Sojourner

It will take some time to heal post op...I recall asking the question how was I ever going to get all of the Protein and recommended ounces of free fluids in me every day while on the liquid diet... I found it helpful to structure my time, and have a Protein Shake at the same time my meals would have normally been. I also kept a bottle of Water with me at all times and sipped from it often. I knew that by "lunchtime" I would need to have 16 oz of water in addition to my first shake, etc. The structure reminded me to drink what I needed to. It's very important to keep yourself properly hydrated. It does get easier...

Best wishes as you begin the prelude to your journey...such a positive move to understand that only you can improve your own health. Best wishes...

I guess that you may be correct in your assessment...there are no "food police" to assist you to make healthy and appropriate food choices 24/7. The band is highly self empowering...you determine the level of your success with your weight loss journey by the choices you make every day to eat healthy and exercise. If you are not successful, you have only yourself to hold accountable for the end result.

That's part of the journey...learning about the connection between your emotions and eating patterns. Another part of the journey is learning how to eat again... It does help to structure your meals so that you don't get too tired or too hungry. Good to read that you are feeling better now...sometimes there will be days like this one... learning effective coping skills will help.

Exercise is not recommended just prior to going to bed. Also, when you are tired is when your mind may not be sufficiently focused on your activities, and injuries are more prone to happen.

Hi Annette... The history of your journey with your band has been inspirational to read...it helps to instill hope and determination in others. Thank you so much for posting this! Your insight into understanding that we can't expect perfection with compliance is most reassuring. Certainly you have experienced many life changing challenges over the past 9 years, and you are still focused on your future...that's so healthy and measures your determination for success. I believe that past performance is the best predictor of future success...you will achieve what you set out to do. I hope you will continue to be part of this excellent network of support and encouragement on LBT!

This seems to be a situation of having to choose what your highest priorities are. Essentially you have to decide if the change in benefits and coverage with insurance is more important than moving forward with your approval process. As one who had to have their surgery delayed for a year due to unanticipated medical conditions, my PCP was able to "keep the approval window" open for me longer than most individuals. I had completed my required 6 month supervised diet a year before I applied for approval for my insurance coverage for my surgery. That said, I also had some additional reasons for choosing to delay my surgery for a month...If I had to do the entire process over, I would still make the same choices. The additional month delay did allow me to go on a long planned family cruise before my son moved to Europe and be in the optimal emotional and health condition possible under the circumstances. Your best source of information will be to contact your insurance company directly and discuss your options with them.

What you are describing about your feelings is normal and the result of the numerous emotional and physical adjustments that your body has to make post op. People generally don't embrace the concept of change readily, but if you want to be successful with weight loss, you really do need to modify your relationship with food and make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle. There are just too many weight related medical issues which over time present and then begin to slowly erode your health. Your mood will improve over time as you make these adjustments. Realize that some people actually will experience a kind of "mourning" process similar to grieving as they revise their relationship with food. I looked at having my band placed as an opportunity to regain some of my health; what you have to give up for successful weight loss is returned to you many times over with the health benefits you receive. Wine, and all alcohol beverages are empty calories, so you need to be careful and limit your consumption. I was advised to wait an entire year post op to have any alcoholic beverages...I did wait for 6 months, but have only had Jello shots once. My next glass of wine will be for my birthday next year...beyond the 1 year waiting time. Best wishes...

A definite yes...though I have experienced some significant band related medical complications, having the band has improved the quality of my life. Perhaps not to be considered a "veteran" just yet, I've spent enough time post op to understand life with the band and that what you give up you get back at least 10 times over.

FYI: Yes, some "people" enjoy "talking trash" on a public forum...I.E. you and the BIGBABY or whatever it has morphed into now. And other forum participants, I.E. myself and Maddysgram want sincerely to learn as much as they can about life's journey with a GB, and also sincerely want to help others. I noticed that neither of you have filled in any information about yourselves...so you both must be authentic and sincere people, right??? I doubt that...sincerely. Also, FYI: I regard myself as a GB success story, still on my WL journey, and enjoying good progress towards my goal weight. I do spend more than adequate time engaged in regular exercise, and a fraction of my unscheduled time is spent on this forum in an effort to learn from others and to share information and best practices as well...sincerely. I want to congratulate you and the BIGBABY on being the first and only 2 participants on this forum that have earned the distinction of being blocked by myself. You see, my self esteem is quite healthy, and I would not want to waste any additional time and electricity to read your sincere "trash".

TRUE!!!! I cannot tell a lie...and I know you are at that table, in that chair, with good posture, counting how many times you have chewed that mouthful!! You're going to be the best prepared pre op patient there ever was or will be!!

I remember being advised pre op to never eat meals anywhere but at the table...sitting in a chair using good posture, and no TV or other distractions. When my husband is here...and there's no football game on, no problem. When by myself (the majority of my meals) I'm usually in one of the recliners reading my latest book. Well, I've often written that we can't be expected to comply 100% of the time... can we???

Best wishes to all of you who will be having your surgeries tomorrow...and as your respective journey's begin!

It's actually a "reputation points" calculation, based on the number of "likes" a forum member receives from other forum participants for posts that they have made.

What were your surgeon/nutritionist instructions to you...and are you following them? Are you exercising on a regular basis? I was advised to never count calories, only make healthy food choices and measure my portions. Every meal consists of 3 oz of lean Protein and 2 oz of a Fiber carb, measured by weight after cooking. My philosophy is a bit different than many others who participate on this forum. I'm not trying to get my band overfilled to create restriction to curb my intake of food. I've been very conservative to have my band filled, and prefer to accept more of the responsibility for my weight loss by managing my hunger myself. So far, my approach has been working well for me, so I intend to stay with it... I've found that there are 3 situations which will stall my weight loss: not enough calories, not enough protein, and not enough exercise. That said, your number of calories a day seems a bit too high for weight loss. It does matter to make healthier food choices...avoid extra fats and anything "white". I shop only on the periphery of the grocery store; I avoid the bakery and focus on the produce, meat, and dairy sections. I hope that some of this information will help...

You can puree anything that can go into a blender...at this stage I was allowed to puree moist meat salads (chicken, egg, tuna, shrimp) and, overcooked veggies(yuck) and fruits. Cantaloupe was by far my favorite. Everyone is different for their food preferences; I found that it has been easier for my diet compliance to stay with the simple unprocessed foods. I've branched out a little now...but I'm still not preparing the complete meals that I did previously.

The band is a very self empowering tool to help you loose weight; you will determine your level of success by the choices you make. Best wishes as you begin your journey...

First...learn from your experience of last night! We each have to learn the "personality" of our band. You might want to return to a liquid diet for a day to allow your system to calm down. Though you may not feel like eating, it is still important to stay properly hydrated and meet your daily Protein intake goal.

What you are describing may be symptoms of lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome. I've not read anything about dumping syndrome being caused by the band...perhaps you shocked your system with a sudden infusion of sugar. Unstable levels of blood glucose could also cause the symptoms you are describing. Either way, reads like ice cream is something you should avoid. It would also be a good idea to consult with either your surgeon or PCP about what happened.

It's totally normal to gain post weight post op...your body has experienced significant invasive trauma and is in the healing process. It took two weeks post gall bladder surgery for my weight to return to what it had been prior to the surgery. Try to resist the temptation to weigh yourself too often...it can create unnecessary negative thoughts. Small fluctuations in weight from day to day are normal.

Though I've never written this statement before...I've always felt that turning 50 was a liberating event...you do have some wisdom only gained from life and living. But you also regard yourself who has essentially "been there...done that". I've become more appropriately assertive with others...and if others feel that they've encountered an "easy target"...they've picked the wrong woman! Just ask the guy who clipped the front of my car when he failed to negotiate a left turn and lost control. He looked at me, paused long enough for me to get a good look at his face, and then left the scene of the accident. I followed, called 911, reported location, make, model, year and license plate number. The guy was arrested for felony child endangerment and had to pay restitution. Not bad for a Sunday morning all before church...

I guess I'm in the group which did not have any weight issues until I was around 50. I lost significant amounts of weight post pregnancy times 2 (105 and 85 pounds), and managed to keep it off for nearly 25 years. Then came reckless over medication by a physician and menopause at the same time...and I struggled to loose weight unsuccessfully. I did exercise, tried to eat healthy, and failed at portion control. I realized that many of our family gatherings centered around meals...not a healthy dynamic at all. I was then discovered to be glucose intolerant, and my A1C levels crossed briefly above the number for diagnosis of Type II Diabetes. I knew that I would never be a compliant diabetic, and also was aware of the many complications faced by diabetics. I brought up the WLS topic with my PCP...ethically it did need to be initiated by me. He was very supportive. I just wanted to have the opportunity to regain some of the health that my weight was stealing from me. People don't understand how much focus and dedication needs to go into the banded weight loss journey...daily commitment to diet compliance and portion control, along with regular exercise. I feel that I have fought to loose every pound that I have. I guess people can't understand the concept of the band being a tool...if you don't "walk the walk" it's more difficult to relate to someone on their journey. I don't have the time to listen to the negative "naysayers"...I'm too focused on achieving my next goal...

It helped me to structure my day and evening...and to schedule "meals" (post op replaced with my Protein shakes) to be certain to meet my protein goals every day. shakes were scheduled in place of meals to get to my daily protein goal. Prior to structuring my time, I was sort of drifting through the day and evening, and did not get near enough protein or fluids to drink. Between my Protein shake "meals", I kept a bottle of Water with me and sipped from it often...that was essential to avoid becoming dehydrated. Best wishes on your journey...

Everyone is different regarding food tolerances...I was also banded in April, and am able to eat all vegetables, whether they are cooked or raw...even raw carrots. I stay aware to take super small bites, chew very thoroughly, and take pauses between bites. Learning the "personality" of your band is a trial and error process...I'm still learning.