feb27bandwoman

Make sure you are getting your recommened amount of protein.My nutritionist suggests 60 grams per day.Sometimes tough, but it made a difference in my energy levels.

Call your surgeon.

I received this email about a lap band "fill service". Gaspar Rosario, affiliated with NYU. It looks like he offers both an in-office and mobile "filling station". According to the website, not yet covered by insurance. Thought this might be an option for those in the NY area. Did anyone else get this email?

After being banded about two weeks, I started having little "food funerals" for those foods that I "couldn't eat.....but now almost 2 years out, I see that I can just about eat everything, just smaller portions. And I follow the band rules about portions, chewing well, etc... I had a really big funeral for BBQ pork and corned beef!!!!!It was a huge event!!!! But, I found that if I was reasonable about it, I could still have those favorites.

-Shopping for clothes in a regular store. -Not having the worry that if my pants tore or I got a stain at work, I could go to ANY store and get something to fit! -Asking for the size large concert tee shirt. -having energy after work to do things around the house. -being comfortable on hot days. -sitting comfortably outside in a lawn chair. -putting my pants on standing up. -not paying extra for large size clothing. That is huge!!! -having to buy smaller underwear! That's just a few....every week, there are more. The lap band has been a real blessing for me.

marfar7, at first glance... I thought you said,"nightmare" cough as a slip symptom!!!! I had a nighttime, nightmare cough as a sign of band slip.had X-rays, band unfill, and repair of the slip.doing well now after a few months and some fills.

You have a surgical date, you went through all the pre op preparation.....the diet is the last pre surgical hurdle to overcome. My moment of truth came when I looked at how restricted my life had become due to the excess weight. I cried for 2 days after weighing in at my highest weight in my PCP's office. Then I did my research and had the surgery. It hasn't all been smooth sailing, a few bumps, but they far outweigh the successfully changes in my life. No more medications, normal cholesterol, lots of energy, new clothes every few weeks, feeling good about life in general. Remember that the pre op diet will help shrink your liver so that the band placement will be easier. Good luck and hang in there!!!!

This came from the PA affiliated with the bariatric surgeons at NYU.I was wondering if any bandsters who had their surgery at NYU knew about this.

The foods that are generally on the kids menu are things like mystery chicken nuggets, pizza, and spaghetti, Mac and cheese.... Not exactly healthy for a banded person. Why would you want to eat those foods?

I soooo agree with both of you!!!! I feel like I gained 10 pounds overnight....everything I put on seems to stick and rub...... Even the earrings I put on seem to "hurt"....

Some foods just don't agree with our bands.....

You don't need a lap band ID card. It is no one's business what you eat or don't.

Restaurants cannot legally make you pay if you are not eating.......of course those around you are eating, but how do they know that you are sharing from your family's orders?

Productive burping so many times is a sign that something is wrong. What did your doctor say?

I had battles with Cigna.They are very strict.I ended up having several(3!)peer to peer reviews. Finally had to take it to the state's insurance review board.It was a huge hassle and incredibly stressful. This took several months.A good outcome in the end but I felt like I was battling an overwhelming obstacle. Good luck.

I was "mourning" pork BBQ. Had a bad experience early on in the progression to solids..... But, the next time it came to eating at my favorite BBQ place, I remembered the rules and used lots of their delicious sauces!!!!!! I really enjoyed that!!!!

I found that once I progressed to a "regular " diet, I could tolerate a really great filet mignon. Small bites, well-chewed.... Worth every penny! Very expensive and a special treat.... Hubby likes that he gets at least half of my portion!!!!win-win.

I had bad osteoarthritis in both knees. It is much better after banding and losing 100+ pounds. An interesting thing that happened though.... At a visit to my PCP, he saw that I needed to change the way I walked and carried myself.When I was overweight, I had a "plodding" gait which was now stressing my lower body causing knee,hip pain.So, now, after some physical therapy exercises to improve the walk style, I am walking better, much less pain. I now "glide" more with a much lighter step. It is a wonderful feeling!!!! But I never realized that I walked that way!!!

Could be low protein? I have found that when I have had those symptoms, my protein intake has been low. Are you having a protein shake?

Several possible factors contributed to my slip. Probably some "over feeding" on my part! Slow movement toward "slider foods". Ignoring the reflux that got worse in spite of medication. I learned a hard lesson. But gained knowledge from the experience.

My band was just over 1 year old when I started having bad reflux for about 2 weeks,doctor did a complete un-fill,x-ray showed a slip. Surgeon did repositioning surgery and hernia repair. Started back on progression diet.now 2 months post op and back on the losing track. Had a fill at 6 weeks post op. Then an un-fill.Then a fill and now losing again. The slip turned out to be just a small bump in the road for me. Good luck to you.

Green zone as defined by Allergan, Inc. and theCentre for Obesity Research and Education: -Not hungry -good weight loss -Portion control -Patient satisfaction In Jean Mcmillan's book, "Bandwagon", she describes the "Sweet Spot" in the chapter on aftercare.It is a great explanation. I just downloaded Alex's book and hope to start it today. Good luck.

Love PB2!!!! I mix it with a frozen banana and Protein powder and silk soy milk.....yummy!!!!

The idea of avoiding foods that bring on hunger is wonderfully stated. Before banding, that was bread and butter.carba and fat...anytime , anywhere. Post banding, I steer clear of those foods.I concentrate on protein first, then veggies, then healthy carbs. It is a learning curve with a few twists and turns!