cruisemissile

if you want to , you can simply say that you had stomach surgery. people have surgeries of different types, for ulcers, intestinal, etc..., which affect how they eat afterwards. you can always tell them you had surgery for ulcers and you have to watch what you eat. simple and most people would "buy" it. I'm not telling anyone I have lap band, because there might be judgement. they might make judgements like fat people are lazy, and they need a quick fix to lose weight (surgery). i just got banded 4/2 and extremely few people know. i definitely don't announce it at work and other situations, I just tell people I'm on a diet by choice and trying to lose weight. if you sound confident they'll respect it. it works well, because I was on a diet for a while before my surgery and was starting to lose weight, so people are already used to it. as a matter of fact, others at work have started joining me at the gym and drinking Protein shakes for lunch! good luck

i think BMI scale is not good. it does not take into account muscle mass. many weight lifters are "overweight" and would be considered obese by bmi scale. silly. a better measure would be muscle vs fat ratio, I think. there can be a varying weight range for a height that's still healthy.

sorry to hear about your mum. my mother in law was given a hard time getting a kidney transplant because of her size. I can understand it, because its very invasive surgery and it makes it very risky. she was ordered to lose weight and didn't. I am sure there is discrimination. people make assumptions that you're "weak", impulsive, stupid, which affects employment, etc..we should address this. we also have an obesity epidemic in this country, which should also be addressed. my health insurer would not cover gastric surgery for years, maintaining it was "elective" (unnecessary), until this year. that shows that their view was "its your choice to eat less and lose weight, we shouldn't have to pay for expensive surgery".

congrats and welcome to the club...! each day will bring about more recovery and feeling, you'll feel better each day. just keep your dr instructions close at hand at look at them everyday so that you remember what you have to be doing, drinking, etc... we're here for support...

maybe you're just craving the sugar in the pepsi.

congrats about the early date. it sounds like you have alot to look forward to. we're here for support!

today's my b-day, I just got banded 4/2. weird not to "celebrate" with cake, or dinner, or whatever. luckily my wife understands. i was really trying to get the surgery done before my b-day, so it would represent a new start and me getting on the right track. any b-day advice from the group? best regards from sunny FLA.. Jay B:thumbup:

normally lap band is something for a higher BMI, OR if you also have issues related to weight (diabetes, sleep apnea, etc...) I'm sure some shady surgeon outside of the U.S. might do it. have you seen a psychologist/counselor? when dealing with binge eating, you have to look at it as a food addiction, and there are usually there's a set of deeper issues that need to be addressed. perhaps if you take this route, you may not need surgery at all. you may be able to lose weight and control your binge eating without surgery. also, look into a group like Overeaters Anonymous, maybe you can find some answers there. feel free to PM me if you'd like any more support. best regards, Jay

i'm jay, from sunny Tampa, FL i'm a financial analyst for a wireless communications company I am married (sorry ladies..!) and have a 4 year old son just got banded 4/2. yee hahh!

it blows my mind how different every doctor's post-op diet seems to be. mine was clear liquids for the first 4 days, then full liquids (including protein shakes, pureed foods, soups,e tc..) until day 14. then I move to soft foods. have I violated my rules? i'm a bit embarrassed, but yes I have. talk to your doctor again and see what they say about your diet.

thanks everyone for the well wishes.

i'm sure you're just a bit nervous, but it sounds like its the right thing for you to want to be healthy. just remind yourself why you wanted to go on this path the first time.

congrats on your milestone, its a big deal and good progress in the process. just a couple more small steps and you're there. hang in there ! best of luck.

i was banded 4/2/08. my 2 weeks is tomorrow. hooray

i have not had my first fill yet. I am hungry. could that be it? will it be a huge change when I get my first fill?

congrats on the surgery. I would doublecheck with the dr to see what kind of post op diet they prescribed. what stage should you be on? are you still on clear liquids or did they graduate you to full liquids? hang in there

i just got banded 4/2. i'd be proud to be part of the april group. best regards from sunny Tampa, FLA

I'm on day 12 and the last few days have been hard. I'm supposed to be on pureed food but CANNOT stand the thought of it, for real. so I'm sticking to protein shakes, and a few other things like yogurt. i am so hungry for real food. i totally feel your pain..

get to know someone well first. as you grow on each other, its then okay to start 'sharing' a bit more about each other.

i heard alot of people had trouble with red meat post op. I have not graduated to solid foods yet, but when I do, I've love to try a meatball if its okay!

I know every doc is different, but my doc said my pills were okay. capsules are fine. stopping effexor is bad news, I've been through it. I'm on 2 different meds now. I never stopped taking them even when I just got banded. I don't think there should be a problem taking your meds. check again with your doc.

I adopted a 5 year old weimaraner. she's very low maintenance, very sweet, and loves to walk. we have great walks every day. i feel guilty if I don't walk her. she comes home and crashes for teh rest of the day. don't "buy" a dog- there are so many good dogs out there that need adopting. if you like a breed, check out that breed's rescue in your area. you'll be glad you did. good luck

i had my band 4/2. I've been on Protein shakes and have been good for the most part, and some okay foods like yogurt, applesauce, mashed potatoes, etc... i refuse to "puree" stuff. yuck. yesterday I had some very moist skinless chicken (diced, and I chewed very well). later in the day, I had a couple Doritos (no, I dont intend on being bad), and some cashews. chewed the cashews well, of course. sorry, I have been exercising ALOT more and for some reason have been alot hungrier.. I've lost 14 lbs since my band 10 days ago..! a couple days ago I had a couple pieces of wheat melba toast. so far everything has stayed down fine without discomfort or anything else. any thoughts or feedback from anyone? is my band going to slip? am I hurting myself? or is everyone's healing a bit different?

thanks everyone for your guidance and support

I had my surgery wednesday 4/2, and went back to work monday I have a desk job. however, I should have taken more time off. i was still a bit out of it, due to getting used to lower calories. plus, I'd get mysterious shoulder pain (ask others, it seems to be something that others get) that would leave me very distracted. things not good for a mentally demanding job (I'm a financial analyst) it depends on what kind of job you have, and how demanding it is.