As I wrote yesterday, I had my 4th fill yesterday. Now I have 7.5 ccs in my band. I am definately seeing (feeling) a difference. I have a full feeling just about all the time, and not thinking about when my next meal is. I am doing good with the water, too. I am so excited. This ride is so much fun and rewarding, I hope it never ends. If things keep going this way, I will have to cancel my next appt for a fill, and just weight in for pure enjoyment.
Did I tell you that I am so excited? Oh, I am so excited. I don't mean to repeat myself but I am really feeling good, and I have only lost 46 pounds, I can only imagine what it will be like when I lose another 46.
OK, enough jubilation. I AM JUST SO EXCITED. Oh, there I go again
Well, good morning. Today is 11 days post op. I go to get the staples out today. Thank goodness because they are itching. I think I am going well. According to the info I received from my Dr, I was able to start consuming thicker liquid items such as cream of wheat, soups with noodles (blended up), mashed potatoes, etc. Doing pretty good. I found that as soon as I started eating semi-solids (or thicker liquids) the gas in my shoulder seems to dissapate. Oh, if anyone had told me that gas in your shoulder could be so painful I would have laughed...not anymore. It was awful.
This is such an exciting time in my life. I have been overweight for 25+ years, and no matter what I tried, I could not shake the weight. Oh, I would diet and lose 20 or 30 pounds only to put it right back on. I truly believe the lapband is the tool that is going to become my best friend.
I still have to wait 3 weeks for my first fill, but I am eagerly anticipating that day.
Until next time. Stay healthy, happy and stick to the rules.
Zil
FINALLY, when I weighted myself this morning, there was a new middle #. I know it might not seem like much to anyone else, but I have been struggling to get out of the 260's. Finally made it to 259 this moring. I was so happy.
I have been lucky enough to find a walking/biking partner in my neighborhood. We have decided to bike 3 days a week and walk the other 2 days. That will be good for me (and her).
One thing I finally had to do was make a sign for my desk that says, 'I am NOT hungry!!!' ' HUNGER IS A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION' Worked for me all day yesterday. Working on reading it numerous times today, too.
OK, so off to my daily routine.
GOOD LUCK FELLOW BANDSTERS AND SOON TO BE BANDSTERS.
Good morning. Well, I need some guidance. It has been 3 weeks since I was banded. I have to say it has not been all that bad. I seem to be tolerating food without any problems...no vomiting, no tightness within my band, nothing like that.
Do have a couple of questions, tho. I am scheduled for a fill on 9/19 (it will be my first one). But, until I reach that very special "green zone" it is normal for me go eat my 1/2 cup of food, and not really be satiated? I have cut down considereably, and try to stay within the amount allotted, but found that I am not losing weight. In fact, even put on a couple of pounds, then took them off.
Do any of you use a protein drink in the place of a meal? I am one person who I know cannot eat very many carbs, (it seems as if I crave them,) and even when I eliiminate them, I have a really hard time losing weight. I am not a big breakfast eater, so usually have a protein drink there, then eat lunch and dinner. If I eat cream of wheat for breakfast, or oatmeal, therein, lies the battle.
Any advise?
OMG, my 30 year old daughter has been dieting since she was 20. She has tried just about everything...she loses 20 pounds and gains it back. (we know how that is). Recently, after having taking HCG (but she won't admit it), and gaining the weight back, she joined weight watchers, and I admit she is doing well. She has tried on everal occassions to talk me into joining because, ash she puts it, "I think you need energy, a multi vitamin, more WATER, and you need to eat more fruits and veggies. If you're going to drop pounds and tone up then do it the right way. By you drinking a meal- duh, not healthy… Buy you not eating, your body is holding on to everything you do put in your mouth and in the long run you will not be successful with long term weight loss. when you finally do decide to eat properly you will gain weight. There should be no reason you couldn't of had 1 sticky bun the other day and when you weighed in for the week still showed weight loss. Trust me. You're body is just like mine. What we need is to fuel our bodies and then our bodies work for us buy burning off fat. Think of it this way, a car will not function properly and get you where you need to be unless you give it what it is designed to digest. God created your body to eat fruits, veggies, fish, and meats in moderation. Man created all the other crap.. "
Well, why can't she understand that I am under my doctor's care and doing exactly what I have been told to do. Furthermore, I have done Weight Watchers in the past (the one with the point system) and I found it to offer too many choices...I would choose to use all my points on junk food. Now I have the LB tool, the willpower to stick to my conviction, along with my doctor's directions. I am eating much healthier than I have for 30 years, I am exercising now (even joined a gym today so I can go on my lunch hour), I take all my vitamins and drink water, and so on. She wants me to eat, eat, eat even if I am not hungry just because it is meal time and eating will help me to lose weight. I just don't get it.
Yes, it is true that my weight loss is slow, like the DR says, 1-2 pounds every week, and I am holding steady at that. True, I wish I could be like some and lose 100 pounds in 6 months, but I am realistic enough to know that is not going to happen, and that is not good for me.
I did not get to be a blimp overnight and I know it will not come off over night.
ON THE GOOD SIDE, I have lost 44 pounds in 3 months, and I feel good about that. I am even starting to see a difference in my body.
Thank you all for allowing me to vent and get this crap off my plate. I feel much more relaxed now.
Have a happy weekend. Zil
Why do people always think they know what is best for us???
OMG, the holidays are upon us. And with the holidays comes never ending array of holiday treats and temptations.
We, as bandsters, need to be even more vigilant and strong because it is just too easy to fall prey to the excitement, the hustle and bustle, and the celebration of the Holiday season. After all, we all love a good party, right? And, if we tell the truth, many of us are probably social eaters. So much of our previous life has been centered arond food.
So, here is my Chrimas wish and hope for each and every one of you...
I wish you the strength to make wise choices, and if you should have a weak moment, I wish you the courage to forgive yourself and move on.
I hope you are able to surround yourself with others who will support your goal, and not sabotage, or tempt you, at every turn.
I wish you a season full of family, friends, laughter and wonderful times.
I wish you success in your journey.
May the new year bring us an easy time as we travel along, and hopefully the scale will move backwards.
Happy holidays to all Bandsters!!!
Zil
I realize I have lots of questions and this seems like the perfect place to get feedback. Before my surgery (8/19/2011) I was having 2 protein drinks a day and 1 well-balanced meal. things went pretty good. Since being banded, I stayed on the liquid diet for a week, and then progressed to the smooshies. I have not had any problems with any of it goesg down or staying down. About the only thing that I find that will fill me up and hold me for a while is oatmeal mixed wth a little yogurt or one of the protein shakes (I started using the powder and mixing it with skim milk). Does this seem right? I have not felt any tightness at all and have absolutely no problems that I keep hearing about. Does this just mean that I will need the fills to help me get to where I need to be? I hate thiking about the next time I can eat, and I do not like the fact that the 1/4 or 1/2 cup of food they recommend does not satisfy me.
I had my 3rd fill the other day. So, as those of you who have received fills know, it is liquids the first day, smooshies the second day, and onto regular food the 3rd day. I had a protein shake for breakfast,and about 2 hours later I ate a cheese stick. It didn't get stuck, but I felt like it was more difficult to move down. Is that what the green zone feels like? If so, woohoo for me.
Looking for your feedback.
Had a visit on Monday for my first fill. I was surprised when I learned the dr put 4ccs in at surgery time. Another cc was added for a total of 5 now. The dr said I could have one again in 2 weeks so I am scheduled to get the second one on 10/3. Still not feeling any restriction (that I can notice) but am managing to keep my intake down and am making healthy choices.
Even better news, when I weighed in, I had lost 29.6 pounds since my very first appt...not too shabby for 2 months, and 10 of those pounds were in the month since I was banded. YEA ME!
To all of you that are experiences setbacks and doubts, keep with it. It will get easier. He hardest choice was to make the decision to get the band. If I can do it, anyone can.
Good luck to you all and keep up posted on your progress.
OK, I am confused. I understand the process of being banded (surgery) but what I am confused about is the recovery period. I know I am supposed to be eating healthy, which I am desperately trying to do, but here is the confusion part..why am I told to eat things like yogurt, mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, oatmeal, puddings, applesauce??? all these things are packed with either sugar or carbohydrates. Is this just a recovery phase while healing and waiting for the fills to start? And after having watched the DVD which was provided to me yesterday, which outlines the 8 rules...am I supposed to do this from the very beginning or after I start fills? What do you do? I truly want this to work and I know the band is just a tool, but I need to know how to make it work to my benefit. Any suggestions?
Z
I have been reading all the messages for the past few days, and I am very inspired. I will join the ranks of the banded this Friday and I am very excited. My husband is being super supportive (He had gastric by=pass about 10 years ago and is literally half the man he used to be), so much so in fact, that he said if insurance wouldn't pay, we would, so we did.
All of the information I have been reading is very informative. You all area so supportive of each other.
I do have one question tho, what kind of protein drink did you use when on your liquid diet? I have been drinking EAS advantEDGE and wonder if it will be OK to continue with that, or should I try something else?
I am eager to hear from anyone and WISH ME LUCK. I will keep you posted.
I made it through Thanksgiving. What a wonderful day. I had the full blown holiday meal for my family. I am proud to say that I did not gain any weight, in fact lost 1 more pound.
I am also proud to say the worse thing I ate was cheese. Yes, I did eat 2 pieces of cheese. It did taste good. Being Italian, we had all the appetizers and I did good. I stayed away from potato chips, spinach dip and bread, corn chips and salsa, salami, pepperoni and crackers (3 kinds). I did have some shrimp and a couple bites of cheese and a couple of carrots.
Dinner came around and I had made up my mind I would have only ham, broccoli and a bite of sweet potatoes. I did have a small glass of wine. No bread, stuffing/dressing, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy or stuffed pasta shells. I also stayed away from all the desserts.
I sat back and watched everyone else stuff themselves, and I had a good feeling.
Next, it will be Christmas. I am a little worried about that holiday because one of my favorite things is cut out cookies with icing and colored sugars. I always make about 12 dozen for Christmas morning. I also think we wiil be having homemade tamales, rice and beans for Christmas dinner..,.I know, Italians eating tamales??? Being from the SW, we like Mexican food too. Oh well, I will just make up my mind to eat healthy.
Happy days to all my fellow bandsters.
Well, here I am again...almost 3 months post banding. I must say, my trip on this journey has been very informative. I, like most people, thought the band was going to work miracles. In an a sense, it has. I am now so much more aware of what I eat and how much I eat. The band has made me very aware of my food choices, and how often I eat.
The daily trip to the scale has also helped to keep me on track (although I really hate getting on the scale), but that is one of the two things I have to face every day whether or not I like it. The other is exercise. I am not someone who has ever exercised, which is evidenced by my girth. However, I did start walking somewhat after surgery and found that was not my thing. So, my middle daugher hooked me up with a bicycle and BINGO, I really enjoy it. I have a wonderful friend who I usually ride with if our schedules permit, and at times my hubby has even riden with me (but he doesn't go as far as I like to go). I even joined the little gym close to work and have managed to get there during my lunch a few times a week to utilize the treadmill and/or stationary bike (only do the statinary bike if weather is bad outside).
But what is so amazing is...(my daughter and her boyfriend had their youngest baby Christened on Saturday at our house. So, needless to say, we had to prepare food for about 25+ people)...the amount of food everyone ate, and what they drank. I don't know where they put it. We served pulled pork, with 2 different toppings and one plain, they we had ranch beans, potato salad, veggie tray with dip, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips with onion dip, pickles, olives, big rolls, cake and coffee. OMG, then we had beer, wine, soft drinks and iced tea to wash it down with. They ate like they hadn't seen food in a week.
Well, and here is another AMAZING thing, I ate some of the pulled pork, beans, and veggies. Oh, and I had about 5 tortilla chips and homemade salas. NO CAKE, POTATO SALAD, POTATO CHIPS, ONION DIP, BREAD, BEER, WINE, SODA POP FOR ME.
So, the really amazing thing, is what people eat and I know they are truly not hungry. I continue to be amazed. So I just sit back, stick to my convictions and watch my scale move backwards. I LOVE IT! I even managed to ride my bike Saturday and Sunday because I told everyone I had to do it, and they all supported me.
AMAZING! THE POWER MY BAND HAS GIVEN ME. I thank the good Lord every day for pointing me in that direction. I think my husband for being willing to pay out of pocket. I thank all of you for supporting me as well as each and everyone else. We are in this together, and we will forge ahead.
Zil
Well, here it is...just a little more than 48 hours since my surgery. Yesterday afternoon was a little rough, my stomach hurt as if I did 50 sit ups and getting up and down was a chore. Finally dug out the heating pad and took an Aleve. Thas has really seemed to help. I only took the prescription pain meds the first day, then I switched to liquid tylenol. Gosh, those things taste AWFUL. Plus they didn't very good at relieving the pain; hence the Aleve. Feeling pretty perky except I think that darned anestesia (sp) is still hanging around in my system. Not quite up to normal speed yet. But, today will be my first outing. Our granddaughter turns 2 today so I just have to go to her party. But will be taking my protein drink and Greek yogurt. I am doing pretty well in not experiencing hunger yet. But I am sure that will kick in shortly. Well, it is back to work tomorrow morning at 0630. I just hope I feel twice as improved as I did today.
KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK, MY FELLOW AND FEMALE BANDSTERS.
Those darned messages in a fortune cookie really don't make much sense about 99% of the time. So I decided to make one just for me and I carry it with me all the time. It says...
I am NOT Hungry!!!
Hunger is a figment of my imagination.
WATER WATER WATER WATER
ride / walk / ride / walk / ride
The flip side says...
I AM ON THE WAGON
I am a food-a-holic
Please do NOT offer to feed me
The funny thing is, it works for me. I have been drinking more water, eating smaller portions and not as much eating in between meals, plus I am riding my bike more and walking.
My co-workers, friends and family are so supportive. And this blog is the BEST. I get so much inspiration from everyone.
There is a girl I work with and when she found out I had been banded, she immediately wanted to know more information. She attended a seminar (based on what her insurance covers) and came back feeling that her only option was gastric bypass, since she was told "the band really did not work" and that "people would probably only lose about 50#s". She was further told at the seminar that a lot of the patients who come in for bastric bypass do so after having been banded.
At first I was a little discouraged, but then I realized my fate was in my hands and the band. The band is what we make of it, so I am going to forge ahead, following the guidelines (although I do have a hard time eating slower...I am sure that will change once I reach the green zone) as well as MY FORTUNE COOKIE.
Good luck to my fellow bandsters. Keep up the good work.
My first day and night at home was not that bad. I expected it to be worse. Only had to take pain RX 3 times, I don't like that it makes me sleepy, except when it IS bed time, then I like it. Woke up this morning and made breakfast for 2 of my grandkids. and I had my broth and juice. Everything seems to be going along swimmingly. Took a shower and removed the bandages...not too scarry. I feel good, have been walking around the house because it is just too hot to be going outside today. I am taking each day one at a time. Will keep you posted. Please keep good thoughts for me as well as all the other bandsters. ZIL
Well, here I am about 7 hours post-op. Had my surgery at 9 this morning, they woke me up around 9:40 or so, and was on the road to home by about 10:30. Had a long ride since I live about 70 miles from the hospital, but was not as bad as I thought it would it. Took some pain meds when I got home, took a alittle nap, and have been walking, walking, walking around the house since it is wayyyy to hot to be outside. Juice, water and tea has been doing down very well. I am pleasantly pleased. If this is the worst, I will count myself very lucky. Of course, the real test will be if I on hold of on not being hungry and keep p with the exercise. But I am determined since I didn't spend all this $$$ for nothing. Keep me in your toughts.
OMG, from the blogs I am reading, it seems as if everone is having difficulty. It is nice to know that I am not alone. I am not sure if it is the time of year (the holidays are quickly approaching) or just that I am wanting a little of the forbidden foods.
Friday was a very stressful day for me at work, so I found I was snacking ... on nuts ,.,. on the fat content. Then I ate egg foo yung for lunch (just 1/3 of what was served) but decided to finish off the 2/3's for dinner. What a mistake. Then Saturday was no better...don't even ask about the french onion soup. Thankfully, I realized the error of my 2-days way and got back on track yesterday ... having protein shakes and some meat with plenty of water. Am feeling better.
But, I am wondering if something is going on with just about everyone, because we all seem to be suffering some type of setback, be it weight gain, plateauing, not being able to stick to the rules, etc.
JUST REMEMBER, WE ARE ON THE JOURNEY TOGETHER. Don't lose sight of the finish line. Even the longest journey starts with a small step. WE CAN DO IT.
Had a nice w/e in the cool mountains. Even managed to lose 3 pounds, although I am not sure how that happened--must be the good food choices, not over eating and walking.
So, I am 19 days post op and doing good. Am learning to eat sensibly, while focusing on protein as my first food choice. Have been having chicken, and beans (lots of beans since they are easy), and slowly adding veggies. Sometimes I have a protein shake in place of a meal, only because I am out and about and it makes it very convenient. Probalby going to start cooking again for my hubby by the end of the week, and seeing where I go from there. I am scheduled for my first fill on 9/19, so am not sure what to expect after that. I have seen where some people have indicated they go back to smooshies for a few days. Does that help with the adjustment or is just a rule of thumb?
My daugher is bringing me a bicycle over this week, I am working on getting a Jumba dvd and moving onto more exercise.
thanks for the support. Still loving my band and this site.
Had my surgery a week ago today. I am feeling pretty good, tho have experienced some hunger pangs from just having fluids. Today I get to start smooshies. Does anyone have any good recipes or ideas??? I could use them.
I go Tuesday to get the staples out. I am looking forward to that.
I think I have lost 5 or 7 pounds since the day of my surgery, and while I wish it was more, I am happy. I went into my surgery with a very positive attitude, and did not experience very much in the way of discomfort except for the day after when my stomach felt like I had done about 50 situps (muscles were really sore), and then on Monday I started getting that darned gas in my shoulder. That has been a little rough at times, but I am weathering through.
I am proud because today at work we served sub sandwiches (2 6-footers), pasta salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, chicken salad, chips and birthday cake. I stuck to my protein drink and sugar free pudding and applesauce. The thought of eating that stuff made a little queazy. Just not ready to go there yet. Although, I would like a piece of fish (and I don't know where that is coming from, because I am in no way a fish eater).
Well, fellow bandsters and bandsterettes...I wish you all the best. Let me know if you have any recipes for me.
thanks,
