Desdemona

People are doing a lot of good posting to that I can really relate to. I'm glad we are talking about this. I started at the gym a couple of days ago. I can't quite believe it myself as I'm a TOTAL couch potato! I hope this works. The trainer has me starting with 2 sets of the following: 10 mins on the treadmill with a bit of an incline. She says great incline as opposed to fast speed is easier on the knee joints. After that I do 15 reps on several different machines and 2 exercises with free weights. She is making sure I'm not lifting anything over my head due to disc degeneration on 3 vertebrae. Then I end the set with 5 mins of interval training on an upright cycle. I do this every other day and I also do cardio on the opposite days. I have to say that it is enough for the moment. It's all I can handle and I definitely work up a sweat on this. My port area really hurts while I'm doing this but I'm thinking that it's probably normal. My MD said I could do the exercise. So far I'm not seeing a weight drop. I've been stuck for a month but it's only been a couple days now. We shall see.

Amanda and Sheri --- Your doing GREAT! I tip my hat to you. Fenton - I'm getting an image of you walking down the street - pants flapping in the wind!

Jachut----how far do you run? For how long? That's great! Wow surgbear!!! I'm glad you posted. I have degerative disc disease (and arthritis). I'm just now feeling good enough (41lbs lost) to start a good exercise plan. I know what you mean about younger trainers pushing too hard. When I went to my pre-op class -- some young atheletic trainer came from the local center to lecture a group of aging, very over weight, sick people who were going for bypass. I was the healthest and "skinniest" 1 of the lot!! I couldn't believe what she was telling them to do that to start off! I swear if they had done it -- it would have killed half of them! Those trainers ought to stop and think. I put a call into my neurosurgeons office today. I want to push myself to do as well as I can but I have to make sure I'm not shamed into doing things that will do more damage to my joints and spine (C5-6) and make me so tired that I get turned off to exercise. You are an inspiration to me and I'll bet that between my neurosurgeon and the PT I will be able to come up with a program that will be good. Thanks again.

Good! Isn't it a great feeling to know we can do it!

I was unmotivated but now I'm motivated and I have been trying to understand WHY I'm feeling different so I can do more of what works! I suppose everyone is different and what works for 1 person doesn't work for everyone. I guess sometimes - we do need a kick in the butt but I have to say that I don't find it helpful for me to call myself "lazy" or any other name. Picking on myself just makes me feel worse and more ashamed of myself. So I've been wondering why I drove myself to the gym this AM and enrolled in classes (something I have never done in my life before). I think there are several reasons. First, I lost 41 lbs pre/post op and I feel much better---more energetic--more inspired--more hopeful. Second, because although I'm still in pain (arthritis and degenerative disc disease) I'm not in the kind of pain I was 41lbs ago. I decided to get the band because I am 56 years old and could feel my health breaking down because of my weight. I didn't have energy--and couldn't do many of the things I once loved. I thought about all the dreams I had that weren't going to happen--not because I COULDN'T have more years to make them happen but because I was killing myself and ruining my health by my own behavior. I felt my life and the quality of my life slipping away. I have been struggling with all of this a lot the last several weeks because I haven't lost weight in the last 4 weeks. I knew I needed to do something or I was going to go back to that slow death. (I work hard. I'm too busy. I don't have the energy etc. --which was all true). But lecturing myself didn't work either. Finally, I had an idea that I thought just might work. ---- For the last 2 weekends --- I drove myself to a place on the ocean where I used to go when I was young. I walked and walked. I stared out to the sea. I felt the wind and listened to the waves as they crashed it. I felt such joy---not only because I was in that beautiful place again -- but becasue I was able to do something that I have not been able to do for YEARS. Becasue I was 41lbs lighter I was actually able to walk through the sand and along the ocean again. I had to give that up a long time ago. I felt like I was claiming my life again and I LOVED every precious second of it. On my drive back home yesterday -- I thought about all of this. I promised myself that I was going to join a gym --let someone else help me---work hard---and that 1 day a week --I'm going to take the long drive back to the ocean and treat myself to another long walk there. I intend to walk futher and futher as I get stronger and stronger. Then I'm going to treat myself to a fish and cole slaw dinner before I drive home. On that long walk I also started remembering things-----things that made me gain weight to make me feel safer. So I talked with someone about those memories today. It helped to "lighten" me emotionally and it helped me to be more determined to go to the gym. I'm still not really looking forward to going off to the gym everyday. I'm not looking forward to hurting joints or muscles. I have never liked sweating. I like working hard with my mind--not with my body. But now I KNOW I CAN do it and I have a vision of walking that ocean again in just a few more days. I know now that I can have my dreams and I CAN be safe in the world without killing myself with fat. Now I don't have a crystal ball so I don't know how this plan of mine will play out---but I have to say that so far -- I seem to be breaking through my tiredness and motivation problem. I'm saying all of this because I'm thinking that it might help someone else to really think carefullly about what is holding them back (physical pain? depression? fear? etc. What might be the personal little steps that YOU can take to get to the other side. I wish you the very best and I urge to love yourself and your life very very much.

Christine-- Dumping syndrome!???? Oh Brother!!! Tell your GP to try picking up a medical journal once in a while!!! Sounds like he needs to cross the bridge to the 21rst century!!!! Well --- I finally got truly desperate this AM and actually went so far as to commit to a serious exercise program. For me -- that is REALLY going beyond the pale but I have decided that if I don't get the lead out then I'm not going to get much further. The pre and post surg. weight loss was good but I have lost and gained the same lb for the last 4 weeks. I have been getting SOME good walking in but only about 2 times a week. I went to a local gym this AM and turned myself over to a them bag and baggage. I have my first appointment with the personal trainer tomorrow AM. EXERCISE!?? ME!??? 8:15 AM???!!! Will wonders NEVER cease!!

I agree that it's a good thing to ask your MD. I was banded 3/19 and had the same thing happen. I was sure something was wrong but it ended up to be gas. Now -- when I get that I know what it is. It usually happens when I have not been drinking enough fluid.

My MD does stress solid Protein and low carb but not NO carbs. I am a medical researcher. I've read almost every piece of research on low carb diets. So far--there is no evidence that low carb diets are bad. In fact, the latest stream of research is full of surprising results that demonstrate that low carb dieters lose weight faster, end up with lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, improved triglycerides, improved arthritis symptoms etc. There is, however, some evidence that too low of a carb count may bring on gout attacks. I have tried to follow a low carb diet for several years (and I also tried many other diets before banding as well). I lose weight but would always go back to bad eating habits and regain. That's why I got the band. Diet just wasn't enough for me. About 2 years ago --- I needed to see a neuro-endocrinological surgeon. He is very well known in his field and teaches at Harvard. I sheepishly told him that I was trying to do low carb because I found it worked best for me. I was afraid to tell him because I thought he might yell at me. I was quite surprised when he said "GOOD!!" That is EXACTLY what you SHOULD be doing! He continued to encourage me to follow low carb. He told me that I was insulin resistant and that low carb was the very best diet I could possibly follow. He said that it is a matter of genetics and I just happen to have the genes that lead to insulin resistance. As I read more and more research on this topic -- I began to understand why he was so encouraging of low carb. Most carbs we eat come from processed foods (sugar, Pasta, bread, Cookies, and newly engineered vegetable such as today's version of corn). Our genes have not changed in 80,000 years and this type of food is not proper fuel for the human body. Many natural vegetables have carbs but they tend to be far lower in carbs than processed foods and are packed with important nutrients. Those are good carbs. Those foods contain complex carbs as opposed to simple carbs (sugar, bread, pasta etc) which are absorbed at much slower rates in the body and that does not cause our blood sugar to skyrocket.

AH!!! There you are Fenton!! I was beginning to worry about you! You're ordeal sounds terrible and I'm very glad you are OK. Thanks for the warning about bites. I'm guilty of that myself and will try to learn from your difficult experience. (I was wondering if you were put in the hoosegow for losing your pants on 5th Ave because you hadn't had time to put that extra notch in your belt!!!! HHOK!!!!)

He put 2cc in a 10 AP (standard) band at surg. on 3/19. I had my first post-op fill 5/13/08 with another 2cc for a total of 4cc. I think I'm eating the amount I should be (a cup or less). I have lost a total of 41lbs.

Hi All-- I went to my surgeon yesterday afternoon and FINALLY got my first fill. I asked a lot of questions. He told me that he put 2cc of fill in my 10cc AP (standard) band at the time of surg. He put 2 more cc in making it 4cc. I can feel a difference but I don't know how long it will help. He listened to everything I had to say about my hunger and lack of weight loss over the last 3 weeks. I told him I could eat as much as I did before banding but didn't because I’m afraid of gaining. I also told him I'm hunger 1 hour after eating. He asked about my Protein intake and I told him the dietician told me to have 60g of protein a day and I do that. He said that he didn't want to argue with the dietician but that he strongly disagreed. He said that he is positive that I am experiencing protein hunger. He said that at my current weight -- I should be eating closer to 90g and that even more than that would be OK. He also said that I should be eating 2 or 3 protein Snacks a day between my meals. He says I need more protein because protein helps breakdown fat. I'm moving more (a LOT more!) that I did before banding and he says my body is NOT getting enough protein or CALORIES. I've been taking in under 1000 and he says my metabolism is shutting down. He told me to find out my target heart rate for my age, weight, gender and make sure I get my heart rate up to that point 3X a week. He said that this is EXACTLY how I got overweight in the first place -----by going on low calorie diets. Everyone, he said, always loses well at first when they take in low calories but then they always stop losing because their metabolism goes down---and then they get depressed and start eating like crazy and gain even more weight. He said walking alone won't get the heart rate where it needs to be------and eating too few calories will also stop weight loss. So I bought 1 of those pulse monitors and will increase my food. I had 2 low carb Protein Bars today and increased my calories at dinner. I also asked him about carbs. He said the same thing the last 3 MDs have told me --that I can keep my carbs low. This does make sense to me because I have been reading medical research that discussed new findings that say that protein requirement depends on body weight and that protein is needed to breakdown fat ---but I decided to go along with my nutritionist recommendations. She is going by government standards. Now I’m going to try to do this according to the surgeon and the new research I’m reading. I'm going to try this and I'll let you know how it works.

JDUB0414 ----In addition to calling them about how you're feeling -- have you told them straight out about the way your insurance pays only for the first few and you are trying to get as close to the sweet spot as possible before you have to pay yourself? I know all of that info is in your records but don't count on the nurse or MD to actually be aware of that info. They aren't thinking that way unless you bring it front and center. And most of them really do care about the money/insurance aspects for the patients. Changes are they'll do everything they can to help if they are aware of the problem. For all the rest of you --- thanks for all your discussion regarding the fills. After reading your posts I have decided that I'm calling my MD first thing Monday AM and asking them for a fill. I haven't even had 1 and they have no current plans to give me 1 in the near future so now I'm going to speak up---big time! I have been eating solid food for several weeks. I eat low carb and about 60g of solid Protein. I find that I have to REALLY limit quantity. I could easily eat the same amount of food I ate before the band but I don't do it. I'm hunger an hour after I eat and stay that way until I have my next meal. I'm walking 2 to 2.5 miles a day and ---yes---I'm losing. I'm pleased with that but my BIG FEAR is that if I lose control of my current "white knuckling" method of losing and slip into bigger portions or more carbs/fats then I'll start gaining or stop losing. I DON'T want to "white knuckle" diet all summer long until my MD gets around to 3 or 4 fills next Fall!

I'm also REALLY looking for restriction. I go in on May 27 and I just KNOW my very conservative MD is going to tell me I can't have my first fill because I'm losing. But I'm going to argue with him. I'm fighting for every lbs I am losing and I don't think we should have to lose weight the same way we had to before we were banded. I want my band to do some of the work! From what people here are saying --- most of us won't really get any help from the band for at least a few fills.

Indigo----Janet. That is an AMAZING achievement!!! And you REALLY worked HARD for it too!! Congrats and thanks for your inspiration.

mscathyl-- OH MY!!! I'm SO sorry to hear this! What a tragedy. I guess we get tend to get caught up in our little dramas everyday (like not losing fast enough). It's things like this that really remind us of just how heartbreaking life can get. Please keep us posted on your brother-in-law and how YOU are doing too.

Texgirl---my heart is out to you. I am wondering if there is something about this point in our post-op that can cause a stall. Let's just try to wait this out.

mylay--I'm a low carber. Right now -- I'm keeping it below 30g but I have to say after reading posts from people for YEARS that different people need different amounts of carbs. Some people really do better when they stay low and other people really need more to lose. I think you will have to experiment. I also really look for night snacks even though I know I shouldn't. The sugar-free freezer pops are helping a LOT. Some nights I have gotten into some popcorn and that really is bad for me.

Busy--I'm with you! But it does sound good that you are walking and losing. I think I heard that the gut is the last to go. I did finally get myself out for a 2.10 walk today and that felt better. Good luck to you.

I'm really getting nervous about everyone getting a fill. I don't have an appointment until MAY 27th (!!!) and he didn't indicate ANY plan for a fill at that time. I have the AP 10cc band so I expect it will take a few fills before I feel anything. I'm hunger and I'm eating more. I haven't lost in the last 2 weeks. I'm even thinking of putting myself on liquid protein for a few days just to make sure I don't gain. I do have to admit that I'm not getting much exercise so that doesn't help either.

I use Stevia for a sweetner but I don't really need that much because I'm a Water drinker. I do have 1 cup of decaf coffee in the AM so I use 1 in that. I also buy a Protein drink (Reset) that is low carb and uses Stevia as a sweetner. I am a low carber but from what I read from other people I don't think it's for everyone. There is no question that I feel much better and lose more weight on it. I saw a top neuroendocrinologist in Boston who says that low carb was absolutely the best diet for me. All my blood work is excellent when I stay on low carb. Some people don't find it helpful and some people do. I think you need experiment and find out what works for you.

Now that IS a great story!! Congrats!! I'd love to hear that news myself!

I fully understand the point – and I think we actually all agree on the basic principal but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the statement that “muscle weighs more than fat.” It does---- about 30% more! It’s not a myth. That is how a 225lb weight lifter can have only 18% body fat. I don't know what other mean when they say "muscle weighs more than fat" but I do know what I mean --what a physicist (like Albert Einstein) means -and what my medical team means. It means that all the elements in the universe have unique weights for the same volume. A pint of lead, mercury, helium, oxygen, fat, muscle, and water all have different weights. This law of physics is very important to me as I work my weight loss plan because when I step on my scale and I lose very slowly or even gain a little when I KNOW that I have been eating and exercising well – that I understand that I have been replacing lighter fat with heavier muscle mass. It’s also possible that because of my time in the month or because I have been taking in too much salt, water (which is heavier than fat) is being retained. I also know that certain medications or hormonal changes can explain what is happening to me. I’m also know that if I’m going to be successful I can not use this understanding to kid myself because another reason I may have slowed or gained is because of what or how much I have been eating. When I consider all of this together I realize that I must be honest with myself but that I must also learn to be patient and gentle with myself. One way I can scientifically see if I am replacing heavier muscle with fat is to use a tape measure to see if I am losing inches. Another way is to go to a lab where they can accurately track my fat/muscle ratio.

I can't get over how different it is for everyone! I have been eating dark chicken with no problem but yesterday I had a hardboiled egg and Man-O-Man - It HURT a half hour (!!!)---which was actually a real surprise to me because I don't have any fills yet and I was convinced there wasn't any kind of restriction in there! SOMETHING -- sure was restricting that egg!

jjsmiles-- sorry I tried to post a response above to your message from the other day on your words above this. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL STATEMENT!!! THANK YOU!!!

As hokey as this may sound, by believing in yourself, you CAN make your dreams come true . I think many of us kind of gave up on ourselves, and forgot to dream and believe in what we can do and instead invested ourselves in other people, our careers, or in food. I know I did. Do this for you and you alone.