BandaCat

I got my first fill 2 weeks ago. I have PB'ed every day since. I don't think that I need an unfill. I just think that I need to slow down, chew, etc. It has been 2 of the most stressful work weeks of my life. I think that is playing a huge part. I had one stress-free day and that day I had very light restriction. I'm having a hard time slowing down my lifestyle in order to accommodate my new eating needs. I'm used to eating on the run and mindlessly. I hope I can get a handle on this before it causes problems.

Soy cafe au lait and one of the following... a bite or two of a bagel with lots of cream cheese (the dogs eat the rest) cottage cheese drinkable yogurt protein drink Breakfast always has to be a warm drink and then something soft or else I'm sliming for an hour. YUCK!

A hot drink in the morning helps me a ton. I've also learned that if I get really stuck and can't seem to get rid of the golfball in my chest, I can drink something hot and it relaxes enough to move on.

I'm only 6 wks post-op and 1 week into my first fill, but so far it has stopped my binging completely. I'm not "dieting" like most of the people on the board seem to be. The band has just completely cut down my portions, so it makes binging near impossible. I have found that sweets go down really easy even when nothing else will. But now a binge consists of 3 pieces of chocolate instead of the whole bag, a pint of ice cream, and a huge burrito. I've been more moody at times because I just want to eat but can't. I am having to find new ways of dealing with my emotions. So far I'm happy with my progress. Especially now that my fill seems to be working so well.

Costco has a yummy one that is sweetened with Splenda. Vanilla or Chocolate. It's called Pro-Rated I think.

Mine is Bird. I don't have a fill yet, but I expect that I will be eating like a bird.

Wow! You lost all that in 3 months. What are you doing for exercise? I want to get on that program!

Those are awesome results. What would you say your exercise routine has been over the past few months? I'm just starting and would love to have similar results!

Today I started soft foods. Yippee!!!! I had a very strange sensation when I ate my yogurt w/ fruit. I felt very full in the top of my stomach (my stoma I guess). Couldn't have eaten another bite. But the bottom have of my stomach felt empty and kept growling. Not gurgling with food, but growling from emptiness. It wasn't head hunger either because I didn't want to eat another bite. Very strange. Also, I just experience "sliming". I was so afraid it was going to come back up. But I lifted my arms and walked it off. Thank goodness. I forgot about the warning that soft foods need to moist. But the good news is that I obviously have some restriction (from swelling I'm assuming). Full liquids were just going right through me with no restriction at all. I'm glad to be on the next phase. I hope the restriction stays for awhile since I can't get a fill for 4 more weeks.

That's awesome!!! You are very inspiring to me! Believe me, I would be excited too if I was in Onederland with a Hot Man by my side! That is definitely a NSV!

I think this was inspired by some early Post-Op Bandsters!!!! http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1295121688

Woo Hooo!!!! I LOVE Sushi. I can't wait until I move into that phase of my recovery. Thank goodness for creativity. I didn't really want to go through life without sushi!

Part of it is just recovering from anesthesia. It effects people differently. It took a full week for me to have my energy back. I would feel fine, take a walk around the block, or go to the grocery store and have to take a nap afterwards from being so exhausted. Now I'm Day 10 Post Op and pretty much feel like my self energy wise.

I'm only a few days ahead of you and just tried mashed potatoes too. I learned that my cue is hiccups. But if I thin them out even more then it's not a problem at all. Maybe you could try thinning them out for a few more days.

The post-op barium swallow is so that they can see how the band is working. Then you get to see the xrays. I thought it was really cool to see it working. A fun way to connect with what you just had done to your body.

I got mine the day after. It was such a bummer because my first day is always really hard. Honestly, I don't know if I felt worse from the surgery or the cramps. But when that went away, I felt like I was a million times better. My doctor never even mentioned it, so I doubt it's a big issue.

I was on full liquids starting day 4 post-op. The first week I could care less about eating. Definitely not normal for me. I got full on 1/4 cup of Jello. But now I'm at Day 10 and on full liquids. I have 5 more days until soft foods. I can't wait! I'm getting tired of liquids. But if I make whatever I'm eating too thick my body tells me. So liquids it is for a few more days. It helps me to drink a hot tea in the morning. Unfortunately my appetite has returned with a vengeance! Kind of a bummer. I liked it better when I wasn't hungry. I guess I understand now why people say that this beginning time is about healing and not weight loss.

I lost 10 lbs my first week. But I didn't have to do a pre-op diet and instead went on a major "restaurant cruise" the 2 weeks before surgery. I gained 10lbs in those 2 weeks. So the first week just got me back to where I was when I decided to do the surgery. I'm only 8 days post-op so I'll start getting excited as I start seeing the scale drop from here.

I guess I'll learn as I go on this journey. If I have to count calories I will because the ultimate goal is shedding the weight. But I find that when I do food diaries, Fitday, and calorie counting, my every waking minute is consumed with food. There is also some serious emotional baggage attached to food diaries for me. They bring back all the feelings of inadequacy that I had as an 8 year old put on a diet and not understanding why. (Turns out in pictures I've seen, I wasn't all that overweight, but my mom thought she was preventing it. Kinda backfired.) Anyways, I'm hoping that the band will release me from all that.

That is my Question!!! I will have my band in a couple of days and then the liquid/mushies stage for the month so I don't really have to worry about calories for a bit. But I'm wondering people's thoughts on calorie counting. I've been counting calories off and on since I was 8 years old. (Now 31) I'm just plain sick of it. That's part of the reason that I want the band. I've been reading the forum for about a month and I haven't gotten a clear picture on the calorie counting issue. I guess I've just figured that as long as your not filling up on milkshakes/desserts, the band will keep you from going overboard on calories. Isn't that the whole point? Am I deluding myself? I'd love to hear eveyone's experience with the whole calorie counting game. I'd especially love to hear from those who aren't counting calories and still finding success.

there is a yahoo group called mexicanbandsters. I recommend signing up with that group to see what advice you can get from people who have already been there. My friend got banded a couple of days ago in Mex and she said it was totally no problem. Just a little bit of language barrier with the night nurses but she said it was no big deal.

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm not worried about Mexico at all. I speak fluent Spanish and have spent my whole life travelling down there. My dad even lives in Mexico now. I also only live 25 minutes from the Mexico border so getting fills will be super easy for me!

My surgery is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2006. I am soooo looking forward to this being the answer to my life long struggle with weight. I'm not expecting this to be magic, but it sounds like most people are really happy with their band and have had great success. I'm a little nervous about recovery time because I'm a massage therapist and use my full body for work. I'm hoping that I will have a quick recovery so that I can get back to work. Being self-employed means no sick leave. About me & weight: I'm almost 32. My first diet started age 8. I've yo-yo dieted for 24 years. I know I can lose the weight. It's the keeping the weight off that I struggle with. I'm hoping the band will keep me from binging. About me: I live at the beach with my 2 dogs. Love my job. I work a lot, play a little. But it's not work when you love what you're doing. The plan: By next summer, I will be having a great time in my cute little bathing suit at the beach!