Sojourner

As was explained to me, the first few weeks post op are for healing, and not for losing weight. As part of my pre op requirements, I met with a specialist in exercise who was on staff with my surgeon. They determined my percentage of excess fat and current muscle mass. They were able to tell me my daily protein goal, and how much exercise time to preserve my muscle mass and ensure that any loss of weight would be excess fat an not muscle. My take away was that if you get your protein and continue to exercise, you will lose fat, not muscle. Initially you likely will not meet you protein goal or be able to exercise at your pre op level. This is just temporary, and you will be back on track. Every one is different. It would be a good idea to discuss this concern with your surgeon.

Heartburn is never normal with a band. It would be advisable to inform your surgeon how you are feeling ASAP!

YAWN...did LBT morph into some sort of political forum recently????

A band that is too tight may lead to unanticipated complications. That is a reality that many Bandsters do not consider when in the process of seeking the "green zone". My surgeon was very conservative with fills, and I chose to go along with his expert medical opinion to go slow with fills. It was also very important to me to be able to take my medications without risk of getting them stuck. So, keeping my band a bit on the loose side was my priority and preference.

Michelle...I guess I missed your bandiversary...I hope it was a nice non-calorie one! How time flies...

Lettuce does not have much nutritional value, so when I consider eating "salad", I usually skip the lettuce and have a few pieces of carrot, tomato, or cucumber. I miss my salads, but the rules now are for Protein first. A typical salad meal for me would be a small portion of grilled chicken, and for carbs a slice of tomato, carrot, and cucumber. I also keep any dressing on the side and dip the veggies in the dressing sparingly. You get all the taste without the excessive calories.

You might try contacting the office of Dr. Keith Kim at Celebration Health. My understanding is that he would see patients of other doctors on a case by case basis. His staff is very committed to the work they do, and he is a top notch surgeon, well respected by his peers. They have a web site with contact information.

An excellent question, which tells me that you are strongly engaged in understanding what you need to do to make your weight loss journey a successful one. The major part of weight loss success is the psychology behind your eating habits, and changing your relationship with food. You have to "get your head in the game", and become aware of your thoughts and everything which goes into your mouth. For many obese people, the reasons they are obese is because they have used food to cope with their feelings and life stress, or even boredom. They likely have lived to eat, not the other way around. We must adopt the mindset that we eat to live. We need to develop alternative coping skills to modify our eating behaviors. Instead of reaching for empty calorie junk foods when you feel the need to eat, reach for your walking shoes and exercise clothing. Another aspect we need to modify is understanding the difference between "head hunger" and authentic hunger. When we are experiencing head hunger, we must learn that there are alternatives to eating. I now have the most organized closets and drawers ever...projects around the house are wonderful to distract my thoughts and keeps me busy on things which I will appreciate later. I have had my band totally unfilled since June, and I have managed to continue to lose weight. I had to take more responsibility for managing my hunger and make a commitment to exercise on a regular basis. It is working for me. Also, for the first 14 weeks post op, I did not have any fills, and also lost weight. I was using the same mindset I have now to continue my weight loss journey. My reward will come when I reach my goal weight, but I am not focused on my goal. I stay focused on taking a day at a time with compliance to following Bandster rules. For me, that is what helps me to maintain a serene but determined mindset for success. Others mileage vary on all topics, but this is what has continued to work for me. Best wishes for a successful journey...

I developed gastritis after 4 taking doses of liquid NASIDS, 2 taken in December, and 2 the following February. I took the medication with my surgeon's permission. The side effects were painful, and I never want to experience that again. It required a 2 month regimen of medication to recover. I was advised that if I got anything stuck, I was to return to a total liquid diet for the rest of that day, and the following day only eat those foods which have a lower risk for getting stuck. And remember the rules about chewing. After a stuck episode, the pouch is understandably irritated and needs a rest with a liquid diet. I rarely got anything stuck, but I felt better just on liquids for a day. I conduct a cost/risk benefit analysis when it comes to medical related decisions. I would much rather be conservative with liquids, than risk any possible complications later. Other's mileage on the topic does vary...

You are absolutely correct to identify your feelings as mourning. For obese people, food is often turn to food to cope with stress, boredom, and other situations. For the weight loss journey to be successful, it is necessary to identify and put intoractoce alternative ways to cope with our feelings and life stress, and change our relationship with food. We must learn to eat to live, not live to eat. While it is correct that there will be some foods which you may never be able to eat again, over time I have been able to eat just about anything I did before my band is placed. Favorites such as broccoli cooked the way I like it, asparagus, and fresh pineapple are no longer tolerated. But very thin crust pizza is ok ( I've had 2 pieces in 18 months), among other questionable food choices. We usually can eat just about anything post band, but just because we can eat something does not mean that we should. I understand the temptations all around us. Sometimes we just have to be content with a bite instead of an entire piece of pizza. My post is from the perspective of someone who has been banded for awhile, and not just post op. At present, it is essential that you adhere closely to the post op stages recommended by your surgeon. The future with food choices is not totally bleak, but you must understand your trigger foods and avoid them if you cannot be satisfied with a bite.

You are absolutely correct to identify your feelings as mourning. For obese people, food is often turn to food to cope with stress, boredom, and other situations. For the weight loss journey to be successful, it is necessary to identify and put intoractoce alternative ways to cope with our feelings and life stress, and change our relationship with food. We must learn to eat to live, not live to eat. While it is correct that there will be some foods which you may never be able to eat again, over time I have been able to eat just about anything I did before my band is placed. Favorites such as broccoli cooked the way I like it, asparagus, and fresh pineapple are no longer tolerated. But very thin crust pizza is ok ( I've had 2 pieces in 18 months), among other questionable food choices. We usually can eat just about anything post band, but just because we can eat something does not mean that we should. I understand the temptations all around us. Sometimes we just have to be content with a bite instead of an entire piece of pizza. My post is from the perspective of someone who has been banded for awhile, and not just post op. At present, it is essential that you adhere closely to the post op stages recommended by your surgeon. The future with food choices is not totally bleak, but you must understand your trigger foods and avoid them if you cannot be satisfied with a bite.

And another motivation can be once you see that you are losing weight, setting short term realistic goals to keep you engaged in your weight loss journey. During the first 12 months following placement of my band, I had 3 surgeries, the recovery from two of which I had to be essentially a couch potato for 6 weeks. I was depressed because of my inability to engage in exercise. Then several weeks post op, with my ortho physician's blessing, I discovered I could use a recumbent bicycle. My mood improved dramatically...and I was back on track again. Now that we have moved to a cooler climate, I am able to get to the fitness center 5-6 days a week for at least an hour of cardio. I feel restless if I have to miss out on "my time" at the gym, as now it is a habit for me. Seeing the scale move in the right direction, even slowly, is the motivation which keeps me going with diet compliance and exercise. And the changes which take place with seeing the possibilities of a healthier and more fit you are excellent motivators as well. We can all be successful if we keep our focus on the rewards of improved health and mobility. Some days are more difficult than others...but maintaining focus also helps to maintain motivation! Best wishes for continuing success!

We all know that we are not able to influence the way other people believe, think, say, or do. The best protection against being offended or made angry is to "make your skin thicker", consider the source for the offending remarks, and then move on. You likely will never encounter that person again...let it go. Staying angry over something hurtful like you encountered means that you have given away your power to choose to another who does not deserve it. She likely has already forgotten about the incident...but you are still feeling offended. Does that make sense? Keep focused on your path...that is the choice you can make, and feel sorry for the immature woman.

I am sorry to read your post. Did you ever find out the reasons for having so many difficulties with eating? Success with a band means "having your head in the game", and sometimes the psychology part is more difficult than the physiological aspects of band life. Having your band emptied of all fluid does not necessarily mean the end of your journey. I have had my band empty for 4 months now, and I have been able to continue to lose weight. Not at the pace I did earlier, but I am approaching my goal weight now. Perhaps if you continued to follow the eating rules, and made a commitment to exercise you can still be a success story. I know that the only way I will reach my goal weight is with continuing to exercise. The band is a highly self empowering tool...you can still be the success you wanted to be. Best wishes with whatever path you choose...

I believe all of us have had to learn how to do this at some point...what has helped me is to have an awareness of what I am doing, I refer to it as mindful eating. I use a smaller salad fork and look at every bite to be certain it is a small one. I count to make certain that I chew each bite at least 20 times, sometimes more if necessary. I put my fork down for 20 seconds between bites, no exceptions. These suggestions may sound like an oversimplification of the obvious, but they have helped me slow down eating my meals. Be certain to follow your surgeons directions regarding how long a meal should last. I was advised that I need to stop eating after 20 minutes.

The only hiccups I experience are ones that are a "soft sign" for me to stop eating at mealtime.

It is possible that your band may be too tight. I am not a doctor, but I have experienced similar symptoms, and I strongly encourage you to call your surgeon to advise you ASAP.

Regurgitating after you lay down and are asleep may be a symptom of reflux. This is nothing to ignore. If you are unable to keep anything down, you are at risk for dehydration. Ice chips are helpful, but your body needs hydration. I strongly encourage you to call your surgeon's office ASAP for further instructions. A month after having my band placed I was not aware that I had become dehydrated and ended up in the hospital. I hope you will feel better fast. Good luck.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights with us... Congratulations on your success, and encouragement to others. In today's fast paced society, patience and perserverence are not readily subscribed to. But for the weight loss journey with a band, that is what is required. Awesome job...and an inspiration to many others!

That's a question nearly impossible to answer, as we are individuals, and we begin our weight loss journey from different starting points, and with different contributing factors which have an effect on weight loss. The most important thing to remember, the first 6 weeks post op are regarded to be for healing and not weight loss. You have had a significant surgery, and you have to heal from the initial trauma and swelling. If you follow the post op directions given to you by your surgeon, the weight loss will come after the healing. Best wishes for a successful weight loss journey...

It sounds like you have been given good advice already. The only information I would like to add is that it should help to stay away from acidic foods. I cannot tolerate anything made with tomatoes since being banded, as I have noticed a definite causal relationship between tomato products and development of heartburn. Another thing to help you is to look for a pattern with foods you eat and the development of heartburn. Knowledge is power...and it can help you feel better!

A great topic Cheryl...so many on the forum seem to have forgotten the rules for the forum, and common courtesy in interpersonal communication. I can agree to disagree with the best of us, and sometimes the need to be right for others makes the forum too devisive to be an effective tool for sharing best practices and information. If members feel the need to rant, it is a better choice to type their frustrations out to externalize their feelings, and then delete their message before posting. You still have the therapeutic benefits without all of the resulting turbulence. A nebulous caste system does not exist on an open forum...J/S

Initial weight loss rates will slow over time. When setting goals it is important to keep them realistic so that psychologically you do not set yourself up for disappointment. Excess pressures to reach a goal which may be out of reach may create excess stress. If you know that you are someone who works well under pressure, it may be the right choice. Through my journey, I have not set anything but short term goals...and prefer to just take a day at a time. That works for me. Do whatever works for you. Good luck!

Janet... Why do keep those crazy hours? Most of all, I wish you quality sleep... I have tried my best to be a "morning person"...I gave up. Not going to happen... Hope all are well...and getting their sleep!

Hi Michelle....and Nicole if you are out there... I hope the studying is coming along well...what is the date for the exam? Good luck! Nicole, I hope most if not all family issues are now behind you...and that the days ahead will be calm for you. I guess my new mission in forum life is to antagonize nana...I really have concerns when unqualified people issue medical diagnoses and devise treatment plans. A qualified physician waits to at least examine a patient before taking those steps... Keeps retired life interesting...