crash878905

No eating fingers....you will need them! I'm doing laundry, but nothing really exciting. I decided to have some nuts (the kind you have to crack and peel first). Maybe that will help. Good luck on your shakes...I really am looking forward to the new healthy me, but today is just a tough one.

My mom was banded in February, She was the stereotypical late night snacker... she would eat popcorn, ice cream, peanuts, you name it. Now she eats sunflower seeds. It takes time to eat them, they're not incredibly bad for you, and she still gets to have a salty snack.< /p>

No eating fingers....you will need them! I'm doing laundry, but nothing really exciting. I decided to have some nuts (the kind you have to crack and peel first). Maybe that will help. Good luck on your shakes...I really am looking forward to the new healthy me, but today is just a tough one.

My mom was banded in February, She was the stereotypical late night snacker... she would eat popcorn, ice cream, peanuts, you name it. Now she eats sunflower seeds. It takes time to eat them, they're not incredibly bad for you, and she still gets to have a salty snack.< /p>

I made a little banner thing for us July folks....here is the link. If you'd like it, just cut and paste it on your signature page. Also, I'm not too tech savvy, but when I made it, the background was red, white and blue (for 4th of July), but when it publishes, it changes to some orangish color? Anyone know how to fix this? Or anyone want to change it at all?

Amy

Very cute... I love this July Bandee community! lol it's nice to know I'm not the only one dragging my feet through the Protein Shake preop diet!

What I did was I started writing down and thinking about all of the exciting things that I will be able to do once I lose all of the weight, like fit better in chairs, go out dancing all night, riding horses, riding bicycles and motorcycles, running marathons, rockclimbing, etc etc. I felt like that was really empowering, and then I felt less nervous and more excited. Remember that each step you take is bringing you closer to the healthiest you! Best of luck with your surgery

I LOVE this idea! I am going to start a list tonight. I am being banded on July 6th and today was the 4th day of my 14 day liquid diet. I am extremely nervous too, second guessing my decision, but deep down I know this is what I've been waiting for. Thanks again!

Hi All,

I am being banded on July 12th. I am so glad that I found this site! It looks like there will others for me to share my journey with. My doctor only wants me to drink the Protein Shakes for one day before the surgery. Seems very different than others. I am considering doing it for a week before the surgery just to start the process.

Best of luck to all!

I think that's a really good idea. For two reasons: losing weight shrinks your liver, which my surgeon says makes surgery safer. And two, in my opinion, it is preparing me (mentally) and my body (physically) for what's to come. Ultimately it's your decision of course! Good luck

Same here...day two and I'm not hungry. Just the mental part....make me think I could do this without the band, but I know that's not going to happen.

I had those thoughts too, thinking I could just do it on my own since I have lost 6 lbs in the first 3 days of the preop diet. But then I just remind myself of all the times I promised myself this would be the time I would lose the weight on my own, but never followed through.

For those of us who are keeping surgery quiet, do you plan to tell people if they ask you directly? Or tell people once you feel you are successful? I don't think I should lie if asked...

What do you think?

Good question.... for right now, the people who know are my parents and sisters, my manager at work and a few close friends. Even some of my close friends had negative views about my decision. That's the only reason why I decided to limit who I tell--not because I think I'll fail. I feel so ready for this step that I'm not afraid of following through.

If people ask me after the fact, then I will either tell them about the surgery (if I think they'll understand where I'm coming from) or just tell them I'm eating less (which will be the truth!) lol

Welcome PongosMom, pinktink, and Tammy!

Congrats LisaB on getting your date!

MassMom, I'm so sorry about your endoscopy. I've been told I'll be knocked out for it, for which I am grateful. I also have my "Am I doing the right thing?" days, I think it is pretty normal when you are making such a huge lifestyle change. I have lots of fears...will I fail? What if I don't have the willpower to follow the diet and keep working out? How bad is getting stuck going to hurt? What if I slime in front of people?!!! When all these things go through my mind I just recall all the people on these boards that wouldn't change getting the band for anything and have been successful and it helps.

I want to just say to Kevin and Stan to please stay active on the thread...it is so nice to have some guys around!

Best of luck to all of you starting your liquid pre-ops, you can do it! Just think, I'll be STARTING my pre-op while you are already over your surgery and getting to mushies! Promise me you won't rub it in

Here's our updated list:

No date yet: Shauna Deanne, kychick1294, 30Something (JeVona), nickieredd79

June 30: Nechama L

July 1: jenjaw, nancy2011, amjcal, Tracy N, xlstan, Wendy Muehleisen, ahassan, KevinM,

lifeisjustbeginning2011 (Amy)

July 5: AlyGurl (Aly), MassMom01527 (Steph), Allison0927, Harvest Farmer, wannabe21bmi (Kate), Kim from CT

July 6: lizzy21050, crash878905, Lorelei

July 7: nesportsfan, hokdo, songbird5769, Short and Chunky, LisaB68, pinktink

July 11: dixiechick, honeybunny, Jessica43082, hlong1985

July 12: BandedApril (April)

July 13: CurlyDiva, Tammy A

July 14: crystalddm

July 15: Corize, JohnnyBoy

July 19: Mrs. Schultz

July 21: NomersCat, Coco's mum

July 25: cat lady, dropsizes (Mary)

July 29: ButterflyM, PungosMama

I love the list... it's good to see how many new people are on here... we're all in this journey together

I know I may be the only one out there but I am not hungry at all on my pre op liquid diet. I'm completely satisfied physically. Mentally, I'm still hungry. I want to eat everything in sight just to chew lol

so i am finding i am not really hungry on this liquid diet, just used to putting something in my mouth unnecessarily...anyone have similar thoughts? i am afraid i will break after a day or two, or maybe it will get easier, i am not sure?

I'm on day 3 and it gets SOOO much easier!! On days 1 and 2 I was a VERY unhappy camper. Everyone told me that it gets better and the whole time I was thinking, yea right, how could this get better??? It does, I promise! I have 11 more days of this so I'll be right there with you! Good luck

I'm not very good at this reply thing but I am sooo glad you posted this. I start my pre-op diet on the 30th and Im so worried about it.

It really does get better. On the first two days I was very unhappy with the whole liquid diet thing. Everyone told me it would get better and I didn't believe them, but honestly it does get better. You'll get the hang of it. Good luck!

So this is day 3 of my Pre-op liquid (meaning Protein shakes only, max 1200 calories a day). I began the Pre-op diet on June 22 and my sugery date for gastric banding surgery is July 6. But let me start from the beginning....

So Day 1 of the Pre-op diet.... nothing short of MISERABLE. I was drinking the Bariatric fusion chocolate and vanilla shakes and tried the Met RX vanilla shake. I was questioning how they could call these things "shakes" lol. I had to gag these shakes down, it wasn't pretty. I made the mistake of leaving a shake in the blender too long and it was so thick that it wouldn't pour out lol. Can you tell I'm a newbie??

Day 2 got a little better. But I weighed myself and I gained .6 pounds! Now I know that was probably Water weight, but I couldn't help but get frustrated because I hadn't even eaten any food and I was heavier!

Day 3: Down 5.2lbs since day 1! I actually am starting to LIKE this preop diet thing. Crazy, I know... considering the terrible experience I had with them. My mom was banded 6 months ago and taught me some tricks with the Protein Shakes. So if you're on a pre op liquid diet and are desperate for some ides... or just want to mix it up a little... here's some ideas!

Try adding cinnamon. It makes a huge difference and helps to get rid of that protein-y taste that I dislike so much. Cinnamon and strawberries are actually a nice combo...

Try adding 1 tsp of sugar OR sugar substitute... Adding the calories of course... nothing goes uncounted!!

Try adding frozen rasberries (my favorite) or fresh strawberries, etc. Very low in calories and pack lots of flavor.

Try adding instant Decaf coffee (after it's been diluted of course). It isn't any calories and helps me to keep that coffee taste I love. I also added a 1/4 of vanilla extract and it tasted like a vanilla coffee shake.

And last but not least, 1 tbsp of Peanut Butter. This has the most calories (95 cal per tbs) but as long as I'm in my daily calorie range I add it. It has Protein in it and it also masks the protein0y shake taste completely.

***Do not try these without speaking to your surgeon first.*** These ideas seem to help me and have made a WORLD OF A DIFFERENCE in my preop liquid diet experience. Please share any of your own ideas And I am open to all suggestions and any advice

I'm having the surgery on 7/6 and today is my first day on the liquid diet. I'm a little nervous about it (the diet and the surgery) but I'm determined to stick to it. It's just 13 days, right?

My surgery date is July 6th too! It's coming up so soon! This is the third day of my pre op Protein Shake diet. Wednesday and Thursday I was a miserable person lol... the shakes made me gag, and I was not a happy camper. But I started to experiment with the shakes a little by adding some cinnamon and sugar (counting calories for them still of course!), strawberries, frozen rasberries, Peanut Butter (95 calories for 1 tbs) and it has made a WORLD of a difference. We'll get through this... only 11 more days! What are the requirements of your pre op diet? Good luck... we got this in the bag!

Hello!

My name is Aly and I'm getting banded on July 5th (20 days!) and I too have a BMI of 33/34.

I'm 18 years old, I know that I'm young to be undergoing this surgery, but I have lost and gained weight a thousand times since about the age of 12 and have a family history of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. I'm really excited about it but at the same time I'm nervous because I know how difficult it is (my mum had a lapband in 2008). I'm finding the weeks leading up to it difficult because I want to talk to my friends and boyfriend about it but they don't really get it... It would be great to have people to talk to who are in the same situation!

Aly - Hunter Valley, Australia

Congrats on your surgery date! Mine is July 6th, so I'll be right after you! My name is Ashly, I'm 23 and have had struggles telling my friends and family about it--most still don't know and I think I"m going to keep it that way until after surgery, only because I'm trying to limit the negativity leading up to my surgery. Do you have a pre-op liquid diet? I'm on a 2 week Protein liquid diet with a max of 1200 calories a day. My mom also was banded. It's great that we have our moms to help us out. Best of luck and keep in touch!!

Yes, I am currently going through the same thing. In all honesty, I haven't told very many people BECAUSE of the negative responses I've been getting. And typically its the really skinny people who are quick to comment. One coworker said "so you just feel like this is the end, theres no other way to do it, huh?" I said, no I feel like this is going to be the beginning of my new life! Once I am banded, I'll be happy to tell people, but really its no ones business but my own. I will be working hard, so I know its not just the band doing all the work. So who knows if I'll talk about it a lot or not. But, the most important person you need to keep happy is yourself. A lot of times people are jealous because they think you will be skinnier than they are!! Thats why a lot of people are negative. Keep your head up. We are doing this for a reason and have committed our life to changing. Hang in there!

Thanks so much... you're right... I am the the one who I need to keep happy.

July 6th is my surgery day!!! PreOp starts this Wednesday, June 22!!!

Hi Everyone

I have not been banded yet, but will be on July 6th. I know of 2 family members that have been banded and one family friend. I have researched all things Gastric Banding for over a year and thought about it for what seems like forever. I see a lot of people in their 40s, 50s, even 60s say that they wish they got it in their 20s. Well, I'm 23 and ready to lose this weight get healthy, and start my life.

Only one problem-- some people that I tell about the band are either not excited or try to discourage me. I have limited the number of people I tell because I haven't gotten a very positive response. And at this point, all I want is support for my decision.

The one person I thought would hate the idea is actually one of my biggest supporters! Which is a great feeling. I just wish that people didn't see this as a terrible, deadly, unnatural decision. They're making me nervous and filling my head with doubts. I just keep thinking of the positive and looking forward to my new life.

Have any of you banded people been through the same thing? How did you handle it?

Helener, good luck with your surgery! I'm happy to know it wasn't so bad for you.

Papillion Princess, thanks for the advice. I haven't told many of my friends about the surgery because I don't want to hear anything negative about surgery. I am sure some of them would be supportive, but others not so much. Congrats on your success!

Yippy !!! you wil be soo happy !!! glad for you, i was banded on 3/23/11 , the pre op diet will def help you after surgery, its kinda like getting you ready for after surgery, hang in there !!

Thanks so much I know some surgeons don't require a pre op diet but I am glad mine does only because, like you said, it'll help prepare me for after surgery. Congrats on 37 lbs lost!!! I currently weigh 272, I hope to drop 37 in that time too. I know it takes alot of hard work but I'm ready.

I am so excited I had to post... I got my surgery date, it's going to be July 6th!!! Any other people being banded in July? Congrats to anyone who recently got a surgery date! I am very new to the site so if anyone wants to be message buddies I'd love that! Although I can't inspire anyone just yet, I could use a little inspiration... especially once my 2 week liqid diet starts.

I can't believe that one day I will no longer weigh this hideous number!

I sound pretty identical to you! I actually am on day 6 of my liquid diet. My surgery is scheduled for June 16th.

I go out ALLLLL of the time and thought this would be the end of the world for me, but it really hasn't been that bad. My friends are really supportive, so this does help tremendously I'm sure.

I have been drinking three Protein shakes a day, which fill me up and I haven't been all that hungry. I also drink lots of Water with the crystal light and sugar free Hawaiian Punch packets in them. They help to add something a little different to the mix. I went out with friends both Friday and Saturday night and drank Diet Sprite the first and pretended like it was a mixed drink....lol. The second night, I drank Water with lemon and pretended it was a Vodka Tonic.....haha. I have always been a pretty big social drinker so this is a huge change for me.

The only problem I have had so far is with my "bathroom habits." I guess when you don't eat like normal, you are as regular as normal. They are better now though. Feel free to email me with any questions you have or anything. My email is leanel_01@yahoo.com. I'm just getting started too and need all the information I can get. I have been talking to a lot of people so I might can answer some questions.

Those alcoholic drink alternatives sound really good. I'm not a heavy drinker, but if I go out to a bar I certainly don't want to be sipping on tap water lol. I'm glad to hear it hasn't been that bad for you! I hope I'm just as lucky. I'm glad you mentioned the bathroom habits, as unglamorous as it may seem haha. I am not regular in that department and am looking forward to some regularity on the liquid diet.< /p>

The best suggestions I can give you is to start testing Protein drinks now so that you can find some that you like - too many people wait until they start the pre-op diet and then post that they are starving and can't stand the Protein Drinks. Also, find a variety of flavors...drinking chocolate Protein Powder multiple times a day can get old really fast. There are Protein powders that are lemonade flavored (Syntax Nector) that would provide a nice break to the vanilla & chocolate of most drinks. Also try some unflavored powder mixed in crystal light for variety. There are also some things you can add to your protein shakes to change the flavors...sugar free syrups (like what they use at Starbucks) work well and I also mixed instant Decaf coffee into my morning chocolate shake to make it taste like a mocha.

For social gatherings, at a coffee shop you can have coffee or tea with skim milk (just not the high calorie starbucks drinks) and if you go out for drinks just order a club soda with lemon or lime...it looks like a mixed drink and no one will question it.

Last but not least, when you start your pre-op diet remember that it is not forever...you can do anything for a short period of time and the results are certainly worth it - not only will you lose some weight (I lost about 11 lbs) but also you will be helping to shrink your liver which will make your surgery safer.

Great advice, I am so happy you mentioned the instant decaf coffee mix. One of the hardest things I'll have to give up is coffee. Having a mocha flavored mix will help ease me into the liquid diet phase. Congrats on your WLS success!

I just found out that I was approved for LapBand surgery yesterday. I am excited, I'm nervous, I'm anxious, I'm happy, so many different things are going on! I don't have a surgery date yet, but it looks like my office is booking into late July.

Some questions:

My office requires a two week liquid diet that I am dreading. I supposed it gets better as the days go on. Are there any helpful tips from anyone that is on the liquid diet to make it less... annoying? I know it is necessary for my liver to shrink and for me to be in the best shape I can be by surgery, so I guess that's a plus.

I am 270 lbs. If I consume 800-1000 calories a day (which is required) how much can I anticipate to lose in 2 weeks? My BMI is 40.2 and I am a woman, which I'm sure will have an effect on my progress.

I go out to eat and for drinks (coffee or alcohol) with my friends a lot. Of course I will not be consuming alcohol or huge meals, but how do I deal with social gatherings while on the liquid diet?

I'm sure I'll htink of my questions later. If you had to do a two week liquid diet before your lap band surgery and are around my weight, please share your experience with me! Thanks

I'm so happy I found this post! Firstly, because I too 'weighed' (haha) the good and bad with the band and bypass. For me, bypass flat out terrified me! I'm sure there are bypass patients who are happy with their choice and dislike the idea of the band, that's the way it is. My mom got banded in February of this year. Being a born-again Christian, she struggled with the thought of WLS because many people feel it's not natural or necessary. My mom chose to tell only her closest friends (either in the church or at work) and they support her 100%. I do believe God gives surgeons and doctors the abilities and skill to help His people. I am now waiting to hear back from my insurance to see if LapBand surgery will be covered. If and when I get my surgery, I don't feel obligated to tell the world if I don't want to. At this point, I don't talk to certain people about it because they will just try and discourage me and tell me what a bad decision I'm making, I can do it on my own if I just try, etc. But on the other hand, the one person who I thought would not like the idea of WLS is my number 1 supporter! I am 23 and have been overweight since elementary school... I'm ready to start my new healthy life!

I would say pray about it. That's what my mom did through her whole pre-op experience. I have to take my advice and start praying about it as well, cause as it gets closer I'm getting more nervous and I want to be at peace about it come surgery day! I hope everything goes well for you!!

And congrats to the post op patients on being successful and positive! It's inspiring.

I wanted to share my story to try and inspire others. I was overweight all my life, but when I hit a high of 250 after graduating law school I knew something had to change. My doctor actually told me that if I didn't take drastic steps I was on the road to early mortality, which prompted me to pay for the surgery myself. I had my surgery six months ago, and now I'm at 188, just 3 pounds from having a BMI of 25. My ultimate goal is 175 pounds (I'm 6 feet tall), so it's an ongoing process, but my progress is still steady. I'm no longer pre-diabetic, my asthma has cleared up, and I can run 2 miles a day. I couldn't climb a flight of stairs six months ago without gasping and reaching for my inhalor; now I live in a 5th floor walk-up. Everything about my life has changed -- I have more energy, feel healthy, and love what I see in the mirror. The everyday joys of weight loss -- stepping on the scale, having my clothes taken in, being complimented by old friends -- keeps me motivated. Thanks to a wonderful support team (the brilliant Dr. Brian Jacob, my health food cooking husband, and a dad taking the weight loss journey with me) I feel I can finish my journey and maintain a healthy weight. If anyone out there is in need of a support system of their own please message me -- I've been through plenty of ups and downs, and I'm always happy to help others through them.

I loved your story! I think it's great that you continue to stay motivated, which I'm sure is why you're so successful!