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BetsyB

LAP-BAND Patients
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Everything posted by BetsyB

  1. BetsyB

    60g protein a day?

    BetsyB replied to amanda1234's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    I'd add a good-quality protein supplement. My favorite is the PURE unflavored whey protein isolate from Bariatric Eating. I stir in into all kinds of things to bump up the protein.
  2. BetsyB
    Let the doctor figure out the amount of the fill--that's his role, not yours. Your role is to eat appropriately---even if you don't have adequate restriction. Just because you can eat doesn't mean you should. Make wise food choices that are consistent with weight loss, and you will lose weight. Thankfully, you'll see the doctor soon. That will help. But in the meantime, you can make wise choices. (I am not sure that the ability to drink Fluid easily and quickly is a great gauge of restriction. Only when I've been quite swollen after a fill have I been unable to drink pretty freely. I have good restriction now, and though I have to pause momentarily after every 4-5 ounces, it's just momentary; the fluid moves through freely.)
  3. BetsyB

    Multivitamin making me sick?

    BetsyB replied to jamelyn1979's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    Yes, Vitamins often make people feel gross. I make sure to take mine with food. And I do better when I split my dose. (One dose is 2 capsules, so I take one in the morning, and one at night.) Lots of people do better if they take their vitamins at bedtime--that way, they sleep through any ickiness.
  4. BetsyB
    I wonder, since it's been so long, whether you're dealing with bread still being stuck, or with swelling from a stuck incident that's resolved. I'd suspect the latter---bread can clog things up, but it breaks down pretty quickly. When I have swelling, babying my band does the trick--I stick with liquids for a day or two, then advance to soft foods. liquid Benadryl seems to help reduce the swelling, too.
  5. BetsyB

    Useless Advice

    BetsyB replied to trace10's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    Well, it's not useless advice for many, really. My doctor recommends against those foods because, with limited stomach "real estate" and the need to meet the requirements for other nutrients, they are unnecessary. Lots of doctors (mine included) recommend against them even before restriction is achieved--in order to foster weight loss. Why didn't he give you a fill? (Mine doesn't at the first visit, either, but that's at one week. First fill is at 4 weeks--but I still had that "wasted visit" when he assessed my postoperative status.)
  6. BetsyB

    Banded and feeling sad?

    BetsyB replied to Spouse of T's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    It's really common to experience sadness after any surgery. The upheaval from anesthesia and the trauma of the surgery itself really knock us out of whack. As you lose weight, you might experience emotional lability due hormone fluctuations. Body fat is mildly estrogenic, and as it's lost, the serum concentration of estrogen can fluctuate. Then, too, is the mourning many of us experience for our old "relationship" with food. This tapers off as you build a new, healthier one.
  7. BetsyB
    It was either 4 or 4.5 cc in an 11 cc band--I don't remember. Over the first 2 fills I got 8.5. Now I think I'm somewhere around 9 cc, though I haven't asked the last couple of times. My doctor uses fluoro with every fill.
  8. BetsyB
    If our doctors are well-informed about nutrition (and the tricky part is figuring out if yours is), then their recommendations are based on a solid foundation. The fact that each sees scores of bariatric patients, and can form a well-educated conclusion about what works well for most, should offer reassurance. You're right, though, that no single plan is right for everyone. And as the "owner" of your body, you have the right to make autonomous decisions about that body. That said, I follow a low-carb regimen, as recommended by my doctor, and exercise a lot. And I have NOT upped my carbs. When my body no longer has fat stores to draw upon, I will. But as long as I have the "reserve," I will demand that my body use it for fuel. When our doctors tell us we don't need to adjust our diets--it's not because they are rigid and dispensing cookie-cutter advice; it's because ALL of our bodies have fat stores we want to deplete. And following their regimen fosters this depletion. I have not suffered any ill effects from low-carbing with a very active lifestyle. However, if you want to add more carbohydrate, I'd recommend doing it in small increments. Journal your intake, so you can make note of when/if your loss is affected by your changing intake. It will take a little time to figure out your threshold--and that's easier to do if you keep track.
  9. BetsyB
    I ditto the caution. My doctor recommends against tomatoes for a while postop due to their acidity. Cooked very well, they might be a mushy, though I'd avoid the skin entirely, like Elcee suggests.
  10. BetsyB
    What a great post! You've lost ...well, just about exactly the amount I saw on the scale when I stepped on it this morning. You've lost ME--an overweight adult woman with a BMI of 29.1. AWESOME!
  11. BetsyB

    (continued)

    It sounds TERRIBLY restrictive, but really, I eat a large variety of foods. I eat out often, and never have trouble finding something good on the menu.

     

    When I reach 75% of excess weight lost, I will add whole grains back in--but honestly, I haven't missed them much. I just don't have that much space! Still, it will be nice to have the option of including them.

     

    For exercise, I do a LOT of walking---3.5 miles in the morning and evening, at a pretty fast clip (11-minute miles). I have a weightlifting regimen, too, but have had to ease off that due to back issues; I will be returning to it as soon as I can. (But really, it doesn't burn that many calories---it's the cardio that really makes a difference for me in terms of weight loss.)

     

    If you look below, my doctor's recommended eating regimen is outlined in full.

  12. BetsyB

    Hi, Heather :)

     

    Thanks! I've been really pleased with my loss.

     

    I have been eating really carefully. My doctor recommends low-carb during the losing phase, and it's worked really well for me.

     

    I start my day with a protein drink. I get up really early, and can't quite face breakfast right away!

     

    After I exercise (3.5 mile walk), I have breakfast. It's usually my most carb-heavy meal of the day. Often, I grab about 4 ounces of chicken-black bean chili. Early in the day, I benefit from the carbs from the legumes.

     

    For lunch, I have 2-5 ounces of protein (these days, it's usually just a bit less than 3 ounces), plus half a cup or so of nonstarchy veggies.

     

    Dinner's the same: protein and veggies. Sometimes, I have a fruit, too.

     

    For snacks, I lean toward veggies, occasional fruits, and cheese.

     

    Before bed, I have a warm protein shake with my vitamins.

     

    (continued)

  13. BetsyB

    Vomiting question

    BetsyB replied to Southern Charm's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

    I've never vomited anything that appears to have moved from my pouch to the stomach below; everything is undigested and mucus-y, without any bile or digestive juices. Most of the time when I throw up, it's because of "user error." Either I've taken one bite too many (and that bite comes up), or something is stuck. For the former, it's very gentle, and the latter can be more forceful. According to my doctor, vomiting of this nature really doesn't pose much of a risk for slippage. Frequent, enduring, or very forceful vomiting can be a concern. So, a violent case of gastroenteritis would spur him to prescribe meds to reduce the nausea/vomiting. But he's not at all concerned by the now-and-then stuff bandsters tend to experience.
  14. BetsyB

    Barium Swallow

    BetsyB replied to TracyNYC's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    My doctor is a fluoro-every-time guy, too. But I think he's in the minority.
  15. BetsyB

    I will be unbanded August 24th

    BetsyB replied to thepoodleluver's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

    Oh, how discouraging I hope you have a fast recovery.
  16. BetsyB

    Odd Feeling

    BetsyB replied to takingcontrol's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    Sounds like maybe you're feeling the tugging sensation the port can create as it becomes embedded in muscle tissue.
  17. BetsyB
    A bariatric multivitamin, a cal-mag supplement, biotin, zinc, vitamin D, and Co Q-10.
  18. BetsyB
    I have BCBS. There's a 3-month supervision period. My wait from first visit to surgery was 6 months--the paperwork was submitted before the holidays, and surgery was scheduled for after (teachers were already scheduled for Christmas break).
  19. BetsyB
    Holy moly! You poor thing. I can guarantee that the postop gas pains are nothing like the pain you've already experienced. You'll have pain relieving medication if you need it, and it really does resolve quickly. If you can handle what you've already handled, I think that banding will seem pleasantly simple.
  20. BetsyB
    Nope, not for a second.
  21. BetsyB
    One thing to keep in mind is that people tend to post when things aren't going well for them. We just don't see a lot of posts from people saying, "This was the best decision I ever made. It's made it possible for me to say 'no' to foods that don't benefit me. I've changed my relationship with food, and it's been tremendously freeing. I've consistently lost weight, and know that, with this tool, maintaining the loss will be possible. And I feel healthy, happy, and --most of all--never deprived." People tend to post when they need help or feedback or ideas. But lots of us really do have excellent experiences and feel just like I've written above.
  22. BetsyB
    Yes, I get tight when sick--especially if it's sinus-related. The drainage can gunk things up, too. I take Mucinex or plain Robitussin (guaifenesin in whatever form is cheapest) to thin the secretions, and it does help. liquid Benadryl can be sort of drying to the mucosa, but can help with band tightness, too.
  23. BetsyB
    In your shoes, I'd probably try to wait it out. It sounds as though you might have pushed with food a little sooner than the post-fill swelling permitted, and aggravated things a bit---but that it's now calming down. If you're getting plenty of Fluid, and food is getting easier, it won't hurt to give it a few more days. OTOH, if this feels "wrong" to you, it's likely wrong--and you should listen to your body. Good luck!
  24. BetsyB

    social eating

    BetsyB replied to slowry's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

    I think people pay a whole lot less attention to us than we are afraid they will. No one has ever commented on my eating--even when I've had to leave the table due to being stuck. I order tiny things, and eat only part of them---and either I'm oblivious to the reactions of people around me, or no one even notices.
  25. BetsyB

    Weight Loss bummer...HELP

    BetsyB replied to Jordangirl's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

    I think the key here is "I can just about eat anything I want to..." Really, if you're not losing, you can't continue to eat the same way you did before, even if you're eating less. Something has to give. What kind of eating plan does your doctor recommend? ETA: Even at 9 cc. there is still leeway for more fill--even a fraction of a cc, at this point, might make a difference. Have you talked with your doctor about this?

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