anglov

Right now each day is like a new beginning. I learn new things about my new "friend" every day and in turn new things about my new life. I learn what works and what doesn't. Everyone is different so what I may tolerate someone else may not and vice versa. I haven't added anything new the past few days. My "food" choices consists of: yogurt, egg salad, refried beans ( to be used sparingly), applesauce and mashed bananas. Oh and Chocolate cheesecake pudding if I need a sweet fix. Which isn't often. I am not much for sweets. I am more of a savory girl. Not much variety there. One tip to watch out for andyou may not have this problem but refried beans are delicious when thinned with taco sauce but after 2 teaspoons I start to get the full/bloated feeling. It lasts a pretty long time so all in all is a good protein choice and staying power in my pouch. Can be painful if too much is eaten. I drove for the 1st time today. No problems. I have a van that sits a little high but I was still a little sore getting in and out. I only drove to the bookstore and back home. Which brings me to my find. I purchased the book "Eating Well after Weightloss Surgery". Intersting book/cookbook. It has 140 recipes that on each one indicates how much is a serving for Lapband, Gastric bypass etc. It breaks it down for each surgery type. It also indicates how to prepare your serving depending on how many weeks you have been banded or if not recommended in the first few weeks. I flipped through it first to make sure the recipes are something I would be interested in and found quite of few I liked and more that I could tweak to my liking. Some I thought were not worth the effort until I could eat them regular. Like an omelet. Why would I go through all the effort to make an omelet if I am going to just puree it as suggested for weeks 1-4 for lapband? Ummm....isn't that scrambled eggs? It is worth taking a look at. I haven't found many websites that have lapband friendly recipes. If anyone knows of any please share.

I am 6 days post op and feel great. My swelling has definitely gone down because I am hungry every 3-4 hrs sometimes sooner if I don't eat something with substance. Yogurt doesn't stick for very long. Egg salad does well and refried Beans sticks a long time but kind of sits there kind of heavy. Mashed potatoes and well cooked vegetables are next on the menu. I can now sleep on my left side where my port and hernia repair are so that is nice. I feel almost back to normal. I tried driving yesterday to the bookstore and was tired. I go back to work in two days so I need to work on that. It does get better every day. The more you can move around I truly believe the better you will feel. I was scared before surgery but it really was not as major a deal as I made in it my own head.

Congrats!! I am looking forward to being under 300. I have 8lbs to go to be under 300 and that is something I haven't done in YEARS!! I don't know if you have a Lane Bryant near you or not but they have pretty clothes. Pricey but good quality. Womanwithin.com has some good deals and nice clothes.

I agree, you are probably in starvation mode. If that happens you start burning muscle instead of fat. My doctor told me that once I get to the full foods stage I should be eating a minimum of 1250 calories a day. As my doc explained it this is not a diet but a lifestyle change and my stomach should tell me what I need. That is drastic to limit yourself to 800 calories. Are you still hungry? I listen to my stomach. If it is hungry then I feed it something healthy. Take this for what its worth. I am only 6 days post op right now but I have learned to listen to my stomach. It hasn't led me wrong yet.

I have to say I am really amazed how opposite ends of the scale every doctor is when it comes to after surgery diet. You would think there would be some similarity to it but it isn't. I can start mashed potatoes and cooked veggies today. I can't imagine having to do liquids for so long. I feel for you both and everyone else out there who has to. If you are worried about vitamins, try Vitamin Water Zero. I tell you that is all I drink and I have had minimal problems. I don't know if that had anything to do with it but if I can't stomach the gummie vitamins I know I am getting plenty with my fluids. I gained 5 lbs after surgery on the 12th. It will come back off. I wonder if they could give you a water pill to help. I have BP medicine that has a small water pill in it and the water came off in a day or two. I know its hard but the more fluid you can get it hopefully the more it will flush out. Take heart, this won't be forever. It will all work out in time. It just may take a little longer.

I had a rash on my right side on my rib area. It was weird. It is red and blotchy but doesn't itch and like you said it looks like it should. I am wondering if they had but an electrode for the heart monitor on there and I just happened to have an issue with that one? I don't know what caused it or what it is. I am watching it and it seems to be fading each day. My incisions are covered by liquid skin I think with the port incision covered by a clear sheet of tape. Very plyable. They are starting to itch under there. I guess I am glad they are covered by something or I would be digging at them. I hate to itch.

That's funny you say that about the phone. In my education class there was a man that didn't turn his phone off and would let it ring and ring and then went it went to voice mail he would listen to his voice mail. He never turned it off. I would say that is not only rude but shows a clear disrespect for what everyone is there for.

I have deep respect for those that have a long liquid diet after surgery. You will lose weight much faster than I will but I am not sure I could stick with it. I am to a pudding/applesauce consistency. I made egg salad and processed the heck out of it and it was very good. I tolerate it very well. Tomorrow I get to start mashed potatoes and very well cooked vegetables. As long as I can mush it I can eat it. I am down about 5 lbs since surgery which isn't a lot but it is a loss and I am not feeling too deprived other than I would love to "sink" my teeth into something rather than pushing it with my tongue. I miss that feeling.

ok well not totally crappy. I suppose it could be worse. I felt clogged today. I felt like something was trapped in the back of my throat. Like it was sitting there like nothing was going to pass by it. I didn't feel nauseated or anything but suddenly I just knew I needed ot get to the bathroom. I got in there and gagged. Again not nauseated it was just a feeling. I gagged three times and only spit but it dislodged whatever it was because I felt "free". Very weird. I sipped water for the next couple of hours. I am having a lot of sinus drainage that makes me cough day and night. I hope this doesn't cause any problems. All day long I was STARVING, okay not actually starving but you know what I mean. The hunger pains were there all day. I limited myself to 2 oz per meal like yesterday and felt I could have eaten 4 more. The pain was mostly gone today. I actually wore pants that button and I buttoned them so I would say the swelling once again is down. Maybe that is why I am so hungry? Dang if that is the case then I am a fast healer which could be problematic since I don't have the opportunity for a fill until June. I have realized today that even though I had surgery I have a habit of grazing. And if you think about it, if we are to eat every 3-4 hours anyway then that is essentially the same as grazing. I cooked again tonight and while I kept from scarffing the mac n cheese(by the way I AM ADDICTED TO) I was sooo hungry while cooking and it wasn't time for me to eat again. I prepared myself for how hard this would be but I guess I never thought that it would be like this. That's not true. I did I guess I just hoped it would cure some of my habits. Again a reminder this was surgery on my stomach not my brain. I have to be determined to make this my new life. I am really thankful my doctor does not require an extended liquid diet after surgery. Tomorrow I am going back to the foods I ate yesterday since that day was optimal for me.

WOW!! What a rollercoaster day I had! I guess the swelling in my band went down ALOT because I was hungry every 3-4 hours and I ate every 3-4 hours. I was full each time after 2 oz. I had yogurt, egg salad(I pureed the heck out of it and then thinned it with relish juice), cream of broccoli soup, chocolate cheesecake pudding(lap band recipe). What I found really strange was when I am full at some point I hear gurgling in my belly and it sounds and feels like a clogged drain draining down. Then the full, bloated feeling goes away and I am just comfortable. It was a very interesting day as I had to listen to my stomach to find out what to do next. Oh big problem today. I was cooking dinner for the family and absentmindedly I take a spoon of the food and pop it in my mouth. I was suddenly going OH CRAP and spit it out. It was fettucini alfredo with diced chicken. I am going to have to break out of thiat nasty habit cause that could have turned ugly real fast. Here's the recipe for the chocolate cheesecake pudding from lapband.com Serving size: 1/2 cup Recipe makes: 10 Ingredients 1 small box instant sugar-free chocolate pudding mix 2 cups milk, skim or 1% 1 small package of low-fat soft cream cheese 1 (8 ounce) tub of low-fat cool whip Directions 1. In a medium bowl, beat pudding mix with 2 cups milk according to package directions. 2. Mix remaining ingredients until all are well blended. 3. Let stand in refrigerator for one hour. Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1/2 cup Recipe makes 10 servings Amount Per Serving Calories 130 Calories from Fat 60 Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 15gSodium 125gTotal Carbohydrate 13gDietary Fiber 0gSugars 5gProtein 4g

Good for you! I ordered my card Friday. They say with the card that some places will let us order off the kids menu and I know the Villa Buffet at Horseshoe casino in Indiana lets bandsters eat free. At least we went with someone that had the band and she got to eat free. Needless to say she was a failed band. Even that day she sat right now and ate two rolls and went to throw them up. What a waste!

ok well not totally crappy. I suppose it could be worse. I felt clogged today. I felt like something was trapped in the back of my throat. Like it was sitting there like nothing was going to pass by it. I didn't feel nauseated or anything but suddenly I just knew I needed ot get to the bathroom. I got in there and gagged. Again not nauseated it was just a feeling. I gagged three times and only spit but it dislodged whatever it was because I felt "free". Very weird. I sipped water for the next couple of hours. I am having a lot of sinus drainage that makes me cough day and night. I hope this doesn't cause any problems. All day long I was STARVING, okay not actually starving but you know what I mean. The hunger pains were there all day. I limited myself to 2 oz per meal like yesterday and felt I could have eaten 4 more. The pain was mostly gone today. I actually wore pants that button and I buttoned them so I would say the swelling once again is down. Maybe that is why I am so hungry? Dang if that is the case then I am a fast healer which could be problematic since I don't have the opportunity for a fill until June. I have realized today that even though I had surgery I have a habit of grazing. And if you think about it, if we are to eat every 3-4 hours anyway then that is essentially the same as grazing. I cooked again tonight and while I kept from scarffing the mac n cheese(by the way I AM ADDICTED TO) I was sooo hungry while cooking and it wasn't time for me to eat again. I prepared myself for how hard this would be but I guess I never thought that it would be like this. That's not true. I did I guess I just hoped it would cure some of my habits. Again a reminder this was surgery on my stomach not my brain. I have to be determined to make this my new life. I am really thankful my doctor does not require an extended liquid diet after surgery. Tomorrow I am going back to the foods I ate yesterday since that day was optimal for me.

I was just banded on May 12th. I started my journey in November when I attended a seminar. My 1st visit was in January and then my intake was March 25. My insurance excludes weightloss surgery so I was self pay. This is a HUGE investment for me. I weigh over 300 lbs and have many health issues directly related to my obesity. Every person is different in how they tolerate the surgery, the band and the lifestyle change. Most I think are successful and others fail. I know people who have had the Lapband and had great success and I know a person who has had the band since October and only lost 10 lbs. That tells me they weren't committed. As I was researching the band, I had an understanding of what to eat and not to eat and saw her at a birthday party with a big plate of food. I was shocked and disappointed and thought surely you can't eat that much with the band. I learned she doesn't follow the guidelines. If you want to be successful you need to commit to following the guidelines and listen to your band. If you aren't ready to make those sacrafices then you aren't ready for surgery. It is definitely a lifelong challenge that I know even at this early stage will be a battle at times. Just last night I was cooking dinner for the family and absentmindedly stuffed a spoonful of the food into my mouth like I always do to taste it and suddenly realized I shouldn't and spit it out. Had I swallowed it I was have been sick all over the place especially being only a few days out from surgery. Good luck with your decision. There is tons of insight, tips, support and advice on here but the ulitmate decision is yours.

Thanks a lot! I know that when I put the food in my mouth without thinking, it made me realize how much I MUST pay attention now. I feel good and everything I do eat seems to taste so much better now. It will take a lot of planning each day so that I have everything I need with me at all times. I go back to work on Thursday so I have time to sort through it all before the real stress begins. I have the chew chew chew part down but the drinking part is a a challenge. I do take a sip or two but I don't actually drink a lot.

That is fabulous! There is nothing wrong with going slow. Congrats!!

Bless your heart! Keep walking around it will help with pain. A heating pad did wonders for me. I slept in a recliner for two days with a heating pad that shut off after two hours. Call your doc and see if they can give you something for the nausea. I had a nausea patch behind my ear for two days and had no problems with nausea. The double whammy is you are more nauseous because you have nothing on your stomach but putting something on your stomach makes you nauseous. Ask about the patch. Good luck, Keep us posted!

Every doc is different. There is a wide variety. My doc had me on Clear Liquids the day of and the next day. Then full liquids for two days, then add applesauce, bananas, etc for two days and just keep adding foods every couple of days if I can tolerate them. I don't even go back for a follow up until June.

I shared in my blog that I have the weirdest sensation when I eat. You know that full feeling that you just have to unbutton your pants so you can breathe? Well that is how I feel about 5 minutes after I eat 2 oz. Then at some point an hour or more after that I hear my stomach gurgling and the sensation of a clog draining down and then the fullness is gone and I am just comfortable and not hungry. WEIRD!! I was hungry and ate every 3-4 hours today. I pureed homemade egg salad and that was HEAVEN! I also made a lapband recipe of chocolate cheesecake pudding(recipe is on my blog). I have had cramps in my calves so I am sure I am still a little dehydrated. Here's to another day down and by the way my pain is hardly there. It gets better each day.

Today has been uneventful. Yesterday I had some broth and it just sat in my chest. I have a lot of sinus drainage that has been causing me to cough. I worry about my band slipping before it heals. Today I had some broth and after 5 spoons I was full. I am drining water as much as possible but that even sits in my chest sometimes. Probably due to the swelling from the surgery. All I can say is...WALK WALK WALK! Keep moving around even if it is to walk down the hallway. The only pain I have is when I get up from a seated position and that is at my port and hernia repair site. Other than that no pain. I'm not on pain meds but they said I can't drive for 5 days. I am very excited to see where all of this leads me.

Day 4: I took a shower last night. The surgical sites burned a little when the Water hit them. I used hibiclenz on them. I slept in my bed last night for the first time. I got up twice to use the bathroom and the 1st time I was really stiff and sore. The 2nd time it was easier. When I got up for the day I had a lot less pain. I can get up from a chair with minimal pain. Yesterday I would say the pain in the port site was a 9 on a scale of 1-10. Today when I get up the pain is more of a 4. Definitely better. I am still coughing a little and even that pain is less now. This morning I had 2 ounces of yogurt. That was a nice change. No problems with it.

I was told 3-5 days before I had a BM and since you are on strictly liquids you may not for a while.

You are right, I need to measure better. I start applesause, pudding, bananas on Sunday.

I'm feeling pretty good considering. I am now on thin Soups and burping like a man which is a little embarrassing. But better out than in I guess. It seems a lot of us have hernias. I wonder if that is common for obese people? I had one that they repaired too.

I don't follow up with my surgeon for a month.

I just had some cream of broccoli soup, strained of course. think I overdid it because I am miserable. I feel so bloated right now. I had maybe 1/2 cup if that.