xlstan

I guess I just have to weigh in and ask for a little compassion for those who go nuts in the restaurant. Don't know about you, but it wasn't all that long ago that I would be the one staging an eating exhibition. What I've found now, like others have said, is that in a restaurant I finish my 1/2 of the serving they gave me usually after everyone else has cleared their full plate. The good side of this is my adult kids are now paying attention to their own habits. I'm not saying anything to them, lecturing, or anything else... those closest to me have seen the change and it sparks some awareness in them. When I see the large ones stacking their plates at the buffet, I just thank God that I finally stopped kidding myself and found the courage to really do something about it. I can't hate them, I WAS them, and even with a band in me, I could join them again. Just counting my blessings is all...

Hi Sheldon, Stan here. 53 years old, father of 3. started at 388; surgery was July 1 and I now weigh 307. YEA!!! I screwed around with the decision for about two years. did I lose 80 pounds in two years? hell no... finally sucked it up and went for the surgery and the difference is night and day.. TRULY night and day. I have not had a fill yet, and am now learning to adjust my HEAD to the lap band since my body seems quite happy with it. any questions you may have, feel free to click on my profile and email me privately. I'll be glad to help any way I can. Stan

I was banded July 1. I can tell you honestly that EVERYTHING I worried about turned out to be a non-issue; chewing enough, swallowing at all, how much water I could drink at once, would it work, yadda-yadda-yadda.... and you should be a little scared right now. this is a pretty big decision. I screwed around with this decision for almost two years. then when I finally committed, it was most definitely an "emotional roller coaster". Man my brain was going crazy. BUT.... I was not losing weight any other way, my health was continuing to go downhill, and I knew it was time. So.. I'm 6'5" tall, and I started the pre-op diet on June 15 weighing 377. today is August 4 and I've lost almost 50 pounds, and feel incredible... this thing really does work!! take it one day at a time, one minute at a time if you have to, and know you're doing the right thing for YOU!! hang tough and go for it!

Well ahoy from a retired/disabled US Navy Senior Chief! Quit whining about the pills... how's that for a start? No seriously... I screwed around with this decision for some time, actually like two years. Now, I'm one month post surgery, and the difference is absolutely night and day.. no joke! It takes about 4- weeks to COMPLETELY heal from the surgery. first 10 days I slept in my recliner because upright with legs up was much more comfortable than bed. Last week I started back at the gym, hitting an elliptical machine for 30 minutes. My doc DID require the two week preop diet, and the main reason for that is to build up Protein in you for recovery and to shrink your liver as much as possible since they have to fish around it during surgery. It sucked, but I made it. Now, one month after surgery, I'm down 50 friggin' pounds and am thrilled with how good I feel! Pills... I use a pill cutter; no biggie. keep this in mind when it comes to pills: probably the first week or so after surgery, they'll need to be REALLY small because your innards will be swollen. One month out from surgery but BEFORE your first fill, the swelling goes down and with that, so does most anything you swallow. Once you start getting fills, things need to be about the size of a chiclet piece of gum. My doc reminded me that they sell these plastic tubes for parents to check pills with that's supposed to like model a two year old's throat. If your pill goes through that, supposedly you should be able to swallow it. I think that's enough for a start... PLEASE feel free to email me direct if you have questions.. links' on my profile. In the meantime... good luck jarhead... you can do this!!!

Well welcome to the adventure! I'm one month post band surgery, and I do know what you're talking about. excited and scared and nervous and everything in between. I screwed around with this decision for a couple years, and finally stopped BS'ing myself and went for it. My doc had me do a 2 week pre-op diet. it sucked, but I stuck to it, and plenty of doubt and other mental BS during those two weeks. BUT.. since the start of my pre-op diet on June 15, and being banded July1, I've lost 50 pounds... and I FEEL GREAT!!! And this is just the start of things!! and if it helps, I'm 52 years old, 6'5" and started this adventure at 380 pounds. Welcome aboard and if you have any questions, fire away! Stan

beer make and bread baker... by profession or passion? for me, it's a passion on both. I am by no means a pro beer maker, but I do have fun doing it. And bread, well... I like crusty breads like the rye I grew up with in NJ that I can't find here in western VA, so I make my own. Beer... for now, it's strictly off limits. I was taking in way too much and I am MUCH better off without it. Will I stay off it? I don't know. but right now, going on two months, my body is thanking me for leaving it alone. blood pressure down, etc... how's that? Stan

I'm right there with ya, almost... 52, screwed around with surgery decision for 2 years; saw the doc, put it off, etc... and yea, I could lose weight and then find it again in no time flat! oh and in the 2 years I stalled the surgery I managed to get put on diabetes meds.. yea I really took carre of myself, huh? So, now I'm banded. had surgery July1. Started 2 week preo-op diet June 15, and have already lost over 40 pounds. I haven't lost 40 pounds in God knows how long... already feel MUCH better.. glad I did it.. you will be too! Stan

Hey Tim! My name is Stan and I was banded the day after you! Losing weight like you, and it's slowed down a bit but still going down. Not worried about it too much; doc told me this first month post op is all about healing and letting my body adjust to having something stuck inside. weight may act a little weird right now, but after next appointment with him and probable first fill, like he said, "the fun will begin..". so, hang in there.. we take small bites, we chew the hell out of those, and on we go.. let me know how the next appt goes. mine is on Aug. 8.

my nutritionist told me to aim for 100-150 grams of protein a day. I'm a male, 6'5" with a goal weight of 220. As for carbs/fats, I'd say follow the rules of banding... eat protein first, then vegetable, then carbs if there's still room. hope that helps!

I've had a ton of questions already, and still have more coming, and am lucky enough to have guys that answer them honestly. they have been a HUGE help. Fire away!!

Hey man!! My recovery post-op has been just fine as far as I"m concerned. Spent the night in the hospital Friday July 1, came home Saturday July 2. made it a point to take my pain meds on schedule, and to get up and move every hour for at least 10 minutes for starters, then up from there. moving helps with the healing and the gas. I slept in a recliner, semi-upright when I got home and for the first week, just because it was more comfortable. By Tuesday afternoon that punched-in-the-gut feeling was pretty much gone; on Friday I cut the lawn and on Monday I was back at work. I should tell you that I slept ALOT from Saturday to Tuesday. Anyway, going on 3 weeks post op, and now on the pureed diet, and no joke I feel great!! All the things that I thought would be issues coming out of surgery are pretty much nonexistent, like chewing enough, being hungry/thirsty, being too tight, blah, blah, blah... instead, it's almost like when the doc put in the lap band he also flipped a switch from pig-out mode to pay attention mode. I'm finding it simple to keep track of calories and protein; something I hated before no matter what diet I tried. that's part of the reason why you find me here now, banded. I'm still just a little sore around my incision, and I'm in no mood to pick up anything heavy just yet, but that's a good thing..I"m finally learning some limits. Doc tells me it takes about 6 weeks to completely recover from this, and I'll take his word for it. So, I hope this encourages you and maybe allays some fears... I'm so glad I did this and damn I wished I'd hopped on it sooner! Stan

Hi Alan! I'm right there with ya... a little older, 52, and banded July 1 and so glad I did it... SO glad! you gonna spend the night at the hospital? I did. no biggie. any questions, feel free to PM/email me or respond right here. I"ll be happy to fill you in on how goes it with me. Stan

Welcome Scott! believe it or not there are a few guys lurking around here. I was banded July 1 and am thrilled that I did it! Will your doc have you on a two-week pre-op liquid diet? yea, that was fun.... anyway, feel free to respond or email me if you have questions/concerns... I screwed around with this decision for 2 years.. damn I wasted some time. So glad that's done and I"m getting on with my life! Stan

I have my 2 week post surgery follow up tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it! I feel like things have gone well and and I'manxious to hear what the doc has to say. My doc had me do the two week preop diet and now I'm finishing up the post op diet. hopefully tomorrow I get to move on to pureed/soft food... maybe my stomach will stop sounding like sea hunt... I'll keep ya posted.. Lance... I had two weeks ago Friday, stayed overnight in hospital. came home Saturday. found it much easier to sleep in a recliner than in bed. made a point to move every hour for at least 10 minutes and go up from there. By Wednesday that "punched in the gut: feeling was pretty much gone. still just a little tender on one incision, but for the most part pain is gone. as for diarrhea from the all liquid diet... damn I need to put a seat belt on the toilet so I don't blast off... sure will be glad to chew somethin'... I'll let ya all know how tomorrow goes. Stan

hey all! thought I'd check in and give an update... 11 days post banding, back at work as of yesterday, 1 week off. still on full liquid diet, but the doc told me to add more protein if I feel hungry, which I'm doing and I feel great doing it. energy level is already up! HOWEVER.. my stomache has at times sounded like "sounds of the ocean".. whale songs and what have you, and the accompanying diarrhea, well.... I too am having some cheese and cottage cheese to firm things up a bit, and it's working. recovery... had surgery Friday, July 1. home Saturday. catnapped thru Tuesday, but made it a point to get up and move every hour. started with 10 minutes, worked my way up to 20. good thing to do as moving expels gas, which, no matter who you are, after surgery always feels better. By wednesday the "punched in the gut" feeling had subsided quite a bit. Friday I cut the lawn, did stuff around the yard and house all weekend, back to work Monday. I feel good, have only occasional very minor soreness, and can say I'm glad I did this. That's it for now!

hey guys... I"m banded!!! July 1. feel great and am so glad I did it. AMayo1, hang in there and jump through the hoops. I can summarize my experience thus far... the two week liquid preop diet sucked, and I did cheat a very small bit. lesson learned there.. I didn't beat myself up and go on a binge; I just walked away from that one screw up and hopped right back on that preop pony, and it paid off. Doc was very pleased with shape and size of my liver during surgery. Now I'm 11 days post surgery, and already I feel like a different person. still on the "full liquid" diet, and maxing out the Protein. my energy level has already increased. Surgery: was AM on 1 July, a Friday. doc had me spend the night in the hospital, so home Saturday. catnapped in the recliner pretty much til Wednesday, but made it a point to get up and move every hour. 10 minutes, then 15, then 20... helped tremendously. Moving expels gas. I'll leave it at that. By Wednesday I felt pretty good; Thursday even better and went out of the house for a while on my own. Friday I cut the grass. Back at work Monday. stomache felt like I gut punched in the gut until about Wednesday; now there's just the slightest soreness every now and then. I go back for my two-week post op follow up this Friday. for background purposes, so you can compare...I'm 52, 6'5", and weighed 380 when I started the preop diet. Believe it or not, I was, and am getting back to, fairly active. a lot of walking at work, go to the gym 3-5 times a week, do all the house stuff, get the dogs out for walks... I wasn't a couch potato; I was a pig. two sandwiches and a six pack for lunch on Saturday and back at it outside... know what I mean? and now, 11 days into life with a band, I am absolutely amazed that I can feel so good on so little food. way cool. that's it for now! Stan

Ok, so after way too long a time of hemmin' and hawin', and gaining weight of cours, I have finally jumped through all the hoops and have been approved my surgery, which should take place in July. Dave, Jake, I know you're out there... thought I'd post here, in the men's room, and see if other guys wanna open up about this a bit. So, two months out from surgery and already the emotional rollercoaster begins... scared and excited, etc... Other guys go through the same thing? From what I've been reading on the posts, it seems like doctors approach surgery in a lot of different ways; some have pre-op liquid diets, some don't.. some do it for 14 days, some for 3... I have no idea what my doc is gonna want me to do, but I'm sure I'll find out soon! Anyway, I'm a walking poster child for heart attack, stroke, diabetes (wait... just got pegged with that.. now taking glucophage.. great job managing my weight on my own, huh?) you get the picture. I guess the big mental game is... I did this to myself, why can't I undo it? and it goes on from there.... so let's open this up and let me hear from some guys...thanks! Stan

I like the EAS advantEdge, 17 grams protein. What I really like are the Syntrax nectar powders, whey protein.. 100 calories, 22 grams of protein. My favorites are fuzzy navel and roadside lemonade. I have to tell you that normally, any whey protein powder mixed in water makes me gag. These however, actually tast like what they're named... they're damned good! google Syntrax and shop around. average price is about 30 bucks for a 2.2 lb container. They made my two week preop diet easier, and they are a tremendous help now that I'm banded! Stan

hey there! Well, I just got banded 11 days ago, so I can tell you my fresh experience... my doc had me on the two week liquid pre-op diet. I'm glad he did. he said my surgery went very well and he could tell I stuck to the diet by the size and color of my liver, and that's the purpose of that diet... shrink the liver as much as possible to make surgery easier. Also go high on protein to aid in the healing process. I had surgery on Friday, and my doc requires an overnight stay so I went home Saturday AM. yea, I felt like I got punched in the gut (no duh) but other than that I was OK. back on the full liquid diet. Me personally, I made it a point to get up and walk for at least 10 minutes every hour, then 15 and 20 as I could. By Monday I could shuffle around for 20 minutes every hour. Did a lot of catnapping from Saturday to Wednesday. Felt much better Thursday, cut the lawn Friday, and was back to work Monday. So I was off a week. and just so you can get perspective, I'm 52 years old, 6'5" and weighed 380 going into surgery. hope that helps. any questions, please let me know. stan

Hey Jon! like NJgirl said... check with your doc. If it's any consolation, I haven't had to change any of the meds I was on prior to surgery, including blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, neuropathy meds, diabetes meds. I did, however, buy a pill slicer... wonderful thing! Good luck! Stan

The study you're referring to about people with 10+ years having issues was based on a large group of patients from the 90's from one hospital in Belgium, I believe it was. Lap band surgery wasn't even approved in the U.S. then. results are much different now. Like others above, I know people who have had both gastric bypass and lap band. the bandeds are faring far better! and me... grew up in NJ... Roselle.. near Elizabeth and Newark... nestled in the refineries, where you can smell home before you see it... can't say I miss it all that much anymore, but there are some parts that are hard to come by anywhere else, for sure... oh, and I just got banded and am VERY happy that I did! Good luck and keep the faith!

So here i am on day 4 post op. surgery went very well, as did overnight recovery in the hospital. Saturday at home went well, Sunday started passing gas along with burping. had some bloating, but all in all a not bad day. Monday was rough. started sweating profusely, cramping, felt nauseous and in fact had one dry heave (that was scary) but then a miracle happened and I had a bowel movement! been feeling progressively better since. some of you talked about aversion to food... I started getting nauseous around food about the same time I started cramping and bloating. I'm still on the all liquid diet obviously, but fiber gummies seemed to help a lot with getting things moving.. And now, Tuesday after Friday surgery, I feel really good! things are settling into place, a little less than a cup of oatmeal and i feel full..... this is way cool and I am so glad I had this surgery! It feels like this is the start of an awesome life!!! Stan

Banded!! Friday morning at 10:30, overnight stay at the hospital, home about 1 this afternoon.. Folks, I am doing GREAT!!!! no gas pain in the shoulder, etc... staying on my pain meds and walking every hour for 10 - 15 minutes. Doc said the surgery went very well... the two week liquid pre-op diet paid off and made things easy for him. the diet... yes it sucks!! yes I cheated, like this... had a slice of cheese almost every day from days 4 through 12; had some plain tuna fish about day 10, and a cheeseburger at a graduation party. I will say that the Syntrax brand of protein shakes saved me. I got the fuzzy navel and roadside lemonade flavors, and they are great just in water. Normally I'd get a gag reflex mixing a whey protein shake in water, but these are really good. I got them via Amazon, but I think GNC may carry them as well. So I'm really counting my blessings here, all has gone well, I feel really good. Moving around certainly helps alot. For those of you struggling with the preop dietd, hey hold on to the victories... Like I said before, for me it used to be "all or nothing".. I'd start a diet, do good, then cheat and blow it completely and trash yet another diet. For the past two weeks, I'd give myself a grade of about 90 on the diet... That in itself is a breakthrough for me. And now that the surgery is over, I can easily see that I was busy making mountains out of mouse turds... I played the head games, second guessed and third guessed myself, etc.. and now I just feel great and I'm excited about this new chance at a healthy life... That's it for now from this side of Bandy land...

one more day of diet, then off to bandy land!!!! I'm now to the point where I'm looking forward to it. the head games are done; oh me, poor me, why me... ____ me... I did this to myself, I have not lost weight successfully (meaning kept it off) AT ALL... otherwise I wouldn't be here, would I? Currently wrapping my head around the whole lifestyle change idea, and I'm actually grasping that concept. two week preop has NOT been easy, mainly due to my established way of eating, not because I was hungry, to be honest. I think we all question ourselves as we do this starvation thing... what none of us has ever been here before, pondering yet another diet, and how we got here? stupid head of mine.... So surgery is Friday and I"m counting the hours now.. it's gone from diet misery to almost like Christmas Eve!!!

day 8 for me on the liquid preop diet and I ate a cheeseburger at a graduation party today... crap. but, I'm not gonna kill myself about it. in looking at what other people wrote, I think maybe I should have called my doctor (duuuhhh...). I'm 6'5" and started this at 377. Been sticking to it like glue (100 grams protein, 1000 calories) and like others mentioned, it's actually hard to hit 1000 calories with these protein shakes. i was not hungry until yesterday, and in one week I've lost 20 pounds.. I really have been sticking with this.. but damn... 1000 calories isn't much for someone a foot or more shorter than me. anyway... I can rationalize the hell out of this, but I'd rather just be honest and tell all of you yes I blew it today, but unlike blowing other diets, I'm not gonna go whole hog and gorge.. I'm back on track and focusing on Friday. BUT... i just may call the doc on Monday and see what he says.... so there ya have at... I'm not perfect. but hell if I was, would I need a band? there ya have it....