Hi

I'm in the very early stages of this. I've gone to 2 seminars and I'm just trying to decide if I really want to do it. I keep thinking I can do it on my own without surgery, but my track record indicates otherwise. I'm so afraid of never eating anything but soggy pulverized food the rest of my life. I also have this fear of something getting stuck and not being able to breath. Can you eat normal food (most of it) only smaller amounts? Is that how it works? I'm confused. Also, they gave me a pre-op diet that looks like about 1,200 calories. In you guys' experience, do I have to follow that diet exactly, or can I do my own thing? I'm still attending Weight Watchers and their diet is about the same calorie wise. This is for losing weight before surgery, but they don't say how much they want us to lose (I have Kaiser.) Or is it a preview of what you'll be eating after the liquid/soft/mushy phase?

VeggieGal

veggiegal,

I was banded Jan 3rd of 08. I decided to do the band, not because I couldnt loose the weight.. but I could not keep it off. I can lose it.. no problem there, but I always.. always gained it back.. plus some. Now I know I can keep it off. As far as the soggy pulverised food... I have had two fills and CAN eat about anything.. except bread... rice... and pasta. Notice I said I can... but I dont. This is a tool to lose, and I am trying to be healthy and change my ways. I have had steak, baked potato, shrimp, but in very small quanities. I have not had anything get stuck. and I dont think it is a stuck where you cant breath.

So yes... you can eat normal foods. with the exception of breads,rice pastas. IT IS A CHOICE... I just choose not to AT THIS TIME.

On my pre-op two week diet, it was liquids. I stuck with it pretty well. I drank alot of protein drinks, had jello,broth,sf popsickles.

After surgery, I was on liquids for 5 days. then went to a mushy stage for a week, then went on to soft foods working into normal food.

I hope this helped.

please let me know if you have any questions.

down 41lbs.

Lois

veggiegal,

So yes... you can eat normal foods. with the exception of breads,rice pastas. Lois

Hi, I'm new and considering LB too. I am curious as to why breads, rices and pastas are an exception and why people cannot eat them? Is it simply because they're carbs and because of how they digest? thanks!

Some banders can eat bread if it's toasted. But yes, rice, bread, Pasta are all carbs and add to weight gain. some people can tolerate those foods and choose not to eat them, others can tolerate them and eat small amounts and some can't eat them.

How tight your band is can have an affect on which of those foods you cant eat. Some banders want/need very tight restriction to lose weight, others need less "help" from the band and a lower restriction gives them the "willpower" they need, so how tight YOU need or want your band will allow you some control over which foods you can eat.

I can eat toasted bread and I do occassionally, but I know I'll slow down my weight loss and since I can resist the bread, with the help of my band, I just don't eat it often. Same with pasta and rice. I choose not to eat them. Before they band, resisting them was much more difficult.

Not only is it the carb count. but some breads, rice and pasta will swell in the stomach. If it is not cooked real well and tender. Then you will be fuller and possible PBing.

Lois

Hi Veggie and Chunky, Welcome to LBT! Just to add to the other replies, I think the reason you can't eat soft breads, pancakes, and stuff like that is b/c it absorbs Water and bulks up in your pouch. This can obstruct your stoma (the opening into the rest of your stomach) and cause pain and what we call sliming (overproduction of mucous and saliva) what we call PB-ing which is belching and eventually more or less vomiting what is in your pouch. It's not a plesant experience, so best to avoid it. Besides that, too much of that can cause your band to "slip" which can require more surgery.

With time, you will learn what you can and can't eat. For me, I need to be a little on the tight side--it seems to control hunger better. So I pretty much gave up soft bread. I can do very small amounts Pasta, but I really have to wrok hard to get my Protein and water in every day, so that doesn't leave much room for carbs. Unfortuantely, crackers, Cookies, and especially ice cream go down very well, so I still have to work at putting those demons in their place.

While the band certanily helps, you still have to do the mental and physical work. Good luck to both of you, and keep us posted as to your progress!

One seeking Lapband must be at the point in their life they are ready to change their relationship with food.

Concerns of not being able to eat such and such is a turn off and a reason not to do the surgery.... they are not ready for banding and should not do it.

Your concerns; however, are not like that. Seems you are just wondering about general things. So, you may be ready.

When food gets stuck, you don't stop breating...so you won't be unble to breath. Food will get stuck in the esophogas...not the trachea. If it gets stuck in the trachea...well, that's something ALL people can have happen...not just bandsters.

Just to give you some insight on my experience, I ate normally. Was on regular food by weeks end. I found hamburgers and Crunchwraps from TacoBell to get stuck...and yes, it hurt like the dickens! I had a 30+ year love affair with PepsiCola. And after drinking some ...nope...foamed it back up. Tried again a few weeks later...foamed it up again. So, no Pepsi for me...ever.

But although I was addicted to Pepsi...does that mean I'm depressed or sad, or upset I can't have it anymore? No way! Me at a size 6/8 is so worth NOT having Pepsi. But I did switch to Mt. Dew, seems to go down better.

I have eaten and do eat regularly sandwiches, tacos, pizza, spaghetti, salads, Cookies, candy, ice cream, etc. Not everyday mind you, but being banded for me was about quantity of food...not quality.

The spaghetti and other pastas slime back up. But I still enjoy eating a few bites.

So, you can still eat...but it's the amount. And if you can live with only a few bites and you have to walk away (the band forces that) then you are ready.

There is a distinct difference in the way we view food pre-op and post-op.

Pre-op, our vision is still clouded by the disease of obesity, which (for me) manifested itself as hyperfocusing on food-related issues and fear of deprivation. The actual surgery risks were of less concern to me than the lifestyle changes.

Pre-op, everyone wants assurances that we can eat "normally", i.e., still have dinner with the family in public without drawing attention to ourselves. Everyone is concerned about our "one food" that we can't live without, etc. And calorie counting, do we really have to eat ONLY 1200 calories a day for the rest of our life?

Post-op, I read about 1200 calories and I just feel tired--that's SO MUCH FOOD. Before surgery, a 1200-calorie day was a great day in diet-land. Now, it's a (very) rare splurge. I average around 1000 calories a day (I'm VERY active), and I'm never hungry. I'm actually satisfied on much less food, but I find I have to eat to keep my energy levels up and it requires some planning on my part that I never anticipated.

I wish someone had reassured me pre-op, how HARD I would have to work to get enough calories in now that I have good restriction. I'm like a 5yo again, you can't tempt me with food if I'm not hungry at that exact moment. My best (thin) friend has bowls of chocolate sitting around in every room of her house, and I have no trouble resisting now.

I actually eat BETTER than I did before, because I've given up on low-calorie diet foods in favor of organic/fresh fare. I can't say it often enough:

THIS IS EASIER THAN ANY DIET YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON.

THIS IS A LIFE-ALTERING TOOL, THE LIFE YOU BUILD WITH IT DEPENDS ON YOU.

Thank you all for your responses :thumbup: I understand the post op much more clearly now. I was under the impression that you really do just eat soft sloppy things and not ever normal stuff. I think I can live with the band :cursing:

I have just started all the hoop jumping at this stage. The first meeting they weighed us and gave us this diet to lose before surgery. My insurance (Kaiser) has multiple things to yet do, and it will most likely take months to even get to see the surgeon and get a date. That's what I'm hearing, anyhow. I would love to just pay out of pocket, but that's not going to happen.

Did any of you have to lose a certain amount or at least a good amount before surgery? If so, did you do it your own way or did you actually use a diet given to you by the program? I wasn't sure if they wanted us to do it "their way" with the strict 3 meals only a day and specific foods. I wonder if I could use up my Medifast to do this?

Thanks :thumbup:

Karin/VeggieGal

Most surgeons have their own pre-op diet they want you to follow. some are all liquid like Optifast and some are low calories, high Protein, some are a combo of both ( 2 shakes and one low cal meal). Generally they are all to prepare you for surgery to shrink your liver, so it's not enlarged during surgery and a pre-op diet is a nice little mental boost when you lose weight before surgery.

If a person has a very high BMI a Dr might ask them to lose a certain amount of weight or be on the pre-op diet a little longer than those patients with a lower BMI.

Thank you all for your responses :thumbup: I understand the post op much more clearly now. I was under the impression that you really do just eat soft sloppy things and not ever normal stuff. I think I can live with the band :cursing:

I have just started all the hoop jumping at this stage. The first meeting they weighed us and gave us this diet to lose before surgery. My insurance (Kaiser) has multiple things to yet do, and it will most likely take months to even get to see the surgeon and get a date. That's what I'm hearing, anyhow. I would love to just pay out of pocket, but that's not going to happen.

Did any of you have to lose a certain amount or at least a good amount before surgery? If so, did you do it your own way or did you actually use a diet given to you by the program? I wasn't sure if they wanted us to do it "their way" with the strict 3 meals only a day and specific foods. I wonder if I could use up my Medifast to do this?

Thanks :thumbup:

Karin/VeggieGal

I am at the end of the process *I hope* for hoop jumping with BCBS insurance. I was required by my surgeon though to lose 5-10 pounds before he would schedule the surgery. I have lost 9 pounds. I am a champ at losing the weight I just can't keep it off. I have probably another month or 2 till surgery so I will just keep ditching the pounds. It's great to get a head start :thumbup: Most of the doctors require atleast a small amount of weight loss because once your body begins to lose weight it triggers your liver and it shrinks... Once the liver shrinks it exposes your stomach more and makes the surgery much easier and has a lower risk rate.

Veggie you said you had kaiser do you live in Oregon? I have them also and last time I checked with them they did not offer the procedure. I really hope that this has changed ? It sounds like you have them and they offer it now?