June 2007 Bandsters

[Suzzzie. 3]

Hi, everyone:

I love reading all the posts - it's my new relaxation tool!

I'm back on solid food now but cannot just eat 1/2 cup of food three times a day - I'm starving and my thoughts turn to the "no-no" foods. So I'm having something mid-morning, and mid-afternoon to get me through - like a smoothie with added Protein or one of the Liquid Protein vials I have bought, or can of Slim-Fast. It really helps.

I have an appointment for my first fill next Thursday and cannot wait.

Count me in the group that does not really enjoy exercising. My DH is being so supportive. Last week we decided we didn't need two guest bedrooms so we sold all the furniture in one and while I am on the road this week he is going to convert it to an exercise room for me - stationary bike, elliptical and home gym as well as a big flat screen HD TV mounted on the wall to entertain me. I guess I will really have to use it now!!! So wish me luck.

Have a great week...

Oh I'm so so so jealous! Hmmm... I'm getting rid of the queen bed in the spare room... MAYBE I could get an elliptical machine or something in there? I'd have to find the money to buy it though. Darn. Well, ENJOY!!

As for me - It's 9:25pm, so you know what that means!! I'm off to the gym! Weeee. (note sarcasm)

[cmp2007 0]

I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for posting. I really enjoy reading these posts. It is my new relaxation tool also.

Suzzie- Your commitment to working out is inspiring!

I also feel like food tastes different. I have really noticed that sugar free items are sooo sweet.

I will have my first fill next Thursday and have mixed feelings about it. I really am excited to go to full foods, and am nervous I won't be able to enjoy the food after the fill. I am also concerned about my ability to make wise choices once the choices are open. How is it going for the rest of you with making choices?

[joeygirl 0]

Well, it has been 9 days since my first fill.

I haven't had the full feeling or gotten sick yet. Kind of makes me wonder if they really did fill me. I haven't been eating near as much as

I used to. I am kind of afraid of eating too much.

I have found that most everything goes down fine. I haven't tried much meat yet. Only chicken and ground beef. I never was much of a meat eater anyway, so not having the steaks, roasts, or chops doesn't bother me at all. I haven't tried plain bread either. The dietician told me that toast goes down much better, and I have had that a few times with no trouble.

I did try the Tropicana squeezer that someone on here suggested. It is wonderful. I got the raspberry lime, and loved it. I need to get to the store and get some more. Even though it has 40 calories per bottle, it is Fluid, and I need all I can get.

I go back for my next fill in about 3 weeks. I hope I will be able to notice more restricion then. Sometimes I think I could eat as much as I wanted to. I have not tried yet, thankfully.

The weight is coming off very slowly. Not even 2 pounds a week. I think I should just throw the dang scale away. I read about the great weight loss that some of you are having, and I wonder what else I could be doing to speed this along.

Thanks all for helping me through this. I love to read all your posts, and make sure I check them at least twice a day.

Can someone who has been banded please let me know if they are having much weight loss. Please let me know that I am not alone.:think

[mvr 0]

OMG we all want this to happen so fast. First we wait for the surgery (agony) then we want to get better FAST , then desparate to be off liquids, can't WAIT to be off mushies, WISH I had some restriction, counting the MINUTES till my first fill, PLEASE let me loose some weight. I am a nutcase. Thank goodness you all post similar stuff or I would turn myself in:faint:

[TexasFire 84]

I have a question: What is the thinking amongst my June Bandster Buddies regarding calorie-tracking? I read some of the other threads and see some recipes that have GOT to have huge amounts of calories. (You wouldn't BELIEVE one of the Protein Shake recipes unless you've seen it for yourself!)

I am fanatical about my food log. I track everything I put in my mouth at My-Calorie-Counter.com and try to always stay under 800 calories. I overshot only one day and usually I am around 600 calories.

What advice is everyone getting from their doctors and nutritionists? I haven't received any advice regarding caloric intake, but I have an appointment with my nutritionist soon to ask all these questions.

I want to have the best banding experience possible, as we all do, so I would love to know what everyone's thinking is on this.

[captain danbo 0]

I asked the about the cal intake on my follow up and they said, 600-800 cals but they also told me to worry more on the carbs and Proteins. They told me to try to have as little carbs as possible and no less than 65 Grams no more than 105 grams of Protein.< /p>

[insubordination 0]

My doctor and dietician told me not to count calories. I was happy because I've been obsessive about that kind of thing in the past. I love my doctor. No calorie counting, complex carbs OK, no Protein gram rules. The only rules are exercise (oops) and no liquid calories (OK there) or stuff that melts (um chocolate=bad). I can deal with this as it keeps me out of the 'diet' mentality which has not worked for me in the past.

However, I have been really concerned about getting adequate nutrition. All my meals are small but highly nutritious. When/If I stop losing, I'll still have room to improve.

I think I'm OK because my BMI was over 50 before this. I was eating huge amounts of food and now I eat about 35% of what I did before (no kidding). I can't 'binge eat' now and it's really not hard to have a big calorie deficit for me. I'll be honest that I was probably eating 4000 cals on many days before and barely gaining weight.

At a guess now I'd be 1500 - 1800 on a 'chocolate' day and 1200 on a 'good' day. Also, having my blood sugar levels normal must really help get the weight down. Plus, I would say that I definitely have some restriction as food does go down really slowly. I have to stop now and then to let it settle. No PBing or sliming yet thank goodness. I have been really careful.

I daresay some of you were very active or dieting even before this so it's not an enormous change for your body until you get good restriction. Then the weight will come off.

I agree, we're all in a desperate hurry. It doesn't work like that, does it?

You know a funny thing? I was eating a frozen meal tonight (vegan lasagne) and the packet looked so small yet the label said 'serves 2'. I giggled and thought, "as if". I cut it in half anyway and will save the rest for tomorrow. It was a different experience eating just half. Odd! Is that really how much human beings need? Could it be that suggested serving sizes are accurate?

Welcome V. Glad to have another Junster.

[ja9va 0]

Suzzie, chips and salsa I hear ya!! My big down fall, and crunchy stuff goes down. .. why can't that get stuck?

cb Marga's explanation of a stretched pouch is what I understood, my doc said you would know it if you had a slip.

dawn last night after dinner, I grabbed some tortilla chips and spinach dip. Now, only a couple table spoons of dip, but after two bites, I was like " what are you doing!!!???" I stopped and scraped it in the garbage disposal. I guess we have to keep thinking of those times we eat just to eat!

Stef I was told 1000 a day. I am surprised Dan's is so low being a guy. You would think his would be higher than 1000. But if you go to low, such as 600 your weight loss will slow down. You need food to burn calories.

Joey I think there are many of us with a slow wl. the nurse keeps telling me to be patient, but that is not happening. I think Marga spelled it out great, how we feel through the process! Hang in there.

Well, I need to get to work, I get to caught up in getting on line, it is so good to relate to everyone....later folks!

[madero 0]

I asked the about the cal intake on my follow up and they said, 600-800 cals but they also told me to worry more on the carbs and Proteins. They told me to try to have as little carbs as possible and no less than 65 Grams no more than 105 grams of Protein.< /div>

Hi Dan,

Glad to see you at the doctor's office! Did you get to see Dr. K? Me and my sister were kind of disappointed because we only seen Tamera. She checked my cuts and told me to go on smushies. She was in a hurry and told me to check with my sister on what I could now eat. Mainly she told her to eat proteins and no carbs. No rice, pototoes, noodles, Beans etc. And to chew 15-20 times.

She also said we may be getting a fill in two weeks.

Like others on this site, my appetite is gone. And after chewing the food so much it just doesn't taste as good as it use to.

Just wondering if you are going through the same thing or are you eating OK.

Take Care, Stella

[cbm818 0]

Marga and Janine, thanks for the explanation.

I am amazed at how "programed" I am about eating...I have to stop and THINK before I put a single thing in my mouth.

I have caught myself so many times...almost putting something I shouldn't have in my mouth without even thinking about it. Total mindless eating:hungry:

I also need to slow down...when I eat too fast it hits HARD and it is too late.

I am supposed to be eating 2 Protein Drinks, and four times a day, 1/4 each time-three weeks out. What kind of amounts did you drs. tell you?

[Suzzzie. 3]

OMG we all want this to happen so fast. First we wait for the surgery (agony) then we want to get better FAST , then desparate to be off liquids, can't WAIT to be off mushies, WISH I had some restriction, counting the MINUTES till my first fill, PLEASE let me loose some weight. I am a nutcase. Thank goodness you all post similar stuff or I would turn myself in:faint:

I hear ya! WHen I was a teenager I used to pray to God every night to let me wake up thin and I would eat better for the rest of my life. Haha. I just wanted a new start so bad. I remember I weighed myself one day when I was about 12 years old and I weighed 211 at that time. I don't think I weighed again until I was 17, and I was 309 then. I'm seriously surprised that I never reached 400 or beyond. I know that if I hadn't spent the last 5 years of my life on weight watchers and low carb diets that I would be like 500 pounds. So scary.

Anyway... I totally get the hurry up thing. This is what I tell my sick patients at the hospital: Hurry up and wait.

[Suzzzie. 3]

I have a question: What is the thinking amongst my June Bandster Buddies regarding calorie-tracking? I read some of the other threads and see some recipes that have GOT to have huge amounts of calories. (You wouldn't BELIEVE one of the Protein Shake recipes unless you've seen it for yourself!)

I am fanatical about my food log. I track everything I put in my mouth at My-Calorie-Counter.com and try to always stay under 800 calories. I overshot only one day and usually I am around 600 calories.

What advice is everyone getting from their doctors and nutritionists? I haven't received any advice regarding caloric intake, but I have an appointment with my nutritionist soon to ask all these questions.

I want to have the best banding experience possible, as we all do, so I would love to know what everyone's thinking is on this.

You should get a minimum 1000 cals a day! anything less than that and your body goes in starvation mode and stores all the calories it can. I read somewhere that calorie intake should be 1000-1200 for women, and 1200-1500 for men.

[ja9va 0]

cb please forgive me for I don't remember what stage you are on? As you have already read, we are all different. When I went on all foods last week, my nurse told me to limit the shakes because we need to begin to learn to eat small portions of regular food. it makes sense, but you need to be sure to get in your Protein. She said that drinking a shake in the am usually does not keep you full until lunch.

Suzzie I understand what you mean about the overwieght life as a teen. My Mom use to call me thunder thighs, needless to say she was a twig! But when I entered high school, I lost all the weight, and then she said I was to thin! Mothers!!! but my thin life did not stick around long. Since college on I yoyo and did all kinds of bad things to stay thin( no eating disorders, thank god!).

I am off to PA this weekend for my brothers and sister inlaws big 50th Birthday party. It is in the mountains, very country. they are having it at his cabin. After my sons wedding this weekend, my big worry is to stay away from alcohol, or be sure to eat!! The band for sure makes a difference with that. I think i will be ok with meals.

take care all!

[lo2us 1]

Anyone else experienced this too?????

I went for my first fill. The doc said he put in 1.5 cc's like he does for everyone. That part was easy. Then he gave me a sip of Water and I thought I was having a heart attack, it hurt so bad. He gave me a pb cracker and told me to eat it in 5 minutes in the waiting room and see how I felt. I could barely take a nibble I hurt so bad. I waited 15 minutes and asked the nuse when this pain would go away, she said she thought they'd put to much in and called the doc. He took some out and I immediately felt better! He said that this was actually good because it would take less fills to help me lose the weight! He also said this was pretty unusual on the 1st fill!

This was the roughest part so far of this experience, but it's been worth it even if I had to hurt really bad for a few minutes today. I've lost 40 lbs and 3 sizes so far and it's only been 5 1/2 weeks!

[cbm818 0]

janine, i am in the "soft" foods stage as my doctors office calls it. just wondered what everyone else was told for this (or any stage after liquids).

Have a great weekend in PA!