Melissannde

No menu, I just try to stay around 1200 calories a day (that's now, at my current weight. when I was larger, I could have more calories and still lose). I eat 3oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies at my meals. I keep track of what I'm eating at www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate.

exercising will help. But depending on how much you have to lose, your age, genetics and whether you ever smoked, you will probably have some loose skin. Personally, I'd rather have my loose skin and be able to run, jump, tie my own shoes, fit in an airplane seat, etc. than be obese again.

I don't have much to add to what everyone else has said... Journal your food intake, exercise, get your 64 oz of Water, get another fill.. all good ideas. Regarding McDonald's and how to deal with your cravings for their foods.. I do have a suggestion. Look up on their website how many calories are in whatever it is you desire. Mine was McD's Sausage biscuits. Then go and workout enough to burn those calories BEFORE you go to McD's. This must be an EXTRA workout beyond your daily minimum of 30 minutes. I did this when I was first banded, and MOST of the time, after I had been on the treadmill long enough to burn those calories.. I didn't want that sausage biscuit. It wasn't worth it. But if I still did, I'd go and have it and not feel guilty. This may or may not work for you.. but it did for me. I now no longer crave those suckers. Thank God.

Well, the sliming, pbing and etc. are only if you keep the band too tight. I don't have those issues. Good luck on your bypass.

Try Syntrax Nectars. Most are 23 grams protein, 90 to 100 calories and 0 carbs. www.si03.com call or write the company and ask about samples, they will usually send you some at about 1.00 per packet and no shipping.

It sounds like True Results made a mistake when submitting the forms. Ask them to resubmit for Lap-band.

I took a look at your blog and regarding the upkeep of the RNY (bypass) you are aware that you have to have labs (blood) drawn ever so often and supplement with lots of vitamins/minerals? The malabsorption of the bypass can make keeping certain levels very tricky. You need to do more research. I've been banded 2 years, no complications and have lost 200lbs. The band is to help control the appetite, controlling what you put in your mouth is up to the banded person.

A potato from wendy's isn't such a good idea. Potatoes are high glycemic foods and tend to make us hungrier sooner. The nuggets were a better choice, even if they were fried. Look up information on the glycemic index http:www.glycemicindex.com

Banded 03/09/09 NO pre-op diet. 385 at seminar, 383 day of surgery. Lost first 100 lbs in 7 months. Only exercise was walking. Started going to a Gym in October of 2009. Got to -200 in April of this year. I'm still losing, but very slowly now. Hang in there, the journey is very worth it all.

When I make chicken salad, I use a small container of plain greek yogurt to replace part of the mayo. Not all of it.. too sour, but about 1/3 to 1/2 can be replaced with the greek. Add a package of Ranch dressing mix to plain greek yogurt for a high protein dip for your veggies. I make a smoothie in the mornings with 1 small carton of Dannon or Oikos greek yogurt, 16 oz crystal light, a scoop of syntrax Nectar, 4 strawberries and 4 ice cubes. This makes a big smoothie.. I drink about 2/3 of it in the Morning before my workout and the remainder when I get home 3 hours later. Good stuff and very versatile. I don't do the stuff with the fruit on the side except when I'm away from home and can't find a good alternative.. .. too many sugars.

How does hot coffee or tea work for you? I'm always tighter in the morning and have a hot drink to help my band relax a little. If you don't like coffee or tea, some warm chicken broth or bouillon or even warm Water with lemon will work. I also take benadryl the night before to help with morning congestion (yes, sinus drainage often contributes to morning tightness). If you can't get any liquids down, you need to be seen. I'm not sure I would wait till tomorrow, but as it's now 6pm, unless you want to go to the ER, I guess you will have to wait.

You might consider contacting Obesitylaw.com. They usually help with insurance denials of covering WLS, but they might have information or suggestions on how to proceed in your situation. Best of luck to you in getting some satisfaction.

My surgeon will not give fills any closer than 4 weeks apart. This is because in his experience a fill can take up to 2 weeks to "kick in". This has been true for me, the fill I got in either November or December took 10 days to for me to notice a difference. This last one (on May 26) I noticed right away. But I have now around 5.5 or 6.5 cc's in my 10cc band.. when I had only 3cc's, the changes in tightness created by fills were much more subtle. Every doctor is different as is every bandster. For me, going from 3cc's to 5cc's would be too much of a change. I went from 3cc's to 4cc's and it was enough to dim my appetite without me struggling with eating too fast or taking too big of bites and having difficulty. I firmly believe in taking fills up very slowly to allow for new behaviors to become habits. Of course, YMMV. Hope this next fill does the trick for you.

Before fill, our guidelines are no food for 4 hours before, but any and all liquids we want. Last appt was at 4pm. I ate lunch at noon and then drank all I wanted up until 4pm.

Powerade Zero has potassium in it and no calories.

There should be a chart or scale or something on the children's tylenol package that says how much to give per weight of the child. Use that to figure out the correct dose for your weight. Or ask the pharmacist at a drugstore to help you figure out the appropriate dosage.

I buy from Netrition.com They have flat rate shipping of 4.95 whether you buy 1 item or 100. I prefer the Syntrax Nectars, but Netrition carries many many brands. The only times I drink Protein are 1) after a fill 2) after a very strenuous workout 3) sometimes in the AM if I'm too busy to eat real food slowly (then I usually mix it with some greek yogurt and enough Water or crystal lite to make it drinkable). The band does work best with real, solid, dense protein. That's why some surgeons don't encourage the Protein drinks for bandsters.

I know where you are. I wasn't given adequate pain medication and I hurt for a long time after surgery. I remember telling my husband I now understand how people with chronic pain get depressed. I wasn't able to sit up for more than an hour at a time the first week. It will get better. Walk as much as you can, even just around your house if that's all you can do. Take your pain meds as often as you are allowed. Try gas-x strips. Heating pads on low. And be patient.. the band DOES work.. you're just still healing.

It can. It's usually advised to go back to liquids for a while (some say 24 to 48 hours.. I've never had to do it THAT long) after a "refunding" episode. Just baby your band for a little bit and take it easy.

You should always be able to eat solid foods, taking small bites and chewing well. It's not unusual for people to not be able to eat Breakfast (having to drink something instead) but by lunch you should be able to eat real food, at least something soft like tuna salad or egg salad, if not something with more density. Certainly by evening you should be able to eat dense, solid Protein. What you described in your first post is not normal and could possibly be dangerous if you continue to throw up a lot. You could risk slipping your band. It's not clear to me from your post if you did a period of liquids and then tried to proceed to soft foods after the fill or if you tried to jump right back into regular food. I think you probably did try to take the slow refeeding approach, but if you didn't.. back up and try again and progress much slower this time. Have you tried sipping some hot coffee or hot tea before trying to eat? Days when I'm tight, a warm or hot drink or cup of soup will loosen me just enough to where I can eat. Waiting 30 minutes after drinking the hot coffee doesn't apply during this time. Drink the warm drink and then go ahead and try to eat. If you wait 30 min, the loosening effect is likely to have worn off. Also make sure you are cutting your food into english pea sized bites and chew them very very well. I sometimes use a "food lube" like fat free refried Beans or a bit of greek yogurt or perhaps low sugar ketchup to help the food slide down. I think a previous poster is right and you're going to have to get some of the Fluid from the latest fill taken back out. Not necessarily all of it, but at least some. Call your doctor and see if they will guide you to someone closer. If they won't.. for your health's sake you will need to bite the bullet and make the 6 hour drive or take the flight, get this situation under control and then start looking for a bariatric practice that is more accessible for you. Hope you feel better very soon.

Everyone is different. I'm sure someone somewhere has gotten Quinoa stuck, however it hasn't caused an issue for me. It doesn't swell after ingestion like other grains do.. as it is technically not a grain but a seed.

Carrie, there's a daily thread over at Obesity Help in the Lapband Forum that people post what they're eating each day. You might get ideas from there. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/ Actually, it's not such a bad thing to get a little bored with food, we tend not to eat so much if it's the "same ole, same ole". If this next part is "Preaching to the Choir", just skip on over it. Pasta generally isn't a good choice for weight loss. It's a high glycemic food and makes our blood sugar spike, then when the levels fall again, we're hungrier than we were before we ate the pasta. Pasta can also have a tendency to get stuck for some people. Other high glycemic foods to consider avoiding are bread, potatoes, and rice. Of course there are individual differences in people's reactions to these foods, but it might be worth trying some changes to see if your body reacts adversely to the white carbs. Instead of pasta, I use spaghetti squash or grated zucchini and put my meat sauce over it. Other people have reported using shredded cabbage or french style green Beans. If you must use pasta, try to go for whole wheat and cook it al dente. The longer you cook pasta, the higher it registers on the GI (glycemic index). Instead of Rice, try using Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah). It's a south american grain (really a seed) and has all 7 types of Protein in it. I've used it in place of rice when making stuffed peppers. White potatoes while not evil in themselves, have more weight loss friendly cousins in the red and purple potatoes. Also sweet potatoes are lower glycemic. You can learn more about the Glycemic Index at www.glycemicindex.com There's a blog titled something like "The World according to Eggface" that is by a girl who had RNY.. she has lots of recipes for "bites", things that you can make and bake in muffin tins. Make a bunch and freeze and rotate them for your lunches. I make meatloaf for the family and make about 6 or 12 in muffin tin size. The family gets the regular and a muffin tin cup size is right around 3 to 4 oz.. perfect for me. When I make taco Soup or white chicken chili, a cup or two goes in the freezer for me for later. I made Asian Glazed Chicken tonight with a pan of stir-fried broccoli/onion/mushrooms/beansprouts. The glazed chicken recipe is here: http://www.recipesecrets.net/forums/your-favorite-recipes/39775-asian-glazed-drumsticks.html I use thighs instead of drumsticks and splenda instead of sugar.. comes out very very tender. 1 thigh is about a bandster serving. Hope some of this is helpful.. sorry if I rambled too much or said things you already know. I'm up because I was foolish and ate something I shouldn't have b4 bed.. it's finally passed on through so now I'm going to try to get some sleep. Even 2 years out we can be STOOPID. Nighters.

Yes, definitely call your doctor. It really does sound like you are too tight. Fills can take up to 2 weeks to take affect, and that's just about the right amount of time from May 19. While you're waiting to get in to see the doctor, don't eat dense Protein (or really any solid foods) for at least 3 hours before bedtime. Try drinking some warm tea or at least a glass of Water about 30 minutes before bed to help rinse out your upper stomach. Put bricks under the legs of the head of your bed. Just sleeping on pillows won't do it, you have to elevate the bed. Please get this seen to as soon as you can. Reflux like you describe can lead to aspiration pneumonia and other not so nice problems.

I was told the no 30 min before or after too. And I followed that rule for a long time, probably a year. Then I read somewhere about Water loading before you eat. The theory being to drink 8 to 16 ounces right up to the time you eat, it will help with making you feel full, and keep you hydrated so that food doesn't get stuck nearly as much. That is now what I do and I don't drink for about an hour after I eat. I will take teeny tiny sips if I get thirsty or dry, but no more. When an hour has passed, I drink and drink. I enjoy playing computer games. I make it a rule that after each score or episode or chapter, to take a drink. Just find some way to challenge yourself and make it fun.

Ask your surgeon if he installs any fluid in the band during surgery. I came out with 3cc's already in mine and bandster hell was practically nonexistent for me. I only had trouble the last week before my first fill.