TheProfessor

My WFL is working! A success story to share. I was banded 7 months ago - December 18th, 2014. Since then I have been a great and compliant patient - modifying my food choices, increasing Protein, eliminating white foods (rice, Pasta, breads). And TODAY - this very morning - the day after my 46th birthday, I have lost 50 pounds. HOORAY! What is a WFL? WINE-FREE LIFE. Sounds silly to give it a goofy acronym, but I'm trying to stay positive here. Up until 3 days ago I was stuck at 47 pounds lost. Like REALLY STUCK - the scale has not moved in 9 weeks. I was at 212-214 for weeks and weeks and weeks... the culprit? Red wine. I love fine wines. (My husband is snorting and reminding me that I love cheap plonk too, but that's another story). In another post I detailed how this love came about because of receiving training in the 1990's in wines, varietals and vintages. ANYWAY. My enthusiastic (to say the least) consumption of wine has been stalling my progress with my lap-band. The band reminds me what I can and cannot EAT, however it is not fussy when I throw high-calorie bevvies (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz...) down my throat. The band does not restrict fluids, and so I have been joyfully justifying my 3-glass-a-night (roughly 500 calories) indulgence but reminding myself of how little food I've eaten. Reality check - it doesn't work that way. It takes 3500 calories to 'create' a pound of weight. If I do the math, I've been consuming roughly 4000-5000 calories a week in WINE alone. (Hello, AA?!) So although my caloric intake through food may be down, and my exercise up (I started walking 18 kms a week), I'm derailing my weight loss because of wine. SO! I finally realized this last week. I think I was in denial. Last week as my birthday approached, I decided on a WFB - wine-free birthday. (This is huge for me as I Celebrate anything and everything with wine). I went wine-free a couple of days before my b-day. Today it's the day after and I am down THREE pounds. THREE POUNDS. Remember - the scale hadn't moved in weeks. Coincidence? I think not! So for those of you who are booze enthusiasts, regardless of your WLS method, those calories add up. I am enthusiastically (with only a small sob) going wine-free, and enjoying a WFL - Wine-Free Life. Woo!

@@lorless Your irrational emotions might have been you de-toxing and getting rid of the junk in your system through the Fluid diet. I know I had a brutal headache, leg twitches, sleeplessness... it was a tough few days. Be kind to yourself and try not to do too much while you are on your pre-op fluids. Take it easy, get lots of sleep, drink loads of Water and try not to do too much strenuous work (including working out...). There will be loads of time for that after you have your WLS! :-)

Hi Kaila - can you private message me?

Seriously - anything you can put in a blender so that it sticks to the back of spoon is probably ok! (Take very tiny bites though - you don't know what you can tolerate until you try a little itty bitty bit. Sounds weird, but I had a whole salmon and chicken fixation. I would shove some pieces of cook fish (or chicken) into the blender (we have a Vitamix so it really gets the job done well!) with some mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, roasted red pepper, green onion... whirr it until it was more or less a thick Fluid puree. My husband would observe this with mute disgust and amusement. I ignored his snorts of derision and chomp all that pureed goodness down. Nom nom nom! Sounds nasty but MAN OH MAN was it ever great after being on fluids for a month! It tasted like heaven!

Pasta (seafood fettucine, chicken tetrazzini....) and french stick slathered in butter. I am so grateful to my lap-band for forbidding these foods - I simply cannot tolerate them. No matter how well I chew, chew, chew and take small bites, by band puts up a fight very time and I wind up in the bathroom. So - I miss the memory of those flavours and textures... the silky sauces, the bite of garlic, the twirling of pasta on my fork and seeing the parmersan melt, the sweet taste of French baguette... but the reward of weight-loss far outweighs the nostalgia.

@KristenLe - - - Dehydration might have been the reason for someone else, however not this girl! I've been, and continue to be a Water hound. I love it. Its like my own personal form of heroin. I am ridiculous about water intake, and know most certainly that dehydration was not the issue! You are absolutely right, though - most of us do not get anywhere near what our bodies require in terms of fluids in an average day. I believe I was a camel in a former life....

Yes indeed this happened to me. I was 6 or 7 days in to my liquid pre-op diet and I *almost* passed out (unlike you, who took it across the finish line... ) while I was in the shower. After lying down in the tub (and having a weird completely unexpected cry) I researched what happened - I was hypoglycemic due to lack of calories. I felt nauseated, had head spins, saw stars and was irrationally emotional. I realized that this was ridiculous (my body was shocked out from so few calories), so I ate a salad. Just lettuce, cucumber and a dash of lemon juice and Bragg's Aminos. Just getting that incredibly low-calorie salad into me made me feel 100% better. I'm not recommending that you "break" your liquids diet, however I am suggesting that your body needs more than what the liquid diet is giving you. Maybe add another shake in there? Best thing - call your surgical nursing team and ask for some direction.

Look up on this forum or Google lap-band+ pre-op+tips or something to that effect. This forum is full of advice (including one large post written by me, actually!). Some digging around should get you the info you need. You will do great if you do a bit of research and prepare! :-)

Hey - I'm in Ontario, too. :-) We can give each other support... I'm two years post-op, 78 pounds down and in a tremendous stall. What about you?

"Awkward" is when I get a stuck episode publicly, and have to excuse myself to vomit or PB when there is no way OUT. Its happened 3x in two years, and each time it's horrible, embarrassing and stressful.

@@kbarbs yes it may be tempting to rush through but DO NOT. Take it one day at a time or you risk hurting your healing tummy. Take is slow and careful. Lots of Water, take it easy!

@@dorriee an Hi there - yep - you will need to prepare for some pain. Totally worth it, BTW. Have some gas-x dissolvable strips on hand. There will likely (not always) be moderate to severe gas pain in your chest and shoulder caused by the surgical necessity of having them fill your stomach with air in order to do the surgery. You might want to a) search this forum, google or c) search Pinterest for what you should have on hand immediately following surgery. There's lots on this forum on this subject - different threads.

I've had no trouble with lettuce of any kind (romaine, rocket, iceburg) sticking. This is a relief as I was a salad hound before being banded! What kind of WLS did you get? I don't know if this makes a difference. For myself wtih the lap band it was about a month after starting back on regular food post-op before I braved a salad. I was very careful to chew, chew, chew but never experienced any troubles.

Well hello there, kbarbs! Congratulations on your being banded. Welcome to the 'other side'. :-) Like you, I got the surgery to reduce my risk of breast cancer (in my family extensively), Type 2 Diabetes, etc. Since being banded I have lost 77 pounds, 60 of that in the first year. Woo woo! I have no idea what your starting weight is, and how much you have to lose, but 50 pounds sounds very reasonable as a goal. Every single person is different and will lose at different rates, so be patient and try not to compare your progress too much against other people. Be patient with the process. You may lose very little initially (first month or so?) and may feel afraid that the band is working. This is normal! Your body needs time to adjust, and of course your band likely has very little Fluid in it at this point. Once you get a few adjustments ("fills") you should notice the difference and the weight will begin to melt away. Its a pretty amazing thing when it all starts happening. For now, know that this forum will be a terrific place for you to receive support and encouragement. We've been where you are! Be sure to adhere strictly to the timing and nature of your post-op diet (fluids ... full fluids ... mushies .... soft foods, regular foods...) and try not to rush anything. Glad to know you!

Me, too. Getting a potential breast cancer diagnosis and considering preventative double-mastectomy has made me say "eff it" and make bad food choices. I've been eating like a hog, with little discretion. This is a set-back, I know, and temporary. That said, I've gained 5 pounds. Sucks, but I know EXACTLY where I went wrong, and it's all reactive to the cancer scare. Will be getting biopsies tomorrow and will be eating according to the results.....! LOL! xxoo

Yes dear @DAWYFE - you can and WILL sleep on your side/tummy again! I am a tummy-sleeper first, side-sleeper second. The first couple of weeks post-surgical, I slept mostly on my back with pillows. After the healing really kicked in, I found myself able to sleep in my delicious old comfy positions with no discomfort at all. Yay! At 75 pounds down, I now find myself settling in early for a good night's sleep on my tummy right away, with no discomfort or pressure on my back or spine. I roll over painlessly. :-) I was only 2 weeks post-surgical when I returned to tummy sleeping (my favourite!) Hope this gives you hope. You are doing great!!!

The first few days post-banding can be rough. Hang in there, it DOES get better! Lots of Water (sip, sip, sip, sip) and pillows and Gas-X were a god-send. I also found "engaging my core" before getting out of bed or out of a chair helpful - before getting out of bed psyching myself up for the big move, clenching/locking my stomach muscles together (engaging my core) and then making the move with my hands applying pressure to my incision sites! Before I knew it I was back into my normal life - maybe 10 days tops? Keep those steri-strips on for as long as you can - some take up to 2 weeks to fall off on their own!

@melimel11Repectfully - you have not been successful with your band., Fair enough. 10 pounds lost in 12 years tells us a lot. How about NOT being negative to a new member who is on the brink of making a positive life change, and posting elsewhere (or nowhere) on the forum?

@@Chez2812 Hi Chez! I was banded 18 months ago and I am absolutely DELIGHTED with the decision I made. I've gone from a size 22 to a size 12 (I went from 259 lbs at my heaviest to 181 lbs - my current weight). I also had physical problems that prevented me from exercising. I had weak, sore knees (the extra weight...), foot problems (fallen arches due again to WEIGHT) and two ruptured discs - obesity related. AWESOME. So as soon as I started to lose weight, my issues began to resolve. Next thing I knew, I was down 50 pounds and feeling 100% better. I got on the treadmill in our basement, and it's been steady losing and feeling terrific ever since. Getting banded was the best decision I ever made. While my surgeon was in there he repaired a hiatus hernia, too. No more heartburn! Its normal to be nervous. You will be terrific! As I write this you may actually be in the recovery room.... ANYWAY! The gas pain will likely hurt terribly, and you'll wonder what the heck you were thinking. After it's resolved, though? JOY! Keep us posted!

Truth - I absolutely LOVED your brag list, LipstickLady. You are so much MORE than the fat you lost, and you deserve to identify with those things fully and unreservedly! My brag list: I have eight wicked tattoos, some of them really big (one is a half sleeve, left arm) that NONE of which my College students know about (My tats are AWESOME SNEAKY that way). I hold the record for eating the most mangoes in one day in a town called Tchaourou, in Benin, West Africa. (56 mangoes, January 14th, 1993) Yup, those are my two brag list items that I would wish to identify with, rather than being an ex-fat person.

Feel the same way about getting into a pair of size 12 Lululemon yoga pants (after being a size 22). Not exactly a size 2 (YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!) but the same elated feeling of utter disbelief! Pure joy! Congratulations - you are an inspiration!

I was banded in Mississauga (Toronto) on December 18th, 2014. I am 11 weeks post-op and down 37 pounds. It may not be a ton of weight lost, but its all gone, gone gone forever, and I am losing slow and steady. As I lay in bed last night, I touched my ribs (I have ribs?!) and reflected on how things have changed for me since being banded two and a half months ago. I realized last night that I am totally, completely, madly in love with my band. Here's why: My size 22 pants fall down to my ankles if I don't wear a belt. Even when I do wear a belt, my size 22 pants look like I'm wearing a parachute. I can put on my "old" jeans without unzipping/unbuttoning the fly. My tummy scars are a proud (and only slightly scary) red/purple, and serve to remind me every day of the commitment I've made to myself. My College students talk about me when they think I have my back turned/can't hear them and say things like "Damn, she's looking GOOD". I no longer have to use a "bath sheet" sized towel. A regular sized one wraps around my bod, thanks very much. I am no longer winded when I climb a set of stairs. People at work tell me hair looks AMAZING. What they are actually saying doing is choosing my hair as the way to give me a "YOU LOOK AMAZING!" compliment without verbalizing my obvious weight loss. This gives me JOY. I can no longer feel my thighs pressing against the sides of my office chair. Truth: In the shower, I no longer have to lift stuff up to wash other stuff. Seriously. When I get up to pee in the middle of the night there is no pain in my body. Anywhere. The aches are gone. My favourite LL Bean down jacket from before I chubbed out FITS ME and I can zip it up easily. I proctored an exam the other day sitting cross-legged on a desk. My herniated disc (due to obesity) has resolved. I can now roll over in bed pain-free. I can sleep on my stomach again. This is also something that gives me JOY. I sat on the floor with a group of students the other day, and realized I had gotten up again with absolutely NO EFFORT. I can chug water! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do this after being banded. (It's the little things...) I have been watching my cheekbones emerge. Wow. Our grocery bill has gone down dramatically. I eat 1/3 (if that) of what I used to eat. My husband says with the grocery money saved since being banded we could buy a cottage in Muskoka. (lol!) Speaking of my husband, I weigh less than him for the first time in a decade. And more about my husband: I've noticed him touching my bum. A lot. And smooching me up. And hugging me close. He's proud, I can tell. My band gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) reminds me to slow down when I eat. Thank you, dear band. I have learned what freedom from the hunger monster feels like, and MAN OH MAN is that ever sa-weet. I have a constant backdrop of satiety. I no longer think about, or worry about, my next meal. Love those band adjustments! I am looking forward to getting into my MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op - the Canadian version of "REI") 'Rad Pants' I've kept from 1994. They are red, they are a size 10. The summer is almost here and with it comes a canoe-trip. I will be wearing those pants. I feel like a I have a new lease on life. Woo hoo! It's okay to stall. It's ok to have the occasional chocolate banana fritter. (Whoops - damn it was good). I am in a love affair with my band, but more importantly, with myself. THIS is why I am in love with my band. Happy happy!

@@Daddyof4 Hello and thank you for your kindness! :-) Looks to me like you are doing FANTASTIC! Try not to compare yourself to others progress on the board (ha - I know, its hard not to) as everyone loses at different rates and in different ways. 37 pounds gone forever! Way to go! Funny - your post is timely in terms of being reassuring, as my band and I have been fighting since yesterday. Went out to a gorgeous dinner last night at a favourite Bistro with our daughter, had a beautifully prepared, tender rib-eye with pomme frites and asparagus. Within ten minutes, I was in the washroom whoopsing it up. MY FAULT (partially) as I had eaten the Protein far too quickly, and not chewed near well enough. I also indulged in another personal no-no - a FRENCH FRY. (Cue tragic music). Haven't had a starch like that in months, decided to treat myself. The paste got stuck and caused the vomiting episode. SO! Lesson learned, and this morning my tummy is tender and I have no appetite. Sigh. At least there is coffee. Keep us all posted on your progress, Daddyof4! Cheering you on!

Can an experienced Bandster try to explain what on earth might be happening to me? I was banded 14 months ago and have been making (in my mind) excellent progress. I am over 70+ pounds down, gone from a size 22 to a 14, and after 7 fills over the past year, have had reliable 'green zone' satiation between meals. Yay! Three nights ago, HUNGER hits me after dinner. Not head hunger, but actual gnawing, empty, 'for real' hunger - the old kind of hunger before I was banded. Hunger like I haven't felt in 14 months. I've ignored it and went to bed ravenous. Woke up the next day ravenous. I had my usual small Greek yoghurt and a coffee, went to work, at 10 am, I am once again HUNGRY. I inhale 2 ozs of cheese and a can of smoked mussels (this normally lasts me until dinner). At 3pm, I am once again painfully hungry. Ate dinner last night - about 3ozs of beef and a salad. 40 minutes later, seriously hungry again. After being in the green zone for months, I feel as though I am back to pre-banded hunger levels. So weird! Truth is I'm freaking out a little. What normally satiates me is doing NOTHING. It's as if the band has simply stopped working. Has anyone had this happen? If so please advise.

I am down another pound today, and BOOM my BMI is 29.5 - the first time in 15 years I have been under 30. I don't really care about the BMI, but there we go anyway - just another milestone result from being banded. When I first started this thread all those months, I had experienced some pretty awesome things. Here's my new, updated list: I popped out to Lululemon just for the hell of it to see if any of their gorgeous yoga-bum pants would fit. Yup, they did. Now I am poor (but my ass looks divine, so it's a fair trade). I have experienced a surge of confidence in my appearance, which has translated into a surge of confidence at work. With the energy I have now, I am joyful about new projects. I begin my master's degree in education in September!!!! My daughter says she's proud of me for the nutritional changes I have made. I am down from a 42DD bra to a 36C. I have returned to hot yoga and am no longer the biggest person in the room. NOT that it's a competition, but come on, I'm only human.) I was not concerned with being judged as I got naked to shower after my yoga class. The other women didn't even notice me in my nakedness. I no longer have to support my breasts as I walk up or down stairs to prevent them from jarring as they are significantly smaller I can wear a strappy pair of wedge heels with 3/4 length summer pants and not look like a sow's ear trying to be a silk purse I can no longer park a Volvo under my booty. (Seriously. My butt was horribly heavy and big...) I cannot wear my "old" size 22 or XXL clothes anymore as they swim on me. I have donated more clothing to Value Village this past year than I have ever in my entire life combined. I can sit on regular folding chairs worry-free. I no longer scout out the sturdiest place to sit at a party. I can stand for hours and not want to cry from foot pain I can hop up on a bar stool and reach the highest cupboard in my kitchen without any stress. I am able to ride my hybrid road bicycle again!!!! When I gained all the weight, I felt horrible shame that a) I simply could no longer ride my bike due to obesity-related balance issues, and the frame of my bike would likely not support my weight. This is no longer the case. My body no longer craves carbs, and so I eat no rice, bread or Pasta. This has become remarkably easy. I went down the slide at the park and did not get wedged! THE SLIDE. As in, made for 4 year olds. I went into the "Plus Size" section at Forever 21 and nothing fits me. I walked out with a grin on my face. I am a 10-12. This is the size I was 20 years ago. I do laundry and I sometimes have to check twice which t-shirts and jeans are mine and which are my slender 15 year old daughter's. (She's a size 8). So. The band is still teaching me about eating right, and eating differently. Sometimes I mess up and over-eat, and then feel gross. Sometimes I have "tight days" where the band makes me feel a ton of restriction. Other days, I can eat like a moose and feel snacky. I've learned not to sweat it. Here I am 17 months in, and I am STILL in love with my band. Huzzah!