honk

I take Vitafusion gummy fiber and dedicated gummy Vitafusion Vitamin D. I also take equivilant of Flintstone chewable Multi with Choline (I get Costco Brand); and Caltrate Calcium Plus (with extra Vitamin D) chewables.

I liked stock vs broth has more flavor. For ready made Protein shakes I do like premier brand. Hamilton Beach makes a really nice individual sized blender; whose mixing container is a travel mug. Really convenient if you want to mix a shake as you are running out the door. First 7 days post op I was on clears (plus protein shakes), and next 7 full liquids (smooth soups like tomato). I added Mrs Dash no salt seasonings to broths and soups to increase their flavor. Jello is considered clears. When you can move to sugar free puddings buy name brands they really are so much better (I am a cheap skate but it is so worth it). During first stage of mushies I would use a stick blender to mix greek yoghurt with fruit so that the fruit would be minced.

You are too tight! Call your doctor and tell them you have an emergency situation. I am at restriction and knock on wood have never vomitted. Also my doctor says if I can't eat solid protein 3 days after a fill I am too tight.

I am suprised you were on solids one week post op. Did you move ahead of your doctor's food schedule? Anyway. Do you have a food scale? I highly recommend a digital food scale so you can measure out your protein. My doctor says 3 oz of protein (mushies during recovery and then solids). If you are on solids have about 1/2 cup of veggies and when the food is gone stop eating. Hard I know but that's why it's called bandster hell.

I was loosing a lot of hair and started taking Biotin 5000 mg. Look for the smaller pills I can find them about the size of a tic tac.

The thing that led me to having surgery was I had a stroke at 39. So I had a history of having a blood clot in the brain. My big fear was having another stroke. I was so stressed about that I did not have a lot of time for other panic attacks. Regarding never being able to eat a certain food again I don't have that problem (and am at restriction). Also, I have only ever been stuck after eating baby carrots and cheap white bread. Carrots are not a problem if I use hummus; and I don't bother with cheap bread anymore. Since I choose not to eat bread because off the empty calories. If I am going to have bread I make it expensive bread. I was concerned the surgery would'nt work for me. The reason why though was because I had already lost 100 pounds through diet and exercise. It turned out I am a slow loser. But considering I was already down to about 1500 calories a day and doing an hour of cardio 7 days a week; having surgery wasn't a huge jump start for me.

My doctor frowns on snacks even during bandster hell. Some things I tried however were low fat string cheese, or chicken breast strips.

I can't really say that the band is better or worse during Pre Menstral. I do find that once I start nothing sounds appetizing (first day or so). After that I am fine. I am at restriction so if I am eating it's less than presurgery.

I go to Denny's and order the value slam: egg whites, turkey bacon and whole wheat pancakes. I have no trouble with the pancakes.

I had to wait 7 months from time of consult to surgery as I had a blood clot in the brain that had to desolve. Does your doctor require mindful eating sessions with a psychologist? If not find one that specializes in food addiction. This is the time to learn new food habits and understand why you either overeat or make bad food choices. Also start exercising. I highly recommend swimming it is easy on the joints. The more you loose the easier it will be for the doctor to do the surgery.

As mentioned by a previous poster I think some doctors/programs paint a very rosy picture and insinuate the band requires no work from them. I feel bad for those who post on here "I've had surgery why am I hungry at all I thought the band would fix that immediately?" Well it took me 6 months to get restriction. And the "Why can I eat ice cream and candy I though the band would stop that?" Did they think that on there own or did someone actually tell them that? The lack of education being done by providers is what bothers me. Those who refuse to get fills because they want to eat badly and those who get to much of a fill so they can't eat at all (and then have complications from being to tight) do get tiresome.

I'm suprised about crackers being listed. I think the rational is that if you chew it really well it becomes mush.

I am not a big fan of needles either but it's really not a big deal. Some doctors give a numbing shot first but mine did not. Took me 6 months to get restriction so it may take several fills. Sorry not trying to be a downer. Talk to the doctor/nurse about what your diet should be immediatly following the fill. Most want you to do full liquids for 24 hours and then mushies for the next 24.

Excuse my language but Screw Them. People just want something to be nasty about. People dont' have the right to complain I'm fat and then complain when I loose weight. Choose a side you can't have both.

Just a reminder most doctors want you to do full liquids first 24 hours after a fill and mushies the second 24 hours.

Did your doctor tell you to be on clear liquids for 7 days? I know mine did. In addition to the stock he told me to have 3 protein shakes a day. Please return to your doctors orders. Most doctors does'nt want you eating mushies for several weeks. You stomach is recovering from being stitched around the band. It should not be moving to digest food!

Your insurance must have their requirements in writing. Go to google and type in the following: Name of Insurance AND "weight loss surgery" AND Requirements, if that does'nt work try Name of Insurance AND "weight loss surgery" AND BMI.

If you had a knee that needed replacement would they tell you should'nt get it replaced because you ae to young? Or needed heart surgery or a new kidney? By your age I had lost and regained 100 pounds in two major get fit initiatives! At 30 I again lost over 100 pounds and regained. Part of my problem was feeling like I had to be all or nothing. Never ever eating anything with cheese or dessert or crackers. After a year or so I would get tired/depressed of never eating food that was fun. This would lead to my slowly reintroducing bad eating habbits and then making them an everyday activity. My surgeon required eating therapy sessions as part of the band process and it was so important to me. I had to develop a new relationship with food. I eat very conservatively 95% of the time and can have treats (which for me are crackers, Cookies, bread) on rare occations. If your surgeon does not require mindful eating sessions with a psychologist go to one on your own. Even if your insurance does not cover it. The band is not a magic fix and there are many foods it will never stop you from eating anything that becomes liquid in your mouth or mush ( cake, candy, ice cream, crackers). It took me 6 months to get restriction so this will be a will power diet at the start and you need to be in a good place mentally to be successful. Sorry, back to your question. This is about your health. If you insurance will cover it that is your answer. At 39 I had a stroke. To deal with a knee issue I had been swimming daily for 9 months and had lost about 30 pounds but still weighed 335. The doctors really did not have an answer why I had the blood clot but what they did say was it could have been becaused by my weight. Do your research and be proactive in explaining the band to them. Most people really only know gastric bypass which is very different. Also TV programs love to show people who've had weight loss surgery who have regained the weight or have terrible eating problems (I saw someone who was banded who supposedly was healed from surgery who could only eat 2 oz of yogurt for a meal. Which if true they were way way way to tight.)

Try adding non flavored benefiber powder to your protein shakes ect.

I take a caltrate plus chewable (not the chocolate kind).

I get the Costco Store brand equivilant of Flintstones with Choline and only take 1 a way. I also take a Caltrate chewable Plus, and a dedicated Vitafusion Vitamin D.

Hedder14, do you swim? I highly recommend swimming it is great on the joints and no one can see you once you're in the water. I also recommend getting a water proof MP3 player makes time go by so much faster.

Stuck is when a piece of food gets stuck somewhere near the band and takes a while to pass into the big stomach. I am at restriction (meaning after multiple fills I can eat smaller meals and go 5 hours before I am hungry) and the only things that I have trouble with are raw carrots and cheap white bread .

Are you weighing your protein? My doctor says 3 oz. of solid protein. Sounds to me like you should increase your protein at lunch and skip the wrap. I have used romaine lettuce leaves as a "wrap" for sandwiches. Also low fat laughing cow cheese is a good subsitute for regular cheese slices. My doctor says to measure the protein and then eat low fat/cal veggies until you feel full. Eating more protein might help you feel full longer.

Well I don't really plan on counting calories but I do usually review at the end of the day to see where I am. There are two types of hunger: head and body. Head hunger is where you eat out of boredom or you "think" you SHOULD be hungry. Body hunger is when it's been 5-6 hours since you last ate and you are honestly hungry. For ME when I'm eating a meal I get a the feeling of being satisfied. I will ask myself are you physically hungry enough to keep eating? My brain takes stock of how I physically feel. The band helps me feel satisfied on less food and thus I stop eating. I am not really one of those bandsters who feels so full they could'nt possibly eat another bite. Now that I am at restriction I can go 5-6 hours between meals. If the chance arises to have a snack; again I ask myself are you physically hungry enough to eat that? Most of the time the answer is no. Regarding stress eating; please see a psychologist that handles food addictions whether your surgeon requires it or not. Much of the lap band journey is mental. My sessions were SO MUCH more helpful than I thought they would be. I had 7 months between first consult and surgery and it really helped me to develope a new relationship with food.