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Hello All... I am new to this website and thought I would share my story. I had VSG surgery on September 28th 2010. I will be completley honest with my journal enteries! ALWAYS! The first week was NO FUN! I had a tough time keeping ANYTHING down. The doctor's said that my stomach was tight and it would take some time, but it would get better. IT DID! after the first week, things got MUCH MUCH better! I stayed on liquids for the first two weeks, then mushies for two weeks and now I eat alot of mushies but try and intergrate solid foods. I am still having some trouble with eating solids. I did learn that I cannot eat white meat chicken, it must be dark meat. White meat is just too dry for me to keep down, no matter how I prepare it. I made chicken and dumplings for my family the other night and used chicken thighs and I ate everything but the duplings. It was really good and it settled very well. I am so happy that I decided to have the VSG surgery. I have only been post op[/size] for a little over 5 weeks and have lost about 28 pounds. I started out at 260 before surgery and lost 5 pounds in the two weeks before surgery. Then the day of surgery I was at 255... so from the day of surgery I have lost 28 pounds... from the highest weight that I was (260) I have lost 33 pounds. A couple weeks ago I had a platue and did not loose for about 4-5 days and was really depressed, but then I started loosing again and felt much better. Before surgery I had Fibromyalgia very badley and since surgery have been pretty pain free. I am very hesitant to excercise because I do not want the fibromyalgia to flair up but am trying to stay as active as I can without going overboard. I know I really should be excersizing more... We just moved into our new house a couple months ago, so the Wii balance board had been packed away... So I thought; I will hook it up and do some cardio excercises on the Wii.... But to my disappointment the balance board would not work. I had my husband look at when he got home and he could not get it to work either. He said it looked like one of the girls (my daughters) had spilled something on it. POOPY! So there goes that! Maybe I can ask for a new balance board for christmas! LOL. Anyways... for those of you out there that are contiplating getting this surgery done or not... I say go for it!!! It does not work all on its own, you have to listen to your body and stay committed to the new lifestyle, but if you are up for that then GO FOR IT! I am only 5 weeks out and it has already changed my life for the better. My marriage has always been good... Will be married to my husband for 10 years this coming June... and with the weight gain over the years, my sex drive had deplenished! That was tough on my marraige! My husband has no problem in that area and just could not understand why I had NO DRIVE! He took it personally that I had no interest in him... That was not the case, I just never felt good enough for him! I did not want to take my clothes off the way I was! I felt, FAT, UGLY & DEPRESSED! None of that says SEX APPEAL to me! But since the surgery and since the pounds have been coming off the desire has become much more apparent on my part and you can tell that my husband really likes what he sees! I think sex is a very important factor in a good marriage and I think that was just a little something that we were missing before and have regainned it from after the surgery. Some of you may think this is TMI (to much info) but I want to be as truthful and helpful as I can for those of you out there that are contiplating this surgery. I will be posting as much as I can! I lead a pretty busy life, but will try and post often. Please ask any questions that you like and will answer you with the utmost honesty! Good luck to you all!

Ok Leona, ((NUDGE)) Im giving you a push lol. Get back to the gym, I don't know if this is true but, I think when you are falling in love or just in lust with a new beau.. those brain chemicals help to make working out more productive lol. And this I know for sure.. the better shape your in.. the better orgasms are lol. Sorry if thats tmi lol but its just truth. lol Good luck!! Ill be watching to see if you post that you are back on track!!!

Aww sorry some of you are feeling bad.. I am 11 days Post op and feeling wonderful! no pain! no gas!.. Hang in there ladies.. As far as the nauseousness, I stopped the narcotic pain meds completely when I was still in the hospital. I started taking liquid tylenol (extra strength) and it took the edge off nicely.. Best thing to do for gas, WALK.. it loosens it up and you will be lettin it fly in no time! lol sorry if TMI.. *grin* Hang in there! I am happy to be finally in mushies!! Better than liquids! Hugz, Donna Marie

Hi Lucky Losers! Welcome to some of the newbies... hugs to those of us who are frustrated... and high fives to the ones who feel great, feel better, or are losing! I've had a very frustrating last 3 days. I hopped on the scale 3 days ago before heading to the gym. I had gained 5 lbs! I had not eaten or drank a drop. I had not pooped either. I am NOT PMSing, I had my period a week ago. (sorry men for TMI), I did not have an unusual increase in sodium, and I had not eaten off my allowed amounts/calories. Sun/739 cal./63 g Protein, Mon/776/83, Tues/911/76, Wed/704/70, Thur/933/76g, Fri 830/61g I have the realize band and it has the online program that has a food and exercise diary (which are very user friendly) and recipes and hints, etc. But there are a bunch of online food diaries. My dietitian and surgeon's nurse BOTH recommended keeping a very accurate food diary. ESPECIALLY in the beginning. We didn't get morbidly obese by eating a couple extra yogurts. (I didn't at least). That being said, it is very easy to eat more than you think you are. I am measuring EVERYTHING I eat & drink (when I am home.) I bought the Biggest Loser scale at Bed bath and beyond. I think it was $15 or so. It's very easy to zero- you put a plate on it and then turn it on and then just put your food on. After you add your first item- you just shut it off and on and then it zeros again for the next item. You stick to 2 oz. of a protein item and then 2 oz. of other. I found it difficult to measure stuff in measuring cups.. as I only have one 1/4 cup and am not going to wash it 10 times a day. My nurse told me to aim for 800 calories a day. 600 being the absolute lowest and 1000 being the highest. 3 meals a day (4 oz. total) and no snacking in between. The only "snacking" is liquids or protein supplements in liquid form. If I get hungry, I first try a sugar free Jello or Popsicle. If after 20 min I am still REALLY hungry, I brush my teeth. (then food doesn't taste as good)... after that if I am still really hungry I have one of the weight watchers 60 cal. yogurts. I do have soy milk (I like the light vanilla versions) 8th Continent Light is only 60 cal. a cup. I add a scoop of Protein powder like unjury (that has 20g of protein) and then 1/2 cup of a low cal fruit. (like no added sugar frozen blueberries or peaches). This usually helps zap my hunger. If I am not near my magic bullet/blender then I drink a Muscle Milk Light. (160 cal and 20g of protein). If I am still hungry I leave my house... go for a walk or bike ride. So, all that being said. If I am sticking to low fat, sugar free items and staying under 1000 calories... how the HE!! do you gain 5 lbs?! Well, the only explanation is Fluid. I did forget to take my BP pill for two days. Maybe that had something to do with it. I didn't drink as much Water the day before the gain... that has a lot to do with H20 retention and the #2 issue. I took a good healthy dose of metamucil... and (I know TMI) but lost 2 lbs. the next day. I am still 3 lbs up. I also started working out with a trainer this week. (sudden starting of exercise can lower your metabolic rate... but only temporarily) I did all sorts of things my body hasn't done in a LONG time. (lunges, elliptical, weights, etc..) Perhaps a combo of all of these are factors for the gain. I'm one of those obese people in the health care field. I know way too much about all this stuff and am proof that knowledge regarding health does not mean power. But I will tell you a few things that may or may not help explain this. The first week after surgery, when we are on a clear liquid diet with only protein powder... our bodies are FREAKING out! They think we are on Survivor on a deserted island. We go into a sort of semi-starvation mode. Our metabolic rate does slow down but it doesn't stop. A sudden decrease in calories causes our bodies to catabilize (devour our muscles and other lean mass). That's why it is so important as soon as you can, to exercise. The body will use energy from your liver and other organs first... then lean muscle.. and then fat. So you have to keep building up your muscle. Now, we are losing some fat too, just more muscle than fat. That's also why it is so important to get adequate protein. Now, your protein source is important. When choosing a protein supplement.... look at the ingredients. The preferred kind of protein is ISOLATE... not CONCENTRATE. Isolate Proteins are more easily absorbed by the body. They are pre-digested so that 90% or so can be absorbed as opposed to concentrate where only 20-30% might be absorbed. That's why when you drink some of the cheaper prepared Protein drinks (like slimfast or EAS or Atkins advantage) you can get bloated and sometimes get diarrhea or have to go to the bathroom really fast. They are simply a lower quality protein and aren't absorbed as easily. So when choosing your protein supplements... if your Dr sells products in his office- they usually are some of the best choices. Most of the products designed for the bariatric patient have isolate protein whey. Sometimes it may have both.. just try to pick stuff that has isolate first then concentrate 2nd on the ingredient list. A friend of mine who had the band back in November told me that whenever she hit a plateau or worse, when she was gaining, that she would stop eating regular food and switch to bariatric stuff. She said it always kicked her weight loss back into gear. www.bariatricchoice.com or www.wlsvitamins.com I don't work for any of these companies and am not selling their stuff. It's just where I got some of my stuff. I also recommend the obestityhelp.com and their magazine. One lady at my surgeon's support group ate ONLY bariatric stuff for the first 3 months and lost 60lbs. Also keep in mind you guys, just like on Biggest Loser, it's not HOW MUCH you lose.. but percentage. Those of us who are bigger are going to fall faster... than someone who is 100 pounds lighter. Also someone who has been dieting before surgery is going to lose weight slower than someone who has not been. My Dr. didn't require a pre-surgery weight loss diet. I think that is one of the reasons the first 30 days the weight came off so easy for me. Getting back to fluids. It is soooooooooo important not to drink anything 15-30 min before you eat. And the most important thing is to wait 30-60 min after you eat before drinking anything. Otherwise you wash the food right through the first stomach... and then you are hungry again. I will hop off my soap box now. I hope this info helps a little. If anyone has a specific question... or wants to send it privately in a message, I would be more than happy to try and answer it. One thing I know for sure... your dr's office works for YOU. If you did not get answers to your questions, call them and ask to speak to the nurse or nutritionist. IF you didn't have a pre-op appointment with a nutritionist/RD then make an appt. They will really help look over what you are eating and help you get more bang for your buck (calories). Also, if your dr gave you different advice than what I am saying... then PLEASE do what your dr told you to do. I am ONLY telling you guys about my experience and what my dr advised. I wish someone would put me in a drug induced coma until my fill. SIGH. And I hope my fill on Tuesday helps this hunger. This Suc&s! Peace my fellow lucky losers, Laura P.S. I was in Peace Corps about 15 years ago. I lived out in the middle of bumfudge in South America. I went from 230 to 160 lbs during those 2 years. I had no electricity and no running water. If I wanted veggies I had to buy them in the nearest city an hour away or grow them in my garden. I only ate tuna or Beans because the meat they sold in my village was not refrigerated. There were no restaurants where I lived. Everything I ate had to be cooked. I had to walk or ride my bike to get any where. I thought I had this obesity thing conquered. It was the best weight loss program EVER. I returned to the U.S., started grad school, started my old bad eating habits... and shot up to 250 lbs in a blink. Anyway, that's where the peascorps name comes from.

I haven't gone # 2 since my surgery on the 29th is that normal? Sorry for TMI!

Morning All, Ok yesterday was a write off. I didn't even attempt the 20 min run. Sorry... TMI coming... My TOM kicked into high gear and there was no way I was going to run. Now that the kids and DH are gone for the day, I'm going to give it a try this morning. At least I'll have some privacy! Lyn... there is no way in the world I would have given up the scales just a few weeks post-op! So don't be confessing yet! Go ahead... weigh away! But when you're a year in like I am, then we can talk. lol

You're so right I'm down 3 pounds since yesterday just by going to the bathroom with significant success ( sorry I know it's TMI). It had been 6 days which is way too long. Seems like I tell yall more about what's going on with me than my own family but I also know that yall can relate. Yes I am from Georgia, howdy y'all:)

[quote name=Speaking of poop (nice segue, huh?), has anyone else had a problem with constipation? At the risk of sharing TMI, I'll just say that I had a very difficult time going to the bathroom on Saturday. That's extremely unusual for me. The only thing I can think of is that I had been eating a lot of cheese (well, a lot proportionate to everything else I was eating) and not drinking enough water. quote] Once a day I eat the Gerbery baby food prunes in the resealable plactic container and I haven't had the issue in the almost 4 months that I've been banded. Give it try! T

I MUCH happier this week. Combation of things happened this week. TMI: My period-Aunt Flow really bloats me. and ummm I had been having some bathroom issues. That got resolved. The WL will be way less next week. HW: 300 SW: 281 CW: 180.8 TPL: 119.2 TPG: 150 WL this week: 6.8lbs 30.8lbs till I reach my goal!

Oh yeah, I had some um... TMI ALERT almost surprise diarrhea from the swallow test barium. Since then I've been having some bunny rabbit sized ones. LOL (((Like was mentioned before, only here on LapBandTalk can we be so open, huh?)))

Shirley, TMI babe. Thank you for responding.

This morning I did my norm morning routine. Got up pottied and got on the scale before dressing (TMI I know, but it is always best to weigh in you birthday suit). The hubs walks in and hugs me and says "geez I can reach my elbows when I wrap my arms around you". Then he said "I'm proud of you babe, but don't get so skinny I have to shake the sheets to find ya". For those who don't know my husband is visually impaired. His vision is 20/800 - legally blind since birth. Granted he is well educated graduated with honors with a degree in computer science and is a well respected software engineer. He just can't see very well. So it's always been the running joke that he feel for me because I was large print (he always replied to that with you said that not me). Now he is joking saying I am getting so small he won't be able to see me anymore. The joking is all in fun- he is very supportive of my weight loss journey and is helping me leaps and bounds. But I must say it would be nice for him to have to shake the sheets to find me

This may be TMI but anyone still having problems with diarrhea? No matter what I eat or drink I'm going a few times a day. And by going I mean GOING. Ugh.

I am 4 days post op (sleeve) and had a tiny poop today. We're talking between the size of a regular M&M and a peanut M&M. Still a victory and not surprising, considering all I have had is liquid for 2 days pre-op and 3 days post. By the way, I've always been a regular pooper...hope that's not TMI!!

I'm here!.....in fact, I'm in the hospital with a g-damn bleeding ulcer....passed out last night pooping blood ( sorry ,tmi), then throwing up blood....serious ulcer....not good. Giving me carafate to heal the ulcer...yuk. Hopefully, I can get out if here to get to my neurologist appointment I've been waiting for tomorrow for two months....aaarrrgghh!!! Whhaaattt next??!

I am scheduled for june 8th- nyp. I just pray all goes well with my insurance and I can kick this infection under my arm. I know TMI but hey, im excited.

Haha! Everytime I hear 'magic bullet' I think of sex toys... thats just where my celebate mind lives. :confused: Amazingly enough - I don't own ANY sex toys... why?! (Is all of that TMI? Blame BG. She started it.) I don't have the magic Bullet, but I did buy an el Cheapo mini food processor today. We'll see how it works.

HI! May I join this group??? Some of you know me by now. I was banded in 2003, lost 80 lbs in 7-8 months, had a major upheaval in my life for 2.5 years and I turned to food for comfort, regained 55 lbs, then got my head on straight and lost about 60 pounds since March. So, I am down a total of 84 pounds as of today. I want to lose about 78 more, though I will probably go about 65 pounds more, then see a plastic surgeon for a body lift and boob reduction. That should take care of a few more pounds, at least! TMI?? My next mini-goal is to lose 16 pounds so I can say that I have lost 100 pounds! Hopefully, I can do that in the next 4-6 weeks!

Glad to hear everyone is doing great! I can't believe some of you all have been banded for a month now. WOW! The other day they had a marathon of Big Medicine on TV. I watched them all again. Love that show and always learn something during that hour. That other show about Brookhaven Obesity Clinic is just too sad. Plus I don't understand it: the staff knows these people are calling out for food, so put a stop to it already! I have a ways to go for my first fill but I'm reading what you all are going through with some trepidation. I think I'm going to be scared to finally start eating and chewing again. TMI alert - Right now I think I'm having a hard time telling the difference between hunger and gas pains. Last night was really rough and I ended up doing that slime thing. (First time and hoping my last.) I'm not sure what happened either. The only thing I can think of is my chewable calcium pill. That sucker is huge. Without thinking I popped the whole thing in my mouth and chewed and swallowed. I don't think I chewed it enough and took too big a swallow. My sides hurt and my breast bone hurt. It wasn't good. Then I was up almost all night with diarrhea. On the protein drinks - I found High Protein Boost is really good at 8oz for 15 gm of protein. I got some powder protein from The Vitamin Shoppe. I use 1/2 scoop of the banana flavor in my cream of wheat with LF vanilla flavor organic milk. Oh so good and high in protein. I did order some samples from Bariatriceating.com. I want to have a good selection so I won't get too bored with the same flavors. Missy, WTG getting into twoerville. That is awesome. :clap2: Angel, you were banded 2 days after me and the bloat and gas pains got me within the same time frame. Have on hand plenty of Gas-x, either the strips or the chewables. Drink slowly and try to belch often. Another thing is to recognize when you are full. (I'm still learning this.) Oh and not to sound like your Mother, but sit up straight while you eat and even afterwards! I'm a big sloucher but found that sitting up straight helps with the digestion. Boy I wish I could address everyone but my old brain goes on overload after reading. :faint: Take care everyone, and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Seeing my collarbones for the first time in decades Fitting into a seater vest my mom bought me the very first week of high school. We went to pick up my grandma right after buying it and took her to dinner; this was a few months after my grandpa passed. I was so proud in my new togs. Wearing a suit and FINALLY understanding not everyone is uncomfortable wearing one And this is a guy thing and TMI, but … it got bigger. Not actually, but having less fat in the pubic mound made it look bigger 😅😅😅

B, You dirty ol' coot. And that's right on the lack of history, but it's completely wrong on the willingness to give it a shot. There, TMI from me too. BG has corrupted me.

Is it TMI that I have a whole drawer dedicated to sex toys and stuff? And yes a bullet is in there too.

JC - Glad to see you back amongst us again... I definitely heart my heart rate monitor. I can cook up a workout that is the exact intensity that best meets my needs. Tonight, I did an hour of riding on the trainer between in the 70%-80% HRMax range with a couple of intervals to the mid-80s... After my adventure beyond HRMax on Monday, I was able to ensure a ride in the 65% range for recovery the next day. Ugh - speaking of IVRs brings back bad memories of an IBM DirectTalk system I set up and managed in the mid-90s. Nasty, nasty stuff. BG - maybe TMI, but fun none-the-less :confused: TX - Let me know how you like the casein that you ordered. I bought some at the Vitamin Shoppe last week to help me sleep better, but I couldn't tolerate the taste of it - not sure what brand it was, but not so tasty... I turned in the most craptastic paper I have ever written for school last night. Just couldn't get into the psychological issues associated with budgeting... It is, however, done. And a C on the paper is good enough for an A in the class. Fuck it... I have one test next week and this semester is done... Took the dog to the surgeon today - not sure if we're gonna have to get her some new knees or not. Under general, the surgeon manipulated her leg, and it didn't move the way that would be expected if she needed new knees - on the other hand, most of the symptoms are consistent with a torn ACL. Food has been crappy due to stress & worry. I did get an hour+ ride on the trainer tonight & will get some roadwork in tomorrow. G'night all! B

Yay for new babies Janine!!! Lol. My mom because a Grandma when she was 38. Maybe she was 39. I don't remember... Lol. Went out to eat at Sweet Tomatoes with a friend tonight. I love going to eat with her. She is my super thin friend and she has been nothing but supportive of me from the begining. She is the only friend that I have who knows about my band, and will still go out and eat with me. Seriously. Maybe a few others will go out with me, but they hate watching me eat tiny portions, and tiny bites and chewing. Honestly, I hate watching them scarf down huge bites of things I could never dare to eat. Lol. Oh well. ANYWAY... so we went out and I seriously paid $10 to eat like 6 peas, a few peices of shredded cheese, 1 crouton, 1 small broccoli head, 2 sips of broccoli and cheese soup, and a few sunflower seeds!!! Thats insanity. We laughed really hard about it and she said that she was going back for 'thirds' to finish eating our moneys worth. Haha. We had a good time. Missy - I know what you mean about the scale... this morning I was back at 280.1. yesterday morning I was at 279.1. But (here's nasty TMI talk) I realized I hadn't had a bowel movement in like 3 days. So I doubled up on the fiber today, which just made me gassy. I really felt like I SHOULD go tonight, so I did a suppository! Haha. I was desperate! I feel about 5 pounds lighter now. :redface: Yay me!

Ya'll been busy - beer, ball, and bald heads. Baldies are hot, btw. Exercise... I've been a sloth this week. I walked Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday... but have totally flaked out otherwise. Last night I went to see the movie American Gangster (Denzel Washington is effing hot!) and ate an entire bag of $4 reeses peices... 200 calories per 'servivng' ...6 'servings' per bag. YIKES!!!!!!! That is 1200 cals! Thats more than I've been eating in an entire day!!!!!!!!!! So there went my dinner... Ugh. TMI - anyone else have issues with not being 'regular'? Seriously annoying... I miss my bathroom time. Maybe I need more Fiber... Maybe I should add some Benefiber into my morning Protein shakes? Lol. Oh my... work work work. I'm at work now and will probably get banned from internet access if I spend much more time on this website. Darn patients!!