vickyd

A couple of weeks after my surgery, my husband bought me a Pandora bracelet. He started it off with a very nice charm to signify the beginning of my journey and since then I have added a charm for every 10 lbs. I wear this bracelet every day and if I ever feel frustrated about how things are going, all I have to do it look down at my wrist and remind myself how far I have come...

Checking in with my weigh in for this morning... Vicky~283.4 (down 1.4 from last week). Overall, I'm happy with this considering I didn't exercise at all during the week. I leave today for a 3 day business trip (my first since being banded). I am interested to see if I still need a seat belt extender after having lost almost 42 lbs and to see if my band tightens up when I fly like a lot of people's do. There is a fitness center in my hotel so hopefully I can squeeze in some treadmill time...including my workout clothes when packing is a first for me !

Does the person who does your fills withdraw all the fluid before doing the fill? The reason I ask is that maybe you don't have as much fluid in as you think...I have heard that from other people on this forum...

I got the band for the same reasons most people do - to use it as a tool to lose weight. I did not set out on this journey intending to be one of those people who doesn't get fills. Every month I see the PA in my surgeons office for a scheduled fill and every time, after reviewing how much I am eating and my weight loss she has suggested that I don't get a fill. If she said I needed one, then I would get one. I am not one of those people who feel like I need to be so tight that I am PBing daily and can only eat 1/2 cup of food...I consistently eat 3-4 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies at lunch and dinner, a Protein Shake for Breakfast, only snack when I need to (on something high protein - greek yogurt, string cheese, etc) and eat about 1,000 calories a day. I am losing consistently at this point and if that changes then I will re-evaluate. I don't expect to be given "hero status" and I am not necessarily practicing more willpower that others...this is what works for me (and for the record, per my surgeon there was nothing put in my band during surgery). Not everyone is the same...I consider myself very lucky that it has been this easy thus far.

The answer to your question is that both are correct...normally, I weigh and measure everything I eat so I put my 3-4 oz of Protein and 1/2 cup veggies on my plate, eat it and am satisfied with that (not hungry anymore but not stuffed either). Other times I can't eat all of what I put on my plate (I get this feeling that if I eat one more bite I will be physically sick - I always listen to this feeling and stop...I haven't thrown up or PB'd yet). Then there are nights like Monday where I was eating chicken (which I normally don't have any issues with) and I got stuck - not enough to make me PB but enough that I had to put my fork down for a while and wait for it to pass through...not painful but very uncomfortable.

I use fitday too and when I go in for my appointmtents I print out the log for about 7-10 days so they can see what I am eating and give me suggestions if I need it. My major focus is calories (I keep mine around 1,000 per day) and Protein (my NUT wants me between 80-120 per day), I do look at fat and carbs but I don't have a particular level I try to meet for them. Based on your numbers, it does seem like your protein is high but I'm not sure what effect too much protein has on weight loss - you might want to call your NUT and ask...

So far I'm doing it. I had surgery on Dec 2nd, haven't had any fills yet and have lost 41 lbs. I asked my surgeon about it and he says that some people feel some restriction just by the fact that the band was put in place and that those people usually need just a few fills or none at all depending on the person. This is definately the case with me...according to him there is nothing in my band but I can definately feel restriction.

I am also lactose intolerant (and it became worse after surgery). Pre-surgery I could do Muscle Milk Light with Soy Milk but after surgery I couldn't tolerate it. Right now, the only one I have been able to handle is Isopure from GNC. It is entirely lactose free and I mix it with Soy Milk. I have tried the vanilla and chocolate and really like them both...I have a shake every weekday morning (because it is a quick and easy breakfast) and haven't had any problems with it.

You may just be one of the lucky ones who don't go through bandster hell. I am happy to say that I am in that category...I was banded December 2nd and, like you, felt some restriction from the beginning. So far, I am losing consistently and haven't had any fills - when I asked my surgeon about it he just said that some people do feel restriction from the start and he finds that those people can lose the weight without a lot of fills. That said, I do track all of my food intake to make sure I am getting enough calories and Protein - initially I wasn't eating enough because I just didn't feel hungry and this caused my weight loss to stall for a couple of weeks. Once I started making sure I was eating around 1,000 calories a day I started losing again. Good luck!!

Isn't it great to buy smaller clothes? I love it (even if it is just bras and underwear ). Keep it up Heather! You're doing great!!

I completely agree with you! I think my doctor's office does a better than average job preparing patients for life after surgery but there is definatley room for improvement. Luckily, I'm one of those people who will research the heck out of any major life change so I was probably better prepared than most and, even then, I still had questions that I could only find the answer for here on LBT. I am so thankful for everyone on here who is willing to share their journeys and answer questions.

During the week, I tend to have a Protein shake every morning (I drink it in the car on the way to work) - it is quick and easy for me. After that, I have a mid morning high protein snack, lunch and dinner. Sometimes, I might have a mid-afternoon snack if I am really hungry. On the weekends I tend to have more of a brunch instead of breakfast - usually a 2 egg omelet with about 2 oz protein and 1/4 cup of 2% cheese. Then I will have a mid-afternoon high protein snack and dinner.

This morning I weighed in at 285 - down 2.4 from last week (and down 40 lbs since starting pre-op...Woo Hoo!!!)

I had my Dr appointment last week - still no fill. Overall, they are very happy with how much I'm eating and how much I have lost...I also got a good compliment from the PA in the office (who does the fills) - after meeting with me she smiled and said "You don't know how refreshing it is to meet someone who really 'gets' the band and knows how to work it properly. The last person I saw was just absolutely clueless!" That really made my day! Also, with my weigh in this morning I am officially down 40 lbs since I started my pre-op diet and am also down another pants size!! :D

I had severe diarreha after surgery and after talking to the NUT I ended up trying a lactose free Protein powder with soy milk and that did the trick. I was slightly lactose intolerant before the surgery (but not so much that I couldn't drink the normal whey protein shakes) but after surgery I have become much more lactose intolerant. I have heard that it isn't uncommon for people to become lactose intolerant after surgery so you might want to try that... Good luck!

It's funny how this journey goes...I am one of those people who weighs everyday (I know I probably shouldn't but it's a compulsion right now ) and because I weigh everyday I tend to lose track of how much I am losing each week. This morning I got on the scale and was slightly disappointed that I had only lost 1 lb since last week (or so I thought) but when I went to log in my weight for the January challenge I realized that I had actually lost 2 lbs since last week and had lost 10.6 lbs during the month of January - that is 2.6 lbs per week! I am very happy with these results but I would have never known if I wasn't participating in the challenge. I think I am going to try to put my scale away and only weigh twice a week (I don't think I'm ready to cut back to once a week yet)...

I don't regret my decision at all! Yes, it is hard when you are on the liquid diet...between the 2 week pre-op diet and the 2 week post-op I thought I would lose my mind. I can also say that when you hear people talk about only eating 3-4 oz meals a day it sounds like so little food that you can't possibly do it...I eat around 4 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies at each meal and I am satisfied. The only thing I will warn you about is not to think of this as you get the band and POOF! all of a sudden you have no appetite and the weight just starts melting off of you. It doesn't work that way...you will be hungry from time to time. Don't think that the way to do this is to eat until the band makes you throw up...if you eat that much you are over-eating. It takes some time for most people to acheive enough restriction. The biggest thing is be patient! You didn't gain this weight overnight and it won't come off overnight either... Good luck to you!

Final weigh in for Vicky - 287.4 - I am down 2 lbs from last week and down 10.6 from the start of the challenge. I didn't meet my goal (which was a bit aggressive) and had a couple of stalls along the way but overall I am happy with it.

Name, real or screen~ Vicky Age~ 45 Weight on January 31st~ 287.4 Goal Weight for February 28th~ 277 Exercise Goal for February~ Increase walking distance to 2 miles Dietary Goal for February~ Focus on reducing carbs Personal Goal for February~ Read at least 2 books Date Banded~ 12/2/10 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 27.6 since banding (37.6 since beginning pre-op diet)

I have absolutely no idea if I can eat rice, bread, pasta, etc because I haven't had any since I started my pre-op diet. I, too, am a carboholic and I figured since I was already used to not eating these things then I would just continue to not eat them...and, suprisingly, I don't miss them at all. That said, I have had some pretzels (one or two mini pretzels at a time) but for the most part I get my carbs from starchy veggies or quinoa. If you can tolerate them and they don't trigger you to over-indulge then I don't see why you can't have them...

I have been banded almost 2 months and I am also one of those people who didn't really experience "bandster hell" and haven't yet had a fill. I am scheduled to go back to the doctor next week for a fill but I don't think I will need one then either. There are two big discoveries I have made during this process...1) how to determine the difference between head hunger and actual hunger and 2) the term "full" means something different to me now - full doesn't mean that I have eaten so much that if I put another bite in my mouth I will throw up (that used to be my definition of full) but rather it means that I have eaten the recommended amount of food (3-4 oz Protein, 1/2 cup veggies), am no longer hungry and can go 3-4 hours without eating again. I don't feel stuffed, but rather satisfied and there is a HUGE difference. Could I eat more? Sure, but I choose not to and my band allows me to make that choice. The next month or so will be a time for you to heal and determine how to best work your band for you...keep in mind that everyone is different. If what works for some people doesn't work for you then try something else. This is a very individual experience... Best of luck to you!

It definately depends on the person...I know one person who consistently eats around 650-700 calories per day and has lost 100 lbs in 6 months (her doctor is aware of her low caloric intake and monitors it closely). On the other hand, I reached a point where my weight loss stopped for over 2 weeks until I upped my intake to 1,000 per day (I was around 750-800). I have found that if I don't make sure to be at that level then I don't lose at all...I never thought I would ever say that I have to work to get to 1,000 calories a day but there are days when I have to have a protein shake at night to make sure that I hit my target.

For me, it varies. Most weekdays I have a Protein shake for Breakfast, a midmorning snack, lunch and dinner. Sometimes I will have a midafternoon snack if I need it. On the weekends I tend to eat 3 meals a day with no Snacks because I just get too busy to think about a snack. I try to keep my snacks high protein and keep my calories around 1,000 per day. If I find that if my calories are too low then I don't lose anything, so if I have to have another Protein Shake at night to get the calories up to the right level then I do. FWIW, my NUT told me I should be eating 5-6 small meals a day...

Woo Hoo!! That is great! I can't wait to get to the point where I weigh less than my husband!!

Hang in there Joan! I'm sure the scale will start moving in the right direction for you soon!!