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Unless your diet was very unhealthy prior to surgery then this is not a problem as this is what the band is designed to do - make us eat less. If your diet was basically healthy before then you shouldn't have to change anything and you shouldn't need special cooking classes. I was banded in June the same as you and I am cooking and eating the same kind of meals as I did previously.I don't see why I should suddenly start cooking differently - I want meals that the whole family can eat. The main difference between now and previously for me is that I don't eat all the junk inbetween meals.I don't constantly have my hand in the cookie jar, I don't eat a daily chocolate bar etc. I still eat Cereal,bread,Pasta,rice,veggies,meat,fruit(rarely) and all the other things that should be included in a balanced diet.

My stomach makes loud noises all the time. So loud sometimes that other people can hear them. As far as i am aware this is fairly normal and doesn't mean that there is anything wrong. Can't comment on the pressure though as I haven't had that. Did your bariatric surgeon refer you to the gastroenterologist and does the ge have lots of experience with bands? If not would it not be better to go back to your surgeon as maybe what you are experiencing is normal.

They don't go in through the incision so it is not a problem.

Just trying to picture this chopper, how it works and why it's not possible to cut up meat small enough with a knife and fork? NB. I agree with the previous poster that said you are paying for the cruise so you can do whatever you need to do .

I suggest that you speak to your Doctor.The main problem is that if you can't manage to do this diet now then how are you going to manage to stick to the post op liquid diet. If it is just a case of not liking the taste you may have to grin and bear it. If they are genuinely making you ill maybe you have an allergy or intolerance to one of the ingredients. But your Dr is the only person who can help you. Hope you find some way to make this work.

I don't know about other people but I have to make it come up. I wish it would come up by itself but this hasn't happened yet. Its not like vomiting - nowhere near as unpleasant.Lots and lots of slime.

OUCH 125 would give you a BMI of 18.5 which is officially in the UNDERWEIGHT range. Is your Dr crazy?

My doctor hasn't set me a goal, in fact last time I went for a fill I was told that my weight was now acceptable. For your height I don't think that 125lbs in unachievable or unrealistic. However it is what you are comfortable with that is important. That would give you a BMI of 22.9 which is right in the middle of the healthy weight range. I am slightly shorter than you at 5' 3/4" (don't forget that 3/4) and I am aiming to reach 52kg which would give me a BMI of 22.4. I use this BMI weight calculator which i find quite useful as it gives a range of ideal weights, it doesn't just use the one figure. www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm Congratulations on all the weight that you have lost so far and good luck with whatever you decide.

I don't think farting is as much of a problem as burping. if anything I think I fart less than I did previously. Its the burping which seems to have increased and the other strange stomach noises e.g gurgling which can be really loud sometimes. I am sure you won't have a problem at work. Burping is far more accepatble especially if you remember your manners which I am sure you do. I work as a trainer and haven't had any problems yet.

I've tried the Papaya and they don't seem to help me at all. I normally only find relief after i have managed to bring whatever is stuck up. Sometimes this can happen relatively quickly others it has taken a lot longer. And yes it is the most horrible feeling - extremely painful. I don't remember being told that before surgery! I still want to know why after taking a bite that is too big the stuck feeling is almost instantaneous.The band is supposedly designed to hold food in the pouch for a while so why can you feel it straight away?

It depends when you get the sensation. If you get the stuck feeling after a couple of bites it is probably that you had a bite that was too big or you didn't chew properly. If it happens at the end of the meal or later it is probably that you ate too much. Then of course the other possibility is that you ate something that didn't agree with the band. Tough dry meat, skins on fruits/veggies, nuts, dried fruits etc are some of the things that may cause problems even if you are chewing correctly and not eating too much.

I forgot. Why can't you drink? So long as it is in moderation and not every day it's not going to hurt. I had 2 glasses of wine last night.

I still go out and eat when I want to. Went out with DH last night. I had fish with salad.Ate the fish, some of the salad, stole a couple of hubby's chips and then we shared a dessert. I met a friend for lunch the other day. I ordered a starter size spag bol as I knew that wouldn't get stuck. Probably ate about 1/3 of it. Remember that the band is for life its not just a diet. So you have to be able to do things that you would normally do. Going out to eat is not all about the food - its also about the company and relaxing and not having to cook!

Sorry to hear about this but postponing is definitely the right option. My father developed MRSA after a hip replacement a couple of years ago.It is a nightmare to get rid of. He had to have the wound opened up and washed out in surgery a number of times. Was on mega doses of all sorts of antibiotics , some new and experimental. Then he had to have his prosthesis removed and spend months without a hip while they battled to get rid of the infection. Eventually it cleared and they were able to put a new prosthesis in. As a result of all this his one leg is now shorter than the other and he has to have special shoes. For a long time it was touch and go as to whether or not he would survive. there is no way you could even contemplate going through the surgery whilst you still have the infection. Do you have any idea how/where you may have picked it up? I hope that they manage to clear it soon.It must be so frustrating to get so close and then have this happen. All the best.

My scales do that all the time. Apparently digital scales are not as super accurate as you think - the old fashioned kind they have in the Dr's are the best. But does it really matter? If you do a weekly comparison you should still see the movement down whether they are super accurate or not.

You may be eating too fast, taking bites which are too big or not chewing properly. Try looking at these things and then if it is still a problem you may be too tight and need a slight unfill.

I think you are probably a little too tight. You should be able to get foods other than soups down. If you can't the band won't work the way it is designed too and remember being too tight can lead to all sorts of problems.

Is there such a thing as an "average" mug? I think a standard cup holds 250ml but I could be wrong.

I don't and I didn't suggest anyone else should either.I was just listing some of the symptoms that a person can possibly get when they are REALLY hungry. Obviously we should eat before we get to that stage but we also need to be aware that most of the time when we think that we are hungry it is more often than not head hunger. Strange noises coming from your stomach do not mean that you are hungry. Since being banded my stomach makes weird noises all the time. They were so loud the other day whilst i was eating that everyone else could hear them too and it was really embarrassing!

Excellent news. Where do you live? Good luck won't be long now and you will officially be a bandster.

A cup is a standard measure that is used in baking etc. These days recipes will say 2 cups of flour 1 cup sugar etc You can buy standard measuring cups from most homewares shops, variety shops probably even good old Marks & Sparks. I have a feeling that there may be a slight difference in the size between continents but they are fairly similar.

If anyone has ever experienced a kidney stone I would love to know what the symptoms are. The reason I am asking is that this afternoon I got an excrutiating pain on my left lower side/back.Located somewhere around the kidney area(I think). It doesn't feel muscular and I don't have any other symptoms which would indicate a urinary tract infection or anything like that. I took some paracetomol and had to lie down for an hour.It seems to have eased off at the moment.I don't think that it is anything band related. Obviously if it recurs I will speak to my Dr.(Dumb thing is I was at my GP this morning for something else and no I'm not a hypochondriac) In my experience however by the time they run tests for anything the problem seems to have cleared up.For example a couple of years ago I had a couple of episodes where I woke in the middle of the night with the most agonising pain which lasted for a couple of hours. The most likely explanation was a gall bladder problem but when they did the scans nothing showed up! Luckily i haven't had a recurrence. Input appreciated.

Thats great, the liquid phase is a pain. Just wondering though why you would have butter and sour cream on a baked potato? Surely you only need one or the other, you'll get the same taste but much less fat.

My stomach growls and rumbles all the time but it doesn't mean I'm hungry.I think it is just air gurgling through the pipes. Trying to think of how to describe hungry? Hard to describe as its sort of something you just know. Often we confuse thirst with hunger - try having a drink and waiting a while to see if you still feel hungry. Some of the symptoms that will let you know that you are really hungry include shaky stomach pain dizzy nausea tired/no energy weak You sort of get to a stage where you know that you just have to have food.Most of the time we eat long before we get to this stage. Sorry that instead of making things clearer I have probably just confused you.

Getting a bit worried now. Flying from Australia to South Africa in Dec. The flight is about 14 hours and then I have to catch a connecting flight to Durban. That's a long time not to eat especially being as I can't take an alternative with me. Its not like they will let me on a plane with a supply of "Up and Go". Someone please tell me that this isn't what normally happens when you fly with a band!