Luscious

Hi there, congratulations on being banded. Please remember that the first 5-6 weeks post banding should not be about weight loss, but rather about healing. Any weight you lose during this time is a bonus. 10 pounds is a bonus - and you will likely lose more. I agree with ailbhe that you could probably increase your calories - make sure you get all the nutrients you need to heal. I have been banded for 2 weeks, 5 days, so just a little ahead of you. I try to take in 1000 calories a day, which includes 70 grams Protein. Best wishes on your journey.

Hi Slimmy, I'm sure someone can answer your question about the support groups in WA - they seem to be located all over the place. If I may make an observation (with all good intentions)..... you post a lot of questions about what to eat, how much, etc. You say in this post that the dietician you saw didn't help you much. Perhaps you need to ring your doctor who did your banding (last September I think) and ask to be referred to a dietician who works with lap band patients and knows the right things to eat, portions, etc. You have done great to lose over 60 pounds, but I get the feeling you are doing it without a really good understanding of what is best for you to eat nutrition-wise. Keep hounding your health care professionals until you get the answers you need. A support group would be a great thing. I also think that some GOOD professional advice would be very beneficial also. Best wishes, and keep up your good work.

Your dietician should have given you clear guidelines on what clear fluids verus full liquids are, and also when to switch over. I'm really surprised how many people on here seem to go home after surgery without a clear idea - so don't feel bad - you are certainly not alone. My guidelines were clear liquids for 2 days, then full liquids for 2 weeks (full liquids were described to me as anything that would pass easily through a straw). Every doctor seems to have different guidelines though, so suggest your call and check. Best wishes for your journey.

Hi Hartsdream, This seems like a very difficult question for anyone on this board to answer. Probably best to make appointment to see doctor to put your mind at ease. Take care.

Hi Danni, sorry for your disappointment. I am an impatient kind of gal also, but when its an important long term thing such as this, you have to put yourself in the good hands of the doc. You were banded just a few weeks before me. I'm still on mushies - haven't had any problem getting anything down as yet. I'm due to my first fill in 2 weeks. I wonder, what kind of foods are you eating that you find are getting stuck or causing you to vomit?

Actually for the first time every I have no problem at all getting rid of the clothes I am no longer going to wear. EBAY Rocks !!

hi Lita - seems like the surgery went very well for you. The gas problem lasted about a week for me - it was not pretty :-) Lucky you haven't needed pain killers - I personally stayed on the good stuff for 4 days post op - mind you, I had some pretty serious bruising also. I was banded in Sydney also - on 7 April, so I'm 2 weeks ahead of you. Take care, and let us know if you have any questions.

It takes 3,500 excess calories to gain 1 pound of body fat - so unless you have taken in about 14,000 excess calories :-) it is most likely Water weight rather than body fat. water weight comes and goes ... it will go again. I have not had my first fill yet (6th May is my first one) - so have no restriction either. Have you been scheduled for your first fill so you can start feeling some restriction? Please don't worry - this is a journey to lose body fat. Sometimes I think the scales are our evil enemy.

1 kg after a 62 pound loss is hardly anything to get stressed about. There are so many variables, and unless you have consumed (or not burned) in excess of 7500 calories in that week it is highly unlikely to be weight in the form of body fat. You need an excess of approx 3,500 calories to gain 1 pound of body fat.

Doritos !!!???? That was very brave (is that the right word?). I wasn't game to deviate from the liquid diet one bit. Please be careful my dear, we do need to take care of our Investment

Hi there... I am type 2 diabetic. The symptoms you describe sound like beginnings of a "hypo" which happens when your blood sugar drops too low. If you are not getting carbs, this is entirely possible if you are prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Before the surgery you may have always had enough carbs so that you never reached the point of feeling symptoms. Best to see your doctor to be on the safe side.

Hi Jen, I'm so sorry you have had such a hard time.... I've just sent you a whole bunch of positive thoughts to help you get better !! I've joined here just in the past few weeks - was banded 7 April in Sydney.

I know the clinic I went to ran seminar/information evenings, and everyone was welcome. Do you think you could invite your parents to attend something like that, or visit Doctor with you? Perhaps their reluctance is based on fear or lack of understanding. The thing that finalised my decision was hearing that only about 2% of people whose BMI is over 40 can lose weight by diet and exercise and keep it off forever.

How about killing two birds with one stone - join a gym, or join a sports team, walking club, tennis club - take up golf. I've been looking around locally for a "mature" ladies netball team.

People also carry stores of glycogen around in their liver - this is the excess stores of energy your body calls on when your calorie count is down. It can weigh around 6 pounds. This often accounts for a lot of initial weight loss.

Hi there. I wonder if you are putting too high expectations on yourself and pushing too hard? 24 pounds in 6 weeks seems like a great weight loss! From what I have heard and read, it sometimes takes a few fills for you to feel restriction. You should not be starving yourself - that is not healthy or good for you psychologically. Can I ask if you track your food each day in a program like FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal ? I wonder if you are getting the appropriate amounts of nutrients. I am aiming for 1100-1200 calories a day, with at least 60-70 grams of Protein, 20-30 grams of (good) fats, and around 100 grams of carbohydrates. I find this keeps my hunger well at bay. I get most of my carbs from a really wholesome, low GI, homemade Vegetable Soup. Take it easy on yourself, and make sure you make your journey healthy and happy.

Hi everyone, I've been reading this board for a while leading up to my banding. Had it done yesterday afternoon, and was able to go home around 10am this morning. It seems like my surgery went very well, and I'm feeling quite good all things considered - the normal amount of pain I expect, some very colourful bruising, and the dreaded wind pains. I do have a question/concern about my liquid intake. I was advised I should sip my liquids - about 50mls every 10 minutes - so about 1/2 cup per half hour so as to not cause discomfort, and not stretch the pouch. I'm having to really slow down and sip, sip, sip. I feel like I could be drinking normal speeds - the liquid seems to be going down without any trouble at all, and I'm even managing my pills without any trouble. Maybe I'm lucky, but I was expecting it to be harder to swallow. Will I damage myself if I'm managing to sip through a cup of liquid over 20 minutes? Thanks Luscious.

Today is my 2 week banding anniverary ! I am loving my band so far. As a Type 2 Diabetic, the best news is that my blood sugar readings have been dropping steadily and have been in ideal range morning, noon and night for the past few days. This despite coming off one of my meds completely, and reducing another by half. My goal in all this is to be med free by end of year. The 10kgs I've lost over the past two weeks is none to shabby either. Back to work today ... I had the whole 2 weeks off !!

Sounds like you are going through and emotional time, one that you would normally turn to food for comfort - and you can't. One of the greatest stuggles I image with the band is learning to deal with emotions without using food. I'm sorry you are having a hard time.

Hi There, first of all, congratulations on getting your band done - sorry to hear about the hernia, but glad for you that its fixed. I think you should ring your doctor to ask about the chest pain - put your mind at ease.

Hey, sounds like it went fabulously well. I must say, apart from the really worse than expected bruising, my experience over the past 2 weeks has also been very good. Still - remember to take it easy even if you are not feeling pain :-) Cheers Luscious

When you reduce carbohydrate from your diet, and get most of your calories from Protein, your body converts into a state called ketosis, which basically means that your body is using its fat stores for fuel. This causes a funky breath. If you google ketosis, or look at any of the low carb diet forums, you will find more information on this. Not much you can do about the funky breath until you start taking in some good carbohydrates.

I am 14 days post op - I still have very large dark bruises in 3 areas, and remnants of bruising all over - GP at my first check up said I had the "best" bruises she had ever seen. She said nothing to be concerned about, and that (of course) they will eventually disappear.

Herbal Tea would be better than decaf - the decaffination process puts in a lot of nasties. If you are drinking too much of it might not be very good for you. Weight loss is not really the point of ensuring you drink enough water.

Hi Suz, You said there are a lot of foods you can eat tons of with no consequence? Are they healthy, low calorie, high Protein foods? As already suggested - track what you are eating. FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal is a great program that will help you understand how much calories, protein, etc. It still comes down to calories in versus calories out. Are you consuming many calories in liquids? Have you been to see a dietician/nutritionalist? Best wishes, and hope it goes well for you in future.