Hello! I am trying to figure out this forum and how it all works so bear with me! I was banded Friday, Dec. 3rd and have about 85 lbs. to lose. Diabetes runs in my family and I felt like a time bomb and have never been able to keep the weight off. It just crept up and up. I am very active and want to be able to exercise without the aches and pains. I am 5' 10" and 55 years old. I would like to stay in touch with those of a similar situation.

I had a great experience so far and had my band done as an out pt. procedure. I was out at SAM's the very next morning and haven't had alot of pain. Today I did laundry and walked at the mall. I plan to return towork for awhile on Monday. I was fortunate to also have had it done laproscopically and had a great surgeon, Dr. David Provost. All I can say is so far so good!

Hello,

Heather~ Glad to hear you went hiking! I love to hike and am excited that it will get easier as I lose weight. Remeber to weigh in at the New Year challenge site. Lindsey is updating the spread sheet. : )

I am doing well and looking forward to my next fill. I am not feeling much restriction at this point.

I have eaten small amounts of pasta without any problem. White bread products are a different story, I don't even try it.

Exercise Question: I am working out at a gym, elliptical, weights... I also go for walks and use my airclimber and Walk Away the Pounds dvds.

Hope everyone is doing well, Joan

What is everyone doing for exercise??? I went to a Zumba class tonight and absolutely loved it!! I didn't know if I would be able to make it through the class but I did better than I thought I would. I am thinking about starting the couch to 5k too but I don't have a treadmill but might try to start on the gazelle until spring.

I'm too embarrassed to go into a gym. The last time I went to one about 4 years ago, I had two different people try and "encourage" me by saying things like "Wow is it hard for some one like you to do this? but good for you? Hello I'm not THAT fat, I was 5'7" and 230. Anyway that is just me. I have an elliptical machine that I'm using. When it warms up, I can start walking/biking outside for some thing different.

I had the cramping, but it went away about a week ago, I don't feel anything when I bend or move anymore.

Oh gosh I love being able to go to the gourmet grocery stores and picking out something small, it feels so special! I'd never wanna do that pre-op because it would be so expensive! Cause I would need so much food. Now I can get a nice little dinner, a scoop of a special salad, or 1/2 a sushi roll for under $8! I'm such a cheap date now. LOL

Anyone have any luck with bowel movements. I got a stool softener, but it didn't seem to do what i want. i just want to go regularly. (I know weird topic)

How regular were you before? I know I only went maybe once a week, sometimes twice. I've been like that for as long as I can remember, I think it is a family thing, I have cousins who are the same way. But think about how you were pre surgery, and think about how much less you are eating. Are you uncomfortable? If you're not you just may not have to go.

I went to the doctor today for my first fill and ended up not getting one...but I'm not upset about it at all. They said that I was eating the perfect amount of food per meal, my calorie count was perfect, I'm not hungry between meals and my weight loss was on target. I am down 30 lbs since my pre-op diet and 20 lbs since surgery so, all in all, I am very happy with the way things are going.

How regular were you before? I know I only went maybe once a week, sometimes twice. I've been like that for as long as I can remember, I think it is a family thing, I have cousins who are the same way. But think about how you were pre surgery, and think about how much less you are eating. Are you uncomfortable? If you're not you just may not have to go.

I have been irregular for years, and it's been uncomfortable. I mentioned it to my pcp and she recommended the miralax. I take it 5 days a week. I went from going once or twice a week to 4 or 5 and I feel better. I don't know, but I kind of hope the constipation is due to weight and one I lose it I can get off miralax. But not sure

I went to the doctor today for my first fill and ended up not getting one...but I'm not upset about it at all. They said that I was eating the perfect amount of food per meal, my calorie count was perfect, I'm not hungry between meals and my weight loss was on target. I am down 30 lbs since my pre-op diet and 20 lbs since surgery so, all in all, I am very happy with the way things are going.

I went to the Dr's today for a fill also...didnt get one. he wants to do it under flurioscope( sorry for the spelling) for the first fill. but he did say i am doing great. I am down 25lbs from surgery 12/13/10

I am measuring my food but I am doing mushies still... i am scared of real food. i got pork roll stuck for 2 hrs and NEVER want that again....

keep up the great job !

amy

I went to the Dr's today for a fill also...didnt get one. he wants to do it under flurioscope( sorry for the spelling) for the first fill. but he did say i am doing great. I am down 25lbs from surgery 12/13/10

I am measuring my food but I am doing mushies still... i am scared of real food. i got pork roll stuck for 2 hrs and NEVER want that again....

keep up the great job !

amy

COngrats on the "no fill". YOu guys are all doing great!

I am definitely going to need a fill. I havent lost anything since I started putting food back into my diet. I am on regular food and can eat anything. I get full faster, but still its not enough. I am very frustrated which doesnt help. It seems like all the other times, lose a lot and then nothing! I serioulsy hope that when I get a fill, a lot will change and I will start to lose again. I guess there is something to be said for being on a liquid diet!

HAs this happened to anyone else? Am I doing something wrong?

Again, congrats to you guys who are doign such a great job and I hope you continue to lose and lose!!

~LORI

Lori - I am in the same boat as you, I lost my first week post op, since then nada. Been pretty frustrated. I am only eating 700-800 calories. I am holding on the gym most of this week and going to see if that is effecting it. I know that seems counterproductive, but going to try anyways

COngrats on the "no fill". YOu guys are all doing great!

I am definitely going to need a fill. I havent lost anything since I started putting food back into my diet. I am on regular food and can eat anything. I get full faster, but still its not enough. I am very frustrated which doesnt help. It seems like all the other times, lose a lot and then nothing! I serioulsy hope that when I get a fill, a lot will change and I will start to lose again. I guess there is something to be said for being on a liquid diet!

HAs this happened to anyone else? Am I doing something wrong?

Again, congrats to you guys who are doign such a great job and I hope you continue to lose and lose!!

~LORI

Hi Lori~

I had that same issue too. When I started solids my weight loss stalled for almost 3 weeks. What worked for me was journaling everything I ate and paid close attention to the total calories and protein i was eating. I found that I was only eating around 700-800 calories a day. At the suggestion of my husband I increased my calories to around 1,000 per day and since then I have lost 4 lbs (in 6 days). At my appointment today I talked to the dietician about it and she said that people don't realize that too few calories can be as bad as too many as far as weight loss goes. I don't know if you are keeping a food diary but if not you might want to give it a try.

My doctor has my wrong weight, since the last time I saw him prior to surgery was in like August! (my surgery got pushed back a bunch of times). Then I weight like 5 more pounds with clothes on. I feel jipped, he thinks I only lose 12, when it's really double that. Should I tell him? I don't wanna sound all conceited about it...

Hi all. I was banded on 12/23 and have been meaning to join this thread.

I am actually scheduled for my first fill next monday and I can't wait. I am "dieting" right now same as before surgery by using medifast products, but the whole point of this surgery was to achieve "portion control" without having to use these types of products. In the mean time, if I don't use the medifast, I'm always hungry and if I do use the medifast, I'm always nauseaous. My body hates soy...I can't win. LOL

If I don't stick to Medifast, I'm eating wayyyyy too much. I'm afraid I will gain back too much weight since I've worked so hard getting this much off and I love how I look right now. But alternately, I'm afraid the doctor won't give me a fill because I'm losing without one. I'm totally not sure how to handle this.

I know I may not feel restriction after the first fill, especially since I have almost none now, but I sure can't wait to get the fill and find out! Monday seems so far away right now.

Anyway, it's nice to meet all my fellow December 2010 bandsters! I look forward to tracking all of your progress and success!

Becki

Hi Lori~

I had that same issue too. When I started solids my weight loss stalled for almost 3 weeks. What worked for me was journaling everything I ate and paid close attention to the total calories and protein i was eating. I found that I was only eating around 700-800 calories a day. At the suggestion of my husband I increased my calories to around 1,000 per day and since then I have lost 4 lbs (in 6 days). At my appointment today I talked to the dietician about it and she said that people don't realize that too few calories can be as bad as too many as far as weight loss goes. I don't know if you are keeping a food diary but if not you might want to give it a try.

That is actually one of the other things I am trying to do is up my calories, but the thing is my days off are tues/wed, and I've been waking up a little late and I do not feel hungry right when I wake up anymore (since banding) so I've been eating breakfast later which pushes my meals back and I have been filling up with what I am eating and it lasts a few hours or more, so it is hard for me to get more calories in, because I don't want to start eating if I am not hungry. IYesterday I managed 830 calories, today I am below 700. I get hungrier when I am at work, so I am going to try to up it tomorrow. But I do beleive that the low calories is hindering the loss. The other day when my mom called I was trying to tell her that and she does not beleive too low calories will hinder your loss, I believe it will.

Hi all. I was banded on 12/23 and have been meaning to join this thread.

I am actually scheduled for my first fill next monday and I can't wait. I am "dieting" right now same as before surgery by using medifast products, but the whole point of this surgery was to achieve "portion control" without having to use these types of products. In the mean time, if I don't use the medifast, I'm always hungry and if I do use the medifast, I'm always nauseaous. My body hates soy...I can't win. LOL

If I don't stick to Medifast, I'm eating wayyyyy too much. I'm afraid I will gain back too much weight since I've worked so hard getting this much off and I love how I look right now. But alternately, I'm afraid the doctor won't give me a fill because I'm losing without one. I'm totally not sure how to handle this.

I know I may not feel restriction after the first fill, especially since I have almost none now, but I sure can't wait to get the fill and find out! Monday seems so far away right now.

Anyway, it's nice to meet all my fellow December 2010 bandsters! I look forward to tracking all of your progress and success!

Becki

I was banded on the 17th and and I am hungrier and hungrier and am eating larger portions now too. I don't go to the doctor til the 19th and I HOPE to get a fill and I hope it helps. I am not eating anywhere near what I did before and eating much healthier but I don't want to fall back into bad habits with being hungry all the time. It scares me because I really want this to work but I feel like there is no restriction and I could easily eat the portions and foods I did before.

That is actually one of the other things I am trying to do is up my calories, but the thing is my days off are tues/wed, and I've been waking up a little late and I do not feel hungry right when I wake up anymore (since banding) so I've been eating breakfast later which pushes my meals back and I have been filling up with what I am eating and it lasts a few hours or more, so it is hard for me to get more calories in, because I don't want to start eating if I am not hungry. IYesterday I managed 830 calories, today I am below 700. I get hungrier when I am at work, so I am going to try to up it tomorrow. But I do beleive that the low calories is hindering the loss. The other day when my mom called I was trying to tell her that and she does not beleive too low calories will hinder your loss, I believe it will.

Hi Jess~

One thing you might try is adding a protein shake at night on the days you have trouble getting in your calories. I had one of those crazy days a couple of days ago and realized after dinner that I had only had about 800 calories (and not enough protein) so I mixed up a protein shake and drank that a couple of hours after dinner. If you don't eat enough, your body thinks it is starving and will hold on to every lb for dear life! You might want to call your NUT and ask about that...then if your mom says anything you can say "my NUT said that I need to increase my calories". I don't see how she can argue with that .

Good luck!

Maybe I'm lucky but I'm rarely hungry. Unless I wait too long for a meal. I'm not really having trouble with portions. I have a ramekin I put my dinner in and i eat with a tiny fork. I'm working on getting my brain to be comfortable with that amount of food.