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About this blog

:thumbup:My journey with the band - On my way to the 2nd part of my life!

Entries in this blog

 

Something very weird is happening...........

Okay, so I get a fill on 8/6 or 5th, can't remember the exact date....My doc fills me up to 4 cc's in a 4cc band, I have to go back that same day and he takes he said a little over .2cc's out, he said I'm somewhere between 3.6 to 3.8 cc's.   Everything was going great, matter of fact, I felt like I needed a tad more. Well, not anymore! I cannot hardly eat or drink anything. It seems I get tighter at night, so weired! If its cold, I have to barely sip on my drink, for the first time EVER, I actually have to take small bits and put my fork down between bites, is this what they call RESTRICTION? I thought I had restriction before, but never like this.   The weird thing is it came on all of a sudden, Saturday night, 4 weeks after my fill, I start feeling tight and I actually PB'd on some chineese food. I NEVER EVER EVER pb. Seriously, I've only PB'd once in my entire Banded life. I'm a bit worried, and I'm a bit happy. I hope this restriciton last, and I hope its not a sign of band slippage.   I will keep documenting how it goes, man, I love this feeling of NEVER HUNGRY, and actually having to slow down to eat.:thumbup:
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Scales - Sometimes its fun being a scale whore, sometimes its disgusting!

I really hate the scale sometimes, I really do. Today is one day I want to kick it and stomp on it and throw it against the wall and smash the little head in!   I've done sooooo good, I have great restriction, was on liquids for three days, and when I did start back to eating, I ate good lean protein. So what the heck is the problem with the scale GOING UP? AND NOT GOING DOWN!   Weighed this morning at 165.1. What the *&()^)_(y%$# - I was cursing at that little demon this morning! Oh, makes me so livid mad, tempting to go get a donut from my bosses desk, but I refrained! Plus, not sure if a donut would even go down without some sliming, lol.   Anyhow, just coming to vent this morning. As you can tell, the scale has put me in a fowl mood today!   I was thinking about me being "a scale whore", I just gotta have it everyday, every morning, gotta have my scale fix. Sometimes I love it, I can see the numbers going down, but today it was just a disgusting habit! grrrrrrr:mad::wink::eek:
tonya66

tonya66

7
 

Scale is moving

Weighed in this morning, TOM is finally starting to leave, so the scales are FINALLY starting to go down again. Weighed this morning at 227.8.   I am really hoping to get to 215 by my surgery date, but thats just a little over a month away, so not sure if I will or not. I'll be happy if I get down to 220 by surgery date.   I'm about to start my countdown to surgery. I'm really getting excited and I keep fantasizing about how I will look at 140 lbs. I can't wait!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Saturday 11/24/07

Today I tried and focussed on making good choices in my eating. I made a pan of baked chicken to eat on today and tomorrow.   I also made a big green salad. yum.   I can tell my hunger is back, but I am NOT going to gain any weight. I'm going to focus on eating right and try and lose or maintain until I get my fill back to some restriction.   I did weigh this morning and the scales showed I was up to 172, however, I am not worried about it because I just got out of the hospital. I know they put bags and bags of fluid in me, so I'm sure I'm retaining water.   Anyhow, I'm thankful that I am back to feeling normal again, no more throwing up. I am still a tad bit nauseous after I eat for some reason, but not too bad.   Menu today   Bfast - just some iced coffee   Lunch - cottage cheese, smashed up chicken tender   Dinner - smashed chicken tender and boiled egg   Supplements - Quickslim 30, flinstone viatimin
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Rules to follow with the lapband - A freindly reminder to myself

Eat slowly and chew thoroughly Food can pass through the new stoma only of it has been into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well. Stop eating as soon as you feel full Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to eat you meal. Try to recognize the feeling the fullness - then stop eating at once. Do not drink while you are eating This operation can work only if you eat solid food. If you drink at mealtimes, the food you have eaten becomes liquid and the effectiveness of the LAP-BAND System is greatly reduced. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible. Do not eat between meals After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. Patients with proper "fill" levels do not feel hungry in between meals. If you are, this may be a sign that your band is too loose and you should tell your clinician. Eat only good quality food With the LAP-BAND System in place, you should be able to able to eat only a small amount so the the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your small stomach pouch with junk food that lacks vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in protein and vitamins. Fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and cereals are good foods to choose. Foods high in fat and sugar are not. You may eat apples and oranges, but try to avoid orange juice and and apple juice. Ask your doctor or dietician before you take any vitamin supplements. Avoid fibrous food Food such as asparagus that contains many fibers can block the stoma. That's because you can't chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can't break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then you must be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces and them chew them thoroughly. Drink enough fluids during the day If you lose weight, your fat content will drop. This results in waste products. You will need to drink large amounts of liquid every day in order to urinate more and excrete these waste products from your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Drink only low-calorie liquids. Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet created by the band. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you otherwise follow your diet. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day This rule is just as important as the other nine rules. Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is very important to successful weight loss. Exercise can help improve your general health. Your size may make it hard for you to exercise as much as you should. But get started, even if it is a little at first. The more weight you lose, the easier it should get. Start with simple exercises such as walking and swimming. Gradually expand you program to include more vigorous forms of exercise such as cycling, jogging and aerobics. Increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator, etc. Remember you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you. Food Choices Use this section to help you plan what you eat. you may choose what you would like from each of these food groups on a daily basis: Fruits and vegetable 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily
2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetable daily Bread and Cereals 1 small portion of corn flakes for breakfast
1 to 2 slices of whole wheat or rye bread each day Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs 1 oz. to 2 oz. of meat, fish or poultry or one egg each day (remove all visible fat from the meat. remove the ski from poultry. Grilling, steaming, microwaving or boiling are best ways to prepare them with low fat). Dairy Products Milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form. In theory, then, they should be avoided. But these types of food have calcium. That makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Choose a maximum of 2 cups of skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt and 1 oz. of cheese a day. Fats Restrict the use of fat to 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day. You can have low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise in moderation. Drink as many calorie-free liquids per day as you wish. Suitable drinks are: Tea or black coffee with low-calorie sweetener
Water
Non-carbonated beverages containing few or no calories
Clear soup Note: Some doctors have reported that carbonated beverages may contribute to enlargement of the small pouch and should be avoided. Foods to Avoid Some foods have a concentrated supply of calories with little nutritional value and should be avoided as much as possible. They include: Sugar and foods containing large quantities of sugar, such as: High-calorie soft drinks
Syrups
Cakes
Biscuits
Sweets
Jam
Marmalade
Honey
High-fat foods including:
Chocolate
Pies
Chips pastries Alcoholic drinks should also be consumed in moderation
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Rules of the Road pt 2

The next point is chewing. It is very important that food is completely chewed. Before swallowing ensure the food is a liquid. As the weight loss progresses the opening from the pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore the food needs to be chewed more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get "stuck". This can be very painful. Slower eating becomes inevitable. Eating too fast encourages bigger bites. The bigger bite means the food isn’t chewed properly and it can get stuck. As a Bandster with over 18 months in, I still find myself falling into this trap. I get excited, chatting with friends and just forget to pay attention. A Bandster’s Eating Order Lap Band patients have a specific order in which to eat their food. It is important that there is enough protein in the diet to keep the bodies moving properly. Therefore, the protein should be eaten first. WLS patients need 40-60 grams of protein every day. This can come in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when only certain foods can be tolerated. Also, it is important that the protein is a “hard” protein (chicken, beef, and fish) if possible. It shouldn’t all come from protein shakes and cheese. The vegetables should be eaten second, and carbohydrates/starches last (if there is room). Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing you to feel full sooner and maintain satiety longer. Hard proteins are the most difficult for a Bandster to consume. The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally speaking, proteins are the foods that get “stuck” most often and cause spit ups. This happens because the bite isn’t small enough and/or, because the protein hasn’t been chewed sufficiently before swallowing. For the record, beef is generally the most difficult food for Bandsters to eat. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work its way through the digestive track. And that’s on an un-banded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and it isn’t chewed it up completely, it can sit in the pouch for an extended amount of time. Further, the stomach acids that help an un-banded person process beef are not present in the pouch and therefore are not there to help the body break the beef down. Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. From personal experience I know that each Bandster will figure out what he or she can or cannot tolerate through trial and error. Trust me when I say that tolerances change; one day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes in your body’s ability to process certain foods.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Reminders for me to remenber - Rules of the Road

What you need to know about living with the band By Robin McCoy When you begin the decision-making process to have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and specifically Lap Band® Surgery, it is vital that you fully understand the changes you must make in your lifestyle. WLS is not a magic pill. Weight loss is something that you must work at to be successful. There are several rules and circumstances that someone who has undergone Lap Band® Surgery, a “Bandster,” must follow and understand to see success and have a high quality banded life. Drinking Before and After Meals Not drinking during meals is, by far, one of the most important things to learn and is vital to your weight loss success. It is also one of the most challenging. Stop drinking all liquids at least 30 minutes before your meal. This allows all that is in your pouch to drain through to the lower stomach. Therefore your pouch is empty when you eat allowing the food to fill you up properly. Forgo all beverages during your meals. Drinking during a meal flushes the food through your band and the band is unable to function properly. Most people will have 2, 3 or even 4 glasses of liquid with meals. Servers in restaurants, trained to keep customers happy, will keep beverage glasses full throughout the meal. This is unhealthy for bandsters and sabotages their success. State firmly and clearly that you do not want a beverage. From personal experience, I know the often bewildered looks that follow the statement: “nothing to drink for me,” but diligence is the key. Like most changes required after the Lap Band® procedure, not drinking with meals gets much easier with time. Having now lost over 100 pounds, I no longer have difficulty asking my server not to bring me a beverage! Do not drink for an hour after a meal.The main reason is the same as drinking during your meal. Liquids wash the food through the band defeating its purpose. Another reason not to drink after a meal is if your pouch is full the beverage might not have anywhere to go…except backwards resulting in a spit-up. Suffice it to say that food and liquids making a return visit is not satisfying. By starting this practice immediately, at the next meal, you will be well on your way to a successful banding experience. Smaller Bites. More Chewing. Slower Eating. Begin to recognize and understand what a Bandster Bite is. At your next meal look at your bite size. Look at the amount of food on your fork and remember it. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the Bandster bite size after surgery. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the size of a Bandster bite after the first fill or adjustment. After each fill the bite size will get smaller until the bandster is eating toddler-sized bites. The reason for this is so the bite can be chewed completely to a liquid before swallowing.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Plateaus

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS   When you're trying to lose weight, the question isn't whether or not you'll hit a plateau, it's when. Plateaus are like bad weather on a long hike: it's inevitable that you'll run into it, but knowing that in advance won't make it one bit less frustrating or annoying when it happens. Cheer up! Since plateaus are as common as rain, we have a pretty good idea what to do about them. At least one of the following techniques should help you break through a plateau and start losing again.   1. Be a Calorie Detective When clients tell me they've stopped losing weight, the first thing I ask is this: how many calories a day are you eating? Calories have a way of creeping up while we're not paying attention. Be brutally honest with yourself: how much are you eating? Using a food diary for a while is a great way to monitor this. And yes, sodas and alcoholic beverages count! A good calorie goal for dieters is your target weight times 10.   2. Change It Up When you're not making gains in an exercise program you change your routine. Same holds true with your eating plan. Low-carbers could go higher carb for a few days, high-carbers might switch to a plan like Atkins or South Beach. Varying calorie intake may have a positive effect: If you're averaging 1,500 calories daily, try dropping to 1,200, going up to 2,000 and then dropping back to 1,500. You get the idea. Your body's gotten comfortable, so it's time to shake things up.   3. Try a Temporary Ban Food sensitivities can cause weight gain and bloat, and the frustrating thing is that most of us don't always know which foods are the culprits. So play the odds. Highest on the list of "usual suspects" are grains (wheat in particular), dairy and sugar. Temporarily ban all three and see what happens.   4. Take Your Workout Up a Notch Forget the "fat burning zone." High intensity intervals -- 30 to 60 seconds -- are the wave of the future. If you're accustomed to level three on your cardio machine, ramp it up to level 6 for a minute then slow down, catch your breath and repeat. Ever see a sprinter with love handles? Training like a sprinter will lower your body fat faster than any technique I know of, plus it'll boost your metabolism and lower your weight.   5. Strength Training If you're not strength training, start now. And if you are, ramp it up a notch. Muscle is your greatest ally in breaking a plateau. Unfortunately many women train with weights too light to produce the metabolic boost they need. Don't be afraid of heavier weights. They should be heavy enough that you can only do between 8 and 12 reps.   6. Up Your Protein Studies show that higher protein diets make it easier to lose fat. Protein boosts the metabolism (in one study as much as 100 percent for 24 hours), and increases satiety, making it more likely that you won't overeat. A higher protein diet could be just what you need to break that plateau.   7. Try a Detox Unsupervised fasting is a really bad idea, but the idea of giving your system a rest makes sense. Try a "smart fast" of nothing but fruits and vegetables for a couple of days. The added fiber is always helpful, and the massive amount of nutrients and phytochemicals is like "spring cleaning" for your metabolism.   8. Take Inventory Other things besides diet and exercise could be stalling your weight loss, such as stress, lack of sleep or medication. Take a look at what else is going on in your life that might need attention. Sometimes when you clean up the problems in one area of your life, problems in other areas just naturally take care of themselves.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

only 4.9 lbs until I reach my original goal!

on 1/18/07 when I received my band, I set a goal to weigh 145. Well, I'm in the 140's now and only need to lose 4.9 lbs in order to reach that goal.   I've now decided I want to get to 135, but first I want to reach that goal of 145! I've already reached my doctors goal of 155. I've also already reached the goal of no longer being overweight. Its taken me over 3 years to do it, but I've done it! Or almost done it all. I'm just one happy camper today!
tonya66

tonya66

3
 

OMG Am I really going to do this?

OMG, I'm freaking out....I feel like my entire life is about to change. OMG OMG OMG.   Okay, Tonya, take a deep breath, breathe in, breathe out....okay, better now.   I just got a call from the docs office to officially schedule the surgery. I chose 1/18, so I'm scheduled for surgery on 1/18.   I have to have a Psych Eval on 1/2, I get an upper GI on 1/4, I have to pay my deposit on 1/4 for the surgery, I meet with the diatician on 1/8 at 2:00, I also have to have my pre-op consultation on 1/8 at 4:30. Everything is moving fast, I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. Its a weird feeling. I can't believe I am actually going to do this. I'm actually going to have surgery. I hope I am not making a huge mistake. I hope I can do this, I've been so pro-band for so long, now that it is actually here, I'm freaking out!   Okay, calm down, It will be okay, I can do this, yes I can.
tonya66

tonya66

4
 

Oh yeah, life is good!

Melting away this week, but I'm not complaining. I love being in the 160's. Today I hit an all time low, or the lowest I have been in 18 years! I weighed in at 167.7 - I love it!   My last fill is really working, I'm satisfied on a small amount of food, but yet I can eat anything and don't have problems with PBing. I think this is the "sweet spot", the only thing I kinda have problems with is ice cold drinks, I have to slow down on those.   Yes, Life is good in the band world right now.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

October 5, 2007 - long time no post, but back in action!

Okay, I haven't posted since JULY!!! Here is what has been going on -   I leave 8/4/07 for a vacation that we saved for for an entire year, we were headed to the Carribean for a 7 day cruise with my husbands entire immediate family.   Things started off great, great whether, I looked darned good in my $280 pink beaded gown (got it for $24.00 on clearance - what a steal). My DH & I booked a private room on the cruise and my kids were in the next room - how much more romantic good you get? I decided I would splurge on the trip, eat whatever the heck I wanted, so I order the chocolate melting cake after dinner. Let me tell you it was heavenly!   Well, day 2 of the cruise was huge party, all the cruise passengers were divided up into teams, Red, White & Blue were the team colors. We were the White team. That evening, we went to the lounge where all the other fellow white team members were, and everyone was on the dance floor having a great time. Then they said they would tap couple on the shoulders and they wanted them to stay on the dance floor for a "dance off". Wouldn't you know it, my DH & I were chosen. So we are out there dancing and having a great time, and we're down to the final 4 couples, and suddenly, the floor was wet, and my leg slipped. I tried to not fall, but down I went. As I went down I felt things inside my leg rip like never before. I could not get up. My DH & others carried me off the dance floor and I was in so much pain. The nurse came up with a wheel chair and I opted not to go to the doctor on the ship (its about $300 minimum to see the doc). I wanted to put ice on it and see how it felt the next morning.   The next morning, it was as big as the ship (my knee). So I went to see the doc, who basically told me there was nothing they could do. They gave me a shot for pain & swelling and wrapped it up and said enjoy the rest of the trip. Yeah, right.   So, the remainder of the 5 days I was in a wheel chair and made the best of my trip. I wasn't able to snorkle, or go the beach, or even swim. But I did drink, eat and have some fun. I enjoyed watching everyone else, but I was in a lot of pain.   Okay, fast forward.....We arrive home on 9/12/07 only to find our house had completely flooded, I mean every room! It was totally ruined! Or at least unlivable for a few weeks. The smell was horrid. So here I am, totally unable to walk, no house to live in, by this time, I'm really feeling sorry for myself - so I eat...and eat, and eat some more. Bad habits sure do come back fast!   Fast forward again.....I had surgery on my knee 8/22. They replaced two of my legiments with donors, and fixed another one (MCL, LCL & ACL were all damaged). They also had to clean out my cartlidge, and do a major menicus repair, drilled wholes in my knee and everything. The doctor broke the bad knews that I would not be able to put any weight on my right knee for at least 6 weeks and I would be totally bed ridden for 2 weeks. So, what do I do, I eat, and I eat and eat. My congregation were so kind to prepare meals for my family, and let me tell you, the ladies cooked wonderful - but fattening meals. But I ate them anyhow. How could I not?   Fast forward, during this time, my grandmother grew ill, she & I are extremely close - I am also her power of attorney. Well, she passed away so I had to deal with planning the entire funeral with no help from my family. They were all wanting to do it their way when they knew how she wanted her memorial. They knew she gave me specific instructions, so I fought with them and this caused more emotional eating.   Well, my house is almost back in order, I am now able to put a little weight on my right knee, and walking now with 1 crutch. I survived my grandmothers funeral - and I finally stepped on the scales.....I was so shocked and relieved to see the scales went up 5 lbs. Yes, only 5 lbs!!!!!   I love the band, I truly love this band. Pre band, I would have gained a minimum of 20 lbs. I have done it over and over and over. I always gain quickly and after 2 months of eating whatever I wanted, I am shocked the scales are only up 5 lbs.   The day I left for the cruise I weighed in at 174.6 - I was up about 3 lbs, because I was down to 171. I weighed this morning and I'm down to 175.6 - almost my pre cruise weight.   I feel like the past 2 months were just a waste for me, but on the other hand I've learned that I will never be fat again as long as I have my band!!! I can go off of dieting and not gain 20lbs. I am so happy with the band.   Now that I am over my self-pitty party, its back to the grind with eating right. I can't exercise yet, but I can't wait to get back into gear with exercise.   Well, thats my end of summer story....I'm looking forward to getting my life back on track!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

November is going to be a GREAT month!

Okay - November, I'm starting off with the right mind and doing it right! I WILL lose weight this month, I WILL stay true to my Billy Bob (the name of my band), I WILL get back to exercising this month, and I WILL keep my journal updated more.   I talked to my Physical therapyst today regarding the elliptical machine, she gave me the okay to start on it this weekend, however, I have to take it slllooooow. She said no more than 15 min to start out on and not to go super fast (this is going to be hard for me to follow - but I will do my best). So, I am planning on exercising tomorrow. Next week, it will be back to the 5 am exercises I think. I'm going to try and do 15 min everyday next week of the elliptical!   My menu today   Bfast - liquid calories - bad bad bad (had a white mocha been coffee drink - grrrrrrr so mad at myself)   Lunch - about 1/2 cup of cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 container of carb control yogurt   snack - hand full of nuts which included almonds, macadamias, cashews.   Dinner - Salad bar from Ruby Tuesdays   Exercise - worked out at the PT office - did 10 min on bike, did some leg lifts, and did some resistance with my knee on 20 lbs (ouch).   Afternoon Exercise - did 10 min on recumbant bike   Suppliments - took 1 Quickslim-30, daily 5 veggie & fruit drink
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

November 6, 2007

Well, I said this was the week I was going to get back into my exercise program....I have yet to start to it. So, I need to get back into the grove of things. Weight is not moving, but it is still staying the same, so I'm happy that it is not even bouncing up right now. I am expecting a drop sooooooon.   I go to the sleep center today to take my machine to be adjusted, it is now too powerful for me. I can't wait to get off the cpap machine.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Notes to myself

Rules of the Road What you need to know about living with the band By Robin McCoy When you begin the decision-making process to have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and specifically LapBand® Surgery, it is vital that you fully understand the changes you must make in your lifestyle. WLS is not a magic pill. Weight loss is something that you must work at to be successful. There are several rules and circumstances that someone who has undergone LapBand® Surgery, a “Bandster,” must follow and understand to see success and have a high quality banded life. Drinking Before and After Meals Not drinking during meals is, by far, one of the most important things to learn and is vital to your weight loss success. It is also one of the most challenging. Stop drinking all liquids at least 30 minutes before your meal. This allows all that is in your pouch to drain through to the lower stomach. Therefore your pouch is empty when you eat allowing the food to fill you up properly. Forgo all beverages during your meals. Drinking during a meal flushes the food through your band and the band is unable to function properly. Most people will have 2, 3 or even 4 glasses of liquid with meals. Servers in restaurants, trained to keep customers happy, will keep beverage glasses full throughout the meal. This is unhealthy for bandsters and sabotages their success. State firmly and clearly that you do not want a beverage. From personal experience, I know the often bewildered looks that follow the statement: “nothing to drink for me,” but diligence is the key. Like most changes required after the LapBand® procedure, not drinking with meals gets much easier with time. Having now lost over 100 pounds, I no longer have difficulty asking my server not to bring me a beverage! Do not drink for an hour after a meal. The main reason is the same as drinking during your meal. Liquids wash the food through the band defeating its purpose. Another reason not to drink after a meal is if your pouch is full the beverage might not have anywhere to go…except backwards resulting in a spit-up. Suffice it to say that food and liquids making a return visit is not satisfying. By starting this practice immediately, at the next meal, you will be well on your way to a successful banding experience. Smaller Bites. More Chewing. Slower Eating. Begin to recognize and understand what a Bandster Bite is. At your next meal look at your bite size. Look at the amount of food on your fork and remember it. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the Bandster bite size after surgery. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the size of a Bandster bite after the first fill or adjustment. After each fill the bite size will get smaller until the bandster is eating toddler-sized bites. The reason for this is so the bite can be chewed completely to a liquid before swallowing. The next point is chewing. It is very important that food is completely chewed. Before swallowing ensure the food is a liquid. As the weight loss progresses the opening from the pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore the food needs to be chewed more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get "stuck". This can be very painful. Slower eating becomes inevitable. Eating too fast encourages bigger bites. The bigger bite means the food isn’t chewed properly and it can get stuck. As a Bandster with over 18 months in, I still find myself falling into this trap. I get excited, chatting with friends and just forget to pay attention. A Bandster’s Eating Order Lap-Band patients have a specific order in which to eat their food. It is important that there is enough protein in the diet to keep the bodies moving properly. Therefore, the protein should be eaten first. WLS patients need 40-60 grams of protein every day. This can come in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when only certain foods can be tolerated. Also, it is important that the protein is a “hard” protein (chicken, beef, and fish) if possible. It shouldn’t all come from protein shakes and cheese. The vegetables should be eaten second, and carbohydrates/starches last (if there is room). Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing you to feel full sooner and maintain satiety longer. Hard proteins are the most difficult for a Bandster to consume. The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally speaking, proteins are the foods that get “stuck” most often and cause spit ups. This happens because the bite isn’t small enough and/or, because the protein hasn’t been chewed sufficiently before swallowing. For the record, beef is generally the most difficult food for Bandsters to eat. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work its way through the digestive track. And that’s on an un-banded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and it isn’t chewed it up completely, it can sit in the pouch for an extended amount of time. Further, the stomach acids that help an un-banded person process beef are not present in the pouch and therefore are not there to help the body break the beef down. Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. From personal experience I know that each Bandster will figure out what he or she can or cannot tolerate through trial and error. Trust me when I say that tolerances change; one day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes in your body’s ability to process certain foods. The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too much Restriction. No one can really describe it but everyone wants it. You have restriction when your band is adjusted to the point where you can eat 3-5 bites of well-chewed food and you are full. When this happens you have what is called good restriction. You are too loose, or open, if you don’t feel full after just a few bites. You are able to eat more on a consistent basis than before. Maybe your weight loss has slowed or stopped. This is when it is time for a fill, or adjustment, in your band. You are too tight when you can eat very little solid food or worse—none at all. If you are so tight that only liquids go through your band or you are spitting up too often this is too tight. If you can’t keep liquids down this is a medical issue and you must get some removed. You run the risk of becoming dehydrated. Being too tight is not a good thing! Not only are you not getting the nutrition your body needs to function properly but it can also bring on a slippage in your band. If this happens you will require minor surgery to repair it. Now that you know a little about what restriction is, let’s get a little deeper. There are three points to learn: 1. The first thing to understand is that every banded person feels restriction differently. So to compare yourself to others is difficult. 2. Also the amount of fluid in the band and the stomach’s reaction, or restriction, to it is a varied as the Bandsters reading this now. Everyone’s stomach is a different size and reacts to the band differently. It is fine to compare fluid levels but don’t get too caught up in “I have this and they have that”. 3. Finally, your level of restriction can change day to day. It can change meal to meal in some cases. You are now asking, “How in the heck do I deal with that?” My answer is trial and error and learning about your band. Let us go back to the beginning. Immediately after surgery you will feel restriction. The surgeon usually doesn’t put any fluid in your band during the surgery. The restriction you feel is the swelling of your stomach and it’s adjustment to the band that has suddenly been wrapped around it. You won’t get your first fill until 4-6 weeks after surgery. You will be on clear liquids and they will fill you up quickly for the first few days. Then they will stop filling you up you will begin to feel hungry. About this time you will be allowed to eat mushy foods like mashed potatoes, creamy soups, etc. You will find that you eat just a few bites and you are full. This is great! Who knew a ¼ can of soup would be enough? This is going to be a piece of cake. It isn’t going to last. Shortly this won’t satisfy and you will be moving on to solid food. That feeling of restriction comes back. A slice of turkey and you are stuffed! This doesn’t last either. At about 4 weeks, sometimes earlier, you will start to feel hunger again. You feel like you are eating everything. Your weight loss has slowed or stopped. You start to freak out. “Where is my restriction?!” you cry. This is a difficult time but one that every Bandster gets through. Just be patient and let yourself finish the healing process. Watch what you eat and know that you are not eating anywhere near what you were pre-band. The unfilled band supplies a certain amount of restriction and you won’t hurt your progress. Your first fill will bring you back to the restriction point right after surgery. You will eat a few bites and feel full. You will start losing weight pretty quickly. You want to make sure you are eating your protein first, vegetables second and any starches last. This will ensure satiety. This fill will usually last several weeks. Then it starts to loosen up. Your second fill is the one that usually kicks a Bandster in the butt. This is where they learn what not chewing thoroughly and taking bites that are too large can do. And so it goes. Some Bandsters need one fill others need more. I had 4 over the course of the first year. I heard of one woman that lost 80 pounds on her first fill. This is why I stress not comparing yourself to your banded friends. It brings on frustration and we have spent enough time in our lives comparing ourselves to others. Now is the time to stop. One of the largest environmental factors that make our band feel tighter is stress. I never truly understood what Bandsters were talking about when they said stress was tightening their band. That is until I started the process of buying a house. The stress of the pending inspection and what they might find had my band so tight I was barely eating. My band was so tight I cancelled my fill appointment. Let me say right now that I learned from this experience and you need to make sure you are getting the right vitamins in to ensure your health. I wasn’t in any danger but I was very tired and was bruising like crazy! Well, the inspection went well. I got my house and my band opened back up. Food started going through more smoothly and I started eating better. Other environmental factors can be tiredness, excitement, sadness, or just the fact that it is morning. Many Bandsters find they can’t eat until after 11 AM every day. I don’t know if this satisfies your curiosity of what restriction is or what you are to do with it. I do hope you understand that everyone is different and it is a learning process. You will learn what it feels like for you to have good restriction and when your band is talking to you. Being “stuck” and “spitting up” As WLS patients we have a few fun words we use. Some are nice and some are not. You will hear “PB” which means “Productive Burp”. I prefer the simple term “spit up”. What does “stuck” mean? Stuck means that what you have eaten won’t go through the opening between your pouch and lower stomach. This is called your “stoma”. The bite is too big to go through (meaning you didn’t chew it enough), it isn’t something that moves smoothly through the band (lettuce), or you just ate too darn much. When a bite of food goes through your esophagus and hits your pouch it has one of two places to go…through the band or back. If all is well it will go through with no problem either now or later. If it can’t make it to the pouch or through the stoma it will result in a spit up. Understand that this is something that will happen to you and to every bandster out there. Call it a side-effect or whatever you like but it will happen. The questions are what causes a spit-up, what it feels like, what to do when it happens, and how to avoid them. Remember, things can change day-to-day, heck even meal to meal. This is the nature of the beast. Frustrating? Yes. Small price to pay? I think so. What causes a spit up is easy. The bite it too big, you took one or two too many bites, you didn’t chew properly, or it is simply a food that you can’t tolerate right now. It is up to you to determine which of the above it true. Trust me… you will learn to determine this. What does if feel like? You will know. The best way I can find to describe the feeling is when you drink a big gulp of water and it goes down with air. You get this pain in your chest that makes you feel like something is going to bust out. That is what it feels like when something is stuck. It can be minor or it can hurt like a son-of-a-gun. Some bandsters say their bodies tell them when they are finished eating and need to stop. Some Bandsters start to salivate which is their body’s way of washing the food through. Some, me included, get a heavy sigh or exhale; this tells us we are full. Don’t worry; you too will learn to read what your body is telling you…even if you don’t now. What should you do when it happens? Stop eating is the first thing. It doesn’t matter if it is your first bite or your fifth. A spit up is your body’s way of telling you that you are full. This is your band in full-alert. It is telling you that you are done and to put the fork down. Many times you can stop eating and just wait it out. Until you are used to it you might get the “deer in the headlight” look. Soon you will just adjust. If it doesn’t go away then you need to deal with it. Dealing with it means excusing yourself and heading to the bathroom. A spit up is just that. I compare it to a baby spit up. It should never be what you classify as vomiting. This is hazardous for a Bandster and should be avoided as it can cause slippage. There is a very large difference in spit ups and vomiting. How to avoid them? Well, that comes with experience and a willingness to acknowledge when your “food police” tells you to stop. Very quickly you should learn when your band tells you to stop. I found that after my 2nd fill my band was at attention and told me when I was full. This is when I experienced my first spit ups and found foods that I could no longer tolerate. One of the most difficult things to get your mind around is just how little you will be eating. Your band tells you that you are full but your brain engages and says, “You haven’t eaten nearly enough!” So you take that extra bite or two. Then there it is…the feeling in your chest…your eyes get big…and saliva fills your mouth. The biggest point I want to get across to you is that, while normal, spitting up is not necessarily a good thing. You don’t want to be doing it every day and certainly not every meal. If this is happening you need to take a good look at what you are eating, how big your bites are, how much you are eating and to what level you are chewing. Be aware at the beginning and it will become more of a habit soon enough. Surgery Is Not a Magic Pill Surgery is not the magic pill we have all been waiting for. You will not wake up thin. You must be willing to meet the band half way. You will lose weight at a different pace than your friends. You must change your behavior for this to work. It is a tool—and nothing more. An electric mixer is easier than mixing by hand but you still have to follow the recipe for the cake to taste good. Right now you should be asking yourself one question—“Am I ready to go the distance?” It can be a joyful journey with the highest of highs. Moments that are so thrilling and uplifting that you don’t think you will ever come down. It is also a frightening journey as we venture into unfamiliar territory of who we are and where we are going. You are not going down this path alone. There are many Bandsters ahead of you on this path that are ready to help you along the way and take you with them to the next level. So I ask, “Are you ready to go the distance?”
tonya66

tonya66

3
 

Notes to myself

Went to Seminar on 11/11/06 Attended support meeting 11/13/06 Met wtih Doctor on 11/22/06 (weighed in at 247.7) Was approved from insurance on 12/11/06 (2 1/2 weeks) Scheduled surgery on 12/12/06 to be on 1/18/07 (my choice to wait unitl January) 1/4/07 - Deposit needs to be paid to doctors office for surgery 1/4/07 - Upper GI at 9:30 am - Must fast before 1/4/07 - Begin liquid diet - Protein shakes, broth, jello (sf). 1/4/07 - Psych Eval 5:30 pm 1/8/07 - 8:30 am pre-op with Hospital (3 hr appt) 1/8/07 - 2:00 pm Surgery Education class Docs office 1/8/07 - 3:00 Dietician meeting (hospital) 1/8/07 - 4:30 pm pre-surgery consultation with doc 1/9/07 - 11:30 am Sleep study appointment with doctor. 1/9/07 - 9:30 pm, Sleep study test (91st & Yale, Sleep Centers) 1/12/07 - Docs office to call me and let me know what time surgery will be on the 18th. 1/18/07 - SURGERY (no time yet)
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

NOt sure about this fill

Okay - I just knew this was going to be the right fill. I do seem to get full quicker. However, I just don't feel it? I know, I should just be happy that I eat less.   In the past it has taken a few weeks for my fill to really kick in, so I'm hoping that will happen.   I'm very hopeful it will work, but I'm also scared this fill doesn't work. I'm running out of room for any further fills.   So, I'm not going to give up.   I had weight wise oatmeal this morning, only ate about 1/2 of it.   Lunch Tomatoe soup   Dinner Protein shake, maybe some smashed up beans I made too.   Exercise - 10:00 am 15 min on elliptical machine 3:00 pm - 15 min on elliptical machine
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Next year is going to be different

No longer am I going to stress over the scales, I will take it one day at a time and learn to accept the things I cannot change.   The year 2008, Its going to be great No longer are we going to mess with our head We are going to change the person inside instead We will be happy and strong We will live healthy and long We will enjoy our new lives and silicone buddy Living any other way will only drive us nutty. So again I scream, the year 2008 Its going to be wonderful and great! I'm tired of living my life around the scales, I'm tired of obsessing with my weight. I will focus on making better choices, exercise and the rest will come. If it doesn't, I've come a long way and I can live with my weight at 167. I can deal with it, and 167 is not too far overweight. So, we'll see what next year brings.
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

My mind is finally right!

Yep, my mind is finally right. I've gotten over the "mindless eating", I'm back into the swing of things. I really am! I turned down CHOCOLATE MELTING CAKE last night. Yay! I felt so much in control when I didn't eat it.   It's been 3 weeks since my last fill and I notice I'm tighter, I think I've hit my sweet spot, I really do. I actually had a PB episode yesterday. I know it not good to PB, but I was glad I've finally got to the point to PB. I was eating some chicken - 4 bites and I was full, and my last bite got stuck. I think I took too big of a bite. I'm finally to the point where I need to take smaller bites. I'm glad I finally can feel the restriction!   I ordered some herbel suppliments from a girl that has lapband (babygotback - Aubree), they are called Quickslim-30. I started taking them today. You only take 1 a day first thing in the morning. Aubrey swears by them, so we'll see how they work for me. They are supposed to help your matabolism - somthing I need help with. :confused:   Weight this morning was 171.5. My menu today:     Bfast - coffee with protein powder mixed in   Lunch - albacore tuna mixed with brown rice   Dinner - grilled talapia - spinach salad   For all those who are considering lapband reading this - if anyone really reads this. Please know that the lapband can be your best friend. But, you can be your worst enemy. The thing with the band is, it works, but you have to work too. You cannot eat whatever you want and expect the band to "lose the weight for you". However, the thing the band will do is keep you from eating too much of whatever you want. For that, I am so grateful. I am able to maintain when I splurge, instead of gain. That to me is a major accomplishment. But, when I watch what I eat (eating grilled meats, and fresh veggies), I lose. All I have to do to lose weight is follow the band rules.   1) No liquid calories 2) protein first 3) no drinking with meals 4) stop eating after 20 min 5) stop eating when full - listen to your body 6) exercise 30 min a day   These are just a few of the rules I remember off hand. I have not been following them - and my mind is finally back in the game, so I'm following them now. I will succeed - I really will!!!
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

My last meal

My last meal was Saturday night at La Mansion restaurant. I was extremely hungry and looking forward to a good Mexican meal. My dinner started off with a basket full of warm chips with extra salt sprinkled on them, and a bowel of salsa. I order a cup of smoked white queso to go with my basket of chips.   I studied the menu really long and hard, decided exactly what I wanted. I decided to go with the Enchilada supreme dinner. It came with 4 enchiladas, a beef, chicken, bean and cheese. I asked for a shrimp instead of the bean and paid the difference. I also got a quacomole salad with my dinner. Normally, when I eat a large mexican dinner like this, I have leftovers - but not Saturday night. I ate every bit of it and was practically licking the plate for any drippings left behind.   I came home stuffed clear up to my neck, and ended up eating an oreo cookie. I was so full but totally satisfied. I felt like I truly enjoyed my "last supper".:hungry:
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

My inspiration

Have you ever wore an outfit that just made you feel good? Something that you wear and you know you just look good in it, you feel good in it? Well, I was cleaning my closet out and ran accross a skirt I wore in college. Its just a simple blue jean skirt, very Pencil like skirt, its long, past my knees with a very tiny waist.   Anyhow, I pulled it out and looked at the size, it was a size 12 - well, I'm wearing a size 10/12 now so I decided to try it on. OMG, way too tight, could not even zip it. I decided this skirt is my goal, once I can fit into this skirt, I know I will have made it. I thought back to wearing this skirt and how good I felt, I want that back!   Its amazing how the sizes has changed. This skirt is about 23 years old, its in great shape, looks new. But, my point is 23 years ago, a size 12 is now a size 8. I was looking at how tiny the waist was, how slim it was made compared to my size 12 now - big difference!   So, I took the skirt out, hung it on my bedroom door so I can look at it every morning before I leave. Its a reminder to me to be good, exercise and make good choices. Doing this will help me fit into that skirt!   I have a long way to go before I can fit into it, I couldn't even zip it, barely got it over my thighs, but I know I will get there.   I went down to the gym at work and tried the elliptical machine - lots of pain in my knees, only was able to do it for 5 min. I think this afternoon I will get on the bike and do it for 15 to 20 min. Every bit of exercise will help! I just wish this knee would heal - I hate it!   52 days until my 1 year band Anniversary and I have 16.1 lbs to lose in order to reach my docs goal weight of 155. I really wanted to reach this by my 1 year, not sure if I will, but I'm going to aim for it! So, according to fitday, I have to lose 2.17 lbs per week in order to reach this.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

My HCG update - FINALLY I'm in the 150's!

Today is day 39 on the HCG diet. I'm taking a few days off, also known as a "planned interruption". So today is my last dose of the HCG, then I will follow the diet for 72 hours until the HCG is out of my system. Then I eat "phase 3 style", or avoide my sugars and starches, I will be back on it around 4/2. I just have an event this weekend, and on the 30th. My plan then is to stay on it until 4/21, I will be leaving for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on 4/22. Once I return, right back on the program. I believe I should be at my goal weight by the end of May or first of June if I still to the program.   I did have a few cheats on this round, but I still managed to drop around 22 pounds in 39 days. Not bad in my opinion. I probably could have dropped 25 if I had not swayed from the program.   Here are my daily results, I'm sure you will be able to tell when I cheated because the scale would go up for a few days.   Day 1 - loading days 179.8 Day 2 - 178.5 (another loading day) Day 3 - First day of VLCD 179.8 Day 4 - 176.2 Day 5 - 175.6 Day 6 - 173.4 Day 7 - 172.4 Day 8 - 171.1 Day 9 - 168.9 Day 10 - 168.9 Day 11 - 168.8 Day 12 - 169.0 Day 13 - 168.2 Day 14 - 167.6 Day 15 - 167.5 Day 16 - 166.9 Day 17 - 165.8 Day 18 - 165.4 Day 19 - 164.8 Day 20 - 166.1 (started cheating) Day 21 - 167.1 Day 22 - 166.8 Day 23 - 165.3 Day 24 - 164.8 Day 25 - 163.7 Day 26 - 163.3 Day 27 - 162.4 Day 28 - 161.2 Day 29 - 162.4 Day 30 - 161.2 Day 31 - 162.3 Day 32 - 162.2 Day 33 - 161 Day 34 - 161 - My body is stalling big time! Day 35 - 161.7 Day 36 - 159.3 FINALLY BROKE THE STALL Day 37 - 158.1 Day 38 - 158.8 Day 39 - 158 - Last dose of HCG Total loss 21.8 pounds!!!!!   Wow, I am in the 150's, I'm doing a Happy dance today! So close to my goal of 140!!!!!   I am going to try and not gain too much while I'm off the program this next week, I want to continue going down!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

My first NSV

This might seem a little weird, however, it made me feel so good so I believe it is a NSV.   I was sitting at the red light yesterday, and I could feel someone looking at me, and I turned to the left, and there are these 2 young boys hitting on me. The driver was practically hanging out the pasenger window trying to get my attention.   Now, I'm a very happily married woman for 19 years, but let me tell you, it felt good to have these 19 yr old boys flirting with me. I know they would have just crapped thier pants had they known I was 40! LOL.   I smiled back and drove away..............
tonya66

tonya66

2

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