palmtreegirl70

I haven't had soda since March. I haven't missed it much at all until I got strep throat this week. I miss having 7-Up when I am sick! So....sugar-free kool-aid for me right now!

I was banded on 5/17. I lost 7 lbs the week after surgery, and then the scale stopped moving. It was very discouraging to me to not see the scale move for almost 6 weeks. Although I certainly got discouraged at times, I kept doing what I needed to do. Last Tuesday I had my first fill. My doctor put 5 ccs in my Realize band. WOW! I can't believe the difference in my life since that fill. I definitely know the band is there now. The scale has started moving over the past week, too! I am almost to the 50 lb mark, and I am wearing clothes that I haven't worn in 4 years. I feel stronger each day, and I am so excited to have made this decision for my health.

I am feeling restriction and listening to the signals my body is sending me to stop eating. Eating is a much more thought out part of my day, and I am learning the ropes a little more each and every day.

I just wanted to share my happy news with people that I know will get it.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your ups and downs on this journey.

Congrats on your awesome results! As much as I am scale watching/obsessing these days, I am taking comfort in the fact that every good choice I make in terms of eating and exercising is a positive step in my journey toward better health. Just with the little weight I have lost, my blood pressure is now normal (118/74) and my cholesterol is within normal range as well.

Smaller clothes are fabulous, but reclaiming my health is the best! :biggrin:

Hi guys! I was nervous about posting this, but I really need help.

I was banded on May 13, and so far I'm down 17 pounds. I am walking 45 minutes 5-6 days a week. Until a week ago, I had my food under control, but this week, I have kind of fallen off the wagon and it scares me. I notice that I am hungrier (my first fill is July 8). I am also making poor food choices. I haven't gained any of my weight back YET. I'm not eating as much as I used to be able to eat before I got the band, but more than usual since I have had the band. I keep telling myself that nothing tastes better than thin/healthy, but sometimes it's hard. Has this ever happened to anyone? If it has, how did you get back on track? I hope it's okay that I posted this.:Banane20:

I am in the same boat that you are! My surgery was 5/17, and my first fill isn't until 7/6. I have lost 7 pounds since surgery, and all of that was the first week post-op. The scale has been stuck. I was doing so well with my eating and exercising until this weekend, and then I fell off the wagon, too. I have absolutely no restriction at this point. My doctor told me to eat until I feel full and doesn't want me measuring anything at this point. I know that I am eating a lot less than what I ate several months ago. Yesterday I was at Six Flags with my family, and I gave in to having a chicken strip and a handful of fries as I was starving! Then we went to have pizza for dinner last night, and I had some cheese pizza. I know these weren't the best food choices, but for me to only have 1 chicken strip instead of 5 and 3 small squares instead of half a pizza was a huge improvement for me.

I am back on track today, and while the temptation is there to beat myself up over some poor choices yesterday, I refuse to give in to it. I am trying to keep the big picture in mind, and I know that our fills will be huge in our journey. However, my fill can't get here soon enough! :thumbup:

I was banded 5/17 and do not go for my first fill until July 6th! It can't get here fast enough! :thumbup:

I am 4 weeks post-op, and I have felt absolutely no restriction. I have been very good with my eating and exercising. I am under 1000 calories a day, and I exercise 6 days a week. I lost 7 lbs the first week after surgery, but since then the scale hasn't budged. I still have 3 more weeks until my first fill. I am so crabby right now and do not know what else I could be doing at this point.

I am having all sorts of doubts about this working for me no matter how much I try to keep a positive attitude.

I aim for 800-1000, usually toward the 800 end of the spectrum. More importantly, I aim to burn 2500 calories/day, through regular activities and exercise.

Betsy...what do you do to burn that many calories a day? WOW!

Thank you for this post! I am almost 4 weeks post-op, and the scale hasn't moved for 3 weeks. It has been suggested that I am not getting enough calories (roughly 800 a day). I just returned from an appointment with my PCP and she wants me to up it to 1200 calories a day. I am a little unsure what to eat to get to 1200 a day....I have no restriction right now and am afraid to eat too much.

Seriously....eating has never been so hard and time consuming as it has been the past month!

I did meet with a dietician during month 3 of my 6 months. The months did have to be consecutive. I also did have to get a psychiatric evaluation as well, but I see a therapist on a regular basis so that was no big deal for me.

Hi there. I had an excellent experience with getting approval with Cigna. My insurance through my job wouldn't cover WLS, so I decided to add my husband's insurance (Cigna) as my secondary insurance. It went into effect on 1/1/10, but I was able to start my 6 month physician supervised diet in November. The insurance coorindator at my surgeon's office was fantastic throughout the process. She double checked my doctor's progress notes and followed up with me monthly.

I went for my final doctor's appointment on Thursday, April 29th. They immediately sent my last set of progress notes to the surgeon's office that afternoon, and they in turn submitted it to Cigna that same day. I received approval on Tuesday, May 4th. I went for pre-op testing on the 11th and had surgery on the 17th.

As long as all of your requirements are met and documented well, Cigna is extremely fast in their turn around time.

Best of luck to all of you!

Day 15 of the scale not moving despite doing everything right. It is so frustrating, and some days I think I might as well go have a margarita and a big Mexican dinner if the scale isn't going to move down! :smile: 3 weeks out...how many calories a day should I be having? Am I not eating enough? I eat 3 meals a day with no snacking. I am so frustrated at this point and feel like all of my hard work is for nothing.

It gets harder each day to keep a positive attitude. :thumbup:

I have been walking 2.25 miles every single day at a pretty good pace (3.4-3.6 mph), and I can't get the scale to move for anything. I lost 7 the first week after surgery and now nothing. I change the incline and the speed on the treadmill to add variety. I am sweating and know my heart rate is up where it is supposed to be. I am so very frustrated right now. I get on the scale and just want to cry. :tongue2:

I noticed your ticker says 40lbs lost... did you lose a lot on the preop diet? As far as the scale showing nothing- what about NSVs? Are you noticing clothing fitting better or to big? Is your endurance increasing? Muscle tone? I think you need to go easy on yourself and Celebrate all the success you HAVE had... 40 lbs that is freaking awesome!!! Maybe try increasing your calories a bit?

I lost 23 lbs before beginning my pre-op liquid diet. I lost another 10 on the pre-op diet, and then 7 lbs since surgery on the 17th.

I have no clue to how many calories I should be having a day. I am pretty much on a modified regular diet now. I have been eating 3 meals a day with no snacking, but I don't feel any restriction. The instructions say to eat until I am full, but I am afraid to eat too much. How many calories a day should I be consuming?

I actually went to a band support group tonight, and it was very helpful. I am just going to continue to fight the good fight on this, and I will just push through this. At least I am eating healthy and exercising which has to be helping my health no matter what the scale says, right?

Exercise Schmexercise is right! I've been banded since 5/17, and I have been exercising my ass off every single day. My result? NADA. NOTHING. ZERO. ZILCH. That damn scale hasn't moved a pound in 2 weeks!!!! It is making me crabby!!!

Congrats on doing so well since surgery!

Thanks for your comments and support. I have never been more frustrated as I am right now. I don't know what else I can be doing at this point. I am eating under 800 calories a day, burning roughly 225 calories a day on the treadmill, drinking nothing but Water, and following my physician's diet to a T. Still the scale is not budging. I know the band is a tool, and I have no restriction at this point, but shouldn't something be happening? I was losing weight more consistently without the band, and I feel myself slipping into a major funk.

I know for a while postop I was craving plain Water (after having pretty much ODd on Crystal Lite lemonade), whereas prior to surgery i couldn't drink plain water for anything. CathyB

This is exactly how I was! I drank Crystal Light lemonade for 8 weeks....tasted so good to me. After surgery I tried it and it didn't taste good at all. I've turned into a waterholic. I drink it all day long!!!

I was banded on 5/17/10. I have been working so incredibly hard since my surgery by following all of the rules put forth by my doctor. I lost 7 lbs the first week, and since then the scale has stopped moving. I have been drinking tons of Water and exercising every single day. This morning I got on the scale and I had gained 2 lbs! What the hell is up with that? :Dancing_biggrin: So....I got mad. I went downstairs on my treadmill and pushed myself to walk longer, faster, and at a higher incline. I felt really good when I finished. The problem was that about an hour after stopping, I suddenly got very light-headed and started feeling weak and clammy. I sat on the edge of the bed, and then I threw up. It was purely Water that I think I drank too fast after my walk, and I didn't wretch at all; it came up pretty easily as far as puking is concerned.

Now I am mad that the scale is up; mad at myself for puking; worried that I have messed up my band; and worried that the scale is never going to go below 245.

I have never worked so hard at losing weight as I have after surgery....I feel so scared and alone right now.

I was banded May 17th. I was down 33 lbs on my surgery day, but I have only lost 7 lbs in the past two weeks. I am so frustrated with the lack of weight loss. I have been perfect with my post-op diet, and I have been walking daily since my surgery. I am so afraid that I will one of the people who do not have much success with the band. The scale hasn't budged a single pound in the past week. I have increased my Water and Protein and still nothing. I do not get my first fill until July 6th. All of this work and no results is a great concern for me. I had more success losing weight before my surgery.

It is so nice to hear others feeling the same things that I am. I am 2 weeks post-op, and I am sooo frustrated right now. I am moving to mushies this week after 2 long weeks of Clear liquids and one week of full liquids. I lost 33 lbs before surgery, and 7 lbs since surgery. I am pleased with this start, but I am very irritated this week that the scale has not budged! My caloric intake is very low. The worst part is that I am so weak right now, and I get lightheaded when I stand up. I know I am not getting in very much Protein at all, but my doctor doesn't seem concerned and said that will come as I add more foods to my diet.

Right now I am scared to eat. I don't know if I am feeling any restriction at all. I don't know how much I should be eating, either. Can I add spices and Condiments to the foods I am allowed? I am so afraid of throwing up.

I know that this is the time for my body to heal, but I am afraid that I will be the one that the band doesn't work for and be stuck at this weight. How do people lose so much weight in a matter of 6 months? Did they also go through this period?

I have been doing much better this week with my Water, and I have been walking every day.

I am so grateful for everyone on here who shares so much of yourselves in helping the rest of us get through this!

I know that patients who have had gastric bypass must avoid sugar so that they don't experience dumping. All of my post-op information requires sugar free products (jello, popsicles, ice-cream, etc.). Are band patients restricted on sugar purely for the caloric value, or are there side effects to having it?

I definitely know the feeling. I have dreaded summer for several years because I liked hiding myself in my sweats, sweatshirts, and baggy clothes. This year I took a big leap of faith and actually put all of my "big girl" clothes in our garage sale this weekend. I am saying good-bye to them forever. I have lost 37 lbs since March 16, and I plan on continuing to lose. My goal is to buy new fall/winter clothes from the misses department next year!

I had my surgery on the 19th as well, and I am getting zilch in Protein this week. My doctor doesn't want any type of shake or Protein supplement until week 2. I tried the Special K Protein Water, but it was pretty bad for the few grams of protein it provided.

I am going a little crazy right now. I am so hungry! I survived the pure liquid diet for a week, but the thought of waiting another 11 days until I am cleared for scrambled eggs is overwhelming. I have no energy and just want to crawl in bed and sleep until I can eat. In addition to that, the scale shows I have gained 6 lbs since the morning of surgery. The practical side of me knows it is the result of 24 hours of IV and all of the gas. But for the lack of eating I want to see the scale go down, not up.

I am very overwhelmed and afraid of being a slug for the next few weeks due to lack of energy.

Hi there. I was banded on Monday (5/17). Everything went really well. My doctor did a single incision in my belly button and used Durabond instead of stitches or staples. I am still pretty sore, but I haven't needed to take any pain medicines with it.

I can't say that I have gas pains, but I do notice that when I take a walk, the burps start coming up. I am so afraid that I am going to throw up every time this happens. I also can hear my insides churning like crazy! I know I must be retaining a lot of fluids from my IVs and gas as the scale showed that I gained 7 lbs since Monday morning. I hope that when the gas ends and I rid myself of the Fluid I will go back to my surgery morning weight, if not lower. I don't think it is hunger pangs as much as my system trying to kick-start itself. Has anyone else had this?

My biggest challenge right now is that I am terrified to eat or drink anything. I have been sipping on decaffeinated iced-tea today. I had two bites of broth and a SF popsicle. I am scared to eat anything else at this point. I don't want to throw up and cause issues with the band slipping. I don't have restriction, but I know my stomach is still swollen from surgery.

I am so overwhelmed in how to eat from this point out. Any advice/suggestions/words of wisdom from those of you who have had great success?

I had my surgery on Monday, and I am going back to work tomorrow. I am a little tender, but I haven't had any painkillers since the night I spent in the hospital.

I am having issues with the gas. My stomach is rockin and rollin, and I imagine it is all that gas trying to escape. I must have a lot of it because I weighed myself and am up 6 lbs since Monday morning. I'm pretty sure that the little bit of Water and SF Jello I've had in the past 24 hours has not caused me to gain that much weight! I think I'm still trying to rid myself of the fluids they pumped into me on Monday.

Hi friends. Well, I am banded! My long journey since November has finally paid off. I came home from the hospital this afternoon. Everything is going well so far. I have very little gas pain. My doctor did the single-incision in the belly button, so my pain is very minimal as well.

Right now my biggest fear is eating and drinking. I don't want to throw up! I have had a popsicle, a few sips of Special K Protein Water, and a few bites of Jello. How do I know how much I can eat without getting sick?