honk

Blood tests will not tell you anything. The best test is an ultrasound. Eating something higher in fat will bring one on. So the next time you get one look back to what you ate. The worse it gets the more frequenty they will come. The pain is excruiating! Horrific! If you've had these pains you know I'm not exaggerating. Gallbladder problems do run in families. I think all my mother's siblings male and female had it removed. It is often seen in the Female, Fat, Forty and Fertile group. After losing 100 pounds I had to have mine out at 19! Today they do the surgery Laproscopicly mine was regular surgery so I have a big scare (size of port incision.). The silver lineing is that eating fatty foods' leads to terrible pain, if that's not a determent I don't know what is!

When I went to my first consult the nurse asked what surgery I was considering I said LapBand bacause I did not want bypass. She said "well someone of your size (geez thanks) we normally recommend bypass. I was at 334. I had already lost 30 pounds from somewhat monitoring my food and swimming everyday. Though that did'nt revent me from having a stroke at 39. Anyway, as another poster mentioned one issue is will someone have some success then give themselves license to eat diet unfriendly foods. The problem is when these food decisions become a habit; everyday I have a nonfat frozen yoghurt (sure it's nonfat yoghurt but it's still 200 calories you did'nt need). The other issue is bypass usually has faster loss right after surgery. If she was at 400 the doctor is probably thinking they need to lower her weight ASAP. As I mentioned I was at 334 at the start. I was 7.5 months dieting before having surgery. Day of surgery I was at 282. It has taken me a 6 months to reach restriction. I'm hoping this will speed up my weight loss. I am now at 245. That's 89 pounds in 14 months. Presurgery my doctor said we would shot for 150 that I was as a senior in High School (though this was after I lost 100 pounds. I have always been fat). So that means I still have 100 to go.

One area that I think many doctors don't do a good job of explaining is that there are two kinds of hunger. True physical hunger it's been 5 + hours since your last meal, you stomach is rumbling huger. The second kind is head hunger. It's been 3 hours since lunch, I'm bored, my boss is a pain in the $#%@%$, and I wish I was anywhere but here hunger. If you don't feel full, it has been a couple hours since lunch, you feel justified buying those Cookies from the vending machine. My doctor had 3 required group sessions with a pychologist where we dicussed physical/emotional/food triggers that led us to eat when we were'nt really hungry. Due to other health issues my journey from first consult to surgery was longer then most 7.5 months. My insurance did not have a required 6 months diet but I put those months to good use. I lost 50 pounds. I did a lot of work on my food choices. I also put those mindfull eating sessions to good use. I studied friends and family who are thin. How fast do they eat, what are their food choices, what are their exercise habits. There was medical journal article recently that showed in families where males are alcoholics the woman are more likely to be obese. I was like were they studying my family and did'nt tell me! My brother is a recovering alcoholic and I am a food addict, this is the pattern in on my maternal side. Willpower oh willpower! There are many people on this site who post that they get "restriction" (where they eat a bandster sized meal 1-1/2 cups of food, feel satiation/fullness, and can go 4-5 hours before they need to eat), after say 5CC's of fill. There are however several of us who don't feel full from smaller portions until 9+ CC's. Here's where the willpower comes in. You measure out your food; and when it's gone you are done eating. Stong likelihood you will not feel full. But you have to stop eating. That's where will power comes in. My doctor does'nt not want snacking between meals. So you've had a very small meal and it 4-5 hour before you can eat again. Enter "Bandster Hell". Here is also where frustration can set in. After months of preparing for surgery there is a huge let down where you are hungry after meals and you may not be losing weight very fast. I am pretty very conservative about my food choices, count calories, exercise an hour daily; and I am losing at average 1 lb per week. Perhaps now that I am at restriction I will lose at a quicker rate. The ever allusive full feeling. At 10.00 CCs after eating (again stopped when my measured food ran out) I felt a satiation, not full just not hungry. After about 5-10 minutes I would get a full sensation. I could go 3-3:30 hours before feeling hungry and would grit it out for 4 hours. Now at 10.6 ccs I do get a much stronger satiation closer to full feeling as I'm eating. My nurse said to eat until I feel like I can't eat another bite. I don't do that because I have never had vomiting or slim/Productive Burp and I don't care to. After eating I get a full feeling and don't feel hungry for 4-5 hours depending oh what I have eaten. Here's what I think the band does for me at this point. Head hunger. It's been 3 hours since lunch and I'm bored. I get food thoughts, I ask myself are you really hungry enough to eat? Really? Or are you bored? I consult my stomach (don't laugh) and it says' "No, not really hungry". This allows the logical side of my brain to will the battle. On diets preband I always eventually give up. While I do not make "treat" foods part of my normal diet; if I am at a party after I've eaten my Protein and some veggies I allow myself a small amount of diet unfriendly foods. Before banding it did'nt matter how much I had already eaten I always had room for as much high fat/calories food as I could my hands on. Now I don't feel hungry enough to keep eating serving after serving. I think it boils down to do you think you can stay on weight watchers for ever? If so do that. My problem is when I've gone on very strict diets (and 3 times in my life preband I lost over 100 pounds) eventually I just can't take it anymore. I start to let in high cal/fat foods and it snow balls and I don't eat them occationally or in small portions; I eat them all day everyday and in large portions. If you can't make food habits a life long commitment they eventually will stop and you will go back to unhealthy ones that will lead to weight gain.

Did you doctor give you a post op diet? At day 15 I was allowed to add low/non fat cottate cheese/ricotta. By creamy soups do you mean tomato, squash, or sweet red pepper? Or are you eating cream of mushroom/chicken? If the latter stop! My orders were to have a soup as well as protein (cottage cheese at that point). I would space them out so soup and then an hour later the protein. If you have to add an extra tomato soup that's only 100 cal for 1 cup of food. Having a low cal/fat veggie soup is a much better food choice than ice cream.

It's a little odd that you have trouble eating in the morning since you are "healed" from sugery and don't have any fill yet. I will say that in general my nurse said that liquid in the band is in one position from you sleeping all night; and that as the day progresses it settles due to gravity. But you don't have any liquid. Are you getting full from small portions in general or are you stopping when your alloted portion is gone? There are those who never need a fill. You could be one of those people. Many of the people you read from probably have fill. I believe I am at restriction. My nurse said that I may have to wait a few hours after waking up to eat. My Breakfast is however yoghurt so I don't really have a problem. If you want to up your Protein level you could try the following: Use greek yoghurt (2X the amount of protein then regular, I use Chobani non fat with fruit), 1/2 scoop vanilla whey isolate, splendra, benefiber, 1 protein scoop Kashi Go Lean Protein Cereal.

I would'nt really worry about slow eating. We now eat at the pace of normal people. I still eat faster than my sister who has aways been the thinnest in my family (and I am at restriction).

My doctor charged 4,000 for his services and the negociated rate was 2500 which my insurance paid 100%

I think that people enjoy feeling superior; and fat is the last thing people can broadcast the superiority over. No one would say to a recovering alcoholic "I'm better than you because I don't drink." I am quite convinced that I was chosen for a lay off from my last perm job because I was fat. I've had several coworkers who told me the same thing after I expressed my thoughts to them. My boss however was an high functioning alcoholic; and bragged all the time about their blow out parties on the weekend. But she felt superior to me because my addiction was food and not booze.

I am a female so this is going to sound catty. I've observed in public some thin women who are so mean and horrible to their partners. Horrible!!!! Is it a sense of entitlement? A advanced level of self confidence? I don't get it. And they are'nt pretty realy just thin. It seems like some men just want to be dominated, and I'm not talking physically. Do larger woman lack that level of self confidence and thus not attracked men who want the female to be in charge?

Is your port on the left? It takes awhile for that to heal. Once you start healing internally and the swelling goes down; this will be a will power diet. I did not see any restriction for 5 months from fills and apprear to have restriction now at 6 months. Did your doctor give you a food plan? Are you on mushies or solids at this point? I bought a digital food scale and started weighing my 3 oz of Protein per meal. It's amazing how little that really is; so it's hard to eyeball. While I use regular sized silverware I do use a lunch/sandwich plate becuase it makes my servings sizes look larger. Have you started exercising yet? If not find something that you are willing to do 5 days a week. I highly recommend swimming or Water aerobics it's easier for larger people to do. Good luck!

You can strengthen the muscles in your upper arms but other than that not much you can do. There is a plastic surgery section on here. You might want to take a look there.

Heidib, I feel your pain. I am a slow loser. You mentioned .5-1 lb a week. I am averaging 1. It could be you will just be a slow loser. Frustrating I know. Are you at restriction yet? It has taken me 6 months to get there and hopefully I will start losing faster. Remember the research shows an average of 1-2 pounds a week so I would plan on being happy at 2 if you can get there. I have a very conservative diet and exercise an hour a day 7 days a week so somethings are just the way they are.

Also, if you do drink coffee remember milk/cream and suger realllyyyy add up. It's one of the examples they use of calories you consume without realizing it. Long ago I gave up the milk but since banding moved to Splendra since it is supposedly better for your body than Equal.

Long term the issue about caffeine is that it dehydrates you; which is why my Nut says to avoid it. I would probably avoid caffeine for a week as your stomach heals. Not a scientist but it is a stimulant and might irritate your stomach which is already swollen (again not a medical professional). Years ago I read that since coffee dehydrates that you should drink a class off plain water for every cup of regular coffee you drink. Shrug.

You are not at restriction yet so yes you will eat more than bandster sized meals if you don't weigh/measure your meals. My fills went something like the following: 4, 2, 1, 1, 1.6, .4, .6 now at 10.6 in 11CC band. I did not feel any restriction until 10. and now at 10.6 I think I am at my sweet spot/restriction. For now you need to measure your food and when it's gone you are done eating; even it you feel you could eat more. My doctor prefers that you grit it out and not have any Snacks between meals. The Nut said if there is a long time between lunch and dinner (because I go to the gym) to have a low fat cheese stick for a snack. I am a slow loser (aver. 1 pound week). I follow a very conservative diet and exercise an hour a day. I think there are a lot of slow losers who feel intimidated by people that post "I've been losing 3 lb a week for the last month."; so they don't admit to being slow losers. It's too bad because it sets up unreasonable expectations for new bandsters. There are also people who took a long time like me (6 months) to hit restriction; where as others get there at like 5 cc's

There was a post a few weeks back about this. Some doctors do perscribe diet pills after surgery because for up to 6 months this will be will power diet until you get restriction.

One question I have is you mentioned making you own smoothy. After surgery for the first couple weeks you can't have fruit so I'm not sure what you would really put in a smoothy other than water/fat free milk, maybe vanilla, and the unflavored Protein powder; and perhaps some of the items I'll mention below. I guess when I think of smoothy it conjures of stuff that you shouldn't be eating like ice cream. I recommend looking for Protein shake recipes either on this site or using google. First find a whey isolate Protein powder that you like. They are not all created equal. If you buy at Vitamin Shoppe or a GNC they will usually let you return for store credit if you don't like the one you bought. Also ask the clerk for advice on flavors. They can tell you what people like and buy repeatedly. They are usually pretty candid comparing different brands that they carry. Personally I like Gold Standard Double chocolate and Dymatize Gourmet Vanilla. Here are some options for making them taste better: make Milk cubes (you know freeze it in ice cube trays, 2 are about 1/3 cup milk), add sugar/fat free pudding powder, splendra, Davinchi sugar free syrups (found coffee isle), instant coffee, spices, fat free milk. Mix in a blender (I really like my Hamilton Beach personal blender, it mixes in a travel mug which you can take on the go. $15 at Walmart). The milk cubes give the shake a frosty texture. Also some Ready to Drink brands are pretty good actually. I've tried Muscle Milk Light (make sure to get the light version the reqular is very high in calories and fat), and Premier Brand which can be found at costco (160 cal, 30 g protein).

Hi. I have Greek Yoghurt everyday for Breakfast. Bought the Yoplait. Hated It!!! Gave it away. My personal favorite is Chobani fruited yoghurt. There is clearly a flavor and texture difference between 2% and non fat. Keeping in mind since I have it as a meal I add the following: 1/2 scoop vanilla whey isolate Protein powder, benefiber, splendra, protein scoop Kashi Go Crunch Protein Cereal. My guess is about 220 cal for about 25 g of protein, I use nonfat version. Sweetener is a must for greek yoghurt it is really sour. Esp. the nonfat version. What I find funny is my mother is first generation American (my grandparents were off the boat from Greece). My grandmother made greek yoghurt and my mother hated it. She says I don't know how you eat that stuff it's horrible!

I'm not suprised that you are experiencing fatigue. FYI when asked my doctor said "Why can't you have regular coffee?". The Nut said "Well I would have one cup (read 8 oz) of regular coffee to get you going in the morning and then decaf for the rest of the day. So I do. Does'nt help that I live in the great frozen tundra that is northern NE and it's COOOOOOLLDDDDDD.

$2K are you kidding me. What a rip off.

Walk to move the gas and take liquid Tylenol.

Tina, please understand I am only passing along the info I got from my own doctor. I am not being judgemental, this is super hard! If you doctor put you on a specific diet please follow it. The more weight you lose and the smaller your liver will be and the easier the surgery will be on your body. Research shows that following a 2 week high Protein low carb/fat diet can shrink the fat in your liver by 25%! If you want to know why that is important go watch a video of a live surgery on youtube(not at all gross, no blood), they whip your liver right out the way. So the more flexible it is the better. I would recommend spacing out your allowed foods. If possible plan your day so you can eat every couple hours. You probably will be hungry after drinking one shake but if you can rationalize that food is only 2 hours away it might help with your urges. Another thing to remember is after surgery you can not break your doctors orders. They are there to protect your stomach while it's recovering from surgery. It will have stitches holding the band in place and eating solids could cause those stiches to rip out (due to the stomach moving to digest the solids). I'm not trying to be mean spirited, just explain why following the doctors orders is important. That said if you were to eat an unapproved food I would make it grilled chicken breast plain no skin.

Also does your dog get food from someone else? My sister had to tell the neighbor kids to stop feeding the dog (they did'nt even have a dog and bought dog treats!).

Are you drinking the stock from the soup or eating the solids? I agree with your Nut that you need to be getting some protein. My doctor said clear broth and Protein shakes (no fruit, just fat free milk and protein powder) for 7 days. Day 8 I could have tomato soup and protein shakes, Day 16 I could add cottage/ricotta cheese, day 27 canned chicken.

Your office is clearly a lot more restrained than the ones I've worked in. I've never been one to keep candy in my house. I would however buy some for work of which I would have one or two (esp stuff from Coscto because the bags are so big). One time I put the candy out at 9:00 (bridge mix) and took couple pieces at like 2:00 PM I stopped by and the 3lb bag was almost empty!