BetsyB

Cast another vote for Fitday. I've been using it for a long time, and really like it.

They really do have great stuff! I like the Inspire better than the Believe, but I'm sure that's just a personal-taste kind of thing :laugh:

Journaling is really key for me. It's very easy for little things to slip in and really bump calorie intake up. If I journal, this does not happen. Also, when we have such finite stomach real estate, it's important to make sure that the foods we do take in provide what our bodies require. There are LOTS of studies that back up the assertion that journaling is linked to weight loss (and loss maintenance) success. And tons of anecdotal information, too. This is why programs such as Weight Watchers have recommended journaling since time immemorial---it works. Those who have band success are those who make the big lifestyle changes. There are several pieces to the puzzle, and together they pretty much ensure success. One of the big puzzle pieces, IMO, is journaling. Are there people who do fine without it? Sure. There are also people who "eat just like I always did, just less." But most of us are not so lucky! Great thing to bring up, Leigha! I'll add that Fitday is a great free journaling site---it helped me identify my roadblocks to weight loss and directed my decision to be banded. And now it keeps me right on track.

It's completely normal! It's called bandster hell for a reason--it's so hard, because without restriction, you have to rely on the same old willpower that none of us really seemed to have enough of in the first place! It gets so, so much better as you approach and achieve restriction. For now, concentrate on making good food choices (within your doctor's guidelines), and limiting portion size. You will be hungry---but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! (Be careful with fruits. They are good, and healthy---lots of nutrients. But the higher glycemic ones can trigger blood sugar spikes that in turn trigger hunger. If you have fruit, try to have it in the context of a meal that also contains Protein and a little heart-healthy fat; this reduces its glycemic impact. Every little bit of hunger control helps!)

They're looking for gross psychopathologies that would prevent you from being compliant with the postop way of life. (Things that would prevent you from, for example, remembering your Fluid needs, or that you need to eat slowly and in small volume.) They also assess for eating disorders, because they can be tremendously aggravated by bariatric surgery, and need to be addressed. (This is not to say that people with a history of eating disorder can't have surgery---just that it raises red flags and suggests a need for therapy before and/or in conjunction with surgery.) That sort of thing. It's a PITA, but it isn't something to worry much about.

It depends on the other nutritional info for the shake. Sometimes, things that are too concentrated can cause diarrhea. If you want a good, low-volume Protein shake, the Inspire line from bariatriceating.com can be mixed with 4 oz. of Water (or other liquid--I love almond milk). They're very, very good.

Leigha, I hope that whatever is bothering you eases up, and that today is easier than last night was!

Thanks, Lisa--that's nice to hear. It's my pleasure :laugh:

Not even a moment's worth of nausea, for me. I was given anti-nausea meds preop, and had no problem at all---or since--with nausea. I've had a handful of episodes of vomiting since surgery, and even with those, there was no nausea. (Vomiting is completely different with a band; something needs to come up, and it does---encased in mucus, with no bile or stomach acid at all. Much less gross than before!) If you do experience nausea, there are great meds to treat it now--you will not be made to suffer!

I hate to be nit-picky, but what does a typical day's diet look like? With amounts. The foods you describe, by and large, sound great---but they could be right on plan, or WAY over the top, calorie-wise, all depending on how much you eat. Do you journal your intake anywhere like fitday?

You can back-burner eating, but you MUST get adequate fluid---if you don't, you will wind up back in the hospital. Sip liquids throughout the day--all day. It is critical to your well-being. Foods, you can introduce at a much slower rate, as your body becomes ready. (I promise, it will!) Each day, you'll feel lots better--it gets easier, fast!

I'm four months (and 45 pounds) out, and it was THE BEST decision I've ever made. I worked as an RN in a Houston hospital that was the hub for an earlier incarnation of banding in the 90s; a huge percentage of our patients were banding patients---and I really did not like what I saw, in terms of results. I worked with several banded nurses---and they were not healthy postop because the nutritional support and the procedure simply had not come far enough yet. I also had patients who required reversal due to complications. I swore I would never, ever be banded. Only after a good decade plus, things came a long way---including my weight! I need to maintain a very low calorie intake in order to lose, and it became clear to me that I needed help. So I started researching the banding techniques now used. And became sold, pretty darn quickly. The medical literature is quite positive about banding as a "cure" for obesity. BUT---and this is a very big but (unlike mine, which is shrinking!)---all experts agree, 100 percent, that the success of banding is contingent on the commitment of the patient. IF you are committed to overhauling the way you eat forever, and to exercising routinely for the rest of your life, and to seeing your doctor at regular intervals for band adjustments, you will do very well. If you leave out any part of the equation, you may, however, become very frustrated. (If you read the posts here, you will see this pattern very clearly.) Is there a possibility of slippage? Of erosion? Yes. A very small chance. I have been made more comfortable about these risks by choosing a surgeon who uses fluoroscopy during adjustments; this allows him to visualize the band and stomach each and every time I see him---making it much more likely that small issues can be caught before they become big problems. The problems may still arise; if they do, I am confident he will find a good solution for me. I trust him implicitly. (And I have to tell you: I don't trust surgeons easily--remember, I'm a former surgical nurse! My point is that one of the most crucial factors in this whole deal is selecting the right surgeon. Start with your insurance company---it will likely lead you to a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Your odds of finding a great doctor at a BCoE are high.) ETA: I see in your second post that you already have a surgeon you click with--and who has a great reputation. That's terrific! A huge chunk of the battle is won. In terms of what I'd recommend to prepare for surgery, I'd suggest that you start, now, adopting the behaviors you'll need post-banding. During bandster hell--when you don't have restriction yet, but need to behave as though you do if you want to lose weight---it is much easier to use the appropriate behaviors if you've had good practice. (Small servings, weighing and measuring food, tiny bites, chewing thoroughly...) As a practical recommendation, if you decide to go forward with surgery, I'd visit bariatriceating.com, and order Inspire Protein powders (even though the influx of new customers means that I have to wait for my order to come off backorder!!)---it is the best stuff available.

Jilly, I understand your fears--it's hard, when you don't quite know what to expect. I promise, it's not nearly as bad as you are fearing! I will describe how my doctor does it. Yours may do it a little differently, but the basic technique is the same. I stand up, next to the fluoroscope. (Your doctor may not use fluoroscopy, so you might not be positioned this way.) The doctor locates my port (sometimes I have to pooch my stomach out a little), then swabs the area with an alcohol wipe. The needle is then inserted into the site; it feels just like any other injection--though in skilled hands (and the people who do fills have so much experience), it is not bad at all. My doctor then injects a bit of saline from the syringe into the port. He leaves the needle in place, and lets the syringe, connected to the needle by a tiny bit of tubing, rest against my abdomen. I step sideways so that he can take a look, fluoroscopically, as I take a swallow of barium. Depending on what he sees and how I feel, he sometimes injects a bit more saline, has another look, and so on--until I hit the right level of restriction. He then removes the needle, pops on a band-aid, and that's that! It is all very quick--never more than a handful of minutes from start to finish. He's never had to stick more than once, and it has never been more uncomfortable than the easiest, breeziest vaccination.

Great post, BMoon. Doing the math really does help put things in perspective, doesn't it? You're doing really well!

Hooray! Congratulations!

I know lots of people who are wild about the BElieve line of coffee drinks. I'm not among them--the two flavors I've tried were too sweet for my liking, and have had a distinct protein-y taste. I've only tried the Italian Cappuccino and vanilla brulee; the other flavors may be better. The Inspire line really has NO Protein taste/odor---it's really remarkable. It also dissolves in just 4 oz. of liquid, without a blender, so it's nicely portable (can be mixed anywhere).

Good heavens. It might be too much, it might be too little, and it might be JUST RIGHT. There's no way of knowing without knowing a whole lot more about a person. Re: the weights. My doctor did NOT clear me for any weight lifting until after my four-week check; before you do more than basic cardio stuff, check with your doctor to make sure it's okay.

Inspire whey protein powders from Bariatric Eating are really, really good. You can buy 5-packs of single-serving envelopes to see whether you like them before making a larger investment :w00t:

Yep, you're right in the midst of bandster hell. And it is SO hard! It gets lots and lots easier--I promise. Hang in there---it really is worth it.

Yep, your body's got it figured out, and is fighting to hang on to what is left of you! For someone so close to goal, you're really losing at a nice rate---I know it's not as heady as 8-10 pounds/month---but percentage-wise, it's still pretty darn good.

Sounds like you have post-fill swelling. Mine often hits a day or two later, too. If you're concerned, give your doctor a call. Mine encourages us to try to wait it out--as long as we're able to get fluids in. I'd stick with fluids---and in tiny amounts. If you really have no success with that, then I would give the doc a call to see what s/he would like you to do.

My doctor says that, as you move toward restriction, you really toe the line between good restriction and over-restriction. He told me last time I was in that getting liquids in was important---to sip, and if I really could not get anything to stay down, over 8 hours, then to go in. I didn't have difficulty last time, but know I'll be toeing that line with today's fill----my plan is to stick with liquids, and, if I have problems, to sip every 15 minutes or so. If I think I'm in real trouble I won't wait 8 hours (I have an urgent care nearby; I'll go in for fluids)----but for the gurgly, too-tight-but-fluid-still-mostly-going-down stuff? I'll hang in there, knowing that swelling will likely recede. (Some doctors recommend liquid Benadryl to help with that, by the way...though I guess if you're having a big problem, even that liquid might be iffy.) I would avoid coffee. Warm liquids can be soothing, but they also can aggravate swelling. Coffee itself is VERY irritating to already-irritated stomach mucosa. I'd try something cold---in small sips.

Do you know Einstein's definition of insanity? Basically, it says that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. If you are eating the same things, in the same amounts, as you did preoperatively, you will not experience the weight loss you want to see. You CAN lose weight as you work toward restriction. It requires really overhauling what you eat. And it involves exercising. Yes, it's dieting. But it is the last time, in your life, you will go hungry in the name of weight loss. Once you approach restriction, it gets LOTS easier! Hang in there.

I agree that having a positive attitude and belief that you're succeeding with every inch you move forward is very, very helpful. But you have to understand that not everyone is made that way. Some people are more fearful that others. Some are more cautious. Some experience depression, or become overwhelmed easily. Some people VENT in a forum where they can get answers, but are otherwise positive and upbeat. And telling them to snap out of it is...well, pointless. Scolding them for not having your personality attributes doesn't help them move forward in the more positive manner you'd like to see. Offering them support, on the other hand, is kind. It helps relieve their anxiety. It can help show them a way that they had not even considered. Your thread title says, "help me understand some things," but really, you don't need to understand anyone but yourself. If you want to, the best way to achieve that is not by belittling those who are temperamentally different from you---but by talking with them, identifying their concerns, and extending a bit of grace. Because, really---they may not be very different from you at all.

At the time of your fill, you likely are plenty tight. Adding more would likely result in swelling requiring a slight unfill. The thing is, that restriction is ephemeral. After a fill a couple of things can happen. First, whatever swelling we did experience during the fill goes down, "loosening" things up a bit. Secondly, over time and as we lose weight, the diameter of the stomach the band is actually wrapped around can decrease in size--also loosening things up. For the first few fills, it's pretty typical NOT to feel much of any difference. It takes a while to get where you're going--and doing it too fast backfires. That is EXACTLY what you want to notice! As you get closer to restriction, you will likely also have an increased sense of, "I can't eat another bite!", too--and combined with the longer satiety between meals, you'll be golden. (I have the not-one-more-bite already; I'm reaching for the longer satiety; today's fill? Hope so!)