NWgirl

Maybe try 2% milk by itself? One glass is usually 10g protein, so you wouldn't be getting the same amount of protein vs the powder. I actually use 10oz milk per 1 scoop protein because I do not like it so sweet either.

Why are they being negative? Realistically, there are risks to any surgery. There are risks to walking out your door in the morning too. Lapband has a death risk of 1/2000, and the people who die usually have other severe health complications. Do what is in your heart, and don't let anyone tell you different. Most people seem to have a negative view of the Band because it seems to get the most negative publicity than other WLS. I'm not sure why this is, but I'm guessing when people see you succeeding, they will change their opinions rapidly. I used to be against the idea of WLS, until my Aunt got the Lapband three years ago and made it to goal and has MAINTAINED her weight for all this time. She was a yo-yo dieter and so seeing her successful with this tool gave me the push I needed. I know I have made the right decision. If, unfortunately, something goes wrong a few years down the line, I will still be thankful for the tool and the changes it will have made in my life. Nothing is ever for sure in life. And, at least I have the option to revise to a possibly better surgery or other weight maintenance thing that is not yet developed without cutting out a large part of my anatomy.

I'm glad I'm not the only one then. It's not like pre-band burps, when I knew they were coming. Now it's all of the sudden I have to burp, and sometimes a few in a row. I guess I can live with that as a trade off

I am glad you are feeling better today. This pain and discomfort will pass soon and you will feel good again. Keep your chin up.

You will do just fine! I had never had surgery before, so I was a little anxious, but it was very fast. I don't know how much Protein is in the Optifast, but if you need to, try and supplement if the protein is not 25g+ per shake. I found with a high protein/low carb/low fat drink I was decidedly less hungry than in the past when I've used slimfast (approx 10g protein per drink). Also, I highly recommend buying a travel pillow or one of those Peewee pillowpet's to hold against your tummy after surgery! It was a lifesaver for me. Pain after surgery varies widely, but I was off pain meds after day 3 and was walking around a lot. After day 4, all pain (minus gas discomfort) was gone.

Maybe go back to liquids for a day or two so you kick your system. Your picture looks great, are you at goal?!

I bought Jay Robb tropical dreamsicle and it is DELICIOUS! Almost like a creamsicle- I will be using this to make ice cream in my Ninja come summer time.

Also look for Lipton cup-a-soup cream of chicken. not much protein, but satisfying. Yesterday I bought Jay Robb's tropical dreamsicle and it tastes like a creamsicle, but is sweet so maybe not a good time. Maybe try a vanilla protein powder so you don't get the super sweet taste? I was told by the lady at the supplement store that Jay Robb is the best tasting whey protein. I believe her now.

I also took cherry milk of magnesia. I bought Probiotic Pearls too, and I think they have been helping. I have had severely reduced fiber intake due to being only about two weeks post-op, but I seem to be fairly regular daily. I only had to take the milk of magnesia once, about three days post op because I was feeling terrible.

I take a fish oil called Coromega Omega 3 Orange. It is a squeeze pouch that doesn't taste too bad. I guess a lot of parents use it for their children. No fishy smells. Kind of like a creamsicle, but not quite. I would buy off of Amazon.com, as I was in a supplement store yesterday and they charge over $30 for the same thing I paid $17. http://www.amazon.com/Coromega-Omega-3-Supplement-Squeeze-90-Count/dp/B000FFQATA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333299205&sr=8-1 I ordered my first set of vitamins from unjury. They are called O-Purity and are band specific. I did a comparison on my blog between these, Bariatric Advantage, Celebrate, Flinstones, and Centrum chewable. The cheapest was Flintstones (0.08 per day), Centrum (0.10), O-Purity (0.30), Celebrate (0.42), and Bariatric Advantage (0.45). Interestingly, my surgeon's material recommends the Centrum chewables, which you can usually get for $8-10 a bottle. I decided to go with O-purity because the ingredients do not come from China and unlike the other two bariatric vitamins, you only have to take one Vitamin a day vs two. I would say if you went with the Centrium, make sure to buy an additional Biotin supplement, a B12 sublingual, and the calcium + vit D/K chews. I found the Biotin and B12 at Walmart for approx $10 for both. I buy my 180 chews at Costco/Sam's Club for $11. http://thebandedblog...c-vitamins.html

Has anyone else experienced an increase in burping post op? I feel like the gas is gone, but am still burping a lot more than I did pre-op.

Hey guys, I just bought a Ninja pulse tonight for my puree/soft foods stage and wanted to know if anyone has one? Also, any good recipes you suggest? I love that this is supposed to be so many appliances in one!

It is possible that your throat was scratched. I know in the past, I have had times when I have taken pills and they went down wrong and still felt like they were in my throat because they had scraped the sides.

Have you talked to your Dr about the throat feeling? Did they put Fluid in the band at surgery? I have read that this feeling of "what did I do?" is common after WLS. Just think towards the future and the real reasons you got this.

Jay Robb is usually said to be the best tasting whey Protein. I stocked up on a lot of broths before my surgery, and drank a minimal amount of them. I also stocked up on yogurt, which I was not able to eat fast enough. Definitely try the sugar free Jello pudding cups, they have some nice flavors. Make sure you have a heating pad and adult liquid tylenol.

I was told for first ten days that I could shower, but don't soak incision sites in water or wash them. After ten days you can wash, and after two weeks (or until incisions are completely closed) you can submerge them.

I am almost two weeks post-op and had some crackers with my soup last night. Seemed to go fine.

I do not live in California, but have heard others say to be wary of 1800-thin due to some serious lapses in patient care reported. Good luck and hopefully your insurance is figured out soon!

Try "Bandwagon" by Jean McMillan.

my dietician said the first couple stages that the drinking doesn't really matter, as you are already drinking liquids for meals so there is nothing to wash away. She said when I start solids, then is the time to actually follow the rules.

I told very few people- mother, father, stepmom, boyfriend, and boss (who is like a mother too). Nobody else knows or suspects anything has changed. I took a couple days off schedule and my employees assumed I was doing something fun. When I came back, I was pretty normal.

Awesome!!

NSV = non-scale victory

I did not require 6 month supervised diet, so from start to banding was two months. It would have been sooner because I received approval approx 1 month after starting but my surgeon was booked solid til march. congratulations on the start of your journey!

I also went to a new pc Dr when I started the process. I am 23 and had been bouncing around a particular clinic prior, whose Dr.'s didn't seem to interested in my weight issues when I'd come to appointments before. my new Dr wanted to run extensive labs prior to signing off on the procedure, just to make sure there wasn't anything actually hurting my weight loss chances. He also ordered a sleep study. Under his care, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, low vit D, and low iron. He is very supportive and I will continue to see him. I didn't need a letter from the new primary care, and am not sure if it was a requirement for surgery. I had contacted my pediatric Dr who I saw from birth to 20, and he wrote a wonderful letter for me and also included my growth chart. This is the letter that was in my file.