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I haven't had any gas pains yet. I took a Gas-X chewable about 4 times a day throughout the first two weeks. I haven't taken any for the past week or so and I've been fine. I eat slowly and sip my drinks to avoid swallowing too much air.

Today’s new mushy concoction was ½ a can of chicken with about ¼ of canned zucchini and tomato sauce, topped with a tiny sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It was just like having real food! VABandster—I’m in Newport News down in the Hampton Roads area! SmithKR—I hope you feel better soon! :sick Ground-up Vienna sausages! EWWWW! I can’t even look at those little things in the store (they look like chopped off fingers to me—I’ve been watching too many episodes of CSI). I wonder what they’re actually made of? Thanks so much for the laugh! jillrn—Are your clothes fitting any differently? Maybe you are gaining lean muscle and losing fat?? I got back into a pair of size 20 knit pants I haven’t worn for a while today. I’m going to try to avoid the scale until I go to each doctor’s appointment. If you are sticking to the eating guidelines your doctor gave you, drinking your Water, and getting some exercise, you should be okay. Obviously, you should check with your doctor and get bloodwork done if you need to make sure your thyroid isn’t out of whack. I had mine tested about a year ago and it was fine. beversman—You can’t control other people’s reactions. We can only control ourselves (barely?). We just need to stick to being positive and supportive, no matter what thread we’re posting on. That is what’s most important, isn’t it? I think I’ve finally got the separation of eating and drinking down pat. It’s very weird and hard to get used to! I eat Breakfast (15 g protein), wait for 2 hours, and then sip on 32 ounces of water. Once I’m done drinking, I wait about 30 minutes before having my next “meal” of 15 more grams of Protein. Two hours after lunch, I sip on 32 more ounces of water and wait a half hour before my snack (15 g protein). Two hours later, I have “supper.” Two hours after supper, I’ve been having something “liquid,” such as a sugar-free popsicle or Jello. Now I just need to get exercising built in to my weekly schedule…sigh!

I don't have too much time to write today, but I wanted to welcome all of the new December bandsters! I hope your surgeries went smoothly and that you are all on the mend! The liquid phase is the pits, no doubt, but it's gotta be done so your tummy can heal. Don't forget to take some Gas-X if you start getting pains in your chest!

I can’t believe what a gorgeous day it was here in Virginia today! We had all of the doors and windows open and its JANUARY! Unfortunately, the day was spent flogging my child so he’d get through yet another research paper for English class. Will he ever be out of school? Will I survive until then? VABandster—What willpower to resist a burger and fries! I haven’t dared go into one of those fast-food places yet. I did order a pizza for my son last night, but I didn’t eat any of it! Beversman—Great job on using your elliptical! You’re already into size 18s?? Cool!!! Dawnae—I’m a short one, too! I’m only 5’4”. My doctor did not give me a goal weight yet either. I just wrote 120 on my ticker because it’s on the weight charts as the weight to be for my height. I don’t really think I’ll ever see THAT number again though! I’ve got a couple of size 8 suits up to a couple 24s in my closet! Loved the “tastes like flavored sheet rock” comment (about the protein drinks). Too funny! Bandiva—You went down TWO uniform sizes! Fantastic! That ground chicken taco concoction sounds really good!!! Great job exercising, too! You are on a roll!

My doctor said to eat four "meals" of 15 grams of mushy Protein (scrambled eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, etc.) first. If that goes down well, I can have something else with each meal, such as mashed veggies or fruits. Carbs like mashed potatoes are last if I have room left. Sugars have to stay below 8 grams per day and the foods I choose to eat have to be low fat. I can't drink liquids 30 minutes before eating or until 2 hours after eating to avoid flushing the food down before I feel full. I haven't had any problems with hunger at all since I was banded. My liquid diet required 90 grams of protein per day and I did not get hungry in between. I truly believe that the protein intake is the key!

My doctor's office provided extensive education classes and materials so we would know exactly what to do to be successful. It does seem that some folks have been left to their own devices. The Lap-band manufacturer website has some information as well...

not being afraid to get on the scale at my two week post-op appointment!

Go to one of the websites to create your ticker, such as TickerFactory.com. Follow the directions they give you. When your ticker is made, you can right click on it and select "Copy." Paste the ticker into your signature space. I'm sure there are other ways to get it done, but that has worked for me!

Right now I miss crunchy vegetables, diet coke, and ice cream!

I had a ½ a can of BumbleBee salmon tonight with about a teaspoon of cocktail sauce and tartar sauce mixed in. Quite yummy! :lick KayDotRn—I wish my butt looked like yours! :laugh Great job on getting to the gym. I agree with you that once you start exercising it’ll become a habit. That’s how I’m feeling about the new diet. I’m trying hard to stick to it like glue so it will become a habit! Nathalie—happily, I have NO idea why people thought you were awful…I must have slipped into a coma and missed something! Well, the one good thing about eating sweet potato pie is all that beta-carotene! :doh: Dawnae—I tried a similar recipe with the FF refried beans! It was pure heaven! Mystique32—you’ll get exercising soon! One baby step at a time! :baby: Sweethot143—It sounds like you’re on the right track with the shopping you’ve done! I bet our bodies are kind of shell-shocked after the weird diet we’ve been on, going through surgery, etc. I bet the weight loss will pick up again soon. Sometimes you have to “readjust” to the new weight before you go down again. Hang in there! Remember that we ALL can choose to rationalize that cheesecake is a "mushy" food, but we must resist! Have a FANTASTIC weekend!

That must have been such a good feeling!!!!

I just had my two-week check up, and have lost 16 pounds so far. I'm sure this will slow now that I am eating mushy foods.

Hang on! Be sure you're getting enough protein in--it'll help you not be so hungry. My doc advised 15 grams of mushy protein four times a day (scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, canned chicken, etc.). If you have room after that, you can have mushy fruits and veggies. Carbs were on the bottom rung of the ladder. Hope this helps!

First chance I've had to post since we've moved to our new "home." I had my 2-week check up on Wednesday, January 3rd. I've lost 16 pounds so far! :whoo: I've been cleared to do any kind of exercise I want. If it hurts, I should stop. Sounds reasonable to me! My new "mushy" eating plan for the next two weeks is pretty simple. The doctor called it "four squares a day." Naturally, this is NOTHING in the neighborhood of what I was used to before banding! :hungry: I have to eat 15 grams of mushy Protein four times per day (60 grams in all). Things like scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, etc. After eating the protein at each meal, I can have mushy veggies and fruits, and some starches like mashed potatoes if there's any room left! Carbs are on the bottom of the list. I can't drink anything 30 minutes before I eat or until 2 hours after I eat. I have to keep sugars below 8 grams per day. I've been keeping a simple food log since the surgery in a small composition notebook (mainly because I can't remember anything)! :omg: So far, I haven't really been hungry at all between meals. It is totally bizarre. I don't think that's ever happened to me before in my entire life and I haven't even had one fill yet (1st one in four weeks)! "Real" food was SO yummy! You would have thought I died and went to heaven just because I got to eat some tuna fish! How twisted is that? :noidea: I even went out to Panera Bread for lunch with a couple colleagues today. I had already eaten my "lunch", so I actually made a good choice for once and ordered a bowl of french onion Soup without the bread, the cheese, or the side order. It was really good--now I want to know what spices they put in it! I didn't pack my "I had lapband surgery" card in my wallet yet. They must have thought I was a total weirdo! :loco: dawnae--good luck with your appointment! I hope you get a BIG weight-loss surprise! all mamas--my boy was 3 1/2 to the day when he decided to become potty trained. Oy! StephC--great job getting on the old treadmill!!!! :clap2: sweethot143--Hang in there! You gotta keep in mind that you have little ones to run you ragged, too! My 14-year-old is a pain sometimes, but at least I can tell him to go away sometimes! Like I said, I've been just handwriting the food (protein grams) and liquids (oz.) in a notebook--nothing complicated or fancy. I pack a lunchbag with small containers that have my food for lunch and a mid-afternoon snack that are already measured out and a couple bottles of Water. I set it up the night before and just grab it in the morning after Breakfast on the way to work because I'm always in a rush. I don't know if you'd have the time to do that at night though, between baths and bedtimes with the kiddos. Just trying to think of something simple that might help you out...I'll keep thinking!

ene-if you take in enough protein every day your energy will come back. Some folks were required to take in 40 grams; others have posted 60 grams. As for me, my doctor recommends 90 grams per day.

That's a terrific idea! We gotta do whatever we can to make our food more interesting!

Try taking one chewable Gas-X tablet with each "meal." I haven't had any gas pains at all yet. As far as feeling weak, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck until about day 4 or 5 due to the effects of the anesthesia. Make sure you're getting enough Protein each day to keep up your energy. I make protein and Fluid intake my two main priorities. I'm back to work and feeling like I have my usual level of energy now.

Mine--See if you can find anything with simethicone in it--it's some beautiful stuff!!! I haven't had any pains yet! Talk to your doctor if you can't get any relief... Gonnabeskinny--stop getting on the scale! You're going to drive yourself crazy! Just eat the right things, exercise, and nature will take it's course! Remember that it's all about healing up your cute little stomach at this point and not about losing the pounds yet. Keep in mind that you haven't even had a fill yet. You can do this and you will reach your goal! Hang in there!

I'm 2 weeks post-op, too! You already lost 15 pounds! That's fantastic--keep it up! I'll find out how much I've lost at the doctor tomorrow (I refuse to get on my scale at home--don't want to become obsessed)!

I chose banding mainly because it makes you feel full faster which is what I need the most without rearranging all of your insides. I needed a fairly quick recovery time because of my life style and I was glad that the procedure is reversible in case of complications. That's about it for me!

Fourteen days of liquids for me. Hopefully on to mushies tomorrow--we'll see what the doctor has to say!

I added about two kitchen spoons full (tablespoon size) to my protein shake mix in 10 ounces of water. You have to kind of experiment with it. I have enjoyed the banana flavored pudding in my shakes the most so far.

You go girl! I'm so happy for you! Don't forget that a tummy tuck and boob lift will take off a few more pounds, too!

As long as I sip, I can drink just fine so far!

CONGRATULATIONS! You have done such an amazing job! Keep up the good work!