Bandista

If you're going the pain medication route you might also want to talk to them about something for constipation......best wishes to you! Hope you can get some good walking in, back and forth back and forth, round and round. That will help tremendously. Also if you have a sore port area incision an ice pack light take that pain down fast. Many people find relief from left shoulder pain by using a heating pad. Get your water in and move around -- you will feel better each day. I found liquid Tylenol helpful in that first day or two and it was easy to find that in liquid form. Best wishes!

I wonder if a handful of sprouts would satisfy my desire for real crunch once in a while......I have cut up celery into little pieces and enjoyed that. Got to chew, chew, chew. Any kind of cereal product for me except oatmeal is too slider-y also and kicks off a desire for more. The oatmeal we use is not instant -- we cook it on the stove and it is very chewy and thick in texture. I can tell it is band friendly for me (good esophageal workout). The instant stuff is too processed and falls into the category with gluten-free crackers, etc.

Wonderful progress -- thanks for sharing! I get so inspired by how well people are doing.

So great to be off of two meds! Do a little dance and get that scale out of the house. You are going to drive yourself nuts.......

Congratulations on your surgery and the start of your new banded life. This is a great time to be noticing everything and it sounds like you are doing that. Right now until you start your fill appointments you are healing up, so take good care and try to work on eating slowly, mindfully. That will help later when you have your band adjusted. You will get there -- these weeks post-surgery pre-fill can be tough for some. Focus on healing, introducing and increasing exercise, learning about protein. Drinking plenty of water is important. Best wishes!

Steam a cauliflower and mush it up with the stick blender, adding in chicken stock to get a smooth texture -- yummy. Greek yogurt. Egg drop soup. Have fun!

I am three months out and have had four fills. Now I'm feeling the band doing its job dimming my appetite and speaking up if I'm eating too fast or too much. It takes a whole to get into the swing of things. Don't worry, you will get there! You are in the healing stage and just beginning with the process of fills to find the green zone and what works well for your body. Keep all your appointments and don't stress about the scale right now. This would be a good time to have some one take your measurements. Down the line it's nice to have that comparison of lost inches for when the scale isn't moving or to notice how your pants are looser, etc. Good luck to you and enjoy that walking!

Hi there, so glad you found us here! I was banded 11/5 and I'm so happy with my new banded life. You are doing beautifully -- don't let that scale rule your life. I go down then up a bit and down again a little further then level off. But it's coming off bit by bit! My goal is 150 and I have about 70 more pounds to go. Best wishes and welcome!

I seem to be eating a quarter of what I used to consume -- as far as how much on a plate, etc. And I was certainly eating more frequently, too.

Love it that this thread is active -- missing Missy!

Congratulations! You will feel better after some good sleep. And don't forget the walking!

Oh my goodness, what a great loss! Thank you for the inspiration. You are doing beautifully and I'll bet you're really feeling it. Best wishes!

Hi there, I am just shy of three months out and so happy with my new banded life. I was nervous about the surgery as I'd never been an overnight hospital patient before and I think we all get the jitters beforehand. Plus the pre-op diet kind of dials things up as we are not tamping down stress with food anymore. For me, the surgery was so much easier than I thought it would be. I was elated. Yes, some discomfort but it felt purposeful -- a great cause. Me! It wasn't like being ill or having to endure real pain. I knew exactly what was going on thanks to so many people here on the forum. A super positive attitude really helped me, and the walking. I walked and walked. This kicked off the healing in my body and helped me shrug off the anesthesia. I had a prescription pain prescription filled but didn't use it -- got by on Tylenol and Ibuprofen and after a few days did not need those. So much easier than dentistry in my book (and I've only had one root canal) or having my back really out, a cracked rib, etc. So much easier than any of that and quick healing with a laparoscopic procedure.

This makes me feel so much better -- that even the rock stars of exercise have the committee in their head giving negative advice. I can sense the dialogue slowly changing, though. For instance now sometimes I'm happy while doing it and I'm celebrating those moments even if five minutes later I have to go back to faking it. One thing remains unchanged: after I work out I am ALWAYS glad I did it. That never varies. I feel better physically and mentally. It's good for the arthritis and the self-esteem. Maybe I should write a memo to the committee and tell them they are dismissed.

Pandora is a great exercise partner. And it is wonderful you and your husband are on the same page. Healthy future ahead! Way to go choosing yourself......

Congratulations on your success and also figuring out that this is a long game....thanks for the words of wisdom!

I feel so lucky to have my band -- that it was available to me. Sometimes I feel like bands are being phased out, that sleeves and other surgeries have less followup care and more profit. I feel like I may have gotten my band just in time. Well, except for the wishing I had done it a long time ago. But I didn't know about WLS and I needed to have my BMI up enough for insurance to pay. That was all so complicated and I'm grateful it's all behind me. The one day at a time with the band is very manageable now. Here's to a new day of healthy eating.....

I was a dieter for such a long time that I find myself saving up for later in the day -- part of a restrictive mentality I am working to retrain. I am not on a diet! I eat healthy foods and only when I'm hungry with a few stumbles here and there. My surgeon has a fill schedule post-op that has put me at four fairly quickly. I have felt a tiny bit more restriction each time. I'm on a plateau right now but feel okay with that. Working on the protein angle, making sure I'm getting enough in each day. You sound like you are right on target for post-op return of hunger (can't see from your stats when you were banded) and one fill in -- but some have a primed band, we are all different, etc. Anyway, I can relate to the four o'clock -- maybe you are programmed for high tea!

I know that my surgeon is going for both and like you I am satisfied on the small size but don't yet have the duration. I don't want to be too tight either, but I do want the full benefit of the band. I skipped my last fill and will go back 2/10 for a possible small one. I've been wondering if this super cold weather has an effect on the band. Obviously it does on the body in terms of wanting to go in a cave and store up calories. Good luck to you. I hope your doctor will have some good advice for you, not in a rush, etc.

Very natural to feel nervous about starting back on foods. This is a great time to be practicing mindfulness -- really noticing everything, using small plates and utensils, taking inventory of what you are doing. Congratulations on your surgery and welcome to banded life. I am not quite three months out and so happy!

No "just" about it -- you WALKED TODAY, yippee!

one "like" wasn't enough... so....like, like, like, like, like!!!! Thank you so much! I just came on here tonight, hit "first unread post" and there is your nice message. It's freezing cold here and everything hurts (a lot) but I have exercised three mornings in a row and will go again tomorrow morning. This quells my desire to whine and layabout,

Hi there, I am new and just beginning to understand how my band works -- and at a time when peri-menopause is in full force. All I can say is that acid, heartburn and vomiting are not okay. Those are all signs that the adjustment is not right. Don't jeopardize your health or the band -- talk to your doctor about these symptoms so you can work out a good amount of saline. If it's a lot of filling and infilling during a time of hormonal transition, so be it.

I am so happy for you! Way to turn your life around. Amazing what happens when we truly invest in ourselves. Thanks for the inspiration!

Congratulations -- you are really on your way! I will look for the blog -- didn't even know MFP had those...