btrieger

My surgeon has a minimum of 6 weeks between surgery and first fill. Then 4 weeks between fills.

I guess I'll be the bad guy here. Keep eating pretty much everything and you are never going to lose the weight. The lapband, no matter how many fills you get does not make you lose weight. You lose weight by eating small healthy meals and exercising. The band is just a tool to help you feel satisfied after eating those meals. It is not a magical weight loss device. You actual do the work. There are a few rules you should be living by: Drink at least 64 ounces of Water a day Eat only 3 meals a day Cut your food small Chew every bite 25 - 30 times Do NOT drink during meals or for at least 30 minutes after meals. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry Do NOT drink high calorie drinks If you use a site such as Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate to record everything you eat and drink, you may be surprised to see how much extra calories you are eating. If you follow these rules, you will start losing. Good luck

Every doctor has different requirements. During my 3 week pre-op and 2 week post-op diet I was never restricted to "clear" liquids.

We have to assume our doctors know what is best. Stick it out, June 17th is right around the corner.

I go there at least once a week for chicken and gnocci soup and salad. The breadsticks have too many carbs for me.

I waited over 120 pounds before I even bothered. I was wearing 3x and 4x shirts with my 56 inch waste pants before I finally decided to buy XL shirts and 44" pants :thumbup:

It seems that half of the state of Texas has had one form of WLS or another. I tell anyone that cares and a lot that don't.

Take it slow. Make a compromise with yourself. If you are going to eat that stuff. Only eat half as much as you usually do. If you want to fight the cravings all together; brush your teeth when you get these cravings or go for a 30 minute walk. Both of those worked for me. Good luck! If it were easy then there'd be no need for weight loss surgery at all.

Surgery was scheduled for noon. I showed up at 11. Filled out; filled out minimal paperwork; waited in the waiting room for 15 minutes. The brought me to a pre-op room; I got undressed; put on a johnny; they started an IV; I laid back on the bed and watched Private Benjamin. The next thing I know, they are waking me up and handing me a small cup of crushed ice with a spoon. I ate a little of that and they had me sit up, then walk around the room a little; made me drink some barium in front of an xray machine; handed me some instructions; had me get dressed and I let. Actually very eventless and boring. I was expecting something more dramatic.

Great advice so far. Also, if you are on a very low calorie diet, try eating 100-200 more calories a day. It sounds backwards but it actually works. I think because it gives your body more fuel to burn or something.

If you lived closer, I'd offer to give you a package of the strawberry Optifast to try but you'll just have to take my word for it. I did nothing but Optifast shakes for 4 straight weeks; did not cheat once and was not hungry at all. The smallest quantity they will sell is a box of 7 for $20. Since they don't give or sell samples, you can either buy a box and try it there or take your chances and buy a couple weeks' worth.

Everybody hits a long plateau sooner or later. You just have to expect it and not let it get you down. I've never measured my carbs and am getting lazy about plugging my meals into bodybugg but I try not to have bread, rice or potatoes with more than 1 of my meals a day.

Unless you put A LOT of effort into it on your own, you won't start seeing any real change for 2 or 3 months. Once you start getting fills, it gets easier. I am not trying to discourage you, I'm trying to encourage you to put a lot of effort into it. You're worth it.

I dine out for lunch every day and bring half home for dinner. A little trick that makes it easier is to ask for a take home container as soon as you get you food and put half of it in there. Out of sight, out of mind.

Optifast is worth the money!!! It's delicious. BA taste like dirty bathwater. :thumbup: PS. It's an awful long drive from Big Spring to Colleyville but Dr Kim and his staff are definitely worth it as well!!

I'm experiencing an NSV right now and just noticed. I am walking around with a bath towel wrapped around my waste and can't remember the last time I could not only wrap it completely around but also do that little tuck to make it stay up.

Why don't you just say what you were thinking? "A guy that won't disappear for a month or 2 to go play stupid games on Facebook." :thumbup:

Soup is often high in sodium and causes Fluid retention. It is a temporary thing but best to avoid too much sodium.

I gained 5 pounds during surgery from the IV and swelling. I don't think that passed for at least 3 days.

Most people lose 30 - 40 pounds in the first 3 days. something must be wrong. Just kidding. Patience is a virtue.

We can't control where the weight comes off but the first place it usually comes off is in and around our vital organs (belly/visceral fat). Give it time and when it is done there it will continue throughout your body.

I modified my lifestyle 9 months ago and am 3 months out of surgery. The only carbs I ate regualary are rice and potatoes; I was never really a big sweets person. So I didn't have to abandon any of the foods that I actually craved. I just eat them in moderation now. Don't just quit cold turkey. that is what causes cravings. Take it slow and cut down your portions. If you eat/ate bread with every meal; cut that down to just lunch or even lunch and dinner for now.

Harsh, yes but it was my honest opinion. It kills me that a lot of us are doing everything we can to get healthy including such drastic measures as having surgery. While others think it is just another toy that you turn off when you are done playing with it.

sugar free pudding; Baked Doritos; Baked Cheetohs; Cottage Cheese; Frozen yogurt; etc... It doesn't have to be bird or rabbit food. Those get old fast and we revert back to our old ways. Eat tasty stuff in moderation and try to keep the fats and sugars low.

I lost 95 pounds between my initial consultation and surgery. I heard it all but explained that anybody can lose weight. The band is my insurance policy to not gain it back again. The funny thing is that everyone was understanding except one chick I work with that has just dropped 100 pounds. The hundred pounds she lost is the weight she gained back since last time she lost 100 pounds. She doesn't understand that it is a vicious cycle and sometimes bold steps have to be taken to stop this cycle. Good luck and in the end, you have to realize that everyone has opinions and only yours counts when it comes to your health and well being.