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I am on pureed and I took some meatballs (pre-made turkey) and finely chopped them in the food processor and then added sauce and some cheese to it. I ate it for lunch but could eat the entire two cups. Is it just because it's sliding through? Should I be worried? The fill was tight, I saw it under fluro, could it just be a fluke week and it will kick in later? What do you all think?

I have diverticulities and spastic colon. Since getting the band I haven't had diarreah. In fact, just the opposite which is all new to me. Having a spastic colon I was used to having food "turn" on me and heading for the bathroom. I now eat an Activia, a type of yogurt, everyday. It helps keep you regular without having to take Fiber. You might want to give this a try. You must have had a diverticuli get infected and that is no fun. I try to stay away from foods that I know will cause me problems. Hope you are on the mend. PM me if you have any additional questions or concerns. Its something I've had for years, but the band only 7 weeks.

Well I did it! I got my first fill this afternoon! I was so nervous! :nervous Once I finally found a parking space (good grief ) I was ready to go! Even after I checked in and the receptionist forgot about me and let 3 people that had appointments after me go ahead of me because she forgot to have me fill out some paper work for my "new" chart!:tired So 30 minutes later I was in and anxious (sweaty palms and all)! :nervous After I made it through to "the inside" it went swiftly! Dr. Maese found my port quicky and on the first try and he gave me a 1.6cc fill in my empty 4cc band! I said to him that it seemed like alot and he said yes, it's 1/3 of what it will hold! Oh my!! Then it was off to do the fluro! I stood there and swallowed my barium and watched it go right down and through!! Too cool! He then told me everything looked good, gave me a picture of my fluro and that he would see me in 3 weeks. Excuse me ....isn't that a little soon???? So I am now on liquids for the next 2 days :cry but am ready to get on with it! So all in all it was a good experience and we will see how it goes!!! Wish me luck! Kristi :clap2:

I was able to add cottage cheese, oatmeal and scrambled eggs at week 3 and regular foods at week 4. But you need to check with your doctor....from what I have seen on here it seems each doctor has a different set of guidelines.

I felt normal around day 10. Still had port discomfort, though - that lasted several weeks. I couldn't lie on my side until about 3 weeks out and I did try a pillow under my tummy to help and it didn't at all. It'll get better - hang in there!

I am going to see the nutrionist in two weeks and avoid another fill until October. I have to learn how to change my behavior around food. I just started seeing a bariatric psychologist and she is good. I have my third session this Saturday. She suggested I start exercising..........I will go tonight to the gym. I just hope I can start losing 1-2 pounds a week and get out of this plateau.......journaling and exercise will help!!!!

Just wanted to share that tonight was one of those nights that I was really glad to be banded! Me and some friends went to watch the UFC fights and usually I eat and eat through the whole 4 hours. Shrimp, fries, chips, wings, dessert... I usually end up so overstuffed it hurts!! Well, tonight was the first UFC I'd gone out to after being banded, and I could hardly eat anything! I really enjoyed it! I munched at the appetizers, just like everyone else at the table, I wasn't scarfing them down and then ordering more! I feel so good to not be controlled by food anymore! I also know that I did not set myself back a week on my weight loss! Yes, maybe a day because of the fried food, but that's do-able! :thumbup: Anyway, just wanted to share...

I am about two weeks post op, and still on full liquids. So I have mostly been using an immersion blender to "de-chunk-ify" low fat/low cal soups. I eat about a cup at a meal (3 meals a day), and I try to go as slow as I can, but it is difficult since I don't have to chew!! Should I be experiencing my "soft fill" signals yet?? The band has really made me pay SO MUCH ATTENTION to my body, and I am trying to learn physical signs of hunger as well as physical signs of satisfaction. I have seen many of you talk about your soft fill signs, but I don't have any that I know of. Is this because I am on liquids still? Am I not recognizing my signal? Any help is appreciated!

Do any of you know if it is possible to remain on primarily meal replacements for a more extended period of time than the initial few weeks? I wonder whether that might give me a better head start and help me to keep away from food and choices. Also, is it possible to drink too much water? Does a lot of water stretch the pouch?

I purchased a compression wrap for my tummy which helped my initial few weeks getting up and down and car rides. I probably only used it a total of 2 weeks. Wasn't worth the cost. Had nothing to do with excess skin. Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Hi ElishaV, For a minute as I read your post I thought you were writing my story! I was banded on Oct 4th 2010 and during the first 6 weeks I lost 33 lbs. I was SUPER EXCITED about that :thumbup: Then came Thanksgiving and I discovered all the things that I could eat and also discovered that my will power was MIA. Well, I've been searchin for Mr. Will Power and just cant find it. I get on this site lookin for motivation and inspiration. It's a great site. I've been doin much better than before but I wont weigh myself until i go in for my 2nd fill on the 25th this month. Come on you!!! Get back to it :smile2:

I took off two weeks, I am a teacher assistant.

Once again, Star is right on the money!! You will always have a tool to help you control your portions, but what makes up those portions is up to you. My weakness is cheetos, so I control that urge by allowing myself a single-serving bag of them once a month. That's what works for me. Other than that, I don't keep them in the house. For me, the first six months were rocket-like as far as weight loss. I dropped weight like crazy. At about 7 months out, I hit a plateau, which was a weight that I stayed at for nearly 10 years on my way up the scale. My weight loss, in pounds, slowed way down. BUT, once the weight loss slowed down, I started shape-shifting. I can almost watch my body change from week to week, and my measurements and clothes sizes reinforce that. I started in a 24/26 and I'm now in a 14/16. I'd be in a smaller size pants, but I have a bit of a tummy still. One thing that really affects how fast I lose pounds is that I got really serious about exercise. I have muscle and definition in places I didn't know I could have muscle and definition before. I had a body fat analysis at my doctor's office recently and it shows that I am within .01% of the amount of muscle I should have in my body for my height, even though my BMI is still in the obese category. That means that I am converting fat to muscle with exercise and that I've managed to protect my heart muscle from significant damage from rapid weight loss. That was a major worry of mine. My pulmonologist is also thrilled with my improved cardio fitness. The sleeve is a tool, but if you work it right, you'll be able to reach goal and to reach goal in a healthy manner. After all, it's not just about the pounds; it's also about enjoying your life and all of the newfound abilities that come with weight loss. If you're not sure what I'm referring to, please visit the "powder Room" and "Man Room" forums here on VST! Good luck on your journey!!

I am three yrs and one month post op and I do feel as though my band has tightened up on me. My last fill was done the first week in August and somewhere around November just before Thanksgiving I was seriously considering getting a small unfill but decided against it. I can eat and drink just about anything but I have to take teeny weeny bites and sip my drinks. There are some days that I'm just not hungry so a protein shake, water, coffee, and tea are what I have on those days. Other days I can literally eat all day. Nibbling that is.

I was just wondering how everyone in the U.S. did on Turkey day. It is such a big day for feasts and is a trying time for some of us bandsters. Do you have any funny stories? Were you able to stay on the bandster plan? Did you have any slip-ups? I did pretty good for primary meals, lots of turkey and veggies which are on my plan. I had a tablespoon of macaroni and cheese which was yummy but I don't usually eat (I also know that more than 1 tablespoon might make me sick). In the evening I went off plan a bit. I had a cup of eggnog which had about 300 calories. I also had a small square of pumpkin cake (my favorite dessert in the world that I eat once a year) with some whipped topping. All in all, I probably indulged in an extra 800 calories or so, but I don't feel guilty because I enjoyed myself with family, worked out 2 extra times this week and I am back on plan today. (I also have the excuse that the baby made me do it since I am expecting, lol) I hope everyone enjoyed themselves over the holiday!!!

Really excited, I had my consultation yesterday which was great and I have booked my op for 31st August!! I am excited but scared at the same time! If anyone has any pearls of wisdom to share I am all ears!! I can't wait, it shall be the start of a new me!!

I am totally unfilled---was unfilled back in April for my TT, and have never filled since, and managed to maintain. That being said....I ate like I was totally unfilled too!!! LOL But Friday I was back to considering what I was eating, and how much. Trying to stick to the turkey left overs, and avoid the starchy carb left overs! I think I just began grazing as I prepared, and continued grazing through the day. Now I did think about it, and when I was tempted to sneak into the dessert type snack foods that were around, I chose to go with celery and cheese. But I did not deny myself anything I truly wanted. I have not been on the scale, plan on giving myself a week to watch the food and work out a bit more....and then see what it looks like! This is how I hope to live the rest of my life. Indulge, on occasion ---as most people do, just avoid the over indulging on a daily make that hourly basis! Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday! Kat

Hello, Tomorrow is my 6th month appointment with my nutritionist for my supervised diet. This is an insurance requirement for my UHC insurance. I have been meeting with my nutritionist once per month since July. My supervised diet consists of no carbs. Each meal should consist of 3 ounces of Protein one cup of fruit and one cup of vegetables. I have been following the diet to the letter and I have not lost during these 6 months. Each month I go in and she tells me something different to do. I thought finally I was down but then nothing changed in my diet/lifestyle and I gained it all back. I'm so frustrated. Obviously diets don't work for me and that's why I am wanting to do the surgery. I'm 5'8 and 317lbs. My highest was 323 and that was 3 months ago. Like I stated my weight has been up and down during these last 6 months and I just don't know what to do. I don't think its an insurance requirement to lose weight during the 6 months, but just to have a supervised diet. My nutritionist told me at my last appointment that she would like to see me down 10-15 pounds during the 6 months. I have a feeling tomorrow she will tell me that she wants to monitor me for one additional month. I don't see what the difference will be. I know your questions will be, well how about excercise. Right now its non exisitent. We are on mandatory overtime at work and I'm putting in over 65 hours a week. I sit all day! I take the stairs and walk as much as I can. I can't help that I don't have time to work out. I'm also a full time student so I have no free time! I have eliminated all caffine per the nutritionist and with all this overtime I am dying! I can't tell you how much I would like a cup of coffee! Have any one you had trouble with the low carb diet? Like I said, I was finally down last week but I think I found the answer to why i gained it back. I lost 7 pounds during the week of my period. I was not taking my birth control pill. As of Sunday when I started taking my pill again, I gained 4 pounds back. ...... And I'm not getting off my birth control.... This supervised diet is also my pre-op diet. My surgeons don't put the patients on a liquid only diet. The low carb diet is to shrink the liver. I can't tell you how small my liver must be right now after doing 6 months of this but it's crazy that I haven't lost any weight! Has anybody else out there had trouble losing on the low carb diet?!?!?!? Will see what my nutritionist says tomorrow. I hope she still sends my info to insurance for approval without making me wait one more month. I'm so worried about other health factors now such as high cholesterol ect. I never used to eat this much meat and fat. ---------Kara

I am not required to have a fill diet either. I was only told to use a little caution. I asked why I am not required to do the post fill liquids and was told that restriction might happen right away or up to a week out . . . they didn't find a day or two of liquids to really have much impact.

Sorry, I posted this in Tell Your Story by mistake so I am reposting it here. I am scheduled for my vsg surgery on Monday January 17 so I have to start my 2 week liquid diet tomorrow. For the next 2 weeks I will be living on 3-4 protein shakes, sugarfree drinks, plain eggs and low fat cheese per day. I am so nervous and scared that I won't be able to do it. Any suggestions and tips to help me make through these next 2 weeks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jen

I meet with the NUT on Tuesday 10/23. Their literature says its a 2 week Protein liquid diet - so I'm not sure if it's 100% liquid or if I get 1 regular meal with chicken & veggies. I'm going to assume the worst (100% liquid) so if I do actually get a meal I'll be thrilled.

Good luck. I start my 2 week pre-op next wednesday. Surgery Nov. 6.

Congrats! I am 5 weeks out and have lost 26 pounds! Would have more but got stuck in a lil stall. Don't let the stalls get to you,they will pass! =)

Last week I started the process for the sleeve surgery! At first I wanted the lap band only knowing about that and the bi-pass and the doctor talked to me about the sleeve and she felt it would be the best choice for me! So things are moving pretty quick I had my psych eval on Thursday and that went great! Today I had an ultrasound on my gallbladder and Wednesday I have my nutrition eval and a consultation for an EGD I'm so excited to get this going!!

I attended the seminar a week ago and they said someone would be calling to set up an appointment with the surgeon in about two weeks. Guess what?! They called me today & my first appointment is next week! Whoo boo! I sure hope everything goes this fast.