ElfiePoo

I think sometimes we allow the scale fluctuations to frustrate us...sometimes to the point of cheating out of frustration...even when the longer term progress is pretty evident. I track everything I eat in fitday.com and record my weight on a daily. Looking back at the graph from the last month was enlightening. The lines bobble up and down and up and down like a kiddie roller coaster...but the slope is definitely downward and totals a whopping 10 lb loss over the last month! Not bad for being 16 months postop and usually averaging only 4 lb or less a month.

I wish everyone understood this. Too many people have the 'one diet fits all' mentality. .

Here's the deal...you've done the research and made the decision that the band is right for you. I'd go with that. I too worried about saggy skin...which I think was pretty stupid of me since what's saggy skin compared to being so fat I couldn't walk across the living room without being out of breath, diabetes, a shorter life span and most likely not being around to see my grandchildren. I also am a carb girl and wasn't sure I wanted to give that up. The reality is that, unless you have a metabolic disorder that has difficulty dealing with carbs, you probably don't have to. There are a number of people here who still eat carbs...just less of them. You'll have to find what works for you in that respect. As for your 'friend'...the next time she starts on one of her expert lectures, I'd calmly look her up and down and say "so how's that working for you?" You can't talk the talk unless you walk the walk. .

I didn't have to do a 6 month diet, but I've known since November that I was most likely going to have my band removed due to the increasing pain in my shoulder. That scared me, not so much because of the weight...but because I'm a diabetic and was afraid of what would happen if I went back to my old way of eating. The biggest thing that is helping me is that I stopped focusing on weight. I decided that I didn't care whether or not I lost weight, it was more important to focus on my diabetes and do what I needed to get that under control. Every time I even thought about 'just one bite won't hurt', I realized that as a diabetic, yes it would. When I focused on the weight, it was easier to justify 'one bite won't hurt' because it probably wouldn't...if I had stuck to one bite. As many of us know though, that one bite led to polishing off the container. We know this before we take that one bite but we always believe 'this time' we'll have the self-control to stop...and don't. So focus on the health benefits and not the weight. I think when we focus on the weight, in the back of our mind we're looking at this as a temporary 'diet'...rather than the way of life it needs to be. The weight loss is just a bonus.

I think the biggest difference over the last month is that I *completely* eliminated starches, gluten, and grains. I did it mainly because they have a dramatic, immediate impact on my insulin and, even though I've been off all my insulin since December, my numbers would still climb into the 110 and 120 range after eating something like rice (even brown rice), even the smallest amount of flour, etc....even though they were small enough amounts to fit into my under 30gm carb daily limit. I gave up on fruit a long time ago because they're so high in natural sugar that my blood sugar sky rockets. So...the last month's changes came about as an effort to reduce and/control my blood sugar...and I'm having the added benefit of dropping more weight! A month ago when I started my diet was typically Atkins - low carb (under 30gm), moderate Protein (30-40%), high fat (60-70%) with calories coming in around 1000-1200 depending on whether or not I added cream to my coffee or fats to my vegies. This is what my menu looked like for probably the first two weeks: B: 2 eggs cooked in .2 oz butter, .5 oz bacon (weighed after cooking...about 2 slices) L: Chefs salad with 1.5 cups boston/bibb/romaine lettuce with 1 chopped hard boiled egg, 1/2 oz shredded cheese, 1/2 oz crumbled bacon, 1 oz diced ham or turkey with 2 Tbs homemade blue cheese dressing *OR* 3 oz protein and 1 cup vegies D: Same as lunch Snack: SF Jello with 5 grams whipped cream or 1 square of 70% Lindt chocolate (4 squares was a serving but I just had one) The only thing I'm doing different the last two weeks is I no longer eat bacon for Breakfast and I'm not putting 1 oz diced ham or turkey in my salad. Also, I rarely have a snack in the evening because I just don't want it. I've gone completely to tea and dropped my decaf coffee (which required 1/2 oz of half and half as creamer). What this has essentially done is dropped my calories to around 900, carbs to <15 and fats to 49%. I know I can safely take them up to 60% but I'm not going to forcefeed myself fats. The only other thing I do is make sure to drink a 12 oz mug of decaf tea before breakfast (a habit I got into when I had to try and loosen my band in the morning) and a 20 oz bottle of Water (or sugar free crystal lite, coffee, etc.) between lunch, between dinner and another hot mug of tea/coffee/etc. in the evening. To be honest I haven't exercised this last month because I'm in the middle of my 'end of winter' doldrums but my energy level is high. It's not even spring and my house has been thoroughly spring cleaned over the last month. Now if it would just get warm enough so I can go out and walk in the fresh air! .

For many people, this *is* their support group. .

I doubt you've done any damage since many of us have doctors who have us back on solids 2 weeks postop. However, you should be following your doctors postop orders since only he knows how he put in the band, whether he tacked some tissue around the band to help prevent slipping, etc. Since you're only 22, I'm assuming your daughter is young and, as much as she likes pizza, I'd stop bringing it into the house since it is such a temptation. Look at it this way...you have the perfect opportunity for reshaping your daughter's food habits while reshaping yours. .

I don't think calories were even the issue here. I think the issue was getting in enough fluids. The last time my son was ill, there was concern over dehydration and they didn't care whether he drank water or juice...it was all good. Obviously we don't choose juice because of the calories...but the point is that when they tell us to make sure we're getting enough liquids, they aren't talking about just water. .

Hmmm...nobody here in 4 days. If y'all don't start popping in, I'm going to rename this the ElfiePoo thread. It's a beautiful sunny day with blue skies but since it's March in Michigan that means I'll be horribly 'surprised' to find it's freezing! Countdown to band 'removal' is 10 days. Probably not too soon since I do believe my port has flipped on its side if the jutting 'alien' is any indication. On the last two fills and my unfill, the nurse commented that it seemed the port wasn't quit level any more but she was still able to insert the needle. Over the last week, I've had quite a bit more discomfort over the port and now this morning I woke up with this alien protruberance. The only difference during this whole time compared to previous months is that I started doing Tae Bo...but is it possible that muscles tensing in the torso could possibly rip the stitches he used to hold the port in place...a year after surgery?? Oh well... I think if it's a nice enough day I'm going to go out for a walk. The cabin fever is killing me. Hope you're all doing well.

This is considered a major life change. Of course you're nervous! Make a list of all the pros and cons for having this surgery. You had reasons for doing this. You just need to be able to pull those reasons out every so often and remind yourself that your reasons have not changed. .

I can't help you with the 'full' because my band doesn't physically restrict how much I can eat...but the sliming does occur when you're stuck and you can be 'slightly' stuck without actually feeling like you are. In cases like that, I usually will take a *tiny* sip of hot water because it will generally either loosen the band enough for the slime to pass through...or cause the slime to come rebounding back up. At least in my case, when I've slimed, that slime just doesn't seem to want to go through. Don't know why but I've patiently waited and it wouldn't, so I resorted to the hot water. .

Oh yeah...over this last 16 months there was one month were I put on 10 pounds. I'm sure most of it was Water but since it rapidly came right back off when I finally got my act together, but wow...my joints ached, had a hard time breathing lying down and moving was a major effort. Amazing since I once carried 100 pounds more and had forgotten how awful it was. And yes they did 'whoosh' but shhhh...I'm not saying anything because my official weigh day is Monday and I don't want to jinx it.

I had band surgery in November of 2009. As of December 2010, I am insulin free...but that's not due to the band. It's due to keeping my carbs around 30-45 and getting them from vegies...no grains (wheat, rice, etc.), gluten or starches. .

I don't think it's as simple as 'if you're addicted to one thing and it's taken away, you'll become addicted to another. I mean there are a lot of alcoholics on the wagon who don't take up eating or gambling just because they can't drink...or gamblers who take up eating and drinking (or any other addiction) because they can't gamble. If they do, I'll bet if you look closely enough that person had multiple addictions before they put the clamps down on one and just transferred to one of their other addictions. I know a couple bypass patients from another list who became alcoholics after their bypass...but after talking to these people, it's become pretty apparent that they were heavy drinkers before their surgery and they just transferred their obsession with food to what was already an alcohol problem. .

Pick 10 'experts' and none will agree on whether tea or coffee, carbonated beverages, etc. are allowed to count in the daily liquid intake and will come up with 'reasons' why. In the last year there has even been controversy over whether we really need the 8 eight ounce glasses of Water. I mean, really, who comes up with this stuff? Personally, I find if I drink 64 fl oz of water...whether decaf tea/coffee, Crystal Lite or water...I feel better. I noticed no difference when I made sure it was all 'water'. Someone else may feel the same with half the liquids. Some may be ok with caffeinated. Some may need more. Listen to your body and do what works for you.

$8 a piece? Ok...I don't need a band to pass that up. The price would do it! (But congrats!) .

I love doing Atkins because I don't have to worry about the fat (within reason). Most diets are low fat (20-30%) but mine is more like 60-70% so I can have alfredo sauce. However, since I do watch my carbs and I'm down around 20 right now, marinara or spaghetti sauces are too high. When I get to the point where I want to increase them to around 30-45, I can have it back though.

I'd make sure you're getting at least 60gm of Protein a day and increase your calories. Logic would seem that if we're eating 600 calories a day compared to the couple thousand we were before being banded, that we'd drop weight like crazy...but it just doesn't seem to work that way. Also, you might watch your carbs. If you're eating prepackaged oatmeal, your carbs are probably quite high. Some people can eat a lot of carbs and not gain weight. Some of us have a problem with them. I'd start by recording everything you eat in something like fitday.com and then you might actually see a reason for why no weight loss.

You can do it, Jess. Don't even look in the alcove as you go by. I made some homemade rolls the other day for my husband to take to work for a potluck and all evening, as I walked by the container of rolls, I'd start chanting "IcandothisIcandothis." I probably sounded like a lunatic but hey...whatever works. .

You need to hang around the vertical sleeve boards and don't just read...ask people what particular difficulties they've had. That way you know what you're in for and whether you want to risk dealing with those same problems. Many surgeons push the sleeve and bypass because the patient does lose a significant amount of weight just by virtue of the surgery and in the first year. This is not typical of the band. *However*...is it really all about how fast we can lose the weight (which has its own set of problems)...or whether we keep it off? According to one medical report I recently read, at 5 years postop, the stats for all WLS are pretty similar in amount lost. I would say the band takes a great deal more patience than bypass or sleeve because it can takes many months to get to the point where the band is actually helping...if it ever does. So if someone knows they're an impatient person, they might want to consider this carefully. If someone is self-pay, the sleeve might be a better option just because there are follow-up fills with the band which can amount to a hefty sum. I've averaged a visit per month over the first year (about right according to my surgeon). Some do it in less...some do it with more. Get a piece of paper out and list the pros and cons for both the band and sleeve...and don't let the surgeons push you into something you don't want. .

Your link doesn't work so not sure what your success was due to but I think most of us agree that fad diets (like the cabbage soup diet) rarely work or last. I was also a Type 2 diabetic on insulin but no longer. My success was finally getting rid of the carbs (except those in vegies) in my diet...no grains, no starches, no fruit. It would be nice if one day I could add them back in, but for now they send my blood sugar skyrocketing. .

Yesterday I was complaining that my body felt like someone elses. My balance was off and simple things like sitting and standing were awkward. Today I'm back to normal, but <drum roll>...the scales are down another 3 lbs this morning! I am not going to change my ticker (only do that on Mondays) since it might just be water weight but OMG...after a year of averaging out to a pound or less, I am ecstatic! .

If the Cookies are in the lunchroom or coffee room, I'd avoid that room. .

No...didn't say you were able to do exactly as told before the band...but if you can do so after the band, that implies the band must be doing something...or you expect it to. Ok...your expectation is that the band will help you with portion size. That sounds like you expect it to give physical restriction. You might be one of the fortunate ones. For many of us, who also thought it would help with portion size, it doesn't. You are right that the choice to put down the fork and choose the right foods is up to us...but if the band doesn't do its job, then we're in the same boat we were prior to the band...doing it on our own. I was not implying that your post was accusatory towards those failed by the band. Sorry if it sounded that way. And yes, it was the band causing me to deliberately choose sliders because the Protein and vegies would not go through the band no matter how small of a bite or how well I chewed. So I had to resort to thinks like yogurt which, for me, are killers due to the carb counts in them. Maybe someone else can live on one yogurt for a meal, but it wasn't even taking the edge off the hunger. I wasn't eating sliders out of emotional frustration. I was eating them because I was hungry from not being able to eat. I don't see them as 'challenging' posts so much as 'my experiences were different'...and the back and forth (like this post to you) is just a continuation of a conversation...not a debate. .

I love smoothies. Smoothies do not love me. I could handle drinking one as a meal but the sugar/carb count would kill me (literally, over time). .