Sojourner

Congratulations on completing the next step of your weight loss journey!

As others have posted, there are legal restrictions to the disclosure of your private health care information. You should not feel pressured to disclose to anyone information which you do not want to. Your surgeon's office is well versed in how to address this situation with your employer. It's your call if you want to disclose your WLS to others. From an emotional perspective, it's much healthier to have appropriate boundaries with others...stay in your comfort zone with disclosure about your surgery. You can always say that you don't feel comfortable with discussing the topic. Others should respect that...

Avoid the coffee...as per my surgeon it's not considered a clear liquid. Yes, Jello is considered a clear "liquid"...as long as you don't add anything to it. I had cravings for salt during my liquid diet phase, so plain chicken broth was perfect to stay compliant with the diet and provide the salt I wanted.

Your pouch may become irritated with the change in restriction created by the fill. Following your surgeon's instructions with a liquid diet allows for any needed healing and not irritating your pouch. I'm advised to have only liquids for 2 days and soft foods for 1 day after a fill. I comply with the rules as designated by my surgeon; he has the medical expertise, and I'm paying him for it.

My surgeon was strict with meeting his weight loss requirements; if you did not weigh below his designated weight loss number for you by the day of your pre op appointment, you were not scheduled for your surgery. No exceptions. I was advised of this, so I was determined to make it happen and have my weight where it needed to be or lower. What have you been doing in an effort to loose weight? I followed the band diet pre op to loose weight (lean Proteins, low carb Fiber, strict portion control), and I got an hour of cardio exercise in every day. I lost 13 pounds in 21 days...8 pounds under what I needed to loose. Best wishes for success...it can be done, but it takes focus and a realistic timeline.

Anything that can be put in the blender and pureed can be considered a mushy...I used moist meats mixed with light mayonnaise ( dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey, tuna, eggs, and shrimp), and fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, honey dew melon and cantaloupe). You likely won't be able to reach your daily Protein goal with the Proteins you eat, so during this phase I continued to have 1 Protein shake a day. Try not to become obsessed with your scale...you may gain a pound. That's just part of the adjustment and healing processes continuing, and normal. Throughout your weight loss journey, you will have a slight fluctuation in your weight; this is normal, can be attributed to many factors, and don't allow it to discourage you. Congratulations on your progress!

Cazzy is correct...and the band is only a tool; if you do not have the right motivation and determination to be compliant with diet and lifetime commitment to changes in your lifestyle and patterns of eating, you are likely to become discouraged and fail to loose weight. The safest way to complete the placement of the band is with laparoscopic surgery; otherwise the surgeon has to do much larger incision. The risks of post op complications is increased. If your liver is too fatty, then the odds are that the surgeon will have to make the larger incision. The pre op diet is designed to both shrink the fat in the liver and to help you become acquainted with the diet compliance and lifetime changes for adopting healthier eating patterns and exercise. Starting this journey with the mindset to find a different doctor who will let you skate by without loosing the weight necessary is not predictive of a positive weight loss journey for you. For success, though you may not like or agree with the "rules", however the rules and requirements are in place for valid reasons. Seeking to change the rules to fit what you want to do tells me that you are not sufficiently motivated to change your beliefs about healthy eating and exercise. IMHO... Loosing the required pre op weight is not an easy task...but you really need to get in touch with your reasons for wanting this surgery. The weight loss journey is one which required daily commitment to following the rules, and is not an easy walk in the park. Best wishes...

What you are describing reads like you may be harming your knees. From my experience, and what I have been told by my orthopedist "crunchy joints" are not normal, and the "crunchy" sound or feeling may be cartilage being damaged or ligaments which may be inflamed. Either way, it would be a sound idea for you to be evaluated by an orthopedist to be certain you are not harming your knees by participating in an impact exercise program.

You have completed most of your post op healing, and now are able to eat more. It's necessary for you to limit your eating to the number of meals and the size of portions which should have been specified by your surgeon's post op instructions. Until you have restriction with additional fills, you will likely be able to continue to tolerate most foods, including bread. Just because you can eat it does not mean that you should. Now is the best time to hone your will power and determination to resist eating more often than you have been advised to. I continue to get hungry between meals, but find that I am able to avoid eating between meals by drinking the "free fluids" (FF/SF) that we should be having daily. I keep a bottle of Water with me most all of the time, and sip from it frequently.

The pouch is created by the placement of the band to limit the size of the portions which will contribute to a feeling of getting full with much less food. A typical bandster meal is comprised of measured portions, requires timed through chewing of food, and compliance to make healthy choices for lean Proteins and limited Fiber carbs. With increased restriction, it will take longer for you to feel any hunger between meals. For some, who are in their green zone, don't experience much hunger. The band does nothing to manage "head hunger"; you have to learn the appropriate life skills to work through this. There are many ways to "eat around the band", and none of them are conducive for a successful journey with weight loss. Realistically, until you have some level of restriction after several months post op, you will need to rely on your will power and determination to be successful to remain diet compliant and loose weight. Your relationship with food needs to change; so that you accept that you eat to live, not live to eat. Food is not your friend. It would be very helpful for you to seek some counseling to better understand the psychology behind why you are eating between meals and when you are not authentically hungry, which are likely at the core of why you are obese. People typically seek solace with food, eat out of boredom or anger at themselves or others. No matter how you look at it, this is an unhealthy belief system and does need to change. I hope some of this information is helpful...

It's normal to become anxious any time you are confronted with the realities that some aspects of your life are about to change...inherently people don't embrace change. We all have our reasons for wanting/needing this surgery; stay in touch with them as you are on your journey, as this will enhance your probability for success with weight loss and odds of increasing your health states. Having a band does not mean that you will experience episodes of food getting stuck, or vomiting. You will be realistic to anticipate some pain post op. It is temporary and if you are prepared with the necessary prescriptions from your surgeon you will feel remarkably better in only a few days post op. To resolve pain post op, walking short distances in your house will go far to help resolve post op gas pain. Most "stuck" episodes with food are attributed to distractions which contribute to incomplete chewing, or to eating too fast; then food may get stuck depending on the amount of restriction in your band. If you follow the rules, and don't have too much restriction, you will find over time that with following the rules( portion control, diet compliance with healthy choices for food) life is pretty much the same as pre op. Also remember that for every post you see regarding pain and stuck episodes, there are many, many others who have not posted about how many uneventful meals they have had. Yes, there are the real possibilities that you may experience complications with your band. I have had a couple thus far, however these were not related to my band, only my weight loss. Since having my band placed, I have never vomited, PB'd, or gotten food stuck. I make the effort to remain aware of my actions while eating to be certain to chew everything well. Yes, you will need to give up excessive carbs, carbonated beverages, over sized portions among the most common. These items are not conducive to successful weight loss. All surgeries come with risks...and if you have never had surgery, it can be highly anxiety provoking. It will be essential to stay in touch with your surgeon's office if anything out of the ordinary occurs, and they will tell what to look for. I hope some of this information is helpful... Best wishes...

Weighing yourself too often...even daily can create unnecessary negative feelings about your journey success. It is totally normal to have minor fluctuations in weight throughout your entire weight loss journey. As others have written, this is a time for healing, and getting in better practice with diet compliance. Make the correct choices with your diet, practice portion control, get in your exercise, and resist the urge to weigh yourself daily. Best wishes...

One of the significant up sides to the band it the ongoing assistance it can give you to avoid regaining the weight you loose, if you continue to follow the rules. Long term success, with every conventional diet, which was mentioned in an earlier post in this thread is not the actual weight loss, but keeping the weight you have lost off. It's so important to tune out the negative opinions of others. To be emotionally healthy you need to be able to think for yourself, and make your choices based on what you know to be your own needs. There is no better time than now to begin that process of becoming more emotionally healthy, along with physically healthy. Others do not know your entire reasoning for your surgery decision, nor do they have to contend with your daily challenges...as such, they are not qualified to "weigh in" with their opinions.

A stool softener should also help...and it's important to stay properly hydrated with Water or other free fluids. I know that now, when I have to return to a liquid diet post fill, it really messes my entire system up for a week.

I'm retired...but if I had still been working, I would have been totally ready to return to work in 2 weeks. A month off does seem excessive; would there be any "modified" work that you could still do (avoiding lifting, etc) for a couple of weeks as you continue to heal?

Some restaurants (Red Lobster is one) are now offering half sized portions for their menu items...also places like the Cheesecake Factory have different size portions, one for lunch and a larger one for dinner. I usually order the lunch sized portion, even at dinner time with no questions asked. Sometimes I like the meal so much, I happily take the left overs home and have several meals from the one menu item. I have never had questions asked about my menu choices. I agree that the kids menu usually does not offer healthy choices. The one exception to this is Chick fil 'a. Their kids meal of grilled chicken nuggets and a side order of fresh fruit is ideal for a bandster.

Different surgeons use different guidelines with their patients...and I was advised to make good choices for foods; only lean Proteins and Fiber carbs. I have to measure my portions to keep them the correct size; for my surgeon this means 3 oz of lean Protein and 2 oz fiber carb for every meal. I have never counted calories, but I read nutrition labels to know the content in everything on my diet. In my experience it's just as important to make appropriate food choices as it is to stay with the right sized portions.. Your surgeon or their staff will be the best resource to give you the dietary guidelines you should be following. Try not to become too obsessed with your scale; small variations in weight are common, and the number on the scale often creates unnecessary negative thoughts. I still work on resisting the urge to weigh myself every day. Best wishes...

Exercise is essential, and definitely watch your intake of salt, as that usually adds to Fluid retention. I had to be under the weight set by my surgeon by my pre op appointment which was 3 weeks prior to my surgery date...otherwise, surgery would be rescheduled. He enforces this policy strictly. I lost 14 pounds in 3 weeks, with increased exercise, high protein/low carb diet and strict portion control. I was 8 pounds under the weight I needed to be by the pre op appointment. Best wishes...I hope everything goes as planned!

My concern is that unless you are truly aware of the psychology behind your binge eating, a mood disorder may develop post op. With bulimic patients there is a tendency to use unhealthy excessive methods to purge themselves of the extra calories they ingest. Self loathing, guilt feelings about out of control eating behaviors are all possible to develop post op, unless you are aware of how your thoughts may eventually lead to bulimic behaviors. Having a band, the purging behaviors would definitely place you at higher risk for complications with your band. Post op, it is not uncommon for some degree of mood disorder to develop. Hormones are gyrating as your body adapts to a different way of eating and diet. Some individuals even go through what seems to be a grieving process as they change their relationship and beliefs about food. I would definitely recommend you remain in treatment for your eating patterns. It may be more beneficial for you to attend individual sessions for a time with your counselor if you feel that the group dynamics are unhealthy for you. Best wishes...

I have had to take the "medrol" dose pack of prednasone tablets (sp) a couple times since being banded for systemic inflammation. I have not experienced any complications with the medication, but my physician has told me that he would not prescribe it if I also was not already taking Prevacid daily. I've never had issues with Fluid retention when taking this medication. Best wishes...

What is the focal point of issues in this therapeutic group? What has the group facilitator done in response to your concerns? These would be important information items to know about for sharing additional information with you. Unless this is a group devoted to mood disorders or focusing on eating disorders, it does seem that bariatric surgery would be way off topic for a therapeutic group discussion. Most importantly, do you believe that you will be at risk to develop bulimia post op? Again, you did not disclose some important information about this group setting and focus to really give an informed opinion. What I will write is that it is the group facilitator's responsibility to keep the discussion on topic, and to redirect the group as necessary. No individual in the group should ever feel "singled out" or in the "hot seat" when the discussion topic is focused on them. The group looses it's therapeutic benefit if that happens. Ultimately, the decision for surgery has to be between you and your physician. If you provide some additional information about the group focus, it would be easier to share valid insights about your situation. Best wishes...

My surgeon's office has 24/7 coverage for medical issues to be addressed...I've only called once, (very late evening) when I was experiencing the intense pain from pancreatitis to ask for instructions. It's much better to have answers than to get stressed from a lack of information. When my son is on call for his practice, he just has calls forwarded to his cell phone from the answering service, and deals with the problem as necessary. I've overheard him call in prescriptions to the pharmacy on weekends and give the patient instructions to deal with the situation if it is not an emergency. It's just a part of his career...and if it is an emergency, he instructs them to go to the ER. That said...call your surgeon even if it is a weekend. If you have concerns it's a valid reason to call. This episode may also provide some key medical information to the physician. I hope you will feel better fast...

One more bit of information to share...the "gold standard" Protein for bariatric patients is 100% whey isolate. It's important to become a label reader during your journey, as all our foods need to deliver big on good nutrition. Products like the Atkins shakes, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and Muscle Milk do not have the whey type of protein in them, as per the instructions from my surgeon. They fall short on the best nutrition for our needs as bariatric patients. Finding a shake that you like is imperative, as you will periodically need to return to a liquid diet, usually post fill. As others have written, not everyone will have the same tastes. I have used the GNC Wheybolic Extreme chocolate flavor since day 1...only 1.5 scoops has 30 grams of protein. When mixed with 1%milk you have 37 grams of protein per shake. I like to make them thicker by adding 1 or 2 ice cubes to the blender. I am sensitive to aftertaste and the "chemical" taste, and do not have that with the GNC brand. Another product which has strong positive reviews is the "Unjury" brand. I have never tried this brand, but it does contain whey protein, and highly recommended by surgeons. I have tried the Muscle Milk Light (again, need to read the nutritional label...only the light formula meets calorie criteria); thought I was drinking a bottle of chemicals...horrible! I have used the Atkins shakes on occasion while traveling and had no access to a cooler or blender. They tasted pretty good, with no aftertaste, but they don't have all whey protein in them, so for me they are not for everyday use. Best wishes...

I still have to respectfully disagree with you...if you are on a low carb diet, the white potato (along with foods made with white flour) is not a good choice. The carbs they contain are the ones which lead to the carb high and crash, and for many people that only leads to the craving for additional carbs. The result is a prescription for weight gain. I did not write that white foods are "worthless", only that they are lacking in nutritional value. With a band, everything one eats has to deliver big on nutritional value. Yams (sweet potatoes) have more nutritional value, high Fiber, and are a complex carb, thus a better choice for the low carb diet. The sweet potato is considered to be a potassium super food, ranking well ahead the white potato in nutrition and potassium levels. Other good sources of potassium are yogurt and tomatoes. I'm certain there are more... I'm a label reader, and question the wisdom of the manufacturer to see the list of chemical ingredients added to the over processed foods in general. Why process all of the nutritional value out of the ingredients, and then use chemicals to add some of the nutrition back in? If white bread and white rice are so nutritious, why would so many dietitians and surgeons leave them off their recommended food lists? I find that simple and fresh foods work best for me, and what I was advised to use...I control what, if anything is added to them during preparation, and know what I am eating. It's a simple way to grocery shop; I avoid the middle of the store (only go there to get my coffee...), and avoid the bakery. On the periphery of the store you will find the produce, meat/fish, and dairy products...where the fresh and simple foods are. Your mileage varies...

I had to 6 additional pounds to loose before my pre op surgery appointment. I found out about this when I returned home from a cruise...and had 3 weeks to get below the required weight. I went on a low carb, high lean Protein diet, and began walking 4 miles a day. At the end of the 3 weeks, I had lost 12 pounds. The surgeon's office was blunt and to the point; if I was not below their target number for my weight, I would have to have my surgery rescheduled. After over a year of delays, there was no way I was going to let that happen. It's rather amazing what we can accomplish when we have defined goals and the motivation to be successful! Best wishes...you can do this!