BetsyB

I am a month into eating "real" food (my doctor doesn't define phases in the same way, but I'm eating solid Protein and vegetables), and do not have good restriction yet. I'm close, and I can tell it's on the horizon---but I still don't reliably get "all done!" signals or stay satisfied for longer than an hour or two. For your question about what to do with an egg--again, it depends on what your doctor recommends. For mine, scrambling, poaching, cooking it any way that it was still soft--would have been okay. harleyhottie--It sounds as though your band might be a little tight. Call your doctor, describe what's going on, and see if s/he wants to to a tiny unfill. It might make a huge difference. (Also, if your questions are getting overlooked, remember that they're more likely to be seen if you start your own thread rather than bury them in responses to someone else's question. More people will see them that way.) If you're like most people, you probably should expect a period of time when you weigh and measure food because your band does not yet give you the "enough!" signal, or keep food in your tiny little pouch long enough to send an, "I'm really satisfied!" message to your brain. You may be lucky and get good restriction quite rapidly--but by and large, it requires a handful of fills to really get there.

Wanna be fit @40, you're not a failure--you're hungry! Believe me, I empathize! I promise you, it gets better. Our group has a very stringent eating plan, compared to other doctors. No wonder you're hungry! Every day you do well is a big victory! And a bad meal---one when you've overeaten? Well, it's just one meal. It's not a measure of your potential long-term success. You will get restriction, and it will be so much easier to stick to the prescribed eating regimen then. You'll get Fill #2 next week, and I bet you'll feel LOTS better. If not, they'll get you in early for Fill #3, too. (I go in tomorrow for mine.) ETA: No--you did not damage your pouch. You can eat anything because your stomach, albeit divided into a small pouch and bigger portion, is emptying almost as fast as it did before surgery. You put food in, and instead of lingering in your nice new pouch and telling your brain, "I'm full," it just passes right through to the larger portion, which says, "FEED ME!" When you get better restriction, the food will linger in the pouch, send the "All done!" signal to the brain, and then very gradually empty. And then, my friend, you will not have trouble with overeating. Now, enough self-flagellation!

Today was smoked salmon and chile lime cole slaw

Mine's The Governor. (Like the devices attached to cars' ignition systems to prevent people with blood alcohol too high from driving.) The Governor tells me when I can't "drive" because I've had enough (food)

I weigh my food, rather than measuring. I have 3-4 oz. Protein for each meal. 1x/day I add 1/2 cup (okay, I lied--I do measure!) nonstarchy veggies. In a couple of weeks, I'll add a serving of fruit/day, too. A couple of hours before Breakfast (I get up early!) I have a warm Protein Drink. Sometimes, at night, I have one, too. But otherwise, no Snacks most days. If I'm hungry enough to gnaw the arms off the furniture, I do grab something like a string cheese, though.

It varies so much from region to region. With an extended tummy tuck, that's not really outside the range of what I've been told to expect. (The surgeon I think I'm going to use, in Houston, is in the 19,000-20,000 range for these surgeries. Another, in Pittsburgh, is a tad higher, and a third and fourth, in NY and LA, are WAY higher.)

Gauging by the nurse's lack of alarm--and by everything I've read and experienced myself--I think you very likely can stop worrying about this. Port site pain is a nagging issue that many of us experience. It just takes a while for our bodies to get used to having that object in there! And when we change positions, etc, there is pulling and tugging that kind of aggravates it, particularly soon after surgery. I really don't think the level of activity you described would in any way threaten your band. Let your doctor know about it when you see him. If you're really worried, call back and ask to be seen sooner, for peace of mind. Good luck!

Yep, the surgery disrupts the hair growth cycle. Pregnancy does, too. In both cases, if you're getting enough Protein and taking your Vitamins, most of the hair lost is hair that would have been lost, gradually, over the time since surgery. (Ordinarily, we shed ~50-100 hairs/day. After surgery, we hang on to those hairs instead of shedding them daily; then, BAM! They all come out, seemingly at once. But most of what we lose is hair that would have come out gradually and less dramatically over time if we hadn't had surgery.) Do make sure you're getting enough protein. Biotin can't hurt. And if you're losing a lot, I've heard that a salon regimen of Nioxin is really helpful. (Have a hair person set you up with the right regimen for your needs.)

Hey, Bob--maybe when you're in the doldrums, you should post anyway. It might make it easier, in some small way. You don't have to be perpetually positive. Let us bolster you a little when you're down. (I'm in the up $200 camp.) Bobbie and PhD, glad to have you here. Leigha, I forget what I was going to post to you. Good lord, I am losing my mind. Oh--yes! I am looking forward to having more-accessible nutrition information, and I think it will be a real eye-opener for the American public, in general. Gloria-I am doing the no-hands thing. It has made a difference to me this week. For some reason (I'm betting PMS), my band is playing tricks on me--and instead of being tighter in the morning, I am ravenous as I approach dinnertime, but tight as a drum & finished with the meal almost before I start. Customarily, that approaching-dinnertime time is the time when I pop something in my mouth (while cooking, serving, whatever...) Not stuff I shouldn't have, but something from my measured portion, but eaten inappropriately. Well, with a fickle band, that didn't work very well! So the no-hands thing has helped me feel much better and actually get some dinner in me! I go in for Fill #3 in the morning--and am looking forward to it. I am really approaching good restriction, I think--but am not quite there yet. I hope to eradicate the mid-day ravenous-ness. It's now officially Spring Break. Well, for Preston. We celebrated by getting him the second in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series. I am so thrilled he's reading this--he's gone from a kid who likes reading well enough, but wasn't particularly inclined to do so unless he had to, to a child who voraciously reads 600-900 page books. I knew that if anyone could do it, Larry McMurtry could do it. Okay, I guess I need to stop procrastinating. Winter seems to be returning, there's wind gusting around my house, and my poor Truman, who enjoys wind flapping his ears, is telling me, "Oh, no you don't, woman! Put on your shoes! We're going for a walk!" Have a great day, everyone!

Whether or not you will be approved by insurance will be spelled out pretty concretely in the policy itself. Without reading the contract, there's no way of knowing whether you'll be covered. My policy (for what it's worth---which is nothing LOL) covers the procedure for BMI of 40 or over, or BMI of 35 with 2 comorbidities. When you purchased your own policy, were you able to choose coverage that works for you in this regard? Take a careful look at the policy when you get it--it will clearly spell out the requirements you must meet. Good luck!

Bariatric Eating has ready-to-drink proteins, too. Their BElieve brand is really good. But the Inspire line dissolves in just 4 oz. of water--no blending required. And it is MUCH better-tasting than the RTDs, IMO.

I wish it were so! But it's not true. After banding, most people do feel hunger. In fact, at first--when there's minimal restriction--you will be hungry a lot. That period is referred to as Bandster Hell. And its name describes it really well! Your stomach will get full more rapidly than before, but its rate of emptying will be nearly the same as preop. As you gain restriction, emptying slows down, and hunger tapers off. (In the very immediate postop period, when there's still swelling, you may not be terribly hungry, though.)

Great job! :Banane20:

It's really hard when you don't yet have restriction. We have this surgery so that we won't have to diet any longer--and until we do have restriction, it sure feels an awful lot like dieting. Which sets us up for bingeing, if we're predisposed to that. What are you eating for typical meals? Are you getting enough good-quality, dense Protein? That makes a big difference, hunger-wise. When you say you went back to your old habits, what does that mean? Did you have a real binge, or did you simply deviate a bit from your doctor's directives? The odds of you having caused any damage are very slim; I think you can safely relax about that. But do try to figure out what is motivating the overeating. Is it hunger? If so, try to tweak what you're eating at mealtime, work out an eating schedule that works better, etc. If it's the emotional stuff--and there can be LOTS of that, as we face giving up our old friend, food--you need to tackle that, as well. It's really difficult when our heads and bodies are saying, "EAT!" and we know we can't/shouldn't. The trick is finding ways to turn those voices off. If you have good alternative activities, that helps. I tend to head out for a walk when the only alternative seems to be eating. At night, I've been known to just go to bed, rather than hear the "eat!" argument in my head any longer. It gets TONS easier, though, the closer I get to restriction---and the same will happen for you.

Curious, yes---the aim is to stop the endless cycle. That said, as I work toward restriction, I am dieting. I am willing to do this because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When I achieve restriction, there will be no need to continue to be so vigilant--the band will do the work. But right now, I am eating the way I will eat when I do have restriction. And I'm hungry--and I'm okay with that. My surgeon, who happens to be the most easygoing surgeon I've ever met (and I've met many), would blow a gasket if I went to my PCP for weight-loss drugs. Further, I believe I have a commitment to him that precludes including another physician in decision-making about (or prescribing for) weight loss issues. I think it's wrong to do that--and I think the PCP's willingness to become involved is very, very wrong. pills in the pouch may or may not present a risk. Phentermine, however, poses many I am not comfortable with.

Lortab is hydrocodone + acetaminophen--the same combo as Vicodin. It's available by Rx only--and does come as a liquid. (I didn't need liquids immediately postop, but some people do.) If he didn't give them to you at your last appointment, your doctor will give you needed prescriptions when you're about to be discharged from the hospital. ETA: I agree you'll do fine, Laurie. I was off "mom-duty" the day I came home from the hospital, but right back in that saddle the next day. Things like emptying the dishwasher, tossing in a load of laundry, etc---you'll be able to do all of those things, no problem. I was expecting to have discomfort along the lines of what I've experienced with other abdominal surgeries, and it really didn't even begin to approach that level. There is pain--but it's very, very manageable within the context of normal, everyday life.

The liver stores carbohydrate in the form of glycogen. It releases the glycogen as needed by the body. When your liver is well-"stocked" with glycogen, it's larger than when it's not. The aim of the preop diet, which focuses heavily on protein and is usually quite scanty in terms of carbohydrate, is to spur the liver to release the glycogen stores. The result is a smaller liver that is more easily maneuvered around during surgery :Banane20: My preop regimen consisted of 2 Protein shakes a day, plus one meal consisting of 4 ounces lean protein and 1/2 cup of nonstarchy veggies. In addition, I was allowed to have up to 2 servings/day each of broth, sugar-free popsicles, or sugar-free Jello. It's no fun, but it does make for an uneventful surgery and recovery--so well worth it! ETA: If you want really good protein supplements, Bariatric Eating's Inspire line is excellent.

Yes, the pouch can be stretched--but that's probably not what's going on with you. It sounds like you need a fill---even a tiny, tiny one may take you back to the level of restriction you were enjoying before.

My first appointment involved being weighed (with other body composition measurements), submitting a bazillion forms, and chatting with the doctor. There was a quick physical exam, too. Basically, we talked about the process leading up to banding--including the various consults I'd have to have (psychologist, pulmonologist/pulmonary function tests, cardiologist, etc. In terms of what tests to expect, I had pulmonary function tests, blood tests immediately preop, and an ECG. Pretty basic stuff.) We also discussed the various weight loss procedures and whether banding was a good fit for me, compared to the others. (Obviously, we agreed :Banane20:) It was not a quick in-and-out appointment--there was plenty of time to have questions addressed--but it wasn't a great big deal, either. Just a getting-acquainted and getting-the-show-on-the-road sort of thing. Good luck! I know it seems as though you have a long wait ahead of you, but all the hoops you jump through will help ensure a safe surgery and good recovery. And really, the time will pass quickly---before you know it, you'll be on the other side.

Hm. I don't think so. No one has ever said anything--but I'm not sure they would even if they thought my eating was disordered. Certainly no one said a word prior to banding---I don't expect them to start now. (My mother, if she were still alive, would comment. I am sure she would retain her role as the food Police Commissioner.)

I have found that many people (especially in work situations) are reluctant to comment on weight changes. Especially since I've been known to drop weight, then regain. So, the compliments I've received have been primarily from (a) people who know I'm banded, and (:Banane20: people who have not seen me for a long time. I'm glad you got accolades, though! Just as an aside, I was interested to see that the Biggest Loser contestants who have had issues with regaining are the ones for whom the attention of others was most important. One winner (season 1, maybe) regained almost all he lost--and complained that a huge factor was that he no longer was getting the positive attention received as he lost. In a way, it's probably a positive thing that you've been cheering yourself on. It's coming from you, which means you've got it in you to keep going & keep it off.

I'm new enough to the game that I do track what I eat on fitday--but really, for informational purposes. I want to see what it is that works for me. I don't know whether I will continue to log my intake forever--but for now, it's useful to me. I suspect that once I have appropriate restriction, it will sort of become a non-issue; I foresee the band doing just what it's supposed to do, and things just falling into place.

I couldn't agree more. I also think that it has enormous value ...I want to say emotionally, but that's not quite the right word. But for lack of a better term, the psychological benefits of cardio are huge, at least for me. The sustained exertion just reaps all kinds of rewards.

In the immediate postop period, you're swollen from surgery. You also are retaining some Fluid due to anesthesia, meds, and trauma. You do NOT have to restrict sodium, unless your doctor has told you to do so for blood pressure-related reasons. Your kidneys do an exquisite job of removing excess sodium. It's not the issue right now. Your body was cut open, your organs manipulated, and your entire system was exposed to drugs that were potent enough to cause you to lose consciousness for a period of time. THIS is what you are seeing on the scale: your body's response to this insult. I know it's hard to hear it, and especially hard to do--but RELAX. This is not a quick fix. You will not lose weight rapidly. Not now, especially. But not later, either. It's a slow and steady sort of thing, and it requires a great deal of patience and commitment. But if you do the right things, your body will lose the excess weight. It just will. You do not need to agonize about your metabolism slowing, or sodium, or any of the other minutae that flood our minds when things aren't moving as quickly as we'd like. You simply have to eat the right foods in the right amounts, drink adequate fluid, and exercise to your tolerance (which may not be terrific right now). The rest really will take care of itself.

If you liked Nashua, you might want to check out Bariatric Eating (bariatriceating.com). Their protein supplements are the best available, IMO.