FLORIDAYS

I didn't blend anything.... I just chewed it into oblivion before I swallowed. Of course I stayed away from anything like steak, pork chops ....pasta...I ate lots of tuna, applesauce, cottage cheese, Soups.... And on a separate note... We don't get more than we can handle although I know it feels like it now.... Just rest when you can and keep eating right and it will all be fine....

Wonderful news. Congrats on making a very important decision and taking control of your health

I am not sure what you mean.... We all must learn to eat until we are satisfied ...not full. Once the post up liquid was over Mr dr had me eating 3 oz of protien, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 c starch at every meal. No more than that.

The scar is higher than I though it would be but he did the best he could making sure the top and the bottom were tight.... I think it's going to heal nicely

It's a shame you weren't given more instruction... But liquids for 2 weeks is the norm... I was on clear liquids for the first week then creamy liquids the 2nd week. The cream would be like soups with no meat or noodles, protien shakes... Yogurt with no fruit or goodies in them.... That sort of thing. Try to limit your calories during this time so you still lose... My dr had me on 1200 which was almost impossible. I just couldn't eat that much. Then the third week I was on mushies... Which is basically anything you can mush up in a blender ...I avoided meats except chicken salad and tuna basically because blended burgers just looked too gross. Lol. Avoid breads and anything crunchy. Applesauce, mashed potatoes and foods easily digestsble work well. But even during that stage I had no more than 3 oz protien, 1/4 c starch and 1/2 c of veggies at each meal.... Which totaled 1000 calories. Dont hesitate to call your drs office if you hav questions or feel you need more instruction. That's what they are there for.

Remember not to eat until you are full, eat until you are satisfied... On mushies or solids You should be eating about 3 oz protien, 1/2 c vegs and 1/4 c starch at every meal.

Hopefully you feel badly enough to avoid that mistake again... You could have caused some serious damage this early on. I know how hard this is... But I also know you must want this badly ...so jump back on board and make it happen. You can do it!

I am with you... I have been paying insurance through my employer for 30 years... They would cover high blood pressure meds, diabetes if I had it and shoot even a heart attack but they wouldn't pay for me to get help losing weight. It's just a fact of life and i agree it stinks.

This is the hardest time. It will get better.... Hang in there and do not succumb to the cravings. You can do it !

Sounds normal...and you haven't gained..... I assume you are on liquids.... But you still want to be watching calories and salt intake. You will see a loss before you know it. Your body is in recovery mode.

You should be ok...keep drinking water for the next couple of hours and do not eat anything...in fact I would do liquids the rest of the day...

Now that made me laugh....because that before was just flat nasty.. On Tuesday morning when I was standing naked in front of my surgeon 15 minutes before I went under and he was marking me all up he had a tape measure around his neck and I told him he looked like a tailor.... he said exactly... some people call me an artist... I call myself a tailor. I said just cut off the unnecessary skin and sew me back together...he said...pretty much. LOL

I am a bit embarrassed to tell you I never worked out because I know I should have. But it also proves you CAN lose weight without exercise. However I started walking after I lost the first hundred lbs...and thats all I have done.

Congratulations!!!!

I seriously considered Mexico... I too was self pay and in the end I decided I needed the support of a local healthcare team....and for me the risk was just to great to travel abroad.go with your gut feeling..But if you chose Mexico make sure you line up your aftercare ahead of time.... Many US drs won't touch you....

Nope... Didn't happen to me. I never had a gain on my journey. And the pain was bearable. It was just the gas that was uncomfortable for a week or so.... Best of luck to you.

I am anxious to watch your progress...you have the right attitude !!!

All the above posts are excellent. Loose skin should be the least of your worries. I am 5'9 and weighed 377 lbs at my heaviest. You can check out the pic in my gallery. I thought I carried it well too but nevertheless it was still 377 lbs of strain I was putting on my heart. I lost 220 lbs with the help of the band. Amazingly enough my loose skin wasnt as bad as I thought it would be but it was there. I am also 30 years older than you so have lost most of the elasticity and I was heavy most of my life so the odds of it bouncing back was slim. I chose to get surgery but I was in a size 8 on Monday before the tt and I am still in an 8 today... So I could have lived with it. My point is... Don't let that be an excuse to not lose weight.... It's not worth it.

Congratulations on your successes....best of luck.

Well ...fruit has lots of sugar in it.... But I don't think it has protien, dairy, grains...and I believe you need a good combination of all of the above to have a healthy balance...but I am not a dr or Nutritionist so this may be a question for your healthcare team.

Doing really good actually...thanks for asking....I posted before and after tt pics on my blog if you want to take a peek. I sure do not know everything... But I just think bending the rules so early on is a recipe for disaster....

Are they done in portions for bandsters or Regular dieters?...not sure where you are in your journey....

Since you asked...yes. Why in the world would you even consider it? I know it sounds harsh but I am guessing youre not even on solids yet.... Your body is far from healed and you sure do not need the calories.... Just my humble opinion. I didn't have my first adult beverage until I lost 90 lbs... 6 ms post op.

I interviewed 3 surgeons before settling on mine.... I feel I made the right choice for me.. I am not big into rah rah. I am big Into results and I felt my surgeon and his staff fit well with my personality. I have been banded 24 months and couldn't be happier with my results. Best of luck to you.

I never stopping pushing to lose but I respect your candor and applaude your willingness to start agin. Best wishes!!