kbinaz

My first thought upon waking up was "Yeah, I'm alive!" I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt that way! My next thought was "I don't have that much pain". Then I thought "Wow, I'm tired". So, as you can see, it wasn't so bad. It was way easier than I had imagined it was going to be.

I think you can and should eat anything you want and can get down. You probably will have little restriction 7 weeks post surgery and before a fill. I am at my sweet spot and can still eat lobster. Don't drive yourself crazy on a cruise trying to restrict your food intake if you don't have restriction and feel hungry. You will have time for all that later, when you do have restriction.

You are not being unrealistic, but it might be a good idea to set your goals a little lower, because you have lost a reasonable amount of weight for where you are post-op and it might actually slow down a bit. Then again it might not! Everyone is so different. What people need to remember is that the band is really meant to allow you to lose 5-10 pounds a month. That should be everyone's goal. I am a very slow loser and am barely at 5 pounds a month. When you see people on here losing way more than that it can be discouraging, but keep in mind that for every person that is losing incredibly quickly there are those of us who aren't and those losing slower are probably more normal. I lost 12 pounds the week after surgery and then it slowed down considerably. It picked up again once I hit my sweet spot. The point is it averages out over the long run. Try not to be discouraged over what you think you should be losing. And try to keep in mind that this is a marathon, not a sprint!

I always eat way more the week before my period, too. I am 6 months post-op and the week before each t.o.m. is scary! I loosen way up. Then once my period starts I am usually really,really tight. It's weird, but ends up balancing out. It's like your body knows and adjusts. So don't panic, listen to your body. Sometimes if you are extra hungry, it's best to eat more.

The reason you feel 'being stuck' in your throat instead of down where your band is is because there are muscles in your throat that help the food go down. If there is a clog down further those muscles respond by constricting. You feel it in your throat. I always thought that was weird, too, and asked the nurse practitioner about it because I couldn't figure it out either.

My doctor has done over 3,000 lap band surgeries and I was allowed soft proteins on day 4 after surgery. She is extremely competent, her center is a Center of Excellence, and she has an extremely low complication rate. I also do not think it is wise to not listen to your doctor's instructions, but boy am I thankful I chose the doctor I did because honestly I don't think I could have done 3 weeks of liquids!

I wasn't even allowed to do the eliptical machine for six weeks after surgery and could do no weight lifting. I could walk, and that was it. I can't imagine bowling. Ouch. If you are going to be so careful about what you eat because you don't want to do any damage to the band and port that way, why risk damaging something by overusing muscles that were damaged during surgery?

I have actually started splitting a meal with my husband. I usually order fish or chicken of some sort. All the restaurants I've gone to have been really nice about it and usually offer an extra side with it so he gets his baked potato and I get veggies. Most restaurant meals really are big enough for two people, especially if one is banded! I have also ordered off the appetizer menu, although those choices are usually less healthy. It's interesting... I have NO trouble with salad! It is one of my easiest foods. So I order those for lunch -with chicken.

I don't snack either, and I eat fruit. It's all about ratio's. Because it is so important to get enough protein, you should always eat that first. I was taught to eat 3 bites of protein, then 1 bite of vegetable then, if I had room, some fruit. It doesn't always work out to eat that way, obviously, that is just a guideline. Remember there are lots of ways to get fiber without fruit, too~ I eat a lot of vegetables and legumes and that helps get the fiber in. One of my favorite breakfasts is fruit (especially berries) with Greek yogurt. It has 20 grams of protein in a cup and no fat! I sprinkle a little splenda on it to sweeten it up a bit and it makes a good high fiber breakfast. That takes care of the fruit, the fiber and the protein.

I was told to do clear liquids for three days, then on day 4 (surgery day was day 1) I was allowed soft proteins. (chicken, turkey, cottage cheese,lowfat/low sugar yogurt, refried beans, tofu). Three weeks on full liquids seems a little much to me - I feel your pain! Yuk!

What you are describing does not sound familiar to me. I don't think nausea or lightheadedness is normal after banding. It might be that you are still reacting to having just had surgery, but feeling full after banding should not hurt or be uncomfortable. It just feels like you've had enough to eat and don't need more food. If the feeling of being nauseous and lightheaded continues I would talk to your doctor.

I feel your pain! I am six months post op, so reading your post takes me back in time to when I was one month past surgery - it could have been written by me! You are normal! Please don't despair. Until you have at least one fill, and probably 3 or more, and get restriction, you are exactly the same as you were before surgery and are probably going to lose weight at the same rate as you did then. You aren't getting the benefit of the band yet. The key is to not let this get to you too much mentally. I know that's easy to say,and hard to do! I had a really tough time in the two months after surgery. I had no restriction after about the fifth day post surgery. I never felt any restriction until my 4th fill. I didn't lose any weight. I cried a lot! Then all of a sudden I got restriction and everything clicked. I wasn't the failure I had decided I was! The band did work for me! I wasn'g going to be in that small percentage of people who don't lose weight with the band. Hang in there and get your fills as often as your doctor will allow it. Get restriction and you will be able to do this. Try to stay positive because in the end it isn't WHEN you lose the weight, it's how much have you lost after a year or two. You aren't going to remember if you steadily lost 3 pounds a week starting the week of surgery or if you lost ten pounds a month starting with month 3. You can do it! You just need the band to help and right now it isn't!

That's amazing! Congratulations!

I am so sorry to hear about the troubles you are having. I know that a lot of medications for M.D. cause weight gain. Did they take that into consideration before you had surgery? Would there be any way you could try a different combo of medications that might not effect you in the same way? It must be so discouraging for you to have gained back that weight. Keep us all posted on how things go for you. I hope they can think of a solution for you.

Five weeks of full liquids would have driven me insane. You have my deepest sympathies. I am thinking about how fortunate I was to have chosen my doctor!!! I didn't even know what her post-op diet was beforehand and if I had known about ones like yours I would have made sure to check! I was on clear liquids for four days and then on soft proteins until my first fill. I could eat chicken, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, refried beans, and low fat/low sugar yogurt. I thought that was tough, but now I realize how easy it was compared to what you are having to go through. I'm really sorry! Hope the time goes by really quickly for you~

My doctor's philosophy is to listen to your body. I eat until I get that 'feeling' - a little burp, a fulness- that tells me I have had enough. Sometimes that comes after 4 ounces. Sometimes it takes 8 ounces. I was told not to even measure, so I don't, I'm just estimating. Our bands are so variable from day to day and even from meal to meal. For breakfast I often can only eat 1/2 cup of food (if that). For dinner sometimes I probably eat a bit more than 1 cup. So it all kind of averages out. It is important to fill your pouch enough so you stay satisfied between meals, that is how the band is designed to work. So I eat until I am full, but not overfull.

I wanted to let you know that I worried about all those same things before my surgery and I can assure you it all was worth it and I having lap band surgery was one of the best decisions of my life. I experienced my first PB about five months after surgery,after 5 fills, when I finally reached my sweet spot (the right restriction level). That taught me that I need to slow down when eating and take small bites, especially of certain foods. If I do that, I don't PB (or slime- for me they happen at the same time.) I have had no problems with gas except for the two days after surgery and it wasn't even that bad. The positives so far outweigh the negatives - I don't feel hungry all the time, I don't go into restaurants and read the menus thinking about what I can order that will fill me up because even an appetizer will fill me up! I am not constantly obsessing about my next meal, because I stay satisfied between meals now. I can eat about 1 cup of food and feel like I just chowed down a huge Thanksgiving dinner. And when I lose a pound, I don't immediately start stressing about it coming back, because it doesn't! Think for a minute about all the negative's associated with being overweight and trying to lose it by traditional dieting. I think if you are honest, PB's, gas, and sliming are a small price to pay to get rid of all those negatives. It isn't like you PB every day, either. (If you do there is a problem). For me it happens maybe once a week at the most (a bad week) but really only every other week. For the most part there just aren't any negatives! And I am being totally honest with you. It's totally normal to feel apprehensive before surgery. Concentrate on all the good things that are going to come out of this and focus on those! You will be losing weight before you know it and feeling like me - why didn't I do this sooner?!?!?

I was told to try to find a doctor with 1,000 lap band surgeries. I believe my doctor has done around 2,000.

Refried beans are what got me through my first month after surgery. They are high in protein and fiber - a really healthy food, so don't be scared of them!

You are totally normal. Your band isn't even working yet. It is just installed but not working, because you haven't had a fill. I lost 12 pounds in the week after surgery, then didn't lose one more pound for two months. I really didn't start losing decently until I had my 5th fill (7.5 ccs in a 10 cc band) So don't panic! Just get your fills regularly and make it your goal to find restriction. You will get there!

I'd shrink my breakfast size - since you aren't eating it until late, just have something small and hold out until lunch. I agree with you - family meal time is too important for so many reasons that it is not a good idea to keep missing it. I have had to a few times, too, for the same reason- but I try not to let it happen too often.

Hey, slow loser, I was banded October 26th and I have lost 32 pounds so you might need to call yourself something else because I win the slow loser title! And let me tell you, I am thrilled to have lost those 32 pounds. I could never have done it without the band. My weight loss averages a little over 1 pound a week, which is exactly what the band manufacturer and most doctors recommend. You are supposed to lose 1-2 pounds a week. So anything more than that is above average, which means you are above average. So keep up the good work. And once you get the proper restriction you will be able to control your portion sizes and you won't feel hungry. At that point the band will be doing it's job and you will be getting maximum benefit from it.

I have never, for even one minute, regretted getting the band. I could not have lost 32 pounds without it, and the best part is that I don't have to constantly be stressing that I am going to gain the weight back. Honestly, every day I thank God for allowing me to have had the surgery because I am finally hopeful that I am going to lose the blasted weight. The PB's are not enough to change my mind. They are avoidable, you just need to slow down. I understand your having second thoughts, but truly, the band is a wonderful thing.

I would tell them what is happening and how it is making things hard for you. They are old enough to know how to get along if they need to, and they are old enough to understand that this is important to you and why. Tell them if they can't get along THEY can leave and you and your husband can have a nice quiet meal together. Why should you have to eat alone?

I had the exact same experience... I lost 12 pounds the first week after surgery then NOTHING. And I didn't lose any more for quite a while. I know how frustrating it is, believe me I had my share of temper tantrums over it. But now, six months post-op, it is all a memory. You end up losing weight eventually, and once you lose it you quickly forget WHEN you lost it. Remember that you just had major surgery. You need to heal right now. You also haven't had a fill yet, so you aren't even getting the benefit of a working band. Some people stay swollen for longer after surgery and feel restriction from the swelling. Others don't feel restriction for very long because their swelling goes down. (that's how I was) I could eat as much food as I could have eaten before surgery. Once I had several fills (five) I got the restriction I needed to control my portion sizes and the weight started to come off. I know how hard and frustrating it is, but be patient and you will lose weight!