2muchfun

goplay94123 I mostly agree with what Kindle said. I rarely recommend anyone go against their Doctors orders but the surgery you had is a tool. Why diet? Who of us were successful with starvation diets? Maybe you misunderstood his intentions? Could you be mixing up his short term post-op orders with long term? 600 calories/day would be painful for me even shortly after my surgery. Maybe painful is overstated? Maybe extreme discomfort? At any rate, you might want to consult with your nutritionist/dietician and make sure you understand the plan your doctor has set out for you? tmf

I didn't buy it but the creator of this site is the author I believe. Go here: http://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/weight-loss-book

You may have to go to Mexico and pay out of pocket. Or, pay out of pocket in NY?

I'm 68 so I'm close to your criteria. I think type of surgery is very personal. If not for the band I would never have had any bariatric surgery. I just was not willing to have my stomach removed or my digestive system altered. That's just me. I know if something happened to my band I'd just live with dieting for the rest of my life. That's just me. I've never had any problems so it's easy for me to say that's just me. I've heard the opposite, removing the band is easy as long as there's not slippage or erosion. My opinion, and just my opinion, I'd have the band removed. It sounds like there's a drum beat for your band to cause some serious health issues down the road. But that's just me. tmf

Why can't True Results help you? First, I'd check to make sure your insurance provides bariatric coverage? If it does, most insurance carriers have a search engine you can search for docs who provide bariatric services. We had a doc retire here a few years ago and he gave all his patients to another doctor. Check on this with your doctors office? You may also have to be a little pushy with True Results and demand to talk to the office manager or medical director? Good luck.

I like the idea of using ice. Cold can reduce swelling. That's why we ice our sprained ankles and knees.

Sounds a lot like you're too tight. Maybe take out .5-1 CC and all should be fine. I've had probably 500 stuck episodes over the last 4 years and most were minor episodes that took a few minutes to solve. But occasionally I've got stuck and drank too much too fast and it can be extremely painful. Just make sure you continue to sip fluids so you don't get dehydrated before seeing your surgeon? tmf

Ah, emotions! No need to feel guilty. I probably felt the same way during the first few months of being banded. Never really thought about it till your post. Until your band is adjusted so that a small meal keeps you satisfied for 4-5 hours you will still want to eat between meals or eat more at each meal. Old habits die hard and some of them never do. Old habits can be mitigated and diminished though. So, don't feel guilty. It took me 3 months before I felt like my band was working at all. And then another 3 months and a total of 6 fills before I was in the green zone. We like to say, "until there's restriction, it's just another diet". And that means until your band is adjusted so you're in the green zone(sweet spot) you're on a diet. tmf

No it's not. Did you consume only liquids or soupy foods the last 24 hours. Just wondering if you at anything solid that might have caused a stuck episode? You can cause some swelling with stuck episodes. If you followed the rules then you should get back in asap so you don't get dehydrated. Good luck. tmf

Last year at this time I was down to 165 lbs. I lost some additional weight due to my total knee replacements. The drugs left me with very little appetite but the downside was addiction. Once I kicked the Oxy habit in April last year I started to put weight back on. I was getting stuck a lot so I had 1 CC removed. Then I started gaining weight even faster. By the end of December last year I had gained 37 lbs. But, I never really panicked. I knew I had my tool and went back in and had .5 CCs put back in. I lost 8 lbs by the end of February and I'm currently stalled for the time being. No worries, I just need to get back on the bike(literally) and pump those lbs off again. If only the weather would cooperate . I'm not concerned, I know once I can get back out there and ride again I'll drop another 25+ lbs. Stay strong! tmf

The original purpose was that carbonation expands the stomach which they thought might cause slippage of the band and/or overinflation of the pouch. My doc still believes it does and recommends not to have them. I still have a few beers a week with no problems. There are also many obese people who have surgery but over-indulged with carbonated drinks prior to surgery. And I mean like drinking 2 2 liter bottles a day. I think doctors recommend surgery patients avoid soft drinks simply because drinking them could lead to falling back into old habits. Also, gulping any liquids while eating causes food to slide through the band resulting in less satiety. tmf

Inner Surfer Girl I would agree. I felt good where I was and just let the surgery do it's job and it worked well. I had some Fluid removed last summer and it was too much. I gained some weight but I've added more saline and back to losing again. tmf

byebyefat I did. Lost 50 lbs and then stalled at 175 lbs for a few years. Not really the bands/surgery fault. It's difficult to keep the faith year after year. At some point it just becomes a lifestyle of dieting. But not like the old style of dieting. I'm banded. My surgery suppresses my appetite as long as I stay close to the rules. Holidays are tough. But, I'm able to get back on the wagon every year and I have less to travel to get down to my fighting weight. Hope this helps. I'm only speaking for me. Many others get down to goal and manage to stay there.

Just be aware that Dr O'Briens approach to drinking when eating isn't accepted by most doctors. Your doctor may have a different plan for you.

That makes more sense.

Re: Oncology? Did you have cancer in the past or now?

Isn't that the truth? Good way to put it. I eat less protein now than before by at least 50%. It's the other stuff, like a plate of Pasta or a large baked potatoes with the usual accoutrements or 3 biscuits and butter that I really don't miss anymore.

Consuming Protein doesn't have to be high fat and for the most part isn't. Lean meats, Beans and rice are usually part of most bariatric diets. Pre-op diets are usually very low carb so that your liver shrinks. The liver overlaps the stomach and the surgical tech has to lift it so that the surgeon has better access to your stomach. A heavy liver can tear and needless to say, it's not desirable. Post op diets usually are different and include most foods. Desserts and Pasta would not fit into the healthy foods category though. Both are highly processed foods. Both convert to sugar quickly which can raise your insulin levels and cause more hunger when those levels fall quickly. There's not a lot of room in your new stomach to fit food into and loss of muscle mass can happen when you don't get enough protein. Moderation of highly processed foods should be a part of anyone's diet but not necessarily a total elimination of. There are many alternatives for animal Proteins but natural animal proteins offer more satiety than a Protein shake or powder. You might consider a consult with the bariatric nutritionist. And make sure it's one who understands the nutritional needs of bariatric patients. Most of us don't eliminate all carbs. It's just that filling up on pasta offers very little nutritional value. tmf

I think I can speak for most people on the forum and state that we all lost weight over our lifetime, but maintaining that weight loss is where we failed. Good luck losing that weight and learn from the pages of this forum on how to maintain the loss. tmf

KirstyK25 Gas pains usually go away within a week but can come and go for up to a month. I didn't have much gas pains but I hear on the forum that hotpads and karate chops to the affected area seem to mitigate the pain. Small portions of what? I can only speak for me. I consumed a lot of brothy Soups and egg drop soups for the first week or so. Then I moved onto thicker foods like refried Beans, mashed potatoes and thicker soups. Doctors have different dietary programs for each of us so it's hard to say what's OK for you? Your doctor knows your mental and medical history and will prescribe how you should be eating. And each doctor may have a different plan for each of his patients based on their history and weight. Re: Battling through hunger. You got it. There's a saying here on the forums. "Until there's restriction, it's just another diet". That means, until you get the fill that gives you some feeling of satiety with less food, you're still on a diet. tmf

I read your blog. Seems like a lot of work? I eat normal foods in smaller quantities.

This is an anonymous forum. No one knows you or what your depth of knowledge is of nutrition and understanding how to work with your tool? My advice is to try to eat all foods but don't bite the hands of the people who only want to help you with their personal experience. Accept some advice and ignore the others.

OK, confession time. When I first came to Lapbandtalk I saw some of your posts and I admit, I checked out your gallery. I remember thinking, "she's a hottie"!! Hope you stay. Don't recall you ever getting rude with anyone. Do recall you making some comments about your hubbie being less than supportive in the last couple of years. I agree, I don't like this site as much as the old site. And there are so few banders posting these days. We need you, and many new banders still need to see you because you're an inspiration of what we can all be. Sorry about your hubbie. tmf

Try everything. We all react differently to bariatric surgery. I've read the same here from several people who say they can't eat rice or eggs or hamburger. But many of us can as long as we follow the eating rules. Doesn't hurt to experiment as long as you stick to healthy foods! I've read dozens if not hundreds of posts like yours where there's junk food around them at work or they live with relatives who have chips, Cookies, soda pop etc all around the house. And the poor mom who has children, how do you not pick at their leftover chicken nuggets, tater tots and fries? I remember making food for my kids when they were 4-12. I fed them easy to make foods and then I'd pick at what I fixed for them. No diet ever worked. But bariatric surgery is the easy way out isn't it oh if only it were so tmf

For me, the best way to end snacking is to make sure I eat like I'm supposed to eat. Solid Proteins, veggies and maybe some brown rice. If your band is adjusted so you're in the green zone(sweet spot) you shouldn't be hungry for 4 hours. Of course, not having chips, crackers, junk food and sweets around you is essential. I know when I'm satisfied if I walk by a bowl of chips with or without salsa, I'll munch. Not buying trigger foods and making sure my band is tweaked properly is my way to not snack. tmf