banditalovely

use myfitnesspal to log all those things and check your calories. it sounds like what i am eating and i have lost 57 lbs. if you don't feel full you might want to talk to your doctor, but it sounds like you are making healthy choices, so you should be losing weight. are you?

I am not sure what he means by only eat animal Protein? you are going to need vegetables and other nutrients from food besides animal protein. I would imagine he is saying those who eat animal protein are most successful because unlike Protein shakes, it takes longer to digest and sits longer in your stoma, so you will feel full longer. But unlike vegetarian protein options (tofu, quinoa) animal products have fewer carbs. So i would suggest eating what you like, but definitely try to minimize your carbs. I have had the best luck losing weight when I around 100 g of carbs a day. really no matter the calorie intake for me (I can range from 1,200 to 2,500 in a day and still lose weight if i'm watching my carbs). Also, animal products will have more diverse Proteins, so you will have more of what your body is craving as nutrients satisfied. if you would rather get proteins from peanuts or vegetarian sources, just look at the carbs and account for them in the rest of your food choices, and make sure you are looking up how to get all the essential amino acids in your diet so you don't have hunger from not getting the right nutrients.

I had my surgery July 6th. I have lost 45 lbs since I started my preop diet. I haven't really started exercising, although I do use a fitbit and have doubled my average number of steps per day since once I recovered from the surgery (from 5000 to 10,000+). I just started this week to feel in a slump though. I lost another 1.3 lbs this morning, but somehow I just don't feel like I am on track. Today is the first day in 3 weeks I have lost any weight and last night I would say I went on a "binge" eating ice cream, lasagna, cake etc-- all accounted for in my online food log. I journal on myfitnesspal.com which has been really helpful in not letting a binge get to 6000 calories, but the last 2 weeks have been a struggle to limit my food. I was originally eating between 900-1200 calories a day and feeling satisfied. The last 2 weeks I have been closer to 2000 calories, and even got up to 3000 one day (cheese has been a real problem for me, and so has drinking my calories). Since the surgery I now have a relationship, my clothes fit better, I can objectively see weight loss, but somehow I still don't feel successful. What is wrong with me! I am going to start going to the gym this afternoon. I brought work out clothes to work so I don't have the chance to go home and start sitting on my couch. My friends don't know I have the band (except a few who are really supportive). A friend of mine I haven't seen since before surgery was trying to put his finger on why I looked so much better this weekend. I guess the weight loss is noticeable but not in a direct way-- why doesn't this make me feel better? I told my new boyfriend about the band a few weeks into the relationship and he is so supportive, but still doesn't really understand. He thinks it is just about portion control and the band will do the work for me, so the idea that I have to try and keep low carb and low calorie doesn't exactly make sense to him. I am almost grateful he is going to be gone for 2 weeks so I can avoid eating out. I don't want to be "a girl on a diet", particularly not in my relationship. I want to be "a girl who feels satisfied by less food and is more active". I don't know why I'm struggling so much today. It is the first day I have been back on this site looking for support in months. I called my surgeon today and asked for a fill appointment. I can eat more than 2 cups of food in a sitting and am not feeling satisfied at all. The preop cravings are all back-- even if I feel tight. I do sometimes get stuck though, and a few weeks ago I was PBing daily. I wonder if I stretched my pouch. That would be terrifying. I feel like I have learned to cheat my band, and I just want to kick myself for letting this happen. I guess the only benefit is that I am catching this while I'm still moving in the right direction and haven't gained any weight back, yet. That is a big difference for me compared to preop, I'd say. Please send support. I am needing someone to hold me accountable and kick me back in to gear!!! Any suggestions on how to "reset" my habits would be so helpful! Sorry this turned into a long rambled mess. I just feel so wah right now. xxox lovelybandette

my dr says you can't absorb more than 25 g of protein in a meal, so just be careful to still have enough protein outside of this drink. also is it whey isolate protein? cause that makes a difference (according to my nutritionist). Good find though.

I am at 7.5 cc's in a 12 cc band. I had a fluoro fill last time, and they did the barium test to give me just enough saline to let fluids pass, but I think my body has since adjusted. I need to make it to the drs appointment for my next fill (if he can even do it then-- my port is hard to find) in 2 weeks. So some sort of shock to the system is what I'm looking for. Something to refocus me, tangible goals. I am probably just going to do the 5 day stoma shrink thing and stick with Protein from liquids to solids. Thanks all for the support. I think if I can lose 5 lbs in these 2 weeks I will feel much better about myself. If anyone else has a way they hit reset though I am really open to trying. (sorry to post on my own post a million times. I appreciate all the comments.)

I guess I am not bumming because I ate lasagna or even ice cream. I knew those things would slide, and I wouldn't feel satisfied, and although I ate more than normal, I don't think I actually did any damage to my weight loss. I guess I am just asking for some help figuring out a restart. I really liked the "shrinking your pouch" link that was posted here. Anyone else have ways that they restart their diets if they are slowly falling off track? I need something to focus on to help break some of my bad habits.

I guess I am just surprised I can eat 2 cups, because before this past week or so I couldn't. I would feel a fullness around 1 cup. And that was my trigger to stop. If I only eat 1 cup, I am starving an hour later. I realize I can just decide to eat less, but I thought the band was supposed to help with this part of the process. My problem has always been portion control. I have been fighting it for 25 years now. The fact I'm not eating 4 cups means I'm trying. When I'm eating 2 cups, the extra cup is coming from vegetables. I have come to love canned, no salt added green Beans with the smallest hint of bacon bits. So it isn't a calorie problem. Just a portion problem. I want to be full on less.

I feel ya girl. I have been successful with my band since July 6th (lost 45 lbs even!) and still feeling like I am not being successful. I don't know if it is lack of support or just a mental block. I am feeling really down today about my progress and ability to control my food. Good luck getting through this slump. My attempt to get out of it is to buckle down for 5 days. Really put in the 100% effort. No eating out. No drinking. No couch eating. Get into the gym a few times. Walk more. And hopefully by Saturday I will have hit my reset point and feel better about myself. Not sure what else to tell you. If you figure out how to get out of this slump first let me know! Good luck to you!

i know it won't fix the problem totally, but i am using biotin and other vitamins (E, DHA) that are supposed to help with skin elasticity. I use MSM soaps and lotions on my stomach. I am a grad student too, so i understand the struggle to find 20k to have a surgery. maybe these small, cheaper tricks will help enough to make you feel better about that area? Let me know if it works. I am still early in my journey but would love to think that the things i'm doing might help..

water. drink more water. always happens to me.

i got 3ccs at surgery. i just got my first fill (4 weeks later). it wasn't easy to find the port so i had a fluoro fill. they were able to do a barium test and he was more aggressive with the fill. i am at 7.5 ccs now and although i can physically eat more, i do feel some restriction. i have been stuck and pb'd so i think i am in like a yellowish green zone. i might go back for more, but i would like to see how i do at this one first. try eating some foods that aren't so "band friendly", like apples with skin, eggs. Your band might be able to handle the little more chunk in the food and allow you to feel more restricted. Be careful though, I'm not a doctor.

Name, real or screen~ lovelybandette Goal weight for August 31st~ 245 Weight on August 1st~ 258 Age~ 26 Dietary goal for August~ reduce calories Exercise goal for August~ start swimming Personal goal for August~ plan a non food related activity for friends Date banded~ 7/6/12 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 35# What is your favorite place to travel?~ best trip i took was to prague, but i like the beach.

the shakes gave me a lot of gas. you might be experiencing that too. esp in the morning when you haven't moved around a lot.

I went in to the surgeons office for my first fill today. I am 4 weeks post op and 22 lbs down according to my drs office, but really 36 if I count my highest weight after bingeing heavily the night before my post op diet started. I was 293 and today am down to 257, in 6 weeks. Not actually in the green zone, more like, yellow green, but able to keep my portions in control and make healthy choices. I have been stuck 4 times (all from not chewing properly and food too dry) and PB'd twice. But it wasn't near as unpleasant as I thought it would be. I actually liked knowing that the band was working. Everything has been a pleasant surprise post surgery. This morning I was supposed to get my fill, but the surgeon could not access my port. He stuck me with lidocaine first (no pinch even with the needle), then I had 2 attempts with the saline. I could feel it but again, not painful. I was anticipating much worse. He could feel the port, but wasn't able to find the access point. I asked for more lidocaine before he gave a third attempt. Still a failure. He looked at me and said "this never happens". I felt like I was back in college with a boy who claimed he never had sexual performance problems, and all I could do was skeptically nod and say "no, really, it's fine. we can try again". Friday we are attempting a fluoro fill in order for him to see how my port is situated. He thinks I might have some scar tissue that is making it difficult to locate the actual port access point. Scars are healing fine and I am feeling like myself again. I have been walking and keeping track of activity with my fitbit and calories with myfitnessapal.com. I have not been as good with the antacids and Vitamins as I should be, but I am eating really well, so hopefully I am getting enough nutrition for now. Anyone else have trouble with their port on the first fill? did the fluoro fill help? Anyone else have trouble remembering their vitamins?

I meant to ask my surgeon, but I forgot. I am really curious though. My card that the surgeon gave me after lapband says "MRI conditional". I don't know what that means, or how it affects my life. I wanted to do an fMRI research study as a subject to get an extra $300 and postponed it til after the band, because with all the Dr's appointments prior I didn't have a full day to dedicate to the study away from work. I am nervous now that I can't participate because of this "conditional". Anyone else ask their doctor about it???

I was banded July 6th as well. I have not had gas pains since the end of week one and my incisions haven't hurt since end of week two. I have been constipated, and that has been somewhat painful with some cramping or bloating feeling. But not the same gas pains I had post surgery. What are you eating? Try some really simple foods that are lower in Fiber to prevent gas. Take gas-x and maybe even a stool softner to help out. I am sure someone on here has experienced what you are experiencing though, and can maybe give more advice.

After reading your second post, we have similar eating habits. I usually would eat either a biggg breakfast or early lunch around 10 am and not eat again til 8pm at which time I would be starving and binge. I don't like snacking. I don't like junk food. I want meals and I want them big. I love pasta (I used to eat a lb at a time easily with all sorts of sauces and meats), meat, cheese. I got the band to stop my bingeing and think it will work for me.

I am in my early 20s and just got the band. I was similarly concerned about how it would change my social life. I am only a few days into being banded, but I think the real changes for me on this topic came about a month ago, before I had the band. The truth is, you can have fun in moderation. I am a big drinker and social eater and often plan outings surrounding these things. The thing I have found out from being on my preop diet and being restricted in eating and not drinking is that people don't really care if I am eating fatty foods or drinking alcohol with them. As long as they can do those things, and I am not making my not-participation the focus of what is going on, then no one really minds. The bigger change will not come from your friends, but from you. You will have to learn to be fun and jolly and entertain yourself without the food/alcohol. No one is going to care if you order a Soup instead of a Pasta dish, or if you have a cranberry juice instead of a vodka tonic if you are still being fun and normal. Your friends like you for you, not for how much you can drink or eat. It is a hard transition though. I have added other things to my social life too, like doing-non drinking activities, like seeing a movie or going kayaking with a friend or going shopping, as a replacement to some of drinking/eating related things. I also went to a BBQ at my friends house where people could bring food but I provided food that I knew I would be able to eat without feeling deprived (I brough lots of grilled veggies, veggie burger and crab stuffed mushrooms and propel zero-- no one cared what I was eating or that I wasn't drinking and it was a ton of fun. I enjoyed myself way more not feeling guilty about over eating or worrying if someone counted how many chips I had had and was judging me and I felt the need to drink less). It will be different for every person though. These life changes are good ones. The sooner you start the sooner you get the band you will be able to have control of your life, feel good about yourself, and show other people how confident you are. Being able to have fun without alcohol is an awesome skill, and being able to having conversations and socialize without using food as a crutch will only make you a better friend. I just work hard not to make my new eating habits or band anyone else's problem. It requires planning and has changed my life, but for the better. I have had to really look at what is available on menus before getting to a restaurant and I always carry something that will curb my appetite in a pinch (although there are some fast food options that aren't awful, just look at nutrition and do your best to stay high, Protein and low carb). These things aren't hard though. I think it is good you are asking these questions and if you aren't ready to make some changes inside yourself with how you cope with social situations (not drinking or eating your way through them) then it probably isn't the time for you to get banded. It would be worse, in my opinion, to get banded now and feel like you are failing then to wait until you are mentally ready to give up some of the social comfort and let your friends still have it. The band won't be a cure for any of your bad habits or mental reasons for eating, so those changes need to either come first or you need to be prepared enough to fight them when the cravings come. Doing the 6 month preop nutritionist consults, meeting fellow bariatric surgery patients, being on this site, watching youtube videos, reading blogs and meeting with a therapist have all helped me realize that I don't use food in a normal way and in some ways that hinders my social life more than it helps. This is all just me though. I don't know if it relates to you, but as a young 20 something, the sooner you are happy, the better. It just might take more work mentally if you don't want to change your lifestyle 180 degrees, because the triggers and reasons to eat will still be there after the band. Good luck deciding and feel free to message if you have more questions.

please add me if you are new! lovelybandette!

just had my surgery yesterday and everything preop was way more stressful than the surgery or this post op. I feel great. Just make sure you plan so everything post op is easy. I am pretty comfortable after surgery, but I wouldn't want to be running around looking for Vitamins and Protein Water now. It is nice to just be relaxed after a few months of stressing over it. I told people (my boss, coworker, etc) I was having my gallbladder taken out because it was suggested elsewhere on this forum. The symptoms and scars are really similar and you have to change your eating habits after, so it wont seem as weird to people who you don't want to talk about your weight with. It has worked well for me. The only sort of caveat now is that during surgery yesterday my doctor said my gallbladder (which I still have) looks "funky" and he might have to take it out in 6 months, but to see how the dieting goes first. So if I do need my gallbladder out in a few months, it might be hard to find an excuse forthat surgery haha. But whatever. I'm happy with everything and I don't think my medical problems and weight have to be shared with anyone except my familiy and close friends.They are my support and I don't need random peopel thinking about my weight. I'm curious what other people do though.

i went in expecitng the worst. I have never had surgery and the post op symptoms (nausea, pain, etc) that people have mentioned on here got me nervous. But yesterday I felt great. This morning waking up was a bit sore and the gas was a little more settled and therefore painful. I went for a 10 minute walk outside (before it got hot) and felt much better. I am starting to bruise a little more today and can feel more pain around my belly button incision where my port is, but it really isn't bad. I'm icing now. I took a few gas X strips today to help with the gas but burping has been quite fun how are you doing?? I am surprised about being able to swallow water and my clear liquids so easily, although I think the gulps might be contributing to the gas. They added 3cc of saline to my bad when they put it in yesterday so he said i should have some restriction. Considering I haven't eaten since Wed night and am not hungry I believe him. I do suggest drinking things with calories though. I had an apple juice yesterday night and it really helped with a headache I was having. We can't just drink water for 4 days lol. But still, feeling great! Good luck to everyone else!!

just got banded today! home already and feeling GREAT. everyone who hasn't been banded yet, it is so much less scary than all my expectations and i'm feeling very minimal pain and gas. I'M SO EXCITED FOR ALL OF YOU NOW!!! I can already tell this is a great decision for me! Good luck to you all!

i couldn't find you!!