jayres14

We have the same surgeon!!

That seems ridiculous to me since bypass is much more invasive than the band. With the actual cutting of the stomach, the bypass patients should need to take it easy but the band requires no cutting and doesn't take long to heal. Up your calorie intake, if you are feeling dizzy, your body is telling you to eat, your blood sugar is too low.

Your calorie intake is way too low, no wonder you are starving! I can't imagine an office telling the patients to eat only 600 calories a day. That is not enough for a toddler, much less an adult. It will put your body into starvation mode and your body will start holding on to the fat for fear of not getting calories. At least that is what I was told from my office, and it makes sense. 1000-1200 calories is what we are supposed to be eating, depending on our level of activity. When you start getting fills, you will be so much happier. You have to stick it out until then. Drink protein shakes, eat low calories foods, eggs, soft cheese. I know you are in rush to lose weight, you want to see results now, I was in that same mind set too, but now I have realized that If i lose it too fast, my skin won't have time to shrink and may result in needing another surgery to get rid if the excess skin. Stick with it, you can do it! There are lost of people here that can help, just post to us when you need a pep talk. Good Luck

Do not let these things scare you. Everyone is different and everyone reacts in different ways. I totally think the surgery is worth it, even if you must occasionally spit up into a bag. Every morning I get to wake up feeling just a little better about myself then the previous morning, knowing I am actually DOING something about my weight, not just talking about it with good intentions.

My doctor told me the cardinal rule for the lap band is "Do not drink while you are eating!" Now, obviously, a little sip here and there is not a big deal to him, but that was his main rule for me. Well guess what? I have my own new cardinal rule that I think is much more important.... DO NOT EAT AND DRIVE!! Even if you are used to your band and you are eating something that should be safe. True story: I have had my band for five months now and am pretty familiar with it's characteristics and effects on my body. I also know my band is as moody as a Hollywood actress! Some days it wants to hang loose like a 70's stoner and other days it decides to be as tight as a Victoria's Secret model's clothing! For this reason, as I was running late to work and missed Breakfast, I grabbed a nutri-grain bar. Yes, it is soft but I still know I have to chew, chew, chew. Although I chewed the bite a million times as I was driving, I must have swallowed a large amount of chewed up bar at one time. Needless to say, it settled and stuck at the stoma and i started sliming, AS I WAS DRIVING down the highway! I had to hurry and pull over on a back road and lean out of the car to do my business. Had flashbacks of high school! Anyways, could have been a scary experience if I had been on the interstate or had my daughter in the car. Needless, to say, if I miss breakfast from now on, I just miss it!!

It all depends on how much you had in the band at the time of surgery. My surgeon put in the band completely empty. He had me wait two weeks for the swelling from the surgery to go down and then slowly started the fill process. Within three months i had 4 office visits and am at 5.5 cc in a 10 cc band. A little loose for my taste, but I am waiting until after the busy holiday to get another fill. You must have had saline in yours at implant to go that long with never needing a fill. The thing is, as you lose weight, you lose it everywhere, including around the stomach itself. Imagine putting on a really tight belt and never adjusting it as you lose weight. Even if you get a fill that is really good restriction, as you lose more weight, your stomach will shrink more and you will need more juice. Go see your doctor, gaining 25 pounds is definitely a red flag that your band is too loose. Good luck and get back on track!

I take a special bariatric chewable vitamin that my dr's office sells. It is expensive for a three month supply, about $40 a bottle, but it only has 35 calories.

I actually need another fill b/c I am not tight enough. My husband talked me in to waiting until after the holidays to get it done. He wanted me to enjoy the holidays and not have to be so careful and worry the whole time that I would get stuck in front of others. I agree and I will get that fill in January and get back on the horse. I don't think I will gain that much back in three weeks, especially since I can't eat a whole lot! Good luck, and our new year's resolution has already written itself!

I have hypothyroidism. My thyroid was barely functioning and I was extremely heavy, tired, and depressed. My gyno is the one that wanted me tested and sure enough, he found the problem. I got on the right dosage before my surgery and now that I am losing weight, my dosage has had to be reduced. Make them test it again, I wouldn't take no for an answer.

I too have PCOS. I had to go on Metformin to get pregnant with my daughter 4 years ago. In June, before my surgery, my TSH level showed that my thyroid was not working well. I weighed 214 and had no energy! My number was 12.1 and supposed to be between 0 and 1. He put me on levothyroxin, 75 mcg and it brought my level to 4.7. He upped the meds to 88 mcg and my level went to 0.4. I had my surgery in July and have lost 34 pounds, now at 180. When my blood test came back last week for a check up, my TSH levels were too low!! He had to decrease my meds and thinks with another 20 pounds, I could go off them entirely! Being overweight is so damaging to the hormone levels in a woman. Maybe with the surgery, your hormone levels could go back to normal and you not need a hysterectomy. BTW, I was right at 34.8 as a BMI and my insurance didn't want to cover the surgery. I paid the 12,000 and three weeks later had my band. I can always make more money, but I can't get back time wasted feeling bad about myself. I am glad I took the plunge! Good luck to you and I hope it all works out.

You will probably feel your port the rest of your life, especially when you lose more weight. Just think of it as a constant reminder of where you were and where you will be!

Congrats!! I am so happy for you and can't wait to be there with you!!

I'll do the walk of shame and admit that I have not been exercising at all. I have still been losing weight without but I need to start firming up. I am a teacher, and not one of those that sit behind a desk. I am up on my feet teaching seventh graders, constantly walking and dancing around the room, and with what little I eat anymore, I don't have the energy to exercise when I get home. I also have a four year old daughter with special needs at home who takes up all of my evening, which I am glad to give her. I do plan to start using my elliptical soon and get a routine going. The issue I have is finding the energy to get on it, or do any other exercise for that matter. Does anyone have some super ideas on boosting energy since our calorie intake is so low? I get my daily protein but I feel like it is not enough. Thanks for any sound advice.

You are totally right, Jenn. I just need to get it started and the energy will come. I have a Wii but the Wii fit game is so boring to me. I need to find a more exciting game to keep me interested. I did get on the elliptical for 20 minutes today and really didn't get tired on it. I could have gone longer but my daughter woke up from her nap. Congrats to all of you and thinks for the advice.

What helps me is thinking about when a brilliant bander reminded me that weight loss is not a slide, but a set of stairs. When you eat much fewer calories that you used to, your body goes into starvation mode. It knows you are getting less food and calories and reacts to it. Your body will hold on to a few pounds in case it needs them and once the body realizes it doesn't, it drops them. The cycle then repeats. I don't know how much truth is to that info, but I have noticed that when I hit a plateau for a few days and start to fret, I wake up one morning and am at a new, lower place on the scale, where I hang out for a few more days before a drop. It usually takes a week and a half to see the pound or two on the scale, but as long as I am moving down and not up, I am satisfied. Also, remember us women retain water like a sponge before and during menstration and before and during ovulation, so that is two weeks out of the month. Keep your head up, we are all in this for the long run. Your hard work will pay off. Good Luck!!

If you are doing the post op diet "before" your surgery, you are not going to get an actual assessment about what it will be like after the surgery. To a non banded person, what we eat would probably make you want to chew your arm off. But to us banded ones, eating little is satisfying and all that is needed without feeling empty. The best part is, no matter how much you want to pig out after the surgery, you just aren't able to without a consequence so it helps with disciplining yourself. Just remember, nothing tastes as good as thin feels! Good luck!

Usually, when someone loses a lot of weight, people notice. They comment on the weight loss, ask questions, encourage, maybe even say hateful things. I get all of that, what confuses me is the people that DO NOT comment on the weight loss, DO NOT ask you what you've been doing, DO NOT have their own opinions on it, seem completely oblivious about it. I guess the reason I am thinking about this is because I went to a football game yesterday with my two best friends, who I have not seen in person since before my surgery three months ago. They do not know I had the procedure done, I would prefer to tell them about it when we have a chance to really sit and talk. Neither of them commented or made any remarks about me losing weight. Surely there is no way the didn't notice. I've lost thirty pounds so far and am now down to 184. Although I still have a long way to go, it is very noticeable that I have lost weight and I find it odd that they and a few others have not. I know these women's deepest secrets so I am pretty sure there is no way they would be too embarrassed to ask me. I wouldn't think it would be jealousy b/c they have never been that way in the past. Has anyone else dealt with something like this? I'd like to hear other's experiences. Thanks

Yay!!! Great job!!

Scale and NSV today!! I weighed in at 180 this morning! I am on my way to my 70's!! 34 pounds lost total!! I had three different women today compliment me, they all know about the band. One said I was looking great, the other two told me I was wasting away, in a good, not demeaning way. Maybe I just need that extra boost but I like when people comment about how much better I look now. I am under no illusion that I was that great looking at 214. Maybe I still have some self confidence issues to work on, but it is nice to feel support any way I can get it.

JUSTMERMP- Yay for your NSV!!! I am so happy you!!

These are all really good responses, and I totally get what y'all are saying. I usually try to compliment others when I notice a weight loss, if nothing else but to be nice and hope it makes their day better.

Haha, those are good! My husband said the same thing to me about the "oh, I notice" part. I guess most men have learned it's better not to say anything at all to risk it being taken the wrong way.

This lap band journey is difficult. We have to change our life styles, we have to handle many things with care. We have to prepare ourselves mentally for the opinions and possible ridicule from others. My question is, what do you tell yourself every day? How do you get pumped up in the mornings? What helps you when you are having a rough day or not seeing the scales drop? What inspires you?? This is what I tell myself every morning, "I may not be where I want to be yet, but i am closer today than I was yesterday!" I am looking for some more inspiration.