honk

Do you have a food scale? If not I would buy one instead of appetite suppresants. Measure you food and when it's gone you stop eating.

I'm glad your feeling better. Once you are on solids if you cannot eat 3 ounces of solids and veggies you are too tight. Don't get in the habit of eating sliders because they are easier.

Premier Brand Ready to Drink (found at Costco) tastes good and I have never noticed a smell.

I agree you should never pay a program fee. That is just pure profit above and beyond your insurance. I would ask how agressive they are on fills. I've read some doctors do 1 CC at a time. At the beginning that would have taken me a very long time to hit restriction. Depending on how much you may have to pay for fills it is a cost to keep in mind.

My doctor wanted me to loose 33 pounds which I did. Long story short I ended up loosing 50 pounds presurgery so I did'nt have a 2 week presurgery diet. I decided to have a low cal/fat protein shake for breakfast and dinner and a low cal/fat protein based lunch the couple weeks before surgery.

I asked my doctor if I could move up to full liquids from clear liquids two days early and he said "absolutely not". To me that says under no circumstances move forward in the diet program ahead of schedule. Am I perfect absolutely not. Did I follow those post op orders to the T? YES. You can do permanent damage to your body by eating solids to soon.

Vomiting should not be a way of life! Knock on wood 15 months post op not one PB experience.

For now this is a will power diet. I wish doctors were more up front about that. It took me 6 months to get restriction. Buy yourself a good digital food scale and start measureing your food. When it's gone you're done eating.

On the plus side your doctor is pretty agressive with fills. I was not at 5 CC's until my second fill. I id dont get restriction until about 10.4 CC's (took about 6 months)

No. Not normal. I am at restriction and knock on wood have few and far between stuuck episodes.

My doctor said no to snacks during bandster hell. I tried to follow those instructions but when I could'nt make it I would have plain skinless baked chicken breast.

Please keep in mind I was raised in a very devote home (and attended a very conservative church university). I think your dad is out of line. If you have a stoke tomorrow (like the one I had out of the blue when I was 39)will he tell you not to get treatment becuase your "temple" knows best? I have lost over 100 pounds 3 times in my life and gained it back. Approxemetly 2 % of the people who loose 100 pounds keep it off. So if you went on a diet and lost the weight you are 98% likely to regain.

Get it out before you have an attack. They are horrific!

FYI Hamilton Beach makes a personal blender that only cost $15 at Walmart and Kmart. I used it presurgery because the mixing container was also a travel mug. Made things so much easier.

Please stop eating solids!!! I was on liquids for 14 days. You can do serious damage to the band at this stage. The band had been sewed to your stomach which is why they don't want your stomach churning (which it does when you eat solids). I am not trying to be mean spirited. Truely I am worried about your health.

I had surgery over a year ago. I had my first pizza dinner (have had samples before at costco) last week. Had no trouble with the crust.

I understand you were following you doctors orders. I would however recommend not having solids at this point. Many, many doctors call for mushies at week 3. For me that was cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. The consistancy difference between a bacon cheese burger and cottage cheese is immense. Again, I know you were following orders, but from the many posts I've read (in the last 1 1/2 years)I think your doctor is pushing you into solids too soon. Now that you're stomach is irritated from that stuck episode you may have trouble eating other things for several days. As another poster mentioned Wendy's chili is a very good and cheap fast food option (shocked me because Wendy's in my area is the most expensive fast food place)

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you PA a bit. I have a 11 CC band and am at 10.7. I would say I am at the green zone but could possibly be tighter. I am definately loosing very slowly and I am a very conservative eater and do an hour of cardio every day. I have not gone back for an additional fill for a couple reasons. One they may say I don't neeed a fill since I can go 5 hours without being hungry and do go 8-9 hours between lunch and dinner. At that point I am really hungry but who would'nt be 8 hours after eating and doing an hour of rigorous cardio? Two while I am not as tight as some people; very rarely I get stuck moments usually on bread. Which I don't eat that often (only eat it when out I don't keep bread, cereals, crackers in my house). I don't want to live my life afraid that I will have stuck episodes or PB's. Since my new insurance does'nt cover fills it would cost me $500 for a fill visit. That said I don't want to discourage peopel from getting the band. I have lost 52 pounds. I am happy I just wish it was more.

My suggestion is to buy a good digital food scale. I am not a member of weight watchers but you can go into one of their centers and buy one for $25 dollars. Don't buy them online at Amazon because people are reselling them for a lot more. Any way. My doctor says to measure all protein and to eat only 3 oz. When you are at home always measure, this will help you gage when eating out. For now this is a will power diet. You wil be able to eat more than a bandster should for quite a while I did not get restriction for 6 months.

One of my concerns for you is post op egg and cottage cheese were what my doctor allowed during the mushie stage. If you can't eat those what will your doctor recommend? While I like egg I don't have time to make them in the morning before work. Instead I have a chobani 0% fat Greek Yogurt (with fruit) mixed with half a scoop whey isolate protein powder, two teaspoons Benefiber, and splendra (0% is quite sour), 1/3 cup high protein Kashi Go Lean. This is about 250 calories but has 27 g of protein. May have more carbs for preop than you doctor would like. Post op however I had just the yoghurt but used a hand blender to chop up the fruit pieces (not Pomergranate).

Please do not move ahead of your doctors schedule. Instead I would recommend spreading out your food intake. I would have the soup wait an hour and then have the protein shake. Eating every couple hours also helps with the head hunger.

When was your fill. My doctor requires 1 day full liquids and then 1 day mushies. Eating solids the day after a fill has a strong likly hood of irritating the band.

Don't really have an answer for you. I will say that I have genetically bad cholesterol. I have lost 135 pounds, exercise 7 days a week and my numbers are still high. I am now on a statin. I eat a very low cholesterol diet. Hate to say it but you may just have bad Cholesterol an not much will help but a perscription.

Highly recommend swimming or water aerobics. I have a knee problem and at 365 pounds it was hard for me to do weight bearing exercise. With diet and exercise I lost 80 pounds before surgery. Also look at water proof MP3 players on Amazon so worth it! When you are in the pool no one can see you so don't worry about that. I wore one of those fat lady swim suits with a skirt for the longest time. If I can share the pool with the high school swim team anyone can go swimming!

6 months and about 10.7 CC's.