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The diet they had me on allowed 1 fruit a day. To be honest I see a lot on here where they are on a liquid diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery, that's new to me. I will say that my biggest help was non starchy vegetables, I was able to eat all I wanted, green beans and carrots was most of my diet for 2 weeks. My doctor also told me that the key to the liver shrinking diet was to keep the carbs down. I reccomend doing what the doctor says but if you should slip in a banana in your smoothie, who's gonna know

Welcome to the other side. The next couple weeks are the hard part. I had my surgery a little over a month ago. It gets easier.

Sweet!! Way to go! I went to the store and tried on a XL, ( before surgery I was a 1X-2X) and my friend was like that is to baggy. So I went and got a L! And it was a L I haven't worn a large, in God knows how long! It is so exciting. It is almost surreal!

Exercise is beneficial for many reasons, but to be more specific to your topic: It all depends upon how much weight you need to loose. There are people who have a lot of weight to loose and they will loose more then the next person whether they exercise more or less. Then there are those whose fat that they want to loose is not so conspicuous from the outside. The fat is more within the muscles rather than an outer layer.. Think of a poor cut of steak that is heavily marbled with fat. Only strenuous exercise will get at that fat, even if it means building muscle. I have 15 lbs to go to my goal, and I know I am one of those people. My skin is tight over my belly, legs and arms. You can see the muscles and veins when I lift weights. So where is the remaining weight (fat) I have to loose? Marbled within the muscle layers I'm sure.

I started today as well, but it isn't a liquid diet. I drink 3 shakes a day and have choice of salad and protein OR a lean cuisine dinner less than 300 cal and at least 14 g protein and got a few freebies here and there like jell-o , cucumbers, gum, etc. Was told tomorrow I can have chicken or turkey with green beans. Good luck! My surgery is dec 6.

I've had great success with the lapband. I do attend a practice in melbourne that is run by Prof. Paul O'Brien who is one of the band's pioneers. Their aftercare plan and their dietary guidelines are simple. Eat 3 meals a day (small Snacks if you really are hungry), come in regularly for checkups, get fills on consultation with your doctor - and the schedule and amount differs for everyone - settle in for slow but steady loss and never accept vomiting, reflux, night coughing as normal. Eat a normal diet - from all food groups, dont eat sliders, no need to cut carbs, obsess over Protein or avoid the occasional treat. Exercise regularly. Even thought that sounds simple, of course there are people who have the troubles you're experiencing. The band doesnt suit everyone and getting just the right restriction can be tricky - many people go back and forth from too tight to too loose and cant find just the right amount, I've even come close to having that sort of trouble myself since having my band unfilled totally for a big surgery, cant get the restriction I had, but I know I"m getting close to tight. So....... I know I have to work with what I have. The band takes a lot of work, if you let it it will help you eat the right things in the right portions but you are ALWAYS going to have to have self control to not overeat bad foods, which all too often go down very easily. If you expect it to literally stop you eating too much or eating the wrong things you are going to be very disappointed. It also doesnt result in very fast weight loss, its more slow and steady and it does require exercise as well as diet. It sounds to me like you'd be better off workign with the lesser restriction to the best of your ability and stop looking for the band to give you complete control. And if you cant do that, as many cant, this is a complex disease that has emotional and physical elements to it, then perhaps you might be able to look into a differnet surgery that might suit you and your issues better. The band does tend to work very well for lower BMI patients with eating habits not too out of control (which is what I was) and who are able to put in reasonably intense and regular exercise. This is not the situation many morbidly obese people find themselves in and the band is not always the right choice.

Don't get discouraged! The greatest thing about the band is the possibility for adjustment. Now, if you don't have restriction I would honestly just talk to your surgeon. There's no way your band is the size of a pencil if you can eat anything & everything. If your surgeon isn't willing to fill you I would recommend talking to a different surgeon. Getting a 2nd opinion never hurts. And sometimes the surgeon and the patient aren't a good match for each other. I trust you WILL NOT be another statistic! Restriction is needed for success with the band! I know you will achieve it. Do you know how many cc's are in your band, and the maximum amount of cc's allowed?

Most of our congregation knows about my band. (I was banded August 2008). Those who were there then know. We are a military community so our flock changes often. Newer people who come in usually don't ask until they see a picture of me or someone notices I don't eat much. I don't hide it but I don't blast it from the mountain top either. I also am willing to share my success with others who struggle. Many times believers feel guilty that we haven't prayed enough, fasted enough or whatever to get the weight off. I always share that God has different methods for different people. He instantly healed some as for another, he made a clay out of spit and put it on the man's eyes and then he was healed. So, as the Lord leads, I share. Yes, I am on the ministry platform as well.

:hungry: Isn't it fun saving money on food? Since lap banders can't eat much we can spend more money on new clothes. Is anyone having a hard time going out to eat? I have found that if you tell the waitress you have had lap band surgery abd aren't able to eat much they will allow you to order off the childrens menu.

My comment would be that this is rather high in fat (cholesterol). While everyone is different, I would recommend cutting your higher fat protein (sausage & Cheese) in half and replacing that volume with some healthy veggies and fruits. -