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

[waterlily1072 5]

Kimm, don't listen to non lapband people when they have negative things to say. 1-2lbs a week is what is a healthy weight loss a permanent weight loss.

You are doing FABULOUS :clap2: . I know I wanted that miracle weight loss in the beginning too. It wasn't in the cards for me. It does happen for some people but not many. Most of us start out at or near the 1-2lb per week pace. This is not an easy way out, it is a healthy way out of obesity. The band doesn't keep you from drinking milkshakes (over 1000cal btw) or even from eating chips or chocolate. It helps with hunger and Portion Control once properly adjusted. Hang in there you will do great, I know it

[kimmason 0]

Dear Water lillyand anyone else who is here . Please help me, I feel out of control and yet I am banded now and just finsihed full fluids( cheated and i can now eat solid foods, i just chew better or gag) but I have now seenmovies for the past three days and loaded up with popcorn, ................what the hell is happening to me? I mean I borrowed this money to do it, I have to say I have at least excersized for the past three days but I am eating AND hungry...I am sick of yogurt, sick of cottage cheese, sick of fluids, I want something REAL , somethignmeaty......I am blowing this big time. I am not evengoing toget weighted today and feel more depressedI mean i went to the movie last night and ate a whopper with cheese and then popcorn...almosta large one, I have to say i can't eat as much but even that makes no difference on scale. First fill comes later sept then 2nd and 3rd Oct. Am I the only failure here? Please help me!

[JulieNYC 4]

All I can tell you, Kimmason, is that I gained 12 lbs in the 3 weeks I was on solid food before my first fill. 12 lbs!! Yet here I am, just over 4 months post-op, and I'm down nearly 80 lbs. I promise, I felt just like you're feeling before I got a good fill. The fill literally turns your hunger off. I remember thinking -- just a couple of months ago -- that there was never enough time in the day and I was always tired and eating even more out of control that pre-band. Now, I do so many things! I read magazines! I sew! I go to the gym! I go out with friends! I travel! I tell you this, not because I want you to say "yea for her" but because this is going to be you too, once you get filled.

What is your doctor's fill policy? I think you're going to be one (like me) who really needs a good fill from the beginning to keep you from being discouraged. Some peole like to "sneak up" on good restriction -- taking time (literally months) to learn about the band and how they feel with each stage of restriction. Me, I wanted RESTRICTION. So, since my doctor has an open-door policy, once I'd passed the healing phase, I went for three fills in three weeks until I was SURE I had enough restriction.

I felt just like you're feeling. It was awful. BUT IT ENDS, I promise. The band is about restriction. You don't have it yet because you're still healing and you're doubting that you'll ever have it because you don't know what it's like yet. Hang in there. September 15th (when I think you said your fill is) isn't that far away.

Thinking good thoughts for you.

[kimmason 0]

Julie. Oh God, I hope your right as I just came back from another movie and big popcorn and then two hamburger patties for dinner. I f I can be like you in any way I would feel lucky. So when you had a big restriction, would you be kind enough to give me an idea of a typical day for you with food and fluids cuz i honestly do not have a clue? Can I swallow pills? Can i drink lots of Water at a time?

thanks julie, I appreciate it.

[JulieNYC 4]

Kimmason,

Sure. I'll give you a few typical days pre-band and post-restriction. Keep in mind I'm vegetarian, so I'll give you estimated calories so you can see the volume I'm talking about in comparison how you eat.

Pre-restriction typical day:

Breakfast -- two Breakfast sandwiches with 2 eggs and cheese on 2 rolls ordered from the corner deli. Lots of ketchup. Probably 800 calories. (I did this 5 times a week, often).

lunch -- large spinach salad (4 cups) with chick peas, feta cheese, walnuts, tomatoes, chinese noodles, FF honey mustard dressing. Plus a small bag of chips and a chocolate chip cookie the size of your face. Probably 1000 calories (but it was "salad" -- right??)

snack -- over the counter drugstore crap (candy, Cookies, chips) 500 calories.

dinner -- 2 orders of nachos (they are kind of small orders by American standards) with Beans, cheese, sour cream, guac, salsa and 2 bean and cheese tortilla wraps OR a medium cheese pizza. Either way, probably 1200 calories.

Wow. I've never actually faced that before. I certainly never calculated the calories before. I mean, that was really a typical day. Something like 3500-4000 calories per day.

OK, now for the happier picture -- post restriction:

Brekafast -- I usually forget to eat it. Sometimes I'll have 2 wedges of light Babybel cheese (70 cals total) or 1/2 c cottage cheese with a wasa cracker (75 cals) or a half packet of Protein enhanced cinnamon oatmeal (110 cals) or 1/2 a yogurt with some Kashi Cereal (100 cals). I probably forget to eat breakfast altogether 4 our of 7 days.

lunch - Small spinach salad (1.5 cups or so) with chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, mushrooms and Water chestnuts. I ditch the dressing and use balsamic vinegar, which has almost no cals. Total cals (300).

Snack - low carb frozen yogurt (60 cals) or cheese wedge (35 cals) or a handful of chocolates that my evil office manager keeps around (200 cals -- even on a binge I never eat more than 8 and they're 25 cals each). So on average, 100 cals. Sometimes I forget my snack altogether, but that's only maybe 1-2 days a week.

dinner - 1/2 fillet of fish with veggies done in the wok (350) or homemade taco salad (400) or frozen fish sticks with veggies (300) or a crab cake with veggies (450) or my fave -- an egg and cheese sandwich made with one piece of wheat toast, 1 egg, 1 egg white and 1 slice of FF cheese with veggies on the side, but if I do this, I usually can't eat the whole thing because the bread fills me up too much (220).

So, I usually come out between 850-1100, depending on whether I managed to stay away from the chocolate or not. I have to tell you, Kimmason, this is not hard for me. The hardest part is planning to have the healthy choices on hand. If they're actually in the house, it's easy (with restriction from the band) to choose them.

I usually eat out about once a week, which ups my cals for the day substantially. Makes my weekly average come to about 1100, where, if I eat at home, it's usually well under 1000. I still eat pizza and nachos too, but they don't rule my life like they did before, and I try not to let them in the house. I have to go out for them.

My advice to you is to start planning out little meals that have about 300 cals in them. You may not be able to actually eat that little until you have restriction (then again, maybe you can -- a lot of bandsters eat like a bandster even before they have restriction -- it just didn't happen for me that way), but when you do, you'll be prepared.

I'm sure everyone else has some great suggestions for you too. We're all here to support you and I just KNOW you're going to come out of this a successful bandster. Just close your eyes and breathe through the next 14 days. You're going to get there!

[waterlily1072 5]

Hi Kimm,

Don't give up I could totally pig out until I had some restriction, then I could just eat normal and now that I am at my sweet spot I can eat very little. A days menu is something like this

B:

Cereal & Milk

or

Protien shake

L:

A can of tuna with a little mayo in it

or

Teryaki chicken (about 1 cup maybe a little less)

D:

A little chicken or beef, whatever and some veggies

S:

Microwave popcorn, yum

[indianlight 2]

Kim,

Are you really hungry or is it a head hunger? I struggle with this as well at the first sign of hunger I want to reach for junk food, but a friend who has had the band and is at target advised me to drink first not eat. So, what I do now is: when I feel hungry I drink a pint of Water then wait 10 minutes and if I still feel hungry I eat...usually I don't.

I hope you try this, it's not easy and at first I wanted to eat whether I was really hungry or not, but I want to lose weight more.

Also, I have removed myself from situations that I associate with food, like the movies and eating out. In fact, i don't sociallise very much outside of a controlled environment, because I can't trust myself!! (that was hard to admit to!!) I always have healthy Snacks in the fridge usually prawns or grapes, my dietician says its better to have a little of something than not have it at all because the craving increases if your deprived of it.

I do hope to rebuild my life, but in a better way so i'm in control and can cope with the social situations. I've acted like the band is the beginning of the rest of my life and have changed almost everything that happened before...that sounds melodramatic but we each have to find our own way of coping.

I see that your taking your mum with you to the psych, is that a good idea? forgive me because I don't know of your relationship with your mum, but I know that where food is concerned I find it difficult to face the truth and discuss my issues with anyone, so to have an 'audience' whilst doing it I would feel victimised and become defensive.

I hope some of this rambling helps, just remember you did this for you, to improve your life and each piece of junk you put in your mouth is stopping you from getting to where you want to be.....LOL

[MourningFuneral 0]

I went today to my first band tightening since surgery and it went great! even tho i cheated some during the time before i was tightened, i still lost 21lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! since surgery! so i went from 413lbs at surgery to 392lbs now. I got 3cc's put in my band and I go back november, my next goal is 350lbs!

[MourningFuneral 0]

Kim,

Are you really hungry or is it a head hunger? I struggle with this as well at the first sign of hunger I want to reach for junk food, but a friend who has had the band and is at target advised me to drink first not eat. So, what I do now is: when I feel hungry I drink a pint of Water then wait 10 minutes and if I still feel hungry I eat...usually I don't.

I hope you try this, it's not easy and at first I wanted to eat whether I was really hungry or not, but I want to lose weight more.

Also, I have removed myself from situations that I associate with food, like the movies and eating out. In fact, i don't sociallise very much outside of a controlled environment, because I can't trust myself!! (that was hard to admit to!!) I always have healthy Snacks in the fridge usually prawns or grapes, my dietician says its better to have a little of something than not have it at all because the craving increases if your deprived of it.

I do hope to rebuild my life, but in a better way so i'm in control and can cope with the social situations. I've acted like the band is the beginning of the rest of my life and have changed almost everything that happened before...that sounds melodramatic but we each have to find our own way of coping.

I see that your taking your mum with you to the psych, is that a good idea? forgive me because I don't know of your relationship with your mum, but I know that where food is concerned I find it difficult to face the truth and discuss my issues with anyone, so to have an 'audience' whilst doing it I would feel victimised and become defensive.

I hope some of this rambling helps, just remember you did this for you, to improve your life and each piece of junk you put in your mouth is stopping you from getting to where you want to be.....LOL

WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2: i Bet you feel like ... So do I. and it is nice to share our progress :eek: maybe we can chat sometime oh one more thing love, how do you work those tickers? how does it change when your weight does? do you have to change it every time?

[kimmason 0]

julie, Water lilly and Indian light, thank you all very much first of all for thking the time to post your menus, that took thoguht ans time and I appreciate your caring that you would do that for me. I don't know if I can deal with being abandster until I have a fill. I am hungry and I don't think it is head hunger. I ate early tonight cuz I was starving two potaoes and two lamb chops and you know what happened. I felt like something wasn't moving or maybe the stuck feeling i hear about and within a few mins ( uncomfortable) it popped out in the toilet..eww, so I giess i have some restriction????? I mean I am supposed to be pureed now but i feel better and have chewed pretty well and this is th first time i experienced that. I was hungry again around 7-7:30 ish so I grabbed a bunch of greens and put oil/vinegar dresing on it. It is now 9:17 and I am hungry again......GEEZE, this may sound stupid but I don't think I can tell the difference between head hunger and real hunger. I think I will try to hang in and start drinking. I have to say though that for the first time today I went to the gym....I had tried my own treadmill this week three times but i slip off that one. and I thought, what the heck am I doing? I bought a membership but because of my weight and how i look I haven' t gone. I mean the people there are buff and looking amazing and then I thought who cares, I am going for me, and its not like I want to pick anyone up there anyway since they could be my kids.

So I went and did the treadmill and then I did the bike and then a couple of weights, so I was happy with that and I will try to go tomorrow too and start from there.

As for going to the shrink with my mom, lol no, don't worry that was just that time. She was staying with me a couple days last week and I picked her up on the way since the distance is better that way , and then she went in my docs as my doc wanted to meet her.

So that won't happen again. besides my mother has never had weight issues ( to me anyway) although she talks about food, weight, diets ad nauseaum for as long as I can remember. Funny huh,. all the things she was great at, like sewing, cooking, gardening, I stayed away from with a vengenence.

[dezadoo 0]

wow! i love reading the daily diets so i will add mine

breakfast - usu Protein Drink, i never eat breakfast and my nutritionist said that it jumpstarts you metabolism and pre-sx that was her biggest goal for me! sometimes i will eat yogurt or sramble 1 egg with chz and 1-2 slices deli ham (by the way, thin and trim homey ham is the BEST deli ham i have ever had..look for it!)

lunch - 2-4 oz of tuma salad or ground meat with 2-4 crackers

snack - 1 low fat string chz or crab dip w/2crackers

dinner - grilled fish, ground turkey w/sauce, or pulled pork bbq , about 2-4 oz, with a 1/4-1/3 baked potaoto w/ either nacho cheese sauce or marg and ffree sour cream

snack - sugar free fudlesicle

kimm - hang in there! you're doing fine! and thanks for the heads up on OA. my clinic did suggest joining wt watchers after back on reg foods but NOT to tell them about the band. i'll try it in oct if i amstill at a standstill, whihc i have been since going to mushies!

indianlight - i like your idea of the water! thanks, i'll be tryin THAT tomorrow!

[indianlight 2]

Well, I'm glad I posted that message yesterday ad today has been a disaster...I'm like Kim at the moment sooo hungry but I know it's head hunger!!! and i'm still eating, goes to show you can know the tricks but that makes it easier to not do them (if you see what I mean lol)

I think I need a fill NOW, my first fill is 28th September, but thats too long, I can eat almost anything at the moment and much bigger quantities than I've ever been able to before. I'm going to phone my surgeons secretary on monday and see if it's possible to get one earlier, probably not as here in the uk you get what your given, but God loves a trier!! otherwise I think I'l gain more weight..

[indianlight 2]

Mourning Funeral,

I'm not an expert on tickers but I double click into mine in 'edit signature' this takes me back to the ticker website and my current ticker I change my current weight then finish it,then copy and paste it into my signature.

Hope this helps if not someone else will help i'm sure..

I'd love to chat...pm me!

[kimmason 0]

oops I forgot Mournning funeral congrats on the weight loss, really good for you. I know my days are numbered before my first fil so maybe I am getting as much in as I can but I am also hungry I know that for a fact. indian light so glad to know that I am not the only one who has difficulty with this and the hunger thing . I think thoguh the fact that we are on here and al have each other to share weaknesses ,, strengths etc is going to be why we will ALL eventually succeed.

[waterlily1072 5]

Head hunger vs real hunger

If I am hungry for crap it's head hunger

If my stomach is growling it is real hunger

There is an inbetween hunger where my tummy isn't growling yet but I still feel "hungry" for healthy stuff like veggies or some chicken then I eat. If I reach the point of growling I try to have a snack first then wait about 20 minutes before eating my meal other wise I scarf too fast and slime. The snack is usually something that can't be eaten too fast due to texture or can't get stuck due to texture.

Hope that helps