Lillie52

Everybody is different. That is the one thing that my bariatric coordinator really drives home at our support group meetings. I have noticed that men especially seem to lose weight faster. My husband had WLS (gastric sleeve) two months after me and just blew right by me with weight loss. Congratulations on your weight loss so far! Even a modest weight loss (5-10%) reduces your risk of obesity related health problems! Eighteen lbs lost in 6 weeks is great!

We have all been there, so don't feel alone! It really is a "one day at a time" process for me. Especially because some days my band seems tighter than at other times. We are breaking habits that we've relied on for a very long time. You CAN do it. Here are some of the things I am working on: Try to make good food choices. Slow down. Watch Fluid intake. Don't be a grazer. If I am thinking about snacking between meals, my body is telling me it is thirsty! Try something new. Get out of the habit of "all or nothing" thinking. If I had problems with Breakfast, then lunch is the time to make it right. Don't wait until tomorrow. Exercise (I REALLY need to work on that one!!!) Best wishes to you.

I remember feeling really hungry postop. A little restriction after my first fill. Had my second fill a few weeks ago and definitely have noticed a difference!

I have had 2 fills and now have 4cc in a 10cc band. I'm not at my sweet spot but definitely have restricton now. I actually get satisfied eating a "normal" meal! I still eat quite a bit so I know I'm going to need further adjustments. But that's OK. As long as I'm losing weight I'm not going to stress or get a fill. As I slowly lose weight, my head is adjusting to this change, too! It is a great feeling to not be hungry all the time anymore.

Even though I was never a big pop drinker, maybe a serving a day, I found myself really wanting pop after my surgery. Now 3 months post op I no longer have that craving. Yay!

I have learned not to drink with meals. Sometimes it is difficult but I'm doing pretty well with that rule. I have to remember to get plenty of fluids in when its not mealtime!

Sounds to me like you feel uncomfortable visiting the location where this doc practices. Don't go there then. I can't say visiting an area where poor people live would be a deterrent to me personally. I was one of those people as a child. HOWEVER, if the area is known to be awash in drugs/dealers, hookers on the streets, and high crime rates then no way would I visit on a regular basis. On the other had, I probably wouldn't choose a doc who practices in an area where I can't afford to park, either! Like a previous poster said, don't go there if it will give you excuses not to follow through with your plan of care. Go where you feel comfortable.

I CANNOT drink Atkins Advantage strawberry shakes. Don't ask me why because I do just fine with chocolate or vanilla. I get the heaves AND diarrhea. Sick Sick Sick! I still feel yucky from getting sick about 6 hours ago. :tt2: I just tried one today for the second time and the same thing happened both times. Go figure. I will never try one again. :eek::thumbup::eek::tt1:

If it is fried, I prefer to stay away from it. WAY too much fat. Breaded/baked is not as bad.

I have to be very careful with chicken breast. Especially leftover chicken breast! I call it "reverse chicken." Also bread is hard for me to digest so I just avoid it altogether. Not a problem for me as I've never been a big bread eater.

I will have to check out the website. My husband is having a sleeve gastrectomy tomorrow. Thanks!

You are not a total wimp for taking pain med every 4 hours. You just had surgery two days ago. This is how I explained my pain to my teenager: "I feel like I have been stabbed in the belly five times!!!" Go figure. I HAD been stabbed in the belly five times. Then they took some long instruments and wiggled them around in my belly for a couple of hours. Surgery hurts. You should start feeling a lot better soon. Get up and move!

As a yo-yo dieter for my entire adult life, I have to say that I am thankful for this tool, the lap band. I have had it for two months and have lost 26 lbs so far. I am definitely on a learning curve. It is kind of hard to get out of that dieter's mentality about being "good" or "bad" depending on how I am eating any given day. For the first time I am eating normal portions and able to stay away from all of the junk. No regrets.

I have 'thrown up' the contents of my stomach. I have also PB'd. Yes, both of them are obviously food coming back up from where it went. Definitely different experiences, though. The harsh language referring to people as 'stupid' and 'morons' is uncalled for.

If you are on a combined oral contraceptive pill maybe your doctor is concerned about risk for blood clots post operatively. Thats the only reason I can think of.

My surgeon recommends 48 hours of liquids followed by 3 days of soft foods.

Glad to hear things are going better, Nicey. I too struggle with no drinking during meals. I am trying to make sure I get plenty of fluid throughout the day so that I don't feel the thirst with meals. It really does make a huge difference hunger-wise if I have too much fluid near meal time.

If there is one message that has come across loud and clear to me in my support groups it is "do not compare yourself to others." Everyone responds differently and you cannot compare your fill amounts to anyone else's fill amounts. My first fill is scheduled for July 7th!!!

How are you doing since your fill? Have you noticed a difference? My first fill is July 7th (6wk and 5 days post-op).

I was banded May 21nd 2008. My husband will have the gastric sleeve performed July 22nd! We tell everyone.

My surgeon actually recommended combining lapband with ww, which I am doing.

Heidi My Doc actually recommended that I combine WW with the band. I was banded 5/22 but don't have an appt for my first fill yet. I'm sorry you are feeling so down. Some recommended counseling. You might want to give it a try. I started antidepressants a few months before my surgery and feel so much better now even though I am on the lowest dose.

Thank you. I feel so much better today after eating more normal food. My family had teriyaki chicken last night, so I finely chopped some leftovers, added some chicken broth to moisten, and had some delicious chicken!

And my tummy is so happy! Just wanted to say that.

My diet: 2 weeks preop: liquids Post op 0-3: clear liquid Days 3-7: full liquid Day 8-3 weeks: pureed/mechanical soft (I think this is what most call mushies) 4-8 weeks soft