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I have never had an issue with drinking. I can drink 12 oz of Protein in a few minutes. I love cheese, it has always agreed with me. Also Peanut Butter no issue. I am 8 weeks out and just tried oatmeal. Since it was liquidy I ate a packet with no issue. You're doing fine. At 4 weeks I was to start regular foods as tolerated. There are just some foods that are easier to handle for each person. There are some I try and know I'm not ready. I have started to use my fitness pal more faithfully now that my meals are getting more regular. So for dinner I had three small pieces of lunch meat and two slices of Munster cheese. I roll it up and eat it slowly. Goes down easy. I love it. Just try things and be mindful of the portion size if it is too much. Track it if you want to know if you're reaching your requirements. But keep on trying new things.

don't stress! guess what? I had ice cream today too! I have decided in this journey on holidays I WILL indulge a littlebit...pre band, it would have been three/four scoops...today I had one scoop...with a smidge of peanut butter (had to get some protein in there...haha) but anyways...if we tell oursleves "self, we will never eat those things again!" then guess what? you are going to binge and want those things! my nutritionist said all things are fine in MODERATION! so tomorrow, make sure you make great food choices and maybe exercise an extra 30 min....but really, one ice cream cone is not going to undo everything you've just spent the last month doing! hang in there....tomorrow is a new day!!! :smile2:

I only took a pain meds for three days after I was discharged from the hospital.

Don't get discouraged, we have all been there. I hit a three week stall and then it broke. I have been losing 4-6 pounds a week since then.

I wish they would standardize clothing sizes! At least men's clothing is based on waist measurement, inseam, sleeve length, etc. There are no standards for women! It makes me crazy. A few years ago, I bought 3 pair of capris from Kohls, same brand, same size, same exact style (even the style number on the tag), just three different colors. One of them was way too big, one was way too small and one fit! How can that be? The only difference was the color and I ended up having to buy three different sizes!

Definitely definitely negative? I spent days in the backyard holding tests up to the sunlight, trying to convince myself I couldnt see a second line, but it was there, just very faint. Otherwise, I dont know, I wonder if you're blood sugars are all messed up from eating less or something? Just a guess. Its the only thing I could think of that would make you shaky and sick like that - perhaps a small Protein snack two or three hours after your meal and see if that helps? I'd see the doctor about it otherwise.

Started back at gym at week 3. First two to three weeks were rough, lose a lot of muscle quick with rapid weight loss. I sweated a lot and stamina was low. Talked the PA and dietician, increased calories for additional calories burned, it helped get stamina back and sweating stopped. Around week 8, 5 weeks after returning to gym, my strength was back to pre surgery. Workout still basically, 1/2 hour treadmill running followed by 1 hour of resistance training, cardio workout, ab workout, mixture of all of the previous all depending upon what my personal trainer plans for me.

I'm out six weeks and still can hardly do three bottles. Ugh

My grandfather always shared this piece of advice and I've carried it with me throughout life: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I have used compression bands because I have varicose and spider veins on my extremities. They didn't help one bit, for a condition they are generally thought to help with. Loose skin is mainly the product of weight loss + age + genetic factors. As Pdxman said, compression can only hold you in place, so to speak. My mother lost 50 lbs and her excess skin has lessened in slowly the three years since she lost the weight and started maintaining. Upper body muscle training is probably more likely to help than compression of any kind, but if all else fails, I'd save up for plastics.

Getting banded has been really great so far. My surgery went without a hitch and I was out of bed and rarring to go almost immediately following. Its early days, but I remain hopefully optimistic that this will work out in ways that all the other diets that I have tried have not. I consider myself a professional inexpert dieter --if its out there I have tried it. Low carb, no carb, nutri whatever, ww, fasting, diet pepsi and cigarettes, opti, medi, HMR, slimfast, diet pills (Rx and OTC) added to the mix to keep my appetite in check. My best and longest successful dieting foray was from the winter of 2000 through the summer of 2003. With boatloads of Water, a low carb diet, and as much exercise as I could stand -- I managed to lose about 90 lbs (this left me still needing to lose about 50 or 60 lbs to achieve a healthy weight by American standards and certainly by my standard). However, the long plateau worked to undermine my dedication and the weight began creeping back at a pretty steady clip. I never again got to my high of 292, but at my first weigh in with the lap band surgeon I was about 268 or so. It was a tough decision for me to make. For a variety of reasons I wasn't interested in a bypass....and it killed me that essentially I am paying someone to restrict my food intake. But the yo-yo dieting had really defeated me. I have been forturnate in that I am a relatively healthy fat person -- but I knew that time was working against me and the older I got -- the less likely that that trend would continue. So it was with alot of baggage that I started shopping around for a bariatric doctor to explore the lap band. The whole insurance thing was/is a hassle. They cover, but I couldn't find an in network provider (in NYC or NJ), just out of network with a threatened 70% coverage amount. I haven't seen any bills yet. I will certainly provide updates as that situation unfolds. Post surgically I have "officially" lost 14 lbs.... this is a little sketchy in my opinion. They weighed me at the hospital the day of .. and I was a whopping 274. I think working the day before from home, planted in front of my computer all day with no food after 3pm and no liquid (because I can be overzealous in following pre-surgery instructions) had me retaining major water. If I go by my last weigh in at the doctor the week before my surgery my weight loss as of 12-19-2007 is closer to 4 lbs. Post surgically, I was bullied by my doctor to lose about 10 lbs. Surprisingly, I have found that I am not at all interested in monitoring my weight other than whatever I am forced to do when I go to the doctor. I mean why torture myself? That's why I decided to get the surgery, right? This should not be interpreted as not monitoring my intake.... I have. Although I didn't do so good with the whole crushing pills until 1 month after surgery. Yuck! I just couldn't. I have tried my best to limit my intake, eat three times a day with no snacking and don't eat and drink at the same sitting. The last has proven to be the toughest thing. Also, it has put me in jeopardy of not taking in enough water -- I am trying but if you can't drink during, or up to 30 minutes before or after, and can't gulp it down like medicine.... I am reduced to totting around a bottle and taking sips all damn day. It has proven to be my greatest challenge so far. :faint: But generally speaking -- its so far so good and I am hopeful that I will have lost another couple of pounds when next I see my doctor 1-15-2008. And if I haven't... that's alright. The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year is like 5 lbs, right? If I managed to dodge that bullet -- its all good. Later,

Three weeks??!! :0/ oh boy. Did it put too much pressure on your belly to have or to try to have a movement?

I am about 7 weeks post op and I am finding that for the past couple of days or so that I am hungry or wanting to eat more later after dinner. Well, I have been on Dexilant for acid for about 4 weeks and about three weeks ago was the last time I took one of the pills. I've been trying to wean off of them because my insurance won't pay for them and they run me $93 for 30. Anyway, I have read that acid will mimic hunger pains and my dinner is usually my largest meal which probably produces the most acid. Well it just occurred to me that the feelings I am having are not hunger but are probably acid. As bad as acid is, it would be a relief that the feelings are acid and not me constantly wanting to eat. I will definitely continue to take the pills and see if this helps. Maybe I can take the pills every two days or so. What do you think? Could it be acid that I'm feeling?

Hi Sisters, I cannot offer you words of wisdom or success, but I can offer lots of empathy. I am in the same boat. I was banded 12/29/03, and have lost only 25 pounds. I have had three fills (I am at 2cc), and I feel very little restriction. Sometimes I feel the first few bites go painfully through, but they do go down, and never up. I can still eat anything and lots of it. I get depressed about it too, so I know how you feel. I am having another fill on the 23rd, and I am so hoping this will be the one. My Dr. is conservative with fills; it is her philosopy to have the band a little looser so that there will not be incidents of reflux. I don't disagree with that; I don't see much future in PBing all the time, but I NEED more restriction. Lately I find myself avoiding this site, which is not good. I am always happy for the success of others, but when I read about all the weight loss, I feel like a band failure. I try so hard to eat right, and I exercise. I am trying to believe that I am just not restricted enough, and that I am one of those who just needs more restriction. Luckily, my Dr. seems to be willing to work with me. Why don't you contact Inamed about fill data that you can present to your Dr.? I am sure that it is not the same for everyone. I am glad that you have each other!! My doctor does not do fluoro, but last time she did withdraw all the saline, and said that it was all there. Did your dr. do that to check for a leak?Please keep me posted, especially if you get some cheerful news.

Hey Laura, By this time you maybe should have moved away from Protein bars and shakes and start learning how real food will feel in your stomach. Especially if you're going to have a fill next week, it seems to me that you should first see if you have any restriction now. I eat regular food, thinking generally about protein at every meal. A typical breakfast is one slice of whole wheat toast with cottage cheese and jelly on it. Prebanding I'd have had two such toast slices, now I usually don't finish one and it keeps me full until lunchtime. lunch is tricky; I'm still working out what a good portion is and what can be conveniently brought or bought. Twice this week I went out with colleagues and ordered a fish dish (boulliabaise the first day, red snapper the next) and couldn't finish it either time. I foresee a lot of deli meat in my future. dinner is at 5:30 or so, and I'm usually pretty hungry by then. But the same rule applies--whatever everyone else is having, only less of it and I eat the protein first. So far these three meals have been enough to hold me. It's amazing, actually!

My surgeon was of the small frequent fills school of thought. I got my first one a month out then went back each week for, I think, three more. Then I was good for a while. In retrospect I really needed that time to address the behavior modification -- I was a very fast eater and needed to learn how to slow down. Also my body's signals. Turns out hunger is not my enemy. It's healthy! What? I know, crazy talk, but it's true. These days I welcome hunger and I love satiety. The ability to be finished rather than not being able to stop. It's beautiful having the appetite dimmed. You will get there! Keep all your appointments. Keep noticing everything. And keep in touch. Best wishes.

That sounds good. How far out are you? A bit over three months.

I have had the doctor fill me all three times because the attempts of the nurse have failed all three times! I don't even have a fat stomach, and both of them root around like it's not even in the neighborhood! Once it's in, it's no problem, but the pain has brought tears to my eyes each time. "A small sting and a stick" my a@#!

One month after a gastric sleeve.... Ups and downs. I'm eating all kinds of things, in tiny amounts, and sipping. 23 pounds down since surgery day, so, not too quick, not too slow. I now take two chewable multivitamins, calcium+D, and biotin. I am off the pain meds, but I've saved some percosets for when I'm feeling better... *wink* I just took my last prilosec. I wonder how that will shake out. Physically, I feel mostly back together, but not 100%. I teach 7th grade, and I have enough energy to teach all day, so a win there in the recovery column, but I'm having a devil of a time finding all the words I know that I know. Several files in my brain have bad directories now. Very frustrating, but I have hope that it will resolve soon. Stoopid anesthesia.... My incisions are still angry red, but totally sealed up. I had a pesky suture that kept poking out of one, but I finally clipped it off below the skin and it covered and closed itself. I realize just now that the itching has gone down dramatically in the last day or so. Win. My waist and thighs are drawing in, but that makes my flabby lower abdomen look bigger! I know it's melting, too, but not as quickly, and relativity is a bitch. I'm tracking all my foods, and I'm hovering around 8 to 9 hundred calories on a good day, sometimes less, but I am getting consistent patterns established. I can go on this way indefinitely, I think. In 30 minutes, on an empty stomach, I can bring 12-16 ounces of water. I can totally feel the water flow through the pylorus. More solid things, say, cottage cheese, I can take about 4 ounces, but I need to take a break in the middle. Fish, I can get 2-3 ounces in, and no more. And it must be very wet fish - not overcooked. I threw up once, and it was overcooked trout. I had slime first, and when I could not stand the discomfort any more, my husband said, just get it over with. I don't like to vomit. Myself needed convincing, but I felt better after. I've only puked once on the soft foods, so I count that as a win, too. I've tried some other more solids, too. A bite of carrot even. No problems. But I don't want to push it. I'm cooking and shopping out of habit, and my freezer is FULL. I think I will just stop cooking altogether. What I cooked tonight will literally take me a week to eat. Maybe over sharing here, but the first real poop was rough. A week after surgery, we were shopping and I realized what needed to happen. I made a nice normal poo, and then felt nausea. I think the intestines had been in a shock and the waking to do their job was too much for them. It's gotten better since, but its days between the little poops. Small eats means small outs. Doesn't bother me much. Similarly, sex was a cautious adventure, too. A week out, we managed a gentle try, three weeks after surgery, all systems were ready for anything. Win. And, as always when I am on a diet, I want to put hot sauce on everything. However, I don't think this is a good idea just yet. I am curious as to what comes next and to see how this goes. At one point several years ago, I was 293 pounds (5'11"). I worked hard and dieted down to 187. That was impossible to maintain through a divorce, a brief time of homelessness, a career change, and a new relationship. I'm at 227 as of this morning. I'm pretty sure that losing some more is in the cards, but how much more? At my lowest, I was thin looking. Some said too thin, but 10 or more pounds would not change that look much, not at my height. My doc says 149 is a healthy weight for me, but I think that is WAY too thin. I'd be a bag of bones! My boobs would be two empty purses with olives at the bottom! So, goal... 175, and then reevaluate? That's 52 pounds from here, and if I go 2 pounds per week that gets me there by summer. We shall see... Lastly, my husband is taking this opportunity to get himself back on track. He was banded 7-ish years ago. He dropped 150 pounds, but he's put 25 or so back on in the last year. We've been happy and eating like newlyweds... Anyway. He's been super supportive. His goal is 210, from his staring point of 275. Doing the math, from collective high weights to goals, 400 & 293 to 210 & 175, we will have lost a collective 308 pounds. That's like two people... It's us getting ourselves in better health together.

I'm three years out and rice makes me upchuck. Sometimes it's right away, sometimes it's 30-45 minutes later. I try a bite every few months but nope.

I was having the same problem at about 4 days out. I'm 9 days out now. Try adding 2 oz of apple juice (no sugar added) to 6 oz of water, and put some ice in it. I received this piece of advice from an ER nurse who had gastric bypass three years ago. I can tolerate it much more easily with the juice. The Propel Zero was way too sweet, and water was too heavy. The NUTs at Johns Hopkins said to try very cold things if you can't stomach room temp fluids. That also works better for me. Each day gets a bit better.

And just to add to that last post, I also had a lap band in for 3 and a half years, it was the worst three years of my life, I ended up extremely unhealthy, lacking in vital nutrition and was vomiting blood on a daily basis. They took the band of death out of me and then sleeved me three months later, I havent vomited once since being sleeved, I live on a very healthy and balanced diet, I dont have to be ruled by a peice of plastic, what can I eat today, what cant I eat today etc... I can now eat a healthy salad, that most banders cant eat without having painful Bping and it getting 'stuck'. I am not totally against the band though, I have some dear freinds that are banders, and they dont regret it, and it has somewhat helped them. Your post to me Hastings made me feel like utter crap. If you were aiming to make me feel unwelcome here as I am a sleever, then you have succeeded. Congratulations. Although I doubt anyone would care really. Carol.

I'm three months out and have had a few pieces of pasta but that's all. I've had shredded chicken and a few bites of tortilla. I know a few people have eaten sushi pretty early on but I can't do rice and I'm afraid of raw fish at this point. :-).

My post op diet liquid diet is only one to two weeks. I don't technically have that much longer if on day 7 I want to try to add some mushy. I just need to get through three more days and I am having a very hard time. I got the family a rotissarie chicken and ended up taking a tiny sliver, I mean tiny, chewed it to nothing and swallowed it down with water. Just for the taste of something other then chocolate, strawberry or berry. I never thought I would ever be sick of those flavors. LOL Once this is done I am sure I will not eat chocolate for a few months. Which is good because you are not supposed to. LOL

Love, I did not have any eating issues (ie emotional, etc) I was just like you, snacked a lot and on high carb crap. I also did not eat huge amounts, never have, but I could eat more than I can now. I used to go out a few times a week and we'd likely share an appetizer, have a small salad, which I might eat half of, have a meal, which I normally didn't finish but ate 2/3 of and often had a bite or two of dessert, oh did I mention with wine? For each course? Ya, I drank calories too Good calories LOL I like wine When DH is out of town (our main home cook) I ate cheese and crackers, premade meals, etc. Highly processed. I also ate MacDonalds on occasion, maybe half a fries and a small burger or fish sandwich with a diet soda, not seven of them, But those calories really add up! So after the sleeve I have to say, those foods have zero interest for me, and while volume wasn't a huge issue, volume goes down significantly anyhoo after surgery. I'm four months out and only eat half a cup of food at a time MAX! Processed foods sit on my tummy like a horrible rock and while I can drink wine, I can't drink as much as I used to because I drink much slower so from three glasses at a meal/social event is down to one, maybe two (I don't get drunk easily like many do though...that varies). I couldn't drink a high fat latte if my life depended on it and sugar is uncomfortable. I can eat perhaps a tablespoon of icecream or a bite of a dessert, never a whole one. So the surgery does change how you eat and what you eat. As I progress further out I do find that now is the time to watch myself. I was eating beef Jerky as a quick Protein on the go, but it goes down too easily and I tend to want to nibble on it all day, which is a habit I won't pick back up so I've gotten into measuring it and eating it all at a "meal" verses a bite here and there. I do monitor every bite on MFP and while I do eat and drink mostly what I want, I make sure it fits in my daily goals, so you do have to do some work as well Mindset changes as you mentioned. So all of the above said, the surgery will likely help you out, and I think it's easier for those of us who don't eat huge amounts because we tend not to push the sleeve causing vomiting and sliming which I never have. But, I also had major complications and nearly died having this surgery not to mention half a mill in medical bills for an elective surgery, so I personally don't recommend it if you don't have comorbidity issues and you could do anything else to change your life. I shouldn't have had it but you can't turn back the clock so here I sit. Just my opinion Best of luck whatever you do!

I was also banded on 9/11- I have a hard time getting in the three protein shakes the doctor wants me to have. The doctor told me to do a half a cup of cream of wheat or grits for breakfast. 1 cup of protein shake mid morning. A half of cup of any cream soup for lunch (strained). A protein shake for the afternoon. And 4 oz of Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of protein shake mix and a teaspoon of sugar free jelly and then another protein shake in the evening. I feel like I'm constantly eating. Is this pretty similar to everybody else's menu?