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Ask your doctor but post surgery I added Non Salt Mrs Dash roasted chicken spice to my broth and later tomato soup. Basically is a lot of minced garlic that reconstitutes.

I have no problem with pasta or rice. Have never been a rice fan and pasta is a lot of carbs. You also have to be careful with pasta because cream based sauces are have calories through the roof.

Are you allowed both broth and thin protein shakes at this point? If so have your broth first and then an hour or two later the protein. So kind of up break up your eating. The band is fine. Took me six months of fills to get restriction.

In my situation it was the doctor who made weight loss requirements. Well his nurse actually. She said I had to loose 10% body weight so 30-33 pounds. After I had lost 20 and met with the surgeon he said from feeling my abdomen he would could have done the surgery that day. Some doctors

I second Premier Ready to Drink from Costco. 160 cal for 30 g of protein.

I do go to a gym; mostly because I have bad joints and swimming is my best form of exercise. And here in NE even if I had a pool using it year round would be impossible. I realise this is an old post. I highly recommend swimming because it is good cardio but low impace on your joints. I use a snorkle which make things easier and a water proof mp3 player is a must (check them out on Amazon). Once you work up your tolerance I also enjoy the eliptical machine. Even with my bad knee I don't have problems with it. Also water aerobics can be as challenging as you make it. Ask the instructor how to make each move harder (ie creating more water resistance).

To be fair the first thing that springs to the mind of a teen age boy is'nt a girls sparkling personality or her grasp of international politics.

Are you taking 5000mg of Biotin (available in tick tack size)? I've noticed some brands are only 1000 mg. Check your dosage and get the 5000. I also lost a lot of hair starting about 4 months out. Was very upsetting. It did slow down. Not sure if it was just a shock from surgery and weight loss or if the pills are helping. But since I get them on buy one get one free sales I keep taking them.

" I want to be able to eat a few bites of something and walk away from the table, not belly up for more. " I don't want to be a downer but being banded is not about being able to eat like a bird. Based on my doctors orders of eating 3 oz of solid Protein and veggies and fruit per meal; that is going to be more than a few bites. The reason I'm saying this is I read so many posts where people say they are full on just a few bites. Eating what I listed above is more than a few bites. Once I've eaten my meal can I have a 2 bites of dessert and feel satisfied YES. Not to be a cliche but this is a life style and journey. Don't feel to bad the band will help you once you start having fills. But it can take a while so don't feel to bad.

I realize you are following you doctor's orders but I would consider meatballs a solid and that was not allow for 5 weeks. At this point I would go to liquids for a few days to let the swelling go down.

I don't really think the fill hurts and it is over in 5 seconds. My first fill (3 cc's) when I got up off the table I felt a tightening around my stomach. Didn't hurt just felt weird. Took me 6 months to get restriction. Even now the band does'nt stop me from eating anything. Except raw carrot! I live by the 90/10 rule; eat correctly 90% of the time and live a little the other 10%. That said at this point in your journey I would recommend cutting out all donuts and fried food.

I was not banded when I went on my cruise but I still lost weight! I did swim everyday on the ship and did LOTS of walking on land. I had a friend say to me "you are the only person I know who lost weight on a cruise!" Depending on the cruise line you might be able to get egg whites for Breakfast. Also my experince was that the actual servings in the dinning rooms were on the small side because they have lots of courses. I would get a the salad as an app and then the meal, and usually a dessert. For example ice cream scoops were literally the size of a ping pong ball. Most ships have both pools (early mornings you can swim laps) and a free gym. My brother who is a normal size person actually ordered two Entrees at dinner because they were so small. Don't feel like you have to explain yourself to the servers. If they ask you if the food is alright because you have'nt finished it; just say you had a big lunch.

This is a hard time until you get restriction. Took me 6 months! Planning is super important. Do you live alone? I have an easier time than others because I live alone and don't keep my trigger foods in the house. I like crunchy things Cereal, low fat rice cakes, chips. But I eat way to many of them. So they are banned from my house. While my doctor frowns on Snacks even during bandster hell, I tried to choose healthy snacks (low fat string cheese, chicken breast, baby carrots-now that I am at restriction need to eat them with hummus). If you are going to be out bring a low fat/cal premade Protein shake with you. It's all about preplanning!

Good for you! Twice I've had people stop me in stores who said they've seen me at the gym and wanted to tell me how proud they were of my weight loss. Definately makes your day.

The change in restriction usually comes quicker than 1 1/2 months but it can happen. Your profile does'nt give your age but restriction can change depending on your monthly cycle.

Congratulations! While I am technically still overweight and probably obese based on the BMI charts; I can shop at least for tops in the reg. ladies section (xl). At my yearly physical the NP said that my blood pressure was a little on the low side 110/60. Fall of 2008 my blood presure was 159/90.

Are you full for 4.5 to 5 hrs after eating? If not perhaps you need a fill. Keep in mind however fills will never prevent head hunger. Are you truely hungry or have holidays just looked tempting?

My problem was'nt so much with my incisions but from every where they used surgical tape to mark off the surgical field. I was really allergic to that tape (totally genetic my mother has the same problem). I was afraid to take an antihistamine orally so I used a topical cream from the pharmacy. I would talk to your doctor and see whether you can take something orally or use a cream.

My doctor never gave me volume instruction. What he did say to me post op was to make sure I was weighing my protein. So I am a little leary of the 3/4 cup rule. Buy yourself a good digital food scale (walmart/target) and measure out you protein. My doctor says 3 oz some say 4 oz.

I am also a slow loser. I am a very conservative eater and I do an hour of cardio a day. I think it is because I lost 90 pounds presurgery and had been doing an hour of cardio daily for a year and a half. I think some people who go from eating 3000 calories a day and no exercise to 800-1000 cal. and exercising loose much faster.

Not to be a downer but it took me 6 months to get restriction. Also once you are healed and at restriction you wont be full on 1-2 bites either. Once you are one solids you should be eating 3 oz of solid protein, veggies and fruit at every meal. That is never going to be 1-2 bites.

From your note it seems like your doctor moves patients to solids very quickely. I think you will find most of us were on full liquids (tomato soup vs. broth) 8 days post op. Personally I would slow things down. If you are going to have more solid foods make it egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. Please don't take this the wrong way. Even if you CAN eat something does'nt mean you should. I am at restriction and unlike some bandsters I can eat bread. I just choose not to. And let me tell you I LOVE bread. It took me 6 months to get restriction so I know all about being able to eat anything. My advice is to buy yourself a good digital kitchen scale ($20 at Target or Walmart) and start measuring your protein. My doctor says 3oz others say 4 oz. Measure out your protein and when it's gone you are done eating. The rest of your meal should be low cal/fat veggies, and a small serving of fruit (per my nurse about the fruit so no one flame me.).

I would say I am at restriction. My surgery was about 1 1/2 years ago and I am a slow loser. Today at work and when I went to another building there was a information meeting going on in the lobby. Cookies for all. When I came out of my meeting that gathering was over but the cookies remained. I was still full from lunch (from 2 1/2 hours earlier) and while I could have eaten them (head hunger) the full feeling I had from the band helped me tune out that head hunger voice. I packed up about 6 cookies and brought them back to several of my coworkers. So for those of you wondering what the band would do for you. Ask yourself if you came across a bunch of cookies a couple hours after lunch would you be able to keep on walking? While the band won't stop head hunger it will help you say no. Think of it as a boost to your built in willpower.

Water aerobics and swimming are great for those of us who are overweight. I have lost 130 pounds with WA and Swimming as my primary form of exercise. They even make water proof mp3 players which makes swimming so much nicer. Also once I'm in the water no one can see me anyway! I even have thin people at the gym come up to me and tell me what an inspiration I am. Considering in my head I still kind of see myself as weighing 360 pounds that's pretty funny!

I put nothing on mine and it is very very faint 1 1/2 years out.