SandyM

Jello yes. Jelly, yuck! Theres popsickles, jello, broth, gatorade, apple juice, grape juice, coffee, tea, Water

Are you using PC or phone. I haven't found a way to do any of it on phone but I can help with pc

Wow!! Small world, I have a daughter in Cisco and 1 in eastland

How long is a long while without food?

Good attitude. Like anything you get back what you put into it.

I don't think anyone is trying to ridicule here. You just offered such patch info we are all trying to figure this out. I get this: -surg 2 years ago -promised no scar -came out with large dressing -no Fluid in band -unhappy I think you would need to provide more info so we can figure this out.

Let me just start by saying, I've been banded 11+ months. I don't keep or have any desire for my band to be really tight and my surgeon is leaving how tight up to me. I like that. I just wanted to share my story. I have a very addictive personality. A type AAA lets say. Everything I do, I do full steam ahead. Eating, drinking, you name it. I experienced the alcohol thing when I was younger and did it much to excess. Coming from a home with an alcoholic father, this scared me and I eventually with some help was able to leave this behind. Then the devil on my shoulder became smoking. That was a really hard one to kick, but eventually, I did that too, this time on my own, but with much failure and restarting. food being an acceptable addiction crept up on me then it stopped creeping and just started moving in. After years of yoyo dieting and trying every diet I could find and making up others on the way, with thousands of dollars spent on fads and diet pills I found I could not handle this on my own. I decided to get the band. When I first got my band, I admit I thought it would cure me my addiction. I didn't know it was a tool. I had been told it was, but I still didn't know it. I had not yet found this forum and a part of me wishes I had, but another part of me wouldn't change a thing. The preop weight came off great, I didn't totally hate the shakes though I missed the lunches out 3-4 times a week with my coworkers and found it difficult to avoid the Snacks that were constantly being delivered to the office by well meaning clients. The post op diet was more difficult for me as by then I hated the shakes and had very little imagination as to what else to try. My first eggs, 3 weeks post op was the best food I had ever eaten. I had hiatel hernial repair and plication with my band. I do love the plication and believe I avoided BANDSTER HELL because of it. The surgery itself was pretty hard on me and it may have been because of the extra procedures involved, but like we all do, I eventually bounced back. I had my surgery on Friday and went back to work on Monday. Tuesday I had to go to surgeons office and have all of my residual fill removed due to too much swelling. I had my first stuck feeling that day due to gulping fluids through a straw (I forgot no straws). Looking back, it was probably alot of gas in my stomach, much different feeling than the gas around the stomach. Anyway, 11 months out, I'm down 75 lbs and only a few to goal. My goal isn't set in stone, so may be adjusted depending on how I feel when I get there. I'm not going to have any reconstructive surgeries as my body has managed to bounce back ok. Not bikini-ok, but I'm 55 and never was a bikini personality anyway. I put a full length mirror in my bathroom 4 or 5 months back so I could make myself look at me. Something I haven't been able to do in a long time. I'm just starting to convince my mind that I'm not obese anymore. I eat what I want, I just don't want as much and I'm mindful of what I eat so I don't sabotage my weight loss. I don't feel like I'm dieting, just reprogramming myself to want healthier foods. I exercise 4 to 5 days a week and mix that up a lot. I feel I have developed alot of tools to go with the band and if I lost the band, I might could manage now. I hope I don't have to find out. I just want to give a shout out to all of you out there that are on this journey with me. I know we each may do it slightly differently, but we are all heading in the same direction and it helps. I love that most out there aren't trying to tell others how to do it, but how they do it, which is sometimes different.

I'm really surprised your surgeon didn't have you do a preop diet. Most of us did 2-3 weeks liquid protein diet to help shrink the liver. Probably wouldn't hurt anything even if your surgeon didn't order it.

I know right? Hubby and I went out to eat a couple weeks ago and the waitress came by 3 times and asked if she could clear my setting or get me a to-go container. Once I had the fork in my hand.????

Lol, ok, maybe a nicer way to put it.

AWWW! Thank you. As for being happy, I definitely am. I feel like I'm finally doing something for myself.

Baby spoon, teehee. I use a tablespoon. A heaping one. 2, 3, maybe 4

by all means, share it.

I know your anxious for the weight to come off and it will if you put in the effort. But remember, the 1st month to month and a half is for healing. If you lose, thats just an added benefit. As for the cookie, this is definitely slider food and you'll have to deal with that demon. Probably best not to even have them around the house. The way I do that is to buy Cookies for the gks that don't appeal to me. That way I'm not tempted. I find that if I give in to one, I'll empty the package and I'll not track them either. There are certain foods I avoid. If I bring Peanut Butter into the house, my husband lectures me, lol. This journey can be successful, but you have to definitely do your part. Forgive yourself and keep going.

I agree with tracking. They add up alot faster than you think. Also, you might want to increase your exercise, at least during the losing phase.

And 2 years ago? Seriously, I don't want to call TROLL ALERT, but it does sound suspicious.

I can't do situps due to my tailbone not having enough padding anymore. But, I can do crunches. What I find works best with me is:

Ok, I'm really missing something....well evidently alot here. You say you went in for a band, came back with a large bandage...What did they do. The band isn't for nibblers?.....I'm a nibbler and that's just something I have to work with. All wls will fail if you are and continue being a nibbler. So why do you have and empty band that needs to be removed? You need to tell us more.

A couple weekends ago, I visited the hospital I worked at 5 years ago. Surprisingly, many of my coworkers were still there. I heard "you look good, you've lost weight" from almost all of them.......except one. She said, "you've gotten taller". Yes, at 55, I'm still growing lol.

I might add that if the rules are not important now, how will they seem later on. As stated the surgeons make these rules for a reason, if you trusted them to do the surgery, keep trusting them to guide you through this journey.

Me too. Vita fusion multi/gummy, b-complex gummy, calc gummies, like a candy treat each day

I love the quest bars too. My favs are cookies and cream and brownie. I like most though. Only one I've totally disliked was the peanut butter cup (whatever it's called) and I wasn't crazy about the pbj. I did like the bp supreme though.

I can't seem to add names. It's telling me email not sent

Let me know what you think of the book, I've been thinking of ordering it myself. Also where did you order the ebook?

Rivergirl, you got the tool. Make it work for you.