BetsyB

It really depends. Everyone's metabolism is different, but there is the very general sense that those with more to lose do it faster. This may be true, pound-wise, but I am not at all sure it's true, percentage-wise. You are so, so, so close to your surgery that I really would not expect to see losses yet. Your body is still dealing with the insult & injury of anesthesia, incision, organ manipulations, meds, and so on. At this point, your BMI is not likely a factor. Your body is just marshalling all the resources it has to heal.

I have had difficulty with pills since surgery--well before I had restriction with other foods. I am sure the postop swelling played in at first. Whenever possible, I ask for liquid medications. I do have one VERY small pill I take each day, and it goes through okay (but I feel it). I also can take gelcaps or capsules filled with powder---as long as I drink something warm with them to dissolve the gelatin. But pressed tablets? They invariably get stuck, and take forever to work through the stoma. Ouch. I'd ask the doc if there are liquid alternatives---it just makes life a little less uncomfortable.

I add unflavored Protein powder to soups and broths and chili. You have to be careful to temper the protein when you do this so it doesn't get all clumpy and gross. To do this, you first mix it with cool to tepid Water to form a paste. Then, you very slowly stir in the heated liquid. You can't reheat, or the protein denatures (gets clumpy)---so you have to do this in single servings. I also add unflavored protein to yogurt and fat-free cottage cheese to bump up the protein. My favorite way to use it, currently, is to mix it with warm almond milk, good-quality vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey or Penzey's), and a bit of Splenda. I really, really like this. I also use it in other smoothies---I like to blend together Protein Powder, kefir (kind of like pourable yogurt), inulin Fiber (such as FiberSure--it contains prebiotics that help the Probiotics in the kefir happily populate the intestine), a little Splenda, a little vanilla, about a quarter cup canned pumpkin (not the pie filling, just the plain pumpkin) and a good dash or four of pumpkin pie spice. This is a VERY filling--and really tasty--smoothie that does the trick for me when I really want something dessert-like. Delicious. And pumpkin is so good for you.

I'm not a nectar fan, either. I tried so hard to like it (after all, when you have a huge canister, you really feel obligated to like it!) But I recently ditched what I had. I found it wasn't horrible if I mixed it with Crystal Light. But it still wasn't good--and since I have limited stomach space, I really don't like choking down things I don't like! (On a funny note, I transferred some of it into a regular Rubbermaid canister in my pantry, and my son used it in a Thanksgiving recipe instead of flour. I kind of wondered why his roux didn't thicken, but the recipe, overall, turned out okay. When I was cleaning up after him---grrr!---I realized that he hadn't used flour, but instead used Roadside Lemonade. Of course, he felt compelled to announce this to everyone at the dinner table. But I don't think anyone would have noticed otherwise!)

I don't know what is going on with your body, but will tell you that with mine, loss does not occur at that caloric intake. It's insane--and I spent many years in denial because every authority I ever talked to or read informed me that eating below that level would be detrimental to me. BUT, after years of journaling my intake--whether doing low-carb or not---I concluded (with help) that my body needs 800-1000 calories/day to lose (when I have weight to lose), and to maintain (when I am at normal weight). It sucks. But it is what it is---and thank God for the band, because it makes it possible. You say that you log everything--that is a great start. Do you have journals going back to a point in time when you were losing well? If so, what was different then? For me, I could clearly see a pattern: I lost when within "my" calorie range, and I maintained or gained when above (depending on by how much). Exercise is crucial for me--without it, I cringe to think how much less I could eat. (It does afford me a bit of leeway to go over without consequence once in a while, too.) My suggestions would be to (a) really try to see patterns in your journals (what allowed you to lose in the past?), and (:confused: make sure that when you log, you're being brutally honest about serving size. Are you weighing and measuring? I'd also suggest that you track your body measurements---when the scale's not cooperating for me, I very often still see significant changes in measurements, telling me that other changes are going on in my body. As you swap out fat for muscle tissue, wonderful things happen, even if the scale does not show it.

I'm down about 44 pounds, and am just now noticing a difference. Others noticed earlier, but I'm slow on the uptake. I have been recording measurements each month on fitday. That has helped when I haven't had things like dropping clothing sizes to cheer me on. The inches add up, even if they're not coming off of places that are ordinarily hugged by, say, jeans. (I learned this in a lovely way this morning, when a three-strand pearl necklace I was given--and was sure would not fit around my fat neck---fit beautifully.)

It seems as though there are two (normal) bowel responses to surgery: diarrhea or ...well, nothing. May 5 was only a handful of days ago, and your gut was pretty cleaned out in advance. You still haven't added much in the way of food with residue, so it's to be expected that not much is there to exit. Unless you experience discomfort, bloating, etc, I would not be concerned. If you do reach that point--check with your doctor; mine recommends a gentle OTC stool softener.

If you'd already pared down the refined carbs in your diet, your weight loss on the preop diet may not be dramatic. It's generally the result of Fluid loss related to the massive loss of glycogen from the liver. If you don't have those glycogen stores, your loss will not be as dramatic. I didn't a notable amount on my preop diet; if you look at my stats, you'll see that it didn't really impact my ability to succeed with the band. Remember, while weight loss can be a bonus that comes from the preop diet, it's primary goal is to reduce the size of your liver so that your surgeon can more easily maneuver. You're accomplishing that, whether the scale gives you good news or not.

Could it be swelling after a stuck incident? I'd stick with liquids for a few days, then cautiously venture back to mushy, then solid, foods. Of course, call your doctor if you're concerned!

Me, too, Ada--I have liquid lorcet for pain. I'm allergic to NSAIDs, though and haven't taken them for a long, long time. I've had to switch from pills to liquid since banding.

Sign me up, Buttercup! My goal will be for 15 by the 4th. That will put me 1 pound below the next biggie milestone I'm aiming for (175). Wow--I really like this band!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy bandiversary! You've done a wonderful job!

Nah, knowledge is POWER!

My doctor's instructions are no NSAIDS--forever.

Leigha, I suspect the BB will "tell" me similar things. My metabolism sucks. I gain at a ridiculously low intake, even with exercise. I am trying to figure out how to ramp it up. I think the BB will be really, really helpful as I do that. I wonder: is the BB affected by environmental temps? I ask, because the yoga classes I want to start are done in a 90-degree environment. I guess I need to do some research!

I'm just starting this: one hundred push ups

3-6 ounces, depending on what I'm eating. If it's dense Protein, ~3 oz. + 1/2 cup veggies is pretty typical. If I'm having something like black bean chili, I usually have 6 oz. or so--mainly because it's slider-ish. In the evening, I eat less. Not for any philosophical reason--just because my band is tighter then, and I hit "not one more bite!" sooner.

My doctor is more stringent than most. His diet focuses on lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies. Grains and starches are not added until at least 75 percent of excess weight is lost. But he DOES permit--and encourage---beans. Not immediately postop; I don't think I added them until 2 months after surgery. But they are an excellent source of a wide variety of nutrients. The carbs they contain are complex (and there's plenty of fiber), and there really is no valid reason to exclude them. With limited stomach capacity, it's easy to stay within any carb limitations your doctor might have. I eat Beans every single day, without fail. Even so, my carb intake never goes above that which is recommended for the ongoing weight loss phase of the Atkins diet. (No, I'm not following Atkins--I do journal on a site that gives me this information; I'm including it to illustrate that beans fit in even with the most stringent carb restrictions.) Doctors are humans--and like all other humans, their recommendations can be a little wonky. It's up to you to decide what works best for your life.

The refrigerated Almond Breeze, while 6 grams lower in protein per serving than skim milk, has 30% of the RDA for calcium.

I think the scale is a useful tool. Just as you learn new eating habits, you can learn new weighing habits. I don't think it's necessary to limit yourself to once-weekly weighing. I weigh daily. Just once, first thing in the morning. Doing this allows me to see the little fluctuations that occur for a variety of reasons---and learn to put them into perspective (so that a little upward blip does not faze me). The times I've gone without weighing have been times when I've gained---and I don't want to go that route again. So, I weigh once daily; it keeps me on the right path. There's no obsession attached to it any longer--it's purely informational and motivational.

It's true that scales don't have to be super-accurate, as long as they reliably give you a picture of the downward (or, eek!--upward!) trend. Mine's a pound off from my doctor's---but it's consistently a pound off. You should not get a different reading every time you step on the scale. Of course, today's weight might be different from tomorrow's. But your weight right now should register the same as your weight 30 seconds ago. If it does not, I would return the scale and pick one that is consistent and reliable. ETA: Donna Jo--your new picture is fabulous!

I'm really sorry--I missed that you were just a couple of days postop. The warmness is likely just fine--your body is still in the VERY early stages of healing. It should resolve over the next week or so. If you develop a fever, or notice drainage from the site, then call your doctor. PLEASE DO NOT PULL ON YOUR INCISION LINE. Causing it to blanch in that manner does not really indicate anything about wound healing, and can badly interrupt it.

How sad it must be to believe that gaining an obscene amount of weight is the best way to achieve immortality---if, instead of focusing on the positive things ahead in life, you really believed that the best way to make a name for yourself was by gaining a massive amount of weight. That eating was your one true talent. How awful to believe that that was the best you had to offer the world---unhealthy changes that threaten your very life. It's practically suicide by proxy. No wonder Guiness won't touch her with a ten-foot-pole.

I'd pretty much kill for a filet right now. I'm eyeing the dog and trying to figure out just where it would be on his body....