monkeymama

Banded 4/27 32 lbs lost- First fill today and it is taking me HOURS to finish a protein shake (11oz) YEAH!!!

That's great Froggie! I love how you put it. Keep up the great work

Had my first fill today. The doc found the port in less than a minute. He didn't numb it at all- It hurt for less than a second- 5 cc in and it was over. If you ever had dental work it hurt a lot less than the novacaine needle did.

Headaches could be from carb withdrawal. If it's really bad I would call your doc- it seems many have been allowed to advance when the hunger got unbearable.

Sugar free sucking candies help with the sweet cravings for me. I haven't found a good solution for the salty cravings yet...

Totally normal- I lost 13 pounds the first week myself... be prepared for slow down when you start eating though...

Think of a cut on your knee or a sprained ankle... the more you move it the more it hurts. Your stomach is like that post op... The more solid your food- the more the stomach has to work to digest it. When you eat softer foods or chew them well or eat smaller bites- that's less work the stomach has to do- so it won't hurt as much. Even though you are a month out I would bet that you are still healing... so maybe give your stomach a break and do what you can to make it easier on it.

I am a newbie here but my doc is definitely a lot less strict than most and he does have a lot of successful patients. We can't drink carbonated beverage including beer for the pouch stretching reasons listed before- but we can have wine and liquor. I guess if I really wanted soda I could wait for it to flatten but I'm not much of a soda drinker anyhow so I haven't had it. As far as after fills I was told today- liquids for the rest of the day and then advance my diet tomorrow if I felt up to it (puree to soft etc etc) I have questioned things myself... I think the rules are mostly to instill discipline- we need to learn to take the power back from the food. By having rules we are back in control. Are they all necessary? Probably not- at least not for everybody. Do I follow them- for the most part- I have "cheated" just like most everyone has. I think we learn what works for us- bread sucks for me couldn't eat it with NO fill... salad slides right down. My co worker (who has lost over 100lb) can't handle salads at all but a little bread is ok! Anyhow I understand why you posted what you did and I give you credit for being brave enough to ask. Ultimately I think those who follow the rules will lose faster- but I think as long as you learn to take back the control from the food then you can be successful with the band.

I got one when it first came out. I used it a lot but got annoyed that you couldn't do say 20 minutes with out stopping every so often to press buttons and pick an activity (the activities are 1-5 minutes each- with a few exceptions). I got the WII fit plus right before I broke my foot and never really explored it- I used it today actually for the first time since surgery and am pleased- it lets you make routines... anyhow its cool for in the house, its great for quick workouts- when you want to squeeze in 10 mins or so.... the activities are fun and the board can be used for a lot of other games...

There shouldn't be any problem taking Benadryl with your antibiotic. It can't hurt to call your doc or pharmacist and double check though.

I had an allergic reaction about 3 1/2 weeks out- my incisions swelled and it itched like mad. At first I thought it was just the normal healing process and tried moisturizing lotions and Vitamin E oil- these made it worse. I then showed it to a surgeon I work with who said - absolutely no Neosporin!!! The allergist in the group then told me to use hydrocortisone and I also took antihistamines for a few days. The hydrocortisone was AWESOME!!! It took about a week to clear up. What did the doc say when he gave you the antibiotics?

I noticed your ticker says 40lbs lost... did you lose a lot on the preop diet? As far as the scale showing nothing- what about NSVs? Are you noticing clothing fitting better or to big? Is your endurance increasing? Muscle tone? I think you need to go easy on yourself and celebrate all the success you HAVE had... 40 lbs that is freaking awesome!!! Maybe try increasing your calories a bit?

Up a half pound on my scale.. down a half on my work scale LOL.. for the purpose of this challenge I will go by my scale I am definitely in bandster hell right now plus its that water retaining time of the month so I won't get upset about my gain (or tiny loss). Hopefully my return to the gym (first time this am since surgery) and my (fingers crossed) fill on Thursday will result in some scale movement in the right direction next week.

Mornings are when I feel the most restriction. I tend to do a protein drink of some sort or hold off eating until I have been up for a while and do something soft like eggs or yogurt. By the end of the day I too can eat a much larger portion. I was banded a week after you.. no fill yet.

I just started salads again recently too! YUMMY.... Did you get a fill yet? I am wondering if salads get harder to eat after you have a fill...

Thats awesome... congrats! A close friend the other day asked me if I had lost anything while she was telling me about here friend who lost three pounds... I was like umm YEAH just a pantsize no big deal LOL

After surgery I was told to drink 4oz and hour. A friend taught me the trick of taking medicine cups (1oz) filling up four of them and then drinking one every fifteen minutes or so. Not something I could do long term but it helped keep me hydrated post op. (the first few days I was so dehydrated because I wasnt getting enough fluid).

You are so right about it not just being a psych issue. I was adopted and raised by a skinny family... when I met my birth mother I discovered she was obese just like me! It wasn't how I was raised it is genetics!! There is something wrong with our stomachs or metabolism or something yet to be discovered. It is amazing how much we are looked down upon by the slender... I hope that I become one of them soon but I also hope I never forget what it felt like to be hungry all the time either.

I seem to order soup a lot when I go out.. I don't like creamy soups so the ones that I get are usually pretty low cal- I also order grilled chicken... I once even ordered "chicken parm"- they made it for me with grilled chicken (not breaded or fried, melted some cheese and put sauce on it) at the restaurant down the street. Just this past week I have ventured onto salads... When I ask for accommodations like no sauces, no bread or pasta etc... or when I order starters or sides as meals no one looks at me weird- I think since I am fat that they just assume I am dieting (which I am) and the whole band thing doesn't even cross their minds.

On more than one occasion I have forgotten the no straw rule but nothing has happened.... At least that I know of. Of course as soon as I remember I stop using the straw. I don't drink sodas or anything (didn't preband either). I must admit that I really can't think of why we are not supposed to use them? Do they add gas? Do they hurt the band somehow?

Thanks for the replies! I am a sipper too with a straw. At work yesterday a drug rep brought us Starbucks- I got a passion tea on ice (unsweetened) and of course it came with a straw. I only drank about a 1/4 of it over many hours... so hopefully no damage done :biggrin:

My favs were Part Skim ricotta cheese with tomato sauce microwaved Canned chicken (like tuna) in food processor with a pickle- I still eat this now and I am past mushies!! Guacomole

Happy from what I have read what you are going through is normal. Perhaps you are chewing and eating correctly which is why you are not getting the stuck? When I got stuck I was eating an omelet way too quickly and not chewing properly... usually eggs are no problem for me.

So my weekend away was a bit of a disaster... I definitely ate things I shouldn't have (chips, pasta)... although I did do a lot of walking. So far no change on the scale and I managed to keep the 2 lbs I (finally) lost last week off. Even thought I don't know you guys I missed you! I missed the accountability to this board and I missed my food logging (I was out of the country so $$$ for using my phone).. So far today has been a little bit of a struggle. I did great for breakfast- protein drink- lunch was veggie soup.. then I was stuck late at work and munched on some chex mix BOOO and had boneless chicken wings for dinner. I should have packed extra good stuff in case I was late! Lesson learned... protein shooter or something similar will be with me tomorrow. Anyways its great to be back and I hope June is a loser!!!

I have the same issue... but it comes and goes. I keep some gas x in the purse and have them when it is really bad!