Hi there, getting ready to qualify or submit to insurace and dietician gave me an assignment so please respond.

I am supposed to post on here

How do you get the bulk of your protein

have you had a protein deficiency

are you consuming more then an ounce (how long after your surgery)

or

Are you on a liquid diet

how many grams of protein did your doc tell you to consume

( I have submitted to insurance once but was denied. Two of the dietician months did not count and I have to re-do them so we are getting ready to re-submit on April first but I have to have this information posted on lapband talks blog and get the answers from bloggers before my last appt.)

Interesting, never heard of this here before!

1. I get the bulk of my protein from lean solid proteins. For breakfast I add soy protein powder to my VERY thick oatmeal, but lunch and dinner are mainly protein meats, eaten first, then the sides.

2. No protein deficiency

3. An OUNCE? seriously? I've never seen anyone here who only eats an ounce of food! I've been consuming 1-1.5 cups of food per meal (my doc allows 1.5C, but my breakfast is 1/2C & over 20g protein, only because I'm tighter in the mornings). I'd say I average 1 C for the two later meals and I've been doing this since I eased back onto solid foods just post op (I just had an endoscopy yesterday and everything is perfect).

4. I am NOT on a liquid diet, or any other kind of diet, except 'high protein'. There's no food I can't/don't eat. My doc does not allow protein shakes, except just post-op for healing or after fills for a few days. The band is meant to work with solids, not liquids (if you want to do that you might as well go on a protein shake diet, because the band won't help with a liquid diet AT ALL).

5. I get at least 60g of protein a day and I get more than 20 at each meal (what my doc wants).

FYI- I'm now 10.5 months post-op, lost 90 pounds and reached my goal weight about a month ago (I'm in the Normal BMI range now). There's no food I can't eat and I'm never hungry between meals. I've kept a blog since the beginning and you're welcome to read/ask me anything ...I'm an open book (you can leave a comment/question on the blog even if you don't register with Blogger-there's an anonymous choice there-just keep pushing the post button several times, it's fickle. I'm not here every day anymore, but you can leave me a message-visitor or private message as well if there's anything else you need).

Hope this helps you get to the next step! -BG

Blog here:

THE SWEET SPOT

OK, just saw another comment you made to another blog about the 1 oz. and it sounds like your doc is serious about this. RUN, don't walk to another surgeon...no one, not even the band manufacturers recommend 2, 1 oz. meals a day...how in the world would you get in your basic nutritional needs...that's just malnutrition and CRAZY! No way would I go to a surgeon that recommended something like this.

I am so excited thatI have responses. Thank you so much. it is the first time I have participated in a blog. I am going to read them now.

Again, thank you . . .

Im sorry, I dont understand this blogging and I cannot figure out how to write to you personally so my posts dont take up space on here.

Yes, the one ounce cups have us a little worried - also - the non-reversible nature also has us worried.

One of the reasons I chose the lapband is because it is reversible. This particular surgeon (the closest to me about two and a half hours away) is one of the first to perform this procedure and he pulls the stomach up around the band and stitches the stomach to itself. This also makes, I would guess, a tighter pocket.

How in the heck, and please forgive me here, how in the heck can you fit one or one and a half cups of food into a one ounce pocket.

I, myself am a vegetarian so I am going to have to eat processed protein and that makes me nervous.

I will quote the doctor on this and I would like to see what you think. I would love to have your contact or a way to contact you as I said, I dont want to take up space on here for just me.....anyway the doctor said.

"you will do a protein shake in the morning - 8 ounces of liquid over and hour time. You will also need once at lunch. these protein shakes cannot have milk in them. No fruit either. If you feel you are in a social setting and have to eat, you will live out of a shot glass. you fill your shot glass with protein. chicken (dark meat), beef, pork and take eraser size bites. it should take about 20 minutes to eat a one ounce cup of food"

All of that made me nervous especially in social settings - I am not going to tell anyone about my surgery.

I posted before asking about the one ounce portion but didnt remember it was on here. Then my dietician found this forum and thought it was a wealth of informatin from 'real' people.

I just want to thank you for responding.

argh! I dont understand how to blog and where to post what - sorry still learning.

to ymjackson1 and imaluckydog: You are not the first to say you eat more than an ounce. I am just flabbergasted and to be honest, quite relieved. I remember during the first orientation we were all handed our one ounce cups and a nurse (who wanted the lap band) stood up and said, this is it, this is all we get? wont we be tired, deficient etc..... but the surgeon had answers to everything - he said, 2 flinstones vitamins and drink 80 g of protein a day - if you have to eat, fill up this one ounce cup.

I have to ask, this surgeon actually measures one ounce ( actually he said slightly less) of a pocket when he does the surgery, he then pulls up the stomach and stitches it around the band to prevent slippage and stretching of the stomach. I am curious as to how anyone can fit a cup of food in to a one ounce pocket - but I am so releived you can.

I was so afraid of offending people at dinner parties. Offending my boss and a social function where his wife cooked or offending my mother at thanksgiving. Putting a cup of food on your plate and spreading it out to look like a full plate is going to be a much easier task then trying to spread out a one ounce cup of food - After the orientation they send you home with a stack of one ounce cups, I have been measuring things and have beeen simply horrified.

I guess I am alone in this . .

This doctor is about two and a half hours away - THE CLOSEST ONE TO ME - The next would be about five hours away.

Please forgive my goofy question but for how often you have to get fills, appts, follow ups etc - would you prefer I see the doctor four hours away OR do I just need a better nutrionist or after care or? - any help on this blogging and where to find all of the posts would be great too