downsdc

Well done on your weight loss Craig, that's over a stone, fantastic! We don't use "stone" as a unit of weight in the U.S., so I l had to looked it up (what did we do before google?). Stone = 14 pounds. The website where I looked it up also said that 28 pounds equals a "tod". Is "tod" still in use in the U.K? I had never heard of that one. The Super Bowl is tomorrow, what we call "football", but what you would call "American football". The world is an interesting place! I hope to visit London someday. :-) Craig

Gas-X strips are strips that melt in your mouth. I bought some but only used a couple - they didn't seem to make any difference for me. Down another 2 pounds this morning (16 total). Craig

I did a pre-op diet for 14 days prior to surgery, and I really think it helped get me ready for the the post-surgery diet, so the fact that you are going to do a pre-op diet is good. I was banded this last Monday 1/26 and after about two days I was working from home on my computer. You will probably have gas pains post-op from the CO2 that pump into you for the surgery. It ends up in your upper body (chest,shoulders). A heating pad and walking will help that. I used liquid adult extra-strength tylenol instead of the liquid loritab I was prescribed and was fine.

As of today I've dropped two more pounds (14 so far since I started my pre-op diet almost 3 weeks ago). A lot of rumbling in my stomach but I'm feeling pretty good. My energy level is not back to normal yet, but I was expecting that. Going to the Chattanooga Boat Show tomorrow (Saturday).

Hi Hope, I just buying Progressio Chicken and Beef Broth.

Hi everybody, I feel pretty much normal today. I've really been having to push to get to 1000 calories, but it is possible. I sneezed this morning and it hurt at my port incision, so I'm going to have to remember to be careful about that. No hunger to speak of. Living off Jello, Italian Ice, grape juice and chicken/beef broth. Keeping my Protein up by adding a New-Whey 42g protein shot (fruit punch flavored) to 20 ounces of Water w/Crystal Lite. I heard that if you don't keep your protein levels up you hair will start to fall out. So far, so good.

Hi Hope, My doctor said to NEVER take anything except tylenol, because aspirin, ibuprofin, etc can cause damage to your stomach lining. If enough damage occurs, they would have to remove your band and you could never have another one. I'm feeling almost normal today, looking forward to my followup appt Monday and being able to start eating cream Soups and pudding. I had lost 12 pounds pre-surgery but after I got back home after surgery I had gained four pounds (from the fluids). Back down to my 12 pound loss now and maintaining about 1000 calories, so I hope to start dropping the weight soon. Someone told me in another thread that it would probably take about a week.

I've been using TheDailyPlate to track my calories and protein. I like the fact that it has an extensive library of pre-packaged foods, since my wife and I don't cook alot from scratch. SparkPeople is supposed to be good also. I've looked at RealizeMySuccess but it wasn't why I chose the Realize Band. I mainly wanted the low-profile port (my surgeon doesn't use the optional low-profile port for the Lap-Band, but he implants both.

I was banded with the new Realize Band-C (11cc version) Monday 1/26. No incision pain but my port site incision is a little tender. I had some gas pain in my left shoulder yesterday (I walked slowly on my treadmill and used a heating pad to help relieve the pain). Today my gas pain is gone. I think the fact that they use a special staple tool (instead of sutures) to attach the Realize Band port minimizes the pain at the port site. Or maybe I was just lucky. Anyway, I went back to work today (from home) and I'm doing great.

Welcome Pam! It must feel great to be so near your goal.

I don't think I'll track calories for very long, but I wanted to be sure that I was getting enough calories during these two weeks of nothing but liquids. I'm also adding the New-Whey liquid protein shots (42g protein) to Crystal Lite. Once I get to where I can eat meat I won't need to do that. I won't have a problem eating 6 ounces of meat or fish.

Hi trock97, I have never had any incision pain at all. Pretty weird. What kind of band did you get? I had the Realize Band-C, which uses some type special stapling tool to attach the port. With the Lap-Band, they suture the port. My gas pains are gone (I hope).

Hi Christymarie, I'm taking Adult Extra-Strength Liquid Tylenol. I didn't know it was available, but I found it on the shelf at WalMart. It is Cherry flavored and not too bad.

Walking and a heating pad helped me with the gas. Also, for some reason taking liquid tylenol helped also.

Welcome, yellotopaz, how are you doing? Hang in there christymarie!

This morning I don't have any shoulder pain (so far) and my incisions are healing really well. Still a little stiff but I'm getting up and down alot better. I got some Progresso Beef Broth last night and it is really good, so now at least I can have a change from Chicken Broth. Are y'all tracking calories? I'm trying to stay at about 1000 calories to keep my metabolism up. Using TheDailyPlate to track calories and exercise. My wife just found out her cholesterol and triglycerides are high, so she is going to join me eating smaller portions and making better food choices (we'll save a lot of money sharing food when we eat out). She only needs to lose about 25 pounds, but she loves chocolate, so it is going to be hard for her. I mainly crave salty foods. No weight loss so far since surgery, but I think it is because of water retention from the surgery and all of the salty broth I'm drinking. I lost 12LBS pre-op.

Welcome trock97! Christymarie, how are you doing?

It sounds like everyone is doing great! I'm not having any hunger at all. I'm trying to eat about 1000 calories to keep my metabolism up, but it isn't easy. I won't be on cream soups and pudding until week two, soft foods on week three, and regular foods week four. My shoulder pain from yesterday is almost gone, and I can get up and down a lot easier.

The liquid tylenol seemed to help me today also. Not sure why. I haven't take any of the liquid loritab they prescribed for me.

I'm taking chewable vitamin supplements and caramel flavored calcium chews. My other prescription pills (blood pressure and triglicerides) I'm having to crush and mix with a liquid to get down. It tastes terrible. :-) I'm going to look for liquid versions of those meds.

Hi Hope, Italian Ice is similar to a sherbet but with zero fat. What I got (at Wal-Mart, which I'm sure you don't have in the UAE) was Luigi's Real Italian Ice (6 oz cup = 120 calories). You will find it in the freezer section where the ice cream is. the also make a sugar-free version. Here is the link: Luigi's The small 4oz Jello Snacks are in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (sugared and sugar-free). I will be able to start milk and low-fat puddings next week. I took some adult liquid tylenol this morning and it seems to help alot with the shoulder pain. My surgeon gave me a prescription for liquid loritab but I haven't taken any. What also helps is walking, rocking in a rocking chair, and a heating pad. By the way, if you want to track your calories/fat/protein easily, check out The Daily Plate (www.thedailyplate.com). It is free.

Woke up this morning with some pain at the top of my left shoulder, so I guess the gas is moving up. My dry mouth is better and I'm not as bloated in my abdomen. Does gas-x help? I walked about 10 minutes on my treadmill last night and I guess I'll do that on and off today as well.

Jello is a brand name of flavored Gelatin. You let it set and then eat it cold (it will melt in your mouth). What I do is buy Jello Snacks that are in small cups and already made up. I'm using a baby spoon to help train myself to eat small bites (no restriction for now). I'm also drinking broth from an insulated coffee cup that has a "sip" lid - the kind you would use when driving in a car. I was told not to gulp liquids. I can't have the milkshake type drinks this week. The only calories I can have this week are coming from not-sugar-free jello, popcycles and italian ice. I can also have Clear Liquids (basically chicken broth). Glad to hear you are doing well. I woke up this morning not so bloated but with some pain in my left shoulder, so I guess the gas is moving up as predicted. A couple of people have told me that the gas pains don't start for a couple of days.

Hi everybody, I was banded this morning in Dalton, GA with the new Realize Band-C and everything went great. Got to the surgery center at 6:00AM, Surgery at 7:30AM and discharged to go home at 11:30AM. I took a nap when I got home and now I'm pretty much feeling great except for being a little bloated, a dry mouth (from the anesthisia) and a little soreness in my shoulder muscles (they had my arms secured cross-wise on the OR table). No nausea, no incision pain, no gas pains (yet). Glad that it is finally done. I'm looking forward to a week from now when I can start eating low-fat cream soups and pudding! Then the next week, mushies! I have my surgeon follow-up next Monday.

Hi everybody, I was banded this morning with the new Realize Band-C and everything went great. Got to the surgery center at 6:00AM, Surgery at 7:30AM and discharged to go home at 11:30AM. I took a nap when I got home and now I'm pretty much feeling great except for being a little bloated, a dry mouth (from the anesthisia) and a little soreness in my shoulder muscles (they had my arms secured cross-wise on the OR table). No nausea, no incision pain, no gas pains (yet). Glad that it is finally done. I'm Looking forward to a week from now when I can start eating low-fat cream Soups and pudding! Then the next week, mushies! I have my surgeon follow-up next Monday. How did everyone else do?