jen120

If you like Cran-Grape juice...Ocean Spray makes sugar free "on the go" little packets to mix in water. It is like crystal light. The cran-grape tastes exactly like the juice. They also have White Cran-Peach, Cran-Cherry, Cran-Cherry-Limeade and some other flavors. They are awesome!

Movies, scrapbooking or some other craft (if they do that sort of thing), maybe the theater or a comedy show, shopping for new clothes, start a mini book club where you read a book then discuss once a month, take a low carb cooking class or buy a cookbook and each of you pick one healthy recipe to make for the other ladies. Enjoy!

This is pretty normal. Since you are only 2 weeks out, you are definitely not fully healed on the inside. You probably overdid it last night and the swelling is from that. Take it easy for the next couple of days...no heavy lifting or hard work. You should improve a little bit each day.

Good for you! Now I'm thinking maybe I should make some taco meat instead of the tuna I had planned!

For calcium and Vitamin D I do the chewable viactiv Vitamins. They are chocolate and remind me of a tootsie roll. I actually buy a generic version. I take 2 a day. Usually both at the same time, maybe I should split them up. I have been taking Bariatric Advantage Lap Band chewable vitamins. They taste horrible. I can't wait till I'm done with my bottle so I can try something else.

I was using the Realize site for tracking my food and exercise since my surgery because the doctor and nutritionist said I could give them permission and they could have access to it directly on the computer if I ever needed to consult them. Their site is very limited and inadequate. So I wanted to ask for recommendations for tracking all nutrition and exercise. This is what I am looking for... Must be online Must track both food, full nutrition and exercise on one site Must allow for printing out so I can bring them to Dr. (my Dr. wont do a fill unless you bring printouts of the last 2 weeks of food and exercise) I'd like to be able to add comments and notes for each day if possible. Thanks in advance...I know you guys will have some great info!

Awesome! I wish you much continued success!

You will definitely have constipation right after surgery. I didnt have a BM for 4 days. Then I didnt have any issue until I started solid food. Now I am definitely constipated and I have started using Miralax. I think it would be ok for you.

I am so frustrated that I havent lost any weight in 2 weeks. Yes, I am only 5 weeks post-op but I started at 415 pounds. With the huge amount of weight I have to lose, after the initial big loss, I feel like I should be dropping 2-3 pounds a week. I have lost 35 including the pre-op diet. I am currently eating 800-1100 calories a day, usually about 100 grams of Protein, maybe 30 grams of fat, and usually less than 50 grams of carbs a day. Even with no fill, I am not hungry between meals. Since I was very sedentary and very out of shape prior to surgery, I have started exercising very slowly. This week I've started riding a stationary bike for 10-15 minutes a day. (I cant walk due to severe arthritis in one knee). I am also doing some "chair exercises", mostly stretching and some strength moves. I know I need to be patient and I am going to continue with the program. I just want to see results and feel thinner! Also, I am so lonely. I lost my best friend (he is a guy and I was in love with him and he didnt feel the same for me.) because he got back together with his old girlfriend from 4 years ago and now he is so in love he wants to get married. My heart couldnt take it. I was destroyed emotionally. I had to cut off all contact because I just couldnt take it anymore. We used to talk on the phone for 2 hours a day and I really miss him and our friendship. I must admit, part of my motivation for the surgery was that maybe if I lost weight he would fall in love with me. I know I'm jumping all over the place. I really just needed to get this off my chest... (((Hugs)))

I guess it depends what kind of person you are. If you are someone who reads about another poster who is having significant problems and its going to make you nervous, or cause you to worry excessively then you might limit what you read. There is no point in making yourself feel bad or worry.

You can do this!! I had PMS during my pre-surgery diet of shakes, broth and Jello only. Ugh, I was grouchy and was craving food non-stop. Like Karen, I just told myself that my liver needed to shrink and this was like taking medicine. What made me frustrated is that every surgeon seems to have a different pre-op diet. Different lengths, different foods, different restrictions. At the end of the pre-op diet I was craving lettuce! Of course, I had to do the same diet after surgery as before. But that seemed easier for some reason. Hang in there and good luck with surgery!

Congrats! That is so amazing and awesome! Keep up the good work!

I usually eat sliced turkey from the deli. Usually 4oz of turkey fills me up. Sometimes I add a slice of cheese to eat with it. I just munch on it in the car on my way to work. (I know you are supposed to sit at a table, concentrate and eat, but I just cant do that)

It's different for everyone. I took 2 weeks off and I am glad I did. I healed perfectly and was able to get plenty of rest. I could have gone to work after about a week but I was still sore. I had plenty of sick time and vacation so it wasnt an issue.

Hi Jen, I know how you feel. I was banded May 23 and have lost 36 pounds including the pre-op diet. Since starting regular food of Proteins, fruit and veggies my weight loss has significantly slowed and pretty much stopped. I am doing my best to be patient. I am eating about 800-1100 calories a day. Lots of Protein and very little carbs (less than 50). I have started some very light exercise and hope it will kick things into gear. It is not realistic to expect to lose 35 pounds a month...4-8 pounds a month is what my doctor told me to expect. So I am trying to focus on that. Sticking with the plan and staying focused. I know it is hard when you look at the scale and its not moving. I say, dont weigh yourself for 2 weeks and see what happens. Good Luck...

Your liver is on the right side of your body...so the pain is not from that. Its from the bigger incision where they put the camera and the port. The pain will get better. I seemed to feel dramatically better after about 8-10 days.

The pre-op diet was HELL for me. I cried, I was moody, I was tired, Ugh... It was completely psychological. I wanted to eat so badly but I kept reminding myself that I needed to stick to the liquid diet so my liver would shrink. I had to avoid a birthday brunch with my friends because the temptation was just too great. I never was extremely "hungry" I just wanted to eat. This web site helped me a lot. I am now almost 4 weeks out and am eating Protein, fruits and veggies. I am so much happier. I have lost 35 pounds since May 9th (when I started my pre-op diet). You can do this!! Let me know how things go!

When I transitioned to soft foods we were limited to soft Proteins which included tuna, all cheeses, yogurt, Beans, sliced lunch meat, canned meats and tofu. I was given a Protein goal for the day. Mine is 68-102 grams of protein. The protein goal is based on your height and your age. (You can probably look it up online) My nutritionist said to try to get the minimum protein goal everyday and dont worry if you get to the max. In phase 2 (where I am now), we still have the protein goal, but we were able to add in solid meats like a chicken breast or steak, we could add nuts and all other sources of proteins. We are also supposed to get in 3 servings of fats and can add 2 servings of veggies and 1fruit a day. During my first transition week of soft proteins...this was a sample menu. Breakfast- 2-4oz sliced turkey Snack- string cheese Lunch- 1/2 to 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 can of tuna mix with mayo and relish Snack- string cheese Dinner- 1/2-1 cup non-fat refried bean with some shredded cheese or 2 eggs or tuna if I didnt have it for lunch Good Luck!

Someone else posted this article. I thought it was great so I wanted to share it in this thread. It really helped me understand what the band is really supposed to do. Enjoy... http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Tomato soup can be very acidic and can cause some stomach upset. The quiche may have something in it that didnt agree with your tummy. When transitioning to solids start with "soft proteins" simple things like plain scrambled eggs, or sliced turkey lunch meat, or a slice of cheese. Tuna with some mayo or some cottage cheese. After a couple a weeks of that then you can add in some cooked veggies. If they give you a problem, then wait another couple of weeks before trying them again. At the beginning I would try to stay away from overly processed food and restaurant food. There are too many unknowns. Keep it simple.

Way to go Dave...I'm glad to hear you had a great vacation!

Way to go...just remember it will slow down.

I have severe arthritis in one knee and cant do much walking at all. All physical therapists always recommend swimming if you have knee problems.

Hi, For me, I had bought the Bariatric Advantage shake mix. That was the only shake my doctor would allow. To me they tasted horrible before the surgery and I would "chug" them down to get them out of the way. After surgery, the smell, texture, taste everything jsut made me sick to my stomach and I would start to gag. It had nothing to do with the band. I think it was just me. But I have heard about some really good shakes on here that had I known, I would have tried those before surgery. I definitely dont recommend Bariatric Advantage. So it is good you are getting all this info before surgery so you will be ready. Good Luck with Surgery on Friday...I am sure you'll do great. Dont be too nervous. I was too, but it went a lot easier than I thought it would. I had no gas pain at all. Actually other than being a little sore where the main incision was, it wasnt bad at all. I never took any pain medication after. My surgery was at 10 and I was home by 5:30 that day. 3 weeks out, I am almost completely healed. I've lost 35 pounds since May 9th. I wish you much success!!!

These helped me because I could no longer stomach the shakes after surgery. The GNC web site sells a "variety pack" of the Isopure which lets you try 6 flavors. I think it qualifies for free shipping. You can then pick your favorite. All the flavors were ok... much better than the shakes. I would definitely try them.