BetsyB

Good heavens. It might be too much, it might be too little, and it might be JUST RIGHT. There's no way of knowing without knowing a whole lot more about a person. Re: the weights. My doctor did NOT clear me for any weight lifting until after my four-week check; before you do more than basic cardio stuff, check with your doctor to make sure it's okay.

Inspire whey protein powders from Bariatric Eating are really, really good. You can buy 5-packs of single-serving envelopes to see whether you like them before making a larger investment :w00t:

Yep, you're right in the midst of bandster hell. And it is SO hard! It gets lots and lots easier--I promise. Hang in there---it really is worth it.

Yep, your body's got it figured out, and is fighting to hang on to what is left of you! For someone so close to goal, you're really losing at a nice rate---I know it's not as heady as 8-10 pounds/month---but percentage-wise, it's still pretty darn good.

Sounds like you have post-fill swelling. Mine often hits a day or two later, too. If you're concerned, give your doctor a call. Mine encourages us to try to wait it out--as long as we're able to get fluids in. I'd stick with fluids---and in tiny amounts. If you really have no success with that, then I would give the doc a call to see what s/he would like you to do.

My doctor says that, as you move toward restriction, you really toe the line between good restriction and over-restriction. He told me last time I was in that getting liquids in was important---to sip, and if I really could not get anything to stay down, over 8 hours, then to go in. I didn't have difficulty last time, but know I'll be toeing that line with today's fill----my plan is to stick with liquids, and, if I have problems, to sip every 15 minutes or so. If I think I'm in real trouble I won't wait 8 hours (I have an urgent care nearby; I'll go in for fluids)----but for the gurgly, too-tight-but-fluid-still-mostly-going-down stuff? I'll hang in there, knowing that swelling will likely recede. (Some doctors recommend liquid Benadryl to help with that, by the way...though I guess if you're having a big problem, even that liquid might be iffy.) I would avoid coffee. Warm liquids can be soothing, but they also can aggravate swelling. Coffee itself is VERY irritating to already-irritated stomach mucosa. I'd try something cold---in small sips.

Do you know Einstein's definition of insanity? Basically, it says that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. If you are eating the same things, in the same amounts, as you did preoperatively, you will not experience the weight loss you want to see. You CAN lose weight as you work toward restriction. It requires really overhauling what you eat. And it involves exercising. Yes, it's dieting. But it is the last time, in your life, you will go hungry in the name of weight loss. Once you approach restriction, it gets LOTS easier! Hang in there.

I agree that having a positive attitude and belief that you're succeeding with every inch you move forward is very, very helpful. But you have to understand that not everyone is made that way. Some people are more fearful that others. Some are more cautious. Some experience depression, or become overwhelmed easily. Some people VENT in a forum where they can get answers, but are otherwise positive and upbeat. And telling them to snap out of it is...well, pointless. Scolding them for not having your personality attributes doesn't help them move forward in the more positive manner you'd like to see. Offering them support, on the other hand, is kind. It helps relieve their anxiety. It can help show them a way that they had not even considered. Your thread title says, "help me understand some things," but really, you don't need to understand anyone but yourself. If you want to, the best way to achieve that is not by belittling those who are temperamentally different from you---but by talking with them, identifying their concerns, and extending a bit of grace. Because, really---they may not be very different from you at all.

At the time of your fill, you likely are plenty tight. Adding more would likely result in swelling requiring a slight unfill. The thing is, that restriction is ephemeral. After a fill a couple of things can happen. First, whatever swelling we did experience during the fill goes down, "loosening" things up a bit. Secondly, over time and as we lose weight, the diameter of the stomach the band is actually wrapped around can decrease in size--also loosening things up. For the first few fills, it's pretty typical NOT to feel much of any difference. It takes a while to get where you're going--and doing it too fast backfires. That is EXACTLY what you want to notice! As you get closer to restriction, you will likely also have an increased sense of, "I can't eat another bite!", too--and combined with the longer satiety between meals, you'll be golden. (I have the not-one-more-bite already; I'm reaching for the longer satiety; today's fill? Hope so!)

Nothing's wrong with your band. You likely are not having difficulties because you don't have restriction or swelling of the stoma. People who have problems with the things you described early on usually had Fluid added to their bands at the time of installation, or have swelling of their stomas. As you have fills, and the opening gets narrower, some of the things you've been told will likely come to pass.

You say you're eating 2/3 less than before. What does this mean? Do you weigh and measure foods? Journal? Are you focusing on lean Protein, nonstarchy veggies, fruits, legumes, and heart-healthy fats? Are you avoiding refined carbohydrates and sugars? When you exercise your butt off, what does that mean? What are you doing? For how long? How often? I'm not asking these things to be snarky--with the information, you can get good advice :w00t: FTR, my body is loss-resistant---the fact that I need to stick to 800-1000 calories/day WITH daily, vigorous exercise is a huge part of the reason I was banded; a band makes 800 calories liveable. Some of our bodies really do resist loss. That doesn't mean we can't achieve great losses; it does mean we have to be very, very careful about what we eat, and how much. I would love to be able to say, "The band lets me eat what I want, just in smaller amounts"? But I can't. My choices are either to eat the way that allows me to lose, or to stay the same (or gain). You have the same choice to make. If your body isn't losing doing what you're doing, it's time to make changes.

It's very frustrating, but it does get light-years easier when you approach and achieve restriction. That said, you can be one of the ones who loses weight. It is hard, and it requires really restricting what you eat--and bumping up your exercise. But weight loss can occur before the sweet spot is reached. I have fill #4 tomorrow. I have lost 45 pounds---and I don't yet have reliable restriction. It can be done.

Great post, Jacki! I'm losing at a rate of 2.65 pounds a week. You could knock me over with a feather, 'cause it never seems like it! Let's see...I've lost more than a third of my EBW. My goal is at the low end of healthy BMI for my height. (I'm just a couple of pounds shy of the halfway to an upper-end normal BMI.) 17 weeks---a third of the way there, and not yet really restricted. (Tomorrow's fill will likely change that.) You won't hear any complaining from me! (And to think that I ordinarily dislike math.)

Just to split hairs a little, South Beach is neither high Protein nor low-carb. It's well-balanced, protein-adequate, and carb-conscious--but mostly in the sense that it advocates choosing the right carbs. After Phase 1, they are permitted in quantities that push the diet out of low-carb realm. It's the way I aspire to eating---because I really do believe it's the way our bodies are meant to be fed. But it's not for me yet. With finite stomach space, I need to bump up the protein and knock down the carbs. (My body has plenty of stored energy, so I don't need the carbs for that, and my nutrient needs are well met, otherwise.) During the ongoing weight loss phase, I eat very low calorie, high-protein, low-carb. If you were to pare the fat out of Atkins--or bump the protein up on South Beach Phase 1, I guess that's pretty much what I do. I take in 800-1000 calories/day, with 100+ grams of protein, usually 35-50-ish net grams of carb (from veggie sources), and a real eye to keeping my fat intake at <20-30% of calories (with sat fat as <7% of total calories, as per the American Heart Association). I've taken the diet recommended by my doctor and bumped up the protein a bit (because I exercise a lot, I add 2 protein supplements/day)---and my rate of loss has been really good. (Though I'm only now starting to approach restriction--hopefully tomorrow's fill will take me there!--I have lost nearly 45 pounds in the 4 months since banding.) My doctor's rationale is that committing to a good year of eating low carb gets you to goal--after which you have a lifetime to finesse/add healthy carbs back/learn to maintain healthfully. This is not quite correct. Bodies that have fat stores have more than adequate energy---and do not require the energy from carbohydrate for good health. Protein is still used for cell building, maintenance, and repair. Stored body fat is used for energy--and that is the whole point of being banded and changing eating patterns. On the other hand, we do require a broad array of nutrients, so if we pare carbs down, we have to be sure that we are getting, from another source, the nutrients that we might be missing out on if we limit certain foods. This is not to say that your new way of eating won't have room for complex carbs; for most people, there's no real reason to pare them out. Some of us do better when we limit grains--not just in terms of weight loss, but because grain-based foods can be tricky, band-wise. If you don't have these difficulties, certainly incorporate them into your diet; I look forward to incorporating them further down the road, if my body is cooperative. Tracking your intake using a program like Fitday.com (it's free!) can show you where you need to bump up micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) you might miss out on by limiting grains.

What are your doctor's instructions for this phase of eating? We can't give recommendations without knowing this, because each of our doctors has a slightly different approach. Bariatriceating.com has lots of ideas and recipes for the stages of postop eating.

I felt banged-up for about 10 days---after that, it was business as usual :thumbup: (Exercise restrictions were not lifted until 4 weeks, though--you do have to be careful how much you use your abdominals until you've had your postop check.)

It's very typical for the restriction from the first (and second, and sometimes third...) fills to be very fleeting.

I disagree. It is a well-recognized, well-accepted way of reducing the risk of a clot traveling to the heart, lungs, or brain from the leg--a risk that is much higher with a BMI greater than 65. It's a simple procedure that has the potential to prevent life-threatening complications---I would not consider that "jumping the gun." It is meeting accepted standards of care.

For me, it was an evolution from, "no way, no how" to no doubts, full speed ahead. The journey started in the early 90s, when I worked with a surgeon who did an earlier version of banding. I was not at my heaviest then, still believed I could do it on my own, and very much did NOT like what I was seeing, results-wise. Fast forward a couple of decades, when it had become evident that I needed a way OUT. Techniques had come light-years, and by the time I genuinely considered it for myself, it was a full-steam-ahead, no doubts thing. And it was the best decision I've made in a very, very long time.

It's a stimulant drug, but actually an appetite suppressant. The reason for limiting it is that it may be related to ulcer formation. coffee also contains other compounds that can be very irritating to the stomach. The diuretic effects of caffeine have been found to have been HUGELY overestimated. If you drink 8 ounces of coffee, more than six of those ounces are available to the body for hydration; about two are lost to diuresis. For this reason, it is now known that caffeinated drinks CAN be counted toward our quota for liquids--as long as we take into account that a small part of what we take in is lost. (There are plenty of other reasons to avoid caffeine; hydration is not one of them.)

Yes, it's normal for bowel habits to change when eating habits change. If you're not uncomfortable in between, I wouldn't worry about it at all; there's simply less that needs to exit :thumbup:

That's awesome news, Erin---I'm happy for you!

I think it's wise to let people know your concerns--and to designate healthcare proxies so that, in the event that you do run into difficulties, they can be addressed. I will have to make modifications to mine, now---so thank you for mentioning this. That said, I choose to be healthier in the time between now and my eventual decline in old age. And actually, I believe addressing my obesity will vastly reduce the degree to which I decline.

I think it might be too early to be sure. I've had the same thing happen in the past, only to experience increased restriction again after a couple of weeks. My doctor is willing to give a little leeway if I really need a fill--he isn't insistent on me waiting the full 4-6 weeks. But he would be really reluctant to give on given the circumstances you've described, I think. It's just too close to your fill to know what is going to happen.

I can totally understand that. It's really hard when you're hungry. I can justify all kinds of things when my stomach is growling---including making ice cream a nice, hydrating liquid! But you made a good choice by going to bed :thumbup: It gets tons easier when you approach restriction--it really does. But until then, it's a good idea to get the tempting stuff that doesn't quite work for you out of the house.