Astrasmom

Try using a heating pad. You can also use GasX strips to help get rid of that gas in your shoulder. It will get better even though right now it might not seem that way. If the vicodin isn't working then you probably should call your doctor and ask them if they can give you something else for the pain. Most of the pain is probably from gas though. Try the GasX strips first.

As everyone else stated. Walk around as much as possible. Use a nice fluffy pillow to hold on your tummy and use a heating pad. If your doctor sent home pain pills be sure to use them. You will feel better in a couple of days. The pain gets easier everyday. Congrats and hope you feel better soon.

You need to shock your body a little. Taking in the same amount of calories a day no matter HOW much you exercise and how much you eat, your body will get used to the calories and it won't lose the weight. You need to at least 2 days a week take in a little more calorie intake. Eat a higher caloric food. Your weight will start coming off again. Best of luck to you.

Congratulations and welcome to the losers bench. I look forward to hearing about your progress as you go along. If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to ask. Best of luck to you.:thumbup:

You can eat anything the day of the fill. After the fill my Dr. said just liquids for the remainder of the day. The next day you can go back to the food you have been on. Just make sure that you do not drink fast. Take smaller sips then what you have been doing because I made the mistake of drinking too fast after the fill and I experienced the stuck feeling as which I vomited too. Most people don't feel restriction after the first fill. I did. Good luck to you.

So here's my update. I was banded on Oct. 23, 2009. My pre-op weight was 294. I am now 265. 29lbs lost since surgery. I have lost 3 inches on my waist. I'm down 2 sizes in clothing. I finally got rid of some of my heavier clothes yesterday because they were just way to baggy on me. I got my first fill on Dec. 3 and I do feel some restriction. Even though they only put 2cc in my band. My next fill is Jan. 13. All around I am feeling pretty good. I'm really not feeling hungry in between meals. I have pretty much turned off the head hunger sign. Once and awhile it will get the best of me, but I do NOT give in. I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday. Stay strong and don't let food control you. You control the food!!

Great Attitude. Whoo hoo. Good for you. We should all think positive like this.

I mix it with 4 oz of Skim Plus milk.

We are always more critical of ourselves and it really never hits us that we have lost weight until you have lost a big amount. Especially the heavier we are and the more weight that we have to lose. And no matter how thin you may get you will always find a certain bulge that you don't like, or a certain part of you that you might not like. But someday you will accept yourself and those bulges won't be so critical to you any longer. People tell me all of the time that I'm looking great and I have really lost some weight. I on the other hand honestly can't see much except in my face. Enjoy the way that you feel. Instead of looking at yourself in a negative way. Go out and do something for yourself to reward yourself for what you have already accomplished. Get your hair done, your makeup, a facial, a massage or even a manicure. Make yourself feel good. Remember you can't judge a book by it's cover. Beauty lies from within. :wink2:

I have to agree with what someone else said. Find another doctor. I lost 29lbs since my surgery on Oct. 23, 2009. I got my first fill yesterday (12/3). The doctor didn't ask me if I was hungry between meals and didn't care if I was losing weight either. I just got the fill. Honestly I started getting hungry the day before I got the fill. Up until then it was strictly will power and keeping to the portions that I was told to keep to, and eating higher protein foods. If we could do this on our own we would have never spent the $15000 to get the surgery in the first place. The band is a tool. A tool is supposed to be used. I could possibly understand them saying for your 3-4 fill that you don't need a fill right now because you are loosing weight on your own. But NOT your first fill. That's insane. Some doctors are just in this for the money. Others (like mine and I'm very thankful) are in it to help you reach your goal.

More then likely the pain is actually from the gas that is still in your system. It takes a good week for it to all be gone. You are hungry because you aren't getting the protien that you need to keep you full. Ask your doctor if you can start taking the Protein Shakes which you really should be taking 3 times a day. As for the bowel movement it's normal. You aren't really eating anything so there isn't much to get rid of. Even now on solids I don't really go for 3-4 days at a time. It's simply because we aren't eating alot. You can get some benefiber and put that in your liquids. It dissolves totally. By the way CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congratulations. I also had to wait 6 months before my surgery was approved. 6 nutrtional visits, Pulmonary visit, Upper GI, Cardiologist, Phsyciatric eval, and a letter from my primary doctor with Dietary habits and support.

What HAS been working for me is white chicken in Water (Canned) with a little olive oil mayo, tuna w/ mayo, Ricotta cheese, vanilla Yogurt (Fat Free), All natural Peanut Butter, Fish (salmon, flounder..), and of course my Elite whey Protien Isolate shakes 2 times a day. Make sure you aren't drinking while you eat either. The longer you keep the food in the pouch the longer you won't feel hungry.

Are you drinking the Protein shakes? Be sure to keep as active as possible and drink fluids when you are hungry. Think of the long run. You will soon be to the finish line and then you to can look back and tell everyone how much the pre op diet sucked. But the great thing is that it DOES give you a jump start on your diet and your liver will definitely be better. You can do it. Just keep telling yourself how good you will look and how much better you will feel. Use us for support and whoever you have on the outside to support you. Stay away from temptation as much as you can. We will meet you at the finish line. Best of luck to you. YOU CAN DO IT!! :sad:

Congratulations and welcome to the Losers Bench. I wish you much success in your weigh loss. Be sure to walk to keep that gas flowing. And make sure that you get those liquids (4oz every hour). It will help with the hunger pains.

I am allowed 4-5 oz of food at every meal and 2 Protein shakes. I eat alot of fish and chicken, all natural Peanut Butter (not alot because of the calories), Fat Free ricotta cheese, oatmeal, eggs, yogurt,be sure you pick foods that are higher in protein. It will help you through what they call "Bandsters Hell" I was on of the lucky ones that didn't go through it because I eat the higher protein and it kept me full. Banana's are also good.

Hi. I was banded on Oct. 23rd, 2009. I'm here to help. I think that we can both benefit from the support and ideas of each other on the WL train. Just give me a shout. If you use Facebook you can add me as a friend also. http://www.facebook.com/dawn.termini?ref=profile Good luck on your journey to weightloss. Looking forward to hearing from you. :tongue2:

Wow 8oz of food? My Dr. said no more than 4-5oz of food at a meal. I guess all doctors are different.

I've really never got this question answered myself. How do you know if you stretched your pouch??

It took me 6 months from the time of the Initial consultation until my surgery. As everyone says it depends on your insurance. I had to go to the following. 6 nutritional visits 1 Gastric Doctor 1 Cardiologist 1 Psychological Evaluation 1 Pulmonary Doctor And a letter of support and diet habits from my primary doctor. The pain after the surgery wasn't that bad. I didn't use hardly any pain medication in the hospital. I used a few pain pills at home for maybe 2-3 days after surgery. I had my surgery on Friday and went back to work the following Tuesday. On a scale from 1-10 the pain to me was about a 5. You do have to walk though so that the gas that they pump into you during surgery comes out. If I had to do it all over again, DEFINATELY! I am very happy with the overall process and results so far.

Try a Protein that is made of whey Protein isolate instead of SlimFast. Slimfast tends to have sugar and sodium. Sugar in return is going to make you hungry instead of doing it's job. It's also empty calories. Whey Protein Isolates made of Veggies or Soy will keep you satisfied longer. I use the Dymatize Elite Protein powder. There are several ones on the market. You also might not get light headed like most people do. Whey tends to run a little more expensive then SlimFast but it's better for you.

You are very welcome. Any questions you have along the way please feel free to ask away. :confused: Good luck to you. Let me know your progress.

Great reply. And congratulations on your inches lost. And especially your sugar coming down. That's awesome. See alot of people forget that it's not all about the weight-loss. It's about everything else also.

You are very welcome. By the way there are all kinds of Protein drinks out there. If you don't like the one that you are with now, try something else. I use the Elite whey protein (Mocha and Vanilla) I also use

Soup is also 4 oz because it's a liquid. Yogurt is on the puree list so that should only be 2-3 oz. All doctors are different so I don't know what your doctor is allowing you. I was on full liquids for the first week and wasn't allowed yogurt. All liquids are not supposed to be more than 4 oz. However my doctor allowed me to have 8oz of Protein drink instead of 4oz because I was getting hungry in between meals. I have to sip REALLY slow though. When you get to puree (Stage 2). You are only supposed to eat 2-3 oz. Stage 3 which is soft is 3-4 oz of food. And stage IV which is regular food is 4-5 oz. If you are on liquids make sure you are basically taking in fluids every hour to get your 64oz in. 3 of them should be your Protein drinks. On the next stages make sure that you wait at least an hour before you drink anything. The longer the food stays in your pouch the longer you won't be hungry. Pick foods that are higher in protein as well (chicken, Fat free Ricotta, tuna, all natural Peanut Butter, eggs). This is the schedule that I use and try to stick with it. You can't really use this on the liquid stage but on the puree and up you can. Of course I don't eat the same food all of the time. This is just an example. When you move up, make sure that you WEIGH everything. Get yourself a scale, measuring spoons, and measuring cups. 8:00 am Breakfast 3 TBS scrambled eggs 1 TBS oatmeal 10:00am Protein Supplement 4oz 12:00 lunch 2oz (4tbs) chicken (I use white chicken in a can in Water with a little bit of Olive Oil Mayo or Light Miracle Whip) 1oz Fat Free Ricotta 2:00pm Protein Supplement 4oz 6:00pm dinner 2oz (4tbs) Flaked Fish 1 Tbs whipped Potato 1 Tbs pureed carrots 8:00pm Protein Supplement 4oz My doctor told me no Snacks in between. Be sure in between the meals that you drink your fluids. But as I said wait at least 1 hour before you drink after meals. And don't eat for at least 15-20 minutes after you drink. This example is for 2-3 oz. You can add oz as you move up in the stages. I found that if I stick to basically this schedule I am losing weight and I am not hungry. As I said though you have to add foods that are higher in calories once and awhile to give your body a jump start. If you have the same amount of calories each time your body gets used to that and it won't lose weight. It basically goes into shut down. Hope this helps and if you have anymore questions please feel free to ask. Good luck to you.