patsal

Not drinking with my meal has been the most difficult part for me. I do not have any trouble getting in my 64 ounces of water per day, but I really struggle with not being able to drink while I am eating and waiting a half hour after eating. To be sure I drink all I need to, I use an 8 ounce water bottle and fill it every hour. A sip here and there and it is time for a refill. Since I am a teacher it works out really well. I step into the hallway at the change of classes every 40 minutes or so and refill my little bottle--by the end of the day I have had at least 6-8 little bottles and am nearly done for the day by 2pm! Yesterday my DH and I went out for lunch, I wasn't thinking and ordered unsweetened iced tea--for what to look at?--totally didn't think about not drinking with meals. Because I fill up so much faster now, about a half hour after I ate my little bit of salad and two strips of chicken from the breast atop I was able to drink about half of it--now I need to remember that I don't get to order drinks with meals!

Without the shakes or protien powder added to other things I can't seem to get in enough grams of protien. I am not sur if it will alwasy be this way, but for the time being I need the extra protien and like the OP if I forget or skip something the hunger is out of control!

Pretty much exactly what happened to me, except with chicken salad. I learned not to try to cut corners with the belending, and chopping. I am more incllined to cut everything really small now that I am on solids, so I can't take too big a bite or lose myself in conversation and get too big a piece. I get my first fill on Wed. and I know i have no restriction now and it is all willpower, I can't wait for the band to do some work!

Just what I was thinking as well, no sense resizing my current set! A 1.5 carat rock will look really big on my new skinny hands!

I like the Unjury unflavored powder. For 80 cals it has 20 grams of protien. I mix it into soup (watch the temp before adding or it get ickky), crystal light, mashed potatoes, hot cereal....

Ugg that sounds so horrid. I hope you feel better. Seems like insult to injury with the bag dumping on you afterwards! So sorry this happened to you!

Thanks for the ideas and support. I guess I have to think of it this way as well...I have never in my life dropped 22 pounds in one month..plus that fill really is just around the corner. When I go for that I'm certain he will release me to really exercise so that should be a huge help. Right now I am only getting in about a mile or two of walking each day. I checked my cals and protien I am getting at least the 60 grams of protien in, but maybe I should up it to get closer to the 80? I am getting under 700 calories on most days so adding an extra protien shake is surely not going to hurt anything!

August to November (3 months) to see the psych and nut. and to see the surgeon. I was supposed to be a Jan surgery but my file was misfiled and I ended up February. So for me, and I was covered by my insurance, it was approx 6 months from my first phone call to my after surgery follow up visit.

I was unsure if my PCP would be open to the idea, but I did a ton of research. Went to my regular appointment armed with knowledge and information about myself and my weight fluxuations. I shared what worked for me and what did not, I shared how I could lose only to gain even more, how I thought I was the only person in history to follow WW and gain weight, how much real exercise I do and and the fact that I have no idea what full feels like. I take my eating cues from others--I stop when they stop because otherwise I'm certain people would point and laugh. After a very honest conversation I asked if he thought that maybe bariatric surgery could be a tool that would work with me. He talked candidly with me, looked through my history, acknowledged my concerns and gave me a refferal. Before he let me head home though he made me talk with two of his staff. One sucessful with WLS and one who was not. Both shared with me what they did, how they live now and why it worked or did not work for them. I felt like I went in with my eyes wide open on what to expect and what not to expect. I went in for my regular visit 6 months later and he wasn't sure I was going to go through with the surgery because I had lost 25 pounds...a mere drop in the bucket when you have 150 to lose! I told him I was practicing the lifestyle change before going through with the surgery because I wanted to be successful. He checked my labs and other pre-op tests and signed off saying with my attitude that I should be successful, and to call if I needed anything before my next visit. Now I do experience what feeling full feels like, I do not have restriction yet as I was only banded on the 12th of Feb, but I am prepared to do 70% of the work and let the band do 30% hoping that this time I will finally be successful. Ask, you may be surprised how supportive your Dr. and his staff can be!

I do find I have an aversion to things I liked before, even the smell makes me gag. I'm not really sure if for me it is psychological or what. I would suggest you try a different brand of vitamin, maybe talk to your Dr. or NUT.

After being banded 1 pound. Pre op gave me 21 pounds off, but from band to fill ( I still have 9 days until I get my first fill) so far one pound. :thumbup:

I hope 20% is what you are taxed, others who have won large prizes that I know have paid 50% of value in taxes.

23 days post op and I have lost only one pound since the pre-op diet. I know I should not complain 21 pounds down during those two weeks, but to only have lost 1 pound in the last 23 days is a real bummer. I am now eating soft solids so maybe I will see some scale movement? I can only hope. I think I could eat and eat and eat, but I am on will power only as I wait for my first fill on the 17th. It seems so far away now! Hopefully the pounds will start to go down.

Congrats on the win, but ouch on the taxes! Hopefully there is a way to skirt that into deductible medical expenses so it is a wash or at least lessens the tax burden! everyone knowing is just another gret means of accountability. With so many people supporting you and cheering you on, how can you not have great results!?!

One quick little hiccup is my warning that I am full, eat just one more bite and they are horrid and painful!

I am 19 days post surgery and I have not lost any weight. I am taking in between 600 and 800 calories per day. I really try to hit the 800 because I am feeling lots of hunger now. I believe I am making wise choices--protien shakes, since I am on mushies/soft I have had 1/2 a packet of cream of wheat for Breakfast, adding half a scoop of protien powder in it to boost the protien content. lunch is cottage cheese or a 4ounce smooth greek yogurt, for a snack I have a sf pudding cup or a motz cheese stick, dinner is usually a cup of pureed veggies with a scoop of plain or chicken flavored protien powder added to it, and maybe a few sf popsicles throughout the day as well as my Water. I am getting 64 ounces of water in between meals. I was losing steadily before surgery and I am feeling a bit like maybe I am doing something wrong? If you have any ideas toss them my way, please!

I was wondering about you, and I am glad it went well!

Lapband.com has a few recipes, I have also taken to putting things that I know I like the taste of through the magic bullett. So yesterday I had the ricotta cheese thing I mentioned for diner and for lunch I had half a can of progresso soup that I ran through the magic bullett. I have also made chili for my family for dinner and run that through the bullett. I also purchased 2 shelf stable chicken meals that I plan to run through the bullett. Because they are all average size servings I have been getting 2-3 servings from each thing I make. I bought refried beans to try that recipe (with sour cream and melted cheese).

Friday was my two weeks, I have lost only one pound during the two weeks...which is kind of depressing, but I am not dwelling on it, I just keep doing what I am supposed to do. I also went back to work this week. Monday was not so bad, by Wednesday I was tired and by Friday pure exhaustion! But I have the weekend to recharge and pull it together for next week. I would love to be "official" banded friends! I get myfirst fill on March 17th, so about one week into regular foods I will be cruising back through the food texture cycle again. I have been looking for decent mushies recipes and I recommend the one with ricotta cheese on bottom of dish, sprinked tomato sauce on that and then sprinkle with low fat motz and bake until bubbly...very tasty and much less painful to watch the rest of the family eat pizza!

First off let me just start with congrats! What a great set of side effects along the road to your goal, as well as some wonderful quality time spent with your daughter as an active participant not a bystander. I was able to fit in the auditorium chair at my daughter's cello concert on Wednesday night. It has been a very long time since I was able to fit comfortably in one. When taking her shopping for jeans I decided to venture to try a pair of jeans on as well. Granted they were the largest pair of non plus sized or W pants that the old navy had on the shelf, but they fit and the waist was actually too big! I totally bought them and took in the waist a bit. Sure I won't be wearing that size for very long, but it was such a milestone I couldn't help myself--off the rack and not a W! My world is lsowly not revolving around food but rather living life--it is a big change and sometimes I have to admit I am overwhelmed at it!

I am feeling really good. It only took me a half hour to get down an 8 ounce double milk protien shake. This is huge because it was taking like three hours and I was lucky to get in 48 ounces of liquid per day. I am hoping to be on track and getting in all 64 ounces of liquid today. I have been careful to track my amounts on a small index card just to be sure I am meeting minimums. Yesterday I had a bit of a setback though, when I was making DH's lunch and mixing the tuna I didn't even think, just licked the fork before throwing it into the sink--not good because I was feeling all tight the rest of the afternoon and evening. Finally, at about 8 pm I was able to get 8 ounces of Unjury Chicken mixed in warm water down. I will definately not make that mistake again! I am thinking of trying a short drive today--I am planning on returning to work on Monday and want to be prepared. I have only been taking one lortab in the evening to take the edge off the pain, so I think I will be ok giving it a try. I will be gald to get back to work, a bit more structure there so maybe I will do better with my food. I have my first post-op appointement on Tuesday. That will be a good way to ease back into work--work a day,off a day, work three days. Yesterday my TV in the bedroom blew up. Seriously, the thing just made a loud pop and then went black. What a horrid smell. I am glad my DH was home so he could move it out of there. The running joke around here is that it killed itself. See I had fallen asleep and when I woke up Jerry Springer was on. Not only did my IQ drop, but my TV commited suicide!

Please forgive my ignorance, but now that I have started mushies I am having a bit of trouble. I started with hummus, no real issue, then some chili I put through the food processor, again no problem, then onto chicken salad--not all at the same time--three different meals. When I ate the chicken salad--which was not as mushie as the rest of the stuff, I had what I'm guessing was a "stuck"--super painful, could feel it just below my espohogus and thought I was going to hurl but it passed. I started thinking about the food, one of the things that got me to my current weight was that I never expereinced feeling full. Today I was very careful with my chicken salad and took much smaller bites, chewed extra carefully and put my fork down between bites. I get a little hiccup and then if I take another bite it gets tight and uncomfortable--is that full? Is that first little hiccup my warning sign not to take in anymore because I am full?

I had my first post op visit this week. I am having no real pain anymore and the liquids are no longer keeping me satisfied. I started mushies and will log how I am doing to gear things toward my first fill on March 17. I have noticed the scale has come to a screetching halt. I am planning on adding some stationary bike riding to the mix this week so maybe that will jump start things back to continue weight loss. Hope everyone is doing well.

Good, this is a time when you need support and sometimes others need a direction for giving you what you need!

I had a desperate need to chew something and I am a week plus 2 days post op. I ate a very soft whole wheat cracker and chewed the heck out of it. I felt kind of bad for doing it as I know liquids are what my surgeon said for two weeks post op. I am back to full liquid, doubt I did any damage and realize I should have followed directions, but I am not going to dwell on that. You should tell your surgeon or Nutritionist just so they can make any adjustments to your diet--with little to no restriction you most likely are hungry and need more calories than the liquids provide--they can evaluate if there is any damage from the food you consumed. Today is a new day, start fresh and do not dwell on your mistakes, just learn from them. Our old habits are ingrained in us and it will take time to completely purge them. IF failure on the band is not an option for you reign it in now and move on.