~*~Rachel~*~

The band is not a quick fix and it is not automatic weightloss machine You must diet... You must make good decisions.... Yes you have to be careful... Yes you can cause some damage.... Yes you can slip... I would start researching the band you already have to get to know it better and I would do it quickly...

This site is totally my new facebook. I have been trying not to talk my friends family and co workers head off about the lap band so I just come here. I check it right before I go to work before I go to sleep I am at work right now and on here. Soooooo Hi My name is Rachel and I am a LBT addict...

Jan 25th 10 more dang days!!!!!! lol we can do it!!!

I am suffering right along with you. All these protein shakes are so sweet and on a empty stomach its just not settling well.. I was nauseated all night last night plus big headache today woke up with stomach cramping. never been lactose intolerant at all I think its just these shakes

My diet is basically that. Meal replacements 4 x day and then one healthy protein <lean meat baked chicken sirloin > a day. but I have been having such a hard time getting in four of those meal replacements because they taste too sweet. So I have <and not advising this> tried to get in 3 at least and one low carb low calorie low fat something or another. like tonight when my hot cocoa meal replacement would not dissolve and i was gagging trying to chew it I strained a can of chicken noodle soup and drank the broth. worked for the moment until it was time for my next snack. I hope its okay to do but if I am allowed jello and Popsicles and a meal of my choosing to be low carb low fat low calorie then I will do the best I can. I just pray that there is not a scientific reasoning. I am actually cutting my carbs and calories down a lot doing it. So here is to hoping...

okay okay I know what your thinking I just discovered what it feels like to be hungry... lol no my pre op diet has a lot of sweet meal replacements bars shakes pudding all this sweet on a empty stomach is not settling well. Any suggestions?

I know exactly how you feel. those drinks make your stomach hurt if there is nothing on it. I keep reminding myself this is hard but its only for a short time and the benefit out ways the discomfort. Tried drinking one of my hot chocolate meal replacements tonight gagged for about thirty mins. thats the first one ive tried of these that I do not like. It would not dissolve no matter what I did. So I guess I will be a little bit more hungry since I am at work and can't get a different selection but I will survive...

My meals are much the same I do new direction meal replacements four times a day then a green salad and a protein like baked chicken or something lean. I hope it gets better its really messing with my stomach. The products are good just too much sweet as I've said... maybe it will get better its only day two so I will wait to start whining too much.

Thank God I was not the only one really felt stupid lol

Don't just stick a toe in the water jump on in. We don't bite unless it is something yummy

I am getting band on the 25th!

Okay I am going to have to let my blonde show through and confess.... I swear I was looking at this as if you were saying you were having surgery at TJ MAX.... wow I need food.... or sleep....

I have not had the band yet but will be on the 25th from what I have researched and learned here and talking with my doctor it sounds to me the problem sounds like you are too tight.

So bright and early this morning I am up organizing my kitchen into his and hers. Anything I am not allowed to have out of sight out of mind. Went shopping last night after my pre op class. Thankfully my nut let it out of the bag on everything I was allowed to have during this process. I really feel like I am not going to suffer. I continue to remind myself that others have to do liquid diets. I bought my pre op foods from the Robard diet. I will be allowed to have four choices a day. Decided on Tomato soup, Dark chocolate smore bars, Fudge graham bar, Peanut butter bar, Strawberry shake, and Chocolate pudding. Each have about 200Cal 27grams protein and around 13 carbs a piece. In addition I am allowed one lean meat and green salad with wishbone salad spritzer. The Italian dressing is actually good. I can also have 10 calorie no sugar added Jello and pops. Crystal light actually makes a Popsicle. Dill pickles have no carbs depending on the brand and no calories. Mrs. Dash spices. Mustard no calories or less then 10 depends on the brand. Plenty of water and crystal light to go flavors. I have my handy dandy notebook to keep track so I stay on the 1100 cal a day allowance I have set for myself. So today I will try a few choices of my robard diet meal replacements and pray they taste something like food and not chalk. I have my foods ready and my husbands foods ready. I pray I am prepared to start this journey. I feel I have done all the planning that I can possibly do and it is now time to follow through.

Okay so I am hungry... But not just starved! I think it is just the thought of what I would have already ate today that is getting to me... So far I have had: 3 cups of coffee + non dairy creamer+ sweet and low= Calories-40 carbs-0 1/2 Robard new direction Strawberry protein shake= Calories-100 Carbs-5 Protein 13 (since I only had half) Small green salad with cucumber lettuce banana peper green onions 1 dill pickle and wishbone salad spray= Calories ~50 Carbs~ 4 1- Fudge graham chocolate new direction meal replacement bar= Calories-160 carbs- 12 Protein- 15g Soy Protein- 13g For the rest of the night I have: 1- Strawberry Jello- Calories 10 1- Baked chicken breast Mrs. Dash onion and herb + 1 tsp Dijion mustard= Calories-120 Protein-25g Carbs-<1 1- Chocolate Robard replacement Pudding= Calories-200 Protein-27g Soy Protein-3 Total Carbs=10 Small green salad same as above 1- Hot cocoa Robard new direction meal replacement- Calories-200 Protein-27 Carbs-10g okay okay so I know that looks like a lot of carbs.... but thats total carbs and the amount of carbs available for digestion into sugars is a lot less. So Total= Calories-roughly 930 maybe 10 or 20 more depending on amounts Protein- 110 roughly Carbs- 45 give are take 1 or 2..... pretty good I think...

Its almost here only 12 days to go till my surgery!!! Being band on 25th. Started my preop diet today and so far so good. Working night shift so it is just the start of my day but we will see. I am starving but I have a great pre op diet that gives me a lot of choices so hopefully after the inital shock is gone It will get better. Getting nervous and so obsessed with this website it is crazy. I spend half my day reading how everyone is doing.

I don't know how many of you out there have struggled to find a protein product that you actually like but at the risk of sounding like a walking advertisement I was forced to try this one. New direction by Robard corp is the pre op diet meal replacements that my doctor uses. I have tried unjury and all the other protein shakes and hated them. Granted I have only tried the strawberry shake and chocolate pudding so far but I pray they keep up being this good. The strawberry shake tasted like a melted strawberry milk shake so I froze it and then blended it. I could not taste any protein taste. However it is very sweet so I have drank it a little along but it was good. I am so happy to finally have found even two products that I like so far. They have 200 cal <it is a meal replacement not a snack> and 27g of protein!!!!!! sorry was too excited not to share! Day one preop down! I pray I do not get tired of these so I can use them after my surgery for a meal with so many flavors I really don't see that happening. Can't wait to try the fudge graham chocolate bar tonight.

Yes it is the same process. From what I have watched of the surgery on youtube they basically have to move your liver out of the way to get to the spot they have to work in. A lot of doctors do it different though. Some only allow clear liquids or full liquids and protein shakes. Some do a optifast diet which is nothing but protein shakes. Some do Atkins diet. So basically it all works the same less carbs less fat = less liver..

Enjoying my first shake. It is Strawberry blended with ice. Actually taste good like a Strawberry melted milkshake. Its 200Cal and 27g of protein! I think 10 carbs. So far so good. Only other calories used is my nondairy creamer for my coffee it was 20... had two cups so total 250cal. 27g protein. 1 Viactiv calcium chew. <love these> <10 cal>. http://www.robard.com is my diet replacement website if anyone wants to check out these shakes.

So after talking all morning with my employer trying to make sure it was okay for me to go ahead with surgery, I have made the decision to head to Birmingham <about an hour away> to do my pre op admission and pre op class. Also to pick up my pre op diet. Hopefully the roads will be better since the big snow and ice storm here that has had me snowed in all week. Not looking forward to starting my pre op diet but as I said before I feel lucky it is a little more then liquids. Last night instead of being able to have a big send off at olive garden or something like I wished I had to settle for fresh brownies. yummy! I hate this snow storm. I will officially start my pre op diet in the am since I wont get my diet material until after 3 this afternoon. Starting to get excited after the past twenty four hour emotional roller coaster of my work telling me to post pone my surgery. There has been soo much time and money put into this process I would hate to have to put it off again. Thankfully everything has worked out so far. Now if Mr sun will dry up the ice on the roads to get me to where I need to go. I feel like with the insurance requirements and all the emotional hurdles this has been a trek up an icy mountain. So I will pack my snow skis and off I go...

I am a critical care nurse and understand your reserve on going through with the surgery. For me it is not a choice. I am scared and nervous naturally but the way I am living now is not living. I feel bad daily and hurt all the time. I am only 27 but who is to say how much time we have left in life? You and I both know 52 is YOUNG. Yes anything can happen and yes something might go wrong but hey if I get in my car today no one gives me a guarantee that I make it home tonight. Do this for you so you know you did not give up and give in.