BetsyB

Bobbie, all of us are different. I have the exact opposite reaction to sugar--it ignites the Craving Monster. In your shoes, I'd be careful about experimenting too much with this--I think it might wind up biting you in the butt. I can't think of a physiological response that would cause you to feel fuller after sugar than anything else--but the band makes fullness an ephemeral and quirky thing. Who knows? Spartan, I have to admit I'm curious about your agenda on this forum. You don't really seem to be a bandster--or at least not one without some sort of professional agenda, as well. Your responses never include any sort of personal anecdote, just clinical information. What's the story? I can identify several things you've posted that aren't "correct" (starting with the notion that surgeons, by virtue of their ability to place bands, should always have their nutritional advice followed), but since you are always very quick to post that there is no "right" (often making people who've posed questions or provided answers feel put-down, by the way), I'm not going to head down a semantic rabbit-hole with you. On the other hand, I tend to agree with you about a good many things. Including that eating sugar's not a great choice, post-banding. I just think that it's possible to (a) keep my opinion to myself or, ( deliver it with a modicum of tact. Enabling? Nah. Just being a decent human being. With no agenda.

I'm sorry you're feeling cruddy. We tend to minimize it, because it passes quickly---but most of us completely understand how you feel. Right now, it's not important that you get Protein. Fluid is of paramount importance, food none at all. As you feel better, you will become hungry, or at least able to tolerate food. For now, work on getting adequate fluid. The rest will fall into place. (If the nausea becomes too bad, give your doctor a call. There are very effective meds for dealing with it.)

I am nowhere near goal, but I do find that my attitude toward it has changed a lot. I think it's a function of knowing that I will achieve it (even if I modify it)---something I've never really felt secure in before.

Yep, big stress affects me & my band, too. Stress and hormones.

If I'm correctly interpreting your question, you're wondering whether, even blended, the Fiber One would still provide the same benefits. And yes, it will. I add Fiber One to my Crystal Light or Protein shakes. A tablespoon dissolves in undetectably, and provides 15 g protein. I choose Fiber One (well, actually its generic equivalent) because it's inulin fiber. In addition to providing the fiber benefits, it's a prebiotic, which means it stimulates the growth of the "good" gut flora. That, and it really dissolves well and does not cause cramping. (I found that BeneFiber did, for me.)

This is appalling! Poor kids, represented by a principal who behaves this way! I think that, in your shoes, I would tell him something along the lines of, "I have hesitated to share much--and still am not willing to discuss my health issues with you in depth--but I require a non-working lunch for medical reasons. I am as much of a team player as I ever was--and I would greatly appreciate that you not undermine my relationship with my students by telling them otherwise. It is unprofessional and detrimental to them, not to mention our working relationship. I am more than happy to attend any meeting you hold. But I must also then have a non-working mealtime to meet my medical needs." ETA: I know it's not ideal (and is unsatisfying over the long-term), but until things get squared away, can you keep a stash of Protein shakes on hand for these meetings?

Some people do have ulterior motives for pushing food. But by and large, most people simply don't keep as close tabs on our goings-on as we do. In other words, our surgeries and commitment to eating well just don't impact them---they have a vague awareness, but are (rightfully) wrapped up in their own lives. When it comes to things like goodies, they continue to offer them because, well--either they don't quite remember what your "rules" are, or because they don't want to offend by appearing to be the food police, or whatever. I have just come to accept that I'm not the center of anyone else's universe--and can't expect others to keep up with what I will and will not eat. They leave that up to me---and that's fine

It's often because the foods you can tolerate are higher in calories and fat than the foods you'd eat at proper restriction. And that the sliders move through more easily, resulting in hunger sooner (and therefore eating more frequently). Our bodies may (and there is NOT concrete enough evidence to "prove" this---just as there is abundant evidence to the contrary) hold on to our energy reserves (fat) more tightly when our caloric intake drops. But this "starvation mode" is controversial at best. After all, people do, in fact, starve! The body certainly does not gain as a result of eating too little. It is absolutely impossible to create energy (fat) when there is no excess. Impossible. If you are gaining, it's either from Fluid retention, from swelling, or from eating too much (or the wrong things). It's not from eating too little. If you're maintaining, it might be from eating too little---depending on which school of thought you espouse.

I totally understand. Truly. And the fact that you were denied coverage does put things into a new light. Whatever you decide, this is a great place for support. The preop tests were not extensive, but some were pretty expensive. That said, some doctors do include them in their costs--if you haven't already, it might be a good idea to attend a handful of doctors' informational seminars. There is so much variation among them---hopefully, you'll hit on someone you really click with and who will help make this possible for you.

After my second fill, I achieved the level of restriction you're describing--staying satisfied for 2.5-3 hours. I viewed that as "getting close." 3 hours is a pretty long time to remain satisfied, when you stop to think of it! That tapered off a bit before my third fill--I was hungrier more frequently, but satisfied with meals still. I just had my third fill, and while it may be due to swelling still, I'm noticing a HUGE difference.

I am a scale whore too--with no intention of reforming. The periods of time I've not weighed have been times my weight has gone up. Watching it daily is important to me--but I've weaned down from the hopping-on-each-time-I-walk-past habit because that just messed with my head too much. My poor psyche doesn't need any more battering! My weight fluctuates a lot, especially on days I work out. But my morning weight shows a steady downward progression nonetheless. That's the only number I really give any credence.

It's not a stupid question at all---I think everyone has it, and the answer is hard to pin down. I did not experience anything resembling "full" until after my second fill. And then, it was a sensation very different from preop full. For me, "full" is signalled by a chest sensation that isn't pain, but perhaps warning of pain if I continue to eat. It often is followed by a single hiccup. The hiccup is a bit more of a warning--a real DO NOT PASS message. Since surgery, I've weighed and measured my food. At first, that was the only way I knew I'd had "enough." Because I was still hungry all.the.time. Even now, just after Fill 3, I measure and weigh my food. When I get to about the halfway mark, I start really pausing after each bite to "listen" for this sensation. When I get even a hint of it, I'm done. If my food is not measured (like in a restaurant), and the message is sent very faintly, then I can (and have) ended up past the point of full--and that is no fun. It takes practice. You'll learn your body's cues.

Preop, I had pulmonary function tests, blood work, an ECG, and psych testing. Now I'm going to say something you won't want to hear--please know it's out of concern and kindness. If your BMI is high enough that your insurance wants you to lose weight prior to banding, do you think it would be in your best interest, safety-wise, to step back, work really hard with your doctor, and get your BMI down to the level they require before surgery? (This would give you time to quit smoking, too). I know the wait is horrendous. And believe me, I know the impossibility of lasting weight loss without surgery--I know. But insurance companies aren't just saying no to save money. (Well, they are--but their "no" is based on their knowledge of surgical outcomes. And when the "no" means, "no--the surgical risk is too high," it might be really good to do everything possible to minimize the risk.) I wish you great success with whatever choice you make, and we'll all be supportive no matter what. But please, choose surgeons carefully. Make sure yours has lots of experience with patients with higher BMIs. And do everything you can to reduce all other surgical risks--because you want to come out of this healthier.

Welcome, Snowy Congratulations on making this very big decision! I hope you have good luck on the insurance front, and are on your way to banding! Even if there is an insurance-mandated period of supervision, don't be downhearted---the time can be really useful for preparation for the surgery. I'll share my responses to the questions you've asked. are the fills painful? Not really. They're like any other injection--briefly uncomfortable, and done before you know it. did you have much pain when you woke up after surgery? Not nearly as much as I expected. I expected the experience to be similar to other abdominal surgeries I'd had, but really--it was much better. BUT, immediately post op, yes--I felt pretty cruddy. Fortunately, the pain was very easily managed. Getting up and moving around right away really helped a lot. do you vomit after eating and if yes why? No. I don't. I eat very slowly. I take very small bites and chew them well. I don't drink with meals. I made this a habit before surgery, and I practiced it before restriction was even on the horizon. did you have to eat liquids for one month or one week? No. My surgeon's recommended eating plan moves patients to pureed Protein three days after surgery. I've been eating "real" food since then. (I didn't even have an all-liquid preop diet. But this varies tremendously from doctor to doctor.)

I use the Inspire proteins from Bariatric Eating. They foam when blended (I think that's just the nature of the beast), but they don't need a blender to dissolve well in liquid.

Congratulations--great job!

Start with visiting a surgeon's seminar (or two or three). Once you've chosen a surgeon, his/her office will be able to guide you. My supervision involved checking in with the surgeon each month. My insurer had specific parameters for loss during that time period. There was no specific diet that I had to follow during that time--just had to reach a certain specified number of pounds lost. (For those with 3-month periods, a 6-pound loss was required; for those with 6-month periods, a 10-pound loss was required. Good luck!

I agree that most North American physicians know very little about nutrition. Mine is one who does--but he also is in the "no snack" camp. His eating plan is far more stringent than most I've seen described by others. It also works. And that's the aim--getting the weight off. There is good rationale for including snacks. There is good, but different rationale for excluding them. Making radical changes to the way we eat can reap benefits. Short-circuiting our "fat" thinking is as valuable, in many ways, as fueling our bodies at smaller intervals. My doctor's thinking is this: our bodies have ample stores of energy---that's why we needed surgery. We need to draw on those stores---and that's why we don't snack. We are asked to commit to this during the weight loss portion of our journeys. It makes as much sense as any other approach. And it has to be noted that his patients' success rate is higher than average. A small side note about blood sugar: our bodies, when healthy, really do maintain it within very tight parameters; snacks are usually not necessary for this. They do, however, reduce between-meal hunger and, IMO, that makes compliance with an eating regimen more likely to occur. (Which is why--even though I adore and respect my doctor, I do include protein shakes as snacks 1-2x/day.)

Yes, it's normal; some fluid remains in the tubing & port

I think you're asking whether it's normal to not have restriction with 5 ccs. And yes, it is. I mean, there's tons of variance among people--some get it with less, some need far more--but at 5 ccs, I was beginning to get a hint of restriction (I had times when I felt it), but it was not consistent. Some people need their bands to be filled right up to the max; others do not. You've got tons of room left in your band, so you don't need to worry about not getting to the right spot before you run out of space Savimama, I think it's probably fair to say that, no matter what our doctors' approaches, all of us are geared toward slow, steady loss (because that's what the band promotes), and striving to learn how to live with our losses. If one thing can be said about this surgery, it's that there are as many opinions as there are surgeons.

From what I understand, it's completely normal. It's really difficult to pull out all of what's in there; some remains in the tubing and port (from what I've been told).

I was told to get walking immediately---cardio of any kind was fine as soon as I felt up to it. For weight/resistance training, I was green-lighted after the 4-week check.

dees-only-girl, it sounds like you did one of two things: ate beyond "full" or you have something stuck. It does not sound like there's band slippage or anything dire. So that you don't push past "full," start paying attention to signals like the "slight burning" you felt---and also to the body sensations that occur just before you reach that point. Your body will start sending new signals to tell you it's had enough---for many of us, they are not at all like preop "full." I measure my food, and after I reach around the halfway mark in amount, I start really pausing after each bite to "listen." The cues can be really subtle, but if I eat beyond them, I do experience discomfort (even though I've not yet reached real restriction).

Blech! I don't like 'em. But aside from that, they're not made of the most bioavailable protein. Even if your body can absorb 40 g at one time (which, if you need it, it probably can), you'd be better off using a whey protein isolate supplement that will be more fully absorbed. (You'd also be better off finding one that tastes good! I like the Inspire whey protein powders from bariatriceating.com. They contain ~25 g/serving of whey protein isolate, which our bodies "like" better than the protein blend in the shots.)

My doctor doesn't require liquids for the first day (unless necessary), so I was right back in the saddle with regular food.