baylakeaverys

I am looking for some advice - I was losing before and now I am not. I know I need to refocus. How many calories do you aim for each day? I have asked my doctor and he will not give me a specific figure. Also, does anyone use a Blackberry to track this? The last fill I had 6 months ago made the band so tight that I started eating slider foods (this made my band half full) and of course now I am not losing at all. I hesitate to have it filled any more. Would prefer to just get focused. Help!!

I am not a big poster and have not updated my weight line but I could not resist commenting. I am 5'7" and weighed 243 last April. On surgery date I weighed 231 and today I weight 209.5 - not a big loss but I must say that I can tell a difference in my clothes. I have had minimal fills (about 6 cc and my band holds 14cc). Many people have more fills than this but I do not want to throw up. I have a very active life and refuse to be at a point where it is so tight that I can no do the normal things I like to do. So, I have decided I am happy with slow weight loss and have commited to step up the exercising this summer. You can do it. As far as the size of the meal goes, try to stay less than 1/2 cup to start with and then progress to 1 cup. I can eat almost anything I want - too bad because what I want are chips and candy which go down perfectly. I try to eat meals though and make myself pay with exercising if I am weak throughout the day. Any specific questions you want answered?

Okay, I am going to commit to a food diary and counting my WW points. That alone has to help. I walked right much during the summer (I get several weeks vacation at work and take them during the summer so I had time). I must admit that I am not exercising as I should be. Between 50 hour work weeks, college classes, and teenagers I am about at my max that I can do - but this is too important. Maybe I can get up 30 minutes earlier 3 times a week to start with. Thank you for the help! I will go back to my WW training and see what results I get from that. Happy Thanksgiving.

Menu helps - sounds like it is close to the Weight Watchers diet - if so, did you stick to the normal range of points that you would be in where you not banded or should you shave off a few since you are banded?

Hi. You seem to be a great source of information so maybe you can help me. I was banded 6/04/2009 and have lost 28 pounds since my weigh in for insurance on 4/29/09. I started at 243 and weight 215 now. I am really losing slow and trying to figure it out. My sister is a doc and says that if I don't eat enough my metabolism will get too slow - but then everything I ready says to eat about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup at meals with a small snack and that is all. I am bouncing back and forth between these two ideas and honestly getting nowhere. I read that you eat 900 - 1200 caloreis a day but that can be alot of food or alittle bit of food - depending on what you eat. Can you give me some suggestions?

Actually I feel good today. I have been trying to get a full 8 hr sleep this week and am careful with my food. I have worked all day, walked a mile, and eaten and I don't have any pain - I can still feel a mild restriction after walking pretty fast - but I would say I am 100% better. Thanks for the advice. You have done great on your weight loss!

I have a question - I am 5 weeks post op with no fill yet. I have not had any of the pains everyone is talking about until this past week. I have been able to eat pretty much whatever (within reason). I really screwed up on vacation and had part of a sub (and wine) - bread is bad- and now I am having these pains and it has been about 4 days. It is better today than Sunday when I was so tired from just coming back from vacation. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out - why now? I had a very active vacation and was not as careful with food as I should fo been. Is it normal to start feeling the aches/pain in shoulder about 4 weeks of being fine? I am better now that I have rested some, but it comes back when I eat. Any thoughts?

Okay, I know I shouldn't of done it, but on vacation last week I had a toasted sub (4 inches) and have been feeling wierd since. I do not hurt when I eat but I feel kinda swollen and it is harder to breath (not bad, just different) most all the time - especially when I sit.. It has been 2 day since I ate the sub and I actually feel like I did right after having surgery. I am only 1 month post-op with no fill at all -so there is no restriction (normally). I have been wondering if maybe the bread caused my stomach to swell and maybe I need to go back on a liquid diet just to give it time to heal? Any suggestions?

Okay, I know I shouldn't of done it, but on vacation last week I had a toasted sub (4 inches) and have been feeling wierd since. I do not hurt when I eat but I feel kinda swollen and it is harder to breath (not bad, just different) most all the time - especially when I sit.. It has been 2 day since I ate the sub and I actually feel like I did right after having surgery. I am only 1 month post-op with no fill at all -so there is no restriction (normally). I have been wondering if maybe the bread caused my stomach to swell and maybe I need to go back on a liquid diet just to give it time to heal? Any suggestions?

Thanks for the reply - I am cleared for real foods, but what bothers me most is that I have a restriction feeling now in my chest - making it feel different when I breathe. Since we're being honest here, I gained 3.5 pounds over vacation - could this of made the band tight enough to give me this feeling?

I know everyone is different and we should go by our doctors - but I am trying to figure out where I should be on the scale. From my insurance weigh in - I have lost 20 pounds, but only 5 has come since surgery. I have no restriction whatsoever and it is so hard to only eat 1/2 cup - I have not done well with this at all. Just out of courisity - do most people track from the surgery weight or insurance weight? I go for my first fill on July 21st and am so ready! Any suggestions?

Congrats on 12 pounds. I had surgery June 4th and am only down 5 pounds (was 8 until I started eating again). My doc doesn't do a fill until about 8 weeks out. I am nervous about gaining weight back - I feel no restriction and until I eat what should probably be a normal meal (still less than before) but I am not sure what else to do. I go for my first check up tomorrow at the doc - I am going to ask him for some more guidance.

My doc wants liquid only and a protein shake daily - 160 calories. I am struggling with this... I am working all day - and ballgames until 9:30 tonight - I am so tired that I have added some mushies and meats (really chewed to nothing or pulverized). I sure hope I am not causing the band to slip though. Good Luck to you!

I was banded 6/4 and had to stay in the hospital overnight - in which they pumped me full of liquids that night - I gained 7 pounds overnight. I was devasted. I have lost this and 4 more and that is all. I am so worried that my doctor is expecting more when I go back for my 2 week post-op. According to his records - I will only of lost the 4 pounds. Does anyone have any expectations from their doctor?

Thank you for your post - it is tough to gain weight when you are having a weight loss surgery.

The hospital gave me Ensure - the vanilla flavor is pretty good. My doctor prefers Optisource, but it only comes in strawberry & carmel so I am using the Optifast I used in the pre-surgery diet. It taste a lot better. The nutritionalist I saw suggested any of the meal replacements with 15 g of proten, 20 or less carbs, and or less 5 grams. I asked my doc about extra protein - he said to just use the one shake (described above) for the first two weeks and not worry about the 70 - 80 until week 3. By the way, did your doc give you an expected weight loss in the first two weeks?

I noticed your post? I have lost 19 pounds from the insurance weigh in date - but only 4 pounds post surgery which was 9 days ago. I weigh 224 and am wondering if I am doing something wrong or just a slow loser which I prefer. Can you tell me how much the doctors actually EXPECT you to lose in the 2 weeks post-op liquid diet? I have already started eating fish, strained soups, etc and this is probably why - but I got to say- I am exhausted otherwise. My family has a very busy schedule and without with fuel - I can't keep up!

What kind of protein powder do you use? I am alittle concerned. My doc asks for pure liquid diet for 2 weeks, but I am so exhausted I have just started eating ittybitty pieces of fish and soups for the fuel. I had to stay in the hospital and gained 7 pounds OVERNIGHT from hospital fluids. I have lost that and 4 additional pounds and am really worried that my doctor will be disappointed next week, but I swear I don't have the energy to do what I do on the liquid diet. I wonder how much the doctors expect you to lose the first two weeks afterwards?

lizzyann - I was glad to read your post. I was banded June 4th - and have worked from home but went into the office today for a few hours. The more I am sitting up, the bigger my stomach swells. I am on liquid diet for 2 weeks, but have been cheating and sucking on about 2 crackers a day. I read about other exercising etc, right now - but how do they have the energy. I am exhausted from not eating. I know when I work my normal hours next week it will be even worse. It appears your ate some on your second week - right? Should I add protein powder to my milk in the morning even now?

Hi, I don't think it is slippage. I had the "crampy" feeling in my lower left almost from the beginning. The doctor said it was the gas they use to blow up your stomach with moving around. He said it would take several days before it goes away.

Hey, I don't know what protein shakes you are using, but that might make a difference. I am suppose to use OptiSource (but since they only come in strawberry and carmel (yuck!) I am using the OptiFast that I used pre-surgery. I am suppose to have 2 oz 4x day and drink atleast 64 ounces of water/crystal light, etc a day. To be honest, I have been so hungry that I have sucked on about 2 ritz crackers the last couple of days and this has made a huge difference. You might want to change the protein shake you are using. I can also have strained soup and 1% milk (which helps in the morning). Good Luck.

Can you tell me how you did the sliding goal chart beneath your post? You have done wonderful on your weight loss!

I am so jealous. I was banded June 4th and can only have liquids for 2 weeks - s/f popsicles, water, strained soups, clear broth. I move to mushies on week 3. I would love to be able to eat yougurt or applesauce right now. I wonder if I could suck on a cracker until it turns to pure mush in my mouth (itty bitty pieces). Has anyone tried this and had no problems?

Hi, I was banded June 4th too. Doing okay - just really wishing I could eat something mushy or atleast suck on a cracker. I am so tired of the protein diet and water. I told my immediate family and an associate at work (who told everyone else at work even though she was not suppose to) so you probably made a good choice. I probably would of told my other work associates as I am a manager and my phone rings whenever I am out of the office too - and I really needed it cut off for a couple of days. Either way - I would of eventually told my co-workers so no harm done there. Any suggestions for wanting to eat? Also, how is everyone getting the sparkly lines at the bottom of their posts?

Hi, I am new to this site and doing research. Am I reading your scale right? Have you lost 30 pounds in 2.5 months? WOW! Also, the doctor I am going to use does not numb. I have had cortizone shots before - do you know if it is any worse than this?