ElfiePoo

I know...I'm pretty geeked. I was losing 2 lb a week there for awhile, but I haven't lost anything since surgery. Well, ok I did, but I also gained 8 lbs last week (which I've since lost). I know it was just all the effects of surgery and the fluids they push, but still...it was a bit frightening. Thankfully I was back to normal by this past Wednesday. So only a few more pounds to go to onederland! .

Of course you can...you're only a week out from surgery and you're eating cottage cheese. However, don't get too fixated on the band physically restricting how much you can eat. It doesn't work that way for a lot of people. Pay attention to your hunger level. When you're eating normally again (meaning not mushy slider foods), you should be able to eat a reasonable meal (e.g. 3 oz Protein, 1/2-1 c. vegies) and go about 4 hours without hunger. If you can't, it means you still need a fill. So pay attention to the hunger...not how much you can eat. .

Assuming your surgeon did stop using the old ones...yes. .

I vote for the fill. .

Sarah, Glad to hear you're home and feeling better. The hospital is absolutely no place to stay if you want to get well. Forget the idiotic roommates...how about being wakened very 2 hours for a BP check and then being told 'You're BP is high'. LOL...yeah, no joke...you just shook me from a sound sleep! Have you tried turkey bacon? Some are pretty awful, but there are a few that are actually quite good. Ok...not like pork bacon but it's a good substitute if you don't want/can't eat pork. .

Save your money and bypass the ketostix. If you drink enough Water, the sticks may not even change color even though you're in ketosis. If you're eating less than 20gm of carbs per day and those carbs are in vegies, you are in ketosis. .

Glad to hear everything is going well! Yes I saw on FB that you saw Riverdance <so jealous>. I saw it a few years back and I would love to see it again! Personally, after seeing Lord of the Dance and Riverdance...I liked Riverdance more. .

High protein diets do not cause damage to healthy kidneys. From the Oxford Medical Journal's Nephrology papers. Here are a few excerpts: There is certainly no scientific evidence that the high-protein diets are hazardous for healthy kidneys. Furthermore, real world examples support this contention since protein-related kidney problems are essentially non-existent in the body-building community in which extremely high-protein intake has been the norm for over half a century. Thus, Walser concluded that it is clear that protein restriction does not prevent decline in renal function with age, and, in fact, is the major cause of that decline. According to Walser, a better way to prevent the decline would be to increase protein intake. The authors concluded that high protein intake does not seem to be associated with renal function decline in women with normal renal function. In summary, for individuals with normal renal function, the risks of high-protein weight loss diets are minimal and must be balanced against the real and established risk of continued obesity. And I've also lost over 100 pounds on Atkins with no help from the band. What all of this proves is that there's more than one way to skin a cat. Oh...and I should mention that Atkins is not high protein either. It is moderate protein. I eat 60 grams per day of protein. .

Interesting...I never eat pork rinds. I do eat bacon...*maybe* an ounce per day. I also eat full fat dressings on my salad, butter on my vegies and cream in my coffee. My fats usually come in about 50-60% depending on whether I have bacon and cream or whether I forego them...which depends on my mood. My lab work is within normal range and I've lost a substantial amount of weight. My experience is similar to other *successful* long-term Atkins followers. One new pilot study from Harvard found that when people on a low-fat regimen ate exactly the same number of calories as those on an Atkins-type diet, the latter group lost more weight. An additional low-carb group who ate 300 more calories per day still lost more than the low-fat dieters. Just something to consider. If someone is happy on a low fat, low carb diet...more power to them, but there's just no evidence that the South Beach diet or any other lower fat diet is any healthier than Atkins. Fat has gotten a bad rap. There's little difference between 50% fat on Atkins and the 30% that is considered 'normal'. People don't get fat from eating fat. They get fat from eating sugar and refined carbs. Some of us got fat eating the 'good for you carbs' (brown rice, etc.) because our metabolic systems couldn't handle it. Lots of references, but my favorites: "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes and "The Diabetes Solution" by Dr. Bernstein. Another book some might find interesting is "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr. Malcolm Kendrik. It's a bit horrifying to learn how much of our physician's advice is given based on less than scientific studies. Bottom line - Atkins is no less healthy than South Beach except in the minds of those who believe that low fat is the only truth. .

<sigh> Please read Atkins before judging it. It is not 'super high' in fat, nor is it extreme, nor does he ever say that you can eat a pound of bacon a week. Which is not to say that there are people who do eat a pound or more of bacon a week and 'claim' they're doing Atkins. They've obviously never read the book either. .

I suppose, to be fair to the docs, most people aren't 'in tune' with their own body so they've kind of learned to just ignore the patient and rely on what they can see with their own eyes. Recipe for a disaster, in my opinion. Fortunately, my regular doctor does listen. I never mind waiting an hour past my appointment time (doesn't happen too often anyway) because I know I'll get the same thoughtful treatment. She comes into the room, sets her computer on the counter, sits down, looks at me and says, "So...talk to me."...and then (more importantly) listens. I'll be interested to hear what she has to say after she gets all the results from the testing they did. I'm still having episodes of shortness of breath, although they're lessening, and woke up in the middle of the night with one, so it's not just on exertion. I discovered accidentally yesterday that if I bend over slightly, it's almost like I can take a deeper breath...and I can feel my back sort of 'expanding' (although that's not quite the right word) and allowing the lungs to inflate. I so can't wait to be back to normal!! Elcee: Are you out there? How'd your son's surgery go? .

Most days, I could. On a few rare occasions it would rebound and come right back up and out my nose. .

I wouldn't call any WLS the easy way out. Personally, I find it easier without the band (now that I've discovered how to get rid of the hunger) because I'm not struggling with stuck episodes, intermittent band tightening and loosening, fills, unfills, etc. However, I think your post is dead on. Even if it was easy...so what?!

There's no reason you can't drink right up until you take that first bite of your meal. The Water is going to go right on through. I always waited 30 minutes after a meal and only then because if I drank with my meal, I'd get stuck. Any effect the meal in your pouch is going to have on your band/vagus nerve will happen in that 30 minutes. Sometimes I don't think these people actually think out the logical progression of how to accomplish all their interesting rules. .

I'm not sure why someone who had a bypass would think a band was the 'easy way out' since many would consider bypass far easier than the band. Bypass patients start losing from the day of surgery and are expected to lose about 2/3 of their excess weight just from the surgery. We all know the band does not work nearly that 'easily'. Sounds more like she takes some kind of personal pride in her accomplishment because she had so much to lose. I'd just ignore her. .

I'm not going to get into any arguments over the 'myth' of cholesterol but you might want to check out a book called "The Great Cholesterol Con". The link is actually a review written by Dr. Michael Eades who pulls out some of the basics. Anyway, that's all I'm going to say. Use it (or not) as you see fit. .

Good afternoon bandsters! For those not on Facebook, I spent Monday (keep thinking it was Sunday) in the hospital for 'observation'. I woke up at around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning having difficulty breathing. Then through Sunday, any little exertion would have me sitting down, short of breath again. I was finally convinced to go to the ER to make sure it wasn't a post surgery blood clot. After taking serious advantage of my insurance with a CT scan, echo of the heart, several EKG's and a ton of blood work, I was given a 'cautious' bill of health. Cautious since they still don't know why I suddenly had problems breathing. I think maybe it was because I was exerting myself too much too soon after surgery. The cardiologist wanted to put me on all sorts of blood pressure and cholesterol meds...not because I necessarily have a problem, but as 'preventative' because diabetics are at greater risk for yada yada. I don't think he was too surprised when I refused since we'd already had a go round about his 'ordering' a restricted diabetic diet of 1800 calories, 15% fat and 160gm carbs. I told him if I ate 1800 calories, I'd gain weight and if I ate 160gm of carbs I'd be back on insulin. His response, "well that's why they make medication." I think that was where I told him he could either take the restrictions off the diet, or my husband would be bringing my meals in. Then again, I don't think I ate even half of each meal because the food was so horrible! How can you screw up scrambled eggs, baked (they lied...it tasted poached) chicken or a freakin' salad?? <shudder> The were horrified at blood pressure readings of 190/80 and wanted to give me medication. Refused that too. I know what it is normally and told them their BP would be going through the roof if someone woke them from a dead sleep with a rough shake to the shoulder and then immediately took their BP. Dumbasses. Sooooo glad to be home!

Elcee: Your son's surgery is today, yes? Give us an update when you can. Good thoughts and well wishes winging your way!

Well we know the band tightens and loosens on its own, so it may be time. Isn't it nice though to only want to lose a few pounds instead of *many*? .

Our insurance company doesn't even have our social security numbers. When they first asked for them because they said they *had* to have them for identification purposes, my husband calmly handed them the pamphlet from the SS administration that said nobody can require you to give out your social security number (unless it has a government connection - opening bank accounts, driver's license, etc. etc.). They made up number for us. We didn't even give our children's numbers to the school. Personally, I'd refuse to allow them to give it out.

See...so we do think alike. I'm appalled by by idea of allowing a child to illogically refuse to eat something when they haven't even tried it. .

ROFL...love it. .

Ahhh ok...gotcha. .

I'm not sure why everyone thinks it's only ok to eat a hamburger 'occasionally', but I suppose it depends on what type of diet you're on. I eat a 3 oz burger at least twice a week. I'd probably eat them more but I try to vary my Protein just to keep from being bored. The only problem I had with them was when my band was too tight. A slight unfill solved the problem. .

Good morning bandsters...I think. I think I might be having a relapse of what I had prior to surgery. I thought my sinuses were just giving me problems because the nasal cannula dried them out but now I'm having a bit off difficulty breathing although no chest congestion. I actually had to use my inhaler last night (which helped). What a PITA. I've been up for about 2 hours and I'm ready to go back to bed and crash. So I think I will. Have a good one! .