How is weight loss for people over 50? Can we still expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week with the band?

Maybe your band is too tight!

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!

Yes, I put a call in this morning to the nutritionist at the Bariactric center I go to, and left a message, she did not call me back all day, so reading my post surgery book they gave me, that is what I am gonna go by. It says as long as I am keeping up with the protein (and I think I will try the advice of sugar-free Carnation), and all of the water, it says I can have malt o meal, cream soups, lo fat cottage cheese, and a while ago I had me some beef bouillon, and MAN do I feel better right now!!!! Tomorrow I am gonna get me some real food. I cannot stomach that prepacked junk another sip!! Thanks for all of your advice, I was just getting a bit frantic. And,....does anyone know how much one week after surgery we actually can do???They told me nothing. Like, can we bend and pick up laundry, mow the grass, what, if anything?? I am tired of laying around, well I have been walking a lot, but that is about all.

Whatever you feel up to doing, go ahead! The only thing I was told not to do is sit ups, for 6 weeks.

Margi: I don't think you need your doctors permission to try a different protien drink. You need the fluid and nutrition. I use Matrix protien powder which my nutritionist suggested. I don't mind the taste at all and you can add fruit to it also. Good luck!

BJean: I went to the peak nutrition website and wondered which product you use? Have you tried their whole diet line?

Exercise--Not till I was 6 weeks out of surgery, but walking was okay and lifting nothing heavier than a gallon milk jug.

Well, I am going to the gym for cardio today. I will use the EFX machine and pace myself. Wish me luck. I won't push too hard, but was up to 40 minutes uninterrupted cardio presurgery. The EFX machine is like the elliptical without hands, it fits my shrimpy height better and doesn't hurt my knees. I would walk outside, but we had a spring snow storm. Hee...hee. love those Rocky Mountains!

Michelle

karey: I have only used the whey protein powder. It tastes good in vanilla or chocolate. They suggested I mix a little sf/ff instant pudding mix with vanilla and I tried banana pudding. Geez, it's really good. You mix it with half water and half ice cubes in a blender. But I'm mostly hooked on mixing the chocolate with skim milk (or even 2%) and no ice. It makes the best quick breakfast I've ever tried. It doesn't mix completely but I don't mind. I just get really tired of cleaning the blender. BTW, my doc's office charges $30 for the container that you can get online for $18 (I think.) If you try it, let me know what you think. It was all I had for the week post surgery. Now I just use it when I don't think I've been having enough protein.

Michelle: I am WAY jealous! I love snow! We rarely get any.

BJean: Thanks for informations!

When I was liquids I ended up taking a pass on getting my protein for that period of time. This is because I don't have much of a sweet tooth and I find those protein drinks quite gross as a result.

I did drink apple juice and ate a lot of soup, Gardenay soup. When I moved on to the mushie phase I ate a lot of tzatziki which is basically yogurt with garlic. I also ate raita - yogurt with cucumber and spices - and eggs, avocado and things like that.

I also became a big fan of chewable vitamins and chewable calcium. It seems that I need the calcium. I went through menopause when I was 41 and I am not on HRT. I also take a lot of vita D.

How is the weight loss coming along for all of the rest of the over 50 crowd? I am very disappointed that I have only lost 5 lbs in the last 3 months. I lost the most (22 lbs) while I was on the liquid diet the first 4 weeks. I am afraid to have any more saline put in, because of the way food sticks. I am doing everything I am told to do, and I exercise like crazy. It's got to be my age, and the fact that I have a lower bmi. I think the HRT is a problem with weight loss too.

Denise822 - I am happy with my weight loss so far, but I am only one week post Op. Could you up your protein to see if you could jump start again?

I was really excited that I could do my usual 40 minute cardio on the EFX machine today. That was the first time I went to the gym since surgery. I hope that the exercise and high protein/low carb diet takes the weight off. I am down about 18 pounds so far.

Best wishes, BTW BJean the snow has already melted!

Michelle

Denise: I have had exactly the same results as you. I had an aggressive fill not long ago because my weight loss had slowed. Afterwards I was very restricted. I could only eat a very small amount of food at one time. It was difficult to take in enough to keep the hunger at bay. Consequently once I learned that ice cream was painless and helped me feel satisfied, I fell off the wagon and haven't been losing since. I am very discouraged. I no longer have that much restriction but I'm also not as hungry as when I was extremely restricted. That seems totally backwards.

Unfortunately I too am on HRT and I can't exercise much because of my extremely bad knees. I was doing Water aerobics and it was helping my knees but it made me even hungrier. The neat thing about the pre and post op diets was that I had no problem sticking to very low calorie foods in very small quantities. I am not sure if I have just hit a "set point" and will eventually be able to get back to aggressive weight loss or if this is where I'm bound to stay.

If you figure it out, please share!

A question from Green: how come you all are on HRT? I was on it briefly but then my doc pulled me off it after the results of that massive survey came in, the one which showed that HRT might lead to a greater chance of breast cancer. I do take Actonel, calcium and vita D because there is some sign of bone density loss, though I am not osteoporitic, but other than that I seem to be okay. I went through a very early menopause. I was 41.