To be free

I was on Clear Liquids for 4 days and had the Isopure..... The Isopure is good for him and has all his Protein needs and he is drinking Water so that is also good. I was also told to progress only as tolerated to the next phases...not to rush it so if he feels he needs a few more days on clear then that should be fine......you can check with his surgeon if there are any other concerns..... But it seems like he is doing fine.......

I don't weigh myself everyday, I was told by my PCM that the body fluctuates in weight during the day due to Water retention or elimination, whether or not a meal has been eaten or not eaten, salt intake, how much water has been drunk, hormones.......I was told to weigh once a week at the same time and on the same day. If you have to weigh more than I suggest doing it in the morning upon waking and not again till the next morning. After all why drive yourself crazy, for so long I let the scale rule what kind of day I was having....... it can become obssesive.....I know!!!

Tuesday will be six weeks for me and I tried salad last week. I kept it simple I used fresh baby spinach leaves (more tender than lettuce and better for ya) some chopped egg, red onion and a few bacon pieces and topped it off with a light parmesean italian.....went down well but only had a little and chewed it very well......

I always had a hard time passing gas, I'd stay bloated.... However since I have been banded I pass gas all the time, I like not being bloated but the only ones that think it is cool and funny are my 13 & 14 year old boys.......I have to excuse myself quite often LOL

I had french onion soup with the onions strained.....it tasted better than plain beef broth and I thought it was salty.

OMG, that is the best news!!!! You need to give the details......... any complications? Really any advice you can give would be great...... That is such an amazing accomplishment...........I am overwhelmed just having 100 to loose I can't even begin to comprehend the magnitude of what you have done........ It must be the greatest feeling.... Congradulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is that a record here for lapbanders?..........it must be!!!

This sounds strange...... I am the one that got my letter from the psych doctor so if he doesn't approve you and you feel uncomfortable I would get a second opinion........ I don't think I would have gone to him after him calling and all that.... Most insurances pay for second opinons with medical and I am sure they will for psych also...... this may be a quality of care issue that you may want to bring to the insurance companies attention....... Good luck!!

Well, I have lost a total of 19 pounds since I started my preop diet (6 lbs on preop) some would say that is good, some would say that it is slow, some average.......I say that is more than I lost on 7 months of weight watchers and I am not getting any bigger (I was going up up up) I do think I have some restriction from the surgery itself (he doesn't fill at surgery) and are not due for my first fill till the 29th of this month but just knowing that I no longer can binge eat priceless.....my attitude towards food has changed....I am eating to live not living to eat.... I am eating what I want just way smaller portions and trying to stay around 1000 cal. a day..... I have to keep a food track just to make sure that I get enough cal. a day. I was told the first 6 weeks are for healing.....so I have been real careful not to over do it when eating. The only thing I haven't started up yet is working out to the extent I did prior to surgery..... I have always liked to work out and lift weights...... I am so glad that I got the band and want to do everything to keep it, I like eating what I want only a very small portion of it..... food also tastes better for some reason....maybe the chewing. Good luck!!!!

I finally feel great!! Starting to feel 100% like myself again...I think I have a little restriction from the surgery itself (my surgeon doesn't fill during surgery) and I can get full pretty fast.....just staying full for more than 3 hours is tough... I go for hopfully my first fill on the 29th of July. I hope you are doing great

I was never given one......maybe because I was inpatient and had oxygen???

Congradulations!!!!!! I can't wait till I reach that goal, thanks for being an inspiration!!! I was mortified when I reached the 200's now I can't wait to get to 199 LOL

I can't feel mine yet, I have an idea were it is at because I have a spot that is numb.....maybe still a little swollen. I thought I would be able to feel it because most of my weight is below the waist LOL I guess I will find out when I get my first fill!

I have 4 tiny ones and one larger one about an inch and a quarter above and to the left of my belly button with still one single stitch sticking out LOL

I saw this article and thought it was very good and interesting. The only thing that confused me was the "Water loading" thing drinking right before eating.....according to my doctor nothing to drink 30 minutes before.. Now I can understand the not drinking during and after (makes sense) but the before meal drink????? I am however going to follow my Doc's orders to a T....... but it sure would be great to have water or another drink before a meal especially when eating out......

My doctor had me on solids week 4 (as tolerated) I didn't try steak and salad till week 5 though. I won't have a fill till week 7 even then he may not fill..all depends... He states you can't tell how restricted you really are until you eat solid foods, he said that the pouch is made to work with solids. Some patients he said have enough restriction just from the band and no fill. Your doctors orders are the only ones that count. I was given all the phases and what week to start them all at once on a paper.

My mushy stage was anything I could mash with a fork. Fish (cod, salmon,flaky) scallops, tuna salad, egg salad, Peanut Butter, Beans (black, pinto) one of my favorite meals was the pintos and cheese from Taco Bell. Those were my biggies! Good luck!

OMG! I don't think anything will ever taste as good as that apple juice after surgery did in the hospital. Although it was the first sweet thing in weeks...... but after a day of ice chips it was like heaven!!!

First things first, If you do the band do it for you. It could be that he really just wants you to be healthy and be there with him in the golden years and not being insensitive and an A--. We all know that men don't always say things the way they mean it. I decided to do it for me, yes I don't want my two son's to be embarassed by my weight, yes I want to be attractive to my husband again, yes in my mind I think I will make more money if thin (in sales) but in reality things may not change, in fact loosing weight could make things worse. You have no control over what others say or do, my husband is an enabler.... I know he doesn't like the weight or find me as attractive anymore but yet he continued to bring me home ice cream, pizza, candy or something not so good for weight control. Or is it that I don't find myself attractive anymore? Do it for you, and only if you want to because it will take alot of hard work......you have to be happy with you.

Doctor to Doctor would be the way to go....... have your new Surgeons office contact the other to ask for your medical records and the card. Sounds awesome by the way, I didn't know it was an option...... Good luck and keep us posted!

I am just starting to try "normal foods" and it is scary, trial and error. I haven't had a problem with bread but then again I eat gluten free bread and rolls and gluten is the glue like texture in bread so I think that is why it doesn't stick. I can't eat blue corn tortilla chips, they prompted a thread from me because I had horrible shoulder and neck pain. Scary.. I am waiting till week 6 to try corn, steak, pork chops and rice. I was only told never to have carbonation, don't drink with meals, 30 min. before and 45 min after, should never drink calories, eat Protein first........but other than those few rules it is on.......... I was told everyone is different and to only progress "as tolerated" of course I haven't had a fill yet. Good luck!!!

I am 4 weeks, started on week 5 today and like today I can get full on 2-2.5 oz of chicken or hamburg and a 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes and stayed full for about 4 hours..... I am hoping that I stay that way.... My surgeon said that some people who are banded can have restriction just from the band that is why he doesn't fill during surgery or for 6 or more weeks after..... I am not even going to him till the 29th of July. Of course we need to remember that we are still healing for at least 6 weeks. Good Luck!!!

OMG! I feel the same way. My Dad has picked at me about what I have eaten or eat ever since about the age of 7 when my weight problems began. Although this is a man who made me sit there and eat everything on my plate (not that I blame him). Problem is he has gotten even worse since the surgery.....I grilled out some sea scallops on skewers and had two on my plate .....well he went off...."your going to eat both of those" and on and on about everything......of course I was only three weeks out and could only eat 4 scallops but I had taken them for the few meals (my favorite thing to mush with my fork) Even in the hospital he had asked me if the Jello was sugar free........ I don't know what the deal is........I think in my case he partly blames himself....he has mentioned that before to my husband when I had lipo 10 years ago when I managed to get to a desirable weight (for about a year LOL). I am right there with ya!!! I figured out this weekend when he came back that no reaction to his picking was the best........shut him right up..... I remember when I was telling him that I was going to get the surgery and about it but that for a small number of people it doesn't work.......He told me that it was imposible and that if I don't succeed it will be because I didn't try hard enough........... Oh well, I guess I need to get of my soap box........I think you hit a nerve LOL.

Thank you all again! Yes, I must say and agree that excellent information was given, some scared me but I'd rather be informed than not know and have something happen. Kizzie I hope you are feeling better and will keep you in my thoughts. Today the shoulder pain near my neck is gone but I am going to follow up anyway to make sure it is nothing else. I have a rotator cuff injury in that shoulder but it wasn't in the same location and that pain I am used to. I do think that it may be from something I ate, according to my doctors plan I am incorporating regular food and think that blue corn tortilla chips were too rough, too soon (we were told as tolerated).... I am so glad I am keeping a food journal. I am going to have everything checked out anyway!! If for nothing else than peace of mind :biggrin: Thanks again for all the great advice!!!!

Did you look online at the Tricare website to see if it said the same? Mine on line only showed for the Surgeon and it said inplant adjustable device and the surgeons name or somehthing like that, there never was one for the Hospital that stated inpatient or out. Now I am in Florida maybe it is different. I would have the insurance professional at the surgeons office contact them and they will know if it is outpatient or in.....thats who told me mine was inpatient. It could be that they are finding it more cost effective to do it outpatient.....they are cheap, they only paid my surgeon $935.00 for the surgery but paid the hospital over $16,000. I would think they would pay the surgeons more......... Don't get me wrong I have never had a problem with Tricare and are greatful to have them I just think he should have been paid more.

I was clear liquids for 3 days Full liquids through week two Puree foods for one week Mushies for one week (anything you can mush with a fork, like the beans and hummus) Then regular lifetime eating plan Of course they said if tolerated, and that there was no reason to rush to the next stage if things didn't go down good.........I got a little creative but never cheated....... Always follow your specific doctors orders.