slim-one-day

Hey everybody! My first post-op appointment was today. I started the pre-op diet on March 19. Since then, which has been 20 days, I lost 18 lbs! I looked at some notes from a year ago, and saw that it took me 17 days to lose 5.8 lbs. I'm ecstatic that I had this surgery!!!! They gave me the soft/mushies food stage today, which will last two weeks before I go back to the doctor and get the next food stage. Tonight I had a half pita, split in half. On top of it, appx 2 oz of lean meat and reduced fat shredded cheese. I put the pita in the pan (deli meat and cheese on top) and heated it up in lemon juice until the cheese melted. Afterwards, I topped the fake half sandwich with 2 Tbsp of salsa. It had a good taste. I'm surpised it filled me up. Never would have thought....

Hi Susie, Dr. Bautista's pre-op liver shrinking diet was: 1) drink at least 64 oz of Fluid per day. You have to drink sugar-free, calorie-free beverages that are non-carbonated. You can drink, for example, Crystal Light, sugar free Tang and Kool-Aid, non-calorie Diet Snapple. 2) For breakfast you drink a shake such as a No Sugar Carnation Instant Breakfast. (They give you a list of shakes you can choose from) 3) For lunch you drink another shake and eat a piece of fresh fruit. 4) Eat a snack in between lunch and dinner which can be light yogurt, light yogurt smoothie, or non-fat cottage cheese. I don't like any of that so for a snack I sometimes ate sugar free pudding. 5) For dinner you have 4 oz of lean meat. They recommended the 97% fat free Hillshire Farm deli select or Healthy Choice. In the weight loss handbook you get at your nutrition classes, it says you can turn the deli meat into a sandwich, but you have to use the bread in the book (Nature's Own Healthline Double Fiber). Also for dinner, you can have unlimited non-starchy veggies. They said to avoid corn, peas, and potatoes. I cooked my meat in lemon juice and seasoned it so I could have a different taste and then put mustard on the toasted bread - I liked it. Sometimes I would munch on the baby carrots throughout the day. They told me that was okay. Even though I cheated a little on the pre-op diet, the pre-op diet really helped prepare me for the surgery. It's funny because on the night before my surgery, I couldn't eat anything past 12:00 a.m. Luckily my surgery was at 7:30 a.m. and I had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m., but I remember being so hungry and my stomach growling. However, after the surgery, i was not hungry. I was just so amazed!

Hi oreokitty I'm glad to at find at least one Type 1 on lapbandtalk! How long have you been on the pump? Were you on it before your surgery? If not, how long after your surgery did you start the pump? My doctor mentioned to me that I may be able to go on the pump after surgery (i don't know when). But from what I hear, the pump is a WONDERFUL thing!

I have to admit that when I was on my liver shrinking diet I did cheat. But, I didn't feel bad about my cheat. I cheated twice. The first time, i was at Applebees for dinner and ordered a side salad with the fat free dressing (vinaigrette or something) which I NEVER have done. I'm a calorie packing, fat loading, French dressing lover all day long. But the salad was really good with the new dressing and made me think that I can change food choices and actually like them. I also had the Nachos appetizer, but I didn't eat them all. I listened to my stomach and as soon as I was full, I stopped. It was a whole plate left and I didn't take them home either. The second time I cheated, i went to a restaurant called Leonardo's for lunch. I had a gyro and fries. I ate half of everything and took the other half home for later. Since the surgery, I have not cheated and don't have cravings or the desire to cheat. I know this is so doable and that makes me excited to press on! Even with the oreos in the cabinet, the Ukrop's chicken, pizza, and salad, and turkey breast in the fridge (I live with other people), it doesn't bother me. If somebody is starting to pig out, I just wait until they leave the kitchen so i don't get frustrated. My brother ate a piece of pizza while I was in the car, but I started sipping my water and was good. But that pizza sure did smell good. Oh yeah, I find sometimes that I have to turn the channel when the stuffed crust pizza hut commercials come on tv. I love pizza but I always remind myself that in due time, i will be able to have pizza again, just in small portions.

Dr. Bautista banded me on April 2. I had to do the nutritional classes, a cardiac evaluation, and blood work. All of it went fine and I'm so glad I decided to get banded. I go tomorrow for my first post-op appointment and can't wait to get on the scale. When I had my one on one appointment with Dr. Bautista, I can tell that he's very concerned about you following the rules and eating 4 oz of food and no more. Everybody at the hospital and doctor's office were so nice before, during, and after the surgery. I had to call the St Mary's nutrition center the Friday after my surgery to make sure I was eating the appropriate things. They called me back and answered all my questions! Good luck to you with your surgery. You are in great hands with Commonwealth Surgeons!!

I am 30 years old and have had Type 1 diabetes since I was 12 years old. I have to take insulin shots everyday because my pancreas doesn't make anymore insulin at all. So, even though I have been banded, I will have to take insulin the rest of my life. Since being banded, my insulin dosage has dropped more than half. I have been and am still a little resistant to insulin which makes things a little trickier for me. I'm going to ask my surgeon if I can take the metformin again to help me become non-resistant. The night after i was banded, I experienced a lot of low blood sugars, but was still able to go home the next day because the blood sugars became stabilized. I have good blood sugars throughout the day usually, except in the morning. So, right now I'm adjusting my insulin to find that right dose.

I'm in Richmond, VA and was banded at St. Mary's Hospital! I am a 30 year old single female with no children. I can't wait for all the changes that will happen as a result of my lap band. No more inhibitions. I am an investigator for a state agency and love my job!! I actually can't wait to go back!

I was banded April 2 too!! I stayed overnight. I'm a Type 1 diabetic (have to take insulin shots everyday) and I was having low blood sugars throughout the night. But, i came home the next day at 11:00 a.m. and was feeling great! I was a little sore, but nothing that two advil didn't handle. I have a bottle of percocets but I have not had to take one at all. I'm so amazed at how good I feel already! I started exercising on the elliptical machine yesterday...did 30 minutes. I think I may go back to work this Thursday or Friday. I'm getting kind of bored at home and I like to be around and interact with people. I have my first post-op appt tomorrow. I can't wait to get on the scale and move to the next food stage! But honestly, I don't be that hungry. Nothing a shake can't fix!!

For my two week pre-op diet, I was instructed to have a shake for breakfast and lunch, and 4 oz of lean meat and all the veggies I want for dinner. And for snacks, drink water, eat popsicles, have jello, and things of that nature. It wasn't too bad. Now, I'm on an all liquid diet. I drink Carnation Instant Breakfast (the blue box) and add skim milk. I also have to add soy protein to get the right amount of protein in the day. It's only about 5 g of protein in the CIB. My surgeon's office said to aim for approximately 60 g of protein a day. For something other than CIB, I drink the Boost Glucose Control. I don't have to add milk to this shake or as much protein because there is already 16 g of protein in it. I go for my post-op appointment tomorrow. I can't wait to get on the scale and move to the next food stage!!!!!

I've known a couple people who had the gastric bypass. One of them had the gastric TWICE because she gained the weight back. I'm not sure how they were able to do it twice, but she had it twice. Another person I know lost a significant amount of weight - got down to approximately 165 from 280 - but she is now at 198 and struggling to get back. After eating, she seems miserable and vomits a lot. A gastric bypass does not provide restriction, only malabsorption. You can fool yourself into eating a lot of food, but it seems like the more food you eat, the more calories you're still going to take in. The band provides restriction so you get the satiety feeling and won't continue to eat. I like the fact that I will still be able to enjoy foods, but in limited quantities which is how it should be. Sooooo, I decided to get banded so I wouldn't experience the vomiting syndrome and plus, rerouting my intestines is scary to me. Once your insides are changed, it's done and that's it - NO REVERSAL. If something happens to the band, it can always come out!!

To piggyback on the other replies, you really don't have to worry about anything. You will be amazed at how you feel after the surgery. It was a very good experience because I didn't have a lot of soreness afterwards and my cravings were gone. I have only had to take 2 advil to relieve the soreness and that was when i came home. I was banded April 2. I think a lot of it is about attitude. A couple days before surgery I was a little skeptical and second guessing but I started thinking about all the times I tried to lose and didn't for whatever reason. That soothed my thoughts and made me confident that this was the solution. I made up in my mind that the lap band surgery was going to work and I finally was doing something that will GUARANTEE weight loss and make me slim one day!! Stay positive and keep your head up!

I am scheduled to be banded tomorrow (4/2) at 7:30 a.m.!!!! YIPPEE!!! My question is about driving. I hate being stuck in the house. How long before you guys were able to drive again? Also, what did y'all do while at home? Unrelated question: how do i get my ticker to show when I post?

Booboo Kitty you look great! Congrats on your weight loss! You exercised 1.5 hours everyday???? How long after the surgery did you start the exercising?