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I was sleeved 4/22. No problem eating the chicken and shredded lettuce. I have done fine for weeks with shredded wilted lettuce on tacos and sandwiches. I eat the inside not the shell or bread. I was not tempted to eat the taco salad shell. I did have one bite and that was enough. I ate all the chicken that was in the salad and about 1/4 of the lettuce that was in it.

I tried salad at 7 weeks.. Used spring field greens and put some cucumbers, onions and tomatoes.. I cut everything small... like the size of the onions and tomatoes in Tabouleh.. I even cut up the field greens small.. I made a homemade avocado-ranch dressing.. It was delicious but really filling. No tummy troubles.

Yay, congrats! They are addictive. I have a 5K coming up in 2 weeks. Keeps my workouts focused when I have something to work towards.

good to hear the food wasn't correct. I was banded 1 week ago and it scared me. I think the food on the before was less too

I just made my own last week for my husband.. since we had a fresh basil plant. Mmm I used the fresh mozz. too and a little sauce. Really good and thin/crisp. I used a pillsbury pizza dough from the dairy aisle and it was okay. But I'll bet a homemade one is even better. Gonna check it out, thanks!

I've been eating a bite of strawberry here and there since about 4 weeks... my daughter LOVES them so I'm always cutting them up for her and we have a produce market that gives free samples of everything they sell Needless to say now that a trip there to get fruit/veggies provides me an entire meal! But I digress... I can't imagine 2+ months out wouldn't be a good time for a strawberry or two! Enjoy!

I'm new to this thread but have been visiting the forum for a while. I usually don't post a lot but have been doing it more and more recently because I think I need the support of others going through the same things. I have been losing about 1/2 to 1 lb a week and its been a struggle as I see others in my group having lost much much more than me. Especially as it seems the scale has been sort of stuck for a while. Today I went into Lane Bryant. I have been resisting shopping because I refuse to pay that much for something I hopefully won't wear very long, but this means all my clothes are really big on me. I was unable to wear a 28 there when I began my journey. Today I tried on the pants and the lady told me they run kind of small. So I tried a 24, and they were falling off of me. Then a 22, again they were too big. So she got me a 20 and......I actually got them on my body!!!!! Its been years since I could fit in a Lane Bryant 22. Granted I could only fit into them and zip them up, but still they went on my body. It made me hope that even though the number seems stuck that I am at least getting smaller. :rolleyes2:

It took me a little while to get to be able to sleep on my stomach. A couple or three months maybe. I played it safe. The funny thing is that I can now sleep comfortably on my back, when I never could before.

I am going to see my surgeon today. I was banded on 1/26 and this appt. is for my second fill. I wonder if I should have one. Last time he inserted 2 cc's in a 10 cc band. What a difference this made! I had definite restriction on quantities and types of foods. I would say I must have pb'd 3 times a week during the first two weeks post-fill. It was my adjustment to my adjustment period. During the last week, I have only had one issue and that was because the meat was too dry, I was tired and ate too quickly. Anyway, is it typical to get a second fill so soon? I am still able to eat a decent amount of food, slowly, chewed well. I would say I can still eat about 5-6 oz of Protein and at least that amount of starch/vegetable. I have read several postings that indicate they can only eat 5 - 6 bites at a sitting and then have to stop. Is that the restriction I should be looking for? I hate to think that an additional fill may make me pb again! I suppose I will just get used to being more restricted? Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thanks. Karen

I can't believe you named her PITA (Pain in the Ass). A long time ago I had a ferret that I named PITA which stood for exactly the same thing!!! That's so funny, no one I have ever talked to had heard of such a thing. But true to his name he was a royal pain that chased everyone around trying to bite their toes, but the final straw was when he took my 12 week old himalayn kitten and almost took her eye out. Luckily we found a teenager working at a pet store that really wanted him, so we turned him over. The kitten ended up being okay and several hundreds of dollars later at the vets we were able to save her eye. So alls well that ends well. Cindy

2/4/2009 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." ...that opening line from Dickens' classic novel accurately summarizes my first week post lap-band surgery. Looking back, this whole surgical experience has been wonderful ! The simple things took me by surprise. Never realized how often I sneezed, blew my nose, coughed and had bouts of hiccups....until having abdominal surgery. They put great pressure on the sutures (holding a pillow tight against my tummy helped). Needed assistance getting up and down the first 3 days. Slept partially sitting up on the sofa recliner for 3 nights (laying flat creating pressure in my chest & throat). Was never so happy to see my own bed on the fourth night ! Saturday (the 2nd night post-op) I had 2 episodes of intense nausea after eating only 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Tasted so good, however it just didn't sit well with me. The nausea came on so suddenly & was so intense it took me completely by surprise.....and I was concerned because it is drilled into us that "NO VOMITING" is the golden rule for the first 2-6 weeks after surgery. I held a pillow tight against my tummy, took slow deep breaths, grasped a plastic bag just in case, and walked around the house with Brian following behind me rubbing my back the whole time (he's such a doll). After about 15 very loooooong minutes the nausea subsided so I went to lay down in bed. Less than a minute later the nausea was back worse than ever.....another 15 minutes of walking, and pillow hugging, and deep breathing, and plastic bag clutching, and back rubbing ....I was finally able to take the anti-nausea meds that dissolve on the tongue (THANK YOU Dr Tull). Completely drained (mentally and physically) I was able to slowly doze off sitting upright in the recliner for the night. Sunday I was hesitant to drink anything for fear the nausea would sneak back up on me.....thankfully that was the only episode. My mantra has been "sip, sip, sip". Actually drank using a shot glass as a reminder, and of course used my new silver baby spoon !!! Since surgery, my daily regime includes flavored water (Fruit2O), tea, coffee (with a little Unjury protein powder added), watered down apple juice, Jell-O and popsicle sticks. Monday (day 3), I added back in protein shakes and 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Tomato and Roasted Pepper soup (YUM, my new favorite). My abdomen is puffed out like I'm 9 months pregnant, and it makes really strange noises....even the dog looks at me funny :-) Thankfully I've had zero gas pains, and have been taking Gas-X strips twice a day to prevent it. The biggest problem post op (aside from the bout with nausea) is boredom. Have done a little too much online shopping, and daytime TV is unbearable. Another week of a liquid diet before starting on "mushy foods". Spending this time researching high protein, low carb, low fat recipes for my new "band-friendly" way of eating. STAY TUNED...I'll soon post a list of useful websites & recipes. Looking foward to my first follow-up visit with Dr Tull this Friday !!! Here is the full quote....how appropriate for this journey !: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way"

Hello Guys and Gals....I am almost 1 week out from surgery and I am sooo sick. Suggestions PLEASE

2/4/2009 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." ...that opening line from Dickens' classic novel accurately summarizes my first week post lap-band surgery. Looking back, this whole surgical experience has been wonderful ! The simple things took me by surprise. Never realized how often I sneezed, blew my nose, coughed and had bouts of hiccups....until having abdominal surgery. They put great pressure on the sutures (holding a pillow tight against my tummy helped). Needed assistance getting up and down the first 3 days. Slept partially sitting up on the sofa recliner for 3 nights (laying flat creating pressure in my chest & throat). Was never so happy to see my own bed on the fourth night ! Saturday (the 2nd night post-op) I had 2 episodes of intense nausea after eating only 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Tasted so good, however it just didn't sit well with me. The nausea came on so suddenly & was so intense it took me completely by surprise.....and I was concerned because it is drilled into us that "NO VOMITING" is the golden rule for the first 2-6 weeks after surgery. I held a pillow tight against my tummy, took slow deep breaths, grasped a plastic bag just in case, and walked around the house with Brian following behind me rubbing my back the whole time (he's such a doll). After about 15 very loooooong minutes the nausea subsided so I went to lay down in bed. Less than a minute later the nausea was back worse than ever.....another 15 minutes of walking, and pillow hugging, and deep breathing, and plastic bag clutching, and back rubbing ....I was finally able to take the anti-nausea meds that dissolve on the tongue (THANK YOU Dr Tull). Completely drained (mentally and physically) I was able to slowly doze off sitting upright in the recliner for the night. Sunday I was hesitant to drink anything for fear the nausea would sneak back up on me.....thankfully that was the only episode. My mantra has been "sip, sip, sip". Actually drank using a shot glass as a reminder, and of course used my new silver baby spoon !!! Since surgery, my daily regime includes flavored water (Fruit2O), tea, coffee (with a little Unjury protein powder added), watered down apple juice, Jell-O and popsicle sticks. Monday (day 3), I added back in protein shakes and 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Tomato and Roasted Pepper soup (YUM, my new favorite). My abdomen is puffed out like I'm 9 months pregnant, and it makes really strange noises....even the dog looks at me funny :-) Thankfully I've had zero gas pains, and have been taking Gas-X strips twice a day to prevent it. The biggest problem post op (aside from the bout with nausea) is boredom. Have done a little too much online shopping, and daytime TV is unbearable. Another week of a liquid diet before starting on "mushy foods". Spending this time researching high protein, low carb, low fat recipes for my new "band-friendly" way of eating. STAY TUNED...I'll soon post a list of useful websites & recipes. Looking foward to my first follow-up visit with Dr Tull this Friday !!! Here is the full quote....how appropriate for this journey !: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way"

Thank goodness someone directed me to this site at our local support meeting last Thursday. Last week I saw my surgeon for my first post op checkup. I was down 30lbs sine December 30th. Since that appt I have not lost a pound. I'm at 3 weeks. I hadn't heard or been told about the 3 week stall! Thank Heaven for all of you. I'm not happy I've stalled but much more at peace knowing others have gone through this too.

I'm in mine as well. I'm 3 weeks on Wednesday. I'm also still on liquids.

I went back to work five days postop and do 13 hour shifts so that was a lot of my walking there. I found I felt better when I was up and moving. I'm only 2 weeks post op and it's been raining since I came home from surgery so on my days off I was going to mall and walking but then I wanted to shop. Lol. So a few days ago I joined the gym and have gone there everyday since and just do the treadmill. I tried the elliptical first because that used to be my favorite but I found that really bounces my belly and doesn't feel so good so I switched. I just make sure I hit minimum steps a day my NUT set in my plan.

Hi @Greyfaery I do live in Cabot. I had my surgery 6.5 weeks ago at UVM with Dr. Abujaish and Bruce. Everyone is super friendly, it was a good experience there. The wait time wasn't FOREVER like some surgeries. What part of VT are you in? Feel free to message me.

You might be surprised by how quick it actually goes. I had a 6 month requirement and really used the time to change my eating habits and start practicing for post op (not drinking 30 min before/after meals, small bites, thorough chewing, etc.) and between that and all the other appointments like the sleep study, egd, psych appt, and all the other stuff, it came pretty quick. I lost 27 during the 6 months, then another 23 during the 4 week preop diet. I weighed exactly 50 pounds less than my highest weight on my day of surgery. At first I was disappointed to hear that I'd have to wait so long for surgery, but once I got into those nutrition appointments I was so glad I had the time to prepare and get ready for post-op living.

I must be insane. I don't really know what else to think. I hope someone can explain this to me. I have about 1 week left on my pre-op liquid diet and I can't stop cooking! Yesterday I made my family french toast for Breakfast, BLT's for lunch, Lasagna/Cesar salad/Garlic bread for dinner and a GIANT batch of homemade chocolate chip Cookies. I also tossed some chili in the crock-pot before bed. I am making oatmeal raisin cookies now and have the entire day planned out food wise. I am not making simple foods that I would normally make. I'm doing "from scratch" recipes that are time consuming. I am NOT eating any of it. In full disclosure, I took a big fat bite of the BLT (which I had been craving since day 1 of pre-op) but promptly got sick. It was so salty to me! I threw it all away. I almost got ill watching my husband scarf down dinner last night. The amount was obscene to me, but in reality it was our "normal" serving size. He is not fat at all...he is about 175 and 5'10". I also can't stop cleaning. I almost feel like I'm nesting I'm not talking your normal cleaning. I'm talking my military parents would be proud cleaning! WTH? I was really tired all last week but yesterday I woke up with so much energy and I KEPT it! Is this normal? Oh, on our walk last night my husband got tired and wanted to come home and I wanted to keep on walking. That has never happened before!

Personally, I have been drinking coffee since I was 7yrs old, my Dr and Nut said no caffeine ever because it can cause ulcers., For me I would think I would have had the ulcers many years ago, so not likely for me to give up coffee. I also tried decaf coffee (Sanka) and decaf tea.., can't do it, will just enjoy my regular coffee as I always have. Didn't start drinking coffee until I was 6 weeks post-op though, wanted to make sure I would be OK with it. And don't forget, just because you loved a food or drink before surgery, you may not be able to stomach certain things anymore. [emoji256] anything worth doing is Never easy [emoji3]

I just hot the three week stall. I'm down 29 lbs and couldn't wait to say I am down 30! Well, that may not happen right away. But I am so relieved to know that a "3 week stall" is actually a thing that others go through too. If I didn't know about this ahead of time I'm sure I would be really hard on myself...and I don't want that kind of negativity when I'm working so hard at this!

I hit mine right on schedule too. Even knowing what to expect and knowing they are NBD, I was still completely anxious about it at first. Reading the board called called "Don't Sweat the Stall Stuff" (I think it's under General WLS) has been hugely helpful in keeping me sane. I have been weighing myself every day. Just yesterday I finally forced myself to put the scale away, and I am enjoying today not knowing what the scale says. I'm going for a weekly Monday check-in myself.

Sorry that was not a requirement for me..But i got sick and lost a few lbs before surgery since i was on two weeks liquids!...Good luck!!!

I must say that I am surprised at the variations in how long people are kept in the hospital after this procedure. My doctor told me to plan on 2 nights in the hospital after having the surgery. I would imagine that the first 2 days are probably the worst. Perhaps it depends on if you are self-paying and trying to cut down on costs? I do agree with Katie that it sounds too soon to be having Protein shakes. I've been told that the first week should be only clear liquids. That rules out all forms of milk, but perhaps the unjury chicken Soup or unflavored added to green tea might work? Good luck! I hope to join you soon. (Still waiting for insurance approval).

Thank you. They told me two weeks too but surprises are always awesome