Jodi_620

Once at restriction the band controlled my food intake, I just make healthy food choices and let the band take care of how much I eat. So I don't really count calories, fat grams, carbs etc. although I did count calories in the beginning and I found that my weight loss slowed if I went too far below 1000. I have seen folks here mention that this is because our bodies go into "starvation mode". I wasn't convinced of that at first but found that being too restrictive did slow my loss. 1, 2 or even 3 pounds is nothing to stress about. Our bodies fluctuate that much within a day.

I eat chicken breast regularly. I can eat the boneless skinless chicken breast but I really like the chicken breast tenderloins They are smaller and cost more but they cook up so soft and juicy so they are much easier to eat. For me the chicken breast has to be cooked just right, if it is cooked just a little too long then it is too dry to tolerate. I marinade mine then cook them on a George Foreman grill. It took practice to figure out the timing but I cook them just until they are no longer pink inside. Use tongs to turn the chicken (piercing it with a fork lets out the juices). I also cook up the marinade to use as a sauce for storing and reheating the chicken. My favorite marinade is 1/2 cup fat free Italian dressing and 2 tbs. dijon mustard, marinade for 30 minutes or more.

Doughy breads and pizza (which I used to eat regularly) are just too much work to be enjoyable and leave me feeling bloated and uncomfortable so they just are no longer appealing to me. I had not had one bit of sugar in seven months but over the holidays I allowed myself to enjoy a few of my moms holiday goodies. A couple nibbles off a cookie was enough for me where last year I would have to have at least one of each type and two or three of the really good ones. I was never much of a fish eater but now I crave it. I had been craving it over the holidays but with all the other holiday food it didn't make sense to make fish too but I finally cooked up a few filets the other day and I swear I don't remember the last time I truly enjoyed food like I did that fish!

Yeah, that sounds about right. It is very normal to gain weight at this stage. My surgeon said that most of his patients gain between 5-10 lbs. at this point. You were on a very restrictive diet and now you are adding higher calorie more solid foods and so putting on weight is normal. You have not begun to really use your band yet so you certainly are not a failure. You are in the healing stage, soon you will start getting fills and that is when you will really start using your band. I do understand your frustration and I remember how aggravating this stage is (around here, it is called Bandster Hell) but it is all just part of the process.

You are probably close to your sweet spot so it may take a little trial and error to get it just right.If it turns out that you are too tight you can get a slight unfill, that is what happened with my last fill before I found my sweet spot. A hot drink first thing in the morning helps to loosen things up a bit but I can drink cold drinks as well. I can eat in the morning but I have to take it very easy eating slowly and chewing well. I eat solid food for all three meals, doctors orders. At lunch time I am looser but still have to be a bit more careful. By dinner the food goes down much easier..I still have to take small bites and chew well but it is much more relaxed. I am eating regular food, eggs, oatmeal, lean meats, cheese, milk, salad, veggies, Beans and fruit. I eat whole grain flat bread (wrap bread) in limited amounts but I do not eat anything with bleached white flour. I don't eat sugar, Pasta, rice, starchy veggies. Although I am not diabetic, these foods affect my blood sugar and cause cravings (head hunger). I don't measure, I eat until I am satisfied some days it is a very small amount and others it is more.

You are welcome Christy. My doctor told me I needed at least 800 calories in the beginning. I honestly don't think I could have done 1200-1400 right off. I think he is doing just fine...

Thanks for the congrats everyone...and right back at ya! Good luck with all of your goals in 2009...may we all be blessed!

You should of course do what your doctor says but for me, I only use shakes as a supplement. Once on solids, I was instructed to eat only solids for my three meals. If I am not getting my recommended 60G of Protein per day then I can supplement with a shake in between meals.

I don't think he needs to force himself to eat more than he can handle. The volume he is eating now is plenty this early on. My surgeon did not focus so much on calories and measuring. He did want me to make sure I got 60G of Protein a day and take my Vitamins and Calcium. If he needs more protein he could reduce the fruit servings say 1/2 banana and add Peanut Butter to it, or drop the starchy potato and add Beans.

They will definitely make sure that you are stable before they would release you. It took around four hours in recovery for me due to nausea but they eventually found a cocktail of meds that got me feeling good. The pain wasn't that bad. It was a little difficult to get dressed but pain wasn't a huge factor. They gave me a script for liquid vicodin so I was able to manage the pain just fine on my own. It is probably a personal decision, personally I am more comfortable in my own home. Good luck with all your meetings!

I really don't measure anymore but in the beginning I used both. For meat, fruit etc. I used the oz. measurement (one ounce the size of 2 stacked dice, three ounces size of deck of cards...) For cooked veggies and other sides I measured with a masuring cup or spoon.

First, don't worry about three pounds that could be from a number of things and could disappear by the end of the day. My weight often fluctuates that much within a day. Second, don't depend so much on the scale. In the beginning my clothes were getting looser even when the scale would not budge. Third, your metabolism is all out of whack due to pre-op and post-op dieting and the surgery itself. You likely have swelling and water gain. Give your body time to get settled. Focus on healing and the weight loss will come, with your determination I have no doubt about that.

As far as my surgeon goes it was optional to go or stay (as long as there were no issues). I chose to go home. But if you are not self-pay, it also depends on your insurance company. Some policies will approve it as outpatient only, some (like mine) will approve a 23 hour stay some longer... Again as far as weight loss, my surgeon did not require weight loss before being approved but some surgeons do and also some insurance companies have requirements.

I have UHC and they have been wonderful. I was approved quickly, they covered most of my pre-op and surgery costs and 100% of my fills. That is not to say that your policy through them is the same as mine though...

Congrats! And Welcome!!! How are you feeling?

Yes you will have swelling so soon after surgery but you will notice changes real soon. In the beginning other people commented on my weight loss and my clothes started getting looser even before the scale showed any changes...I still haven't figured that one out, I hadn't been exercising so it was not muscle gain. The gas is awful, isn't it? I have to say that it took several months for it to get better. I still have more gas than I did pre-band but it is not nearly as bad as it was just after surgery, rather than being constantly gassy I just have my gassy days where GasX becomes my best friend.

I go through stages where it is hard to get my meat down. Stress, dehydration and being overly tired can make me tighter as well as what has already been mentioned--being sick or having allergies that have increased phlegm in your system. I love my meat and have no desire to go vegetarian so I eat softer proteins during this time...fish, beans, eggbeaters etc or if necessary I supplement with protein shakes. Shredding my meat and adding sauces or gravies helps too but it does add extra calories.

I tolerate it fine and love it especially on a cold morning. But I just cook it in skim milk and eat it plain or with a little stevia or berries, I love oatmeal as it is so I usually don't add any extra calories to it.

My guess would be gallbladder but you should go get it checked out. It is common to have to have the gallbladder removed due to rapid weight loss.

I think you probably need another fill. If you get to restriction you should find yourself eating less. Three fills rarely does it for most people. Your food choices aren't all that bad, are you exercising? Are you following the rules with not drinking with meals, stopping when you are satisfied and not eating between meals? Have you not felt any restriction?

This question is asked a lot and I don't think there really is an average. It depends on how much lifting and bending you do, your recovery time and your tolerance to pain. For me the port pain lasted around a month but it decreases every day so I would say that by week three it is very possible that you will be feeling a lot better. You may have some difficulty with heavy lifting or abdominal pain, mainly with the port incision but also since the port is sutured to the muscle wall it can be painful to use certain abdominal muscles. So adding a little light duty for a week or so may be helpful (again depending on how heavy your work is)

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bigpapa2, LOL, on losing your drawers in Walmart...now that is a clear indication that you are getting smaller :wub: Congratulations on your success! I know what you mean about the mind not keeping up with the body. I have had so many comments and compliments but although I know that I have lost weight, I keep thinking that everyone is just being nice because I don't really feel what they are seeing. The scale says that I am only 16 pounds away from being within normal range for the first time in my adult life yet I still think of myself as fat. I guess we will eventually come to terms with it...at least I hope so.

Great portraits...you look fantastic! I was just looking at the one DH and I had done Christmas 2007, I have a copy on my desk and was thinking that we will need to update it soon...23 pounds from now:thumbup:

Yes, the same thing happened to me. She should have gotten a copy of the policy showing what is covered or requested something in writing. I had the same problem with my previous insurance, I called and they said over the phone that surgery is covered but when my surgeon submitted they said they don't cover it. Unfortunately a lot of misinformation is given over the phone. It turned out that my insurance policy did not include bariatric surgery and the woman I spoke with gave me inaccurate info. Luckily I was able to switch to DH insurance and have it covered.