, Gas-X will help that. I had both gas pain and referred shoulder pain.

So very very very cool! Way to go!:biggrin:

On a scale of 1-10 I would have to say my natural childbirth was a 10, having my gall bladder out the old fashioned way was a 9 and this was a 1. I took pain meds day of surgery only. I had left shoulder pain on day three, four and five and that was a 1.5 for me - more of an annoyance. I was off 5 days and back to work. All in all, it was a breeze. Worst part was tiredness and some blue moods the first few weeks.

I had staples in my incisions and was scheduled to have then out on day 12. On day 11, a Sunday, my port incision got red and very sore. I went in earl and they removed the staples and but me on an antibiotic. Much better within 24 hours. No lasting effects. :biggrin:

I don't understand why it matters how much you eat. If you were just a normally a person with a very tiny appetite, would he not like you? When you start eating, make some remarks about how good the food is and how you are savoring each bite. Eating a lot is not necessarily a complement to the cook. I used to eat a LOT and barely tasted it. I actually enjoy my smaller amounts now than I did the huge amounts before I was banded!

My doc is conservative too. I had restiction from the surgery and was supposed to have a fill at 4 weeks. I postponed to 5 weeks and he did 1.5cc. the next one was 1cc and the third was 0.5 cc. So I have 3 cc ni my band and am still losing slowly. As long as I get all my Protein, and make it very lean, then eat low carb veggies and occasionally fruit, I am not too hungry. I do not care how I lose it, as long as it comes off. I have lost in the past, especially on low carb, high protein. I think the beauty of the band is I will not gain it back. I am trying to focus on learning how to use my band, learning new eating habits and changing my lifestyle to keep it off. I figure if it takes a little longer to lose it, it is just more time to practice!!!!!!! Also supposed to be better for avoiding the loose skin if you lose slower!

I weigh every day first thing in the AM and naked so it is the most consistent. I only record the weight if I lose, so that is about once maybe twice a week. I know they say not to weigh every day, but I can't help myself. For me it is sort of like putting nickles in a slot machine. The next one could be the winner! If I don't weigh, this might have been the day to win (see a loss). I know it sounds crazy, but I have to know. I am able to explain away a gain so it does not devastate me. If I over ate, I tell myself to cut back today. If I did not over eat, I tell myself it is Water weight and drink some extra water to wash it out. I wish I could just let my band work and forget about weight, but I am not there yet. Maybe I never will be.

I agree with the Protein shakes but also always eat your protein first. Shaved chicken and cheese is fine, but you have to eat 3-4 ounces of it and then eat the low carb veggies. My doctor recommended no lettuce the frist 3-4 months just because it takes up valuable space that needs t be filled up by protein so you heal well. You have to get your protein in first. That and Water are the essentials. When I was first banded I had the same experience and was only getting in about 600 calories a day. I worked on getting all my protein and getting in a bit more at meals so I got up to 800-900 per day. You probably have some restriction from swelling from the surgery and that will slowly go away, most likely. I had restiction for the first 5-6 weeks. I actually have less restriction now after three fills than I felt I had then. Still working on finding the "sweet spot". Good luck to you! Keep reading these posts - lots of valuable info here!

Went to the gym on Wednesday but had to miss Thursday and Friday due to my daughter being in the hospital (she is getting better and should go home in a day or two). Worked with my trainer today and it was hard after missing two days. UGH! Each time he is having me different things and adding more. I had planned on doing 1200 minutes by Sept 1 but am already half way there. I can't believe it. It has only been 18 days. Feeling pretty good. Hope the weight keeps coming off!:smile:

You should be extremely pround of yourself! You have done wonderfully. Keep it going!:cool::hurray: