Nechama L

I like the 100 calorie Snacks that are on the market. Fiber One brownies, pretzels, etc. Also, I buy string cheese which is like 80 calories a stick, smart beat cheese slices - 25 calories a slice, cottage cheese singles, chobani yogurt. Hope that helps!

I found that a lot of the tests they did were done more in order to let the surgeon know what to be prepared for at the surgery than as factors that would have stopped the surgery from being able to take place. I had that when my PTT blood work came up abnormal and it resulted in them having to have extra blood on hand because we discovered I had a clotting deficiency. I have high hopes for you

There is really no need to have to do all the testing etc all over again. Go to a new surgeon and just get the records from all the tests you had and give them to him/her. You can do it!

I know one person who has been banded, she is a very close friend and we have known each other for over 7 years and one who had a different procedure. I am very much a barf-a-phobe (I just created a new word) so I am uber-careful to chew my food. I know eventually I will screw up or the band will be PMS-y and I wont be able to swallow something but I am not going to let it scare me. I think tha if you don't have anything that would cause them to have a worry about your breathing that you have the right, as the patient, to clarify with the surgeon what it is that is absolutely required and what is just being cautionary in the realm of testing.

Forgot to answer a couple of your questions I have lost about 15 pounds I think since surgery (which was about 6 weeks ago) and I definitely want a fill next week when I go in. Really, it is for two reasons. 1. I am starting to feel "peckish" (love that word) after I have eaten what I know is the right portion that should have satisfied me. 2. My next appointment after the one next week is a day before I go on vacation and I don't want to only have liquids and mushies during that mini-me only vacation

I don't recall having to do anything beyond a chest x-ray. I still think that that sounds overly cautious. How old are your kids? I have eaten lettuce a couple times in salads with a light dressing and have not had much of an issue, but it drives me crazy to have to chew it so much and since I am not a lettuce lover, I am totally happy with not having it anyway. I have a friend who sometimes gets stuck with lettuce and sometimes not. I think a lot has to do with what time of month it is since I have been told by my surgeon that some women are more sensitive (tight) right before and during their periods. I don't eat fruits because they contain a lot of sugar. I had some cherries recently which was nice. I have heard some people have problems with the skins of things like peaches and nectarines and also with bananas because you can't really "break" it up by chewing. I had one smoothie which was nice because it was fruit and yogurt so I felt it was ok as a whole meal. I kind of see my ordering in lunch every day as my "going out to eat" because my husband and I don't eat out anymore since he is on Atkins and I am banded. Just not worth it. You can definitely ask for half your order to be wrapped up right when you get it to control your portion. You can also ask them to substitute half of something for vegetables. I have seen that there is some card that people take with them to present at a place so they can order a smaller size but A) I think that is for certain specific non-Kosher places and I would rather ask to have half wrapped up than have a waiter who won't know what I am showing him and be embarassed for no reason trying to explain what I need. BTW, if there is anything you feel you don't want to post in public and ask, feel free to send me a private message!

Why on earth would they tell you that? I would double check that they weren't kidding about the radiation. I mean, people who do chemo can usually be around kids after, so how much could they possibly radiate you with a chest xray? That being said, a part of me would say it would be easier to email but I also remember when I first joined how disappointed I was seeing nothing from any Jewish frum people on here so I consider this thread as a public service and will answer you here! I never heard of veggie caps so I wonder if those are Kosher. Keeping in mind that I am a vegetarian, here is what I generally eat now that I am fully in the band swing of things (without a fill yet - hopefully next week!) Breakfast - 1 Myoplex Protein Shake (14 fl oz) and a single serve Breakstone's cottage cheese lunch - We order in lunch every day at work, so either I get a scoop of egg salad, a vegetable Soup, a vegetable side dish, or some other very small portion of something that I can have. I find I can usually eat 1-2 cups of food for this meal and then I am truly full. dinner - Most of the time I end up having leftovers from Shabbos (I don't get bored easily, so I can have leftovers a few days and be happy) or a veggie burger, Protein shake, Chobani yogurt For Snacks I will have a 90 or 100 calorie pack of Fiber one brownie, pretzels, etc. There are so many to choose from! I also will snack on American or Cheddar cheese of that Smart Beat brand because they are only 25 calories a slice. I do stay away from fruit for the most part. If I have anything it is a small applesauce cup to keep it portion controlled. Since I have a feeling that I will have stuck issues with Pasta and rice (as many people do) I have just stayed away from them for the most part so I dont expect them to be a main part of my food (plus they are not the kind of calories we should have anyway!) If I want to treat myself, I do, but I don't overdo it. For Shabbos I make tofu or soy dishes in sauces (low cal bbq or tomato sauce), vegetable kugels (I make them light and make sure to portion what I eat), vegetable soup (usually it is pureed because I made a ton before the surgery in anticipation of my liquid diet so I have a ton in the freezer!), a potato or rice side dish (but I have greatly reduced the size that I make since my husband is on Atkins so he won't eat it anyway), egg salad or devilled eggs for seudat shlishit or as appetizer, and for dessert either sugar free Jello or sugar free pudding (I am always parve because I am a vegetarian so for me it is a dessert for all occasions!). I am sure there are other things but those have become my staples. I find if I surround myself with some good choices then when I have breakthrough hunger I will reach for something that is low cal, high protein and filling so that I am making a good choice no matter what!

My surgeon made it very clear to me that getting pregnant within the first year of having the band was a definite no no so I would have to guess that you should speak with your doctor about the concept of the band with pregnancy. In general, it is not recommended to actively try to lose weight while pregnant. I would certainly say dont get any fills.

I think it is something you should discuss with your doctor/nutritionist. Mine didnt want me on prenatals (I had shown her those that you are mentioning) and prefered that I go on something lower instead based on the other foods in my diet.

Offices gossip and it's just a fact of life. Doesn't make it right or wrong, just makes it what it is. I think you should be proud that you took such a huge step and just focus on yourself.

Honk, if it is Nature Made brand then it is not Kosher. I would be curious to know the brand in case there is something out there I haven't heard of!

What an awesome story!!

I am able to eat tofu, a friend of mine is not. Granted, I havent had a fill yet, but as with all foods, each person's band "reacts" differently, so it is very much trial and error as you learn what your band "likes".

I have not yet had a fill but do feel restriction, so even if I had wanted to, I didnt stuff myself. What I did do was eat at around 4:30, then after about an hour, I ate again a bit and made sure to drink to move things along, then right before the fast started (I would say about 20 minutes before) I had some zucchini spaghetti with sauce. I think it is a psychological thing for us to think that if we stuff ourselves we wont be hungry but it isnt true. You will find once you have the band that you won't be hungry like you are now because your new mini stomach will be satisfied much faster... and so will you!

I don't use protein powders, I drink Myoplex shakes. I know a lot of people swear by the powders but I would rather get my protein from things like yogurt and cottage cheese. I am a vegetarian, so my protein intake in general is different. I am fasting today. I have to say it isn't any harder or easier than years past. Last year I was still nursing on Tisha b'Av and that was actually more difficult!

Oh my, loaded question. I am an Orthodox Jew and have so far tried two different kinds. They are both nasty, but one way more than the other! Kiddievite is a liquid and is truly putrid. Chewable Maxi Health (I have the cherry flavor) is tolerable but I have yet to take a full dose (3 tablets) because the flavor is really not so great. You won't find any vitamins that have 100% of all the RDA needed, but most of the time that is ok because you will also be drinking and eating things that will provide you with enough to make up for it. I am 5 weeks past my surgery and still drinking my protein shakes which make up for the less than 100% RDA needed for certain things.

You look amazing!!!

I think you should consider having another conversation with her and if it is a similar one to the one you had that you should switch drs. It is not acceptable for a doctor to be anything less than encouraging, no matter how much you have lost, unless you are blatantly screwing up (which, considering how recently you had your procedure, I imagine is not the case)

You know, I imagine what I say is not going to sound super sensitive and supportive, etc. However, after reading so many posts like yours, I have to get this off my chest. My husband, when I met him, couldnt be PAID to eat vegetables. Now he is on the Atkins diet and has lost a lot of weight, largely due to the fact that though he doesnt LIKE vegetables and he is PICKY, he sucked it up and ate them because it is and was more important to him to eat healthy (even if he didnt like the way it tasted at the beginning) than to be fat, unhealthy, not be able to enjoy our children and possibly die at a younger age from weight related medical issues. He is still experimenting to find ways to make them as tasty as possible for him and he SUCKS IT UP. Sure, we would all prefer that healthy foods taste like chocolate and cookies, but the fact is, they don't. So if you went to the trouble to get banded, you must have realized that you were not having a magical weight loss machine put into you which would suddenly make the weight melt off you without any work. You don't mention at all about how you exercise at least 3 times a week and have limited your portions. All you say is that you are the same weight now as you were 3 years ago. That tells me that you think the band will do all the work for you. You need to go back to your doctor (I imagine you havent been to him/her in a long time) and work as a team to make the band work WITH you, not FOR you. You need to get in your kitchen with those foods that are good for you and a bunch of cookbooks and experiment until you find a way to eat those foods prepared in a healthy way that you can tolerate. You need to drop the self pity and realize that obesity is a disease and you carry inside yourself a GIFT. Don't squander it just because it hasn't lived up to your expectations. Make it work for you and your future.

Thank you Cindy. I think that is a key distinction that should be made by the original poster in his posting so that people don't get unnecessarily freaked out.

Never heard of it. In fact, the doctors in my surgeon's practice specifically say how helpful it is to PCOS patients like myself.

I really think it depends on the individual. I have been banded for about 5 weeks now, and of that time, I have had about 3 weeks of period, yet I still lost weight. I imagine that a lot does have to do with bloating as the previous poster mentioned. So, if you are one who tends to bloat, expect that during your period things could be slower. Good luck!

I happen to love the Myoplex That being said, did you try cottage cheese? It is packed with protein. Also, I dont add anything to my Chobani but a packet of equal and it miraculously tastes just like regular yogurt. Sometimes adding less is more! Good luck

The one I am on is called Camilla. It is usually used by nursing mothers. Have not seen a weight gain because of it and I have been on it for a couple years So maybe that will be the one for you too!

I'm on the pill and it works for us. Not ever planning on having more kids! Thanks for the entertaining post