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I have only lost 22 lbs, since surgery on 4/13/21 the past 10 days have been no weight loss. Can eat more things now, but wondering if I need to go back to 90 grams of protein per day- right now I’m at 30-60 and eat a small meal at night. Haven’t had sugar in a long time. Haven’t been drinking much water either. Any thoughts out there?

Like I said I am 10 days out and have developed the most awful gas pains up under my ribs on the left side. I can't take a deep breath it hurts so bad. Gas-x isn't helping because I think it is operative gas, hot pads aren't working. I'm hoping lying down will be okay because I just want to go to bed and wake up feeling better. I feel fine otherwise, have been walking the last 3 days so maybe it all moved around to one place. Gosh, I can't wait for it to stop! Sorry to be a downer, but moaning to someone helps, in my head at least.

Aww that's no fun. Sorry to hear you're still having gas pain. I'm day 10 post op as well and don't have any gas pain...hope you feel better ASAP

hi gals I'm waiting to have my band on 4/10. Really anxious. I look so awful now I can't imagine what it will be like after the weight comes off. It took a while but I got the insurance to pay for mine. I have had multiple(like 9) abdominal surgeries in the last five years. the surgery doesn't scare me but I worry about complications from the other surgeries and believe me a couple took a year each to heal up from. I know I am ready to do this and can use the tool successfully just going to need a little help along the way. Since I live in a rural area finding a local support will be tough, so here I am. :thumbup:

I was 'liquids' for two weeks but that included protein shakes and creamed, strained soups. Then I went to softs (puddings, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs etc.) for 7-10 days and if I was tolerating that I could move onto solids.

Well here I go on the eve of the start of the rest of my life. I start my liquid protein diet tomorrow before my Banding on Thursday 02/05/2009. Well I had my "last supper", which consisted of an appetizer of Irish egg rolls, a 10 oz sirloin steak, Tully's chicken tenders, vodka lemonade, beer, potatoes, and peanut butter pie for dessert. Wow, I am short of breath just typing it. Now it is time to get down to the dirty business of changing my life and breaking all of my very bad habits. I am still very nervous about the surgery, and keep asking myself what the hell are you doing? Down deep inside myself I know I need to do this, my health has been in a downward spiral for the last couple of years. I have read countless blogs and they more than anything have convinced me that I can do this, and that it is the right decision. So I made a promise to myself that I would blog about my journey to help others. I am a 6 foot tall man who started at 345 pounds 8 months ago. Now I am down to 300 pounds and ready to go. So sit back and hold on, because HERE I GO!

Hello Band Buddies At a recent coffee group we were talking about walking. "They" recommend you walk 10,000 steps a day. Now I'm not sure who "They" are but there are many doctors that recommend that 10,000 steps per day is the target number of steps. I came across this GREAT website that has information for beginners that are interested in increasing their daily steps. Now I'm not saying everyone get out and walk 10,000 steps everyday but if you have a "Smartphone" with an App on it that can track your steps get it and try... or if you have an iPod did you know that there is a Pedometer on the iPod... I didn't?!?! You can also buy inexpensive Pedometers from some dollar stores or drug stores or Walmart. If you don't a Smartphone or Pedometer then start by walking for 10 minutes each day... then 15 minutes the next day then try to increase it when your ready. Now that the warmer weather is here I've started walking to Timmy's twice a day. I set my Pedometer and off I go. Now I don't get to 10,000 steps in each day but I do get close to 6,800... depending on the day. I found the Pedometer motivates me. (I walk with a cane most days... I have aches and pains on many days... but when I have a "good" day and don't make excuses for not going for a walk I really enjoy it.) I'm issuing a challenge band buddies... for the Summer... "Step out on the town!" If you keep a food journal or use a food App... keep a daily log of how many steps you take. Try to increase your daily steps by 20... I think you'll be surprised how many steps you take... even if it's just around the house... down the end of the driveway or taking Lassie for a walk. What I did as a bonus to help me tone on my walks (because I'm so muscular LOL)... I bought these great weights from Canadian Tire that are only 1 lbs each and they fasten with velcro. I put one on each wrist and ankle before I head out to Timmy's. This gives me a little bit of resistance but are not too heavy. I also uses the weighs to do leg and arms lifts when I sit in a chair. Check out the website and remember EVERYTHING IN MODERATION and if you have any doubts about starting a walking program check with your family doctor or healthcare provider if your feeling walking may be too much for you. And... if anyone is interested here's the weights I use... this store is located in Canada but I'm sure you can find them in the US. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/SportsRec/4/FitnessWellness/WeightsAccessories/PRD~0840848P/Tempo+Neoprene+Weights%2C+2x1-lbs.jsp?locale=en Step... 1, 2, 3.... Tom, Toronto Banded July 6 06 Wt. Loss: 156 lbs Website: http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html 10,000 STEPS A DAY "10,000 steps a day - pedometer walking program, walking routine, beginning walking, beginner walker" How many steps do you walk each day? Maybe you have heard the recent guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles. A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. For these people adding steps has many health benefits. I have outlined the basic 10,000 steps program, but also added a commentary below. A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day.Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks. Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your steps each day. Start by wearing the pedometer every day for one week. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed time. Record your daily steps in a log or notebook. By the end of the week you will know your average daily steps. You might be surprised how many (or how few) steps you get in each day. There are many ways to increase your daily steps. Use your imagination and come up with your own list: Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend Walk the dog Use the stairs instead of the elevator Park farther from the store Better yet, walk to the store Get up to change the channel Window shop Plan a walking meeting Walk over to visit a neighbor Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding Continue to track your daily steps and/or mileage; and keep notes on how you feel, how your body is improving, or other changes you are making to improve your health. If you are in very poor physical condition or at any point you feel that you are progressing too rapidly slow down a bit and try smaller increases. If you have any health concerns seek your physician's advice prior to starting or changing your exercise routine. Notice: We have outlined the standard 10,000 step program because so many people ask about it. This is a good program to help get people motivated, or to get sedentary people moving. It is however our recommendation that most individuals fit 30 to 60 minutes of dedicated walking (or other exercise) into their routine at least 3 to 4 days a week. You can start with as little as ten minutes per day and gradually increase your walking routine.

For no reason whatsoever? Really? I think losing over 200 lbs is a heck of a good reason for the surgery. Perhaps I didn't phrase it correctly. I only need to lose 10 more lbs. So should I go back to low-carb or should I continue doing what I'm doing now as I'm still losing weight and even though I do eat junk, not junk all the time, but definitely not low carb anymore.

Well, I decided to start this journal to try and keep track of how often my head demons seem to overcome me. Maybe, I can figure out how to ward them off better. It all started this week, after Valentine's day. My husband bought me a bag of chocolates (which is something I asked for for Valentine's day:confused: ). Since then, I have had no self control. I decided that I needed to go through withdrawal, and then my control would come back. I was doing very well, until last night. Yesterday, I went to my nephew's b-day party and managed to do quite well resisting everything there, such as pizza, nachos, and cake. Then they sent us home with a party favor bag for my son. In it, it had a couple of debbie's brownies (my absolute favorite). I ate half of one and tried to pig out. The problem is, that once I decide to pig out, it becomes a very hard task. It's like, I then decide to plan my pig out, but can't seem to get in everything I want. So I go crazy. This is what I ate last night: gold fish (100) bbq chips (15) cracker-1 cottage cheese-2tbs meatloaf veggies-2tbs chocolate chip cookies-6minibites brownie-1/2 I know, that after reviewing all of this, it doesn't look like a lot. I keep reviewing it to see if there is anything I missed because I felt stuffed last night. This morning, I feel terrible. The problem is that I am an "all or nothing" type of person. Either I have full control, or I have none. I feel so gross and bloated. I also worry about my band and the damage I do to it by not following the rules. O.K. I think I know what the problem is. The problem is, that I drink too much. I have 2 mixed drinks every night. This takes away all of my self control. I know I have a problem, because I can't go a whole night without drinking. I know I need to stop, or at least decrease, my drinking. I just think I am too analytical, and when I am sober, I tend to think about things too much. I used to be a pothead, and think that this is why. Since being banded, I realized that I had to choose: the band or weed. And I chose the band. I haven't smoked weed in over 3 months. O.K. I was a functional pothead and am a functional alcoholic. I still go to work and do really well all day long, until about 7pm, when it is time to relax. I do use alcohol to relax. I admit it. Weight-loss wise, I have done really well. I have lost 63 pounds in less than a year. I know that if I didn't have weed or alcohol in my life, I could have lost more. My goal is to be down to 145, or 135, by my one year anniversary. So once I gave up weed, I knew that sooner or later, I would have to give up alcohol, as well. I think, no I KNOW, that it's time. I just don't know. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to try. I hope I have the strength...

Carrot Cake Protein Bars Calories: 94
 Fats: 1.25 grams
 Carbs: 10 grams 
Protein: 10 grams Ingredients: 1 cup oat flour (I puree old fashion oats in the processor, it's cheaper and more easily available) 2 scoops vanilla whey protein 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp nutmeg 4 egg whites 3/4 cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal 8 oz baby food carrots (or if you're feeling ambitious, steam baby carrots till soft and puree with a little water) 4 oz Water Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, whey protein, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Mix egg whites, Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal, baby food carrots and water (optional) in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together. Spray glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray. Pour ingredients into dish. Bake 20-30 minutes. Makes 16 squares, 2 squares per serving. You can sub canned pumpkin for the carrots and use 3 tsp of pumpkin spice.

My flight was from San Diego to LA, LA to Tokyo... doubt your flight time is longer than that. It's normal to worry, but I spoke to my surgeon about this concern and he told me to make sure I get up once/hr and spend 10 mins flexing/stretching while in my seat. Definitely get your doctor's opinion - this is major surgery afterall.

Cathy, Did you have resolution of your Diabetes? I, too am a Type II Diabetic. My sugars are very controlled since surgery 10 days ago without medicine but I know once I'm on solids they'll hike back up. I'm hoping with significant weight loss they'll go back down. Did they with you?

Actually I am a believer in the mainly vegetarian lifestyle. There is a book (The China Study)- and an ongoing study- that is a result of 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. They have 20 years of empirical data showing a huge cross-section of lifestyles in Taiwan and many rural areas. Dr. Colin Campbell headed it up from the Cornell side. They have documented clinical data that shows that a diet consisting of less than 10% of Protein coming from animal sources (most notably casein) can actually arrest development in cancer in lab rats. The people with the lowest incidences of cancer are the rural farmers who A) cannot afford huge amounts of animal protein and B ) move their bodies rather than drive their cars everyday. Even rural places impacted by China's terrible pollution problem have shown a notable avoidance from cancer. Joel Fuhrman is another guy crusading for a more 'nutrative' vegetarian lifestyle. He is more toward the vegan side and is definitely worth checking out, but his program is very strict. His eating method has allowed diabetics to come off of insulin within the first three weeks. IMHO I believe that the days of eating rich foods all of the time is over for me. I am OK with that, I had a good run . I think it's OK to have meat and cheese, as long as it is on a weekly or biweekly basis rather than a daily basis. I am post-op now, and still relying daily upon yogurt and cheese and eggs and whey powders, and I suspect I will continue to be as I lose over the next 18 months, but the long term plan is to steer towards plant-based protein sources and integrate them to get myself to that <=10% protein animal intake level.

Nope no fills yet and I was banded 5/14/10. I'm scheduled for the first one on 6/29 and I think that's 6weeks postop which seems to be standard. My doctor was going to push for 5 weeks but I will be out of town the following weekend and I didn't want to risk complications when I'm in a different state. I've been losing weight post op but that comes with some effort. I don't think I need a lot at my first fill for it to help me along.

I was banded 3/2/10 and have lost about 50 lbs. I have had no fills and was told my band was not filled at the time of surgery. So you are not alone, and as long as you are losing I would say you are doing fine

What happens to food after you eat it is extremely complicated (taking up most or all of a semester in a university biochemistry course). I'll try not to get too scientific here. I CAN tell you that the main way your body is powered is via aerobic respiration which, through a complicated process, takes glucose (sugar) and oxygen and turns them into energy (ATP), Water, and carbon dioxide (this is why we need to breathe in oxygen and breathe out CO2). Your body can take building blocks from any type of food and use it to make glucose (this happens in the liver), so in a way, the answer to your question is yes. However, unless you are on the Atkins diet or have not had a meal in a day or so, probably most of the glucose in your body comes from carbohydrates in your diet. Your body can take any carbohydrate and break it down more or less directly to glucose. Proteins and fats, on the other hand, must be broken down and then rebuilt into glucose (it is "easier" for your body to use carbs for energy). Plus, your body's cells are constantly growing and dividing and producing hormones, etc., and they need amino acids and fatty acids to do so. Thus the proteins and fats you eat are more likely to be broken down and used for these purposes. These are more or less the theories behind high-Protein, low-carb diets. When your body is carb-depleted, it is forced to use fat and protein for energy. This may cause you to lose weight, but is not the way your body is meant to work and thus can be dangerous. It can lead to a condition called ketosis (which can cause nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath, and kidney problems), and also causes loss of muscle mass. Plus, the high fat and cholesterol content and low-Fiber content of these diets can lead to heart and digestive problems. I know that is probably more than you wanted to know but it seems like most people, when asking questions such as this, would be wondering about the implications of different diets. so everything we eat eventually turns into sugar to fuel the body in one way or another....Look at what a potato can give you as far as nutrients and Vitamins...... My advice is to try everything and eat what suits your makeup and limit the carbs...as they are the ones that your body does not have to work hard at turning into glucose... I eat a little of everything I want....10 months out and 160 lbs. down I think it is working!!

Oh, I am still here I've been hitting the gym everyday religiously, and doing two miles on the treadmill. That burns a bit of calories and I feel a lot more energized after a session. I'm seeing some slow movement in the weight... but we were on a 10 day vacation during which I enjoyed a few liquid refreshments. The good news is that I probably still lost a very modest amount of weight despite a bit of indulgence. I'll know better in another few weeks of tracking stats, since my weight can move up and down I have to use a longer term average to really be sure the pounds are really gone. My doctor has excellent support groups and staff, and they will keep after patients who haven't been into the office for followup visits. They definitely don't forget a patient after surgery, as all too many surgeons seem to do.

Here's my list for choosing VSG over RNY for my revision: I could have had RNY very easily, but I fought for VSG. 1) Malabsorption of fat/calories only last 18-24 months (after that the villi in the intestine regrow), but the malabsorption of nutrients/vitamins are for the rest of your life. Not a fair trade off if you ask me. 2) Blind stomach left behind that is difficult to scope, but can still get ulcers and cancer. 3) The whole pouch/stoma thing is not natural. I had a pouch/stoma thing with the band, and it sucked. I loved the fact that I would have a normal stomach with my pyloric valve intact. 4) Regain stats with RNY are downright scary 5) Long term complications related to pouch dilation, vitamin/nutrient deficiencies and the number of patients seeking RNY revision to either DS or ERNY were just too high for me 6) Dumping syndrome only happens to about 30% of RNY patients. For me, if I can't keep my hand out of the cookie jar without some form of sick self-punishment of puking, nausea, and fatigue then do I really need to have WLS? I knew I had to change my relationship with food regardless of which WLS I chose. 7) I like my NSAIDS. With RNY, they are a complete NO NO. Also, in the future, if I were to need to take steroids, I didn't want to worry about them eating my pouch. 8) I have a lot (like 10) friends in real life that all struggle tremendously with RNY especially those that are 5-8 years out. I have one that just had her 4th surgery related to her 7yr old RNY. My other dear friend is now on Iron infusions every 4 weeks because she can't eat iron rich foods, and iron pills irritate her pouch so badly. 7 out of 10 have regained at least 40 pounds, and only 4 of them experience dumping, but it's not as severe as it was for them when early out. 9) That no hunger thing is awesome with the sleeve. The fundus being cut away and removed from the body, removes the main source of Ghrelin production in our bodies. At 15 months out, I'm still never physically hungry. I love food, I eat, but I'm not hungry. I was always hungry with my band. I would eat, be satisfied with the small portion in my pouch. Then food would pass through, and I'd be starving again. It was a miserable cycle. The stats with VSG and RNY on weight loss are neck and neck. The studies out there for gastrectomies (partial or full removal of the stomach) for cancer and ulcer patients gave me peace of mind that for my long term health, VSG was the answer to my weight loss surgery needs. Best wishes on your research. I have tons of links and information in my blog on here if you'd like to read some of the stats. I'll add you to my contact list so you can access my blog if you'd like. Look for the blog post called "Just to bookmark this" it's lapband information, but at the bottom of that post, there are lots of links for VSG.

I saw this on another monthly board and thought it was pretty funny. A lot of us October bandsters are getting discouraged. Seeing the below list kindod puts things in a different light and makes us realize that even small amounts really amount to a lot of weight. I have lost and average human leg! What about you all? 1 pound = a Guinea Pig 1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs 3 pounds = an average human brain 4 pounds = an ostrich egg 5 pounds = a Chihuahua 6 pounds = a human skin 7.5 pounds = an average newborn 8 pounds = a human head 10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year 11 pounds = an average housecat 12 pounds = a Bald Eagle 15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs 16 pounds = a sperm whale�s brain 20 pounds = an automobile tire 23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream 25 pounds = an average 2 year old 30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 33 pounds = a cinder block 36 pounds = a mid-size microwave 40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of Water or an average human leg 44 pounds = an elephant�s heart 50 pounds = a small bale of hay 55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 60 pounds = an elephant�s penis 66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 pounds = an Irish Setter 77 pounds = a gold brick 80 pounds = the World�s Largest Ball of Tape 90 pounds = a newborn calf 100 pounds = a 2 month old horse 111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year 117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she�s 5�11�!) 118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month 130 pounds = a newborn giraffe 138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year 140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she�s 5�4�) 150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary 187 pounds = an average adult man 200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds 235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger 300 pounds = an average football lineman 400 pounds = a Welsh pony __________________

Hi, you asked some good questions and your concerns are all things we all think about and need to be addressed. You are right to consider all these things. I have only been banded since October 26,2007 and am not really all the way to total restriction so I am not an expert. But I will tell you that the 'food yearning' issues I was so concerned about have not been nearly as bad as I feared. I can eat pretty much everything - including bread. You do have to eat slowly, take small bites and chew stuff until it is mushy, but really that is how we all should be eating anyway. Watch a skinny person sometime and I guarantee you they will be eating more that way than a fat person! Another thing I want to point out to you is that there seem to be a lot of people on this sight who I think (this is just my opinion) are too tight and too restricted and overfilled. The purpose of the band is to lose approximately 5-10 pounds per month. You can easily do that by keeping your caloric intake around 1000 calories. I see people on this sight all the time who are eating 500 or 600 calories. There is a thread on here for posting your daily food journal and if you read some of them they look like a food journal for a hamster. In my pre-op education I was told that I should be able to eat approximately 1/2 of what I used to eat. That really isn't that little. That is what most of my skinny friends eat when we go out. The reason I decided to have LB instead of GB surgery was because I do love food so much. With the lap band you can enjoy food still. Please don't let that be the reason you decide not to have the surgery. As you read posts on this board, remember that there are a lot of different people on here and we are all different and go to different doctors. I plan on only getting as much restriction as I absolutely need to continue to lose a safe amount of weight and still enjoy food. I agree with you that food is one of life's great joys and it is not wrong to enjoy it. If I wanted to lose 20 pounds a month I would have had gastric bypass. The other real factor that led me to the surgery was thinking about life AFTER I reach my goal (and now I really believe for the first time I will reach it!!!) The band will allow me to stay at my goal weight and not be constantly worrying about regaining all my weight. The band will always be there and will always be my special tool to help me stay on track. How loose or tight it stays will be up to me and me alone!

I am five days post op. Banded 12/10. I still have terrible gass pains= at least that is what I have decided this increadible tightness under my left breast area is. As soon as i take a sip of anything I am double over in pain. I have been out on errands and taken gas - x like there is no tomorrow and it still miserable. I really was under the assumption this surgery would be a walk in the park and I should be back to normal by now, but man do I still fell like crap and have to be at work tomorrow.

So.... my surgery date is Friday 10/5. I am nervous! First time getting any kind of surgery or anesthesia. Lost about 15 so far from the pre-op. Sitting at 272 right now. :-( I just want to get it over with so I can stop being anxious!