This group is for weight loss support for lower bmi bandsters (of course anyone is welcome!).

For encouragement, tips, accountability.... Give stats, helpful advice, etc.

How much weight you have lost, how long it took. etc.

In some case I have found it takes a lower BMI patient a lot longer to lose the weight.

Introduce yourself and jump on in!!!:welcomeB: :welcome2:

Audree

I got this from another thread and thought it was good advice:

:hungry: "No more than one cup of solids at a time. If I had to do it over again, I would measure from day one. Start at 1/2 cup and see how that feels, if I am still truly hungry, move up in 1/4 cup increments."

weight watchers makes serving spoons that are 1/2 and 1c. big... FYI

Oh yeah, those were cool!

Hi all

I was just banded on 12/28 (last Thursday). I was initially a BMI of 37, but because of the 11 lbs lost so far (8 lbs from the pre-op liquid diet and three lbs since the surgery) I am now a 35 BMI. Would love to hear from others when they began exercising. Right now -cant even imagine - too much discomfort!!!!

skinnymom who did your surgery?

wow 11 pds, I cant lose that in 5weeks, that is great! How was surgery, was it painful afterwards?

Hi Skinnymom,

I started exercising at week 5. I know others that did it earlier. I think the combination of the surgery side-effects subsiding and losing weight, which increased my energy levels -- helped me start exercising in the last week.

Also, it depends on the exercise you want to do. I wouldn't lift real heavy weights or do anything very strenuous at first.

You'll feel better soon. I think by day 6 or 7 my port pain was subsiding and I was feeling okay.

Kathy

thanks for the feedback. The person who did my surgery was dr. G. Feilding (from Dr's Ren & Feilding) at NYU in New York. I am still in some pain, mostly on my left side but am getting better each day. a little rough at first. I thought the surgery would be a breeze because a freind had no pain with it. boy was I surprised. I actually felt like I was the odd ball out till I found this terrific website!! thanks for all the input.

I started exercising before my surgery - about 3 months before I started going to the gym again, doing what I could, I wasnt too unfit but I had a very bad ankle so I mainly did the elliptical with Cardio Coach on my MP3 and mucked around on the weights machines.

When I got home from hospital I walked for the first few weeks, 3kms or so, just gentle, until I felt better, then I went back to the gym. After about 2 months I realised that unless I embraced walking (I hate it, find it so boring) I was not going to get in 4 or more sessions a week. I decided to go out one night when I was about 15kg down from presurgery weight and thought I'd add a few little jogging bouts in, expecting to be able to do very little, I actually jogged 3km that night. The rest is history, I combined this with the gym and jogging 3 x per week for a month or two, then I bought a treadmill, quit the gym and really started focussing on jogging 4kms at a time. I picked an event or two to train for, and by October ran my first 7.5kms, then last December I did 10kms and now I run 10kms twice per week and do a few shorter runs as well.

How are the Low BMI ers doing today?

I am on day 4 of pre op. I am drinking my protein shake for breakfast. I am down to 184.5 and I don' understand how I am losing right now. I was at 190. Four pounds fell off after the1st day of pre op, so that must have been water. Those 4 pounds were from the holidays. I am also supposed to be premenstual and I usually retain a lot of water.

I can't believe this Friday is my day. I am getting nervous now and scared of the unknown.

I hope you all are doing well.

QUESTIONS FOR TODAY

1. What did you eat today? Do you journal? Did you drink enough water?

2. Did you exercise today?

3. What supplements did you take?

4. If you are banded, are you having problems with PBing? Does anyone have any good advice for us who are not banded or newly banded, so we won't PB?

5. How do you feel today?

6. Any words of wisdom for today?

Audree

Audree,

You are working that pre-op diet. You go, Girl!

Supplements: My surgeon requires I take 1500 mg of chewable or liquid Calcium Citrate; Chewable Flinstone Complete twice a day or any chewable multi-vitamin two times a day and 18mg of Iron twice a day. THE CATCH: The Calcium Citrate has to be taken at least two hours after the Iron or your body won't absorb it.

I started exercising about a month after surgery, but I didn't do weights or ab stuff until about 2 months out. Now I need to work on being more consistent...

Hey guys, my pre-op diet is a flop so far. I am eating better but I am supposed to be doing liquid diet. Ummm not doing so well with that. I know I won't eat Thursday night or Friday since it is surgery day... but I am feeling crappy about how I have done so far on the diet.

Good for me though, went on a not quite 9 mile bike ride today, so that is something.

:nervous

Hey guys, my pre-op diet is a flop so far. I am eating better but I am supposed to be doing liquid diet. Ummm not doing so well with that. I know I won't eat Thursday night or Friday since it is surgery day... but I am feeling crappy about how I have done so far on the diet.

Good for me though, went on a not quite 9 mile bike ride today, so that is something.

supergenius818 - I was just banded 12/28. you should ask your doctor if you cant deal with the protien shakes, if you can follow a diet that is under a certain amount of calories per day. I am highly allergic to milk and soy and could not be on protien shakes since they are all milk or soy based. So my dietician put me on a very very low cal diet. But I was still able to eat food. I think this would be better for you if you are not keeping with the diet since they have you sign a consent form before you go for surgery that if your liver is too enlarged they would have to do an open procedure instead of laproscopic. the reason they give you this pre-op diet is to de-fat your liver. So maybe a low calorie diet will be easier (not easy because it is very low calorie) but easier than just liquieds. hope this was helpful; and hope all goes well for you. Youll be in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us all updated!

Ok Audree,

Where are you. I rode my bike for 30 minutes today. Woohoo.

I know you only have a couple more days. I am so excited for you!!!!

Hey skinnymom, I know I really should be on the low calorie diet to defat my liver. I am going to talk to my doctor tomorrow to see what they say about the fact that I haven't done so great on the diet. I have definitely eaten better but I would NOT say that it is low calorie.

I thought I would do better but I just haven't gotten my mind right about it. I hope I am not going to be one of the people this surgery doesn't work for....

Big sigh