Papillon Princess

Yeah I do! I usually buy the extracts from WalMart they seem to have the most variety (around here). My favorites are banana, Cherry, Cinnamon (adding real cinnamon tastes gritty), coconut, and root beer! I usually add these to tea or vanilla Protein powder. The cherry, banana and coconut are good with chocolate Protein Powder also. The root beer is AMAZING! I blend the root beer with vanilla protein powder and ice in my magic bullet and it's just like a rootbeer float! YUM! My absolute favorite 2 (only together) is peppermint extract with chocolate extract. I miss the peppermint mocha at starbucks and this sure does do the trick! There's no fat or calories in extracts but you get LOTS of flavor. Some of them do take a little bit to acquire the taste, but overall, it's better than no flavor. (Everyone is different, so if some of the above flavors you don't like normally, I probably wouldn't suggest them. )

Hopefully you can get a script for it, it works really well for me! I haven't actually vomited but felt so sick like I was going to and the zofran helped and it was very quick too! They have 2 different types - one is a pill (very small) that you'll swallow and one is for under the tongue and will dissolve (it tastes kind of like grape). The dissolvable does seem to kick in a little faster, they gave that to me when I was vomiting from migraines in the past and it worked very quick!

Congrats! I'm 3 weeks post op tomorrow and finally doing pretty good! Some advice - make sure someone is around to help with your kids (especially the 2 year old) for at least 2 weeks. You need to avoid lifting and bending too much during this time and make sure you heal well. Make sure you have plenty of fluids, especially if you get tired of Water quickly. I had stocked up on Jello, sf popsicles, crystal light, chewable Fiber supplements, liquid tylenol, steri strips and Protein mixes. The one thing I realized I should have bought more of was the popsicles. The popsicles have been a life saver when I'm craving something sweet. Try some different Protein shakes to find what kind you like. I would also focus on eating better, I've read some people on here don't have to do the pre op diet, but they tend to be the ones having a hard time after the band. If you don't have a pre op diet, try to work your way up to 2 protein shakes a day and 1 small protein meal everyday. This will help like no other with cravings right after the surgery. I have my first fill in a week and I'm not having major cravings and I feel satisfied most of the time. Anyways, if you have any questions or issues, jump on here and I'm sure someone will help you. If it's serious pain or problems, call your dr. Good luck and remember, this tool will only work as hard as we do with it but we can all do this! We're always here to motivate eachother.

By flavor drops I assume you're talking about extracts? I love to use extracts! It takes a VERY small amount, no calories, no sugar and very flavorful. I hope the Jello works for flavoring your drinks! I'm not allowed fruit for at least 6-9 months and I sure do miss it. But I trust my dr and know he's doing what he has found works best.

Shirley it's called zofran. It works great and I haven't had to continue taking it. You take it when you feel nauseous and it is not a preventative.

I know this is a little old but I use Seasonique and I LOVE it! I had tried a few others before it and this one has been the best. My cramps were debilitating, I would have to leave school and just had to cry in bed. They gave me pain meds to control it because nothing otc was working. I was put on BC when I was 15 because it was so bad. BC helped a lot, but I've been on seasonique about 3 years now and it's working great! I don't really PMS or have cravings on it and my periods are so light I usually have 2 light days and 1 heavy day (which isn't really all that heavy). It's only 4 periods a year which is also the greatest thing ever!

This is something to discuss with your dr. Each surgeon may have different ideas of when you should go back. My surgeon gives up to 3 weeks off. I have a desk job and planned to go back after one week but I was unable to and had to stay another week. You may need to go back to work with restrictions for a little bit (if possible). If you're not 100% sure, wait until your post op and see how you feel. That's when I decided I needed to stay home longer. Yesterday I was 18 days post op and attempted to ride my motorcycle (sportbike) and boy that didn't go well! My dr told me 4-6 weeks until I can lift heavy things and that 450 lb bike didn't qualify but it was so nice I had to try!

I have a pill for nausea, you may want to consider talking to your dr about it. I haven't had a fill yet (2 weeks till my first one) so I don't know for that but the pill my dr prescribed helped a lot about a week post op when I started getting nauseous.

I personally wouldn't look into the nestle syrups (haven't looked at the labels in a while though, so things may have changed) but I still don't think those are too good for you. I've read a lot of people on here add SF Jello or pudding mix to their shakes so you may want to try that. The pudding mixes make it thicker and creamier, but I haven't tried the jello flavors. So consider a SF strawberry jello and remember a little goes a long way with that so just try a little at a time.

We're all trying to change our lives...consider something else instead of going out to eat. Try something else that you guys enjoy, right now the weather is nice, consider a walk in the park together. I was missing going out to eat all the time with family and friends but I'm starting to learn other things that I can enjoy with them. I'm no longer eating out to enjoy it, I'm eating because I need the nutrition. If you really want to go out to eat, try going somewhere that has Breakfast and eating scrambled eggs or go somewhere with grilled chicken. TGI Friday's has an awesome sizzling cheese chicken that is grilled and if you chew well, you should do fine with it.

Ticker - try going on the ticker website again and entering your information and make sure you copy the correct URL. Paste it into your signature line and it should show. 4 days and no energy is pretty darn normal! I was 16 days post op before I felt pretty good (I had a little more pain than most, so if your pain has subsided fairly well, I'm sure you'll regain some energy much sooner). I returned to work 14 days post op and was extremely tired after work each day. I think it's going to take about a month to really feel totally energized, I'll be 3 weeks post op on Tuesday and I get worn out pretty easy but I'm finally not having the pain and I feel decent. Hang in there, walk as much as you can and drink lots of Water. You'll start feeling better very soon.

You don't have to have the biggest goal - right now you can work on "mini goals" that you know you can achieve and then when you get to a good weight, you'll know. You can look at a BMI calc for a "normal BMI" but it really depends on you and how you feel at a certain weight. Do your best, make mini goals and when you reach one, make another and keep working on it.

Try a class at the gym or getting a personal trainer. Try going 2-3 days a week and build yourself up from there. Take at least a day break in between until you start working your way up. You can do this, just take it slow and work your way up there.

It's so easy to say "I'm too busy to workout!". I have a membership with a 24 hour gym so I have no excuses (weather, hours, etc). You by no means have to go every day. Even 3x a week for a half hour will help tremendously. I found that after working out a few days a week, I suddenly started making more time to workout the other days because I felt great afterwards. So try going, even if it's once a week to start.

I know what you mean! Old Navy has a plus size for women on their website and they have some AMAZING yoga capri's and pants. I personally wouldn't want to be wearing spanx to work out. You may be able to find some yoga pants at walmart as well. If you decide on old navy, they're in the women's plus section (online) under activewear. They're usually a solid color with a colorful waistband. If you're like me the waistband will never show with a long shirt so the colors on there won't matter. I have 4 pairs and plan on buying more as I lose as well

I don't think you have to do everything together. My parents are total opposites and only have one thing in common - their love for the family. Both of them go their own ways when it comes to hobbies and what they enjoy doing. Sometimes they will come together and do something the other one enjoys. But for the most part, it seems to work out great that they aren't always together. Find things that you can do on your own and make sure you discuss it with him. See if there are some things he might enjoy doing with you. If you are in love, it will work out. Counseling may be something to consider as well like the person above said.

I'm glad it went well, surgery isn't really that scary. I'm on mushies now also and that's going alright, my first fill is 6/22! I'm super excited. My pain is finally starting to get a little better (I'm 16 days post op). I've been losing steadily to my surprise, I read that a lot of people stall during the first 4 weeks, but I'm averaging about 4 lbs a week at the moment. So if that keeps up, I'll be really happy. I'm hoping to get back to the gym soon, right now I walk a lot at work and I've been a little too sore to go. It's great that you're doing well!

Which products are you referring to? Protein shakes - depends on the brand, I get mine off of walmart.com, I see a lot of people buy unjury shakes on a website and they seem to be popular. Try looking at one of the old threads about Protein Shakes (just search it on here) LOTS of shake ideas will come up and where you can buy. Crystal light - most grocery stores, once again walmart, kroger...etc I'm not sure if there were other products you were wondering about, if you have others, feel free to ask and I'll help you (or someone else will read and help)

Your suitcase should be fine and if you're unable to lift it, there are lots of people at airports and hotels that will gladly help you with it. For all they know, you have a bad back and need someone to lift for you You say a couple weeks of Protein powder...a 2 lb canister should get you through without a problem and that won't add too much bulk to the suitcase. Take a shaker or 2 along and you'll be ready anytime. Depending on where you go to eat, you should be able to find something with other people around that you can eat. If they have breakfast foods, get some eggs. Excuse yourself to the restroom if you need to talk with management about a special cooked meal. My dr gave me a little card to carry in my wallet explaining that I can only eat a certain amount of food and should be allowed to order a smaller amount or from a kids menu. Since it is for work, you can decline to go out to eat and say you'd like to go for a walk, hit the gym or see if there are some fun shops around! Try to do more active things there and hopefully others will join.

I hope you're doing well and haven't gone back to that trainer! I'm sorry you had to go through that, I wouldn't have waited to e-mail him...he would've gotten my piece of mind right then and there. My PCP wasn't too thrilled and told me I needed to go see a nutritionist. I told him I've seen several nutritionists over many years (by his request btw!) and did it ever work? NO! I flat out told him I had made up my mind and just wanted him to support me whether he believes in it or not. Next thing I know, he's filling out papers for me (then I find out I didn't need a referral and could've gone on my own!) But oh well, knowledge is power and when you educate people about the band and explain this isn't a quick fix and you have actually tried everything else, hopefully you can get some support.

I'm sure you've read this but be careful comparing weight loss amounts to others. Everyone is different with their genetics, activity level and eating. Make sure you drink your protein shakes and if you're thinking of cheating, get busy doing something else! Try to stay as busy as possible during that time and you'll be fine. It's very important to follow the rules and it will make your post op go much better. Try not to get the last supper syndrome, it won't be your last meal. My best friends know about the surgery so they were great about us going out and I'd just get ice water. Pretend it's vodka Make sure you know whether you can have caffeine or coffee at all. I was not allowed either so I opted for sugar free, decaf tea. Try different sugar alternatives to see what you like. I personally like truvia, it's very sweet and doesn't taste like chemicals like equal does (to me at least).

The first week I had trouble with anything with flavor (including my Protein shakes). My dr gave me a medicine for nausea and that helped more than anything! I tried waiting a few days but it was getting worse. If you can drink the Protein shakes, mix them with a very small amount of liquid instead of the traditional 8 oz of Water just so you can get it down. If you're still on pureed like I was at that time, pureed chicken is really good with some taco seasoning and cheese. (Cheese & Chicken have a good amount of protein). Someone listed above the amounts of protein so you can refer to that for more info

Walmart's Body Fortress Super Whey Protein is my favorite and it's the cheapest I've found. I buy on the website and it's free shipping to home. I get a 2 lb jar for $15 or you can buy 3 - 2 lb jars for $40 (mix and match flavors too!). I buy the 3 at a time, it's cheap, free shipping to home and it tastes great! My favorite is the vanilla, I'm not allowed fruit for now but frozen fruit was amazing in the vanilla! It's 130 calories with 26g protein. Walmart also sells cheap shakers by Body Fortress so I keep one at work and bag up little bags of protein powder to shake up for lunch.

I had horrible gas pains that radiated from my back into my shoulders and after a shoulder massage twice a day, it really started to help and mine was gone after about 5-6 days.

I was told to take Biotin supplements and after researching found that many biotin supplements don't have enough to make a different. Walmart has a 5000mcg pill that you can order and it ships to home free. It was the best value I could find too. Alot of the biotin I saw was only 1000mcg and recommended 1x daily. There's also shampoos you can purchase at most salons for hair loss. I agree with others that increasing your Protein intake will help a lot and make sure you're taking your daily vitamins! I can see a difference in my hair and my nails since taking all of this (in a positive way) my nails are long and strong and my hair is still thick as ever.