MSnika3

My doc has made it very clear that his policy is no fills before 6week post op appt. NO Matter what!

I agree with all the other posters that you should definitely go to the doctor. I'm a new bandster and have yet to have a fill. But I have a few questions if you don't mind. Have you had a fill? How many? When was the last one? Does your back pain occur after you eat and feel the food scraping? Or does it just hurt on it's own? How long? I had a similar problem/experience for a while and just wanted some more info before sharing my diagnosis and/or prognosis.

Well, that makes sense. Well, I guess I need to work on a calorie range that makes my body realize that it will be continuosly fed. Gosh, I wish it would just eat up all those delicious fat cells and be happy!:biggrin2: Well, with more calories and some added exercise, I hope things get moving. I've got a goal I'm racing to. Thank you both, i feel much better, now! Guess I won't ask my doc for a refund just yet!

Okay, so nevermind the caffiene, here's some info i googled: Side Effects of Atkins Induction Phase 1: You may experience some withdrawal pains on atkins induction such as headaches, nausea, fatigue and sore muscles.. These sides effects are usually due to your body's period of adjustment to giving up carbohydrates, also known as "Carb Withdrawal". This may last up to a week or more, but usually dissapears by the second week. It is extremely important to take Vitamin supplements as they can lessen the severity of symptoms. A good Multivitaminis essential, as well as Calcium, and potassium The Atkins Diet tends to cause a diuretic effect and causes the body to lose calcium and potassium, especially during phase one of the Atkins Diet. You may want to speed up your weight loss with the Dieter's Advantage Supplement which contains many nutrients for suppressing appetite and speeding up weight loss.

I did Atkins quite strictly in the past. I don't recall having headaches during induction and I am Queen of the Headaches. I do know that whatever difficulties I did have were a thing of the past by day 3 or 4. Did you also stop drinking caffeine at the same time, by chance? I know that has done a number on me a time or two.

I'm with Brownie on this one. Actually, everyone has good points, but I can relate to the bed thing. I had to get out of my bed. Couldn't find a comfortable position at all. I don't have a recliner, but I have a huge comfy chair that I positioned myself in comfortably with pillows propped everywhich way. It was the only way I could lounge or sleep in comfort.

That's what they all seem to say, but I guess I just need to understand WHY that is the case. I analyze everything and I can't function without knowing WHY. It's eating me up, not knowing. Jewel, the daily plate is awesome. I joined yesterday! Thanks! Thanks, Kalipso, but still, my not knowing the rational behind not losing weight during a month of light eating is killing me. I'm trying to be patient, but I am just a little aggravated with not having sound reasoning. I don't think for a second that the lapband was meant to be quick and easy. I just expected a consistent pattern of weight loss. Not 8 lbs in 8 days and nothing for 3 weeks except the constant up and down of the scale. If the surgery does something to throw off metabolism, digestion, hormones, blood supply, Water, cells, gravity, etc then that's what I want to know. I've accepted that I may not lose anything else before my fill 3 MORE weeks from now, but I just want to know why.:incazzato: I decided to begin walking, this morning. I will see how things progress! hopefully things will get moving! Thanks!

Kaninag, I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. I would be angry, too. Screw that "but you are losing at a healthy pace" bull. If you were just sitting on your carcass, not really following the guidelines, etc. then maybe a doc suggesting behavior management prior to a fill would be understandable. But since this is obviously not the case, you need to have another little chit chat with Mr. M.D. journal everything you do, eat, and feel, take it with you and demand some action! Like marathinner said, be your own advocate. Tell him ALL that you've just told us. With a neck roll and three snaps in Z formation. If that doesn't work find another doc, if that's an option. Tell him we will get some signs and start picketing outside his office. WE WANT RESTRICTION! WE WANT RESTRICTION! Girl, you have me thinking, now. When I get to my doc for my first fill, he better not come at me with that foolishness. I need to go ahead and prepare my speech, just in case.

I don't have an answer, as I have not yet had a fill and have only been banded 4 weeks. I am glad that you posted your concerns and others have replied. I am a teacher and during the school year, I only have about a 25 minute lunch, that includes getting to and from the cafeteria with my class, and warming food after waiting in the microwave line. That usually leaves only about 10-15 minutes to eat. Guess I'd better start planning now for some quick-to-eat, filling lunches. Thanks guys for giving me something to think about!!!!

OK ginger, stop peeping through my bathroom window and then coming on here telling everybody about my scale habits! I don't even appreciate it! :incazzato: But while you are playing, I weigh myself several times a day, many of those are moments you just posted, actually. If I use the bathroom, go in the bathroom, pass the bathroom, think about the scale, feel a moment of lightness, expel gas, burp, etc. Any ole excuse to peep at the numbers and see what does and doesn't affect them. Sick, I know, but I can't help myself!

Check with your doc for specifics because some have different opinions as to what is considered a liquid. I think my doc was pretty easy going, not too strict, but during liquids I was allowed to have: Yogurt Yogurt smoothies Jello pudding Cream of ----- Soups ( i loved the cream of potato...i would puree it so that the little chunks of potato became liquid) Campbell's "Soup at hand" juice Popsicles Low carb slim fast That's all I can think of off the top of my head and I feel like I'm missing something.....but hope this helps.

I feel your pain, my best friend and I were banded May 9th and both are in the EXACT same situation as you. Every line of your post made me say, me too, me too, me too! As far as fills go, you are in a better boat that we are. Our surgeon doesn't fill for 6 weeks. We have fills scheduled for 6-27 which is actually 7 weeks post surgery (i think i need to give them a call to reschedule for a week earlier, what the heck were they thinking?):tt2: The week after surgery we were happy dancing as the weight dropped at a rate of a pound per day. Unfortunately that stopped around day 8. What really sucks is that we've both creeped up and down by 2-5 lbs. I've recently begun low carbing so that I can keep hunger to a minimum and keep my calories down. Otherwise, I think that at this point I could eat ANYTHING, so I'm trying not to allow myself to. I'm finally back down to my lowest since surgery (for the umpteenth time). Actually, I'm down one more pound. I'm going to start some exercising today to see if I can speed things up. About the port site...mine hurt for a looooong time. But, I don't think that can be used as a guide for what your stomach has going on. I think my stomach swelling diminished quite a bit earlier than my port site healed. I could have downed a double cheeseburger at week 3. Thus, the low carb switch ( I just ate the meat and cheese) :huggie: Good luck to you, I hope your bandster hell doesn't continue on after your first fill. I've often heard that it can until you hit the right restriction. Not trying to be a downer, but these are things that my doc just didn't share before hand. I knew weight loss would be slow and gradual, but I expected the slow and gradual to start and continue after surgery. Not start fast and halt, indefinitely. I know many will say that my 16 lb. loss (9 post surgery) is great since that's 9 in one month. But I say the heck with that. I would rather have lost it gradually over the month than to deal with this! I feel that instead of being able to continue doing what I'm doing to lose, I'm having to figure out HOW to lose and/or keep from gaining. I haven't gotten to the point where I feel that "this isn't working for me and I could have done this without the band, and I want a refund!"....because I know that when I get a "good" fill, the band will work for me. I guess it's just frustrating to know that it's just chillin' in there not serving a purpose, yet! I feel like I was armed (by my doc and staff) with a plethora of valuable information. But they forgot to make mention of this little bitty thing we call BANDSTER HELL!!! AAAaaarrrggghhhh! (And I know that they knew this was coming!) Sorry that my reply has turned into a full out vent session, I really just wanted you to know that your experience is very common and that you are not alone. :sad: Keep us updated! Good luck and stay strong!!

OMG!! I was having the exact same thought! I suffered caffeine withdrawals last summer, accidentally. It was pure hell. When I realized what I had unintentionally done to myself, I sucked down the strongest diet coke I could find. I had planned to switch to tea after being banded may 9th. Funny thing is, I haven't had any caffeine in almost two weeks and I hadn't thought a thing about it! Definitely weird!

I have been on mushies for 5 days. Sometimes when I'm eating, I start to feel a pain in my chest that extends on to (and seemingly through) my back. It's like something piercing straight through me. What the heck is going on. I don't know if I'm eating too fast or getting too full or what. But why does it hurt the worst in my back? Has anyone heard of or experienced this? :wink2:

Thank you guys so much. I will definitely try to slow down my eating. I never realized food could taste so nasty until I started chewing it to liquid consistency. Ugh! Scarfing my food has always been a bad habit. I've gotten so much better, but sometimes I swallow and realize, oops, I didn't chew that bite enough. I guess I have to be a little more disciplined with eat morsel until chewing to smitherines becomes habit. I will take all advice into account and will post an update when I've conquered this! I'm so glad to know that my surgeon didn't accidentally suture my stomach to spine, because that sure is what the pain felt like! Thanks, again!

In Froggi's defense, the original poster did ask for encouragement because she is feeling discouraged. I think that we should try to help when one is in the dumps and asks for a lift. If we are sharing our own negative experience without helping the cause, then we should ask ourselves why we are posting.

Barbara, I was on clear liquids for two days. Then full liquids for the next 7 days. I am now on mushies for two weeks. I've been eating refried beans, oatmeal, and protein shakes. My bloated feeling, I think, comes from my constipation. I did have a problem with gas and bloating the first week, but, thankfully, that has gone away. Thank you GasX! I am doing well, now that I've started mushies. I thought I was going to eat my arm off last week! I am anxiously awaiting some weight loss action, though! I'm trying to be patient (but it is not my virtue!) Thanks

You caught me off guard with that one, Hastings! I have just blown slimfast out my nose! Thanks! :confused_smile:

Thank you!

What's a slider food?

I am staying on plan today because....I am determined to let the skinny bust loose! And because I am too early in this journey to be starting bad habits and taking detours.

I was banded on May 9th. I, too, have gained a couple pounds (and I am NOT pleased!) I have not been doing any exercise, so I would be inclined to say that yours may very well be muscle gain. I, on the other hand, have been feeling bloated and haven't had a movement in about 18 days. I don't know what is taking place inside right now, but I do know that this weight WILL come off, and I will be fit and oh so sexy! And so will YOU! Hopefully, others will post to reassure us that we are not abnormal! :biggrin2:

Ditto for me! I did push it once, however! I let myself get to the point of starvation and wolfed my food down. Soon after, I thought I was having a heart attack. Learned my lesson. I now eat veeerrrry slowly! I also haven't had a "movement" since the day before I started my preop diet. Now that I count, it's been 18 days!:confused_smile:

For my family, the difference for us is whether or not we eat out. If I cook at home, it is definitely more costly to cook healthy meals than the cheaper meat and potato or pasta dishes. But, even those costly healthy meals are MUCH cheaper than our monthly food bill for those months that we eat out several times a week (and unfortunately, that has been a norm for us for quite some time.) Since school will be out this week, I'll be a cooking fool. Guess I can put that money away for a new back to school wardrobe!!:confused_smile:

Hmmm, maybe that's it. I know my surgeon performs both surgeries, and the literature that they give patients is the same regardless of which surgery you choose. As a matter of fact, I can't recall whether or not my nutritionist asked me which surgery I was having. She could very well have known from my chart, though. I can definitely eat about 3/4 to 1 cup of food right now. I haven't tried to eat more. That is just the amount that I allow myself since I reached the point of satisfaction my first time with mushies.