jen_1381

Hello Friends! After 8 weeks of essentially no weight change (going between the same 3 lbs) I decided to meet back with my nutritionist and have her review my eating log to see where I'm going wrong. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing WLS team. My nutritionist is not only very smart, but so supportive and encouraging. I submitted my logs and braced for the worst. I thought I was eating like a good bandster. I'm on the right track, but just not there yet. You'd think at 5 months post-op I would have figured this out by now She had some very helpful tips and while they may not be for everyone, I thought I would share. The first thing she noticed was my low calorie intake. I was eating between 700-900 calories a day, one day as low as 645. I mean, I'm trying to lose weight, so low calorie right?! Problem is, she said that my body was in the area beyond a plateau because I was putting it into starvation mode. Unless I upped my calories my body would hold tight to every calorie it got. I thought I was doing okay because I'm in the "green zone" and 1 cup of food really does fill me up for 4-5 hours. She had me up my calorie goal to 1000-1100 a day. Eating more to lose weight seems absurd, but I've heard from a lot of people that it's what your body needs sometimes. My other "oopsie" was my Snacks. I thought that things like rice cakes, craisins, and trail mix were good for me (they say "healthy" on the box, right?). She explained that the function of a snack is not just to have something to munch on, but it really should hold you over a few hours until your next meal. Seems logical. She encouraged me to stay away from the processed snacks and go more "whole" food - - fresh fruit, veggies, string cheese, and if I really wanted that rice cake, put some cheese on it. She also strongly encouraged I try to get on some sort of consistent routine. My work week is hectic - I start at different times each day - so Breakfast Monday is at 10:00 but Tuesday is at 6:30. dinner is sometimes at 5:30, others not until 8:00. Try to stay on a more "regular" schedule and avoid 6 hour gaps in eating like I have been. Her other advice was to up my exercise and change it up. Try to get in 60 minutes a day, every day. Okay, 1) that's overwhelming, and 2) I don't know that each day I can find a 60 minute spot to run. She suggested hitting the elliptical for 15 minutes in the morning (I have one at home), then walking on my lunch hour, and maybe running 30 minutes at night but change up my route. Hit the hills one day and treadmill the next. So from here, I'm going to follow her plan to a T for the next week. If my weight doesn't change, they want to do BMR testing to get a better picture of where my daily caloric goals need to be.

I don't know the answer - - I really, really wish I did. I'm going through the same thing. I was banded in May, and the past 8 weeks I've been on a plateau. Between May and August, I lost 54 lbs then it stopped. Despite the frustration from that, I'm still just plugging along. For me personally, I have a hard time accepting any praise, even from myself, until I'm "done". Yes, I've lost over 50 lbs, but I still have another 30 to lose. I don't feel as if I've earned the credit until I meet my goal. If I may "warn" you...being so emotionally invested in your daily weight will make you miserable in the long run. I know, I'm doing it! I still weigh myself daily even though the numbers don't change. My husband has gone as far as hiding the scale during the week. I would rather know daily where things are at versus waiting a week, thinking I'm doing great, then being let down even more by not losing. All I can say is that this process is a journey. I'm learning so much about myself along the way. I've decided to jump in head first to my issues that are causing my negative self image and stress. Embrace the journey, and remind yourself to stop and take a deep breath every now and then.

I love, love, LOVE the Insanity workout. I've done it all the way through once, and will pop in a work out here and there. I did the Pure Cardio circut about a month ago, and afterwards had some pretty intense pain around my port. The workout involves a lot of hitting the floor, jumping, and ab work that didn't agree with my port. I passed it by my doc and he told me to ease off. It's okay to do but avoid a few of the sudden abdominal moves.

Don't be nervous! Most of the time, it's a breeze. My doc is so quick at it and it's essentially painless. Let us know how it goes!

When they place the band they use medical gas to inflate your abdomen. After the procedure, they suck out as much as they can but there is still residual left. This causes the "gas pain" feeling, or chest pain feeling, that almost all of us get after surgery. The general recommendation is to take Gas-X, but it only helps mildly since it's not intestinal gas you're feeling (most likely). What helps most is walking and heating pads. The air pain will go away, but (and I hate to be the bearer of bad news) most times the pain lasts for up to 2-3 weeks. Also - although not having a bowel movement may be uncomfortable, but if you're only on Clear liquids, and when there's not much going into your system not a lot will come out. I've heard of people taking laxatives or stool stofteners at this stage to feel more comfortable. I didn't do it, I just drank a few ounces of fruit juice here and there.

I was also pretty worried about this before surgery (I'm 5 months out now). So much of my social life revolves around meals; dinner with family, lunch with friends, etc. From my experience, it's actually not that big of a deal. The good thing about these social situations is that there is usually so much socializing going on, nobody really pays attention to what I'm eating. If I do get the "why aren't you eating your lunch" question, I'll just say that I'm not very hungry, or I had a late breakfast/lunch, whatever it may be. If everyone is ordering dessert, I decline and just say that I'm watching what I eat. I'm not lying (okay, maybe by ommision, but a girl needs some secrets!) because I am watching what I eat. When the waiter comes by to check on the meal, I ask for a to-go box and portion off what I'm not going to eat (to avoid mindless over-eating). Restaurants can be a challenge if you're focused on eating healthy. More and more though, restaurants are starting to have healthier options on their menu. I just make sure that I don't get too wrapped up in conversation that I forget to chew thoroughly. I've never been "stuck" in a social situation, and don't want to be!

I'm 5 months post-op and have fallen into a "normal" pattern. I keep my priority food Protein, and try to include fruits and veggies with every meal. Breakfast is typically 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. lunch is typically 1/3 cup of lean protein (tuna, chicken, etc), 1/3 cup of fruit (pears, peaches, grapefruit) and 1/3 cup of veggies. dinner I try to do a larger serving of protein (usually 3/4 cup) because I get hungry a few hours after I eat dinner, for some reason, then can't sleep. I'll add in some fruit or veggies. Usually mid-day, between lunch and dinner, I'll have a rice cake or a handful of almonds. I have 6.5 cc in my 11 cc band and finally feel at a place where 1 cup of food keeps me full between meals as long as I stay hydrated. Right now I'm taking in between 800-1200 calories a day, but I'm seeing a nutritionist tomorrow because I've been on a plateau for two months.

I would put in a call to your surgeon or his assistant, just to run it by them. Diarrhea can cause dehydration, so increase your fluids to make up for the fluid loss. Also - do you think it could be the protein shakes, or milk added to the shake powder?

Congrats to you! Wishing you nothing but success!!

The great thing about the numbers on that scale is that they can change! Use this as a jumping point. I told myself the day I weighed 199.9 that I was DONE with the 200's. I am NOT going back. Just work your way down, one step...and pound...at a time. You can do this!

I decided to get banded mainly becuase I was almost 30 (I'm 29 now, banded a few months before my 29th bday). I realized I wasn't getting any younger and it wouldn't get any easier to lose the extra lbs. As far as support; while you will need a shoulder to cry on or a "atta-girl" every now and then, I believe that the support needs to lay within yourself. People will always have their opinions on what you should do, but ultimately it's your decision and your life. My husband was not excited that I had opted for surgery, but I just told him that I was the one who had to wake up every day unhappy in my skin, not him. I told him that I was doing it and would like his support, but if he couldn't give it to me, that was his problem. Once he saw how much it meant to me, he was behind me 110%.

I will admit I have done it a few times. I did shakes for 3 days or so. I've been at a plateau for almost two months and got desperate. It didn't work; after going back to food the few pounds I lost came back. I now just measure and log every single thing. Eventually my body will realize what it's getting and start shedding the lbs again. I do go back to liquids if I have a bad stuck episode (only once to date) for a day.

Okay Benton I have to ask - where you you from? This "y'all" thing has me curious.

I have RA but mine is mild so far. I have periods of flare ups where everything aches horribly (cant even bend my fingers or toes) then after a few weeks it goes away. Usually only flare every couple months or in high stress times so I don't take a daily medication. I was not having a flare during surgery and my recovery was essentially fine. Sorry, I don't exactly relate since mine only flares but I do know how you feel. RA is no fun at all.

Joy - you can post in the "post-op" section now! Congratulations to you!! These next few days may be kind of rough, just hang in there and know that it does get better, much better. Good luck on your journey!

I wouldn't worry. Your diet has changed so durastically, it may take a while for your bowels to catch up. I used to work with a couple GI Specialists and their theory was "normal" could be 3 times a day, or once every 7 days. For me personally, I think it was about 3 days post-op before things were...uh...normal again. The only concern would be for a post-op ileus, which would lead to a bowel obstruction (seriously, this is the worst-case scenario) which can sometimes be caused by anesthesia - your stomach and bowels "go to sleep" and forget to wake up for a while. I had one once after I had my appendix out, no fun at all. But, unless you're totally unable to keep liquids down, it's unlikely.

It's tough to stay on track away from home. Losing 7 lbs is an amazing accomplishment for being on vacation!! I went to Vegas last month, am 5 months post-op, and was so thankful we were staying in a condo that gave us our own kitchen. I hit the grocery store the day after we landed and could load up on the yogurt, cottage cheese, etc that I was used to eating. We did hit the buffet one night, I was a little disheartened to pay $22 for one plate, but was proud that I didn't try to over-stuff myself like in the past. An all-you-can-eat buffet used to mean 3-4 plates. Eating 1, with food left over, was such a treat! Congrats to you on your vacation success!

UHC is pretty strict. Of course, each plan is different, but their general requirement is BMI of 35 or over with TWO co-morbidities, or a BMI of 40. I have United, started with a BMI of 37, and my surgery was denied at the last minute (literally, two days before surgery) because my doctor had submitted my co-morbidities as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They were looking for "uncontrolled" high blood pressure. I had to get a copy of my last years BP readings from my PCP, fax to the surgeon, and he requested an immediate appeal. Luckily, he went to bat for me, and they over-turned their ruling the day before surgery - - 5 minutes before the cut-off for cancelling (the OR requested 24 hour notice). I was SO thankful for my surgeon, and so frustrated with UHC, but they all came through for me. They are pretty particular, but if you have a good WLS Coordinator to help with the insurance "stuff" you should be okay. The good thing was, they were fast. The whole process took me 9 weeks - would have taken only 7 1/2 but I had strep throat and had to cancel my pre-op appt with the surgeon. Good luck to you!

Every meal is a new opportunity to do good. Don't be too harsh on yourself, just get back on track. I get frustrated with my lack of weight loss (or gain really, I'm seriously stuck in one spot) and think I'll do a few days of liquids. After those few days and losing a couple pounds, I ease into a regular band-friendly diet, and the pounds creep back on which is 10x more frustrating. Liquids may not always be the answer, they just help cut water weight.

Why is it that when we are sick or can't eat, the only thing on TV is food commercials?! Food is everywhere - EVERY where. Temptation is always there if you let it be. I do the reverse-psychology thing. I tell myself that the Quarter Pounder with cheese is disgusting. Think of all of the empty calories it has and how bad it is for me. So gross, how could anyone eat that? After a few days of thinking that way, the food didn't look so appealing. Good luck to you on your pre-surgery diet. It's very important and a great way to get yourself prepped for the post-op diet. Hang in there!

I get a 'soft' signal in the form of a gurgle that goes from my stomach to throat. That's my sign that the satisfied level is very near. One more bite and I will be good for 4-5 hours. Two or three more bites, and I'm stuck and feeling MISERABLE. It took me a while to understand what my body was telling me but now I just pay attention to my signals. The tough thing is, signs are different for everyone. Best to go off the measuring guidelines (but for me sometimes 1 cup total is too much).

If there's any doubt, I would call. I never vomited post-op, but if I did I know I would have called my doctor. It wouldn't hurt to call - the worst he'll say is that it's okay (but I don't think it is...).