Delma

Heh heh. I just realized this is a scale victory, but what the hay. :scared2: I've gotten under 220. I haven't done that in well over 5 years. That means some weight under 200 is within my grasp here pretty quick and I can't wait!!! Yay!!! I love my band!

Hey! August 09ers! I had my first fill last week. It went really well. At this point, I can eat about a cup of food and it fills me up for 3 or 4 hours. I eat a snack or two per day (usually a Protein bar or sometimes a popsicle) along w/the 3 small meals and I haven't had any issues with actual hunger, really. I pack a SF pudding and Jello every day, but never get around to eating them. I also log my food/exercise on sparkpeople.com (id: delmalpz). I haven't weighed yet, this week. We'll see if there's been any downward movement. I know I'm losing inches at least because I've waited too late to wear some of my clothes that I couldn't get into before. Still in the 16s, which is very exciting. I've been riding my bike at least 3 hours per week. It's been tons of fun. Hope everybody's doing well. should_be: I'm sorry you're hungry all the time. Just try to eat a little something solid when you get hungry. It's just no fun to be hungry all the time and do nothing about it. Solid protein, an ounce of cheese, a Protein Bar...any of these should help and keep you from eating sliders or high-cal foods that you might otherwise want to eat...

Kate! I'm glad you're feeling better already. I had my first fill on Tuesday, too. And it was a complete and total non-event, luckily for me. Before the fill, I could already tell that "something" was in there because I felt satisfied w/less food than before, but I could eat anything I tried and I was eating 1 to 1.5 cups of food per meal. I had 1cc in a 10cc band prior to the fill. Now I'm up to 3ccs. And I'm satisfied w/even less. So we'll see how long that lasts. Hopefully for awhile!

I just started exercising again, post-surgery. Last week, I rode my bike 3 days for at least an hour each time, really slowly, just working back into exercising. I'd like to ride 4 or 5 times a week and at least one of those for 2 hours or more. I like going for distance and endurance on the bike. I know I should lift weights, too. I've got a few around the house and I'm a member of the gym at work, but I haven't gotten around to going to the gym or to working out a program w/the dumbbells I have at home. We'll see when I get that figured out! I, too, am one of those who really likes how I feel after I exercise. I believe endorphins exist and I like how they feel! :seeya:

Niterun, et al: This is so funny. One of the comments I make most often is: "Stacy and Clinton say..." Love them. They're so funny and what they tell people can sometimes be harsh, but at some points, you have to hear things you'd rather not in order to change for the better. Anywho, I've been regularly cleaning out my closets and I use Stacy and Clinton's rules for doing so. I have lots of tops w/empire waist lines (because I've been trying to emphasize the smallest part of my body -- even in size 2X :tongue2:) that I've had to give away because they are no longer snug or even anywhere near to close-fitting in that area. So they no longer have a point. I have to get smaller ones. I'm also clearing out shirts and other tops that are not shaped or tailored because boxy is probably only good for apple-shaped people and apple-shaped I will never be! Pear, yes. Hour-glass, yes, someday. Apple, never. I'm no stylist, but I find it very funny that of my college buddies, I've turned out to be the one that's most fashion-conscious. When shopping needs to be done, I always hope that my friends ask me to go, otherwise they'll buy very silly things! Great topic, thanks for posting!

I chose a weight where I was comfortable as a young adult. It may or may not be possible or necessary for me to reach that weight. When I was in my 20s, I didn't exercise much but I managed to be relatively thin for a few years, anyway. This time around I expect to be more active and may find myself happy, healthy and a good size and shape at 150 or so. That would be fine. We'll see when I get there! :tongue2:

BG -- I've yo-yo'd too over the last 10 to 15 years, so I know what you're feeling. Somehow or another, though, I really believe in the band's ability to help me keep the weight off this time. SO, all my 2X tops have already gone to my sister (who weighs a bit more than me, but is also losing w/her band). I'm having a slightly harder time w/giving up my larger sized pants, but really...size 24s when I can wear some 16Ws...that was just ridiculous. I'm definitely going to search through my closets and start culling the 22s here pretty quick. Believe it...we really ARE going to keep it off this time. Delma

Ashly: That is un-freakin'-believable!! Did you even bother to respond??? You seem to be taking the stupidity very well, I must say!

1 gram of fat and 22 grams of carbs in the Sandwich Thins.

Hey, everyone! I didn't find this thread until today. I'm almost at the end of my at-home time, post surgery. Oops! Let me start over: My name is Delma, I'm 45, I'm 5'5 1/2" tall and two weeks pre-op, I weighed 242 pounds. From my signature, you can see that my highest ever weight was 267. Surgery day was Aug 24th and that day I weighed in at 230 (go pre-op diet!). I'm from Central TX near Austin, I've got a very supportive family (mother and sisters) and I'm single. I've been yo-yoing between 200 and 250 (usually at the higher end) for over 10 years. Time to get my life in order. Love to ride my bicycle and can't wait to get back on it. Gonna give myself another few weeks of recovery time before I do that. In the meantime, I'll probably hit the gym and try the stationary bikes there.

I can barely believe this, but I tried on a pair of size 16 slacks today and they fit. They FIT!!! I don't have any clothes smaller than a size 16, so it's gonna be clothes-buying time within a few weeks, I guess. I'm not even 5' 6" tall. I weighed 242 pounds about 3 weeks ago. Whoa. Talk about a life-changing event.

I was banded 8/24, so I'll be exactly 2 weeks post-op tomorrow. Going back to work on Tuesday. Should be fun. Yeah. Heh. I've had a really good recovery to this point and I'm glad of it. I feel good and I'm glad to hear that many of the rest of us banded in Aug are feeling and doing well. Thanks to the original poster for setting up this status report thread!

I believe they're called Sandwich Thins. My Mom's on Weight Watchers and she loves them. I'm less than 2 weeks post-op, I'm obviously not eating them, but I've got some in the fridge from when Mom stayed w/me after surgery. Wait, let me go verify the name: yep, Sandwich Thins. 100 cals, 5 grams fiber and 5 grams protein per roll. Someday...:thumbup:

August: I think I'm going to be in your predicament and I'm pretty sure it's going to be sooner rather than later. Work clothes are business casual (emphasis on the casual at my level), so I won't be buying suits, so that'll save me some $$. HOWEVER, my current wardrobe ranges in size from 22 to 16 with tops in the range of 2X to XL. I was just banded 8/24 and I'm down to 224 which is really at the low end of where I've been weight-wise for the last several years. So, my size 18s are starting to get loose already. That means I don't have much of a cushion in my current wardrobe. I foresee many lunch hours at Ross and Marshall's for me, too. I love to shop and I always have, so this will not be any hardship except in the financial department! I love your idea of buying inexpensive clothes that you really like in several smaller sizes. How smart!! Anyhow, let us know how things go on ebay or Craigslist! :smile2:

Well, let's see if it can be done. I've had this question in the back of my mind for a few days (just banded 8/24 - not to puree stage yet, but soon). I'm going to make a list below of things I'd be likely to eat and their Protein content. 7 oz. Fage Greek yogurt = 17gr 1 cup pureed Beans = 15gr 1 oz lowfat cheddar or colby = 7gr Lactose Free, Protein Enhanced 2% milk , 1 cup = 14gr Breakstone LivActive 2% Cottage cheese 4oz = 10gr That looks like a pretty good start to me. I'd probably make some thin Cream of Wheat with the milk. Eat the beans for lunch. Maybe have 2 of the cottage cheese servings over the course of the day or have them for dinner. I usually add a couple ounces of frozen blueberries to my yogurt, I'll probably thaw them and puree them for the mushy stage. I hope this helps you. It may not be the kinds of things you're used to eating, but I could totally live on some variation of this for a few weeks. Probably throw in some pureed veggies and some Soup here or there. Edit: Looking back at it, I see that the menu is pretty dairy intensive. But that would work for me. I wonder how cottage cheese and tuna would taste pureed together w/some seasoning?

Dawn: You were banded 3 days before me and you already get to eat hardboiled eggs. Consider yourself lucky. I thought I was going to have to be on Clear Liquids for another 3 days, but I saw my surgeon today and he advanced me to full liquids...woohoo! :smile2: Anyhow, I can't really address any of your concerns as to whether or not it's going to get easier over time to overcome and/or even stop having cravings (although it seems that other people further down the road have encouraging stories about that). We're going to have to find out for ourselves and we're probably going to be finding out these things at about the same time! I agree with some of the other people who posted though. You might want to add some additional food to your Breakfast to keep you feeling satisfied longer. Let us know how things go.

I was banded 8/24 and I'm almost halfway through my 2nd week of Clear liquids. Yes, two weeks of clear liquids post-op per my surgeon. So, the first week, it's true, I don't remember being hungry at all. This week, I do occasionally get hungry. Then I wonder why I allow things to get to that point. There are always things that I can have to keep from being hungry, the sugar free popsicles, broth, Jello or a Protein Drink. I've gotten to the point where I just want to get the Protein out of the way, so I have a 40 gram drink in the morning and another at night. So I just fill in the rest of the day w/low cal clear things and that has worked the last couple days. We'll see how it goes. In the back of my mind, I'm hoping that my surgeon will advance me to full liquids tomorrow at my 1st post-op appointment, but I think it's unlikely. Everybody's a little bit different, but hope that gives you a little bit of perspective on how it's going to be. Also, you might want to make sure to try several different protein powders and ready-to-drink products to make sure that there are at least a couple that you can stand to drink. Because you really just have to.

Hey, I was banded on 8/24, too! I've been feeling pretty darn good and I'm glad about it. I've walked pretty consistently (except yesterday when I got a new computer and played w/it instead of walking) and that has helped me a lot, I think. If you're tired and you have the time, I hope you're taking all the time you can to rest. You have the best excuse in the world for taking it easy right now! The first few days, I'd sleep 8-10 hours at night, wake up and almost immediately take another 2 or 3 hour "nap." LOL. I don't seem to need that nap anymore, though. As for eating, yeah, I could stand to. But on the other hand, I want to be able to report to my surgeon tomorrow that I have been compliant w/his directions. So I've been as good as I could be. Let's keep in touch, OK? And thanks for reminding me about my chewable vitamin! I just took it! :blushing:

Did you ever get a book about lapband surgery from whoever provided the surgery to you? I did. In that book (it's by a dr. in Australia who was one of the lapband pioneers there), he tells us that the first month after banding is not a weight loss period. At all. It's a period for healing. Your main concern should be getting enough Protein and Water to heal your body. Give yourself a break and try to lose the weight loss mentality for another couple of weeks, maybe. Also, try never to go to bed hungry. Even if you just grab a sugar free Jello or popsicle, that'll help and it'll be enough to allow you to sleep. Just my two cents.

Hey, Courtney: I love your ID. Too funny. I'm going to get that song stuck in my head and I'm gonna blame you! How'd your sleep study go? That was such a bizarre experience. Twice. I've used my CPAP machine religiously and it has always been very helpful. Last night was the first time I have ever NOT been able to sleep with it on. I'm 8 days post-op and with the pre-op diet and the cycling I did beforehand, I've lost something like 10% of my body weight, so my CPAP may need an adjustment. Not sure why I'm telling you all this!! Just ignore if not interested! Hope all of your testing goes well and that you're on the road and banded soon. Delma

hugs: My surgeon's instructions say that for the first 7 weeks or so after surgery, I should expect to get all or most of my Protein requirements in liquid form: shakes, Isopure or other clear Protein drinks, etc. I can't imagine that your surgeon would expect you to EAT 60 to 70 grams of protein so soon after your surgery. So try to find some concentrated forms of Liquid Protein and get that worry, at least, off your mind. Here are a couple suggestions. Do you have a GNC near you? They have a 24 oz, clear liquid drink called Pro Performance AMP Amplifed Wheybolic Extreme 60 (in fruit punch and blue raspberry flavors) with 60 grams of protein in it and I'm pretty sure no fat and no carbs. If you can only drink small amounts, you can sip 8 oz of this 3 times over a whole day and you should get most of the protein you need. I won't lie and say it tastes delicious, but it's drinkable. Also, there are various kinds of protein bullets that are very concentrated sources of protein. Here's where you can order one online: http://www.bariatricchoice.com/bariatric-clear-protein-supplements-63.html. It's called IDS New-whey Liquid Protein, 42g Protein in a 3.4 oz vial. Once again, not particularly yummy, but hey, it's 3.4 oz and you'll feel lots better for drinking them. Variations of these bullets are available at smoothie King and/or WalMart, though I don't know if the WalMart ones are of the same quality. P.S. I also haven't been able to burp much and it's fairly uncomfortable feeling like you need to, but being unable to. But I'm 8 days post-op now and I've had the issue less and less. In fact, I don't think I've felt that way today at all. Yay!!

Wonderful!! A nasty possible side effect I wasn't aware of!! I'm sorry you have to deal with it. I think if you can try to get enough water in, that will help in sort of rinsing the toxins out of your body. That's not a scientific description of the process at all, but you get the idea. If you can, try upping your water intake.

Barley: I'm 45 and I was banded on 8/24 and I'm still at home. I could be at work today, but I'm not going back until 9/8!! Right now, I'm doing pretty much what I would be doing if I were at work. Sitting at a desk, typing, etc. I think that there are variables as to how long it takes someone to be ready to get back to work. Age is one. Younger people generally heal faster. General fitness level is another -- if you engage in some kind of physical activity prior to your surgery, you will heal faster and better. I started riding a bike about 2 months prior to surgery and got to where I was riding an hour or two, 3 times a week. I'm sure that has helped me. Some diseases cause slower healing, too. Uncontrolled diabetes, for instance. But the fact that you will be able to control how much you have to do once you get back to work is a plus for you, I think. Best of luck and it'll be great!! ThreeBoys3: I bet an HR person can't admit to this, but didn't you just want to kick that guy?!? :frown:

RestlessMonkey, et al: I had heard of Papaya enzymes prior to LapBand, but only because I was eating lots of raw and whole foods at the time. Lots of beans and broccoli and such. Gas became a problem and I used papaya enzymes in much the same way I would use Beano or LactAid. I used them at the times that I was eating foods that I had trouble digesting. I guess I really don't think of enzymes as a drug, but on the other hand, I would also not recommend taking them every day unless your diet causes you problems on a daily basis. My 2 cents. :frown:

Just so you know, I have heard of food getting stuck and causing the same kinds of issues that you're experiencing. The woman posted (on a different forum) that she went in to her aftercare facility (after two weeks of suffering like you've been), they took an xray or fluroscopic look or something like that and could see the lump of whatever at her stoma. So, they put an empty syringe in her port, created a vacuum and sort of flushed the food through. ?? That's what she said. I know that you don't want to go in to your aftercare facility. I'd try the papaya enzyme or pineapple juice or a bit of pineapple, if you can manage it. I've heard pineapple juice can help move things through, too.