Great Idea - I will do it right now !!

Hi

I am Janet and I am a recovering food addict :wink2:

I was banded 7/17/07 - My starting weight was 250 - I'm 5'4

Today (just over 10 months out) I am 154 - size 8 pants (was 18/20) Medium tops (was 22/24)

I got banded as I wanted to extend the years that I have left on this planet and to do that I knew that I needed to lose weight.

The band has been the tool I needed. For the first time in my life I have been able to achieve this goal (actually getting to my goal weight)

If you want a buddy - support - help - suggestions - Please feel free to call upon me - I will gladly share my journey with you - the journey is still on going and by helping you I will be helping me (staying motivated and accountable) and then one day you can pay it forward and help someone else.

My question is how do I know how much will stretch our band. I was told at post op meeting to eat 1/2 cup each meal for the rest of my life, by the nurse. I have read where some have said they are allowed 1 cup per meal. I asked my Dr. how much to eat, and he said to eat until I am full, he said...you will know when to quit. Right now I am deflated and have no restriction. Janet...help. I am so confused about portion size, I don't want to stretch or slip the band.

Welcome Back Janet....are you finished traveling for a while..lol ( j/k )

Miss you when you are gone.

Pj

Hi everyone tonight. Today is Monday and I got my first fill. He put in 1.2cc under floroscpy. He said my pouch was good and not stretched out at all. I thought he would put in more than that. I guess I am going by what others have gotten. I have to have Clear liquids for three days. Then on to regular food. We will see. I hope I get some restriction. Don't know what to expect with a first fiill so I will go slow and see. My weight is still going down but alot slower but I will take whatever I get. Janet, I saw Trace Adkins last night and he is one sexy son of a _______. You fill in the blanks. It was a great concert. Also Trent Tomlinson, He sure was good also. Well now the fair is over and back on track for me. I am going to walk every day again and get on the good foods again. I didn't do bad at the fair but intend to do better now.

Beckyo:thumbup:

Welcome back Janet! Well everyone, tomorrow I head out on my first business trip to Chicago. It will be interesting to see how things have changes, especially since I'm used to eating out at nice restaurants, sharing a bottle of wine, etc. I haven't had a fill yet so I'm not really restricted, but I do get full. Weight is coming off at a pretty good pace (2lbs a week). I hope I can say that when I get back from my trip!

Kathy

Just checking in! I am doing good, need another fill. I read all the post everyday, but don't post much. Keep up the good work, I learn from all of you! Thanks

Hey Gang - I responded last night to Pj Becky & Kathy - but it looks like my post didn't post - the server went down again !!!!! So here is a recap of what I wrote - well as good as this old memory is :thumbup:

PJ - Amount of food per serving once you have proper restriction: I agree with your doctor - I let my band tell me when I am full.. If I am eating hard Protein (food with substant) I would say that I get pretty full on 3 or 4 oz - with a little room for 1/2 c soft veggies and maybe 1/4 cup rice. that is my normal dinner - Breakfast and lunch are ususally 1 cup of food

.

As I said before I could not live on 1/2 cup of food per meal - I don't think it's healthy - pple need more than that to live on - normal pple eat more than that per meal - heck you can't get enought calories in on 1/2 cup of food 3 x day even with 2 healthy Snacks unless you are eating high fat or high sugar foods which is unhealthy

As far as the medical issues with the band (slips/strech/erossions) - I am not an expert on these issues - I know that there are complications and sometimes crap happens even when you follow the rules - so I just don't concern myself with all the problems that can happen - I am not a worrier I can only control what I do and that's its.

That being said - what I have read - slips happen from too much pbing - eating before you should while your stomach is still healing (they stich the stomach around your band) errossions from being too tight - and there is always the factor that the doc didnt place the band properly and there is the factor of crap happens..

PJ when are they going to refill your band?? These instructions are mostly for a properly inflated band - prior to my 1st fill I was eating almost 2 cups of food - one being mushie (slider) veggies the other was 4 oz fish and 1/2 c rice. I just ate healthy and did my very best until I go to my sweet spot..

Becky - Yep Trace is one heck of a man - Hope the fill helps - you will know once you get back on regular foods - and sometime it can take a bit for the fill to settle in -

Kathy - Being away from home is hard for me to make good choices especially when I don't have alot of choices (like airports) but if you are eating in nice restaurants then you are going to have good food choices to choose from and why can't you have 1 glass of wine?? My doc allows a glass or 2 max but he wants us to live life - this is not a diet this is a lifetime lifestyle changes and we must understand that nothing is off limits - it's everything in moderation - that's where the band is our tool (well except for liquid calories:smile2:),

Cathy - Hope all is well - good to hear from you...

oh ya - Pj - no more traveling til turkey day:biggrin2:.. I am on vacation next week but plan on staying home and taking GS school clothes shopping and maybe a day trip to the beach...

Hey Gang - I responded last night to Pj Becky & Kathy - but it looks like my post didn't post - the server went down again !!!!! So here is a recap of what I wrote - well as good as this old memory is :thumbup:

PJ - Amount of food per serving once you have proper restriction: I agree with your doctor - I let my band tell me when I am full.. If I am eating hard Protein (food with substant) I would say that I get pretty full on 3 or 4 oz - with a little room for 1/2 c soft veggies and maybe 1/4 cup rice. that is my normal dinner - breakfast and lunch are ususally 1 cup of food

.

As I said before I could not live on 1/2 cup of food per meal - I don't think it's healthy - pple need more than that to live on - normal pple eat more than that per meal - heck you can't get enought calories in on 1/2 cup of food 3 x day even with 2 healthy Snacks unless you are eating high fat or high sugar foods which is unhealthy

As far as the medical issues with the band (slips/strech/erossions) - I am not an expert on these issues - I know that there are complications and sometimes crap happens even when you follow the rules - so I just don't concern myself with all the problems that can happen - I am not a worrier I can only control what I do and that's its.

That being said - what I have read - slips happen from too much pbing - eating before you should while your stomach is still healing (they stich the stomach around your band) errossions from being too tight - and there is always the factor that the doc didnt place the band properly and there is the factor of crap happens..

PJ when are they going to refill your band?? These instructions are mostly for a properly inflated band - prior to my 1st fill I was eating almost 2 cups of food - one being mushie (slider) veggies the other was 4 oz fish and 1/2 c rice. I just ate healthy and did my very best until I go to my sweet spot..

Becky - Yep Trace is one heck of a man - Hope the fill helps - you will know once you get back on regular foods - and sometime it can take a bit for the fill to settle in -

Kathy - Being away from home is hard for me to make good choices especially when I don't have alot of choices (like airports) but if you are eating in nice restaurants then you are going to have good food choices to choose from and why can't you have 1 glass of wine?? My doc allows a glass or 2 max but he wants us to live life - this is not a diet this is a lifetime lifestyle changes and we must understand that nothing is off limits - it's everything in moderation - that's where the band is our tool (well except for liquid calories:smile2:),

Cathy - Hope all is well - good to hear from you...

oh ya - Pj - no more traveling til turkey day:biggrin2:.. I am on vacation next week but plan on staying home and taking GS school clothes shopping and maybe a day trip to the beach...

thanks Janet....my first fill is next tues. the 26th. how nice the beach sounds! enjoy ! can't wait to fit into a bathing suit, promised my little granddaughter that i will go with her next year to the Water park.

Hi everyone tonight, I got a 1.2cc fill yesterday under flourscopy. I might have already told you all that. My dr. said Clear liquids for three days. Today is day one and I am starving. these Protein drinks aren't working this time. I don't see why I can't have full liquids. I hope this fill works. It sure seems like he is going to make me work for this weight loss which I am doing. I walked 2.4 miles today and it was hard for me. I have to go back and see him in 4 weeks. I am loosing though. I don't know what I would do without this talk thread. I am crabby because I am hungry.

Beckyo:tt1:

Hi everyone tonight, I got a 1.2cc fill yesterday under flourscopy. I might have already told you all that. My dr. said clear liquids for three days. Today is day one and I am starving. these Protein drinks aren't working this time. I don't see why I can't have full liquids. I hope this fill works. It sure seems like he is going to make me work for this weight loss which I am doing. I walked 2.4 miles today and it was hard for me. I have to go back and see him in 4 weeks. I am loosing though. I don't know what I would do without this talk thread. I am crabby because I am hungry. Beckyo:tt1:

I'm so sorry!!

That's a LONG time to be on clear liquids!

My doc says two days full liquids, one day mushy,

then back to normal. Every doc is different.

Do you folks who have to do liquids so long after a fill have big losses at that time then? Just curious. I have to do 5-6 HOURS of liquids then mushies by evening if the fill was the morning. And next day solids. I promise not to complain about it anymore, I don't know if I could do 3 days of liquids again either.

Hi everyone tonight, I got a 1.2cc fill yesterday under flourscopy. I might have already told you all that. My dr. said clear liquids for three days. Today is day one and I am starving. these Protein drinks aren't working this time. I don't see why I can't have full liquids. I hope this fill works. It sure seems like he is going to make me work for this weight loss which I am doing. I walked 2.4 miles today and it was hard for me. I have to go back and see him in 4 weeks. I am loosing though. I don't know what I would do without this talk thread. I am crabby because I am hungry.

Beckyo:tt1:

Becky Hugs on the 3 days clear liquids - I don't understand why clear - at least full liquids - creamed Soups are what kept me sane (well some pple might argue about that :thumbup:)

Here I go and since this is my mentor thread I don't know if I am going to get flamed (pple get real pissed when pple tell others to go against their doctors) but - I really don't think that having creamed Soup is going to cause any problems - but that's just personal opinion.

You are a grown woman and are capable of making your own choices so do what works for you..

Do you folks who have to do liquids so long after a fill have big losses at that time then? Just curious. I have to do 5-6 HOURS of liquids then mushies by evening if the fill was the morning. And next day solids. I promise not to complain about it anymore, I don't know if I could do 3 days of liquids again either.

Lori - after a fill I am suppose to do one week each phase of the post op diet - Full Liquids - Mushies - Soft - Regular - the 1st fill I pretty much followed those direction but the 2nd one I didn't I did soup for a couple of days then moved to soft/regular - I must say that for the last year I eat fish 85 if not 90% of the time - which is soft - I don't eat much chicken or beef - sometimes but not super often -

Tonight I had turkey meatloaf & mashed potatoes - I will have meat loaf sandwiches for lunch the rest of the week (lite bread)

I think I lost like 3 - 4 lbs the 1st week after a fill and I think that's why the doc has you go back to post op diet to boost your weight lost but can't say for sure since I really didn't follow the rules to a T..

Phyl and some others did the 5 day pouch test where you do liquids for like 3 days then soft then regular (it's to get your pouch back in shape its really for bypass but banders can do it it ) there was no way on God's green earth that I am going to voluntarily do liquids for 3 days... I like to eat - I eat healty I eat less than normal portions and my weight seems to be staying stable

So Hell no to a liquid diet :sneaky::cool2:

Im off to bed - ttyl :thumbup:

Hi Janet,

I posted this on the 50's thread but didn't get an answer and thought maybe you had rather answer here.

A few pages back you said something about going up on calories a day (pretty significantly as I recall) so you stop losing weight. Will you have to unfill your band at all to do that or just eat more often? Just wondering how that will occur?

Also, I have not had a fill yet, but understand my doctor requires one day full liquids, one day mushy's after a fill. That sounds more reasonable but probably won't lose the 4+ pounds a week.

Got a scale victory today (I'm trying to only weigh once a week)... Hit the 20 lb mark. Very exciting. Not as exciting as 50 lbs that long got but I'll take the victories where I can :biggrin2:.

Katarina

Hi Janet,

I posted this on the 50's thread but didn't get an answer and thought maybe you had rather answer here.

A few pages back you said something about going up on calories a day (pretty significantly as I recall) so you stop losing weight. Will you have to unfill your band at all to do that or just eat more often? Just wondering how that will occur?

Also, I have not had a fill yet, but understand my doctor requires one day full liquids, one day mushy's after a fill. That sounds more reasonable but probably won't lose the 4+ pounds a week.

Got a scale victory today (I'm trying to only weigh once a week)... Hit the 20 lb mark. Very exciting. Not as exciting as 50 lbs that long got but I'll take the victories where I can :biggrin2:.

Katarina

Hi Katarina

Sorry I didn't respond in the 50 thread - sometimes just not enough hrs in the day :0)...

CONGRATS ON YOUR 1ST 20LBS - THAT'S GREAT !!!

Please don't compare your weight lost with others - it can de-rail you.. We each lose weight differently - we all eat different - some can exercise more than other - some have messed up metabolisms or slow ones - a loss is a loss. A little competition is a good thing but don't let it deter you from your losses if they aren't as much as others...

I am single so for me I have the time to exercise - cook healthy and no reason to have junk food in the house for others - I do have my GS living with me but he and I eat diff so his treats don't tempt me :0)

No I won't have an unfill - my band is my insurance tool not to regain the weight I have lost. I have lost weight before (never this much - haven't been this weight since my early 20's) but I have always regained it - 5 lbs at a time.

I am no longer in the losing weight mode - I now have to maintain which is a little difficult as I feel that I am going to be eating too much and am afraid of regaining...

I did one of those calculators that said to maintain my weight with my activity level I should eat 1972 calories a day - where as in the weight lost mode I was eating 800-1200 a day.. My Trainer said I should eat about 1500 a day and see how that goes.

I am eating about the same as I was prior to getting to my goal but instead of using 100% butter spray I may use butter - have added a few more calories (almonds) during the day at work when I get the munchies from the stress. So it's a combination of things upping my calories a little and eating a little more often. But I am still eating the same healthy foods and keeping up on my exercise.

For the 1st yr I kept a food diary - I am no longer keeping a diary but in my head I am still counting a bit - but not religious - I am just staying on a healthy eating plan - I allow for treats but just not every day -

I was visiting family last weekend - bought and ate Cookies which I would have never done at home.

I have not looked at my food plan as a diet this past year - I have looked at it as a new lifetime lifestyle change in my eating - which I continue to realize that this isn't that hard - I am lucky that I got to my sweet spot on 2.5 fills (I say this as January had a 3rd fill but was too tight and had to have all but .02 of what was added taken out)

Just curious and I am very confused now. What exactly are we allowed to take medication wise and in what forms? At first I thought it was no pills only liquid forms of medications, then was told some pills were okay but not capsules. Now I am so confused. Iplan on asking at my next dr. visit this afternoon, but am going crazy the past few days with hayfever. Can I take allergy pills?

I take a chewable vitamin but my calcium is a 'petite pill' that I swallow. When I took b/p meds the nurse told me it was okay to take that in tablet form. I don't know why or how I got this so confused, maybe because most of it at the time didnt' apply to me and I didn't pay close enough attention!! :thumbup:

Hi Lori,

I don't think I can answer your questions about pills, but as I sit here sneezing like crazy, I can sympathize with you about your allergies.

My doctor prescribed liquid allegra, which has helped a lot. Zyrtec also makes its allergy meds in a liquid form. Claritin has a tablet that melts under your tongue.

My daughter, the doc, feels that allegra and zyrtec work better than claritin, which didn't help me at all. Zyrtec was pretty good, but raised my blood sugar level. (I don't know if that would happen now, post banding, and maybe I'll give it another try.)

Hope this info helps. I can't wait til the season changes, which here in sunny L.A. is going to be a long time away!!!!

Be well.

Love,

Ellen