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For my on the go lunches I usual take the following... Slice of turkey, spread a little cream cheese on it (I use chive flavor) and roll it up. Put that in a baggie, take a cheese stick and a few almonds....and I am good to go! I do not do on the go very often, so I pretty much just stick to that when I do. I am a creature of habit anyway . Good luck on Friday!

Everyone has different opinions on this very subject, all being VERY valid. I chose to tell. I have very supportive family and friends which helps a great deal. I have a very public job, so I thought I could possibly help others by being open about it. Now I do not wear advertisement by any means, I dont talk about it in speeches I make. Though I do have to say that it is amazing what gets around by word of mouth!!! Though I do have to say, at least for me, I do get tired of the weekly, "So how much have you lost now?" question. Many people associate WLS surgery with the results of bipass. So they expect fast results, so I feel I am doing a lot of education when talking to people as well . This is such an individual decision, to tell or not to tell. I can see positives in both.

Thanks for sharing, I needed a good laugh today :smile:!

I was banded in December and have not yet scheduled my first fill. I feel restriction, but can eat 1 to 1.5 cups of food. So I can eat quite a bit. My theory is that as long as I am losing weight each week I am not going to get a fill. When I reach a time that I do not lose for several weeks in a row, I will then schedule my first fill. Good luck, and I hope your complications were nothing serious!

I would do it again in a heart beat! I love my band!!!

B: 1 scrambled egg one piece whole grain toast S: 2% cheese stick L: 1 cup taco soup D: 3 oz baked tilapia and some steamed veggies S: 1 cup watermelon

What a GREAT birthday present!!! Good luck with surgery!

This is the one LB rule that I could not follow. Now granted I do not drink like I used to with meals, but I do drink about half a glass of Water when I eat. I tried going without, and I just could not do it. I have restriction, but I am not tight because I have not yet had a fill. So this has not caused me any issues with being stuck. I truly did try going without liquids at meals, and I just could not do it!

The ironic thing for me is that I also see a cardiologist once a year, I have an irregular heart beat that they monitor. I have been talking with her for about two year about the surgery, and she was completely for it. She even said, that with my age, activity level, and weight that if she were me she would do it in a heart beat. So my PCP was a jerk about it and my Cardiologist was all for it....Go figure :frown:. So I kept my supportive Cardiologist, and dumped my unsupportive PCP .

Before I was banded I was always hungry. Since surgery I have not felt hunger, at least not the way I used to! My stomach growls and rumbles and I think, oh I better eat something. I do find myself having cravings for things, but this is not real hunger....it is what many call "head hunger." Lapband effects everyone differently! I love my band, and am just so happy I am not hungry all of the time the way I used to be! I know this could change, but I sure hope it does not! Congrats to all of you, and keep up the good work!!!

I love Wasabi peas, I eat them regularly. They have never been a problem for me.

Before I scheduled my surgery I went to see my Primary Care Physician. I wanted to have my thyroid checked and wanted to make sure I was medically OK for surgery. As soon as he told me the results of my lab work he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Have you even tried dieting?" in the most condescending tone you have ever heard! I looked at him in shear disbelief and then told him, "Yes, I have tried every diet from Atkins to Weight Watchers!" He then wanted to know what kind of pills I had tried taking to lose weight. BOTH of these questions were EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE to me!!! He then proceeded to tell me that what I was wanting to get was called Bariatric Surgery. I looked him straight in the eye and said, " I KNOW exactly what this type of surgery is, I have been researching it for years!! In the past I have only been able to lose 50 lbs on my own and always gained it plus more back, and you can look at me and look at my chart and you can see I need to lose a lot more than 50 lbs!!!" After I stood up for myself, he started being a little more helpful. As long as he has been my PCP (7 years) I have been considered morbidly obese, so for him to ask me the questions he did was just uncalled for, and frankly a little stupid on his part! So needless to say, he is no longer my PCP!!! I have taken my business, and my money, elsewhere!!

Congrats on your banding! I use an iPhone and use the app "Lose It", not sure if Blackberry has something like that or not. I thought I would mention it, just in case. Also before I started using Lose It, I used Fit Day. That is a free online service, I am sure that you could go online on your Blackberry and use that one. Good luck!

I think this is a side effect for most. I do have a funny story to share about this. Last week I had to get an EKG, I have an irregular heart beat and this was just a normal check-up. Well the technician put several of the sticky monitors on my breasts and when she went to remove them all of this loose skin came up with the sticky monitor until finally it gave way and came off. I thought it was so comical, was kind of like a cartoon. The skin just kept coming and coming! I have heard people say that after weight loss their breast were like tube socks with tennis balls in the toes. I always thought that was a funny comparison, but can NOW totally understand what they meant!!!!

Welcome to LBT Sylvia! Good luck with your pre-op appointment!

Hello, and welcome to both of you!

I am yet to get a fill, but I have set up after care in Dallas and the doctor is going to charge me $250 a fill when I am ready.

Sounds like you handled the buffet well. I have only been to one buffet since being banded. I did OK, but I had to really concentrate on my eating :tt2:. I went for a family dinner with my parents, and they just paid the adult price for me. I did not get a chance to try to use my card. The next time I go to a buffet I am definitely going to try though !

I took three days off butted up with a weekend. I have a desk job, so this was not a problem for me.

I think that food journaling is the KEY!!! Start monitoring what you eat and drink! It is all about calories in and calories out. I am like Rachel, if I eat to few calories I do not loose anything. My body starts to freak out because it thinks I am starving it! I fluctuate between 1000-1200 calories a day, and have found that to work for me right now.

I myself am a self-pay, but I have a friend that her insurance covered the cost. We are both VERY committed to this journey, regardless of how it was paid for. I do wonder sometimes why people post certain things. I guess like the OP, they want to vent as well. Like the OP when I don't lose I start looking at what I have eaten and then adjust what I need to get the weight coming off again. I realize that even when someone has an insurance that covers the surgery, unfortunately mine did not, there are out of pocket fees......but almost $14,000 worth....NOT LIKELY! This all boils down to everyone is different and everyone handles things differently. Some self payers are very serious about following all of the lapband rules for success and some are not. Just like some that have insurance cover the surgery follow all the rules and some don't. Everyone reacts to things differently.

Welcome to LBT and congrats on your approval!! This is a great place to get information !!

Congrats on your surgery! Everyone is different on what works best for them, but here were some of my favorites during that stage.... scrambled eggs cottage cheese tuna salad refried Beans w/salsa mashed potatoes potato Soup I am a creature of habit, so I would eat the same foods pretty much all the time. Good luck :sneaky:!

YOU SHOULD TOOT YOUR OWN HORN!!! Way to go!!!!