Lap Band Basics

deevah1 · May 29, 2006

Could someone (or as many as want to) please outline the "Lap Band Basics"?? I am 6 wks post op and have lost 22 lbs but feel I should have lost more. I have had two fills and have REAL RESTRICTION now when I had none before. I just want to check with some of you veteran bandsters for advice

Alexandra · May 29, 2006

Let's see. 22 lbs in 6 weeks is almost 4 lbs a week. You're doing phenomenally well! If you don't lose another pound for the NEXT six weeks you'll still be doing well for a bandster.

Let's see, the basics. You must have some information from your doctor, so follow it. Basically: eat slowly, chew carefully, put your fork down between bites and see if you feel the last bite going down. STOP when you feel satisfied. Drink lots of Water, but try not to drink for an hour right after each meal (it will just wash the food through and you'll get hungry again sooner).

Those are the basics. What else do you want to know?

deevah1 · May 29, 2006

Alexandra:

Thanks for the info. I guess i want to know more about how much Protein is enough? Are between meal Snacks OK if low cal and nutritious? How much Water is OK --I find 64oz intimidating. etc. etc

Alexandra · May 29, 2006

Well, what are your doc's instructions? The party line seems to be that we need 60-80 grams of Protein. You should indeed drink 64oz or more each day, but it doesn't all have to be Water. Take 4 16 oz bottles of some (calorie-free) drink that you like, and I'll bet that won't seem so intimidating.

And if you're hungry, have a snack! Concentrate on Protein first, then veggies, and last carbs if you have room. Pay attention to your tummy and listen when it tells you you're no longer hungry. It's not always easy, but that's the way it works.

DonnaB · May 29, 2006

My doc recommends 60 grams of Protein or more per day and a MINIMUM of 64 oz of Water. 64 oz is not that much - I use bottled Water to keep track of my daily intake. I prefer my water to be room temperature, so, every night before bed I set out my four 16 oz bottles on the counter and drink them throughout the day. I try to finish them before 8 pm or I tend to wake up during the night to go to the bathroom! Thats the worst of the water drinking! lol But I will say this, my weight loss is more steady if I'm drinking at least the minimum amount of water recommended.

My nutritionist recommends 3 meals and 2 or 3 Snacks per day. The meals should be around one cup and the snack considerably smaller. I didn't do well with the one cup meal, I do much better using FitDay.com - it's a food journal program which tracks everything from what you eat, to how many calories and nutrients, to how I felt while eating! It's pretty good, you should go check it out. If I keep my calories to around 1200 per day I lose weight steadily. If I go over 1600 calories daily the weight loss slows WAY down. Anything over that, weight loss stops entirely. Everyone's body size and lifestyle are different. FitDay (the downloadable version) also assesses your resting metabolic rate through a series of questions and makes recommendations as to what your daily caloric intake should be and how many calories you have to restrict in order to reach your goal weight by the goal date you select.

The online version of FitDay is free and is a great way to decide if you're going to use it. The downloadable version costs $20 and was the best money I've ever spent on myself! lol

I realize that I've strayed from the band basics but I know this information will be useful to anyone who is looking for basic info.

Good luck on your weight loss journey.

fiveholts714 · May 30, 2006

You are 6 weeks post op and have had 2 fills??? I haven't heard of anyone having a fill until they are 6 weeks out let alone already having 2.

MelAnne · May 30, 2006

Could someone (or as many as want to) please outline the "Lap Band Basics"?? I am 6 wks post op and have lost 22 lbs but feel I should have lost more. I have had two fills and have REAL RESTRICTION now when I had none before. I just want to check with some of you veteran bandsters for advice

You have had two fills and are only 6 weeks post op?! Who is your doctor?!

I am having to beg for my fills. (second one due June 8th)

-melanie

245/221/150