ElfiePoo

My doc was all about balanced meals. The main part of the meal should be Protein, then vegies, then carbs (about 1/4 cup). Personally, I have to avoid bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes and flour products. I crave constantly when I'm eating them. When I eliminate them from my diet, I'm never hungry or craving. .

I would try doing mushies for a couple days because you may have created some swelling with the difficulty you're having in eating. Then if you're still having problems with solids (chicken and ground beef are usually difficult for many people), I'd see about an unfill. The fact that you're having difficulty with liquids makes me think you're still swollen or are too full. .

I routinely lift 25# and more in my warehouse and was told no more than 5 lbs for the first two weeks after surgery, then no more than 10# until 8 weeks after surgery. .

There are a number of people here who have had their ports flipped and had to go in to have them flipped back over. One even said they're getting it done in the office under a local. For a couple months they thought mine was going to flip because it was turning on its side. Then it straightened back out. .

Get rid of the sweets. They'll only get you craving for more. The more carb loaded you are (and everyone has a different threshhold), the more you'll crave them...and even with restriction, your band most likely will allow you to eat sweets to your hearts content. When I'm craving sweets, I eat a small apple. Some say eat something salty or fatty as that will kill the craving. Never worked for me. I wanted something sweet and the fruit helped. .

Tsaleen, The book my doc gave me to take home from surgery had some recipes in it and one was for a chicken quesadilla. It goes something like this. Take one chicken quesadilla and chop it up. Stick it in the blender with hot chicken broth and puree. Add more chicken broth to thin as needed. <shudder>

My point is that postop requirements vary so obviously there is no one right way to do things. Thus, scaring people with 'slippage' makes no sense. My personal view is that if you can't stick to the postop instructions because they're so restriction, then be honest with your doctor and tell him so. You might also ask why he's so restrictive when obviously other doctors are not. Don't keep your doc in the dark. .

BB, Studies prove that women who eat 1200 calories a day will lose weight faster and more consistently than those who drop below. A bonus is that you get enough food so you don't feel hungry. I also eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3 because it keeps my blood sugar stable. Since I'm eating (or drinking a Protein shake) every 2.5 hours, that also keeps the hunger at bay. I was fortunate, my doc didn't expect me to eat only 1 cup of food at a meal before I had restriction but did advise using some restraint (not pigging out) and making good choices. .

Emjay, Just noticed your ticker. Congratulations on getting to goal! .

I'm the same way even though I don't have restriction. I just drink a low carb/low cal Protein shake at 7 a.m. (when I get up) and another one at 9:30 a.m. By noon I can usually eat. On the days when I didn't do my shakes, I found it still difficult at noon. I'm wondering if making the stomach muscles work...even on liquids...has anything to do with it. Dunno...but it works. .

If you read through this forum, you'll find that postop food requirements vary according to doctors. Some doctors put their patients back on regular food within days. My surgeon had me back on regular foods within 2 weeks. Some people are not back on regular foods for 30 days. And there are even some surgeons who make their patients stay on total liquids for 30 days. My surgeon has done over 7,000 band surgeries and been doing this for years. He has a band of his own. To date he has only had 3 slippages which turned out to be because these 3 patients were bulemics and seriously throwing up several times a day. He also warns his patients that if they get a flu or something where they're throwing up, to come in and get completely unfilled. When I asked him what the possibility of slippage (because people on here were scaring me about being on solids at 2 weeks), he said 'unlikely' unless I'm a bulemic or totally disregard the warning signs (getting stuck or urping up the stuck item several times a day) meaning I'm not chewing well or taking small enough bites...or maybe just that I'm overfilled. Yes, you should listen to your doc but if you do cheat, at least be reasonable and stop doing what you're doing if it causes you pain. .

My surgeon puts his patients on the various stages over a 14 day period so by the end of two weeks I was back on regular food. I never had to go through bandster hell either because he tells his patience "eat if you're hungry". As someone who has a Lapband himself, he knows full well that if we could limit ourselves to a cup of food at a meal without restriction, we wouldn't have needed to do the band at all. He did, however, suggest some restraint and to make good food choices. .

I forgot to mention my NSV moment this morning. I went into the bathroom this morning to brush my teeth and hair and as my eyes looked into the mirror, I noticed that not only is the slight puffiness in my face gone (almost looks slender!), but my eyes are bright and clear and I look healthier and happier than I have in a long time! Also, even tho the scales aren't moving that much, I tried on my vacation clothes (new) this morning to make sure I hadn't bloated my belly since I bought them and they're *loose*! Not sloppy loose, but very comfortably loose! I told my husband that I am sticking to Atkins while we're at Disney (since there are cafes and restaurants serving healthy foods). Also, with all the walking we'll be doing (6 day unlimited pass 3 of the parks and a husband who never says quit)...I figure we'll hit the parks at 10 a.m. and my husband won't want to stop until they close so I should come home lighter from all the activity! Yeah baby! .

Morning banders! Day 4 and all is going swimmingly! Normally, my first week on Atkins and I'm bitchy, irritable, and craving carbs like mad. Nothing this time! It's already day 4 and I have so much energy and feel great! No cravings at all! I don't know if the band has anything to do with the fact that I'm not stuffing myself constantly with Protein the way I did in the past during this first week, but I'm also not feeling the desire to eat as of yesterday which means I had to actually force myself to make a meal. It amazes me when I actually get off the carbs at how crazy carbs make me! I don't know whether I'm at my sweet spot but I can still take normal sized bites, although I have to chew well or I start sliming. oops...gotta take the husband to work cuz I need the car today. Have a good one everyone. Melody

Shammah: Good luck today with the surgery! Stacie: Congrats on your decision to go back to school. One week will go by quickly...hang in there!

After I lost 70 pounds I could tie my sneakers. Now, after another 35 pound loss, I can tie them so the bow is on top of the sneaker and not off to the side fat lady style. :smile: .

At this point, I don't exercise or go to the gym. I'm just trying to create a more active lifestyle...one I can live with for the rest of my life. I'm amazed at how many hours some of you spend in the gym because I'd have to give up something I love doing (quilting, gardening, weaving, etc.) in order to do something I detest. I do swim laps for an hour one day a week during the school year at the high school's pool but that's about it. I'm looking for other activities I like (possibly Zumba) that I can do at home 1-2 days a week but more because they're fun than because it's just exercise. To those who love killing themselves at the gym and sweating for hours a day every day...more power to you...but it's not for me. :smile: .

If you listen to the 'experts', they'll say no more than 2 lbs per week. Bah humbug. How fast you lose depends on how overweight you are to start with. The more overweight, the faster you'll lose on a 1200 calorie diet. As you get closer to your goal weight, it will slow down and it all evens out. How much sag your skin has depends on genetics, how overweight you were and for how long, and age. I wouldn't worry about it. .

This is how I lost my weight and did not exercise. My health and vital stats improved tremendously. My blood sugar levels went from over 200 to around 100, my good cholesterol went up, my bad cholesterol and triglycerides went down. I had tremendous energy and was clear headed and best of all, never hungry as I was on typical so-called 'balanced' diets that had less fat, less calories and more carbohydrates. I was not saggy and flabby either...or at least no more so than anyone who loses 70 pounds, but eventually my skin snapped back. I am once again on a strict Atkins regimen and loving it! .

Nope. When I was at my highest of 330, I dropped 70 pounds without exercising. I've dropped another 35 pounds since without exercising...but more slowly. The closer we get to our goal weight, the more slowly we will lose weight if we don't increase our activity. Remember, weight loss or gain has to do with calories taken in vs. calories used. As our weight drops, our calorie needs drop as well. Which means we'll start losing more slowly and have more stalls...weeks where we won't lose at all because the difference in the calories we're eating vs expending may amount to only 2 lb of loss per month. I detest exercise and have no plans to start a formal exercise program unless I find something I enjoy doing. Now that the school year has started, our local high school holds swim aerobics for adults once a week. Since they only use half the pool, I go in and swim laps in the deep end for an hour. It's a beginning. Find something you enjoy doing...Richard Simmons, Zumba, Curves...whatever. Ignore the 'expert's' advice on you must get to your target heart rate, no pain/no gain, or whatever idea they're pushing. Work at your comfort level and just move. It's a beginning. I think you'll find as you take off the weight that you actually enjoy moving...because it's easier. :smile:

Ditto to what HB said. I had that pain until I lost some of my belly fat which, I think, allowed the band to sag a bit. Even then I'd get the pain when sitting in the passenger seat of the car because it put me at just the right angle. In the last week it has disappeared completely...as has more of my stomach! .

My .02...that's a lot of fill in one month but if your doctor has you on a completely liquid diet, I can see why you would be having no difficulty. Nothing to get stuck. Personally, since you're getting ready to get off that liquid diet on 10/7, I'd stop getting fills. My guess is that even without this next fill, when you go back on solids you're going to get stuck constantly as you learn to take small bites and chew slowly...basically just adjusting...and have to go in for unfills. Maybe not...but it's quite likely, particularly if he takes that band to capacity. .

What are you eating? Have you reached restriction? Are you eating a low carb diet? My .02...eliminate rice, Pasta, potatoes, starchy vegetables and anything from your diet for two weeks. The more carbs you have in your system, the more likely you'll be 'hungry'. .

You can stop losing when you're too tight but it's a result of not being able to eat enough...or eating slider foods. That's what happened to me. My weight loss stopped completely. I finally went in for an unfill and have been slowly (cuz I've had a hard time getting back on plan) losing weight...which is better than nothing or worse, gaining. .

If the band is already helping, it may be that your surgeon gave you a slight fill when they put the band in. Some do. Or it may be that you're one of the lucky ones who gets restriction just from the band. In any case, 13# from August 31st is more than 2# a week so good for you! That is excellent progress! No, you don't want to slime or get stuck or have to urp up something that's stuck. The best way to avoid this is to take small bites, chew thorough, don't drink with meals and pay attention to which foods give you problems. For example, many people have difficulties with bread. There will be times you will get stuck on something that gave you no problem the day before. That's just life in the band lane but it doesn't have to be more than a rare occurrence. . .