gwins

I was banded back in January 2010 - 9 months ago - with a Realize band. I have had 8 fills and still have no restriction. My doctor has pulled out all the Fluid twice now to ensure it is all in there and there is no leak and it is fine. He also ordered an Upper GI and checked the band placement and confirmed it hasn't slipped and my pouch hasn't stretched. He said he could tell that things are flowing through quite easily with very little restriction. So he did an aggressive fill adding a full cc bringing my band to capacity (10cc band filled to 10cc). That was about a week ago and I still have little to no restriction. My doctor said that some people just have thinner stomach walls than others so it takes more fluid for them to feel restriction. (How ironic that I am overweight and have thin stomach walls! Sorry but I digressed. :laugh:) My doctor keeps saying, 'but you are losing weight." And I am happy about my weight loss (60 pounds) but feel that I have done it all on my own without the help of the band thanks to permanent diet and exercise changes. I know I need the band to keep going to reach my goals and then to maintain. I am not sure what my options are at this point if my band is already filled to capacity. Has anyone ever heard of this and/or know what options there might be? I am going back to see my doctor again in a few weeks and want to be armed with information and questions. Thank you and best of luck to all of you!

I am two weeks post-op and feeling pretty good, although still really lacking energy. I would like to begin working out but not sure if/when I can start and forgot to ask my doctor at my post-op visit. I know he said I should walk but I live in the Northeast where it is quite cold so I can't get outside. I don't have a treadmill, but I have an eliptical machine so I did that for 15 minutes today and then did 30 minutes of Wii Fit. (Then had to take a nap! :confused:) Do you think this exercise level is ok at 2 weeks post-op? What did your doctors tell you about exercise after surgery? How long did you have to wait before doing real aerobic exercise? And what about lifting weights? I lost 6 pounds pre-op and then 13 pounds post-op but have not lost any more weight in the last few days so think I need to kick up my metabolism with exercise.

I have been hoping for a new challenge but somehow didn't see this one. Sorry I missed it and am now jumping in so late! But better late than never! Hoping for a 15 lb loss by July 4. Good luck to all!

I have an awesome personal trainer who is a godsend to me. This week while working out, he asked me how much weight I have lost and I told him 45 pounds. He then had me do a bunch of exercises with 40 pounds (two 20-pound dumbbells). And it was so incredibly hard! Even just walking around carrying those weights was difficult! Then he said to remember that I was carrying that weight around each and everyday for 24/7. (Granted that weight was distributed through my body, not all concentrated into two 20-pound fat bulges, but still....) Then he said to imagine how great you will feel when you are another 40 pounds lighter. It was very profound and meaningful to me. So try it at home or at the gym -- pick up some weights that are about the amount of weight you have lost and try to even just walk around with them for awhile. You will be amazed and really feel great about your accomplishments thus far. Best to all of you!

I don't post on here too often but I do read the threads all the time and find them very motivational and informative. I just need to share a success that I know only this group will understand and appreciate as much as I do. This weekend, I decided to clean out my closet that was stuffed with clothes in many sizes (I know you can relate!). And I was so excited as I tried on piece after piece, that most were just too big! In the past I would have kept those clothes in case I needed them again if I gained weight which I usually did (I have been a yo-yo'er my whole adult life.) But this time I have made a commitment to NEVER gain significant weight again, so I donated 8 garbage bags of clothes to various charities. What a feeling of accomplishment! My rate of weight loss has slowed a bit in the past few weeks which is frustrating, especially since I have been working out so hard. This was a great reminder that it's not all about the scale - there are other ways to see your success too. Now it's time for a little shopping to replenish my closet. (But nothing too expensive because I am not done yet!) :thumbdown:

Frustrated with no loss this week! But going through a tough time with my mom very ill and now we put her into hospice care. Think she only has a couple weeks left. She has lung cancer which such a nasty disease. I am trying very hard not to use food as an emotional outlet and am still exercising. But my stress levels are through the roof which I am sure are contributing to lack of weight loss.:thumbdown:

Down 2 more - yay! I am extra proud since I was traveling all week and always find it so hard when eating meals out. Just had my third fill a couple of days ago but unfortunately, still no restriction. Sigh!

Only down 1 lb this week -- was hoping for more since my TOM was the week before and have been working out with my personal trainer like a crazy person. He kept me in the gym for 2 1/2 hours on Thursday night - I thought I was going to die! Hopefully, all my hard work will come through this week. I am off to a strong start this week so far even though I am traveling for work and am away from my trainer. Have to learn to do it on my own too since I travel a fair bit and that's no excuse not to exercise and eat well. Good luck to all this week!

Sorry I am a day late in getting the spreadsheet updated - just updated it. I am down 2 lbs. Not bad considering it is my TOM. Hoping for a big week this week when I lose the TOM bloating and see personal trainer 3 times this week! He is going to kick my butt tonight since I haven't seen him in 2 weeks! :thumbup:

Count me in - I am going for a stretch goal of 13 lbs! I was banded on Jan. 13 and have lost 38 lbs so far. Another 13 would put me over 50 lbs lost! I have had 2 fills but no restriction yet so it is all will power baby! I have to admit I fell off the wagon a little over Easter weekend with my whole family staying at my house - drank a few glasses of wine and ate a little more than usual. Not a complete blowout but enough that I am feeling it and this Challenge will help me get back on the losers' wagon.

I had my first fill yesterday and all in all, it wasn't too bad. I read so many posts and blogs about fills and difficulties that some people have had, so I was really nervous. But one thing that was a surprise to me was that the doctor had me do a stomach crunch when he put the needle in. Does anyone else's doctor do that? He said it helps to push the muscle forward and makes it easier for him to hit the port. Well, first of all, I am a big baby when it comes to needles so I was already nervous and therefore, trying to breathe deeply to calm down. But when you do a stomach crunch you can't breathe and he expected me to hold it up there for a pretty long time! :thumbup: I had to let go twice so it actually took him 3 tries before he got the port. But luckily I had been numbed with lidocaine first so I didn't feel all these pokes. He said I would get better at it each time. Really?! I didn't know I had to exercise while a large needle is going into my abdomen! Anyone else have this experience?

Wow - that does sound extreme...but every doctor's approach is different. My doctor is opposite of yours -- he wants me back on regular foods as quickly as possible because he is afraid of liquid and slider foods being too easy to consume and not filling up the pouch so may take in more. (Not sure if I agree with that -- you can only take in so many Protein shakes!) I had a fill yesterday and he had me do liquids for the rest of the day, then soft foods today and back to regular food by tomorrow. But again...all docs are different and I can see pros and cons to both philosophies.

I was banded Jan 13 and go for my first fill next week - can't wait! Like everyone else, I also have no restriction now. I hit a plateau after 2 weeks of rapid weight loss post-surgery and then was flat for 2 weeks. I took a hard look at my food diary I keep on thedailyplate.com and realized that I had bumped up from about 800 calories to 1200-1400 calories. So I made a new pact to really eat well, reduced carbs, watched calories, and increased exercise which felt good to do since I was feeling more like myself again. I am pleased to say I have lost another 6 pounds over the past 2 weeks - but it has been pure will power and grit and nothing to do with the band right now. I am really thinking of this as a long-term thing - like most of us, I have lost weight before so I know I can do it. The issue is keeping it off - I was the biggest yo-yo around! I am hoping the band will help me minimize the yo!

This is an awesome post! I am 4 weeks post-op and lost weight the 1st 2 weeks but haven't lost any since. When I was losing, my calorie intake was about 700 per day. I think I "selectively heard" on some of these posts that my calorie count was too low and I was putting my body into starvation mode. It was license for me to eat what I wanted....combine that with the fact that the swelling had gone down and I now have no restriction. This led me to eating about 1500 calories per day. And exercise is limited right now to walking until I see the doctor again so not expending a lot of calories. So to sum up, it is no surprise I have not lost weight in the past 2 weeks! I now have a different mindset that I need to work at this as if I don't even have the band right now. In other words, I need to eat less, limit carbs, and exercise as much as I can. Been doing it for 3 days now and I think it is already working! Thank you so much to the OP for this post - it has been an inspiration to me!

Holly -- If misery loves company, then I will join you! I was banded on Jan 13 and lost 6 pounds pre-op and 16 pounds in first 2 weeks post-op. But haven't lost anything in last 2 weeks - and even gained back two pounds and then lost one again. I am just as frustrated. II have been logging everything I eat on The Daily Plate.com and have been hanging around 1000 calories. Also trying to do high protein-low carb as I have always found carbs to be a weight gainer for me in the past. I have been exercising some (about every other day) on the eliptical machine but not getting a really tough workout yet. Have to wait until dr says I can do more like weights, aerobics, etc. It does help to read what others have to say about this being normal when you are in "bandster hell" with no restriction. I don't go for my first fill until Feb 26, but I am going to call today and beg them to move me up to next week. Good luck to you!

I was banded on Jan 13 and lost a lot of weight in the first 2 weeks (6 lbs pre-op and 16 lbs post-op). BUT (and it's a big BUT), I have not lost anymore weight since then and I am not 4 weeks post-op! I am very frustrated! I have been exercising and eating 1000 calories or less each day with high protein-low carbs (tracking on The Daily Plate.com). I don't go for my first fill until Feb 26. I know this is a long-term thing and I am completely dedicated to this over the long haul. But would really like to see at least a little progress each week. Should I go back to a liquid diet for a few days? Or eliminate carbs completely? Has anyone done any exercise above and beyond walking? I have only been doing walking and eliptical but would really like to do some aerobics DVDs and weights. Any and all advice as to how I can begin losing again would be most appreciated!

I was banded 4 weeks ago and am in the same boat as you. I lost 6 pounds pre-op and then another 15 pounds in the first 2 weeks post-op. But now I have been sitting at the same weight for 2 weeks and am frustrated! I have maintained a low calorie, high Protein diet and have been tracking everything on The Daily Plate.com to ensure I stay around 1000 calories. So this week, I am trying to really limit my carbs as I know in the past, this has been an issue for me and I was only successful with weight loss, when I did high protein - low carb diets. I am also trying to exercise more but feel limited since I can only do the treadmill and eliptical machine. And I often get pains in my sides (not at port site, but to left or right) if I get too ambitious with the exercise. My doctor said no exercises that involve the core muscles (aerobics, yoga, etc) and no weight lifting until I see him at 6 weeks post-op. Another thing I have tried is to increase my calories because I was usually only around 600-700 calories in the first 2 weeks and my doctor said I should be around 1000. Also, I have read on these posts about your body going into starvation mode when your calories are too low and then no weight loss. Well, I am not sure if that applies to me because it seems that since I have raised my calories to 1000, I am not losing weight. This is frustrating because I feel like I am working so hard at it and not seeing results! I feel your pain!

It is really a personal decision - some people like to tell everyone and some people consider this a very private affair. I fall into the latter category but I have always been very personal about medical-related things for myself. The only person who knows about this (other than my doctor) is my husband. I didn't even tell my kids, mom, brothers/sisters, etc. My kids just think I had "tummy surgery to fix a leak" and that's why mommy is not eating regular foods. And I certainly didn't tell anyone at work. They think I had to have gynecological surgery and that's why I was out for 2 weeks. If you just mention "girl parts" to a male boss, they back right down and tell you to just take care of your health! Most people have very limited knowledge about what WLS and a lapband is or isn't and therefore, they often form opinions and have perceptions that are not accurate. I do not want or need to get into lengthy discussions or debates about my decision. But again, completely a personal decision and I respect everyone's choice on how they handle this. An earlier poster gave some great advice -- once you tell someone, you can't take it back. And you can't stop them from spreading it to others. So if you are unsure, wait to tell someone until you are 100% sure you want them to know.

My program was somewhere in between yours and Elfie's. I had to do 5 days liquid pre-op, 2 days clear liquids, 12 days liquid, 2 weeks puree, 2 weeks soft foods. However, my doctor did shorten the liquid a little when I went in for my post-op checkup so I was only on liquids for about 8-10 days. I am now on soft foods. The first real food I ate without blending it was egg salad - I had been making pureed egg salad so I just made it a little chunkier the first time. I have also found white fish (like cod, flounder) and tuna salad to be easy to eat. I can also eat chicken and ground meat (cooked soft in a sauce) but I have to take my time. Turkey chili is a good soft food because the beans/meat are soft. Just make sure you really grind up the turkey.

Avril - I couldn't have said it better myself! I felt like you were inside my head when you wrote your reply! I am two weeks out too (Jan 13 banded) and lay awake everynight with all these same thoughts in my head. I also calculate in my head every night how much weight I should lose by what date (I have set goals for every possible milestone - 1st day of the month, valentine's day, next dr appointment, Easter, etc). And I am obsessed with weighing myself -- was doing it 3 times a day but have at least dropped back to only 1 time per day. I head directly to the scale every morning as soon as I wake up to see how I am doing. I know I need to stop obsessing but tackling one thing at a time! One thing that has helped me a lot is to track my food online every day. I use The Daily Plate because I found that it has the best food database. At the end of each day, I look at my daily totals and find that I am only getting about 800 calories in. While my doctor and my DH both say I need to up my calories to at least 1000, I am secretly proud that I am actually too low. When has anyone ever said to me that I need to eat more before?! It feels kind of good in a way! The thing that has helped me the most psychologically is this board. It reminds me that my feelings are normal, that I am not alone, that others have the same issues. My DH is very supportive but has never been a pound overweight in his life so he really doesn't understand. Keep positive thoughts and keep active on this board!

Wow! First, let me say congratulations on your incredible weight loss! You are an inspiration to me! I am a newer bandster (on mushies) so I haven't plateaued yet but my doctor looked at my food log and told me I am not getting in enough calories each day (only about 600-800). The best way I can quickly add calories without a lot of bulk is to have an unjury Protein Shake (or you could use another brand as long as it is high Protein, low carb) made with skim milk. This results in 180 calories and about 28 grams of protein. For you, it might be useful to have 2 of these per day since you are exercising so much. Keep up the great job you are doing! Amazing!

My favorite thing when I was on liquids was to make Mrs. Grass chicken noodle soup without the noodles, so it was just broth (you could also use Lipton). This broth is so much tastier than the plain chicken broth you buy in the container or buillon. It was warm, savory, and NOT sweet (I am not a fan of sweet, creamy flavors so struggled with the liquid phase since most of it is sweet). Just watch the sodium, especially if you have high blood pressure. Another idea that I liked was plain Greek yogurt (non-fat) -- you need to thin it out alot with skim milk and add just a touch of Splenda to get rid of the sour taste. This has 10 grams of Protein per serving - you will probably be able to eat 1/2 a serving. One more idea is Cambell's cream of asparagus or cream of broccoli soup -- add skim milk to thin it out and then put in blender to grind up the chunks, then strain through a strainer. I prepared full cans like this and then had enough for 3-4 meals. I was also allowed applesauce which I found refreshing since it wasn't creamy. There is a sugar-free cinnamom apple sauce that is very good and only has 50 calories. Good luck - and just remember this phase will pass before you know it!

Just be careful as to how it affects you (i.e. getting tipsy quicker). I had to go to a party when I was just 2 weeks post-op. I mostly held a glass of wine -- only took a few sips and I could feel it immediately! Remember, you are taking in much fewer calories than before so alcohol will have a much quicker effect than you are used to.

My surgery was on Jan 13 and my experience was similar to several others who have already posted. But there are two funny things that happened to me (funny now, but wasn't so funny at the time!)...first, they had a terrible time getting the IV in and they stuck me so many times that I became dizzy, faint and started sweating profusely. Just as I was having this reaction, the surgeon showed up to talk to me. Nice timing huh?! Then he lifted up my gown to write on my stomach with a marker (he always writes the procedure he is doing on the person's belly). And he said, "Ewww, you are so sweaty!" How embarrassing! Then when I was in recovery, I was having a bit of difficulty breathing, probably because I was still getting over a cold. My oxygen levels were below 90% and the recovery nurse had to keep nudging me and reminding me to take deep breaths. I was pretty out of it at this point so barely remember. So I ended up staying in recovery for several hours. They brought in a new patient next to me while I was there and he was crazy! He talked non-stop to the nurses and anyone else that would listen about anything and everything including his first wife, previous wife, kids being crazy, insulting people based on their appearance and race, and on and on. As if that wasn't bad enough, his surgery was a hernia repair so I had to hear him go on and on about how his "private parts" (he used much more graphical terms) hurt so bad and he said "he was going to pull out that aluminum mesh thing and walk out of there." I was visualizing things I never wanted to visualize, especially while under the influence of Morphine! :thumbup: Anyway, the recovery nurses thought it was funny that he is the one that got me more alert and actually smiling. When the nurse asked my pain level, I said my irritation level was a 10! I stayed overnight because of the breathing issue and went home the next day. I was glad I stayed overnight as I did need to continue on oxygen through the night and also had a few scares where my heart rate dropped pretty low during the night and the alarms were going off on the monitors. One other complication I had was an allergic reaction to the surgical glue they used instead of steri strips. But that resolved within a week. I am now 2 weeks post-op and feel pretty good, except for having no energy. I am planning to go back to work this Friday. There were a few days immediately post-op that I regretted doing this but now that I am feeling better, I am so happy that I did!

Thanks so much everyone for your responses! Guess I need to chill a little! I was looking at used treadmills on Craigs List tonight so maybe I will get one of those so I can still walk inside. Think I will go crazy if I don't do something to feel like I am moving and exercising. Of course, that may all change once I go back to work (go back this Friday) and will probably be too exhausted after a full workday to exercise anyway. Sigh!