LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

Well, Water obviously is the best count for water. But do you count. . . . Non-Caffeinated herbal tea? Propel? Lemonade? Gatorade? Crystal Lite? Flavored Bottled Waters, like Dansi? Aquafina. . etc? If it is primarily water and has no calories, then is it counted as water? Or is only water counted as water? I'm asking because I'm suppose to get 40-64 oz of water a day into my body, and I'm getting bored with 'just water', if water is the answer, I will gladly continue just water. :-) What are your thoughts? Thanks ~ Erica

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When can you start an exercise plan? At what intensity? I am in a training group that does intense workout and I just wanted to get a since of when I could return.<O:p</O:p

Hello, Let us introduce ourselves: We are Caroline Dumas (a future bandster) and Nancy Teasdale (1 year post-op). We are both young French speaking ladies living in the province of Quebec, Canada. As members of a French Canadian bandster support group, we followed-up on a suggestion to create a silicone band for the lap-band, in a similar fashion to the Live Strong band for cancer or the pink band for breast cancer. The response was amazing! This bracelet exists for several reasons, the first being to represent a symbol that identifies us all to each others as bandsters. For lots of us, it also serves the purpose of encouraging and reminding us, on a const…

I am not losing a thing but I realize that I have only had one fill of 1cc 2 weeks ago. My problem: We just opened a BAD business. It's a MaggieMoos Ice Cream Treatery. I make the cakes and sometimes do other things there to help out. The ice cream is soooooo good and I know it's a big "NO NO" but IF I could say "NO NO" to the "NO NO's" I would not be over weight! So, my question: Can we bandsters take Xenical the fat blocker? Do any of you take this? I'm just thinking that if I eat a little ice cream, I could take this and it would just go on through!

Went in for my 5th fill today............ bees dick under 33Ibs in 6mths. I am now up to 8cc and hope this gives me more restriction.

I'm so upset. I've losing my hair rapidly. Not the weight. It seems to have began with my first fill about six weeks ago. I'm going to be bald by x-mass. I had my blood taken to see what's up?? Everything came back fine. I also did the nioxen thing and I really don't see a difference. I have not lost any weight, but have gained 5 lbs. I'm eating out of stress and I need some help,support and advice. Thanks for the ear bending. Have a wonderful Holiday!!!!!!! :cry

This isn't weight loss related but I feel like you all are my family....I found out last week my son will need to have some more surgery. For those that don't know he was born with an imperforate anus (he didn't have an anal opening) He has had 3 major surgeries all by the time he was 9 month old. So I thoght we were done for the most part. Well we aren't... I take him to today to have a test done so that the Dr can see how he is going to have to do the surgery. Please pray he can go in through the rectum and doesn't have to open up his abdamon (sp)...The healing time would be much quicker and less painful for him. I thought it was tough when he was a baby but know that h…

I have my date set for surgery. December 6, 2005 I am feeling mixed emotions scared, excited, nervous. I was soooooo excited about it but now that I have a date set I am really nervous. Boy....do I need to stay positive the 10 day diet I am not looking forward to. Does anyone have any suggestions how to make it easy? The date of my surgery is perfect, I start my 10 day diet the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I should be on Soft foods by Christmas. It must be a sign. LOL:banana

Hey guys. I went to see my doctor today. I was scared because I have been doing a lot of stress eatting because of whats going on in my life. And I got a pleasant surprize! I actually lost 4 pounds!! Thank God! I know I probably could have done better if I didn't make so many bad decisions diet wise in these last few weeks but its still four pounds less!! wahhooo Its four pounds MORE than what I expected to lose.

Hello all, I have recently undergone a total transformation regarding appetite and the inborn urge to eat. Before my life revolved around it--each minute was consumed with when I was going to eat again and what it was and how much longer before I do it. I would always have to tell myself,while eating, to slow down,don't eat so much, stop eating now--your definately going to gain weight now with what you ate. However for the last 3 weeks or so I have come across a phenomena that I am having a hard time understanding. If I skip Breakfast, I rarely get hungry for the rest of the day and usually wind up eating one meal a day at around 4-6 p.m. I know part of this is becau…

Re-Post from NJ forum Alright all of you experienced bandsters, could you give me ideas of things I will need in the house for AFTER the surgery?? I know gas-x, juice etc, but I would like to hear from everyone else what was your "life saver" also I am trying to find out the best tasting Protein powders -I just want to be prepared. thanks BTW- Surgery date set for Dec. 13th!!! :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny

I was told that your first year was your prime time to lose weight or have you guys heard differently I am a litte discouraged I have lost 40 in 4 and a half months I just lost only 2.5 in six weeks wasn't feeling full got a fill today so I hope it helps my goal was 100 in one year but when do you count the year when you feel restriction or when you got the surgery really discouraged i can't fail at this too.

The LA Times had an interesting article on weighing this morning. Thought I'd share it here for those who don't get the Times and see what you guys thought. Dieters, step on your scales <LI style="LIST-STYLE-POSITION: inside; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: square">Those who weigh themselves regularly have a better chance of losing extra pounds, a recent study finds. But not all experts agree. By Rosie Mestel, Times Staff Writer Losing weight is hard — and you might say hardly studied. Only recently have scientists clinically shown that the widely used Atkins diet actually works, and they've yet to definitively weigh in on another diet-related question: Does regularly ste…

Hello All, I had my 1st fill yesterday and did the whole mushie thing...had no problems other than that my stomach growled all night like I was hungry. Have you ever had this happen? I wonder if it was "head hunger" or my stomach's reaction to the fill? Odd... Thanks! ~pamela.

Alright all of you experienced bandsters, could you give me ideas of things I will need in the house for AFTER the surgery?? I know gas-x, juice etc, but I would like to hear from everyone else what was your "life saver" also I am trying to find out the best tasting protein powders -I just want to be prepared. thanks

Here's a site that lists foods high in Protein as well as their calories. http://www.highproteinfoods.net/

Today is a horrible day I woke up at 10:00 a.m. and hungry as hell. I drank my broth and later had a yogurt. I am sooooo hungry and want to cheat big time. I just had 2 more oz of chicken broth and I put a cracker in it and let it get soggy and ate it. I know this is cheating but I want to cheat even more. Usually I feel ok with hunger pains but I don't know why today I am mad because I want to eat so bad. I can have an egg starting monday, but I was going to go ahead and have one today because of my hunger. MY DAMN LUCk I went to the fridge and we have no eggs. I am so sad I am crying I want to eat. Please someone give me some encouraging words. Thanks

hEy all, i work in childcare and am due back at work next week. i HAD my surgery 5 days ago. How long before u all went back to work? I will be doing alot of lifting so i dont know if i should go back so soon. i asked my surgeon and he seems to think 2 weeks is fine!! just wanting to hear from others that went back to work thanks in advance

t a Hello, I am new but am reading like mad everything I can get my hands on to have things in the house for coming home after banding. Going in on tues morn and expected to return wed night. Here is what I have gotten already: lots of the high Protein drinks in cans, by the list from Doc. Chewable Vitamins 3 in 1 joint formula, since I had to go off Celebrex,( this will be hard) for life! TKR with 7 surgeries, revisions etc... Calcium chews Isopure (any kind of tea?) told no coffee, can you have caffeine? Fiber tablets B-12 for inj. (former nurse) lots of whey powder had to go off estrogen patch 1 week ago and will go back on 1 month after band(scared!!!) N…

I am having my surgery early tomorrow morning and I am very nervous. Can anyone tell me what to expect right afterwards?

I am trying to get approved and need some hints or advice. Can anyone help me. I need good news...(From TX).

The doctor acted like this was a lot. Is it? I still do not feel much restriction. I mean I ate a hot dog (yuk but I was at the movies) w/o the bun and drank 16 oz water. Should I make another appt to get more?

I am new to the forum and I live in Southern Oregon and I was wondering about Oregon Doctor's that perform the Lap Band? I was looking into Dr. Raul Mirande and he seems good but I wanted to know if anyone has used him or knows of other good Dr's in Oregon.

Today is the big dayat 12:30pm I am to be banded. Wish me luck fellow bandsters. I am a little scared and alot nervous. Today is the first day of my new life. I want to succeed to bad. Any advice please reply.

I was banded 10-03-05 and came thru it with flying colors I am happy to say. During which time I had lost 27 pounds, but when I went to mushies I gained back 9 pounds in a heart beat! I then went for my first fill last Thursday and I took .8 cc's....I am now PBing on everything but liquids and a few mushies! I understand that the restriction will kick in even more in the next few weeks and I am wondering if I will be too tight then? I find myself even PBing on some liquids as well. Not to mention the fact I am staying hungry but I hate to eat because I have gained back the 9 pounds! Anybody else go thru this crazy time too?

Hi I'm having my first fill on 12/1 and will like to know what to expect. I saw Dr Abkin on Thursday and told him that I don't feel any restriction How much was your first fill? and how did you feel when it was done? for some reason I am very scare Agatha

This is NOT a true story about my family. I got it from someone else. But, have a good laugh with this one, anyway: One year at Thanksgiving my mom went to my sister's house for the traditional feast. Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to play a trick. She told my sister that she needed something from the store and sent her to get it. When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of the oven, removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, and inserted it into the turkey, and re-stuffed the turkey. She then placed the bird(s) back in the oven. When it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the stuff…

I dont know what to expect. I am drinking grape juice right now. Do I supposed to go on liquids for 2 days until I feel restricted. Is it going to hurt?

At what point do you notice REAL weight loss. I've lost almost 20 pounds and they are just numbers on a scale. My clothes still feel the same and I still feel the same. At what point do you really notice you are lossing weight?

Well I guess now I know why I have not been able to lose much weight.. I always thought it was strange that after a fill 2 days later I felt the same as if I never had a fill at all. I just thought that there were air bubbles or something in the tubing causing this. Anyway Friday after a hard painfull fill he just about put 6 or more ccs in.. and nothing the Water went down fine. It didnt hit me much until my Dr. hung his head down and sighed.. I got tears in my eyes when he said you have a leak. My Dr. thinks it happened on one of the fills when he was trying to locate my port and probably stuck the tubing near the port with the needle. He puts the blame on himself. H…

Does anyone know if there is a good OTC menopause /hormone therapy that a bander can use. I have always taken Estrovan but they don't cut up very well. The advise is appreciated in advance for this flashin' bandster.:ogre

I am 4 days out of surgery and feeling GREAT (yay!) but now once again my head has gone to food. It's a bad habit that I need to get out of. What's for lunch what's for dinner ect. It's like it is the main event of my day (my days off anyway). I'm not hungry...I know this but I cannot change my thinking. Ideas, solutions?

I removed the link and added pictures . So scroll down to my lasts post on this thread to see the pics. I don't see a whole lot of difference, but i'm glad to see the scale going in the right direction!

I've been higher than that at my highest, but came into this year around 290. However, that was on Atkins which I stopped in Feb and I know I've packed the pounds back on since stopping. I'm at the point where I need to get my physical done, but I'm procrastinating b/c my PCP's scale tops out at 350 and there's a really good chance I'm over that, even if only by a few pounds. But I REALLY want to get this done before the holidays hit, I'm certainly not getting any skinnier... There's a humiliation factor, but also my insurance company requires an accurate current weight to be submitted, and if I'm more than the scale can weigh - then I need to find a bigger scale! I…

I have been researching the Lap-Band for some time now and finally found the nerve to start the process. I did an online seminar, a chat with a Dr., read a book, and loads of other research but when I called the Wish Center in Tampa today I was told that they are closing so they are not taking any new patients. After that set back I thought I would try to find info on a Dr. a little closer to home (Pensacola, FL). Any info regarding him, his office, or any personal Lap-Band experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Do anyone use any products for this that works?

...and ready for spring. I just packed away all my short-sleeved 3X shirts. Tomorrow I get my 5th adjustment, and I'm ready to plow through the winter and work my ass off -- literally. By the time spring rolls around, I'll be shopping at Target (max shirt size, 2X, which will be PLENTY big by Spring) instead of Wal-Mart =) (Yes, I'm a big spender. ) Jonathan

I had my first fill a week and a half ago and I am able to almost eat a full meal as if I don't have the band! I don't understand why I am able to eat so much. I have started tanning, does anyone know if maybe that is not good for the band?

This may be too much information, but as I've read posts on here about bowel movements, sex and nicked nipples, I'm thinking ya'll can handle this lol. For the past week or so, I've noticed that every time I take off my bra (which is the first thing I do when I walk in the door heh), my breasts hurt. Not like a stabbing pain or anything, but a sagging pain, as if they've been put in a putty machine and pulled. Now, I've lost about 75 lbs, and my measurements around have gone down a good bit (ribcage, under bra), but my cup size is still a whooping big ole G cup. Is it possible that as my frame decreases, this will become a common occurrence (sore breasts I mean, as …

I know that everyone is banded for different reasons, but I'd like to know what they are. So please, post them here

I just started mushies a few days ago, and man can I eat!!! Small mashed potatoes AND small mac and cheese from KFC......no problem! I know people say that before the first fill some people feel little to no restriction. So, here's the deal......I don't want to eat potatos and/or mac and cheese every day because I'll quickly regain everything I've lost so far. (I'm down 25 pounds in three weeks.) My question is, approximately how much did you eat in one sitting and how many times per day did you eat on mushies?? If I eat scrambled eggs for Breakfast (2 whites, one yolk), cream of wheat with a splash of milk for lunch and refried Beans with cheese and some applesauce for d…

Please ease my mind. I've taken 2 vitamins and have had about 3 bottles of water today. Will I get sick from lack of nutrition. I cannot stand soup and today haven't been able to make myself eat it. So i've had virtually nothing to eat all day. I'm sitting here thinking "this is only day 4, you can't do this for 10 more days...its not healthy you'll be sick by the end of it". Tell me that this isn't true...and it's just my head wanting food.

I think that's what they are called anyway. The strips that you are supposed to let fall off on their own (I think they are like stitches).

I did it! Had my 1st fill today. My hands were sweating so bad! Hello to Jacklin (sp?) who I met in the waiting line! 20 lbs gone so far!!! ~pamela.

Do any of you guys have any experience with birthcontrol post op? I know RNY paperwork stated something about birthcontrol pills being ineffective because of the digestive changes. Anyone know about IUD's? My awsome insurance pays for this too, after copay ofcourse. I don't want a surpise pregnancy during my weight loss journey but I do want to try after about 2 more years. There goes my 5 year plan. Please let me know. Jennifer

Could anyone please explain exactly what the process is when getting a fill under flouroscope and what the price range is for getting this done. Thanks.

Surgery was a breeze and I feel like recovery has gone well. The main thing I didn't expect was to get strep throat! That hurt more! Whaaaaa! Finally on antibiotics and back at work. I have two days left of liquids and can't wait to start the "blender" stage for the next three weeks. Somehow three weeks of blender stuff sounds miserable, but I know I have to do it. I'm sure that I'll be asking for a swift kick in the butt over the next few weeks - so get your kicking shoes on! Welcome to all of the new bandsters and thanks to everyone for always being a great place to come to - I love the smiles you all bring to my face.

Hi all - i'm a hopeful pre-bander, and am currently doing some research - I hope you all can help! I'm currently taking 3 diabedes medications (actose, metformin and glipizide), in an attempt to get my very high blood sugar under control. My question is how likely is it that i'd be able to go off one or more of these medications after having band surgery? I've seen some people comment that they've been able to eliminate certain medications, but nothing specific about diabedes medications. Any thoughts? Thanks for your help!!

I also posted this on the Doctors/Hospitals board, but wanted to put it here as well - hoping to find some people who can answer my questions! Can anyone tell me about the surgical weightloss program at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston? I'm registered in mid-December for one of their information meetings on weight loss surgery, I know my insurance is accepted at this hospital, and should approve my surgery. But I'm wondering about details about this program - how long do things take (initial meeting through surgery), what other appointments or tests do they require, any comments on the psych meeting, which I think is pretty mandatory with all of the surgical pro…