Kinda Lost and Confused

[MollyAnne 0]

I had my surgery on 10/29. When I went back in for my post-op appt on 11/10 I had lost 22 pounds. All of that was just lil ol me from the liquid diet leading up to surgery and also the liquid diet after surgery. I have not anything since. I have stayed RIGHT THERE! I had my first fill on 12/1 and a second fill on 12/28. I now have 5cc's in a band that holds 11cc's. Right after my fill on 12/28 I felt more restricted - but now I do not. I know that this band is a tool and that diet and exercise are necessary. I just want to get to that restrictive point!!!! I watch on the xray machine as they do the fill and I drink stuff to see how fast it is going thru the band. I know I am more restricted now - but not at the point where I can eat only a 1/4 cup at a time. Last night I ate a whole chicken breast and about a scoop of mash potatoes - no problem.

I just am ready to really get this going!!!!! At this point it would be me doing it on my own - just eating less and exercising. Which is great - I just had this surgery for a reason - not to feel hungry and lose weight!

HELP!!!!

Also - I am a diabetic and this surgery really turned around my diabetes! I went from 5 pills and 2 injections to 1/2 a pill a day. That is the best thing that has come out of this surgery - now *I need the weight to come off!!!!!:thumbup:

[crzytchr 3]

I had my surgery on 10/29. When I went back in for my post-op appt on 11/10 I had lost 22 pounds. All of that was just lil ol me from the liquid diet leading up to surgery and also the liquid diet after surgery. I have not anything since. I have stayed RIGHT THERE! I had my first fill on 12/1 and a second fill on 12/28. I now have 5cc's in a band that holds 11cc's. Right after my fill on 12/28 I felt more restricted - but now I do not. I know that this band is a tool and that diet and exercise are necessary. I just want to get to that restrictive point!!!! I watch on the xray machine as they do the fill and I drink stuff to see how fast it is going thru the band. I know I am more restricted now - but not at the point where I can eat only a 1/4 cup at a time. Last night I ate a whole chicken breast and about a scoop of mash potatoes - no problem.

I just am ready to really get this going!!!!! At this point it would be me doing it on my own - just eating less and exercising. Which is great - I just had this surgery for a reason - not to feel hungry and lose weight!

HELP!!!!

Also - I am a diabetic and this surgery really turned around my diabetes! I went from 5 pills and 2 injections to 1/2 a pill a day. That is the best thing that has come out of this surgery - now *I need the weight to come off!!!!!

First, big congratulations on reducing your meds! Your body is responding well to your weight loss.

Please do not try to get to the point where you can only eat 1/4 cup of food at a time. I think 1 cup is more where they want us to to be once the post op diet is finished. What I hear many people say is they are told if you can eat a "whole" anything, then you don't have enough restriction. Journal your food and drink intake each day. You need to make sure the amount of calories you are consuming each day. Please do not go under 1000. I try to keep mine between 1200-1500 per day.

Be conscious of what you are putting on your plate. Only put about half of what you think you are going to eat. Eat that slowly. If when you are finished you still aren't satisfied, then go back and get the other half. I find that most times I will eat what is on my plate. Old childhood habits die hard. Knowing that, I put what I think I should be eating on my plate. Since banding, I think I have returned for my extra "half" maybe 4 times. I really am satisfied with less. I may WANT more, but I am not really hungry for more. Head hunger is the hardest thing to overcome. It is a pain in the behind!:thumbup:

If you aren't having to pay for each fill, I would SLOWLY have them to begin to add more. I am talking about no more than 1cc at a time. I have seen people who get too tight and it is really bad. My friend couldn't even swallow her own saliva. Being too tight is worse than being too loose. You begin to eat slider foods and actually may gain weight. Take it slow.

Good Luck

[gingerbug 3]

It does seem to take time sometimes. It is like our bodies are refusing to cooperate. We KNOW that it has been deprived of enough calories to lose a pound and yet it refuses to budge. The thing is, it will give in and the scale will move down. Hang in there and keep on following the rules. Restriction is a mysterious thing that must be approached slowly. It sucks, sometimes, it really does. It is also totally worth the wait.

[HMBradley1965 0]

I am also a diabetic and they have been telling me I should consider the bypass since most type 2 diabetics have their diabetes resolved quickly after surgery. I always wanted the band but I could be swaying the other way. Did anyone tell you the same thing??? And if so why did you go band instead of bypass....I still am leaning towards the band...

[MollyAnne 0]

As far as the Diabetes goes - there are the same studies that show the the Lap Band has the same results. I had my surgery at the Cleveland Clinic - one of the top hospitals in the World. Believe me - it works on diabetes.

What are slider foods?

I will start journaling my foods. I just am ready for restriction. Why do they do it a lil at a time? When they fill my band at the Clinic - I have to drink some gross stuff so they can see it go into the pouch and then see how fast it goes thru. Pretty cool. I am assuming that right after they do it there is some swelling that adds to the restriction at that very moment - but that then it goes away. Just readY!!!:thumbup:

[crzytchr 3]

As far as the Diabetes goes - there are the same studies that show the the Lap Band has the same results. I had my surgery at the Cleveland Clinic - one of the top hospitals in the World. Believe me - it works on diabetes.

What are slider foods?

I will start journaling my foods. I just am ready for restriction. Why do they do it a lil at a time? When they fill my band at the Clinic - I have to drink some gross stuff so they can see it go into the pouch and then see how fast it goes thru. Pretty cool. I am assuming that right after they do it there is some swelling that adds to the restriction at that very moment - but that then it goes away. Just readY!!!:thumbup:

I would go slowly so you don't get way too tight. Slider foods are foods that go through the band easily: chips, candy, Cookies, ice cream, etc.

I understand you want restriction, but are you still hungry, or just not full? Personally, I am more restricted now than I have ever been, and I would rather not be. I am having to eat my meats much slower than I used to and I find it to be a big pain in the butt. If I don't eat slow enough, I pb. I NEVER did that prior to my last fill.

[als74 1]

Can I ask a foolish question? I see a lot of people use pb. What is pb?

[HMBradley1965 0]

I have been wondering what that is to....Is it puking????

[crzytchr 3]

Pbing isn't quite a unpleasant as throwing up, but it's not a barrel of fun either. You pb normally if you have food stuck (like in my case) or if you have overeaten. First your mouth begins to produce extra saliva to try to help the food go down, then if it doesn't go down, it comes back up. It isn't as bad as vomiting, because it doesn't contain stomach acid. It is just the food and normallly a bunch of saliva.