OnTheWay to Thin

I used a book that I found on weight loss surgery and it suggested adding a new food or two each day until you are 30 days out. That way if you have any reactions/issues you will know for sure what caused the issue. So far no problems, the last thing they advise adding is beef, steak, corn, asparagus, celery and carrot, as they are all hard to digest so I started with very moist cooked chicken, soft veggies that could be somewhat smashed, very soft fruit... I have not added grains yet, rice, breads, but have added a small amount of well cooked pasta with no problems. Go slow, and your body will tell you when you have an issue. Good luck.

You are missing the emotional connection you have with food, rather than the feeding your body to sustain you. This takes some time to change, you need to learn that food is for survival and that you eat to nourish your body, not as your friend, comfort and best buddy, this is tough to learn and is something we all face to differing degrees after this lifestyle change. Hang in there, it will get better.

Dont panic, the main thing is to make sure you have enough on hand to be comfortable after surgery. For me that was protien water, chicken and beef broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, gas x strips. I was able to go to the store and all that by day 3 so it is just the first few days you need to worry about especially if you have help at home.

Since your DH has such a wonderful family, just do what I do, I adopted them, I basically lost all of my family in the past few years, they all died, and many of weight related complications, ergo why I am giving the band all I can. But I felt so alone, I went to a thanksgiving day party just after my mom and brothers death at a dear friends house and they could tell I was upset, so one pulled me aside and asked what was wrong. I explained the holidays were hard because I had no family any more, and she looked at me and said of course you do you have everyone here, we will all be your family. So long story short family is what you make of it and if there are those that are not happy and healthy additions to you and yours you have every right to cut ties with them. Good luck to you.

I had the surgery on the 28th and what you are going through is 100% normal, I think as obese adults we have questionnioned ourselves our whole lives... but it does get better, I am a good week ahead of you and am feeling much better now and very happy with my decision and slow weight loss. Hang in there.

Hmm I have been using the salad plates from my set but that sounds cool, where did you find them?

Call your doctor, if you are seeing white stuff that looks kind of cottonish sounds like an infection, with a new surgery and band you dont want to let that go, you need to get treated ASAP.

Call your normal doctor and tell them your concerns, they may want to check the fluid level in your band, she could have taken out too much, or a number of other things could have happened. Dont wait though, call your doctor asap.

Also as time goes on your band will loosen up a bit, you are still swollen, so you have more restriction at this point than you will in a couple of weeks. Hang in there, also if you want to eat veggies, try cutting your meat to 1-2 oz and add in 1-2 oz of soft veggies.

I agree there is a BIG difference between processed carbs and good carbs and I am not sure that everyone understands the difference. We need good carbs, just not the processed white flour and fat variety...

I bought Mrs. Grass chicken noodle soup, it is in a box that you make yourself, then just did not add the noodles, much better than standard chicken broth. I also bought a variety of done up soups at the deli of my local store, then took those and put them through my blender with extra broth if necessary, they were pretty good. Hang in there it does get better.

It is normal, I was banded on 5/28, the best thing you can do is walk walk walk, this helps the gas that is built up from the surgery to get absorbed and eliminated. Some also say gas-x strips help. Hang in there it does get better.

Long holy cow you dont even look like the same person, you inspire me to reach farther in my goal.

Gonnagetbanded - Hey dont be so hard on yourself, I was banded on the 28th and I totally get it. We are all going to make mistakes in this journey, but the important thing is that we get right back up and go forward. Guilt will not get you anywhere unless you use it productively. It is near impossible not to go off a bit when you are finally cleared for some kind of food, especially if you are one who had both pre and post op liquids for 2 weeks. Take a deep breath, relax and move on!

That is why I have told very few people about my surgery, I did not want that to happen. This is hard enough without outside comments and people second guessing every bite you put into your mouth. Good luck hopefully it gets better.

I agree I am spending less I am not going out to lunch anymore and leftovers are generally more than enough for my lunch. Also another positive is that smaller clothes are much less expensive than larger ones, so that will cost you less too!

The strange feeling is because the port is stitched to your muscle, so when you pull or strain you will feel it until it is healed. Take it easy for a while longer and you will be fine.

Chicken is a good source of protien too, I made a chicken veggie soup, and even had it during my creamy period, just put it in my blender and whirled it till smooth was pretty good, better than protien powder that is for sure. The other thing I am doing is I bought some small containers, 4 oz and 6 oz and 8 oz, so that I could use those for lunch items. That way I am always getting the right amount. But you will figure it out.

Try to relax, there are a lot of reasons why you will have a temporary weight increase, most not permanent. Eating too much salt in one day can make you hold onto all your water. Keep doing what you have been doing and the scale will start moving again, but it may be a bit slower than you are used to but keep the faith.

Strawberry well you need to do a lot of research and soul searching. I decided on the lap band but it is no magic bullet. By that I mean you have got to be willing to work at this like never before. The lap band helps, but is not going to make you smaller all by itself. You have to be willing to weigh your food, measure your food, keep a calorie log, I use an online one called my-calorie-counter.com. You have to be willing and to do and FOLLOW pre op and post op diets that are very strict. Once you get through that, you still have a whole list of rules to follow to be successful. It basically means very little carbs from now on, and very very small meals. What the lap band does is if you follow the rules you are able to be full and satisfied on a much smaller portion of food than ever before. Spend some time on this site and read through peoples experiences, this will help you to make your decision. Would I do it again, yes, I am only about 2 weeks post op but I can see the potential and am excited about my future.

Congrats, I know how good that feels. It amazes me when you are heavy to start with how much you have to lose before someone notices. Keep up the good work.

Depending on your area in the US it can be 12-20K. Mexico is cheaper. You need to find out if your insurance specifically excludes weight loss surgery, if they do there is not much you can do to get it covered, it is just excluded. But if they do cover but under certain circumstances, you need to get a copy of the medical policy for WLS so you can see if you meet the guidelines. If you are working with a surgeon, their office is probably well versed on how to check your insurance, you might give them a call and ask them to check for you. Good luck.

Hi I am recently banded 2 weeks and I would not change a thing. I have started on mushies now and it is amazing I am not hungry, I get full on very little food, and I am steadily dropping 2-3 lbs a week. My doctor said this could slow down until I get fills but right now I can see the potential of this and I am thrilled. I have lost 3" in my bust, 1 " in my waist (still a bit swollen from surgery) and 2 inches in my hips, I can feel the difference and I have only lost 23 lbs... My port can not be seen but if I feel real hard I can feel it. Hope this helps.

One other thought, I would put in here, you are recently without your children and that probably has a lot to do with your feelings, you are an empty nester, I suspect your men issues may be more a need not to be alone as you were used to having your kids around, now they are gone and you are compensating with bad men choices... think about it, did most of this start more with the kids moving out than with your weight loss journey?

I am right there with you, basically they explained it as women store estrogen in their fat and as you lose weight the estrogen is set free upon our bodies and that causes strange menstral issues... I thougth I was done too, but alas, not so after losing 20 lbs.