MellieW

I like a mixture of both. :thumbup:

We're having taco's tonight. Of course I won't be having the taco shells so instead I'll have a taco salad. I use 98% lean ground turkey with a taco seasoning packet and I also substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream. The meal is high in Protein (ground turkey, refried Beans w/cheese, and Greek yogurt) and I'll get my veggies from the lettuce and tomato. It's one of our favorites!

I am only 4 weeks post-op and feel great! I had absolutely no pain after surgery and didn't require prescription or otc pain meds. I will say, though, the gas from surgery did get a bit obnoxious days 3 and 4 post-op. Although I wasn't 100% for the first week, I was back on my feet immediately after surgery and was able to care for myself. I'm only 4 weeks post-op and I know things can change, but as of now I'm thrilled with my decision to have LAP-BAND surgery. My only regret was not having it years earlier!

I agree that it could likely be your gallbladder. It's fairly common to develop gallstones/gallbladder disease after rapid weight loss. If you can't get to your surgeon you should probably inform your PCP of your symptoms. I hope you feel better soon.

I use Ragu Original with Mushrooms and just add my own fresh spices along with orange, yellow and red bell peppers. It only has 11 carbs per 1/2 cup serving, but a quick google search for low carb spaghetti sauce shows Hunts No Sugar Added Italian Style Sauce has even fewer carbs per 1/2 c serving. Hunt's No Added Sugar Italian Style Sauce Serving Size 1/2 cup Calories 35 Total Fat 0g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 610mg Total Carbohydrates 6g Dietary Fiber 2g Sugar 3g Sugar Alcohol 0g Protein 1g Ingredients: tomato puree (water, tomato paste), Water less than 2% of: salt, soybean oil, dehydrated onions, carrot fiber, spices, citric acid, xanthan gum, sucralose, acesulfame, potassium, natural flavor

Beef and chicken broth (I only liked the Butterball 99% fat free) Carnation Instant Breakfast *No sugar added* Or Adkins Advantage vanilla shake sugar free Popsicles SF Jell-o V-8 juice If you are on full liquids; Cream of Broccoli (add cheddar cheese) Cream of Potato (add cheddar cheese) Cream of Mushroom Tomato Soup Congrats on getting banded and good luck!

I was on Medifast for several months last year and bought a couple boxes of hot chocolate. It wasn't great, (none of it was) but it was okay. It was better with milk than with Water. I used skim and it seemed okay as I still lost weight. I'd suggest ordering just one box and deciding from there .

I, too, have always been successful in losing weight. My struggle has always been maintaining the loss. Over the last 20 years I've managed to "diet" myself to nearly 300 lbs! I decided to get the band because, like so many others have said, it's the maintenance that I need help with. I have never had a problem doing the hard work to lose the weight, so I didn't go into this believing the band would do all the work for me. I know I have to do my part. It's my hope that the band will help reduce my hunger and, in turn, help me maintain the weight loss long term.

During the liquid and mushy phases my Dr. recommended eating 5 or 6 small "meals" a day. Being able to eat every couple hours verses every 5 or 6 made all the difference in the world for me. I know it's tough right now, but hang in there. It's does get better.

I absolutely agree. The "Stop whining" posts serve absolutely no purpose other than to isolate the very people who need the support the most. I guess I don't understand the point of being here if you a) have it all figured out and can't, or won't, be supportive of those who don't. I tend to believe posts like that are made and supported by people who have felt inferior their whole lives because of their weight. Now that they have some level of success with weight loss, they feel they are better than those who may be less successful, or those who may need more support than they did. Whenever I read a nasty post from someone like that I'm reminded again of something I once read; "There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self." Anyway, I hope you block them and stick around. There are already too few band veterans on these forums, to lose another would be a disservice to those very people who come here looking for support or answers.

I met with several surgeons before deciding on the one I wanted to work with, but once I made that decision it took less than 4 months. I started his seminars and mandatory nutrition classes June 1 and had surgery on Sept 21. During that time I also worked with my PCP to gather all of the information needed to submit to insurance. The process was much smoother and quicker than I'd imagined.

Low Fat Orange Fluff! Yum! This has been a family favorite for years. =) I use low fat (small curd) cottage cheese, half of a regular size tub of Cool Whip Light, 1 small box of sf orange jell-o, and 1 small can of mandarin oranges. Mix with large spoon and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Makes 4 cups Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 116 Carbs 11 Fat 4 Protein 7

You stated in your original post that you have a $1000 deductible so it sounds like you have Tricare Standard. You only need a referral from your PCM if you have Tricare Prime. Tricare Standard does not require referrals.

I think both can be very helpful. If you have access to a dietitian through your surgeons office it might be a good idea to make an appointment with him/her and go over what you should be eating, how much, and how often. If you feel it could benefit you to better understand why you are self sabotaging then maybe you should find a good psychologist/psychiatrist and work together to find those answers. The band is just one tool I'm using to lose weight. I think of my dietitian and therapist as additional tools to ensure my success.

I have Tricare Prime (same benefits as Standard) and I was approved in 3 days. These are the requirements for approval through Tricare as per their website; "TRICARE covers gastric bypass, gastric stapling and gastroplasty to include vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band®® surgery) is covered only when the beneficiary meets one of the following conditions: Is 100 pounds over ideal weight for height and bone structure and has one of these associated conditions: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome, hypothalamic disorders or severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints Is 200 percent or more over ideal weight for height and bone structure Has had intestinal bypass or other surgery for obesity and because of complications, requires another surgery (takedown)" They also required me to have an EKG and Pulmonary Function test prior to approval. I'd suggest you do both now, if you haven't already done so, just so you can submit the results with the predetermination paperwork. They're fairly easy to deal with so try not to worry too much. Good luck! ETA; I only paid $25.00 out of pocket for my surgery.

Hi, Gabbi. I just happen to have my list ready so I'll share what's on it for the next two weeks. Lean (97%) ground turkey (used for meatballs, chili, meatloaf, taco salad, stuffed bell peppers, etc) chicken breasts/legs Lean steaks Halibut Shrimp Tuna in Water Jimmy Dean turkey sausage links and patties Beans~ canned and dried (butter Beans, great northern, pinto) Lots of fresh and frozen veggies Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers (for stuffed peppers) Lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, green onion for salads Fruit ( I just get what looks good and I'm in the mood for. Last time I got blackberries, grapes, and bananas) eggs Skim milk Greek Yogurt (I use it like sour cream on potatoes when I have them) Babybel cheese~ several flavors. I love cheese! Cottage cheese~ low fat Ricotta cheese cornmeal mush Plain bread crumbs Cascadian Farm Organic granola (cinnamon and raisin) orange juice V-8 juice Adkins Advantage vanilla shakes The rest is just condiments and spices. Hope that helps!

While I agree that it is ultimately the alcoholic's responsibility to remain sober, it's helpful when you have a supportive spouse. It seems unrealistic, if not cruel, to expect an addict to stay strong early on in their sobriety when their spouse is routinely pouring a scotch night cap. I don't believe it's unreasonable to expect some support from those who live in the same house as you, especially in the early stages of this wl journey when we are still trying to break old habits and create new healthier ones. ETA; Thankfully we live in a rural area where there aren't any kids trick or treating. I love candy corn and I'm just glad I don't have to test my resolve this early on. =)

Congratulations, emeraldinthesky! Yep, I felt the same way. I'm about 3 weeks out and I never did experience any pain. I think we're among the lucky few.

I'm sorry you're experiencing so much pain. The first few days can be tough. If you haven't done so already, maybe you should call your Dr. and let him know the pain meds aren't helping and ask if there is something else they can suggest or prescribe. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

That seems very strange to me and not something I would be at all comfortable with. I feel we have a right and an obligation to be involved in our own health care.

My suggestion would be to follow your surgeons instructions as far as eating and drinking. My surgeon feels that a non-carbonated alcoholic beverage, on occasion, is fine, but does not recommend it on a regular basis for obvious reasons. Alcohol is addictive and it's unhealthy and unwise to drink to excess. Our limited space is better used for healthy, nutrient rich foods. Whether or not you'll be able to take pills after banding is fairly individualized. Some of us can, others can't. You'll just have to wait to see how you do and make a determination from there. Some of us, like myself, take chewables and liquids when we can as a precaution. I'm lucky enough that I don't have to take prescribed meds so I can get all of my Vitamins and otc pain reliever in chewables. Foods that may get stuck or cause you to slime or pb, again, are very individualized. Much of this is going to be trial and error. What may work for us now may not work later. And vice versa. After the liquid and mushy diet my Dr. suggests that we eat whatever our bands will allow at any given time. (obviously he isn't talking about junk foods) He stresses that what may not work now may work later so always go back and revisit later those foods that are giving us trouble now. Don't let these posts scare you. We all have our own experiences and not all are horrible. Some, like the original poster, will have a difficult recovery while others, like myself, experienced absolutely no pain following surgery. I'm two weeks out and feel great. Again, if you've done your homework and trust your surgeon, just follow his instructions and you should be fine. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

I know my adjustments are also covered for the first year in my surgeons initial fee. I think that's pretty standard. But double check and if it was to be covered then, as I said, I would insist that they stop billing my insurance or reimburse me that portion of your payment. And if she insists that he didn't get paid for the adjustments in that initial fee, and it was only extended as a courtesy, then I'd remind her of the definition of "courtesy". It isn't a professional courtesy if he is going to bill for that service! :thumbup:

I'm sorry, I misunderstood. I thought it said $30,000. So was that $3000 just the Dr's portion? I know my surgeon charged about $3000 for just his services and the hospital and anesthesiologist billed separately. All told the surgery was around $32,000. Either way, I have billed insurance for private practice for about 20 years and I can tell you very little is ever done as a true "courtesy". Most everything is either billed through insurance or through the patient. If you were told his fee covered adjustments for the first year, he should not be billing insurance and I would insist that they stop billing them or refund the adjustment fees included in that $3000 back to me.

Are you sure he's not billing for an office visit? If he is indeed billing for the band adjustment I'd certainly question it. I'd remind them that they were paid for those adjustments with my $30,000 payment. Call your insurance, or look at your EOB (explanation of benefits) and see how they are billing it. If they are billing adjustments to insurance, and they are covered benefits, then I'd say he is double dipping. In that case I'd ask for a refund for any fills you will receive in the first year. Let insurance cover it and put a few hundred bucks back in your pocket!

My surgeon recommends 1/2c 5-6 times a day during the mushy stage. I'm not going to say it keeps me full, but it does help knowing I only have to wait a couple hours between "meals" rather than 5 or 6 hours. Maybe you can talk to your Nut or doc about eating more often than 3x a day during this time.