BetsyB

Isopure used to be among the best. It's okay if VERY cold, and even better if put in a sports bottle (with a top)--that way, you can kind of avoid the Protein stench. I VASTLY prefer Inspire Proteins from bariatriceating.com. They are just much, much better. They have a couple of fruity flavors (I like them more diluted than the package recommends- a scoop in a liter of Water, sometimes with Crystal Light lemonade added to change things a bit), as well as the standard chocolate, etc.

Congratulations!

Phhht. Hardly!

Congratulations, Scott! How are you feeling today?

I totally understand. I wonder: when I start sabotaging, I try to figure out what is scaring me about my success, at that point. Is something scaring you?

My answer is going to deviate a bit from the others. I don't mean it harshly, because really---you're not "just being really bad." Eating is not a moral issue--and it's clear you're trying to eat properly, even when you're not quite hitting the nail on the head. But at five weeks postop, you should be focused on making healthy choices that give your body what it needs. And you should remain very mindful of quantity. You don't yet have restriction, so it's very easy to overdo---without feeling consequences from your band when you do. But now is the time to build good habits that will serve you well when you do have restriction. Ones that will stand you in good stead, give your body what it needs to stay healthy (because when stomach real estate is at a premium, you don't have lots of room for foods that offer little, nutritionally), and KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF when you reach goal. Did your doctor give you good guidelines for postop eating? I don't know about yours, but mine has never said, "The goal of the band is to be able to eat like a 'normal' person---only less." He's always emphasized changing eating habits---and that the band only does a small part of the work. Making long-term changes yields long-term results. I'm not suggesting there's no place in the post-band life for Chinese buffets. Certainly, EVERY life has room for this sort of eating on an occasional basis. But I'd take care to ensure that you don't slip into this kind of eating routinely. These habits got many of us to the point where we needed bands---and there really are healthier ways to eat that are just as satisfying.

There's a definite trick to it. What I do is this: I measure the Protein into a mug, and add enough cool liquid to make a paste. I set that aside. I then measure out the liquid I will be adding, warm, to the protein (broth, almond milk, whatever). I heat it until it's warm, but not super-hot. (For a cup of liquid, I nuke it for a minute on high.) Very slowly, and stirring the WHOLE time, I whisk about 1/4 of the cup into the protein paste. I make sure it's blended well, then again set it aside. I then return the liquid to the microwave or stove, and heat it to a little hotter than drinking/eating temp (because it's being added to liquid that's not quite up to temp). Again, I very slowly add the liquid to the protein mixture, stirring the whole time. The progression from cool --> warm ---> hot tempers the protein so it doesn't agglutinate. ETA: I don't do a slurry to add to a soup or other hot foods, because the protein denatures if it remains on the heat source. The hot liquid needs to be added to the warm protein, not vice versa. (For the same reason, you can't add protein to, say, a whole batch of soup, and then reheat.) When adding it to warm foods, it's far less labor-intensive. I stirred plain protein into my son's hot oatmeal this morning without doing anything special. There may have been lumps, but since it was oatmeal, no one was the wiser!

I'm very glad you're seeing your doctor. Something I've experienced--even before banding---is stomach trouble related to really thick mucus. It's happened a couple of ways for me. Pre-banding, really ropy, thick postnasal mucus made me sick to my stomach because it stimulated the gag reflex. It didn't really cause any change, stomach-wise---but it made me throw up nonetheless. Since banding, when I have thick postnasal stuff, it can actually occlude the stoma. Now that allergy season has hit with a vengeance, I'm taking guaifenesin (I use liquid Robitussin; Mucinex is the same drug---either way, be sure to get PLAIN, not with dextromethorphan) to loosen the secretions to prevent the problem. I hope you get good news about your band position. If, indeed, you learn that it's not slipped, ask your doctor whether s/he's okay with you using guaifenesin to see if it helps prevent problems. (S/he might also prescribe an antiemetic. Many of these are antihistamine, which will help not only with the nausea/vomiting, but also with the source of the problem.) I hope you feel better FAST!

Don't worry! You don't need to be able to feel it! The person who does your fill will have no problem locating it. A previous poster stated that you're not supposed to be able to feel it. That's not quite accurate. Many of us can and do. Sometimes, this doesn't happen until we've lost a bit of weight--but sometimes it's palpable right from the outset. (I'm not posting this to be snarky or to correct the previous poster; I just don't want people who can feel theirs to worry something is wrong!) It's located on, not under the abdominal wall, just beneath the skin. As subcutaneous fat is lost, it will likely become easier for you to find. The person who does your fills will know just where to look and how to find it--it will be just fine :thumbup:

I'm sorry you're so frustrated. It gets tons better as you approach restriction. Even when you're not quite there yet, there is a huge difference as you tiptoe closer and closer. That said, the "just pay attention to texture" advice is inadequate. You do--and will need to continue to---need to pay attention to the quality of food you eat. It will cross a broad array of textures. At this point, you may not yet be ready for it all, but eventually, it should include lean Protein, a variety of vegetables, legumes, heart-healthy fats, and fruits and whole grains in moderation. Your band will help control the amount you can eat in one sitting. It will do nothing for the emotional aspects of this journey. That can really be the hard part, too! But again, when you achieve restriction, it helps so, so much. The fact is, you can stomp your feet all you want about not WANTING to exert willpower---but if you want to succeed, you have to. For now, you have to use willpower to ensure that you don't overeat during this limbo phase. Later, you will have to exert it until making healthier food choices is a habit. I'm really sorry your doctor's office hasn't been more helpful! Mine gives each patient a handbook on CD-ROM with very clear, very concrete guidelines. It's kind of nice not to have to devote much thought to it! I'd skip Weight Watchers and grab a copy of the South Beach diet. Its principles--especially phases I and II--are very closely aligned with the recommendations of all the major health-promoting agencies. Weight Watchers can be done very healthily, but that is not a given. And few of its leaders have adequate background to help you tailor for your needs.

The stomach is a very elastic organ. Even the pouch has "give." If it were terribly stretched, yes--you'd risk band slippage. But if you're focusing on eating sliders, they move through quickly enough that it's less likely that will occur. Maybe yes, maybe no. How long has it been since your last fill? I have had a little over 2 weeks of really having to baby my band after a filll---not because I'm too tight, but because I haven't listened to my body after the couple of stuck incidents I've had, and have irritated it further. BAD IDEA. Things that ordinarily give me no problem at all simply are not tolerated if I've had a recent stuck incident. If you need to baby your band by sticking with softer foods that tend to slide as swelling from your fill and stuck incidents recedes, it's probably a really good idea to get out your food scale and measuring cups, make sure you eat appropriate-sized servings, and then tell yourself NO MORE. Not really because your band is at stake, but because the way you are eating is (a) not compatible with losing weight, and (:thumbup: establishing "eating around the band" behavior that you really don't want to become firmly entrenched. If a few days of TLC doesn't take you to the point where "regular" foods--prepared in a band-friendly way--don't work, I'd let the doctor know; a small unfill might be necessary.

I'm with Jen. While I wouldn't recommend advancing your diet early without input from your doctor, I would suggest calling the office and asking. Many times, people get the green light to move ahead.

You haven't ruined anything for yourself! You might need to reevaluate why you had this surgery, and what it represents to you...or, more importantly, how it can free you from this line of thinking. Are you self-sabotaging? Or are you just having minor occasional indulgences of the sort that every life has a bit of room for? Really, the fatalistic, "Now I've done it!" no longer has a place in your life. You're no longer in an either/or, on-diet/off-diet rollercoaster. Now you have an amazing tool to help you. It gives you remarkable leeway---and still, you will succeed. Do you want to continue down the ice cream and sherbet path on a routine basis? Probably not. But if you're making otherwise healthy choices, and are losing weight well, there's no cause for worry if you have an occasional treat. It's really hard to let go of the old messages in our brains. But we don't need them any more. Truly.

I'm glad things ....worked out :confused:

Six months before surgery :confused: Post-op, I started them the day I got home--no problems at all. Congrats on your new band!

Specifically geared to banding, or one that can help in other ways (with your relationship to food, etc)?

I bet the orientation seminar will really ease your mind. Good luck!

Congratulations on your new band! Bariatriceating.com has LOTS of great recipes for each stage postop.

Are you sure that weight loss will rule you out? I'd double-check with your insurance. In my case, the ONLY weight that mattered, in terms of BMI /approval for surgery, was the weight from my very first appointment with the bariatric surgeon. I had the BMI of 40 required for surgery---but by the time all my paperwork was submitted for final approval, I was below 40. Your policy will spell it out for you--and your surgeon's insurance specialist will be able to confirm if you have any questions about interpreting the policy.

Take a deep breath. Remember, even though your incisions are tiny, your body's been through a lot. You underwent general anesthesia, had gas and instruments introduced to your abdomen, had your organs manipulated, had a band wrapped around your stomach, and had a port attached to your muscle wall. (The latter is what causes the most pain.) OUCH! Yes, the pain you are feeling is normal. It will taper off over the next several days. In the meantime, don't hesitate to use the pain medication your doctor prescribed. It will allow you to be active; walking as much as possible really helps the gas they use to inflate the abdomen dissipate, which relieves a good deal of the pain. I hope you feel better fast. (I know you will!)

This is an awesome rule of thumb, Leigha! Very useful, and simple to use.

Missy, they make coccyx pillows. They have a region cut out so that there is no pressure places on the coccyx. Here's a link to a few at Amazon, just to give you an idea. I know lots of people who've had WLS who use them and get lots of relief. Amazon.com: coccyx pillow

As a former NYer, I really don't think NYC is unique in terms of human responses; you're no more likely to get raised eyebrows there than anywhere else. And what that means is that there will be very few raised eyebrows. Really, people will pay far, far less attention to what you order than you think. (If the server raises an eyebrow? S/he's just mentally calculating tip; you can make this a non-issue by tipping well. I guarantee, when you return, there will be no more eyebrow-raising.) Really, people are all about themselves. However, In a business setting, there may be a dynamic in which others place their orders based on what you order. In that case, you want to make clients (or others) feel comfortable, and that might mean modifying your order so that they feel more comfortable with theirs. But otherwise, it's pretty reasonable to assume that the only ones paying strict attention to what goes into our mouths is us. It's just not nearly as interesting to others as we fear.

It sounds like you reached the point of readiness well before she did. That doesn't really speak to her value as a person---it just means she's not in the same place you are. Hopefully, she'll jump on your wagon a bit down the road. For now, about all your can do is model the kind of behaviors you wish she'd adopt.