aprilalison

Yes, I am in the hair-loss stage myself. I was banded in the end of June and I started noticing it about 3 months ago - lots and lots of extra hair coming out. The bathroom looked like a freaking wookie showered in there. I went to get my hair cut a couple weeks ago and sheepishly told the gal, if she sees extra hair in the sink, it's normal for me right now. She said not to worry, I had PUH-LENTY of hair left. That gave me huge relief. To me, I felt like I had lost a huge amount of hair, but in reality we have so much hair, we can stand to lose a lot. I upped my Multi-Vites (Vitafusion gummies) to taking them twice a day and making sure I try to get more Protein (always have a hard time getting enough in) and I'm trying to drink more and keep myself hydrated (Crystal Light Lemonade with some sugar-free cherry syrup is to die for and almost calorie-free.) It's definitely helped - I'm not losing as much, but I still am losing some. I've read that 8 months to a year is not abnormal, and since my hairdresser assured me I was fine, I have a lot less anxiety about it. It can happen to anyone with a significan weight loss. Hang in there! april

I'm wondering if anyone else has had instances that feel like family sabotaging your weight loss success? I recently just passed up my husband in weight. I was always heavier than him, but I'm 57 lbs down from banding June 29th. I don't know if that is his motivation or not, but he's been obsessed with baking cakes and Cookies the last 2 weeks. He knows I love Carrot Cake and he's made two double deckers in the last two weeks and 3 types of cookies - sugar, sugar with drizzled honey and sugar with cream cheese frosting. I have a terrible sweet tooth and he knows it's hard for me to resist. I've not lost in the last 2 weeks - guess why. I am trying so hard to find the strength to resist that ooey gooey cream cheesy goodness but I am failing. I'm discouraged from the failure and even moreso because I just found out yesterday that while I had high hopes that my weight loss would greatly improve my damaged back (had back surgery last year) it will likely be a lifelong battle. Now I want even more to go home and have cake for dinner.

I just have to say wow. That's the most restrictive diet I've ever seen for a bandster and to me feels like overkill, unless you have some special dietary needs for a medical condition. I am very thankful my doc is very flexible. It's all about using your head, moderation and using the band as a tool to make wiser choices. I think milk and bean restrictions are wholly inappropriate and counterproductive. Both are excellent, healthy sources of protein. Personally, I couldn't follow that regimen. I don't limit myself on foods except for soda - haven't had one since pre-surgery diet. Everything else I take in moderation. I'd be lying if I said I haven't had ice cream because I have, but I had a small amount and it wasn't Haagen Dazs and I still lost weight that week. My doc has told me there will be foods that will be more difficult to digest - to just be careful and sample bits to see how they sit before making them into a meal - like solid meat and bread.

I second the Vitafusions - those things are a TREAT to take. I haven't found a single chewable that tastes good nor a non-chew that doesn't irritate my stomach, but the Vitafusions simply rock. They also have Fiber Gummies that are divine. I look forward to vitamin and fiber time! I'm not even a fan of gummy bears, but these are delicious. I've tried the generic version at Walgreens - not even close. They're harder and taste nasty. Vitafusion all the way!

This is an area in which I greatly struggle too and makes the biggest difference in my weight loss. If I've eaten much before bed, I can guarantee the scale will not be kind - it throws me completely off. The hard part is - that is the time when I'm the hungriest. My husband and I turn in around 7 or 8 and watch TV or read until he falls asleep and after that, I usually play on my laptop or watch TV with headphones for another couple hours. It's those last couple hours that I get so hungry. I am struggling to control myself during that time. I have good restriction right now and can even be on the verge of PB and still not feel full during those late hours. It's incredibly frustrating. I've decided to try to start making some air-popped popcorn with some butter spray and pepper to have it handy to munch on since it's low cal and fiber rich.

I totally agree about the flavors. Here's what I've done - I've switched to flavored beans and if I want an extra kick, I get the sugar-free versions of the syrups that the coffee houses use. Right now I'm drinking "Frosty's Favorite" - graham cracker, marshmallow, vanilla and cinnamon flavored. I also have sugar free cherry, cinnamon and Kahlua flavored sugar-free syrups. They blend so well and give me that flavor without all the calories. I loves me some coffee! I also mix the Sugar-Free cherry syrup with my Crystal Light Lemonade for a fantastic cold drink (Sonic gave me the idea - their Lemonade is Minute Maid Light and they have Sugar Free Cherry syrup.) You can add the syrups to just about anything - even smoothies! They're definitely not just for coffee.

I have a real sweet tooth and was a big ice cream eater. To help those cravings, I sometimes freeze regular light yogurt (Yoplait's my favorite so far), or will mix some flavor of fat-free, sugar-free pudding in with some Cool Whip Free - that has a nice, creamy texture and is quite tasty! I also love putting sugar free jam on things - like the cool whip mix or cottage cheese - it's almost like ice cream toppings. I also haven't given up my coffee, but I have switched to CoffeeMate Light and continue to use Sweet N Low or Splenda. My surgeon said there's no real reason to stop coffee as long as I'm not loading it with sugar and cream. So far it's worked for me - still losing and when I don't it's because I've eaten something I shouldn't, or more likely I've eaten right before bed - that's my worst time.

I chew gum a LOT. I have a real sweet tooth. I guess I must have some kind of oral fixation because I just like to taste and have something to chew on. Because I chew it so much, (always Extra sugar free gum) sometimes my jaw gets sore, so I bought some cinnamon toothpicks that help quell the cravings as well. My surgeon has not said anything about gum at all and I've had no trouble at all. I'll admit, I've swallowed my gum as an adult - times like walking into the board room, realizing I'm chomping on gum and don't have any place to discreetly toss it, but I've not done it since being banded. I love my gum!

My gosh, thank you all for posting this info. I've been silently terrified, losing my hair. I have always had very thick hair and a lot of it until recently. I'm feeling absolutely devastated because I've worked for so long to get my hair this length - it's about 4 inches lower than the bottom of my bra. My hair has fuzzies all over and some areas it's starting to become noticeable for me. I could usually only wrap a coated rubber band around a ponytail twice and now I can wrap it 3 times. I am feeling quite overwhelmed by this - I can deal with sliming and PBs and saggy skin and all that nonsense, but my hair? Please God, no. I'd not heard of this as a side effect until recently when I actually started looking for answers. I've tried oil treatments, hair masques, wearing it up, wearing it down, only washing it every 3-4 days, buying new brushes and wide-toothed combs - everything and I feel like I'm shedding more than our dogs. I'm embarrassed and feeling like I'll never have normal hair again - what may have resolved for someone else doesn't mean it will resolve for me. I'm 5 months out from surgery - June 29th was banded - and I've lost about 55 lbs. Weight loss is going well, fills have gone well, save one (he put in double on accident and I had to be unfilled and given fluids in the ER). Yes, life is stressful right now but I don't see that changing for a while. Sorry for the rant, just feeling overwhelmed and hair loss is the last thing I needed right now. I take a Multivitamin - Vitafusion Gummy Vites - I try to take 4 a day now (2 servings) - 1 in the am, 1 in the pm. I probably don't get enough Protein, but I'm working on that. I don't take any Iron or zinc or anything extra. Does anyone have any recommendations for not terrible tasting, reasonably priced supplements? I am surprised no one has come out with a widely available chewable just for bariatrics pts - like prenatals. Thanks to all... One more thing - I try to take Fiber daily - sometimes a supplement, sometimes Fiber One products, because since surgery being "regular" has been a real issue. The fiber gives me so much gas which is painful that I end up skipping it sometimes.

I'm also pretty tight in the morning which is both good and bad. Good that I'm not hungry, bad that Breakfast is my favorite tasting meal! Most every work day I start with a cup of coffee, Coffeemate and Sweet N Low or Splenda. If I get hungry mid-morning, I have some pretzels or a piece of cheese. My typical travel mug of coffee (2 regular cups) lasts me until 11 or so and honestly fills me like a Soup. This morning is unusual because I'm telecommuting today (working from home). I did start to get a little hungry so I did what another user mentioned - an omelette cup. I made one each for my hubby and I. 2 eggs in a cup, a small piece of cheddar and colby cheeses and a couple spoonfuls of Jimmy Dean sausage crumbles. Heat and eat! Good Protein and as long as it's in moderation with the rest of your diet, it's a-ok. Someone else on here posted the following link, so I can't take credit for it, but I sure use it! This site has lots of recipes for pretty healthy egg-mug recipes like Egg-Mug Florentine and a Greek one too - 4 different pages of recipes: http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=2063 http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1957 http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1907 http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1784

I totally agree - I've tried the generic gummy ones from Walgreens and they're much harder and have that vitaminy taste to them. Not palatable for me. The Vita-Fusions taste fantastic. You won't be sorry! :rolleyes2: I look forward to vitamin and fiber time now!

I dislike the taste of most chewable vitamins, but my stomach doesn't tolerate swallow-types. Then I happened upon Vita-Fusion Multi Vites, Calcium Chews and Fiber Gummies (have major constipation since banding). They are freaking delicious. I've never been a gummy bear fan, but these are amazing. Check them out on Facebook - you'll see how many people rave about them. My last bottle I got was 150 count at Walgreens for $14.99. The Multi-Vites are good enough that my husband is even taking them daily (a huge feat) and the Fiber ones are even better!!!

I don't seem to have problems with carbs or sugars. I have Triscuit Thin Crisps almost every day (ingredients - whole grain wheat, soybean oil, salt - thassit) which have 21g of carbs per serving (15 crackers - 130 calories). My biggest weaknesses are sweets. I try to plan for it so I don't fall back and binge. I usually freeze light yogurt and have that for dessert, though I've heard mixing sugar-free pudding and cool whip free is another good frozen treat. Once every week or two, I allow myself a S'more - 1 graham cracker, 1 marshmallow and a 1" square piece of chocolate (thin piece). As long as I do everything in moderation, my body seems to respond like clockwork.

I agree with the other posters. I was diagnosed Bipolar II at 23 and have spent time in the hospital. I've been stable on meds for many years and had no trouble with the psych eval. She indicated they were mostly looking at expectations. They want you to understand that this is a tool and is not a fix-all. If your behavior doesn't change and you don't go for checkups and fills, you will not lose the weight. They want to make sure you understand the risks and that you don't have unrealistic expectations - i.e. you won't be a size 0 model and won't lose it all on in a couple months - it takes time and effort, the band just makes the effort much easier. Good luck! I was banded in the end of June and am down 50 lbs as of today and couldn't be happier with the procedure and results.

I had heartburn for over 10 years prior to my surgery. I've tried the max dose of Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, etc. and still had breakthrough acid. Since my band surgery almost 4 months ago I have cut my dosage by more than half. It's been WAY better. I hope yours goes away soon!

I had a slight problem with it after each fill, but only for a week or so. I found if I sprayed it with the zero-cal butter flavor spray then it went down fine. Now I have the same issue as others - it goes down TOO well. I can eat a whole bag by myself and that's not a good thing.

I can hardly believe what you went through! You poor thing I wish I could hug you! Not sure where you are in SD, but I am in Rapid City and the bariatric staff here is phenomenal and I know they could help. I know if I had an emergent issue, my surgeon would be in pronto - even in the middle of the night. When I was having some issues with too much restriction, the bariatric coordinator talked me through it and gave excellent suggestions but also said she could get the doc to see me if needed, which I didn't need to because her tips worked. PM me if you ever need to talk... april k

Glad someone else asked this. I have always been somewhat irregular, but my morning coffee always cleans me out. I didn't drink it much on weekends so no BM then, but Monday morning, bam. Since being banded (6/30/2010) I found that my magic coffee no longer works. I've had to take a laxative twice because it had been more than a week both times and even then it's not "normal". I find my weight stays the same with no poo but once I do, my weight starts dropping. I do NOT want to use laxatives - they give me terrible tummy aches and I cannot stomach the taste of prunes or prune juice. Don't really want to take metamucil and Milk of Magnesia makes me gag (I know, I can be picky.) I'm very thankful for all suggestions.

I feel you. I'm a computer programmer for a hospital system and am in front of a computer most of my waking hours. Vitamins are incredibly important now. Make sure you're taking a multivitamin supplement - either liquid or chewable preferred. If you need a little pick-me-up, I know it may sound gimmicky, but check out 5-Hour Energy bottles. They have both regular and decaf, though the regular only has about the equivalent of a cup of coffee. The boys at work were always raving about them and I thought at first, they're so silly - that' such a gimmick! But then one of them told me it's actually a big boost of liquid B Vitamins - B6, B12, Folic acid and a few minerals. I am very caffeine sensitive, so I was skeptical, but tried it and LOVE them. I usually hit my mid-morning-wish-it-was-nap-time around 9 or 10 am (start working at 7. I get a good 8-10 hours of sleep (I love sleep!) but when I start having a hard time keeping my eyelids open, I take about 1/2 a shot of one and feel way more awake, but not jittery, just normal awake and not sleepy. Good luck!

I feel your pain, but I have hope for you. I lost steadily from 10 days prior, through 2 weeks post-op then I met the wall. I not only STOPPED losing weight, I regained 3-4 lbs that I had lost. I was so discouraged. I was thinking to myself oh my gosh, what if this doesn't work. Here everyone at home and work knows I went to surgical lengths to lose weight and what if I fail at THIS??? I was starting to get very upset and discouraged. Then, I got my first fill of 3ccs at 6 weeks (couldn't wait!) and went in 4 days later for another fill of 1 cc. That was the sweet spot. I could tell the huge difference - no more out of control appetite. Satisfied on small amounts. 10 days after my 2nd fill I went in and had a 7lb loss. I don't follow a very serious hard-core diet. I follow a reasonable diet. I've never been much of a breakfast eater, but I do love my coffee. I'm at least kick-starting my metabolism in the morning with my loaded coffee (coffeemate and Sweet N Low - about 70 calories.) I usually have a can of tuna packed in Water with a tbsp of mayo with olive oil and 1-2 tbsp of relish - about 200 calories. If I get hungry mid-day, I'll have a cup or two (slowly) of banana Creme Muscle Milk Light - about 100-200 calories. For dinner, I usually have whatever I normally would. Last night was a small portion of enchilada with pinto Beans and corn. Tonight is Thursday, our weekly boneless wing night (60 cent boneless Thursdays!) but now instead of eating 12 boneless Asian Zing wings, I'll have 3 or 4. I have a terrible habit of eating late - that's when I get the hungriest - between 7-10pm. I try to stick to a cup of Cereal and 1% milk (I can't handle skim yet). I try not to starve myself and not to deprive myself too much. I want this Lap-Band to work long-term, not just a sprint that I can't finish like my history of dieting. If I crave sweets, I'll have a sugar-free cinnamon disk, a handful of Fruit Loops or a 100-calorie pack of yogurt-covered pretzels. So far, I've managed to lose almost 30lbs in just over 2 months. I have only had a small bit of soft-serve ice cream and zero soda. I abhor drinking water, so I keep a stainless water bottle filled with Crystal Light or Diet Snapple with me as often as possible. I have had fast food - just this weekend I had Wendy's, but I got a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and stole only 3 fries and was completely full. That netted me about 400 calories, which if I keep my normal schedule will still put me in under 1000 calories for the day. Good luck and have faith. The weight will come off when it's ready. If you eat too few calories, your body goes into "starvation" or "survival" mode and retains as much weight as it can. Just eat progressively fewer calories and don't try to do it all at once or starve yourself. The more realistic you make it, the more you will stick with it. Have a little something for breakfast - be it a Protein shake or what have you (I've sometimes flavored my coffee with a vanilla protein shake!) to get your body started off ready to use up the calories you're providing. Know you're not in this alone and you'll get there - just be patient! :thumbup:

My husband makes eggplant for me often - Eggplant Parmigiana with Alfredo sauce is my absolute favorite dish in the world. His tip: slice the eggplant into the size you'd like to use (he slices them across into about 3/8" thick circles). Then salt them and allow them to sit out for about a 1/2 hour. It "sweats" the eggplant and removes a lot of the bitterness. After they've sat for 1/2 hour, rinse them in cold Water and then pat dry with a paper towel before cooking. I'm telling you - try it once with the Alfredo instead of spaghetti sauce... it's absolutely to die for. Hooray for eggplant! Was just banded on Tuesday - it will be a while before I enjoy eggplant again solid. Enjoy it for me! :thumbup:

Glad you asked some of these questions - I had some of the same. I was banded a day after you - 6/29. I planned to stay home for the day of and the day after and then work from home on Thurs & Fri. Well, Thursday rolled around and nope - wasn't feeling like working at all and I'm not today either, but kind of have to today. I hope this helps a little. A gal I know who got banded in November let me feel her port area a few weeks ago. Yes, you can feel it. No, you can't see it. If you know where to press, you can definitely feel the outline of the port. I am with you on the pain on the left side. I have a big tummy too and you described it perfectly - if I don't hold on, it feels like they're gonna rip away from my body. Dang it hurts. If I am lying in bed medicated and not moving, it's not too bad, but if I try to roll, sit up, move, go to the bathroom, etc., my left side hurts like crazy. the 3 incisions on my right side are fine - very little pain, but my gosh, I didn't expect it to be as painful on the left. Never had the popping sound. Sorry I can't help on that one. Burping - I am wondering about that too. I'm not overeating, I'm still on liquids and it's mostly Crystal Light and Water at that. I seem to be dysfunctional and must take in air on every sip. l am hoping that burping nonsense goes away eventually. Good luck! April

I start Pre-Op tomorrow... getting banded on July 29th. Good luck to you both! Can I ask - what do your Pre-Op diets consist of? Mine is an Opti-Fast program with food I had to get from their pharmacy - all shakes and powdered Soups and Protein Bars. 800-900 calories a day total. $150 for 10 days. Is yours similar?