GoingforGoal

Hello from Calgary! Congrats on your decision to get the band. These pre-surgery jitters are normal. But the only advice I can give you is to transfer the energy you are putting into worrying into actions that will help you succeed: 1. Reinforce positive thinking. Don't focus on what if's. Focus on telling yourself you are going to succeed. Focus on life after success. What changes will you make? How will life be different once you reach goal? These motivate the subconscious into realizing a new reality not reinforcing the one that already exists. 2. Get ready for change. Get out and start buying all the essentials. Whether it's shakes/food, new plateware etc start replacing your pantry now to prepare yourself for surgery and life thereafter. These visual changes in your environment will start to change other actions (mentality, eating habits etc). 3. Setup a reward system. Some of us fail because our goals are either to lofty or our expectations are insensible. Start writing down your short term goals (ie lose 10 lbs) and what will your nonfood reward be for achieving the goal. If you have the $, one of my fav things that I did was buy a shirt one, two and three sizes smaller than your current size. Seems silly in the beginning, but once you get your wl momentum going you'll be looking forward to getting to a new size. Having those clothes right there in your closet is another visual reminder and incentive to stay strong. The reward is huge and an instant gratifier. Just be sure not to buy too many things of any one size because you'll be flying through them 4. Giver yourself permission to understand this is a process. There is no 100% fail or succeed in the band. I presume you carried weight a long time. It's insensible to think you'll lose it overnight. When you take the pressure off, you are more apt to succeed. Do some introspection as to why you feel you are overweight. Start making secondary goals on top of just wl. Like, stopping late night snacking, or mindless eating and make a conscience effort to rid those habits for good. Those are just as important to tackle for long term success. But again, its not an overnight one time effort. Make subtle changes. Embrace how good it feels. Recognize how the changes positively effect you. Continue to reinforce those changes and just embrace getting healthy. Weight management is like a mental& physical puzzle. You need to put all the pieces together to reveal the end picture. This is not like any diet you've been on. All those things that seemed impossible before (smaller portions, calorie control etc) will suddenly seem doable because you have a tool that can help you in the areas that are usually our biggest obstacles. It's not possible to really appreciate the difference between diets adn the band until you actually have one. So don't overly focus on the what ifs. Having buddies is great, we all need the support. But please find a mentor who is an 'oldie'. Rapid wl in the first year is typical but does not speak for experience. Hook up with someone who has been banded for years and can guide you through all the stages of having the band.

Sorry to say, but everyone is an individual and this will be a personal experiment. My husband (who is banded) eats spicy no problem. I dont do spicy so I am not a fair judge. However, those who are prone to any gerd/reflux issues will find that certain foods (spicy is one of them) will increase their symptoms. You will have to gauge how you feel after you eat spicy foods to see if you can still tolerate it and if you feel any changes (ie irritable stomach, increased acid/heartburn etc). Not sure what kind of tex-mex you are aiming for, but other considerations that may stop you in your tracks is taco shells and fajita wraps may be too heavy to slide through the band without getting stuck. So you may want to start slow and eat the insides before eating it the good ol fashioned way.

Have you only tried unjury shakes? If so, time to experiment. Muscle Milk or MM Lite as well as Premier Protein are both good in chocolate. I personally cannot do Unjury and can only drink chocolate shakes at that. Premier Protein is 160 cal and a whopping 30g protein in 325ml. This will not only fill you right up, but give you all the protein you need in one sitting. I also was not hungry for 2 weeks postop but it is essential to do whatever it takes to get that protein in. Protein is the key to expedite healing AND burning fat Are you in the mushy stage? If so, you can try to eat your protein but it's usually hard to get that much protein in off of mushies and so close after surgery (hence the shake supplements). The problem is that people start fixating on the protein # and forego the calorie #. This is also where shakes help us out. Very few foods out there (especially in mushie stage) can give you 30g protein under 200 cals. Try to manage both #s as best you can to optimize health and wl.

Congrats

Sounds like you could benefit from lowering the pressure on your machine. And yes, significant wl can drastically reduce sleep apnea to the point of not needing cpap. Intermittent evaluations/restudies is warranted to support your physical changes.

XXXXXX WRONG! Lasers for skin tightening are utilized for aging/sagging skin. Think small sags (ie face/neck). And even those are not as effective as they claim. The amount of leftover skin you get from major wl will not be effected by laser treatments. The reality is major cosmetic surgery is warranted for those who want to take the next step into transforming their bodies beyond wl.

First, congrats on your wl Hi-5 I'm not certain if you are having any other issues (ie reflux, regurg, sticking etc) which would def warrant a partial unfill. However, I think his reasoning is this: (and correct me if I am wrong in your particular situation) If your band is too tight (even without any adverse symptoms) the reality is you may be getting insufficient volume at one sitting because you feel full too early. It's taking your body only an hour to digest those few bites so you end up hungry before 3-4 hrs. This is a shot in the dark because I dont know your particular eating habits

The only thing I didnt pick up was whether or not you had any unfills during pregnancy. I would contradict the previous posting and say that it is safe for you to get fills at this stage. One year after getting banded, I too got pregnant. I kept my band filled at "green". I gained 18-20 lbs with my 3rd son and we both did perfect. I nursed him and he gained like a champ, and this is still in 'green'. As a heavier person, you have reserves. As long as you take supplements you will be able to provide all the nutrients to your baby whilst losing weight. In reality, breastfeeding should help propel wl. Speak to your dr. about your concerns, get their feedback. You can take precautions like weighing you and baby frequently (ie weekly) to ensure everyone is growing

Yes, we do have spammers on this site (pathetic). Just report/delete and move on

Actually the band will increase your GERD and those who've never had issues may suddenly develop it (especially once they start their fills).Take your docs advice on this one

Hello, I hit my sweet spot on fill #3 at 5cc. I too got fill every 4- weeks so I want to say I was at green by month 5-6. It's probably relevant to figure out how much volume you have. If someone posts 2 months, the next 6 months and the next a year..the missing factor is how much they had in their band, what size band did they have, and how conservative/aggressive of fills did the doc give them. The last factor is the individual and how well they responded to their fills. THere are some who need no fills (EVER!!!) and those who need the entire band filled before getting to green.

Soccer, Hello. Fill #1 rarely gets you to green. Depending on how aggressive your doc is with fills, it may take 2-5 more fills to get you there typically. After my first fill I was in every 6-8 weeks for more fills. Once I got to 5cc I was in my sweet spot. I have no idea what you are at currently, but don't let fill 1 be the gauge for what it means to have the band. We say it over and over again, that you have to get to green before the band can assist you with portion control/hunger management. You have gone a very long time w/ just a single fill. Time to press doc for quicker fills in my opinion. It should not take over a year to get there. When you start feeling restriction, you will see your food volume decrease and the sensation we feel when we've had enough (call it full, satisfied whatever).

Ahh man thats just terrible. This is why I trust noone. I would be calling every day to ensure everyone is doing their job Just shows you how much of a routine/business this really can be

I dont want to take the air out of your tires, but please consider the following: 1) Bands are typically tighter for the first few days after a fill and after inflammation/contraction subsides than you'll have a real appreciation of what that band will be until the next fill 2) As time elapses and as you lose weight it is normal for the band to have less restriction and follow up fills are usually required 3) As you get closer to goal, green may be redefined. I know my maintenance green is different than the wl green zone. For example, no way in heck I can eat a full hamburger at this stage. But yes, the sensation you are feeling may indeed be 'green'. As long as you are satiated and losing without complications (ie regurg, acid reflux etc) stick with it. I just don't want you to think you've reached green and that green can slip away from you even though you didn't change anything for example.

I found my dieticians recommendations and menu planner to be very vague. It was almost as if they want you to make meals out of no more than 20 ingredients for life hahahaha. And that is why lbt can be such a useful tool where real people are coming up with plans that work and that are safe. We share our experiences and our knowledge. Most docs/support staff are not intimate w/ the band (meaning htey dont have one) to realize the full complications to come up with a better and more thorough plan for the patient. What strikes me odd is that a doc could make heaps of $$$ if he made a book..just saying lol

I am post op. Hunger is the symptomatic response to having depleted nutrients in the body. Mild symptoms include stomach churning and growling, moderate symptoms may include fatigue, irritabilty, light headed and more severe symptoms (think starvation) have profound physical signs to include muscle wasting, Vitamin deficiencies (think thin nails, balding and internal manifestations like dehydration and anemia leading to more profound medical/organ failures. I'm curious, what is the doctor's definition

Congrats. Hope this one holds you off for a long time. Just remember this sensation and understand that when swelling goes down and when time goes on your band will typically not feel this tight. But this is what you need to achieve with your next fill. It's all good foundational experience hehe

Well 2 things 1) How many cals to you eat. This could be problem one, especially since you workout so diligently. There's a balance between how much you eat and how much you burn that will yield wl results. So if you feel good about how the band is working than focus your attention on figuring out your green zone when it comes to how many cals you need to support your exercise. 2) If indeed you feel the band is not helping and this is all done your own will, than time for a fill. Sorry to say, but you are in that category of atypical. But that doesn't mean that it's wrong. Just means you need a filler up

Also, if your doc removes all the fluid first to verify volume, when the fluid (and added fluid) is returned it can tighten differently. Think of it like a dog collar..there's a little wiggle room there. When the fluids out it's a floater and when it's filled it can tighten in a different area. Yes we are talking about a smidgin of distance but still enough that patients have different sensations afterwards

Alright I'm just gonna throw this out there...body shapers (yes, even for men) I relate (and still do) to your experience. You can't stay in your oversized clothes because it makes you feel frumpy and unattractive. This alone can stake the steam out of your engine and potentially set you up for some bad eating choices. But than you don't want to wear anything that reminds you how much more weight you have to lose hahaha. Unfortunately as you lose weight, actually when you have lost alot of weight, skin starts playing a factor for some. I know it did for me. Even at a size 6, if I do not wear a shaper, my stomach does the muffin top and it simply makes me feel overweight and self conscious. But when I wear a shaper everything is where it's supposed to be and I feel perfect and more inclined to wear body tight clothing. Although it is summer, layers can also help conceal any unsightly curves you don't necessarily want to show off. That way you can buy some smaller sizers without wasting money on clothes you'll soon step out of. Catching up to your attire is one of the hardest things w/ the LB. You are always chasing the new size and it can be a costly venture. I agree w/ the previous posts. Buy staple items that can be mixed up to create a larger attire and buy cheap. At one point I would borrow friends suits if I had a business appointment because I don't have a need for suits and such on a daily basis and knew that I was not going to be wearing that size for long. Lastly, I also see people doing clothes swaps on here. If there is a local LB support group in your area, I'd put money on the fact they are doing clothes swaps to get themselves over this hurdle.

2+ weeks since you'll be active. One of the issues, on top of actual healing, is that you will be transitioning from liquids to solids over the course of months. Most feel like they get insufficient calories/fluids etc and this may be a secondary issue to a physical job (having no energy to do it!). Definitely consult w/ the doc

I got LB and did NOT get an incentive spirometer. Don't worry, it is usually given to those who underwent cardio or lung surgery as there is a direct compromise to the lungs. However, it is also given to anyone who were under anesthesia for long periods of time. Because LB is such a short surgery (comparatively) it is not a requirement. IS's just may be standard protocol for some facilities opposed to medically warranted. However, with that being said, deep lung exercises are always a must. So just breathe normal with ocassional bouts of intentional deep breaths for 30 seconds every hour just to clear the anesthesia. Thanks for the share

Alright, first the positive and than feedback... It is great that you are motivated to put yourself on a healthy track and taking measures to prepare yourself. I wish you all the success However, I wanted to play psychoanalyst for a minute. After reading this statement "I feel like this whole banding transition is like an extreme life change and the fact that I can never seem to do anything in moderation has led me to want to fast just to really put into perspective the change that is to come" I wanted to talk to you a little about reframing your mindset so that you can be successful with the band. Prior to being banded, the concept of going on a liquid diet for a day,nontheless for weeks, can be overwhelming. It starts from day one, an opportunity to fail ourselves. So many people feel disappointed because by day 3 they find themselves eating a morsel here and there because they can't resist. This disappointment starts a downward spiral of feeling like they are failures, that they can't do anything, that this will somehow prevent them from getting the surgery. It's almost like self-sabotage. Something all of use are experts at. And it all starts in the mind. What is necessary is to understand, health is only accomplished through moderation and accepting setbacks. This is not another diet that you have to be 100% on. Nothing about this change is extreme, it's merely a change. It requires adaptation and flexiblity as well as patience. But it's not extreme. If we start telling ourselves something's extreme, it makes it hard and hard can be a challenge that most likely results in failure. Instead, invest some time into learning how to retrain your mind to practice balance and moderation. If you are only going in one direction, setbacks (ie gaining a lb) is defeating. If you think eating 100% clean is the only thing tolerable, the time you cheat will feel like failure. And it's not. Learning how to eat in moderation is the whole key to the band. In time you will eat like normal but in moderation. You still need to control frequency, but small bites of icecream, or an occassional fav food will not hurt you and should be incorporated into the plan. Learn to accept that this normal, that fluctuations will exist and none of it is wrong or a failure. When you liberate yourself of this pressure, you will learn that is the key to success.