Yvette1026

Don't feel bad.. the band is there to help you.. the band is there not so you don't eat normal food and enjoy yourself ,it's so you don't eat everything in sight or out of control like you/we more than likely did before the band. You enjoyed a holiday meal with your family. Great, it's not the end of the world, do yourself a favor and DON"T weigh yourself for the next week and just work it off during the week. I'm day 8, and had holiday dinner, I definitely felt the restriction and stopped, paced myself, etc.. and did the same on day 3... I'm sure some of you are gasping and shaking your head, but I've adhered and done very well.. No complaints here

Get your required protein and work out, lose body fat and not muscle and you'll be fine. Loose/saggy skin is created when you lose muscle and not fat. Period. - Doesn't matter if you lose weight from lapband or natural or any other way.

Funny I'm having the opposite problem and was coming on here to post a question.... I should have started my period and haven't. I can only assume it's the hormone change from surgery/healing. Prior to surgery I was in full PMS mode about to start any day had surgery and now nothing... Anyone else experience this?

WOW congratulations! I hope to have similar success in 6 months time! Congrats again!

From my understanding there is EXTREME acid reflux and pain accompanied by the inability to be able to keep food and Water down.. but the biggest part is the acid reflux. Youc an find more information here Band Slip (How can you tell) - Lap Band Surgery - Australian Lifestyle Message Boards

Starbursts do not count as "Gummies". Pasta especially covered in cheesey fattening goodness, in even a small bite or two are NOT your friend. Sugar cookies dissolve in your mouth before you even realize you put one in there and you're REALLY not supposed to be eating them. No those ghirardelli chocolate and caramel squares will not just melt and slide... Christmas parties and potlucks are the devil when you're a day short of being a week out of surgery. All of the above results in gas, and gas pains coming back even though you've been pain free for a week. Today I will do liquids all day, until dinner and then I will be VERY VERY VERY careful and then go back on to liquids to repair any damage I did last night... UGH...

When I was counting calories I used www.thedailyplate.com after about a week I was over it.. but some find it useful

We all have those days, you see it, you recognize and just try to do better next time. But all of that to the side, a VERY Happy Birthday to you! Do a do-over and take a day for yourself!

Get rid of them, don't have them accessible for you to be able to sneak out to the garage for a drag or two.. Find better ways to channel your feelings/energy. Try a substitute like a sugar free lollipop or that Water vapor smoker, that lets you blow "smoke" and everything even though it's just water. Commit to yourself, better yourself, encourage yourself and you'll be better equiped to handle the stresses that are causing you to smoke. Meditation, prayer, etc... are all other way to overcome it as well. Good luck!

It is water weight/swelling and gas. As your body heals your weight will go down.

The weightloss will help you get pregnant and help both you and baby be healthier in the long run. Yes obese women have babies every day, but the extra hormones that the extra fat produces can mess our bodies up and make it very difficult to conceive. I think you've made a VERY wise decision to have the surgery first and then try. Good luck with everything!

YAY for the 299'ers! It's a great feeling!

So Diane from True Results calls me today to follow up on how I'm doing. I tell her I think I'm doing great and seem to be doing better than most. We go over incisions, etc... she agrees. Then she says do you have any questions. So I say well yes actually I do, why is it I'm supposed to be be on liquids when I can eat things like chicken salad as long as I chew it up. Her normally friendly up beat voice changes into this motherly tone "Now Yvette, we went over this, you don't want anything to get stuck, you're still swollen and you don't know what will happen." "Ok ok, but I was reading on lapbandtalk.com and other people..." she stops me short - "This isn't about other people it's about YOU so you need to do what your doctor told YOU to do. If you want to be on full liquids fine, but don't go eating any meat or vegetables" she says sternly. "So you're saying I probably shouldn't be eating cream of chicken and mushroom soup together?" - Silence on the phone. "Hello".... "Yvette we've been over this, no meat, no vegetables and NO chicken salad!" Sigh.... Mmmm yogurt!

It's a not a matter of which is best, it's a matter of what you prefer. I personally use whey Protein, make shakes out of it in different flavors. You can also make pudding, etc.. there's also some products out thre like Isopure or "whey up" that give you 20-40 grams of protein in every bottle. Greek yogurt is low in sugar and HIGH in protein, usually 20 grams in a serving. I mix greek yogurt into things like Jello, etc.. to add a lil' protein to everything I eat. Before your surgery I would suggest upping your protein, I for example ate chicken breasts and protein style cheese burgers (cheeseburger without the bun or mayo, etc) then I fasted the two days before surgery drinking only whey protein. I had surgery on friday and was off pain meds and back to normal by sunday. Every body is different, it's important that you listen to yours. Mine craves red meat, so I made sure I gave it what it needed to promote healing, etc.. pay attention to what your body is telling you and you should be ok. Also what is your pre-op diet like? does it allow you to have food and not just liquids? every dr is different. I was allowed 3 shakes and 2 meals per day, with an option for a snack during my pre-op diet. It all just depends on you and your doctor. But now is the time to prime you body and promote healing. Up your Vitamins, etc.. and go in with a positive mindset.

No worries, I used to do benefits administration for a living, even though it seems like a lifetime ago, the knowledge is still locked in there lol

Depends on your insurance. Some insurances let you get to a live person without entering your information and some require you to be active in the system before they'll speak to you. BCBS and aetna for example require you to be a member before they provide you information, unless you're calling their sales line.

Once you know what's required, if they didn't refer you to one, make an appointment to go to a seminar. Research surgeons in your area and go check them out. I say avoid going before you know, because some places will pressure you to go self-pay and/or have you pay for "testing" that your insurance would normally cover.

Make the 5-10 minute call to your insurance. Ask them the following: 1.) Do they cover the surgery? 2.) What requirements are there for them to cover the surgery? (BMI, Co-morbidities, etc...) 3.) What is required of you to obtain the surgery (6 month diet plan?, year of proof of weightloss, etc.. - every insurance has different requirements) 4.) Do they have a preferred WLS surgeon or provider in your area?

WOW thank you SO much for that information! I know your surgeon's office is one of the top ones in AZ, probably the country. VERY useful information.. Thank you for sharing it with me. But man I just had scrambled eggs and spinach (cooked into the eggs) and OMGOODNESS I am so full, I'm TOTALLY feeling the restriction, my natural reaction is to drink to help it go down... I'm sipping apple juice hoping it will help but so far not so good.

OMGOODNESS.. scrambled eggs and spinach were NOT a good idea. OMGOODNESS if I ever wondered if I had restriction since surgery umm yeah no need to wonder.. OMGOSH... ugh.. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.... I almost just want to throw it up... but I distain throwing up... I can't do it.. ugh... OMGOSH when will this pass???

OMGOODNESS.. scrambled eggs and spinach were NOT a good idea. OMGOODNESS if I ever wondered if I had restriction since surgery umm yeah no need to wonder.. OMGOSH... ugh.. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.... I almost just want to throw it up... but I distain throwing up... I can't do it.. ugh... OMGOSH when will this pass???

Go back to the basics like your pre-op diet. Protein Drinks, etc.. that will shrink your stomach and help you drop pounds. Also you may be surprised but alot of dr's will let you make payment arrangements. Good luck!