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yes, it is possible, especially if you are restricting your carbohydrates. reference (not best article but I do not get most of my information on line): United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Nutrition for Everyone: Protein." Oct. 4, 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html>

Not really. The idea that we can only metabolize X grams of Protein at a time has been pretty much debunked. Just know that post surgery, you will have to really work up to and exceed your protein goals. You won't come out of surgery chunking down 60-100 grams of protein. ETA in answer to your question, just focus on protein. All I EVER Counted was protein, since the rule is PROTEIN FIRST, that should not be a problem. As your sleeve heals, you will realize more capacity and you'll be able to eat more things, but your sleeve only holds 4-6 oz of food at a time. It'll take you a while to build up to eating a lot of protein a day. At 18 months out I honestly just barely make my protein count everyday and some days I can only make it if I drink two shakes.

You have good questions but they are awfully broad for one post. Sort of like Banding 101: Past Present and Future. The best thing you can do is spend time reading and searching on this forum. Your questions have been discussed quite a bit before, and you can get a lot of good information. I'll add a couple brief responses. A BMI of 31 is pretty low for banding. It's not that you are "weak." There are too many reasons for being obese to just pin it all on personal weakness. The more pertinent question is, with a relatively small amount of weight to lose, does the risk-benefit analysis may start to shift away from banding. There are some risks to banding, and the usual line we have here is: Whatever the risks are, the risk you are taking by not losing weight is much greater due to heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. But in your case, this may not be true. It may not necessarily be in your best interest to get banded, from a strictly health perspective. And by the way, there are options for self-pay that are much lower than $24K. You should easily be able to get it done for half that or less. Check out some of the threads relating to affordable cost and you'll find good info. Still, people in your BMI range have gotten banded. You might want to check out a thread on here called "Lower BMI Bandsters." or something like that. I bet these issues have been discussed a lot. As for life being food-centric, I think that is true for most of us, fat or thin. When the band is working perfectly and you are in control of your situation and working with the band instead of against it, it is possible to enjoy most foods and participate in all the food oriented festivities. You just need to eat much smaller portions. If you have a habit of going out with your buddies for steak, and they are used to seeing you eat a 64 oz porterhouse, and all of a sudden, you are full after 4 oz, there is going to be some 'splainin' to do on one level or another. You can create a cover story, like, you are on a diet, or just tell all, or whatever. But it may be that friends and family will notice that your habits are changing. But that does not mean that you can't still participate in holidays and social life, etc. The bottom line is, life with the band is not about a lifetime of unfulfilled cravings and deprivation. The band is just a tool to help you get full and stay full on much smaller portions. Shortly after surgery, while you are healing, you may experience hunger for a few weeks. But once you are "up and running" with the band, you should not experience much hunger. So, this is just a small introduction. There is so much more to discuss, and so many other points of view from other people. If I were you, I would just start digging into past threads, and use the search function. And, this is not a criticism, but just a suggestion: when you do ask questions on the forum, try taking smaller bites. That way you can get more complete answers to specific questions. Good luck sorting it all out.

Hello all I'm new here. I was just sleeved on 10/04. So far I am doing okay. I have a lot of gas pain and am a bit sore. My surgeon wants us to drink 1-1.5 bottles of clear isopure a day and I can't even choke that stuff down without wanting to throw up. What else can I drink to get my protein in? Sent from my SM-N950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I would switch to the shakes. I was never able to drink any protein water. Every time I tried I would start to gag and didn't think throwing up would be good for my stomach. When I was where you are, I drank a lot of Herb Ox chicken broth. It was a lifesaver and I still drink it once in awhile. It's really good. And I never drank broth a day in my life before this surgery. No protein but maybe you can add some protein powder to it?

Many experience problems drinking protein shakes. I hated them. But in the beginning I drank them, three 16-ounce protein shakes a day, in order to meet my protein requirements. You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate. I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with water and a half a banana. That worked for me. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, you might try premixed Isopure. If you tried all the various varieties and still are unsuccessfully, then there is the fallback of fortified milk. 32 ounces of 1% milk fortified by adding 1 cup of dried milk provides 56 grams of protein. It also takes a dent out of meeting the fluid requirements. Mix up a pitcher and drink a little throughout the day. Without sufficient protein, your body will scavenge protein from other areas of your body, such as your muscles. Protein is extremely important after surgery as its job in the body is to build and maintain tissues including your body's major organs and skeletal muscles. Protein deficiency, when continued over a long period of time can cause a disease known as protein caloric malnutrition. Common symptoms are poor healing, fatigue, hair loss and muscle wasting. Immediate post op, protein promotes healing of the staple line and incisions.

If it’s just a matter of flavor, sadly, you may just have to water them down and drink a lot for a while. Post op instructions vary and we all survive. At almost 5 months out, I can tell you that everyone is different and you may have to mildly tweak things (using great caution) depending on what your body can tolerate. Example: I came out of surgery unable to tolerate whey AT ALL! My body would not contain it. It immediately flushed out any whey I put in it. I think you get the picture. So all of my Isopure Waters and shakes became poison. I had to use bone broth and plant based protein to meet my requirements until I could begin eating meat.

It's by champion nutrition. Those are my pre op shakes. Wondering how they taste. Thanks!

Welcome! I hear you on Protein shakes -- they are just so gross!! This board is a really great spot for getting support, venting or just learning more about what being banded is like. Congratulations on only being 8 days from band day! :thumbup: Best, Catherine

I am glad you are here. You will find lots of support and advice here. Hang in there on the Protein shakes. I am on my preop diet also, my surgery is Monday. It helps to mix it with nonfat skim instead of Water, and with berries, Peanut Butter etc... to make the taste a lttle better from time to time. But remember...it is only temporary, you won't have to be on liquids forever. And the end result is a new you (weight wise anyway). Keep us posted on your surgery and progress and come back to vent when necessary too. -kat

Are you getting enough protein? And push those fluids girl!

i had a low BMI of 36.6 and i was self pay. i wasn't always overweight. it wasn't until i was in my mid-20's that i started struggling. i have to be honest with you... this journey is HARD. had i known then what i know now... i might not have gone thru with it but let me explain. i did all the research but i thought i'd be okay with everything. i only needed to lose 75 pounds to get me to a normal BMI, so how hard could it be, right? they don't tell you about the struggles between the brain and the stomach. my stomach (and my band) tell me to stop eating after a few bites but my brain tells me to keep eating because it tastes SO good. if you listen to your band, you WILL lose weight but if you listen to your brain, you'll throw up. a lot. you have to learn to love your body and really respect the band. if i listen to my band i'm totally fine with my eating. it's when i listen to my brain that i run into problems. you also have to be aware that some foods that you LOVE might be foods you'll never eat again. i can no longer eat pizza or hamburger or bread of any kind. if i do, i throw up. have you tried everything possible to lose weight naturally? do you feel like this is your only option? think long and hard....

I had surgery 3 weeks ago. I am having a hard time getting all my Protein in. I eat grilled chicken and beef. I can't wait till i can eat a salad with grilled chicken on it. I need suggestions on recipe. Please

Don't be too anxious to try a salad. For one thing you will be only able to eat a tiny bit, and when I tried it I didn't make it to the bathroom. It was awful. I won't try lettuce for a very long time again. My surgeons office sells a really good Protein powder that comes in a variety of flavors. I love mixing them with sugar free pudding powder, lactaid milk, and frozen fruit. They make terrific smoothies and I even get some of the whipped cream in a squirt can and put a little of that on top. They are so thick with that pudding powder in them. You can find it on the web by googling Syntrax nectar, there are several sites that sell it. You can get a variety pack of all the flavors in a single serving. I would recommend that. But my favorites are the Lemon tea, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. I use frozen strawberries and blueberries and different flavors of the pudding powder to make lots of different combinations. Vanilla/Strawberry, Lemon/Blueberry, Chocolate/Bananna, etc... Other things I eat are Cottage cheese, the grilled chicken from KFC, lunchmeat with cream cheese and a little shredded cheddar wrapped around a pickle (Yum). HOpe this helps Lisa

I would suggest protein shakes or protein shots (it's like a little tube that has 42grams of protein in it)

The Ontario Psychological Association website has a "find a psychologist" feature. You can enter a number of parameters to narrow down the options. Good luck to you!

Do you mean long distance travel or just driving back and forth to the office? I was back to nursing 2 weeks after surgery, but made sure not to exceed my lifting restriction. I was driving my stick shift just fine. As long as you are not on narcotic pain meds you should be able to drive within a couple of weeks. Long distance, though, would be a more of a worry, because of blood clot risk. I wore compression stockings every day, started walking the day of surgery, and was up to 10,000 steps a day 2-3 weeks post op, and I STILL got a blood clot in my leg! Eating was not a problem right away, as it is mostly broths and protein shakes at first. However, several months down the road, I cannot take "real" food to work because i can't eat it with my half hour lunch break. So I take a protein shake or soup - something easy to slide down.

We went to our neighbors house last night and they made a paella dish; mix of all types of meats with rice; more like a seafood dish- I had already had dinner prior to going as I didn't know they'd be serving dinner; But it was so hard!! I didn't want to be rude and not eat this delicacy our friend took his time to make... So I ended up just eating and picking at all the meat on the plate- I had 4 chicken dumplings with 2 shrimp 1 oyster and was stuffed- Maybe I shouldn't feel so bad- I stuck with my Protein only but this was the first day I ate more than usual; How do you deal with these situations!? Any comforting words appreciated!

Congrats on your upcoming surgery! If truth be told, I bet each one of us had thoughts similiar to your going through our heads b/4 surgery. I wanted this surgery so desperately, and to this day I am so thankful that somehow I made the choice I made and had the surgery. I owe a large portion of my success on determination ... I was determined not to fail, I knew this is it....this was my last option and I needed to do it. Make your mind up on what you want, make your mind up that this is going to turn your life around and lead you on the path you want to take for a healthier you..... If you have the determination and drive to to this...and you follow doctors advise, you will succeed... It is hard, you will be tempted to stray...but stay strong until you reach goal!!! Good Luck

I'm heading in for appointment number 1 today. I've got my binder all ready to go. They are going to think I'm a nut. It has the notes I took during my information session via webinar; a calendar for the several date options I would like to consider based on my teaching schedule (April, May, July); my documentation proof of 6 months of supervised diets as required by my insurance; copies of recent blood work and EKGs from my recent gallbladder surgery; pages of stuff I've found on this site and most importantly my list of questions for today. I've been thinking about WLS since 2004 when my then 60 year old mother had her bypass. I was heavy, but not heavy enough. I can remember joking with my PCP about being more than capable of gaining a few more pounds to qualify. But at the time I was working for United Airlines and our insurance policy specifically excluded all kinds of WLS. So I never actually thought I would be walking into a surgeon's office for this discussion. I retired from United and gained 35 pounds over the 10 years- neither of which I thought would happen. I'm a life long dieter. Diet pills in high school when I weighed 140lbs; Weight Watchers in college dropping from 160 to 140; Jenny Craig, many attempts at WW, South Beach, Atkins and most recently Ideal Protein. I even took Redux in the FenFen era. I have really good BCBS insurance now. Unfortunately I pay a fortune for it because my husband lost his job and we pay cobra. But since the payment is as big as the mortgage, I figured I should take advantage of it while I have it. The requirements for approval are surprisingly few- Be 18, have a BMI of 40 or 35 with co-morbid conditions; complete a psychological examination and participate in either a 6 month structured diet program or 2 three month consecutive programs. I'm 48. My BMI is 42. I did WW for 7 months in 2013 and Ideal Protein via my cardiologist for 9 weeks. I take BP medicine, a low dose aspirin, and a nitrate to reduce chest pains caused by a totally blocked small artery in my heart. So with the exception of the pysch eval- I'm already done with my requirements. It was a comment during a snow storm this winter that was really my light bulb moment. My 17 year old and husband headed out to sled one day and my daughter made a comment that broke my heart- She said "Mom, have you ever gone sledding with us? I can't remember even one time" OUCH! The truth hurts. I haven't done anything with my kids over the last 10 years and now they are all grown up. (17 & 20) I don't think my daughter ever understood because she was very heavy but never slowed down. I think she just thought I didn't want to do anything with them. Breaks my heart and I need to change that by being active with them moving forward. I want the 4 of us to do a Mud run kind of thing or ride the roller coasters at Cedar Point with them. (side note: my daughter stayed on WW and lost 65lbs in 2013 unlike the hubby and I who weigh more now) I have enjoyed lurking on these boards for the past view weeks and look forward to taking the plunge with all of you. Happy Friday!!! Amy

Thats what i've heard as well... Just wing it afterwards... or hope you like what you buy.... Im goimng to buy a sample pack of protein mix up front.

What the heck? I am nearly three months out. I have struggled since surgery to eat. It's not painful, it's just unappealing. I have no hunger, I have no desire to eat and I am generally repulsed by food. Except during PMS, of course. That's the only time I want to eat, and the only time I ever feel anything resembling hunger. Lately, whenever I drink my chai latte Protein drink, or have anything else with dairy, I experience very uncomfortable and unpleasant side effects. It happens with milk, cottage cheese and even yogurt. Some things simply make me feel nauseated, but other things make me incredibly sick. I even tried mixing my Protein powder with Water to see if I could avoid the issues, but THAT makes me sick, too. I tried switching my milk to Lactaid, since I had to do that during my pregnancy, but even that makes me feel sick. Speaking of pregnancy, I'd almost believe I was pregnant by the way I feel nauseated all day if I eat dairy in the morning. But I'm not - I swear. I'm at a point where after eating one small meatball I'm done. I feel disgusted by food and it's incredibly difficult to eat enough calories. I really think that my frequent lapses into the under 500 calorie zone (and I'm often under 400) is partly why I'm such a slow loser. I can make it all the way to dinner time and never eat a single bite or drink a Protein Drink, and I only eat at that point because my sleeve is empty and the acid starts to bother me. I like string cheese and beef Jerky but I struggle to get a stick of cheese or a few pieces of jerky in, too. My big help was the protein drink, but now it seems that isn't an option. I'm also about to move to a country where string cheese and beef jerky are not going to be food options. I'm planning to order some cases online and ship them but there will be a period where I'll simply be without. I can hand carry some while we're traveling but I don't know that living on jerky is a great idea. What am I going to eat now? I really need ideas and advice. Everything makes me feel sick - either physically, or mentally. I'm never going to drop this weight or be healthy if I can't eat. If it helps, we avoid pork and shellfish completely, so those aren't possibilities. I'd appreciate any ideas. Maybe there's something I can take to make the milk not bother me as much? ~Cheri

@IcanMakeit Thank-you for your thoughts! I use MyFitnessPal everyday so I can see if I'm off track on calories and I haven't been. I just felt like a 5 pound gain in swelling seemed excessive and since I had recently changed my diet a lot to add in more Protein and less junk, which I still eat the same amount of calories- around 1200, it was frustrating to have gained. My back is currently oozing out Fluid, which is disgusting, but hopefully you're right and the fluid retention is a big part of the problem. I see my scale go up and I'm terrified I'm going to get fat again. Before the sleeve I never had a problem losing weight, but I would literally get to a low weight and almost immediately gain it all back. I'm so hypervigilant about it now because I know how hard it was to lose the last little bit of weight and I don't want to do that again. I also like being normal sized, so a few numbers up on the scale, and I really get stressed.

So I'm still waiting to get approved all my paperwork was sent on the 22nd. I'm scared though because my Insurance runs out on the 31st but then my parents are covering me.. since I'm not 26( only 22) yet I get free insurance under my parents. Its the same BCBS but it's a tad bit different but while I'm in limbo they have me two different packets one for the Lap-Band & one for the Realize band? I was looking over the paperwork and can't tell what is the difference.. and also what did you choose? Where you given a option? Why did you pick on or the other.. what is the difference?

Today I am racking my nerves for this apt. I have already been through this process before and was denied so doing it again it has been hard to deal with. Mentally its hard to stay positive about it. BUT today I will sign my consent for surgery and I already have my day booked. I just hope things go well. So with this apt I am debating buying my vitamins today. How many of you started your vitamins prior to surgery? I will talk to him about this today but don't know if it is really necessary to get them now or at my post op visit. My shipment of my protein came yesterday and that was the first thing for surgery and life after that I have purchased. Exciting to see that box. Its getting real.