Newbie with cold feet

[renewed_mind 7]

So I went today and did my initial consultation and after going over all the info with the doc I'm kinda scared now not about the surgury but more of what happens if I forget to chew well enough and the fact that I can never have soda ever again. ..I think that alone might kill me. ... plus I have to stop smoking which I know I need to anyway... but then I hate vegetables and I have my entier life they are nasty and I don't like them but now that and fruit and may is all I ever get to eat again for the rest of my life? No soda no potatoes no bread no juice no cheese no ice cream none of the good stuff ever like ever.... I mean ok until I get to where I need to be I understand but why not like once a month can't I have some ice cream or some potatoes or something I don't get it one a month wouldn't kill me... can some help me please give me a pep talk I guess?

[gowalking 10,790]

So I went today and did my initial consultation and after going over all the info with the doc I'm kinda scared now not about the surgury but more of what happens if I forget to chew well enough and the fact that I can never have soda ever again. ..I think that alone might kill me. ... plus I have to stop smoking which I know I need to anyway... but then I hate vegetables and I have my entier life they are nasty and I don't like them but now that and fruit and may is all I ever get to eat again for the rest of my life? No soda no potatoes no bread no juice no cheese no ice cream none of the good stuff ever like ever.... I mean ok until I get to where I need to be I understand but why not like once a month can't I have some ice cream or some potatoes or something I don't get it one a month wouldn't kill me... can some help me please give me a pep talk I guess?

Did your doctor really tell you no potatoes, no bread, no cheese, etc.? If yes, that is not most bandster's experiences. My nutritionist told me to eat 3 oz. Protein, 1/2 cup veggies, 1/4 cup carbs ...which is basically weight watchers. I eat bread, rice, Pasta, and other carbs...just in small portions. I do not drink juices, soda, eat ice cream....but that is my choice as these are empty calories. I deny myself nothing.....and I have lost 70 lbs. in six months of being banded. I'd suggest speaking to a nutritionist...or finding another doctor. I've never heard of all those foods as being off limits.

[renewed_mind 7]

Yes unfortunately that is what I was told the bread is a no no well regular bread because it will absorb Water and can get stuck and id have to drink water to flush it down or puke it up im not sure why no potatoes she talked really fast and I had a headac by the time I left 3 hours later but the cheese and stuff is a slip through food or something meaning it would just go straight through and not slowly go down through the band

[renewed_mind 7]

And I was also told a half cup of food at each meal which is to consist of meat veggies and fruit

[gowalking 10,790]

And I was also told a half cup of food at each meal which is to consist of meat veggies and fruit

cheese is Protein and most of us eat it with meals, or as Snacks. I would never presume to know better than your doctor, but I would really speak with a nutritionist or talk to another doctor. cheese is not a slider food...like ice cream is. bread can be a problem for some but if you can tolerate it, you should be able to eat it. Lot's of people toast the bread so it is dryer and crumbles. Oh...and lots of us eat more than a half cup of food...including me. Really....speak to another doctor or a nutritionist. Those rules you were given will set you up for failure.

[renewed_mind 7]

Well it wasn't actually the doctor that I spoke to it was an aprn or advanced practical resisted nurse I won't meet my doctor until I make the 4 hour drive to have the surgury at the hospital in Kansas City. .. and I may have gotten some things confused. ..I'm going to have to ask for like a list of Dos and donts and an exaple of a full days set of meals listed out like this would be a typical recommended breakfast etc etc... to be clear because it was alt of info to take in at once and im horrible with remembering stuff

[gowalking 10,790]

yeah, no one can remember everything. write stuff down..and find out if they have handouts. most offices do so you can keep referencing the instructions. good luck!

[GuyMontag 1,264]

Let me tell you something, if you have something that is your weakness and you give then it can easily become your downfall. If you drink 3 sodas a day and think you can cut them out and then just start only having one a month then let me tell you it's a hell of a lot harder than you think. Once you burst that bubble it's VERY hard to put it back together. If you're that worried about all of the restrictions with lapband then have you considered bypass or sleeve? You'll still have to make some lifestyle changes but I don't think they are as easy to defeat as the band is. I'm not trying to disuade you but I am trying to be practical and I wouldn't recommend getting this surgery until you are committed and ready. It's not a walk in the park but it can be a great tool if used correctly.

Lastly, here's a rule of thumb I have learned, don't take any nutrition advice that isn't a doctor or a lap band patient. People may 'think' they know how a band patient should eat but they are usually wrong. I won't even listen to a nurse or a nutritionist unless they are banded. I might shake my head and nod but internally I'm thinking, if I could do what you just said then I wouldn't have needed the damn band! Lol.

[renewed_mind 7]

Well and my worry now is ... I have slowly been cutting myself off the caffinated soadas and cigs in prep for when I do have the surgury but now I have tasted the Protein Drinks they want me to be be on one week prior to ... to help shrink my liver... and ewww its so nasty is there a way to make it better?

[lellow 1,713]

Can't help you with the Protein drinks (I hate them too) but in terms of being worried about the loss of certain foods, I guess my only advice to you is this:

If your sense of loss is bigger than your desire to lose, then wait. I waited 18 months to get banded because I was just not ready to give food up. But once I was ready, I jumped in with both feet and nothing could deter me from losing weight. I think you need that sort of commitment with a band. But if you are committed, then it can change your life.

Secondly, research the band (this is a good place to do it but not the only place). Each person needs different things to lose, each person needs to find their own way, but generally speaking, there are many banders who did not stop carbs to lose (I am one of those who ate carbs throughout). So right now, you don't even know what it will be that the band won't tolerate. It may tolerate everything, for that matter, that happens too.

If you're like me, being well restricted eventually means that you don't have any real cravings for any one food. So you know how you can't imagine living without soda? Well I drank a full sugar soda a day for 5 years and since just before being banded, I haven't touched a drop and don't even miss it. With the band, you have to accept that things will probably change, but it may not be as hard as you think it is.

Good luck whatever you decide. I know it's not an easy decision by any means.

[renewed_mind 7]

Well yeah my doc said everyone is different and that different things work for them I have so far pretty much given up soda I this I had half a 20 oz yesterday maybe and that was the last I have had for a few days before that it was just one a day now im trying to get used to the Protein drinks which so far I figured the faster I drink it without alowing myself to taste it the easier it is to get down... and also trying to cut back on my smokeing to stop that as well yay... so far going ok but when stress rises I automatically go for one the key is trying to stop myself or not think about it

[lellow 1,713]

I am a smoker. The main thing about smoking is that it inhibits healing. I talked to my dr and asked if it was ok if I cut down, and he said yes, as long as I didn't smoke in the 3 days prior to surgery and 3 days after (I didn't feel like it for over a week post-op to be honest). So explore your options, it may seem all too hard for you right now because of the amount of things you seem to need to change all at one.

[Helli 49]

I can not help with much on your worry list as I do not smoke and am still way pre op. I will be banded in October, I will tell you however that I have been prepping for the Protein Shakes because my BMI is very high so I will be on a Protein Shake for two of three meals diet for three weeks. I have finally found a whey Protein Powder that is not to bad alone. I make it better by using recipes from bariatricfoodie.com and now use a Protein shake every morning as my go to breakfast, peanut brittle is amazing and tomorrow I am trying pumpkin cheesecake. Seriously Ah...Maz...Ing!

[PlanoMom 6]

Protein shakes.... my mortal enemy. Well.... until this weekend and we made nice, nice. I bought the GNC Pro Performance. I blend the powder, skim milk, 2-3 frozen strawberries, a few Libby's Skinny pineapples (canned low carbs/sugar) and 1 packet of Truvia. Its actually yummy and shake time isn't bad.

[SashaWLS 412]

I can and DO eat everything on your list except carbonated drinks. And a few times I was craving a coke so I opened one and left it in the fridge for a few hours and drank it flat.

I've taken 15 months to get to decent restriction. I went slow because I don't like being too tight and I want to get used to each level before getting tighter... My weight loss is great, but probably very slow by many people's standards on here.

15 months ago I started at 266, I'm around 190 now, but still losing every month. I was a size 24 pants, I'm now size 14. I was a 3x top, and now wear a large or medium. I look AWESOME, feel sexy, but most of all have my old energy and brain focus!! I'm MUCH sharper at work and have more stamina.

Don't worry. This experience feels natural. You'll eat what feels good and avoid what doesn't. It's up to you!