DerbySunflower

I had a fill last Thursday. The surgeon added only one more unit to the band. After suffering through the weekend, I called the surgeon's office this morning and went back this afternoon to have some let out. All weekend long my throat was gurgling. I was puking, sliming and not keeping anything down. When they weighed me this afternoon prior to loosening the band up, I had lost ten pounds since this past Thursday. Given that I'm now down to a 25% BMI, ten pounds is significant. At any rate, if you're feeling tight, gurgling, having a hard time even getting fluids down, then don't delay in calling your doctor for another adjustment.

I have a 3 year old son and the horrible habit of multi-tasking. I take care of him while I'm eating dinner at the same time. If the phone rings, I forget to finish chewing before swallowing and I'm stuck. For me, it's not the size of the bite that goes into the mouth, it's how well I chew it before letting any go down. I have to admit that I do better eating by myself than in groups because there is the temptation to swallow before I'm ready in order to respond tom someone else in conversation. As far as drinking goes, I drink large quantities at a time with no problem though not with meals. Word of advice, if you're stuck, don't try to drink anything... it will probably only make matters worse.

This is a recipe for Tuna Dressing off of food Network that might appeal to some of you. You can blend it to a thin consistency or leave it a little chunky as you prefer. Outrageously good... Ingredients 1 (7-ounce) pouch albacore tuna 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon capers, with their juice Pinch freshly ground black pepper Directions Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a small food processor and process until creamy, 1 1/2 minutes. Serve as a salad dressing or a dip. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

I have a very open floor plan on my house. The "great room" includes the kitchen, living, dining... so the refrigerator is always in sight. I graze all day... before surgery and still now. My only saving grace is counting calories so that I keep track of what I'm eating. I try harder now to eat 3 meals, getting all of my Protein but still budget 200-300 calories a day for dark chocolate. That's pretty significant since I'm keeping to a 1200 calorie diet! For any of you thinking of buying a new house, I don't recommend such an open floor plan. Keep the refrigerator / kitchen in a separate room from where you'll spend most of your time... on a different floor would be even better.

If your family doesn't want to eat healthy food with you, then let them fix their own meals and you take care of yourself.

Hello Steve. I'm was banded in late June. To qualify for insurance, I had to go through a six month medically supervised nutrition theray as well as 8 weeks of lifestyle / band classes and a slew of medical tests. I was really frustrated early on to be required to do all of this but by the end, I was grateful for all that I'd learned and new habits that I'd adopted prior to surgery. As part of the insurance qualification process, I had three visits with a psychiatrist and took the MMPI and another psychiatric test specific to gastric surgery. During the first appointment, the psychiatrist warned me that it's not unusual for spouses to be reluctant about the positive changes that we experience as our weight drops. Although I thought I had my husband's support, I have also heard comments that I must be going to leave him when I've lost all of my weight. My husband also notices that other men are paying attention to me now that I'm slimming down. I can relate to your comment about people in your office thinking it's great when you're losing weight and then feeling ashamed when you gain it all back. I've roller-coastered so many times! As part of my six months of medical nutrition therapy, I got my BMI down to 29 before surgery. The surgeon and many medical professionals questioned me about still having the surgery but I chose to go ahead, seeing the band as a tool that I could fall back on if I fell off the wagon. I said that I was grateful for the six months of MNT because I was able to lose my weight before surgery. Now, I own my weight loss. I didn't have to have a band to do it, so I can proudly take credit for my accomplishment. I don't think I was really on board with losing the weight on my own until I started counting calories on My Fitness Pal and using a Fitbit to track my daily activity. Now I eat 1200 calories a day and walk 12-15,000 steps per day. These have been tremendous tools. Which is better a band or a bypass? Actually, I asked my surgeon which one he would choose and he said the sleeve. The band is adjustable and reversible. The monthly visits to the surgeon post-op for adjustments would be expensive if you didn't have insurance. I don't know that I feel more full with a band than I would have with a bypass, but I can tell you having food stuck is a new kind of hell. There are many foods that I no longer eat: Even the most tender steak can be a problem. My tastes though are changing and the things that are causing me to get stuck really just don't appeal to me so much anymore. I eat a lot of Greek Yogurt, Protein shakes, Protein Bars, Veggie burgers. It takes planning to get 65 grams of protein into a 1200 calorie diet, especially since I'm eating 200 calories a day in dark chocolate! The thing that you have to realize is that these surgeries aren't magic bullets. The changes that you'll need to make in the long run can start now, before surgery. There's no substitute for hard work. Track your foods and get that body moving at least 1/2 hour above and beyond your current activity level. On a nutritional level, you may need to separate yourself from the diet of your spouse. Personally, in my house, my husband, who loves fast food and junk food, has to fend for himself. We may eat at the same table, but we often eat different things. I had to sit him down and discuss this early in the process so it wouldn't come as a shock to him. Beyond that I really didn't discuss much of the post surgery lifestyle changes with him in advance because I didn't want to hear his concerns on a decision that I'd already made. I wish you luck on your journey. Michelle

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've been inclined to try Meatless Mondays since getting banded. There are lots of high protein veggie burgers. There are lots of veggie recipes on MeatlessMonday.com with nutrition information.

Typical day: Breakfast: Zone protein Bar Lunch: Lean Cuisine frozen meal Dinner: EAS Protein Shake and Chobani Fat Free yogurt Snacks: Old Wisconsin Turkey Bites and LINDT DARK CHOCOLATE (yep... I make room in my meal plan for this little luxury), maybe some more Chobani yogurt. Must get 60+ grams of protein / day and stay close to 1,200 calories per day.

I qualified for surgery at 35% BMI, and threw myself into 6 months of nutrition therapy and got my BMI down to 28%. I still had the surgery because "I earned it." I heard a lot of comments from nurses and other medical professionals question why I was still having the surgery but in the end, it was my decision. Right up to the point they put the IV in my arm, I was convinced that insurance was going to withdraw my approval. Anyway, I've lost and gained enough in my life that I didn't want to fall off the wagon and gain weight all over again to qualify for the surgery again. It was a long, drawn out process afterall. Personally, I chose carefully prior to surgery who to share my plans with and who to not share with. There is a big chunk of my family that has no need to know about my personal choice. I'm not a person who really needs anyone else's encouragement, but I don't have the patience to listen to naysayers either. Anyway, I feel your pain, sister.

I always like sour cream in my chili and on baked potatoes... plain Greek yogurt makes a guilt free substitute

Get your liquid protein from EAS soy shakes - 17 grams / 110 calories. If you're on mushies, perhaps Chobani fat free yogurts. Also packed with proteins.

I was thrilled when I realized that I'd lost more than 3 year old son weighs... 32 lbs.

You'll find plenty of sympathy and encouragement on here, but it all comes down to personal accountability. The heat may account for why you've not been outside much, it doesn't account for your eating habits. And you can find ways to exercise in doors if you want to... buy a treadmill, join a gym, play active video games (Wii Fitness, etc), get off the couch and clean the house. Personally, I've walked outside in 100+ degree heat every day this summer. Every day... no excuses, no exceptions.

Size 14... then Size 12. Fitting in to athletic wear in Large or even Medium. Seeing friends and acquaintances that I haven't seen in months and enjoying their compliments. I even heard a couple of teen aged boys refer to me as a MILF... that's a new one for sure.