sandybraman

I was banded on 12/30 and was on clear liquids for a week, then regular liquids for a week (protein shakes, jello, pudding, soup), mushies for about 5 days (my doctor said a week, but I cheated and had no problems) and have been on solids for the last 10 days. I truly believe that you should have some guidelines, but listen to your body. If you think you can tolerate some things before the time frame, then try it. Your body will definitely let you know if its not time yet. The first 10 days, though, your body is healing and believe me, even 3 oz of chicken soup made me full.

You can get sugar-free Hershey's dark chocolate miniatures. I keep them in the refrigerator and when I HAVE to eat chocolate, I just let one of those melt in my mouth. It seems to help the craving and dark chocolate is good for you. Also, you can get sugar-free fudgesicles and Weight Watchers makes some great ice cream cups and treats that are very low in sugar and fat. And don't go cold-turkey off of caffeine - I did that and had excruciating headaches (which is a typical withdrawal symptom). Get some decaf and mix it in with your regular coffee, then gradually increase it. You're not weak - you're just trying to teach your old body some new tricks and it's not cooperating!

I know just what you mean! For me, hot tea and chicken broth tasted the best (especially the first week when I was on clear liquids). After that, soups were soooo good (I put a can of Campbell Chicken Noodle in the food processor with no Water and pureed it - tasted like heaven!) Some of the Protein shakes are still too sweet (I'm on solid food now), but I got some Protizyme Protein powder (Amazon had the best price on the Peanut Butter cookie flavor) and if you mix it with skim milk and a few ice cubes, its pretty good for Breakfast. You can make smoothies with Dole frozen fruit (I use the mixed berries with a banana), 2 T of fat-free half & half, and a scoop of vanilla-flavored protein powder and its not sweet at all. You can add Splenda if you want it to be a little sweeter, but the powder is good for me.

My husband and I eat at Friday's a couple of times a month - they have a great grilled chicken and vegetable combo. And if you can't eat it all, just do what everyone recommended and say that you had a big lunch, or that you're taking the chicken home to your dog!

I had my surgery through True Results in Dallas (they have an office in Houston) and I'm thrilled with the results. As long as you eat healthy (there are lots of websites you can use - I love WW) and exercise, you should be able to lose the weight. I was self-pay and paid $8999, which includes my office visits for the first year. I financed it through Care Credit at no interest for 5 years (I'm going to pay it off in 2) and my only regret is not doing it sooner. My mom and sister-in-law are both nurses and I know you're on your feet a lot - I would think you could go back to work after a week (I'd have my surgery on a Thursday or Friday, so you have 2 weekends before going back). If you think of your lapband as a tool, along with diet and exercise, you'll do great. If you're not eating correctly (lots of carbs, fast food, etc), then you'll definitely have to change your eating habits. Everyone is different, but I can't eat bread, tortillas or rice, and I can't drink Diet Dr Pepper anymore (no carbonated drinks). But there are plenty of alternatives: Weight Watchers makes great ice cream treats and cups that are low in calories and sugars, and you can get lots of things (sour cream, cottage cheese, regular cheese, vegetables with sauce) that are either low-fat or no-fat. You can still eat anything within reason, but your portions are a lot smaller and it seems that after being banded, you are truly motivated to follow the nutritionist's advise (another reason I love True Results - they have several people there who are so helpful and most of them have been banded. PA, nutritionist, dietition, patient advocate and all of them will support you in any way they can.) Read through the forums on this site. I found it before my surgery and was so glad I did! They helped with pre-op questions, post-op questions; I've asked some questions I couldn't ask my doctor and everyone here is supportive and willing to help. Good luck on your journey! Let us know how you're doing!

I'm not sure why you feel like you'd have to tell someone in a dating situation. Perhaps after you get more into a relationship, before it gets intimate, but you don't have to tell anyone that you've lost X lbs. If someone asks, tell them you've really been concentrating on eating right and getting enough exercise - which is the truth, isn't it? When you got banded, you left that 30 years behind - and I know exactly how you feel. I've dieted since I was 11 years old. So pull up your Spanx and just act like the beautiful woman you are and don't worry about how the right person might feel. If he's the right person, he'll be extremely proud and supportive of you and if he's not - well, then he's not the right person. You did this for YOU, and that's what is important. Please let us know how it goes - got you in my prayers!

Try to eat more protein and less carbs and drink a LOT of water. Even if the band isn't tight enough, you're sabotaging yourself if you don't eat the right way.

I'm starting back at Curves on Wednesday (hopefully my doctor clears me tomorrow at my 30-day checkup/fill), which I'll do 3 days a week. I'm going to try the Zumba class which is one night a week, which will leave me with the treadmill the other 2 days. If you don't like to exercise, check out Curves. It's resistance training, its only women, and its only 30 minutes. I have really missed it and am looking forward to going back. Plus they have a nutrition program, too, if you're interested in that. If I can do it, ANYONE can - I hate exercise (but its a necessary evil!)!

Your incisions will quit hurting after 5-7 days, and then they'll start to itch. I had one bleed the second day out, too - it wasn't anything except stretching it in my sleep. My port site is still a little tender after 30 days, but it doesn't HURT. As laddie said, walk and walk and get some Gas-X strips - they really do help a lot. And don't forget to take some with you when you go somewhere - I needed them badly and had to stop and buy them (even though I had 2 boxes at home).

My doctor put in 2cc during my surgery and I go in for my first fill tomorrow. I think I need maybe only 1 cc to put me in the "green zone"; I'm eating about 8 oz per meal, but I'm getting hungry after 2-3 hours. I haven't had anything get stuck, although I did find out that I can't eat bread (it felt like a brick was in my stomach), and I know what happens if I eat too much (very uncomfortable). I'd do this again in a heartbeat. For the first time in my life, I'm in control of my weight - it's not in control of me.

I had my surgery on a Friday and I went in for a couple of hours on Tuesday - and paid for it. Not with pain, but I was so tired and the next day my body was screaming "you're overdoing". As my husband said: "Don't forget that even though your surgery was laparoscopic, it was still major surgery." If you can take a week off, I would. It takes a few days just to get all of the anesthetic out of your system. I'm not saying you should stay in bed for a week. Just rest and walk. Do some easy household stuff. If you feel really good, then try going in for a few hours. But don't try to put a limit on yourself before your surgery - if you've got the vacation/sick time, take it. If you do go back early, then you'll still have those days. If not - then you'll be well-rested and not worn out when you DO go back!

Congratulations! Tomorrow at this time it will be all over and you can just sleep! Make sure you've got sf popsicles, chicken broth, and tea - hot tea tasted SO good to me the night of my surgery - and don't push yourself. Listen to your body and let yourself heal; just make sure you walk every hour or so (except when you're sleeping), to get rid of that gas under your shoulder blades!

Hi, I'm Sandy and I'm really excited - I've been on a diet LITERALLY all of my life. I know how to eat right and I don't mind exercise - I just love to eat. Really glad that I found this forum and would like to know what I should expect, how I'm going to physically feel, what I'll be able to eat (I know that I have to eat lots of Protein, but everything is different regarding what you can tolerate and portions). Best of all, there's a place I can go where everyone is going through or has gone through what I am. Good friends help make painful issues a little easier to deal with.

Happy Sunday, everyone! Tomorrow I go in for my first post-op appointment/fill and I'm really nervous! I've read some horror stories and the thought of having a needle in my stomach almost makes me nauseous - anyone have some good advice?

I got some Protizyme protein powder mix (the Peanut Butter Cookie is great!) and mix it with milk and a couple of ice cubes. I was really surprised at how it keep me satisfied until lunch, but I've lost 2 lbs started using it. Sometimes if you're at a plateau, you need to eat a little more. Add some good carbs and that might do the trick.

Like you, I've been on WW for several years and I lost weight on it, but I couldn't keep it off and, like you, that's why I had the surgery. WW isn't a diet, its just a way of eating healthy and if you go over your points for the day - well, you have extra weekly points you can use, so you don't have to feel guilty. And aside from a very few things, you can eat pretty much what you like (in moderation). I cook with WW recipes a lot, and my husband usually can't tell the difference (except for the eggplant lasagna! LOL!) Just like the band, WW is a tool to help you meet your goals. And for those of you who DON'T want to go to meetings (which I don't), you can just do the WW online. You can keep your journal there, they have great recipes and exercise tips, and you always have the support here if you need a boost. I'm SO glad there are others doing WW!

You ARE right - the band is a tool, along with diet and exercise, to help you achieve the results you want. I was banded on 12/30 and its the best decision I've ever made. You will NOT lose your mind - you just won't be hungry! There are lots of good people here and a TON of information. Read the "pre-op" and "post-op" forums - they are extremely helpful in knowing what to do and have before your surgery and what to expect after. And if you have questions, just ask. I've met the nicest people here and they'll answer any question that you have.

Started solid foods this week and other than not sleeping very well, everything is great! I've lost 18 lbs as of today (I was banded on 12/30), and go in for my first fill on 1/30. Since I started on solids, my weight loss has slowed down dramatically to 1-2 lbs a week, just like it should be. Following WW diet, which worked well for me and is easy (they have GREAT recipes), but still not drinking enough. How do you drink all that in one day? We're doing it, all of us together!

I went through exactly the same thing! Once I had my surgery date, I started questioning what I was doing (go back and look up some of my posts) - but then I realized that I had to do SOMETHING to get off of this diet treadmill and get my body healthy again. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, and that's what we've all done with our dieting. The second day after my surgery, I had a "I can't believe I did this" moment - but then I remembered my "before" picture that I took right before my surgery. I'm 22 days out from my surgery now and I can honestly say its the best thing I could've done. Its hard sometimes, but I'm learning to listen to my body and to tell the difference between being truly hungry and just being "mouth hungry". For me, its all about having control over my weight, which I never have. And that is a LOT of incentive.

I'm trying to take this journey one day at a time. I was banded on 12/30 and I've lost 17 lbs, but I just started on (kind of) solid food and I'm starving! I overate last night and I knew at the time what I was doing, but I was just so hungry (better low-fat cottage cheese, though, than ice cream!). So today was a new day: in AA they preach that yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here yet, so you have to concentrate on today. Don't feel guilty (guilt is a wasted emotion - it doesn't make anyone feel bad but you), just do the things you know you need to do to get back on track 1. Start measuring your food and keep track of what you're eating. 2. Call you dr for a fill appointment. 3. Take a walk - plug in your earphones and just go (if the weather is too bad where you live, walk at the mall). You can do this! You didn't go through the surgery and everything that went with it to give up now! And if you need support, just holler. There are lots of people here rooting for you!

I absolutely love WW and think its perfect for after banding. It helps with portion control, makes sure that you eat enough protein, fruits & veggies, and calcium, and is the easiest program in the world to use. Plus they have great recipes. I've been doing it for 2 years (I hated the core program, too) and am going right back on it after my first fill (I'm 19 days out from my surgery).

I felt like this was something personal and shared it with only a few people. My husband and sister have been extremely supportive, as have the girls at my dentist's (I had to have a crown replaced the week after my surgery) and two of the tellers at the bank I see everyday (one just lost 80 lbs, the other is trying so she can get pregnant). What amazed me was my best friend: she didn't want me to do it (even after my husband told her the day of my surgery that it was my decision, it was going to make me healthier and happier, and to just deal with it) and still says things like "aren't you losing weight too fast?" I'm certainly not going to lie to anyone, but I don't necessarily think I need to broadcast it to everyone I know, either. As my grandmother told me when I was younger and not sure how to respond to a compliment, "Just say thank you and smile".

Greek yogurt, sugar-free pudding, Jolly Roger popsicles (they're AWESOME), and some V-8 or V-8 Fusion Light (to get your veggies in!). Tea and chicken broth taste really good after your surgery - the warmth makes your tummy feel good.

Welcome, Lisa Marie! You can probably help me - I had my surgery on 12/30 and am learning so much every day. This site is incredible - the people are so helpful and supportive and I've found so many answers to questions that the doctors don't even think about. Glad you're here!

Phranp, I am absolutely in awe of you - I think its amazing that you are persevering with your weight loss when you have medical issues that you're dealing with. I'm certainly not that strong and I couldn't do it without wallowing in self-pity (and lots of ice cream). So you are in my thoughts and prayers, too. You have lots of people here who are supportive and will listen whenever you need to vent.