Cazzy

If you are finding the pre-op diet difficult how will u manage post op ? I think you may need to discuss with your surgeon what nutrition post-op guidelines they ask you to follow .. seriously your success in this depends on your commitment to following doctors orders and u havent even been banded yet.. If you are already struggling with the thoughts of following the nutritional rules and timescales then maybe being banded isnt the right path.. I hope u can find the resolve to make this successful and good luck

My surgeon says exactly the same thing so i have upped my vit c before my surgery in 2 weeks

It might be worth trying some of the muscle/circulation stimulating footwear out now like skechers or fitflop make i used to have trouble being in shoes/trainers all day long till i found fitflop they really are awesome shoes, not sure u can get them easily i know amazon do them i wear these all day long, skechers are good too for stimulating circulation... it certainly wont hurt to do things barefoot after a while but not weights as its dangerous

I think one can forget about being a 'lady' once u have been banded my stomach growls gurlges and moans and i am full of wind .. i might look good but i certainly dont sound it

That was a sales pitch to get u to sign up for suurgery with them i bet. Its utter rubbish to say u are too heavy to have the band with your bmi, i started out with a bmi of 68.7 i was operated on at 61.5 tell them to get their facts straight before making a sales pitch sound like medical advice

Looks like you are doing well too Mike

In the UK there isnt the emphasis on protein shakes that there is in the US after all will some people really buy and drink those shakes for the rest of their lives i get all my protein from normal natural sources such as fish and chicken etc greek yoghurt, frozen peas and milk .. if u plan your meals once u can start eating solids u can easy get your protein in without suppliments The vegetarians on this forum also get their protein in from sources like beans etc so i would look at alternative ways for protein ..

I dont think grazing will stretch your band so much as eating large quantities of food over a longer period of time, not just a bad weekend !. You are dealing with no restriction at the moment so make sure u eat either 3 meals a day or 5 smaller meals and drink your water and eat your protein first. I would just try to maintain your weight till u start getting your fills done so u get used to making good choices food wise. weight watchers tomato soup is a great filler and only 70 cals same as just skimmed milk drink so if u do need to graze a bit just make sure u graze on low cal food with protein if possible like milk, greek yoghurt etc all 0 fat

My doctor is fine with eating after a fill, he says just be careful, they always make u eat a yoghurt after a fill before u leave the hospital to make sure u can get it down but i usually eat normally after a fill just not heavy duty food is all

How many years were u overweight but u cant wait a few months to start losing ? restriction /green zone will come when your fills start kicking in, believe me for you not to put on weight during this time is a feat in itself. I am sure u were told this isnt a fast track weight loss solution so stop being so hard on your self and look forward to a healthier life without putting weight back on

My bmi was 67 when i first went to see the surgeon, he normalaly only operates on bmi 55 or lower but agreed to operate if i lost enough weight to get down to 60 bmi. I was on a 600 calorie a day diet till surgery lost all the weight i needed about 40lbs in 10 weeks and got the band fitted with no problems at all and the operation was a breeze. I have lost a total of 237lbs so large weight loss is possible and it didnt take me that long .. if u have to lose all that weight before hand on your own believe me after u get the band fitted losing weight in the long term will seem much eaiser believe me .. going from 600 calories a day to 1000 calories was like eating double of what i had been pre surgery so i never got hungry and lost weight from day 1 .. so good luck !

Its really strange u should post this because i weigh 1 lbs less than u am having plastic surgery in 2 and half weeks and an unfill of 1 mls the monday before surgery. It was actually me that decided that i wouldnt have the 1 mls put back into the band unless i found it hard to keep maintaining. I think for longevity of the band and continued no complications to have a band that is slightly looser has to be a good thing not bad. My plastic surgeon and my band surgeon do not want me to lose any more weight as they think i could lose at least another 10lbs from skin removal so i am biding my time. Once i have this surgery i really dont want to lose more weight just what removal of the skin would be, so i shall bide my time on any refill, if i need one i will go slow again maybe a 0.25 or something but u will be quite a long time healing anyways and really the fill is the last thing u should worry about. I was thinking omg an unfill at first then what happened to shirley hit the forum then a few other posts of longer term banders and i just thought ok i want this band to last me as long as possible i will see if i can maintain with it a little loser to give it every chance of remaining in situ good luck with the surgery and concentrate on healing for a while

It is very common to gain a few lbs back after surgery, as u are healing and following your dietry guidelines. Most of you recent banders will have little or no restriction at the moment or be feeling very satisfied with small meals, this is also common. Just try to keep within the guidelines u were given and eventually things will start to move again. The band is not a rapid weight loss solution and sometimes can take 3 or 4 fills till the band really kicks in and starts making a big difference .. just be patient and keep exercising

I agree with elcee dont beat yourself up over a day falling from grace and yes if i was to follow what those tables say i can eat i would put on weight. my only concern is that you may be pinning too much on your 'first fill' many people dont feel any different till they get a few fills in, you may be lucky you may not, so how u get through the next period of time till u start feeling some sort of restriction/satisfaction is going to be up to you. However much you are into a 'green zone' or whatever u call it with your band it wont make the right choices for you .. so u will have to start making them soon otherwise u could end up heavier than u want to be before u start losing ... the band once fully adjusted is a slow and steady weight loss regime which needs, for most, a lot of input from you, so u had your day of treats now its time to knuckle down to the hard work good luck with it !

Some people can eat tortillas some cant like, if you dont mind the amount of carbs and calories u can always try them and see, sometimes its best to just steeer clear of old habit type food and make some new healthy type ones

After 14 months post lapband i can do all the above now .. so stick to the rules exercise your heart out and its all there waiting for you good luck !

I totally agree that disharging anyone with complications from any medical problem with the words if u dont fix it you will die type sentence over you is awful. If the hospital i was at was refusing to care for me i would go to another hospital. Surely if you are paying their fees or your insurance is, they work for you .. it isnt right that they pick and choose who they medically treat or not. I know tho if i have a band emergency my surgeon is on call 24/7 for emergencies if not i would not leave a hospital until my medical problems had been sorted out. Sometimes you do have to be your advocate or if u arent well enough your family have to be, doctors from any department are only human and sometimes they get it wrong too. You have to be your own expert, know your own body, know how your band feels, if it isnt right then do something about it and dont take chances. Its a good question to ask before you have surgery... what happens if i get a real emergency, who do i contact, do you have links with any local hospitals who are able to deal with lapband patients etc etc, this is one advantage of going to a bariatric surgery department in a normal type hospital, they will have on site people who can deal with the band and emergencies as against just band centres.. something worth considering in my book anyways ..

good luck mini hope all goes well and that you recover quickly

I love my salads but make sure that everything is cut up really small, if i have celery its cut into wafer thin slices, same as lettuce and peppers dont eat carrots so cant say about them .. just invest in an extremely sharp knife and cut cut cut

Is there any advantage to having a single incision ?

I doubt you will be able to eat 'normal type' food, but u need to speak to your surgeon regarding timescales of the different forms of liquid and solids that way you will know for definite what to expect when u go away and maybe take some pre-made protein shakes with you and soup etc and just dont be hungry at meal time etc etc ...

are you meant to be eating solids after just 11 days post op ?

I agree with Jen going to 5 smaller meals a day within around 1000 calories seems like it may be better for you i certainly would give it a try. I also had to exercise 7 times a week in order to keep losing, 3 times is a maintenace amount so try and up it if u can and include some strength training after some cardio like a brisk walk or zumba etc, it really does help to burn those extra few calories without too much strain on the legs and knees. I always do my strength sitting down dumbells and resistance bands are a good investment. Sounds like u are doing what u need to it just needs tweaking to get it right, so if necessary adjust things sometimes in a small way only and see if the scale reflects it if not try something else. You need to become your own 'expert' and that way u get to know what works and what doesnt

I dont think larger bands were available when u had your surgery so dont be too discouraged.. You do need to find a fill doctor tho, get your band checked and launch yourself back on the bandwagon. Most of the time the reality of going back to the doctor is far worse than reality, bite the bullet and make an appointment !

No amount of restriction will help you choose the right food or stop 'cheating' by drinking while eating to get the food down. You dont mention exercise at all, the weight will not come off if u arent doing some. Yes there are a lucky few who dont need to exercise to lose weight but given your weight gain it doesnt sound unfortunately that u are one of those, so u need to start burning some calories. How many calories a day are u eating ? If u dont put a stop to this now u will continue to gain weight and could be facing some complications from the band as fatty deposits build up around your stomach, Seriously putting on a lot of weight with a band around your stomach is not a good idea. No weight loss surgery will make the right choices food wise for you so you need to start making them for yourself. Dont buy the food that you know is putting on weight, personally i would weigh yourself everyday, keep a food journal, drink your water and eat your protein and dont eat anything that doesnt say 0% fat or 0 sugar or low carbs. If you put on a lbs overnight then u know u need to reduce what u weat and move more the next day. I had a lot of weight to lose too and only by closely monitoring my weight, food and exercise did i manage to lose it all .. make it your mission in life to get healthy and start getting a life again, you have had your moments with food, now its time to get the hard work going... good luck and please ask if theres anything we can help you with