Momto3redheads

I agree - you could probably eat a bite ot two and make sure to chew it good before you swallow...if it is dry you will have trouble, though. I tend to stay away from cake type things (mufins,donuts, etc) as they tend to be dry and will get stuck...which I have found isn't worth it! But a few bites probably wouldn't hurt ya.

I only had a week of all liquids/shakes.....that was plenty as I was starving and needed something more. Course that is all part of the bandster hell --- more than likely you WILL struggle with being hungry and not feeling full until you get some fills and start feeling restriction.....just hang in there! I still have a protein shake for breakfast every morning - as I am way too tight in the mornings to try and eat anything...and this way I can get some protein in first thing. I make a herbalife shake and add a scoop of unflavored Unjury (20 g protein) to it --- by making the shake with 6 oz skim milk and some ice it gets thick like an ice cream shake and is a real treat! So it is a healthy breakfast - YUM!

Have you tried any shakes? I found starting the day with a shake packed with Protein really helps me - as I am too tight in the morning to eat anything anyway....I love the herbalife shakes and I add unjury Unflavored Protein powder to them....get creative and change up the flavors -you can add a tsp of any sugar free pudding to shakes to add variety. (cheesecake is YUMMY!) Until you hit your sweet spot you will struggle more with being hungry between meals and you just have to try and make good decisions and get lots of protein in to help keep you feeling full longer. Hang in there - this is a journey! Kim

I love the herbalife shakes --- I buy them on amazon - and I add unjury Unflavored Protein Powder to them..... My favorite is to take 2 scoops of the Choc herbalife, 6 oz skim milk, 1 cup ice, a scoop Unjury, and either a tbs Peanut Butter or PB2 powdered peanut butter --- blend it in my Magic Bullet -- the more ice in it the thicker the shake...and it tastes like a peanut butter cup shake! YUM! Also you can take any flavor of sugarfree pudding and add a tsp to any shake to add flavor....like the cheesecake would be good in most of them..... I also love the tropical fruit herbalife shake --- I make it with 4 oz OJ and 2 oz Water, ice, protein, and toss in any fruit I have handy....very good! Just get creative - the worst thing is no variety...I burned out on the Atkins shakes post op in about two weeks and couldn't look at another one. Kim

Oh yes that is exactly correct! I had a hernia repaired that we didn't know I had, as well as got my tubes tied when they put in my lapband....(figured we'd just knock everything out while they were in there!) The first 6 weeks post op are to heal heal heal --- NOT lose! Stay off the scale as it will make you miserable...seriously. I gained a couple lbs in the 6 week post op - but I truly didn't care as you HAVE to let your body heal and get ready to go on this journey with you - if it isn't getting the nutrients it needs to heal then you will be in even more trouble....so don't fret. (and the first week or two post surgery you are drinking so much Fluid and the Water retention from the surgery, etc...we all were up a few lbs initially) Be sure to get lots of Protein in - I love the Herbalife shakes and I add unjury Unflavored Protein powder to them....I buy it on amazon. I have a shake every morning to start the day. Be sure to stay hydrated, too ---- as that is important....I notice that when I am not hydrated is when I am more likely to feel ultra tight and unable to tolerate things as well. Hang in there - you are just starting your journey - it is a LONG haul, but SOOOOOO worth it! Kim

Yes...it is hard to believe sometimes looking at where I came from...it seemed to take so long, but in hindsight it went pretty fast, too! I have struggled off and on as I need to exercise more in order to lose....I am on a plateau and unfortunately am rather complacent there! I am hoping that spring and the good weather will help me with that....as I would like to lose more - and tone up quite a bit. As a working mother with three kids it is hard to find time for me! Kim

You may or may not lose after surgery - everyone is different, but most people that I know don't lose much in those first 6 weeks....part of that is b/c you are healing and adjusting to the new diet and your body is going "WHAT?!?!?" - part is b/c you ARE hungry and fighting against the natural urge to eat/snack more when your stomach is growling at you. I tended to not worry so much about calories during those 6 weeks and just stick to eating Protein as much as I could - Soups, chili, that sort of thing that I knew wouldn't get stuck (I was scared to death of that) and string cheese, nuts, pudding, Jello....obviously you wouldn't wanna go crazy and eat tons....but I didn't hyperfocus on my daily calories as I wanted to give my body time to heal. So I guess that is why I gained a few lbs...but it didn't bother me as I think letting my body heal and giving it plenty of fuel to do so was more important than dropping more weight early in the game, you know? Be patient - we are in this for the long haul, it isn't a quick fix. You are in bandster hell - the starving part is the worst!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hang in there....ignore the scales as they will definately do nothing but guide your moods depending on whether or not they are up or down....we can't let them rule us. You can do it!!! Kim

It is very hard those first 6 weeks, but you HAVE to let your body heal...not lose weight! If you were to starve yourself now (or not get the proper nutrients in) then your body will not be strong enough to start this weight loss journey...you want everything to heal properly so you can be sucessful in the long run - so be patient and don't stress. I actually gained a pound or two post op ---- but truly I didn't stress over it. After you get your fill you can start feeling restriction...but it may take a couple fills, so be patient! It is hard as we want to see results now....but it isn't the gastric bypass so it will be slow and hopefully steady! Hang in there - you'll do great! Kim

Oh dear - you are not at a plateau! You have barely begun your journey!!!! The first 6 weeks post surgery are to let your body heal - not drop lotsa weight! My doctor stressed that to me - so I wasn't worried about weight until I got my first fill at 6 weeks post op....it didn't do a darn thing and I was hungry between meals (aka bandster hell), but the next fill did the trick....and things went MUCH smoother from there. You have to be patient as until you hit your sweet spot you will struggle - and it does tend to feel more like a diet then....but you can do it! Some folks take no fills (lucky dogs) and others take a full band to be at the sweet spot....it is hard to be patient when you want to just be there and start losing. But this isn't the gastric bypass, we WON'T lose weight fast - it is slow and steady. A friend of mine had the gastric about the same time I did - and now, 2 yrs out, we are both at about the same place....so I feel good about my journey, even if it took me longer to get there! Don't give up! Kim

I am two years out...I don't have any trouble with pills for the most part...the only one I struggled with one time was an Allegra-D 24 hr pill...which is bigger than the 12 hr one...(so I switched back to the 12 hr one) I take capsules regularly without a problem....you just have to be sure to drink a lot of Water. I only quit drinking pop for the first few months while my stomach was healing....I drink one a day now - I LOVE the carbonation the most...so I drink diet cafeine free. It's my treat of the day! I have found that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Vitamin Water -- it isn't too sweet like some crystal light seems to me...and not bland like plain old water. It helps me stay hydrated.

I was banded that day also....wow Nancy you have done great! Congrats! Hard for me to believe that it has almost been two years already! Kim

I hear ya - the yo yo restriction makes it tough to know when to get a fill, etc! Every time I think "well maybe I need another one..." then I have a few days where I am tighter and not able to eat much! Also I notice at that "time of the month" I am much tighter. Last summer I noticed on the way hot days when the humidity was high I was not able to eat much and was not hungry at all.....it is wierd how weather affects it! It's a crazy journey we are on! Hang on and be ready for the ride! Kim

I started with the MAgic Bullet...and the motor crapped out after only a month or two....so I now am using the generic magib bullet type thing that JCPenney's had on sale during the holidays....MUCH better quality than the MAgic Bullet was as it is still trucking over a year later! (and it cost like $30!) Kim

ANY weight loss in the first 6 weeks from surgery is just an added bonus ---- my doctor stressed to me that you need to let your body heal those first 6 weeks...not focus on losing weight. So be happy you have lost what you did! I actually gained a lb or two before my 6 weeks appt when I got my first fill....and after that fill I didn't notice ANY difference so I struggled a bit before I found my sweet spot. When you find it you will know it! You are doing fine - don't worry! Kim

You know what is funny, though? My mom went on a cruise and came home thinking she probably gained weight from sampling all the yummy foods....she found that b/c of all of the walking they did (those ships are HUGE) she actually lost weight! (she has a lapband too) Sometimes by boosting your intake a bit or mixing things up a bit it does help you kickstart losing, too. So don't worry too much about the cruise. Also your first 6 weeks post op are definately no fun - you need to focus on healing and not on weight loss...I actually gained a few lbs before my 6 weeks appt and first fill. Don't fret - you will get out of bandster hell eventually - hang in there!!! Kim

I love the herbalife shakes ---- you can take the mix and then add more Protein to it....I use unjury unflavored to add to mine. SOme of my faves... chocolate herbalife shake mix - 1 tablespoon PB2 (powdered Peanut Butter -you can use real) - 1 cup skim milk - blend with ice until you get the consistency you like....I prefer it more icy and thick. The tropical herbalife mix is really good too --- add skim milk and ice --- and any fresh fruit you have around....YUM! I don't really like the vanilla herbalife mix - that's the only one I didn't care for, though. I buy mine online...ebay or amazon has it, too. You can always take a flavor and add in a tablespoon of sugar free pudding too - mix it up a bit - like take the choc mix and add in cheesecake pudding....YUM! I have found I have to keep a variety and I hate the pre mixed shakes....so I get creative so I don't get bored! Kim

Hang in there ---- be diligent in getting your fills and you will find your sweet spot! In the meantime, how much Protein are you getting every day? I have found when I am not losing if I up my protein a bit that seems to help. Also if you had surgery in Dec you are just now getting to where you can focus on losing weight - your first 6 weeks post op is time to heal, not lose. So don't fret that you haven't lost a lot yet - once you hit your sweet spot you will. Kim

I probably sound like a broken record - but you aren't supposed to be losing a lot of weight during your first 6 weeks post op ---- my doctor stressed that is the time to HEAL...be sure to get in enough calories and Protein so your body can heal, and let it go thru the transistion as it adapts to band life as well. DOn't worry about weight! It will be weeks before you have had your fills and hit your "sweet spot" - meanwhile you will be in bandster hell....hungry between meals and not losing weight and wondering what the heck you signed up for! We have all been there - be encouraged that there is a light at the end of the tunnel - hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kim

Hold on - you just had surgery the end of Jan? According to my doctor you are to let your body heal the first 6 weeks....he told me not to stress about weight loss then as it was time to let my body heal. I actually gained a couple lbs before I got my first fill at 6 weeks post op, but it didn't bother me...as I was mentally prepared to not focus on weight loss until it was time. Remember, you will be in "bandster hell" until you find your sweet spot - after my first fill I still got hungry between meals and noticed no change at all, really.....you have to keep with it until you find your spot. It is frustrating and it can take MONTHS before you get there and start to see a steady weight loss without feeling like you are dieting and hungry. But once you find your sweet spot - you will be fine....just please hang in there until you do! In the meantime....be sure to get a LOT of Protein...your body needs it to heal itself and it will help keep you feeling fuller longer. I love to make Herbalife shakes with skim milk & ice and add 20g of unjury protein to them...you can add fresh fruit to it to make a yummy smoothie. Also you can use sugar free pudding (about 1 tbs) to make some awesome shakes - I love to make chocolate and add cheesecake pudding....I usually have a shake for Breakfast every morning b/c I can't tolerate solids first thing in the morning...not until after 11 or so. I have found having a protein packed shake really gets my day off right - and keeps me from snacking as I am satisfied. We are here to help you if you need ideas, motivation, etc....that's what I love about this board. If I get to feeling frustrated I can hop on here and get a boost! Kim

I am like you....when folks told me all the horror stories they knew about - it made me all the more determined! Thank you for your post, it reminded me again why I went through the surgery and how determined I was then....I need to find that determination again so I can get rid of these last pounds! Good luck - you will do great, just be patient as it doesn't go as fast as one would like, but slow and steady wins the race! Kim

I have a friend who had the bypass surgery around the same time I had the band - she lost 130 lbs or so - but she has been in and out of the hospital a dozen times with kidney stones and blockages...THAT scares me! Sorry the band didn't work for you...it doesn't for everyone. Kim

I am so sorry to hear of your struggles! I know how certain meds can definately make it tougher....sounds like yours help one issue, but create another in the process! I hope that you are able to stablize the meds and get your lapband tool back in motion as well. We are here for you on the boards if you need advice or motivation ---- we are all in the same boat....on the same journey, just in different spots! Hang in there! Kim

I have heard that warm liquids help folks loosen the band in the mornings...I know that when I have a cold or my allergies are acting up I am a lot tighter....I attributed it to the mucus, etc, running down my throat. (sorry TMI) It's hard to know sometimes what is causing it....I did notice last summer on the really really hot days that I felt really tight and didn't want to eat anything as I had no appetite. It's wierd how things like stress, sickness, and atmosphere can affect our bands! Hang in there! Kim

Hang in there - that's why they call it bandster hell --- until you get to your sweet spot you will be getting hungry between meals and it is a really trying place to be. It definately sounds like you need another fill --- and be sure to make sure you are getting plenty of Protein in your diet....talk to your doctor/nurse and get input from them in regards to what you are eating, etc....that's why they are there, to help us out on this journey. Hang in there - be faithful to the band and it will work for you! We're here to help you in any way we can, too! Kim

Oh honey, I am so sorry to hear that! It is frustrating when people don't understand where you are coming from - and goodness knows I have heard the "if you just would push away from the table" type mentality comments from people...even friends. They don't understand that a diet doesn't work for everyone - and we need this extra tool to help us combat this condition. PLease don't let what he or anyone else says deter you ---- instead use it to fuel your fire, to be sucessful and become a healthy, vibrant person who loves yourself! You can do it - you will have to draw on your inner strength and get through this....losing a relationship this early in your lapband journey really sucks, but as long as you don't let it hinder you, I think you will be fine. It does sound to me like he was jealous - and possibly worried about what will happen to you as you lose weight....folks think that we change, and we do in some ways, but the reality of it is that if they love us for who we are, they will love us as we change too. Be sure to take care of yourself - this is the toughest part...the first 6 weeks after surgery you HAVE to take care of yourself and let your body heal....stress is not good for you. Be sure to get enough Protein so your body can heal itself and don't worry about weight loss yet. And remember that even after your first fill and even the second, you may not have found your sweet spot and it is really tough, which is why we call it bandster hell. But I promise you, if you can get through that, and stay faithful to going back to the doctor and getting your fills - you WILL find this band can change your life....and you will come out of this experience stronger, healthier, and happier than you have ever been. If that has to be without your fiancee, then so be it. I believe everything happens for a reason - maybe there is a reason you are finding out this about him now...and not in five years? Hang in there - we are here for you! Feel free to message me if you wanna chat, vent, etc! Kim