lisacaron

To all the “KNOW IT ALL” posters in Bandland! I posted this elsewhere today and I’m adding it to my blog because I just had to get this off my chest! Why is that some people feel they are experts at what is right for anyone but themselves? When "newbies" or even veterans for that matter ask questions in this forum, it's because we are looking for advice and support. We are not looking for the know it all clipped and often times judgmental comments that are thrown out to refute the actual helpful advice of other bandsters. These comments come in almost exact succession to the postings of certain people who are actually helpful in their comments and advice, and these judgmental postings are really starting to bug me. If you think this comment was about you, then it probably was and I hit my target audience. My advice to you is that perhaps you should take all that you know and apply it personally and then edit the content again before you hit post. Or I'm sure there will be more people who will start refuting your comments and judging you for your tone and countering you on your expertise. Last I checked you were not registered as a Lapband Surgeon, Doctor, PA, or spokesman. It's really all just your opinions that would be better served minus the judgmental tone. Thank you.

Glad your through it and feeling better already!

About a week after surgery I was so hungry!!! My husband was really swollen, and didn't even want to think about food. He was sitting on our couch and me on our love seat and the ball game was on, and don't you know all those games have to have FOOOOOD commercials! I was STARVING!!!! I jumped up and yelled at him, shut that thing off!! I can smell the wings through the TV!! He said to me with a grimace of disgust on his face "How can you even think about eating ANYTHING?" I'm STARVING I shouted at him! I'm so hungry I'm going to find a Cow and eat it! We had a good laugh, I'm sure I looked rabid at the time! We laugh about it now when we see the millions of food commercials that play on TV, but at the time I was dead serious! I was HUNGRY!!!! I learned later on this forum others call it bandster hell. Yep I was there...the cats and the kids all hid in fear! :D

Thanks for the props Zingy

That all sounds yummy, though not the best nutrition. There isn't one complete set of foods you can have or can't have. It's all subjective to you, your taste and your tolerance. If you want to have something have it, know the calorie, protein and sugar content use good band mechanics when eating and go for it if it's a good choice. You are in the drivers seat, the band is only there to guide you to your destination.

Everyone loses differently it's interesting to see the stats! I was banded May 5th and I am down 32lbs at last weigh in.

The band is there, and it's ready to do it's job. Usually they are installed with out any Fluid in them. Sometimes they have tiny bit to "prime" the device. The restriction or lack of hunger you felt initially was probably swelling from the surgery itself and your body's adoption of the band around your stomach. It is normal to feel that hunger return, and even though you feel as though you can eat like before you should make every effort NOT to do it! You are a bandster now, and must comply with the rules of being banded. If your doctor put you on a diet follow it. Once you are able to get into the office explain your feelings to them and they may or may not give you a fill depending on what their policy for fills is. This part is the hardest part I have heard people refer to it as bandster hell. Your hungry and you can't eat like you want to. Remember that it will all be worth it in the end. Follow the instructions your surgeon or nut gave you and you will do great!

Good for you practicing good eating mechanics! I would refrain from the drinking and eating at the same time. When you are sitting with the kids and having your COW (love it) just have that. Then wait a half or or an hour and go back to your liquids to get in your hydration and other nutrition. Sounds like your going to do great with the band!

Are you eating mushy type or soft foods at this point? When it came to soft foods, we had a lot of egg dishes, Omelets, Egg Foo Young, Soups like minestrone, chilli's, beans and all kinds of soft fish fillets. Anything that you can chew up to a pasty consistency and still get protein in. At this time (and pretty much for the long haul) I would steer clear of breads, and any white colored starches. You can get as much nutrition from wheat and multi grain as white starch, though they all have a propensity to cause discomfort with the band for most. As you move to more solid foods, I would be extra careful to take small bites and cut items up well and chew chew chew.

Lady J this is a great question! One I have been exploring at length with myself as well as with my hubby and even in Nutritional and support group. This question is raised often by members and by the Nut when someone says they are hungry. "Is it true below the neck hunger" she will ask.."or is it mouth hunger or head hunger, which also covers boredom and emotional hunger." Last night this question came up when a fellow member said she was hungry, and was snacking between meals or at the end of a long day. I have pretty much driven myself batty with this question. Sometimes I have this internal battle with myself to figure it out. Am I truly HUNGRY or is it a maybe a not quite full and could eat, but not really "hungry" feeling? Am I bored or upset or possibly thirsty??....oh the questions!! I been asking myself them and pushing myself to understand what true hunger and need to eat is as opposed to that "above the neck hunger". What I have come up with so far as my answer is pretty much..feeling the "fullness" or "emptiness" in my belly, and then thinking on a scale of 1-10 what is my need to eat? Then checking to see how long since I have had food or drink has it been 2 hours or 4, maybe 5. Then I think about, did I drink and hydrate enough? Do I maybe just want to "munch" or chew on something because I am bored, or upset, feeling lonely, out of habit...? If all those are on point then I will move on to have something to eat or drink. If it's just a need to chew or fill a gap maybe a piece of gum I can blow big bubbles with like I'm 5! Always makes me feel better (unless it pops all over my face and gets in my hair then I just feel silly) I'm still working on getting comfortable answering this question.... How about you all??? How do you know when/if your hungry?

Yes please let us know how you do going forward especially when you start getting fills and having to travel. My Doc always asks me if I plan to travel in the next 2 weeks, or be out of town and I always think twice when we plan even a road trip out of town for any extended amount of time. I would be great to get the perspective from someone who is always on the move. Thank you for sharing!

I also am a desk jockey. I took about 10 days off from work and in hind site I wished I had taken the full 2 weeks off. I travel pretty far into and home from work, about 30 miles each way. By the end of the day I was so exhausted I would just crawl into bed and crash. I could have used a few more days just to recover some of my energy. This is a major surgery and you will still have open wounds that need lots of TLC. If you have a laborious job and need to lift patients or assist them that could compromise your surgical wounds. My husband is a fire fighter and he had to be home a full month before he could return to work due to the heavy lifting nature of the job. Check with your surgeon and go by what he advises above all else. Best of Luck on your surgery and a speedy recovery.

Amazing! Thank you for sharing!

-Correction- It's a Corset Trunkplasty that does the upper and lower abdominal. Trunkplasty could just be for the lower though some call it vertical and do upper and lower.

Zen, in this forum there was a poster who posted pictures of her trunk lift. I had never seen anything like it before but it was basically a vertical removal of excess skin rather then a horizontal removal under the belly. If you google it you might find more information about it and if that might be something to consider for the upper part of your tummy near the port. Best of luck and congrats on the amazing weight loss!

Hahaha! I love it! You go girl!

Please do let us know how that DVD is!

You look Marvelous Darling!

Hi Nicole, If you have no complications after surgery and you are one tough cookie your gonna be fine by yourself! When I went home the day after surgery the only thing I didn't do was drive. The next day my hubby went in at 7am to be banded and I went with him. My son drove that day. By day 3 I was up and moving all around and I drove to the hospital (30 miles away) to pick up my hubby and then drove us both home. (Dr. didn't like that though) Go easy on the stairs. Go slow, treat yourself with TLC and your going to be fine. I would just make sure you have someone on call in the event of an emergency which hopefully will not happen. Good luck with your surgery and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Zingy is right about the green zone, though that word restriction can be a tricky one. It doesn't necessarily mean what you may think it means. Basically good restriction is that you have enough pressure from the band to create a smaller stoma or opening into the stomach. So that when food passes through this stoma, it triggers the hormones and enzymes in the body to signal the brain that you are full and no longer hungry. It is not meant to restrict food and hold it in the pouch for hours at a time. While the band does create a pouch the idea is for food to still pass through just at a slower rate then it would without the band and there for needing less food to feel satisfied. Mis has an awesome link she sends out and it has lots of information and insight about this you can find it in other postings, and hopefully she will share it again here

You can put that in your coffee, or pretty much anywhere I think. I have read people use it in Crystal light, and in Soups. If you really aren't loving it, maybe a friend can run out and get you a few ready to drink Protein drinks at the supermarket...? Happy to hear your doing well!!! First few days drugs are your friend

Hi Debbie, I love my band, and like you I would choose to replace it if I sprung a leak Best wishes for your upcoming surgery. I'm sure you will do well with the new band and be playing with your little guy in no time!

I agree with you 100%! I know people who like to keep their secrets like it's going to make them better or something. I'm with you though I welcome the advice and feedback and readily share what I can. Both hubby and I are banded together and we really do learn from each other. He might make a mistake and share and vis versa and so we don't both end up in the same trap

Take a break Dee!!! Your pushing your body so hard it hasn't had a chance to catch up to you yet! Your right on the $ your metabolism has hit the pause button waiting to see if you are dying or not it doesn't know you are choosing to do this to it, or that there is plenty of food around. All it knows is that you had trauma (surgery) you stopped eating all the rich food you were eating before and now your pushing it to race around and it's holding on to those fat stores in case you need them to live!!! Ease up for a day or two lighten the load, and see what happens.

Dee is right. Treat yourself with lots of TLC, and let us know how your doing!!