BetsyB

I wouldn't leap to the conclusion that you've stretched your pouch. I would be more inclined to think that your growing baby is exerting abdominal pressure that is causing new sensations for you. 3 eggs is about 6 ounces. If you at 3/4 of that, it's not an outrageous amount of food. Caloric needs increase during pregnancy. Not a ton, but some. Even to maintain weight, you need 300 or so more calories/day--which is why you are hungry. You might need to have smaller, more frequent meals to meet your needs. You say that your surgeon didn't want to unfill you--so that you could continue to lose (or at least maintain). During my last pregnancy, my doctor was fine with me maintaining, too---as long as I ate well. That said, your surgeon is NOT the doctor who should be calling the shots about this---your OB is the one with the reins. Is s/he on board with continued loss? If you have fluctuations in band tightness, be aware that changing hormones are responsible. What is "prime" today may be too tight tomorrow---and your surgeon, not being an OB, may not be particularly responsive to this. You will have to be your own advocate so that you can proceed through the pregnancy comfortably and safely. I wouldn't bat an eyelash at a quick 4-pound gain. Chances are, it's fluid-related. But even if not, pregnancy gains can come in fits and starts. I gained all of 2 pounds my last pregnancy--and they showed up overnight. No biggie. ETA: You've got 2 doctors watching out for you now: one is geared toward the band, and likely fairly ignorant of how pregnancy truly affects your banding experience. The other is an OB, who is likely inexperienced in band issues. (The throat lump thing sounds, to me, like you might be too tight---at least intermittently, due to hormone fluctuations.) It is going to be tricky to synthesize the info from both of them--just be really consistent in providing them with information about what you feel. Try to include both of them--it will spare you unnecessary testing. (Lump in throat? Sure, it could be thyroid. But it also could be that your band intermittently tightens in response to hormone fluctuations---and that a tiny unfill would relieve it.) I'm so sorry for your frustration! Believe me, it will all be worth it when you have your sweet baby in your arms.

I am allergic to NSAIDs--and have fibromyalgia and a host of neuro/ortho things (disks, knees, etc) related to a long-ago accident. Pain has always been difficult to manage due to my allergy. But when I added dark cherries to my diet several years ago, the results were astounding. 10 cherries a day--as effective as popping meds, seriously! And the good thing is that the post-banding diet really limits the stuff that is least good for us from the inflammation standpoint, as well!

Nani, what about it is scaring you? The surgery itself, or the alteration of your body? It's true that surgery carries with it some risk. The preoperative screening process, though, is very thorough, and does help identify issues that can pose problems. By the time you hit the OR, your surgeon will know exactly what issues to watch out for---and can address them to keep you safe. If being banded itself is worrisome to you, know that it is very minimally invasive. The body just is not altered very much at all. A band is placed around your stomach, and it exerts gentle pressure. Can problems arise as a result? Yes, but they are infrequent and usually easily corrected. The risks of obesity, on the other hand, are far greater. Aside from reducing those risks, you will look and feel so much better. There is something so gratifying about being in control of weight. It is positively freeing. I do understand your fears; I think they are quite normal. But when you reframe the risks v. benefits, it becomes pretty clear that taking no action is far riskier than having the surgery. Good luck with your decision!

Welcome, Lena! (One of my favorite names--and I was really saddened by Lena Horne's death this week. Apropos of nothing!) Anyway, glad you're here! Denise, how are you feeling? I hope good answers are starting to roll in for you. (Note my careful avoidance of puns--I actually cleaned up my last post because everything I typed turned into a bad pun!) I am envious of the iPad. Thanks to y'all, my Amazon wishlist is growing by leaps and bounds. Wii, Wii Fit, Just Dance, iPad (or Kindle--still torn)....what else should I add? LOL Bobbie, are things looking up for you? I have you in my prayers. Re: your morning eating issue, I don't have difficulty with breakfast. But I do have the reverse problem: the end of the day is when I don't want to eat. I have been making good use of good protein drinks---warmed. Something about a warm drink is soothing and satisfying at the same time. And it goes down when nothing else appeals. I don't think it's really a tightness issue (I am not really quite at the sweet spot)---though I am a bit tighter in the evening than earlier in the day. It's more of a ...I don't know...a this-is-more-effort-than-it's-worth kind of thing. A disinterest. I do try to eat something nice and balanced--but it's nice to have the protein available when it's a no-go. BB people: mine is on the UPS truck en route to me as I type. How long does it take to charge? I am pondering today's activities....I think I will postpone the heavy labor (lawn, garden) until tomorrow so I can get "credit" for it. (How crazy is that? It's not like my body wouldn't burn the same number of calories! But I really want to see them. Ridiculous, I know.) Shad, when's yours due to arrive? We're like a little cult here, aren't we? Who will be our charismatic leader?

It's just one measure. And like BMI, it's not accurate for all. It has limitations, just like any tool. All you can do is work to be as healthy as you can be in the body you have. My weight is evenly distributed--but as you can see from my stats, the numbers say I am obese. (Not morbidly any more, but still...) According to this measurement, I am overweight. Not even seriously overweight. It pleases me--but it does not fool me. My WtHR has always been "good." And that doesn't amount to a hill of Beans if I'm hauling an extra 80 pounds around! My risks may be lower than someone my weight with a different fat distribution--and I'm glad for that. But it doesn't change the fact that the extra weight (which you no longer have!) poses a risk. Take it with a big hunk of salt.

I don't think you "did" anything other than advance too quickly. I'm four months out, and still can't tolerate scrambled eggs--even though I can tolerate just about any other Protein. They're just one of "those" foods---and from what I gather, they give lots and lots of people trouble.

I have tons of friends who've had RNY--and they still have the head hunger issues, too. And they have to make significant, significant dietary changes. Far greater, IMO, than what is required of us. Yes, the loss is initially more dramatic--but over time, we even out. Buyer's remorse is not unusual---but know that it crosses surgical boundaries. No matter what WLS surgery you'd chosen, you would be having these same concerns. You'd be battling head hunger, and second-guessing yourself. Only with RNY, your insides would be much more rearranged, and it would be much harder to eat. (They do have the advantage, in early months especially, of feeling no hunger. But that does not translate into not wanting to eat, or not struggling with food decisions.) So, set the "shouldas" aside, and get busy making sure you are a success with the band. Successful RNYers require profound dietary change if they want to have a healthy loss (visit bariatriceating.com for some perspective)---so there's no greener grass to be found. You spent a lot of time researching and made an educated decision. Now it's time to make it work for you. Good luck! ETA: I have to agree--it becomes much, much easier as you approach restriction. When you are no longer hungry all the time, it is a huge burden lifted.

I agree with Jacqui. Also, after a fill, when I'm a tad tighter than ideal due to swelling, I tend to gurgle a bit more than usual---it's just harder for stuff to get down that "clogged drain." It usually subsides a bit as I loosen up a bit.

Meg, it looks like you're eating really well---very similar to my doctor's recommended eating regimen. If you're weighing and measuring portions, hang in there---the loss is not rapid, but it will be steady. And it really, really does add up faster than you'd think. I was concerned about fat and cholesterol, too. When you're eating at such a low calorie level, fat really does make up a significant proportion of your intake. BUT---I learned that even when the numbers look high, they are much, much, much lower (like, a quarter to a half, depending on the day) than the AHA recommendations (which are on the very low side). So, again, if you're eating mindfully, you can probably put those concerns to rest. You're eating a very different diet than before, and it's very low in calories. Even if fats make up a third of your calories (which, incidentally, is aligned with AHA recommendations, which aim for no more than 30%--with 7% or less from saturated fat), you are taking in a level that is consistent with good health.

You feel like this because you just had surgery to place a band around your stomach. Our incisions may be tiny,but there is still a good deal of disruption involved. Your body is responding to that disruption. What you feel is normal postoperative discomfort. Give your doctor a call--or check the literature he gave you--to see if he recommends an over-the-counter antacid. You'll feel so much better---soon!

Weight loss is one indicator used to determine whether a fill is necessary. Another--equally important one--is how you feel. I've lost weight consistently since banding--but do not yet have reliable restriction. The weight I have lost has been, to a very large degree, weight lost due to dieting. If you are losing weight because you're white-knuckling (still starving, but working hard to lose), this is very important information for your doctor to have. I think it's important to work with your doctor, rather than leave decisions to him. The latter presumes that he can intuit what is going on, when in fact, he cannot assess how you feel at all. He needs your input. I'd make the decision based on how long I felt satisfied after eating. When I can easily go 3-4 hours without hunger, I don't want a fill; the band is doing its job. If I get hungry within 2 hours of eating, I need a fill--no matter how well I'm losing. (I eat the same way whether I feel restriction or not, so my rate of loss is not a reliable indicator of how the band is working.)

I understand what you're saying. When your stoma was swollen, the 4-6 ounces you're supposed to eat seemed like enough. Now that the swelling is down, you either don't feel as full as you did before, or you become hungry sooner. Yes, this is completely normal. With reduced swelling, you have less restriction, and food can move out of the upper portion of your banded stomach more rapidly. So you get hungry sooner. This is what is known as bandster hell. Lots of people would tell you that now is not the time to worry about weight loss---that it's time for healing. While I agree that your body is healing, I'd suggest that you stick as closely as possible to your doctor's recommended eating regimen. You can lose weight during this time. You may be hungry, but you would be in any event--so why not work to maximize your loss. The previous poster Tish is basing her opinion that you're eating too much on her own doctor's recommendations. Remember, each of our doctors has his/her own "rules". Yours has you on mushies, and does not require 21 days of liquids like Tish's doctor. So her evaluation that you're eating too much is not based on what you've been prescribed. Stick with what your doctor recommends as much as you can. If you find that you're really, really hungry, call his/her office. They may have good ideas to help tide you over from meal to meal--or they may offer a fill sooner than ordinarily scheduled.

Bariatric Eating has a bunch of different protein bars--they may have a sampler that lets you try different ones.

I eat low carb, high-ish Protein, around 800-1000 calories/day---and exercise every single day. And I'm thrilled with a loss of 11 or so pounds a month. I'm not sure it's realistic to expect much more.

I've been losing at just about the same rate as Jen. Some weeks, I lose just a fraction of a pound, but overall, my rate is around 11-12 pounds/month. You'll find that there is huge variance in this, however.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatories are linked to ulcer formation. The band itself also poses an ulcer risk. Because the combo of the two really ups risk, most band doctors veto the use of Advil and other NSAIDs. I'm allergic to NSAIDS, so it's moot for me. I take an Rx liquid pain reliever.

No, no BB yet--it's due to arrive tomorrow. I can't wait! No matter what it "tells" me to do, I will be staying at 800-1000 calories/day. I lose at that level. I don't when I go higher. No matter how much I exercise. Sucks, but it's the way it is. I have been wondering about whether I'll want to journal food on the BB site, or continue with Fitday, where I have a long custom list of foods already. One of the BB bulletin boards suggested creating a custom food, each day, with the cumulative information from the day's journaling on Fitday. (So instead of entering each food on the BB site, I'd enter the total for the day.) I may go that route because I have nutritional information from hundred of the brand-name foods I use routinely....it just seems more expedient. But we'll see. If the BB journaling is user friendly and seems as accurate, I'll give it a whirl. Yes, I overthink things. I will stop overthinking when I actually have the device in my hot little hands and can begin playing with it!

It's like any other diet. While you're on it, you'll want to eat other things, and you'll tell yourself no. It's just a couple of weeks---it's not the most fun in the world, but it is eminently do-able. Do you know, for certain, that your doctor requires all-liquids? (Or even a preop diet at all?) Not all doctors do. I had 2 shakes a day, and a meal consisting of lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies. Have a talk with your doctor to find out his/her preop AND POSTOP requirements. Mine did not, but many require liquids for a fairly long time after surgery, too.

What did the doctor say?

I chose a weight toward the bottom of the healthy range for my height. I didn't have surgery to simply achieve a lower-risk, but still fat, weight. (I am short; for me, fat kicks in at a pretty low weight.) My surgeon will be happy when I hit the "normal" range. Actually, at my first consult--the one where they divulge that the average one-year loss is 52 pounds---he told me that even if that is all I ever lost, my health risks would be far less than they were. (And having lost nearly that much---in 4 months!-this has proven correct.) But "good enough" and "lowered risks" aren't enough for me. While lowered risks were a huge motivator, so was getting to a weight where I am comfortable in my body. Having been thin (though the memory fades with each passing year), I have a good idea where comfortable lies. And that is what I'm aiming for. I may find, along the way, that it's appropriate to stop a bit sooner than I anticipate; the number I chose is based on a low I've achieved in the past, but I know that if I hit about 9 pounds more, I will be at a weight where I long maintained (and looked and felt good). If I get there and feel that it's the right spot, I will work to maintain at that weight. For what it's worth, I'm much more active now than I was then---but I'm also lots older, with a far crankier metabolism! As for extra skin---well, pregnancies, nursing, and gaining and losing weight have wrought havoc with my skin. But having it plumped full of fat doesn't really make it any less horrifying! My skin is a concern--but not enough of a concern to hold me back in terms of losing. That's what plastic surgeons are for. (I'm pleased to see that some parts of my body are rebounding far better than I expected. Others are terrifying at this point--but when I get down to a low BMI, things will be very different....and then is when I will make the decision.)

You're not alone :smile2: I walk far and fast--and always am twitchy when I'm done!

I'm reluctant to join the, "you're not eating enough" crowd because everyone's needs are so, so different. I, for example, do not lose unless I'm in the 800-1000 calorie range--with exercise. Any more than that, and I stall. Or, worse, gain. The thing is, Meg, that the scale doesn't always reflect our hard work on our timetable. Our bodies are going through big changes, and the body sometimes resists. It's an evolutionary benefit that is geared to help us survive--but it's a pain in the neck when we want to lose! (ETA: I just checked your stats---holy moly! You've lost 45 pounds in 7 weeks! No wonder your body is regrouping--that's a huge loss!) You certainly can experiment to see if you lose better at a different calorie intake. But you might have just as much success hanging in and waiting it out. When I have stalls, it makes me want to pull my hair out---but invariably, the loss starts again. Not fast enough for my liking--but still! You say that you're getting most of your Protein from food, and supplementing some to meet your protein goals. That's good. But what proportion of your diet comes from protein? What other foods are you eating? I ask, because while I lose very well at 800 calories, I don't lose if those 800 calories aren't made up of the right balance of foods. Your body might be picky, too. Can you post a typical day or two of meals? Try not to be discouraged. The learning curve is steep. And it takes a while to see the loss-stall-loss patterns. Do you graph your weight loss over time? I journal on Fitday, and after watching my loss pattern for a while, it became evident to me that there really was a pattern; after a certain number of pounds, I get a tiny upward blip (for no rhyme or reason), drop it immediately, then stall...and then lather, rinse, repeat. It happens over and over. Knowing this makes it less nerve-wracking. Another thing that has helped me when I'm going nuts over a stall is that I record my measurements. If I don't see the scale moving, I often still find that my measurements are decreasing. Another thing to remember is that, as you're losing fat, you're also gaining lean muscle tissue. This isn't a fast process--so the scale doesn't go up. But it can appear to cause stalls. I say "appear" because you still are losing fat. But your hard-working muscles retain Fluid after exercise and, ultimately, gain mass--both of which influence what the scale tells you. Ultimately, exercise-related "stalls" (again, not really stalling, because your body is, in fact, losing fat even if you can't see it on the scale) will be something you learn to embrace because they are part of a process that is making your body a more efficient calorie-burner. Hang in there! You will get rewards from the scale!

The foods you've listed are all mushy---but there's a world more variety for purees. Do you have Magic Bullet or other blender? During my puree phase, the only foods allowed were Protein. Ground beef, chicken, whatever---right into the Bullet and whizzed right up. A little broth or gravy or sauce (very small amount; not enough to impact calories/fat/carbs/etc) made these things taste good (even though they often looked gross)---and they were far more satisfying than things like yogurt would have been. (Yogurt is so slidey--plus, the milk sugars trigger hunger for me.) Do you like Beans? Canned fat-free refried beans with a dash of hot sauce/taco sauce and a bit of melted reduced-fat cheddar go down so nicely. Other beans, like black beans, are great, too. But be sure that legumes are okay with your doctor at this stage--mine didn't introduce them until later. For lots of good ideas, visit bariatriceating.com. They have food lists and recipes for all stages, pre- and post-op. Some things may not be on your doctor's plan, but I bet you can get some good ideas.

My list isn't very long because my doctor has a pretty restrictive eating program during the weight loss phase, and I haven't really ventured afield. But I sometimes have trouble dense Protein (beef, chicken, pork) in the evening. (I'm usually fine earlier in the day.) And lettuce---of all things!---sometimes finds itself lying across my stoma and blocking other things from moving through; I have to be careful with leafy stuff. Pasta, rice, bread, cake? Who knows...I haven't tried. I will, someday, if an occasion warrants and I really want it. So far, I've been fine without.

Erin, you're not a failure. You're just in a bad place right now. Lack of insurance has scuttled a lot of peoples' plans---when you can't pay, you can't pay. Hopefully, you'll be able to save up the $$ and get in to see the doctor soon. Did your mother happen to ask, do you know, whether the doctor would work with you on the cost? He might accept the usual and customary amount paid by insurers, for example. Or, he might accept payments over time. I'd like to gently correct something you wrote. Please know that I understand your frustration--and that I also understand that some doctors are dickweeds. But you wrote, Your band isn't doing much because you haven't had the opportunity to put it to work in the way it's designed to be used. It's really unfortunate that you haven't had a fill---or fills--yet---but at this point, I think it's reasonable to be optimistic that, when you are able to do so, you'll find that the band really does work for you. At least, I hope that is the case. In any event, I think it's probably too soon for you to give up on it. There's still room for lots of hope. As for your doctor checking up on you---well, that's sadly an unrealistic expectation. It's just not what doctors do. I mean, sure---if you're in the hospital overnight, they'll pop in in the morning before discharging you. But they don't track down patients who don't make appointments---they chalk it up to recidivism. That doesn't mean that a good working relationship with your doctor is out of reach. Once you get in the right place, and are able to schedule regular appointments, you may find that he's really willing to work with you. I hope so! If not, even if there is no one else available right now, know that there are more and more doctors entering this field all the time---so it's unlikely you'll be forced to remain with this particular doctor forever. If you really clash with him, you will be able, one day, to switch to someone else. It's just a matter of time before there are other practitioners in your area.