wisdom you wish you knew prior to surgery

[teach724 0]

Thanks everyone! all the advice is great and very helpful. I hope I can get my date this week.

[kellie2 0]

These are the best most informative posts, I've read yet. I'm a new bandster and am going through many of these ups and downs and am so glad to hear that it is normal and common. I was starting to worry about not losing in the long run, but it looks as if the long run is the most loss. I know the wait will be worth it.

Thanks so much everyone.

[123crod 170]

I want to add this. When your Doctor tells you that you are only expected to lose 50% of your extra weight that is what he/she means. Some people go on to lose to whatever their goal is. But the least you can expect is 50% of extra weight. I say be as disiplined as you can the first 6-8 months as that is the largest window for weightloss with the band. After that it does slow a lot. I am very happy with my band and have had a great experience lost 65 lbs so far and hope to lose more but my Dr said today that I had already exceeded the 50% and it will be slow from here on, maybe 1-2 lbs a month. Kinda burst my bubble but I am determined to lose no matter what.

He also informed me that excess protien turns to fat so eat what you are suppose to but don't go overboard. He also said in his opinion if you eat nuts of any kind you might as well paste them on you butt or arms as they are not for people with any type of weightloss surgery. So if you eat nuts drop them and see if it helps with your weightloss

My doctor is a very well respected Dr and ranks very highly among Weightloss surgeons. My friend and I attended a support group meeting with him tonight and we were the only ones to show up tonight so we had him all to ourselves and asked all kind of questions for 1½ hours and he was very honest in answering them all. I learned a lot Poor man we were firing questons at him as fast as we could !

One more thing he believes true and I agree is not to drink high calorie, high fat Protein shakes eat your Protein. He told me that before sugery and later I added them to my diet and my weightloss did slow. He said do not drink any high calorie beverage at all they are like milk shakes with protein. Eat solid protien which could inclued protien bars but watch the fat content and amount of calories.

Take whatever out of this that might help you and forget about the rest. Just thought I would pass on some words of advice from a highly respected lapband Doctor

I do not mean to sound too down as I know people met and exceed their goal. I would like to lose 30 or 40 lbs before I start to maintain, but if I did not lose any more my surgeon would not consider me a failure as I have exceed the 50% that he told me about before surgery.

Cheri

Edited June 8, 2010 by 123crod
spelling

[Marine mom 3]

Nuts (almonds and walnuts) are a part of my daily life. I keep a weighed out serving size (tiny!!!) available, and when I need a filler will eat 2 or 3. This works for me.

[123crod 170]

I was just passing along what one doctor said. I ate cashew before and I am going to give them up to see is anything happens.

Cheri

[lellow 1,713]

Probably the most important bit of of wisodom I wished someone had told me was that while you're losing, you obsess about every thing you eat, how much you exercise, how much you weigh every minute of everyday. And you pretty much have to when you're losing, you have to WORK at it.

But eventually, you lose the weight, and if your band is working right, you start to not think about it a lot anymore. Your relationship with food changes, and because you eat less, you crave less, and if you exercise regularly and more incidentally (coz you're lighter), suddenly you mostly forget about the band, and you don't lose, but you don't gain either.

Even tho most people know I have a lapband, now I'm in maintenance mode, I eat like a 'regular' unbanded person. I don't have to think too hard about 'right foods' and exercise schedules. I rarely PB, I can tolerate almost anything, and my weight is being maintained by just living a normal life.

I wish someone told me I wouldn't have to work at it ALL my life, because that's one of the reasons I didn't get the band earlier. And knowing what I know now, I regret that I waited so long to get the surgery.

[Marine mom 3]

I was just giving the other side of nuts. It is amazing how the advice is a bit different from everyone. :tongue2:

[TCarroll 1]

Cheri... I agree with so much of your post!

I have a wonderful doctor myself, who is very well respected in my area... like your doctor he did tell me to make sure to EAT the Protein... not to rely on the Protein drinks-- that they would stall your weight loss or you would lose slower. The only time I ever did Protein drinks was in the beginning before I could eat food.

As for nuts, my doctor didnt tell me about the nuts, but I did keep a journal of my food and would compare it to how much I lost for the week. I immediately noticed that the weeks I ate nuts... no weight loss and sometimes I would even gain! I cut those out quick and did just fine. So I couldnt agree more- for my body nuts were just not good!

The only difference I have in what you have stated is my doctor said that with the lapband he would get 80% of the weight off - the rest was up to me. He told me this since the first time that I met with him. Set those expectations from the beginning. I was determined to hit my goal and I knew that most of the weight loss would happen in the first 6 -9 months... he told me get the weight off during the first year. So I went on and ate just like he told me too- got my protein in thru eating a solid piece of protein first every meal and then ate veggies if I had room. I cut out nuts, Pasta, bread, rice, sweets and alcohol. I found that if I stuck to the simple rule of eat my solid protein first when hungry-- I never had room for the other crap. I hit my goal 9 months and 1 week after surgery.. 108lb down! I went from 242 to 134. I am currently going for 130 just because I have found that I have a 5 lb flucuation and I want to always stay at my goal weight. I am also back at the gym again... doing weight training to tone up.

I really appreciate my doctor telling me the things he did and being realistic with me- by doing that he was the key to my success. Also, when I hit my 80% mark he said- step it up -- the rest is up to you!

This has been a great journey - I have learned so much about myself and ways to better myself.

[Kristy29 0]

Interesting about the Protein drinks. My doctor is the exact opposite. We are expected to rely greatly on Protein Drinks. Right now I am pre-op and trying to lose 5% (15 lbs) in order to be approved for surgery. I am required to replace 1 meal a day with a Protein shake, and eventually I will go to 2 a day.

When you go to their office, they have bottles of Protein drinks everywhere as examples of what is acceptable. The rules are that it must be less than 130 calories and less than 3 grams of carbs. Every one meeting these requirements I have come across has zero fat. So I disagree with your doc that says it is high calorie and high fat.

[PuppyBandit 2]

This is a great thread:smile2:

[MelissaGreen 2]

Interesting about the Protein drinks. My doctor is the exact opposite. We are expected to rely greatly on Protein drinks. Right now I am pre-op and trying to lose 5% (15 lbs) in order to be approved for surgery. I am required to replace 1 meal a day with a protein shake, and eventually I will go to 2 a day.

When you go to their office, they have bottles of protein drinks everywhere as examples of what is acceptable. The rules are that it must be less than 130 calories and less than 3 grams of carbs. Every one meeting these requirements I have come across has zero fat. So I disagree with your doc that says it is high calorie and high fat.

This is for Kristy29 that diet you are on is the pre-op diet the diet you go on before you get your band; to help you loose weight so you can loose the 10% of your body weight to have a safe surgery. But once you have your band and your off your 21 day liquid diet and you can start eating again your not suppose to drink Protein shakes, or protein waters they want you to eat it not drink. If you drink it you will stop loosing weight because your not really satisfying your hunger because liquid goes right through the band where food will stay there for a couple of hours making you feel full; if you drink your protein after your liquid faze you will have a difficult time getting the weight off.

[Kristy29 0]

This is for Kristy29 that diet you are on is the pre-op diet the diet you go on before you get your band; to help you loose weight so you can loose the 10% of your body weight to have a safe surgery. But once you have your band and your off your 21 day liquid diet and you can start eating again your not suppose to drink Protein shakes, or Protein waters they want you to eat it not drink. If you drink it you will stop loosing weight because your not really satisfying your hunger because liquid goes right through the band where food will stay there for a couple of hours making you feel full; if you drink your protein after your liquid faze you will have a difficult time getting the weight off.

I was told when in my class that I will continue to incorporate protein drinks into my meal plan, even after the liquid phase post band. Also, in my support group, we have discussed protein drinks as well, and there are people there who are a year or more out, and they still use Protein Shakes for their meals. It is also in the book that I was given from my surgeon that explains the meal plan they use that protein shakes are to be used post op. So maybe your doctor told you that, but my doctor puts a big emphasis on protein shakes, both pre AND post op.

[LeighaMason 19]

This is for Kristy29 that diet you are on is the pre-op diet the diet you go on before you get your band; to help you loose weight so you can loose the 10% of your body weight to have a safe surgery. But once you have your band and your off your 21 day liquid diet and you can start eating again your not suppose to drink Protein shakes, or Protein waters they want you to eat it not drink. If you drink it you will stop loosing weight because your not really satisfying your hunger because liquid goes right through the band where food will stay there for a couple of hours making you feel full; if you drink your protein after your liquid faze you will have a difficult time getting the weight off.

Once again, your band is a very personalized thing and you should do what works for you personally. My Dr is fine with Meal Replacement shakes. I use EAS carb control, at 110 calories and 3 carbs for 17g protein.

I am almost at goal and I use protein drinks, I have the whole time and regularly lost 2 pounds a week. I have found them to be especially effective when I have gone too long without eating and I know that I am so hungry that I will eat too fast. So I drink a shake, wait about 10 min. and then that gives me the self control to eat slowly and greatly reduces my chances of getting stuck.