GoCubbies79

I took a few pictures of the improved me yestarday while at my brothers. The lighting was not cooperating so they are somewhat bright. I put them in a gallery on my profile if anyone is interested. I weighed in today and am down 109 lbs!

Thanks everyone for the support. I definitely need to set some summer goals. I want to get out more and not stay in the house watching tv during my days off. I want to find various social events in the area to participate in. I will take some pictures of how I look now and put them on my profile.

I was banded on 3/1/2011 and have had some really good success thusfar. I will outline my typical diet for you below. Breakfast (8am) (I choose one from below) 1. Protein Bar = 200 Calories, 6grams of fat, 20 grams of protein 2. 2 boiled egg whites = 45 calories, 1 gram of fat, 12 grams of protein lunch (1pm) 1. 4oz chicken, 1/2Cup steamed veggies = 166 calories, 2 grams of fat, 32 grams protein 2. Boca burger (Vegan),Low Fat cheese, Ketchup, 1/2 Cup Veggies = 160 calories, 7grams of fat, 21 grams of protein 3. 2 Turkey Hot Dogs, Ketchup, Double Bites = 210 calories, 3 grams fat, 22 grams protein dinner (6pm) 1. 4oz Fish, 1/2 Cup Veggies = 130 Calories, 2 grams fat, 28 grams protein 2. 4oz Chicken (Either Leg or Breast), Cheese, Veggies = 200 calories, 6 grams fat, 36 grams protein Typically I have about 700 calories a day, 24 grams of fat, and between 70 and 80 grams of protein, I also drink 8-10 glasses of Water. Remember do no drink any liquids 30 minutes before you eat and 1 hour after you eat. I sometimes add powder flavorings to my water which are only 5 calories and they sell them at the dollar store for an 8 pack. Hope this helped some.

This band is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I struggled with my weight for most of my life, trying diet after diet, with no success. I was banded on 3/1/2011 and have lost over 100 lbs. I never felt this good about myself in my entire life. I have so much more ambition to go out and be active and do things that I never had before. My days of sitting on the couch watching tv and eating are over. I exercise 2 miles every day and am working up to do a 5K hopefully by next spring. I hope no one thinks I am trying to brag or gloat. I just had to Celebrate and share some success. The journey hasnt been easy and I have hit a few bumps in the road but overall I am loving this. If anyone is in the Chicago area and wants to join me in my 5K let me know, we are in this together.

Mindy is exactly right. Sugar drinks add empty calories into your daily intake which do not translate well to weight loss. I am 3 months post opt and have found sugar free hawaiin punch (fruit punch and grape) at the dollar store along with sugar free wylers (peach ice tea, 1/2 lemonade 1/2 tea, fruit punch, cool raspberry, lemonade, etc). They taste terrific and only have 5 calories. The best part is that they come in an 8 pack, all you do is add them to 16oz bottle of Water and shake. Kool aid also makes some very tasty sugar free assorted flavor drinks but I have only been able to find them in the powder that you mix with a quart of water. I use it and keep it in the refridgerator or make popsicles out of them. Good Luck

Here are a couple items that I eat for breakfast with relevant nutrition information: 1. Low Fat Cottage cheese - 1/2 Cup is 90 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 13 grams of Protein 2. Pure Protein Bar - I like the smores and Peanut Butter flavor. The smores is 180 calires, 5 grams of fat, and 19 grams of protein. The peanut butter is 200 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 20 grams of protein. I buy these at walgreens. They are perfect size for me (less than 2oz) 3. Boiled Egg with Low Fat Sargento Cheese: 120 total calories, 11 grams of fat, and 12 grams of protein 4. Boost Low Calorie chocolate Shake: 190 Calories, 7 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein Hope this helps

I was banded on March 1, 2011 and could not be happier. Since being banded I have had nothing but success. I have lost 92lbs and have a whole new outlook on food, diet, and happiness in life. For the past 3 days on and off I have noticed a very mild pain on the right side of my abdomen about 3 inches south of my rib cage. I have not noticed any particular activity or function that causes the pain. The pain is very mild and does not make me uncomfortable in any way. It feels almost like a sore abdomen muscle however I havent done anything that would cause this. I am a little concerned and plan to contact my doctor however I was curious if anyone else has experienced anything like this and had any insight as to what it could be.

Thanks More2Love! It has been a lot of hard work, mental toughness, and support from family & friends. I have made significant changes to my diet. Before my surgery I used to eat fast food, fried food, and generally unhealthy foods. I no longer eat any of that stuff. I plan out my meals for the entire week every Sunday. I spend almost the entire day cooking and portioning out meals to bring to work to ensure I eat healthy. I exercise regularly. I go for walks when the weather cooperates. I started off walking around the block once and now can go 2 miles per walk. Since doing this I have so much more energy, motivation, and drive to be more active. I go to all support group sessions the docto office provides. I even go to some educational classes the doctor office provides to learn more about eating habits, influences, self esteem, etc. I see my surgeon and primary doctor regularly to keep myself accountable. My family and friends have been supportive through this although it took them several months to finally stop harassing me to eat more.

You are correct all doctors are different. My diet was a bit different than yours. After my surgery the 1st week was liquids only, 2nd week was mushy food, 3rd week was soft food, and 4th week was all foods, but I had to introduce 1 new food at a time so I knew if my body could handle it or not. I would follow the doctors diet plan he setup for you. Being that all patients are different sizes and conditions the surgeons diet is most valuable. Remember take things one day at a time. Also call your doctor whenever you need guidance, it helps.

Medications you should have ready are: 1. Liquid pain medicine 2. Multivitamin 3. Calcium supplement 4. sugar free Jello 5. food for your 1st week post op. You will be too sore to go to the grocery store. To ensure you make good decisions on what you will eat post op, you should buy everything in advance and have it portioned out and ready to consume. 6. Extra pillows: Because of the soreness you will in your left abdomen from the port it will be uncomfortable to sleep laying down. I found the most comfortable position was either sitting up or my upper body elevated about 45 degrees. Extra pillows to prop up your upper body will make it much more comfortable.

Depending on the surgeon you have when the band is put in there may or may not be any liquid in it. My band was put in with no liquid in it. I would definitely call the doctors office for guidance on what to do at this stage. I found that premeasuring all my meals and eating only what I have on my plate helps alot with eliminating going for seconds. I normally have 3-4oz of Protein and 1 cup of veggies with all meals. I cook no extra food so there is no second, third, or extra helpings. If you get hungry before the 4-6 hours try snacking on low calorie food like fruits and vegetables. Are you drinking liquid as you eat? This is the hardest habbit for myself and most bandsters to break. You should not drink anything 30 minutes before a meal and 1 hour after a meal. If you are drinking during this time it bascially flushes everything out of the pouch and you will get hungry sooner. Hope I was helpful.

The Lap Band is simply a tool to help us all eat an adaquate portion. We however are still responsible for what we eat and how much we eat. The band is not going to stop you from overeating or eating junk food. If you are having trouble there are a few resources you can seek out to help. 1. Call the doctors office and seek guidance, perhaps they can give you another fill 2. See your nutritionist to ensure the foods you are eating are nutritious and valuable 3. See a therapist/pyschologist to investigate the reasons you overeat. Believe it or not there are reasons we all overeat even when we may not fully realize it. 4. Go to support groups and ask for help, guidance, and support This lap band is a learning process for us all and we have to stick together for support and guidance. I wish you the best.

Congrats to everyone, we are doing so well. We definitely need to keep this going, it is great motivation for all of us. I lost 4.2lbs, I was so worried I would not lose because I wasnt able to exercise as much this past week. I pushed it to hard the week before last and ended up getting blisters on my feet which are now healed. I am back to working out this week again. I can feel my restriction starting to get less, good thing I have a fill coming up on the 24th. PHEW!!

That noise is just gas. During the surgery they inflate you with air so they have more room to manuever and do the operation. It takes some time for all that air to absorb into your system and get expunged. It took me about 2 weeks for the gas to go away. From time to time when I start to get hungry I get noises in my stomach similar to the gas noises I had after the surgery. I am not sure what it is but have a strong feeling it is just the stomach growling, starting the hungry process.

I was banded on March 1, 2011. Since I was cleared by my doctor to exercise I have been walking on a daily basis, weather permitting. I started off just going around the block and have progressed to 1.5 miles. I set myself a goal to reach 2 miles by June 7th. Sunday I went for a walk and decided I would push myself so I did 2 miles and boy did it wear me out. I took Monday as a rest day and last night I went for another walk. I set a goal to do 1.5 miles and was going to push myself to a brisk walk. When I got about a half mile into it I noticed my feet start to burn a little bit, it got progressively more intense. I ended up walking just over a mile. When I got into the shower I noticed I have huge blisters on both my feet, hence the burning. Is it possible to get a blister that quickly? Does anyone have any advice on how to prevent them? I need to continue this exercise and dont want the blisters to continue. Because of the ones I have now I am going to have to take atleast a day or two to rest.

I have New Balance shoes which are designed for walking however they are about 6 months old so I should get a new pair. I definitely could use new socks, mine are quite thin. Thanks for the advice everyone.

I take a Vitamin D3, Multivitamin, and calcium supplement daily. The vitamin D3 is 1000 IU and I buy it from walgreens. I just get whatever is on sale, usually buy 1 get 1 free. I take the multivamin, chewable, and calcium, lozenger, twice a day. I buy both from Bariatric Advantage. They have a website with all sorts of Vitamins and supplements.

I am going through the same scenario. My family is constantly, on a daily basis, offering me food that I am not allowed to eat (Fried, fatty, junk Snacks, candy) and they just dont get it. It has been 2 months since my surgery and everyday I have to explain the rules over and over again and frankly I have to walk away sometimes or I will blow up on them. The most frustrating part is when I politely decline and then the Why? questions begin and what are you going to eat? questions begin. Then they try and rationalize that fried poultry or italian sausage on the grill is high Protein, yet I have to explain every day that they are high in calories and fat therefore I cannot eat them. I do my own shopping and cooking everyday yet the questions go on and on and on. Am I being unreasonable with expecting them to understand by now? Should I just let loose and blow up, maybe thats what they need to back off and stop trying to sabotage? Any advice from anyone?

We definitely need to keep this going after memorial day. This has been great motivation for alot of us. I would hate to see it end.