LollyMoe

I haven't gotten negative comments about the surgery itself but there is one lady (she's 83 yrs old) in my church group that recently made a rude abrupt comment about what I was eating. Before I could comment, another lady told her that I could eat what I had on my plate and how proud she was of me. The first lady shut-up pretty quickly. It's amazing that some people will comment on what a person eats when they know you're trying to lose. This same lady is a diabetic and I could have said something right back at her since she had a big piece of wedding cake on her plate. Just try to consider the source and be choosy who you tell.

I am on my computer often, make jewelry, quilt, & read. Since I am retired, I don't have to do anything I don't want too...including being a slave to my house. If I have to eat, I try to eat things that are good for me instead of junk. However, I was told that I could eat Wheat Thins to help with fiber. That was a fine idea but now it's hard not to eat the whole box in one day! I have to stop buying them but I love things that "crunch" and I thought this was a better idea than some other things I could eat. Any advice would be helpful for me too.

Also, hold a pillow over your tummy when you burp. It will help support the abdomen and lessen the pain somewhat.

Wait on the surgery until you lose all your weight. hair loss is due to lack of Protein. Eat more protein. Don't stress too much about all of this...you're going to be thinner!

The Gas-X and walking does help. So does holding your arms up over your head as much as possible. Mine lasted about a week and will come back if I eat too fast. I hope you get better and feel free to ask any questions anytime. We're all here to help each other.

Congrats on being banded. You will feel better in about 10 days. Just hold on. Deekel gave you some good advice. Good luck.

My friend swears by Emu Oil and I have to admit that her scars from a accident look great. You can google it and order it from a place in Tenn. Those people are honest, speedy service, and not too costly. I have another friend that used Mederma and it worked well too.

Yippee! That's wonderful! My neighbor, who had surgery prior to mine is on a plateau right now and I feel so sorry for her. She works very hard to stay on track but she is such a slow loser. I hope she can break it soon.

Good Morning Everyone! It's a sunny day here in Ragland and I'm feeling fine. I am still losing but it's so slow! Guess I will have to get use to it. I go for my third fill on Wednesday and am hoping to feel some sort of restriction this time. I haven't felt one yet and any weight loss has been my own determination. I am hoping that Dr Miles will let me start my exercise now. He said that b/c I had so much problems with my legs and breathing to wait until I had lost about 40-50 pounds. I am on top of 40 pounds now and this armchair exercise isn't enough. I joined the YMCA and wanted to start some sort of water exercise but you have to actually GO there to be able to use it and my life isn't my own right now. Maybe next week. I am looking forward to T'givings and planning to eat turkey and maybe a tablespoon of dressing. No dessert for me! I have sworn off sweets. The funny thing about me is that when I see excessive amounts of foods, it turns me off from wanting to eat very much. My family will make up the difference for me. I will be at support group on the 21st and hope to see everyone there. Take care and have a good week.

Yes, you should be at least drinking a protein shake every morning. Breakfast is important. Six small meals a day has been proven to be better for you anyway. That is why they recommend it to diabetics. More balanced.

My nutritionist said I could have 5 Ritz with my tuna. I don't have a problem with them since I don't eat them daily.

Yep. been there, done that. Sometimes I am still a little sore around my port area. Doctor doesn't seem to be too concerned.

I was banded in August and I still burp after everything I eat or drink. Doctor says that some people always do it and some don't. Nothing to worry about.

My friend is in her third year and says that she still loses every now and again. She thought it had stopped but it hasn't apparently.

Thanks for the picture. I'm a retired nurse, researched it well, I thought, but learned something new today.

Trishtlc: I'm sorry you are having a hard time. I know you know that the band is just a tool to help you but you have to help it too. It won't work by itself. You have to eat what you're suppose too in the amounts recommended and you have to exercise. It's an ongoing challenge every day. As for your doctor, before you leave his office, make your next appointment for a fill then. I go every 4 weeks for now and I have 6.5ccs in my 11cc band. I don't have restriction and don't even know I have the band unless I don't chew something well. You have to realize that some surgeons are mainly interested in just doing more and more surgeries. They keep so busy with surgeries, they don't have enough time for the regular appointments. If you can't find satisfaction with your doctor, seek another one if you can. Talk to him, tell him your problems, and ask if he is giving up on you. Having said all of that, I hope you will "jerk" yourself up and start again. You deserve to be a healthier thinner you. You and your tool must work together to get to that point. Good luck and keep us posted.

Liquids in, liquids out. They pass right through. The bowel movement itself is probably stool left in the colon prior to surgery that didn't get all cleaned out with you pre-op laxative plus some of the liquids you have taken in. Be careful about taking Immodium. It cause constipation also. Make sure you eat (when you can) lots of fiber, like Fiber 1 cereal.

Best of luck Erin. Some bodies just can't take the band. If you continue to have the same problems after removing the band, please seek more help.

My nutritionist says crystal light is just fine.

I know how you feel! I was some happy to see that 2 myself.

Yeah, what Astrasmom said! Chew, chew, chew is the magic word. Start practicing now! Tiny bites, chew well, put fork down between bites. Oh, be careful with dry food too.

Great! Isn't it terrific when someone will notice all your hard work?

I am so sorry that this is happening to you. People can be so rude at times. Try to consider the source and shake it off. If you can't do that, turn away for a second, stick your finger in the corner of your eye to get some "tears" going and then boo-boo out loud. Do it every time someone is rude to you. Tears make people uncomfortable and they will stop being rude. You will be surprised at how well this can work...been there, done that!

Let's face it, most surgeons/doctors aren't into the nutrition side of all of this. They are more interested in the actual medical part of banding. You really need advice from a good nutritionist that knows all about banding and what to expect prior to and after the procedure. Some doctors offer this type service and some do not. They try to wing it on their own. Some don't keep up with nutrition enough to even talk intelligently about it. Just because they are physicians doesn't mean they know everything. Find yourself a nutritionist, plan out what you can/can't eat, and go from there IF your doctor doesn't recommend one. At any rate, prior to your surgery, you need to educate yourself on what you can and can't have or do. Please remember that you are going to need 4-6 six weeks for healing...so don't be in too big of a hurry. Good luck and let us know what happens with you. This advice is from a retired nurse that doesn't know everything either!

My support groups are only once a month but they are well worth it. I have already learned a lot from banders that are ahead of me. I also feel it helps me to have to check in at least once a month. I would prefer weekly but I'll take what I've got for now. We have all sorts of guest speakers, clothes swaps, recipe sharing, etc.