honk

I think I remember hearing that the military can request your medical records and if you have been overweight in the last x years that you will also be rejected. So having the band may not be really what is causing a denial. I read articles recently that the military brass is saying that the general overweight state is causing problems with recruiting.

I do full liquids (tomato/sweet red pepper soup, protein shakes) for 24 hours; and then mushies tuna/canned chicken made with laughing cow and soup for next 24 hours.

Your doctors requirements really affect the time from first consult to surgery. My doctor had first consult with his office, meetings with Nutritionist, Nurse Practioner, 3 group sessions with psychologist, appointment with him, Presurgery training class, Presurgery blood test ect. Also my doctor required that I loose 10% body weight. I had to postpone my surgery for other reasons but it would have been 3.5 months from consult to surgery.

Are you on full liquids or clear liquids? If you are on clear liquids I would strain and only drink the liquid. If on full liquids you should be able to have the liquid and any veggies (so no meat or rice) blended.

I am not a doctor. Do I think having protein is as bad as carbs during the preop Liquid diet, no. Yes, some people will have less fatty livers than others. I saw a video on Youtube where the doctor said that a low carb diet presurgery can shrink the liver up to 25%. That's a lot! I would highly recommend watching a real surgery on youtube not the cartoon versions. They are not at all bloody(I don't deal well with lots of blood even have to turn off Grey's Anatomy when it gets to gory); because one of the tools they use cauterizes which reduces bleeding. The first surgery I watched they moved this big thing out of the surgery field and I though "What the heck is that?" Well it was the liver. They just totatlly folded it in half! When the liver is fatty it is more fragile and does'nt fold as well.

I'm sorry you had to go through that. I've become a lot more mouthy in my old age and probably would have said something that I should regret but would'nt like "I may regret being fat but do you regret being rude?". One day at the gym after I had already lost about 40 pounds a little girl in the locker room said to her mother "That lady is really fat". I was so upset 1) becuase even after all my work I knew I was still fat 2)becuase the mother just averted her eyes and yanked the kid along and did not chastise her for the rudeness.

At my first consult the nurse commented that someone my size they often recommend bypass. When I said I only wanted the band she said that's fine it was my decision and that they have had people with the band loose more than the "average". In general I also did not see bypass as an option for me as I had a minor stroke 16 months ago and I knew my hemotologist would not support the invasiveness of the bypass. While I am still trying to be patient it is important to remember that weight loss is slower with the band. Preband I lost 50 pounds and in the 4 months since 25 more. I am just now starting to have restriction. Some people get restriction after 1-2 fills I was not that lucky. After 4 fills I am just now getting restriction. Does your doctor's program include meetings with a pscyhologist and/or group therapy sessions on "mindful eating"? I found these sessions to be really helpful. When I am eating or deciding whether I need a snack I say to myself "Am I really hungry?, or "Remember to savor eat bite. Chew mulitple times." Before this behavior modification I used to take a bite hardly chew and swallow. Now I savor all the flavors before swallowing. Try taking one raison or cranberry and chew it for 10 seconds. You will be astonished how much flavor you will notice from ONE raison. Much more than you notice when you eat a handful but only chew twice.

Costco sells Premier Ready to Drink Chocolate 160 cal, 30 g protein. I second Benefiber. During Liquid phase I added it to everything; and now I add it to my breakfast yoghurt. I was not on perscription pain meds so I would recommend liquid tylenol.

Empire did not require me to do a specific diet but my surgeon required a loss of % of body weight. So my doctor wanted 10% loss which meant 30-34 pounds. By the time I had done all my surgery requirements: tests; group therapy sessions; appointments with nurses, nutritionist, surgeon it had been 3 months. So the question is what other requirements your doctor has and how much weight they want you to loose. My surgery had to be postponed for other reasons but I had finished the requirements including weight loss in 3 months.

Being guilty is a pointless emotion. It can't let you undo what's been done. Having said that you need to go back on your doctor's eating program NOW. The reason for the liquid and mushie foods is to get you nutrition but not require you stomach to churn. Churning is bad becuase your stomach has been stitched above and below the band to keep the band in place.I am four months out and yes I ate stuff yesterday that I should'nt have. I will be sending home all the Candy with my mother for a family party in two weeks and will go back to eating correctly.

I was told two weeks post op I could return to swimming. I had been doing an hour of lap swimming 7 days a week though prior to surgery.

I make my shakes with fat free milk.

I think you will find that a lot of your food choices have really become instictional. More than half off your success has been mental. I was on a pretty stict diet the 8 months prior to surgery and have banded for 4 months. I find now that often discriptions of really "decident" food or comericals gross me out. Why would you want your food smothered or drenched? As for Christmas day I would eat your protein (measure if neccisary) and then choose foods you don't normally have my family has special foods for holidays. I also treat parties as a time to eat things I don't normally keep in my house. For example I don't buy crackers or full fat cheese; but I can eat 1-2 at a party. Some one wrote on here "Remember it's a holiday not a holiweek!" I really like that thought.

Hi. I have Empire BC/BS. I actually got a call from my "Case Manager Nurse" less than 2 weeks from my first consult at the doctors office (I had to meet with a nurse for a physical, Nutritionist, and Psychologist for total 3 hours). So I heard by phone before I received the approval letter. Have you call customer service to see if your policy covers the surgery? I would do that now if you haven't already done so. My insurance did not require a 6 month diet. One thing to keep in mind many doctors have a weight loss requirement that they want to accomplish prior to surgery. For me it was 30-34 pounds.

I had a fill two days ago now at 9.4 in 11 CC band. While after my previous fill I noticed some restriction immediatly following but not major. With this fill my 24 hours of full liquids I felt satisfied on a cup of tomato Soup and couple hours later I would have a Protein shake. Then for dinner tonight I prepared 3 oz of tuna made with laughing cow cheese. I was able to eat 2 oz; later while shopping I had a RTD Protein Shake. Not neccesarily because I was hungry but was feeling a bit weak. Before the shake I would say my calorie intake for the day was 700 calories. I did a pretty rigorous hour on the elliptical and then a couple hours shopping at the mall. Those with restriction did you have this reaction to mushies? Do you think I could be too tight?

I have not experienced pain the pit of my stomach. My two "stuck" episodes came from eating baby carrots two fast/not chewing well enough. Pain towards the back. VERY uncomfortalbe. I had no fills at that point. Have eaten carrots after 3 fills.

My doctors office says your goal is to be able to go 5 hours with out eating. If you are full for a few hours and then get hungry it could be that you need another fill. I have 9.4 CC's and hope this last fill will bring me restriction.

I went for a fill today. Previously I had 8 CCs in a 11cc band. Today I got 1.5 cc. I had a different nurse today who gave me 1.4 where as my last two fills were 1 cc each. So now I am at 9.4. I am also a bit stressed about this.

My second week I was allowed to move to full liquids like tomato soup; and continued protein shakes. I did not move to scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese until week 3.

I would recommend speaking with your doctors office regarding what you should be eating. My doctor said clear liquids for 1 week ie broth; but also protein shakes. Second week I could move to full liquids (tomato soup) plus protein shakes I don't doubt your tired if you are only drinking water. I would stop the pudding no nutritian really in that.

If a worker at the gym was openly making comments about me yeh there would be a HUGE problem. Normally I am a oblivious to other people at the gym because I could really care less what they think of me. Yesterday however I was really proud of myself for just leaving a situation alone. I go to the gym everyday but not at the same time. There was a woman in the locker room who has commented on my weight loss before (fine). At one point I told her that I'd started exercising because of a knee probnlem. After which she went off about "Well you've got to loose weight or your problem will only get worse!" Hello! I am exercising right? Do I not look like an adult (I'm almost 41)? I get the idea! So I basically ignore her and get on with my work out. Yesterday she says "How's the swimming going?" "Great I respond" while locking my locker. "So have they talked to you about what your waist measurement should be for hip size?" To which I honestly said "No". I know all about that ratio but 1)my doctor has'nt mentioned it to me, 2)I need to loose a lot more weight before we starting worrying about that. If you have a giant hole in your house you fix the hole before you ponder what color to paint when it's fixed.

Think of calories like a bank balance that you want to be in the negative. Yesterday you had something that put your calorie number in the black. Starting today reduce your calories for the next few days until you are back to a negative number. There are options at Starbucks that would have been better. In fact try to learn to enjoy coffee black with Splendra (yes I know artificle sweetner but I have to live sometime.) I went on a major diet when I turned 30 and lost well over 100 pounds (which I put back on and more, more moving on). At that point I was a have some coffee with your cream and sugar type of girl. Even for a large hot coffee you can add several hundred calories with cream and sugar. Also were I live Cumberland Farms (convenience store) and McDonalds make coffee all day and a large is only $1. That is a serious financial savings!

I would call the insurance myself to see exactly what they need. I have NEVER heard of such a requirement and I have been reading this board for a year. I second the Y they tend to have really good prices. I would also ask your insurnace if they are insisting that you get a trainer if they will pay for part of the gym membership. Many insurnace companies will pay as long as you can show you'be been going to the gym. Before my first meeting with Band doctor's office I got a print out from my gym showing every visit for the last year. The doctors' office submitted it to my insurance with the rest of my tests.

My hospital does not weigh the day of the surgery. The last time I was weighed was at the presurgery testing (bloodwork). I did have a unexpected weigh in at my Nut appointment the otherday. Mid afternoon right after lunch. Grrrr.

I had to pee the second I woke up from the surgery. I had an IV during the night and was up every ten minutes to go. Day two from surgery I weighed myself and I did not weigh more due to the IV's as others have mentioned.