bas

Chris and Jodi - Thank you so much for your response with GREAT information! I too love my band. The only way I was able to loose weight in the past was to eat significantly less .... this tool is working and looking forward to getting it revved up in a higher gear! :-) Chis - so what is T R I -ing? (Is it "trying"?)

I'm scheduled for my first fill on Tuesday and am wondering if you can give me some insight on what to expect: 1. What is it like getting the fill? 2. I've been chewing well and no problems with food - will having restriction change that? 3. I've heard that you take two bites and you're full. Is that true? Thanks!

I was nervous too ... but don't be. Having the band will help you control your portions while YOU make the right food choices. The only way I ever was able to loose significant weight in the past was to eat below 1,000 calories a day. I "suffered" doing that. With the band, it's been MUCH easier ..... and I haven't even had my first fill yet. (But will next week - yea!) I'm very happy with my decision, I hope you will be as well.

If you eat protien first (real protien, not liquid protein) that it makes you feel full longer because it stays in your stomach longer. I'd stop drinking the apple juice (just my recommendation). Lots of carbs in apple juice ... and stay away from the bread and Pasta and have veggies instead. That should rev up your weight loss! Good luck!

Yeah .... instead of a new car or new cabinets and granite in my kitchen, I decided to get a "new me". Sure wish this procedure was around when I was going into my 40's! By the way - you have lots to look forward to - your "40's" are fun!!

I'm a self pay and it was the same for me. Lots of pre-op jitters. From reading the message boards here it sounds very common. Yep, instead of driving a new car or new cabinets and granite in my kitchen .... I decided on the new body and a new healthier me instead. I'm 3-1/2 weeks post op and am VERY happy with my decision. There's risks just getting up and walking out your front door in the morning. With this journey, you get a DOCTOR to help you, so take comfort in that!! Congratulations and good luck on your future success!

You are such a difficult stage right now only having the full liquids. Just hang in there! Be good to YOURSELF like the other person said. In just a short time you'll be able to have real food again, and that makes it easier to be around other people while they're eating .... except you get to make the RIGHT food choices! Be strong - for YOU!

Wow! It sounds like your metabolism has really gone into high gear and you've turned into a fat burning machine! Congratulations on your weight loss!! (I'm inspired and a little jealous ... ha, ha) How many calories do you consume each day? If you increase your calorie intake, you're weight loss should slow down. (But make it good calories.)

I also was nervous a couple of days before the surgery and even started doubting about what I was about to do to myself. I'm just really starting on this journey only being 3-1/2 weeks post-op, but I am SO GLAD that I did this! Good luck to you - each day just gets better and better!!

Carbonated drinks (sodas, beer, etc.) is a real no-no. It's not the calories that are a problem, but rather the carbonation. The carbonation swells and stretches the pouch. Do that enough times and stretch the pouch, then it takes more food to fill you up and make you feel full. Eat more to fill you up = eventual weight gain.

I was on a liquid diet about a week and a half before surgery which was an Adkins protien shake in the morning, an Adkins protien shake at lunch with 1 cup of cooked green vegetable or 2 cups of raw green veggie, then the same for dinner. If I ate a salad, then 1 TBS of fat free dressing was allowed. For the green veggie, I got the little 8 oz. cans of green peas at Walmart. For me, it made it satisfying since the peas were a little sweet. I could also have sugar free Jello or a sugar free popsicle in the evening. For one week after surgery it was Clear liquids. Beef and chicken broth (Rachel Ray's broth, from Walmart was really good - MUCH more flavor than Swansons or other brands.) Could also have Jello and S/F popsicles. I swear, I was beginning to wonder if strawberry jello would taste good with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder!! I read on-line as well that some people got the Campbells Won Top and drank the broth out of that. I also went to GNC and got their Isopure protien powder, which is a very fine protien powder. The people in the store said the chocolate tastes the best, so that's what I got. It packs a big protien punch. It's expensive, because it's a BIG bottle, but you'll be using it in the weeks to come to help get in your protien requirement anyway. I went to Marshall's and also got some S/F syrups, like you put in coffee .... Raspberry and Amaretto ... and adding a little of that to the chocolate protien shake helped change it up a little. Another good source of liquid Protein .... since you're a Texas gal ... is when you get to the mushy stage, the HEB Mootopia Chocolate milk is awesome and budget friendly! There's 15g of protien in each 1 cup serving with 150 calories. I used it as an afternoon snack at work so that I wouldn't be overly hungry by the time I got home from work, which isn't until between 6:30 and 7:00 in the evening. I'm a self pay and even though I was really excited to get this done, I really started doubting myself a few days before surgery if I was doing the right thing. From what I read in here, that seem pretty normal. I can say right now though, I have no regrets what so ever. After going through all of that liquid stage I have a new appreciation for savory, flavorful food and it's SO NICE to satisfied with just a little bit. My first fill is 8/5. I'm excited and nervous about it all at the same time. Not because I'm afraid of the needle, but just want to be extra careful after the fill how I eat so that I don't have that sliming and PBing stuff that I read about in here. What else do you get to have with your Optifast?

Congratulations on getting the lapband! I'm 3-1/2 weeks post-op and am feeling good! Right after the surgery getting in and out of chairs was hard - and I slept in my recliner - thank GOD for that recliner. Trying to get in and out of bed was way too painful for me. I think I slept in the recliner for about 1 week, then was able to migrate to the bed and either slept on my side or on my back with pillows under my head and under my knees. Everyone seems to be different in how they feel after the surgery. I had gall bladder surgery a year ago and that was a breeze. For the lapband surgery in only incision that gave any discomfort was the port incision. Yesterday I wore some pants to work with an elastic band. The pants weren't tight, but they "fit" and they must have ridden up and rubbed on my port incision a little because all day I was knowing the incision was there. But the healing looks great. In a few more weeks I think you will hardly be able to see the incisions. I went ahead and took about 2 weeks off of work because I wanted to be in the mushy eating stage before going back to work. I'm glad that I took 2 weeks off, but have gone back easily after a full 7 days after surgery. Best of luck! It's like having a baby ..... uncomfortable afterwards, but goes away quickly.

I also had the "jitters" right before my surgery. I'm two weeks post-op and feel wonderful. No throwing up, no dumping like a friend of mine that had bypass surgery about 5 years ago. And she's gained a lot of weight back. I think the lapband surgery is the most SENSIBLE weight loss surgery out there. Nothing is permanently disected, nothing is re-routed. The lapband is a tool (I'm sure you've read that 100 times or so on here), but it's true. Your appetite is decreased and you take the responsibility to eat the RIGHT things with your decreased appetite. By the way, mydailyplate.com is a wonderful site to journal your food intake. I was really wondering what the heck I was doing to myself before surgery, which I think is normal from reading in here. Now, 2 weeks after surgery, I know I've made the right decision. Good luck!

About a week ago I had some fantastic vanilla / Raspberry Ripple S/F and F/F ice cream from an ice cream parlor close to my house called Bruster's. ALL EVENING LONG it sounded like a 1,000 coyotes howling my bowels! The stuff that makes it sweet, also makes your stomach "sing"! A few Gas X strips helped ..... but I think having that S/F and F/F ice cream treat will be few and far between! :-)

Deanna - my gosh you ARE a Supermom! Phew, you really have a busy lifestyle. As for your dear, sweet, supportive husband ...... he sounds like someone that needs replacing. Life is too short to have what's supposed to be a life partner to not be kind and loving.

What!? You get applesauce and mac and cheese already!!!?????? I'm changing doctors! (ha,ha - just kidding!)

The fewer people you tell, the fewer people that feel they have the right to come up to you and ask "how much weight have you lost now?" I've only kept it to a handful of people and also plan to say "eating less and exercising more" if anyone is asking how I'm doing it, unless I feel the person is genuinely interested and might benefit from my story. :-)

Disney - You said it all, and so well!! There are plenty of success stories in here and I love reading those for motivation, and all the special helpful tips, and disregard the rest. I'm a self pay in Houston, TX, was banded on 6/25, and am so VERY glad I made this decision and like you, am certainly not going to sabatoge the $15K that I spent! Heck, I sure wanted new cabinets and granite in my kitchen - but I think this lapband was the best decision I've made. (Even though I would kill for a bag of popcorn right now .... ha,ha!)

Are you keeping a journal of what you consume and totaling calories and Protein? I was just banded on 6/25 and I'm going to start keeping a journal tomorrow so that I can show the nutritionists what I've been eating in case my weight loss slows down. They also said that the journal is a good place to keep track of what foods don't do well and short notes on "feelings" for the day. I'm not really a journal person, but I think this might help me while on this journey.

Hello! Well, I was banded this past Wednesday on 6/25. I'm not a wuss, but I can't describe the surgery as relatively painless! :-) Thank goodness I have a recliner to sleep in because sleeping in the bed is impossible! But each day that goes by it gets easier to get in and out of chairs, walk around etc. In fact, I'm going on a short shopping trip tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be taking a long nap when I get home though. You're right though about going in with a positive attitude and motivation to do the right thing. Also, with as little as I've had to consume since Wednesday I should be "starving". But I'm not. I'm just mentally missing savory, chewy food! Thank you lapband for taking my hunger away! I had a friend that did the gastric by-pass about 5 years ago. Yes, she lost lots of weight fast, but she was also throwing up and "dumping" all of the time. In the past 2 years she's gained about 1/2 of the weight back that she lost. I think lapband is the way to go. Plus, you can take it out if you so choose. You can't go back once you have bypass. Good luck Gary on your continued weight loss.

Hi Everyone - I was banded on Wednesday - and have been sleeping in my recliner. I tried the bed for a little while last night, slept on my side for about 30 minutes, then woke up sore and painful. Back to the recliner for me!! :-) I know for sure that I wouldn't be able to make it back to work on Monday and now I'm glad that I've taken all of next week off. My challenge at the moment is taking in less liquid at a time. My post op instructions says 1 TB at a time every 15-20 minutes, but good grief - I found I was getting way too thirsty and taking small sips more frequently. I did overdo it with a an Isopure shake today though and didn't take enough time with it. I found out what that feeling of "pressure" is that I've read about so many times on this forum! Good luck to to you all! I'm so glad I did this .... even though earlier this week I was having all sorts of doubts!

Hi Kimaly - I was just banded this past Wednesday on 6/25. I too am a self-pay and was having a hard time deciding between lapband and by-pass. Knowing that if needed, the lap-band is reversible, helped in making my decision to go the lapband route. A very close friend of mine had a by-pass about 5 years ago. She moved out of town a couple of years ago ..... wah!! When she called and checked on me the other day she asked a bunch of questions about the lap band, pre-op and post op diet, etc. then mentioned that she thought she needed to get her surgery re-done because she's gained a fair amount of weight back. I'm not even sure if by-pass surgery CAN be redone. I remember in the beginning with her tby-pass, and several months after hat she had A LOT of throwing up and A LOT of "dumping". After I explained everything that I knew and experienced so far with the lapband, so said, Oh - that sounds so much better. I had a flood of emotions before the surgery if I was doing the right thing, or even if I should do this at all but I'm sure that's normal. I really am glad that I've done this - and will use this "tool" to best of my advantage! Good luck with your decision!

I also am a self pay. I met with my Doc here in Houston and my surgery is this Wednesday. One bit of advice for all the normal pre-op testing - EKG, chest xray, bloodwork ... if you go to your Family Doctor for those then have them send it to your Doctor/Hospital, you will save some fees. Usually the self-pay is a package price - Doc / Hospital / Anethesiologist / and pre-op testing, but the testing is usually outsourced by the hospital and those companies will charge to analyze the test results to send to the doctor. A little hidden charge I got to avoid since the Doctor's office gave me a heads up on that.

Hello Everyone - My surgery date is next Wed. 6/25 (woo hoo!). :redface: For those of you that have been banded, would you like to share any "Lessons Learned" for what you did - but wished you DIDN'T one week before and two weeks after surgery? Thanks for your input!

Judy - Wow, the peach salsa on the chicken sounds really yummy! My doctor restricts exercising until 6-8 weeks after surgery, but you're already exercising! You really must be feeling great!