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Originally Posted by wph74  I am so worried that I am going to fail at this! And I am having trouble picturing life post-op.... What were the first few weeks like? Did you crave sugar? When/did you start exercising? What sorts of things do you have for breakfast and lunch (my hardest meals b/c they are usually on the run)?
Did you have this PBing thing that I've been reading about (it sounds kinda scary!)? |
Wph (sorry, not sure of your real name), I worried about failing, too. I STILL do. :\ I'm 41 yrs. old, I've been over weight since my late teens. So I'm not one of these people who gained weight due to a pregnancy, illness, or used to be an athlete, etc, and then just had trouble taking it off. I fought my weight for 20+ years. When you repeatedly fail, and fail again, and then again...even if you manage to lose some weight and then you find yourself right back where you started (or worse) 6 months later...well, it makes it really hard to believe that "this" time will work.
In previous weight loss attempts, I often had a "stop" date in mind. I did BFL for 12 weeks...but after 12 weeks, that was it....and the weight came back. Most people work really hard to lose a "set" amount of weight, or for a certain occasion (this summer, that wedding, before the vacation), and then you revert back to old habits or simply give up because it's so HARD.
But here's what's different about the band. You *can't* really give up. Oh, sure, you can work really hard to work *around* the band. You can not get fills, you can eat ice cream all the time, etc...but if you simply follow the guidelines (protein and veggies first) MOST of the time, you find that it DOES WORK. And when you feel full with just a small amount, you're NOT feeling deprived (like most diets), so you don't want the junk and the ice cream as much. Note that I said "as much." Shoot, I still want junk...I want something junky right now. But I'm not really hungry, so it's much easier to ignore that "voice" in my head...I'm going to go get some water in a few minutes, start working, and then, before I know it, it'll be dinner time anyway. So try not to worry too much about failing. Take it one step at a time. :)
My first few weeks post-op were pretty easy. I was a lucky one in that the first 2-3 weeks, I really wasn't that hungry. I found that if I gulped liquids, it was pretty uncomfortable...so I sipped all day long. Also, and I think this is VERY IMPORTANT for EVERY new bandster. Before you go to surgery, get RID of the scales. Give them to a friend, have someone hide them (my DH hides them for me), throw them in the trash. I'm SERIOUS. The first few weeks after surgery are emotional. Some people have mood swings from the anesthesia, some people are mourning food, some people want to have lost 20 lbs right NOW simply because you've made that first step. But the first 6wks really ARE about healing. Stick to your liquids/mushies/soft foods regimen that your doctor recommends and do NOT worry about the weight loss. Consider any loss a bonus, but focus ALL of your attention on doing what's right for the band in this healing time. Even within that healing phase, you can practice making GOOD CHOICES for your liquids. Choose skim milk instead of a milk shake, eat cottage cheese (for a soft food) instead of mashed potatoes...but even then, you're adjusting to a new life, so if you need the milkshake one day ;), drink it.
I did find that, once I moved off of liquids, that it was harder. I started getting hungrier and I missed "eating." By moving to mushy foods, it was just "normal" enough that I really wanted to BE back to normal. So I did things like pureed beans with cheese on top, which for me (because of the cheese) is something I normally wouldn't do, so it was a treat.
By the time I was eating solids for a few weeks, and feeling NO restriction, I'm pretty sure that I was GAINING weight. But since the scales were gone, I couldn't panic about it. :) I went for a fill instead.
I never really craved sugar any more than I crave it now. I always want sweet tea, I always want chocolate. I CAN say that, in the beginning, when I hadn't had ANY of it, it was easier. I do think that you "de-tox" from the carbs and sugar IF you're avoiding them...but once you start them, you want them again. :\ But still, all of those cravings are so much easier to deal with now!
I started exercising about 2 (maybe 2.5) months post-op. I'd lost enough weight by then (again, no clue of numbers, but I could tell in my clothing), that I felt like I could with trying to buy some workout clothes. I do think exercising is VERY important, but for LOTS of reasons beyond losing weight. It's good for your heart, bone density, lungs, blood pressure, and more importantly for me, my MOOD. Exercise is an endorphin release for me...best anti-depressant I've ever tried. ;)
Breakfast and lunch my band is pretty tight. I have to be *really* careful at breakfast. Some mornings, breakfast is just hot tea with a bit of sugar. Most often, it's a Kashi GoLean or South Beach bar on the way to my workout. Lunch is also very small, depending on how the band feels that day. An example might be 4 or 5 bites of tuna salad on crackers, or another protein bar. Today, it was some Hawaiin Chicken and Shrimp salad. :) But I always try to think protein and produce FIRST. If your meals are on the run, you'll find portable things that work well.
Yes, I've PB'd. :D It really is NOT a big deal most of the time. Usually a week or so after a fill, I forget that my band is tighter and do something stupid like eating too fast, or too big of a bite, or the wrong food. I haven't PB'd now in weeks. The main thing, I think, is that it really IS a manageable occurrence. If you slow down and LISTEN to how your band feels, you can avoid them.
Whew! What a long-winded post! I hope that it helps some. :)
Cindy
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