Getting banded in July and wondering if I'm doing the right thing

[sorcia1 2]

Hi All,

I'm Shauna, just signed up this morning with a surgeon to be banded sometime in July. I need some reassurance I'm doing the right thing. My BMI is "only" 33 (about 60 lbs. overweight) but I have been unable to get even close to my goal weight with diet and exercise, and frankly end up gaining it all back anyway. I know this is going to require some serious lifestyle and eating changes, and that is making me nervous, especially the eating changes. The diets post-op seem crazy...how am I going to follow them?

Shauna

[elcee 3,341]

Relax. Your feelings are all perfectly normal.

A BMI of "only" 33 is still pretty big. It falls into the obese category. And realistically if you don't do something about it now you will wake up one day with a BMI of 40+ and then losing the weight will be even harder.

The initial post op diets seem crazy but what gets most of us through them is the fact they are finite. Each stage only lasts 2 weeks. And the focus at this stage is healing not weight loss so technically you don't have to get hungry. You can eat more liquids or mushies without causing too much of a problem.After that it depends on what your Dr recommends but you should be able to eat "normal" food. OK I know that normal differs from person to person but if you focus on fresh, whole foods rather than processed junk then you are 90% of the way there.

Good luck and imagine how great you are going to feel once you achieve your goals.

[sorcia1 2]

Relax. Your feelings are all perfectly normal.

A BMI of "only" 33 is still pretty big. It falls into the obese category. And realistically if you don't do something about it now you will wake up one day with a BMI of 40+ and then losing the weight will be even harder.

The initial post op diets seem crazy but what gets most of us through them is the fact they are finite. Each stage only lasts 2 weeks. And the focus at this stage is healing not weight loss so technically you don't have to get hungry. You can eat more liquids or mushies without causing too much of a problem.After that it depends on what your Dr recommends but you should be able to eat "normal" food. OK I know that normal differs from person to person but if you focus on fresh, whole foods rather than processed junk then you are 90% of the way there.

Good luck and imagine how great you are going to feel once you achieve your goals.

Thank you Elcee! I was in fact a 40 BMI at one point and was on my way there, probably by the end of the year at the rate I was gaining. The nutritionist I met with has a pretty strict diet "forever" but I think I may be able to eat some foods not on his approved list (which is like 20 things). I hate the idea I may never have another couple of bites (but only 2) of cheesecake ever again! Or eating normal wheat bread (not 100% whole grain) on a sub at Subway!

Am I going to be starving on the liquid diets? Man I hate being hungry.

Has anyone else had a C-section? That is my only point of reference for recovering from a surgery and I'm wondering if it's worse or better than recovering from a C-section.

Shauna

[elcee 3,341]

I've had 2 C-Sections and am 5 weeks post abdominal hysterectomy. For me the band was easier than any of these although everyone is different.In fact I think i must be lucky as I seem to sail through surgery. Supposedly after the hysterectomy I should have been feeling pretty bad and I feel fine.

I got banded so I could eat like a normal person, normal people eat cheesecake but they also know how much to eat and when to stop. If you eat cheesecake every day it will be a problem, if you have it occasionally then it won't. I eat bread, usually toasted but I won't attempt Subway. Trying to eat a sub would probably leave me stuck . It is just too much bread.

I wasn't starving on the liquid diet as I made Soup (yes made not bought) and added things like lentils, chickpeas to them before liquidising. This was done at the suggestion of my dietician as it increases the Protein and makes it more satisfying.It is hard but not as hard as you think it will be.