Froggie D

What are you eating? You should be getting lots of Protein through Protein shakes or lean meats if they are allowed on your preop. After day 4 you should have lots of energy. Most people have headaches and fatigue and intense hunger Days 1-3 but these go away. The purpose of the preop diet is to shrink your liver. It stores glycogen and it is replenished by mainly carbs. When you do a low carb diet, the glycogen gets used up and your liver shrinks. You also lose weight, but that is reeally not the goal. So make sure you are getting plenty of lean protein. My preop diet allowed two protein shakes (beadkfast and lunch) with about 30 grams of protein each and lean protein (chicken breast, tuna in Water, shrimp, fish, turkey breast, eggs) and low carb veggies at dinner (broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, celery, lettuces. spinach, green Beans, summer squash). I personally ate far more than 4 ounces of protein each evening and lost 23 pounds before my surgery. After day 4 I was not really hungry and my energy level was very good. Hang in there. It will make your surgery much easier if you do shrink your liver. :scared2:

Really great! I has some redness and inflammation in my port incision, but they started me on antibiotics and it is healing now. Took out staples last week. UGH! Have now lost 30.6 pounds since preop, 7.6 of it since surgery!!! Yesterday was my first hungry day. I go in next Tuesday to see about a first fill. Everyday gets better. I love my band so far! :scared2:

64 ounces of fluids is a minimum, not a maximum. You should drink more if you are thirsty. Make sure you are getting your protein and that counts as fluid too. On day 11, you probably just healed enough to reduce the swelling and fluids started going through better. Next you may find yourself getting hungry faster - they call that Bandster Hell - when you no longer have the surgery swelling but do not have restriction from fluid in your band. Then you start thinking about fills. I was banded on April 7 and I just felt hunger for the first time today!

I go in next Tuesday, May 4 to talk about a fill. I hope mine goes as well as yours! I am a little nervous :thumbup:

Hey how are the early April Bandster Bunnies doing? Have not heard from some of you in so long - Mammasugar, Ravyn, Montynic, Waynooo, Melliebelle, Twinslerely, Happytrucker - are you all still out there and doing ok? Would love to hear from you!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow your experience was so much like mine. I did shakes and one meal and had carb withdrawal too. I was so glad I was not doing it at the same time as the surgery. I lost 23 pounds as of my surgery and was banded on 4/7. I have lost another 7 pounds since them. I go in next week to talk about a fill - not sure if I will be ready or not. Everyday is a new adventure with my band!

Hang in there. The two weeks before surgery were a real rollercoaster ride emotionally. After the surgery was an emotional let down - the thrill was over, the adrenaline settling down, and some discomfort. I am almost 3 weeks out now and starting to stablize. I have lost weight and feeling good. It was all a whirlwind! I had doubts one day and was sure the next. I could not concertrate. I think everyone goes through that. I have not had a fill yet, but I can't believe how much less I am eating and how little appetite I have. It is a miracle! I can easily pass up food I never would have before. It was worth all the stress, strain and pain! So far, I love being banded!:thumbup:

Hang in there. It really does get a lot better. Just don't eat any extra carbs or you will undo what you have accomplished and set yourself back. It will be worth it when you get to surgery and your liver is shrunk down and your surgery is easier! You also do not have to go through carb/sugar withdrawal at the same time as surgery discomfort. Keep your eye on the prize!!!!!

I was banded April 7. My doctor said not to drive on pain meds and it was fine as long as I could twist my body to be able to see. I could do that day two.

One of my band buddies was banded by him and swears by his skills. She has lost over 100 pounds now and felling wonderful. I am in the midwest and just got my band three weeks ago. I feel really great. With the preop I have now lost 30 pounds and my appetite is sooooo much less than it was. I have not had a fill yet - that comes in two weeks. It is a great thing to get banded. I am so happy!

I was banded on April 7 and I am having the same gas problem from about 2:30 every day until about 6:00. I don't understand it either. I have lost some weight though, since the surgery - at total of 7 pounds now. I am sorry you have not lost. It is frustrating not to see the pounds go off. I hope your doctor has some solution for you!

Way to go in avoiding fast foods! It is hard, but it will be worth it to go through surgery with a smaller liver! We are with you!:biggrin:

That is great! Congrats to you! Use the next month to really get prepared, stock up, challenge your eating habits. It will fly by and it is so worth it. I am so happy with my experience so far.

So glad to hear that this week's bunnies are doing great. I am 16 days post surgery and doing very well. I am eating whole foods and have lost 7 pounds since surgery - a total of 30 now! If you are just starting out, hang in there - the time flies by. In less than 2 weeks I see the doctor for my first fill. If I still feel the same as today, I won't need it. I am eating small portions, tolerating everythng I have tried and not getting hungry for 5-6 hours. It is amazing. Who is scheduled for next week?

My question is how long does it really take to heal up inside - swelling, stiches where band is attached to the stomach, etc.? I was banded on April 7 and am seeing my doctor for postop and to get my staples out tomorrow. My incisions feel well healed. I must have had some swelling in my stomach following the surgery because it was slow to get Water and Protein powder down. I am now eating soft foods and they fill my pouch and do not casue pain, but I get the referred pain in my shoulder still when the pouch is full. When is total healing?

I see my surgeon tomorrow and will discuss it with him. I still feel quite a bit of restriction from the surgery, not a bad thing, I think, so it is hard to eat more. I never in my wildest imagination ever thought someone would suggest I am not getting enough calories. Wow, big eater me! I love feeling restricted. I assume it will wear off, but at least I know what it feels like!

Good for you! You won't be sorry!:confused:

I have a desk job. I was banded on Wednesday and went back to work on Monday with no real problem - just a bit fatigued. I has some gas in my stomach and took Gas-X stips to keep that down. I had limited referred pain in my shoulder. I only used pain med the first day and a half. They made me fuzzy headed so I switched to Tylenol. I had no nausea or vomiting. I focused on my Water and Protein drinks and sipped, sipped, sipped. Everyone is different but I am 57 years old and not especially healthy and I did fine. Good luck!

The hunger does get better by day 4 or 5 and you will be amazed at the energy and clear headedness you will feel. It shrinks your liver so you are ready for the surgery. My was very easy because I did a month of preop dieting and lost 23 pounds. It is not easy, but you will be glad you did it. You do not want to have withdrawal from carbonation, caffeine, sugar and carbs all at the same time as your surgery!

I am eating a can of chicken for lunch - 3oz - 5 oz depending on how much I can eat. Do you think I should have a Protein Drink too around 1:30? I calculated my food yesterday and I had 650 calories and 91 grams of protein. I am slowly losing weight and walking. I will try that!

Have you tried Beano? It works great with beans and veggies that give you gas. It comes in chewables and dissolvable strips. You eat it with your first bite of foodl It is all natural vegetable enzymes. Try it. You might like it.

Excellent ideas! I think it really helps to be ready for surgery. I stopped the caffeine first, then the pop, then the sugar so I would be through all of that before my surgery. I am so glad. I had cravings and headaches and fatigue going off all that. By the time I had my surgery, I was used to having none of that and surgery went very smoothly. I am 11 days out for surgery now and starting to eat solid food with a big emphasis on my Protein. I am not hungry and do not crave anything at this point. I get full eally fast. I was not required to do a preop diet, but I followed what many here were talking about - a Protein Drink for Breakfast and lunch and a protein and veggies dinner. I have now lost 28.6 pounds and feeling good. I do not think I would feel nearly as good if I had tried to get off pop, caffeine, and sugar at the same time as surgery. Stick with this philosophy and I think you will be glad you did. Good luck on your surgery! PS. I found Flav*or*ice Lite pops that come in "pop" flavors - root beer, 7 upDr. Pepper, orange crush

I was on the preop diet and felt really great. I had surgery last Wednesday and have been feeling really good, except I have been running out of energy about 2:00 or 3:00 every day, too. I am eating what they recommended and getting all my water in. Any idea why this would be?

I was a Diet Coke addict. I drank 6-8 per day. I stopped the caffeine six months ago and was not sure I would be able to give up the carbonated drinks as I love the bubbles. I stopped a month before my surgery. I found that practicing getting in 64 oz of Water did not leave much room for pop. I was banded last week and I can honestly say I do not miss the pop. At present I cannot even imagine putting something with bubbles in my pouch. And I feel much better with my water than my pop. My skin is not so dry and I feel well hydrated. You will get used to it faster than you think.