BigDennis

Thank you Kbliss! You definitely have to stay upbeat and excited about your new life, because it will help you burn those pesky calories!! You don't enjoy being discouraged and down anyway, so just stay focused, stay excited, and watch those pounds melt away! Keep me up to date on your successes! Dennis

Good Afternoon! I am a newbie to banding and this forum! After the better part of a year preparing for surgery, I was finally approved and had my surgery on April 26th of this year! Amazingly enough my blood pressure and heart rate both dropped to healthy levels within the first two weeks! My doctor reduced my blood pressure medication by half and looking to take me off of it completely very soon. YEA!!!! I expected the worst post-op, but the journey has actually been quite easy for me. Approximately two weeks post-op, I began to have issues and had to start taking two to three stool softeners every evening, but I suspected that would happen sooner or later! I made a bad choice, this past weekend, and took DRY chicken breast on my fishing trip. I instantly learned the meaning of "stuck" in a matter of moments! Luckily the dry chicken breast decided to finally pass through my stoma and let me return to some level of normalcy! Pretty wild moment when I realized I was two miles offshore and didn't know how to handle food stuck in my stoma!! What a learning curve! I WAS supposed to receive my first fill today, but when the doctor realized that I've dropped 54 lbs since the 26th of April, he decided to leave my band as is for now. I've been a big guy my entire life, so dropping 54lbs so quickly has given me a ton of energy and the desire to be active and exercise. I weighed 395lbs pre-op and have set my goal as 225lbs. This might be a lofty goal, but I am definitely motivated and up for the challenge! It is nice to meet everyone and looking forward to reading about your experiences, challenges, battles, and victories! Dennis

Neversatisfied, I know exactly what you mean about learning those full cues! IF I eat a little too fast, I will definitely exceed that comfort zone quickly. The only way I can pick up on the cues is when I take very small bites and eat very slowly. My first indication is my hunger pains will disappear and I start feeling somewhat satisfied. This is usually a good time for me to set my fork down for a few moments and see what my body wants me to do next. Definitely do not get discouraged, because you have the tool that will help you to be successful! Keep us updated on your progress! Thanks for sharing! Dennis

DeAna N, I know you are getting excited about the possibility of dropping off those medications! Everything they tell us to do is the same good things we were taught as children, but eventually moved away from. When you get past your liquid diet stage and start moving into more solid foods, you will definitely want to slow everything down. Take tiny bites, chew everything until it is basically smooth, and make your meals last 45 minutes to an hour. You will want to add new foods cautiously and slowly to your diet. Like I stated in my other posting, I will no longer attempt dry poultry! If it is not moist and easy to chew, I simply will not eat it! As we are moving closer and closer to summer, I am looking forward to having enough energy to go to the beach, chase fish more, and simply enjoy life! You have a whole new life to look forward to and I would love to hear about your experiences as you move forward. Thank you for your kind words and please keep us updated! Dennis

kbliss78, You are doing extremely well! Keep in mind that I am WAY over weight and those excess pounds come off quickly in the beginning. Women have a tougher time than men do initially, but you just have to stay focused on your goals and move forward. You definitely have nothing to be "down" about and have nothing but great things to look forward to!! Please keep us updated on your upcoming losses, because I know your time to brag is within days!! Dennis

The best thing I can tell you is to follow your doctor's and dietitian's advice to the letter. It is highly important that you take very small bites and chew everything very, very well before swallowing. We all heard that advice when we children, but we definitely have to follow it now! I am consuming approximately 900 - 1200 calories per day, keeping carbs below 100, and making sure I take in over 75 grams of protein daily. I have not needed protein shakes or supplements, which is great! I always eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and try not to eat supper later than 6:00. Most of the journey seems to be trial and error, so you will learn very quickly what you can and cannot do! I suspect you will do extremely well and looking forward to hearing about those successes! Thank you CG2012! Dennis