Rambunctious

Mine limited abdominal, lifting and impact exercise to prevent slipping the band, tearing the stitches in my stomach that hold the band, tearing the stitches to repair a large hiatal hernia and to allow the port to adhere to my abdominal muscles (it is not stiched to me, instead it is stitched to a surgical mesh onto which my body is building scar tissue). I should get my release tomorrow. Now I'm debating whether to start Power 90 or C25k. I'm thinking I'll start Power 90 and have C25k lag about a month. And I know what you mean about the eating. I'm somewhat restricted, but dang am I getting hungry and I can eat more now than a week ago.

Brenda, prayers to you and your baby.

Please keep us posted on your progress and success. I am considering doing C25k when I get approval to do more strenuous workouts...my appointment and probably first fill is Tue 10/19. Banded 9/17/10. I did my first post-op hike last Sunday. I was pooped at the one hour mark, but it was hot that day. I'm back up to 3.5 mph and 2% on the treadmill. I do a few 3-4 minute commercial breaks at 5%. Hopefully next week I can add resistance training.

My doctor has on staff a psychologist and a nutritionist who both specialize in bariatric matters. The psychologist is a great tool to learn about emotional eating and how to deal with it. The nutritionist is a great tool to learn the proper foods to eat to fuel your body on a limited intake. I like having both of them as a resource.

Great explaination of the numbers and relativity.

Before my surgery, my doctor told me there was a possibility of not losing weight for the first month. When I went for my post-op check-up and transition nutrition class 10 days post-op, having lost 9 pounds, I was told by my PA that I might not lose any more weight and possibly gain weight by the time I have my first fill at 4-1/2 weeks. This information is well documented. From what I read, the first fill recommendation from Allergan (Lap-Band maker) is something like 4-6 weeks post-op. My doctor sticks to that schedule, even though many doctors do not; not surprising considering he is one of the doctors who teaches other doctors to implant the Lap-Band. Hang in there, you can do it. I'm at 3-1/2 weeks and I have some really hungry days. I lost 12 pounds the first 13 days while on the Protein drink diet. I lost 0.6 pounds the next 13 days while on soft solids.

I strongly suggest you contact your doctor's office to get the answers you are looking for. My doctor and one of his physician's assistants did complete explainations of how the band works. My doctor also has a nutritionist who went into great detail about what foods to start with and which to incorporate at a later time. She also went into great detail about how many calories, grams of protein, sugars, fats, etc., I should be aiming for. You can get a lot of information at www.lapband.com as well as watch educational videos at www.my-emmi.com.

Hello All, new Sept. 2010 Bandster here, I was banded in 9/17. I did the protein drinks for 13 days and then transitioned to soft solid foods. I suffered extreme low energy the last couple of protein drink days. Food goes down easier than I expected and my hunger has been increasing. I'd say I'm at 95% and did my first day hike yesterday; albeit only an hour on an easy-moderate trail. I still experience occasional shoulder and chest pains when eating. The easiest resolution is stop eating, breathe and walk around if needed. I have some issues laying on my side, but it gets better every day. I'm currently eating 950-1100 calories/day, which is within the 800-1200 goal I was given. I'm also burning 200-400 calories 5 days per week with exercise. I started doing serious cardio walking on my two week anniversary. I'm not allowed to lift anything heavy for another 2-3 weeks, but this week I'm going to start with some light dumbells to get going with resistance exercise. I lost 12 pounds in less than two weeks after surgery and have gained 1 pound back. I was cautioned several times, especially at my wound check appointment, that this would likely happen, especially when I lost such a high percentage of my excess weight in the week and a half after my surgery. My first fill is schedule for 10/19, which I am looking forward to since I'm getting quite hungry and my port site is finally healing (still has a bit to go). For the people who were interested in how to cook fish, poaching is a great method that doesn't add fat. Use a flat pan large enough so each piece of fish does not touch. Heat to low boil some water or broth (veggie, fish or chicken...not beef) that will be enough to be about 1/4-inch deep when fish is inserted. You can add wine, fruit juice, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, seasonings, etc., to the poaching fluid. Reduce heat to simmer. Place fish fillets in pan and move around so they do not stickto bottom. Cover with lid. Cooking time will vary dependingon density, thickness and temperature of fish, usually 5-15 minutes. I prefer to use non-fishy fish such as tilapia, mahi-mahi, trout and salmon. You can also do this with shrimp and scallops. I'm not a cod, snapper or flounder fan, but this method works very well for them; make sure you limit the time as they are thin fillets and can easily be over cooked. I also love the method of loosely wrapping the fish in foil and baking at 350-400F. It's a good idea to spray the foil with oil before placing fish (I love my misto sprayers since I hate the propelant taste left behind by Pam and similar sprays). You can also add veggies on top of the fish. Harder veggies, such as carrots and green beans, should be steamed or nuked slightly before placing on fish so they will be soft enough. Surgery Date 9/17/2010 Surgery Weight 214 Current Weight 203 (11 lost):laugh: Goal Weight 144 (59 to go)