gigglypug

Milk products contain milk sugar (lactose), so they will not ever be completely sugar-free. In yogurt, most of the lactose has been converted to lactic acid, which is what gives it the characteristic sour taste...the carb count stays the same but metabolically, lactic acid does not cause as much of an insulin increase. As long as you are staying away from added sugar (i.e. stay with plain yogurt), you are fine. Most folks here go for greek yogurt for the added Protein. I mix berries and a little splenda in mine, however, fruit has natural sugars as well.

Same boat here, although most of my meals are with my reps (who know about my band) and only occasionally with our customers. I find that just about anywhere I go, the highest rated restaurants are usually the organic/locally sourced/farm-to-table concept restaurants which not only have delicious food but also typically rather reasonable portion sizes. Tapas restaurants are also a good choice. And finally I eat a LOT of sashimi (with some edamame on the side). Don't worry too much, you'll find people pay amazingly little attention to what's on other people's plate...although I did have one customer at a catered lunch remark on how little was on my plate...I told him that I had a lunch like this the day before and would have another one the next day and at that rate you have to be very careful/selective. Wine and the dessert tray are my biggest problem...the former I've limited to one glass per outing, the latter I'm getting better at resisting...and if I do order something, I leave it at a bite or two...

Question to those who tell people that their weight loss is due to "exercising and eating right"...do you consider the weight of the person you're speaking with? Asking because so many people post here upset when someone told them they should 't have WLS and that exercise and eating right is all it takes. I'm not suggesting forcing people out of the closet and clearly the level of disclosure should be in proportion to the relationship with the listener...but I'm sensing quite a bit of shame in the WLS community and I believe we're doing it to ourselves...

My official post-op instructions were: no carbonated beverages for the first 30 days and then only diet. Obviously the first part of the rule is for healing/band safety, the second for weight loss. When it comes to rules, I always try to distinguish between those two categories (and will ask my surgeon for clarification, if needed). If your doc says "no sodas", there is nothing wrong with asking "why not"...if s/he says "studies have shown higher slip rates", or similar, that's one thing, if they say "empty calories" it's another...

I did my first overnight stay for work five days post-op. That turned out to be too soon, as my job includes public speaking and I hadn't realized how much energy that requires (answer: more than I have when I'm on a liquid diet and recovering). The following week I had two days in AZ, which was better, but not perfect (I was on pureed foods then). I took my first multi-day trip in week three (major trade show) and that went fine, mostly because I was transitioning back to a regular diet....remember that there is a wide variety of post-op instructions out there, your surgeon may have you transition back slower or faster. To answer your question I'm a technical specialist for a scientific equipment manufacturer and support the sales efforts of 14 reps...in the US, anything west of the Mississippi River plus (for some reason) Western TN plus BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba :-) When I'm on the road, the vast majority of my meals are social (with reps and often with customers as well), so nibbling on Protein bars in my hotel room is not a desirable option...still tweaking the band (I was banded May 15) but I would say I'm in the chartreuse section of the color chart.

One more comment: If you chose to go ahead with the surgery, I'd strongly recommend getting travel insurance. I would imagine the Africa trip is quite a financial commitment and this way you have at least some peace of mind. Complications, while unlikely, are still a possibility and you also don't know how you'll feel (people here report needing to use pain meds anywhere from not at all to two weeks...). Are you heading into the bush or staying close to civilization? I postponed my first fill because I was heading to the Galapagos the next week and didn't want to risk needing an emergency unfill so far from any medical care. Dealing with the lap band requires special equipment/needles that are not likely to be found in many developing countries. I can appreciate your impatience to get started. Realize that lap band works over months or years and that two weeks more or less are not likely to matter in the long run...

Agree with "not hungry - don't eat" BUT don't let yourself get too hungry! It's difficult to eat slowly and chew thoroughly when on the brink of starvation!

Agreed with the need for consistency, inasmuch as can be applied to a variable patient population. I have said it before, there is nothing wrong with asking the reason for any given directive (pre-op diets for example...some people need them, some people don't). A doc that is not willing to explain the "why" behind the process would be a major red flag for me! As would be a doc who is clinging to medical directives dating from the infancy of gastric banding... Here is my fill history: 5/15/2013 surgery, 2.5 cc placed into 10cc band 7/11/2013 1st fill (my choice of date), +1.5cc 7/25/2013 2nd fill +0.75cc for total of 4.75cc

Wow, worse than your own....your vomit must be way tastier than mine! Having said that, I second the Premier Protein shake vote. I don't do shakes often (except on fill days) but I like to blend the chocolate with ice, a banana and a tablespoon of Peanut Butter...

Banded May 15th, down 25 pounds total, including 10 pre-op. Had 2.5cc in 10cc band at time of surgery, plus one fill for total of 4cc two weeks ago. Seeing doc this Thursday, maybe for another fill...? Had a glimpse of the green zone for a few days, possibly because I was at high altitude. Have gone back to normal/yellow since. Still happy: could ditch my blood pressure meds and down one size. Also, have no side effects/stucks/PBs...great win in my book Slow and steady wins the race :-)

I remember being admitted to the hospital for my first baby. I had to sign a huuuuge informed consent form listing in gory detail all the things that could possibly go wrong for my baby or me during the birthing process....up to and including death. I was panicked, but obviously being a week past my due date, there was no other option than to go forward. With WLS, we do have the option not to go through with it. And I certainly don't want to "talk anyone into" have a procedure, be it lap band, sleeve or anything else. But only because a lawyer put a condition on a list does not mean I have a statistically highly significant chance of developing it. With law suits being what they are, something only has to happen ONCE to SOMEONE (who could very well have other complications) to make it a "known side effect"...

Weight loss rates will all be around 1-2 lbs/week on the average, since your body is only able to burn so many calories a week. Initially, weight loss will be faster because your body burns glycogen instead of fat, which has lower energy density (it takes more grams glycogen to produce a given amount of energy than it would fat) and you lose a lot of Water in the process. Counting calories is crucial during the initial weeks/months of lap band until proper restriction is achieved. At that point, many people stop and rely on the band to do the work, others keep logging to keep overall control of their intake (most of us gained their weight by simply not paying attention). I usually log everything in Daily Plate, but dinners like yesterday's are impossible...two coworkers and I were at a Tapas restaurant and ordered 6 different small plates to share (if turned out too much food). All complex dishes with unknown ingredients and I had a bite of each....how to log? I've never done weight watchers, but from what I understand, the counting there never becomes optional. Lastly, there seem to be quite a few people who are afraid of being too tight (higher restriction levels often associated with long-term side effects) and intentionally or not stop before reaching the green zone. Some of them still have some restriction , but overall the weight loss is done by counting cals/carbs etc I say, do whatever works for you :-)

Definitely dependent on your current fill level: a few weeks ago, I was in Quito/Ecuador at well over 9,000 ft and while I had other altitude issues, my hunger was no different than at home (sea level). That was before my first fill (I had 2.5 cc in the band at time of surgery). Last Thursday, got a 1.5cc fill for a total of four cc in a 10cc band. This week, working in Denver and Salt Lake City and wow, this is an epiphany. Full after half a crab cake or half a cup of scrambled eggs and two chunks of pineapple! Hoping it'll still be this way when I get back home tomorrow, but being up here has put me in the green zone :-)