kathm

Hi, I have not been on here for a while as I have been becoming increasingly disillusioned. I am nearly 8 weeks out from surgery, and am on normal food again now (have been for several weeks). The issue is that even sticking to between 1000-1200 cals a day and sticking to the bandster rules really well I was not losing ANY weight at all. I had my first fill on 7th December, and have noticed that I need to chew things very well -especially if I have any bread - or I get a stuck sensation. I have had no PBs though. I felt like restriction started to kick in about 10 days after fill, but only lasted for about 2 days and since then I have been able to eat much more than I should be able to. To make it worse, I am in a period of depression at the moment (not helped by no weight loss despite being good - not even noticing any real inch loss since op either). The last 5 days I have been bingeing in the evening, and can't seem to stop myself. If I had been seeing results it would be easier, but knowing that I was following the rules and not getting anywhere has really crushed me. I know I should be stronger, and I risk wrecking the band, but I am struggling sooo much at the moment with no restriction telling me I have to stop eating. Please help.

Hi Diana, Unfortunately, I cannot get another fill until 15th January, and my surgeon does not work in consultation with a dietician and psychologist. I basically see the nurse once a month and she does the fills as necessary and advises me on food issues. It sounds like you have a really great and supportive surgeon and team helping you. Keep up the great work. Thanks for replying - it's good to know I'm not alone. Out of interest, was your surgeon concerned that you may have stretched the pouch when you were gaining weight?

Jack - would def be interested in more info. Anything that helps is good with me. Thanks Nana - maybe I'll have to take up knitting or sewing to occupy my hands in front of TV. Thanks for the support.

Thanks for your support everyone. I spoke to my nurse a week after the fill and said there didn't seem to be restriction, so I am scheduled for another fill on 15th January. Yes - I was a binge eater before banding, but I would have been able to control it better if I had been seeing results beforehand. I guess I was hoping that the band would make me physically unable to binge, so if I was stressed or depressed I would have maybe one Tim Tam, not a whole packet, etc. Insubordination - you may be right about the "issues" thing, and as for keeping busy in the evenings, I know it's a great idea, but I am on the go with 3 boys aged 5 and under all day, so when they go to bed I tend to crash in front of the TV. I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as depression, so by the time evening comes I am absolutely exhausted. Thanks again for all your help and suggestions - I just hope I haven't wrecked things!!!

I am 4 1/2 weeks post op - due for my first fill in 4 days. I am pretty much eating whatever I want now - the only restriction I feel has been on 2 occasions when I rushed and didn't chew as well as I should have. The problem I am having is that I know I am eating too much, but am having problems stopping - I am hoping that when I get restriction this will go away. When I say eating too much - I am still eating nowhere near as much as I did pre-band - but no weight is coming off. In fact I am putting on a few pounds - which brings me to my 2nd question... Did you find yourself constipated and retaining Fluid after having the band? I guess what is making me even more unmotivated is the fact that I am eating less than I used to but gaining weight. Any ideas on these problems please?

Thanks for the replies. I was worried that I might be stretching the pouch - but it's good to know I am not alone with this.

Hi, I am just over 3 weeks post op, and although I lost quite a lot on Optifast the 2 weeks pre-op, I have only lost 3lbs since then. It is very discouraging - the 3lb loss since surgery includes me putting 3lbs back on then losing again!!! Lots of people have said that they didn't lose - or even gained weight before their first fill, so I am trying to hold onto that idea. Also, although the scales don't seem to be moving much, people are noticing that I am losing - are you losing inches, maybe, but not pounds yet. I don't have any answers for you, but just wanted to say that I am having these feelings too, and I am sure that once you have restricyion you will do great. Good luck.

I take Effexor XR 75mg and have been taking it in capsule form from day 3 post surgery. My pharmacist said there wasn't a liquid equivalent, so my surgeon said just to take it with a bit of Water, then take a 2nd swallow of water afterwards. I have had no problems so far - but then I haven't had a fill yet either.

Great tips - I will be trying some of those. Unfortunately for me, as mother to 3 boys under the age of 5, going to "time out" sounds very appealing!!!

Hi, (This is a long one - sorry) :help: I am just 2 weeks out from surgery, and have to confess that my food intake has become more mushy consistency than the thick liquid I should be on for the first 4 weeks. I have also had a few bites of solids (soft solids, and well chewed). I have had no problems tolerating anything I have tried, and I have been very careful to stay below 1000 calories - mostly below 800. The problem is I am not losing at all - I lost 1kg in the first week post op and have now put that 1kg back on. I did 2 weeks of Optifast before the surgery, and lost 10kg (22lbs) but now that I am banded I am not doing well. It is so demoralising - at my weight I should be able to eat way more than I am and still lose weight. I am using optifast shakes and Protein powder to make sure I get my protein in, but I am still hungry with the small portions. It was this which made me increase the texture of my liquids to more mushy in the hope that it would fill me up more. This weekend I was really bad - only time I may have exceeded 1000 calories. We had friends visiting on Saturday night and they got pizza, so I got a Turkish take away (quite soft rice with a spinach and feta filo parcel. I pretty much ate 1/3 for one meal, 1/3 several hours later and 1/3 for my evening meal next day. I also had a smallish dish of hotcakes with rhubarb and apple for my lunch on the Sunday. All the "solids" I had were quite soft, and I chewed them well and took it slowly, but had no problems at all. Now I am scared that I will have done some damage by taking solids too soon. All in all I am feeling like a complete failure - rushing the post op diet and not losing anything since surgery. My mum paid for my surgery and will kill me if I don't succeed. Please be gentle with your responses - I am feeling pretty low as it is. Thanks for reading my whinge.

Hi, Thanks to those who replied. I spoke to the nurse yesterday - it is her who takes care of the dietary side of things. She has ok-ed me to have soft foods with plenty of chewing, as the swelling around my stomach has obviously gone right down if I am hungry and able to tolerate soft solids. She has also said that she will do a fill on my next appointment (in 3 wks - 5 wks post op) so the future is looking brighter. RE: the weight gain. We have come to the conclusion that it may have been caused by the fact that the Optifast diet is designed to put your body into ketosis, and now that I am on mushies a lot of the easy mushies are quite high carbs. Hopefully my body should sort itself out soon and continue to lose. Thanks for your replies.

Hi, I am due to be banded on 31st October, so I am asking this really early, but I was curious to know... The nurse says that when I get my first fill (no earlier than 9 wks post op) they will probably fill my band with 4.5 (it is a 9 capacity). This sounds quite full compared to other posts I've read - not that I'm complaining - fill me up, so I don't eat!!! Just wondering what kind of restriction people felt with 4.5 fill, and what people's first fill was. Thanks

Hi All, Had my op on 31st October, and all went well - apparantly my internal anatomy is great, but I am a real bleeder (quite literally!!!). The surgeon was concerned that he might have to open me up because of it - but thankfully not. Today is day 5, and although still uncomfortable around the incisions, it has eased a lot. I am still getting gas pains on and off, and am pretty tired. Went for a potter around the shopping centre for a whole 20 mins today, but was then exhausted. My main concern - apart from wanting "normal food", and having to stick to liquids, then mushies for ages - is that I seem to be easily able to take 1 cup of full liquids or even a bit more at a time. Should I be able to take that much at only day 5? Am I at risk of stretching the pouch or making the band slip? Thanks to those who have posted recipes for the liquid stage - I intend to try several out. So far, done the ricepudding drink, which is really nice. Sorry to waffle. Hope the other new bandsters are doing well - we're all in Bandland now :clap2::clap2:

Hi, It is 9.25pm here in New Zealand, and I am having my op tomorrow. This is what I have been pushing for on and off for years. It is what my last 2 weeks of Optifast (amazingly I stuck to it) have all been about. So why is it that I am now so scared??? The pressure on me to make this succeed is enormous as I am not even self-pay - my mum has stumped up the cash because she so wants me to lose the weight. What if I do this and still can't regulate my eating? After the first 2 days on pre-op diet I haven't been hungry at all, but worry that once I start taking in normal(ish) food again that my hunger will be back with a vengeance (especially since I can't have a fill until at least 9 weeks. Please can all you wonderful supportive people who have already been banded help me out???

Thank you both for your support - it's now 3am and I'm back awake (not surprising really) See you in Bandland!!!

Hi, I am Kathryn, 30 years old and living in New Zealand (been here nearly 2 years now from the UK) I have been married for 8 years and have 3 boys aged 5, 4 and 2. You would think running after them would make me slim - but it doesn't - I think the stress-induced chocolate binges may have something to do with it. I am being banded tomorrow. Happy to "meet" you all.

Hi, I am on day 12 of my 14 day pre-op diet. I am doing Optifast, so am allowed 3 shakes a day, plus 2 cups of low starch veges and sugar free jelly, ice blocks etc. (up to about 800 cals) I found the first 2 days were the hardest, as I was starving, but now I am not even drinking my 3 shakes a day, and not feeling hungry. I have lost 6.4kg (approx. 14 lbs) so I am really happy, and ready for surgery "in 2 more sleeps" as my children say.

Thanks for all the info, guys -guess it really does vary a lot!!!

Hi all, I have to do 2 weeks of Optifast before surgery. This means 3 shakes, 2 cups low starch veggies and low cal drinks/sugar free jelly etc. I have just reached the end of day 5, and this morning after 4 days on the diet I had lost 3.5kg (7.7lbs) By the end of day 2 I was almost in tears I was soooo hungry, but on day 3 my appetite seemed to magically disappear, and since then I have had no problems sticking to the less than 800 calorie regime. Only thing is I feel quite weak and tired, but then I guess that should be expected since my body is getting nowhere near enough energy. I am hoping that being able to cope with this pre-band means I will not have too many probs on liquids and mushies post band. Looking forward to joining all you October bandsters in 10 days time!!! Kathryn

I am at the end of day 5 of my pre-op diet. My diet is up to 800 calories a day, made up of 3 Optifast shakes, 2 cups of low starch veggies, and low cal drinks/sugar free jelly etc. I found the first 2 days really hard - I was starving, but I persevered and day 3 onwards hasn't been bad at all in terms of hunger. As someone else has said - it sounds like all docs have different pre- and post-op diets. Good luck

Thanks for the vote of confidence Jacole. Maybe I didn't express myself properly - I actually meant that as I am not now too hungry on this diet, I hoped it was a sign that I would be able to cope well with the post op regime. Well done on your weight loss so far - how far into the 6 months are you? Keep up the good work. Good luck kathryn

Just had my first appointment with the surgeon who has confirmed my surgery date as 31st October :whoo:. Will see the nurse about dietary requirements on 16th, and then start 2 week pre-op diet the following day. I am so excited now it has been confirmed, but very nervous too. The surgeon weighed me in at 110kg and I am aiming to get down to about 70kg which he says is very achievable. He seemed really nice. Hugs to everyone recovering, and those waiting. Love Kathryn

Hi, Please add me to the list - my date is 31st October (hopefully). Thanks - I look forward to sharing this with you all. Kathryn

Hi, Thanks to those who replied to my intro posting. I now have a food question... I am probably being banded on 31st October (date to be confirmed) and my husband's work Christmas do is on 7th December. My doctor says 4 wks post-op on liquids, then 4 wks on mushies, so I should be in mushies stage by the party. What do I do??? If it's anything like last years party there will be a sit down dinner, although possibly buffet style. How can I hide the fact that I am just eating mushies - assuming there is anything I can eat anyway??? Hope some-one can help me. Thanks Kathryn

Hi to the Tenacious Tens, I am pencilled in for surgery on 31st October (providing my appointmnet with surgeon goes ok on 11th. I am currently about 110kgs (242lbs), 30 years old with 3 boys aged 5 and under. I am really excited about starting this new phase in my life, but as many others have already said, I am worried about actually managing the liquid diets pre- and post-op. Since I will be virtually the last bandster for Oct '07 ( I live in New Zealand, so my 31st comes before anyone elses!!!) I look forward to keeping up to date with all your experiences, and hope you can offer me some much needed support. My 2 wk liquid pre-op diet shoulkd be starting on 17th October. Bye for now Kathryn