SandyM

May 10, 46 lbs

I hate to say it, but you need to find a protein shake you can tolerate or it will be hard for you to get your min requirement...especially during preop and immediate postoperative.

I had gotten down to 900 cal, and my weight loss was stalled. My doctor suggested I increased to 1200 cal, and my weight-loss took off again.

Definitely

This is a common side effect of ace inhibitors. Sometimes takes months to go away (if ever) once you stop taking it

Here's what my surgeon says The Band Ain’t Getting Any Looser!! Posted by Dr. Rachael Keilin a cosmetic surgeon and a Texas lap band doctor. At least once every clinic day I have to unfill someone who has been too tight for many weeks. Sometimes many months. A very few people knew they were too tight, knew it wasn’t a good idea to stay that way, but just couldn’t come into clinic for some reason – distance, schedule, finances. But the vast majority of people say, “I thought it would get better.” This is a brief post to say: IT WON’T GET BETTER If you are experiencing symptoms of being too tight such as: -not being able to eat 4 ounces of meat -having most solid foods “hang up” and even come back up -night coughs -waking up choking -frequent vomiting -poor weight loss THEN THE BAND NEEDS TO BE LOOSENED A LITTLE! The band is a mechanical device. It does not tighten on it’s own. There are many things that might make a band that felt fine for awhile suddenly feel too restrictive such as Water retention or inflammation of the stomach or esophagus. Or maybe the last fill put in a little too much Fluid and it’s been uncomfortable taking in food ever since. But once it’s too tight, it’s not going to loosen on its’ own, either. Some fluid needs to be removed. The longer the band stays too tight, the more likely there are to be more serious consequences such as aspiration pneumonia, band slippage and band erosion. Keep in mind the last two might actually require surgery! And if you read the list above all the way to the end you’ll notice something else – a band that is too tight does not allow for good weight loss. When the band is too tight almost every single person will try to eat whatever will go down easily. And that includes chips, ice-cream and sweet drinks. Nobody ever lost weight on a diet of chips, ice-cream and sweet drinks no matter how small the portion is you think you’re eating. So don’t sabotage your diet by letting the band force you into eating nothing but junk, or keep you up all night with heartburn, or land you in the hospital with pneumonia. If you have symptoms lasting more than two days that imply that your band is too tight, irrespective of the last time you got the band adjusted, then COME IN and get it unfilled a little. I promise you’ll feel better and lose weight faster.

It is a common side effect that not everyone experiences. Any of the ace inhibitors can cause this.

Yea! You are doing so good.

LOL, you'll do fine. I think my post op day was hard on me cuz I didn't even get my morning coffee. I really can go without breakfast if I let myself, as long as I have my coffee. But, I truly did get hungry. But they didn't come get me to take me back until 2:00 pm and my surgery was scheduled for 10. I was there til they closed the doors.

Shortness of breath, bad back, knees shot, humdrum in a rut sleep apnea and high bp. Life aunt perfect since the band and 45 lbs loss but a lot closer. I couldn't even to stand to look at my shadow let alone a mirror. But this is changing. WLS might not be for everyone but definitely was for me.

Wow, you look great!

What stage are you in?

Yeah, what she said. You'll do great. I think my surgeon said it took 15 minutes for mine.

I did very soft scrambled eggs alot. I did not pay any mind to carbs while in this phase but I did make sure I got my protein. I actually lost pretty good during this stage though my surgeon told me I probably wouldn't.

A good rule of thumb is if your urine isnt almost clear to barely pale yellow, you're not drinking enough.

I know, this forum ROCKS!!!!!

Wow, finally. I am so happy for you. You are at least prepared for this mentally. You've read the best and worst here. You'll do great. But as you keep reading, it really is still a diet for awhile. At least it has been for me. Thats to get the weight off. I think I have what I need to keep the weight off.

Just when they put it in, but it goes pretty fast. Kinda like the flu shot.....maybe a little worse. You'll be fine.

I absolutely agree. I have gotten more inspiration and learning from this board than all of the net searching talking to friends in similar situations and the surgeon. This board rocks and you do to.

I use mederma but I think vaseline or cocoa butter would do just as well. Its a time thing. They'll go away or at least fade pretty good.

Ok, this is just my opinion here. I was taking in 900 calories and wasnt losing near as fast as you are. But my surgeon told me to not eat less than 1200. My surgeon is a fitness guru. I had a really hard time wrapping my head around increasing my calories by 300 but I figured I'd give it a try. I did and started losing better. I started reading alot and on the net about burnng calories (stuff I thought I already knew, especially since I'm a nurse and have even taken nutrition classes. Not to mention my mother was a nutritionist). Everything I read seemed to agree with my surgeon. Anyway, the extra snacks probably can be avoided if you get the extra calories into your meals. And some carbs arent bad, just not the real simple ones. Introduce some nuts such as almonds or something. I buy the little 100 calorie packs. The way I figure it, give it a few weeks and see what happens. Its all still a learning process. Sounds like your PA at least is putting some thought into this. I don't spend more than 5 minutes in the office with my surgeon.

Could still have some swelling I think. I'd give it a little more time and work some real food in. As for what you can eat, it varies. There are those who can eat most everything (and say they still have trouble with broccoli) and those who are more limited. I so far can eat most anything if I take it slow and easy. I have 2.5 cc in my band. They usually put some in at surgery, but I had to have all of mine removed initially and start over cuz of the swelling.

I only have 2.5 in mine and though I believe I'm not green, I feel I'm probably pretty close. I take less food than before and I'm full and don't get hungry for 4 to 5 hours. I'm probably taking more than I will be able to green, but still subtantially less than before band. Plus I'm not wanting more when I'm done. I'm actually sometimes having to seek out extra calories to make sure I make my quota for the day. Go figure.

The dry mouth could be a sign of dehydration. Make yourself take tiny sips. Let your providers know, cuz if you have an IV they can turn it up. Dry mouth is also part of the anesthesia and that part should wear off.

Now, thats better. Ahh, even better.