pixistix

How's this for a non-scale victory? When I woke up this morning, I felt absolutely great! That never used to happened. Now it happens all the time. My mood is terrific, I have energy, my stomach feels flat(er), I even feel taller. Before getting the band, I was very nervous. I had serious fears and doubts about it, so I googled "band" + "regret". I got a bunch of results of people posting "My only regret is that I didn't get it sooner!" And now, that's exactly how I feel. I love you Lap-Band!

Welcome to "bandster hell," the uncomfortable period between recovery from surgery and the process of getting fills and, eventually, good restriction. Just do the best you can with nutrition and exercise (when your doc gives you the okay), and try to be patient.

I make Ranch dip with plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, then dip tomatoes, broccoli, baby spinach, carrots. Yummmmm! Just use dry ranch salad dressing/dip mix and add 16 oz plain Greek yogurt. Delicious and unbelievably good for you.

And keep getting your fills. For me personally, I didn't have good restriction until I had 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band. Nutrition and exercise are crucially important as well, of course. They will serve you well no matter what. But good restriction should make it a whole lot easier.

You are in the uncomfortable period between surgery and restriction. Search the phrase "bandster hell" for many, many stories about this miserable time. During this period I tried to focus on good nutrition and exercise rather than fast weight loss. I would have a nutritious snack mid morning and mid afternoon, to keep from getting crazed with hunger. At meals, eat enough healthy food so that you're not starving and you won't be so tempted into old habits. Drink plenty of Water, too. The most important thing is: keep getting your fills. 2 CCs is nothing. I didn't have good restriction until I had 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band. Now I feel like the band is really working. Everything is different once the band is actually working! It's a long, slow process but well worth it! Hang in there. Your journey is just beginning.

I didn't have much restriction at all until I got to 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band. Everybody's different, but I would suggest continuing to get fills. It sounds perfectly normal to me.

How long have you been feeling tired? Are you doing an extremely low carb diet? Are you counting Protein grams? Drinking plenty of Water? Getting enough rest and sleep?

What part of the country are you in?

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I could get liquid down, but I had terrible, nightmarish nausea for about a week. I did end up in the emergency room one night. It seemed there was little they could do until the post-surgical swelling went down. The good news is, as soon as the swelling went down, I was fine and have been ever since. Later, I was afraid I might have a bad reaction to fills, but that hasn't been the case at all. They are no problem. Hang in there -- I am hoping things improve 100% for you VERY shortly! (hugs)

Oddly, I have had a fill "kick in" over a week after getting it. So give it a chance and see what happens. It helps me a lot to have a small, healthy snack an hour or so before a meal, so that hunger doesn't cloud my judgment. Then it's easier to "listen" to my body instead of my crazy brain. Also, if 4 CCs is the total amount of fill you have, that's still not very much. Even though you felt some restriction before, set that aside mentally. Keep getting your fills. Everybody is different, but I needed 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band before I had good restriction. Hang in there and good luck.

I don't know much about the sleeve, but I felt that bypass was more traumatic and nutritional absorption can be a problem. With the band you lose more slowly, which is healthier physically. Emotionally and psychologically, I knew I would need to get used to the change slowly over time. Also, it is my understanding that both procedures have about equal success rates at the 5 year mark. If a person has health problems that are an immediate threat and a great deal of weight to lose, I believe bypass is preferred, but since I only (ONLY!) have about 100 pounds to lose, I felt the band was the way for me to go. I have been very happy with it so far.

You don't say where you are in terms of restriction. I know that before I had about 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band (everybody is different), it was just another diet. And we all know how successful those are.... After I had good restriction, it was a whole different world. So take it easy, do the best you can with nutrition and exercise, and keep getting those fills. It's just my opinion, but I think that if you don't have proper restriction, you don't have a band.

I would really encourage you to get some Carnation Instant Breakfast and either kefir or drinkable yogurt, if you like them, to help with hunger during the liquid phase. And maybe some plain chicken broth too, just in case. Also, for variety, you might want to try a chocolate or vanilla Protein shake if that sounds good. My favorite is Pure Protein (available at Trader Joe's, health food stores or online). My personal opinion is that during the liquid and mushy stages, I didn't worry too much about sugar in juice or Instant Breakfast and I drank 1% or 2% milk. But a lot depends on how you feel. Some people have pain (I had none). Some people don't have any nausea at all (mine was terrible, but passed after several days). Take it easy. If you're feeling fine, then let nutrition be your guide. Good luck to you and congratulations on starting this wonderful journey.

Everyone is different, but I didn't have good restriction until I had 7.5 CCs in a 10CC band. It can take a little time.... Keep getting your fills and hang in there. When you have good restriction, you'll know it! Eat slowly, chew your food well, pause between bites. Also, it helps me if there is some sort of sauce or something "wet" on my food. I often use a splash of olive oil or a "salad dressing" made with greek yogurt and ranch dressing mix, etc. Also, are you supplementing your Protein with shakes?

I think they want to make sure you don't have an active eating disorder. Also, they want you to have a realistic picture of what this surgery will and won't do for you. No, it won't solve all of your problems. Yes, you will need to eat healthy, exercise, etc.

You're losing an average of over 3 1/2 pounds per week. That is actually very fast progress, though I know it seems slow. My doc looks for 1-2 per week; anything more is a bonus. I supplement Protein with Pure Protein chocolate shakes (which I get at Trader Joe's, health food stores, or online). They have 35 grams of protein each, only 170 calories, and are surprisingly tasty. I drink at least one a day, sometimes two. Keep up the good work.

One idea is to have a Protein shake or some other healthy snack at 8:30pm. Maybe a Skinny Cow ice cream (if you crave sweet), or a dozen almonds (if you crave salty). Battle it with nutrition! My danger time is the lunch hour, so I make sure to have a good snack around 10:30. That way hunger/cravings can't impair my judgment as much. Also, though I see you're doing absolutely great so far, it sounds like you don't have proper restriction yet. For pity sakes, don't be too tough on yourself! Keep getting those fills -- it can really make all the difference in the world.

Follow your doctor's guidelines, because they can vary. During the liquid phase, my doc recommended: Carnation Instant Breakfast, juice, yogurt, pudding, malt-o-meal, instant mashed potatoes (made thin), and cream soup (strained and made thin). Those really helped with hunger.

Until I had good restriction, I had a terrible time resisting fast food too. It was very depressing and demoralizing. I felt proper restriction at 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band. Now I physically can't finish even a small burger. But you know what else happened? Some of that terrible obsession has gone away. My doc says it's a hormonal thing that can happen after WLS. He says he hears it all the time. It's not 100% and I can still choose to sabotage myself if I really want to fail... Ultimately, I have to be careful I'm getting good nutrition. I eat healthy Snacks between meals so hunger doesn't impair my judgment. And exercise really helps with my mood and motivation, so I go to the gym. But good restriction makes it a whole lot easier! Hang in there and good luck to you.

I was very nauseated the first week after surgery, then after that passed, I was RAVENOUS! Until you get a couple of fills and have proper restriction, it is difficult. Search this forum for "bandster hell" and you will read all about it. I really like "Pure Protein" chocolate Protein shakes. I don't think Wally World carries it, but it is available online. Good luck to you!

Oh lordy, please don't give up yet! Restriction makes all the difference in the world! I was banded this April too, and I didn't feel any restriction until I had 7.5 CCs in a 10 CC band. UNTIL YOU HAVE RESTRICTION, YOU DON'T HAVE A BAND!!

Sometimes people don't notice, but I understand. I'm terrible about noticing these things on other people. Or even if I think I see something different, I figure it's none of my business. I'm lucky, though. Every time I get naked to weigh myself, my husband says, "Hey there, skinny bones Jones." I love that man....

I rely on protein shakes to make sure I get enough protein (Pure Protein Chocolate is my favorite, available at Trader Joe's, health & nutrition stores, or online). IsoPure is gross, I agree.

Since you're just post-op, the reason the opening is small is because of swelling. Everybody's different, so I can't tell you the exact size of the opening. During the mushy stage, you're eating food that's the consistency of baby food, so you shouldn't have a problem. Just pause between bites and see how you feel. You'll get the hang of it in no time.

I, too, was very scared about having surgery. I waited until I had osteoarthritis in my hips and back, but I wish I'd had it 10-15 years earlier. Even with no co-morbidities though, you have to figure that if insurance companies are willing to pay for it then being "just overweight" is more risky than this surgery. What I have experienced since being banded is that not only do I have physical restriction on how much I can eat at one time, but I'm also just less interested in food. There are actual hormonal changes that happen (according to my doc), so the terrible obsession just isn't there like it used to be. I am careful to eat a healthy snack between meals so hunger doesn't impair my judgment. And exercise helps my mood and motivation, so I go to the gym. I still have the occasional craving, and it's possible to sabotage yourself with high calorie "sliders," but with a little bit of effort on my part, I am having great success. The weight loss can be slow (especially at first), but that's actually for the best, both physically and emotionally. It allows you to adjust to the change slowly over time. And it's worth noting, as far as life being "normal," that you can opt for less than very tight restriction. My band is loose enough that I can gulp down a glass of Water, no problem. I have never gotten "stuck." And the only food that really causes a problem is bread (or bread like texture). I can only eat a little bit of bread (less than one slice). But that is fine with me. I'm sure my weight loss would be faster with more restriction, but I am happy with what I have. Good luck to you!