BetsyB

Long before it puts on belly fat, it puts on Water weight. It can be combatted by...well, eating the way you're eating! The belly fat's not destiny. The water weight might be--but at least IT'S ephemeral.

Bob--BEST wishes for a safe, uneventful banding today! You will do awesome! The rest of y'all have to wait until I get some caffeine in me. We are such a chatty bunch! (I love this thread...it really is motivating!)

Jen, that's an AWESOME loss! Juliansmom (I love the name Julian), I will be VERY interested to hear about the Zumba DVDs. I think I might be too clumsy to do it publicly at first (I really have two left feet), but doing it at home for a while might make me brave enough to try it at the Y. ETA: Did you all see Gloria's thread about using the band as a tool? Pop on to her blog to answer the questions if you have a minute: http://www.gloriasbandedliving.com/transforming-003-maintaining-004-getting-the-most-from-my-lap-band%C2%AE-how-i-learned-to-use-my-tool/

The body is a weird thing. It sometimes just doesn't do things in a predictable way. We all know that creating a calorie deficit causes loss. The body knows this, too. But sometimes, it inexplicably clings to it---then drops a chunk all at once. You lost 10 pounds abruptly---now your body is saying, "WTF? I'm disappearing! Better hold on for dear life!" and clinging. It won't be able to do so for long :w00t: Keep doing what you're doing. The loss will happen. You just have to trust the process. Your doctor may well tell you that 10 pounds in 4 weeks is exactly the rate he wants to see.

I missed the part about not having been in since October. Did your surgeon expect you to be working on the 10-pound loss during the time between then and now? If so, I'd give the office a call and 'fess up. They will be able to give you good guidance. (It sounds as though you haven't really gotten that guidance...)

Awesome! Congrats---your hard work has certainly paid off! BT, I would run naked in the streets, at that weight, but would likely be blinded by wildly flopping body parts.

I eat my Protein at mealtimes. I supplement in between. Our stomach capacities are small; getting enough is important. If you're not getting enough in, this might be one of those occasions where it's appropriate to "smile and nod" at your doctor's advice, so that you can make sure you meet YOUR requirements. (His are different.) If you've experienced hair loss, and it's not yet fully regrown, dying your hair DARKER will make the loss more obvious. Going lighter (and shorter) tends to make it less obvious.

Gloria, the link doesn't work.

Hooray--congratulations!

I agree with the advice to go with slightly less aggressive fills. I'd also avoid milk immediately post-fill. It kind of gunks up the esophageal mucosa/stomach mucosa and can be hard to take right away. I'd stick with clear (and for me, warm works best) fluids. If you don't want to call the doctor for a little unfill, I'd sip, sip, sip very slowly ALL DAY LONG. Little sips add up to adequate fluid---and if I were able to achieve that, I'd try to hold off to see if things loosened up with a bit of time (as swelling goes down). A really good gauge of your hydration status is the color of your urine. It does NOT need to be clear to indicate good hydration; if it is pale yellow, you are a-okay. If it is very dark, you do need to bump up your Fluid intake; if you cannot achieve this by drinking, then it's important to see the doctor. Good luck!

The information about caffeine being dehydrating has been debunked. It is very, VERY mildly diuretic. And by mild, I mean that if you drink 8 oz. of green tea, about 6 oz. remains available to hydrate your body. Tea (or any caffeinated drink) will not dehydrate you. It will help hydrate you like any other liquid (or moist food)---just a little bit of it is lost to diuresis. This is a concern that can be put to bed--and I wish the medical community would catch up with it and do so. That said, caffeine does irritate some peoples' stomachs. And it does trigger some peoples' hunger. I'm not one of those people. If you're not, either, then I think tea is a great thing to drink. Lots of antioxidants, nice and soothing, and a nice treat in the day. (And yes, I'm drinking tea right now. I've also started experimenting with herbals, and really like Celestial Seasons mandarin orange spice tea for a change of pace.)

I very much understand your fear. I was a little skittish at first, too. But really, if you can tolerate yogurt and applesauce, you'll be a-okay with the other foods you've listed. Take it slow, and --most of all---relax. (I don't mean that snarkily; I'm referring to physically relaxing, not implying you're too tightly-wound!) Your body will handle it just fine. The fear really will dissipate once you get just a little bit of experience with the band. I think one of the "best" things to happen to me was a stuck incident a few days after banding. It wasn't food-related--it was a pill. It taught me that even, worst-case scenario, things work out okay. A few minutes of pressure, some deep breaths, a little spitting of saliva, and the "clog" moved through, and my stomach gurgled empty like a just-unclogged sink (complete with sound effects). Worst-case scenario, you will be fine, too. But there's no reason to expect the worst, given the success you've had so far. It's safe to advance your diet--there's nothing in it that will stick. Good luck!

Selswick, your weight loss is ASTOUNDING--great job! It's really hard, though, sometimes--isn't it? I'm a stress NON-eater, but in the past have eaten in response to other emotional triggers, so I understand that it's tricky to know what to do when they hit post-banding. You're obviously very committed to finding good alternatives and continuing your excellent weight loss. And in this, I think the band can be a tremendous aid. The court sometimes orders repeat DUI offenders to place "governors" on their cars. These require that the driver breathe into the device. If their blood alcohol level measures too high, the ignition will not work. If they test clean, the car will start. I named my band The Governor. Just like the governors in cars, it makes sure that I can't eat beyond a certain point. So far, I have not tested its limitations. (This does not mean I never will.) Instead, I've tried really, really hard to find other things to replace eating. I write (here, in a journal, on Facebook, whatever....), I walk my dog, I go to the gym---when worse comes to worst, I pack it in for the day and go to bed! I am not burying my feelings---I think that tends to bite us in the behind (and if you look at the size of MY behind, you'll know that I mean this quite literally; stuffing feelings can have disastrous results, weight-wise. Now that I don't have the ability to overeat, I very much want to avoid cross-addictive issues). Rather, I'm trying to find substitutes. One thing I'm doing---that is surprisingly difficult (but it really shouldn't surprise me, given the lengths I've gone to to avoid it for four decades!) --- is taking the time to really identify the emotions I'm feeling and their sources. And then TALK about them with the appropriate people (or in write when that is not possible). OMG--it is SO FREEING! It's hard at first, but I feel like a more genuine human...like this band--this silicone device placed in my body by a surgeon with completely different intentions--is opening the door to a completely different relationship with myself and with others. Not everyone loves this, I have to warn. Some people prefer NOT to hear what I'm thinking! But really---it's a good thing. It feels healthy, and it feels right, and it feels true to myself. And you know what? I'm seeing positive changes extend to others around me. The way my husband and kids relate to me is subtly different. I can't quite pinpoint it---but if I had to define it, there is an element of greater respect, I think. It's NOT because of the weight loss. They really were quite blind to my body size---truly. It's far more in response to my self-respect, I think. I don't know if any of this made sense. I guess what I am mainly saying is that you CAN find alternatives, and they will make you feel good about yourself. And that good feeling will reap rewards that extend far beyond weight loss.

Ditto the advice to ask for an aggressive fill. I have an 11 cc Realize, too. My doctor put 4 ccs in for my first fill. I felt a tiny bit of restriction---for about 18 hours. I go back on Wednesday (three weeks early) for another fill, and have my third fill scheduled for the 26th. I did have to ask for the upcoming one; my doctor did not anticipate I'd need it. But he was MORE than happy to oblige when asked. Don't be afraid to ask!

For me, the gas pains peaked around Day 4, but I remained bloated for about two weeks. I felt really good, though, by around Day 10. That was sort of a turning point for me. The gas you're feeling is likely not in your intestines---yet. Carbon dioxide was used to inflate your abdomen during surgery. And it does hurt quite a lot. (It also causes some tissue irritation, so that contributes to the discomfort.) With time, any gas that remained in your abdomen after they finished diffuses into the intestine and is expelled by the "usual" route. Until then, it's mighty uncomfortable. You also are experiencing swelling--and in this case, you're right; you're NOT being a good sport! You chose an elective surgery; surgery = incisions = swelling + pain. These, too, diminish rapidly. Until they do, remind yourself that it's all for a good reason--and something you very much wanted. It doesn't feel like it now, but it really will be worth it--I promise. My hunger returned ...oh, around Day 3. Not everyone's does. Since you are ABLE to drink lots of Water, replace some of that with Protein, even if you don't want it. It will help your body heal. (It will also help flush excess Fluid from your body.) Are you walking as much as you can? That helps a lot, too.

It varies dramatically from person to person, and even from size to size. I've found that at the higher sizes, there is less weight variation than in lower sizes. (For example, moving from an 18 to a 20 happened within about 10 pounds; moving from a 12 to a 14 required over 25. It made it a lot easier to ignore weight piling on.)

Elfie, I'm SO glad you feel better! I have chronic pain issues, and pain + fatigue really do a number on me. They are supreme disinhibitors, food-wise. They also trigger cortisol production--which feeds into it. Add in that it interferes with exercise... Pain relief is a GOOD thing!

Yes, I take Vitamins. Initially, I took Bariatric Advantage chewables, but switched to the capsules my doctor's office provides. (Their gelcap quickly dissolves; no "stuck" issues.) I did so because my flexible spending account reimburses me if I purchase through my doctor's office. (It probably would for the BA ones, too, but it would require hoop-jumping, and I'm all jumped out these days!) I also take a 200 mg. capsule of Co Q-10 twice a day, and a Vitamin D supplement (both per my doctor), and calcium/magnesium softgels on days when I don't get enough calcium via my diet. Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate are two brands that make vitamins specifically for banded people. Whatever you do, please don't take children's vitamins! We are adults who've had bariatric surgery--our needs differ from those of first-graders! (I say this only because I know doctors who still recommend this--or infant vitamin drops.)

I would wager they learned a hard lesson, and changed their approach for a very valid reason: your safety. Please do your best to stick to the plan.

I'm with BT: Your post confuses me! You say "I know I'm supposed to do a 2-week liquid diet." Who says you're supposed to? If you only have 7 days, the directive didn't come from your doctor---he wouldn't prescribe a 2-week diet if you don't have two weeks! Not all doctors have the requirement. When they do, they generally give pretty specific guidelines in terms of amount of carb, Protein, and fat. Moving to liquids doesn't necessarily mean moving to things that will (a) promote weight loss, and (:biggrin: stimulate your liver to give up its glycogen stores (making it smaller, and therefore easier to maneuver around during surgery). You need to stick within the parameters outlined by your doctor. Is the ten pound thing also a directive from your doctor, or did it come from insurance? Are you sure you understand it correctly? My insurance company gave conditional approval MONTHS before surgery. That was the "if you lose 6 pounds in three months" approval. Once I was approved, it was approved. No one weighed me before surgery to see how I did on the preop diet. Why? Because the preop diet is NOT aimed for weight loss. It's intended to deplete the liver's glycogen stores. Weight loss is BONUS, not the goal. I didn't lose 10 pounds on mine--and I was 100% compliant.

Chobani is awesome! I didn't realize it packed that much protein!

I was the biggest diet soda junkie on the planet preop. I gave it up, and am surprised & pleased that I don't miss it at all. I accidentally got a carbonated drink recently (it was a diet limeade; I didn't expect bubbles), and after the two sips it took me to figure out it was fizzy, I thought I was going to explode. NOT something I'd recommend. And doing it while eating? IMO, that would be sheer idiocy. You're not supposed to drink anything while eating---soda would be killer.

It IS hard--it truly is. But ALL of our bodies have more than enough energy reserves to sustain us during the preop diet. We don't get woozy from lack of food---our bodies are storing enough food to tide us over through a famine. We like to eat, and we're used to eating---and it's very hard not to. But this mostly comes from our minds, not our bodies. UNLESS you're accustomed to eating a lot of sugar and refined carb, and didn't taper off before the preop diet. In that case, you might be experiencing--as some people do---some degree of "withdrawal." It passes quickly. Be sure to take in your Protein at regular intervals; space it out over the course of the day/evening so that you're getting a good, steady supply. That will help get your blood sugar on an even keel. As your liver starts releasing its glycogen (carbohydrate) stores, you'll feel lots better. IMO, it's really important to stick to your doctor's plan---even though it's hard. If you really find that you can't, do give him a call to see if there is any leeway. But do remember that this is just the beginning of many changes that will be required of you; you CAN do it.

A few years ago, these were the most bioavailable (most easily absorbed and used) protein on the market. Today, whey protein isolate is viewed as the better choice. The shots/bullets are still good--don't misunderstand me. They are also very convenient. But whey protein isolate is often less expensive and more easily found.