mrsto

Stephanie - you are in the most difficult part of the journey. The only way I can describe that part (for me), was a roller coaster ride, unlike any other. But I have to tell you.....now 11 weeks out, and back to most foods, it totally changes. No, the weight doesn't fall off (yeah, I wish it would, too), but it's coming off consistently, and now I look back on the last 11 weeks, and I'm 26 pounds lighter. Would this have happened without the band? NO - it wouldn't have! When the negative ego rears its ugly face, try & remove yourself from it; listen to its unreasonable voice, but stay neutral. You can't really stop it from talking to you.....it's been with you forEVER. The "real you" knows what's best for Stephanie, and that is the voice that needs to intervene between all "head conversations". I refer to these as "the committee". The real you is the one in control. I love the analogy of the baseball game! Hold on to that..... THAT Stephanie is the captain of the ship. You can and you WILL do this!! It was a good decision, and I believe that you will know that clearly in the weeks to come :-)

I struggle with constipation on a regular basis, and MiraLax is my savior! I drink it a couple of days, and I'm good for a few days after that.

Craziest thing? Years ago I told a guy I was dating, that at one point I was too thin; had health issues because of it. He whispered in my ear "do it again". Really?

Are you drinking a lot of Water? If not, you should.....it will help. First, you should call your doctor & see what he/she suggests. We can suggest what we know or have experienced, but your doctor is the best one to advise you of what to do. That being said, I think if you hang back for a couple more days, you might find the opposite issue. When on liquids only, there isn't anything solid going in, so not much of anything solid is going to come out. Many of us had a problem with diarrhea during the liquid phase.

Bee - I've ALWAYS said that if there wasn't life after dinner, I would be thin!! Night demons.......shared by SO many of us Since being banded, I've found that anything made with ground meat is best; ground turkey, lamb, beef, etc. One of my staples (I make it at least once a week): 1 pound of ground beef or turkey - browned with a little salt, pepper & garlic powder, drained of excess fat. I mix in one can of Rosarita traditional refried Beans, and once can of black beans (I do not drain the liquid from the black beans.....it keeps the whole thing more moist) Mix this all together in the pot, heat through, and enjoy! This is my new comfort food, and it's high in protein, and low in fat/calories. I eat about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup. That's all I need. This past week I browned a pound of ground lamb (same way as above), but added chopped onion. Then I added a can of cream of mushroom Soup, mushrooms, and some cooked quinoa. It was REALLY good! Sometimes, I'll make some Pasta sauce with a pound of ground turkey or beef, and I'll eat my usual 1/2-2/3 cup without pasta. You can be very creative with ground meat, and I've found it to be very "band friendly". I'm pretty good about putting all of my food into MyFitnessPal. It's amazing how quickly daily calories add up, and the program keeps me on track; not only with calories, but with my daily protein intake. I keep that to a minimum of 60 grams, up to about 85 (sometimes more, depending on the day). A suggestion for evenings.... My doctor is completely against eating anything at night. I understand why, but it's not realistic for me. I'm going to eat a snack at night, whether I'm hungry or not. It's just not something I'm going to give up......like a baby that needs that last bottle before bedtime My suggestion is, when logging your calories for the day, make sure to leave a little bit for night time. Allow yourself that one thing, but don't eat it too early after dinner. Make yourself wait, so when you're done, you're not that far from bedtime. For me, that can be some Greek yogurt or an Atkins bar (one of the 130 calorie ones......tastes just like a Snickers). Some small, under 180 calorie snack. That way I don't feel deprived, and that need for my "last bottle" has been satisfied - LOL! I've been able to alter SO many things since being banded, but the evening snack isn't one of them. And I'm okay with it, even though it's against "doctor's orders". My calories are in check, and so am I Another idea - though I haven't done it yet, is to make ground meat meals in muffin tins. My friend is hooked on them, and I've read some on here as well. Another way to make a few measured meals at one time, that lasts a few days.

Here is some good info on the procedure. This isn't my doctor, but I found it online; gives a good outline of the surgery. http://www.obesitysurgeryla.com/laproscopic-banded-plication.php

It's where they fold the stomach in on itself and stitch it with non dissolving sutures. Without cutting, stapling or rerouting intestines, they make the stomach the size and shape of the sleeve, then put the band on top. It's been shown to reduce various issues with the band (slipping, less fills, etc.) and gives that second tier of restriction. The beginning weight loss is suppose to be better than with the band alone. It's been done for about 3 years, but not currently approved by the FDA. Therefore, insurance does not cover it, but many doctors are doing it (some for free), or for a small added fee.

Bee - are you counting your calories; using a program like MyFitnessPal? If your issue isn't head hunger, then maybe your calorie intake is too high, even though you're making healthier choices?

It's good that you're making higher Protein choices. My suggestion is, to stay away from the frozen boxed foods, and make a dense protein pot of something that you can eat for a few days (if cooking for one is an issue). The frozen meals (unless they're specifically low carb....like Atkins), tend to leave you wanting more. Dense protein will quell cravings, and keep you satisfied for longer. If the issue is head hunger, or eating out of boredom, loneliness (missing/worrying about your husband)......anything OTHER than physical hunger, then you will have to find something to take yourself out of that space. Get out of the house and go for a walk. Run errands.....even if you don't feel like it. Take a long hot bath. You have to find the thing that works for you. We can suggest how to deal with part of this, but head hunger is a whole other thing; it's the curse that haunts us and has gotten us to this point. BeeKipp - try & focus on your journey so far. Think about all of the time and effort put into bringing you to the lower weight you are today. Do you really want to sabotage ALL of that? I know that this is the most difficult thing that many of us face every day. We can go through long periods where we're really on track, and have everything under control. Then SOMEthing shakes our foundation, and the first thing we want to run to, is food. The best suggestion I can give for sitting & wanting to eat for any other reason that true hunger, is to find something else to occupy your mind. For me, walking in a beautiful place helps, or a nice long bath. Good luck.....you CAN do this!!!

Congrats!! Good job.....I'm sure you feel GREAT

I had the band with plication on 3/25/13, and I'm glad that I did. I can't really comment on the difference between plication or no plication, because I don't have a reference point. But I CAN say that I do feel full on small amounts of food. There have been times when I eat past what the band tells me, but the smaller stomach minimizes capacity. The handful of times I've done that, don't feel great.....which keeps me diligent to my program. To get another spin on this, it might be good to hear from people who had the plication added to the band at a later date. I spoke to another patient at my doctor's office, who had it added after 6 successful years with the band alone. I never did get a good answer, because she was only two weeks post-op & didn't have a sense of how it was going to be after healing. But I made my decision to add plication anyway, because I wanted a secondary restriction in place, in case something went wrong with the band.

I've lost 26 pounds, and I do see it in the mirror. I'm certainly not where I'm going to be, but I see a deflated, me. I was also able to wear a pair of pants yesterday, that I hadn't worn in over two years. Another confirmation! Koolkel - do you have pictures from before surgery? I think it's a good idea to repeat pictures at different weight loss intervals, and compare them side by side to the starting pictures. Our eyes can play tricks on us when looking in a mirror, but the pictures don't lie. Many years ago, when I was getting ready to start (yet another) diet, I had my sister come over and take a set of pictures of me in a two piece bathing suit; front, back and side views. Every 10 pounds she took another set. This was one of the greatest tools ever! After the first 10 pounds lost, I couldn't see anything in the mirror. But looking at the pictures, I could see bulges minimize, from where the bathing suit squeezed by skin. So - even though the mirror didn't reflect my progress, the pictures told me that things were happening. Good luck!

BRAVO! What a milestone!!!

LOL - love it!

Congrats - good job!!

Aviva - welcome to the group! I feel ya on this one. During my two week pre-op diet, I had to fly up north for business. I rarely fly anywhere, and it never occurred to me that the seat might be an issue. Just side stepping to the window seat was humiliating, but I was thrilled that the middle seat between the window and aisle was empty. I lengthened the belt, settled in, and as I put my hand down to the side of my thigh (to feel how much it was spilling over), felt even MORE sure that my decision to have this surgery was the right choice. I vowed that the next time I go on an airplane, it will be a WHOLE different scenario I kept thinking to myself......how did I let things get this bad. But the GOOD news is, I/we are doing something about it!

Congrats on your success, Frederic. That is GREAT to hear! And it's perfectly fine to toot your own horn. You earned it!

Don't be too hard on yourself. The key here is, that you're right back on track today. This is how it's going to be through the rest of your life; allowing yourself a little something off plan on occasion, but then hopping right back on track. I was banded on 3/25/13, and decided that the Memorial Day BBQ I went to, would be the day I allowed myself some wine. I hadn't had anything to drink three months prior, and thought one glass would be all I could tolerate. Not! I think that I drank damn near an entire bottle! I tolerated it fine, but didn't feel very well for a couple of days. Not sick; just off a shade or two. I'd like to say "lesson learned", but I'm sure I'll have a day like that again. Felt NO pain & had a great time!!

It's the little things along the way that make a BIG difference. Each one is like fuel for the soul. Something as simple as a towel wrapping further around my/our body......HAPPY! Today I'm going out to lunch with my sister, and I wasn't sure what to wear. My jeans are bagging, and we're going to a nice place. Low & behold, I pulled a pair of pants out of the closet that I haven't worn in two years. Fit like a glove! HAPPY! Now, I have something new to wear. My closet goes from a size 6 to a 22. Going through what's hanging in there, is like going shopping for a smaller size. Everyone.....keep posting these little victories. I LOVE to hear them!!!

My initial response is.....it's not necessary info for the first date. Let him get to know you, before you (possibly) scare him off with information he doesn't fully understand. See where Date #1 goes with him first, before going down that road. As far as why you're not eating much, just tell him that you had a late lunch & you're not that hungry :-) Have fun tonight!

Ditto....

Yes-I-Can....welcome to the other side My only words of wisdom for you at this early point, is to closely follow your doctors advice and guidelines. It will be difficult at times, but there is a reason for every phase over the next few weeks/months. It can be a bit of a roller coaster ride, but you'll get through it, and it DOES get better. I'm coming up on 11 weeks out, and have settled in quite well. My new way of eating has become the new "normal". For right now, just relax and let your body heal. If the gas is really bad, take Gas-X and do as much walking as you're comfortably able to. A heating pad can be soothing as well. If you're in pain, take the pain meds! It's really good that you don't want to be a hero on that. The reality is, you heal quicker when you lean on the meds, and don't try & tough it out. Everyone varies with how long it takes for the gas to completely dissipate. For me it was somewhere between 2-3 weeks. Some, a lot sooner. Congrats on this huge step!!

Yep - have some wine and enjoy!

The band does not swell. Your body does, which makes the band feel tighter than usual.