PATCHELTON

I had a slight PB episode after a fill, when I didn't cut my BP pill in half and it got stuck. I also slimed some and spit up twice. However last week I really went for the gold (not intenionally). I had bought a small package of ham steaks that were fully cooked, and I brought one to work to heat in the microwave. I had eaten them maybe two times before and while they may sit for a while, they didn't get stuck. I am still learning to chew more, and I don't always, plus I didn't cut off that little edge that is like a skin on the ham steak (I will from now on). I had finished the ham steak and started on my salad (Romaine, parmesan cheese, bacon bits and low fat caeser dressing). I eat at my desk so it is hard to totally focus on my food. The pressure started building in my chest and I couldn't finish my salad. The pressure got so back I actually contemplated a trip to the ER, but decided to wait it out. Then the slime started, in earnest. It is a totally weird feeling to have to throw up without feeling nauseated. I spent the afternoon running to the bathroom, and it gradually resolved. I plan to approach ham steaks with a hefty dose of caution (and cut the edge off) but they are really tasty and I don't want to give them up entirely. Just want to avoid the PB/slimes.

Hi! I have the date I was banded, and my start/current/goal weights and where I was banded. I had to do a 6 month diet for insurance, and lost 10 pounds on that. Then the surgeon put me on a liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery (ended up being 3 weeks because I caught a cold and they postponed my surgery a week--not enough time to stop and start again, so I stayed on it an extra week). It included a small amount of lean protein which I ate at night when I would tend to overeat the most. I used unbreaded chicken tenders (Costco) and hard boiled eggs. Four days before surgery just liquids (broth, protein shakes, sugar free jello/popsicles, skim milk, tea, cream soups). Lost 25 more lbs on that, so I was down 35 lbs by surgery. Then 2 weeks liquids, 2 weeks mushies, now on regular food. The rest of the weight (40 lbs) has come off since surgery.:tt1:

I was eating a small ham steak last week, followed by a salad of romaine, and I must not have chewed thoroughly because the ham got stuck, and I spent the afternoon at work having PBs(productive burps) and sliming (excess saliva production that has no place to go but up and out). It was like throwing up, but without the nausea. Major sliming! I didn't bring up the ham steak (it eventually freed up and passed) and only brought up a tiny bit of romaine, though the slime did turn green from the salad (pardon the graphic). While it was uncomfortable, I didn't panic because I had read here about PBs and sliming, so when it happened, I knew what was going on. Had it not freed up, I may have gone to the ER, but I am not sure how they unstick you. Endoscopy maybe? I am glad I didn't have to find out.:tt1:

My favorite is Kraft. I tried to go fat free but none of them taste right and Kraft Light really tastes like the full fat. I also got a jar of Trader Joe's brand of light mayo to try. Made egg salad with it and it tasted fine. Haven't tried Hellman's so can't compare. But Hellman's or Kraft should be fine.

I am not much of a cook either, so easy is the name of the game. I used applesauce, instant mashed potatoes with f/f gravy, refried beans (pulverize some salsa in the blender or food processor, mix with refried beans, heat a portion in the microwave and put Kraft f/f cheese on top to melt--yum), instant oatmeal made a little runny with extra liquid, creamy egg salad (light mayo, a little dijon mustard, salt,pepper), creamy tuna salad (light mayo, a little yellow mustard, salt, pepper), Lipton noodle soup (with just chicken broth, not pieces), tomato soup with f/f Kraft slices melted in it. There may have been a few other things, but I used a list the dietician gave me and pretty much stuck to that.

I am also one of Dr. Singh's patients. He and Dr. Averbach work together at St. Agnes. If you have enough documentation you will be able to use your Weight Watcher's experience as long as it was at least 6 months. I didn't have that so I set up a 6 month diet with Arlene, the dietician, and she supervised and documented my weight, and at the end wrote a cover letter to go with the weight log. So if you don't have enough from Weight Watchers you might make an appointment with Arlene. It wasn't expensive, about $35. Then I saw her later for my pre-post op dietary consult. During the 6 months I read everything I could find, and started coming here, as well as going to the group support meetings At St. Agnes. Learned a lot before surgery.

In my case I have professional pictures of my cats that I scanned onto my computer and saved as a file. To do personal photos you need either a scanner, or a printer that also scans. Once the pictures are saved, you can upload them to all sorts of things. My cats are microchipped so I uploaded their pictures to HomeAgain and have ID cards for them with their chip numbers and photos. For here I went to Edit Signature and clicked on Browse, brought up the file my photos were in, and selected the picture I wanted. Then I saved my signature so the picture appears on each message I post. I have 4 cats, so I periodically change the picture. That is a little trickier. You have to delete the one that is there,then pick out the new one and save the signature again.

You are definitely too tight. I went for my first fill and got 3ccs. They have you sit for a while and drink some water, and all I did was burp a little so they let me go. By later that evening even water felt like it was getting stuck. I called the doctor the next day, met him at the hospital and he took out 1.5 ccs. I could feel the pressure releasing as he pulled out the fluid. I worked with that for a couple weeks until my followup appt. then told him I could get liquids down ok and soft foods, but the denser stuff I was still having a hard time with, so they took out another .5cc. I am due back in July and with my experience I would want to do fills conservatively, maybe 1 or at most 2ccs. I have a history of reflux so maybe that makes me more sensitive, but I know the feeling you describe, and it isn't fun. But that is also the plus about the band. If it doesn't feel right you can have it adjusted. Try that with anything else!

A word of caution about calling the insurance company. I have Blue Choice (BC HMO in Maryland), and I called them to see if they could tell me anything. The service rep told me I would probably be denied because I went out of network for my psych eval and dietician. I used the members of the bariatric team; those two were not in network. However, out of network just means you pay the bill. I also argued that (I had to do a 6 month documented diet--used the bariatric dietician to supervise that) they accepted documentation from Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, LA Weight Loss, what difference would it make who supervised my diet, as long as I had documentation. I had paid both out of pocket. He assured me I would probably be denied. So as I am having a meltdown, trying to call the surgeon's office, they were at the same time trying to call me to tell me I had been approved. Having had this experience, I would be more likely to bug the surgeon's office. If they are an experienced center, they have dealt with all kinds of insurance, and they know what will clear and what won't.

I was told for the mushy stage that anything the consistency of applesauce was okay. I could have creamy egg salad (light mayo, mustard, salt/pepper), creamy tuna salad (with same stuff as the egg salad), instant mashed potatoes, refried Beans (I pulverized some chunky salsa to make it smaller, mixed in the beans, nuked in the microwave and put fat free Kraft shredded cheese on top to melt when it came out), oatmeal (with extra milk to make it mushier), fat/sugar free pudding (Jello makes it-mix with skim milk and bump up your Protein intake), Lipton noodle Soup (the package with chicken broth, not pieces), stuff like that. The vomiting you describe sounds like what you will see here referred to as "sliming" which is when something gets stuck and you start producing excess saliva that has no place to go but up and out. I had one sliming experience, the day after my first fill. I was told to do liquids for 48 hours, and cut my meds in half. I was in a hurry and didn't cut my meds. One of the pills got stuck as I am running out the door to go to work. I spit up on the parking lot twice. Called the doctor as soon as I got to work, and ended up meeting him at the hospital for an unfill. He had put in 3ccs and took out about 1.5-2. I could feel the pressure in my chest going down as he did. Now on regular foods, occasionally a food will get stuck. If it is particularly bad (black bean burger at Chili's-dry as the desert) I break the no drinking rule and take a couple sips of Water. That seems to help. Also I found chewing sugarless gum (some people chew and others are told not to for fear of swallowing it) helps. I had to try pizza too. I had been on regular food for about a week. I work in a doctor's office so we have luncheons a lot, sometimes pizza. I cut the front half off a slice and ate the small triangle (this from a self confessed pizzaholic whose idea of having pizza used to be eating the entire thing). It got stuck and I got to thinking. It is really the toppings that I crave, so what about a crustless pizza? So I take a microwaveable dish, pour in some Ragu pizza sauce, top with Hormell Turkey Pepperonis, peppers and onions from Birdseye Pepper Stir Fry, and top that with Kraft Fat Free Mozzarella shredded cheese. Heat about 2 minutes in the microwave. Did the same thing with turkey meatballs. Cover them in spaghetti sauce, top with parmesan cheese and heat in microwave. It is either a meatball sub without the bread or spaghetti without the noodles. I tried bread once since surgery and it got stuck too, so I have no burning desire to eat it right now, and I look for creative ideas to work around it. I hope some of this helps you, and if you have other questions, this is a great place to ask them.

In my case I had to attend an informational seminar, have a consult with the surgeon, have a psych evaluation, and my insurance (Blue Choice) required a documented 6 month dietary weight loss attempt. I used the bariatric dietician for that. They also accept Weight Watchers, and the like, as long as you have documentation. The surgeon asked for a stress test, my PCP threw in an echocardiogram (I work for cardiologists so I had them both done at work). Once the paperwork was all together it was submitted to Blue Choice (took 4 weeks for approval) then I had to see the dietician again for the pre/post-op dietary consult, and have a class with the nurse. Once the date was set, I had to call the hospital billing office to settle any outstanding charges not covered by insurance before surgery. Fortunately there were none. My out-of-pocket expenses were minimal. The insurance even covered an overnight stay in the hospital. After surgery you get followup appts (in my case 90 days post-op were covered under the surgery). The dietary consult covers 6 months of advice or visits if needed with the dietician. I started going to support groups last summer, joined this forum in November, and was banded 3/25/08.

I was put on "full" liquids, not clear. I could have tea, coffee, skim milk, water, broths, cream soups, tomato soup, fat/sugar free popsicles, fat/sugar free jello, and protein drinks. To ease me into the diet, the dietician told me I could have a small amount of lean protein until four days before surgery, then only liquids. I had unbreaded chicken breast tenders (from Costco) or hardboiled eggs. I grilled two tenders and put salt and pepper on them, or two eggs with salt and pepper. I saved them for the evening when I tended to overeat the most. During the day I was hungry, but I was prepared to be, and I am busy at work so I didn't have too much time to think about it. I ended up doing it for 3 weeks because I caught a cold and my surgery was postponed a week, not enough time to stop and start again. I lost 25 lbs on it, plus the 10 I lost doing the 6 month diet required by insurance. Lost the rest since surgery 3/25/08.

Did you actually have a PB, or were you just stuck? You describe being stuck (had the same experience in a restaurant with a black bean burger), but I thought a PB was when you actually bring the food back up. In my case I decided to break the no drinking rule, and I took some sips of water which helped to flush down what was stuck. I agree that the feeling is not one I want to repeat. I had met a friend for dinner, and she is deaf. She had already ordered, and I was trying to scan the menu to see what I could eat, and look at her signing. We hadn't seen each other in a while so she had a lot to tell me, and it was hard to focus on the menu. First it came on a bun (bread doesn't seem to agree with me; I tried once and it got stuck, so I haven't had bread since 3/25/08). Ditched the bun. The bean burger was so dry I put ketchup on it, and that wasn't even enough. If you go to Chili's, don't order it.

Obesityhelp.com has a good list. I saw lists posted here. If you can dig through the layers of pre-op postings you may be able to find the thread.

I would suggest reading everything you can, so you can make an informed decision. Obesityhelp.com describes all the different procedure, including Lapband, and there is a book called The Lapband Solution, and another called The Lapband Companion. Both books are available on Amazon.com and are full of information. You don't give up real food forever. Check your insurance first and see if it is covered. Some insurances (mine is Blue Choice) require one 6 month or two 3 month documented dietary weight loss attempts before they will approve you. Mine did and I spent the 6 months going to support groups (you meet people at all stages of pre and post op--good place to learn) buying sampler packs of chewable Vitamins and Calcium (both are required after surgery, as well as B12), and reading online. I have been coming here since November. My insurance criteria for surgery is BMI 40 or more (you can calculate this on obesityhelp.com) and 100 pounds overweight, or BMI 35-39 with one or more co-morbidities (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint arthritis, sleep apnea, reflux). My BMI was 37-38 and I have everything on the list except diabetes. Most Bariatric groups require an informational seminar after which you have no obligation, but if you choose to have surgery the seminar is required as a first step. If you choose to continue, you will have a consultation with the surgeon, a psych evaluation, and once surgery is approved, a dietary consult on pre and post op food restrictions. I used the dietician for my 6 month diet as well. Different doctors do different things with pre-op diets. Some want a few days, some a few weeks, some a specific diet product, they are all different. My surgeon, if he thinks you may have a fatty liver, will put you on a full liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery to shrink the liver, and somewhat to jump start your weight loss. I was on it for 3 weeks (I caught a cold and my surgery was postponed a week--not enough time to go off and back on, so I stayed an extra week--lost 25 more pounds after losing 10 on my 6 month diet). After surgery most people do liquids for 2 weeks, then "mushies" or pureed foods for 2 weeks, then solid food. My liquid diet included Protein drinks, milk, juice(diluted 50% with water), fat/sugar free Jello, fa/sugar free popsicles, broths, cream Soups, tea, coffee. The pureed stage I had applesauce, refried Beans, instant mashed potatoes, creamy egg or tuna salad, anything the consistency of apple sauce. Solid foods are a bit trial and error. Some foods will agree with you, others may not. For me bread gets too chewy and sits like a lump, but I can eat croutons on a salad. pizza (I love pizza) dough doesn't agree so much, so I invented a crustless pizza (sauce, turkey pepperoni, peppers, onions, fat free Kraft mozarella in a microwavable disk; heat for a couple minutes and you have the toppings without the dough). I did the same with meatballs (turkey meatballs, spaghetti sauce, parmesan cheese,heat in microwave--either meatball sub without the roll or spaghetti without the noodles). They told us not to have rice and Pasta for a while, but I don't think it is forever. I checked with the dietician and then went to a church spaghetti dinner. I cut up my spaghetti and meatballs like you would for a kid, ate the salad, passed on the roll and dessert. And for drinking, you wait about a half hour to eat after drinking, do not drink with meals, and wait 45 minutes to an hour after a meal to drink. So yes, the way you eat will change, and some of the things you eat will change. The amount of whatever you eat will definitely change, but it is worth it. I have lost an additional 35 lbs since surgery and gone down two clothing sizes for work (I wear scrubs--down from 2x to large). I am hoping also to reduce or eliminate some of the meds I am on. Sorry to run on but there is a lot to know. Check your insurance, talk to your PCP, go to the seminar and support groups, and then decide if this is the way you want to go.

Are you recent post-op, or has this pain been bothering you for a while? You should call the surgeon's office to report the pain. The port is under the largest incision, kinda feels like a bump. For a fill the doctor feels the port to line up the center and inserts a thin needle with a syringe of saline. He/she will inject however many ccs they are giving you. It travels through a tube from the port to the inner part of the band, inflating it to tighten the opening, giving you more restriction. If you are newly banded you could just still be healing. If you are several weeks or more post-op, you probably should not be having pain. :biggrin:

You have a tough challege ahead of you, but losing weight, even with the band, is also hard, and exercise is critical to your success. I am not a doctor, but you are likely tired because you avoid moving due to your weight and disability. You said it is hard for you to walk. Unless it is impossible you really need to try. It will only be baby steps at first, maybe a half a block from your house and back, or up and down the stairs to do laundry. If you lay on your bed feeling sorry for yourself about how hard everything is, you will defeat yourself before you start. Start with little goals and add to them later as you improve. If you never try, you never will.

My BMI was around 37 also. I am 5'7" and weighed 252 at the start of my journey. I also had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, reflux, knee arthritis. I had to spend 6 months on a documented diet attempt to satisfy insurance (lost 10 lbs). Increased my exercise from Curves to Curves plus walking. I found a nice park with a 2 mile walking path. Started on weekends this past January, and when daylight savings arrived, I increased to almost every day. Most days I walk around twice, which is 4 miles. Pants were getting loose without much additional weight loss. Pre-op liquid diet (was supposed to be 2 weeks, but ended up being 3 because I caught a cold and my surgery was postponed a week, so I stayed on the liquid diet an extra week). I think they put you on this if they think you have a fatty liver, mostly to shrink the liver and make the surgery easier. Anyway, I lost another 25 lbs before surgery. Was banded 3/25/08 and have lost another 35 since surgery. I think you should be able to get approval. My insurance said BMI 40 and 100 lbs overweight or BMI 35-39 with one or more co-morbidities (the above listed ailments that are affected by excess weight). Instead of worrying about failing, you need to get your head around the fact that you will have to eat differently from now on. I was a little hungry during the day on the liquids, but I expected that. Up until 4 days before surgery I could have a small amount of lean Protein, so I saved that for the evening when I tended to overeat most. I used unbreaded chicken tenders (Costco) and hard cooked eggs. I would have 2 tenders or 2 eggs with salt and pepper, and that helped get me through until morning. Since surgery I tried pizza once but the dough gave me problems, so I invented a crustless pizza (sauce, turkey pepperoni, peppers and onions, Kraft Fat Free Mozarella--put in microwavable dish and heat) since it was the toppings I craved. I tried bread once but it got doughy and sat, so I haven't had bread since, other than croutons, because they disintegrate instead of becoming doughy. Doughy tends to get stuck. Some foods will agree with you, some not. You have to stop drinking 1/2 hour before eating, and not drink for 45 minutes to an hour after eating. What the band does is help control portions. It is still up to you to put healthy stuff in your mouth. It is not a quick fix; your success will depend on how committed you are to working with it. I have never been able to lose a significant amount of weight before. Now I have lost 70 lbs and my goal is 100. I have hit a plateau and have made an appointment for a fill. My doctor is away until July so guts and determination are in play between now and my appointment. I have gone down 2 sizes in work clothes (scubs) from 2x to large, and the pants are loose almost to my needing a medium, but my waist an stomach aren't there yet. I am tickled pink. I even colored my hair last week. First time in 30 years or so. Good luck on your journey. Come here for some support and if they offer a support group where you will have your band done, please go, even now. I have been going to support group meetings since last July. You will learn a lot and meet people at all stages of pre and post op. Find out about the Vitamins and Protein drinks recommended. Try different ones now and see what you like instead of waiting until surgery. Some bariatric sites sell sampler packs. I got some and tried them. Read everything you can about the band. Obesityhelp.com is another good site with lots of information. Sorry to run on so, but I wanted to give you some information to get started with. You can do it.:smile2:

I love cheese, and I drink a milk based protein shake (ready to drink-Worldwide Pure Protein Shakes-Trader Joe's, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe). In the evening I use skim milk for any protein powder drink that I mix. I even found a way to have cheese during the liquid diet. I heated tomato soup, then broke up several slices of Kraft Fat Free cheese and added to the soup, stirring until it melted. Cheesy tomato soup! I make crustless pizza (the dough tends to get stuck) with Ragu pizza sauce, Hormel Turkey Pepperoni (70% less fat) peppers and onions (Birdseye Pepper Stir Fry) and Kraft Fat Free Shredded cheese. I layer in a microwave safe dish and heat. I figured out it was the toppings I craved. I do the same with turkey meatballs, spaghetti sauce, and Parmesan cheese. I love cheese and it is a good source of protein. I just eat fat free or low fat. I also take Calcium Citrate with Magnesium and D. I eat some yogurt, but I don't have a sweet tooth, and after a while yogurt gets a little too much in the sweetness department for me. :tongue:

This is a question you should really ask your bariatric nurse or surgeon. What I was told was no resistance training (weights) for 6 weeks, but to walk. I walked in my neighborhood for a few days until I could drive, then started back at the park where I like to walk. They have a path that is 2 miles. I went every day going around once until I felt comfortable to do a second time which is 4 miles. They have cleared me for weights, but I enjoy the park so much I have be doing that. The closest thing to weight lifting I am doing is the bag of peanuts I carry to feed the squirrels. You may be pushing yourself a little. Let your body tell you when you are ready for more. The treadmill should be fine at a walking pace. Distance and consistency are more important than how many machines you use. I don't walk particulary fast, and if a lot of squirrels show up for peanuts I stop a lot. I was banded 3/25/08 (Tues) and was at the park by the following Sunday (as soon as I could drive). I try to walk every day, unless there are thunder storms.

Finally! Another person who thinks BA vitamins are chalky. I thought it was just me! I got a sampler pack from them to try different stuff and I wasn't overwhelmed. I actually found Centrum chewables (even the silver) at Target for about $12 for 60, if you just want a basic multiple and I liked it better than Bariatric Advantage, though another person at group support said she didn't like the taste. If you want to spend a little more, GNC has Women's Ultramega in flavored powders, van/choc/straw and they mix up like a Protein drink. It is pricey, about $34 for a big container like the Protein drinks come in. I believe it has 30 servings, so that is a chunk for a month. I got some vanilla to try. It has antioxidents, and vegetable supplements, minerals, the works. It has some protein, and I turned it into a Protein Drink by putting in more skim milk, 1 scoop of EAS Advantage vanilla, 2 scoops of Ultramega, and blended that, then added frozen mixed berries and pulsed to break them up. Without the Ultramega I would need a packet of Splenda, but with I didn't. I believe it has some in it. It says mix with water or preferred beverage, so I used skim milk. You could probably mix the Ultramega with skim milk and add unflavored Protein powder to bump up the protein count. I used 12 oz of milk, so I had a nice berry shake when I was done. For calcium citrate, Twin Labs makes a chewable that I like better than BA. Also pricey, about $17.99 for 60 and you take 2 in the morning and 2 at night to get 1000mg. It has magnesium and D. I found it at a Healthy Options store in Bel Air, Maryland. You can check health food stores like Vitamin Shoppe, or go online and look. I found a link here a while back to Brigham Womens Hospital bariatric program and Twin Labs was a brand listed on their suggested supplements.

I have tried unjury and they are quite good. Come in Choc/Van/Straw and chicken Soup (kind of like broth) as well as unflavored. Unjury.com. For ready to drink, I started with Atkins, but that only has 9 or 15g Protein (I forget which) plus Vitamins that you will likely be taking in a supplement anyway. My sister found Worldwide Protein shakes at Trader Joe's. A little pricey, but cheaper that at GNC who also carries them. At Trader Joe you can get choc or vanilla in 21g or 35g protein, maybe 2 carbs, 1 fat (0.5 sat fat) and 1 sugar. The vanilla 35, which I drank this morning is 160 cal, and I think the chocolate maybe 170. No added vitamins, and to me tastes better than Atkins. Here in Maryland they are $1.69 each for the 21's, and $2.29 for the 35's. GNC only carries the 35's but they are $2.99 each there. There are 3 other flavors, banana cream, Cookies 'n cream, and strawberry, but the only place I have found them is GNC online and Vitamin Shoppe online. GNC to get a discount you need to buy a gold card, and free shipping is on orders of $75 or more. I think Vitamin Shoppe you need $99 or more for free shipping. Haven't been in the VS store to see if they carry them in the store, but GNC only has vanilla and chocolate. I like them much better than Atkins and you get more protein for roughly the same price. Atkins may be a tad cheaper. With the powder drinks, sometimes a packet of Splenda helps. I use EAS Advantage, Pemalean, and I have a strawberry sold at the gym my sister goes to that I haven't tried yet. I hope you aren't sorry you asked, but that this info helps. In case your dietician hasn't heard of Worldwide (they are promoted as a sports drink mostly, even says not for weight loss on can) I found a link here once to Brigham Women's Hospital bariatric program, and Worldwide is listed there as an approved Protein shake.

I was banded 3/25/08, and put on liquid diet for 2 weeks prior (ended up being 3 weeks as I caught a cold and my surgery was postponed a week, not enough time to stop and start again, so I stayed on it another week). Up until 4 days before surgery I could have a small amount of lean protein, which I saved for the evening when I tended to overeat the most. I had either 2 hard cooked eggs with salt/pepper, or 2 unbreaded chicen tenders grilled with salt/pepper. For liquids I could have broth, clear or cream soups, protein drinks, fat/sugar free popsicles, fat/sugar free jello, yogurt, water, tea, coffee. I knew I would be hungry during the day, but my job is busy so I was able to ignore it. I found I do boring really well. Don't have to think too much about what is for dinner, just keep the freezer full of popsicles and the cabinet full of soups and broths. I even found a way to have cheese. If you heat tomato soup, and break up a couple slices of Kraft Fat Free cheese, it melts and you have cheesy tomato soup, a liquid. It really jump started my diet. I increased my exercise with walking and by surgery had lost 35 pounds. The rest has come of since then. Good luck with your surgery.:behindsofa:

My doctor said the same: no weight lifting for 6 weeks, walk as soon as you can. They had me walking a bit in the hospital. I spent a day at my sisters and walked around her yard some, then when I got home I walked around the condo parking lot a little untle I could drive. I had started walking in Jan on weekends (too dark after work during the week). I found a nice park near my house (10 min drive) that has a 2 mile asphalt path that runs along a river and has trees and picnic areas. I take peanuts for the squirrels which makes the walk fun. I try to do the path twice which is 4 miles, occasionally 3 times, but mostly 2. Once in a while if I am in a time crunch or the weather threatens I may do one (like yesterday when it was around 95 degrees--I walked at 730). I started noticing my pants getting baggier before I had lost a significant amount of weight. I belong to Curves, too, but couldn't use that until 6 weeks post-op. Once daylight saving time arrived, I could go almost evey day, as I pass the turn for the park on my way home. So I average 4 miles 5-7 times a week, closer to 7 most of the time. I have dropped 2 sizes in work clothes between the weight loss and exercise, from 2x to large, and the large pants look baggy, but my waist is not quite ready for a smaller size. I have made plans for when I lose the daylight and can only do weekends. Besides Curves there is a county rec center near home that has treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes,and weights. I would suggest start walking now and when they clear you for weights you can add that. I don't walk extremly fast; the number of squirrels I run into determines how fast or slow I walk. Lots of squirrels, lots of stops to throw peanuts. They are my personal trainers at the moment. They are kind of cute too. And I meet lots of other people walking, jogging, biking and walking their dogs. Find something you enjoy.:behindsofa:

I was banded 3/25/08. It is my understanding that those suspected of having a fatty liver are put on the liquid pre-op diet, 1) to shrink the liver making the surgery easier 2) to prepare you for the post-op liquid diet. I was allowed: Protein Shakes, milk, Water, tea, fruit juice (diluted 50% with water), fat/sugar free popsicles, fat/sugar free pudding, fat free yogurt,broths, cream Soups. I was also allowed by the dietician up to 4 days before surgery to have a small amount of lean Protein to ease me into the liquid diet. 4 days before surgery, just liquids. I mentally prepared myself to be a little hungry during the day, but I am busy at work, so it wasn't too bad. I saved my lean protein for the evening when I tended to overeat most. I had unbreaded chicken tenders (Costco), 2 of them, grilled on a small George Foreman grill with salt and pepper, or 2 hardboiled eggs with salt and pepper. So your "cheating" wasn't too far off base. I lost 10 lbs during the 6 month diet required by my insurance and 25 lbs on the liquid diet. I spent an extra week on it because I caught a cold and they postponed my surgery a week. Then 2 weeks post-op liquids, 2 weeks mushies (instant mashed potatoes, refried beans/salsa (I pulverized the chunky salsa to make it smaller, heated Beans in microwave, and melted fat free cheese on top). I used fat free gravy with the potatoes. Basically I could have anything the consistency of apple sauce. So fatty liver doesn't prevent surgery. Shrinking the liver helps make the surgery easier and your recovery too. Good luck with your surgery. You can use my mantra when you feel you don't have enough support. It is "keep your eye on the prize" which for me is getting off some or all the meds I am on, easing the pressure on my arthritic knees (they feel a lot better now) and getting into a smaller size clothing (I have dropped from 2x to large, and that is a little baggy already, but I am not quite a medium). If people suggest you are taking the easy way out, remind them of all the hoops you had to jump through (psych eval, etc.) and the fact that the band is only a tool. It does not control what you put into your mouth, only the quantity. You have to be responsible for making healthy food choices. Different doctors have differenct approaches to the pre-op diet. It is best just to follow what your surgeon and dietician tell you to do.