mrsto

I believe that the swallow test is standard procedure after surgery. I had one before I left the hospital. They do it to make sure that Fluid is going through, and that there aren't any leaks. Did you have one at the hospital, or is this the first one?

I never really had bad nausea, but it is common. Every time I go into the doctor's office for a check, they ask that question. I did find that the thought of another Protein shake made me ill. I got to the point where I didn't want to eat, period. I was already so close to my next mushy phase, so I had some relief there. Although nausea is common, you should still call your doctor's office. They can best tell you whether what you're experiencing is normal, or not. I hope this passes for you sooner than later.......

From your post, I think that the most important thing you need to do, is not beat yourself up for this. That intense type of guilt can ultimately have a very negative effect on your ongoing progress. None of us here are perfect people, and do not ALWAYS make the perfect choice every waking day. I once had a diet doctor tell me that he wasn't so concerned about me being a good dieter, as much as I needed to get right back on track after a slip. I would venture to say that most all of us who got to the point of WLS, have not been so great at getting right back on track (prior to surgery). I do know how you feel, though. Just don't let the negative thinking sabotage the big picture. As Carolinagirl said, you didn't eat a couple of pizzas! You knew you momentarily stepped off your program, and got right back. THAT is the name of the long term success game. I'm only a little over 5 weeks out, and I've had 2-3 days where I felt out of control with food. I still stayed within my weight loss range of calories, but I let the number go to 1200 instead of the 1000 I'm sticking to. And I will tell you (so you try & always be prepared), that those days were days that I let myself get ravenous before I was able to eat. Once I'm to that point, even when I'm satiated with my small meal, my brain goes on a mission to keep going. You will learn as you go along; we all do. Just try & stay off your own case, be honest with yourself WITHOUT beating the crap out of yourself

Beautiful!

Are you alternating between different powders? If not, you might want to try switching off between 2 or 3 different ones. I used the ready made Premier Protein chocolate shakes, along with Isopure vanilla and nectar chocolate truffle. I also picked up some unflavored Protein powder (Nectar), and mixed it with V8 juice, which was great when I was sick to sh-t of all the sweet shakes. If you have any issues with milk, you might want to try another type of protein powder. There is one that's made from egg whites; very high in protein. Another one I like is pea protein, but you should check with your doctor before switching away from whey. They seem to like that one best. Here are a couple of links; Jay Robb Egg White Proteins and Pea Protein. There are many different brands of the pea, but this is just one. I don't know why you are nauseous now from the protein, but I can tell you that I started getting nauseous from it, after I'd been drinking it for several days. The diarrhea can be from being on liquids only, and will resolve once solid foods are introduced back into your diet. I had a bad issue with it for about three days, but then it calmed down & I was back to (somewhat) normal. http://www.jayrobb.com/protein/egg-white-protein-vanilla.asp http://www.swansonvitamins.com/now-foods-pea-protein-powder-2-lbs-pwdr?SourceCode=INTL405&CAWELAID=425316272&catargetid=530002460000000568&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CKKM5JmL9bYCFTBxQgodtg0Alg

Congrats! You will do fine, and we'll all look forward to hearing from you when you're on "the other side".

Using MFP instead of Weight Watchers Online, was another failed attempt at losing weight. But I absolutely loved the program, and now with the band in place, MFP is my new best friend

String cheese doesn't have the same fat content as other cheeses. It's made with part skim milk, and makes it a lower fat choice. Yes, Protein is important, but it's good to check to ratio of fat to protein in the things you eat. If you check the fat content of cheddar cheese compared to string cheese, it's higher. That doesn't mean that cheddar is a bad choice, but it will be a higher calorie choice. As long as you try & get in a certain amount of grams of protein per day, while counting all your calories, you should be fine. Ask your doctor....or the nutritionist at your doctor's office, how much protein you need to have in a day. Make sure you reach that number, while staying within your allotted amount of daily calories. I suggest that you use a tracking program like My Fitness Pal. It's free, and you can download it on your phone, iPad, computer.....all of it. You can look up just about any possible food & get the breakdown of nutritional values. Then you track your food & always know throughout the day, where you're at with your daily needs.

It's exhausting, and yet one MORE reason I eat to self medicate This process of not being able to go straight to food when I'm "workin' it".......whatever IT is, has been quite frustrating. But I'm getting through it, and hopefully the urge to numb out with the hand to mouth activity will get easier as the weeks and months pass. I don't think we're ever cured, but would hope I find alternatives to deal with the madness

Does anyone know if there is a preference in MFP to NOT give you caloric credit for exercise? I have it set for my 1,000 calories per day, but when I enter my exercise for the day, it adds those calories into my daily allotment. I don't want that......I just want to stick to my 1,000 no matter what I do.

I'm really using it only to track my calories and protein, which is all I care about. I'm not getting too crazy with the rest (at this point). Certainly subject to change down the road :-)

Yeah - peanut butter is a controlled substance in my house - LOL! 1T isn't going to satisfy my craving for it, so I'm better leaving it alone. Although, I did pick up some of the PB2 powdered peanut butter, and get 2T for 45 calories. It's really good in Protein shakes and yogurt, but wasn't that great when I mixed it with Water to make actual butter. Maybe I needed to add some Splenda, because it was kind of bitter.

You've probably got a ways to go before your doctor will give you a fill; at least 3-4 weeks. I went through the hunger, but that didn't start until three weeks out. I got my first fill a little over 4 weeks out. As Carolinagirl says, stick to your diet progression, and make healthy choices. If you have to have an extra Protein shake to stop the hunger, then do it. Whatever it takes to get through, but just stick to wherever you're at in your progression. As difficult as it is to deal with, they have it setup that way for a reason. My doctor told me flat out that the people who jump ahead with food, are the ones who end up having many issues with the band. You will get through it; MANY people on this site can attest to that :-)

Thanks.... I think I'll just stop logging my exercise activity in the program. I know when I exercise, and if I'm not giving myself calorie credits, it doesn't matter if it's in MFP.

When was your surgery?

Since you are newly banded, what you are feeling is most likely swelling from surgery. I felt that as well, but it should subside once you are healed. It can take a good four weeks.

I love string cheese, and keep it around at all times. One stick and I'm good to go until the next meal. I piece of string cheese has 6 grams of Protein, so it's a very good choice. Weighing daily is a personal choice, but it's not something I do. I weigh once a week, and even then I'm sometimes annoyed that it's not going faster. I'm better staying focused on how I feel, rather than what the scale says. I'm sticking to my program, so whether the scale shows a loss daily or not, I know the weight is working its way OFF of my bod.

They place the port based on your anatomy. I also thought mine was going to be under my ribcage, but it ended up to the left of my bellybutton, and a hair below it. It's right under the largest incision. When I asked the doctor about it, he said that was the best spot given the length between my ribs and my waist. He also took into consideration where the waistline of my pants would be hitting. They place it strategically based on the layout of your particular body, and they have to consider how the tubing will layout as well.

Skipping math? YES, a win win! LOL!! I hated math in school, and do accounting for a living. Go figure..... I'm glad to hear that you're getting in sooner than later. Please let us know the outcome... I hope you feel better, soon.

Mine lasted for (what I thought) was a long time. I was afraid that it was something that I would have to live with from being banded. But it did stop, and I hope it does for all of you.

Tingling in fingers sounds like something coming from your neck.....a compressed nerve. I would call & ask your doctor. I haven't heard of anything like that, but I can say that my back was totally tweaked after surgery. I already have issues, and the way they position you on the table during surgery, can play havoc with any existing skeletal conditions. Took over a week before my back pain subsided from surgery.

GO! You don't want to mess with this. Could be nothing more than stress from your finals, but if you haven't had it before, you need to find out ASAP.

I agree with both above. When you sit down to eat your first pureed meal, take very small bites, and go slowly. Swallow each bite & let it go all the way down before taking another. I'm not on full foods yet, but I am eating solid foods; beans, potatoes, chicken, ground beef/turkey, toasted bread, etc. No fruits & veggies yet (except for bananas, apple sauce and avocados). Like you, I've been nervous about getting sick, and do NOT want to throw up. That being said, I follow the eating rules; small bites, chew chew chew, and I stop at the first signal of being "done". Well, sometimes I've pushed it just a little bit, but my body signals me by getting a fleeting feeling of nausea. At 5 weeks out, I have no issues whatsoever. There are a couple of foods that didn't feel great, so even though they're allowed, I avoid them. Yesterday, it was a toasted English muffin. Whole grain bread is fine, but the muffin didn't work well. Little by little, as you add things along your progression, you will find what works best for you. I'm a lot like Jack.....I absolutely love eating slow & chewing very well. A concept I was never able to practice before surgery. I feel SO much better eating this way, and do not get the bloating & other issues I used to have after eating. Good luck!

I had it for a good three weeks post-op. Now at 5 weeks, nothing. When I had it, it was really bad. And pain meds didn't seem to touch it. Although, a shot of liquid Vicodin made me not care

I take Prilosec intermittently for reflux. It works beautifully, but it does block the absorption of some B Vitamins. I never heard anything about weight gain, nor have I experienced it. But when I do take the drug, I make sure & add B complex to my Vitamin regimen. For people with chronic reflux, taking Omeprazole (generic Prilosec) can save someone from permanent damage to the esophagus, and possibly even cancer. We hear about reflux so much, and it's not to be taken lightly. Typical protocol (in my experience) is to take it for 2-3 months until symptoms resolve, at the same time, working to find the cause of reflux in the first place. Obesity is one major cause, but there are others. Omeprazole is a complete acid blocker, and I'm not sure why your doctor would prescribe this prophylactically....unless you've had some issues where he/she thinks this is warranted. My doctor prescribed Pepcid for one month post-op; 1 tablet twice a day. Pepcid is milder, and does not block all acid production. However, since I take a prescription anti-inflammatory, he wants me to take it ongoing to protect my stomach lining. I would get clarification from your doctor, as to the reasoning for keeping you on this medication. And if the answer makes no sense to you, you may want to talk to a gastroenterologist.