isaviolinist

This is a great cookbook! Amazon.com: Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery (9781569244531): Patt Levine, Michele Bontmpo-Saray, William B. Inabnet, Meredith Urban-Skuros: B

I was banded June 18th. I am doing great. I've almost lost 50 pounds and I'm thrilled. Here is my blog, you can read about my experience if you like: Violinist With A Band Lot of wisdom on these boards. Good luck with your journey!

I had my first fill at the end of July and I'm going for my second fill Aug 25th. I definitely don't feel anywhere near enough restriction. From what I have heard and read, that seems to be normal (most people don't get enough restriction after the first fill). And I can eat between 1.5-2.5 cups (depending on the food) at a time. I do feel a tiny bit of restriction but its not good enough. And I don't eat just half a cup of food at meals, I eat between 1.5-2 usually. I have continued to lose weight but I think its because I am exercising almost everyday and I am eating the right things for the most part (a lot of proteins, not too many carbs and between 800-1000 cals a day). I'm not sure how many pounds a week (probably not quite 2, maybe closer to 1) but I'm hoping that following my second fill I will have much more restriction and will start losing faster. Looking forward to that...

Not to be harsh, but you didn't put any effort into your pre-op diet so is it surprising to you that you have struggled in the first 5.5 months? There are many of these types of posts on this board, but I can't say I have much sympathy. Good luck, I hope you have better success in the future.

You surgeon sounds like an ass hole. Most of my family members are physicians. I am so glad that I grew up around health care providers because I am completely un-phased and unintimidated by doctors. My doctors work for me. Good luck.

I'm a BCBS patient in PA and it really just took a day or so.

Hey Beatriz -- Welcome to this website. There are a lot of great people and a lot of experience in this forum, so take advantage of it. I think somewhere there is even a thread for those with low-BMIs which you may want to check out (but I'm not sure where it is...you'll have to search around a bit). As far as the lapband being for you - its something that you'll need to talk to your doctor about and also do research for yourself. All the different WLS are different and work differently for different people. The lapband is great for me because my main issue is portion control. So lapband can help me with that. But you need to figure out what you think will be best for you. Also, everyone's insurance is different. When you called, did you tell them you have a BMI of 35? If you did and they said they would cover it with a doctor's referral then maybe you will be fine. As far as getting the appropriate tests and submitting the correct paperwork to your insurance, your surgeon's office should be able to help you with that. The first thing you should do is see who does WLS in your area (or an area that you are willing to travel to, if there isn't anyone in your area) and sign up for an initial seminar. They are free, and generally required by most doctor's/hospitals before scheduling your initial consultations with the surgeon. At my seminar, they gave me info for lapband, sleeve, and RNY. They also provided the opportunity for me to schedule an initial consult with the surgeon while I was there. They went over each procedure - detailing how they were different, who was a candidate, etc. So that would be the first place to start. And don't be afraid to shop around for the surgeon you feel most comfortable with. Chances are, you will be doing all of your follow up care with him or her, and so if you don't feel right or the office staff is unresponsive or rude, then maybe you want to look around further. Thats about all I have. But there is SO much wisdom and experience on this site, so browse around. Good luck and keep us updated!!

I agree with HH. A lot of people on LBT talk about not losing weight before the right restriction (or even after perhaps) and its fine if you understand that you probably won't lose weight if you're still eating fried fish sandwiches and chocolate everyday (because you can, because there is not restriction). But you can't wonder why the weight isn't dropping if your diet is the same as it was before the band (even if the portions are somewhat smaller). It has helped me to keep an honest food diary so I can be accountable for what I am putting in me. Good luck!

Make sure you check with your doctor before drinking Protein Shakes every 4 hours. Most people are on Clear liquids for the first 1-3 days after surgery (which doesn't include protein shakes). Every doctor is different, but I would ask or look through your post-op diet instructions before you have a shake. Good luck and welcome!

You look amazing! So many congratulations to you for all the success you have had!! Can't wait until I am that close to my goal!

Mike, good luck with everything! Keep us updated on your progress

My first fill was a few weeks ago and I'm going in again on Aug. 25th for my second fill. My first fill was under fluoro and I got a total of 5 ccs (I also have Realize Band C). I have kind of minimal restriction right now (depending on the food, I can eat up to 2 or 2.5 cups of food at a time...but now and again I can only eat 1 cup) and I'm looking forward to the next fill. To Becca: Only your doctor can tell you if your band slipped. However, many people still feel very hungry and don't have adequate restriction (or no restriction at all) after the first fill. Have you made an appointment for a second fill? My doctor generally requires 3-4 weeks between fills. Its different for every doctor but since you were only filled a few days ago, even though you don't have the right restriction, your doc will probably have you wait for a 2-3 more weeks at least. If you fill the band too quickly it can sometimes lead to slippage or erosion. Good luck and make your appointment now for your next fill!

I agree. Go see your doc tomorrow. If its really bad, page him tonite. If you can't get fluids down, you are at risk of dehydration. Also, if you take a pill, and it gets stuck and just sits there and dissolves, it can cause damage (depending on what type of pill you are taking).

I wasn't necessarily a diet coke addict specifically, but I loved soda and for awhile was drinking half diet/half regular cokes. I also really liked coke zero. There's also a drink called birch beer (kind of like root beer but better) which I can get in my hometown which I LOVE. On my preop diet (which ended up being 3 weeks long) I wasn't allowed to have soda. Since then, I haven't had any and I don't even want it anymore. I'm not sure if I feel better without it, but I know its certainly healthier (even if you're just drinking diet sodas). Plus, whenever I feel the need to drink I grab Water (I still have trouble getting my 64 oz.).

I agree with what has been said. How much saline per fill, and how much in total is in your band now? Also, do they draw out all of the saline at the time of the fill? This is a good way to check and make sure all of the saline that went into the band from your previous fills is still there. If there is a significantly less amount of saline in your band than what should be there based on the fills you have gotten when they draw it out, there may be a leak in your band. The other, not-so-awesome possibility is that whatever doctor you are going to is trying to make money by filling you with so little saline each time, that you have to come back 13 times (and pay for 13 fills) in 6 months. But first just tell us how much is in your band, and what your fill schedule has been like.

I think you should just decide what you're comfortable with when the time comes for all of those different partys. My birthday just passed about a week and a half ago, but I didn't have cake. It was just too soon. I do give myself a treat every 2 weeks however (usually ice cream) so maybe if I knew there was a party coming up, I'd save the treat for the party. I'm actually having a little get together tomorrow (my friends and I are having a Korean food party). A lot of the stuff I'm cooking, I won't be able to eat (sticky rice, etc.) but it definitely won't prevent me from having a great time. I guess the most important thing to remember is, don't go overboard. The band is great for learning how to control portions! Good luck and have fun at all of the events you have planned!

Congrats on your surgery tomorrow! I felt nervous at many points before my surgery. Its because its the 'unknown'. Everyone is nervous about something they've never experienced. Now, almost 2 months out of surgery, I feel that this is the best choice I have ever made!! Good luck with your surgery, and please give us an update when you get home!

I have BCBS. I finished all my pre-op tests and I think it only took a day or so to get approved. A lot of you are saying that your surgeon's office staff are not sending in your paperwork and not getting back to you about things. If it were me, I would find another surgeon. My surgeon's office sent all of my paper work in promptly, without any reminding on my part. There was even a pre-op test that was unnecessarily ordered by another physician in the hospital, which ended up costing me extra money and my surgeon himself called me about it to tell me he was going to call the billing office to try and get it sorted out. Everyone should remember: they work for you.

I started exercising probably 2-3 weeks after my surgery (but my surgeon said I could start about a week after...I just didn't get my lazy butt moving until 2 weeks after that). I don't do anything crazy. I go 6-7 days a week and I do 30 minutes on the elliptical. That seems to be working okay for now. On my last diet, I was exercising at the gym for 1.5-2 hours a day, almost everyday. And of course I got burnt out and stopped doing it. So for now, I am losing weight at a decent pace and not hating my workouts. I may start adding some weights at some point - I'm really hoping that I can get my arms in good shape without PS. So weights are good for helping with that. Good luck!

Hello. I track my food, weight, daily exercise on FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal. I like it because it gives me handy little reports of how many calories I've burned vs. consumed. It also gives nice graphs of the breakdown of my nutrition (ie it can show me what percentage of my diet is fat, carbs, protein etc.) for one food at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time, etc. When I got my band I was using it religiously everyday. I've gotten a little lazy with it, but am starting to use it again in the past week. Its a very handy tool, and it can definitely be an eye opener. Sometimes I thought I was eating way less fat or carbs or something than I actually was. For activity tracking, it also has activities that you wouldn't think of like driving a car, going grocery shopping, etc. Its probably unnecessary to track those activities but I like to because it gives me the full picture of how many calories I've burned in a day (and actually, on a day where you drive a lot, do some shopping etc. the burned calories can really add up). It just makes me feel good about myself lol. You can also set weight goals and it will show you a graph which shows the change in your weight over time (I love looking at the downward trend...such a motivator!). Good luck!

You should definitely ask him what his plan is for follow up care - is it covered in a program fee you pay? Do you have to pay for fills out of pocket? Does he do them in office or under fluoro? What is the average amount of saline put in the band on the first fill (not the average for all people, but the average for he and his patients). I asked my surgeon questions about how long he had been performing surgery, what rate of success he personally has seen with his patients, how much % of excess weight do his patients lose on average, his personal mortality rate (which for my surgeon, is 0%), how many fills he has to do on average before getting good restriction, how many instances of flipped port/slipped band/erosion he has personally had with patients he operated on, his opinion on how difficult it would be for me to get approved by my insurance and if he could help the process along, what he though about gastric band vs. sleeve or RNY and which he thought I was the best candidate for, whether my previous gall bladder surgery (which was complicated...the surgeon cut my common bile duct and had to open me up) would present a greater risk for complications during surgery - including if it would mean I would have to have the surgery open instead of laparoscopically, etc. I made a list of questions on my computer, printed it out, and brought it with me to the appointment. This is your chance to get to know your surgeon, make sure your comfortable, and get all your answers to your questions before the big day! Take advantage of it :w00t: Good luck!

That was my pre-op diet as well, however I did 3 weeks. You will be fine. After the first few days for me, it wasn't hard to stick to the diet. However, for the first week or so, I only went outside when I had to. I live in the middle of a city and there is lots of enticing food and restaurants just screaming my name when I walk outside. So I just decided to save myself the trouble and temptation for that initial week. After that, I was fine. I lost 20 pounds in those 3 weeks, and honestly, getting on the scale and seeing a loss of some kind almost everyday was motivation enough for me to stick with it.

I had my first fill a few weeks ago (5cc in a Realize Band) and I only have minimal restriction. Going back on Aug 25th for my second fill and hoping that will do the trick.

I wasn't banded in Mexico, so I cant help you there, but just wanted to say good luck and congratulations on your upcoming surgery!!