coltonwade

They are a little pricey but WELL Worth it . I make a lot of dishes a head of time and they keep really well in the food saver . Its worth it. Not sure where i got mine at . The "fancier" ones are nice but the simples one is all i have Mindy

OH Wow Fit that is a new one for me LOL Thank YOU SO MUCH . WOrking out is one of my down falls i have to say . My arms are saggy . And i need a Tummy Tuck . But I DO SO appreciate that. I feel SO Much better . I hope you like my blog Mindy

Oops it did not let me attach my before here it is

[ATTACH]15938[/ATTACH]I am down 114 pds I have 11 more pds to goal ! Here are my pics. Before at 250 plus , now at 136

Well put Heather , I do wish everything was uniform in this subject, pre op diets, post op diets, it would make things "easier" for us. I too chose a doc w/ a more conservative approach , well im not sure if you can call following the bands makers instructions conservative but he does. He goes a step further and on post fill diets , I do 3 days clear liquids 3 days full liquids 3 days mushies and 3 days semi solid foods. So that's on the conservative side. But its like you said, i am the one w/ the band , so its up to me to chose wisely . I chose to not have to go through another surgery so I follow every single letter to a T from my doc . HTH Mindy

I am not trying to get into a flaming war. I am staing my opinion and as WASA Said my opinion is based on Inamed stats and resources . Agree or not . But I AM simply trying to help . I understand not all docs agree or follow this protocol. But there are reasons why the makers of the band put them in place. It is what is is !! Have a great day ! Mindy

Look i dont really care what people call me , I am here to help and help only . I can voice my own opinion on things and this is one I chose to voice my opinion on . If I think docs are putting patients at risk, slips ect by allowing them to eat sooner than they should I can have that opinion . call me uppity if you will ! That's fine. I can have an opinion on it ! I am not perfect, never claimed to be. BUT I think for people who are a month, a week ect out of surgery to be calling those of us who are Yrs , yr out of surgery UPPITY when we ARE TRYING TO HELP is a little , well im not sure what to call that. I would have NEVER dreamed of calling a fellow bandster , vet bandster a name , uppity , ect if they were trying to help me when i was a month , week out of surgery . I am on this site BECAUSE when i was a week, month , months out of surgery people were here to help me , answer my questions, If people already have all the answers, or do not like what others have to say dont ask the questions. NOW That might be uppity or bitchy im sorry , I AM . But I will say it ONE MORE TIME ON here. it does NO ONE ANY GOOD To sugar coat something , It does no one ANY GOOD to say what you WANT to hear instead of what you NEED to hear. I wont do it ! In this instance its my opinion with a little bit of fact ( the stats on US Slips , complication rates ) But please dont call those of us trying to help names !!!! Mindy

I am sorry but i just re read what you said. And I find that at one week post op for a doc to say " I trust you eat what you think is right " Is IRRESPONSIBLE ! !! That is like a doc handing over a needle to a chemo patient and saying " I TRUST You Put in as much as you can " Do we understand what is going on w/ our bodies ? to an extent ! But did we go to medical school for 12 yrs and know how the insides are working or not working ? Im baffled by this I really am , This is nothing agianst you . And i know we all love our docs. But there is a reason we pay our docs thousands of dollars for this surgery and its NOT so we take over our own care !! Mindy

Its just like Wasa said and has said. its no offense to anyone on this board so dont flame me for it . But these docs pushing these post op diets up and up is the reason why the US has the highest and is getting HIGHER Slip rates and complication rates than anywhere else ! There is a REASON For it. The makers of the bands do not recommend this ! Its just dangerous. Food is food , you can live on liquids for weeks and weeks. Its not worth it to me to risk my band to have anything to eat. I Understand the docs says its ok. But Like i said there are reasons the US is having higher and higher slip rates ! Mindy

We have the food saver i think its called. LOVE IT . FoodSaver® GameSaver® Sport Plus This is the one i have . ANd i buy bags at SAMS they came in a HUGE box for like $30.00 for 6 rolls of bags. Its a great deal ! I use it a lot. I have a 16 yr old son who is a football player/powerlifter and I buy food at SAMS in bulk and use this to seperate it its great ! Mindy

A good rule of thumb is anything that can expand in water/ or in your stomach can get stuck , Bread, rice pasta, ect. So if you think it could expand try a little OR what i do is eat it last and just a bite or too. I understand what you mean about not identifying with a lot of the food issues. I was a grazier , I did not binge eat , or anything i just ate a little but often . So probably similar to you ate more than i burned. So i understand how it can be frustrating . I will tell you that food for me now is more abotu quality , Good FRESH , well seasoned food. I eat healtiher now than I ever have in my life. Food is just food now its more about eating to live ! Feel free to email me at if you like to talk . Mindy

Have you thrown up since you have had the unfill ? Seems like something else is going on , I hope you figure out what it is soon MIndy

Never had any shoulder pain after a fill , you should ask your doctor about that. As for the PB after thanksgiving , Cornbread and stuffing , i think would make most bandsters PB ! Bread is a big no no for me and so is stuffing ! Combine that with the possibility of not chewing well enough and or taking too big of bites your setting yourself up to PB . No its not a trade off, it does not have to be both, but to be 100% honest w/ you you have to have a few things , 1. With the band comes common sense ... meaning if you know breads MIGHT Be a problem then IF You decide to eat them you have to make sure you chew them to a pulp . If after that you KNOW you chewed well and you get stuck , then dont eat them again . 2. With the band still has to come some self control. You can still eat a bucket of ice cream if you tried, does that mean you do ? NO . 3. Does things get better w/ the fills . YES . BUt you have to have some patients, in the mean time do not sabatoage yourself. One fill USUALLY is not going to give you restriction . Fills can take up to 2 weeks to kick in . If after a few weeks you do not feel like you have restriction go get another fill . HTH Mindy

I am afraid i am not much help but i am very sorry you are going through this . during this time have you been throwing up ? Could you have lots of swelling and maybe in time the swelling will go down and you will be ok ? I can understand you not wanting the band after having to go through this ? Have they checked the placement of the band ect ? Good luck Mindy

That's not a reaction that's sliming ! Or your too tight. The "reaction "is being stuck . You are either not eating the right things, meaning eating things that your band does not like, your not chewing properly , taking too big of bites . Since you just had a fill you might be too tight. Cheese, just a piece of cheese , i cant eat , i will get stuck every time. YOu might want to call your doc , you may need to get in for a slight unfill Mindy

Hi this is Mindy , I am looking for the 2 SIL's from Texas that i met in Dr Rincon's office today that just got banded in Dec ! I wanted to get ya'll's emails but didnt have time ! If ya'll see this email me . I would love to keep in touch w/ ya'll Mindy

AMEN SISTA !! You hit the nail on the head !!! She does believe that those who did it the "traditional" way deserve credit. she made that PERFECTLY Clear on the show she did w/ Cassie , the 16 yr old who had Lap Band surgery . She had lost about 100lbs if i remember right. Oprah did not say ONE THING to her about good job ect. there was a nother girl that had lost 100lbs w/ Diet and working out Oprah practically fell over herself praising her. EVEN Told her " YOU are a true inspiration " NICE JOB there Oprah !!! She made it VERY CLEAR on that show how she felt and this was to KIDS !!! Mindy

OH thanks your so sweet . I think im going to go ahead and lose the last 11 pds to get me to 125 im only 5'4 . My "fat' mind has not caught up w/ my body yet. So its still a struggle. Are you one of Dr Rincon's patients ? Mindy

For the most part, until you get restriction its will power. Something else that is not well known until after your banded. Or its what people call Bandster hell ! Mindy

All of my fills have been under flouro w/ the exception of the last few . The Flouro does not guarantee a sweet spot or that you wont be filled to the point that you wont be too tight. I have had more unfills than fills because i am sensitive to fills. However at the time of my fills the flouro does not show that . The flouro will show if your SO tight that your cut off or cant get anything down. Its a tool basically . Its not a guarantee. For some reason a lot of docs do not tell patients fills can take time to kick in . My doc told me the first fill it can take up to 2 weeks . At first , until restriction , it does take some patients. hang in there it will come ! Mindy

Aww Thanks Wasa ! Long time no see ! That's all i was trying to say . When docs vary drastically from what the manufacturers guidelines say I just shake my head. Im sorry if sometimes it comes off wrong or if its not what someone wants to hear. But I dont sugar coat. People who have known me on here long enough should know that about me. I think i got that from Someone else ! LOL MIndy

Some nuts/ docs do not allow snacks. Mine does. But if you do eat snacks one of the keys to keeping you "full" or to help keep you full between meals is Protein PROTEIN PROTEIN !! If you have a snack make sure it contains something w/ quite a bit of protein . Good luck !

I have fullfilled some of my "goals" 1. Buying clothes ANYWHERE I damn well please ! LOL 2. My family just took our first family pictures , DH and i have been married for 9 yrs and I refused pictures until now . 3. Not having to look for the CLOSEST parking spot because i'll be to out of breathe to walk lol 4. Buying a bra from Victoria's Secret 5. Shoping at Old Navy again and in the "regular" womens section not the mens section for T Shirts cause it was the the only thing that would fit me 6. I flew to Florida this summer and was NOT worried about the seat ! 7. Being able to wear my wedding ring again . ( Which is ALMOST too BIG now ! ) There are a few more things I would like to do / get still ! Mindy