cinward2001

Enterprise, most doctors recommend staying on liquids for 2 weeks post-op, but if your doc said 24-48 hrs, then soft foods, then he must think it's ok. For soft foods, one of the "general" guidelines is that it must be easily mushed with a fork for it to be considered soft. So canned vegetables, cottage cheese, soft fish, yogurt, etc. are all considered soft. Meat is definitely a solid food. I'm sure that your doctor's office can provide you a complete list. Again, it doesn't matter if it goes down fine and you don't have any problems with it...because you don't know what your stomach is doing. It's the same rationale behind trying your best to NOT vomit or pb during the first 6 weeks. Your stomach is forming scar tissue around the band. Prior to the scar tissue forming, the only thing holding your band in place is a few stitches. So the more *active* your stomach is by digesting solid foods, the less likely that scar tissue will form where it should. I don't know that there have been any studies that correlate early solids with band slips, but it wouldn't surprise me if this were the case. You need to follow your surgeon's guidelines because it's not about eating what "feels ok." It's about eating what will allow your stomach to heal. And even beyond that, it's about eating what will allow you to lose weight. I can eat a donut just fine...it goes down fine and I have no trouble with it. The same is true of all sorts of sweets and junk...but it's not ok for me to eat them because I'm trying to lose weight. Cindy

Ok, Oldtimer stopping in with a reality check. :mad: First, let me say that I'm posting this because I STILL do this...it's something I'm constantly working on. If I were a perfect bandster, I wouldn't be struggling with the last 20 lbs that I want to lose. I've been where you are (newly banded) and I've had these types of things said to me and I'd like to think that, as much as I didn't want to hear them, they've helped me. First, most of us are obese because we have an emotional attachment to food. For us, it's not just about eating for nutrition and health. Ideally, what we eat SHOULD be about nutrition and nothing more. But we eat when we're happy, sad, lonely, stressed, bored, or sick. We eat in celebration, we eat as part of a social activity, we eat because it tastes GOOD. The first step in changing this is to recognize it. Yes, losing weight and maintaining it IS about giving up your relationship with food. You need to accept that. Next, you have to start changing how you THINK about food. I've been reading lots of posts about people STARVING, certain foods being SO good, something "being worth it," etc. Not trying to pick on any one person here...we all do it. But those types of phrases are FULL of emotional attachment to food. NO one on this board is starving. Talking about some food being so worth it or so good...well, what is it worth? Is it worth staying obese for the rest of your life? If so, then why did you get banded? If "cheating" once meant that you'd lose your band, would you do it? Probably not. But that's what we tell ourselves...this ONCE won't hurt, or if I chew really well, it's OK if I eat this solid food too soon. Well, it ain't true folks. It doesn't matter how much you Vitamix or chew a solid food...it's still more solid than a liquid or soft food because the proteins and fiber in are different. Then, as you progress in your banding journey, it becomes really easy to say that this ONE cookie won't hurt, or this one bite (or two) of hamburger will be ok...and in most cases, that's true. But then, the scales stop moving and we wonder why? Because it was one cookie, one bite of hamburger, one sip of this and one nibble of that...and before you know it, you've had too many calories for the week. I'm not saying that we can never indulge in a cookie. I'm saying that, while you're actively trying to lose weight, you need to tell yourself "Not yet." Reward yourself with a new outfit, or jewelry, or make-up...but you need to start transfering your "love" of certain foods to things that won't make you fat. So, back to the "emotions follow thoughts" idea. If you tell yourself that you're STARVING, then you start to believe it. You start to feel deprived and you start telling yourself that you NEED to eat something...none of which is true. So try changing what you THINK. Instead of thinking that you're starving, tell yourself that Yes, you're hungry and that's a GOOD thing. Because that means your body will use some of those stored calories for energy and you'll lose weight. Use that hungry feeling to really begin learning the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. Use that hunger as an excuse to drink more water instead of eating more food. Same thing for those foods that are "SO good and SO worth it." Instead of being happy that you ate raviolis (which really are NOT a nutritious food no matter how you look at it), tell yourself the opposite. Such as, gosh, those are just refined pasta, high fat blobs with very little nutrition. I should feed my body something HEALTHY if I'm really hungry...not some over-processed, high fat junk food. Your emotions follow your thoughts. So the next time you think that you're starving, remind yourself that no, you're just hungry. The next time you start thinking that a cookie would be SO good, tell yourself that no, you're just wanting a sugar fix and try having a piece of fruit instead. It really does help... Cindy

Enterprise, I'm a little bit stunned by your posts. This might sound kind of harsh, but you don't get to CHOOSE what you eat and when. Well, you obviously are, but you shouldn't be. Your doctor's guidelines are there FOR A REASON, and you're throwing them out the window because you don't think Protein drinks taste good?! It's not about what tastes good at this point, it's NOT about what "agrees with you" or what "goes down." For many people, unless they have post-op swelling, they CAN eat anything...including chocolate chip cookies and alfredo. But they don't because getting banded means starting a new relationship with food. A BETTER relationship with food and one that does NOT include chocolate chip cookies and alfredo. The first 6 weeks after surgery is about healing. Has no one explained this to you? When you're banded, your stomach is sutured up and over the band. The stomach then forms scar tissues and heals *around* the band. So the 6 wks post op, with liquids and then progressing to soft foods, allows your stomach time to do this without churning food. If your doctor said it was ok to move on to applesauce and cottage cheese (these are all soft foods), then fine. But asparagus is VERY fibrous...it's a SOLID food...as is meat such as beef and ham. Most doctors say soft fish because that's more of a soft food. By moving on to solid foods so soon after surgery, you're risking your band. Do you really want to be one of those people who have a slip just because you don't LIKE the post-op rules? Seriously, folks...sticking to liquids will NOT MAKE YOU WEAK. Post-op anesthesia can make you feel weak, recovering from major surgery can make you feel weak, deyhdration can make you feel weak. But at this point, calorie deprivation will NOT make you weak. You have plenty of calories IN STORAGE (otherwise, you wouldn't need banding). And you WANT to use those calories, so quit telling yourself you need to eat such and such because you're weak...it's not true. Even with protein...if you stayed deficient for weeks and weeks, it'd be bad...but not getting in your protein for a while is FINE. Cindy

This sounds more like bypass instructions to me. Bandsters usually eat 1/2-1 c of food per meal, but even that is just a guideline. When you're on liquids and mushies, you tend to eat more because liquids and very soft foods slide on through the band. For restaurants, I try to follow the same guidelines that I do anywhere else. Protein and veggies first. I avoid fried foods, sauces, etc. For example, today I had a small salad with grilled chicken. Almost any restaurant, if you ask for a house salad, can put something on top...such as grilled salmon, a small piece of steak, shrimp, etc...all depending on what you can eat. If you're still on mushies, try some type of fish with steamed veggies. Eat slowly, chew well, and yes, your body will tell you when you're full. Cindy

You need another fill. 0.8 ccs in a 4 cc band is nothing. Although a very small fill can be enough for some people, what matters is whether or not it's enough for YOU! Why is your doctor doing such small amounts? Why are you having to wait 2 months between fills? Usually, you know if a fill is working within about 2 weeks...so if you still don't feel restriction, make another appt. immediately...you can always cancel it if the restriction changes. If it's the doctor's "rules" that he only fills small, small amounts and makes you wait 2 months, then find another doctor or have a serious talk with yours. It sounds like you were self-pay...so you PAID for the band, and yet it's not really working until you have a decent level of restriction. Try not to be so hard on yourself. Really...without adequate fills, your band is NOT working. Being down on yourself just makes it worse...not only because you want to eat more, but it contributes to wanting to be a couch potato (sitting around and feeling hopeless). Now, the one thing that you CAN do to start progressing is to get your butt OFF the couch and go for a walk. You don't have to have a "formal" exercise routine...just try to start moving more. You'll feel better for it! Cindy

Katie, how ready are you to lose weight? For me, I was practically feeling suicidal because of my weight. I was miserable. Are you thinking of banding as something you'll "try?" As another diet "attempt?" Because if you are, it probably won't work. But if you go into banding with the attitude that *I WILL MAKE THIS WORK,* then the band will help and it will work. Lots of people have issues with food. Lots of people sabotage themselves. But many of those same people are successful with the band. The band will help manage your hunger and will restrict some of what you can eat...so if you're ready to do your part (including working on the self-sabotage), then go for it. There's no reason (I think) that you have to work on mental/emotional issues *before* getting the band. The band makes it easier, so as long as you recognize that you'll need to work on these things with the band, too, then you're taking steps in the right direction. In fact, many people, as they lose weight, find that seeing a therapist is helpful. We sometimes use fat to cover up pain, stress, unhappiness, etc...so as the weight comes off, you have to DEAL with those emotions...and therapy can help. Ultimately, you're the only one who can say whether or not you'll be successful with the band. If you tell yourself you WILL, don't give yourself an excuse or an out to not be successful, then the liklihood that you'll succeed is greater. Cindy

Tomorrow is my one year bandiversary. I've lost 82 lbs...had a goal to lose 84 lbs the first year. How close is that? LOL Of course, the scales are going to stick right here just for spite. :rose: This is my personal opinion on losing weight, based upon my own journey and reading about so many others so it may or may not apply to you. I think that many (if not most) obese people have a much more emotional relationship with food than we realize. We eat when we're happy, sad, bored, stressed, tired, etc. In MOST cases, when people get banded, they're ready to WORK at severing those emotional ties to food. The band helps with the physical hunger and physical restriction...but it won't stop us from eating for other reasons. I think that, for the small percent of people who do NOT do well with the band, they didn't realize this and/or aren't ready to give up their relationship with food. When that happens, you can read all sorts of "excuses" for eating. I'm weak from hunger, I couldn't help myself, I was just trying one bite, but I LOVE bread (or any other food)...and the list goes on. Even though I'm almost at my goal, I STILL do this sometimes, too. I've been sick this week...so I'm eating more sweets 'cause I'm tired, my throat hurts, I'm mopey 'cause I hate feeling bad, and I want to eat something that tastes good going down. In reality, those are excuses. Eating sweets won't help me get better faster. But at least with the band, I recognize when I'm doing this, and the band doesn't allow the quantity or even some of the same junk that I used to get to go down...so where pre-band I would have gained weight from this emotional eating, now I just stay the same until I get my act together again. In a very real sense, I think that DS and bypass are the easier surgeries *in the beginning.* Because they're malabsorptive, it doesn't matter if you eat the wrong things or overeat (they're also restrictive, so you can't eat as much). Your body doesn't absorb the calories anyway. With banding, if you eat it, your body uses it. With banding, you HAVE to change your head and your habits. DS and bypass do more of the work for you. I also think that's why so many studies are showing that, at 3-5 years, banding has the same success rate as DS and bypass...and at 5+ years, bandsters are MORE successful. That's because, with DS and bypass, when the body compensates for the surgery (pouch gets larger, absorption improves), the person hasn't learned how to deal with the emotional eating or changed their habits...so the weight starts coming back. Of course, that doesn't happen with ALL DS and bypass patients...sometimes, losing the weight initially leads to such lifestyle changes (exercise, new relationships, etc) that the weight stays off. With the band, that doesn't happen. You either learn to deal with the head hunger and change your habits, or you don't lose much weight. Also, if you start sliding backwards, you can get a fill. But that's also key...some bandsters don't get fills once they realize that, with good restriction, you likely *can't* eat a hamburger or french fries. Some bandsters really just aren't ready to give up some of those foods. Sorry to be so long-winded with this. I think that the band is a WONDERFUL tool and am so thankful that I did it. But I really get annoyed when someone isn't doing well and they blame it on the band because they're not doing what they need to do. It does take work, but for most people, the pay-offs are worth it...and as you start dropping weight, it gets easier to be motivated because you see and FEEL it working. Cindy

Ginny, you need another fill. Yes, exercise helps you burn calories, but it doesn't really do a whole lot to curb your appetite. That's what the band is supposed to do. Call your surgeon back and schedule a fill. I don't exercise 45 min/day, but I do exercise at least 3x/week, and sometimes 5-6. But I've found something that I LOVE to do, so it's not a matter of "finding" time. It's a priority in my life because I enjoy and it keeps me sane and healthy. If you find an activity you enjoy, you'll find it's much easier to exercise. Cindy

Sweetsue, I do hope you'll follow Dr. Ortiz's orders. Goodness...you're so tight from swelling that you need a complete unfill and then you follow it up with a lunch of roast beef and cheese crepe?! Yes, you can indulge yourself occasionally when you're eating very little, but being banded is also about changing your eating habits. For most people, if they're that irritated that they need an unfill, they're usually still pretty careful about eating choose liquids...which is exactly what Dr. Ortiz recommended. Honestly, you sound pretty self-destructive, not only with your food choices, but the nightly dosing of Nyquil, vomiting, and just plain out NOT managing your band properly. For any newbies or soon to be bandsters reading this thread, this is NOT the normal life of a bandster. Yes, I've pb'ed...but I've been banded almost a year and I've pb'ed an average of once per MONTH. And most of those were soon after a fill when you're having to adjust to the new restriction. I do not regularly slime or cough up mucous and rarely experience any pain with the band. Sweetsue, please be careful. You don't want to lose the band, but even more importantly, you need to figure out WHY you're doing these things. Cindy

Kmarie, I think the doctor is wrong. The band should easily last a lifetime. Some problems *can* occur that necessitate it's removal, but those are relatively rare. As for committing to a lifestyle change...yes, you should do that if you're going to get banded, but the band HELPS with that change. It's not anything like trying to do without the band. I could never lose more than 30 lbs at a time pre-band. I've been banded almost a year and I've lost 82 lbs...wanted to lose 83 my first year. I need to lose 10-20 lbs to be at my final goal...so no, it doesn't always take 3 years to get to goal, either. Cindy

I always hate this. Why in the world *wouldn't* someone less than a year out be considered a success story? I've NEVER lost more than 30 lbs at one time before...so to me, once I hit 30+ pounds, I was more successful with the band than anything else. Now, I'm right at a year post-op and I've lost almost 100% of what I wanted to lose. Granted, I've since decided to lose 10-20 lbs more, but that's gravy. I sort of understand the rationale...we've all dieted so much and re-gained it that it's a concern. But banding has been SO different from anything else I've done that I'm really not concerned that I'll gain. My band is with me for life...I don't need to wait 2-4 yrs to know that it WORKS. Cindy

5jacks, I don't feel the band at all. I can, however, feel the port. Cindy

There's a popular phrase...Ride it till the wheels fall off. :welldone: Meaning that, if you're not hungry, great! It won't hurt you to stay at a low caloric intake for a while. As long as you're feeling good, drink what you feel like drinking and ride it 'til the wheels fall off. :cool: Cindy

Fiyagirl, you're going to take one day at a time until your fill. :welldone: That's all any of us can do...work on today because we can't control tomorrow and yesterday is gone. Yes, if you thought that you'd have restriction right away, then the initial time after banding can be disappointing. But focus on small changes. You DO have the band...that can be a source of hope and strength right there. Instead of facing a lifetime of dieting without help, you have to get through 6 weeks. Just 6 weeks. And honestly, if you don't lose a pound during this time, that's ok, too, because the MOST important thing you can do is let your stomach heal. Try to make good food choices. Start following the bandster guidelines now (within your doctor's instructions on what to eat when)...try to focus on protein and veggies, eat slowly, chew well. Start exercising if you can, even if it's taking a walk outside. Drink lots of water. Beyond that, try not to worry about it...things will start being easier once you have restriction. Cindy

I don't follow a commercial diet and I exercise 45 minutes, 3x/week with a personal trainer. Plus, as a family, we go to karate 2x/week. Some weeks, I'll pick up another training session or go to karate more, but that's *completely* because I love it. I like feeling strong and fit. :welldone: For my "diet," I try to focus on Protein and veggies first, but I've eaten pizza, Doritos, cake, ice cream, chocolate, Cookies, pecan pie, bread, etc. I don't eat them every day and when I do eat them, it's in small quantities, but I'm obviously not following a "diet" in the "D" sense of the word. I've lost 80+ lbs in the past year. :cool: Cindy

You've probably identified your problem right there. Even IF sweets are the only thing you can keep down, you shouldn't be eating them. You don't get to eat what's "easy" and lose weight. You have to eat your Protein and veggies. If you can't do that, then you either need to change your eating habits (eat smaller bites, chew more, etc), or get a slight unfill. It's calories in/calories out. Plain and simple. But if you're eating sweets, softs foods, or lots of carbs, it's easy to get way more calories than you think you do. So try going back to protein and veggies first, very few carbs, lots of Water, and no snacks/sweets/junk food, and increase your exercise. The scales *will* drop. Cindy

Now that you've recognized your problem, you need to work hard to find solutions for it. If you can, try to find a counselor who deals with food issues. If that's not an option, then you need to find coping strategies for dealing with the depression AND your dependency on food. I think that it's particularly difficult in the beginning because, even though you're losing weight, you don't yet have the major weight losses to boost your morale, mood, and self-image. In a nutshell, you need to find another "center for your life." As you lose weight, many of the opportunities that you didn't try because of your weight will become available to you. Find a new hobby or new passion. Think about what YOU want to do with the rest of your life as a new, skinnier self. Start working toward that goal. Start exercising. Not only does it take time, but it's a mood booster, it helps you to lose weight, and you can't eat while doing it. It DOES get better. Use POSITIVE self-talk, remind yourself that food is NOT a friend, it's not emotional, it should only be nutrition. Cindy

I already have a low profile port. Dr. Rumbaut only uses the low profiles (I'm surprised that the others are used anywhere?). Anyway, I'm 1 lb from my original goal , but I'd still like to lose another 15, maybe 20. Most of the time, I don't feel my port at all. Occasionally, however, it will feel "tight." Sort of like it's a bit swollen, but there's no pain or redness...I sometimes think it corresponds to when I'm retaining Fluid or something. : Cindy

That's part of the point I was trying to make. You said that you lost the 70 lbs without really watching what you ate or exercising. For many people, the band IS that good...but for most, it really DOES take changing eating habits and exercising to get to goal. So you have been lucky so far...but at some point, YOU need to make the changes that are needed to lose the weight and keep it off. Gaining back 10 lbs, for whatever reason, is a red flag that something needs to change. If taking a diet pill will help YOU to make the changes you need to make, then great! But if you take the pills for 3 months, drop some weight, but do NOT make significant eating and exercise changes (beyond what the appetite suppressant is doing for you), then what's going to stop the weight from coming RIGHT BACK when the diet pills stop working? Are you then going to look for another one? Here's the gist of this weight loss thing (for me). I've accepted the fact that, to control my weight *I* have to eat less (and better foods) and exercise more. That means eating less/exercising more even if I'm going through menopause (just a few years away), having thyroid issues, simply getting older, or whatever. Because *that's* what it takes to get the weight off and KEEP it off. Thankfully, the band helps me to eat less...but it doesn't choose the foods for me or make me exercise. Those are habits I've had to develop for myself. Using any other "short term" aid or diet, whether caffeine pills, appetite suppressants, etc, to do the work for me simply prolongs how long it's going to take for ME to learn how to do this on my own. Please don't take this negatively. I'm not trying to criticize you, and if I'm way off base, then read what I have to say and then discard it without another thought. Cindy

Cathy was my US coordinator and she was wonderful! In fact, on my bandiversary (19th of this month), I plan on emailing her again. I've emailed a few times in the past year and she's always responded and been very nice. I remember, when I was still worrying about having this surgery, that I called her on my cell and sat in a parking lot talking to her for about 45 minutes. She helped me so much! Angela, I'm sorry that your experience wasn't the same. Sometimes, people just rub each other the wrong way. I'm glad that your banding worked out with Dr. Aceves. Cindy

Judy, I used Dr. Rumbaut, too. The entire experience was great and I honestly believe that my lack of pain post-op and my quick recovery was due in large part to his surgical skill. I would repeat my banding with him in a minute. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM or email me. Cindy

Plain and simple...HELL NO. I fought my weight for 20+ years...diet and exercise, WW, etc. The most I ever lost was 30 lbs in one year...and the next year, it was right back. With the band, I've lost 82. I'm 1 lb. from my original goal. Cindy

I've resisted this thread for several days, but I can't resist sticking my big nose in...well, I could, but I don't want to. The band is meant to be a lifelong tool. It's meant to help you learn how to eat smaller portions and, when you have restriction, it "turns off" your hunger because you fill up faster. I think using diet pills with the band is just so wrong in so many different ways. First, the band is a way of getting OUT of that cycle of dieting just to lose some "magic" amount of weight. Even if you lose slowly with the band, it's meant to work with you for LIFE. You don't stop it and start it according to when you want to eat or not it, or when you need to drop a few pounds or not. Second, diet pills are NOT meant to be used for long periods of time. As many of you mentioned here, they lose their effectiveness after a relatively short period of time. Even if they didn't, they're not safe for extended periods. So in that sense, they're a *gimmick*. Third, MUCH of losing weight and keeping it off is learning how to deal with HUNGER. Being hungry ain't going to kill you. You might not like it, but you can learn to deal with it. Learning to deal with hunger is also about learning to differentiate between HEAD hunger and true physical hunger. If you're shutting down your feelings of hunger, then you're not learning how to deal with any of it...you're simply letting a chemical do the work for you. Fourth, it sounds like people are wanting to use diet pills in one of two situations. The first is to get through "bandster hell," that period before any fills when you're on liquids, mushies, etc. This is a NORMAL time with the band...it's part of the learning process. If you're not experiencing hunger during this time because of a diet pill, then when you do get a fill, how are you going to tell much of a difference? If you're using diet pills after a fill or two because you're still hungry, then you don't have the band adjusted properly or you're eating the wrong foods...so again, you're NOT utilizing the band correctly. Quit looking for the easy way out, folks. If the easy way out worked, we'd all be thin. You need to learn to *work* with the band so you can get the weight off and *keep* it off for the rest of your life. Cindy

That's a great attitude to have! It's kept me away from a lot of stuff and actually, it WAS easier in the beginning. I think that once you get those refined carbs out of your system, it's easier to avoid them. Once you start trying them again, then you just want them more. You'll also find that for many foods, when you chew, chew, chew, it changes the texture and flavor and they're just not very good any more. Cindy

Amy, one of my favorite meals is steak and steamed veggies. There's a good chance you won't have to give it up although different people have trouble with different things. For me, the only food I've really given up is stringy meat (see the post above about roast) and a lot of breads and pastas. But even then, while at macaroni Grill today, I had a few bites of their bread. I really do try to treat banding as a lifelong experience...and for me, that really doesn't mean NEVER eating bread, or pizza, or junk. It just means limiting it a LOT and being very conscious of when I do eat those things. Cindy