Search the Community

I read your post and have to tell you the truth... it can be very, very hard in the beginning. I have great difficulty sometimes - mostly at night as I'm a night eater. You will need to stick to your docs rules. If you haven't really stayed on your pre-op diet, did you know that they could open you up for surgery and then close you right back up again? The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your fatty liver and other organs to give the doc room to work. More people than you realize have not followed the pre-op and then woke up in recovery without a band. Bottom line - if you love food more than you love yourself you won't be doing yourself any favors with this. You MUST do as instructed from your docs and nutritionist. If you don't you could cause slippage (especially if you eat solids soon after surgery) or you could stretch your new stomach pouch. And believe me when I say that you will know if you eat too much or too fast or without chewing well enough. It hurts like nothing I've ever felt... thought I was having a heart attack! And it lasts until the food passes - that could take a couple of hours. Look, it's a learning process, but all of us go through it. If you can follow the rules you'll do fine. But if you already KNOW that you CAN'T change your eating habits, DON'T do this - it could really be bad for your health to do this and then hurt yourself by not following the rules. Everybody is different, but the only person who can decide for sure is YOU. If you're not 100% sure, then postpone the surgery and get in to see someone - maybe the psychologist or the surgeons nurse or someone who has had the same concerns that you have. Your life is too valuable to chance this without being certain that you can change your habits. I wish you the very best luck possible. Barbara

I have had some second thoughts and fears. I am worried cause I have to pay out of pocket and what if I fail at this like I did other programs.. I also was watching some things on you tube on lapbands and there was a Dr.R something on there cutting down the lapband. Got me pretty scared... But then I sat here and thought more about it looked up some more research and am as ready as ever to do it I have 6 days of protein shakes to go... Holy poop.. It is coming fast and I can do it.. My family doc has a cheering section at his office for me.. It feels good.. Not many people have WLS up here in BC cause it mostly self pay except for the very few who are approved for the GBS... So anyways we can do this... I am here if you ever wanna talk..

Well it was a hard time to start a diet over the holidays. But I did manage to lose 3lbs. Now I am going strictly on low carb for the next 16 days before my surgery. My plan is to use the low carb slim fast and some fresh low fat meat choices. I also have some Isopure Grape Frost drink.

Learn something new every day! I never had this test. I did, however, just have the complete metabolic panel done via blood test--after fasting. It's so interesting to me how differently doctors approach the surgery and aftercare.

I went to a doctor's appointment with the on call doctor since mine was out of town. He said since my port is attached to muscle, that perhaps a muscle relaxer. Not so much. Going tomorrow to see my regular surgeon. Looks like they may need to go in and move the port so it will be in a more comfortable place. Right now, its so painful - it feels like it's going to just rip apart. The muscle relaxers didn't work so i'm going to ask for pain meds. Nothing else seems to help. I hope they figure this out fast. CT scan showed nothing wrong. Thank you for asking :scared2:

Welcome Mum, I've only lost 20 lbs so far but look what this weight loss has already done for me 1. Reduced my fasting blood sugar from 7.5 to 5.9. 2. Eliminated one of my blood pressure meds. 3. Reduced the amount of acid reflux meds. I haven't even had my first fill yet. It's scheduled for Oct 5 and I can't wait to see what this will do for me. Good Luck with your journey!!!

I am 1 week and 1 day post op Gastric Bypass. Today I started puréed food. Everyone talks about how fast they get full. I know I’m probably over thinking this BUT I had 1/2 of a Greek yogurt around 1:00 and around 6:00 I had a 1/2 cup of a creamy soup. In between I also kept up with my protein shake. I’m comfortable but not over full at all like everyone made it sound that I would be. Can anyone give me a little idea what you are or were taking in around this time please :)

Congrats to you all!!! It sounds like we are all moving in the right direction. I was told not to lose too fast also. It is disappointing sometimes, but I am trying to follow the doctors instructions. After all, if my way was working I wouldn't be this big. I have a lap band consultant at my doctors office. When his patients visit him they also visit her. She helps with the lifestyle changes that go along with the lap band. She gives us tips on eating and cooking. She recommends no more than 1200 calories, 60 carbs, and 60 grams of Protein or more. The more protein you eat the better. With every meal I try for 20+ protein and as little carbs as I can. I do not eat anything unless their is protein included. If I eat a sugar free pudding I eat a piece of cheese also. I eat a lot of plain Greek yogurt. (I add Protein powder or vanilla splenda flavors to it) I eat a lot of fat free cottage cheese with no sugar added peaches that come in a snack size cup. Being on the go all the time is the hard part of dieting and eating right. I found the Atkins frozen meals that are delicious and low carb high in protein. After a long day and not wanting to cook pop one of those in the microwave. Easy breezy!! I also take one to work now and then for lunch when I forget to make my lunch the night before. I might eat out once a week. Usually when my husband comes home on the weekend and we go out to dinner. I used to eat out for lunch with the girls at the office and a lot of times at night on my way home I would grab something to take home. This is the biggest change that is helping me lose. I want us to give each other new ideas and tips. I by no means claim my ways are right or the best, and I am open for more suggestions. After all we will be doing this for a long time and you get burned out on the same things very fast. Keep up the great work ladies!!!

LeenaBeena....My consultation was on May 1 2006, and my surgery was June 5, 2006. I was self pay so it went really fast.

I agree with Tired Old Man. Cut your food in chiclet size, especially meat. Then chew about 30 times and it has a better chance of going down. I always drink when I eat because the food gets stuck otherwise, but most folks say not to drink anything. Buy I chew food to mush before I swallow or I PB. When I PB I notice larger pieces of food that I haven't chewed adequately. One thing I've learned is not to get really hungry. If I do, I eat too fast and PB. This band thing requires getting used to.

My mother and I are both going through this together! She lost 24lbs before her surgery and they almost closed her back up and didn't do it because her liver was still big! I'm two days away from mine! I checked Thursday and I'm at a 22lb (from 449 to 427) loss so far! I've struggled and not done so well keeping to the pre-op fast my doctor put my on but I'm determined to be strict, drink lots of water, and exercise these last two days. Have any of you ever been turned down because your liver was too big? Is it a direct correlation between weightloss and the liver shrinking? Any words of advice or comfort for this nervous girl?

Monday, April 2, 2007 It has been a little over a year now since I have heard about the LapBand. If you set your wayback machine to February 2006 you will find my wife and a co-worker disussing this new proceedure like a gastricbypass and see the first steps towards the Banded side. Jump forward 2 months to a nervious Mr. yoda at TLBC in Toronto waiting to hear how his better half has done in the surgery. She came through fine with her own little symbiont implanted inside her belly, to help her loose the weight that has plagued her for far too long. With a slight fast forward we see her melt away, loosing over 70 lbs in a little over a year. Health improving and shopping like a 16 year old valley girl with a new limitless credit card from daddy. But alas you will also witness the slight reduction in my weight followed by the explosion of my waist line as I find all her losses like a Hardy boy on speed. This is just one of the many see-saw battles of the bulge that I have waged for as long as I can remember. Always losing in the end. (the battle not the weight). Then as the wayback machine returns us to now, we find that after I have witnessed the effectiveness of the Band, I too am considering it. It is not a choice made lightly(no pun intended). As I am a Chef :hungry:and food is my business. She is my mistress, my second love, my second passion and ultimately my bane. Luckily my first love and passion, my sweet wife, has shown me the benifits of the Band symbiont, and the plus' she has experienced moves me towards the banded side. I have will power that rivals a monk, as demonstrated 5 yrs ago when I quit smoking cold turkey with the realization that I could be spending that time I was wasting with the sticks of cancer, with my wife! and that thought alone was enough to give it up forever (I even appologied to her for wasting that little time several months later). Now I see that with the BAND, I could have even more time with her, and that is more than enough to make me want to turn my back on the Bane of my existance. I am also sure that with my will and her love I can win the battle of the bulge once and for all. I just need a small tool, (men like tools) to give me the edge to lose this extra person I carry around now. This journal will be the record of my journey from obesecity through pudgytown to skinnyville, filled with yammerings, complaints, trials, tribulations and ultimately successes. It is said that a journey starts with a single step! My single step starts on April 5 2007 when I go to TLBC in Toronto to have a consult with their staff to see if I am worthy of the Band. It will all begin (hopefully) in 3 days. "Once you start down the BANDED path, forever will it dominate your destiny!... Consume you it will..." truer words were never written! (in this journal)

I've never thought about, considered, or worried about this "honeymoon phase" people talk about! I don't care how slow or fast I'm losing. I'm not gaining and that's all I care about! Every single day I'm conscious about what I eat and I'm working on getting physically fit. Sleeved life is good!

Did your doctor release you to workout already? I realize every doctor is different but I had surgery a day after you and haven't been released to do anything above a walk. Don't push yourself so hard. Your insides don't heal as fast as your outside do. My doctor says most of the work was done on my left side so maybe that's what it is.

the sugar free is for diet....not because of side effects. when you do your pre-Op you are ridding yourslef of the sugars from your liver....my nut said the fastes and most effective way is to continue not eating sugar...especially refined sugars....i spec asked my doc about dumping and he said no we won't have that side effect. I'm kind of enjoying not eating sugar...has helped the weigt loss so well!!! (25 lbs in 21 days!)

Have you been taking the Pantoprazole specifically for reflux for the past 20 years or for another reason? Did you discuss this with your surgeon pre-op? I was under the impression that most people who already have reflux will get it worse after being sleeved (except where it was being caused only by hiatial hernia which would be fixed during surgery),with most surgeons recommending bypass instead for people with reflux? Reflux is quite common in the first few months post surgery (hence standard issue of PPI post surgery). Hopefully some of the foods were just too soon for your stomach and dialing back on the solids/meats for a bit longer brings relief. (I too was on a fairly fast moving plan, with 2 weeks liquids, then 2 weeks of both purees AND soft solids, and I'm finding I still prefer mostly my soups and decaf coffee + protein supplements. I have had twice now some very soft cooked chicken (5 hours slow cooked sous vide hot water bath 165F) which seems to agree with me fine, and some mashed avocado.

Bariatric surgery should be compared to being pregnant!!! 1. My taste have changed not a good or bad thing 2. My belly feels like 80pounds 3. My moods are here and there 4. My cravings are outrageous 5. The worst is smells, they make me sooo nauseous Thought I'd put up how I have felt today bc it's been a trip of gas more gas and nausea. I didn't do anything out of ordinary but walk two times around the house and sip sip sip which I could have done to fast. Happy weekend y'all!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I agree slim fast does not have enough protein. Event the one has has more protein than the original. Premier brand ready to drink from Costco is very good and has a more appropriate amount of protein. At day nine I was allowed to have full liquids which included tomato soup are you having "smooth soup" yet? I think that will help with your issue. Also I buy flavorless benefiber and added it to everything during that period.

You have to eat very small bites, and it helps to put the fork down & sit back for a few minutes between bites. I literally push back from my plate. It's a completely different pace than I'm used to. I try to use the time to talk to whomever I'm with, or if I'm alone I read or do something in between. I have to retrain myself to slow down and listen to my body. I've had a few instances where I eat too fast & it just makes me sick. Not worth it. My food does get cold, but I'm getting used to it. I try to choose foods that are ok hot or cold!

Congratulations on your surgery! I had surgery 6/5/09 and have lost 73 pounds since. I don't know if I have any secrets, but here's what's been working for me: 1. Get your Fills- The band doesn't work if you're not restricted. It took me like 8 fills to get restriction, so don't give up. You'll have to go through bandster hell - just accept it and realize that you'll lose when you get restriction. 2. I don't diet. My philosophy with the band is this is something I will live with for the rest of my life. I'm not going to live deprived and grumpy on an eternal diet. I do focus on getting my protein then vegetables, but if I want a cookie, I eat it and move on. I know some would disagree with this, but it works for me. 3. Get Support!! This is huge. I get support from my family, my Dr.'s office and a great blogging community. I started a blog right before surgery and it's an amazing community. This site is great too. 4. Identify your NSV's (non scale victories). This will really help when the scale's not moving as fast as you'd like. Putting on old jeans in the back of your closet or running a mile can really keep your spirits up. 5. Find some "go to" foods that help with protein intake and the urge to snack on junky things. Mine are greek yogurt, string cheese, Baby Bell light cheese, mini Luna bars and Zone bars. Good luck! This is a great post - I can't to see what others write.

Secret 1. Stop eating when the food gets cold. Secret 2. Go to the gym every day. Secret 3. Do NOT ever drink with a meal. Secret 4. You should be able to eat any food but bread and rice by the second month, just not very much. Secret 5. Buy smaller clothes early on sale cause you shrink fast!!! TJ

So, I will be 5 weeks out on Tuesday 8/21. I have noticed that I have gained an appetite back..and I can eat anything I feel like I might want to try. (Still not eating fried or fast foods, though) I drink sweet tea. Water hurts and instantly nauseates me Crystal light burns my throat. I even feel like sometimes I over eat. I just feel like a huge failure right now. I'm super emotional and moody. I eat throughout the day, too..little bits at a time. Anyone else feel this way? And my scale is messed up, just bought it at Target and its totally off, even after setting it. So I don't know my weight. Ugh. I wanna cry All comments & feedback appreciated! Just don't be mean, please!

O.k.. I don't know who has tried these yet, but today I discovered: Barilla brand Multi Grain Pasta. It is high in Protein (17g) and really tasted good. Even better was the fact that it chews up easier and goes down comfortably unlike "real" pasta. Slim Fast High Protein shake. These are new, not the Optima or the regular Meal Replacement ones, but HIGH PROTEIN.

My orientation was a free 1.5hr seminar that the surgeon held, going over A LOT of information about the different types of surgeries available and answering a bunch of questions from us folks there. Before we all left, they scheduled consult appointments for us with the surgeon, where we could discuss our specific needs and type of surgery he would recommend. They also gave us a packet to fill out and mail back to them before the consult appointment, which asked for A LOT of info so that they could get started reaching out to insurance and any doctors etc etc. For me, BCBS of IL on my plan doesn't require a 6mo supervised diet anymore, so from seminar to surgery date it'll be 2 days shy of 3mos. CRAZY fast, but that's also because I was on top of scheduling all of my pre-op doc appointments and tests as soon as I could, so I was seeing a different doc almost every week for awhile lol. Just had my pre-op appt with my primary doc yesterday after work and he gave his clearance for the surgery! Now I just have my pre-op appt with my surgeon next Wednesday, and I'm ready for my surgery next Friday! Good luck and definitely read a bunch of the threads in these forums! I'm a super organized researcher to begin with, but it was super helpful reading everything on here.

Whether you lose the weight fast or slow the loose skin will either tighten up or it won't over the long haul. It has to do with genetics and age more than anything else. I am now 65 and over 2 years out, lost 130 pounds and my skin is still slowly tightening. I expect it will not tighten completely thus making my midsection look like a cut-out from a romance novel cover. The alternative in my case would be very wrinkly skin in my casket 6 feet under.