Sojourner

I have substituted the H2O flavored waters for almost all of my fluids with the exception of my iced coffee in the morning. On rare occasions I do have a glass of iced tea. I don't miss carbonated drinks at all...I began the process of weaning myself away from them months prior to my surgery so that the transition was easier. As in most things in life, this is just another adjustment.

No, you're not doing anything wrong...you are still healing post op and there is swelling involved in the healing process. Do your best to get your fluids in every day to stay properly hydrated. I remember that at that stage I was not able to get all of the recommended fluids either. I kept a bottle of Water with me at all times and sipped from it frequently. The first few days are the worst...it does get much better fast! Best wishes...

The answer to your question totally depends on the medical opinion of your surgeon... You will need to rely on will power and self determination for success with your weight loss journey. Consider the realities of that statement before you get the thought in your mind to "cheat". And then make your decision...is cheating on the diet worth it in the long term? When you "cheat" on your diet, you really only harm yourself. Your degree of diet compliance will determine your level of success with this journey...you hold the power and the key. Best wishes...

75 pounds in 8 months...and still going in the right direction... Congrats on your progress to date!

Know that you are not alone with this major adjustment to your life...and the pre op and post op diet restrictions are the most difficult times you will encounter on your weight loss journey. I coped by keeping myself distracted with projects around the house...I'm still enjoying that every drawer, cabinet, and closet in this house is pared down to essentials and is organized. Stay focused on there being an "end point" to this phase of your journey...best wishes for your success...you can do this!!

It is normal to occasionally encounter weight loss plateaus, and despite doing everything the right way with diet compliance and exercise the scale stalls. Very frustrating to say the least. What I have learned is not to become concerned about the scale stalling as long as I can honestly say to myself that I have been diet compliant and continue to exercise. It's not a good idea to become overly obsessed with your scale and weigh yourself too often. Weight loss stalls have been discussed extensively on the forum, and some have discovered that changing up the type and speed of your exercise along with consuming more calories for a day (I know this part is counter-intuitive) seems to help. I have observed that there are 3 situations which will cause my weight loss to stall: not enough Protein, not enough calories, and not enough exercise. I've had challenges with exercise for medical and physical reasons, and I realize that my goal weight will take longer to reach than I would have liked...but I know that as long as I continue to loose and not gain, I will get there. My weight loss journey has taught me a life skill which eluded me for many years: patience. I still take a day at a time and focus on my long term goals. Best wishes for your success...you are off to a good start!

Another "late post" due to vacation and medical issues, but wanted to "chime in"... Weight loss success is more than making good choices with food...there is portion control and conquering distorted thinking about food that are also "major players". It's like gun control...guns don't kill people, irresponsible people who possess and use guns in an inappropriate manner kill people. "Fast food" should not be "villianized"; like everything else, it's a choice we make. Burger King and McDonald's did not make people gain weight and become fat, the people who choose the less healthy items on the fast food menu and don't manage their portions are the ones who gain weight and become fat. We just returned from a road trip, and if you want to arrive at your destination in a timely manner, you just don't have the time to search out better places to eat. I managed to loose 2 pounds while on vacation, and yes, we did stop at Burger King and McDonald's where I was able to find healthy wraps and salads, and controlled my portions. Weight gain is a complex event; there are components of will power, education, and psychology involved. There is no "one size fits all" to describe the mitigating factors which cause an individual to become obese. Blaming fast food when you have a choice to manage portion size and choose healthy menu items is far too simplistic to be considered an idea of merit, IMHO. I eat responsibly, the same way that I carry a concealed weapons permit responsibly. Other's mileage may vary...

Actually, the Chick Fil 'A 4 piece kid's meal is an acceptable bandster meal as long as you have the fresh fruit side and have the grilled chicken nuggets. The chips and queso...well you already know... I would encourage you to seek counseling from a qualified professional who treats patients with behavioral issues for behavior modification strategies. That will assist you to get beyond your distorted thinking as it relates to food. Awareness of the need to change in this area is essential for your weight loss journey, and from your post you do have awareness of your need to change. Much of what makes the difference between success and failure with the weight loss journey is related to our patterns of thinking and beliefs as they relate to food. Best wishes for your success...

You definitely need to continue to have your Protein, because that's what you body needs to continue to heal post op. I used broth when I experienced cravings for salt during my liquid diet both pre op and post op. Otherwise, I sipped Water and had SF popsicles, along with the 4 Protein shakes every day recommended by my surgeon for the protein and Calcium. Definitely sip your liquids slowly, and be certain that you are getting enough fluids to stay properly hydrated. Nausea can be a symptom of dehydration. I hope you feel better fast!

As others in previous posts have mentioned, it is my surgeon's rule, as well as other's that you are not supposed to eat and drink at the same time. And there are valid reasons for this simple rule to be followed. Trying to go the distance time-wise between meals without any Snacks and getting hungry are related to not washing your meal down with liquids. It is simple to follow if prior to beginning your meal you are properly hydrated. By doing that, I have found that it is much easier to wait my required hour before drinking again. It also helps if you do not have liquids at the table with you when you having a meal. That way you don't "forget" you're not supposed to be drinking during meals and slip up.

From what I have read from others posts, sipping a hot beverage, such as tea or some Soup may help with loosening your band. I've never experienced this happening to me...so I can't say for certain that it works. Good luck!

I've not encountered any problems with eating out, and we do continue to eat out more than once a week. Some major restaurants now also print nutrition information on their menu's, which can help with your menu decisions. I always continue to look for the basic items. You generally can't go wrong with a salad choice(which does not contain many extras such as croutons or praliene pecans) and a basic Protein. Last evening, we went out for dinner and I ordered a side salad with dressing on the side, and roast pork loin and asked them to leave off the glaze. My husband ate the majority of the salad, and I brought home half of the meat to have as my protein for dinner this evening. Other times, instead of an unhealthy carb choice such as fries or carbs that likely get stuck, (such as rice for me) I will ask to substitute with the steamed vegetable. The vegetable, along with a basic protein choice is an acceptable bandster meal for me. Not overly patient with apps, I rely on basic food choices and portion control to maintain my diet compliance. I just can't be bothered to use apps to track food choices. And my rule of keeping everything simple and basic works for me. Other's mileage may vary...

You're entitled to your privacy, and you did nothing wrong by choosing to not disclose your surgery to others. However, the individuals who were talking about your confidential medical information among themselves, and then sharing it with others who you did not give your consent to disclose to violated your rights to confidentiality under the laws governing HIPPA. I once had a nurse terminated at a former doctor's office for violating my rights under HIPPA. All medical professionals and those who work with your confidential medical information are required by law to follow the HIPPA guidelines. If they don't, they are at risk to pay significant fines for non-compliance. That's the law. At the every least, I'd place that office on notice that they violated your HIPPA rights, and ask what they are going to do to fix their use and disclosure procedures. They do risk significant fines, and you can report them to your state governing body which oversees compliance by medical professionals with the laws, however the "burden of proof" rests with you, and it might be a difficult case to prove with hearsay and a lack of documentation. As for your feelings of "did something wrong", don't feel that way. All you were doing was respecting your own wishes for privacy. There's nothing wrong with respecting your own feelings.

It's important for you to remain in your "comfort zone" with disclosure to others about your surgery, and to do what you feel is appropriate. You gain no benefit from guilt feelings created by not disclosing your surgery to someone who you are close to. That's just a waste of your time and energy. I do caution on the use of lies to cover up the truth, because if you have some feelings of guilt with only lack of disclosure, then likely you will feel guilt with a lie. The other part to this is that the reality is that others will likely eventually discover the surgery, and if you have not been truthful with them it could create other relationship issues. I found that the best approach for me was to simply say that I was careful with portion control, and had dedicated me life to making healthier choices with my diet and exercise. I was telling the truth of my diet and exercise, only did not mention the surgery. This is a personal and individual decision...best wishes on whatever you choose to do...

Well said...I recall a post from someone who was complaining that people constantly were referring to the "Adkins diet" when it really is the "Atkins diet". I suggested at the time that they seek an authentic life for themselves...

I use the Celebrate brand chewable vitamins in blackberry flavor...they actually taste good to me. I purchase them through my surgeon's office, and they are also available online.

I believe that it is always a good idea to keep your PCP in the "information loop". Case in point: when I was hospitalized for pain of an unknown origin by my bariatric surgeon, he attributed my pain to a sore muscle. I knew that was not the cause, and told him so. The hospital asked me to follow up post discharge with my PCP who after seeing my lab results immediately identified "red flags" and diagnosed me with pancreatitis, a symptom of problems with my gall bladder, which was removed a month later. I trust my internal medicine PCP's medical opinion implicitly; no so with my surgeon...just my experiences. Other's mileage may vary...

An eating disorder is caused through series of emotional and/or psychological health issues resulting in a psychological distortion of body image and the patient's attempt to severely limit the number of calories they ingest. The band would not cause the development of an eating disorder. In fact, that is part of the reason for the pre op psych evaluation; to screen for any risk factors for the development of eating disorders. The set of symptoms you wrote about does, as others have written, seem to be a physical situation caused by a band which is too tight, and most certainly does need to be evaluated ASAP by your surgeon. There are a number of risk factors for the development of an eating disorder...including, but not limited to if you have any first degree relatives with an eating disorder or have a history of psychological issues which relate to depression or tendencies towards distorted body image. If you do, it would likely be a good choice to seek services with a qualified professional in the field who does work with that population of patients.

A 4cc band is typical of ones they place in Mexico. To my knowledge, that size is no longer being placed in patients in the US. Good to read that your surgery went well...

Most pills can be cut, whether they are "scored" or not. You have to be careful not to alter any pill which is a "timed release" or "extended release" formula, as you risk an overdose on the medication if it is crushed. Capsules are generally not meant to be broken open. If you have questions or concerns, it's best to discuss them with your physician or a pharmacist.

No, and I pray it never does...I have numerous allergies, so sneezing is a regular event for me. Sincerely sorry you had to deal with that...

In my experience, eating carbs contained in processed foods adds calories, little nutritional value, and leads to craving more carbs. I was so close to a Type II Diabetes diagnosis that my PCP sent me to a training at the local hospital to learn how to eat a healthier diet, and the dietitian stressed the importance of limiting carbs in your diet. Even limiting the carbs contained naturally in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products...way beyond cereal and Pasta. Brown rice is not a poor choice, but as a complex carb, I need to limit myself to only 1 - 2oz serving a day. Sweet potatoes are allowed, white potatoes are not. For bariatric purposes, my surgeon has made the distinction between the natural carbs and the added carbs. He advised that we should never eat foods which have sugar added to them. My PCP also recommends a low, natural carb only diet. I have never counted calories, only measured portions, and tried to make a tradition of making healthy choices for meals. If you are insulin resistant, you need to be aware of carb intake so that you can avoid the extreme blood glucose spikes and falls which are typical with a carb loaded diet. These levels of blood glucose can also contribute to an appetite that is out of control and/or contributes to counterproductive cravings. It's been fairly easy for me to limit my carbs, and I don't miss them. When I discovered my husband's stash of potato chips in the trunk of his car recently, I laughed and told him he should not be concerned about tempting me to cheat on my diet as I have lost my craving for them. Everyone is different...and physicians will give their patients varying instructions. For my surgeon, he advises low carbs, and I followed his instructions. You should follow the instructions given to you by your surgeon, and if what you want to do with following your prescribed foods list differs from them, I would have a discussion with them to share your thoughts.