anglov

Girl, STOP weighing yourself 5 times a day!! I know that is easier said then done but it is just bringing you down. In the past, I could gain 10lbs in a day because of my swelling. Remember that even when you get the band it won't be a piece of cake. There is work to do and frustrations to work through. You will have good days and bad days. It is not the miracle cure. I have seen some on here with high expectations for the band only to be disappointed to find out that the band really isn't the fast weight loss tool they hoped it would be. There are those that lose the weight quickly but they are the exception not the rule. As far as the liver, I had thought too that was stupid. The doc came out and said my liver looked good. I said Great I have a skinny liver. Now I say my liver is bikini ready. Seriously, it sucks that you lose weight first in your liver. CRAZY TALK!!

Well, I have hit my 1st week barely losing anything. Am I bummed? You know, I'm not really. I thought I would be. I look at it this way, a loss is a loss. I lost 1/2 lb this week. I know why I only lost a 1/2 lb. I have been swelling up this week which I haven't done in a long while. Why did I do this? I would say I have had too much sodium this week. I KNOW I had too much sodium this week. My plan is to change that up next week and increase my water intake. NOW THE GOOD NEWS!!!!! I am officially UNDER 300 lbs!!! YEAH ME! I in the elite group of TWOFERVILLE. LOSER LOSER LOSER...YES I AM A LOSER and proud of it:tt2::tt1:

You are doing great. My doctor did the math and said I should lose about 120 lbs over 3 years so if I am expected to lose 40 lbs per year. Don't get into your head that you should be losing tons of weight quickly. If that was the case then you should have had gastric bypass. At least that is what my doctor told me. A loss is a loss no matter what or how much.

Well, my 1st fill was Thursday and since then I have had minor sliming a few times with a little frothing thrown in for good measure. What a feeling that is. I can say I wondered about it and now I that I know I am only thankful that it did not involve throwing up. I am lucky the food slid on dawn without further trouble. I am hungry about every 5 hours or so. That is pretty good. We'll see how long this lasts.

My doctor and nutritionist said 1200 cal a day. I was eating a lot less and had an appointment yesterday. They told me I should be eating up to a salad plate size portion(s) at each meal. If I eat too low calories then my body will either stop losing or start gaining. People think the lower calories the more weight loss. The truth is you send your body into starvation mode when you don't eat enough calories for normal body function. I found this website that has some interesting facts. Even with the band, which is just a tool, you need to keep up a healthy caloric intake. Of course, everyone is different. This is the advice of my doctor and nutritionist. Calorie Intake to Lose Weight

It was my 1 month post op and 1st fill. Didn't hurt a bit. They put 2 1/2 cc's in so now I have 3 cc's. I am down 14.7 lbs since surgery and 33 lbs total since March. Mine also felt like the water was getting stuck. I had to eat mushy foods yesterday like cottage cheese and mashed potatoes. Today thing still feel stuck. I am trying to get to used to my limits with this fill. I overdid it and had some minor sliming and frothing. I didn't throw up but it eventually slid on down. Weird feeling. I need to take it slower. I had an egg at 10am and didn't feel hungry again until 3pm so I am on target right now. I go back in 3 weeks to evaluate how this fill is doing. We shall see.

Thanks! So true! I no longer feel guilty if I eat more than right after surgery. My body needed it and was telling me that but I wasn't listening because I thought I was supposed to only eat a tiny bit. It was actually a relief to find out I should be eating 1200 cal. My doc also said your body goes into starvation mode if you go without the proper amount of calories it needs to just function. I am losing about 2 lbs a week, maybe a little more so I am happy with that. A loss is a loss.

It was easy wasn't it? I was nervous but we were chatting and the next thing I knew she said she was done. I chose to not peek at all. I am not squeemish with needles but that is freaky. I'm down 33 lbs. It feels great doesn't it? Congratulations on your weight loss. We can say we are LOSERS and it's a good thing!!

I get that a lot. I am being excluded from lunches and food days because they assume I have to eat "special" foods. I can have absolutely anything I want just in moderation. Having said that, I bring all my own foods to work nearly every day. I eat every 3-4 hours so I have an insulated lunch bag on my desk all day. I cook foods and divide into meals. I know that I will get tired of eating the same thing over and over so I give my son the leftovers for his lunches. He's a happy guy. I find that rarely do I have the inclination to eat out.

Well, I must say I learned a lot today at my post op. I wish it had been sooner so I could be privy to this info but I am glad just the same. I learned several things. 1st--my doc does not have us on a long liquid phase after surgery because he has found more success in his patients if they are re-introduced slowly to foods as soon as possible. Less cheating and damage to the band. Plus since he does not put any fluid in the band the healing time is less. 2nd--I should be eating a "salad plate" size portion at each meal. And here I thought I was eating too much. 3rd--I must eat 1200 cal a day. Eating low low calories can cause weight gain or I would stop losing weight. As it was explained to me, I should not be struggling with my diet. The only thing I should have to be concerned with is healthy choices. The amount I eat should be dictated by my band. Hence the reason for follow ups and fills, of course we all know that. Got to get to the "green zone otherwise known as the "sweet spot". Well I weight in and have lost a total of.....33 POUNDS!! 14.7 lbs since surgery. Not a lot but REALLY excited. My doctor is thrilled with it. He said slow is the way to go. As he put it, if you expected to lose a lot weight fast then you should have chosen one of the other surgeries. So true!! My BP is down. It is normal so that thrills me. I am off the reflux meds now. I haven't had any since surgery. Ok, so I had my 1st fill. I didn't have anything in the band and now I have 3 cc's. It was interesting. It didn't hurt one bit. We chatted as the nurse practitioner did my fill. It was tight and all day I sipped water and ate mushy foods. The swelling is down now because I am no longer burping when I swallow water. Then...I get home today and a local hospital (not the one I went to) sends me an invitation to their weightloss surgery seminar. I had never even inquired there. Strange.

ummm HELLO??? 3.8 lbs in a week is fantastic! Why are you putting so much pressure on yourself? Even on WW you must eat more than 570 cal a day. That is putting your body in starvation mode and then whatever you do eat, your body will hold on for dear life to it. My doc has all his patients eating 1200 cal a day. Your body needs a certain amount of calories and fat per day just to function. Be careful that all your hard work is for nothing if you aren't giving your body the basics it needs just to function daily. Christie is right, 1-2 lbs a week is the realistic goal for lap banders. The lap band is the slower weight loss. It is not common to drop lots of weight all at once with the lap band. Be careful. You are doing great just don't give yourself the unrealistic goals. That is a quick trip to failure and whether you believe it or not you are doing great with the slow weight loss.

I am new to the band but seriously, you are only hurting yourself both physically and mentally. I eat things wrong and it gets stuck but right now I have no restriction so if I wait it will slide on through. Why would you want to continue to throw up? I would rather be tortured then throw up. I am losing slowly. I had surgery on May 12th and I know I don't know a lot but I have only lose 10.2 lbs. Losing slowly will give you a better chance of not gaining it all back. Give yourself and your doctor a break and let them know. You don't want to cause erosion or slippage and end up doing a lot of damage to your band or your esophagus from throwing up. Take care of yourself soon!

Congratulations! That is great to lose that much weight right off the bat. And I am glad you are feeling better. I have lost 29 lbs since March and 10.2 since surgery. I'm okay with losing slowly. I am really thankful my doc had be back on foods pretty quickly. I don't have willpower and the liquid diet was pushing my limits. I bet the vertigo was very scary for you. I'm glad it has cleared up. The only issue I have right now is I have no restriction so I can eat just about everything and as much as I want. SO, that means more diligence for me in watching what I eat and how much. My 1st follow up is next week on the 10th. I am so hoping I get a fill that day. But I am losing at least 2 lbs a week so that makes me very happy that I can lose that without any restriction. I wish I knew some people here that had the surgery. There is one I know who had lap band but she lied to everyone about how she lost the weight so I am not inclined to get together with her. I mean I don't blame her for not wanting people to know she had surgery but she made a big deal and production about her weight loss and pretty much said it was due strictly to eating healthy and tons of exercise. If you don't want people to know keep it on the down low but when you are shouting it from the rooftops then I have no respect for you when you lie big time. I have a hard time walking with people because I walk slowly. It's just me and my treadmill for now until I can walk faster.

Are you on foods yet? That may be the reason. I noticed that everything slowed down when the food was re-introduced. I don't go back until June 10th so I have a little while longer. I am hoping that I get a fill because I have no restriction right now. I think it is just a temporary thing.

GNC has a good one. Called Wheybolic. The chocolate is better. I also have vanilla and unflavored. It mixes easily but I recommend milk not the water unless you are using some ice and making it a smoothie. Good Luck!

This is just a rough patch. I know what you are going through. I am right there with you but I keep telling myself this is normal. It's hard not to read how well others are doing post op and not feel discouraged but we shouldn't be. Easier said then done I know. I don't eat as much as before but right now I can sit and eat a hamburger with bun off the grill and only feel a slight tightness with the bread ocassionally. Actually I just did. That is all I ate but still it was an entire hamburger and I feel guilty. But really, why should I? It's not forbidden. Nothing I have says I can't have an entire hamburger. I didn't have the hamburger AND all the sides. So why am I beating myself up over this? I have no restriction so of course I can eat more. If I don't eat enough then I will start to overeat because I am too hungry. It's a catch 22 anyway you look at it I guess. I go for my 1st post op visit on June 10th. I have no idea if I am getting a fill that day or not. I sure hope I am. Hang in there!!:thumbup:

I wouldn't worry too much. I was banded May 12th and have lost 9 lbs. I was only on liquids for just 2 days then moved to soft, mushy and now I am on pretty much all foods. I think those that are on liquid diets for longer periods lose more weight at first. I personally have a theory that the body goes into starvation mode. I figured up my calories and I was only having about 500 a day. I am supposed to be up to around 1200 at some point. Not sure how but okay whatever doc says. I have noticed since I have added more food each day but kept them simple foods (not casseroles and such) I have felt better. I have no restriction so I must be extra vigilant about how much I eat. I truly believe it will all come in time.

Congratulations on your weight loss. That is fantastic!

Ahhh, the misconception about the lap band. The band wasn't intended to make it easy. I look at it as an indicator for portion control. I know you have heard this before but the weight didn't come on right away so it isn't going off right away. I know several people who have had gastric bypass and I wouldn't do it for any reason. I don't want to be nutrient difficient, I don't want my parts rearranged. My friends at one point looked like they had chemo because they were so sick looking and their hair fell out. It was sad. It doesn't always work either. I know a few that gained the weight back. I prefer to be in control of my weight so I have that accomplishment. My question would be is maybe you need a fill if you can eat that much in a sitting. I was just banded May 12 and I have no restriction and there are days that I can eat a lot and other days where I feel tight. I have set my mind that I am not going to let this get the better of me. If you have problems buying extras for the purpose of a later meal then maybe it isn't a good idea to buy extra. Keep that temptation away. I don't compare myself to others weight loss either, that is a sure fire way to get depressed. I know you can do it. Setting smaller goals seems easier for me. Keep up the good work!!

Wow, I find now that I just don't have the time to be on this site as much as before the surgery. It may be because I now have my own "surgery life" to live and no longer need to research what may or may not happen. There's nothing exciting going on. Just day to day living. As I have said before I have no restriction so I can eat pretty much EVERYTHING and I am only 2 1/2 weeks post op. Kind of sad really. Occasionally I feel foods get a little stuck and that is probably the only clue I have a band right now. I am mainly watching what I eat and making a point to stop when I no longer have the hunger feeling. That is the hardest part for me. I am so used to equating no longer hungry with the full/bloated feeling. That is not what I have to listen for. Yesterday I did and ended up eating a 1/2 a burrito from Taco bell. It was delicious and I was satisfied but didn't have the full bloated feeling. I was comfortably not hungry any more. It was a good feeling. Well, I haven't lost a ton of weight. Not much really but I have noticed a difference in my clothes. Mainly in my hips, thighs and calfs so I will take that for sure. Just keep remembering that you can't measure your success but the scale alone. Other accomplishments are just as important. For instance, I am no longer taking reflux meds. I have been on them for 20 years. Not anymore! My blood sugar is coming down. As I said I notice the clothes fit differently. I got into shirts I haven't worn in over a year. There are other things for sure besides the scale. For the record my scale is down 9 lbs since surgery on May 12th. It's just the beginning...

Just remember that the "bumps in the road" don't go away with the surgery. I thought I understood that but now I see it really is more work now with my food and eating then it was before surgery. There are good days and bad days just like before. But still so worth it.

It doesn't sound like it is adjusted correctly if you have vomitting and tightness whenever you eat. It sounds like it is too tight. My doc said if it is too tight you won't lose weight. Maybe get that checked and a little unfill?

My goal now is to focus. Since I don't have restriction I need to focus on what I am eating and doing. Sometimes I wonder if the band is even there because I feel nothing. I am then reminded when I am eating meat and rush it. It gets stuck and then I feel the pressure start to ease and food slides on through. That is the ONLY time I am reminded I am banded. Everything else just glides on through. I am simplifying what I eat. I tried to mix it up and I think that got me in trouble so I am back to basics. I have realized I am a plate grazer. When I eat, I don't eat eat thing one at a time on my plate. I take bites of everything on my plate. BIG MISTAKE! This means I don't eat all my protein first and then move on. I move on as I eat my protein. I have to have ONE thing on my plate otherwise I won't eat my protein first. I am still hungry all the time. I am hungry about every 3 hours still. No matter what I eat I am hungry in 3 hrs sometimes less. The hardest part is at work. I have to bring lots of food, well, lots meaning several band servings since I work until 8pm. Last night at work I didn't bring enough and by 7pm my stomach was actually hurting because I was so hungry. It was painful and I have never had that happen before even during my pre-band days. And...what happens when you get that hungry? OVEREAT! I had to reign it in to keep from overeating. You also eat too fast which I did and some food did get stuck which actually is a pleasant reminder I actually have a band in there since I don't feel restriction otherwise. I carry an insulated cooler bag with me always with ice packs in it. I have bottled water and food like chicken salad or something I grab and eat if needed. Just make sure you have enough is all I can say.

That is great! I don't like tuna but I guess I could do the chicken kits. I may give tuna a try again. It has just been hard to stomach the smell since 1992. A long time! Those are some good options. I see you keep it simple and not too many things. Maybe that is my problem. I am looking for too much variety instead of being happy with simple single choices. Those are eating out choices too. I like that. Can I ask how much exercise you do? I walk a little but not much. I have been getting lightheaded and I think its because I am not eating enough.

No restriction is no reason to give in. I don't get a feeling of being full until sometimes up to an hour after I eat. That can be trouble if I overeat. It is hard to get the protein in. I crave vegetables so I try to have some when I can. I am also running out of protein ideas and getting bored with the ones I have. I went to bingo last night. This is my first outing since being banded on the 10th. My bingo allows you to bring your own food if you want or fast food. Whatever you want. I brought some food with me but I saw they had chili. I really wanted a bowl and knew if I couldn't eat it hubby would. It was delicious. I don't think I would have liked it normally but I guess I was starved for something different. I ate maybe a 1/2 c if that and chewed the meat really well. I did fine and was stuffed so maybe what I am eating is not filling enough or it is too mushy? I ate meat and was full. So should I eat more solid proteins to stay satisfied longer and to feel full while eating otherwise I just don't get that feeling until it is too late and I have eaten too much. I am so confused. I think that an appointment with a nutritionist should be the 1st appointment post op we have. I could really use some help. I met with one before surgery but when you haven't had this done yet you don't know what questions to ask. I need more protein ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and some things easy to take to work. I hate fish such as tuna. YUCK. I haven't been able to eat it since my 2nd pregancy.