BetsyB

Michelle, it sounds like you're doing great with exercise! Walking is my favorite activity---I walk for miles and miles every day, and it's made a huge difference in my overall wellbeing. Tracey, the mental/emotional stuff really gets WAAAAAAY easier once you approach restriction. Right now, you're in the hardest part of all. It gets so, so much better! Froggie, I'm not a fan of Vuong. He presents theory as fact, without the research to back it up. He's fairly well-regarded as a surgeon, but his writing is not well-regarded in the medical community. His lack of citation is really problematic for him in this regard. That doesn't mean he doesn't have anything of value to contribute. It does mean that he doesn't have the authority of peer-reviewed research to back him up; he writes based on anecdote and opinion. Anecdote and opinion can be very interesting and, in fact, very useful. But it's wrong of him to present them as fact.

Hi Ron and Katie! I'm glad you're both here! Crystl, your name suits you---as does Hummingbird, actually. Do you have a preference? Denise, yes! From what I gather, the band's tubing can irritate the vagus; I wonder if that's what's going on?! I've heard of people who've had intractible hiccups as a result of this, but that's pretty minor compared to your BP issues....but man, that makes perfect sense. When you get home, I'd give your surgeon a call; he can investigate for you. Nothing fun on my agenda today--I have to grade quizzes, tests, discussion forums, and final exams. To increase the excitement, I think I will do laundry, too. Yee-haw! Oh! In incessant BB blather: I got a 1900 calorie deficit yesterday--with a handful of extra activities. This tells me that on an ordinary day, I won't have any trouble, with my long walks with Truman (which burn far more calories than FitDay tells me--I must be going farther and faster than I thought), reaching my deficit goal. Too bad my scale doesn't translate that straight to pounds lost. THAT process reminds me of how I get paid for freelance work: I do the hard work. I sweat and struggle and meet impossible deadlines. Then I wait forever for the vendor to pay the development house who pays me.... Yep, that's about how weight comes off my body. Have a great day, everyone!

Calorie needs are very individual. A lot of people will tell you you're NOT taking in enough calories. I'm not among them--but that is because I lose best around 800-900 calories, and do not lose if I go much above that. It sounds like you're doing a really good job tracking that your nutrient needs are being met. That's really great. If you're doing this tracking with something like Fitday, you can also track weight and measurements over time----and having that information will help you assess, as time goes on, if you're taking in enough energy in the form of calories. There's lots of talk about "starvation mode" in the press currently (things like this occur in trends)--but there is NOT peer-reviewed research to back up the assertions made. The research does not exist--but that does not prevent people from stating it as fact, and as we all know, it's become accepted lore about weight loss. It's true that, as you lose weight, your metabolism will change; this is not a function of starvation except in that a smaller body does not require as much fuel. If you have excess weight to lose, your body has a steady, ample supply of energy, and you do not need to provide it in the form of food. (Sometimes, the body becomes temporarily stubborn about letting this fat go--so remembering that plateaus are a normal part of the process will keep you from going nuts!) The body's energy needs are already met by the large warehouses we've stored for lean times (ha! no pun intended.) Food becomes a way to get the vital nutrients you need---something it seems you're doing quite well. Keep track of what's going on with your body---listen to it, and follow your own body's trends. You'll figure out what works for you. Your needs are likely different from mine, or those of anyone else who responds to you. If you do find that your body requires more calories to lose efficiently, you don't have to add them in the form of the starches that concern you. A little more Protein, a teaspoon of heart-healthy fat, a handful of nuts--there are all kinds of non-carby foods that will do the trick :redface: (I have yet to eat anything carby other than legumes---and have NO intention of adding anything back in until I'm at goal. Pouch space is at a premium---no way will I choose something that meets none of my nutritional needs.)

I agree with Leigha. The fact that foods sometimes get stuck doesn't mean you're at the right level of restriction. You're NOT a failure! The band is not failing you, either. You've just seem to have made a decision about whether you need a fill based on information that doesn't really tell the right story. Stuck-ness is not really a measure of appropriate restriction. It tells us more about user error and, even more often, about certain foods that aren't as compatible with the band as we'd hoped they'd be. Getting another fill may well push you into the green zone---where you feel satisfied longer, and aren't white-knuckling for each and every pound lost.

You can talk about whatever you want, Dblex. But you probably should tell us your real name so we know what to call you :redface: (I have cats, too; the funniest thing I ever saw was a marquee sign outside a Chinese restaurant. It really belonged to a pet store nearby, but the juxtaposition was priceless. It said, "We have kittens! Meow! Meow!" Mmmm. Kittens....<drool>) Okay, my weight-lifting regimen burns just a paltry number of calories. I should have known that, because Fitday has told me the same thing forever. I did not want to believe Fitday, but now it is confirmed. OTOH, shopping was oddly gratifying, in terms of calorie burn. This is particularly good to know, given that it is fast becoming a favorite pastime, after years of dormancy. I noted that the calorie burn increased as the number of items I was carrying increased. Perhaps we should put out an exercise DVD featuring cardio-shopping.

In the immediate postop period, it's not critical to load up on protein; your body has reserves (in part from the preop diet), so you'll be okay until you get your appetite back. And your appetite will come back!

OMG--the diagram! It's killing me---I aspirated iced tea when I saw it! :redface::laugh::smile2: (I had no idea Truman has a brisket...now I'm really eyeballing him! For the record, his flews are my favorite part. He is a very good kisser.) Bobbie--hooray for the new job! I'm so happy for you. I actually did change clothes to rack up calories burnt yesterday! I manually added my morning walk, then mowed the front lawn and took another 4-ish mile walk in the evening. By the time all was said and done, I'd used 2345 for the day---not too shabby! I've been motivated today, too---first a walk, then the mowing the back yard, then shopping. Now I'm heading out to the gym...and will do another walk tonight. I agree, it would be SO fun to all get together!

Your doctor will let you know about exercise in your discharge instructions. I was allowed to begin walking immediately, but was told to hold off on other exercise until after my 4 week checkup. At that point, I was cleared for all exercise, without restriction. Whether your skin rebounds is contingent on your age, genetics, how long you've been overweight, how many times you've been pregnant, whether you've yo-yoed in weight, and many other factors---none of which we really have one iota of control over. It is not dependent on creams or lotions you apply to its surface, or how rapidly you lose, or any of the things we're led to believe. That said, I use a lotion that I really like--it's probably not producing any sort of lasting effect (other than keeping my skin nicely moisturized), but it does have temporary firming properties. It's called C. Booth's 4-in-1 Multi-Action Body Lotion. I like the Lemon Sugar fragrance. It comes in a HUGE bottle, and is quite inexpensive. I've occasionally found it at Walgreen's, but usually wind up ordering it from Amazon or Drugstore.com.

:laugh:You don't look like a man! You know, the body is a weird thing, Leigha. We are told we "should" lose a certain amount of weight if we have a certain deficit, but that's only part of the picture. We don't just burn fat. We build muscle. We retain Fluid. All kinds of other things happen as we lose fat. So the scale doesn't always show the loss our calorie deficit "should" produce. You exercise. Hard-worked muscles rely on lactic acid fermentation to produce energy; the byproduct is lactic acid--the stuff that makes us sore sometimes. Because the body likes to maintain homeostasis, having lactic acid in muscle tissue creates an imbalance it wants to correct; to even out the concentration of lactic acid, fluid moves into the muscles. This produces the "pumped" look that bodybuilders strive for. For those of us who don't relish any additional plumpness, though, it just shows up as a bunch of extra Water weight on the scale. That's one thing that affects weigh-ins. Because of this, I avoid "official" weigh-ins for at least 24 hours after a hard workout. The body is pretty efficient at returning the fluid to circulation and excreting it, with the lactic acid, via the kidneys. But it doesn't always manage to do it before we hop on the scale--and we get bummed. Also take into consideration that you're building muscle tissue. It doesn't happen quickly---so you're not adding pounds per week. (It takes about 8 weeks of working a muscle group HARD to build a pound of muscle, they say.) Still---you've got lots of muscle groups in your body, and the cumulative effect can be enough to sort of seem to cancel out fat loss. Of course, it does nothing of the kind! You are still losing fat---but you are simultaneously building muscle tissue. This sucks at the scale sometimes, but (a) rocks when it comes to measurements, and (:redface: results in a body that burns more calories than the fatter (albeit not as much more heavy than you'd like) body. Finally, add to this that you are very, very close to goal. As a smaller woman, your body simply needs and burns fewer calories than it did when you were overweight. Loss is simply going to be slower going. Yes, the BB should "tell" you this. But things just aren't as black and white as a Body Bugg tells you. You're doing a fantastic job.

Okay, jury's in. LOVE IT. Best little gadget ever. EVER! Christie, it's amazing how quickly time flies. My daughter called me yesterday (from her apartment in faraway Houston) to remind me that in 365 days, she will be a college graduate. Know what? She's still the same girl she was when she was in my arms. Things change, but they just get better and better. Well, once you get past the I've-lost-a-limb sensation of sending them far away. (They do come home! I'm counting minutes until Tuesday...)

Your hospital discharge documents should spell out the level of activity you are supposed to stick to until your follow-up appointment. As with everything else, doctors differ. But mine (and many) encourages walking for exercise immediately postop---but vetoes other exercise until the follow-up. After 4 weeks, I was cleared for all physical activity with no restrictions.

It's really true! Our bodies must spend that stalled time redistributing or something, because I've been stalled for two weeks---and yesterday got into a pair of jeans that did NOT fit me at the beginning of the stall.

The risks of continued obesity, with the comorbidities you describe, is far, far, far greater than the risk of being under anesthesia for 30-45 minutes. If you've never had anesthesia, the notion is scary. But in reality, it's not. You go to sleep--and you wake up. Simple as that. You may be groggy, or shivery/cold, or in pain---but there will be a nurse right there with you at all times to address your needs and make sure you are safe and comfortable. You've tried to lose weight "the natural way" before. It hasn't worked. Your very life is at stake with the obesity-related diseases you've listed. You have a way to CURE those problems--to make them go away permanently. Don't let fear of the unknown hold you back.

I'm about 44 pounds down, and am just seeing real changes in my body. I know they've been happening gradually, but that's just it...it's gradual. The weight does not fall off, and it doesn't always come off of areas that are hugged by jeans, or whatever. But it does come off, and it is noticeable in other ways. Just today, I got into a pair of jeans that has not fit since my 7th grader was in preschool. (Yes, I hung on to them for that long--I'm stubborn!) I actually haven't lost any weight in 2 weeks---and they most assuredly did NOT fit 2 weeks ago...so the changes happen even when the scale is not cooperating. I suggest tracking your measurements every month or so. Then, even if you're not down a size (or down in weight), you can see that you are, in fact, losing inches all over your body.

That's not a slow loss--it's right in the range expected from banding! You're doing great!

There are lots of little blood vessels that can spurt like crazy when they're breached by a syringe. No biggie--it happens. It's not dangerous--just messy and a little scary to see :w00t:

It's here! It's here! All charged, and everything--I'm heading out to see how many calories I can burn before nightfall LOL

That feeling may or may not indicate that you have something stuck. Often, a little stuck incident results in swelling that perpetuates the sensation for a while. (This swelling is why many of us revert to liquids for a day or so if we've had a stuck incident.) Chances are, your stomach is still emptying. If you're able to drink fluids without them coming right back up, it's likely that you're feeling the aftereffects (increased swelling) of reintroducing solids too soon. You're very, very freshly postoperative. Is solid chicken part of your doctor's recommended regimen for reintroducing foods? It's something that is difficult for many of us, even much farther out from the starting gate, to tolerate. I'd review the "rules" so that you don't cause yourself unnecessary discomfort.

The port site does stay very tender for quite a while--and the concern about port movement is very common, and usually unnecessary. It takes a while for the port to get firmly situated in the muscle tissue. But as long as you're staying within your doctor's exercise recommendations (not doing heavy lifting, and so on), you probably have no cause for concern. It gets better!

Leigha, it is a ketosis thing---related to burning protein. Do be sure that you are getting enough fluid. It's really, really important! Here's my announcement du jour: I've been discouraged, playing with the same 2-ish pounds for a couple of weeks. Intellectually, I know that it's just one of those things--my body does this. But still, it sucks. I put on my jeans--you know, the new ones---and they were a bit big. I thought, "Hm. Maybe I'll go get 16s later. Then lightbulb! I remembered a pair of 16s I've hung on to for....well, probably 10 years. They're just basic 5-pocket straight-legs---not trendy, but not outdated.....but much more fitted than the low-rise boyfriend jeans I've been wearing. I didn't think they'd fit---but lo and behold, they do! I love closet shopping! Not enough that I kept many things on my ascent up the scale---but I'm glad to have "new" old jeans to wear :w00t: Now if Mr. UPS would just make his appearance, I'd be on Cloud Nine.

While I really don't believe in self-deprivation, I do better--physically and in terms of cravings--if I don't cave in to sugary things. For me, a good-quality chocolate Protein shake made with almond milk does the trick. I have one each day, and have not had any cravings for the real deal since surgery---and I am a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool chocoholic. You have to find what works for you---for some, a little of the real thing works well. For others, substitutes work well.

Even if you eat well and exercise, banding does not produce rapid, dramatic loss. But the slower, steady losses do add up. When your body rapidly loses--as it did in your first two weeks--it sometimes needs a little time to "regroup" before more weight comes off. If you track your loss on a graph, you'll probably see that there's a pattern to how you lose, stall, and begin losing again. That doesn't mean that you need to do things differently, necessarily. It just means that it's not a straight, linear, downward process. All that said, what are you eating? In what amounts? There might be room for tweaking.

I've noticed in my friends who've lost a lot that the facial gauntness tends to soften after a period of time on maintenance. The face does seem to lose too much, too fast---but with time and patience, things do redistribute some. (I have plenty of face left, but can see how this might be an issue down the road---and darn it, the fat does plump out the wrinkles! Juvederm, here I come!)

At each meal, 2-5 ounces of protein; at 1 meal/day, 1/2 cup nonstarchy veggies; at another meal/day, a small serving of fruit. Add 1-2 protein shakes/day--and that's it. 800-1000 calories, in quantities that amount to <1 cup per meal/snack.

How hard is it to look at the syringe, after the fill, and say, "Oh, I started with 4 ccs, and there are 1.7 ccs left; the fill was 2.3 ccs." I agree that the numbers aren't terribly important singly. But they add up, cumulatively, and each band does have an upper limit to its capacity. (The upper limit is usually significantly higher than the number of ccs we're told our bands hold; nevertheless, not keeping track really concerns me.) I wonder whether he's just a paternalistic sort--who doesn't care to communicate with patients. That's kind of lousy--but it would make me more comfortable than one who wasn't measuring and documenting what he does. I think I'd ask him next time, "Are you just telling me that because you don't believe it's useful information for patients to lift out of context, or do you actually not measure and document how much you add?"