hlayne

P.S. I'm a scatter brain if you can' tell.

Wow, I missed about 10 pages of posts. I can't keep up! Anyway, SO SICK of liquids. Less than a week now til I can have mushies, YAY!! Those will only be for a week then normal food again! I did discover last night that I LOVE pea soup. Found a way simple recipe for it and tried it...soooo good compared to everything protien shake based/tomato soup based/potato soup based/water/more water...yah you get the point. It was good stuff. I want scrambled eggs. Oh and that wonderful 20 pounds I lost the first week...well gained 5 back. I guess that just goes with it when you start adding more foods, or in my case, going to full liquids, even though the calorie count has still been really low. My fill will be at 6 weeks, so I suppose that's when the weight loss should actually start counting for something. Anyway...I'll try to keep up with posts better. Oh and my recovery from surgery....about 3 days ago, I started feeling completly normal. No more pain, my stomach doesn't itch so much since the glue stitches are almost gone and a lot of the scabbing (ew) is mostly gone. Doesn't look bad at all underneath either. No more swelling or anything. So two weeks out I feel like myself again. Hope things will go as well for everyone else. :tea:

I found a new recipe yesterday that took me 5 mins to make today and it was sooooooo good!!!! I have never had pea soup before but it's some good stuff! boil 1 cup chicken broth reduce heat to medium add 1 cup frozen peas, let simmer for about 5 mins pour it in the blender with 1/4 cup sour cream and blend until smooth very liquidy for the full liquids stage yum!

Ouch :eek: ...and yes it is. :biggrin1: (Hopefully, when I go to mushies I'll just have some of their mashed potatoes and be over it. :eek: )

I'm having a hard time getting in all my water too. :eek: Before banding I was drinking almost a half gallon a day, after....sometimes I drink 2 - 24oz bottles, sometimes I don't finish the second. :eek:

Changed my mind after I looked...I THOUGHT there was a lot of sugar because it's so good, but it's 7g for the whole thing. BAH!

Couldn't think of much to post cause I'm still doing fine and all. Haven't really been hungry (except head hunger...I still want KFC sooooo bad!!). I've actually found that if I think about it, I've been having less than 500 calories a day. When I was on Clear liquids I was only around 100 calories a day. So now I have to figure out how to get more in. I've been eating something 3 or 4 times a day, but it's usually just a half cup or less of some sort of soup or Protein shake. I feel fine, so I guess it's ok for now. I think I'm just so afraid of hurting myself before I'm healed!!! Only one and a half weeks til mushies!!! P.S. OMG MY STOMACH ITCHES!!!!! Ok, had to get that out. :eek:

I saw it in film class 3 years ago. :girl_hug:

I have a bunch of the liquid muscle milk, the chocolate is my favorite. It does have more sugar than I'd like but as for the calories, I can only drink about 1/4 of it at a time, so it's less than 100 calories and about 10g protein for just a few sips. I haven't tried the powder, I've found I don't like the powdered stuff much at all.

Wow, I already knew I didn't want kids, maybe now I don't want to get married either! :girl_hug:

Haha, as long as I don't hear go gators ever again. :girl_hug:

yes yes, but preventing the excess skin is better than having it :girl_hug:

Just wanted you to know I'm scared to death of this too! But I was told the same thing, I'm young and my skin is more elastic. But I have done a LOT of digging because I didn't believe that it was all just going to bounce back because of my age.....sooooo I'll just share with you the two best tips I've gotten. Drink lots and lots and lots of water, it helps keep your skin healthy enough and more elastic so it will tighten up. Also with exercise and weight training. As you build muscle your skin will tighten up and "stick" to the muscle so it doesn't move around all jiggly-like. Anyway, that's what I'm going to stick to and it's up to you, just do a little digging on the subject and see what you can find.

I went for my one week post op yesterday and I went with a big list of things from this thread that I wanted to start having. I was shot down on about 90% of it. My dr is STRICT about the liquids! Just wanted to let everyone know though. I was told no fruits, no peanut butter, no meats. Basically I can have cottage cheese blended with tomato soup, and I can have any kind of soup I want as long as it has no meat and it's blended til smooth. Last night I had Progresso broccoli cheese potato soup and OMG it was soooooo good. Anyway, just wanted to share that. :mad: I'm keeping the recipies for the mushie stage though! Can't wait!

I had my one week post op yesterday. Not much to it, they just wanted to make sure I was doing ok. But since I was starting on full liquids yesterday I had a huge list of stuff from one of the liquid recipie threads that I wanted to make sure was ok to start having. Sadly the nurse shot down 90% of my list giving me whatever reasons that I couldn't have most of it. BUT, one good thing is...if it's soup and it doesn't have meat, I can puree it and have it! YAY!! Last night I had some progresso potato broccoli cheese soup that I had pureed and mmmmmmmMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMM mmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm. I was told by co workers it looked like baby food..haha. It was so yummy that I didn't care what it looked like. OH! Let me also tell you, I had heard on here about this stuff called Muscle Milk, so I got some chocolate kind the other day and OMG I could live off this stuff for the rest of my life it was so good. Better than real chocolate milk def and 32g of protein...well if you can drink it all. I can drink about 1/3 at a time. It comes in a powder form too, but I bought the liquid. The next day I called GNC and they had it buy one get one half price so I went and bought a bunch of it. :mad: Besides the new full liquids diet everything is still good. I still want some freaking KFC, but I will wait. Noone is stopping me once I'm on solids again though! Oh, I feel like I have bruises in a few weird places, on my hips and on my lower legs, but there are no spots. Hips might be from sleeping on my side, because normally I start on my side and end up sleeping on my belly, but NONE of that right now, so when I wake up they are a little sore. Worked again last night after having two nights off and sitting in the chair for 12 hours wasn't bad at all this time. :Banane59:

I was told I can only walk for the first month, then I can start weights and whatever else...so I dunno, every doctor has different ways anyway. :girl_hug: I went to the gym last night, but only walked on the treadmill....embarasingly slow...lol. :cake:

Updating for you guys, cause I don't think I have in a couple days. I go in tomorrow for my one week post op appointment and I'm soooo excited to go on the full liquids (I know, that's weird). I'm going to ask them if I can have pretty much anything that I can puree into a liquid, cause I'm pretty sure I can, but I'm def gonna ask first. Yesterday I wasn't in any pain except when I lay on my side my incisions hurt a little so I'm still pressing a pillow against my tummy to sleep. I went to the gym last night with a friend of mine, just to walk on the treadmill. Walked for about 30 mins between 1.4 and 1.9 MPH....hahaha soooo slow. But I was there at like 1am, so I doubt anyone noticed. I did ok with the walking, but it seriously tired me out and my stomach hurt...not like the band or the incisions, but the muscles were just tired like they had had a mild workout. Normally on the treadmill I don't feel like that. Especially on my sides and lower stomach. It was a weird feeling. Today I ran a bunch of short errands and was completly fine. Tonight I had a friend of mine go to the grocery store with me so he could carry stuff. :girl_hug: We were at Walmart for maybe 45 mins and I was REALLY worn out. I think it's just because I'm hardly having anything to eat. But anyway, got home and I only carried a couple really light bags up the stairs to my apt, made my friend carry the rest. :cake: He didn't mind, that's why he came with me. I've only been taking pain meds before I go to sleep, don't know that I really need them, but I'd rather take them and have a good nights sleep than keep waking up every few hours. Going to the doctor's office at 9:30am, I'm kinda excited because since I was in the office two weeks ago, I lost freaking 20lbs!!!! I don't know where I'm losing it from cause I don't think I look any different. Probably mostly water weight, but you gotta start somewhere!!!

It's fun to see who likes the articles and who thinks they are terrible. :girl_hug: I aim for a half gallon of water a day, but after being banded so far I'm only getting to about 50 ounces or so. It's way harder when you can't chug it. (For me anyway.)

Wow, a little afraid of solid food now...but I get to start full liquids tomorrow IM SO EXCITED!!! No more jello and broth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have this saved on my computer to share with people from time to time. It's a long read but it's really intresting. :confused: THE WATER CURE CAN MAKE YOU THIN! We can’t rave enough about the latest weight-loss breakthrough. It’s simple, safe and effective. This M.D.- devised technique has already worked wonders--three times faster than average--and without dieting. Before you read another word, go pour yourself a glass of water. WHY? Because what we’re about to tell you is going to make you very thirsty. At least that’s the reaction Chicago mom Amy Biank had when she first heard about a groundbreaking treatment for weight gain, fatigue and a host of other stubborn ailments ..... “At the time, I was getting out of bed in the morning and feeling old and heavy,” recalls the 54-year-old, who’d been steadily gaining weight since her early 40’s. “My joints ached. I would get overwhelmingly tired. I had hot flashes, mood swings, sinus headaches. I didn’t have the stamina to work out, and I had such strong cravings for foods like chocolate and bacon .... I just surrendered and said, ‘This is the way I’m going to be’”. But, in fact, it wasn’t the way she was going to be... Fast forward six weeks: Amy was shopping in the “fat ladies’ section at her favorite store and tried on a size 20 skirt. “It literally fell off,” she beams. The outfit she took home? A size 16. Now she’s in the 14s working toward a 12. Maybe “working” isn’t the right word because Amy has lost the weight, quadrupled her enerby, eliminated achy joints, beaten her allergies--simply by drinking water -- more specifically, by drinking a doctor-prescribed amount of water. That’s exactly what Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., affectionately known as “Dr Batman” around his practice in Falls Church, Virginia, tell his patients--who have lost up to 40+ pounds just by increasing their water intake. A recent survey found that while two out of three of us know doctors recommend drinking at least eight cups daily, only one in five actually drink that much. How much, do we drink? On average, a mere 4.6 cups a day. “This chronic shortage is the reason so many of us are sick, tired and overweight,” claims the expert, author of YOUR BODY’S MANY CRIES FOR WATER. “Humans are 75% water. More importantly, our brains--our control centers--are 85% water. Without adequate hydration, our metabolisms slow, energy levels drop, toxic waste becomes trapped, cells are deprived of vital oxygen and nutrients and so much more.” So why don’t we feel thirstier? “Studies show that as we get older, we experience a gradual loss of sensitivity to feelings of thirst,” says Dr. Batman. And for reasons not entirely understood, humans accept a dry mouth as the primary indicator of thirst. “Yet it is the last signal your body sends that it’s thirsty”, Here's one more installment on this subject:he adds, noting that earlier signs include sleepiness, achiness and hunger. Since so many of the systems that keep us slim are dependent on water, it only makes sense that when these systems falter, we get fat. That’s the bad news. The good news is that simply by following one simple water-drinking guideline, we can restore our body to peak health and leanness ...... HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED TO DRINK TO LOSE WEIGHT? Dr. Batmanghelidj and the world-famous Mayo Clinic both offer the same easy formula for figuring out your body’s daily water requirements: take your weight and divide it in half. If, for example, you weigh 150 lbs., you need 75 oz. (nine to 10 glasses) daily. If you weigh 250 pounds, 125 oz. (15 to 16 glasses). Any time you perspire heavily for 30 minutes, add an extra 15 to 30 oz. Any time you drink a caffeinated beverage, add an extra 8 to 10 oz.! Is pure H2O the only liquid that counts? No, say experts. Any beverage without calories, caffeine, carbonation, artificial sweeteners, or sodium, such as herbal teas, bottled waters with fruit essence--also counts toward your daily quota. Meet your daily quota and your rewards will be many ............ EASY WAYS TO GET MORE WATER The idea of drinking 75 oz. of water each day may seem overwhelming at first, but these tricks make it easy ----- *Reaching for water first. Start taking water breaks instead of coffee breaks, sipping water instead of soda, and you automatically drink more. “In the past, I tried to drink more water in addition to all the Diet Coke, and it just didn’t work”, says Chicago mom Amy Blank. “But once I started making water my beverage of choice, my cravings for Diet Coke disappeared!” *Keeping lots of H2O where you can see it. That way you won’t forget.“The first two weeks, I put eight bottles out on a shelf, and I knew I had to finish them by the end of the day,” says Amy. *Adding a twist. Water doesn’t have to be boring “Try bottled waters flavored with fruit essence. Or squeeze lemon or lime into chilled tap water. “Sometimes I add a tablespoon of peach nectar,” says Amy. “Or I’ll take an herbal tea bag and pour the water on top of it,” *Keeping it cool. Each night, put some water bottles in the freezer. Take one or two with you to work and enjoy an icy treat in the midafternoon. Also a great idea if you’re going to the beach. SURPRISING REASONS DRINKING H20 MELTS FAT Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster. During a study at the University of Utah, test subjects who were just slightly dehydrated saw a 3% drop in their resting metabolism. And since the calories we burn when we’re sitting still account for the majority of calories burned each day, a 3% drop is enough to cause a pound of weight gain every six months. ........................ Water fights fatigue-induced hunger. Studies have shown that the more tired we feel, the more we eat. That’s why folks who work the night shift tend to pack on extra pounds. But by drinking water, you can prevent the weariness that leads to overeating. “There is amazing new evidence that when water passes through our cell membranes, it creates energy independent of food--a sort of hydroelectric power,” says the expert. ......................... Water helps the digestive system operate more efficiently, so you have fewer cravings. The more water we have in our systems, the more efficiently our enzymes can break down and extract nutrients from food, explains Dr. Batman. The more nutrients you extract from the food you eat, the fewer cravings you’ll have. ........................ Water replaces beverages proven to cause weight gain. It probably comes as no surprise that substituting water for sugary drinks saves you lots of calories. But what you might not know is that calories we drink are much more likely to end up as fat: one study found volunteers who ate an extra 450 calories unconsciously compensated at later meals and didn’t gain weight: those who drank an extra 450 calories (the amount in one large cola) didn’t compensate and gained weight. “The great thing about water is that if you drink too much, the excess is simply excreted--it is never stored as fat,” notes Dr. Batman. What about no-cal beverages like diet sodas, coffee and tea? “They aren’t stored as fat per se, but they trigger fat storage,” he says. “Caffeine is a diuretic, so you drink it, thinking you’re satisfying your thirst, when actually you are further dehydrating your body. In my opinion, rising obesity rates--especially among children--are directly linked to our increased consumption of caffeinated beverages.” Artificial sweeteners make the problem worse: “When digested, aspartame is broken down into chemicals that reduce blood sugar available to our brains,” explains the pro. “When this happens, we become hungry.” Sweetness alone can cause the body to anticipate a new supply of sugar--so when sweetness hits your tongue, it begins to store circulating blood sugar in fat cells. “I never realized how much more I ate when I was drinking coffee and diet sodas until I stopped,” says Amy. “I still have them occasionally, but when I do, I make sure to have extra water.” Bonnie Siegler BONUS: 5 WAYS WATER ACTS LIKE MEDICINE When it comes to water’s benefits, losing weight and gaining energy are just the tip of the iceberg. Researchers now believe that ordinary tap water helps reduce the risk of kidney stones, urinary tract and bladder cancer and possibly even colon cancer. There is also evidence, says Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., Author of YOUR BODY’ MANY CRIES FOR WATER, that .... 1. It prevents the common cold. Moisture in your throat holds the antibodies that fight off viruses. If you’re even slightly dehydrated, this natural protection disappears. 2. It controls migraines. Without plenty of water, you’re more likely to have an attack. 3. It helps lower “bad” cholesterol. When you’re dehydrated, your blood becomes thick and acidic and can cause damage to arterial walls. Levels of LDL cholesterol rise in response to coat the arterial walls. 4. It may cure asthma. When you’re not getting enough water, your body produces more histamine, which regulates how often your bronchial muscles contract. Drinking water decreases production of histamine, keeping breathing steady. 5. It soothes arthritis pain. Water in the cartilage of your joints acts as a lubricant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's one more installment on this subject: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss by Maia Appleby Don’t roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water. No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here’s why: “What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?” People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, “The process by which a substance is handled in the body.” A little vague, but that’s really all it means. There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs. Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat. “I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!” The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it’s going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless. Do take heed, though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.” One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body’s fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn’t doing your heart any favors, either. It’s already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It’s a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system. Water is the best beauty treatment. You’ve heard this since high school, and it’s true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated. In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you’re blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won’t notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin. “Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!” It’s really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely. This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you’re not thirsty yet. Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren’t what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you’re going to be consuming a lot of this fluid. It’s probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why. “How cold should it be?” This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning. On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it! When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be the missing link.

I'm not there yet but OMG I want KFC soooo bad.

So I'm dying on the clear liquid diet. All I've had for 5 and a half days is chicken broth and jello....so about the egg drop soup....do you just not eat the egg whites?? I love egg drop soup and now I want some so I hope someone replies quickly. :girl_hug: I'm just trying to figure out why the egg whites are ok on the clear liquid stage. Please tell me somehow they are before I eat my table. I'm so hungry.

Actually it bothered me a little just because it smelled so good but at the time I didn't really want any of it, but OMG last night I wanted it. My stomach was growling for the first time and I almost was to the point of licking some onion rings...hahaha. I'm making my list of things that I'm going to put in the blender for my next liquid stage.

I love cheese crisps. I make them in the microwave. Use whatever cheese you want on some parchment paper (it will stick to anything else) and microwave it til it's crisp. Smaller pieces of cheese work better, they come out tasting like cheese crackers. I think I learned about them from the South Beach Diet. Sorry I don't remember how long to microwave, but it will vary anyway with how big a piece you use and what kind of cheese it is.

I woke up and I couldn't see. Everything was blurry but I could see the nurse standing over me and I told her I couldn't see and she said it would wear off. So I spent a few mins blinking really hard. My stomach felt sore but my eyes were bugging me worse and a horrible thirst from the tube. So they got me some ice chips too because I was afraid to drink water.