Iryshgreene

I have been banded for 2 months now. I have lost about 40 lbs since I started this journey in October and about 20 since my surgery. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety about 5 years ago, shortly after I had my first son. Had it before then, but wasn't getting treated. I have been quite stable since I went on the meds, made it though a second pregnancy and birth with no major issues. I know that my depression is likely going to mean a life-long medication routine. My mom is a lifer, too, and many people on both sides of my family have depression, OCD and anxiety issues. Right now, I feel pretty zombie-ish. I am wondering if the weight loss means that I have to reduce my dose of meds (I am on Wellbutrin 300 mg and Zoloft 100 mg a day) or if this is just the emotional roller coaster everyone is talking about. My husband keeps telling me I am walking around looking like someone killed my dog. I don't feel that bad, but then again, I am not feeling much of anything. I do know that I am short-tempered, unmotivated and irritable, often signs that my anxiety and depression aren't under control. The zombie thing is usually a sign I am overmedicated, though. Conflict! I have done therapy on and off for about 10 years, but it doesn't help with the day-to-day struggles, again another indicator that I am a lifer on meds. I still see the therapist who did my pre-op evaluation, though only monthly so far to make sure that I am not emotional eating like before the surgery. I can increase my visits with her, but I suspect that it will not help with the daily management of my diseases. Any experience/thoughts/suggestions?

Plant foods and probiotics are what my nutritionist swears by. She warned me that I was focusing too much on protein and not enough on plant food at my meals. I had to back off the protein (and go back on shakes to get my 65g a day) and make sure I had a fruit or veggie with each meal so that I didn't get backed up with my new-found "normal" habits. I went from really loose, almost IBS-like symptoms before surgery to normal now. If a regular person had this change, I can only imagine the constipation that would result.

I am almost to that 16 mark! I started at a size 22, too. I am in 18's but I have a few 16's waiting for me to break them out! Congrats on your amazing weight loss!

During the pre-op and post-op periods, calories aren't super-critical. Make sure you get in the Protein and fluids your doc told you to get in, then worry about calories if you are feeling shaky. Right after my first fill I was getting only about 500 calories in. My nutritionist told me that was fine for right after an adjustment. She said it will increase to around 1000-1200 a day, which is a good target for weight loss. I had to add some high calorie foods (nuts mostly) during this time if I felt too weak from so few calories. It worked itself out within a week of getting the fill.

I have been stuck at 38-40 lbs lost for about 2 weeks! My first fill was on 2/10 and I loved it! Now, not feeling so much restriction, so I was working on getting into the doc to get a second fill. I am switching doctors since my original surgeon decided he was more worried about his reputation than my ability to get good care from him and his staff. I have had some upset stomach issues for the last few days, so I am waiting on the fill until I don't have any more tummy troubles when I eat meat. I am trying to increase my exercise instead. I make myself walk 4-5 times per week in the back of my development where there are lots of hills. Not showing on the scale, but I am seeing my butt get some nice definition and my jeans getting bigger on me. I also see my scale go up and down. I gained 5 lbs in 2 days last week, then it fell off 3 days after that. I am attributing it to bloating due to my "period" (I put it in quotes because I don't really have what most women refer to as their period because of my birth control). Try not to focus on the number. Focus on how you feel. The fill will help and you will find the green zone soon!

Ok, so I am 3.5 weeks post op. First week was a breeze. liquid only diet, no hunger, no cravings, no misbehaving. Second week was harder because the swelling went down and the desire to eat returned. Cheated on liquid only diet a little bit. Had some yogurt and some smooth mashed potatoes when I desperately needed some oral gratification with a utensil and chewing. Third week, allowed to eat puree's now. They just aren't cutting it. I went back to work this week (I am an academic, so I was on break) and all the stress, teaching and student complaints is wearing me down. I want food! Saw my therapist yesterday and complained that I saw on here that there were many, many fellow banders who got banded when I did and had fills (I have none) and were on purees after a week and soft foods after two. What's fair about that?! Her answer was stick it out and that my weight loss center has one of the highest success rates and lowest complication rates in the country. Well, that is great for when you are deciding to do this, but not so hot when you are hungry and can't eat! Help! I need some inspiration from all you who are going through this with me because even the 12 lbs weight loss since surgery (and nearly 30 since this time last year) isn't enough on some days to overcome the wanting.

I loved doing pear sauce. You make it just like applesauce with pears. Add a touch of vanilla and it's sweet without adding sugar! I also made some homemade cream of broccoli soup. It 'felt' more like real food to me than other stuff.

LauRN, my first fill did help for a while. But I am now 16 days out and have already lost my restriction. I've lost about 6 lbs since the fill, but I GAINED 2 this past weekend. I have no idea how I gained when I was at like 1000 calories a day and exercising. I am going to contact my new doctor to see how far apart they like to space the fills and hopefully get more in there. I am really struggling with the diet failure right now. I want to say screw it and pass the ice cream! I have resisted thus far, but the scale better go down again real soon!

I had that sad farewell feeling too. Honestly, it wasn't necessary. Now that I am on regular food, I am able to pretty much eat whatever I want, within moderation of course. The only thing you will have to say goodbye to after you get the band is overeating. I thought that would be a huge deal for me, since I am the type of person who just loves to taste food in my mouth and will keep eating to get that enjoyment. It really hasn't been. I eat pizza (yes, even regular crust pizza), burgers (no bun, wrap in lettuce), etc. and gain the satisfaction of the taste plus the satisfaction of fullness AND weight loss!!! I do make sure that if I eat these less-than-desirable food I still keep below 1200 calories a day. I am not yet in the green zone (2 weeks out from my first fill and losing restriction already =/) and am losing weight by sticking to the portion control and maximum calorie limit. You can do it!

35 lbs is NOT FAILURE! That is a lot of hard work to get that far. Maybe after 2 years, you should explore with your doctor the possibility of a "refresher" on the do's and don'ts of the band. A lot of people on here indicate that restarting the plan from the beginning is a great way to kick your weight loss back into gear.

Fiber! Try a fiber supplement and, as my nutritionist says, "get your plant food". I was rocking on my protein requirements, but wasn't getting enough fruits and veggies in. She stopped that right off the bat. Told me I had to get both in, even if it meant lowering my protein and having to have a protein shake to make up for the missing protein as a snack. I can see how this might be a problem for many, though. For me, since I had my gallbladder out in 2007 I have had loose stool problems on a daily basis. Now that I have the band, that's all gone! Less food really has helped me get to normal.

The fill should jump start the loss again. I lost 7 lbs in the 10 days after my first fill on Feb. 10. Now I am more steady at about 2 lbs a week. I got 5 cc in my band at the fill. I think that the liquid diet after the fill is similar to the need after the surgery. Body needs to adjust to the new sensation of restriction. Don't want to put too much pressure on a "new set-up".

Congrats on your first fill, MissBee! The first fill will really jumpstart your weight loss again. It did for me. I plateaued the week before my fill and then lost 7 lbs in 10 days after the fill.

One of my colleagues wants me to sign up for the San Francisco marathon this summer. I told him he was INSANE! I doubt that I could even walk a marathon length, let alone in SF, where its anything but flat. A 5k sounds like a nice compromise!

I talked to the director at the weight loss clinic and she contacted the other doctors that work with the clinic. One of them is willing to take me on and next fill I need, I will go to her. The director is even taking care of getting my records transferred. I love the weight loss clinic!

Does anyone have any advice on changing surgeons for their maintenance? My doctor's staff is terrible. First, they approved me for the wrong procedure (full bypass instead of the band). Then, when they resubmitted the paperwork for the correct procedure, they forgot to include my mental health evaluation, so it was denied. My surgery was supposed to be Jan 4, but they couldn't get it approved, so it was delayed until Jan 10, literally the day after the insurance approved it. The doctor didn't know anything about the staff's mix-up until the evening before my surgery was supposed to take place. He was apologetic and said the office manager would be overseeing the case now. When I went in for my follow-up visit, I "thought" that I had scheduled my fill for this past Friday. The staff had told me that it was too late that day (also a Friday after 4pm) to call radiology to schedule it, but that she would call the following Monday and get the appointment for Feb. 10. I called a few days before just to make sure that it was done and to check on a medication. They never scheduled the appointment!!! They did manage to get me in on the Friday anyway. But when I brought it up with the doctor, he tried to feed me a line about how all doctor's offices are like this. He spoke more about his reputation being negatively impacted than my issue with not trusting one single thing that came out of his staff's mouths. I got my fill, so I should be set for at least a few months, but this guy has made me feel like I am not important, that his reputation is more important than my care and that I am being unrealistic in my expectations for the quality of service the office provides. Help!

My biggest support from my husband has been eating "like" me. When I was on liquids, he ate Soup with me (with chunks that I couldn't have, but still soup). He cooked himself dinner and fed the kids when I was on liquids so I wouldn't be tempted. Now, we cook together and are having fun trying new healthier recipes together. He has lost weight right along with me, so I don't feel like I am the pariah in the family. Worst thing he did was buy donuts the day after my surgery! It was his first and last mistake! Best advice for you: listen to your wife. She will let you know what she needs.

I am having low BS episodes now too. I get really shaky in the evenings. I just had my band filled last week, so I am hoping it will level out. The biggest problem is no matter how hard I try, I don't seem to get more than about 600 calories in a day by following the eating guidelines. The problem with that is I am just NOT hungry for more! 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food total is all I can handle and it keeps my stomach satisfied, but not my BS. I don't want to have my band loosened, but I hope that I will figure out a way to get more calories in (healthy calories, that is) and still maintain the weight loss!

We all do things we aren't proud of. No judgment from me! I found it terribly hard to behave for my first 4 weeks. I cried for about 2 days straight shortly after my surgery because I couldn't eat. I am an emotional eater, so when I had an issue at work, I wanted to dive into the food. I obviously couldn't at that point (only 4 days post-op). I tried to go back to some of the things that I was working on before surgery: going for a walk, knitting, reading a book that isn't a textbook (I am in academia, so this is a real treat for me!), etc. It was SO HARD, but I survived it. You can too! I am 5 weeks post-op right now and have found a peace with the band. I still have "head hunger" on a regular basis, but I am working with a therapist who specialized in bariatric patients to redirect that impulse. I did a little cheating during my 2 weeks of liquids and 2 weeks of mushies. I didn't have a fill at the time of surgery, either. What I did to resist most of the times I wanted to cheat was to close my eyes and think of the real reason I did this: to see my kids grow up, to feel good about myself, to fit in the seat of an airplane comfortably, etc. Then I open my eyes, look at myself in the mirror and tell myself I am worth all that. If I am hungry, I have a Protein shake and go for a walk, play with my kids, really anything to get my mind off of my stomach. Just a thought, could some of that "grumbling" be gas releasing from the surgery? I know it made my stomach roll for the first few weeks and I had a hard time distinguishing the gas release from stomach hunger pains. Chin up! The long-term results will outweigh the short-term pain.

I am just shy of 4 weeks post-op and I got a total high this week! I had to go shopping for some new clothes since almost all of my old clothes are loose or won't even stay up anymore. Well, I met a friend at the store and I ACTUALLY FIT IN REGULAR SIZES! Not pants, yet, but I actually bought several shirts in the regular misses section! I can't remember the last time that I shopped in a misses section. Two pants sizes, 3 bra sizes (1 band, 2 cup), and 2 shirt sizes. And I haven't even had a fill yet. I can't wait!

I go for the Premier Nutrition protein shakes at Costco, too. Greek yogurt is second and I eat lots of fish. If I eat the fish and have one shake, I usually hit my 65 g of protein each day, no problem. If you do go to jamba juice, they can add a protein boost to your smoothie to get the protein in there for you. I have done that on days where I am craving a sweet but want to keep my goals in mind.

I plateaued right around my transition to mushies and again when I transitioned to regular food. It was so irritating! I got my first fill and it jump started the weight loss again. First month is about healing, not weight loss. You can't live on liquids forever. Second month is more figuring out the long-term comfort level with eating "normally" when you have a fill. That is where I am at right now. It is hard to believe that 0.5-0.75 C of food is all I can manage to get in me at a time! Even that is too much on occasion. This morning, I couldn't even finish a 5 oz. yogurt! Just be patient and look forward to the first fill. That is really when the band starts to do its work.

Congrats, mags! That is awesome! I have dropped a few pounds since my fill on Friday! It got my weight loss jump started again! Shay, I plateaued for a little over a week before I got my fill last week. Totally frustrating! I tracked my food with MyFitnessPal (on my iPhone) and was keeping at my calorie goal, but it just wasn't dropping! I picked up the exercise a little, but the fill is what really got me over the plateau. Sometimes I wonder if the plateaus are our bodies way of saying "slow down: too much change at once. Give me a chance to catch up"

JustDoIt, That's where I hit! Awesome sales! I got a few tank tops for less than $3 each and a skort for $3.80!

I am a terrible emotional eater. I am struggling with it a good bit since having my surgery a month ago. I try to stay out of the kitchen if I am feeling the urge to eat. I go for a 5 minute walk around the block if it isn't dark. I try knitting, reading, anything to take my mind off of the eating. Keeping my hands and feet busy seem to help the most, so the knitting and walking do it for me most of the time. When I am really craving food and I can't tell if it is physical hunger or emotional hunger, I close my eyes and think about how my stomach feels. I ask myself if it is really hungry or if I am trying to feed something else. I am getting better at listening to my body, but the avoiding food is still hard.