mommiranda

I couldn't make it tonight due to travel; but hope I can join you at the next one. Also, to make sure we miss traffic I would vote for a later start time....

Its really hard to eat on the road, especially if you are post-fill/surgery which restricts you to liquids. My solution is to pack in ALOT of Atkins shakes and check my luggage. That way I don't have to think about getting food at all. The other challenge is the social dinners; I try to order soup, but sometimes I am just hungry. I also find the starbucks in the airport to be useful for their frappucinos and have wired the location of juice/smoothie places in various airports. Good luck - I travelled just a few days after banding. It was tough but the work got my mind off of it.

I am also a professional in a high-powered career, and its been great to read these threads! I work in a male-dominated field and as I have put on weight I have found it affects my ability to command attention - I do alot of public speaking and whether its my own issues playing into my non-verbals, or others perceptions, who knows. Whatever the origin, career issues were a major driver for me getting this band. On business lunches: I've found Soup to be the one thing to do - I can't control the speed of my eating when I am distracted. I just was banded and I am really not looking forward to the travel issues; I'm on the road alot, and maybe I'll have to just pack Protein shakes and check bags. Anyone find ways to manage eating on the road? I'm only down about 15 lbs so far, but I have business suites in sizes from 8 - 18 so I think I can step down OK. Keep up the posting ... MM

Mine was $13,500 base price, plus about $200 miscellaneous. I'm not counting my new juicer - a great buy for the liquids stage and post-fills. MM

I didn't know I had it, but my doc repaired it while doing the surgery. It has actually improved my lung capacity of all things ... but took about a week before I could take a deep breath without pain. Well worth it. MM

Does anyone know if Dr. Spivak will take a patient banded by a US doctor for fills/follow-up? I'm a self-pay. Thanks, MM

BgotB: I also am having a delayed TOM! Frustrating since I am usually like clockwork - but I dropped a bunch of weight post-op so my body must be out of whack. Good to know someone else is having this problem. MM

There was a great poll about calories/day that banded people eat. Help me make a decision about what calorie goal I should set for myself (I start real food this FRIDAY). My doc? He said under 1000 cal/day and less is better. OPTION A: Don't starve! Always try to eat 1000 cal/day to keep your metabolism going. OPTION B: Go LOW, low low. 700 cal/day I think is possible for me since my hunger has been pretty limited. I'm torn!! The armchair nutritionist in me argues for OPTION A. People need to eat, and maybe why I've been a slow loser all my life is that I am actually good at eating low calories - which causes my body to nose dive its metabolism. Exhibit A is the fact I've lost only 12 lbs in 2.5 weeks post-op, with super low intake of liquids. The practicing scientist in me says: Option B! Heck, option A is my rationalization and the reason I have the weight problem since I justified eating more because of it. Also, bodies get energy from somewhere. I am simply NOT a plant, and eventually I have to burn my fat stores. Feel free to help me decide! MM P.S. No exercise just yet, and I know that will help.

Maybe its too soon to declare myself part of this club, but I think not. I am three weeks post-op today and down 13 lbs. That's good, but the last week I've been journaling my foods and really not eating much - not a pound came off for seven days. In fact I just gained two pounds. I've had a hard time losing on calorie restriction ever since I was 15, and I was kidding myself to think the band will change this. I need support to get through the no loss weeks and I also need to adjust my expectations! For me, its the plateaus that really get me. The band makes it harder to blow it at least. Things I am doing right: I am journaling carefully and honestly (average ~850 cal/day), 6 out of 7 days making good food choices, and taking vitamins. Things to fix: Protein? Need to get isopure or something to get the numbers up. Exercise? Good thing I like to do it, bad thing is finding the time. Water? Hard to do since I get so full feeling. Weighing myself? I am addicted to the once a day weigh in - messes with my head though. Thanks for your posts - always good to know I am not alone and to prepare myself for a long haul change. MM

Thanks all! OK, I am exercising again which feels great, so let's hope I keep it up. And I'll aim for 800 cal/day - your point about the low cal supervised diets - 600 cal/day - is a good one. It must work. My experience was similar to yours as a teenager/youngster - I had to eat much, much less than most people to lose anything. Maybe there is huge variation. On the bright side I am so, so excited that the band helps me manage hunger so these levels are really possible for me. I'm sure with my first fill it will get even easier. MM

I have lost about 15 lbs since surgery and the last week hit a flat plateau, ICK. Then I thought maybe I was in starvation mode so I took my calories up just a bit, and gained a pound. Sigh. Next week I am going to exercise hard and see if that helps. I'm not filled yet - that would happen in a few weeks. I guess we should focus on the positive weight loss and not worry about the pace - heck, pre-band 15 lbs would have taken me three months or so. MM

I think the total was about $14,500 - check to him, check to really nice, wonderful hospital, and some miscellaneous charges. They pay hotel for out of town guests I think. Great surgeon, and an ego to boot. PM me for more details! MM

You are RIGHT! On the positive side I actually like exercise and have a great history of sustaining weights/cardio (weights I like MUCH better) for years. But having my second child just knocked me out of the gym mode and I need to fight my way back into that sweet spot. MM

Hey white - we have the same goal! I was 145 lb at my wedding 13 years ago and my doc thinks 140 is a good goal weight. I would be happy to reach 150 lb, or maybe just get out of the 200s before my first fill (I am soooo close). What appetite supressants do you use? Were they easy to get prescribed? Audree - great job on the weight loss!!! A wonderful role model for me. Your food diaries are so useful to me since I am trying to figure out how much to plan on eating. MM

Great thread and I've been checking alot. I was banded 07/06/07 and I'm down 12 lbs since - started right at a BMI of 34 or so. I was a self-pay in Houston and used Dr. Spiegel. Sixty pounds to go! I had only 6 days between consult and surgery, and with my BMI there was no pre-op diet; this Friday I have a green light to eat regular foods if I can. I think I have a fair bit of restriction now and the hunger has been surprisingly not *too* bad. I've been tracking my food (mushies) on thedailyplate.com and I've been averaging about 800 cal the last week. Today: no breakfast (not hungry in the am?); cup potato soup at a biz lunch; protein shake; sweet/sour soup at dinner (liquid only) plus five bites of a coconut tofu curry. Hard to account but worst case that's 1000 cal which is amazing given I had two meals at restaurants. My big challenge now is a PLATEAU - tommorow will be 7 whole days without any real weight loss! ICK. I'm happy I manage OK on 800 cals a day, but jeez I thought my weight would move. Maybe after the 8 lbs week after surgery, and 4 lbs last week, my body dived down its burn rate. I'm not exercising hard yet - or really at all - but maybe I need to eat at 800 cal a say AND do serious cardio. My energy level is not that great, and maybe if I get in my protein that will help?? Having a heck of a time with protein. Thanks for listening ... MM:)

I live in Houston - near 610/SW. PM me with info. I was banded 07/06/07 - down 13 lbs but could use some support. MM

I'm 14 days out and just started mushies - which includes soft fish according to my doc. I am OK to do normal foods after 3 weeks, and had a progression of one week Clear Liquids, one week full, then one week mushies. I had my first 'meal' today and boy do I feel horrible. Not in my stomach but lower abs - bloated, icky feeling. I think I am going to go back to liquids. MM

Actually I had diarrhea after about 48 hours, nothing before; lasted a few days and now I am pretty normal.

I vote for the Mexico cruise - my mom did it last year and had a great time. I like Alaska but its too pricey for me (I blew my cash on the self-pay) and I don't want to be away from my kids (2 and 6) that long. MM

Well I am 6 days post-op! And what a week. I have this feeling like its been years but I am really excited. I am on my last day of a clear liquids diet, and I have really stuck to it. My only cheats: a tsp of peanut butter in a approved protein shake, and I drank some fruit juice with pulp. I do get hungry for sure; the hunger pains in my tummy, I seem to salivate more, definitely hunger. But it doesn't compel me to eat; I don't feel desperate for food, or even that obsessed on it. It is such an amazing feeling and I hope, hope that it sticks. I am hungry to socialize; I'm looking forward to having more flavors (salt, please salt). A good day.

Well I am 6 days post-op! And what a week. I have this feeling like its been years but I am really excited. I am on my last day of a clear liquids diet, and I have really stuck to it. My only cheats: a tsp of peanut butter in a approved protein shake, and I drank some fruit juice with pulp. I do get hungry for sure; the hunger pains in my tummy, I seem to salivate more, definitely hunger. But it doesn't compel me to eat; I don't feel desperate for food, or even that obsessed on it. It is such an amazing feeling and I hope, hope that it sticks. I am hungry to socialize; I'm looking forward to having more flavors (salt, please salt). A good day.

CONGRATS to all newbies. Are you hungry post-op? I am having a strange experience. My doc has no pre-op diet, but makes up for it in a brutal three week post-op diet. This week I'm on clear liquids plus protein shakes. Thing is I get hungry, I notice. But its not that desperate, gnawing sensation that I would do anything to get rid of. I look at cookies, but can say no pretty easily to them. I can't wait to get real flavor - but that's more about boredom. I am so happy to be free of that horrible compulsion to eat. MM

I got a liquid vicodin prescription (hydrocodone) and then bought liquid tylenol - amazon has it so I ordered two bottles online. Good thing too. The vicodin makes me a bit naseous so I only used it the first day or so. The liquid tylenol and tylenol PM have been great - but I've gone through one bottle of LT in about a week. Good luck MM

I probably have a record: 6 days from consult to surgery. But I am a self-pay and I had three months of exhaustive research beforehand. It is tough to wait, but if your insurance will pay then its waaaay better than you paying. MM

The first few days are so hard, but it does get better - alot at least for me. That heavy pressure feeling went away by day 4. Since your stomach is still swollen its probably not doing well on anything too heavy. Hang in there - it will feel better.. MM