happy2lose

For me, not at all. With the weight loss sex is getting better and better with each pound I shed.

Hang in there, it does get better. Soon you will be asking yourself why you didn't get banded sooner.

Hang in there, it does get better :thumbup:

Any food including bean soup at the liquid only stage is NOT A GOOD IDEA!

It is always best to follow your own surgeon's protocol. This being said, food (even soft or mushie) causes the stomach to churn in order to digest which is bad for your band that has not yet healed in place. If your surgeon tells you it is alright to have the soup or the egg then I would say go for it, if not, I wouldn't advise it. Just because everything seems fine now doesn't mean you wont have a problem later on from ingesting food too soon. The hunger you are experiencing now is what is referred to as "bandster hell". All of us banded people have been through this and experienced the raging hunger you are experiencing. Make sure you drink lots of Water. It will help a little with the hunger. Otherwise, change your focus....go for a long walk or clean out a cupboard or closet in your home. I prefer the long walk because it will speed up your weight loss. Best of luck to you, remember, this hunger is only temporary and once you start getting fills the hunger will deminish.

Stay on Clear Liquids for about 24 hours then move on to full liquids and see how you feel. It is a mad vicious cycle once you are stuck if you keep trying to eat and don't let the swelling go down you will keep aggravating it and getting stuck repeatedly. I think you will feel much better in a couple of days if you just stick with clear liquids for today and maybe even liquid Protein drinks tomorrow. This will also help your weight loss for the week.:thumbup:

Were you just recently banded?

It's my understanding that only patients with a BMI over 40 have to do a pre-op/liver shrinking diet. I'm not sure I understand your question about the port. The port does not fill up with air. It also sounds like you may be talking about a single incision surgery which I know nothing about.

Welcome! This board is a great source of information.

My band tightness fluctuates a lot! There are many things that can make your band feel tighter. Here are the ones I have experienced: 1. If I don't drink enough Water, the next day I am tight. 2. I have sinus problems and sinus drainage makes the stomach swell around the band. 3. PMSing will cause the band to feel tight. 4. Stress will cause the band to feel tight. 5. A stuck episode will cause stomach swelling making the band feel tight. I have had fills scheduled a few different times that I have had to cancel because of the above. Also, remember that if you have a stuck episode, don't try to eat again until the next day. Finish the day with fluids to give the stomach swelling time to go down.

My only regret is not getting banded years ago.

Yes, you can have alcohol on occasion. I find it does interfere with weightloss though. I am so happy to have my band. I have tried and failed at losing weight more times then I can count. The band has made losing easier because I don't feel like I'm starving.

Ruthie, First of all, even if it was the easy way out, which it isn't, why would it matter how you got there just so long as you get there? Secondly, I can tell you that I have had to work my ass off to lose the 88 pounds I've lost thus far. I work out everyday at the gym and I ride my bicycle several times per week depending on my schedule and the weather permitting. I burned 1,900 calories riding my bike this weekend which included a lot of uphill. The only thing the band helps with is that we aren't starving to death while losing the weight. I wouldn't be where I am now without my band! Send your friend my way, I'll set her straight. In the meantime, you should do whatever you need to do in order to get healthier and prolong your lifespan.

I personally would skip the baked potato. Too many carbs for my choosing.

Perhaps you need a fill. But you are satisfied for 5 hours after a meal...that's great! You can have a hard boiled egg or some kind of protein snack. Be careful with refried beans. Most restaurants use lard in the refried beans which would defeat the purpose of eating high protein, low fat. I would ask first before eating them if they use lard.

Sorry, I just noticed that you listed the nearby restaurants. McDonald's has good salads with grilled chicken breast. Order the low cal balsamic vinegarette dressing.

Since you are in bandster hell I recommend you focus more on eating solid Protein. It will sustain you longer and give you more energy. El Pollo Loco is a good place to eat when fast food is your only choice. Perhaps a chicken breast with salsa or they have a really good salad that has chicken breast on it. Just be careful not to add too much dressing to the salad. Carl's Jr. has a few new salads on the menu that are also good and low calorie and come with chicken.

I too have hypothyroidism and hashimoto's thyroiditis. I was banded in April 09 and have been pretty successful at losing weight with my band. I have found that without daily exercise, I do not lose. Therefore, I try to burn at least 800 calories per day.

My doc instructed me that after a stuck episode to always finish out that day with fluids only.

Since your husband sounds like such a great guy, he should feel relieved to know that you are going to be healthier and probably live a much longer and greater quality of life and you will also be there longer for your 3 children. That should be enough reason for him to look forward to your weightloss. It sounds like maybe he should find a way to deal with his insecurity.

You are very fortunate to have somebody looking forward to supporting you through your journey. This will make a huge difference for you on your journey. Congratulations! I'm sure you will be successful at reaching your goal weight.

I also wanted to put your mind at ease in regards to the surgery. It is a very short simple procedure lasting only about 30 minutes. Although going under anesthesia is always a risk and being obese increases that risk, my surgeon who has performed over 3,000 WLS has never lost a patient.

Chase, My husband is very supportive of my new banded lifestyle. I can share with you the ways in which his support has helped me the most. 1. He encourages me to exercise by exercising with me. We love to ride bikes together. TOGETHER being what helps me the most. 2. He eats the same healthy foods that I eat so I don't have to prepare separate meals for he or I. 3. He has stopped eating off of my plate. This was a big one because he eats really fast and when he eats off of my plate I tend to rush my eating and end up stuck. 4. He is understanding that I cannot have junk food in the house. Therefore he avoids junk food. 5. He doesn't complain when I buy new clothes. He gets excited when I go down a size and supports my $$ spending even though money is tight because he realizes that I need to feel good about myself. 6. He listens to my endless rambling about my band experiences and expresses an interest. 7. He did not expect me to prepare meals for him during the post-op liquids & mushie foods stages. I hope this helps you out and please know that I admire you for being so loving and caring of your wife. Donna

Sometimes I do eat again, but I really shouldn't.