Foofy

Snowbird, girl, you KNOW that's the answer in your heart even without asking.... I was given strict instruction to wait 3 minutes between spoonfuls. I can't always do that, but by golly I come close. This gives my stomach and my brain a chance to have a short conference before I do any damage. Often, the verdict will be that the brain and stomach are both happy BEFORE I finish the food. In those instances, I just make the dog's day be setting the dish on the floor. My dog LOVES my band. ;o) Try eating more slowly and thinking about each delicious mouthful. What does it feeeeeel like in your mouth? Mmmmm. How does it feel sliding down your throat? Can you feeeeeel it landing in your pouch? Eating should be a luxurious and sensuous experience, not a race to the finish. Every healthy mouthful is a gift to your body and your soul. Make it special!

Although I truly have not been tormented by "hunger", I have had some occasional POWERFUL cravings that I had to deal with. The othernight, DH (who is great cook) was eating antelope stroganoff. Sigh. The smell was overwhelming. Here's what happened. He gave me a big piece of antelope. I smelled it, licked it, rolled it around in my mouth, chewed it lighty, and then promptly spat it out and gave it to the overjoyed dog. I got every bit of pleasure that antelope could offer, with none of the pain. I felt completely satisfied, and happily polished off my dinner - 3 ounces of pureed cottage cheese with a little salsa. Pre-band, I would have snarfed down the whole plate of stroganoff, licked the dish, and then pondered what to have for dessert. Post-surgery, I felt like my band let me face temptation, devise a reasonable soution that WORKED FOR ME, and move on. I feel POWERFUL!! Roar!!!

I was banded on Nov 12 and haven't been mentally hungry at all. My stomach makes a LOTof growly noises. Baby, that is music to my ears, because I know it is my body checking the old pink pantry and finding out that it needs to raid the fat storage area instead to get the calories it needs. WhooHoo!! I track my calories and nutritian on FitDay and have been averaging between 400 to 700 cal/day. Higher when I know I have to do something like shovel snow (I live in Montana). So far, I am completely indifferent to food. I still love the taste on my tongue, but am happy with one to two spoonfuls of something, Before, I would have wolfed down a whole plateful without setting down the fork. Now, I am supposed to wait 3 minutes between each spoonful. New pureed favorite - half a cup of homemade tamales, eggs, and salsa. Nummmmmy!

I hear ya Bandpal. I was banded two and a half weeks ago. I had a week of liquids and will be on purees and mushie stuff for 4 weeks. I discovered you can put damn near anything into a blender and be happy with the results. I had Thanksgiving dinner last night (mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, jello, cranberry relish, etc. - all stuff that could be mushed up). I probably had 6 oz in all. I am pretty sure that my band would have LET me eat more. BUT, I didn't WANT to eat MORE. OMG!!!! I have such a fabulous sense of indifference about food now. I hope this lasts. I haven't been hungry since the banding. I just have a kind od tightness in my stomach area that I am choosing to view as a benevolent force for good. I LOVE MY BAND. )

I had a very easy recovery from surgery. Some discomfort, but really very little "pain", no nausea, and no shoulder problems. What I did have was the feeling of being a giant hot air balloon, as I was so puffed up from the gas used in the surgery. I got a new heating pad (because so many people said heat helps). It happens to be one that also VIBRATES. OMG, it was fantastic. I sat on the couch and held it on various abdominal and back parts for 20 minutes at a time and it seemed like I could feel it moving the gas around and helping it to get out of my system. Maybe that was why I didn't have any shoulder pain - who knows. All I know is that the Sunbeam, Health at Home vibrating heating pad is FABULOUS!!! I heartily recommend it to anyone.

I agree. I weighed 7.5 pounds more two days after banding than before. I have a bodyfat scale and it was obvious that I was bloated with water from the IVs. within two days, I had peed all that weight away and then some. Hang in there. Remember to drink water, too. If you are dehydrated, you're body clings to what water it can get, because it doesn't know that more is coming.

I posted this in the November group, but thought I would share here also.... I had a very easy recovery from surgery. Some discomfort, but really very little "pain", no nausea, and no shoulder problems. What I did have was the feeling of being a giant hot air balloon, as I was so puffed up from the gas used in the surgery. I got a new heating pad (because so many people said heat helps). It happens to be one that also VIBRATES. OMG, it was fantastic. I sat on the couch and held it on various abdominal and back parts for 20 minutes at a time and it seemed like I could feel it moving the gas around and helping it to get out of my system. Maybe that was why I didn't have any shoulder pain - who knows. All I know is that the Sunbeam, Health at Home vibrating heating pad is FABULOUS!!! I heartily recommend it to anyone. It cost $29.

Julie, Gosh. Your before and after photos are sooo inspirational!!! (as are Chickies and Ghosts). Thanks so much for sharing. Also, I am awed by your marathon time. That is a fabulous acheivement in a very short period of time. I walked the Portland Marathon in 2005 at 265 pounds and it took me 9 hours. Your story makes me dream of doing it again with much better results! Thanks so much.

Time4me, take a moment to mentally compare this post-band slip to a pre-band binge. Although you feel guilty, I am sure the calorie damage was TINY compared to what you might have done before you were banded. In the long run, it won't even be noticable. Especially since you recognized it and are back on the right track. You are on your way to success!

I LOVE this site. I was banded four days ago and have a white sweater on my tongue. I went to the health food store to get probiotics because I thought I might need them from the antibiotics I had been given. Then, I do a search on this site for "white tongue" and I get the answer I need. PERFECT. So good to know I am not alone. Thanks especially to Jack for the cogent explanation of ketosis.

I lay on the operating table quizing the anesthesiologist before I would let him put the mask on me. "Are you in a good mood?" "Did you aregue with your spouse this morning?" "What's my name?". When I came to in the recovery room, the nurse was laughing at me because I was counting on my fingers and reciting the alphabet (to make sure I hadn't lost any brain cells). I told her to tell my husband that I loved him. They went out to the waiting room and told him and he said "Oh my god, she has brain damage." ) You'll be just fine. Do whatever it takes to help you cope.

Check out your health food/natural food store. That's where I get my low sodium canned foods. I know what you mean about the saltiness. Since I have been doing low sodium, I just hate regular broths. I got banded three days ago and the hospital broth was awful - plus it came with a packet of salt!!! Eech.

This is a great thread. I was banded on 11/12/07 (3 days ago). The first night, I kept wondering what the heck I had done to my body. All the people in the hospitol were there because the HAD to be, and I was doing something ELECTIVELY - cutting into a perfectly fine (if fat) body that had no major problems. Why was I too weak to do it on my own? How was I going to live with this "thing" inside me? These feelings were unexpected and overwhelming. I am happy to hear that so many other people have felt the same way and that it passes in time. I thnk it must be something like post partum depression. Two days later and I feel much better about my decision. But, truly, I was overwhelmed by those unexpected thoughts. For those of you who are soon to be banded, be prepared for the post surgery doubt and know you can get through it!

BCBS MA rocks! I heard all kinds of horro stories about people having to fight to get approved and I was ready for battle. I had all KINDS of backup ready to send them when they denied me. But I didn't need anything. They approved me on the first shot, with only a half page letter from the surgeon. My surgery in Nov 12. I'm getting really nervous and am completely paranoid about catching a cold in the next few days. It seems like EVERYONE has one.