coloradobanding

I totally agree with prev. poster. I was VERY conflicted about getting a fill a I felt like I was happy with the restriction I had from surgery. I can eat whatever I want, and even ate a 6" chicken sub from Subway (very little bread, no fats) with NO problem. I eat as I'm suppose to, to the T, and am not hungry. If I'm feeling good restriction and not having any "stuck" or sliming episodes, I'm HAPPY!! My Dr. told me he has one patient that has been banded over a year and has never had a fill and has lost 50+lbs. That's the future I want for myself...fingers crossed.

Just a thought for those of you drinking fruit juices, they are loaded with sugar and may be counterproductive with many of the problems listed. I was told no juice or carbonated beverages at all..(ever..although I'll use my better judgment on the "ever" part of that :wink:). Just my .02. You all will be back to normal in no time, this time is hard. What I did was start counting the days AWAY from my surgery, (still do). I know that every day further away is one towards the person I want to be. Keep up the good work Feb. Bandsters!!! :thumbup:

Well I want to tell you all (recently banded) that you should not get on the scale for weeks!! Seriously, during the first 4-6 weeks you should expect to gain weight, not lose. This time is for healing, not losing. Since my surgery on 1/19/09 I've only lost 5lbs and I probably shouldn't even have lost that but I've been working out like a fiend. Before the band, if I had done what I've done for the last 6 weeks, I would've EASILY lost 15lbs+ during the same time frame. Your body needs to figure out what just happened to it and adjust, this takes time. Just do what your Dr. instructs and it will eventually come off. You will be in "bandster hell" until your first fill and then things will finally improve and the weight will come off. Just be patient!

6 weeks and counting!

Whatever you do, don't compare the band with the bypass, they are so totally different. My boss had the bypass one week before me and she is losing at a much faster rate (fine by me). I was banded 1/19/09 and had the exact same problems as you have and others. I lost 16lbs on my pre-op diet (only 3 days) and had only lost 3 since. I had been gaining and losing 2-3lbs over and over and I was doing EVERYTHING EXACTLY as I should have, including a LOT of exercise. Well, I've been cursing that scale as I could NOT get to the 20lb mark. Then on Wednesday I decided that I'm going to move that scale. Worked out and did twice the walking I normally do (normally it's 24 blocks, so you can see how much I really walked, on top of 40 minutes on the ArcTrainer). Well, I gained 2 more lbs.. I kept doing what I should, and guess what...TODAY I lost that 2lbs plus 1.5 more, I'm FINALLY over the 20lb loss mark, and it feels great! Basically I've only lost 4lbs since surgery, but that is what was expected. My Dr. said I should actually gain weight, but I didn't. Your body needs to heal and figure out what you're doing, once it does the scale will begin moving faster. Hang in there, you're doing Great!

First of all CONGRATULATIONS from a fellow "Denver Bander". I can give you my experience on post-op days. I never had diarrea (opposite for me) so can't help you there. You will feel weak for awhile (mine was 5-6 days) but it will go away and you will feel stronger each day..hang in there. The hunger SUCKS, period. I felt like I wanted to try mushies and called my Doctor, he said it was fine to try and if I could eat them with no problem, it wouldn't affect my band. You may want to ask your Dr. (they're all different). Once I was able to eat scrambled eggs & cottage cheese, I felt MUCH better!! And the food commercials on TV are INSANE!! The one that kept getting to me was the IHOP endless pancakes one (and I haven't eaten pancakes in years!). Hang in there, you are in "Bandster hell" but it does get better. I went for walks, read books, talked to old friends on the phone, cleaned the house, etc. whatever I could do to get moving and not think about food. Good luck!!!

OK first of all I have to say how JEALOUS I am of your pre-op diet! I would've given my eye teeth to have one meal a day (I was on full liquids for 3 days). That said, we've all been through some sort of torturous hunger and it sucks!!! Just try to focus on other things-walking, catching up with old friends on the phone, whatever. Keep your eye on the prize and stick to it! It's important, and it truly is one of the hardest parts. Best of luck!

GREAT idea! I'm off to call my doctor and get the card. OMG, kids meals are even huge @ WDW! I've been to WDW many times and am WELL aware how amazing the dining plans are (although I've never sprung for the deluxe dining plan..very jealous:tongue_smilie:). We have a 1br villa with a full kitchen that I'm hoping will help with my dining options. I know what you mean about walking there, it's GREAT to get in our cardio while on vacation :smile: Thanks for the post!

Hello everyone, I have a dilemma. So I was banded 1/19 (LOVE IT) and immediately felt restriction. I healed very quickly and my post-op diet was altered. I was on liquids for 4 days, mushies for 7 days then on "normal" food on day 12 (no issues whatsoever and this was Dr. recommended, I did NOT choose this on my own). I have lost an average of 2 lbs per week since surgery and my Dr. believes I got restriction immediately (no fill in band at all). I told him that I do NOT want to feel how I felt immediately post-op, which was the swollen esophogas (sp?) and worried I couldn't eat. I have not every PB'd or slimed (knock on wood) or had anything stuck and DON'T WANT to! I eat my required protein every day, usually much more (around 100g) I make responsible choices, but I also really like not worrying about what I can or can't eat. I am getting a little hungry between meals, but nothing that I have not been able to control (some less healthy choice snacks were had occasionally). My Dr. told me he has one patient that is 1 year post-op that has lost 50lbs with no fill, and some just don't need them. What I am worried about is getting a fill and having "issues" with food i.e., sliming, pb'ing, sticking. I would like a little more restriction, but I'm not sure I want to risk my nearly "perfect" ability to eat what I want. I've made responsible decisions to this point and think I can continue. I'd LOVE to hear any advice so I can figure out what to do. Thanks in advance!

Isn't that the truth! I cannot believe you have to wait another 8 weeks until you can get another fill, especially since you're not feeling any restriction. I might contact my Dr. and see if he/she's willing to be more aggressive. I've been very lucky as I have no appetite at all for the most part. I drink my protein shake, eat lunch, walk and don't eat too much dinner. The only time I get hunger pains is when I ate an early lunch and no dinner, then I rely on will power. But in general I have no hunger at all (knocks on wood). Best of luck to all, and thanks again!

Misty, Thanks for the great advice and encouragement..I REALLY appreciate it! And of course, this morning I am only 1.5 oz away from 20lbs...I'm almost there.. I decided to make "little" goals instead of the ultimate, which I hope is more attainable. After I lose the 20 (that number is haunting me :w00t:) my next mini goal is 25, which I'm hoping to hit by St. Patrick's Day, then my April Fool's day goal which I'm certain I can swing! Anyway, thanks so much all, you rock!

So I didn't get my fill and I'm SO glad I didn't!!! I've had adequate restriction since surgery and I feel good. I actually had one incident of sliming/throwing up because of a "not so greatly" chewed Triscuit..I learned my lesson!! I upped my exercise and have lost 2 lbs..(only 3oz away from 20lbs..UGH) Thanks for all the great info, I know I made the best decision for me!!:w00t:

Thanks for all the replies! I just had to laugh reading them. I too wake up, walk around for at least 10 mins, go to the bathroom and weigh myself naked. I also wake up puffy and feel like I need to move around to "redistribute" the weight. i am REALLY going to try and just weigh once a week, but I dunno...its SO tempting!

Hello everyone! I need your help. I already know what I'm suppose to do, yet I CANNOT DO IT! Every single day, at the same time, same way, I MUST weigh myself..UGH :tt1: Every night (I don't eat after 6:00pm) when I get hungry, I think, NO, the scale will reward me tomorrow. And only about every 3 days does the scale move. I KNOW I shouldn't weigh myself everyday, but I CAN'T HELP myself Please intervene and break me of this habit which I know can have a huge affect on my mental attitude. Worse still, it's a very expensive digital one that weighs partial ounces so I can count everything...

First of all, congratulations!! Hope everything is going well for you. On your question, everyone is different! I healed very fast, and moved on about 3 weeks ahead of schedule. Liquids for 6 days, mushies 4 days and have been on solids ever since. I was also scheduled for my 1st fill 4 weeks out (but didn't need it). You should contact your doctor, and talk about this. That is what I did, and it worked perfectly for me. But again, everyone is different, only your Dr. can tell you what is right for you!

Technically you should not lose ANY weight for the first 3 weeks post-op. In fact, my doctor told me I would likely gain weight until my first fill. Luckily for me, I did lose a few pounds and not gain. I know you feel like you're not eating anything (or much much less than you used to) and you should be dropping weight like lead. However, your body is swollen, and uncertain as to what just happened to it (surgery) so it will take awhile to get "back to normal" and start losing. I have gained and lost the same 3 lbs since surgery, but I feel GREAT and am in this for the long haul (although I wait everyday for that scale to move). Best wishes to you, everyday you will feel better. Hang in there!

Well froggin, we could be twins :tt2: Our pre-op weight is the same, our doctor the same, and our goal weight also the same. Your recovery sounded much like mine...3 days uncomfortable but by day 7 I was nearly 100%. I would love to have a "lap band sister", maybe we could help eachother when the going gets tough. Send me a PM and we can chat. Congratulations on getting banded!!!

You probably don't have much restriction yet since you didn't have a fill. Everyone is different, but I don't think its band slippage or you cause any damage, you just lack restriction. Always ask your doctor to make sure, just my .o2

Thanks again for all the GREAT feedback. OMG, so now I am totally confused as to what to do..:biggrin: (as if I weren't to start with). If I do get my fill tomorrow, they start out very small, so that's good. If I have too much restriction I can always get it taken out right? However, if I do get a fill and can still eat what I want just less, that's my ultimate goal. OK, so at this moment, I'm still going for my fill...status could change..lol Now regarding my vacation. Once I hit my "sweet spot" (or at least comfortable eating what I want without any issues) then I should not get unfilled for the vacation right? And the reasoning behind this is that if I'm getting good restriction, and not having any "stuck" problems, then it doesn't matter where I'm at (on vacation or at home) I can still eat what I want and will not "start over" to where I was at pre-fill, is that correct? If so, it makes sense. I just cannot shake this STUPID feeling that if I "mess with the works" when I'm doing fine (not losing quickly but doing OK) that somehow I won't be able to eat normal foods. I'm just being paranoid right? If I have no problems now, I will not have them after being filled..is this true? Seriously, sometimes I hate being an indecisive woman Thanks for the advice, I could use more apparently..lol

GREAT advice, thank you to everyone who replied, I REALLY appreciate it. That being said, my husband and I have discussed all the comments and other things. We are going to Disney World in May, and I want to be unfilled before we go. The last thing I need to worry about is being too restricted while constantly on the go (at least my thought..any advice on this?). So, I am going to get the smallest fill possible on Tuesday and see how my body reacts. I really want to lose as much weight as I can before we go (May 24th) and I think by getting filled (a little at a time) I will lose faster. I'm also curious to see if my body reacts well and quickly to this fill. I keep going back and forth on this and have until Tuesday to officially decide...although right now the decision is to get the fill...ugh..sorry to be so indecisive..but I am a woman...LOL :thumbup:

Thanks for all the great replies!!! My initial feeling was to forego the fill as well and now I feel even more confident in that decision. If I start eating everything in sight and not feeling full, I will not get a fill until I think it's necessary. Thanks again!

I LOVE setting mini-goals so PLEASE count me in!!! coloradobanding.....236......236.....220.....16

I also was hungry about that time post-op but it went away. I was able to accelerate my post-op diet (always was a fast healer-dr. approved of course) and dont know if I could've lasted on liquids longer than I did. By the time I got to eat cottage cheese, really my hunger went away significantly. Hang in there, you're doing GREAT!

Hi Ziggy, thanks for posting! Seriously, that poster who said they felt like you are feeling for five years was likely someone who exaggerates things and is likely not happy with the band (some aren't). PLEASE don't let negative comments command your way of thinking. Just remember, the 1st week is not easy, you are recovering from a surgery. And with any surgery, you need to relax, take your pills, take it easy and it WILL get better! I was in EXACTLY your position nearly one month ago and it scared the hell out of me thinking I was going to feel that way. But every single day I got monumentally better. My thinking was very clear, my body healed very quickly, I am eating and drinking just like I did pre-band (with obvious modifications and portion control) and live my life EXACTLY the same just 10000% better than I did one month ago. It was the BEST decision I've ever made. Just let yourself heal, be gentle, take your pain meds, and you will be saying this to someone else next month! Hang in there! :biggrin:

Mine was looking at the mirror and thinking...did I do this AGAIN??? I had lost a lot of weight (60+ lbs) TWICE before and gained it ALL back and THEN some! I absolutely COULD NOT believe I was back where I started. Then I looked at my young boys and decided I wanted to be the "HOT" mom, not the fat mom that embarasses them when I pick them up at school. I also wanted to see and play with my grandkids whenever they come. But most of all, I wanted it for ME and my HEALTH and my well being. I'm just newly banded but it has already made a huge difference in my life!!