McSteph100

Hello all, I was banded back in June of 2008 and I had an initial weight loss of 60 lbs. I did plateau and then stayed close to a weight of 220 for a year. I had a rough personal year in 2010 and started eating past my band and eating lots of carbs. I am panicked by my current weight of 238 and trying desperately to "reboot" my weight loss phase. I have started back exercising and I am currently getting cardio/weights 2-3 times per week, trying to get to 5x per week. I am as "filled" as I can be personally - I have had more fill than this in the past but I get wicked bad reflux, and night cough and loose sleep. So I am trying get me eating back in line. Please help by telling me what number of calories, protien grams, and carb grams I should aim for daily. Any other advice is welcome also. Desperate in Tennessee!

I was banded in 2008 and lost about 60 lbs that year, right around my 1 yr mark, I got over-tight and started having "night cough", regular vomiting etc. I waited to long to deal with it and had to have 1/2 my liquid taken out. Fast forward 6 months. I am back at an optimum fill and can not lose any more, I gain and lose the same 3 lbs each month. here is what I know...I eat TOO many carbs, my exercise is irregular at best, and I drink Alcohol (not too much) Has anyone been there? how did you break through?

I have had a similar problem also a year or so post op. I got an slight unfill and was better for a week or two and then it came right back, and I have been vomiting/sliming alot, 1-3 day. I assume I need more out. My nurse did not think I had a slip since I did not have chest pain.....

Hi I am just post a year banded and I am definitely a little tight on my fill right now. I have the "persistant" night cough from reflux and and have started taking prilosec OTC Also within the last week I changed my anti-depressant from effexor to a realated drug call prestique. All of a sudden I can hardley keep anything down, not shakes, not mushies. The weird part is - it comes and goes. yesterday I was fine, today I have pb'd/vomited several times. I see my doc in 2 days but I am curious if it might be the new meds?:rolleyes2:

I am having some odd side effects after the band. 1) My hair is falling out & 2) My sweat and urine smell bad/ strong/ acid like. Here is my confusion: The nurse says the hair fall out may be from lack of protien, but I think the smelly urine problem is Ketosis side effect, so how can I have both? Does anyone else have these side effects and are there any suggestions?

That is probably all true...I do drink lots of water, but I eat mostly protien, Maybe the hairloss will slow down some - I have heard bioton works. I lost lots of hair after all three kids, and now this. I am only 39 and was hoping not go "thining" so soon. I am sure that in year I will be more adjusted to all the changes that come with gastric surgery / banding. Thanks for the friendly input.

I noticed lots of you eat beef or other Jerky...I would think that stuff is so dry and stringy it would get stuck. I am not very good at the chewing thing in the first place, and I end up in pain every other day or so. Is there a kind of Jerky that is better than others?

WHOOPS I did not mean to set anyone off in a bad direction. I just was sort of "observing" that other people eat less than nutritious items for 1-2 or two meals a day, which is my same problem. I was really more shocked by how very little some of you eat compared to me - but I have only had three fills. I think we all do what we have to to get by, and truly over portion and over eating were always my worst problem, so now that is mostly fixed, I am personally trying to eat a little healthier, but it SO HARD sometimes! Here is what I ate today: Oatmeal packet, did not finish. Protien shake 1/2 cup chicken salad w/ a few crackers, cheese stick some of my kids animals cookies 1/2 bottle fruit juice smoothie. ....and that is all before dinner! :redface:

I read this thread today to try get some ideas about what to eat -thinking I eat crappy stuff and have no energy - but most poeple in this thread eat just as crappy as me and way less volume...I mean I feel pretty restricted but I eat about double of what most were saying...now I think I should get another fill...and eat better foods.

This thread helped me! I had my 1st fill yesterday (3.5cc), and I was starving last night and today so I ate some mushies even though I am still supposed to be on liquids. I get full quickly, then hungry fast again. I of course called the nurse, and she said that I was a few fills away from the "real deal" in my 10cc band. She also said I probably would not stay full on three meals and would need to add some protein shakes or snacks. I do wish they would tell you this at the time of the fill, but I guess they do not want to open the door to any extra eating. Reading this made me think maybe something will "kick in" this weekend and I will not be ravenous.

HI I think what I am seeing/reading is all about post-surgery gas. I am 6 days post op and I do not have the back/shoulder pain. I do however feel like I need to burp ( big pressure in chest/breastbone area) 50-60% of the time. I do burp a lot when I drink liquids, but the sensation comes right back. I am hoping this is part of the icky early side-effects that go away with 2-3 weeks. OR does having the band make you a 12 year boy (aka Burping Machine) forever? I do not use straw/ water bottles - just for the record.

I think you are doing well also! I was banded on 6/17 and today especially I ate more than 1 cup of food at lunch and 2 hours later I am hungry. Not just the "mental" kind either. I get a fill on 7/9 and I know that will change everything, but I worry I can not keep up this tiny portions thing 2 more weeks.....

BeckieO - you might try Baptist Weight Loss Surgery center. I think the Nurses do the fills, but they do lots of them, so I am sure they are good. My Doc, Morton said he will do my first fill in 3 weeks and then it will be nurses after that. Sixth day with the band and I am feeling pretty all-right!

You got it out easy!!! I had the opposite problem and spent half the day after my surgery on the pot trying to have a bowel movement that was like passing a lead ball. I had to use and enema even. I cried it hurt so bad. On the up side...I was in the privacy of my own home - hee hee!:rolleyes2:

Hi I was banded on 6/17 - I think I am still losing weight - my doc allows mushies on the third day.. Today is day one - Mushy Foods here is what I have eaten today for Breakfast and lunch - 1 scrambled egg with a little pimento cheese - .5 sausage - went down ok - seemed full 1/4 cup refried Beans with cheese, 1/4 cup chicken salad, could not tell if I was full or not.. feeling a tad hungry about 2 hours later - so must have not been enough. The most hysterical thing is trying to chew refried beans "27 times" which is what our little diet book tells us how to chew everything. I feel better physically today though - no pain meds - just some naps. Maybe a little Protein shake and some coffee will perk me up! I have the horrid "gonna burp" feeling - and other random aches that I hope are gas also. I am glad I logged on today - Does anyone else have a hard time knowing when the you feel full from your mushies? I get scared and stop before I am full I think...

I am finally scheduled for surgery on 6/17 and my doc does the 2 shakes , one frozen meal thing. I started two days eariler than reccomended but I have cheated every day. Mostly I just have extra protien - very low fat lunch meat or an extra shake. I logged on today to get some inspiration to stop this cheating and have at least 7 days on track. But it is hard for me to do this diet, I mean this is even less calories than standard medifast! Here is my other funny/sad story. My doc reccomends South Beach rozen entrees for my meal ( boy do they taste delicious compared to shakes) and when I went to our local Kroger to get some last night, I discovered they did not carry them, I was just about in tears in the frozen foods isle. I ate some grilled chicken and another shake instead. Pretty funny when you are that torn up over a crappy frozen dinner!!!!

Nasvillian here as well - I am curious - I tried to get started with the lap band at Vanderbilt late last year, wanted to have Dr Holzman since he did a hernia repair for me. I was also a VUMC employee until last Aug. I had a horrible time just getting appointments @ Vandy, the wait was like 3 weeks then 7wks. Did either of you posting in this thread have that trouble? I switched to Baptist WLSC which I LOVE. I am waiting on insurance approval and hope to be banded in June by Dr. Morton.

HI - One of my only sucessful weight loss periods was with Medifast. I have done it about 5 times, and before my kids were born I was even keeping it off for awhile. My experience was you will always be tired the first couple of days on Medifast, but not after 5-7 days. If you are still so tired - drink an extra shake, they are only 70 cals and getting your energy back is worth it!

I am hoping to get banded in 2 months (insurance willing!) I have 3 little boys and I know I will still have meals at the Fast Food places now and then, even though we have been trying to reduce those as much as possible. What and where can you eat?

Thanks to all! good to know it is workable. I am not really distressed about "giving up" foods, except maybe sushi and soft white bread. I have never drank soda , so that will be easy. Really, eating at restaurants or in a group is what I am most curious/nervous about. Seems like everyone adjusts just fine. I am so sick of waiting and ready to start my journey!

I am working with the weight loss surgery center here in Nashville at Baptist. They do the 3 month "pre-op" program. I have not been asked to loose any weight during this time, just appointments, group meetings, all pretty superficial. I did get a psych eval. I have no co-morbidities, but I have had a BMI of >35 for 5 years that is documented. I guess I am thinking what I am doing seems to basic/easy to what I have read about other Aetna pre-ops having to do.