cinward2001

Average weight loss to be expected with the band is 1-2lbs/week. So 4 lbs per month, as much as we hate it, is on target. Think of it this way...even if you stay at 4 lbs/month, in a year, you've lost 48 lbs. That's nothing to sneeze at. But instead of moping or going to get ice cream, why not do something positive? Go for a walk or bicycle ride. Garden, rake leaves, etc. Not only will it make you feel better, it'll burn some calories.

I think it's a whole lot easier than all of this. If you're not losing, eat less. Sorry, I don't believe in starvation mode. I also don't believe that if you exercise more, you need to eat more. I work out 3x/week with a trainer (very intense) and 2-3 times per week I'm in karate. Some days I eat 400 calories, some days, I eat 1200...but I probably average about 800/day. I don't track calories, or protein/carbs/fat. I do try to eat Protein and produce at every meal and save the carbs, if any, to last. If you consistently eat less, you WILL lose weight. The best thing you can do to ensure that you're not losing muscle mass is to work it. Exercise, lift weights, etc.

Tabitha, where are you with the band? Have you had any fills? What kind of restriction do you have? PBing episodes don't necessarily indicate that your band is tight enough, sometimes it indicates that you're not eating slowly enough or small enough bites. The Lupron may be making it more difficult to lose the weight, but if you're not doing everything you can with the band (because of the Lupron) then you're selling yourself short.

Angela, I was banded by Dr. R in January, '06. Even going alone, you'll be fine! My husband was with me, but honestly, he didn't do anything for me that I couldn't do for myself...or get someone in the hotel, hospital, Dr. R's team, etc, to do for me if necessary. Dr. R and his team are terrific! I'd love to go back just to say hello and thank you for doing such a terrific job. Cindy

Michele, unless you have low blood sugar as a medical problem (few people do, but many use it as an excuse to eat), it won't be a problem. Nor will being tired (after you're healed from the surgery). If you stay hyrdated, make good food choices with plenty of protein, and take a multi-vitamin, you'll do fine. We all have calories in storage and that's what you *want* to use.

I'd know, and that would be enough, so no, I wouldn't cheat.

Please do take a multi-vitamin. I just recently had lab work done with my doctor. I have Iron deficiency anemia because I've drastically reduced the amount of meat/protein I used to eat. I was taking Viactiv...turns out, it doesn't have any iron. Duh. And yes, the children's chewables are almost identical to adult Vitamins. They're also less expensive. Taking a Vitamin is one of those "it's not going to to hurt to take it, so why not?" type of things...

If you'd continued to eat the egg, you probably would have experienced a PB for yourself. I think you described it well. A tightness and pressure in your chest, sometimes an ache. It always makes me want to stretch my arms over my head to relieve the ache. If the food will pass on through the stoma, it does so fairly quickly, I think. But if it's truly going to stay stuck for a couple of minutes, then your body starts producing more mucous to help it on down. This then leads to MORE tightness and pressure, and pain, because more "stuff" is building up in the esophagus. Eventually, it becomes uncomfortable enough that you want it OUT. That's the time to head to the bathroom...

Well, if you save $8000 on the surgery itself, even IF you have to fly back to MX for a fill, that's quite a few fills. My airfare, when I flew to MX, was $325. Tickets are running closer to $400 now, but even with the higher airfare and a hotel stay, I could pay for about 16 fills. In reality, I paid $10,600 for my surgery, $650 in airfare (DH went with me), and less than $50 in food. I'm using a fill doctor close to home, a fill under fluoro is $300, however, insurance is paying 1/2 of that. 3 fills, so I've paid $450 so far. Grand total: $11,750 If I'd had the surgery closer to home, it would have been $22,000.

Yoda, I know what you mean. I just recently got my 3rd fill and it's pretty tight. I really DO have to think about what I'm going to eat because if I don't, I'm going to be very uncomfortable. For example, last night, I ate a grape followed by a couple of quick bites of watermelon (while slicing it for my boys). BIG mistake. I spent about 5 minutes wondering if I was going to be sick or if it'd go on down. BUT...I think that NOT thinking about food contributed to my obesity. I pretty much ate what I wanted when I wanted if I wasn't dieting...and then if I was dieting, I was right back into thinking about all of it, but without the success that the banding provides. As for feeling the same as pre-banding? Heck, no! LOL I feel much, much better. I'm exercising, sleeping better, and everything is easier. Cindy

You really should get instructions from your doctor's office. Give them a call and I'm sure they'll tell you. For me, it's not food or drink for 4 hrs prior to the fill.

Kiana, depression after surgery is really a pretty common event. Whether it's from the anesthesia, your body trying to heal itself, or just the "let-down" after taking such a huge step...many people feel depression sometime soon after surgery. Unfortunately, when you're depressed, your emotions rule. Your mind might know why you decided to be banded, your mind knows it's too soon to expect anything, but it's hard to be optimistic when you're emotions are in a spin. Try to give it some time. Do the things that are normally good for depression. Try to walk, drink your Water, spend some time in the sunshine, etc. If the depression doesn't get better, call your physician. Cindy

I think that, in the way most people refer to it, starvation mode IS a myth. Calories in vs. calories out. It's physics. Your body needs energy to function and it gets that energy either from food, stored calories in the form of glycogen, stored fat, or Protein. If you reduce the calories you take in, your body first uses readily available glucose in the bloodstream, then glycogen stored in the muscles, then fat, and in some cases, protein. There is NOT a mechanism that says "Oh, let's not use this fat, let's hold onto it until tomorrow." If your body needs energy, it WILL use your fat stores. I do, however, think that your metabolism can slow down a bit when you're eating very few calories. I do NOT think it slows down enough to make a difference in the long term. After all, we can't hibernate. It's also easy to counteract this simply by increasing your activity. Also, very low calorie diets can cause muscle loss (from protein being used for energy), so they often cause more problems in the long run. It's why anorexics often have heart failure. And as your muscle mass decreases, your metabolism decreases because muscle uses more energy (even at rest) than fat. Most often, though, I think people use "starvation mode" as a reason to eat more. I also think that, without the band, when people try to stick to a 1000 calorie diet/day, their hunger sabotages them. So in a sense, your body DOES want more calories...but it can't "hold on" to fat stores if you continue to eat fewer calories than you need.

I'm happy with my band. Yes, I've been working HARD to lose, but hard work doesn't bother me. I wasn't really looking for an easy way out of obesity because I don't think that there is one. Some of you have complained about needing fills, worrying about pbing, possible slips and erosions, needing follow-up surgery for port problems, etc...as in, the band is too much work or worry. I don't mean for this to be harsh, but it's probably going to sound that way. I think that these are excuses. Hell, being obese is HARD. Trying to find clothes that fit, fitting in airplanes, dealing with medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, dealing with CPAP machines for sleep apnea, joint issues, etc. Anyone looking for an easy, or even easiER, road to better health isn't going to find one because there isn't one. There are *different* roads, but not necessarily easier. If you don't like the work of being banded, then sure, switch to RNY. Then you can worry about dying on the operating table, developing strictures, needing regular blood work, taking B12 shots and Vitamins, losing bone density, dumping, stretching your pouch, and possibly regaining weight in 1-2 years. Either way, you WILL have worries and issues to deal with. Even if you choose another type of WLS, those come with their own issues and worries, too. Things usually look greener on the other side of the fence, remember? You can spend your energy worrying about stuff that hasn't happened yet (what if my band slips? what if it erodes?), or you can spend your energy "wishing" (to lose faster, that it was easier, that you could still eat chocolate cake and lose weight), but that's just a waste of energy. Instead, put that energy into making positive changes in your life. Cindy

Julie, I hear what you're saying. It *is* hard not to compare, but you have to try just to compare yourself to...yourself. Are you doing more this week than last? Are you eating better today than you did yesterday? Can you drink more Water? Or are you doing as well as you'd like to do and can "coast" for a while? Now, I also understand the exercising 3x/day thing. The problem I have with those types of thread is the "If I can do it, anyone can!" attitude. And that just isn't true. Not everyone can work out for several hours/day, whether due to time constraints or health issues, or simply what that person needs to be healthier. Excesses can be found in all forms and fashions...and even though exercising to excess can help the weight come off faster, it's not necessarily healthier in the long run. I have an aunt who, a couple of years ago, decided she would lose weight no matter what. She started working out on her stationary bike...4-5 hrs/day. Yes, she lost weight, but quickly found out that she didn't have a "life" anymore...and as soon as she cut back on the exercise, the weight came back. :scared: So you HAVE to find YOUR balance. And if that means nothing more than taking an afternoon walk each day, but you ENJOY it and can do it for the rest of your life, then it's good. And ultimately, it's not a race...it's a journey. I'd rather lose 1-2lbs/week while still enjoying my time with my family, enjoying an occasional celebratory piece of cake, etc because in the end, we're going to get to the same place...our goal weight. Cindy

Telly, I'm sorry if my concern has offended you. By normal, I pretty much just mean "not to excess." And yes, that can vary quite a bit according to the person. A couple of things about your post... One, if you really think that Protein shakes aren't full of preservatives and artificial ingredients, you've been listening to their advertising too long. : Even if you purchase plain Protein powder, it's been chemically processed...nothing really "natural" about it. If we really wanted to debate "best foods," which I don't, you're right...organic farmed and raised "whole" foods would be best. Two, to best utilize your band, you shouldn't be drinking your calories. Now, I know you don't have a fill yet, so it's different for you right now, but for any other bandster with restriction, their food needs to be solid...not liquid. Three, I probably should have known better than to say anything anyway. My BFL friend got pretty irritated and defensive when I said anything to her, too. People will believe what they want to believe, so I'm done here. I wish you all the best! I really DO think your enthusiasm and progress are great. :cool:

Telly, just be careful, k? I did Body for Life a couple of years ago and, while doing that, met some very determined people. But what I found was that, sometimes, determination and obsessive behavior are not that far from each other. One gal in particular did extremely well with BFL...even started to get into body building competitions. But where she started out simply wanting to be thinner and healthier, after a year or so, practically the only thing she thought about was when she would be working out again, what she'd eaten that day, was it too much, not enough, she was taking Vitamins and supplements like crazy. Her entire focus became about losing more weight. When I mentioned how "bizarre" her life was sounding, she became very upset with me. About a year later, she admitted that, during that time, she began treatment for OCD and is STILL struggling with it. She has also gained quite a bit of weight back because she couldn't continue at that level without giving in to the OCD behaviors. Being a bandster, to me, is about leading a normal life. Eating normally and exercising normally. As much as I'd love to take this weight off very quickly, exercising twice per day and drinking Protein shakes 2x/day is not normal. It's not even considered healthy. Even in the body building world, competitors use extreme diets and exercise regimens only for short periods of time right before a competition. Please don't be offended by this. It's just that, in the overall scheme of the rest of your life, whether you reach goal in August or in November really makes very little difference. But by pushing so hard, you CAN set yourself up for problems later on...not only physical ones, but emotional/mental ones, too. And I "hear" things in your posts that sound an awful lot like that gal from a couple of years ago. You're doing things to lose weight (like using a sauna suit) that are just NOT healthy. So please be careful...the end goal is thinner AND healthy....not just a number on the scale.

I think that it absolutely cannot be emphasized enough that people research WLS and then research some more! I'm astonished by how many people don't know, prior to surgery, that they'll be on a liquid diet for a while post-op. Or they don't know WHY they're on a liquid diet. Or they expect the band to begin to work immediately and don't know what a fill is. Yes, the surgeon's office SHOULD be educating these people, but ultimately, it's the individual's responsibility because it is their LIFE.

Telly, we frequent some of the same boards and we "share" a surgeon, so first, I want to say that I think your progress is AMAZING! This post is NOT meant to dim your drive and your fire...you should most definitely keep the gusto going! But...your results are NOT typical. I worry a bit about other bandsters (or pre-ops) when I see posts like this. You are definitely the exception to the bandster lifestyle. A GOOD exception, but still, not everyone can hope/expect to lose weight as quickly as you have. For MOST people, they do need to get several fills before the band is effective. For MOST people, hoping to lose 18.5 lbs per month is unrealistic. When I read something like "for everyone that really put forth the effort," I feel a bit of irritation. I seriously doubt you mean it this way (I think you mean it as encouragement), but it feels like you're saying that anyone who isn't losing at such a rapid rate just isn't putting forth the effort. Most bandsters really will lose an average of 1-2 lbs/week and that's ok. Again, I think that your enthusiasm is GREAT! You've done so well and you should be very proud of that.

What I find ironic with this is that VERY few people would bother to check up on a US facility to this extent. We *assume* that the hospital is good, but unfortunately, even WITH JACHO accreditation, there are poor hospitals in the US. Obviously, everyone has the right to choose where they have surgery. What bothers me is the pervasive discrimination that sometimes exist against Mexico and other countries. There are bad surgeons and bad hospitals NO MATTER what country you're in...believing that an entire medical system is bad just because it's in another country just shows a lack of education and a narrow-mindedness that is (in my opinion) very sad. Cindy

MelAnne, without a fill, you *are* working this all by yourself. It's not easy. So don't give up on the band yet when it hasn't had a chance to work. You'll notice a big difference when you start getting some fills in, and especially when you get some restriction...which may take a few fills, so you have to hang in there. Now, as for tracking calories, figuring out what to eat, etc. This is *just* me and my thoughts/feelings, so I don't want to offend anyone, k? But I'm putting them out there in case they'll help you or anyone else. First, I got the band so that I could STOP tracking everything. Most "normal" people don't track their daily intake. They eat when they're hungry and stop when they're not. I've spent my life, with one diet or the other, tracking this and that. I'm done with it. Instead, I simply focus on some general guidelines. Protein and veggies first, I try to limit the "white" stuff (rice, bread, Pasta, etc), and beyond that, I simply try to eat healthy and with band "rules." Second, as for the number of calories. I've mentioned this before...I think that "starvation mode" is a myth. If the human body did get more efficient at "holding" on to calories, then no one would starve to death. It's an excuse we give ourselves to eat. In reality (or at least mine :girl_hug:), we have plenty of calories stored. Maybe I'll need to worry about starving when I weigh 130 lbs, but right now, I have months of stored energy to use and I plan on using it! Also, what might be true for "normal" people, people who haven't screwed up their metabolisms with decades of dieting, is not true for me. If I were to eat 1500 calories/day right now, I'd start gaining. So it's NOT about how many calories you "should" be eating, but how few you can eat. Some days, I can eat as little as 600 calories....I'm just not very hungry. Other days, I'm sure it's closer to 1000 or 1200. But I'm listening to my HUNGER and eating accordingly. I think that it all averages out. I'm NOT advocating a very low calorie "diet." I'm saying that we need to shift from focussing on the numbers to determining what works and doesn't work for each of us as an individual. I also don't believe it's the amount of fuel that we consume that keeps our metabolism in high gear. I think it's the amount of movement we do. Studies have shown that, after a workout, your body continues to burn calories at a higher rate. Exercise also helps to maintain and build muscle mass, increase bone density, lung capacity, etc. Eating more just puts in more calories that you then need to use up... I'm glad that you're meeting with a nutritionist! But just like 15 different doctors will have 15 different ways of doing things, different nutritionists will tell you different things. My nutritionist flat out said "You don't need to eat for calories. Eat protein, eat vegetables and some fruit for Vitamins and minerals. That's all you need."

Most of us have been there. You just have to keep repeating to yourself that this is a time for healing, not necessarily weightloss. Stick to your doctor's guidelines about when to eat what, but if you're hungry, have more mushies! You can always try to keep them low cal mushies, but still, it's very hard to NOT eat (drink) more when the stomach swelling goes down. Remember, the band is NOT working at this point. But here's something else to put it in perspective. :girl_hug: If I read your post right, you did a 1 week pre-op diet, and you're 1 week out....so in TWO weeks, you've lost 15 lbs. That's 7.5 lbs per week! Your body HAS to slow down in the weightloss to be healthy. So try not to worry too much about weight loss right now. Do what you need to do to stick with the mushies and let your stomach heal. Cindy

I always wonder, when people aren't happy with the band, why not? I know sometimes there's medical issues...slippage, erosion, reflux, etc. which are mostly beyond the bandster's control. But weight loss is such an emotional issue, too...and the band doesn't work on emotions. So I think that, many times (not all!), when someone is not happy with the band, it's more about *the person* than the band. I'm a prime example of that. I can honestly say that I'm happy I got the band...I needed to lose weight (lost ~45 lbs so far...would like to lose ~50 more). Without the band, I know that I'd be gaining weight instead of losing. But there are days that I'm also grumpy about being banded. Grumpy because I still want to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it (the "head in the sand" attitude), grumpy because I still fight the night time munchies (I want the band to do ALL the work, darn it! LOL), and grumpy because, no matter how fast I lose, I want to lose faster. And I guess that's one reason why the band is so effective. Grumpy days, pre-band, might have resulted in my giving up the current weight loss effort, or totally sabotaging my efforts, but with the band, I can't just say "screw-it." It keeps me trying, whether I like it or no. So just as with everything in life, the band is going to elicit a wide variety of responses. Some people will be ecstatic and feel that the band is the greatest thing. Some people will find it super easy to lose weight with the band. Others will be in the middle, saying that yes, the band helps, but it's still hard work. And then others will feel that the band is a mistake because it didn't do enough, or there were too many emotional issues, medical problems, etc. The best thing you can do is to understand, as much as possible, what the band can and can't do prior to your surgery. But even then, it's a leap of faith, because until YOU have a band, you can't know for sure how you're going to deal with everything else that goes along with it. Cindy

Nora, I think that you have a point for surgery *anywhere*...whether it's the US or Mexico. I wouldn't go to a "clinic." For me, any surgery that uses general anesthesia is a "major" surgery with the potential for problems. I wanted to be in a hospital with an ICU. What I hate is when people discriminate against all Mexican hospitals and surgeons (not saying that you're doing this!). We occasionally hear about people having plastic surgery in a US "clinic" or doctor's office with some horrible results. Anyone can be a quack, have poor facilities, etc. Whether it's Mexico or the US, you have to do your research!

I know that some people use the possibility of surgical complications as a reason to have surgery in the US, but for me, it was just the opposite. As a self pay patient, IF there had been complications during my surgery, I would have been responsible for any additional charges incurred. I know that those types of charges (OR fees, hospital stay, surgeon's fees, anethesiology fees, lab fees, etc) can easily climb into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our fees in the US are many, many times more than those in Mexico. So I opted for Mexico. I used Dr. Rumbaut, so I had every confidence in his abilities. The hospital was the San Jose Teaching hospital. It's a full facility hospital easily capable of handling any emergency situation. But at least I knew that, IF any complications occurred, I would more easily be able to pay for any additional charges while in Mexico. The same can't be said for the US...complications in the US could easily have bankrupted me. : Of course, I didn't have any problems and I'd make the same decision all over again.