CrazyKoKo

I like to make "band friendly" Snacks ahead of time so they are ready when I need something quick.. for example.. ~ deli meat rolled up with some cheese and mustard ~ deli meat rolled up with a little cream cheese and a pickle spear ~ deviled eggs ~ string cheese ~ Jello SF pudding cups (so yummy) HTH, Kortni

One of my favorite things to mix with Laughing Cow is those seasoned tuna packets. I mix 2 wedges of LC with one packet of tuna and it it with dill pickles.. cuz tuna and dill pickles always go together

I'm not a fan of chicken salad.. but I eat tuna and egg salad by themselves. Another thing I've just recently read and tried.. is taking a couple wedges of Laughin Cow cheese and mixing with a packet of tuna. I eat this mixture by itself or try to mix it with a little lettuce.. it's very yummy!

I get them at Sam's Club. A little cheaper than Wal-Mart and more varieties. So worth it having them around.. love them in coffee, Greek yogurt and shakes!

Salads are very hit and miss with me. Hubby and I both love a tossed salad with dinner, so I make them almost every night. I just always have to wait and see whether or not it will work for me that night, lol. Doesn't seem to matter too much for most lettuces for me, though romaine is definitely the hardest one for me to keep down. Red leaf, green leaf and sweet butter seem to be the easiest.. and I always toss in a little baby spinach. I say jump in and try different ones and see how your band (boss) likes them!!

Have you tried any of the flavored waters? There are lots of options.. my favorites are Aquafina Flavorsplash and the Vitamin Waters with no added sugar. If you like iced tea, now that it's getting warmer, sun tea is a great option. Good luck, Kortni

When I got banded (4 years ago) my surgeon said he folded a flap of my stomach around my band and sutured it to hold the band in place and prevent slippage. Did anyone else have that done? Are there symptoms and/or pain involved with slippage?

Bobbi, sometimes I can eat better standing up too, lol.. my kids look at me like I'm a nutso!

Seems that a lot of Lap Banders struggle with anemia.. myself included. When I found out and started taking iron supplements, it made a huge difference. As far as vitamin D.. my family doc suggested getting 15 minutes of sunshine a day.. without sunblock.. as many days as possible. WOW! What a difference that makes for me. Here in northern Michigan it's been raining and gloomy for two days and I'm desperate for my sunshine fix!! Does a little sun therapy help anyone else??

I'm not sure that is normal.. have you talked to your surgeon about it? My banded tummy gurgles and "talks" to me at times.. but I've never had the pain and trouble with BMs like you're describing. I hope you get it figured out really soon.. and don't have to live with the pain anymore.. good luck

Hey Shirley and Glen! I'm Kortni, and from Onaway.. way up by the bridge..

I, too, love bariatriceating.com.. look for the recipe for cheeseburger pie.. it's delicious and quite easy to eat! My second favorite is allrecipes.com. I just mess around with foods that I've always loved to make them lower in carbs and higher in protein and try to please hubby and kids along the way!

I'm one of the ones that my band gets tighter during that week. I guess it works to my benefit because I don't gain any weight then.. but I still have insane cravings.. so it's a huge mind game for me. Thankfully I do like Protein shakes or I'd probably have to commit myself!!

I got banded in Feb 2007 and a tummytuck and breast reduction/lift in Sept 2008. By far the worst pain I've ever put myself through, including two c-sections.. but totally worth it. I was in pain for a week.. uncomfortable for another two weeks.. and been so glad I did it every day since.. and it's been 2 1/2 years! Just wait.. before you know it.. the pain and the drains will be a distant memory and you'll be thrilled with the results!!