post lapband diet and nutrition expectations

jasonweinberg

so, i am ten days out from my surgery. in limited discussions with some of my lapbanded friends on here, there seem to be some variations in the approach to recovering from the surgery and losing weight. in my program, it seems they treat the lapband just as if you had the bypass. of course, there are huge differences between the two procedures. first of all, my recovery has gone well and i am feeling fine. i felt "restricted" for the first few days after the surgery and had no thirst or appetite whatsoever, but since then i have felt a full normal appetite. i am still on liquids and a 600 calorie diet. i don't get my first fill until 7 weeks from now. in the meantime, i get to start pureed foods next week, then soft foods two weeks after that and one week after that i can start day by day trying "normal foods". the thing i don't get at all, is why or how i am expected to stay on a 600 a day calorie diet until my first fill without feeling any restriction. only when i get my first fill do they increase me to 800 calories and at 6 months i can go to 1000. now, prior to surgery i was losing around 4 lbs a week and had lost 55 lbs on a 1500-1700 a day diet. i am already halfway to my goal. i was really enjoying the path i was on. now i feel like i am starving. why is it necessary to amp up my weight-loss when i have been losing so steadily already? is it in anticipation that my weight loss will slow if i don't reduce my calories more? is it to be able to give the insurance companies gaudy numbers? i am trying to stick with the program but really don't know if i can make it on 600 calories a day. the nutritionist basically told me that i had jumped through all the hoops and met the requirements to have the surgery, so if i went over here and there it would be up to me, but she encouraged me to do the best i can and feels the results i will get in increased weight loss will make it worth it. also, once i get restricted i won;t feel so hungry. but why not go ahead and eat a little more until i am restricted instead of living with this hunger level?

i'd like to hear others experiences and programs to hear how they differ from mine. thanks.

bellanean

Who told you to stay at 600 till your fill? I really worry about some surgeons. I was told NOT TO WORRY AT ALL about my calorie intake during my recovery time. I was told " I have my whole life to lose weight, this is the time to heal". Being on liquids I can see you being at a 600 cals, but once you are out of that phase you need boost your calories. Play around with the calories and see what works for you. Dont get discouraged if you stop losing weight or gain on mushies/soft, its very common. Heal first and then worry about losing the weight.

jasonweinberg

that is the expectation of the program i am in. i really think it is because they don't differentiate between bypass recipients and lapband recipients. people with the bypass have restriction already so it makes more sense for them. right now i feel so hungry i almost don't even care about losing weight. i just want to feel less hungry.

bellanean

have you checked out lapbandtalk.com ... you will get a lot more thoughts on this subject. I have had three fills already as i still would never be able to only eat 600 cals. thats crazy.

Lisamarie1226

While my surgeon is more strict with procedures following a fill, I was never given specific calorie restrictions post op. I was given a list of foods and a schedule. I can't remember off the top of my head (this was in January of 2008) but I think I was on liquids for 2 or 3 weeks then soft foods for a few more weeks.

I was told protein shakes and smoothies were okay on any stage.

ammknits

Jason, hang on, pal.
My program does differentiate between bypass and banding. Like Lisamarie I could add foods of heavier consistency over a period of time, yet not have any specific calorie intake limits.
It's too bad yours doesn't, but I would definitely give them feedback on that issue. They need to adjust, the surgeries and the after effects are VERY different. My brother had bypass, I had the band.

I also struggle with feeling hungry. If I'm hungry, I'm miserable and completely distracted from everything else I am supposed to be doing. I had a bumpy path over the last two years, but I remember having liquid for 2 weeks right after surgery. I couldn't do it. I tried some mashed potatoes and jello before one week was up, but I took it VERY slowly. Essentially, my tummy was bruised from the surgery and once that went away, I had no noticeable restriction.

If you can work with the calories from pre-surgery, I would do it, but I'm not a medical professional!!!
You need to pay attention to your activity level mostly. At least, I do. The more I sit around the less I lose. My restriction was finally to a point where it interfered with what my head wanted only 6 mths ago. Now I have to work on all the mind games I use as excuses for eating poorly.

jasonweinberg

i've been on protein shakes since the day after surgery. if you mean fruit smoothies, i am supposed to be off any high sugar fruit drinks for life. i have been making non-fruit yogurt "smoothies" by blending yogurt with skim milk.

July24Lioness

i've been on protein shakes since the day after surgery. if you mean fruit smoothies, i am supposed to be off any high sugar fruit drinks for life. i have been making non-fruit yogurt "smoothies" by blending yogurt with skim milk.

You should be able to have berries, peaches - low sugar fruits..................

Also, I thought the calorie restriction is due to not stretching your stomach out and to get it to shrink even more.......... That is what I was told by a couple of ladies I know that had lapband done.

jasonweinberg

its okay to mix in a serving of fresh fruits in a yogurt or soy based smoothie but not to use a fruit juice base. and i am only supposed to have 1-2 servings of fruit per day. again, these are the expectations of the program i am in. i am quickly realizing i will need to make modifications, although up to know i have followed their program to a t with great results. still, i am blessed with a job where i ski and snowboard just about seven days a week (which was part of my impetus to shed my extra weight) but clearly, if i am still going to be on 800 calories a day until february, that is not going to work. there is no way you can burn that many calories everyday and take in that few. like the nutritionist told me, i followed the path to surgery, but now that i have succeeded in doing that, i can most likely make modifications without too much flack from them. especially if i continue to lose weight at a steady pace which i will do.

and yes, i can feel my stomach tightening. maybe the hunger will lesson in intensity overtime. but right now it is quite overwhelming.

Mary_Burris

I had my surgery in March of 2009 I dont think I ever ate that little of calories except when I was on clear liquids. I have perfect restriction right now and I eat anywhere between 1000-1200 depending on what I eat and if it is slider food which I dont eat alot. when I was on liquids it was hell though I will tell you I drank probably 3 protien shakes a day, ate a butt load of sugarfree jello and sugar free popcicles. my doctor had me on 5 day liquids before surgery then after surgery I was on clear liquids for 2 weeks, Full liquids for 2 weeks, and mushies for 2 weeks. I never counted my calories when I was on those phases but I can tell you that my protien shakes were about 200 calories a peice and I drank atleast 3 of them a day! My doctor has 2 seperate plans for lapband and bypass paitents and they are suppose to be 2 whole diffrent ball games! if you have any questions feel free to message me!

jasonweinberg

made with skim milk my protein shakes are 186 calories a piece. i usually substitute 4 oz of decaf coffee in my am one so that cuts it to 143. i was doing three a day but at 600 calories a day that was about it so i cut it to two. clear liquids for two weeks and then full liquids for two weeks sounds pretty intense, too. i am dreaming about monday and pureeing some chicken with broth and eating it. i can't wait. i'm curious mary, because i know what fantastic results you have had, how much you lost before surgery and how your weight loss rates compared pre and post-surgery. again, the jist of this entire thread as i feel at a littile bit of a loss why i would need to ramp up my weight-loss when i was already comfortably losing 4 lbs. a week. that seems plenty fast enough to me. especially since i am not feeling restriction yet, although they tell my i might when i start on soft foods and solids.

Mary_Burris

you will most likely stall or slow down your losing when you start your mushie and regular foods but as long as you stay active it will start up again quickly. I will tell you I was honestly in HELL for those weeks! I had to make meals for my daughter and I would (I know this sounds bad) but I would chew up the food and spit it in the garbage can because I wanted to taste real food again! Now my doctor is realllllly strict and thats why he has such a high sucess rate even after every fill I have I have to do 2 days clear, 2 days full, 2 days mushies, and I think he is on crack if he thinks I do that every time still. lol. I only lost 20lbs before surgery but after I had my surgery I was bound and determined to get the weight off asap I was up and walking for as long as I could handle it the day of my surgery!!! so I was doing everything by the book and working out 5 times a week for atleast an hour (after I got the go ahead from the doctor) and it just started flying off and my doctor has always told me that I lost my weight as fast as a bypass paitent does but all I really did was listen to his instructions and did EXACTLY what they told me to do. They always told me in the beginning not to worry about "Calories" but to eat slow and until you are full and then stop! stop and throw the rest away! once the swelling goes down you will be starving ALL THE TIME if you only eat 600 calories. There is no way that you will be able to do that because once the swelling goes down you will basicly not have any restriction until you have a fill and even then you probably wont have that much! I didnt get "good" restriction until my 3rd or 4th fill.

jasonweinberg

mary you are such an inspiration, and if you could go through hell, i can. you touched on EXACTLY my biggest struggle: i cook meals for my daughter and it makes me SO HUNGRY. tonight i ordered takeout for her just so i wouldn't have to cook. my swelling has already gone down and i am already starving. the nutritionist says i might feel the restriction once i get on soft foods. i sure hope so.

Jacole18

Jason you're doin great. Right now since you're so newly post up...just worry about healing and planning your new life. The fact that you're feeling hungry now is sooooooo normal.....of course with the swelling going down that will happen. You will lose weight as long as you follow your doctors orders and don't worry about calories! You won't be eating enough to stress over anyway....especially right now. Count your blessings and enjoy your band. After a 7 month hiatus, I am doing the same. My band is a gift and should be treated as such. I should not and will not abuse it anymore.
Good luck....and we are always here if you need us

jasonweinberg

well, i just got off the scale and have lost another 5 lbs. that is 10 lbs in a week which is my best week so far. i guess being so hungry isn't so bad after all. i am only 5 lbs away from my goal of being down to 250 by ski season with close to three months to spare. that actually seems quite insane to me! i would have never thought it possible.

jasonweinberg

this 600 calorie diet is for the birds. so is the two weeks phases when i can tell i am ready for the next phase with 9 days to go. i feel like my metabolism has slowed to a crawl. i need more food and more varieties of food. i'm gonna stick with the phases, i guess, but i'm giving up on the 600 calories. it is just not enough calories for me. it is making me weak and miserable.

Mary_Burris

Just make sure you are drinking and drinking and drinking TONSSSS of water! that will also help keep your metabolisim going as well while you are in this crappy phase of things.

jasonweinberg

before the band i was very active and drinking 12-18 cups of water a day. now i am struggling to get down 5 or 6. one thing that has been a struggle for me is i'm a big swimmer and i am still off swimming for one more week.