Padanelle

I also had a 45 BMI before surgery. My surgeon had me on a 2 week high Protein liquid diet, that consisted mainly of shakes, plus 2 cups of veggies p/day. They purpose of the diet is to shrink the liver, making it easier to permore the surgery. Even within my surgeon's practice, the length and diet restrictions are different from patient to patient. Your surgeon/nutritionist will be able to give you details of what they want you to follow. Good luck.

Regarding drinking hot Water when stuck, it is meant to relax the stoma BEFORE eating. If you drink it after something is stuck, it will probably back up, and make matters worse. Regarding the chewable enzymes, I would recommend the Papaya/pinapple combination. The ine I bought just had papaya, and didn't work for me.

Its very normal to not be able to eat in the morning. The band tends to get looser during the day. Drinking something warm before eating should also help. But reflux, PB/sliming is not good, and if it occurs too often, it can cause the band to slip. If you can get someone locally to take some Fluid out, I really recommend it. I had a problem after my second fill, and after going through a lot of pain from being stuck, I went in for an unfill. They took out .4cc and after that, I had no problems. Good luck!

I had a really bad bout of pb/sliming after my 2nd fill. The longest lasted 4-5 hours. It was awful. After that I went for a bit of an unfil, and have not had problems since. I would recommend another day on liquids, or at least purees. I stupidly didn't do that the first few times I got stuck. Also, I found drinking something when I'm stuck mad it much worse. The papaya enzymes unfortunately don't work for me, but a lot of people swear by them, so I would certainly give it a try. You can get them at GNC, Vitamin shop,etc. Walking seems to help me. Also, bending over - but be sure to have a waste basket or something under your chin, as things have a tendancy to come flying out quick. The important thing is to learn the signs, so you can stop eating in time. Its a real learning experience. Today I went for my 3rd fill. They only put in .3 cc. I hope this gives me some restriction, as I have started to eat too much and have gained almost 5 lbs back. Good luck!

Wow! What great results you're all having. I need to get my butt in gear. Tomorrow I go for a fill. Hopefully that will get me back on track. Joan

I've been feeling very tired the past few days, so haven't gotten out to walk. I was hoping to make it up this weekend, but they're predicting a Noreaster. Goal: 25 miles So far: 14.5 miles The month is half-over and I'm more than half-way to goal. Just got to stay on track... I can do it!

On Monday I started using one of the online food tracking sites. I was shocked to see how many calories I have been consuming lately - 100-1700 p/day! I used to consume well under 1,000 when I was manually tracking. No wonder I'm gaining weight back. I go for a fill next week, so hopefully that will help. I have to loose 11.4 lbs to meet my goal. It's going to be tight, but hopefully I'll make it. Joan

I can't believe they didn't vote that b*#ch off when they had the chance. Her phony crying drives me crazy. And I can't believe she won the right to choose the teams. It seems like a fix. I wouldn't be surprised if she was taking some type of diet pills to help her weight loss. I thought she wasn't even allowed to swim. I can't feel sorry for anyone on the blue team if Tracy pulls any more of her stunts on them.

I've had a lousy week - weight wise. I gained 3.5 lbs! I used to log my food in a notebook, along with the calorie, Protein & fat count. Over a month ago I started listing the food only. Today I'm checking out some of the online calorie counting sites. Hopefully that will help me stay on track better. If anyone is interested in going to the Banded at NYU Sovial Group, here is the link:LAP-BAND Then just scroll down and create a new post. One you join, you just need to click on "user Cp" on the toolbar under the photos, then click on Social groups in the left column.

Thanks, Judy. I haven't looked at any of the on-line calorie trackers yet. I'll give it a try. Joan

Last week was a disaster! I gained 3.5 lbs. Not at all good. I have been journaling what I have been eating, but for over a month have stopped counting calories. So today I am starting to list everything, in hopes that help get me on track again. On the good side, I have been walking almost everyday. Itried my friends WII and loved it. Can't wait to get my own. Good luck everyone! Joan

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. And more bad news, what you can eat can change with each fill. One the brighter side, you will learn your body's signals for problems, and stop eating before getting stuck.

Be sure to get the meat tenderizer with NO MSG. Meat tenderizer contains papaya and/or pineapple enzymes.

What glob of goo? I've gone thru several cases, and have never seen anything in the bottle.

Oops! You're absolutely correct. I thought I hit the 4. It is 40g Protein. Thanks for correcting my error.

Hi Dan, I believe most of the posts are refering to Isopure Zero Carb liquid drinks. 0 g of Protein in 20 oz bottle. I like most of the flavors, but I usually buy a case of the Lemon Green Tea, and i dilute it with regular green tea, and drink it throughout the day. Joan

I am doing so much better this month. I think my new shoes helped. Goal: 25 miles So Far: 11 miles

So glad you've joined the challenge and congrats on your new BMI. Good luck on meeting your Thanksgiving goal. So great to have so many of us working hard on the challenge.

Woo Hoo! 50 lbs! CONGRATULATIONS! I'm hoping to hit the 50 lb mark by Halloween. Gotta stay focused. Good luck on hitting your future goal. Joan

Dr F is very popular, and the most experienced person on the team. He was the one who gave the seminar that I attended, so I had no frame of reference for the 2 other drs on the team. I was actually surprised that I was able to get an appointment with him quickly. I have heard wonderful things about all3 surgeons on the NYU team. I can only speak from my experience with Dr F. I met with him for the original consult. On the day of surgery, he visited me briefly. I really didn't have any questions at that point, but I believe if I di, he would have spent watever time necessary to answer them. He also came by when I was in recovery. I was still a bit loopy from the surgery, but he answered whatever questions I had. Regarding post care, my check up was with one of the NP's. Dr F's schedule was full for my first fill, so Gaspar (who is fantastic) did it. My second fill appt was with Dr F. He popped in quickly to see how I was doing, but Gaspar did the fill again, and seems to be the person who will probably be doing most of my future fills. Actually, I don't have a problem with that, I I think if I said I wanted to have an appt with Dr F, I would get one, although the wait might be longer. Perhaps other NYU bandsters can say wheter they have more contact with their surgeon.

UPPER WEST SIDE - 8 hours. YIKES! You're a trooper. Did you consider going to ER? My worst experience was 4-5 hours of sliming from a scrambeled egg wrap. I felt like the waste basket was welded under my chin. It got me to go for a bit of an unfill, and I have missed 2 fills since. I have not had any problems with steak or even calamari, probably because I know they can be a problem, so I am careful. I was banded a little over 4 months ago, and due to bad experiences, I am STARTINg to finally remember to chew more and eat slowly. I'm a slow learner, but starting to get it. As they say, better late, than never. Joan

Welcome, Jody. And good luck in making your goal. Joan

I just discovered a PROBIOTIC CHEESE. Its made by DCI Cheese Co, their County Line brand, and comes in several flavors. The package claims that you should see results after having 1 oz for at least 14 days. I tried the Pepper Jack. Each oz has 100 calories, 8g protein, 8 g fat, 0 carb. I've only had it for 4 days, so too soon to tell if it works. But I like the taste, and its an easy way to get in my protein. I've been having 2 oz a day, either in an omlette or with a piece of fruit.

So true! I'm learning the hard way.

Hi nite run, I love steak too! The items that cause me the most problems are chicken & tilapia. I think its because I think they should be easy to eat, so I'm not as careful.. On the other hand, I've not had any problems with steak. Probably because I cut it in VERY tiny pieces, try to remember to chew a lot, and dip it in a Greek yogurt & horseradish sauce. Mmmm. I'm getting an urge for some steak... Joan