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I am gradually moving towards it. I cut out sweets this week and changed dinner to a shake. Next week Breakfast gets changed to a shake and I switch to half caf coffee......and so on from there....My information just got submitted to Aetna around 4 yesterday. Going on the pre-op diet scares the 'poop' out of me! How do they expect me to go from eating anything not nailed down to liquid? They are freakin NUTS! Good luck I hope it gets easier!

Mine was like this: First two weeks: clear liquids (and it was MURDER LOL) 3rd week: thicker liquids 4th week: mushies 5th week: regular food

Congratulations! Very inspirational and encouraging. I get banded in 2 weeks so seeing your results is so hopeful.

anyon'e post op diet look like this: Your first week Keep in mind that you now have a new stomach, much smaller than a few days ago, the volume needed to fill your stomach is now 2 oz. During the first week of the gastric band placement, you will be experiencing not only the adaptation to your new food habits, remember that you will also be recovering from a minimally invasive surgery, symptoms like mild pain and soreness are normal. The first and second week you will be in a liquid diet, using straw is recommended to avoid big gulps that may cause nausea or discomfort. During the fist week Clear liquids are recommended (water apple and grape juices, tree top, ocean spray and welch's are recommended) From fourth day on, natural fruit juices (strained and Gelatin can be added if well tolerated) The largest volume take that your stomach can accept is 2 fl. Oz. At a time, let it rest for 2 hours before serving this quantity again. Have all the clear Water that u can in between "meals". Miscalculations may lead to nausea. Room temperature during first week is the most recommended, slightly cold gelatin is acceptable. Take gelatin in small chunks and chew and dissolve. Take care of wounds: clean daily bath using only water and soap, scrubbing only in the same direction of it, cover with gauze or band aid. NEVER: keep on eating if you are already satisfied. Try to eat more that you stomach can handle. Your second and third week Keep in mind that you now have a new stomach, much smaller than a couple of weeks ago; the volume needed to fill your stomach is now 2 oz. It is time to include variety and a few more consistent foods to your diet: On your second week continue with clear liquids and gelatin and add:Whole natural fruit juice, use synthetic sugar to sweeten. Pear and apple pure Soups (broth):Potato Tomato Lentil Vegetable chicken [*]On your third week add: Chopped fruit (very small pieces) Whole Vegetable juices Whole Vegetable juices At this time you should be able to handle correctly your new stomach capacity. But always remember to let it rest for 2 hours before repeating the serving of more consistent food or the 2 oz. Measure, miscalculation may lead to nausea and stomachache. Food temperature: Fruit juices are well tolerated cold (no exaggeration) Warm soups. The care of your wounds: As a normal symptom of healing, itching will appear. NEVER: keep on eating if you are already satisfied. Try to eat more that you stomach can handle. Your fourth, fifth and sixth week Day 1 Breakfast 3 strawberries 2oz. of yogurt Morning snack Chopped peach Tea lunch Canned tuna (half a can) 1-2 cup of pea Soup Afternoon snack ½ cup of lentil soup ½ a cup of chopped fruit dinner ½ cup cheerios ½ cup milk Last day snack Vegetable soup Day 2 breakfast canned tuna (1/3 of can) crackers (ritz-oatmeal) morning snack 4-6 baby carrots lunch 1/2 cup of lentil soup slice of cheese afternoon snack 2 oz. of blended chicken breast 2 spoons of corn dinner 1/2 cup of chopped fruit top with granola last day snack vegetable soup Day 3 Breakfast ½ cup milk ½ cup of grape fruits or raisin bran Crackers Morning snack ½ cup of lentil soup Crackers Lunch ½ cup of chicken soup ½ cup of blended chicken Crackers Afternoon snack 3 - 4 crackers Canned tuna Dinner ½ a cup of chopped fruit 1 spoon of yogurt Last day snack Carrots day 4 breakfast strained pineapple juice 2 oz. of chopped chicken crackers morning snack canned tuna (half a can) crackers (ritz-oatmeal) lunch 1/2 cup of peas 1/2 cup of chopped fruit afternoon snack vegetable soup dinner 2 oz. of chopped chicken breast Day 5 Breakfast ½ cup of chopped fruit Morning snack ½ cup of yogurt 1 or 2 oatmeal crackers spread some jelly if desire Lunch Canned tuna (half a can) Sliced tomato pieces Crackers Afternoon snack Chicken soup (Campbell's) Crackers (ritz / oatmeal) Dinner Dinner 2oz. of grilled chicken breast mushroom cream Last day snack Chopped fruit Gelatin day 6 breakfast 1/2 cup of grape nuts with milk morning snack 1/2 cup of chicken fajitas mixed with onion and veggies. and vegetabe soup. lunch sliced tomato and cheese piecees. crackers Dinner 3 strawberries 2 oz. of yogurt Day 7 Breakfast ½ cup chopped fruit 1 spoon of granola top with honey Morning snack Tuna and vegetables with crackers Lunch Grilled chicken breast split, pea soup (or choose vegetable) Afternoon snack Gelatin crackers Dinner Vegetable soup white rice Last day snack Broccoli cream Remember: Chew, Chew, Chew! Cold coffee is OK Use low fat / low calorie yogurt and milk Carbonated drinks are not recommended Bread, tortilla and banana are nor yet recommended Never try to eat more than your stomach can handle Keep in touch with your surgeon and nutritionist: Every 15 days for 3 months Every month for the next 3 months Every 3 months for the next 3 years NEVER: keep on eating if you are already satisfied. Try to eat more that you stomach can handle.

Hello everyone, Just wanted to introduce myself -- my name is Melissa and I'll be having surgery on Wednesday, 15 August. I'm thrilled to have been approved insurance-wise (which was the only hold-up I have encountered) and I honestly can't believe that in less than a week I'll be well on my way to a new me! I'm going to check out this site a bit more thoroughly. I don't know yet what my challenges are going to be. I guess I'm not really looking forward to the liquid diet but I'll manage . Has anyone experienced a really significant weight loss in the first few months? It'd be nice to drop a few pounds early on .

I'm consideriing surgery with Dr. Aceeves and I'm trying to figure out if I should have the surgery when I'm off for Spring Break or should I wait until I'm off for Summer. Spring Break I'm off for a week. Summer I'm off for 2 months. My job is an office job so I won't be lifting anything. Spring Break is Monday -Friday in March. Would it be bad to go to Mexico during Spring Break time? It's not the same spring break as the college students. I think it's later. I'm very active soI'm not sure about the pain level after the surgery. I'm sure it's different for everyone. I'm thinking I would be more relaxed if I wait until summer. My job involves a lot of paperwork which is mentally draining, it could can be stressful at times. I'm not sure what to do. Oh!! I have a wonderful 2 yr old son that will turn 3 on Valentine's Day. My mom would have to keep him. Please help!!!!! :scared0:

I was cleared for aerobic / cardio at my 2 week check up. However my Dr said I cannot do anything that requires lifting over 20 lbs do I'm sticking to walking and Zumba for now.

I am hoping i can use the time when I was in radiation theropy as part of the supervised diet. I had to go in daily for weigh ins and had a diet i had to follow. I must admit it was the funniest diet ever... Doctor: " do you like milkshakes?" me: "Like diet shakes" D: "no fully leaded icecream kind" me: "Look at me of course i do" D: " well i want you to drink as many as you want" M: "ummm thats the first time i heard that in a diet" D: " Trust me if you can get em down drink all youlike" yeah i could not drink em after the 2nd week so i lived on ensure shakes ... damn the cruel irony

I did the same thing around my cycle. I still lost the week of the period, but the week or so after, I would go up and down...always staying close to the same weight. I then would start back up with a lb or 2 each week until that time of month again. Think about your hormones...kinda a delayed reaction. I feel your pain. Stay on track, and you'll do fine. By the way, sounds like your meals are right on track. I still can't have almonds (8 weeks today) and the dr warned us against cheese puffs, but as long as you are getting your Protein first, it should be okay. My (good) problem is, I don't have room for it after I get the protein. They were a staple of mine pre-surgery, before liquid diets, etc. Good luck.

That's great! I'm also a frequent traveler (mostly domestic for work & international for play). I spent 3 weeks in Thailand just a month after the surgery and had a pretty good experience. I finally have what I believe is good restriction with my 4th fill so will be interesting to see how travel eating continues (I'm like you - try to find local favorites). I think it's great to be able to still try lots of different things and enjoy some serious gormet food - just a significantly smaller portion. Congrats! It's nice to find a fellow road warrior.

Banded 3/19/2012 this summer had to get all fluid taken out. Lost total of 40 lbs, gained back 30 recently. Dr wanted to do revision, bc of stomach coming up over band. Insurance wouldn't pay for new wls so, I said to keep my band. I'm all good now, it went back down with unfill and liquid diet. I go next week for another fill(3rd since unfilled), right now I still have no restriction. With my Dr hating the band now, and not doing them anymore, I feel so isolated. Started local support group this week, but no one has had the band. I feel like I'm on my own. Could anyone give me an encouraging lapband story?

it took mine 7 weeks to hear anything so good luck goin THAT long without sleep-lol. GOOD LUCK!!!!Hope everything works out positively for you.

okay this is my third attempt to reply - three times a charm right? Hello all - I'm still here barely. I was banded Feb. 16, 2009 and weighed 265 lbs (5'8") and as of this past January weighed 132 lbs. I was pleased so far except I had started having horrible night coughs - along with the occasional spit up and could barely eat anything anymore. So band doc took some out and said to get upper GI/fluoro. I was feelling a little better but still had occasional throw up session and still some night coughing. Early March I had upper GI and band slipped. I almost had a heart attack. On one hand I was so relieved because I had not felt like myself in two months which I started a new job at that time and kept thinking it was the stress of the job and I couldn't hack it. I swear I had never felt so out of sorts - not myself as I did for those two months. On the other hand, what do you mean it's slipped...fix it. So they said so much of my stomach was so far up above my band they had to do revision surgery and since my port stuck out about 6 inches out of my rib cage like a gigantic alien goose egg they could fix it at that time and they would do this fast. So I thought okay, maybe for a reason would certainly explain a few things and I could get egg fixed. So I had surgery last Tuesday NIGHT (6:00 pm - no drink/water/food since midnight before and waiting all day - can you tell I am impatient ???) Woke up Tuesday night to hear "WE TOOK IT OUT." WHAT??????????? Why? It was best - your stomach needs to rest. So I ended up staying overnight in excrutiating pain - about 50 x worse than the first time around which doc says is bc maybe I was 120 lbs heavier - idk ok. I have follow up in two weeks and I am still a little bit of disbelief. I weighed 139.2 day of surgery and yesterday 152. How does that happen? I have had nothing but Clear liquids since Wed am. My stomach is swollen but I am baffled in very many ways. Now what? Am I going to have to go through this pain agan IF they get it approved by my insurance not to mention although I have insurance I still am responsible for some of the costs which include doc visits, portions of fees, hospital stays, etc... I am open to any ideas/comments/suggestions/feedback - anything. You wouldn't know it by this 'bitchpost' but I am generally a very positive person, did yoga, chants, positive thoughts etc right before the surgery all positive imagery - took supplements/vitamins that were appropriate etc... So, How's everyone else doing?

No response to my email...so I called today and LM. Nothing yet-- dinner last night was a failure- 1 ounce of chicken thigh and about 2 ounces of soft cauliflower--- I couldn't keep even water down three hours later. UGH woke up today feeling parched! Water is fine today and I had really thinned out oatmeal w/ fairlife milk (which I hate eating due to the high carbs, but I really just wanted something warm). Now I am trying one hard boiled egg mashed up w/ a little light mayo and a laughing cow. sigh...what a PITA keep smiling though.

I just had my lap band surgery on April 16th and, like you, have had no complications and am feeling great. Getting a little tired of the liquid diet. My surgeon keeps his patients on liquids for 4 weeks. How is the pureed phase going? I have lost 19 lbs. and looking forward to finally losing weight and keeping it off. Good Luck!!

Don't do it! Don't, don't, don't.:scared0: . . it's all in your head, it's your fat devil telling you to do it. . beat it girl! I had head hunger so badly my first and 2nd week out, it's better now. . . i would have loved to eat everything! But i told myself i paid way too much for this surgery to mess up. . . i did it for a reason and that was to get away from the fat demon. . . hopefully you did it for the same reasons. . . don't do it, drink Water and when the cravings come back drink more water! Just don't sabatoge yourself girl! Don't do it. . .

So far pretty good seems my scales have stalled and only eating about 500-600 calories a day mostly protein not getting the 60oz of fluid I should but getting 40-50 everyday. 7 weeks postop and down 33lbs.

It's funny you say that because very few have noticed my loss. It's good to hear that it kicked in after a stall. 400 calories is tough for me. In doing 800 along with exercising 4 times a week. Did you find that you were hungry? At 800 calories I'm hungry alot. Your words are very comforting and encouraging. Thanks

Had mine done last year and can't remember exactly...thinking around 6 weeks. I was self pay so it might be longer with insurance. At least you are on your way and that is the good news.

Maybe I'm just not used to things going smoothly, but here goes: so I had my nutrition class, psych eval and surgical consult all this afternoon. The nutrition class a little haphazard and not too well put together for what I was expecting. The psych eval consisted of an addiction's therapist (they said it's cheaper that way) asking a couple of questions on a sheet and running off. I actually had to keep asking HIM questions because it all felt so rushed. The surgical consult was a LITTLE better, but the doctor still zoomed through his speech. (It WAS very informative, however). Long story short, everyone thinks I'm an excellent candidate and should have no problems getting insurance approval and wanted to schedule for surgery on 12/23. Meaning I'd have to start my 2 week diet TOMORROW, according to them. I told them it felt a little rushed and needed some more time to wrap my head around the fact this may be actually happening and went with 1/10. I start my diet 12/27. While this is going totally according to my idealized plan (I wanted to be banded no later than Valentine's Day), I guess I just didn't think it'd be THAT fast. Did anyone else feel rushed once the ball got rolling or am I being whiny? I apologize in advance to all of you guys who have to wait 2-6 months for everything...

I'll be sleeved and on the losers bench!!!!

Don't go overboard, maybe enough for a week or so. You'll be up and around before you know it. My pantry is still full of sf jello and protein powders that I couldn't choke down. Don't forget a heating pad for your belly.

Stayed the same this week. Start: 184.4 Goal: 174.4 Week: 184.6, same as last week. NOT going to get there at this rate! Being sick and having to have an un-fill, messed me up! :thumbup: Have a great week!

I feel just like you! I had my last nutritionist appointment on February 8th., I had everything I needed to submit to Insurance at this appointment. I hadn't heard anything from my center of excellence a week later so I emailed the bariatric coordnator. I asked her what my status was as they had everything they needed to be reviewed for a week already. She told me that the nurse practioner looks at the files in order they are received on the desk and at that time mine was next to be reviewed. She said the nurse practioner would review it and then it would go to transciptioning and then needs the surgeons signature and then could be faxed to insurance. (I also have UHC). She stated that once it is sent to insurance I would receive a letter in the mail. It has been another week and still nothing. I took the extra step to call my case manager at UHC to get the 800 number and fax number needed to open a case for me and fax directly to my case manager. Speaking with my case manager she stated that once she has everything she can make an approval within 24 to 48 hours. My problem right now is that is has been 2 weeks that my center of excellence has had all my paperwork ready to send to insurance and they still have not sent it. I know it has to be in the order received on the nurse practioners desk, but really how long does it take to review my file, send it to transcriptioning, get a signature and fax it..... I am getting so annoyed... I'm going to wait until Monday and if I have not received my letter that it was sent to insurance I'm going to be very angry. All this waiting has really made me lose my motivation. I'm finding it harder to stay on my diet and work out.... I almost feel like whats the point.... If I at least had my letter that it was sent I would feel stronger and see a light at the end of the tunnel.... I find this no fault of UHC. They have been great throughout this whole process answering every question I had, and returning my calls. It is just my center of excellence that has had there own rules and requirements that I had to wait longer and who is holding up the process.... Anxiously waiting! Kara

16 weeks post, I have lost 78 lbs so far and I feel great. Today I put together 4 pictures of me from the beginning till now and when I saw the final product of the four pics side by side, I burst into tears. Serious hurt and sadness for the sad person staring at me in the first two pictures. Ugh, a weight literally and figuratively. Really made my heart ache. I am so happy I made the positive change for my life!