coltonwade

If you have not found this yet you might want to check it out . It has some GREAT info in it http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/researching-mexican-lap-band-doctors-101-a-66635/ Mindy

Mushies , and soft foods are basically what we were talking about in the previous post. Once you get on "Solid" foods you can start eating just that solid foods. For me it was right before i was allowed a fill. If you are allowed solids at 5 weeks and get a fill 2 weeks after that then you have 2 weeks of "Solids" ie eating "normal" b efore you get a fill . Depends on your doc MIndy

From what i have seen on here , the people who need 1 or 2 fills a yr are few and far between ( And those of you who DID dont come on and say " I ONLY Needed that ) Because you know as well as I do its NOT THAT COMMON to not need many fills. The "norm" I would say , and its been my experience is to need them about every 6-8 weeks now 16 months out of surgery i can go a little longer and go abotu 10 weeks or so out . But in general i have seen MOST people need them ( and my doc told me this ) about every 6 weeks post op starting out. This was something I was not prepared for and not something I "caught" on to while reading the boards. It was not until my doc told me this did I think "OH WOW " Then you add the issues i had on top of that and needing 5 unfills on top of my 5 fills ! I saved QUITE A BIT OF money staying in the US. Are there good docs both places sure ! For me personally I COULD Have gone to Mexico But do not think i would have been comfortable going there. When i met my doc for the first time I was comfortable. What it boils down to no matter what you chose , you have to be comfortable , trust your doc w/ your LIFE , because he/she does have your life in your bands . Once you find the right doc your choice , desiscion is alot easier. Good luck ! Mindy

Solid Proteins are just that, meats, veggies, fish, ect. "Soft" foods are ice creams, cakes, Mashed potatoes, anything soft. IN general i find "Soft" foods are not things you need, want or should be eating anyway . Things that will go through your band easily , Soups, mashed potatoes, cereals, things that like most likely do not contain protien ( I include Protein shakes , more than one or so a day in this too ) or enough protein to keep you full so they are a "waste " your eating them just to eat them . The goal when you eat is to keep you full until your next meal . So if your eating Mashed potatoes or a softer meat is that going to keep you full ? Probably not , if it requries less work , and will slide through you band its Not going to tide you over for 3-4 hours. Therefore your going to eat again ! Think of it this way , If you make a circle out of your thumb and middle finger ( when you hold them together ) If you can poor something through that or if something would not take some time to go through a hole similar to that ( or smaller ) your eating things that makes you eat around your band . make sense ? Mindy

You can find it in the glossary section . Basically its throwing up. When food gets stuck and "comes back up " Mindy

Also something that i have found now w/ food is QUALITY is better than quantity , I want better quality of food instead of quantity . I will admit , food requires more effort to prepare. ( or it can) , well GOOD food requires more effort to prepare now than before. But im ok w/ that. Another good food website is sparkpeople.com . I Honestly dont track my intake, I think if you do things "right" as in protein first, then veggies ect you wont and dont have to . The band kind of tracks it for you . But initially to get back on track you might have to . You kind of sound like me and the less "restriction" in food you have the better. Just remember why you got the band to begin w/ and remember the band does not do all the work either !! good luck you can do it and get back on track ! Mindy

My answers are in red below yours !

There are some really good fill centers and some REALLY BAD fill centers. I agree you have to look into them . No matter what you do . check into everything BEFORE You go ! Mindy

I intially started to go to Mexico , I live in Texas so im relatively close to Mexico . It was not my first choice to go there. But for money reasons I was going to . My husband said over his dead body would I go . Now I am not a person who is anti Mexico . I believe there are good surgeons in Mexico you JUST have to research just like any other place. However I am glad i stayed in the US for myself. i am very sensitive to fills. One of my reasons for staying in the US was the thinking i would probably save the $4K or so difference in travel costs over time by staying in the US and BOY was i right. I would have spent A TON of money going back and forth w/ the issues i had and honestly Would not have been able to afford it at all. You just have to do what you are comfortable with . There are some great surgeons in the US for great prices. Im in Austin and was banded in San Antonio for $12,000 Prices in Mexico at the time were close to $8 HTH Mindy

First off its ALWAYS better to be TOO Cautious than to not be. EVERY TIME you PB your putting you band at risk for a slip ! So being a little cautious is ok. Second of all you should not feel ANYTHING when you drink water , if you do your too tight ! I can all but guarantee you if you had left that fill like that you would have been back in for an unfill shortly ! If i have good restriction I feel NOTHING When i drink liquids after my fill ! HTH Mindy

That depends on what you define as "Big losers " There is a HUGE HUGE Thread on people who have lost over 100lbs ! personally i think being a "Big Loser" is what you make of it. For myself I have never lost anything more than 25lbs w/ out the band so anything OVER that was a BIG step for me. Also "Typically" People who get the lap band do not need to lose 200-300 lbs those people typically get bypass from what i have seen . Mindy

Surgery loans are in a little different "bracket' Than "regular" loans, your credit scores do not have to be quite as high as convential loans . Mine at the time was 650 they required hardly any documentation , NOW I suspect they would want MORE docs and a little higher credit score. If you have a decent bank or credit union your best bet is to go through them , they are more likely to give you a line of credit loan. If you do not know what your FICO scores are go to myFICO - FICO Credit Scores | Get a Free Credit Report Online and pull them it costs about $40 but its worth it to see where you stand, no other place will give you TRUE FICO SCORES But MYFICO ! The other credit report places are NOT FICO Scores. So if you do not know what your FICO's are the first step is to pull them see where you stand. I can give you some ideas on how to get some stuff taken off your credit report ( Do not email me about this unless your looking for a surgery loan ) I had to learn how to do this post bankcruptcy , its quite "easy" but does require some time and had me waiting almost a yr before i could get my loan in order to get my credit in order. HTH Mindy

First off stop beating yourself up ! What you have done is normal, you have fallen off track a little. By the looks of your stats you know exactly what you have to do ! you simply start over ! Easy , Eat what your suppose to , get back on track w/ working out and do it again ! That is the beauty of the band , you CAN Start over. You have GOT TO STOP beating yourself up over what you ate and ALLOWING that to be the excuse to make it "Ok" to keep eating bad stuff. Your bad eating has not caused hair loss most likely its the STRESS over bad eating. So how do you solve it ? Get back on track . Do exactly what you were doing before. You do not need us to tell you you KNOW what that is . Its OK , People beat themselves up over what they eat. and THAT Derails them ! Ok you gained some weight, w/ the band you can get that off, WOULD YOU have lost that weight BEFORE The band ? NO . So get back on track, stop beating yourself up , feeling sorry for yourself and start being a LOSER again !!!! That's ALL you have to do , you know exactly what you have to do !!! YOU CAN DO THIS ! Look at your stats you KNOW You can do it !!! Good luck ! YOu will STILL LOOK HOT on your trip !! Mindy

What about a casserole or a soup ? Soups would be good always easy to do , you could throw it in a crock pot , casseroles are usually band friendly . I have a few recipes if you like. Or Chili as well works Mindy

Hi and welcome. What is it you would like to know ? I was self pay , i would be happy to answer any questions Mindy

I agree , not allowing yourself t go too long between meals or allowing yourself to get "too hungry " helps too . However , my personal opinion , dieting and the band is pointless. why get the band if your going to diet. Once you get restriction a "diet" is not needed. So just hang in there ! Mindy

Right now your in bandster hell . the stage between your surgery and your first fill. You are going to be hungry . You have to learn to ignore it for a short time. If you do ok w/ 1/2 cup you might want to try to push it a little more ( IF You do not feel like your STUFFED ) and eat little more . You might be doing what i did initially when i got on real food and your stopping yourself before you needed to because you were scared and your actually not getting in enough to eat . As for calories, i would ask your doc , its probably best to stay around that , but check w/ him first. As far as sticking to the plan . The "plan" Is NOT the same NOW as it is when you have restriction . So dont worry about , the band is NOT A diet , its a tool . the best thing you can do is eat Protein protein protein ! Protein is going to keep you full . HTH Mindy

It sounds like your drinking it too fast. You also might have a larger band that is partically filled at surgery . So you could have a little restrction. Soundsl ike you might need to try sipping slower. Once you have restriction gulping liquids doesnt work very well ! HTH MIndy

Good point w/ the meds , I stopped taking mine becuase they were making me so nauseated . Post op i did what I could protein wise. Mainly for me it helped to stay hydrated. The first week i really just wanted Water, But everyone is so different, it gets easier. The indicators you described , hiccups ect he wont get until he gets a fill and has some restriction , until then he will be in bandster hell. From now until you get a fill and get restriction to curb your hunger is the toughest part, after that its just a matter of losing. Hang in there !

You might try the New Mexico Threads ? You might get more specific answers there ? Hope that helps Mindy

Good to hear of another doc from SW Baratrics Had not heard of anyone banded by Barry yet. Mindy

congrats and welcome to the board ! I am sure you can find someone on here getting banded around the same time as you here, you will do fabulous ! Welcome aboard ! Mindy

Things will get easier , right now , im assuming your still on liquids, its a little more difficult. Your tastes change after surgery , when you start to "eat" real food you will want different things than pre op . its a little bizzarre at first. it gets easier. at this pont if your still on liquids my best advice is to sip sip sip nearly all day long . HTH Mindy

Hi Welcome and congrats on being banded. You might want to try just Water first off ? The Protein Drink might be too much for you ? or you might have just drank too much ? I would call your doc just in case to let him know you did feel that way and see what he says . But you might want to start back maybe on water see how you feel ? Have you felt nauseated on anything else ? HTH Mindy