vickyd

I think it's good for you to be asking these questions. IMHO too many people go into this surgery not understanding that a lot of people don't feel restriction from the beginning, the band won't make you make healthy good choices and you may be restricted in what foods your band can tolerate. If you choose to have surgery then you need to understand what the band will and won't do. That said, I can tell you that I did feel restriction from the start (I have had 1 fill in 5 months) and there aren't any foods my band won't tolerate (including bread and pasta) so I have to make good choices about both the foods I eat and the quantities. Yes, I could have lost some weight without the band but I have never in my life been able to lose 70 lbs so for me the band is definitely worth it. I don't know all the specifics of how it works (like you, I have seen a ton of conflicting info) but I DO know that it does work FOR ME. The band doesn't work for everyone and if you aren't willing to do your part then it isn't the right surgery for you. Good Luck!

Looking at what you are eating, my thought is that you aren't eating enough calories. Most people do well at around 1,200 calories per day...for me, I need to keep mine between 1,000-1,100 to lose. My suggestion is to start slowly increasing your calories until you start losing again (it is a bit of trial and error to find the right range because everyone is different). Good Luck!

I was banded in December 2010 and didn't have my first (and only) fill until March. The way it works with my surgeon is they not only look at how much you lost since your last appointment but also how much you are able to eat in a sitting and how long you can go before you get hungry again. When I got my fill, I had lost 12 lbs the month before and my portion sizes were good but I was getting hungry every 2 hours. The fill was just enough to help me be able to go 4-5 hours between meals without being hungry (which is perfect for me). As far as your calories go, I agree with the others that 600 per day is very low but as long as you take your Multivitamins and get in enough Protein you should be ok from a nutrient point of view. You may find as you go on that your weight loss stalls or slows way down and that in order to kick it back into gear you need to increase your calories - at least that's what happened to me. I have to eat between 1,000-1,100 calories a day or I don't lose at all...it doesn't matter if I'm on the higher side or the lower side, I just don't lose. I understand you not wanting to eat just to eat but I do find that sometimes I have to make myself have a snack in order to get my calories in and since I don't lose if my calories drop below 1,000 then I can justify it but I always make sure it is a high protein snack that I portion out and eat deliberately so that I don't get back in the habit of mindless snacking. Good luck to you...you are doing great!

I haven't been banded for a year, but I have been banded for 5 months so I think I can answer your questions: 1. At first, I couldn't drink as fast as I used to but now I drink the same way I did before being banded. I was never a person who took big gulps of Water so if that is the way you drink you may have some issues... 2. It normally takes me 15-20 minutes to eat dinner. Ever since I was able to eat solids I have always weighed and measured my food (4 oz Protein, 1/2 cup veggies) and when it is gone I stop eating. If I am eating out, I ask for a To Go Box when my food is served and then estimate my portions. Anything over my normal portions are immediately boxed up so I can't pick at them. This has worked for me. 3. As I said before, I eat 4 oz protein and 1/2 cup veggies at each meal (except Breakfast where I normally have egg beaters with cheese and turkey sausage). I think this is a very normal sized meal. I haven't tried to eat a hamburger with the bun but I can easily eat a hamburger patty with a side of veggies. 4. I haven't been sick yet since being banded so I can't tell you about that sort of throwing up. I have PBd once (totally my fault for eating too fast and not chewing well enough) and that was more sort of coughing and having the food come up...it didn't hurt at all. 5. As you lose weight, you will definately have more energy. I used to live an extremely sedentary life and now I am always doing something. Good luck to you! 6. Personally, there are no foods that my band doesn't tolerate (including pasta). That said, I have chosen to not eat bread, Pasta, rice and potatoes because I find that I lose better if I don't eat them. Before surgery, I was obsessed with pasta (and, like you, made my own) but I really don't miss it at all. There are a lot of people on here whose bands don't tolerate bread and pasta at all...the only way you can know for sure is to try it.

Whether or not to tell is a very personal decision. Some people are very comfortable being open with it and others prefer to keep it private. I originally was only going to tell my husband (we live in a different state from either of our families so it wouldn't have been difficult to keep it a secret) but my MIL decided to come visit over Thanksgiving while I was on my pre-op liquid diet. Since it would have been obvious that something was up, I ended up telling her and her boyfriend and then since I told her then I felt like I should tell my Mom. Since that time, my MIL and husband have both told a couple of people (despite my telling them not to ) so there are a few more people who know than I would have liked. The people I have told are very supportive...there are people who don't know and have asked what I am doing to lose weight and I have just told them that I am working with a Nutritionist to eat healthier and exercising (not entirely untrue). Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

It really depends on the person (and, most likely, the placement of the band). Some people feel restriction from the beginning and some are starving and feel no restriction at all until they have several fills (bandster hell). Unfortunately there is no way to predict what your experience will be... I was lucky to be one of the people who felt restriction from the beginning - when I asked my surgeon about it he said that it is just that way with some people and normally it means that they will need less fills over time. I can only speak for myself in that I am almost 5 months banded and have only had 1 fill.

I'm sure they will notice the difference, Jess.

I was banded on December 2, 2010 and have lost 68.4 lbs. I am consistently losing about 10 lbs per month but I do track my calories every day (a lot of people choose not to) and I stick to a low carb diet because I have found that I lose better that way. I think the one thing I would tell you is to go into this journey with realistic expectations. The band will help with portion sizes but it may take many months for you to feel restriction. Also, IMO, the hardest part of this is dealing with the mental aspect..the band won't prevent you from wanting food that is not good for you. That part will be up to you. Good Luck!

I have to agree with everyone else - there is absolutely no way I could have gone camping a couple of days after surgery (and I was one of those who only took my pain meds a couple of times). That said, is there any way you could postpone your surgery for a week so that you could go on the trip and enjoy the time with your boys? I think that is what I would try to do (even though it might mean being on the pre-op diet for an extra week). If not, maybe you could do like Becky suggested and have someone drive you to there so you could attend the ceremony to show support for your boys. Good luck!

I had the most amazing week last week...I had to go on a business trip to Atlanta which is where my boss and the rest of my department work. They had not seen me since October, so the last time I saw them I was about 10 lbs heavier than my starting weight. I wish I had a video of people's reactions to seeing me...it was priceless!! I also got to spend some time with my family and my in-laws while I was there and, with the exception of my parents, none of them had seen me since before surgery either. All in all, I got a HUGE dose of NSVs to tide me over when things get tough (including getting a size 18 pair of pants up and zipped - although they won't be making a public appearance until I have lost another 5-10 lbs)...and I lost 5.8 lbs while I was there as a bonus (not sure how that happened but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth...LOL ).

Oh no! I hope you are feeling better and stop throwing up!

That is such an awesome feeling!!! I remember when I finally got below 300 thinking how happy I was that I would never see a weight again with a "3" as the first number! Great Job!!!

First of all, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!!! You have lost 40 lbs...maybe not as much as you would have hoped at this point, but where would you be if you hadn't had surgery? Would you be 40 lbs down? Probably not... Secondly, you say that you can eat anything you want...I guess my question is why are you still eating anything you want (even if you aren't eating as much as you used to)? I can eat anything I want too - I don't have issues with any foods - but I CHOOSE not to eat foods that are bad for me. I choose not to eat a high carb diet because I don't lose effectively that way. I choose to eat 1,000 calories a day, 80-100 g Protein, drink at least 10 glasses of Water and get my exercise in (for the most part - I'm still working on that). In the end, the band will only help reduce your portion sizes, it won't help you make good choices of the types of foods you eat...you have to find the will power to do that yourself. Once thing I can suggest is to keep a food journal (I like myfitnesspal.com) and start weighing and measuring your foods. This will help make you more aware of exactly what you are eating and hopefully help you to make good choices. Don't give up on this...this journey is a process that is so much harder than I ever imagined. What works for me might not work for you but take some time to truely look at what you are currently doing and see what you can do to make some changes that you can live with (even if that means accepting that your weight loss may be slower than you would like)... Best of luck to you...

I use myfitnesspal.com It is a free site that also has an Iphone and Blackberry app. You can use it to track your food, exercise and water.

Vickyd checking in at 257.4 (5.8 lbs down from last week ) I will post the stats later today (sorry about not posting last week but I was on a business trip and couldn't get my work computer to cooperate!) Congrats to everyone who had a good week...and a special congrats to Joan for planting her feet firmly in Onederland :party:

There is nothing wrong with having a class of wine but I would have it either before or after the meal since you aren't supposed to drink during the meal. Also, as others have said, you do need to consider the calories so be careful of how much you have...

I had diarrhea after surgery for the entire 2 weeks that I was on liquids. My NUT had me switch to a lactose free shake with soy milk (I was slightly lactose intolerant before surgery and more so after surgery which is known to happen for some people). This helped a bit but it didn't entirely go away until I started on mushies. Personally, I wouldn't think that milk is enough to sustain you for a few weeks but im not your doctor...definaty make sure to stay hydrated...

Flying doesn't seem to really affect my band, although I don't keep my band tight at all. However, it does affect a lot of people so I would suggest being cautious until you know how yours is affected.

1 fill 5 ccs 11 cc Realize band I have only PBd once ( and that was my own fault for eating too fast and not chewing well) and I can eat anything (including bread and Pasta although I choose not to).

Absolutely no regrets at all! I have had my band for 4 1/2 months and am down 64 lbs. I started out wearing a very tight 28 in pants and a 26/28 in tops...today, I wear a 20 in pants (I can button and zip an 18 but they are still a bit too tight) and an 18/20 in tops. I haven't had any complications, have only had 1 fill, and have only PBd once. Over all, I feel better than I have in 10 years!!!

The best way not to do it not to have a drink at the table at all...if it isn't there you can't drink it

WOO HOO!!!! That is wonderful!!!

Some of the things I do for lunch that are quick to put together are turkey meatballs with marinara sauce (the meatballs are frozen so I just throw a servings worth in a container, add sauce and then I just have to heat it up for a minute or two at work), leftovers from dinner (just be careful because meats can dry out when you re-heat them so you may need to add a bit of stock to them to keep them moist), pre-cooked chicken burgers or chicken sausages (I get mine at Sam's Club) - just add 1/2 cup of veggies and go. All of these are great for protein, very filling and require just a couple of minutes to put together. If you do find yourself hungry after lunch, try a high protein snack - some string cheese or babybel light cheese are both great Snacks and don't have a lot of calories (and the protein will keep you full longer).

Vicky checking in at 263.2 - down 1 lb...not happy that it is only 1 but at least it is going in the right direction and it just shows that I have to exercise at least 3 -4 times each week (last night was the first time I exercised this week)...

This is something that a lot of bypass patients have when they eat sugar...you don't have to worry about it with lap band surgery.