Tears on my pillow

[gypsyscribe 0]

Hi I was banded on June 12 in Baltimore and tomorrow I start week three with pureed foods. I have only lost 8 pounds. I thought that since I didn't have to do a pre-op diet that the liquids would have helped me lose more. week one and two I was allowed, sf pudding, sf Jello, cream of wheat, Soup, low fat milk, Protein shakes, sf popsicles, tea yada yad yada

I keep being told this is only healing time but I had higher hope. I wasn't told to limit anything. I have read that since the op that many can't even drink a glass of Water. I can drink 8 oz no prob...it just goes right through, I don't feel anything right now which I know is supposed to be that way.

I start pureed foods tomorrow and am afraid I will gain weight instead of losing since solids are coming even though I am aloowed to only eat 3-4 tablespoons every four hours. I am just so scared that this will not work for me, that I will be the one person that it will fail on.

I know I am just feeling sorry for myself. I know this is a tool, but I guess I need to hear from those who have had the same experiences as I have to know I will be ok.

My first fill isn;t until week 6. I am hoping that if I am good with my soft foods that I will see success. I did go towards the puddings more that I did other stuff, so the calories probably added up. I wish I would have had a maximum allowed instead of having a free and open menu amount. Even my burps are dry where so many seem to have wet burps. I am feeling afraid. I saw the band when they did the drink flow test on xray so I know it is there. I just don't feel anything anymore, no restriction or anything, is it possible it slipped?

Please someone help me dry these tears. I self paid which is also weighing on my mind. :blushing:

[*susan* 1,709]

Sorry, but I think you are getting yourself all worked up over nothing. Like you already said and know, the time immediately following your surgery is for healing, not losing weight. You probably felt a bit of what you thought to be restriction right after the surgery, but it was actually just the swelling in your tummy. Of course liquids and things seem to slide right through. You have no restriction right now. The band is designed to work once you start getting filled. And even then, it will probably take at least 2-3 fills before you begin feeling proper restriction.

As for having "only lost 8 pounds", are you kidding me??!! That is great. Many people experience no loss or gain prior to getting to proper restriction. So consider yourself to be one of the lucky ones, you are doing great. And, remember, at 3 weeks out and being down 8 pounds, that is averaging more than the 1-2 pounds the band is designed for us to lose in a week...with restriction!

And, no, I don't think your band has slipped.

[sweetrepose 1]

I was banded June 23rd and have lost 8 lbs. I am ONLY drinking 3 oz of broth, Protein Drinks, etc inbetween the sips of Water, tea, etc... I am taking in about 90-100 grams of Protein which helps burn fat and also gives me energy. I am having a hard time getting 64 ounces of Fluid inbetween though. I have all the suger free Jello, popsicles, but have not wanted them, so maybe my intake on sugar is low and that is why I am losing more, not sure if that is good or not.

[Lisa Dilard 0]

Hey Milady, hang in thier, you are doing great!!!!! I am sure you are feeling overwhelmed and all other kinds of emotion, which is normal!!!! Has the doc said anything about you being able to go for walks or anything of that nature? Maybe the exercise will help with weight loss and help ease the stress for you some? Hang in their, you are doing great!!!!!!!! Lisa

[gypsyscribe 0]

Thanks for the encouragement. I think I was just having a pity party for myself and needed to hear that others are out the there too.

I guess the other probelm is that so many think that this is supposed to be like bypass and the wieght just falls off. My sister is trying to get bypass but lapband was what I wanted and I need to remember the reasons why I chose the band over the sleeve or bypass. I didn't want malnutrition or my stomach cut. I knew what I was getitng into. I just see so many and have met mant who 6 months out have gone from size 24 to size 8 and that would be a dream come true...but I never have had the time to ask how hard or easy it was to get to that point. I was told an average of 3-4 pounds a week in the first few months then 1-2 when I get to about half or 3/4 of my weight gone. Is this wrong????

I guess I should feel lucky...one person is doing liquids for 21 days...I at least didn't have to do that. That is true will power and I commend all of you on your journey and your help.

Thanks

[vkcse03 0]

Chin up. I'm also self pay and had a BMI of 34 so I did not have to do the pre-op diet (which I was really happy about) too. I was banded on June 6th and only lost 7 lbs so far:cursing: All the weight that I lost was during the first 2 weeks. Once I started on the mushie stage, I gained back 2lbs. I have no restriction at all and can eat like I did before the band. I'm excersing real will power right now otherwise I'll gain back all the lbs that I've lost so far. I also feel really discourage right now too when I'm reading all the post of people losing 20-30 lbs during the first 4 weeks:cursing::blushing: and feel like I'm doing something wrong. I've even been excersing 2-3 times a wk and still no additional weight loss. My first fill won't be until mid-july so I'm just waiting around and getting stressed at not being able to lose more weight.

[AZChick289 1]

I too am in Bandster Doo Doo .. but we can do this .. We have to heal and take care of this wonderful tool .. Just think only a few years ago this wasn't available.. We are the pioneers and have to take care of us ..

Take it one day at a time .. and 8 lbs is GONE ... That is just the start ..

Hang in there .

[gypsyscribe 0]

Thanks for the support...I guess we all are in this weeks prayers.

[juliegeraci 7]

What you are experiencing is completely normal. You may gain moving to the mushy and solid phase. Your weight loss will start once you have a couple or a few fills so you have to be patieht. It took me over 6 months to hit my sweet spot and I still struggle with the same 20 lbs 2 years later. Good luck.

[bluefish62 0]

Hey Mi lady,

I was banded on 6/16 so I'm pretty close to your date. I think 8 lbs is great!! I only lost 7 so far, and it's not supposed to be super fast, that way you are losing more fat and not lean muscle and just water! You should be proud of yourself! I don't really have much restriction either, and can drink just about as much as I want, I start mushies on Monday, so I 'm looking forward to that, but I was not allowed much the first two weeks,,,clear brother, sf Jello and water!! Well I started having some yogurt and creamy Soups yesterday, which has helped with my ravenous hunger!! What I hear from others is the same thing, the first six weeks is healing and you would think, as much as our food intake has gone down, that we would lose a million lbs by now, right? Well, the body does not work that way, in starvation mode, the metabolism actually slows down!! Get a good Protein supplement and start getting 60 grams a day and that will help with weight loss too!! Anyway, come in the chat room, there are lots of great folks in there that will encourage you, they sure have me the past 11 days!!

Good luck girl,

Darie(Bluefish62)

[Maryiam 0]

I was banded on May 21st and i wonder if i made the right choice. I hope after my first fill on Monday I will feel the "LOVE" with my band that everyone is talking about.

I've been heavy my entire life so I wonder if my eating habits can and will change with my first fill. If my current feelings for food are a sign of what's to come then I'm affraid i've made the wrong choice with the lap band.

Cross your fingers for me!!!!!

[gypsyscribe 0]

Good Luck to you all and fingers are crossed. Thansk for all of the support.

[*susan* 1,709]

I was banded on May 21st and i wonder if i made the right choice. I hope after my first fill on Monday I will feel the "LOVE" with my band that everyone is talking about.

I've been heavy my entire life so I wonder if my eating habits can and will change with my first fill. If my current feelings for food are a sign of what's to come then I'm afraid i've made the wrong choice with the lap band.

Cross your fingers for me!!!!!

Mary, your eating habits can change with the band, but the band is not going to do that for you. It will restrict you so you eat smaller amounts. But, you have to make the commitment to eating healthier and exercising.

Someone once told me if you can do anything for four weeks, no matter how miserable it makes you and how much you hate it, after those four weeks it will become habit and you will feel compelled to continue doing it. That was true for me with exercise. I joined a gym. I dreaded going and tried to come up with every excuse I could not to go. But, fortunately my dh did what I asked him to and forced me to go. After going for four weeks, I now miss it and feel miserable if I don't go.

[lapbandbarb 0]

I am scheduled for July 7th and it has been helpful reading about what you guys have experienced soon after your dates. I, too, thought that I would loss really quickly but you have brought me to reality. The thing that I want to take from my band is long term weight loss. I have lost 70lbs 2x, gained 100lbs, 3x. You know, before I turned 40 and develped arthritis in my knees, it wasn't so hard to loss. Keeping it off was the trick. Hopefully, with this tool,this time, the weight loss will be for keeps. Once you lose the weight, it is possible to keep it off, right? I mean, I would love to drop 100 in a month, but to drop it in a year and keep it off forever is so much better! Wish me luck and congradulations!

Patience is a vertue!

[greyhoundmom 0]

I've been heavy my entire life so I wonder if my eating habits can and will change with my first fill. If my current feelings for food are a sign of what's to come then I'm affraid i've made the wrong choice with the lap band.

hi! i have noticed something amazing now that i have my band. when i see food i cannot eat now and that i used to eat (i.e. the wendy's chicken sandwich my husband ate a couple of days ago) i say to myself, that was the old me. that's not the new me. and i don't care if i have it or not. i have been praying for a miracle to change how i think about food. i believe it is happening!

today at a restaraunt i did feel somewhat sad seeing all my former favorites go by. i ate my little bit and left feeling sad but proud of myself for having such determination. i don't know where this is coming from but i think praying has helped. not to be too religious - i'm not really - but i do believe in the power of prayer.

we have to really want our habits to change and to educate ourselves about how to use this tool to make it work. and adding in prayer, i think that can only help! our surgeons have done their part - now it's up to us. good luck out there!