AngelaT

I was banded on Nov 24th and I feel like I am finally getting energy back. I was very, very tired for the first week. You need to sip, sip, sip more Water. Just keep a bottle filled with you at all times. I even carry one in my purse and just try to keep fluids in me. I have always been a big Water drinker but used to gulping it down. Having to only sip is new for me. I am starting to eat more solids and do not feel restricted which is discouraging me a little. I have my first fill on Jan 6th. I am just trying to concentrate on getting lots of Protein. I bought a big jug of protien powder and make shakes with ice, yogurt, and a banana every day. It really does help with my energy. I am trying to get off of coffee since the day of my surgery I had a Migraine from not having any all day. I decided it is time to get off the coffee if I am getting that addicted to it. Good luck with everyone and I am really loving reading everyone's progress. It has been a huge support for me since I am not in a group and feel a little one my own. No one knows I had this done and I feel like I am living with this little dirty secret.........but its not. I just don't feel like having a conversation about my weight every time I see someone because of them asking me all kinds of questions. Does anyone else feel that way? Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE are here for you!!!!! :clap2: :clap2:

Hi Angela and fellow bandsters- You were so right Angela, last night I had a healthy BM and also got rid of a lot of Water and today I am 4.5 lbs down!!! Yay!!:clap2: I am going to stop weighing myself everyday!:rockon:

Great!!! I am so glad you feel better!!!! Congrats on the weight loss!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I have been on liquids and even the low carb Protein Drinks. You would think the weight would be flying off but its not. I am diabetic so the doc says it is harder to loose the weight.

I have been told that the goal at this stage is to heal. Once that is done and you get fills to adjust the band so you can eat foods and feel full and loosing 2 to 3 lbs a month. I did loose 10lbs on the pre-op diet but not much since then.

Tom

It's true diabetes slows down loss, but later you will catch up! Healing is the most important part right now...you will lose some anyway!

I too am feeling somewhat discouraged. I lost around 32 pounds since my banding in July. Most of the weight I lost right after surgery. I have more than qualified as a slow loser since I am averaging about 1 to 2 pounds a week. The problem is the motivating factor. Does anyone else find themselves falling back in bad habits? I eat less but I still struggle with eating the right things. I eat on the run, so whats quicker is easier? How do we move on? Thanks for the site,perhaps its the motivation we all need.

Vickie

I was told 1-2 pounds per week is the normal weight loss for a bandster! So no worries!

Oh my goodness YES! I was banded on 11/29 also. My last weigh in was at 255 at the drs. office. I did liquid diet for 1 week. My last weight was 260. One week after surgery I went down to 238. I went up to 244, now back down to 242. Now, I can't figure out HOW I COULD GAIN WEIGHT???????

Don't forget at first there is alot of Water weigh loss! Also make sure you are doing high Protein, low carb and water! If you are sensitive to dairy which most adults are use soy milk or almond milk. allergies can make you gain weight. Good luck!

How is everyone doing with all the Holiday foods showing up? If you are on mushies it's ok to have tiny little tastes of some soft foods... I have and still lost another pound! I will be glad to have the season end in Jan. so I can really concentrate on my weight loss.

Good luck to everyone!

HAppy Holidays!!!!!!!

Hi guys,

i was just wondering if i absolutely have to have Protein shakes for my pre-op liquid diet, or is slim-fast okay too? I've heard bad things about Protein Shakes and i kinda like slim-fast.

Slim Fast is poor quality and does not have enough Protein. If you want someting simple to carry there are several good brands of protein shakes in a can or similar...look for low carb, high protein and lots of Vitamins and minerals.

Thanks everyone for your support!!!

People have noticed some weight loss and today I had to use a pin to make the waist of a skirt more than an inch and a half smaller! :clap2:

I have noticed sice the refulx i have lost a great deal more weight and faster. Thats why i hope i can live with it so the weight loss will continue. I was losing about 1 pound a week now it 3 or 4 pounds, for the past 2 weeks.

reflux is dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It can be a sign of a change in your band so check it out! Also reflux when frequent can be a cause for esophageal cancer! It si not a good weight loss tool!

Hi Yvonne-

My name is Karen and I was banded on the 29th of November.

Girl I hear you about this being like any other diet, 5 off 4 on what is the deal with that? I have been on liquids, MAYBE 600 calories a day and I put on 3 pounds yesterday!! UGHHH makes me want to scream!!

I'm having my first fill on the 21st of December. Why do you have to wait so long? That doesn't seem right!! good luck to you

Don't forget at firsdt you can retain Water and also if you have not had a BM it will make you gain weight....it is best not to weigh yourself every day. once a week is OK. also vary the number of cals...600 all the time is not good....too low and the body thinks it is in starvation mode. Make sure you also are getting the amouint of Protein you need.

today i had my first (and hopefully last... but somehow i doubt it...) PB.

it was so peculiar.... at first i thought what i had a bite of was too dry, so i sipped some coffee.... and then about 10 min later i had a 2nd bite...... and it was all still stuck in my throat.....

i remembered what everyone wrote about what it is, so i didnt't panic... but i still didnt know it was a PB. it took at least 10 min.... the whole time i didn't know what to do with myself.. i was at work... so i started walking around a bit, kept trying to swallow... i almost asked for a hymleck manouver.... lol..... still i wasn't panicked, because i work in a hospital and my co-workers were near by if i needed to anounce anything.... not that i could really talk

in the end i went to the bathroom, at the point where i could tell it was about to come out... coughed ever so slightly and there it was......

ew!!!

i couldn't shake the bizarre feeling for a while...... i wasn't sure if it was going to happen again or not..... needless to say i threw my breakfast in the garbage!!!

i also wondered if it could have been because i may have still been full from the night before...... i had a very late dinner......

just needed to vent. thanks.

:sick

Sometimes it is better to start the day with liquid.... Protein Shakes are great!

Hi, I'm a new November Bandster (11/29):help: How do I join?

Hi SAndie...WELCOME!!!!! :confused:

I thought that I would share some good news with all of you! I got engaged this weekend!!! My boyfriend of nearly two years proposed to me on Saturday at a German Christmas Market in downtown Chicago! We are planning on getting married next December! Yay!!! :)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Hi,

Good luck with those of you having your first fill, would love to know how you get on and what it's like, how you feel etc?

It's great to see everyone's weight loss so far. Angela, I'm a bit like you too, have full days and not hungry but empty days - and where I feel like I need/deserve a decent meal - how are you doing on the liquid/mushie diet and what helps you stay with it? It get's me down some days. I won't get a fill till late Feb/early march (waiting for appt) and it seems a hell of a way away. I have no restriction whatsoever and could eat like I was before the op but I'm doing myself a favour and sticking with the eating plan.

Are you all suprised at your weightloss so far? are you pleased or think it's not enough? I just hope the rate keeps up for a while at least.

What are you all eating at this stage?

I'm having lots of fruit juice (fave is pomegranate), milk, coffee and flavoured Water (my dietician said coffee was fine and I love her for it, read on here that coffee is not allowed) plus one Protein Shake a day (yummy - tastes like ice cream), porridge, Soup and milk puddings like semolina, yoghurts and mousses. Tried a soft boiled egg one morning and felt too full for the rest of the day. It's not a hardship it's just that doing it for 3 months seems daunting.

Wondering also if anyone had problems with bulemia/anorexia in the past. I did and it was the only period in which I could control/manage my weight.

Love reading about everyones experiences on here.

Take care,

Yvonne

x

I have solids now at least a couple of times a day but sometimes I feel I need liquid or mushies....I need to probably do more mushies for a while longer.

I love the show!!!!! It is very inspiring to me! I hope Erik wins!

I ahve not had a fill yet and it's been over one month since surgery...what does it mean when my left shoulder hurts as if it's gas pain? Is it I ate too much or what? :help: Thanks!

Trader Joes has great tasting and good chewable vitamins! It was hard to find them I bought many others...yuck! These are great! Whole foods has some decent ones also.

hi everyone, i have lost 17 # today:nervous and go for my first fill on wednesday, anyone else ready for 1st fill, i was banded 11-7-06

Hi JAckye! How are you? My doc does not like to fill until after 8 weeks. In a way now I understand because there are still some days when I feel I have a fill... nothing wants to go down except liquids or very soft mushies! Other days I feel very open...I did around the my TOM. I will have mine in January sometime.... I will be moving back to the SF bay area so I have to 0pack and do all kinds of things to move on Jan. 14 all in just 5 days! :faint:

We have lost the same amount....same date , same amount of weight:clap2: :clap2: It has been nice because people are noticing!

Hi Ang and fitz,

I'm so bloody relieved not to be the only one to have a wee cheat. Thanks for posting you girlies you've put my mind to rest. I didn't even enjoy the meal - but couldn't stop eating it at the time, then as soon as I was finished I hated myself and all the next day. That was yesterday and I was really good all day and lost that pound I gained - thank god.

I was just panicking thinking well I haven't been filled and can eat normally(first time I'd tried since being banded) so what's to stop me eating what I fancy all the time - like before the band. But now I realise it was just a wee slip and I was over reacting as usual - I'm a bit of a worrier!

I'm jealous of all the people out there who have been and are getting filled - I just don't understand why I have to wait so long for mine, feeling sorry for myself - slap me!

I suppose I'll have other bad days - but getting back on the diet is more important than the odd slip.

_________________________________________________________________+______

Oh do not worry....I am sure there are many of us who do cheat...but remember...we actually need to allow ourselves little treats and enjoy them and NOT feel too guilty about them as that will do more harm to us than the actual food would. Just move a little more the next few days...drink a bit more water...and perhaps do a couple of meals the next day of yummy low cal Protein drinks!

THe important thing however is DO NOT eat LARGE PORTIONS in one sitting as that Coud stretch the pouch...maybe. Eat half a hamburgerand half a milkshake....wait about an hour or more and see if you really do want that other half of both. So do enjoy every little bite of that yummy food you are "cheating" on..... just make it a small "cheat" and not too often!:xena_banana:

Well, I fell off the wagon tonight. I had a nice juicy burger and vanilla milkshake and it was delicious !

And I'm paying for it. I feel pain between my shoulder blades (a result of eating too much, in my case).

But I honestly feel that falling off the wagon from time to time isn't such a bad thing. I am relearning how to eat and I am bound to mess up every now and then. It's to be expected.

Hang in there ! You have lost 10 pounds in such a very short time. You're doing great.

I also fell off the wagon...I had some problems eating rreal food, and my aunt had a Xmas party...I ate taSTES OF EVERY SOFT THING THERE WAS TO EAT INCLUDING DESSERTS! yIKES! i HOPE i AM BACK IN CONTROL TOMORROW!

No fill yet, but feeling very tight! Some days I can eat almost anything....last night I could not eat any salmon or soft green beans...the day before I could not eat any chicken without choking just about unless I smother it with something that really lubricates! What is going on? I was almost wide open and now I can barely eat mushies and smoothies! I did manage to swallow a small slcie of salami at my aunts...I guess it is because it is gresy..:help:

After my surgery my mu;tiple sclerosis symptoms came back...that meant not being able to walk and severe spasms all the time even with meds. I am finally getting better and can walk again with a bit of difficulty. Still have some spams. But i did do what ever i could while sitting down. moving my arms, isometric exercises, gentle sstretching, Moving anything i knew I could Not hurt...i have not lost, but I have not gained since then. I hope by next week I can start to do some moderate exercise. always ask your doctor!

I have been crushing mine into fine powdeer and putting the into yummy chocolate, with frozen blackberry smoothies....makes it like a milk shake and the taste is covered up!

Some of the wonderful munchies that helped me....

Water.....really....when I got to being able to drink a whole 8 oz at a time....(took several weeks to get to that point), I would drink one, go for a walk around the house or outside, piddle around doing a few light chores....and simply evaluate how I felt 'hungry' vs 'not hungry'....

Delve into the roots of whatever you identify as 'hunger'....I discovered 'loss of chewing'; 'boredom'; 'anxiety'; 'compulsion'; 'boredom'; 'anxiety'; 'boredom'; but wait, you think I repeat myself....

Yes, because for each action of THINKING I was hungry, generated a new messages, that it simply wasn't time to eat yet.

There really DOES have to be a bit of self-imposed discipline some where. Now is a good time to begin that exercise.

In short order I discovered things about hunger I never realized....it comes and it goes....and I didn't have to eat anything to make it go away...

This soon postOp requires you begin with your new habits.

Eating when not hungry was a habit we have all faced, with uniformily poor results.

Now, investigate what NOT eating when you think you are hungry....and drink Water. Find another kind of herbal tea. Take a walk. Shuffle your wardrobe around. Check you knees to see whether they are begining to notice something different.

After you have about 3 weeks of 'normal' BMs while only on your liquids, you will being to notice more subtle wonderments about your program.

And experiment with all the liquids you can find....each has a delightful character, when run thru the juicer, or blender, or tea pot.

I tried miso Soup. that's one I DIDN'T develope a fondness for...

Mainly, stay busy and don't dwell on what the Dragons in your belly are trying to make you do!!!

COURAGE!!!

Jack,

As always you are so helpful!!!! I am on solids now, and seem to be sooo hungry! My fill is not until after Xmas.... I have not gsained weight, but I have to watch every little thing I eat just like pre-band! Also, because of my still remaining MS symptoms I cannot go yet on long walks or evenreally drive somewhere too far safely....so my movement is limited....I try to drive to Whole Foods and walk and walk there.

By the way...I think my Cervical spine and part of my thoracic is is out of wack and although my leg is now ok, my back spasms are terrible!! Is there a way I can self adjust until I can see my chiro in CAli in a couple of weeks? I am trying not to take any meds like Klonopin or Valium to relax muscles and stop the spasms and seizure type activity....you know me...ALL NATURAL is better!