Dave_NW

Dave, you can't compare food portions post-banding with food portions pre-banding. That's because it's completely different. Once you're healed up and start getting fills, (usually starting about six weeks after surgery), you won't be able to eat like you once did, and you won't want to. The placement of the band at the top of the stomach puts pressure on the Vagus nerve, which controls hunger and production of ghrelin, the chemical that causes hunger pangs. So you'll eat a smaller meal, but the miraculous part is that you'll feel full after a small amount of food. And if you're feeling full, and are not hungry, you can safely stop eating without any problems. It doesn't matter that you only ate a fraction of what you used to, your stomach THINKS it's full. And that is the magic of the band. If you use it right, you can eat less and not feel like you are not eating a typical full meal. Once you get out of the habit of eating "big," you'll be able to focus on eating healthy, and eating smart. And the natural side effect of eating smart is weight loss. Easy, simple, and remarkable weight loss. You made a comment in your reply to my last post that it's our culture, and that everything is about food. I used to think that, too. Then I learned that holidays are about family. Food is just something we do to have a reason to get together. My family still knows and loves me as much as before. And we still get together. They eat "big," and I eat what I want, until I'm done. I still socialize and enjoy the time together, but the one difference is I eat less than I used to. Oh yeah, and I take up a lot less room at the table. Okay, you asked about my recovery. I'll try to be brief. Ask me if you want to know more about anything: I had surgery Monday, December 6, 2010. My doctor did not require a pre-op liquid diet. They put me on high Protein, low carb instead, to try and shrink my liver. I only had to do one day of clear liquids, on the day before surgery. During the surgery itself I had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired, so where most band patients end up with five or six incision sites, I ended up with thirteen. I spent two nights in the hospital because they wanted to monitor my recovery, since mine was so involved. I was discharged on Wednesday, Dec. 8th. I had several weeks of sick time available to me from work, so I opted to take three weeks off work for recovery. My surgeon required three weeks of liquid diet after surgery. Nothing pureed or creamy. Only Protein shakes, and liquids you can see through. I had no appetite for quite awhile, and managed to get along drinking two ounces of Protein shake every hour from waking up till going to sleep - about 16 hours a day. In between the protein shakes I was drinking 64 ounces of Water daily, roughly four ounces per hour for those same 16 hours. Things went along normally for the first week, until I hit the only speed bump I've had. I discovered I was lactose intolerant, something I never knew. On the Monday one week after surgery I started having "dry heaves," but I wasn't throwing anything up. My body just had the wracking spasms that go with that. After consulting my surgeon (who was about two hours away), I made a trip to the Emergency Room. They gave me a single pill, and the urge to throw up instantly stopped. They found I was dehydrated, and gave me two bags of fluids via IV. After that I was fine. My Nutritionist and I went through trying a number of alternate liquids for protein shakes, different kinds of milk, soy, whatever, but nothing helped. I finally started drinking ready-to-drink shakes (Muscle Milk Light and/or Premier Protein Shakes, both of which were great, taste good, and filled me up perfectly with no side effects.) They worked great, and from there on out I was fine. At the three-week mark I went on soft foods for a week, (slider foods, thicker Soups, creamy stuf, and pureed foods.) It was like heaven. Then I did a week working my way back onto solid foods. The first thing I had was Wendy's Chili. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was amazing, and remains my "go to" food when I need a high protein meal that's easy to get, tastes great, and is perfectly band-safe. By the time I was back on solid foods, I felt absolutely normal. I can't feel the band at all, and I was ready for facing life as a bandster. At six weeks after surgery my hernia repair doctor (who had done his part during the band surgery) cleared me from all restrictions. I'd been on a "light duty" thing, not allowed to lift more than 15 pounds prior to that. On the same day, if I recall things correctly, my surgeon gave me my first fill. It was 3cc's, to go with the 3cc's he put in during the band placement surgery. So I was suddenly at 6cc's in a 14cc band. A month later I got another 2cc fill, which put me at 8cc's. A month after that I got a .5cc fill, putting me at 8.5cc's. And just today I got another .5cc, so I'm now at 9cc's. My surgeon's team and I agree I'm right at my sweet spot now, and I probably won't need any more major fills - just small .1cc or .2cc fills from here on out. My hunger is well under control, and I can go four hours or more without feeling hungry. You asked about my daily routine. For the last few months it's been pretty consistent: I've chosen to follow a modified South Beach kind of eating plan, with higher protein, lower glycemic carbs. I avoid (note I didn't say "never eat") fried foods, heavy sauces, and Desserts. So when I'm looking for a meal, I will gravitate toward a higher protein option. I eat "real world" food, not "diet food" because I know I have to function in my own life. I eat out in restaurants regularly. I don't drink alcohol, or anything with carbonation. I know some bandsters do, but I choose not to. I don't miss it. I do use artificial sweetener (Splenda, or one of its derivatives) when I want to sweeten something. I do drink coffee, tea, and unflavored iced tea often. When I wake up, I have a cup of coffee while getting ready for work. In the car while driving to work I have a ready-to-drink Premier Protein shake. (160 calories, 5grams of carbs, 3g sugar, and 30g of protein.) It kick starts my metabolism, and balances my blood sugar. About an hour after getting to work I have what I call a "naked sandwich." It's a Breakfast sandwich without any bread: A fried egg, a sausage patty, and slice of cheese. About 300 calories, and about 20g of protein. I'm good to go till lunch at that point. For lunch I usually have some solid protein, like a grilled chicken breast, roast beef, steak, pork loin, or similar. I may mix it in a salad, usually with a touch of a vinaigrette dressing. Sometimes I'll get a grilled turkey BLT sandwich, and set the bread aside. I'm fortunate to work at a hospital, and the cafeteria offers a pretty good selection of choices. If the volume of food is fairly large, like a full-sized sandwich, I usually only eat half of it during my lunch break. I take the rest back to my desk as leftovers, and I may or may not eat it as a mid-afternoon snack, if I need it. When I leave work I go directly to the gym, where I work out for about an hour or so. I usually ride a recumbent bike in the "fat burn" mode, but lately have been gradually adding some weight training. On my way home I may grab some dinner (like Wendy's Chili or their half-sized Apple Pecan Chicken salad. Maybe a Sourdough Chicken Club sandwich from Jack in the Box. Good stuff!) I don't get the "meal deal" at fast food places - so I'm not tempted by French fries or soft drinks, and I usually peel off the bun or bread and set it aside. Later in the evening, if I feel the urge to have a snack, I'll eat a cheese stick or two, or a cup of lowfat yogurt. I don't keep "trigger" foods in my house. No junk food, desserts, chips, or empty calories. And I drink water all day long. I keep a bottle of it with me at work, in the car, and at the gym, a tall glass with ice water at home, and anytime I'm awake. It really helps. If I go out to a restaurant for dinner, I try to select something higher in protein, and substitute steamed vegetables for any sort of potatoes. One favorite is at Olive Garden. They have a Steak Toscano. 12 ounces of grilled to order steak. I eat about a third at the restaurant, then take the rest home, where it makes two more meals. It's very filling, and the whole thing is only 400 calories and has 20g of protein. That's about all there is to it. As you can see, I'm following what works for me. I am NEVER hungry, I get in at least 100g of protein every day. I take my Vitamins and supplements daily, I drink lots of water, and I work out regularly. I was banded five months ago this past Monday, and as of today I've lost 83 pounds, with more to follow. My surgeon says I'm doing exactly what they expect, in terms of weight loss, and they are very encouraged that things are going so well for me. I hope this gives you some real world tips you can use. I learned what works for me, and I do my own thing in terms of how I eat, and what it means for me to be banded. I don't measure anything, and as I said, I drink with meals. But I eat slowly, I chew thoroughly, and I take small bites. All that is in deference to how the band works. I manage it, but I don't let it manage me. The rest is in the details, sorting out how to make the most of it. Hope this helps. Dave

You're freaking out about all the horror stories you've read. In truth, you likely won't experience most of those things, and maybe none of them. What will happen is that you'll find your own way with your band, and respond to how your body works. Keep in mind that those horror stories you read are only because the people who are having issues are asking for help. But for every one of those posts, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of others who don't post here because they're having no problems at all. Only the people with problems or questions are posting in these forums. I drink with my meals. I have not vomited once since my surgery. If I get stuck, I know how and why I got there, and what to do about it. The stuck item usually passes within a minute or two, and life goes on. I drink a TON of water daily, with no issues at all. Now that I have proper restriction, I DO NOT GET HUNGRY like I used to. Forget about the four to eight ounces per meal thing. I eat normal food until I feel full. I feel satisfied, and I go about my day till it's time to eat again. Was that four to eight ounces? Oh, I guess maybe it may have been. But the point is that I ate till I felt I'd had enough. The focus goes off of food, and the constant pursuit of another 5000 calorie meal. It becomes a non-issue. Your system will change, and you will not be the glutton you once were. Neither will you be a slave to your former bad habits. If you sincerely want to change, you will. If you are looking for the band to fix your issues with food, you'll be disappointed. So if you feel this far in advance that you're going to fail, I strongly recommend you get the counseling you need to deal with your food issues before surgery. And also, Dave, read over what you posted in this thread. Do you honestly think that you can lose this weight successfully by yourself? By your admission, you are over 600 pounds. How may diets have you been on? How many times have you sworn that "This time things will be different?" You may have the best of intentions in the world, but you've come back time and again to a place where you're looking for some help. The band can be the tool you need to finally win the obesity battle. But you need to give it a chance. It can be removed, and if you really, honestly have that much of an issue with it, you can have it taken out. But my wager is that two or three months into things, once you start feeling the right amount of restriction, and you're tallying up the amount of weight you've lost with so little effort, you're going to have an epiphany about your life with the band, and you won't want to go back. I know that because I was just like you before my surgery. And now, they're going to have to pry this band out of my cold, dead body. Trust me. Good luck, man. You're going to be fine. Dave

Tricare will pay for the sleeve. But you have to have it done at a military base hospital. Here in Washington state, they do the sleeve, bypass, and banding at Madigan Army Hospital. That isn't convenient to where I live, so I opted to get the band instead at a civilian hospital closer to my home. If you really want to get the sleeve, make some phone calls. It may be easier to do than you think. Good luck! Dave

Pulling for you, Rob. Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Dave

Dave, as one Dave to another, welcome to the Forum. You are absolutely making the right choice for your life, and you're taking the first steps of getting things back in control. I congratulate you on having a realistic expectation of your life. Knowing you need to get things under control is a great place to start. Having said that, it's important that you also develop a sense of patience about this. Banding is not a magic bullet, a quick fix, or an easy way to eliminate your excess weight. You'll need to manage your diet, plan your days, learn to listen to what your body is telling you, and be as active in things as possible. It will take time, but if you do it right, you WILL lose weight. Very likely, a lot of weight. So be patient, be calm, be smart, and please educate yourself to the entire process of how banding will affect your life. The more you know, and the more you listen to your body, the better your experience will be. Focus on your future, not your past. It's easy to regret gaining all this weight, and to try to blame yourself or others for why it happened. The end fact is that you ARE morbidly obese, and you have taken the first steps on changing that. In a year or two or five, you'll be a new man. And when you walk your daughter down the aisle at her wedding, you'll be a completely different man. I sincerely wish you total success in this entire process. Search the Forums here for answers to your primary questions, and don't hesitate to ask for answers to things you don't understand. Above all, don't stress yourself out if something occurs you're not sure of. Banding is a mechanical process, but it's just that - a PROCESS. The device is a tool to be used to achieve your goals. It's part of the overall experience, and if it's managed properly, it can help you get to be where you want to be. You have a lot of people here who have a wealth of experience with banding. Keep coming here, keep reading, and be proactive in your life. You're going to feel a whole lot better. Congratulations for taking the first steps. Good luck! Dave

Peter, you're "only" 75 pounds away from a healthy BMI. This year. Next year you can easily be "only" 100 pounds away. The year after that, maybe "only" 125. Where does it end? It's progressive, it's life threatening, and it can be fatal. She doesn't understand that NOT taking action could easily make her a widow. She needs to wake up and accept that you need a hand getting your life under control. I carried around that extra 75 or 100 or 125 pounds for years. I ignored it and felt the side effects of not being able to be healthier. I became a spectator in my life, while I wasted years waiting for things to magically be better. I finally decided I didn't care what others thought, it was high time to take control of the situation. I had my surgery five months ago, and in such a short time, I have my life back. I'm down over 80 pounds, my blood pressure is well within limits, and my lab work says I'm in the Normal range for everything they tested. I eat right, and I exercise four or five days a week. Before surgery I didn't do either of those things. If you can do the surgery, I recommend you go for it, and not waste any more time. My ONLY regret about the surgery was that I didn't do it years ago. Good luck! Dave

Funny you should ask. I just had one for dinner this evening. Premier Protein Bars, made by Premier Nutrition, are excellent. Great taste, not "cardboard-like" or dry. Fresh, chewy and very satisfying. I highly recommend them. You can buy them at a number of places, like costco, Amazon, or from the Premier website: http://www.premiernutrition.com/products/protein.html If you follow the link and read the text, you'll see they average about 270 calories per bar, (depending on flavor), but contain 30 grams of protein. The three flavors are all very good, and each is different. I bought mine at Costco, where they sell two 12-pack boxes as a bundle. Provides a lot of choice. I keep one in the car, one in my desk at work, and if I'm going out for the day running errands or whatever, one in my jacket pocket. Very convenient. Dave

Be very careful about eating solid foods this soon unless your surgeon says it's okay. Part of the first six weeks or so after surgery is to allow your body time to heal up. Your band was stitched in place on your stomach wall. Those stitches need time to heal up. If you eat solids before you should, you run the risk of affecting the healing of those stitches. Just because you didn't feel anything doesn't mean it's okay to eat improperly. As to your two pounds loss, that's good to have (as is any weight loss), but it's normal to lose a fair amount in the few weeks right after surgery. Your body is getting rid of fluids taken in during the surgery, and your system is adjusting to how you're eating now. So a certain amount is weight lost is normal, and you should see even more weight coming off over the next few weeks. But again, the focus should be on healing up. Take things slow and take it easy on yourself. The weight WILL come off, but you need to adapt to the stages of recovery. Developing patience is the hardest part of this. Good luck with things. Dave

Stalls definitely happen, even if you have a perfected daily routine. (I like Reverie's term that weight loss is not "linear.") I was clicking along, losing pretty regularly, but hit a wall when my doctor and I agreed to eliminate another of my daily medications. Good news for me about daily meds, but it messed with my metabolism, which I think had grown accustomed to how I was living my daily life. The after-effect was that I went up and down fighting a half pound or so for nearly three weeks. Like you, I had tried adjusting this or that, in hopes of getting the scale moving again. In the end, I changed the foods I was eating (more solid Proteins, fewer slider foods), and bumped up my Water intake. And bingo - that was the key. I lost four pounds within a few days, and the scale is moving downward again. As others have suggested, look at every aspect of what you're doing daily. Is something different? Is everything still the same old thing? Maybe that's what needs to be changed. Bodybuilders achieve success by muscle confusion, by changing up their routine frequently. I'm beginning to think weight loss works in similar ways. If the daily numbers end up the same, how you get there may be the key. shake up your daily life a bit, but maintain end-result consistency, and see if it doesn't help. Good luck! Dave

I'm 57. Check my ticker. I'd call that a success. If banding is the right choice for you, go for it. My only regret about it was that I didn't do it years ago. Dave

I pay more attention to Protein than calories. But I'm not rigid on the protein intake. I know I'll get a fair amount most days by eating a higher protein diet. What I do watch more closely is the carbs. I find that if I eat more carbs than protein, I don't lose weight. Reducing (but not eliminating) the carbs helps the protein be more effective, and the weight loss continues at a fairly steady rate. At the end of the day if I've had around 80g of protein (or more), 50g of carbs, and a total of about 1200 calories, it's a good day. If I add in reasonable exercise and enough Water intake, I can expect the scale to move down. The trick is learning how your body processes what you give it, and what works for you. Don't overlook your water intake. It makes a huge difference for me. Good luck! Dave

Good for you! Sometimes it's all a matter of keeping things in perspective. Hope the kids had a great party. Dave

Try eating before the party food starts? Drink lots of liquids instead of eating the party stuff? I'm thinking Protein Shakes. Then just lay on the willpower? Good luck! Dave

Definitely call them. To my knowledge, for Tricare Prime a six month supervised diet is definitely not required. The closest they (my surgeon's team) got to that for me was asking how much I weighed at various ages in my life, and asking what I did about it. I explained to them that I've been progressively overweight at those ages, and rattled off the various diets I've been on. Then we talked about why the diets didn't work. That was all they wanted. From the date of that consult to surgery approval from Tricare was just 22 days. I had to do some lab work and an endoscopy in between, and as I mentioned above, the actual surgery request only took three work days to get approval. Dave

You both might try drinking the Premiere brand of ready-to-drink shakes they sell at costco. 11 ounces, both chocolate and vanilla flavors, 30g Protein, 5g carbs, 3g of fat, and only 1g of sugar. They taste really good, too. You can also buy them direct: http://www.premiernutrition.com/products/protein_shake.html This brand is the only Protein shake I can handle. I drink one every morning on my way to work - it gives me a great jumpstart for my daily nutrition. Good luck! Dave

I think the frustration and questions come up after the initial rush of rapid weight lost after getting banded, only to have things slow down to a crawl after that. For me, it was when I went back on solid foods, at the three week post-op mark. (I did three full weeks of liquids post-op.) It took awhile for my system to finish healing up, and my metabolism to decide I wasn't trying to starve it. Once it did that, the weight loss started moving again. It's been pretty steady since then. The trick for me was deciding how my body reacts to diet changes and exercise. I've learned SO MUCH about my own metabolism through this, and it sure makes sense to me. Now I think i understand how I gained all that weight, a pound or two at a time over all those years, and now i'm seeing it all go away, a pound or two at a time. No complaints from me, just wish I could control the speed of my weight loss. Hang in there, follow your surgeon's advice, and give yourself time to adjust to things. You'll continue to lose, just like everyone else. Just be aware that periodic plateaus are a normal part of your system adjusting to your new life. Good luck! Dave

You don't say what kind of Tricare insurance you have, but I think you need to give them a call and find out what's up. To my knowledge, Tricare does NOT require a 6 month nutritionist visit. I have Tricare Prime, and I know from experience that they are extremely fast to approve people once things are submitted requesting surgery. In my case it was three working days. So yeah, call them and find out the whole story. Something is out of kilter with your situation. Good luck! Dave

unjury chicken Soup Protein powder can't be heated above 130F or it clumps up. Keeping it down to the right temp where it doesn't clump means drinking it luke warm, or less. It was awful to my taste. I have an entire can of it with only one scoop gone, if anyone wants it. Dave

Congrats you your surgery! Keep walking, keep sipping Water, try Gas-X and a heating pad for the gas pain. it gets better every day. Good luck! Dave

I think Costco sells gummi vitamins for adults. I haven't checked the dosages on them, so can't tell you anything about them. But it's worth checking out. Dave

You may want to give them a call before that. One of the side effects of not getting enough nutrition is that your hair can fall out. Just sayin... Dave

I got liquid D3 vitamins at GNC. Each drop is 4000 iu, and easy to take. If you let a drop fall on the back of your hand, you can lick it off. They're tasteless. (Sounds weird, but works well.) To get the 10000 iu a day that I need, I take two drops one day, and three drops the next day. It averages out to 10000 a day. For calcium, I got the Kirkland brand calcium chews at Costco. They look like Starburst chews, but they're chocolate flavor. Not bad. I eat three a day to get the dosage my NUT requires. I carry some in my jacket pocket, and eat one when I think i want a small snack. Takes care of two birds with one stone. Dave

There are a number of guys on here, but a substantially larger number of women, who also tend to post more often. I didn't worry about any stigma associated with band surgery - I was more concerned about my health, and wanting to live to a ripe old age. As it was, I was headed for an early grave. I've since turned things around, and I'm in better shape than I've been in years. I'm well past my 30s, but I wish I had done this back then. I'd be much better off now. That is my only regret for having this surgery - that I waited so long. Good luck with you surgery! Let us know when it happens, and we'll make room for you on the bandster's bench. Dave

I'm sure everyone can appreciate your enthusiasm, but if the dates you've posted are correct, you were just banded twelve days ago. You're getting the cart well before the horse, and you aren't even properly healed up yet. Has your surgeon cleared you for exercise? Have you been given proper dietary guidelines to follow at this point? Following my surgery, I was on liquids only for a full three weeks. After that I was allowed soft foods, and then gradually allowed solid foods. I wasn't cleared for exercise until six weeks after surgery. And even then I was advised to take it slow. If you're at it full tilt less than two weeks out, I'm not surprised your system is rebelling. Your body is still recovering from surgery. It will take time for things to settle in, and for your metabolism to get used to your new diet. 300 calories a day isn't much, and your body is probably reeling from all the shocks you've put it through, so it's hanging onto every calorie you eat, just in case. Once you're eating a proper diet, with enough consistent calories of the right type, your metabolism will adjust, and your weight loss will continue. The weight you've lost so far is likely water weight, and what was gained during surgery. You probably haven't lost any fat as yet. Initially, I'd say yes, the band does work for everyone. But this is a process that needs to be managed properly, to give yourself your best shot at losing weight safely and consistently. Slow down and give yourself time to heal, and the weight loss will follow. Good luck! Dave