NWgirl

I should have taken another photo of the other flip page, but the surgeon came in too fast I don't know what study they did for the bypass, but on the long term outlook page for bypass it said 33-86% of excess weight lost, so the average in this photo must have been the average from that study.

Saw this while getting my fill the other day. Interesting comparison.

I think these ladies problem was they could not tell they had to pee, not the lack of urination. You are not drinking enough fluids.

Call your insurance and find out their policy on bariatric surgery. It looks like you're BMI is closer to 38, and usually you need a 40+ if you don't have any other health issues. Research the procedure a lot and read the ins and outs. Also, research the other WLS options just so you know the differences.

I agree that you are eating too many calories- I aimed for approx 1200-1400 pre-op and tried to eat less processed stuff. Also, you want to do low-fat, so I would try to eat basic, lean items without added sauces or oils. It sounds like you are eating the Safeway pre-packed salads, and those do not have enough protein- buy extra meat to add to them if you need to or just find something else entirely- some stores have the salad bar where you're in control of how much of what goes on. You want to aim for 60g+ Protein per day (or body weight x 0.3 to get total protein). I didn't see you saying how much Water you are drinking, but this is important too- try to get 60oz or more per day.

It depends on what you are putting on the sandwich. I would say as long as you are staying to a good calorie range and you are not overeating, then you should just eat (slowly) til you are feeling satiated. If it takes you a whole sandwich to feel satiated, then so be it, but watch for head hunger telling you to finish it...

Since you are relatively new to banding, you are probably still experiencing swelling. I used a CamelBak water bottle post-op with a built in straw to make sure I was always sipping away.

I have hypothyroidism and have done well so far. I haven't lost weight in the past couple weeks, and it all comes down to me and some bad eating I've been doing. I have to be honest with myself about what and how much I'm putting in my body and pull in the reins. I also walk on a nature trail most days of the week, total distance 3 miles. I find I can listen to my favorite radio station and walk and I enjoy what I'm doing. I'm looking into finding a strength training class, I wil probably do aqua class a few times a week. As for the thyroid problem and weight loss, I have read if you are properly medicated, then your body is getting the proper hormones and your body should be operating like someone without a thyroid problem. If your numbers are out of wack, it can be hard to lose. I don't know though, there seems to be so many differing opinions about if the thyroid is really the problem in weight loss. I would say it is, but I'm no medical doctor.

I was really sedated from all the anasthesia meds when I came home that I crawled into bed and slept normally. I would wake up every hour or so, walk around and drink some liquids, and then go back to sleep. I am usually a stomach sleeper, so I had been "practicing" sleeping on my back the week or two prior to surgery. I also had one of those pillow chairs to sit up in bed with.

Hi Erica! Hopefully we can answer any questions you have! My biggest advice is to immerse yourself in the forums so you find out about everything- some people get the surgery before they really read what it's about and how it works. Have you gone to a seminar yet?

Remember, if you cannot stand the taste of whatever brand you're drinking, you can always drink regular milk. I also read about people doing regular milk with Carnation instant Breakfast powder. Even Slimfast has a higher Protein, low carb shake that would be okay. I know my nutritionist said to add powdered milk to things to so I got enough protein. I would recommend the costco Premier Nutrition shakes- they're nothing special, but they don't make me gag like a lot of the others on the market. EDIT: Also remember you want to find a shake you can tolerate well enough because you will need to do liquids for a day or two after every fill appt.

People all vary and so do the diets required by Dr's. I lost about 15 to 20 pre-op by following low cal/low fat for two weeks and then doing one week of two protein shakes, two Greek yogurts, and one protein bar daily. I did cheat occasionally on the liquid portion as my Dr only required low fat diet. I also started exercise, as I had read of people who lost little in the first couple months and wanted to at least get some weight off if I was going to fall in that category.

I walk 3 miles on a local nature trail. I also have Xbox Kinect with the Sports game, but don't currently have enough space to set it up

I would focus on liquids before foods, that's a pretty quick progression to mushies. I know I had no appetite the first few days because of the swelling, etc. I also was on full liquids, which allowed for puddings, yogurt, Jello and found that I felt extremely nauseous when I ate some of those foods. Do you know if you received a fill at time of surgery? This could also be a problem if you have a fill

I bought the white Ninja Pulse at Target (700 watt version) and LOVE it! It came with three smoothie cups, one large blender canister, a canister storage cover, and dough paddles. It is extremely quite and fast! I paid $80 for mine. Walmart sells the Pulse as well (same price as Target), but their version is black and 500 watt with only two smoothie cups.

I also love my Fitbit! I would probably be the ultimate slacker if I didn't have it to keep me accountable and guilt me into exercise when my stats are low.

I have tried Body Fortress powders (Walmart), Pure Protein powders, Jay Robb (I only like orange dreamsicle, the others have a weird aftertaste), etc but I always come back to the pre-made Premier Nutrition chocolate shakes. I wouldn't sing their praises in terms of flavor (think watered down chocolate milk), but I can stomach them and they aren't terrible. I do sometimes add sugar free syrups or mix with fruits to change the taste up. You could also go to a local Vitamin Shoppe (or other supplement store) and buy the sample packs. I know unjury and nectar protein both sell sample packs online.

I had to go to the hospital before my first fill and do a barium swallow to make sure my band was positioned right. After that, I walked across the street to my Dr's office and got a fill

If you are going to a seminar for all three types of surgery, keep an open mind and learn about those too. Some surgeries work better for some people, so it's good to listen and learn without writing something off. Just carry a pen and paper with you and write down any questions you have. This way you have everything ready and you don't have a mind fart.

Everyone is nervous, you are about to set out on a life changing journey of better health. You will do fine

I also take 5000 Biotin daily. I am almost three months post-op and have not noticed any hair issues.

Unlike other WLS, lapband usually does not mess with absorption of nutrients because you have not had any anatomy removed. Like the above poster stated, most traditional Vitamins are huge, which poses a problem for someone who can only swallow certain sizes. Also, bariatric vitamins do have a lot of extra nutrients compared to traditional vitamins. Some people at restriction cannot eat such a varied diet that is necessary to get all the different nutrients, so Vitamin supplements would be important there as well. My surgeon said I could use Centrum chewables and do a Calcium chew daily.

A PB and sliming are somewhat connected, but not the same. Sliming can occur when you get stuck but does not mean you will PB. PB is when you've got a stuck bad enough that it's not going down and it causes serious discomfort. I have had both a PB and general stuck, and I knew instantly what was going to happen when the PB started. It was extra hard to breath, painful, and my mouth started to create extra saliva to try and push the food down. I instantly went to the restroom, bent over the toilet, and "coughed" the food out. I use the term "coughed" because it is not regular vomiting, just the regurgitation of whatever is stuck above the band. To the original poster: you should practice chewing your pieces to the consistency of applesauce and work on taking time between bites. This will be extra important as you reach restriction. Also, I have heard of people choosing to sip drinks if they are out with friends just to prevent the possibility of a stuck or PB. I have not done this and don't plan on it, but it could be useful, esp if you are in a stressful situation.

I probably eat about 1-1.5 cups per meal of whatever I'm eating. I have never weighed out my food, but I make sure to pay attention to my body. I only eat til I get the satiated feeling. I also eat slowly and chew a lot so my body can have time to register how I really feel. As for night hunger/eating, you need to determine if you're eating out of hunger or eating out of boredom. If it's hunger, add in a healthy snack for night. If it's boredom, try to find something else to do. I know if I eat out of boredom, I'm usually not reaching for healthy foods, and we all know that the unhealthy foods are the ones that slip right through the band.

I was on the pill pre-surgery, but about a week out I was reading on here about bc and someone mentioned something about it not being as effective afterwards. I called my gynecologist and she said the best bc for people who have had WLS would be an IUD or the Nuva Ring just because in some people the hormones do not absorb properly anymore.