L12

I had been prepared to move on to mushies after my one week post-op appointment, but my doctor OK'd soft solids (fish, moist shredded chicken, etc.) at that time. I was eating a pretty normal diet by about three weeks post-op, though I did choose to avoid things I thought might be tough for me (steak, fibrous veggies/fruits, etc.) for a while just to be on the safe side.

A strict low carb diet prior to surgery helps to burn off the glycogen stored in the liver, which shrinks it considerably. Fasting also does the same thing (though is considerably more uncomfortable ).

ETA: Fully depleting the glycogen stores can reduce the size of the liver by about 10%.

There are a lot of different answers to this, but personally I still drink sometimes, and I did once in a while throughout my weight loss with no negative effects--not to say that is the case for everyone. My doctor doesn't have a problem with alcohol. I do seem to get tipsy faster (probably because I weigh much less than I did before), plus I definitely want to avoid having a hangover with vomiting, so I usually drink less at a time than I did pre-band.

Different levels of restriction throughout the day seem to be pretty normal for a lot of us. I'm tighter in the mornings, when I'm sick, when I'm dehydrated, and for the first day or two of my period. Every morning I drink hot tea or coffee to loosen things up, and this also helps at other times if I feel tight. Since I was banded, I have to pay much more attention to drinking a LOT when I'm active. Before the band, dehydration just made me thirsty--now it can tighten my band and make it hard to eat solid foods or even mushies.

Ha. I got a Kohls Ad for WOMEN SIZES with a $10 coupon and another 30% off. HA ...I can't use it... I threw it away!!!

LOL, sometimes when I'm shopping, browsing the racks, I pull out an item to check the size. On occasion I find myself dropping items like a hot potato or making a face if they're a larger size. I remind myself that I used to be BIGGER than that size and there's nothing wrong with it, but it makes me wonder what's lurking in the back of my mind to have that kind of reaction...

Sometimes there is a little gurgling when food is going through, and at times I can feel it--slightly similar to how my stomach feels when it is growling (minus the hunger, of course!). I can't see any of this happening on the exterior of my body though.

If you have Tricare Standard (or Reserve Select), you do NOT need a referral to see a covered weight loss surgeon, unless that particular surgeon requests one. You DO need a referral if you have Tricare Prime and have a PCM. When I was first seeking a surgeon, I called around and looked online, which was a rather long and tedious process. Then I called Tricare, and the customer service agent was very helpful in giving me names and contact info of covered surgeons in my area--ones I had not found in my own search.

I only lost about 20-25 lbs. in the first six months; I did eat less, but as it took several fills to get to my sweet spot, I was still frequently hungry until I reached it. Once I got good restriction, I was much less hungry, could comfortably eat smaller portions, and the weight started to fall off. I noticed you were banded in December--so was I (2008), and finally got to my sweet spot after around my sixth or seventh fill in June (2009). If you look at my ticker, you will see that waiting around for a while didn't hurt my overall weight loss. Just be patient and remind yourself of how all of this works--you HAVE lost weight, which means you ARE seeing results from your efforts.

I post here all the time with few complaints! I've lost 126 lbs., half of my body weight from my highest weight presurgery. I'm off of blood pressure medication, my joints and especially my feet don't hurt anymore, I started running last summer and have completed a half marathon, with training for a full marathon starting in a week. I'm a size 2 to 6 depending on the clothing brand, and have never looked better in my life (including my younger skinny days). The band journey was very easy for me--started a bit slow at first, but once it got started, I never hit a plateau. And on top of all of that, me and my pics are featured on my doctor's website as a success story.

It is very common not to feel much (or any) restriction for months. It took me about six months to get to my sweet spot--then the hunger was gone, portion sizes were easily tolerated, and the weight started going much faster. I went into surgery knowing that beforehand and knew I'd probably need to be patient. Preparing myself to wait for the good stuff made that six months much easier.

It was very easy for me too...though I try not to bring that up in too many posts on LBT. I never had a plateau, and my weight loss didn't really slow down until I was in the 140's, past my goal weight. I never counted calories or journaled my food intake. It wasn't hard or frustrating for me since I had done my research and knew I would have to be patient, but it did take six months to get a good level of restriction and really start losing weight at a good pace--but I knew it would work eventually, so it didn't worry me. The only other thing that has ever been difficult is to find the perfect fill level for maintenance. Dehydration really tightens my band, and since I run a lot I do get dehydrated at times, especially during long runs. Finding a tolerable level of fill, where I am not starving AND am not too tight for solid food even when dehydrated has been a challenge. But the weight loss part of this has been easy.

I have PCOS, and overall feel great since I've lost the weight. I am no longer on Metformin, and my testosterone levels are now normal. Oddly, prior to surgery and weight loss, I had very high cortisol levels, high enough that I was tested extensively for Cushing's at a research hospital. They eventually attributed it to PCOS, and my cortisol levels are now normal. I still have a bit of facial hair that I have to take care of now and then , and my periods are actually heavier and more painful than they used to be, though starting birth control pills has helped a bit and keeps me regular.

I have had chronic depression and taken meds for years; I know it can get worse after surgery, but it doesn't always--it didn't for me, anyway. I still take meds and still have times when it is better or worse, but it has all pretty much been the same after as it was before surgery.

I often give in to my cravings around that time. Right before my period, when I am crankiest, is when I'm the most hungry and the most able to eat a lot. But I know that as soon as my period starts, my band tightens up big time, and I can sometimes only tolerate liquids. The calories seem to balance out, as it doesn't result in a permanent weight gain or loss.

I had several different goal weights in mind pre-surgery to now--and I didn't base them on subjective thoughts of how I would look, but how healthy it was. At the minimum, I wanted to get down to 170--that was still on the edge of obesity for me, but I wasn't going to even think about stopping, ever, until I reached that. Depending on how hard it was to get there, I wanted to get to 160--a bit healthier, just overweight, and I could be much more active and do everything I wanted with no problems. After that, I would have been perfectly satisfied at 145 which is on the line of a normal weight for my height, but I blew past that with no problem, so I'm happy. My body seems to like 125-130.

I drink mostly Water and Crystal Light, but nearly every day I have some coffee with cream or milk, sometimes have iced tea and once a week or so a couple of alcoholic drinks. I rarely drink soda anymore, but will once in a great while.

Thanks guys for all your advice. I plan to go by our local Running store and get fitting. At first I was going to just go to the NEX , but I guss I better do this right and go get fitted like you all said.

Another question: did you notice a mark change in you body after you started running ?

I had already gotten to a normal weight when I started back to running, but I have definitely noticed changes. Overall, I just look leaner, probably because of less body fat. At first my legs definitely lost inches all over, but in the last few months they have been changing even more; getting bigger in some areas, thinner in others, and are much more shapely with the enhanced muscles. My hips keep gradually shrinking, and my shoulders and upper back look nice and fit. Running has shrunk and firmed my butt, but hasn't really perked it up a lot--still flat! I only sporadically do cross-training, but arm, core, and butt exercises are what I do, plus I go walking, or ride my bike.

Tricare doesn't have a time requirement for being obese, but doctors often have their own requirements; perhaps that is what he is saying? Tricare also doesn't require a supervised weight loss program--be careful about doing this unless it is part of the doctor's program and he counts your beginning weight.

I agree 100% that a local running store is the way to go--not a department store, not a shoe store, not even a Foot Locker, Finish Line or the like! It looks like Running, Etc. and Final Kick Sports might be good ones to look at in your area.

I actually liked Nutrisystem all right--not loved, but there were some things I always ordered, and some I would only try once and never again! But I agree with HeatherinCA that if followed by the book, it might actually be too much food! I only used it before I was banded, but even then I couldn't always finish everything they wanted you to have in every meal. Remember too that it's not just Nutrisystem foods--there are other regular foods you are supposed to buy and eat too according to their plan. However, I did find it very convenient other than the price.

If I average my weight loss from surgery to when I reached my initial goal (150lb.) the weight loss was about 1.5lb. a week, or six pounds a month. But as others posted, some weeks were more, some were less. The first six months I only lost about a pound a week, but it picked up after I had several fills and reached a good level restriction. Overall, I ended up losing a bit more during my second year of being banded than my first.

I usually eat between 3/4 and 1.5 cups at a time. Sometimes more or less, depending on what time of day, what I'm eating, etc. Your instructions sound more like they're for gastric bypass to me... With lapband the stomach size doesn't change, the band just creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach, and the passageway to the lower part of the stomach is narrowed or widened by fills/unfills--the stomach is not changed to the size of a golf ball (do they mean the pouch is the size of a golf ball?). Of course doctors all have their own set of instructions and ways of describing things, so who knows. But most people on LBT seem to eat and lose on more than what you're eating!

A 30lb. weight loss in that time period is about 1.5lbs. a week on average that you have lost--THAT is not doing anything wrong! But I agree with other posters, what are you eating? Also, what is your weight/height (to get a ballpark of your calories needed to maintain and lose), and how many calories are you burning during your workout?

Couch to 5K is great! I was a runner before I gained weight, but after my weight loss I used C25K to start again. After finishing up that program, I trained for and ran a half marathon in January, and am registered to run the Chicago Marathon in October. However, I was very consistent in the training runs for C25K; regularly running/walking is key to building yourself up to continuously running three to four miles. Plus, I didn't start the program until I had exceeded my initial goal (150lbs) as I didn't want to risk bringing back previous foot/ankle/knee pain. However, I know many people who begin running when they are overweight and even obese, and some even run marathons at their weight. Pay attention to your body and how it feels; some muscle pain and soreness is to be expected with training, but running through an injury, especially with a lot of extra weight, can cause a lot of damage. Starting out slowly with something like C25K is a great way to acclimate your body to running!

It probably depends on what caused the seizure, which could be any number of things. I hope you find some answers and are able to go forward with surgery soon!