MacMadame

This is what works for me: Use as *little* water as possible. Too much water will make the pill slosh around, but not go down. As the bill gets near your throat, tip your head up. Gravity then forces the pill down just as instinct would have you do something that makes it come up.

This is why you don't go to someone who is inexperienced... and associated with Betancourt.

Now she HAS to get on the show! Wouldn't that be awesome?

I was just curious to see if you were doing it with the one program in Mass. that I know about. I'm on the West Coast so I don't know many doctors out there.

I used Ullreys. The music as horrid! :cursing: Just uploaded my first Nike+ workout with my new Nike+! I have to go see how badly I did on the challenges given that only half of my Feb. runs were counted.

I did a run today. 2 min. walking warm up, 37 min. run, 2 min. walking rest, 2 min. run, 2 min. cool down. I was going 5.2 for a while there! But not too long. It kind of wiped me out. :cursing:

It depends. But if you drop below a 35 BMI (with co-morbidities) some insurance companies will deny you because they say you no longer meet the criteria. If you have no co-morbidities (and most insurances don't count PCOS, unfortunately), then don't drop below 40 BMI.

I am not sure I agree. WLS doesn't preclude dieting and exercise; in fact, to be successful in the long term requires it. I think that having someone on with a band who shows the WLS rules and shows that it's *not* an easy fix would be awesome and would really help educate people about how WLS really works. But it wouldn't fly with the BL producers because the "message" of the show is that any one can lose weight if they try hard enough. It's a lie, of course. But they can't have positive messages about WLS because it contradicts what they are trying to put out. So I agree they don't mix, but I don't agree it's because it would send confusing messages about WLS. I think it's because it would send confusing messages about what the rest of the contestants were doing. It would open up that Pandora's box they don't want opened. OTOH, the rest of the population eats way too many carbs for their sedentary lifestyle. Plus, most MO don't feel satiety no matter how much they eat. So I think the advice is bad. If they ate the protein first, they'd feel full longer. It's tempting but who would do the gross massive eating challenges? You'd have to get an unfill. :cursing:

I enjoy it when it goes well. I just dropped a bundle on a wet suite and some other exercise clothes and it was fun. Well, except leaving my wedding ring in the changing room and having to go back after the store closed to get it! That was just stressful. I'm getting them too. Because apparently Google AdSense thinks I'm a lesbian!

That sounds about what I eat now but I'm told I will be able to eat more by the end of the year. And WASa and I are people who can eat a lot less than average. I think maybe because we are short. Go to our sleeve group on The Daily Plate (link in my signature) and you can find out what we all eat. I haven't entered much for March but Feb. should all be there. Plus you'll see everyone else's food to get a more complete picture.

Beats me. Maybe the way they make it takes more time or has more ingredients?

I have read that in many places when former contestants are interviewed. They talk about how they are given all these weird, healthy foods but no guidance on how to cook them. They also talk about the tricks they pull to have a good weigh-in. It's all from people who have been on the show on multiple seasons.

For getting down Protein shakes, I have a lot of tips because I find most shakes make me gag. 1) Buy lots of samples (some companies give them out free) so you can try a lot of different flavors and brands until you find the one you like. Don't worry about it pre-op as your tastes will probably change post-op. Samples are much cheaper than buying tubs of things and then having to throw most of it away. If you do buy tubs, buy them from a place like GNC that will take them back, if you don't like them. 2) Get some of the "bariatric" food which is formulated to have extra protein. There are protein pancakes, protein Soups, protein hot chocolates, etc. Most of these have 12 to 15 g of protein vs. 1-2 g in a regular version of the same food. 3) When you make your shakes, don't put in as much Water as they say, but add ice cubes to top it off. Then blend in a blender. This gives them a consistency more like a smoothie and less like bad-tasting Nestle's Quick. I find that consistency goes down a lot better than just shaking up the powder. 4) Experiment with sugar free syrups, adding fruit, etc. to doctor up your shakes and get rid of that sharp "protein powder" taste that a lot of them have. 5) Don't just limit yourself to 100% whey. Try soy and egg based powders and soy/whey mixtures. You may find that you are sensitive to whey or soy but not the vice versa. 6) There are protein drinks that aren't shakes that may work better for you at different times. Isopure clear pre-mixed drinks saved my butt in the early days. They have 40 g of protein and 20 oz. of Fluid so I was getting in both my protein and fluid when I was still swollen from surgery. Then, for a while, I switched to the bullets. They are kind of gross but you can slam down 25 to 50 g of protein in only 3 oz. of liquid so it's a fast way to get in a lot of protein. I also use the Healthwise Protein Drinks which are fruit-flavor based and "okay". Only 15 g of protein, but I do a double-dose and get in 16 oz. of liquid and 30 g of protein on those days when I just can't stomach a shake.

Welcome to LapBandTalk! What program are you with?

I have a Protein shake every day for Breakfast. It takes me until 11am to finish it and then I have lunch around 12-12:30 pm. They work great for me. I also have protein hot chocolate most nights as an evening "snack". This allows me to top off my protein requirements without adding a lot of carbs or fats. Plus protein is most efficiently absorbed in the mornings, the evenings and before and after exercise so starting and ending the day with liquid Protein make sense to me. A lot of people can't eat a lot in the morning and I can't eat a lot at night (I know that's backwards from most people, but it is my reality) so liquid protein is something that will go down. In my program, we start out on liquids and then gradually replace some of the drinks with a solid meal. The goal is to have 3 meals or 3 meals and 1 snack that are solid and then fill in the gaps with Protein Drinks as some of our Fluid. I found this worked really well. I drink Water most of the time but some of my drinks are protein supplements so that I can get my daily allotment in. I'm not trying to stay full from these drinks -- I'm trying to get 100 g of protein a day. Another good reason to supplement protein is so you can eat more veggies. I can only eat about 2-3 oz. of meat right now. If I was determined to get all my protein from solid food, I could do it, but I would have to cut out pretty much everything else I eat. That's not healthy and it would drive me mad too.

Welcome to LapBandTalk! If you look around, I'm sure you'll find answers to all your questions plus some fellow Aussies who may even live near you. This place is a great place for seeing what banded life is like and for making new friends.

Welcome to the Loser's Bench!

Welcome to LapBandTalk! So, if I've done the match right, it's taken you a little over 6 months to get a surgical consult? Does this mean you had to do a 6 month diet for your insurance?

Welcome to LapBandTalk! So where are you in the process?

I can hardly remember... isn't that odd? I kind of knew it would happen though, so I posted everything in my blog. I have a whole post about my surgery and time in the hospital -- I had some adventures so I'm not sure my experience would be typical.

Gee, thanks.

I'm mystified why you guys would want to go on the show. The only plus I could see was having access to the gym 24/7 and nothing else to do. But everything I've read says that they don't teach them how to eat healthy and that they do a lot of unhealthy stuff to keep the weight loss up -- such as taking diaretics and purges before weigh in and crap like that. Plus you'd be stuck in a house 24/7 with a bunch of strangers having your every moment filmed and producers and story editors running around trying to create fake drama. The only reality show I'd go on would be The Amazing Race because you'd at least get to see cool countries and do interesting challenges. Okay, who wants to be my partner on The Amazing Race? Band Buddies. :crying:

I use Healthwise. I get it through my surgeon but there are plenty of brands out there you can get online. It has 15 g of protein and hardly any carbs. Just buff. And ripped. Though I'm not sure anyone will be able to see the "ripped" through all my excess skin.

I swam. I can't believe how much better my swimming is. I can go 3x as long without breathing as when I started and I'm not sinking into the pool as much. Now I need to figure out how to get more power out of my stroke as I'm still pretty slow. But only got passed on the kickboard, not once doing freestyle!

Welcome to LapBandTalk! If you no one answers you about Dr. Spiegel, you might want to try again in the Doctors & Hospitals section.