Conley

I had another Dr. Visit and got my first lap band fill. I am at 2.5 fill which is pretty low. food still passes through easy when chewed properly. I lost a total of 15 lbs since surgery 4 weeks ago. I am in 38 pants pretty good now. I wore them all day yesterday with my belt in 3 notches from where I used to be! I am slowly getting back to that fella playing the guitar. A bit grayer, but still closer Be encouraged, this process works. Now I have to update my ticker...

I reached another milestone last night and a couple this morning. We went out to dinner last night to Gringo's Mexican food. This is the first week of no real food restrictions other than the carb laden foods. I ordered the Fajita salad without the flour bowl. I had them bring me diced fresh jalapenos and onions with a side of the amazon sauce for dressing. I had 7 chips with red and green salsa. I had to. The salad was good. 30 mins after we got our meals, I was only 1/3 done with my meal. I was the only one eating at that time. The rest of the family had finished 10 minutes before me. I brought the rest of the salad home. The fajita meat is really good at that place I took my blood sugar fasting this morning and it was 118. That is a little on the upper end of the normal tolerance. But the milestone was that I have not been taking diabetes meds and that was a great level for me! I weighed myself this morning and I was 267. I haven't been that weight in years. I am also able to run at 5mph on the treadmill for a couple minutes now. I am going to increase the running time during my 2 mile treadmill workout. I am very glad that I made the decision to get healthier. It is not real easy and it is a little struggle at times, but as long as I keep my eyes on the prize, I can run this race!

yeah I didn't feel too bad since I did do better than I would have prior to the program. I will be back on track weight wise in a day or two. I still hat the scale though... thx Jean

Thanks Everyone. Milestones can be hazardous to your Goal. I kinda let up over the weekend, but still paced myself. I had some brisket with BBQ sauce at a gig I was doing sound for. I had 1/2 cup of potato salad. I don't feel too guilty about that though. I took very small bites and took a lot loinger to eat than my son did with 2 plates of BBQ. He is a growing 15yo boy. I have yet to have a fill in the band. I am sure once I do, I will do better. Just got of 45 mins of the treadmill for 2.3 miles. I am feeling a little guilty so I went further than my normal 2 miles. If I can't face and recover from the obstacles, this journey is worthless. I consider the recognition of that as a victory as well. NOW I need to be good for the rest of the week My fill is on 09/04.

That did not happen to me. I took 2 weeks for a regular BM. I had to take Milk of Magnesia to help it along. The pre op diet was pretty lean for me, so I did not have much to process. I wouldn't worry too much. Staying around the for a couple days after surgery is not a bad idea. Getting up and doing things around the house is good enough exercise for the first few days. Running to the bathroom may get you a little more exercise though. If the loose BM lasts more than a day or two longer, I would call the Dr. office back. There is OTC meds you can take like Imodium. I don't know if there is an issue with that after surgery though. good luck!

I just posted about my race and milestones: I am very glad that I made the decision to get healthier. It is not real easy and it is a little struggle at times, but as long as I keep my eyes on the prize, I can run this race!

I thought this was a reply to the 'Passing Gas' thread.... Good luck on your approval.

Anything with sorbitol ives me gas. I would not touch slimfast if you paid me to. The protien powders you can get are much better tasting than the slimfast with what you can add when you make it. btw, nothing wrong with a little competition.

Can those of you who are post op please confirm something for me? I think my stomach is healing and it is easier for me to swallow. I still feel a little resistance, but not too much. I am one week post op and no fill yet. I am supposing that it is healing and this is normal. I have done nothing to cause a 'slip' that I know of. I have been very faithful to the diet. I am boderline freaking out here hoping this is ok.

Thanks, I was hoping that was it. I appreciate all the feedback y'all. Oh, what a difference a day makes!

thanks! you made my day

I am now one week post-op and I feel great! Yesterday was my pivotal breakthrough day. I am now on week 2 with thicker liquids and semi pureed foods without meat. This forum has helped me a lot. I have gotten so much info that my Dr. did not tell me. The KEY bit of info was what I read about WHY liquids were the only thing in the first week. Ripping a suture is a huge motivator for me to NOT eat solids. The regurgitation was surely second though. Yesterday, I felt like I was actually fitting better in my clothes, lighter on my feet and overall healthier. Before Bed, I took my blood sugar and it was 98 without meds! I have been on insulin and metformin for a few years. I woke up this morning to 271. Since the pre-op process and surgery, I am at 27 lbs lost. My stomach has healed and smoothies go down smoother. I have had my AHA! moment and I am very excited at the possibbility of becoming the stud I used to be. I have not seen my goal weight for over 30 years. It is time! Thanks again to the forum!

My Blender is not really making smoothies like I get at smoothie king. I am using the Gladiator protien powder and get to put in fruit in 2 days. The blender I am using does not chop ice well if there isn't fruit in the ice/water/powder combo. Is there a blender that will chop ice quick without spinning it around in the liquid and not foam the powder into a sponge on the top half of the blender jar? I am using a good stainless base Oster blender. It has 10 speeds. And another thought is what are the best ratios for smoothies concerning water/ice and powder?

That is a nice price. I ended up going to Kohl's and getting the Ninja Pulse system. It had 4 smoothie glasses and a 150 page cookbook. I opened a Kohl's account and got 30% off. I got it all for $50. This is a very nice unit and it can also do food processing with the separate basket and blades. Can't wait til I can eat Salsa again

there is a Kohl's right next to the Target thx

thanks all, looks like I am making a trip to Target at lunchtime. I get to add fruit to my smoothies tomorrow.

I am from the Houston area and just had surgery on 08/02. I am pretty sure I made a great decision! No matter how much they told me how to start taking very small bites and chew your food longer, you don't realize how much you really should have changed that until you get your band. Now that I have had the surgery, I think I know now what small bites and longer chewing meant in those counseling sessions. Good luck Lynne!

Hi Everyone, I am newly banded on 08/02 but throughout the whole 3 month eval process, I have lost 25 lbs. I am getting used to only sipping a teaspoon at a time every 15-20 seconds for liquids and have not got on solid food yet. I am pretty sure it may be another week or so before I am healed from the surgery. I expect that to get better. I am on a nationally sponsored paintball team and we have a game in Dallas on 09/08-09. This is a very demanding sport and hydration is key. I have 2 main concerns with this game and would like to solicit your thoughts. Hydration - I used to gulp down 16- 32 oz waters at one taking if I was running hot and dry during a game. That is physically impossible now. Is there anyone who has a rigerous physical activity that requires continuous hydration for hours on end? I will be on the solid foods by that time and was wondering what people with heavy physical activity are doing for nourishment with your band during heavy physical activity. I have had protien drinks after games to help recover from the muscle fatigue and that wrked well. I am pretty sure that the shakes will help with that. Is there anyone with a band that is into paintball or other heavy physical activity that might be able to suggest options? I am 52, diabetic and love to run with the young bucks. I just run a little slower.

Thanks everyone! I do have a camelback that I wear with my gear. I guess I will need to mount it somehow to my mask. I forgot all about the abdominal muscles being cut! I will probably have to tighten my vest for additional support on the field. The pack weighs about 60 lbs though...