willowcat

gabi, I'm joining this thread because I want to know the answer to your question, too. Without the proper restiriction (or in my case without any yet), doesn't the food just slip on through? My stomach feels like a seive. It feels like anything I eat is a "slider" food at this point. How can you do damage to the pouch if you're not eating BEYOND full? I know a lot of people don't know what "full" feels like, but I do, and I stop before hitting "full"--still I'm also worried about stretching my pouch--how does that happen to people?

Welcome aboard Willowcat. Glad to have you join the group. Thanks--looking forward to it! :rolleyes2:

I ride my exercise bike for 1/2 hour each day--it's usually 6 miles. 6X30=180 Can I join you with an altered goal--or should I try to find a different challenge?

I named my scale, "Cruella"--like the mean lady in 101 Dalmations--because it can be so cruel. I used to be a scalaholic (multiple times a day!). I quit weighing and didn't weigh for years (I don't recommend that--it's too easy to delude yourself and not "notice" that you're gaining weight!). Now that I've been banded, I'm trying to weigh only once a week--though I don't like that either--it puts too much pressure on that one day. Maybe twice a week? I agree that as long as the general trend is downward, then daily fluctuations aren't worth my attention (yeah, that's what I'm thinking--now if I could only get my emotions to catch up).

I started riding my exercise bike after 2 weeks, but I still haven't gone back to water aerobics yet (too much bouncing of my stomach--it hurt my port), and I'm almost 4 weeks out. I'm still protective of my stomach muscles and still don't lift or try to move heavy things. If you can instruct while not moving a lot--tell, not show--then IMO expect two weeks out or three just to be on the safe side. You want to give your body time to heal all that internal stitching before stessing it too much. And of course, follow your surgeon's directives--give his office a call and see what he/she advises. Good luck.

I know you feel desperate. You want the weight to be gone--yesterday! I want that too. I don't know how many times I have wished that I could magically turn into the person/shape I wanted to be. But even though you're feeling desperate, I don't think you should fast. Your body's metabolism really will come to a halt--nature designed it that way to save you in the event of a famine. In my youth, I fasted for at least a week (I don't know if you know this, but it can be very dangerous to come off a long fast if you don't do it correctly). The only thing that fasting jump starts is your ravenous appetiite. On a fast, you may lose weight, but when you go back to eating you will eat like you'll never eat again--because that's what your body thinks--and to top it off you will have a slower metabolism trying to deal with all of those extra calories. Guess what happens then? Weight GAIN! :thumbdown: Trust the experience of those who have gone before you. Exercise even if you don't see results--exercise and muscle gain actually speed up your metabolism. Finally, let me suggest that you try therapy (or even OA--it's basically free--I went to Overeaters Anonymous for three years. I didn't lose weight, but I did learn a lot about how I used food for so many things other than nourishment). You'll want to learn and understand how it is that you use food. Every person has different ways/reasons that they use food (boredom, anxiety, control, protection, sadness, stress relief...). Do the work to find out what's unique to you and your relationship with food. Good luck to you.

My therapist at my psych evaluation has had bypass surgery. She told me two things that I keep reminding myself of. She said, 1.There will come a time when you WILL think to yourself "What have I done?!" 2. You have to approach exercise like you do your job--you don't always "feel" like going but still you do. I had the "What have I done?!" and sobbing around my fourth day post-op. I didn't particularly like my therapist from the psych eval, but I am glad she warned me about those thoughts and feelings--because when they came (like post-partum depression?) I wasn't so surprised and they didn't last long.

Wow! I bet you feel so much better moving around in your day-to-day living! Awesome! :thumbup:

The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients by Colleen M. Cook isn't specifically about lapband, but still very helpful in realizing what changes you'll need to make in your life after wls. Cook had bypass surgery, but still all of her "success habits" are applicable to lapband. Her 6 Habits are: personal accountability, portion control, nutrition, fluid intake, regular exercise, vitamins and supplements. She says that these principles "are the results of years of research of long-term wls patients." You can buy it on Amazon.

For the past week or so (I was banded on the 4th) I've been waking up in the middle of the night with pain in my back between my shoulder blades and near my spine. It felt the same as the surgery gas pains so I thought it had something to do with gas. But Gas-ex didn't work. A bit of warm Water seemed to help a little. I thought maybe that I was eating too late at night so I changed that--still getting woken up. I thought it was acid reflux maybe so tried an acid reducer--no change. I got worried it was my gallbladder--but I don't have pain on my right side or under my right shoulder. Plus it ONLY happens in the middle of the night. Last night I thought it might be hunger pains radiating to my back. Sure enough--I had 8oz of milk right before bed and I slept all the way until 4:00am (longest stretch of sleep in about a week) until I was woken up with the same back pain. I got up and ate a low-fat cheese stick and SF Jello. The back pain left by the time I got back in bed and I slept through the rest of the night! Weird! I am going to mention the back pain to my surgeon this Wednesday just to be on the safe side. Anyone else experience unbearable (I guess when you can't sleep from the hunger pain then it's "unbearable") hunger at night?

I was banded June 4th too. Thanks for this posting 3LAURIE8! Isn't it kind of funny how easy it is to feel as if you're the only one experiencing something?! I've also noticed that the amount of food I can eat has been slowly creeping up and up. I've still been eating good food (no pasta or icecream or cereal--my faves!) just more of it. I'm glad that my stomach's swelling has gone down and that now I'm feeling pretty normal, but with "normal" comes Hunger. I have nothing in my band, but am getting my first fill next Wednesday. I hope that helps. Like lbndoc said, "it's by sheer willpower" that I'm eating small amounts--but only because I'm back to measuring food. I feel like I'm hanging on by my fingernails. At least now, though, there is an end in sight. Nice to hear from other early June bandsters.

So far I have had no issues with anything I have eaten so I will see how things go! My scars are healing well and I cant wait for a fill next month because I dont feel I have any restriction at this point. How is everyone else doing thats around 3weeks out? I hope everyone is well! astera, I'm 19 days post op and I also have had no problems with anything I've eaten. I've noticed as the days have gone by that I'm able to eat more and more at one sitting--I just keep eating until I feel full--I have an empty band and obviously have no restriction. But I think eating until I feel full is not really working for me right now. Today, contrary to my "weigh only once a week" rule for myself, I weighed myself and was terribly upset to find that I'd gained nearly 2 lbs. I go see my doctor next Wednesday for my first fill. I've decided that I'm going to have to approach the next seven days like I did my pre-op diet. I've got to go back to measuring my food and only eating very small portions. I'm going to have to make friends with Hunger again--I really hate Hunger--but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can do anything for seven days! Good luck to you. :thumbup:

kpdgal, Thanks for the reply. Sorry to hear about the fungul infection. I like the idea of the waterproof bandaids. My stitches aren't totally 100% closed yet. Based on your experience, I think I might wait a little longer before returning to water aerobics (the Y I go to gets a lot grosser in the summer--from the increased usage) . I'm up to 30 minutes on my exercise bike at home--hopefully that will be enough for now. Hope you're better soon!

kdpgal, did you get the ok to go back to your water aerobics class yet? I tried last Tuesday to go back to water aerobics but I didn't feel good (everything was bouncing around inside too much and I could feel my one-piece suit rubbing against my stitches) and I couldn't move fast enough to stay warm. So I left after 1/2 hour. My regular water aerobics class is tomorrow and I'm kind of afraid to try it again. My stitches are almost 100% healed (I was banded on the 4th) so I thought maybe I'd try it again. Just wondered what your experience with water aerobics was like (if you were cleared to return that is)?

Sounds like you could be having bouts of low blood sugar--that's how I feel when my blood sugar bottoms out: "cold, sweaty, and faint." I'd call my nutritionist if I were you. Good luck.

Take your band away?! And how does he propose to do that?! You'd have to go through everything for surgery to remove the band just like you did in order to get the band--not to mention pre-approval from your insurance company (like that would happen just because you gained 2 lbs.)--AND it's YOUR body--he can't make you go through surgery! What a bully (and an A**Hole)! Bad man, very bad man. Christy, I'm glad to hear you're getting another doctor. Give him hell at that "exit interview!"

Yesterday was my 8th day post-op. I was finally not feeling much pain, and I was able to feel very satisfied on the "mushies" food. So last night with my mind free from thinking about pain and/or hunger, I think I was finally able to pause and look my new life in the face--and I got scared! All my past diet failures came rushing at me. I was overwhelmed with fear that this would just be the next link in what is already a very long chain of high hopes and determination followed by eventual failure--and to top it off, look what I did to my body this time! I've gone as far as having surgery and having something placed inside my body! I've gone through all this and what a fool I've been to think that somehow this time would be any different than all the other times. The psychatrist at my psych eval had told me that eventually everyone has thoughts along those lines--I just didn't realize that it would be so soon for me. I cried and cried as I felt the cumulative pain of my lifetime of diet failures. It was so overwhelming. I think, though, that I needed to feel the pain of all of those disappointments--and not just the self-disgust I always felt when a diet failed--but the real saddness at the loss of each of those dreams. My husband helped remind me of all the people on here who have taken the weight off and kept the weight off--there really is hope and a chance for a real recovery. Still, I'm feeling cautiously optomistic right now...like I'm afraid to really, really hope for success.

Kristine, What a nice, gentle, supportive, and upbeat response--thanks for your post! Have you been to the June Journeys social group yet? Hope to see you there.

I live in Colorado Springs and was banded by Dr. Scott Fisher with the Colorado Springs Surgical Associates. Colorado Springs Surgical Associates is part of the Penrose-St. Frances Hospital system. They have two locations: Colorado Springs Surgical Associates 2222 North Nevada Ave Suite 5017 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 719-635 -2501 St. Francis Medical Center Office Location 6011 E. Woodmen Road Suite 345 Colorado Springs, CO 80923 Located in the Sisters Grove Pavilion Medical Office Building (719) 635-2501 I really, really like Dr. Fisher!

My psychiatrist at my psych eval told me that I was going to have to treat exercise like I treat my job (where honestly I'm a bit of a workaholic)--I would never wait to "feel" like going to work--I may not feel like it, but I go because I have to. Work gets all of my energy. Now, having said that, I'm with you--I saved exercising for last and never had the energy for it--I really was truly exhausted from work. Now, what I'm trying to do is "pay myself first"--get up, get on the exercise bike in my pjs, do my exercise, and then start my day. That was pretty much working for me before surgery--I'm waiting for the inscissions to heal to start back up again. The real test will come in the fall when I go back to teaching--my goal this summer is to get the habit in place so it's not such a god-awful effort. Good luck.

I really like Dr. Fisher and trusted him 100%. His bedside manner was warm and friendly. He came to see me before the surgery and also a few hours later. He's very easy-going and easy to talk to. I look forward to working with him for my fills. His office staff is also friendly and professional.

oops! Lucky you--I'd kill to have an hourglass shape! Still, sorry you're not liking what you're seeing the mirror. Hang in there--you're half-way to your goal!