coltonwade

Help , just how do you do that ? Im sure LOTS of people would like to know on here how you can help if insurance denies them . Mindy

So Patti, I have always been Curious for you patient coordinators who come on here and post and try to drum up business, do ya'll get so much money PER Patient that comes in , or how does that work ? I have never quite understood what the point is of a doctors staff member coming to a message board to "recruit" patients. So i am curious do ya'll get paid so much per patient a commission or something ?? Just curious Mindy

I agree I would double check that as well, the longest I have heard is an hour. Some people will go ahead and eat after 30 mintues But I found early on that if i do that im hungry faster than if i wait for an hour. So I have learned to wait for an hour now. And it does not take very long ( at least for me ) for you to get use to it. I have found a few tricks that helped me deal with it early on . When im at home I dont get a drink at all when i sit down with my meal . Set a timer for an hour after your done eating. At a resturant , i drink up until my food comes, when my food gets there i ask the waitress for a to go cup ( no straw) i put my drink in the to go cup and write the time on it so i know what time to drink it . Sort of out of sight out of mind kind of thing. HTH Mindy

Its not just water its ANY drink. And like COLady if i attempt to drink when i have good restriction when im eating It is VERY PAINFUL ! It will CAUSE me to get stuck . Its NOT a pleasant experience ! The purpose is so the liquid does not wash the food from your stoma into your stomach . It helps to keep you full longer. Also ( if i remeber correctly ) eventually doing this can stretch your stoma ? I drink right up until i eat and wait an hour afterwards to drink. THIS BY FAR was the hardest thing to get use to . By once i got my band I Stopped it Immediately . So i would practice this now . HTH Mindy

I can no longer wear any of my rings . My wedding band I had to stop wearing a long time ago because it got too small, so im almost able to wear it again . My anniversary band is now on my middle finger and is about to be too big for it . All my other rings are off , I dont want to get them sized until im done loosing . mindy

I have not started measurements, I should have and wish I would have. I guess I would say i have been loosing evenly . Seems like I have at least. Mindy

I COULD wear a size smaller in shirts that I do but I dont because If i did my muffin top would show in my waist from my jeans. I could also wear a 12/14 in jeans instead of a 14/16 but I dont because of the apron i have around my waist. Its a little frustrating sometimes. But oh well I just keep have to deal with it i guess until i reach goal ? Mindy

ROFLMAO I LOVE your screen name. Mine are getting smaller too. When I was thin before I was only a Bcup . I am there already now . Im worried that the more weight i loose the more breast tissue i will loose which i dont have much left now . I am getting a boob job when im done but i dont want to be rolling them up on my bra until then . Mindy

OHH my OB told me before I had surgery i was gonna have to have a TT. SO i was prepared for that. Its only getting worse too. I gained SO much weight w/ both my boys during pregnancy my stomach looks like when i was pregnant someone took my BIG HUGE TUMMY and deflated it and all that skin is just hanging . Its not getting better. But im ok with that. Mindy

Just finished my run for the night. I have one more to do for week One since i was a loser the first week LOL then I'll start week 2 on Tuesday . To get me back on track. I have a question for ya'll ? What pace/speed do you have your treadmill set at when your walking and what do you have it at when your running ? I set mine at 2.7 or 3 for walking and 3.5 for running . Is that ok to start with or do i need to go higher ? Daddy you are the experienced one whatcha think ? ? MIndy

You might want to look into what is in those smoothies and how many calories are in those . I had one once then saw something on Good morning america about those. They are HIGH HIGH HIGH In calories. I had one that had a Protein shot in it and looked it up later it was around 2000 calories. !!! Also what Gloriouslady says is true . My doc does not want you to drink your protein or your calories Let me see if i can find the info on the smoothies too Mindy

ParaGirl , Feel free to join in . Mindy

Julie, I can not eat eggs either , i cant eat them no matter how they are cooked, they get stuck every time. I can not eat in the am until around 12 or 1 im always too tight. So usually around 7 or 8 in the am I drink a Bolthouse Farms Protein Drink. They are the ONLY kind of drink i use. I get migraines from any kind of artificial sweetners ect . So im very sensitive to most of the prtoien drinks. These are all natural . They have 20 grams of protein per bottle ( The small bottles are actually 2 servings ) I usually drink half of one in the am . They will tide me over until lunch time EASY ! And they are SO GOOD. Bolthouse Farms "Juices" The last 3 drinks on the page are the only ones that have protein in them . I dont like the vanilla chi it tastes like egg nog but the other 2 are AWESOME. Also before i found out about these I only drank Boost . Those worked rather well but not as well as these. You can get the bolthouse at Walgreens, walmart and I can get them at my local grocery store in the Produce section . These are good also for if your out running around and you dont want to do fast food ( as i never want to do anymore ) so i run into walgreens and crab one of these for lunch . HTH Mindy

Totally agree with this too. I have to do 6 days of liquids after every fill . Im suppose to do 3 days clears and 3 days liquids but do to my migraines my doc allows me to do all 6 liquids so I LIVE on Bolthouse farms shakes. My doc is fine w/ that. So my fridge is always stocked with them . They do have a place dont get me wrong. Even Post op they have a place . Mindy

I think SOME Protein shakes are not empty calories, Just my opinion . Slim fast and Atkins shakes CAN be empty calories. I think there are some of those drinks that can be better than others. If that makes sense ? If the calories out weight the protein benifits those IMO are empty ? Does that make sense ? LOL Mindy

Because solid Proteins are what will keep you full longer. That is why you are told to layer your foods, proteins first, then veggies, then if you have room carbs . I am allowed 3 meals and up to 3 Snacks a day . But even with the snacks I am told to make sure their is Protein in them . If your eating a snack because your hungry and you eat a cup of pudding, pudding has almost no protein in it , therefore your going to be hungry very soon again . BUT if you eat say a slice of ham and a slice of cheese , something with prtoein that snack is going to hold you over until your next MEAL . Prtoein shakes to me are "Filler" calories. I dont see the point of drinking them JUST to get in the right amount of protein or calories for the day . You should be doing that with actual food. ANd to me , just my opinion what is the difference between this and the slim fast diet ? Long term the slim fast diet does not WORK ! Maybe im not explaining this correctly . ? What it boils down to is wait and see what YOUR DOC has to say . My doc is ok with me drinking ONE Protein shake a day but he wants me to eat the rest of my calories and my protein . HTH Mindy

FYI, I use pine apple juice on occasion but it sometimes makes things worse. Someone suggested Papaya Enzymes to me ( They are a chewable supplement) and I find those work better for me . If your really stuck the liquids are going to make things worse . The papaya helps more it seems if im pretty stuck . So you might want to have both on hand. I keep the Enzymes in my purse with me at all times. I agree with everyone else about reading the boards with Caution as well Love MIndy

Way to go Daddy that is AWESOME . TexGirly im sorry for your loss. Pick back up when you feel like it . We are here for ya Mindy

Well i would ask your doc . My doc does not want us to drink more than 1 Protein shake a day IF that . But in general I would say yes it would mean drinking things that have no nutrional value. But you could say the same thing about " not drinking calories or protein " if you drank 2 out of your 3 meals a day ? does that make sense ? Mindy

Lauren its not to late. We are all on the first week /going into week 2. Im still on week 1 technically since I have not done my third work out . I should have done it Friday but my whole freaking house is sick so i have had to take care of them . So im doing it in the AM . So feel free to join in . Mindy

It was not until my last fill that I got tight in the am and stayed that way until around noon . That's why i drink my Bolthouse in the am . I tried the protein bullets but those too gave me a migraine. HATE MY head sometimes LOL I was mad too because they did not taste too bad either. Mindy

I went to 4 seminars before i decided on Dr Rincon . 3 were in Austin and then I Called and emailed Dr Rincon , what drove me to him initally was his price, then i started talking to others who were banded by him . Them when i called he personally took 30 mintues to speak to me on the phone . Docs just dont normally do that. That said a lot to me. After I started looking into him more and more info lead me to him . No matter what do your research. Mindy

Awww good to know GNC Has it . Thanks Mindy

Right , I am the same way . I dont track Protein anymore. I just meant , i know people who drink like 4 shakes a day to get in calories. I guess I meant Dont drink more than you eat . Does that make sense ? Not that you do that ,but be careful to not get into that habit because I Think espically if you track calories it can be easy to say " oh ill just drink 2 shakes and i met my calories for the day . Mindy

Just found this one their site too . this might be helpful LOL Sweetleaf Stevia - HealthyShopping.com Mindy