nurse535

I have discovered that adding sugar free flavored coffee Creamer to Protein shakes makes them much better!

I have always liked Gerber baby bananas, even before I had surgery. I ate them during the mushies stage and still occasionally eat them as a snack. (People at work look at me weird though haha!) Obviously you want to aim for maximum Protein intake, but sometimes you get tired of the same thing over and over. In my opinion it's no different than eating applesauce, and actually probably better in some cases because sometimes there's a lot of added sugar in applesauce. As far as it being loaded with fat, that may be true of some blends but the the bananas don't have any fat in them.

It is a very emotional experience to have bariatric surgery. We have a lifetime of emotional pain attached to our weight, and many of us are emotional eaters. You're experiencing severe discomfort right now due to the surgery and then on top of it you can't even EAT anything like you're probably used to being able to do when you're stressed! It's overwhelming! I have been banded for 2 years. I lost about 60 lbs and then gained about 15 back 5 months ago. I went in for my first fill in a few months last week, and this weekend I was feeling really upset and overwhelmed because I was stressed from work, tired, etc...I kept thinking "I'll just have (insert whatever food)" and then remembering - oops, I'm on liquids/squishies, can't have that...made me realize I have slipped back in to my old emotional eating patterns. You will be able to get through this! Rely on this board for support, as well as your surgeon's office and their staff. ((HUGS))

If you feel up to it, just take it slow and pay attention to your body's signals. Walking for a few minutes is still activity even if it's not an intense workout, so that may be a good place to start. Resting is ok, too! Sometimes the activity will make you feel better, sometimes worse, so just go slow.

Everyone is different, but I can have sandwiches, burgers, rolls, etc. Now, if the bread is TOO big, like a restaurant burger, I won't eat the top bun just the bottom. It's not that it'll get stuck it's just that I'll get full too fast and not enough Protein.
It's trial and error, really. You'll have to figure out what works for you after you're on regular food again.

First of all, the best indication of needing a fill is NO WEIGHT LOSS! Saying you can't have a fill because you're not losing weight is like saying you can't have the lap band because you aren't losing weight. Ridiculous!
Second, if she does have people losing 5 lbs a week, they are probably over filled, because that's not a normal rate of weight loss or a healthy rate of weight loss beyond the first few weeks post-op. I lost 10 lbs the first month and then about 5 a month for the next few months, then I yo-yo'd up and down for about a year because I wasn't adjusted right and I was using that as an excuse not to eat right. I guess 5 a week might be ok for some people, but not most people.

First of all, the best indication of needing a fill is NO WEIGHT LOSS! Saying you can't have a fill because you're not losing weight is like saying you can't have the lap band because you aren't losing weight. Ridiculous!
Second, if she does have people losing 5 lbs a week, they are probably over filled, because that's not a normal rate of weight loss or a healthy rate of weight loss beyond the first few weeks post-op. I lost 10 lbs the first month and then about 5 a month for the next few months, then I yo-yo'd up and down for about a year because I wasn't adjusted right and I was using that as an excuse not to eat right. I guess 5 a week might be ok for some people, but not most people.

First of all, the best indication of needing a fill is NO WEIGHT LOSS! Saying you can't have a fill because you're not losing weight is like saying you can't have the lap band because you aren't losing weight. Ridiculous!
Second, if she does have people losing 5 lbs a week, they are probably over filled, because that's not a normal rate of weight loss or a healthy rate of weight loss beyond the first few weeks post-op. I lost 10 lbs the first month and then about 5 a month for the next few months, then I yo-yo'd up and down for about a year because I wasn't adjusted right and I was using that as an excuse not to eat right. I guess 5 a week might be ok for some people, but not most people.

Really good idea!

My user name there is kejojo.

I play about four different "____with Friends" with five different friends, and it can take up a lot of time just catching up on my games every day. I've told my friends that from now on, I will only play when I'm also riding my exercise bike. Today, I rode my bike for 60 minutes! Beats the heck out of sitting on the couch for 60 minutes playing all of those silly games! Haha! )

I do a no clothes weigh in right after using the bathroom first thing in the morning!

I do a no clothes weigh in right after using the bathroom first thing in the morning!

I do a no clothes weigh in right after using the bathroom first thing in the morning!

I do a no clothes weigh in right after using the bathroom first thing in the morning!

I buy bras from Lane Bryant. I do prefer underwire but they have some that aren't. They are pricey but worth it in my opinion! I try to buy when they're having a buy-2-get-2-free sale. Part of the reason I like them is that their underwires stay put. I've never had one poke through the fabric like I used to have happen with cheaper bras. Having my boobs in the right spot in important to me lol. I think I spent a total of $80 for 4 bras last time I bought them, and they have lasted a year. It's time to buy some more but I think I'm close to dropping a size so I'm holding out for the moment.

Thanks for that calculator link! I think that will be very helpful!

My scale showed a 1.4 lb gain this morning. However, I have tracked my food and exercise, was consistently under my calorie goal, and worked out 4 days including cardio and the first level of Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. So I am assuming this is not a "real" gain but probably Water retention from working muscles that haven't been worked in a while! I have to admit I was disappointed not to see a loss this morning but I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing because I know eventually it will show on the scale.

I remember my mom having a video or DVD called Sit and Be Fit. I suggest searching Amazon for that and it will bring up similar items too!

There's no way to know for sure, but it's unlikely that you have caused a serious problem by cheating. As the earlier comment said, the point of the pre-op diet is to shrink the liver. There's really no way for the doctors to know whose liver will be a problem and whose won't, so they recommend the pre-op diets to be safe.
In my case, I was having Migraines from the lack of food, so when I went for my pre-op visit with the surgeon, he said it was ok if I ate some small meals as long as I went back to liquids only 24 hours before the surgery and then nothing after midnight the night of the surgery.
It really was hard getting through those pre-op diet days! But it is worth it!

One thing I can tell you for certain: the lap band is not the easy way out! We still have to make good food choices, and we still have to get exercise on a regular basis. It's been said so much, but it's true that the band is only a tool. It is very easy to "eat around" the band, or to continue drinking too many beverages with calories.
Think of it this way: an accountant can add and subtract, but they usually use a calculator. Does that mean they are bad accountants? Of course not, they're just using a tool so they can do what they do better. You're not a failure, you're just getting a tool to help you become a better you!

There's no way to know for sure, but it's unlikely that you have caused a serious problem by cheating. As the earlier comment said, the point of the pre-op diet is to shrink the liver. There's really no way for the doctors to know whose liver will be a problem and whose won't, so they recommend the pre-op diets to be safe.
In my case, I was having Migraines from the lack of food, so when I went for my pre-op visit with the surgeon, he said it was ok if I ate some small meals as long as I went back to liquids only 24 hours before the surgery and then nothing after midnight the night of the surgery.
It really was hard getting through those pre-op diet days! But it is worth it!

I got the band to lose the weight yes... but bigger than that I got the band to keep the weight off.

Last year was my first Thanksgiving after being banded, and I ate a little bit of everything I wanted, including Desserts. I even had a bite of a yummy roll! I took small bites, chewed well, and ate slowly. I enjoyed my meal and felt really great about having enjoyed it without overindulging.

I am intrigued by this idea of carb cycling - I'm going to read more about it and maybe give it a shot to see if it will work for me, too!