TaraBell

I was banded Jan 16th and I am also down 18 lbs!! I am doing great so far. I still have to slow down when i eat tho. My next appointment is on the 27th and thats when I should get my first fill. I haven't tried chicken yet since my surgeon told me to introduce that last. But I have been able to eat l ots of steak and thick juicy pork chops.

I tried to eat some baked pork chop tonight and it didnt go so well. It didn't seem dry, it was pouring juice. But It was almost painful going down, so i wont be having pork again. I will have to stick to tuna or steak for now cause my surgeon said to stay away from chicken for now.

Well, here I am 15 days post op and I am down 13.4lbs! :smile: I am really enjoying this band. I am eating healthier, making better choices for myself and just over all feeling good. I started eating real food yesterday. We went to the grocery store later on in the day and spent two hours shopping for healthy foods with low fat high protein. its the first time I actually looked at labels. I can't believe some of the food I was eating before the band. Everything was full of carbs and SO HIGH FAT! Its no wonder I ballooned to over 260lbs. My first real dinner was so tasty! I broiled stir fry steak strips and had broccoli cooked in Pam spray with garlic. And I was so shocked that my food fit on a smaller plate! I wasn't even able to finish all the steak. Unbelievable. the hardest thing so far is not being able to drink while I eat. But I am learning. Also, I think i am eating too fast cause sometimes, i feel a little pain in my chest, but it is fleeting. It reminds me to slow down. I am chewing to mush tho. For the first time in my life I actually have hope. I am really ready for this change. I think I may even be looking forward to summer!

Congrats on your weight loss!! I can't wait till I start getting comments like that!

Well, here I am 15 days post op and I am down 13.4lbs! :blushing: I am really enjoying this band. I am eating healthier, making better choices for myself and just over all feeling good. I started eating real food yesterday. We went to the grocery store later on in the day and spent two hours shopping for healthy foods with low fat high protein. its the first time I actually looked at labels. I can't believe some of the food I was eating before the band. Everything was full of carbs and SO HIGH FAT! Its no wonder I ballooned to over 260lbs. My first real dinner was so tasty! I broiled stir fry steak strips and had broccoli cooked in Pam spray with garlic. And I was so shocked that my food fit on a smaller plate! I wasn't even able to finish all the steak. Unbelievable. the hardest thing so far is not being able to drink while I eat. But I am learning. Also, I think i am eating too fast cause sometimes, i feel a little pain in my chest, but it is fleeting. It reminds me to slow down. I am chewing to mush tho. For the first time in my life I actually have hope. I am really ready for this change. I think I may even be looking forward to summer!

I live in Socal as well. I have seen several billboards. I listen to 102.7 Kiis FM and every other commercial seems to be about the Lap band.

Wow! thats incredible! Congrats!

This is one of the hardest things I am learning to do. I am very sensitive to spices and even pepper burns my mouth. So, I am going to have to either man up (LOL) or give up the spicier foods.

what type of protein drink are you having? My surgeon has me drinking the Bariatic Advantage meal replacement shakes. he said they are meant to keep me full longer. I am able to mix them with 1% milk and they have been doing the trick.

I miss my SODA and Rockstars. OMG, I miss them.

I told everyone I work with. I have been very open and honest about everything. I am the only female and I work with guys who are all between the ages of 18 and 23. One of my bosses is the same age as I am and thats it. I felt I needed the extra support and everyone has been super awesome. They even all sent me a bouqet of flowers the day after my surgery. I guess it is a personal decision and you have to make it for yourself. =)

11 days with my band. I have not yet started eating foods yet. I can start on Friday. I spend so much time on the forum trying to find people who have had a successful weight loss journey with the band. Its so hard to get myself motivated when there are people who try so hard to only loose 30lbs in a year. I know that losing 30lbs is fantastic, but i want to loose 100lbs in a years time. I am young, 27. My father set up this surgery for me and paid for it 100% :Banane37:, no insurance, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint him. I am so worried that i will mess this up. I have like ZERO willpower. :cheatfree: I live with my boyfriend who is a complete saint. he is trying to help me come up with meal plans and he walks with me everyday. Its like I just cannot picture myself ever losing this fat. I have been fat me entire life, exceot for a year when I was 14. Ever since then I have fat. When I started this I weighed in at 262. As of today i weigh 252. I have been on the liquid diet for a little over two weeks. So I know the weight I have lost is because i am not eating. What happens when i start eating again? I will gain all of that weight back? I am not afraid of exercise. I am not lazy. There is a nice gym here at my complex and I dont mind going on the treadmill for an hour. Another thing i am worried about is the period of time in between my first fill. My fill is scheduled for Feb 27th. Thats a month away. It is exactly 6 weeks from my surgery date. Most people say that they are able to eat whatever they want and they go back to eating how they were before the band. That is smoething I am afraid of. before the band I was constantly eating. ALL THE TIME. One of the hardest things I am going to have to learn is 3 meals a day, NO SNACKING. But when I am hungry, I am physically in pain. So I eat. I know I can do this, I just wish I could get rid of all my fears and worries. :cheatfree:

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and advice. It means so much to someone just starting out like me. I have never been one to take to change very well, but since this change has relatively ZERO negatives and ALL positives attached to it, I am more motivated to give it my all. I am working on turning my fears into motivation to make sure that I do not fail this time. I know I deserve to be healthy and happy. it has taken a lot for me just to be able to say that. =) When I drink one of my shakes, i am so stuffed that I can barely finish them. I think that is a good sign. My dietitian said that one of my biggest hurdles will be for me to distinguish between real hunger and head hunger. I am really understanding that now. I am an emotional eater, and a stress eater. Oh, and when I am bored, I eat. its almost like, if I have been sitting down for any period of time, i think my mouth should be chewing something. lol I am getting closer to eating again. I never would have pictured myself afraid of being able to eat. Its a very strange feeling for me. THANK YOU again everyone for your helpful comments. =)

oh and yes, clear liquids means no protein shakes. At least it did for me. I only had to do clear liquids the day of my surgery.

A few days after my surgery (Jan 16th) I too had developed a bruise right over and right under my largest incision. Both bruises are pretty much gone now. I am pretty sure that PBing is "producitve burping". maybe someone else can better explain it. My dietitian explained frothing to me which is the same as sliming. its the accumulation of saliva in the mouth caused by the back up digestive juices and a dry mouth. My dietitian recommends warm to hot Water with lemon throughout the day to help emulsify the mucus. Congrats on your surgery!

11 days with my band. I have not yet started eating foods yet. I can start on Friday. I spend so much time on the forum trying to find people who have had a successful weight loss journey with the band. Its so hard to get myself motivated when there are people who try so hard to only loose 30lbs in a year. I know that losing 30lbs is fantastic, but i want to loose 100lbs in a years time. I am young, 27. My father set up this surgery for me and paid for it 100% :thumbup:, no insurance, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint him. I am so worried that i will mess this up. I have like ZERO willpower. I live with my boyfriend who is a complete saint. he is trying to help me come up with meal plans and he walks with me everyday. Its like I just cannot picture myself ever losing this fat. I have been fat me entire life, exceot for a year when I was 14. Ever since then I have fat. When I started this I weighed in at 262. As of today i weigh 252. I have been on the liquid diet for a little over two weeks. So I know the weight I have lost is because i am not eating. What happens when i start eating again? I will gain all of that weight back? I am not afraid of exercise. I am not lazy. There is a nice gym here at my complex and I dont mind going on the treadmill for an hour. Another thing i am worried about is the period of time in between my first fill. My fill is scheduled for Feb 27th. Thats a month away. It is exactly 6 weeks from my surgery date. Most people say that they are able to eat whatever they want and they go back to eating how they were before the band. That is smoething I am afraid of. before the band I was constantly eating. ALL THE TIME. One of the hardest things I am going to have to learn is 3 meals a day, NO SNACKING. But when I am hungry, I am physically in pain. So I eat. I know I can do this, I just wish I could get rid of all my fears and worries. :ohmy:

I came across your profile while reading the what did you eat today thread. I just wanted to tell you that you are an inspiration to me. I am newly banded (only about 9 days now) and I was starting to get discouraged by all the people who has lost only 20-30lbs in a years time. You have done an amazing job with your weight loss. I can only strive to be as successful as you are.

Hi there! I was banded last Friday and am still on liquids (3 Protein shakes a day, broth and water). Every time i sip on hot Soup broth, I get hiccups. There is only one or two, but after every time I swallow. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? And if so, does it go away? I would hate to never be able to sip on anything hot.

Hey! Congrats! I am getting banded in the morning as well!

Hi everyone!! I start my pre op diet on Friday, and my surgery is scheduled for Jam 16th. I am so worried about the liquid diet. I am allowed three shakes a day for two weeks and all the Water I can drink. I just know I am going to be starving. If I drink a slim fast shake (optima) I am starving 15 minutes later. I am just so scared I will cheat and my surgery will be postponed. Why does my surgeon have to have such a strict preop diet? If I was allowed even Soup broth I would feel so much more comfortable about this.

Hi ladyd! I am on day 4 right now. I had a little set back yesterday, but i got right back on the horse, so to speak. I am tired and light headed, but I am doing alright. The shakes I am drinking, the Bariatric Advantage, are keeping me surprisingly satisfied. You will do great. I almost gave up on day 2 but with my surgery on Friday, I am starting to get excited. :thumbup:

I bought the Chocolate Mint today. The first sip was actually good. But I was hating it by the end. I cant imagine having to mix this with water!

I am self pay as well. My surgeon is Dr. Hamamji and i am getting the surgery done at Cosmeticare in Newport Beach, CA. Cost is $12,000. Good luck on your search!

You get to have so much! I would kill for a pudding. lol Congrats on your surgery! And I noticed the food commercials today too! I ever noticed them before. And there are so many cooking shows as well! complete torture

Its going alright. My boyfriend is doing an amazing job of keeping me away from food. lol The headaches are terrible. I hope this passes. I have surgery Friday. Thank you for the recipe. I can't have eggs tho. :thumbdown: I will have to try the broth with the garlic and ginger.