Metime

This book has been recommended here before. Going to have to go look for it now.

What a great article. Maybe it's politically incorrect, but I sent this along to my Dr. as he was having trouble explaining to me why the band works if the food is not above the band for hours. I even put this on paper and will carry this around to remind myself. Thanks for posting it Melissande!

I know I am going in a week before surgery to meet the anathesiologist and take ekg and bloodwork. If a whole group is coming in a the same time, maybe that is why it takes so long? After that hospital visit i have to go to my doctors office for a visit with him to go over all the previous test results (blood work, phych eval, nut eval, sleep study etc) and he'll talk about the surgery itself. Maybe it is similar?

Great job to those that have gotten through surgery! Good luck to those that have surgery soon! Mine is the 25th, so I start my 10 day liquid diet on Saturday. Mmm! I've found I'm obsessed with this darn website the closer I come to the date! Can't wait to get this started! Nicole

chicken broth, beef broth, Water, any liquid you can see through really. Nothing solid, so the cottage cheese and yogurt is out. Milk or other drinks you can't see through are also out.

So as everyone else that is "pre op" I'm very nervous about the diet plan. I'm big on preparing and making lists so this is my sample pre-op diet menu. I will be on this for 10 days, so it will likely change up, but this will generally be what I do. As I know alot of people as, I thought I'd share Breakfast 6 oz yogurt (Chobani) Tea w/ff milk and equal Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar added) Snack – sugar free Jello lunch chicken broth ½ cup non fat cottage cheese Sugar Free Jello/popsicle Snack – Carnation Instant Breakfast dinner Beef broth ½ cup fat free cottage cheese Sugar free jello Carnation Instant Breakfast (maybe frozen for a pseudo ice cream?) I will try to use the drinks like sugar free tang, crystal light, diet soda for stomach fillers. I have no limits on the broth or diet drinks so I'll use those to fill up so I don't feel so hungry. I'll be sloshing around like crazy on this diet!!

New England...not Connecticut however, sorry! I'm in MA.

Nothing to add as I'm having surgery on the same day as you, but just wanted to give my encouragement. I think each of us wonders if this is truely worth it. With so many bandsters saying it is based on their experience, I really think it is going to be. Every thing good in life has its risks, this is just one more. The nice thing about the band is if it is not right for you, you can reverse the process. I'm nervous too! But also can't wait to get this going!

Was just on the Syntrax site and they have the following: Due to a manufacturing error, we have Nectar™ Lattes Grab N’ Go packets that are under filled by 1–3 grams. Our loss is your gain, as we are offering these packets at a discounted rate of $0.75 each and with free shipping with a purchase of 50 or more packets. Supplies are limited to quanitites on hand; once they’re gone, so is this deal. For further details or different quantities than those provided online, call 1-866-333-7403. Comes out to $37 ish for 50 packets. I know you said you liked them, so thought I'd share.

The treadmill is BORING! You need to find something that is fun to you. I hated and would not touch my treadmill. My husband started me on a circuit training, I loved it so I kept at it. Some people its things like kick boxing or DVD's. For exercise if you dont like the treadmill then dont do it. Find something else. For your eating...you need to work around the limitations. If you eat in the car, start asking people for recipes that can be held in your hand. Like a few slices of turkey mean wrapped around some FF cream cheese. Or some other hand held options. So many people here that are incredibly innovative on recipes. If you are a meat and potatoes gal, then make some thing that uses potato as a binder and put some slivers of meat in it, then fry it in olive oil and eat a "potato pancake". The motivation you need is how to work around life. We all have our excuses, I have plenty! We just need to put our heads into the game and figure out a way to get around it. Stick to your Water regime for a full week, then go to the store and buy yourself a cool cup that you can use for water from that point forward. Make that your water "prize". For exercise, if there is a DVD you really want, then exercise (20 min a day for a start, 3-4x per week no more or you will burn out!!) for a full week and then go buy it as your "prize". This is "head hunger" in a big way. Or maybe better put "Head Sabotage". Time to use our heads for resolving problems instead of coming up with excuses. Good luck. You CAN do this. Nicole

Congrats Renee!!

Hmm, so I found out yesterday that while they scheduled my appointment I wasn't actually approved by the insurance yet. They were waiting on my psych appt which was yesterday. Now they can submit this to the insurance. The psych appt was ....interesting. Went through my whole childhood history, which makes me nervous, then he makes comments like "Hmm, you haven't really had much stability in your life" Oh dear, is that going to be my downfall? Other comments like "Hmm, looks like you feel that learning is not an important thing for you" Really?! I loved school growing up, I loved learning new things. I still do. Oh dear again. So I'm starting to think of all my arguments on why I need this surgery. All the reasons he wants to hear so that he will give me the green light. I mean this is the last appt I had before they submit paperwork for approval!! then he says "Hmm, you are a VERY good candidate for surgery. You learned very early that if you want something done, you must do it yourself. You know how to work hard" I'm thinking Ok, how am I going to counter that....wait...what?!? Oh he said I'm GOOD!! Yay! So excited, had to sit on my hands so I woudn't force a handshake and run for the door before he changed his mind. Now is the waiting game. Luckily I have BCBS and they are easy so my fingers are crossed!

hair loss can happen with Vitamin deficiencies. I would talk to your surgeon or nutritionist and get a recommended supplement that you can take if you are having this issue. I read an article that stated it was related to B12 deficiency. Hope this helps. Nicole

have your doctor look at the co morbidities. Sleep Apnea is a co morbidity, most people that have it don't realize they have it. There may be others like it that you have but have never been diagnosed for. Ask your primary care, there may be something they can do in that area.

Hi All, I'd like to join this "band" wagon! I get banded on Jan. 25. I have Blue Cross so the insurance was pretty easy. In fact I have not heard anything about it at all. The doctors office loves to work with them as I guess they are the "gold standard" as they put it. My 10 day pre op diet is coming on the 15th and I'm so so so nervous about it. The nutritionist (Nut) has said that I must have 3 servings of milk, yogurt or cottage cheese (or ricotta, but no thanks!), and 1-3 shakes (going to try Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar added kind) this week) per day, otherwise its broth, crystal light, sugar free soda, popsicles jello etc. Oh boy. I think I'm going to buy a big back of ice to chew on so I can chew on something!! I have an appointment with the pych on Thursday and my final appt with the doctor to go over all the results on the 19th, then surgery on the 25th! I have an ok support system. My husband would support me in anything, but he's extremely worried about "surgery". Thinks that if I would just work out more, harder, longer, whatever I could do this on my own. So that makes it a bit harder. "I support you, but I think your making a mistake" is not really support. So I'll probably be here getting my support. So nervous!! Nicole

Yay! Me too me too! We share a surgery date. I'm so nervous and excited all at the same time! Mostly nervous about the pre-op diet. Good lord 10 days of liquid only?! I have spreadsheet created to help me remember what I "have" to "eat" and what I can eat/drink at any time. I plan to put a rubber band around my wrist and any time I feel like cheating I'll snap the rubberband. OUCH! But it helps me break from the almost obsessive need to eat. January 25. Here we come!

Ask your doc, quick call to the office to ask. But honestly, you won't be standing in the cold with your belly exposed, you will be covered up with a coat I assume, scarf, gloves etc, so your core temp of your body will be pretty static, your ears may be cold, but your core body temp won't be that affected. I would think the standing may be more of a concern for that period of time, rather than the cold. I'd ask though, just to make sure. Nicole

Per my DH who swears by this, it takes 3 weeks to form a habit. Force yourself to take your Vitamin every day at the same time, from the same spot. For example, put the bottle next to your toothbrush, then as soon as you finish brushing, take your vitamin. Try very hard for 3 weeks to not forget. Mark it off your calendar, or set an alarm or put a post it on your mirror for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks it will become a habit and less hard to do. One habit at a time. Start with something simple like your vitamin. Then move to the next one. 3 weeks per habit. Hope that helps.

Usually a stall like that could be due to too FEW calories. What does your normal day of food look like?

Any way to get these recipes after all this time? I've read the blogs about how good these are and in my planning stage want all these yummy recipes! Thanks for posting! (all I see is a note from photo bucket that the images is removed?)