Search the Community

Holla fellow bandsters! Hope you all had a fabulous Independence Day! I sat here and tried not to watch myself and boys have simultaneous combustion from the heat- alas we were all saved that scene. It was a strange holiday in that there was no BBQ to attend, here or otherwise, I didn't even go watch fireworks! I can't decide whether it was just too hot, or I'm just getting freaking too old to "OOOHH and AWWWW" about fire in the sky. Boys weren't interested either so I just listened to the neighbors pop it like it was hot til around midnight. My dogs didn't even seem to care. So the boys had Subway and I had the normal protein shake and cream of chicken soup but as an added bonus, I put strawberries and bananas with some Greek yogurt, 1 pkg Carnation sugar free instant breakfast and skim milk in the blender! Boys had smoothies I froze mine and had strawberry banana "ice cream" around 10 last night. Delish. So as you know, I have been thinking today I was scheduled to have my first fill. Thanks to this forum, I now know that the receptionist misspoke when she said "fill", what she meant to say was "Post-Op" visit. Regardless, I was excited to go pretty much anywhere at this point. I scrubbed up, brushed up and put on a comfy sundress to wear, good choice because I didn't have to worry about buttoning and or zipping anything, I'm still slightly swollen and all I had to do was put it over my head and Voila! I really had no clue what was going to happen at this 1st appointment and lucky me, I got a nurse who was clueless as well. The regular Nurse that takes care of such appointments was on vacation this week (HOW DARE SHE) so I don't know if she was brought up from another unit of the clinic/hospital or if she was an agency person, or if (Lord I hope not) she works there and I just never seen nor heard of her before. So kids this is how it went down. I was ushered into the examination room and sat on one of the chairs. The nurse says "Ok, so what have you been eating, and sorry, but I have to look at your incisions." Umm, Ok, I hope you're going to look at my incisions (DUH) and I told her protein shakes, yogurt, chicken soup, yada, yada, and then I said "Um, am I going to see the Dr today or what's happening here?" she said "Oh no honey, you won't see your Dr until after your 1 month check-up with the regular nurse who's on vacation, then 1 or 2 weeks after that appointment you will have 1 with the nutritionist, then the week after that you will have a fill" My head was spinning off my neck at that point. I decided it was best maybe not to ask not too many questions to this particular person at that particular time, besides, I have this forum if I want to know something right? Well you guessed it, I couldn't resist, I started asking because you know, I brought a small list. (Well I didn't want to forget anything ya know?) I looked at my little list and immediately mentally crossed off things that I assumed only the Dr would know, or I only personally wanted the Dr to answer. So I asked about vitamins I think, something along those lines and she excused herself and brought in a booklet and said "Did you get one of these?" Uh, I don't think so, it doesn't look familiar. So she handed it to me and then said she needed to look at my incisions, I said Ok, and she basically lifted my dress up and said those have to go and RRRIIIPPP off came the first one! HEY, I said. I don't know if I'm- RRRIIIPPP- well screw it guess I'm ready to release my surgi-strips. Look I know it sounds like a nightmare and it pretty much was, I could go on and on, but my point is I went to my post-op appointment and basically expected Ashton K. to jump out of somewhere telling me I've just been "Punked" although that didn't happen, I did get a a wink/half eye roll from the receptionist when the nurse was explaining to her the upcoming appointments I needed, especially when she called her Stephanie and she said "My name's Ashley" (insert half wink & eye roll) giggle. I guess I was pretty calm about the entire thing because when she took my blood pressure it was only 107/62. My temperature a chilly 97.3, and guess what? She never weighed me, and I didn't ask. I guess what I'm trying to say is that none of that really mattered. I already knew I wasn't going to be getting a fill today. I pretty much assumed that they were just going to check on me after surgery. I've survived the ripped off strips and now that I think of it, I'm glad she did it because I babied them so much and would have worn them as a badge as long as I could have and I need to move on. The receptionist, Ashley, and I agreed she would just call me on Monday and we would go from there, sounded great to me! On the way home I thought to myself, I'm not restricted at all. I could eat whatever I want right now and it would be fine with my twisty and my stomach. Maybe I'll just have a salad, that's not such a big deal. I thought like this for about 10 miles until I snapped out of it. Girl you better check yourself, for Christ's sake this is exactly why you had this done, if you don't start using it now, instead of thinking like a food addict, your road shall be even longer. I came home had a yogurt and a Crystal Light, I still wasn't even hungry, not really. I picked up the red booklet she gave me and it was "All you need to know about your upcoming gastric bypass surgery" I just laid it on my chest and laughed hysterically. As always, onward and upward and Lo & Behold....Velvet

consider the belt lost! Just dropped it off at the seamstress! Stupidly though, I forgot that I wanted to bring it with me this weekend when I go try on some super-sucker body garments.... i'll bring the other one, I guess. Actually.... they said it wouldn't be done until Monday or Tues. Maybe I could go get it and bring it with me. That weird pattern shows bumps really good... and it's a little tighter than the brown one. As much as I said I'd never diet again.... I'm thinking about it. Maybe I'll tough out the cottage cheese/yogurt diet with one of you TLBC-ers! I just need the scale to move... I'm getting desperate. I did really well the several times I did the cabbage soup diet. I bet it would be fairly easy for a bandster.... ugg... I don't know what to do.

I get my protein from eating those little cans of prepared tuna. They have snap-off lids. I love the Thai and the tuna with lemon and pepper the best. I also eat a lot of tzatziki - yogurt with cucumber and garlic. These are foods that taste good and all you require is a spoon and a recycle box for the tubs they come in. So very, very easy for a lazy grrl!

Barbara, sublingual b12, like the shots, bypasses the stomach, and goes directly into the bloodstream. It gets absorbed through the lining of the mouth. Small particles are able to pass the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. People who lack intrinsic factor in their gastrointestinal tract and are unable to subsequently absorb B12 gastrointestinally can absorb it sublingually. The B12 passes through buccal mucosa membrane in the mouth and into the sublingual vein where it has direct access to the blood circulation and is then carried throughout the whole body. This is a tough time, pre-fill, I've heard it lovingly referred to here on the forums as 'bandster hell', the time post-op before your first fill, so hang in there those of us still waiting. I call my surgical center tommorow to talk about when I'm going to go in to get mine, I'm hoping for a week from now. Today I bought a few things to help inspire me. I bought a pedometer, you can get them so reasonably, to help encourage me to move a little more, and try to increase my walking, as I'm very sedentary, and exercise is my hardest challenge. I bought a kitchen timer to take to the pool with me - I'm travelling around Canada and the US in an RV right now, have been for almost 3 months! And will be until October. We decided to turn the cross-country trip to get lapbanded into a North American tour at the same time. We try to stay at campgrounds that have a pool so I can excerise more. I don't do well walking in the heat, as I take medications that make me overheat easily. Exercising in Water works really well to keep me cool. What I've been doing in these tiny pools is just hanging on the edge and kicking my legs hard enough to splash, and since there is no clock to check my progress around usually, I've been just counting my kicks... I'm sick of counting! So now I can set up my timer for half an hour, and kick until it goes off, no more counting kicks. I also wanted to find other exercise that I can do while travelling that doesn't take equipment, so I bought a book on Pilates - The Big Little Book of Pilates, it was really reasonable, and looks good, and focuses on exercises that don't need equipment. Something I can do on the firm bed of my camper in air conditioned bliss! I've been trying to manage good eating habits and nutrition patiently while waiting till I get restriction. So far so good, but it's not easy, and every day it becomes just a little bit harder. I've cleared all the unhealthy food and junk out of the camper cupboards and fridge to make it harder to lapse into bad habits, and bought lots and lots of good options. Flavored egg whites in the carton, low fat cottage cheese, fat and sugar free yogurt drinks, lots of berries and melons... I love how I can eat a cup and a half of blueberries and it's only 120 cals, or 25 cherries is a 120 cals, and the best... raspberries, 2 cups only 120 cals, and all that Fiber is doing me good. I bought fat free onion and herb sour cream to use as a dip for lightly steamed veggies to add protien and make chewing it softer easier. I add it and salsa to things I want to make moister without adding much in the way of calories, no fat, and lots of good nutrition. I've also bought lots of water packed salmon and tuna to make salad with low fat mayo and a little relish, I eat it on whole grain thin low fat crackers. Also light creamcheese, and fat free artificial crab. crab salads, or crab and cream cheese and some veggies in a whole grain wrap. I've cut out sugar and artifical sweetners totally and just sweeten using stevia now, I only just discovered the stuff a month ago and I love it, no aftertaste, no calories, no chemicals, I don't know how I got along without it. I bought white tea (like green tea but made with baby leaves, more antioxidants and more metabolic stimulation than even green tea) and I make ice tea with it and the stevia. Or I make limeonade with lime and stevia. I've been browsing and reading the bodybuilding forums for tips on nutrition and fat loss from the people who consistently do it succesfully and it's given me lots of tips. I've been trying to keep motivated by doing internet research on health and nutrition. My goal is to use the band to help me become a healthier and happier person, with weight loss being a part of that over-all process. I also decided to switch from using butter and margerine to using un-hydrogenated cold pressed coconut oil, you keep it in the fridge and it's a solid, but melts on warm foods, even at room temperature even. There are all kinds of interesting health reasons for that choice, but if I get into it, I'll ramble on -way- too long, and I feel I've done that allready. It's easy to get good information on online if you're interested. Take care everyone, and just keep doing your best, and don't get down on yourself if you slip up now and then. We're not perfect, and this is obviously one of our biggest most challenging areas in our lives to deal with, if it wasn't we wouldn't have gotten lap band surgery. It will get better and better as time goes on. XO Leila

Good grief today has been hard. I must be swollen. I could not even finish a whole yogurt for lunch, but liquids are going down fine. Crazy...

Hi everyone, I am home! I am 4 days post op and feeling Great. My Dr has me on a complete clear liquid diet for 7 days. I'm not even hungry. I have been drinking, water, Propel (for vitamins etc,) broth, and now that I am home some SF jello and SF popcicles. I finally lost 2 lbs. I think it is because I retained water after surgery. With being in the car for 8 hrs straight 2 days in a row and in hot weather (up to 112) and just what surgery can do to you, my body has just been in shock. On day 8 I can add 3, 1/2 cup servings of LF yogurt, with no chunks. Then on day 10 I add protein drinks, at least 30g. Then starting day 22 SOLIDS, and NO more protein drinks ever. Of course with this I am supposed to be taking my vitamins, walking and always staying hydrated. So far this has been easy. I was also told NEVER to drink anything carbonated as this can cause the band to slip. Was anyone afraid to take the first bite of solid food? I have absolutely no restriction when it comes to drinkink clear liquids so I don't know if I have much restriction at all. Leila, thank you so much for reminding us that all those little calories add up, and that the band is a tool, not a guarantee to weight loss. Barbara, thank you again for keeping us posted with those being banded each week! You are awesome! Congrats to all those being banded this week! We have such an awesome support group here. Please don't leave just because you are banded...stay and share and continue to support. We all have a long journey ahead of us!

Hi all, I am on day 5 of a strict liquid diet (broths, liquids, 4 total servings of protein shakes, yogurt, low fat cream soups). I have been good. I have not cheated althought the opportunties of food being pushed in my face was happening all the time. I have lost about 10 pounds in the time frame. today, I started to feel real lathargic. i don't have a lot energy. I happen to be off of work today. However I have 2 twelve hour shifts coming up in the next two days so i am a little concerned. I also have 3 more 12 hr work shifts before surgery.

So yesterday i was grocery shopping and was trying to think of some new ideas for what I can blend.. as I am sick of yogurt, Soup, and cream of wheat. Also sick of my same old Protein powders mixed with Water. (Milk is not agreeing with my sleeve at all). I love the flavors of my Protein powder though... so I know I dont want to change them, they are the leanest I have seen yet. Anyways, today a few hrs before Breakfast I mixed up my vanilla protein powder, 1/4 banana, a lil spoon of FF strawberry greek yogurt, water, and splash of Diet V8 Splash Tropical Medley.. and blended away. It .. was . .AMAZING. I SO LOOK FWD TO DRINKING THIS AGAIN LATER! lol Additionally ... I love cream of wheat but im tired of the original one. I found the variety pack.. which somehow I never noticed before. Has anyone tried the other flavors? any good?

I had a nice weekend. On Saturday, I went to a breakfast on the beach sponsored by Kashi cereal. Breakfast was served on tables on the beach with white tablecloths, umbrellas and sunflowers in vases. There was yogurt, juice, cereal, milk, fruit, coffee and tea. Then they had several activities going. My cousin and I did the yoga class, a walk on the beach and kayaking in the ocean! I had never kayaked before. It was really fun and not too hard! We even saw 2 dolphins swim by! Then we all got a gift tote bag with a big towel, Kashi cookies, granola bar and cereal, a bowl and a sports bottle. It was a Chamber of Commerce Day in San Diego too-just perfect weather. My scale has been the same for awhile now, but I'm not worried. I have no fill and I'm not gaining! I will redouble my efforts once I'm off for the summer. Work is just too stressful right now. Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day and has a great week.

I;ve been packing my lunch. Lots of lunchmeats and chicken salad. Green beans too. Cottage cheese or yogurt for mid-day snack. I bought some of the reusable things you freeze to keep things cold. Works great! Rubbermaid has 1/2 cup containers that I use - perfect was to measure - without measuring Going out to lunch with co-workers for the first time on Friday. We're going to a cajun seafood place so I know I can get boiled shrimp and asparagus. Yum Yum!

I am on stage 2 full liquids. Morning 8 oz of Protein shake lunch about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt a little Soup dinner 1/4 cup cottage cheese And a Jello And sips of Water all day long.

Google Protein pancakes. You'll get a bunch of recipes. I haven't tried any yet, but it might be on my menu next weekend. Haven't really looked at the nuts,yet, so they may have too many carbs.... Actually, I've got Bob's Red Mill organic whole wheat pancake mix I might just add extra egg whites and unjury unflavored to and see how it turns out. Maybe make the pancakes thin, almost like a crepe and roll them up with Greek yogurt or cream cheese. That would cut the carbs a little. Mmmmmm. Now I'm hungry. Might not wait till next weekend.... And I know it's eggs, but Huevos Rancheros minus the tortilla has been a favorite of mine since puréed stage. I also mix turkey sausage, cheese and spinach in my eggs for a yummy scramble.

I am good at taking my multi w iron (chewable) and my B12 (liquid, sublingual). I also take fish oil b/c I was having dry skin. I take that as needed aka when I need it. Where I really fall down is calcium b/c I can't take it with the multi. I have petite calcium citrate from drug store but my favorite is a blueberry flavored liquid calcium. Tastes like yogurt, you might find liquid more agreeable.

Hi There Goldenyelladiva, I totally hear you....I am hungry too...not just "head hunger" but really hungery....BUT, I have a creative protein shake (add some yogurt) or another kind of soup, drink some water and think about why I am doing this...as time passes the hunger goes away and I can get thru another hour or two. I KNOW that I cannot just have a few bites....I have to do something DIFFERENT than what I have done in the past. THIS is definitely different....maybe just knowing that you are not alone will help. YOU have helped me, thank you. We CAN DO THIS! Let's take it an hour at a time...and then one day at a time.

Mine is October 12 as well, I'm going to start my pre-op diet tomorrow. I did find out though that i am able to eat SF Jello, LF/SF Yogurt and LF/SF Pudding in addition to my 2 shakes and soups for dinner. I told my husband today that I wanted to have my "last meal" tonight.

I was banded on the 6th.. I came home feeling good.. A little gassy and had these killer heartburn pain, but that is pretty much all gone now.. Yesterday, I introduced some 0 fat Greek yogurt and sugar-free pudding, and still doing the broth. My problem now is the diarrhea.. It is beyond horrible and my stomach is so upset I have no desire to eat or drink anything... My post-op diet told me I could have low fat yogurt and sugar-free pudding.. Is this not good? Is this normal due to introducing foods after over 3 weeks of liquids??

My surgery was a success and recovery is somewhat slow then I expected. I have some pain but not a lot matter fact the only time I feel real pain is when I cough or sneeze. I having a hard time in getting water in. But I am able to eat yogurt, jello and protein shake. I will just be glad when I can get these staples removed. I also realize some of my clothes are getting big. I almost forgot is anyone having some tenderness in their legs I just noticed it today? Call my insurance 24 hr nurse line and she said that I can just keep on taking the blood thinner and everything should be ok. I will probably call my doctor's office tomorrow to be on the safe side. I will be glad when my life gets back to some type of normalize.

Ok, Reese and Crystal what have you been eating? I panicked today because I had been doing protein shakes and throwing fresh fruit in them with skim milk and now I am not sure that is allowed. My hubby made me homemade chicken broth for dinner that I am going to eat and I ate yogurt and creamy tomato soup for lunch but I just hope that I interpreted the pre op directions correctly. I need a piece of mind because I really want my liver in good condition for surgery. I still have 8 days to get it right.

Make a smoothie with milk, greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder and frozen fruit or a banana (frozen banana is awesome)....stick it all in the blender and you have a massive protein punch and it's NOT a regular shake.

Green family004a I take a half cup of fage Greek yogurt and add a couple tablespoons of sugar free pudding dry mix ( cheesecake flavor is the best)!! I do this when I need a sweet treat!! It tastes just like cheese cake!!

How far out are you MrsNellieC? I am SO jealous! What kind of meat did you have in the fajita? Heck, I am at 4 weeks on Monday and still have trouble/pain swallowing applesauce sometimes. Yesterday had a major puking episode after only 3 bites of scrambled egg and yogurt. I WANT FAJITAS!!!!

Me too! I have no problem eating a whole container of yogurt. I get full very fast with dense protein though. I can only eat around 2-3 oz the most.

I find different days I can eat different amounts. Some days I can hold 1/2 cup of food. some days 3/4 c of food. Also different foods make a difference to the amount. Sat. I tried to eat 6 ounces of mahimahi, almost threw up. 4 oz of fish is all I can eat. Yogurt I can eat 6 oz.. My calories are between 700-900 60-70 grams of protein. I do not count carbs, but drink about 64 ounces a day. Sophiepants, I am 5'6" too down 73 pounds as of tuesday. I do not use MFP. It is too long to use. I keep everything in a journal, which I carry everywhere with me. I like being accountable for what I eat.

Can you have souls too? Or change protein powders? I'm on Day 10 with 4 to go. The first week was the hardest. Now that I'm in the home stretch, I feel better about it. Helps to see the scale go down as the days pass too. For soups, we can have anything relatively low in sodium & either creamy or broth. Trader Joe's black bean soup & roasted red pepper soup are my favorites. Something warm makes me feel like I'm actually eating. Oh, & we can have SF jello, yogurt (with no fruity chunks, and SF pudding. Hope it gets easier for you!

Gage makes a lactose free yogurt I can tolerate. All Cabot Hill Fam cheeses from Vermont are also lactose free. Cabot hill makes a 50% lite cheddar that tastes good. Watch out for deli meats because they are all made with a milk binder except Boar’s Head meats. Be careful with any “worsted “ meats too. I just had shakes and Fage yogurt during the mushy phase because everything mushy has lactose. Ground meat phase will come soon and get better, sorry.