November Bandsters!

[Oberhasli 1]

Reading through the posts of those that are getting discouraged, remember that band is NOT a magic wand. It is a tool to help YOU get where you want to be. The fact that you have a band is not going to change old habits. (It may, though, make those old habits VERY uncomfortable!)

Before they would even discuss bariatric surgery with me, I had to complete a 12 week supervised weight management program. (Wasn't allowed to call it a diet.) They wanted to make sure that I had the ability to follow a structured program as we've all found out, we need to be able to do so post-band. The program I went through is the LEARN program. It was presented as a revolutionary new program. (Basically it said to eat less of the right kind of foods and exercise more. Not so sure how revolutionary that is, but it's sound information.) The one underlying theme throughout the program was that you will NOT be 100% successful. You will stumble. You'll make less than ideal food choices. The important thing, though, is that you don't let slight indiscretions spiral out of control to the point you go back to your old habits. If you have a bad day, you have a bad day. You still have 6 other days that week. If you consume 3500 calories in a week less than your body needs, you'll lose a pound. One pound a week is far more than most of us were doing before we got the band or, we probably wouldn't have gotten it.

I didn't think I had lost a lot much when I went for my first follow-up visit but the surgeon and the dietician were elated. You're NOT going to have the same weight loss as if you had the full bypass surgery. You haven't lost the ability to absorb the food, just have a smaller storage vat.

If you have a bad day, dust yourself off and face tomorrow with a new outlook. Just don't let one bad day turn into a whole bad week, a bad week turn into a bad month, etc. :clap2:

Tom

[misschrissie67 0]

Congratulations, Chrissie, on your surgery!! :clap2: Sounds like you are adjusting well. Remember that the pain will get less, and that you will soon be able to eat more.... so hang in there and continue to let us know how you are progressing!!

Karen

Thanks Karen. I am adjusting much better than I thought I would. I was afraid I would be craving everything in sight, but that has not been the case at all. I really am not focused on food like I was before. I am so happy just eating my little 3-4 ounce meals!!! I know I will have less restriction as the swelling goes away, but I am not unhappy at all about it. It is all even better than I thought it would be. According to the scale, I havent lost anything yet, but I am not worried, I know it will come off. Isnt it nice to know you arent going through this alone? I sure think it is.

[AngelaT 2]

Sorry I just saw how the drugs they are giving me mess up my spelling....it is not understandable!!!!!:confused: :nervous

[AngelaT 2]

Hi.

I seem to be feeling a little better today. I am sad because since I have not been able to move I have gained weight instead of lose...I niow weigh 212 intead of 210....maybe it will go away soon...it could be also the meds they gave me....I hope I can start moving soon!

Well November bnadsters...it is now DEcmber...we have done great!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: Now we just need to fight off hunger before we get our first fills.... lets make a goal that by Dec. 9 we will lose between 2-4 lbs. that is really good without a fill huh?????

November Bandsters Dec. 9 we will lose 2-4 lbs especailly those of us who have been banded since the beginning of the month!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

How do you do a secondary tickertape?

[Oberhasli 1]

Hi.

I seem to be feeling a little better today. I am sad because since I have not been able to move I have gained weight instead of lose...I niow weigh 214 intead of 210....maybe it will go away soon...it could be also the meds they gave me....I hope I can start moving soon!

Well November bnadsters...it is now DEcmber...we have done great!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: Now we just need to fight off hunger before we get our first fills.... lets make a goal that by Dec. 9 we will lose between 2-4 lbs. that is really good without a fill huh?????

November Bandsters Dec. 9 we will lose 2-4 lbs especailly those of us who have been banded since the beginning of the month!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Angela, I guess it depends on whether you're the type of person with a glass half-empty or half-full on how you view your current weight. You're looking at it that you're up 4 pounds from your previous weight. I see it that you're down 7 pounds from your pre-surgery weight which was less than 4 weeks ago. That's nearly 2 pounds a week! (How many weeks pre-surgery did you lose at that rate?)

I think you're goal of 2-4 pounds in a week is a bit lofty and might do more to damage your morale than give you motiviation. Set REALISTIC goals and acheive those. If you find more modest goals are easily acheived, raise the bar and set higher goals. Why not set a goal of 1 pound for the week? If you lose 2-4, you're be much prouder of yourself then if you set the "2-4" goal and lose only 1 pound. The weight "game" is a mental one. We all have to change our outlook and the first step is to feel good about our accomplishments. Pat yourself on the back feels SO much better than beating yourself up.

Tom

[sg_sg 0]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a November person too. Congrats to you all for your various successes.

I only felt 'sick' for the first 2 days and I only needed pain meds for the day of surgery and twice the next day.... but it was mostly so I can sleep.< /p>

It's been 2 weeks and I feel pretty good. What's happening to me now is that the time isn't going by fast enough so I can see results lol.

My first fill isnt until Jan. and this is making me nervous waiting that long due to holidays and getting the feeling that I can eat more and more as I heal. I'm doing my best to stay under control though!

Can I also ask a question? I have been getting an occasional, but daily, pain in my throat coming up from my chest.... what's that? I tried to see when it is occuring... and I think it's a few hrs after I eat....... or in the morning...... what's that???

:confused:

[AngelaT 2]

Angela, I guess it depends on whether you're the type of person with a glass half-empty or half-full on how you view your current weight. You're looking at it that you're up 4 pounds from your previous weight. I see it that you're down 7 pounds from your pre-surgery weight which was less than 4 weeks ago. That's nearly 2 pounds a week! (How many weeks pre-surgery did you lose at that rate?)

I think you're goal of 2-4 pounds in a week is a bit lofty and might do more to damage your morale than give you motiviation. Set REALISTIC goals and acheive those. If you find more modest goals are easily acheived, raise the bar and set higher goals. Why not set a goal of 1 pound for the week? If you lose 2-4, you're be much prouder of yourself then if you set the "2-4" goal and lose only 1 pound. The weight "game" is a mental one. We all have to change our outlook and the first step is to feel good about our accomplishments. Pat yourself on the back feels SO much better than beating yourself up.

Tom

As it is I have been really sick in bed or imn ER and gaining w I have not lost one single pound since the first week of surgery and have gained instead and have problems.... If I do not see some results I am going to think that all thejh pain and trouble I have gone through since surgery has been for nothing.... just because we do not have a fill yet does not give us an excuse to not lose some weight.... I need some encouragement not a scolding.....

[Oberhasli 1]

As it is I have been really sick in bed or imn ER and gaining w I have not lost one single pound since the first week of surgery and have gained instead and have problems.... If I do not see some results I am going to think that all thejh pain and trouble I have gone through since surgery has been for nothing.... just because we do not have a fill yet does not give us an excuse to not lose some weight.... I need some encouragement not a scolding.....

Angela, I certainly did NOT mean my reply to be a scolding but to encourage you to set realistic expectations. I think 7 pounds in 4 weeks is GREAT! (As I've said, my surgeon only expects 1 pound per week.) Focus on that instead of the 4 you've gained back. You've got other challenges that are complicating the situation. If you beat yourself up, it's going to be that much more difficult. Think back of pre-band and how many times you lost 7 pounds in a month. Reward yourself (mentally, not with food!) for that. As you get your other health issues managed, you'll be able to do more exercise. That will help greatly with the weight loss. (Trust me, I know. I have rheumatoid arthritis and had to go off my medicine a month before surgery as the medicine works by supressing my immune system and they didn't want my immune system supressed with the surgery. I JUST took my first post-surgery dose on Monday and it takes 2-3 weeks to build up in my system to be effective. My activity level is not near what it was pre-surgery as it hurts.) You have to do what you can do and enjoy the successes, however small they may seem.

Tom

[Betsyjane 2]

I'm frankly not surprised that you've gained. No activity. Meds. Probably depressed. That's certainly a recipe for weight gain! I have Lupus, and I know how meds can put the pounds on...as can inactivity. Maybe a strategy at this point is to begin thinking of being stuck as a temporary situation, and rehearsing how you're going to get back to exercise and good eating soon....and how the weight is going to start coming off. A wise person on this site said that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that helped me. There will be setbacks, cheating, things to deal with. We certainly know that from dealing with illnesses too. Start thinking about this as just a temporary bump in the road and expect that there will be others. Life keeps coming at us. Hang tight, dear. We're with you.

[Oberhasli 1]

For those with a sweet tooth that need a fix, I made Peanut Butter Cookies yesterday. They were quite simple and, in moderation, perfectly legal once you're off the liquid phase of the post-surgery diet.

Take 1 cup of peanut butter (I'd use smooth until you're off mushies), 1 cup of Splenda and 1 egg. Mix well and drop by spoonfuls (if you make 16 cookies, each cookie will be equal to 1 tablespoon of peanut butter) on to a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, flatten in a criss-cross pattern with a fork dipped in Splenda and bake for 8-10 mintues at 350. (They taste better cool than they do hot.)

Peanut butter is high in Protein so as long as you use moderately (it's also high in fat), it should be fine. Each cookie would have about 4 grams of protein from the peanut butter and a bit less than .5 gram from the egg. It's about 100 calories so not a low calorie food but would make a nice between meal high-protein snack with 4 ounces of skim milk. The toughest part is limiting to one cookie per day! (I did cheat and had 2.5 yesterday. I tried one warm. When I was putting them away, one broke so I HAD to heat the half that didn't go in the baggie. I then had one as my mid-afternoon snack.) Not as good as a big "real" cookie but certainly scratched an itch for something sweet.

Tom

[apinksoprano 0]

Hello everyone, I was in such high spirits last week but unfortunately they have dimishined....I am struggling so bad on this liquid diet, I am starving....And I cannot possibly drink anything else....And I gained 2 lbs, how does that happen....I just dont understand I know you go up and down and you dont lose everyday but this has been for almost a week now up and down these 2 lbs, how??????????? I am so upset and so frustrated I cannot even tell you, sorry I just had to vent.....

[MistyArmenti 0]

Ladies and Gentlemen, We have started a wonderful new stage in our

lives, where WE are able to make it ANYTHING that WE want it to be. The should be a wonderful beginning, and it seems that most of us are upset, sad, depressed, and cranky! We have ALL been told, that the stage before the first fill is NOT a time to lose weight. Anything we have lost from the surgery is GRAVY sorta speak. We need to work on loveng ourselves, and being proud of ourselves for making this change in our lives! HOW AWESOME ARE WE????? We just found a way to control the one thing that have ruined our lives!!! At 300 lbs, I would not lived to see my kids get out of grade school, I see this as a gift... andthing I lose is a gift. NOT eating a bag or box or Cholesterol layed.. Heart Attack Causing.. Cancer Developing Crap... IS A GIFT!!!! This is a gift LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... lets not forget that!

So.. I haven't lost 50 lbs in the first 10 days... but I am HERE 10 days later! To me, 2nd place is better!

[apinksoprano 0]

I am sorry but I am just having a bad day....I am sure every single person on here has had a bad day....I come to this site for support, not really to be lectured....I feel this is the only support I have in my life and I cannot vent here then where? I am very thankful for a lot of things in my life...Just a bad day..........

[keekahari 0]

Hey there everyone! Congrats to everyone for on their successful surgeries.

I have a question... I was banded 11/09 and have been eating mushies/regular foods, but it seems like everything i eat hurts.. I try to chew well, smaller bites and not over eat, but even after the first few bites, I feel like I am about to choke or that the food is stuck in the esophogas (spelling?) I know that is kinda how the band works, but I feel like i can't even get a minimal amount of food down without this feeling. I get bummed out over it. Since I have not had a fill yet, I thought I would not be experiencing this. I guess maybe its because I havent loosened up or maybe because I am still healing, but its just so uncomfortable :phanvan

Anyone in the same boat?

[myyear2015 0]

Hi everyone,

I too was recently banded, Monday before Thanksgiving, rough week but made it thru. I've lost 19lbs thus far. Planned first fill in January.

My question- how does one create a ticker tape count down on wt lost attached at the end of your emails? I can't figure it out. Please help, I would love to watch my countdown success.

Thanks and good luck to all.