maxi2010

Hi everyone. I just visited a number of really cool blogs from people who have lost tons of weight after WLS they had years ago. In honor of Cinco De Mayo today, they are opening up their blogs to people who are new to WLS (like us). Some are posting what they ate today and some what they typically eat. Others are also offering really cool recipes. Here are some of the blogs I found, with their related hyperlink. Each blog is very different so don't just click on one. Try at least a few. Pam – Journey to a Healthier Me Beth – Melting Mama Andrea – WLS Vitagarten Tom – Beariatric Shelly – The World According to Eggface Nik – Bariatric Foodie I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I did. Maxi

Hi JWKJR. It sounds like you have a normal reaction to your band, although your reaction is at the extreme end of normal. Not everyone gets this type of reaction. I was one who did and I continue to have to be careful with my band. I was banded on 9/17/10 and have lost 43 lbs so far; my doctor has been pleased with my progress. However, when I was first banded I had a similar problem to you - I was very swollen but my stomach did not swell right away. A few days after my surgery I was not able to tolerate food I had been eating just a few days before. For instance, beginning a few days post op I could not get even drink Protein shakes that I had been able to drink the day before. The Protein shake got stuck and made me feel really sick; I had trouble breathing. I was put on a clear liquid diet for the next few days and then made my shakes thinner than directed when I progressed to full liquids. I eventually made my shakes at the recommended thickness but it took several days. By sticking to an easy to digest diet, I allowed my stomach to heal. I also slowed down when I would start solids based on my "issues". You need to give your insides some time to adjust to the band and to work out the swelling issues that results. The swellings eventually goes away. When it goes away is individually based as everyone heals at different rates. However, once you are prone to stomach swelling, you need to be careful each time you go for a band fill. You have not yet had your first fill (when they put fluids in your band to make the pyloric opening smaller). What you will find is that you will need to adjust what you eat downwards after you get a fill. For instance, after you receive a fill you will need to go back to a liquid diet and soft diet in the days following the fill. I need to stick with a liquid diet for 1-2 days and a soft diet for another 1-2 days after I receive a fill. I then slowly add solid foods to make sure I tolerate them well. With this formula, you should do fine. This is a similar issue to the swelling you get with your surgery. BTW, when I am on a liquid diet, one of the easiest and most nutritious things I get to go down is Chinese egg drop Soup. Even though it is thick, has drops of eggs in it and looks as if it will get stuck, it has never gotten stuck even when I was the tightest. I always have some on hand after I get a fill. Good luck. Maxi

Thanks so much State of Oz (Lyla), Rambunctious and Danide. You all are all SOOO motivating. Yes, I agree that for the first time in my life I feel I will NEVER AGAIN be over 200 lbs and that I will keep this weight off. I could take off lbs before but I always knew it would creep back on. I cannot remember the last time I weighed this amount so that part is thrilling to me. The slowness of my weight loss has been deflating. However, you are right that I should not focus on that part. I agree that I don't want to enter the red zone where I can no longer eat most foods so having another fill scares me. Based on this thread, I now plan to have a conversation with my doctor the next time I have an appointment, which is in a few weeks. I also agree I should focus on the positive accomplishments we all have done since surgery rather than on the one bad aspect - the slowness of my weight loss. At least I am still losing, which is a great accomplishment (although it is less than 1 lb per week, on average). Hooray to all of us for taking off whatever lbs you have lost and for KEEPING IT OFF - even through the holidays. Awesome! Congratulations to us all! Thank you for helping me to "see the light." Maxi

Hi everyone. I have not posted on this site for a while. I'm glad to see that many of you are doing well. I had a surgery date of 9/17/10 and I am also one who has not lost as much weight as many of you have done. I've only lost 38 lbs (about 16 lbs was pre surgery, so only 22 lbs since surgery). While I averaged 1-2 lb weight loss at the beginning, I've averaged less than a pound lost per week over the last several weeks. I've added exercise into my life and go to the gym 3x per week, doing both low impact cardio and muscle strengthening exercises. I've noticed firmer body parts in certain areas based on my exercising. I've had 3 fills to date for a total of 4 1/2 CC's in a 10CC band. I feel restriction in that I have trouble eating dry chicken and steak and I find I definitely eat less than I used to eat and have to eat slower. However, I am NOT eating 1/2 cup portion sizes that others in this forum are doing successfully. What advice can you offer me? Should I ask for another fill and hope that will provide my sweet spot and, therefore, the weight loss I seek? I can't seem to lessen the amount I eat because I'm still hungry. Currently, I can no longer can eat any kind of dry meat and basically have to eat meals my family does not like so we eat mainly separate meals. A few times a week I eat meals with my family. I am totally confused and not very happy right now. Maxi

I also had issues even with thick liquids right after surgery. It takes time for the swelling to go down. When I had issues, I went down to less dense food. If you are having issues with mushies, go back to liquids for a day and then try again. The swelling goes down eventually. You just need to give it time. I don't believe it hurts you unless you continue to have issues that you ignore. If you listen to your body that is telling you not to eat anything so thick, you will be fine. I had surgery 9/17/10, five months ago. Maxi

You may be eating too quickly or not chewing well enough if you are feeling nauseous. I get nauseous whenever I do either thing.

If you are hungry all the time, it sounds like you need a fill. I've had 2 fills and I'm at 4cc in a 10cc band. I feel restriction but I'm not sure it is restricted enough. However, it does take a while for my food to go down. I particularly notice a "bulge" in my stomach when it is time to go to sleep and I often feel gas in the evening. I finish dinner around 7pm so and go to bed around 12 midnight so that is a lot of time for my food to digest and go down into my stomach. I'm not sure why it takes so long or why I have gas issues. Anyone else have these issues? I've had 2 episodes of PBs. Does this mean I should NOT get another fill? Maxi

What a great analogy between Dexter's "dark passenger" and your "fat passenger". I think I have a "fat passenger", too. This "fat passenger" tries to get me to eat high fat and high calorie foods even when I'm trying to lose weight. Similar to Dexter where his dark passenger tries to get him to kill someone, my fat passenger tries to kill me by getting me to eat bad foods! Thankfully, I am winning the battle with my "fat passenger".

Having a "fat passenger" that calls to you and makes you eat things that are not good for you is right on. What a great reference to how our minds sometimes take control of our body and make us do things we know are wrong. I also watch Dexter and his dark passenger is very much like our fat passenger. We don't kill anyone, thankfully, like Dexter. However, we DO hurt ourselves and, some of us, do end up killing ourselves, with our poor eating habits!.

Hi Laura. My name is Maxi. Wow. You have done GREAT with your 95 lb weight loss. CONGRATULATIONS! I started the process (somewhat) in October 2009 but did not really make the decision until 5/10 when I got approval after having been initially denied by my insurance. I had my surgery in 9/10 and have lost 34 lbs so far. I lost 15 lbs pre op and 19 lbs post op. My weight has come off slow, much slower than yours. I've had 2 fills so far, for a total of 4cc in a 10cc band. I'll have my 3rd fill in a few days. Like you, I also feel that having the band was the best decision I ever made. It was a hard decision for me, though. You can see how long it took me to make that decision. Even after attending an info session about the band, I still took a while to come around to this decision. Now I know that it was the right decision for me. I'm so glad I had the band surgery. For the first time I believe I will permanently lose this excess weight. I live in the NYC area. I went to NYU for my weight loss surgery because they have such a good program. Maxi

Hi CRay 1972, I was banded about 3 month ago. I was reluctant to have the procedure for years but finally listened to my doctor who thought I should have the lap band procedure. I'm so glad I finally listened! To date, I've lost about 30 lbs. The surgery itself was not at all bad with minimal pain. The worst part of it was the gas pain and pain near my port. The gas pain went away in 1 week and the port pain lasted about 1 month. Since my surgery, for the first time, I really believe that I will LOSE THE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF FOREVER. This feeling makes me feel liberated, like I have a huge weight that has been taken off my shoulder, excuse the pun. I think the first thing you should do, if you have not done this sufficiently is to really research the lap band procedure compared to the other procedures. What I liked the most about the lap band was 2 things: 1) that is is adjustable and 2) that there is no "cutting" or rearranging your insides. Even before looking up a lap band surgeon, make sure this is the procedure you want and can live with. You will need to change your life permanently. You will need to eat slowly and chew food very carefully. You probably won't be able to eat certain foods. For me, these changes were worth it but make sure these changes are worth it for you. There is plenty of information about lap band procedures on the web that you can research. After you are sure, find a really good physician in your area that has performed many procedures successfully. I mostly chose the lap band because the lap band can change size as my stomach expands or contracts so it is always the right size for me. That is important. You don't want to lose all that weight only to regain the weight later. I've done THAT enough times! Just about all medical officers will require you to consult with or meet with a psychiatrist to make sure this surgery is for you. You will need to be honest with the psychiatrist. They just want to make sure you can handle not eating certain items and that you will work with the lap band to lose weight. The lap band alone will not make you lose weight. As someone else said "it is only a tool". YOU have to make it work. Best of luck with whatever decision you make. The lap band can be the best choice for the right kind of person. Maxi

Hi Alberto, Congratulations on getting approved for your lap band surgery. Your life is about to change for the better. I had lap band surgery on 9/17/10 and have lost 28 lbs to date. I was placed on a 10-day pre-op liquid diet consisting of 5 to 6 (depending on which shake chosen) Protein shakes a day. I chose carnation instant Breakfast no sugar added variety based upon ease of purchase, good taste, and variety offered (availability of 3 flavors: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry; I used all 3). I was also allowed to have unlimited fat free chicken broth, coffee/tea, diet sodas (with no caffeine), SF ice pops, SF Jello, and a limit of 2 cups of a few low calorie vegetables. Other than these small items, I only ate Protein Shakes and no solid food during this period. I was told to keep my calories to a maximum of 1,000 calories per day, which I was able to do. You would think that this diet would make me hungry all the time. It did not. Instead, I often felt bloated and often could not even get in the 6 shakes I was allowed on my diet. By the last day of this diet, I was truly tired of this diet and was glad it was over. It was very challenging to remain on this diet, especially when so many LBT members were on modified liquid diets (where you eat one solid meal per day) or were not on this diet at all. I don't feel that way anymore. I'm glad I was on this diet. Why did I change my mind about being on this per-op liquid diet? This 10-day liquid diet energized me to help me to lose more weight for such a short period of time than at any other time in my entire life. During this 10-day period, I lost 9 lbs, which equates to almost 1 lb a day. Best of all, it jump started my weight loss because this weight loss has never come back to me. I have continued to lose weight each week, except during the last week (Thanksgiving week) where I remained the same weight as the week before. I usually gain weight during the holidays so this plateau is a win for me. That’s an incredible feat for me. Like Cheri, who has already lost 80 lbs, I also find I go back at times to a strictly liquid diet when I appear out of sorts or have stopped losing weight. This quickly gets me back on track. It is much easier to do the liquid diet once you have been through the long 10 to 14 day period. It seems like such a breeze over 1-2 days. Do not fear this liquid diet. It will jump start your weight loss and, as Cheri stated, it will go by quicker than you realize. Good luck on your band journey. Maxi

Hi Friendster. I had my surgery on 9/17/10 and have lost 28 lbs. Maxi

Hi Teel. I'm Maxi from NY. I have 2 kids currently in college (one is about to start graduate school in January) and a supportive husband. It sounds like you have a supportive and nice family. Congratulations on your grandchild! I will have to wait a few more years for that. I had my band surgery on 9/17/10 so I have only been a bandster for the past 2 1/2 months. Bariatric doctor practices vary but I'll tell you what it was like for me both leading up to my band surgery and my post surgery experience. My MD (I went to NYU) is a big proponent of reducing the fat in your liver before surgery so I was on a pre-op 10-day diet consisting of liquid Protein shakes and no solid meals during this period. Not every bariatric MD puts their lap band patients on this pre-op diet but many do. Although I was given a choice as to which Protein shake to use (providing it was not high in fat and sugar), I still found this to be a very challenging period for me. I complained constantly during this period of being either hungry and/or feeling sick/bloated. It was not easy to get through this period. Nonetheless, the results speak for themselves! I lost about 9 pounds in 10 days during this period and have kept this weight off! This is the most weight I have ever lost in so short a period of time. Awesome! In retrospect, this was a great way to jump start the band surgery and I would do it again in a heart beat, even with the negatives I cited. On the day of my surgery, I was very nervous and excited. My being nervous was heightened because my surgery was seriously delayed causing me to wait almost the entire day before I was finished. I ended up being the 2nd to the last patient done that day and had my surgery many hours after it was originally scheduled! Waiting with nothing to do really gets on your nerves. I suggest bringing an ipod/itouch/ipad, knitting or book/magazine to read or do, even though they say to leave valuables behind. Just give them to your husband to hold and take home when you are about to go into surgery. The band surgery itself and the PACU (recovery room) experience went smoothly with no problems for me. Post-op, my instructions were to keep on a liquid diet for 10 days. While in the hospital (I stayed overnight) I was on a clear liquid diet with no issues. I was discharged the next day and went home in the early afternoon. Like others, I suffered gas pains (in my belly and shoulder) but not enough to ruin my days. Walking was the best remedy for post-op gas pains and it abated after about 2 weeks. I was not told to keep to a clear liquid diet. In fact, I was told to make sure I ate enough protein each day and to have at least 2 Protein Shakes during this period. When I had the entire protein shake on my 2nd day after surgery, I began to feel sick (nauseous) and had trouble breathing starting about 1 hour after I ate the shake. It was discovered that I was very swollen from surgery and, therefore, the thicker liquids, like protein shakes, would take longer to go down and should be eaten slowly and in smaller quantities (the shake did go down eventually and I began to feel better, but this was MANY hours later). After this episode, I was more careful with the thickness of anything I put in my mouth. I think you should stay with a clear liquid diet for the 1st 3 days after your surgery and then slowing begin to introduce thicker liquids into your diet to see how it is tolerated. After my post-op check up at day 10, I started mushy food and stayed on that for another 10 days without any issues. After the 10 day mushy period comes the real challenge of "real" food. This is when some people have weight loss plateaus. I still did not have my 1st fill when I began solid foods so you really have to be careful during this period. Even with the 1st fill, you may still overeat until you actually get to your "sweet spot". The real weight loss comes when you get sufficient fill in your band so that you can eat smaller portions without feeling hungry. It is an art that takes many visits to the doctor's office, usually. I've had one fill (3cc in a 10cc lap band) but I don't feel I have found my "sweet spot" yet. I eat less than before but still think my portions are too big. My next fill is in about 10 days. I will ask for more fill. I am currently 28 pounds down from my highest weight. I am fairly happy with my weight loss so far although many other LBT forum members have greater losses during the same time period. Some of my weight loss came with my pre-op diet but much of it came after my surgery. What you should know is that the lap band is NOT the fastest way to lose weight compared to other weight loss surgeries. Other weight loss surgeries, like RNY, have faster weight loss averages. However, lap band surgery has been proven to be the safest surgical way to lose weight and, eventually, we all get to the same place: at our ideal weight. Lap band surgery lets you lose about 0.5 to 2 pounds per week on average if you follow the guidelines set by your doctor's office. If you go by the experts, any faster weight loss is not healthy and can cause serious health issues, like gall bladder problems. I am very happy with my lap band and would do it all over again if I had to. I think you are making the right decision. Best of luck with your band journey. Maxi

Hi Oreo. I was banded on 9/17/10, just a few days after you. I lost 28 lbs so far and I am happy with these results. However, your 38 lb loss is even more awesome than mine! Congratulations on your great weight loss achievement! I have noticed that my weight loss has slowed down for me as well. Up until this week, however, I was losing weight, albeit sometimes less than 1 lb a week. I was grateful I did not gain weight (but I did not lose weight either) over Thanksgiving. I have started to introduce exercise into my life 5 days a week to help with my weight loss. It seems to help. The weight loss is still slow. I agree with you that it has something to do with finding our ideal "fill" amount for our band. I only have 3cc in my 10cc band which I don't think is the ideal amount since I'm still hungry. I'm scheduled for my next fill in 10 days. I can't wait! Maxi