A thread for super-sized bandsters - starting BMI over 50?

kimmason · August 16, 2006

Julie, truly and inspirational story and really amzing weight loss story, I hope to say the same as I have been banded not quite a week yet. Shackdog you mentioned, follow the plan, I am sorry to sound brain dead but what is the plan, right now I am on clear fluids etc, do not know how much or what i can and can't eat and only learn it seems from here so I would be happy to know what you have learned .

thanks

Kim

Tired_Old_Man · August 17, 2006

Julie, truly and inspirational story and really amzing weight loss story, I hope to say the same as I have been banded not quite a week yet. Shackdog you mentioned, follow the plan, I am sorry to sound brain dead but what is the plan, right now I am on clear fluids etc, do not know how much or what i can and can't eat and only learn it seems from here so I would be happy to know what you have learned .
thanks

Kim

Please call your doctor for advice or if you had counseling by a nutritionist working in conjunction with your surgeon, call him/her. My doctor's plan for after surgery eating may be different than your doctor's plan.

There are so many possibilities.

Different brands of bands.

Different sizes of bands.

Different positioning of the band.

Different initial tightness of the band.

Each doctor has his own methods.

puddykat · August 17, 2006

Kimmason, how's the sick feeling?

I was banded 7/28/06. I had terrible nausea post-op and got deydrated. It's hard to drink when you feel that way --- and a symptom of dehydration is nausea. My doc had to change my anti-nausea medicine and I forced myself to drink. After a day on the new med and drinking, I slowly got better.

kimmason · August 17, 2006

Hi there tired old guy, hell, what a nick, you should take viagara and take care of that prob and that should give you a little spring ( BOING) to your step. Thanks for the advice, but honestly I have not been told squat about nutrition, or a nutrionist. I know I have the swedish band and that's it. I go for my first appointment post surgery in sept. In all honesty it is HERE that I learn from and then can ask questions....so I trust this forum and the folks who live it.

Puddykat......Also yes I am a little better now post op...lol I got every bodily functionknown to man happening even the dreaded "P"...lol but I am up and about/waking my dogs and carrying on. Today is last clear Fluid day, the onto full for two weeks.....can i have like a mushroom Soup? ? that is creamed? or carrot?

thanks for your concern

Kim

Tired_Old_Man · August 17, 2006

Hi there tired old guy, hell, what a nick, you should take viagara and take care of that prob and that should give you a little spring ( BOING) to your step.

I am not tired of sex, but tired of life and it's too many downs and not enough ups (no, not Viagra related).

kimmason · August 17, 2006

I was joking tired old guy about your nick and no harm was intended. I know about the ups and downs of life and too many downs, but i am determined to try and change that around. Just 20 lbs of ( which is may be a dimple in my cheek) but I can already feel a new attitude starting to happen.

Tired_Old_Man · August 17, 2006

I was joking tired old guy about your nick and no harm was intended. I know about the ups and downs of life and too many downs, but i am determined to try and change that around. Just 20 lbs of ( which is may be a dimple in my cheek) but I can already feel a new attitude starting to happen.

No offense taken or inferred. I guess the only good downs are the weight losses, but I have suffered too many other negative situations and sometimes I just feel like quitting, but luckily, I have a wonderful wife (looking over my shoulder as I write this), a great son and grand-children to give me a reason to survive.

Have you ever heard Ray Charles sing "Lucky Old Son" and/or "Old Man River"? Put those two songs together with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by the Hollies and that is what gets me going. But I still feel tired.:faint:

TOM

PS: My wife was not really looking over my shoulder.

PS2: She told me to write that.

kimmason · August 17, 2006

hey tom thanks for getting back, yes family can keep one going, and it sounds like you have a suportive wife and afmily which is wonderful. Idon't know what you have gone through BUT you are on your way to better health with losing weight, you are in a solid marriage and those songs can help heal .

All the best

kim

kimmason · August 17, 2006

hey tom thanks for getting back, yes family can keep one going, and it sounds like you have a suportive wife and afmily which is wonderful. Idon't know what you have gone through BUT you are on your way to better health with losing weight, you are in a solid marriage and those songs can help heal .

All the best

kim

indianlight · August 20, 2006

HElP!!! I feel as if my switch has been switched back to unhealthy eating...I can't stop!! I got weighed on friday and in 4 weeks have lost 15lbs...I was sooo happy, and now I dont have much restriction but Im eating all the wrong foods, I know i'm soing it so why can't I stop??? its almost as if I'm pushingthe band to its limit!!! My head feels screwed....my fill isn't for another couple of weeks yet, I don't want to undo all the good work i've already done, does anyone else feel like this??

Tired_Old_Man · August 20, 2006

We all go through that same feeling of I want more food, I want junk food, I love food, and then ask the question, "why did I ever get this band??"

But that is the time to call a friend and talk.

Or

Get on the PC and write to us here at Lapbandtalk.com

Whatever you do, stay away from television. TV is the #1 source of hunger stimulation. Go for a walk as long as there are no fast-food restaurants or grocery/candy/convenience stores within walking distance. If there are any of those establishments within walking distance, leave ALL YOU MONEY home.

kimmason · August 20, 2006

dear Indian light. I was just banded on Aug 10th but I canrelate to you RIGHT now. Idon't think I am the first one to lose weight and because of that work and what went into it, we reward ourselves, thinking it'll be one day, one night etc..and it just goes on and flips the switch. I even cheated on my preop. I was too do cottage cheese/yogurt for 15 days and they gave me one day off cuz of a bbq I was having for my sone and mother and for that day and the day after and the day after I pigged out, right up to the night before my surgery when at midnight i was supposed to stop eating...so just before then, I made a LOAD of nachos with cheese, salsa, olives and sour cream....yup I did that knowing fullwell that maybe in the morning I had screwed up my liver and may need open surgery...thats how we are , how addicted. Oddly enough I ama health care worker too..lol and Icould save your life but perhaps not my own. The precursers to ANY addiction are known as H.A.L.T. feeling HELPLESS, ANGRY, LONELY and then TIRED.....boy I had/have them all, even now. I amnow just under 300 lbs which is a big jump for me and I just want to eat.... So I can see how this has to be life long and we will need our retrictions.(fills) I have not had one yet, I take it, you haven't either. I am waiting for this Fluid, pureed thing to be over so I can eat popcorn.......and after 16,000 dollars if that isn't addictive behaviour I don't know what is. I as are the others on this line are in your corner and know what it is like. The only way you can stop is by actually pushing yourself initailly and I hate it but it only works when you do it as the first few days feel awful, like detox, but then it gets better. I hope you pull through, and will wait to read more posts from you. ANd follow tired old mans response, it was terrific!!!

take care.

Kim

pre op diet 320 surgery date aug 10th, 310, today 297

JulieNYC · August 21, 2006

Indianlight,

I felt exactly the same way before my first fill. It was the hardest part of this journey for me so far, including the surgery itself. I felt like I had just gone through major surgery to get this weight under control and NOTHING was different. Fast forward 2 weeks to my first fill and AHHHHH, relief. My first fill didn't get me to my "sweet spot" but I did feel a little different -- different enough to know that I was on the right track.

Hang in there until your fill. This time is for healing. Be careful -- try not to go crazy with food, but know that the end is near. This IS going to work.

Take care,

Tired_Old_Man · August 21, 2006

One of the people who is closest to me in my life had a 5-6 year bout of drug addiction spiraling down from drinking to stronger and stronger drugs culminating in 2 rounds of detox and rehab. My friend has been clean since the first WTC bombing. I remember it that way because I drove almost 200 miles to the rehab for a "family member" week-long visit and was on my way home from the rehab when it was announced that the WTC had been truck-bombed.

We used to debate and argue before that final rehab over who's addiction was worse. My friend's addiction to alcohol and (other) drugs or my addiction to food. We both agreed that not taking the "first" dose was the easy part. My friend could on occasion go for days without a drink or a fix, but one drink, one lousy beer and it was off to the races. In my case, I could go all day without eating and I didn't feel hungry, but as soon as I broke fast, my appetite was stimulated.

I went to a surprise birthday party one night for different friend. I had done all the cooking for the party, but did not eat for the first 3-4 hours. As soon as I put that first potato chip in my mouth, it was all over. Even though some people ate and drank continually for the 4-5 hours of the party, I consumed more in the last hour than anyone had consumed in the whole night.

Another similarity that by drug addicted, alcoholic friend and I both shared was our excuses for breaking our endeavor to control our addiction. We gave in to Celebrate, we gave in to commiserate, we gave in to be sociable, we gave in when we wanted to be alone, we gave in because we were happy and we gave when we were sad.

food addiction's biggest difference from drug addiction is that drug addiction is illegal. Food addiction's most important difference from alcoholism and (other forms of) drug addiction is that the alcoholic or addict doesn't have to take that first drink or fix. They can postpone that first drink or fix for "one day at a time" or if they are having a bad day, for one hour at a time or one minute, whatever it takes to get them to postpone it. My friend has postponed her first fix for 13.5 years.

We, however must take our first fix (food) at least everyday, if not 3 or more times a day. That was the crux of my debate with my friend before the successful rehab. We have to give in and then maintain control after we give in. Ask an alcoholic to have one drink every day and see how long before they are binge drinking. But we must do the equivalent of having 3 drinks a day, everyday, spread out through the day without succumbing to our addiction.

Alcoholics and drug addicts do it with support groups like AA and NA. We need support groups also. Lapbandtalk.com is a form of support group. But some of us need more structured groups similar to AA. Do not be ashamed to seek them out. I don't know if members of Lapbandtalk.com share phone numbers for “help me please, I am starving” calls. I wish there was a service like that available.

waterlily1072 · August 22, 2006

Wow, tired old man, suddenly I feel so much better about my issues with food. Great post, thank you. I deal with food addiction every day and it is so hard. As hard as it was to quit smoking controlling my food intake is way harder.