GoingforGoal

Before surgery, ask your dr if he will put you on a preop diet so you can prepare and purchase appropriate shakes etc to your liking. Ask your dr if there's anything day of surgery (or during surgery) that would prevent the surgery from taking place. Ask what kind of pain management they put you on to get a better idea of what to expect. As for postop, ask your doctor if they have set days to do fills and how they address urgent unfills.Get an idea of how aggressive or conservative they are with their fill protocols so you can get an idea of how soon or later you will achieve 'green'. Ask them for their guidelines on how they determine when/if a fill is warranted. A lot more questions can be had for the nutritionist but just ask us when you get to that point.

I agree, moderation is key. If I start craving, I have to satiate that craving even it's only by having a bite or two. I do count those cals and try to compensate throughout the day for that splurge. Also, I restrict myself to no more than 2 'cheat' meals a week. The less pressure you put on yourself the more apt you are to follow your rules and the less likely you are going to want those no no foods in general.

Plateaus is often not discussed on this forum. It is essential that everyone understand that when the body experiences rapid wl or stress or drastic cal reduction it will go into a plateau. Two things happen 1) the body is on freeze as a protective measure to keep your reserves in case you are going into starvation mode and 2) it is readjusting to your new routine. Inevitably, if cal < energy output you will resume weight loss. But understand this is a very natural course and should not be seen as a setback.

Sorry to say, but I often drink w/ meals. Mind you I only drink ice tea and water so I don't have to deal w/ carbonation issues Also, I'm a sipper. I stop when I feel full. The downfall is that it probably contributes to an early full sensation, lets food pass quicker and can be a setup for feeling hungry earlier.

Hi Joanne and congrats on getting banded. I'm sure you do feel like you need a fill. However, your surgeon won't be ready to give you one for approx. 3 months. This is because a lot of swelling needs to subside and healing needs to resolve. Even when we physically feel better/more mobile/no pain etc healing is still taking place. That and you want to give your body some adjustment time to it's new band. Dont' want to be aggressive and end up causing issues. However, with that being said, when it is time to get filled... The green zone is.. 1) when food doesn't just slide down to the stomach like it did pre-op, 2) when you feel fuller off of small portions (avg is 1/2-1 c), 3) when you feel satiated between meals (approx. for 3-4 hrs) although I struggle with this one. The green zone is not 1) excessive tightness that results in frequent regurgitation (despite small bites and good chewing), or 2) so tight it causes symptoms like GERD before during or after meals. It usually takes an avg of 3 fills before you achieve green..so be patient. Also, stay on top of your fills. Many people who gain weight back often did not keep on top of fills. You can be green for a long time but as you lose weight or as the body adjusts you may need tweeking. So always reassess. I just got a 0.5cc fill after 3 years of being in green. Good luck

Hi 5. You are absolutely right. All those milestones are just as relevant as the scale #s (dropping clothes sizes, new bmi ranges, ability to do something physically you couldn't before etc). When I got to BMI 24 and was "normal" weight range I just didn't know what to think. It was just as relevant as being 155 or size 6. Find those little milestones and celebrate them> They all serve as great motivation to keep going!

Forgot to mention... after baby 3 and a 100 lbs weight loss my periods are normal. First time in my life.

Hello Here's my story. All my life I've been overweight and also have irregular periods (every 40-even 90d). In 2002 got married and we tried for baby1 that same month. Conceived immediately and naturally. I was approx. 200 lb. Gained too much w/ that baby and never lost much afterwards. 3 yrs later we try for baby2 w/ false assumptions it would be as easy. Wrong! Was diagnosed with PCOS. Tried a variety of meds to conceive and finally did after 2 rounds of clomid. Conception was highly unlikely otherwise. I was approx. 230#. After his delivery, PCOS wasn't something to treat. My periods were still irregular but no other symptoms. This just became something to deal w/ when I wanted to conceive. 2 yr later we try for baby 3. Just as we figured, we did not conceive naturally. Ended up going as far as IUI to no avail. After 6 months of nonstop labs, u/s, self injected meds etc. I was resolved to the fact we would have no more kids-it became a huge emotional drain trying. I'm about 235-40 lbs at this point, still irreg. periods. Shortly after I decided to get the band (Nov 2009) at a high of 250. One year later husband wants to try again for a baby. I've lost over 50 lbs at this point. I was not eager to jump into that emotional rollercoaster, so I said.. we can try naturally. But if it didn't work I wasn't going to do meds and other procedures. We tried one time LITERALLY before he had to travel out of country. Boy wasn't he surprised when I called him while he was away to inform him I was pregnant. This is what a mere 50 lb weight loss can do. Mind you, this is with aging etc, so the real variable was the weight. The band will work regardless of having PCOS. And lose enough weight you may discover your PCOS will no longer serve as a barrier (ie fertility, resistant wl) etc. You are making the right decision

Isn't it crazy how they just pop up out of nowhere

Fun topic. I started out cautious and would take liquid vits (yack) which quickly turned into gummy vits and vit D. I have never been a pill fan so this was ideal anyway. However, there are those non-gummy meds you have to take. If over the counter, I try to find smaller doses to keep pills small. I'd rather take 2 than 1 heaping pill. However, I have had antibiotics that were horse pills. I always hesitate wondering if THIS one is going to get stuck. Never has. I'm so confused how a horse pill causes no probs but eggs..even yogurt some days can be problematic. Go figure! lol

So you mean insurance co's will pay for my cosmetic surgery now? hahaah j/k

My doc had a very conservative feeding plan to transition from liquids to solids. I remember introducing both mushies and solids a week prior to when I was supposed to. I never had any signs of reflux, regurg or the band being excessively tight when I made the decision to transition earlier. I had no complications and when I learned of others plans I realized my docs plan was indeed (too) conservative. I never cheated on food choices or portion sizes, just the start dates to transition foods.

I think the point is that when you need an emergency unfill you want to have access to someone who can do it for you. I know a lot of bandsters whose bar. surgeons do not work weekends or long hours. It is a good consideration when selecting a dr because those who have been in the situation of having a tight band know all too well how miserable it is. My husband made the error of getting a fill right before we headed out of state. 8 hrs later and a state away my husbands band turned on him. We had to drive back immediately. I was very impressed that his doc not only texted w/ him but made special arrangements to come in and unfill him as soon as he got back in the area. There's nothing like a doc who really cares for their patients. ERs are always an option, but $ is a huge consideration for some, plus the added hours of wait is no fun either

Hello, Nice to meet a fellow RN. You'll see there's quite a few of us on LBT so hopefully this generate a good conversation. I took a full 2 weeks off before going back to work. I probably could have gone back earlier, however, I did not want to risk that crazy night where you are given one too many patients, or the high acuity patient that will be 12 hrs of nonstop orders etc. I am a NICU nurse so I lucky that I do not have to physically assist an adult patient, but the higher acuity can lead to some relentless running around and continuous cares/changing fluids-meds-vent settings/drawing labs etcetc. I never told anyone at work I got the band but I got a good laugh out of your "hey Im working the OR that day"... I got that when I was having my baby RC/S. LOL This is definitely worth to add to the "You know you are a nurse when.." lists haha.

Congrats on your WL and upcoming surgeries, you are going to look amazing. I too am getting cosm. surgery in August timeframe. It's like the last goal and the biggest reward. Your in my thoughts!

Oh I hate that, but man, when you get through it you feel 100x more accomplished than just eating clean for a day normally. Hi 5

Oh I remember the day well... Congrats dear on such a huge accomplishment. I like how you are looking for lots of goals (ie bmi goals etc) and not just scale numbers. It just makes the whole process a continual reward system. Keep up the great work hi 5

Did you get a recent fill, did you have a stuck episode, or did this randomly occur. Staying hydrated is paramount. Without proper fluids the cells in your body are less buoyant, to include those in the esophagus which can perpetuate the 'tightness' you are experiencing. Also makes you susceptible to irritation/inflammation making this a slippery slope. If you cannot even pass fluids, that's an emergency an warrants an unfill until everything settles down. Be careful hon..you don't want to set yourself up for worse scenarios

Ok Children settle down. This topic is not a pissing contest against different countries or their medical systems...but thanks for enlightening us with your unfounded OPINIONS nonetheless. The real topic at hand is that the EUR medical arena, who has been working w. bands far longer than the US, is steering away from the band (per the poster). Our first thoughts should be to ask... what are the stats and why specifically are they discouraging the band, second- are we doomed to the same fate. Instead of getting all defensive, learn to evaluate information so you can be informed..not ignorant US tyrants.. PS Im American, but educated

Welcome and congrats on your decision to get healthy

Would love to see more pics as you recover. Getting mine in a few short months

I take Spring Valley 5000mcg. They are small like an advil. Got it at walmart

Hey Stranger... So I remember these suggestions when I was banded and it wasn't something I ever did or needed. This is a personal preference issue. For example, if you find yourself eating too large bites, using a smaller spoon is an excellent solution. And I would have implemented it readily if that were an issue. I tried to normalize everything because in reality you won't always eat at home. I wanted to adjust to what 2 oz of meat looked like in a normal plate, not trick my mind into thinking I was eating more simply because it was on a small plate. What I did do is not estimate. I measured everything with scales and spoons etc. After time I could eyeball it accurately and those went to the wayside. But most of us don't have that skill in the beginning so make this a priority to make long term portion control easier. Some neat tricks I like in regards to portions is making customarily large meals (a meatloaf for example) in cupcake pans for individual servings One last thought... I also did not implement 'special measures' because I did not share w/ most that I was banded and I did not want to bring attention to myself (ie baby spoons and plates etc). Rather I learned (quickly) how to visualize my plate and deem what was my portion).