Search the Community

how come some people have to fast 2 weeks and others have to fast 1 week or 1 day?

I don't weigh my food any longer as I did when I first began this journey. I find that I now know how much it will take to make me full and still lose weight. You definitely shouldn't feel any type of uneasiness or discomfort with your fill. The restriction as most people call it is that feeling of fullness without overeating. I however do feel somewhat of a stop warning when I am full as opposed to before I was banded when I felt nothing and ate and ate until I was miserable. But, I rarely get stuck or PB and it is always because I eat too fast or take too big of bites. I am finding as my fills increase, of course my ability to take bigger bites decreases and I have to slow down, chew better and take smaller bites. It makes a huge difference and I find I get full faster. I am one of those people who has lost interest in a lot of different foods but still have my favorites.

91vert Congratulation on your upcoming surgery! This is site is going to be your support during your journey! Remember to use it! As far as asking questions about weight loss you will learn that everyone is very different. Don't ever let your experience be reflected upon what others may experience. There are slow loser, fast loser, and people that wish they have never gotten the band. Your journey will be JUST YOUR OWN. Don't use others to define your path let them help you along it. Your body and your dedication to healthy eating and exercising will guide you. Having said all that, WOW only 2 days down with gallbladder surgery. Everyone I know had a hard time with that one. I think lap band is a walk in the park compared to that. I think you are going to do GREAT! Don't make yourself nervous over it, be excited to start your new life. I will be thinking and praying for you on the 9th, please let me know how it goes!

When I finally made up my mind, I was READY to do it right away and was disappointed to find out I had to go through six months of insurance required nutrition counceiling. The funny thing is, when I finally got approval and got my date, I also felt like everything was going so fast and was overwhelming. I had been thinking about it for over six months and I was suddenly overwhelmed by it??!! I guess my point is that it is a big step in anyone's life regardless of if you have weeks or months to think about it. Getting nervous about it is completely normal. It sounds like you have taken the time to do your research on it and you are ready. A November surgery date still gives you two months to mentally prepare. With all of your appointments happening in rapid succession, it just seems like it is happening tomorrow. Take a deep breath, relax and look forward to the journey of becoming a healthier, happier you! (and know that I am green with envy that you didn't have to wait six months!! )

I'm 2 weeks post surgery and actually like slim fasts new creamy chocolate LOW carb 20g protein shakes. I always blend them with ice.

@ Hi Jake, We are all here to help each other. The thing I had to learn is that everyone is different. The speed of recovery from surgery and what we can eat and when. And right after surgery is very different from where I am today at 8 weeks post-op and I'm guessing it will change again and again. The band seemed different. I was eating most things pretty soon as long as I chewed like crazy. Like the band surgery, I had no real hunger for weeks. Someone told me, the sleeve (and all WLS) allows us to hit the pause button while we figure out how to make serious life style changes. Eventually that honeymoon is over, just like the band. I say this for me, cuz this is my last chance to get it together. With the sleeve I was on mushies longer than most cuz I kept vomiting. When I could eat mushies I did measure out a small amount but it turned out to be too much. Realized too late. Also if I went too fast I'd vomit and believe me it didn't feel like I was eating fast. So to answer your question, no I didn't seem to have any clues that I had eaten too much or fast. ((but some sleevers do) I kept having a band mentality, thinking I would know immediately. So I had to learn, to eat a very small amount slowly, just a few tiny spoonfuls and then wait. It was a while before i could eat 4 oz and even now I can't eat 4 oz of chicken at one sitting. I have to be careful about introducing new foods. There are some in my January group that are eating salads and all foods. The only vegetable I can eat is steamed broccoli and steamed squash. Still no raw fruit. I also can't eat Protein and vegetables at one sitting. I have to eat the protein, then wait 30-40 minutes and eat cooked vegetables. I expect at some point that will change when the swelling from surgery is gone. Also I have been told that it can take 2, even 3 months for the sleeve to heal completely. The band healing is much faster. Today I feel real hunger. With the band I could get satiated when hungry with a small amount but it always hurt so bad. The sleeve at 8 weeks does not hurt at all. If I feel real hunger I eat 2 oz of chicken (I weighed it initially but now I know what 2oz is) and slowly eat it. Within 10 minutes I am no longer hungry for hours. At first I could only eat 1/2 cooked egg taking 30 minutes to eat the egg and then I wouldn't be hungry for hours. Now I can eat one egg. My Doc and NUT told me that eventually I will be able to eat more and then to plan on 3 meals with Snacks. But for now, they told me to eat when I have real hunger. Keep track of protein etc. And get the fluids in. Doc said I probably had more swelling than some (the vomiting didn't help) which is why my tiny little tummy couldn't hold more than a few tablespoons. Having said all this, the sleeve is much easier than the band and it doesn't hurt. What they don't tell you with the band is that after surgery, when all is healed, the band has far more complications than bypass, sleeve and RYN. Because a foreign object is in your body can erode, slip, break, etc. The sleeve once it is healed has very few complication risks. Now no one told me that when I got the band. I am SO glad my band is gone. No more tightness and pain in my stomach, no more port moving around tugging at me. Do you feel that freedom from the band too? Probably TMI, but there you have it. Best to you!

I went to Mexico and was supposed to stay in the hotel next door and extra night, but paid to change my flight and came home after one night in the hospital. My surgery was late the day before I left. I probably should have stayed the extra day because I came home exhausted. Im also probably quite a bit older than you, so you may not be as tired after the surgery. I decided and had the surgery in a matter of weeks, just decided it was the thing for me and did it. I needed to get it done so Id have time for the 4 weeks of mushies before I went on a cruise I had booked. I didnt want to still be on mushies, so I scheduled it pretty fast. That first month after surgery when you arent allowed to eat regular food I thought would never end. I tend to be impatient. Just be aware this isnt a overnight process and try and be patient.

I have severe acid reflux, so the Dr. did a scope prior to surgery and sure enough I have a Hiatal Hernia, As Avafern said, it is caused by obesity and other abdomen issues..including the food you eat and how fast you eat..all kinds of stuff. He will be removing that during surgery on the 24th and said is should subside in a month or so.

Well, we have something in common.I too was banded on the 3 of March and like you I have 75 lbs. loose. i FEEL better every day but looking forward to something to consume with substance. I was wondering if you had to be on a liquid diet two wks. before your surgery? I was not told to do that,except two days prior to surgery to fast.

Just got my approval from my insurance company and have a surgery date if May 13! It's coming so fast. Bring on the excitement and the nerves!!

That is awesome! I'm glad everything worked out for you. I will keep you posted. I have pre-op appt on the 5 th and my pre-op diet starts on 10th and surgery on 14th. It's going fast now!

Hi all... Today is Day 6 of my two week pre-op liquid Protein fast... I have been doing the pre-made shakes for work and when I am out and about... at home, I use the powder because I can mix it with ice cubes and make it a little thicker... but it still needed something. Today, I picked up some sugar free Hershey choc syrup... only 15 cal and 5 gr of carbs for two tablespoons. One squirt makes a HUGE difference in my choc shakes... MUCH more satisfying. Oh, and I use skim or almond milk (almond milk has only 40 cal for a cup) and it makes it more filling as well. I alternate between the filling choc above, or I use the GNC mixed berry powder with 1 c. milk, about 4 ice cubes and 1/2 c. frozen mixed berries. The addition of the frozen berries and milk make it SO much more filling and satifying... I only do one shake a day like this though... my dinner one. Gives me something to look forward to while my family is eating pasta! )

I've seen anywhere from 10-40 lbs on here before. There are tons of factors of how much we lose and how fast we lose it. Most people will lose more the first 6 months on the sleeve than they would ever lose on a normal diet of the same length.

I think there is a big difference between grazing and eating small amounts throughout the day. And I don't think of grazing at all in the early postop fluids-only period. Grazing: nibbling a bite here, another bite there, none of it on your food plan, not because it's time to eat, but simply because it's 'there", on the kitchen counter, in the lunchroom at the office, not tracked, and not eaten with intention. Not Grazing: measuring out a mini-meal's worth of Protein and veggies, tracking it, and taking your sweet time to eat it. I do this especially in the middle of the day. I may split my lunch into two even smaller meals (I'm two months out). I do this because I want my veg, and I can still only handle about 2 oz of protein, with no room left for the veg. If I split that in two, I can get in the 2 oz protein plus some veg. That isn't grazing, that's eating with intention, and tracking. Grazing can derail you fast. I haven't had a single Goldfish cracker though they're usually around here at the office. I know just how fast I would be looking for the fish crackers every day, and how easily I could talk myself into "just a few more". So I just don't go there. It's easier for me not to start at all than to stop once I've started.

I was sleeved on 3/19/13,, doing ok but not losing as fast as you .. you are doing great but i am happy with my slow loss ,,, its better than not losing...LOL. I do walk but have to start doing other exercising... Not a big fan of working out at all.

Hi Natalie, I am from Saskatoon , Saskatchewan and had my band done Jan 25,08 in Tijuana, Mexico. So far am down about 40 or so lbs! I had a low bmi but was getting fatter fast. I too, have strugled with my weight for a long time and have tried everything. I am self pay and the surgery cost 7500.00 canadian. The flight there was about 1000.00 but worth every penny. The band has given me control where I had none. Send me a message if you need additional info. Mica

My sleeve surgery was 1 year ago tomorrow and I have to tell you one of the hardest part was the pre op fasting. The 1st week was the hardest, the 2nd week for me was the 7 day countdown, which helped me alot when I was struggling and sleeping helped too. Hang in there, the best is yet to come. I waivered back and forth up to surgery date and even felt a little off balance from the pre op diet because I was hungry and everything I saw looked good, even food I really never cared for. I look at myself today and can't believe I actually did it, all I can say is you have reached the top of the hill and now its downhill from here on out. You will do great, just think a week from today it will be all over and a new you is evolving. Good Luck, hope my words helped a little.

Hi Tammy, Feb 20 was my VSG. Most days I get all of my protein in. Water is more challenging, not b/c I can't drink it but b/c I never drank 64 oz a day before surgery. I have tolerated all the foods I've tried so far. Weight loss has been slow and steady and I eat 2-4 oz usually at meals. I have been working on eating slower, my challenge there is it has reduced my intake by about 150-200 cals. So my quandary is do I eat at my own pace and risk eating too fast or eat slow (2 min btwn bites) and get in around 500 cals vs. my previous average of 700 calories. I'd love to hear people's thoughts.

I haven't gotten my lap band yet, but I'm planning to sometime in June. Because I know it's right around the corner, I have been eating like a crazy person!! I swear I have a bottomless pit, which brought me to need lap band in the first place, but I also eat tons of fast food and all kinds of other awful, yet very tasty, foods. I know this is so bad of me...I need to be preparing myself to cut way back, but instead I'm eating even more because I know I won't be able to later. Also, I've actually GAINED weight because I know during the liquid diet I will lose it all and with the lap band I will lose even more so it's like I'm having a major binge...that's never ending!! I am screwed up in the head!! Did anyone else go through this before you got your lap band or am I the only one who's jacked up???

Think you have put your finger on it - you are probably eating too fast and possibly too much. Try taking it a bit more slowly and pause as you drink to let the liquid get down and things should improve. Good luck :-))))

@@Olivia12215 I can understand your frustration. I started at a higher BMI. I thought I would be down 50lb by now. I am not losing as fast as I hoped. Still I am losing, and more than that, I am not gaining. I don't feel deprived, I am not living with constant hunger and I lost in 6 weeks what you have taken me 4-6 months in the past. Currently I am sitting at a weight I haven't been able to get below in 10 years of trying off and on. I am just hovering in this area for 2 weeks. Right now I feel like if I don't get below this point soon, the whole thing is a failure. Even though I know mentally that isn't realistic, that is how I feel. That doesn't really help you, but I just want to say I understand being frustrated.

I crush them and mix it with a bit of water. Swallo as fast as you can and chase it down with a little Diet Cranberry juice! Good luck!

Week 5 has been rough. Dealing with the worst constipation of my life. Haven't lost weight. The reality that this is permanent is really setting in now. I am still basically on liquids because I can't chew with these turbo things the dentist put on my teeth when I got my braces, to keep my bite open. It is hard to be out running errands and see all of these fast-food restaurants and realize, I can never eat there again. I had been out running errands for several hours yesterday with nothing to eat. I had to get gas and when I went into the convenience store I was lucky enough to find a muscle milk protein drink. I was kind of proud of my purchase as I thought of how easy it was to pass up junk food. Small wins really help. Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

I lost over 100lbs with the band. I was 257 went down to 149 then I had a tummy tuck and one year later was pregnant (good planning right) I weighed 166 at 8 weeks pregnant. My band was loosened a about 1/2 way at 2 months pregnant. I was gaining weight really rapidly so I asked my doctor to put more back in. I was partially restricted for most of the pregnancy but still gaining weight at above the recommened amount. I was completely unfilled last week due to bad, bad heartburn and even thought that is helping me I am hungry all the time and gaining weight really fast - I am now 33 weeks and am up to 212! I am totally freaked that after all this hard work I will never be able to lose the weight again and that I will gain even MORE in the next 1 1/2 until I have the baby. Any tips/ideas/support? Thanks in advance!