For new bandsters!!!

[JoJo1 0]

It is necessary to post a thread like this at least once a week or so.... Those of you who are newly banded need to read this and take note.

1. You are likely to lose a quite a bit the first week or so after surgery but if you are one who doesn't, don't worry, it will happen.

2. You won't lose much in the first weeks or even months because you don't have restricrtion yet!! You need to heal first then worry about weight loss after at least a few weeks!!!

3. Restriction takes from a few weeks to a few months depending on your surgeon and his/her belief systom.

4. You have in some cases a lifetime of issues with weight to solve. Be sure you do the work on this either before or after surgery. Some people cannot lose weight because of deep seated emotional issues.. Our subconsious mind has been programed by our life experiences. No surgery in the world will fix this. Please consider getting professional help with it

5. Be willing to follow your intuition. If you don't think something will work, don't eat it. Your body is talking to you, just listen.

6. If you get stuck, you will be swollen.. Go back to liquids, then mushies, then solids. Listen to your body, if it doesn't make sense to eat after a stuck episode, don't eat.

7. Everytime you miss food, make a mental inventory of why you did this to begin with... We did it to reduce the amount of food we eat so we can unload the weight we have carried around for sometimes a lifetime.

8. Remember, we didn't get this fat overnight. It won't go away overnight either...

let me know what I have missed.... I will repost it in a week ot two for those things!! Hugs!!! ( I added a few other peoples comments here.)

For many of us, weightloss is not steady w/the band. The weight seems to come off in spurts. Don't freak out if you haven't lost weight for a week or two weeks or even a month. Just focus on what you can do to improve your weightloss, especially exercise and cutting out empty calories.

Well put!

I think also that many people expect Gastric Bypass-like results from a band (very rapid weight loss--very soon after surgery). I mean patients, family, co-workers, friends, and aquaintances.

That is not the way the band works. 1-2 pounds per week is what we can expect in general. And that is after restriction kicks in. If we lose weight before we hit our sweet spot, GREAT! That shows we are committed to our new lifestyle. But as my surgeon told me, my eating habits were 43 years in the making when I was banded, they weren't going to change over night.

It is a process, enjoy the journey, and don't beat yourself up for mistakes--learn from them.

__________________

[bandongal 0]

Thanks for the great post!!! I was banded on 8/26 and reading it helps to keep me focused. I did notice I started missing "real" food yesterday and i am on fluids for a couple more weeks--I will do it though:thumbup:When I get down I will remember what you wrote--wish I could save it permanently somewhere.........

[JoJo1 0]

Thanks for the great post!!! I was banded on 8/26 and reading it helps to keep me focused. I did notice I started missing "real" food yesterday and i am on fluids for a couple more weeks--I will do it though:thumbup:When I get down I will remember what you wrote--wish I could save it permanently somewhere.........

You can copy and paste this post into your word program then save it to your documents for future use. I post this same thread every once in a while, so that is how I keep it.... Hugs....