RN2be2008

I eat nachos and pizza also, although not all the time. The band allows us to indulge occasionally yet not over do it. I usually eat the right foods but I must admit I have cheated, we are only human! The band works best if you eat the right foods which is why I do 80 % of the time. I have lost 50 lbs thus far in approximately 4 months which is not bad. If you eat the protein first (like we are supposed to do) then usually you will feel fuller quicker and longer, especially if you add some fiber. Junk food usually passes easily which is why I can usually eat alot of the junk at one time. Restriction varies daily due to normal bodily processes, such as the time of the month for me which usually feels much tighter than normal, you just have to find out what works best for you at certain times. I once heard that a person who allows themselves to cheat occasionally but gets right back on track has a better chance of maintaining weight loss over the long term than a person who completely deprives themselves and then falls of the wagon. You have to expect that there will be times that we will cheat its just how you handle those times which will determine if you have long term success. Good Luck!!!

Well I have a NSV, when I used to go to the library at school most of the chairs have the side arm rests which were way too tight for my big thighs so I would have to look for one of the very few that had no side arm rests. Well the other day I was with a group of friends and we sat down at a large table. I hadn't even noticed that I was sitting in one of those tight chairs pretty comfortably for hours. That was a happy day for me.

Hello! Well my doctors (they take turns) all have done it using the fluro every time. They mark the area with a marker while looking at the xray and then place this popper numbing agent that numbs the marked area prior to injection. Then they stick in the needle which shows up in the xray and use that as a guide. It usually takes 3 minutes to complete the procedure however, waiting for your turn is considerably much longer....ugh.

First pic me 303lbs, second and third pic me 253lbs..down 50 lbs as of today, but still have a long way to go...

<p>My sister in law and I both had WLS two months apart. She had the bypass first and I had the band. So far she has lost about 50lbs in 16-17 weeks however, I have lost 35 lbs in 7 weeks. So far so good I think. I am really glad I chose the band because I can still have a piece of cake if I want it as long as it is a small piece, unfortunately my SIL cannot or else she dumps. I have had only one fill so far but I don't feel deprived at all! I can basically eat anything I want but only in smaller quantities, which is really a blessing. I regretted having surgery in the beginning but from what I hear that is normal, two weeks after surgery I felt great and have been feeling even better ever since. It was the BEST decision I could have made and believe me I had the option of bypass if I wanted because my insurance was willing to pay for either completely.</p> Forgot to mention I haven't started exercising yet so once I start I know it will come off even quicker!

Congratulations..."happy dance"

I lost about the same amount of weight in the same time period and I didn't lose any more weight for about 1 week and a half. Now this week I have lost about 2 pounds so I am glad that the scale is finally moving again. I have been alot more active but I plan on setting an exercise schedule soon. I am sure that will help. Stay focused on the prize, sounds like you are doing things right. I know it's frustration I am going through the same thing, it will work give it some time.

Hey everybody! Well so far I have been doing pretty well, I have lost give or take a few pounds of 25 lbs so far (sometimes its -23lbs, -25lbs, -22lbs it varies). However, for the last week I have not lost one pound at all. I have been eating more although am not eating over 800 cals but I continue to stay the same weight. DO you think it is what I am eating? I have been eating more carb rich foods like potatoes and sometimes I eat low fat crackers. I am 3 1/2 weeks post-op and I am grateful for what I have lost so far but I feel like I am cheating or something because when my hubby asks if I have lost any more weight I am embarrased to say no.

It's like you all are reading my mind! My sister keeps telling me OMG your going to lose X amount of weight by X time. I have to explain to everyone who says that that this fast weight loss is temporary and it will slow down. It gets annoying explaining how the band works to everyone who makes a comment like that. Ugh I wish I hadn't told anyone except my immediate family. Hip: That is what we are here for, encouragement. Your going to ride your bike later, that is a good idea maybe I will do the same.

You are probably in surgery right now, so GOODLUCK!

I know how frustrating this is but stay motivated, this is what is known as Bandster Hell and they were not kidding. I feel ya but as long as we make good decisions, exercise, and stay motivated we will succeed I have faith. Good Luck!

I know exactly what you are talking about. I am going through the same thing myself. I was losing weight like crazy in the beginning and now the scale hasn't budged in like a week. I feel ya!

I am 3 1/2 weeks post-op and still have a little difficulty with certain jeans..even though I have lost 25 lbs, frustrating!

WOW FaithMD that is awesome. I really need to up my cals I think because when I had the surgery for the first week I am sure I was not reaching even 100 cals and slowly I have been increasing my cals. I think my body went into shock from such a low cal count. Now I eat maybe 600-800 tops and I was at a standstill for a week whereas before I was averaging a loss of a pound or two a day. I think I also lost alot of muscle in that time.

I am going through the same thing. I have lost 25 lbs so far and its like I am numb or something. It is a shame because 25 lbs is a big deal but I am like whatever...I guess it is from feeling let down so many times before.

OMG I felt exactly like you do. I could barely drink anything. If I took my Tylenol w/ Codeine then I felt really full for a while. I was so restricted that I stopped taking my meds just because I wanted to get actual food (clear soup) in my stomach without it filling up so soon. It gets better. I also had so much gas that I felt like everything I was drinking was making the gas worse my spit was even frothy. I walked around and I tried Gas X and it helped alot. What was worse was my breath..because I wasn't eating any carbs for so long I had this strange smell to my breath that would NOT go away regardless of how much I brushed my teeth. I guess it was my body going into ketonosis or however you spell it. If you are really nervous I would call the general surgeon on call or the nurse. I called them like 6 times the first week and everything was normal. GOOD LUCK!

Thank you all so much...I can't wait until the day I can fit back into my "skinny clothes" again. I have been heavy my entire life and about two years ago I lost 70 lbs on my own. I bought my first size 16 jeans since elementary school (seriously) and I was so grateful to fit in them. Then of course little by little I gained it all back plus 15 pounds more. Now I have all the clothes I bought in a bin until I can finally fit in them again, cant wait!

Up my calories...I love the thought of that! I will try that and up my exercise while I am at it. I walk alot a day but I don't have a set exercise shedule so I think it is time I schedule one. THanks for the suggestions!

<p>Staff, Strep and C-Diff? WOW that is a terrible combo. You should look into that because if you caught it from the hospital then there are some serious problems with their infection control. Then again if you started the pre-op diet and your immune system was probably low then I could see how you could become prey to an opportunistic bacteria like staff. </p> <p>I thought that it (staff) took a few days for it to be considered hospital acquired but if its sooner then it was community acquired based, I think I need to review before school starts again..shame on me, but its been a fun summer.</p> I guess I forgot how to spell as well...Staph not Staff..

Thank you for your suggestions I will try to eat more often but in less amounts and concentrate on protein. I thought since I am drinking protein shakes that I wouldn't need as much protein since it is diffiult to get down. I get about 50g + protein from the shakes and some from eating but I get what you are saying. I was glad to see a loss today of a pound so maybe my body is getting out of starvation mode.

I think bypass patients must not eat sugar rich foods because of the dumping syndrome. However, I think we can but it is not advisable for weight loss. I know I was sucking on a lollipop soon after surgery (2 days post-op) because I could not eat hardly anything, the nut said it was OK but not to make it a habit. Then again I am not sure.

I have been tolerating every cheese I have eaten so far but then again I haven't had a fill yet so.... I hope I can continue eating it.

I chose the lap band over bypass because I want to have children in the near future. Although one can have children with the bypass, lap band is better in regards to providing nutrition to the baby without having to take x amount of vitamins and so forth. Also, I know this sounds kind of strange but if there ever was a severe disaster (natural disaster/terrorist etc.) and vitamins were not readily availale for a long time, it would be ok because we still absorb our vitamins from the food we eat. I would be afraid of being a bypass patient in that situation.

I felt the same way for about a week. I hated the burp feeling the most, more than the pain. Regarding the swelling, I was swollen as well, but if it looks like it is getting worse than better you should get it checked out by a doctor. The main thing I would pay attention to is if there is a significant change in your body. Like if suddenly you feel dizzy when you weren't before or if that area begins to swell even more. But if you are nervous that something is wrong call your RN and ask about it. Good Luck! p.s I think I called the RN about 6 times the first two weeks post-op, I wanted to make sure everything was fine.

Congratulations and welcome aboard!