PATCHELTON

Congratulations on your decision. I am more than a bit past childbearing age (I am 64) but I remember from group discussions that one of the plusses about the band is that it is adjustable, and if you become pregnant they can loosen it so you can eat for two. Your surgeon can tell you better than I, but I believe what I said is the case. Check with him/her to be sure. I had to also do the 6 month supervised diet for insurance. I used the time to learn all I could about the band and the surgery. I started coming here November of 2007 (surgery was March 2008) and even prior to that I started going to the support group meetings. You meet people at all stages of pre and post-op, and many of the issues discussed may be issues of interest to you. You can learn a lot. I felt I could almost do my own surgery by the time I actually had it (not really, but I did learn a lot), There are books you can read (I have the Lapband Connection, and the Lapband Companion, and there are others--check at amazon.com) I also used the time to try out some of the stuff I would need after surgery, like chewable Vitamins (bariatricadvantage.com has a full line). I actually used Centrum Silver Chewables and Centrum makes chewables for you young folks. For Calcium supplement I used Twin Labs calcium citrate with Magnesium and D (you will learn that citrate is the best form of calcium to take, and Vitamin D should be D3 or cholicalciferol). I use Fish Oil, and the capsules are gelcaps and are huge, so after surgery I looked for a liquid and Twin Labs makes Emulsified Omega 3 Fish Oil (not a required supplement for bariatric patients, but a lot of people take it). Both are available online (much cheaper than retail) at vitacost.com and they charge $4.99 shipping for ANY size order. For Protein drinks, the dietician will likely give you suggestions, but I use Worldwide Protein shakes, available at the Vitamin Shoppe and they have 35g protein per shake. Individually they are $2.79 each but if you buy a 12 pack it is $27.99 and that is about $2.38 each. They have chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, banana, and Cookies n' Cream (tastes like Oreos). I still carry one every workday and have first thing in the morning. These are ready to drink. There are powders you can buy (unjury.com carries vanilla/chocolate/strawberry/chicken Soup flavors). Some people use EAS or Atkins. There are a bunch out there. I recently found a fat free yogurt at Trader Joe's that actually boasts 22g protein per cup! It is plain, so I add sugar free preserves to it for the fruit. Fat free yogurt in the grocery store is full of sugar. The last brand I bought had 11g in the container. Dairy has milk sugar so there is a little even in skim milk. This yogurt I found has 6g sugar. I try to minimize sugar, fat, and salt. I don't eat much bread because it doesn't always agree with me, and I don't do low carb so much as try to eat healthy carbs (cereal, salads, etc). For Snacks I go to kaysnaturals.com. They sell high protein cereals and snacks in a variety of flavors. You can even arrange to get emailed when they have a special. For Protein Bars I carry Kashi TLC in my purse in case I get hungry and can't get a meal for a while. Not as high in protein as some, but it is much lower in sugar than most, and it takes the edge off if I am getting really hungry. I use those green storage bags you see advertised and they will keep greens until I can actually finish them. I make a lot of chicken caesar salads with romaine, chicken breasts, hard cooked egg, parmesan cheese and light dressing with fat free croutons. I even devised a crustless pizza so I could enjoy the toppings without the bread crust. PM me if you would like the recipe. I have probably overwhelmed you as it is, but I think knowledge is power. Good luck on your journey.

Congratulations on your loss (that sounds weird)! I too am at one year post and maitaining a 100 lb loss. Since you got a clean bill of health from your doctor, I can only hazard a guess about the weight gain. If you are sure it is Fluid, then you need to look at your new eating habits to see if something has changed recently. Have you cut back on the Water you are drinking? I know that sounds counter intuitive, but if you are dehydrated I believe your body may try to hang on to the water. Or are you drinking more caffeinated beverages. At group recently the dietician said they can dehydrate you and to make sure you are aiming for that 64 oz water goal each day. I would suggest a call to the dietician on the bariatric team, or the surgeon, if you are not due for a follow up appt. One of them might be able to suggest a reason for the retention and have some professional advice on what to do. I am just an amateur, trying to maintain my success like you.

I was going to Curves prior to surgery, but that wasn't enough. I started walking in a park near home that has a 2 mile nature trail. I try to do twice around as a minimum. When the weather is nice (now that we have daylight savings I have enough light to go after work) or even with rain, I still go. We had a decent snowfall recently and I didn't make it that day, but the next I was there. I have these wire wrapped rubber things called Yaktraks that slip over your shoes. I put them on and walked. They gave me sure footing where the path was still covered. I have a nice big umbrella, too, so unless it is a blizzard, freezing rain, lightning, or pouring buckets, I walk. Sometimes I do 3 or 4 times around. I carry peanuts for the squirrels (passive weight lifting?) so I don't walk especially fast and I stop depending on how many squirrels show up. For Snacks, I go to kaysnaturals.com. They sell high Protein chips and cereals. If you like yogurt and there is a Trader Joe store near you, they sell Greek yogurt which is higher in protein than others. They have two, one with 12g but higher in sugar and fat free, the other (which I bought) has 22 (really) grams protein, only 6g sugar and fat free. It is plain, so I buy sugar free preserves to stir in it. That 22g is in one cup! I switched to that recently because the fat free yogurt at food stores is high in sugar (some 11g) and I try to minimize sugar, fat and salt, and eat healthy carbs like salad, and Trader Joe sells whole grain tortillas that are low carb. I don't especially do low carb because there are lots of healthy carbs. I make a lot of chicken caesar type salads at home. I use those green bags you see on TV and buy Romaine in heads (they really keep until I finish them) I grill chicken breasts in olive oil or Pam, doing several to have them ahead. I use the Romaine, chicken breast or julienne cut turkey or ham that I get at Mars, I cut up a hard boiled egg, sprinkle parmesan cheese and use Marzetti Light Supreme Caesar or Bolthouse Farm Caesar Parmisan (it is yogurt based and while is doesn't say light it is comparable to to a light dressing). I also use fat free croutons. I don't cook a lot so that is my mainstay dinner when I don't feel like fixing anything hot. I have trouble with bread, so I devised a crustless pizza. PM me if you would like that recipe. I would also have a meeting with your dietician and journal your food so she can see what is going on. And if you aren't going, I would suggest the group support. You can pick up a lot of tips from others there. If you weren't banded locally you can still go to a local group. I think most if not all are free and open to the public. Good luck.

Welcome to Lapbandtalk! I would suggest also going to the group your doctor offers. I started going at least 6 months before my surgery (had to do a 6 month diet for insurance, so I thought I would learn all I can about the band. I also came here, and subscribed to OH (obesityhelp.com' s magazine) and WLS Lifestyles (another magazine), bought a couple books and read them. I could almost do the surgery myself by the time I had it! (just kidding) At the group initially I was quiet and listened to others. Now it is hard to shut me up. I remember fondly a post-op who told me I didn't look heavy enough to need surgery. At 252 in sizes 2X or women's 22-24, I beg to differ. I am 5'7" so it had a little farther to go, but when I came across a snapshot of me at a birthday party (before surgery) even I had to say "Oh, my God!" At the group you will hear people at all stages, like here, but people you might want to get to know. Frequently they will voice issues that may be similar to yours. I highly recommend going. BTW, I am now a size 10-12 pant, small to medium tops, and in the scrubs I wear to work, size small pants and medium tops (heading toward small). My wow moment was when I bought some new tops and pants in medium and I had to return the pants for small ones. I can't remember the last time I wore ANYTHING small! As for healthy, the same reason I did this as you are, I was on 2 BP meds, 2 cholesterol meds, a reflux med and CPAP for sleep apnea. I now only take one BP med and that was adjusted to a slightly lower dose. My cholesterol is normal, and at some point I will have a sleep study to see how that is. I wasn't good abut using the CPAP anyway, so there is no rush. If I have sleep apnea still (and I would think I don't) I probably still won't use that infernal machine. Good luck on your journey. The few negatives (like getting food stuck and sliming) are far outweighed by the positives.

I don't eat much bread because it doesn't always agree with me. At home I do a lot of fat free croutons on salads, because they disintegrate and don't get chewy. I was at a restaurant with friends and ordered mozarella sticks and a salad and the cheese got stuck so I excused myself and went into the bathroom and tried to quietly spit up the slime. I was gone long enough that they inquired if I was okay and I just told them the cheese didn't agree with me. If I eat too fast (old habits die hard) or don't chew something that is dense (like shrimp or ham steak) they will get stuck, but I don't do this on a regular basis. Once in a while I will get stuck. I have maybe 3ccs from two fills. My first fill was 3ccs but I had to get an unfill the next day because it was too tight. He took out about 2ccs. My second fill was probably at least 3 months later. I am at goal and can eat more than a cup of food, but I have enough restriction that I am reminded I have a band, and that seems to be working for me.

At group support this month the dietician talked about caffeine. She said it tends to dehydrate you, so they recommend against it. The water is designed to keep you hydrated. I was never a coffee drinker so it wasn't an issue for me. I was a water drinker but I even had to up that to get the 64 oz a day they recommend we get in. I carry a water bottle everywhere.

I too was 100 lbs over a good weight for me (I am 5'7"). My problem was portion control. While I didn't always eat healthy, I knew what I should eat, and even when I did I ate too much. The band helped me reign in portion size. I have a problem with bread, so I don't eat much (that kind of took care of subs) and what I do I chew carefully. Some of the denser foods are harder to get down, but in general you can eat anything you ate before. Some people have trouble with salad greens; I don't, so I eat lots of salad (chicken Caesar type to make sure I get my protein--grilled chicken breast, hard boiled egg, and parmesan cheese with light dressing and fat free croutons on a bed of Romaine--one of my favorite meals). Generally you will be instructed not to eat concentrated sweets, not to drink through straws and protein first. You have to look at head hunger and recognize it for what it is--not true hunger. The band is a tool that helps with portion control. It is up to you to make healthy food choices. That doesn't preclude a drink out with friends, but you will have to approach eating differently. Take advantage of all the resouces your bariatric team offers. Stay in close contact with your surgeon, dietician and nurse. Go to group support. I began going to group 6 months before I had surgery. You can learn a lot between there and reading here as well. Good luck on your journey.

I am sorry to hear about your problems with your port. You would think that complications like that would be covered under your surgery. I can't believe they want $5K to fix it! My first fill was too tight, too. I was okay in the office drinking water, but by that evening even the water made me feel like I had indigestion. I met the doctor the next day at the hospital when he was finished surgery and he unfilled me about half to 2/3. I was okay up to a point, but two weeks later in his office I said I could get mushies and liquids down okay but anything with more substance was giving me trouble, so he took a little more out. I was good after that for about four months, and then I was ready for another fill. This time he was more conservative (first time was 3ccs) and he gave me about 1.5cc and I was fine after that. I have enough restriction that denser foods remind me I have a band, but I can eat a little more than a cup of food depending on the food. I still eat too fast, and once in a while will get stuck and slime, but mostly I am in a good place and I am at goal weight, so unless I start gaining and can't keep it under control, I am at my "sweet spot" I believe. I hope they are able to fix your port so you can eat. Continuing they way you are doing now will only end in failure to lose, and you could get nutritional deficiencies to boot. Good luck.

Congratulations on your success! Feels good doesn't it? I am off 2 cholesterol meds, a reflux med, and one of 2 BP meds (with a reduced dose on the one I still take). I haven't gone for the sleep study yet (I was not really good about using my CPAP) and I live alone so my cats aren't talking about whether I still snore(LOL). I am thrilled with the results of my surgery. I am still learning to chew thoroughly, and some foods don't agree with me like they used to, but I have adjusted. If you like pizza, I devised a crustless pizza recipe for the microwave. It eliminates the chewy crust and I get the sauce and the toppings I love. PM me if you would like the recipe. I have a fat free Mexican dip recipe too if you are interested. Lots of Protein in both. Good luck on your journey.

I have used, and still use Worldwide Protein shakes. They are ready to drink in cans. Trader Joes carries 21g and 35g in vanilla and chocolate (approx $1.69 and $2.29 each, respectively). The Vitamin Shoppe carries only 35g but in all the flavors (Vanilla, Chocolate, strawberry, banana, and Cookies n' Cream). Individually they cost about $2.79 each but if you buy in 12 pack the price drops to about $2.33 ($27.99 for 12 pack) each. The Cookies n' Cream is like drinking an Oreo. I could take or leave Chocolate, but I love the Cookies n' Cream. I pack it in my lunch for work and drink first thing in the morning, since I don't like to eat right away. I get 35g of Protein right off the bat. Foodwise if you like yogurt and have a Trader Joe store in your area, you can buy Greek style yogurt which has more protein than others. I am trying to minimize sugar and fat free flavored yogurts have loads, like 8-10 or more. So I recently started experimenting with plain fat free Greek Yogurt (has 6g sugar in the one I got--skim milk has about that much--I think it is the naturally occurring milk sugar). Trader Joe sells two under their name. The cheaper one has 12g protein but more than 6g sugar. The other that costs twice as much, has 22g protein (that is 22) and 6g sugar, so I got that. I dish out a cup into a container, and add sugar free preserves for my fruit, and maybe a spoon of cinnamon. It is delicious! I made raspberry cinnamon yogurt and had that mid morning. So combined with my shake I have gotten 57g protein before lunch. The shakes say not for weight loss on the can. They are a protein supplement (body builders use it) but Brigham Womens Hospital has it on their list of approved Protein drinks in their bariatric program. It doesn't have added Vitamins like Atkins, and you will be taking vitamins anyway. Calories run 160-170, 1g fat, 1.5 sat/fat, 5 cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 210mg potassium.4g carbs. 1g Fiber,1g sugar, 35g protein (I fished my can out of the trash to give you the nutrients). It is sweetened with succralose (Splenda) and is milk based (in case you may be allergic). I keep protein powders at home to make smoothies (my surgery was 3/25/08). I have EAS and Team Vic(from a local gym). I have also order unjury powders online (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, plain, and chicken Soup flavors). Go to unjury.com. Good luck on your journey.

Welcome. I assume you are looking into lapband. This is a good place to ask questions and get lots of information. So ask away.

My experience leading up to surgery was elevated liver enzymes on my cholesterol blood work. This is either due to the cholesterol meds I was on, or according to my surgeon, a fatty liver. I was put on the two week pre-op liquid diet (ended up being 3 weeks because I caught a cold and my surgery was bumped a week--not enough time to stop and restart the pre-op diet). The surgeon also told me that if my liver looked fatty when he did the surgery he would sample it for a biopsy. After surgery he told me my liver didn't look that bad. My first blood work post-surgery still had elevated enzymes, so my PCP stopped my cholesterol meds (as well as one BP med, a reflux med, and I wasn't using the CPAP anyway). I just recently had blood work off meds for 6 months. My numbers are still in the normal range AND my liver enzymes are finally normal. It was the cholesterol meds after all. Talk to your surgeon. They probably have a similar approach. The pre-op diet helps to shrink the liver, but I don't know that they can tell if it is fatty until they get in to put in the band. Clearly it wasn't going to stop mine, just get me a biopsy, but I didn't need it. If you think you may have a fatty liver and they put you on the liquid diet, stick to it. It can only help. Good luck with your journey.

One of my favorite meals is my version of a chicken caesar salad. I buy Romaine in heads, store them in those green bags you see on TV (they really work well with greens). When I make a salad I grill some chicken breasts in olive oil or Pam, cut up one for the salad and store the rest for other meals. I also cut up a hard boiled egg, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese to finish off my Protein. Then I top with light caesar dressing and fat free croutons. I eat this several times a week (I don't like to cook, so this is my work around). I also get jullienne cut turkey and ham at Mars and use that instead of the chicken to vary it a little. I love it. I could eat it every night. I have heard of some people having problems with greens but so far I have not. I did have trouble with a fresh tomato last night. I cut it up and put salt and pepper on it. I think I didn't chew it enough and it got stuck and made me slime. But I can also make chicken, turkey, or tuna salad with chopped onions, celery and Kosher pickles and eat it without problems. Post band eating is a bit of trial and error. Talk to your dietician. She may have some tips too. Good luck on your journey.

I use Worldwide Protein shakes. They are available at Trader Joe (chocolate and vanilla only, 21g Protein $1.69 each, 35g $2.29), The Vitamin Shoppe (35 g only in all flavors--Vanilla, Chocolate, strawberry, banana Cream, Cookies n' Cream--$2.79 each, $27.99 for a 12 pack--available online also), and GNC (35g only in Vanilla and Chocolate $2.99 each--other flavors available online). I drink one every weekday in the morning, and sometimes on the weekend too. Sometimes I make a smoothie instead. They have about 4 carbs, 160-170 calories, only 1g sugar, 1g Fiber, and 1g fat.

I would like to add my congratulations, too. I had a similar experience I'd like to tell you about. I wear scrubs at work, and began this journey wearing 2x size. I had moved down to large and was ready to go down again, so I went to my favorite outlet store and picked out some medium tops and pants and took them home. Well, the tops looked okay, but the pants looked baggy. I can't be a small, I said. So back to the store, only this time I wanted to try the pants on before I exchanged them. Well, the small fit, and was I ever in shock over that! I am almost to the point of small tops, but I like a little room, so medium is okay for now. In numbered sizes, I went from women's 22-24 to misses size 12. The 12's are comfortably loose, and I recently returned a pantsuit to Blair exchanging a medium for a small, as the medium was too baggy looking. I am broke from buying clothes, but ecstatic over being able to wear some more form fitting clothes. Congratulations again, and keep up the good work.

I think you are in the wrong forum, if you had gastric bypass. This is mainly a lapband site (though there is an area for gastric sleeve people). Have you been to obesityhelp.com? That has message boards for all bariatric surgeries, plus info, magazines and such. You are more than welcome to come here, but it is mostly lapband issues.

Allow me to add my congratulations as well. I was banded 3/25/08 and have lost 103 lbs. Sounds like you are well on your way to doing the same. You go girl! Proof that the band works if you use it properly. Keep up the good work.

Walking is my primary exercise and my suggestion would be if you have a park or nature trail near your home, it makes the walk much more interesting. I walk a 2 mile nature trail, carrying peanuts for the squirrels. Right now it is dark after work, so I do Curves, which you can't just yet. But when daylight savings arrives, I will likely be at the park almost daily. I really enjoy it. Other than Curves I do water aerobics occasionally. I don't think your doctor will allow anything besides walking but those are ideas for after, unless you already belong to a gym and can work out there. I usually do a minimum of 4 miles (twice around) and sometimes more if the weather is nice and I have time. How fast I go depends on how many squirrels I run into. Hang in there. It is a good thing that you are chomping at the bit to get back to exercise. Don't shortchange walking, though. Check my signature for what it has done for me along with the band. Good luck with your journey.

I agree completely about going to the support group. I was banded 3/25/08, and I have been going to group support since July of 2007. I joined LBT in November 2007, and visited obesity help.com as well. They have lots of information, and a magazine you can subscribe to if you like. There are many books available. Two that I have are The Lapband Solution and The Lapband Companion, both available on Amazon.com. Going to the group is helpful because you will hear issues discussed that you may not have thought of, and you will meet other pre-ops and post-ops at all stages. I found that very helpful. If you can, start bumping up your exercise routine. Exercise is key to band success. I was going to Curves but that wasn't enough. I started walking, nothing fancy, in a park near home. I carry peanuts for the squirrels, so how fast I get around depends on how many squirrels I run into. The nature trail is 2 miles around; I try to do it twice as a minimum, and sometimes I do more. Now when it is dark after work, I do Curves, or sometimes Water aerobics, and walk on weekends and holidays. When daylight savings arrives, I will probably hit the park almost daily. I did that before surgery and noticed a difference in how my clothes fit even before surgery. Eating post op will be trial and error. Some foods that agreed with you before may not after. You will find what works for you. Good luck on your journey.

I do eat meat, but find salads a treat because I don't have trouble getting them down. I make variations on a chicken Caesar salad with chicken breast cut up, hardboiled egg cut up, Parmesan cheese, Romaine, light Caesar dressing, and fat free croutons. Getting your Protein will be more of a challenge, unless you plan to eat dairy, such as cheese, yogurt and the like. Beans are a good source of protein, and if you like Mexican, refried beans could be your new "meat". I would certainly try anything to relieve the RA pain so that you don't have to take so many drugs. I have OA in my knees, but I hardly need any pain medicine now. I can't remember the last time I took it. I do use glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM, and I take fish oil (I found it in a liquid--one tblsp gives about 1600 Omega 3's--I use Twin Labs Emulsified Fish Oil--it is mint flavored--just one tblsp a day). Good luck on your journey.

When I went to the bariatric seminar, one thing that stayed with me was a comment by the doctor who became my surgeon. He said exercise is key to the success of the band. If you were not mobile, they wouldn't even do surgery on you. Well, I was working out, sort of. I went to Curves a couple times a week, but then I would pick up a 12-15 inch pizza on the way home and eat the entire thing for dinner. The band is a physical barrier to my doing that again (plus bread that gets chewy doesn't agree with me, so I rarely eat it now). I wanted to enjoy pizza, so I devised a crustless version that I make in a microwavable dish that is meal portion size (1/3 to 1/2 jar Ragu Homestyle, Hormel Turkey Pepperoni on top, cover with peppers and onions--I use Birdseye Pepper Stir Fry for that, and top with Kraft Free fat free Mozarella or Cheddar. Nuke for 2 minutes on high to warm ingredients and melt cheese). Believe it or not, that actually satisfies me when I crave some pizza. With the physical barrier I have felt the discomfort you describe. As a food inhaler, I got fat by not paying attention to the food I ate, and eating until I was stuffed. I don't think I yet recognize satisfaction, but I do recognize that tight feeling, and I use that as my signal to stop. I may have still been hungry early on post surgery, but not now. I really wanted to get off most or all of the meds I was on, and I have done that. I am on one blood pressure pill and I have a pain pill for my knees, which I can't remember the last time I took. I feel that much better. I was on two BP meds, two cholesterol meds, one reflux med and CPAP for sleep apnea, plus the pain pill for knee arthritis. That was my motivation for doing this, and my recent blood work bore it out. My cholesterol is normal, and my liver enzymes that were still elevated on cholesterol meds has normalized. I don't eat the way I used to, that is true. I try to make healthy choices, and I exercise. As for exercise I don't do anything fancy. I mostly just walk. There is a park near home that has a 2 mile nature trail. When daylight savings comes back I will be there almost every day, as I drive past the turn off on the way home from work. Right now it is dark after work so I do Curves and occasionally Water aerobics, and on weekends, holidays and days off I go to the park. I don't walk especially fast. I carry peanuts for the squirrels, who are always happy to see me. How long I am there depends on how many squirrels I see. I try to walk twice around as a minimum, and when I have time and nice weather I will do more. Prior to this journey I didn't walk at all, even resented the fact that the scanner at my office is at one end and I am at the other. I used to feel the inconvenience of walking up to put in my reports, walking back to my desk to start up the software, and walking back up to retrieve my papers after scanning. If a paper jammed it was an extra trip to reset everything. Now I look at it as an opportunity to get away from my desk and exercise a bit, and amazingly I don't mind it at all anymore. The activity hasn't changed, just my attitude about it. I also go to group support (been doing that since the summer BEFORE my surgery) and I visit here to pick up tips and tricks other people use. If I have a question about diet or nutrition I can email the dietician anytime. My doctor is very proud of my success, and I am too. Like I said, I don't recognize satiety. I was used to inhaling my food. If I don't pay attention and eat mindlessly, that is when I get stuck and slime. I don't have a sweet tooth (makes the band more of a challenge--too many sweets will slide right past and actually make you gain weigt) so I rarely eat sweets (holidays mostly). If I want something sweet I will have a sugar free popsicle, or some yogurt. For Snacks I get them from kaysnaturals.com. They make high Protein chips and pretezels, and that keeps me out of potato chips (though once in a while I will have a beer pretzel or two--I am talking about twice since surgery). I do a lot of salads, which seem to go down without causing that tight feeling. I make chicken Caesar salad at home with chicken breasts, Romaine, a hard boiled egg, Parmesan cheese, light Caesar dresssing, and fat free croutons (the croutons crumble so they don't get chewy like bread). This may have been more than you wanted to hear, but I hope somewhere in there I was able to give you some hope. You do need to change some things you are doing, or not doing. But it is not the end of the world. I have loose skin that I hope one day I can have plastic surgery on, but even if I can't, I would rather have loose skin at this weight than be fat again. My starting weight was 252, wearing 2X or women's 22's. Now I wear small to medium tops and pants, and misses size 12. I am broke from buying new clothes, but it is the happiest I have been being broke. This morning I weighed 148. Good luck on your journey. Please don't give up on your band.

You mentioned that you started exercising a few weeks ago. It may be that you hadn't been prior to that, and that may have slowed your loss. The band helps to control portion size, but exercise is a big part of the picture. You don't have to kill yourself at the gym. You can take a walk. I mostly walk (a park near home has a 2 mile nature trail, and I carry peanuts to feed the squirrels). How fast I walk depends on how many squirrels I run into. I do twice around most of the time, and occasionally a third time (or even a fourth if it is a beautifal day and I don't have to be somewhere). I stop to feed the squirrels or pet dogs I see sometimes. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes. As an alternative until daylight savings comes back, I do Curves with an occasional Water aerobics class. I try to do something every day, but occasionally I need to run errands so I take a day off. I have a hard time recognizing satisfaction, but I do know when I am full, similar to another post. I feel the food in my throat, or I start to get tight in my chest. I have gotten the hiccups (which don't necessarily lead to sliming) and that is my signal that more is not good. Sliming occurs when something is stuck in the opening. For some reason your body reacts by producing an impressive amount of saliva, which has no place to go but up and out. I had it happen in a restaurant. I thought I could get away with mozzarella sticks and a salad, but the cheese got stuck (and I eat cheese--usually fat free--all the time). I excused myself and went to the restroom and tried to discreetly expel the slime. I was gone long enough that my friends asked me if I was okay. I just said the cheese disagreed with me. You really don't want to eat routinely to the point of sliming; I would think that could cause your band to shift over time. Sliming usually happens by accident. I have read a lot of people get hiccups if they are pushing the limit. I do too. I use the tight feeling in my chest as a guide when to stop. If I feel tight, I stop.

It is my experience that the CSR's at insurance companies are clueless, at least when it comes to bariatric surgery. I called mine and was told I would probably be denied because I had used an out-of-network provider for my 6 month diet and for my psych eval. Heck all that means is I used someone who didn't take their insurance and had to pay out of pocket. They accept Weight Watchers for the diet, and wouldn't that be out of network? Anyway, I was having a meltdown, trying to call my surgeon's office. They were trying to call me to tell me I had been approved. My advice? Stalk the surgeon's staff, not your insurance. They have been dealing with this for a long time, and can tell you better than the CSR (who in the beginning told me my insurance only covered bypass, which was also wrong).

I heated tomato soup and broke up slices of Kraft fat free cheese in it until they melted. Some protein, and the soup wasn't bad either. On my list I could have low fat yogurt as a liquid, too.

They told me that pureed was anything the consistency of applesauce. If you like refried beans, you could pulverize some chunky salsa in the blender, mix that in, heat for a minute or two in the microwave, then melt some Kraft fat free shredded mozarella on top. I even squeezed some cheese into tomato soup. Kraft fat free slices, broken up will melt in tomato soup. More liquid than mushy, but something to think about, maybe after a fill. I could have instant mashed potatoes, too. I heated fat free gravy to put on them. Congratulations on your banding, and good luck on your journey.