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Hey everyone! I was banded on Wednesday, so today I am 3 days post op. Since the surgery, I have had a constant tightness in my chest and back, and if I walk for too long, I end up having to take a painkiller. I keep telling myself it's just gas, but my surgeon said that should have stopped by day two. If that's the case, what the heck is this horrible "tight" feeling? Another problem I am having is I don't know when I am full. I am on a full liquid diet, and it seems like I can drink and drink and drink, and never get that full feeling. I am drinking soups, yogurts, jellos etc, shouldn't that be filling me up? Ok one more question! My surgeon told me he fixed my hiatal hernia that was causing my heartburn, so does that mean that eventually I wont have to take protonix anymore? I'm still really sore, and the pain in my back is almost overwhelming. I have been sitting down for an hour now, and I can still feel it. I just wish I knew what it was. My surgeon seems like somewhat of a jerk, as he laughed at my questions after I got out of surgery. I wanted to say, "well if you had told me these things beforehand, I wouldn't have to ask you now." There are just some things that make me nervous about my surgeon 1) He says I can take all my pills (9 total) at the same time and not have to worry about anything. Some of them are horse sized and he said I don't even have to break them in half. 2) He has had me on a full liquid diet from day 1, not low fat, not sugar free, but a FULL whatever I want liquid diet. 3) I told him I was having gas pains still yesterday, and he acted like I was exaggerating, and told me they should have been gone already. Didn't want to send me home with painkillers either! 4) My stomach is still incredibly swollen. I look like I swallowed a watermelon vertically. I'm fat to begin with, but this is crazy, I don't even fit in comfy pants, LOL, I look like an obese, pregnant person who swallowed a watermelon. I would just feel a WHOLE lot better knowing that someone else has experienced these things, and if not, I'd like to know that too so I can hunt down my surgeon and make him give me some answers! Thanks is advance to you all, I really appreciate it!

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this? I tend to stay constipated alot. This past weekend was worse than ever. I usually take a Correctol pill every couple of days if I have not had a BM. This weekend I decided to skip the Correctol because I was going out of town and did not want to have to worry about bathroom stops along the way for that. Bad decision. At any rate, I noticed by Sunday that foods were going down a little slower than usual and by Monday not even yogurt and apple sauce would stay down. It has been almost 6 weeks since my last fill so I figured it was not due to that. I am not having sinus or cold issues (I have noticed that I get increased restriction with that). I took a Correctol Sunday night and Monday. After they worked, my too tight restriction went away. Any one ever noticed this happening to them or am I just a fluke??

I could just kiss you all. I feel so much better!!!!!! :kiss I guess I thought all of this time things would be easy...Since I could noly eat so little....why not eat what I want and enjoy it?? Maybe my way of thinking has been all screwed up! I really was under the impression that I did not have to diet......well I now know that I must hold myself accountable for everything I do and eat!!!!!!!!! I do better on the weekdays with my eating. I normally do a couple of bites of Yogurt, or cottage cheese and a juice of Frappacino in the bottle. lunch, fast food......but like less than half....Dinner what ever is cooked...smaller portions....I got this band thinking and hoping that I could eat "normal" If there is every a thing......I did not realized that I still needed to be conscious. Now I am more in a panic!!!!! If possible. please anyone out there give me some of your typical days intake....that will give me an idea on how I can change my eating behaviour....As I am typing this I am going to send out an email to my friend and invite her to walk........that will hold me accountable....I know she'll say yes...if not, I'll walk alone. I am also going to crack open a bottled of Water and MAKE myself finish it by bed time....small steps....thanks everyone for the advice. I am going to use it wisely...I am going to post on the board asking for menu ideas! I feel so much better!!!!! Birdee!:banana

Hi Bandded, I was banded June 4, 2008. Look at it this way . . . 5 pounds is 5 pounds and it's 5 pounds less than you weighed before. Have you ever SEEN the volume of 5 pounds of fat? They used to show us what 5 pounds of fat looked like at the old Jenny Craig meetings. It's actually quite significant. I've lost a fairly significant amount of weight, but some of that was pre-op preparation, some was the actual pre-op liquid diet, and then my doctor had a very conservative and strict post-op liquid diet that I HATED at the time, but I did it, I survived, and it really helped my weight loss. I noticed that some people that were allowed mushies a lot sooner than I did noticed a slower pace to their loss because it's hard to find protein-filled mushies. I am also on a mission. I workout like a madwoman and I log every morsel of food into thedailyplate.com. Now, some people will say that the band is supposed to eliminate the whole "on a diet" mentality . . . but for me, it is just easier to endure when it goes faster and when I can make it my mission in life to lose the weight. I didn't want to wait to get to my sweet spot. I didn't want to wait for my 3rd or 4th fill. I wanted the weight off NOW. So, I stick to 1200 calories a day, most of them Protein filled. I exercise for AT LEAST 50 minutes a day if not more. I'm also really careful to recognize that yogurts and smoothies go down a lot easier than chicken . . . so I'm VERY careful about that stuff. But how has it been going for you? Are you exercising? Have you had any fills? I think getting the fills is crucial. I've only had one, but my doc was quite aggressive. I had 2 ccs at surgery time and he added 3 ccs (in a 10cc band) in July. I think I get .5 ccs at my next apptmt. Oh, and to clarify, I am 5'7", my starting weight was 263, on the day of surgery I was 247, and I'm down to 217.5 as of today.

OMG, I finally went out of my element (only Yoplait yogurt) and tried Chobani Pineapple Yogurt. It was good without Splenda, but GREAT with 2 packs of Splenda. I am glad I tried it!! Now I will try some other flavors by Chobani.

My nutritionist told me to add a little bit of honey into the yogurt or get a honey flavored yogurt.

Fage is my favorite Greek yogurt!!! The non-fat is great and they have flavored fat-free with honey, blueberry, strawberry, pomegranate and some new tropical type flavors.

Any meat, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese...these things are all high in Protein. Not so much the fruits, which are typically high in sugar.

Great timing for me to have an infected tooth! Last week I lost about 3 pounds on the preop...then over the weekend when my tooth got infected and I couldn't eat anything cause the action of opening my mouth sent me into MAJOR pain..I dropped 10 lbs. Pretty dang AWESOME! Then I had my tooth extracted on Monday and the oral surgeon told me to eat soups, yogurt and generally follow a liquid diet...I started laughing and said...no problem...I have been for the last week anyways...I then told him that I was having WLS next week and he smiled and said good for you! The infected tooth is helping me stick to my diet...not the best NSV ever...but it's pretty awesome...

I saw the dietitian today and I thought I might share the type of diet she is putting me on before and after. For those of you who like natural, not processed foods this is a good one. Before Breakfast 1.5dl of milk (2% is fine but 1% or skim is better) or 1 light yogurt 1 piece of bread about 25g (any type of wheat, or grains type as long as it isn't a cake type of bread) may have light cheese, fresh cheese, butter(1/2 tb), or a slice of ham/turkey/chicken to put on the bread (may toast if you like) (don't mix meat and cheese, choose either meat OR cheese) Mid morning snack 1 piece of fruit (medium sized apple, 8 strawberries, slice of melon etc.) 1/2 piece of bread or 4 crackers (saltine) (you must always eat a piece of bread or crackers after eating fruit. It helps absorb the fructose in the fruit before your body does.) lunch 2.5dl of vegetable Soup (see my thread on Portuguese vegetable Soups eggs 2 small potatoes or 3 soup spoons of rice or 3 soup spoons of Pasta (cooked) salad (as much as you like, olive oil and vinegar dressing or light low fat dressing) Mid afternoon snack 1 light yogurt 1 piece of fruit 1/2 piece of bread or 4 crackers dinner You can do a repeat of lunch here, or 1 bowl of soup (vegetable not chicken noodle or something) 1 bread or 4 crackers 1 slice of cheese, or fresh cheese, or ham or butter. Just before bed 2dl of milk or 1 light yogurt Conversions: 1 cup = 2.37dl 1 oz = 28.35g 1 fl oz = 29.6ml Drink Water, or tea, or fresh squeezed fruit juice. She said you can put sugar substitutes in the drinks. *no more then 2 eggs per week After 1º phase +-15/30 days liquids between 50 to 100ml for each meal Eat at least once every 2 hours Only eat things that go through a straw May eat any of the following: liquid yogurts (full fat), milk (2%), soups that contain no fibrous vegetables and that have been completely liquefied, natural fruit juices with no pulp, and 2 nutritional supplements called Fantomalk and Protifar (one is for carbs the other is protein) May NOT eat:sugar, any thing fibrous, anything solid 2º phase +-15 days Mushies +-100 ml for each meal Eat at least once ever 2 hours 3º phase +- 1 month solid food Chew VERY well Select food that you can tolerate well and don't force those foods that you cant. Pay attention to the quantity you can eat at each meal. Eat at least once every 2 hours 4º phase 2 to 3 months after surgery Solid foods Chew VERY well Eat at least once every 2 hours Introduce almost all of your normal foods (the types of food on the pre diet) Try not to at thing very fibrous or of a fibrous consistency Enjoy and message me if you have any questions or if something isn't clear.

Map out your day, once banded, and you will be able to lose. I do not follow all rules of the band (I eat about every two waking hours), but I still lose. Your schedule will differ from mine, but the concept is the same: Know what you are going to eat the day before you eat it and stick with that. Here is a sample schedule from my day: 5:20 - out of bed, drink a sugar-free Red Bull 5:40 - on bike 6:40 - end of ride, time for a shower 7:14 - Drop son off at school and begin commute - Eat a Quaker Oats Breakfast cookie and bottle of Water 8:30 - Arrive at work, with meals in small cooler type lunchbox 8:45 - Eat one yogurt and one sugar free pudding - bottle of water 30 min after 10:30 - eat Clif bar - water 30 min after 11:50 - lunch - tuna salad and Soup 2:00 - Yogurt and sugar free pudding bottle of water 30 min after 3:30 - Red Bull - time to wake up. 5:00 - Start commute to gym - eat a Clif Bar and drink bottle of water on way 6:00 - arrive at gym 7:30 - leave gym 7:45 - arrive home and have some type of fruit and water...if it is a cheat day I may have a little full-fat, full sugar ice cream...moderation is key - never buy more than a pint at a time, then tell yourself not to finish off the pint that week. :cool2: In bed by 10:00 - non-essential chores get done on weekends.

early on - i really limited my carbs and i'm not sure if that's why i was a slow loser in the beginning or i was just lucky:rolleyes: i try to cook as many meals possible on sundays & have my house fully stocked w/good Snacks, fruits & veggies to pick on. i found if it's not in the house - i don't eat the crap (husband is also banded). till this day i still eat off a salad plate, it more than holds all i need to eat to keep me satisfied..... i really eat what i'm in the mood for these days - for example: breakfast - WW toast w/cream cheese & smoked salmon / tomato, hummus & veggies, organic waffle w/peanut butter, greek yogurt w/fiber one Cereal, veggie black bean burger w/pico de gallo.....etc. lunch - egg/chicken salad in lettuce cups, sushi, Soups such as lentil / white bean chili, salads. diner - i like to have some type of Protein w/veggies & carbs (good ones) or a salad loaded w/all the "good stuff"....i do splurge & have Pasta & mexican food occassionally. snacks - cheese, edamame, nuts, greek yogurt, fruit. i exercise 5 days a wk - some days harder than others & i've realized on the hard days ... i will eat more.

Actually you can eat 24/7 if you want - they have pizza and ice cream available on the Lido Deck 24/7; plus all day long on the Lido deck you can eat and to top it off, you can get room service (FREE) 24/7 ... so the only really "planned" meal is dinner. We just avoided the dining room and Lido Deck as much as possible. No pizza and only 1 small frozen yogurt cone.

My surgeon did not include cream of soups in the liquids phase, they were in a separate phase he called "thick liquids" - along with yogurts, purees, etc. If they were on my list, and I was still afraid of them, I would just blend them down with some Water or milk. Then you can decrease the fluids you're blending them with as you go. BTW, some are condensed, and some are not. If you buy condensed you will need to cut it or it won't be "cream of" Soup, it will be a congealed concentrate. So just watch what you're buying and be sure to read the directions.

I too got sick of eggs so now I only have them once or twice a week. I also have protein bars, cottage cheese, Fat Free greek yogurt with sugar free jam in it, Tuna salad, Chicken Salad, I have even had lean cuisine meals for breakfast. Anything to break up the monotony.

Hi Kim, I've never been able to stick to a diet for long either, BUT... the pre-op and post op diets are different, at least I thought so. You know that there's an end to it, for one thing, and you're really doing it for a GOOD reason. Not sticking to it would only make your surgery more difficult, and I found that good incentive to 'be good'. But... LOL, I of course wasn't all good. I still lost 15lbs, and it did its job (shrinking my liver). Just think of it being for the best. It's not for long, and really, the worst of it is the pre-op part. TLBC's is yogurt and cottage cheese, right? Mine was all Optifast. They both suck, eating any one thing for a long time, but... you'll live. And then after, you'll be so excited to have juices and broths and popsicles! Your BMI is a good thing to know. A 'normal' BMI is around 18.5-24.9. Up to 29.9 is overweight, 30 and above is obese, and 40 and above is morbidly obese... I believe 50 and above is super morbidly obese. You could tell us your height and weight, and we'll tell you what yours is. It's not something you NEED to know, but I guess we just use it to gauge where we want to get to. When you hit a 39 BMI, you can say "WOOO! I'm only obese!!!" You don't really need to know about the size of the bands and fills right now. Joffe/Yau will figure out what you need when they get in there. Then you'll eventually get fills, which amounts will vary. You should start working on not having a drink with you when you eat. If you're eating tiny bites like you're supposed to, you probably won't choke anyways! Practice that (small bites and chewing the crap out of everything) too! It's not that you CAN'T drink with your meals, it just defeats the purpose, because it makes the food slide out of your 'pouch' faster, and you won't get full, or not for as long. If you absolutely NEED a sip, take one. I'm not telling people.... not really. I just moved across the country, so no one I know or am around on a daily basis, besides my boyfriend knows. People really don't notice what you're eating or that you're not drinking while you're eating. They're too busy with their own food. Order smaller things... eat what you can. If you can't finish it... just say "Oh, I guess I wasn't all that hungry." If you just have a diet Pepsi once in a while, you'll probably do fine getting 'cut off' ! I'm not one to talk though, I've started having coffee every morning again. Damn you, Tim Horton's! Let us know whatever else you want to know! Mandi

My husband definitely doesn't have a weight problem, but we recently got some labs back. He has high triglycerides and his good to bad ratio was very concerning. For the first time in his life, he is watching his calorie intake along with fat, etc. He had me make up a meal plan for him so that he can get things under control. I made him a list of options for breakfast, snacks, and lunch so that he can mix and match to his tastes and preferences for the day. One of the items on his list is a smoothie with frozen fruit, yogurt, and protein powder. I have been making these for the past few weeks in the blender and boy! what a mess. I saw that Kohls had the Magic Bullet for $49.99. Using coupon "SAVING30" I was able to get it for $34.99 + tax. It arrived last night & we made our first smoothies today. WOW! That little thing is great!!!!! Today is the last day for the sale, but you might want to jump on it if you are considering buying. (There is free shipping if you purchase $75+ which I can easily do from Kohls.) Kohl's Magic Bullet Just put the coupon code in when you check out. We should start putting some of our favorite Magic Bullet recipes on the Recipe Forum. Sounds like quite a few of us have them. Happy Bulleting All!

That thing is a GODSEND!! LOL! I love mine. I use it for everything. I make all my shakes in it. When I make my shakes, I like to add bananas and ice or frozen strawberries and blueberries. I also throw a couple Wasa flats into it with some seasoning and make my own "breadcrumbs" for coating fish or chicken. Last week I threw in a small Haas avocado with some green salsa and some hot peppers and some seasoning and made my own version of guacamole that was amazing! I put a couple tablespoons on top of some steamed cauliflower and it was heavenly. I took leftover rotisserie chicken threw it in my bullet with some lite mayo and a teaspoon of relish and made my own chicken salad. I recently tried to substitute mayo for plain greek yogurt. I had to add extra seasoning to get the taste right, but it was yummy. Can you tell that I love my bullet?? LOL. I can't wait to be sleeved. I want to try so many more things. I am actually looking forward to mushies because I see it as a challenge to me and my creativity with my bullet. I saw a commercial for a suped up version of the bullet that juices and does all types of other stuff. I am gonna look into that immediately. lol.

I didnt like any of the protein shakes I tried. Then I saw someone mix a crystal lite pack with their no fat greek yogurt and liked it so I mixed it with some 1% milk in a blender and total of 28 grams of protein and it wasnt bad, a little bit of a dry taste but so much better than the protein shakes I've tried. Used an orange pack and tasted like an orange cream cicle, also used a peach one and if you like peachy tasting things that was good too.

My favorite is Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate. The chocolate is very good and the vanilla even smells heavenly. I originally got the suggestion from someone on this board nearly a year ago now and it is still the only one I buy. Oh also I sometimes mix 1/2 scoop of vanilla with Greek Yogurt (Dannon Light & Fit Strawberrry Cheesecake and then the Key Lime are my favorites). I also will mix 1/2 scoop of the chocolate with sugar free Chocolate pudding snack. I just ordered the powder in Fruit Punch for a change. Will report back to let you know how that one is.

I'm at goal and had to go have 1/2 cc removed from my band today. Not because I keep losing weight, but because I can't eat solids......started about 6 weeks ago. It reached a point where I could only eat oatmeal, yogurt, and Soup........Asked my doc about it and he said that after removing the 1/2 cc, if it continues, I might have to have an x-ray because my band may have slipped!!! I asked how that was possible......I don't throw up......did I do something? The answer is NO! As you lose weight, your stomach gets smaller and smaller. The band is only stitched on the front of the stomach - can't get to the back of it to stitch. So the band can fall or slip at an angle - high in the front and low in the back, as you stomach gets smaller and smaller, which doesn't allow for a proper opening. So - if you do have a band slippage - it most likely isn't your fault.......well - it is because you've lost so much weight!! LOL One other thing - I'm self paid, but if I'm having stomach problems - he can go in to "look" around and fix the problem - and insurance pays!

I would really like to add these to like yogurt ect has anyone ask their NUT about them, are they ok for us to have post op. I guess I worry about things clogging up or messing with the bowel area. I know my doc says miralax is ok but I think I have read some docs say no, so just wondering.

I'd keep taking the prilosec, Don't be like me, lol. There is no harm in taking it for 6 to 9 months and a lot to not taking it. Just because you don't feel GERD issues doesn't mean you aren't producing excess acid. If you can eat food at other meals, eat food at all meals. Give up the protein shakes, and yogurt is just a slider. Eat ral potein as much as possible.

So when this journey began I started trying protein shakes for the first time. I know why I never drank them before. They are disgusting! I have wasted more money than I care to think about with cases of ready made and cans of powder still in my cabinets. Finally, I have found the perfect protein shake for me. I put one Dole Shaker, one Chobani plain yogurt and a splash of sugar free liquid. Blend it for a few seconds in the blender and presto! A little taste of heaven! 20 grams of protein and 200 calories. Tastes like a milkshake and keeps me full till lunch. Slight warning that these are not cheap. The Dole Shakers run around $2.20 and Chobani yogurt about $1.30, so you're looking at $3.50 per shake but well worth the money! Lisa

I have also wasted on TON of money on protein products from GNC, Walmart and my doctor's office; the ONLY one I can tolerate is the UNflavored UNjury. . . add it to o.j., yogurt, milk ---> it's great; with about 21 grams of protein in one scoop.