mrsto

Ryvitas in the states are called Ry-Krisp.

My feeling is, only have a glass of wine once in awhile. Alcohol slows down weight loss, because our bodies don't recognize it as any kind of food source; it only stores it as fat. If you want to drink once or twice a week, be prepared that your weight loss may not go as quickly as you might like. ALL that being said, I hadn't had anything to drink for close to three months before Memorial Day. Then I went to a BBQ, and drank close to (if not) an entire bottle of wine. It was SO good!! Haven't had any since, but I allowed myself that day. If the metabolic issues of alcohol were different, I'd be drinking a hell of a lot more often! When I get closer to my goal weight, I'll probably indulge a bit more. And I WILL count it. Only problem is, drinking also spikes my appetite, and brings down my defenses toward eating

I also opted for the added plication, and I'm glad I did. I can't say what the band would be like without plication, but I do know that the times I've tried to push the amount of slider type foods, my smaller stomach stops me from going out of control. I'm pretty good about sticking to my program, but the days when I veer off path, the plication stops me from eating too much......of anything! You're not finding a lot online, because the long term studies aren't there. The procedure is still considered investigational, and won't be approved by the FDA until there is long term data; at least 5 years. From what I know, banded plication has only been done for about 3 years, but so far it's looking very promising. Good luck!

Gallbladder is good. Or you can tell them that it's "female" and leave it at that :-)

Bubbs - I think cutting carbs is an excellent idea. I myself notice that when I keep them to a minimum, I don't get as hungry, and I lose more weight. If I eat one egg and a slice of toast, I'm hungrier a lot sooner than if I eat just two eggs. Carbs have their place, but it's much better to stick with the "good carbs", in very very small portions. Protein is the key with the band, and sticking to that with maybe a little bit of veggies, you might find a better sense of satiety. Keep your chin up! You can do this!! I wish the band could make us stop eating, too. But the signals can be very subtile. But I really think that once you're at the right restriction, and stick to mainly dense protein meals, you will notice a difference.

So.....you're doing well, yes? Based on what you're saying, one day you're going to get on the scale & see some pounds dropping off. As Carolinagirl said, sometimes it's inches, before seeing movement on the scale. I do suggest that you start counting your protein. It's the key to this whole thing, and if you're not getting in a minimum to 60 grams per day, it's not healthy. Also - if a lot of your 1200 calories is carbs, that can also be an issue. Have you tried the application MyFitnessPal? It tracks both calories and protein, and is an excellent program. You can use it on your phone, computer, iPad......all of it. Here is a link... myfitnesspal.com

The recipe ideas didn't come from a website. They were some ideas that I gave to BeeKipp. What she made isn't exactly what I gave, but she improvised and made it with add-ins that she likes. The idea is to make a pot of something you like, that's band friendly, and can be eaten for a few days. Unless you're someone who likes to cook on a daily basis, having something ready to nuke when you're on the fly, can be a savior My recipe ideas are just about anything you can mix up with ground meat; beef, turkey, lamb, etc. My favorite is: 1lb ground turkey or beef, seasoned with salt, pepper & garlic powder; browned & drained. 1 can Rosarita traditional refried Beans (or any refried beans that you like) 1 can black beans. I do not drain the liquid because it helps keep the whole thing moist Mix it all together, and heat through. Sometimes I'll make Pasta sauce with meat, and eat my 1/2-2/3 cup without pasta. I'm not against pasta, but I find it difficult to control. You can do any variation of these that sound good to you.....like Bee did. Since surgery, I've found that ground meats are the most band friendly for me, so I invent recipes around them. I made something really yummy with ground lamb, onions, mushrooms, condensed cream of mushroom Soup, low fat sour cream and couscous. Hope that helps. Just be creative with what you like

Interesting.... 7 fills and only at 5.9cc's? I can only gage this on my own experience; I've had only two fills since surgery, and I'm now at 7 cc's. I think that you're doctor has issues, and I'm with some of the folks above.... Maybe time to talk with another doctor. In addition to sticking to one cup of food, and omitting bread and sugary drinks, are you tracking your calories and Protein?

To me, your doctor sounds like someone who deep down, hates fat people. I know that sounds weird, but the response feels like "I'm so disgusted with you, so I'm going to punish you". Just curious.... How many fills have you had, and how much Fluid do you currently have in your band?

PS: When you need a fill, you will know it. The hunger shortly after eating is a dead giveaway I couldn't go more than two hours without feeling like I was starving. That's what's known as "banded hell".

Judy - if you're not sure about the fill & want to know, call your doctor's office & ask. I was in the same boat; didn't know if I had any Fluid in my band at the time of surgery. I heard comments (office staff) that there is a tiny bit of fluid, but not enough for restriction. Well.....what does THAT mean? Anyway.....when I went for my first fill about 4 weeks after surgery, I found out that there was 3 cc's already. She bumped it up to 6.4 cc's, which was fine for about 2-3 weeks. Now I'm at an even 7 & seem to be doing fine.

The goal is to stick to healthy foods at smaller portions. But if you have a day where you eat crap, it's not going to hurt you. As long as you take small bites & chew well, you should be fine. But I think the key here is not to allow a day off to become anything more than one day. If you have several days a week doing this, you probably won't lose weight; might even gain, depending on what, and how much you're eating.

Wow - it's rare that an introductory post moves me as yours did. I'm so happy that you made the decision to take the bull by the horns, to aggressively manage your weight and your health. You deserve to have a long, happy & healthy life with your family; you are certainly on your way Good luck - please keep us posted on your continuing success.

Are you tracking your food; calories and Protein? If you're waiting for the band to stop you from eating, it won't. That's not what it's designed for. It's designed to signal you when to stop....on much smaller portions. If you ignore the signals & eat right past it, you won't lose weight. As labwalker said, the band doesn't stop you from eating bread, rice, meat, etc. Some people have issues with certain foods, and avoid them. Many are fine with bread (I am), but some have an issue. Some people do fine with steak, some don't. If they've ruled out a leak in your band, maybe there is some confusion on what the band is supposed to do?

There are also clear liquid Protein drinks you can pick up from the health food store.....or the Vitamin Shoppe. Isopure makes some, but there are others. Check with your doctor tomorrow about the shakes. If they want you on clear liquids, you may have to get the ones mentioned. Good luck!!

Make sure that you drink your Protein shakes. It's important to get the minimum 60 grams, along with plenty of Water. Prior to surgery, I read all of the materials over and over. I read things online, joined this forum, and heavily dosed myself with information. Even so, it's a whole different ball game when actually living it. This is an excellent forum for information. But if there comes a time where you're having an issue that just doesn't feel right, your doctor is the first place to call. In my first follow up visit (and all subsequent visits), they go over many things; what you're eating, are you nauseous, are you vomiting, are you constipated.....a checklist of questions they review. They weigh you (of course.....every time you walk in the door), and make sure you're healing properly from surgery. They may also access if you need a fill. As far as the gas, it WILL get better. It's the major complaint of everyone who goes through bariatric surgery. I was beginning to feel like it was something that I'd have to live with for the rest of my life. But then.....it stopped. What a relief! Every now and again I'll get a small tinge of it, but it doesn't last very long. As you've read here, walking and Gas-X are the two best things to do. sleeping with the pillow is also good, and a heating pad is soothing. Whatever it takes to get through this time with the least amount of discomfort.....DO it Congrats on your surgery! I was banded 3/25/13, and I haven't had one day of regret. I'm down 28 pounds, and given my age and hormonal status, it wouldn't have happened without the surgery.

I heating pad also helps. It doesn't get rid of the gas, but it's soothing. In my own experience....it just takes time, and the gas leaves when it's ready. For me, it was about 2 1/2 weeks. 2 1/2 miserable weeks

You are probably right about it being bowel related, since that is the area where you would feel it. Ovarian issues (or ovulating) can cause pain in the same area, so I'm glad you've got a call into your doctor. You asked specifically "please tell me that this is okay", which none of us can; even if we've had the same pain. I hope you're feeling better soon, and that it's something simple.

I don't think anyone on here can comment, other than that you did the right thing by calling your doctor. I hope you feel better soon, and that it's nothing too serious.

Hey fellow Leo - my birthday is also on 8/7! Regarding the Protein Shakes, the only one I can drink anymore is the ready made by Premier Protein. I like the chocolate; the vanilla is nasty. And for you, they don't have soy. The various protein powders I bought tend to make me nauseous. It's not allergy related, but they just gross me out. There are other soy free protein powders that you might want to try; pea protein and egg white protein. You can pick them up at any health food store. As far as the blender, you can put everything in a good shaker cup, and take them to work. When I was on the liquid phase, that worked out well when I wasn't at home.

Oh yeah......forgot about the GI swallow. I had that, too.

I went to one seminar, and had my insurance verified the next day. I was approved immediately. Then I scheduled all of the prescreening appointments; psych evaluation, meeting with the nutritionist, stress test, sleep evaluation, and 2-3 classes (don't remember exactly). There was also lab work, and a general checkup. For me, I had surgery about 2.5 months after the initial seminar. But as Jules said, every doctor is a little different. It also depends on how quickly you can get through all of the above. I took one day & scheduled as much as I feasibly could in that day. Even still, there was a lot more to do after that. Good luck!

In any WLS forum, you will read many stories that are scary. I contemplated surgery a year before having it done, and it was what I read in all of the forums that freaked me out. After packing on another 10 pounds, I knew I had to move forward, and I chose banded plication. I was scheduled for the bypass, but was too scared to go through with it. Also....I've known a couple of bypass people who gained a lot of weight over time, and ended up getting the band over the bypass. The downside to the band over the other surgeries, is that there is continuous adjusting & follow up. With the sleeve and bypass, the surgery & done & that's it. Yes, you still have to follow up with your doctor, and there is support, etc. but the band required fills, un-fills, etc. Even still, knowing that it can be reversed was the peace of mind I needed, going into this aggressive form of weight loss. No matter which surgery you decide to go with, eating behavior has to change. Most people have good results in the short term with all procedures. But over time, it's so easy to fall into old patterns; there isn't a surgery out there to change that. One more thing..... When reading through these forums, please keep in mind that the success stories far outweigh the complication stories. It's unfortunate that some people have had a very bad experience. Some of the ones who post about it, feel the need to warn the masses of impending doom. When making your decision, try & keep your eye on the big picture

Yeah, it's called a lobotomy!! When they figure out how to do one on the appetite center of the brain, I'll be the first in line

Yeah - I'm with ya! I take MiraLax to keep things moving along