Bea1128

Try this one. http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rwVUJeAdlsJ5cGLczQnr7ow&hl=en

I'm in, added to the spreadsheet. I need to refocus so this will be great! Thanks!

Yeah, unfortunately they are carbonated. That's why they "fluff" up in your cup. My local snow cone stand (shaved ice) has several sugar free syrups. they are pretty good on a hot day. Why doesn't Sonic have a sugar free slush?!?

I've always used one and haven't had any trouble. My surgeon didn't have a problem with it either.

LOL, yeah gravy! Sounds like you are ready to go. Good luck!!

Wow, your local hospital sounds great. Let us know how it is. When are you being banded?

Oh My Gosh!!! I am so angry after reading your post. First, that there is still such a stigma attached to WLS and second that it came from a nurse! I'm in nursing school and from day one they teach you how to care for a patient, not judge them. As a nurse you don't have to agree with the patient's choice or even like it personally, but you never, ever get in their face about it. That causes distrust in the medical system and you might not be so willing to share your problems and/or concerns next time. How horrible!! It's people like her that give nurses a bad name. I hope you know that all nurses are not like that. She was completely unprofessional and out of line. I'm sorry you had that experience and I hope you feel better soon!! Last semester I did my clinical at a hospital that advertises as "bariatric friendly". One week I had a patient who was banded. She was completely honest about her band and it was in her chart. She did not get an unfill before coming into the hospital. This poor lady had the worst time getting something she could eat. There was nothing on the menu that was really "band friendly" and she had some other restrictions as well. I discussed this with her nurse and did what I could to bring her things she could have, but two days later, she still hadn't eaten much of anything. I was so mad that a hospital that does WLS and has programs for WLS patients couldn't even feed a banded patient. So shameful!! In my final eval at the end of the semester, I ripped them a new one on paper. I don't know if it will do any good or not, but it sure made me feel better. :frown:

Before I was banded I had to have an appointment with a nutritionist. She told me how many grams of protein I should have per day. As for calories, I eat anything I want and/or can tolerate in moderation. I eat a healthy diet of lean protein, whole grains, veggies and fruit with an occassional treat. I don't worry about the calories. I refuse to "diet" and I am certainly done with counting calories, points, etc. Everyone is different and everyone has their own opinion about calories and such. This is just mine. I would just suggest you follow your doc's recommendations. As for the Protein drinks. I too use EAS, but I use the soy. I mix them with soy milk as well. This is just my preference. Today I made a vanilla shake and threw in a few chunks of mango. Soooo goood!!!

Way to go Tammi!! That's awesome!

I too was a mess pre-band. My poor family. :redface: I would have these huge mood swings. One minute I would be so angry I would swear my head was spinning around and the next I was sobbing. It was awful! But you know what? We all lived through it and I'm so glad I did. My family survived and so will yours. I would apologize and tell them I wasn't myself. I'm so much happier now than I have ever been. Once you're body adjusts to the change in nutrition, it will get better. And I don't remember ever having that problem once banded. Also keep in mind that fat cells store hormones and if you're loosing weight those hormones are probably being released. I would get horrible migraine headaches during that time as well that I usually only get occassionally during TOM. Your body doesn't know what's going on. Try to keep your blood sugar up and not wait too long between eating or drinking your shakes. I was wondering if the liquid diet was suggested by your doc or are you just trying to get a jump on things? If permitted by your doc, try eating a healthy meal at dinner time high in Protein and veggies. That will help. Good luck!!

Don't beat yourself up. You did, it's over, move on. A slice or two of pizza isn't going to kill you or ruin your chances of having surgery. I would just recommend staying on track for the next week. You certainly don't want your surgeon to cancel your surgery because your liver's too big. With that said, you are not alone. I think most of us probably cheated somewhat during the horrible liquid diet phase before surgery. YOu are not a bad person or a failure, you are just human and getting used to this new life. It takes work and one slip doesn't mean you are defeated. It just means you have to remember what you are doing this for and remember that it will be over soon. One more week! You can do it!!! It's not easy, we can all relate, but it is doable and you'll be so glad you did!! Good luck and keep us posted. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Come here often if you need support or information. We've all been there and it's nice to know you are not alone! Good luck!!!!

You might not be loosing on the slow side, you may just be loosing at the pace that is right for you. The band is a lifestyle change, not a magic bullet. I'm a little over a year out and am just under 70 pounds lost. I have hit a couple of plateaus during that time. I am currently at a stand still and have been for a couple of months. I am now shaking things up a bit with my diet and exercise to get these last pounds off. You might have to do the same. The important thing is that you are loosing and doing it at a healthy rate. Don't compare yourself to others. Everyone is different. There is an especially big difference between men and women. I do understand your frustration because I too wish the weight would just go away. Keep at it and you'll get there. I would ask the questions the others have posted and then go from there. Good luck and try not to get discouraged. This is a journey.

Congrats on your sooner date! I'm one year out. I'm happy to answer your questions. Everyone's experience is so different so keep that in mind. For me, the worst part of the whole post-op period was the gas pain. I've always had trouble with that after abdominal surgery and seem to be sensitive to it. The only thing that helped was walking and riding in the car. I would walk around and around the house and up and down in the backyard as much as I could. I started right away. Other than gas pain, the post-op pain was minimal. I think I only took a couple of doses of pain meds that first day. After that I was good. I was even able to sleep in my bed propped on pillows. Some people find it easier to sleep in a recliner or such. Just follow your doc's post-op instructions and you'll do great. Let me just say that the whole thing was so worth it! I love, love my band and would do it again 100 times if I had to. It's been the best thing I've ever done. Feel free to ask questions and let us know how it goes. Good luck!!!!

Awww! Thanks so much! That was really nice of you to say. That's pretty much the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a while! :-) I'm struggling a little bit with this last 30. I think I probably need a fill, but I'm doing the pouch test to make sure. My restriction is really strange. Sometimes I'm so tight I can hardly get anything down and then other times I can eat the kitchen sink, it all depends on the time of month and the weather. Weird!! Right now it's a tight day, so I'm going to wait until after TOM visits and see where I am. Also I'm just about done with this semester and I'll be less stressed and able to get back into a good exercise routine for a while. Thanks again! Hope you are doing well and completely over the flu. Carol - Hang in there! I hope you feel better soon. We all get discouraged from time to time, it's not just you. You're not alone. It's a journey. I wish you well.

You'll get there! It's a journey. You had some setbacks. Now you're back on track. I just hope you get your reflux thing worked out. I know how miserable that is. I have actually aspirated on stomach contents before. I would wake up gasping for breath and it hurts so bad. It's awful. And if it makes you feel any better the 11/12's fit, but they aren't as comfortable as I would like them to be. :-) I like the jeans pic too. I wanted to do something that was a reminder of how far I'd come. I just thought it was funny. My hubby said I can't believe you ever wore those! Yeah and they were pretty snug too. I'm glad he's blocked it from his memory! LOL! Anyway, gotta run. I have a crazy, busy week. Hope yours is great! Talk to ya soon!

Let us know if that works. The last time I tried to have .5 cc put in and had to go back the next day and have it removed. So, I know it's frustrating. I know if I'm stressed, I get tighter too. I'm doing fine; however, I'm pretty much stuck. I haven't really lost anything in a couple of months. It's my own fault though. I've been so busy and stressed with school haven't cared to exercise, but I'm back on the exercise band wagon. I've signed up for a 5K and people I know will be there so that has been very motivating for me to get off my butt and run again! My pastor is running too and I can't let him beat me!! LOL! I have 30 more to lose and it's time to start doing something about it. I've just been enjoying the journey and haven't been too worried about it, but summer is coming and I want to be at goal for sure by my b-day in December. So, I'm pretending I'm just starting with only 30 lbs to lose. :-) Keep us posted!

Hey Mom! Glad you got your restriction back. To answer your question, the only time I have ever experienced this has been been when I'm still too tight. Food might go down because you are upright, but at night everything pushes upward. A while back I had an issue with reflux at night(haven't had a fill in months) because I was about to start my period plus my allergies were really bad. All of that together caused me to be so tight that I could hardly get liquid down. I started my allergy meds again and Mucinex, but at night I would take a dose of children's Motrin which reduced the inflammation. I eventually worked it out myself. Stayed on fluids etc. I knew what was causing mine and I could correct it. However, if you are not sure and this keeps happening, go back to your doc and have him look under flouro if possible. You'd rather be safe than sorry later. I hope it all works out for you. Good luck and glad to hear from you.

Thanks for the info. Just curious, why no dairy? Congrats on the half marathon! You are so awesome! I hope all else is well with you. I see you've been traveling a lot. Take care!

Hello all! I'm running my first 5K in a few weeks. I'm wondering what advice all of you might have for me especially the day before and the morning of. What do you recommend eating the day before? Do you eat the morning of and if so, what? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks!