BetsyB

Like Ada, not taking that one last bite.

It was the one office visit when I didn't see the doctor. The nurse removed stitches, checked my incision, and answered any questions I had. That's it :smile:

It's a great question to ask---I wish more people did ask it before surgery, so they'd know what to expect. Banding will not take away hunger---at least not at first. And it definitely won't take away cravings. BUT--and it's a big but (ha! like mine)---once you get past the hellish period of non-restriction, your hunger level dramatically drops, so it becomes lots and lots easier to resist temptation. Plus, your stomach capacity very simply is reduced to the point where overeating becomes more or less a non-issue. You do have to find a way to deal with the feelings that food creates for you---because they don't really vanish after surgery. (Two good books to help with the emotional aspects of overeating: Shrink Yourself by Roger Gould and The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karen Koenig.) The band is a really great tool. It really does what it's "supposed" to do----it makes living on far less food, well, liveable. But it does take quite a while after surgery for most people to reach the point where the band really provides restriction---during that time (or even before), I think it's important to eat as though you do have restriction, so that you have good habits in place. It's really amazing how much room life has for other things when food is not the primary focus :redface: You may experience grief initially, but the rewards really very quickly outweigh the costs---and that makes it all worthwhile. Good luck!

I took my husband with me to an informational seminar and to one of my first doctor's appointments. It made a big difference. When my (college-age) daughter expressed anxiety about my upcoming surgery, I took her to one of my preop classes. It was very reassuring to her. (My son? He was fine with it all along. We watch Big Medicine together.)

I work out daily, and need to stick to 800-1000 to lose. Everyone is different. That said, be sure you're being very honest with yourself about how much you're eating. At the beginning of your post, you state , but then go on to say that you're only getting 800-1000 calories. Are you journaling your intake someplace like fitday.com? Do you measure or weigh your servings? What foods are you eating? (Are you getting adequate lean Protein? Avoiding refined carbs?) If you post a couple days' worth of menus, I bet you'd get great feedback :redface:

You've lost 50 pounds in less than five months? It's time to work on your thinking, not your loss. I understand that you "want more," but that is not realistic. And because your expectations are not realistic, I think it would be a mistake to resort to liquid dieting---it reinforces the disordered thinking/disordered eating connection rather than working on developing a new, healthier relationship with food. If you find that you're veering off course, yes--get back to basics. Make wise choices. But do recognize that your rate of loss is higher than most experience---and try to reframe your thinking. (The "starting over on Monday" might be a good place to start; how about just making a good choice for dinner tonight?)

I've been waffling back and forth about the bugg for a while. I think I've concluded that, for me, it's not worth the money. Knowing the numbers might be motivational initially, but the fact of the matter is that my eating is limited by the band, and I change my exercise regimen as my tolerance increases. No matter what, my intake is lower than my output. I don't need equipment to tell me that. It's nowhere near as precise, but using a (free!) tool like Fitday allows me to track my nutrient intake and get an approximate indication of the calories I burn during exercise. I've decided that's good enough for me. Yes, the Body Bugg would give me a very accurate idea of calorie burn---and that would be interesting for a day or two. But I just don't see an ongoing need for that level of information. Plus, I really didn't feel like starting from scratch with another journaling system. I have a huge databank of custom foods on Fitday, which makes journaling effortless. I suspect I'd get one if my food intake weren't as well controlled. It's a neat gadget---but I just don't see the utility, long-term. (I guess my thinking is that, if I've expended extra energy during my workout, my body already knows this. I don't really need to be told.)

It probably refers to a comprehensive metabolic profile (CMP). All of the chemical reactions in your body make up your metabolism. This series of tests (from one blood draw) shows how well your organs/organ systems are functioning. It's sort of a quick snapshot of the chemical processes going on in your body. It includes blood glucose Calcium albumin total Protein sodium potassium bicarbonate chloride BUN creatinine liver function (ALP, ALT, AST, bilirubin) Fasting in advance helps ensure accurate results.

Pills have been an issue for me, almost from the very beginning (when my restriction was next to nil). I can't tolerate pressed tablets at all, unless they are tiny. They get stuck, without fail---and they stay stuck far longer than other things. (They really fit into the stoma and plug it up.) HOWEVER, gelcaps and powder-filled capsules work fine---as long as I take them with a warm liquid. The Gelatin then dissolves so that the caps don't get stuck. Your mileage may vary. Bariatric Advantage has many bariatric vitamins in chewable form.

It sounds to me as though your expectations are realistic. At first, you will rely more on willpower and planning and determination than you'd probably like. But even then, the band does limit stomach capacity. Once you add in the element of slow pouch emptying (restriction), then the band really, really does work nicely. You still have to make good choices, but the band guides that. It becomes light years easier. Removing insatiable hunger makes it easier to make choices that provide your body with what it needs. Yes, it's a tool. But it's a darn good one!

what a sweet husband! Mine picked me up at the hospital--but was relatively busy for the rest of the day. I didn't need him at all, except to handle dinner for himself and my son. The following day, he was back at work as usual, and I was fine. Re: the overnight stay. This seems to be driven by surgeon preference and insurance requirement. My doctor does keep patients overnight, always. My insurance also requires it. I was grateful for the time---I sort of eased back to my usual level of consciousness under their watchful eyes, got up and really mobile, etc. before going home.

Roger Gould's Shrink Yourself has really good tools for tackling emotional eating. The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karen R. Koenig is also very helpful.

They will not reveal ANYTHING about your health that you do not authorize for release.

Great loss---and great attitude!

In the morning and the evening, I have a Protein Shake. During the day, I have three meals. At each, I eat 3-4 ounces of Protein (lean meat, fish, poultry, legumes, or sometimes cheese or cottage cheese). In addition, I have 1/2 cup nonstarchy veggies each day, usually at lunch. (I'm tight at night.) Some days, I have a fruit, too. (I'm "allowed" to daily, but never seem to think of it when I have room.) I get a bit of good-quality fat (olive oil or flax seed) each day, too. It boils down to 800-1000 calories, 80-100 g protein, <50 gram net carb. I don't watch fat like a hawk, but do aim for <30% calories from fat, with most of it being unsaturated. (I journal on fitday.com.) It sounds more restrictive than it is--it's really quite liveable. Yesterday, I had chicken-black bean chili with a little cheddar for one meal, smoked salmon with chive cream cheese on romaine for another, and Asian pot roast for dinner. I don't usually cook separately for myself--I just pull from my family's meal what works for me. ETA: I forgot to add my exercise. I walk 3.5-4 miles FAST each morning and most evenings. (I've been doing this for about 4 years---increasing speed and duration.) When I'm not injured, I go to the Y on alternate days for resistance training. I plan to add yoga on the non-Y days---just have to muster up the courage (and $$) to venture into the studio to get their try-a-week pass.

Blarf. Neither! Inspire from bariatriceating.com :thumbup:

I've had fibro for...well, more than half my life! I have felt GREAT since surgery. The low-carb, higher-Protein diet has helped me tremendously, as has the weight loss itself. (I realize some of this may be coincidence; a flare can startle me at any time...but so far so good!) I didn't have any adverse effects related to the anesthesia, surgery, etc. I did make use of the pain meds given to me, however. I do have ortho issues that concerned me--operating table positioning can cause soreness. But I must've been handled with care, because I didn't experience anything untoward. I also did not have the dreaded shoulder pain--which is good, 'cause my shoulder hurts badly enough without added insult! ETA: Exercise is the BEST medicine for me--I discovered this a few years before banding, and it still holds true. Once I learned that pushing through the pain didn't really significantly worsen things (I mean, I felt crappy anyway...), and got into a good groove, I found that I feel much, much better with regular, vigorous (but not punishing) exercise.

He does take me right to restriction each time---but just as with fills without fluoro, the restriction can be very ephemeral. There's only so much Fluid that can go in at one time, when you make allowances for tissue swelling, etc. So, while I might be nice and snug at first, it has not always lingered. I do think that having fluoro gives him a bit more freedom to be generous with fill amounts---he doesn't need to be super cautious and give tiny fills because he can see whether a larger fill works. Ultimately, I do think this will get me where I want to be sooner than many experience. But I'm not quite there yet. I've got 3 fills down, 7.3 ccs in an 11-cc band, and think the next fill will likely get me where I need to be (and you've got almost 3 months' head start on me, time-wise, if that gives you an idea about the rate).

If you were going to have a problem with it, you would definitely already know---if you didn't experience trouble right away, then it moved through your stoma without a problem. It's more of an issue with people who have more restriction :thumbup:

I'm not coloradobanding, but I'll share what I eat. It's been working very well for me. My doctor's regimen is pretty stringent. I follow it pretty closely, but added in 2 Protein supplements. (He's a three-meals-a-day guy, but this works better for me; I find I eat smaller portions at mealtime as a result.) early morning--warm Protein Drink and supplements later morning, after exercise--3-4 oz. protein. Today, I had this in the form of chicken & black bean chili---the Beans are carbier than animal sources of protein, so it's a good choice for me after exercising. (Legumes, vegetables, and occasional fruit are my only source of carbohydrate.) lunch--3-4 oz. lean protein (meat, fish, chicken) plus 1/2 cup nonstarchy veggies OR small serving of fruit. Today, I spread 3 leaves of romaine lettuce with a little bit of chive cream cheese, then topped it each with an ounce of smoked salmon and cracked pepper. dinner--3-4 oz. lean protein plus 1/2 cup nonstarchy veggies (if I didn't have one at lunch)--tonight, this will be an Asian pot roast. I may have some broccoli, too (since I don't have a fruit on the agenda). evening--protein shake and supplements So, over the course of the day I have two Protein drinks (~30 g protein each), three 3-4 ounce servings of protein, and a couple of small servings of nonstarchy veggies or one serving of veggies and one fruit. After 75 percent of excess weight is lost, I'm "allowed" to add grains back in. (I say "allowed" in quotes because I realize it's all a matter of personal choice.) ETA: Protein is emphasized because the amino acids found in dietary protein are needed for cell maintenance and repair. Our bodies store energy in the form of both carbohydrate (glycogen in the liver) and fat. While we do need certain essential fatty acids from our diets, we really do NOT need much in the way of carbohydrate (for energy) as long as we have excess body weight.

I dunno. I'm in the "don't believe in starvation mode" camp. There is not peer-reviewed research to back it up. But beyond that, for me, eating more is NOT the solution--I gain. I gain at calorie levels well below the results from that calculator. Eek! I would explode! Maintenance: 2392 Calories/day Fat Loss: 1913 Calories/day Extreme Fat Loss: 1544 Calories/day Seriously, to lose at a slow to moderate rate (when overweight) or maintain (at normal weight), I need 800-1000 calories (WITH daily exercise). The last 65 pounds of my excess weight came from following a 1200-1500 calorie diet! I'm not posting this to be argumentative or to discourage you from trying a different approach; rather, I'm just pointing out that everyone's body is different, and we all have to determine what works for us and what does not. I did this by tracking my intake over a very, very long time (a couple of years). I also tracked my weight changes (up, down, whatever...) With help, I concluded that my caloric needs are far below anything a calorie calculator would ever determine for me. Once I internalized that unfair bit of information, the band became the logical solution. Looking at what and how much you eat is a very good idea. Eating more to lose weight may or may not be. It's totally worth a try---but be ready to give it up if necessary. I wish I had! Instead, I really clung to the belief...and wound up much heavier and much more frustrated. (I do think that eating small, nutritious meals at regular intervals is important, though.)

Do you journal what you eat? Have you done so for a period of time? I ask, because if you're able to look back to the time when you were losing well, you can get good clues about why you're not losing now. I bring this up because what really made a huge impact on me (and, in fact, drove my decision to be banded) was learning that in order to lose (or to maintain at a normal weight), my body only needs 800-1000 calories/day. WITH exercise. I learned this by journaling intake---both when I was eating in that range, and when I was not (and was not losing or, worse, gaining). I really bridled against that knowledge for a very long time--it flew in the face of everything anyone ever told me, and I simply did not want to accept it. But it's my reality, so I have a choice: eat in that range, or not; the latter results in gain. (Thank God for the band, which makes it possible to stick with that level of intake without utter insanity.) I bring this up because it sounds like you need to rethink what you're eating. You've reached that, "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got" point---and it's not working for you. So it's time to make a change. DON'T discount the loss you've already had--that's a big accomplishment! Now it's time to lose the rest--to get back to basics, and find what works for YOUR body. That may mean making diet changes. It may mean making exercise changes. Tracking what you're doing can give you a leg up on figuring out what to do. I don't know what your doctor recommends, but the diet you've described would cause me to gain weight (and my doctor to blow a gasket). Can you de-emphasize refined carbs/starches/sugars, and focus more on lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies? I'd also work with your doctor to achieve a good level of restriction---you may need to increase in tiny increments, but if you can get there, it will help a lot. Until you do, remember that just because you can eat at least 2 cups of food doesn't mean that you should. You shouldn't, plain and simple. Eat as though you have ideal restriction---even if you don't, yet. Practice eating that way so that when you do, your eating does not cause problems that result in a need for another unfill. (I'm not saying that was why you needed it in the past---just suggesting a way to avoid potential problems as you increase your restriction.) You CAN do it---you've shown that with the 20 pound loss, continued dedication to exercise, and the fact that you haven't regained any weight. So do it!

Really, the only must-haves were lip balm, a nice lotion (I felt so, so dry after surgery), and pain meds. Comfy clothes that were easy to get on helped. So did bottled Water (easier for me to keep track of my intake that way) and sugar-free popsicles.

I use fitday.com---I've used it for years, and really like it. After a while, you build up a good custom bank of foods you eat most often, and it becomes really simple to track your intake. I also like that I can access it from my Blackberry.

I totally agree--yes, slider. But also, quite possibly, hunger triggered by carby choices. What happens when you eat solid, lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies/