Fit in my 60's

Hi, I haven't checked in here in a while. My operation was on Feb. 16th and so far I am down 21 lbs. which is really good for me. I had my 2nd fill a week ago but the dr. had a lot of trouble with it. As it turns out my port has flipped or tilted somewhat. He stitches them in place but I told him one time in bed when I was turning over I felt something pop so he is going to do a procedure where he puts some kind of mesh around it to hold it in place. Just an outpatient procedure. He said he'd do it in about 4-6 wks so he could do my 3rd fill at the same time. I'm not too worried about it as I know of others where this has happened to. I am amazed at how well I am following all the new routines. I have also gotten in the habit of recording all my daily calories and protein which helps me so much. I usually average around 750 calories which I know is low but that is the only way I can lose. 1000 and over is too much for me. Guess it was the years of dieting plus being over 60--I don't need much. With the lapband, it is possible to do without being hungry. So glad I did this. It will take me a while to get where I want to be, but I'll make it. Debbie

I asked my doctor about the same problem. I thought he'd say to take fiber pills or stool softner, but all he said was to drink lots and lots of water.

I went to my dr. yesterday and he had a lot of trouble accessing the port. So in about 4-6 weeks he will do a procedure to secure it using a mesh since it seems to be tilted on its side. I actually felt the stitches pop one night when I was rolling over in bed, but didn't think anything of it. Guess I should have told the dr about that!

Hi Marianna, My surgery was the same day as yours and I get my first fill this Thursday. I was glad you asked that question because I wondered about it too. I was able to watch the dr. give my daughter a fill one time (she had surgery last March) and I did notice that he did extract the saline first to see how much was in it before putting it back and adding more. Not sure if every dr. does that but he did. Sorry you are having problems eating. I don't feel much restriction anymore but I have been able to eat small portions without any problems or hunger in between. For some reason though, I often get the hiccups after I eat and I also have a pain in my left abdomen when I eat sometimes. I will ask the dr. about it on Thursday. Anxious to hear some of the responses you get about the first fill. Congratulations on your weight loss so far! Debbie.

Toddy, thanks for the advice. I'd heard that in the past when I did Weight Watchers but forgot about it. It's so hard to eat more though now that I am used to eating so little. I guess it's the old "fat girl" mentality afraid that I will gain instead of lose. But I will take your suggestion and see what happens. thanks again.

I am 4 weeks out. I lost 12 in the first 2 weeks, then nothing for almost 2 weeks, then just yesterday lost another pound. I also get my first fill next week. I am keeping a journal tracking my Protein and also calories. My calories don't go over 800 and usually stay around 600-700 so I don't quite understand why I'm not losing more or how I could eat much less, so I guess we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks. The good thing is I really am not hungry and don't crave anything. And that's a really good thing!! Debbie

Hi Dee, I am doing fine. I am on regular food now and not having much trouble at all. However, I have not lost any weight in almost 2 weeks and still maintaining at 12 lbs. lost. I plan on meeting with my nutritionist on the 15th, the day I get my first fill from the dr. Yesterday I only ate 597 calories so I don't think I should be eating any less. So I don't know what the problem is. I usually walk for exercise but haven't done much in the last few days. We've had terrible tornadoes and today there is 6" of snow!!! Trying hard not to get discouraged, but the longer I go without losing, the harder it gets. Hope the dr. and nutritionist can address this and help me get past this plateau. How are you doing? I know you got banded sometime in February too. Debbie

Judy, yes I did Atkins a while back. Also Southbeach. My husband and I did it both and I lost very little on it while my husband lost more. He got very weak on it though, and eventually gave up and I did too. I've tried most everything out there. Only real success I had, though temporary, was taking the infamous Fen/Phen. I lost 70 lbs., looked great, but it only took me 2 years to gain it all back, plus some. Nothing has worked for me since then and I pray that I will have more success with the lapband. It was my last resort so if it doesn't work, well....there's nothing left for me to try! lol

I take Centrum chewables, although my doctor told me I could just take 2 Flintstones. I also take the Viactin calcium. They're chocolate and I actually look forward to them twice a day. Also got Barleans liquid fish oil (even sounds gross) and I used to add it to my smoothies when I was on all liquids, but haven't started adding it to anything else. I just don't think I could tolerate swigging a spoonful, flavored or not.

I am three weeks banded. I lost 12 lbs. the first two weeks but nothing this week. I am trying not to worry. In the past this has always been my pattern. Lose some in the beginning, then stop despite being true to the diet. I haven't had a fill yet, and I've heard this is pretty normal, but I sure hope I didn't go through all this preparation and pain to just have the same thing happen to me like all my many diets in the past. Even though I don't have any restriction yet, my portions are very small and I'm eating correctly. Today is my last day on mushies. I really don't have much of an appetite, and food isn't so tempting to me anymore, which I love. But dang it, I wish it would show up on my scales!! I know, I know......patience!!!! Debbie

Here's another example of how doctors' advice all seem to vary. My doctor said not to drink 15 minutes before or 30 minutes afterwards. Not sure why before; I keep forgetting to ask why that is. I would think you would need to drink water sooner, especially after your workout. It's hard enough to get in all the water they want you to do in a day, but with those restrictions, seems like it would be very difficult. Have you asked your doctor or nutritionist about it?

Hi, I just turned 60 in December and I am 2 1/2 weeks post-op. I have lost 12 lbs. so far and so happy. After I hit 50 it seemed like I couldn't lose weight no matter how hard I tried. This was my last resort. People say they can already tell by my face; just waiting til I can tell by my butt! lol!! As you can tell by my name, my goal is to be fit in my 60's. My mom died at a young age of 59, and once I passed that goal, I want to add a whole lot more years to that. Debbie

Hi Amanda, Yes, I was able to get the 60 g. in. I started out the morning making a smoothie using a scoop of protein powder, a half portion of Greek yogurt, 1 cup of skim milk, and a banana. It added up to a whopping 36 g. of protein. Then for lunch I had a cream or blended soup, then for supper I had a low carb Slimfast. I took me all morning to get the smoothie in, the soup was easier, then the Slimfast went down pretty smoothly too. It did seem like I was drinking something all the time because in between I was drinking flavored water or tea. I was so glad when my doctor let me switch to mushy foods at day 10. Good luck. Hopefully, it will either get easier or before you know it you'll be on mushies. Debbie

I went to my dr. today for my 2 week post-op checkup. According to their records I have lost 12 lbs.!!! I am thrilled!! One more week of mushy foods and then on to regular food. Yesterday was the first day I experienced any hunger or appetite. I guess this is what they refer to as lapband hell. I am trying very hard to keep my portions very small like I had been doing with no appetite. I go for my first fill in 3 weeks. So far so good. No complaints at all. Debbie

I was thinking it'd be thawed out enough to transfer to a glass dish before microwaving.

I think your system is good. Just bring an extra dish to microwave it in. Plastic does get gross when you microwave in it, and coming from a long line of breast cancer in my family, I was told never to microwave food in plastic anyway. Thanks for sharing your idea. I'm only 2 weeks banded and this sounds like a good plan to me.

I'm not sure that you would qualify. I calculated your BMI at 32 at 201 lbs. (would be more if you weigh >201) I read that between 30 and 40 you only qualify if you have one or more comorbidities, e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. To be sure, call the nearest bariatric office and ask. My BMI was 42 and I was on the fence for a long time myself. I went through the 6 months with my family physician just in case I did go through with it and we talked about it each month. It wasn't until the 6th month and meeting with the surgeon that I finally made my final decision. If my BMI was 32, not sure that I would go through with it. But then again, I'm only two weeks post-op and haven't seen a lot of results yet of course. Good luck to you and take time to research and really think it over. It is a major life change.

Wow! What a story! So glad everything eventually worked out but so sorry you had to go through all that. Thanks so much for sharing. I think the lesson to be learned here is to trust your instincts and if your own doctors don't believe you, get a second opinion.....somewhere else.

My husband has been great. He has been cooking his own meals so I don't have to which really helps. ( I'm just 2 wks post-op.) If he eats a snack while watching tv, he does so in the kitchen. He has been really good at making sure I get in the required 60 g. of protein each day. For the first week or more he was right there whenever I got up from my recliner or bed. Without going into detail just remember her stomach will be quite tender for a few weeks so some activities may have to be curtailed or altered :-) But the very best thing that he has done for me is to understand what I've been going through for many years trying to lose weight and being 100% supportive when I talked to him in the beginning about even having the surgery. Good luck.

I agree. I will be 2 weeks post-op on Wed. My dr. told me I could start eating mushy foods, basically anything I can mash with a fork. Tonight I had 2 oz. of fish and a spoonful of cauliflower, all mashed up. I ate very slowly and it actually filled me up. So far so good. It felt like a feast after all that liquid!! Debbie

My nutritionist told me about a product called Barleans. It's a liquid oil that comes in different flavors or plain. Sounds gross but I add it to my protein shake and I never know it's in there. You can google it and find where they sell it in your area.

It's funny how doctors give different advice. My doctor just called to check on me. I am one week out from banding. He told me I could start "mushies" on Sunday. And he said this, "You can eat anything you can mash down with a fork." Ha! First thing that popped into my head was a vision of me trying to mash down a steak!! Which, of course, I won't do, but still that advice gives me a lot of leeway I think. I will have to experiment with foods though to see what I can tolerate. It sure brightened my day. And I've lost 5 lbs in the first week. So far, so good.

Yeah!!! My surgeon just called me (I was very impressed!) to check up on me. Told him I was doing well, getting in my 60 g. of protein, little pain, walked a mile today, etc. He told me I could go on mushy foods on Sunday which is just 10 days past surgery. He told me "anything I can mash down with a fork." Ha ha.....my mind is working now! What can I mash? lol Debbie

I have had the same thoughts and sometimes feel depressed that eating will be completely different for me, but then again, that's what got me in this spot in the first place. And then I think of one of the main reasons I did this....my grandkids. When I see their faces I know I'd do anything for them, and if eating healthy is what keeps me around a little longer to watch them grow up, then so be it.

I was banded Feb. 8 by Dr. Tanner. I really like him and I especially like the whole Norton Weight Management experience. They take you through the steps and explain everything. By the time you have it done, you are very prepared and informed. The fee you pay up front ($300) covers you for the rest of your life whenever you want an appt with either the nurse, therapist, or dietician.