maryfran

They suggest that you don't drink from a straw because when you suck the straw the first thing you get before the drink is air. Alot of people have trouble because the air bubble gets stuck same with chewing gum you take in alot of air. Now I'm 10 months out and I can do both. So take it easy to start and see how you do....good luck

Try this it is simple and really good.
4 - boneless skinless chicken breast
1 - can of corn drained
1 - can black Beans drained
1 - jar of salsa whatever kind you like
Place the chicken on the botton pour the corn and Beans on top and then the jar of salsa. Turn on low for eight hours and when it is done you can shread the chicken and there you go. Even if you don't like black beans you will like this. You can add in whatever else you like. I like to add chilies and low fat sour cream on the top before I serve it. You can also freeze what you don't eat.
Enjoy!

Try this it is simple and really good.
4 - boneless skinless chicken breast
1 - can of corn drained
1 - can black Beans drained
1 - jar of salsa whatever kind you like
Place the chicken on the botton pour the corn and Beans on top and then the jar of salsa. Turn on low for eight hours and when it is done you can shread the chicken and there you go. Even if you don't like black beans you will like this. You can add in whatever else you like. I like to add chilies and low fat sour cream on the top before I serve it. You can also freeze what you don't eat.
Enjoy!

Try this it is simple and really good.
4 - boneless skinless chicken breast
1 - can of corn drained
1 - can black Beans drained
1 - jar of salsa whatever kind you like
Place the chicken on the botton pour the corn and Beans on top and then the jar of salsa. Turn on low for eight hours and when it is done you can shread the chicken and there you go. Even if you don't like black beans you will like this. You can add in whatever else you like. I like to add chilies and low fat sour cream on the top before I serve it. You can also freeze what you don't eat.
Enjoy!

Jim1967 is right the first month is for healing and not worring about how much you are eating. Your band will soon tell you. You most likely will also hit what we refer to as "banster hell" until your first fill. With very little to no restriction at this point you will be able to eat most anything once you are cleared to come off of the post-op diet. Do not let your stomach rule listen to your head and remember why you did this in the first place. I am 6 months out over 70 pounds down and have not had a fill yet I have dropped 5 sizes and still moving. Hang in there it will be so worth it. Your emotions will try and play with you just stay strong and lean on everyone on these boards we have all been there..good luck

Today I got on the scale and I am down 70 pounds in 5 months! What took me 15 years to put on is now gone in a matter of 23 weeks! I have made it over the half way point....oh how I love my band!!!!

Today I got on the scale and I am down 70 pounds in 5 months! What took me 15 years to put on is now gone in a matter of 23 weeks! I have made it over the half way point....oh how I love my band!!!!

Today I got on the scale and I am down 70 pounds in 5 months! What took me 15 years to put on is now gone in a matter of 23 weeks! I have made it over the half way point....oh how I love my band!!!!

Today I got on the scale and I am down 70 pounds in 5 months! What took me 15 years to put on is now gone in a matter of 23 weeks! I have made it over the half way point....oh how I love my band!!!!

The reason for not drinking through a straw is because you suck air first before the liquid has a chance to get to your mouth and that can cause a bubble same with chewing gum you take in alot of air. I can't eat fried foods or most bread. I really miss eating a sandwhich but that is how it goes. I feel like giving up the things that got me in trouble in the first place is so worth the almost 70 pounds I have lost in the past 5 months. It will just take trial and error on what you can and can't eat. Good luck it is so worth it

Sarah checking in in onederland!! 199.1 this morning.

I ended up 1 pound below my goal at 242 and I've dropped 4 sizes since my surgery

I'm excited to announce our new official LapBandTalk iPhone, iPad and iPod app!
This app makes it fun and easy to access the site while you're away from your computer. You can also take pictures with your phone or device and attach them directly to a thread.
The LapBandTalk iPhone, iPad and iPod Forum application features include:
Full posting abilities
Attach photos directly from your Apple device
Private Messaging (with optional push notifications)
Subscribe and track your favorite threads and topics (with optional push notifications)
Supports both Landscape and Portrait views

The app is free and you can download it directly from your phone. Just open up the Apple app store and search for "LapBandTalk" and you'll find the app. Then just click install. You can also go to LapBandTalk.com on your phone and it should direct you directly to the app.
Once it's installed, you'll have a new icon on your phone that says LapBandTalk. Click it and you'll be ready to go. Here are some screen shots:
iPhone and iPod touch Screenshots:



iPad Screenshots:
Antibiotic beads.pdf




Get the app and get ready to take LapBandTalk with you wherever you go.

Check out a site called Bariatric Advantage they have some on there. I to take the Centrum I just chew really fast.

I know what you are talking about I have a bad habit of not trying on clothes when I go shopping and if they don't fit when I get home I would just put them in my closet with every intention of getting my weight down enough to fit into them. Well the problem is I have now lost so much in a short amount of time even those are too big...LOL! I have a pair of pants that I just bought 2 weeks ago that are 2 sizes smaller and they are now too big. I am so excited for you and hope the next time you go shopping you will be in a 12.....You go girl!!!!

That is awesome! CONGRATS keep up the good work

Congrats on your decision to get the band. As other have said this is not the easy way out and you need to do this for you and not worry about what others have to say. You have the support of your husband so now find others to add to your camp so you stay positive about your new journey. I too have been heavy since my 20's and I tried every diet under the sun and I would take the weight off an then it would return with "friends" so I would end up heavier than when I started the diet. It took me 3 years to finally say I AM going to do this and I WILL make this work. In 10 weeks I have lost over 40lbs and the journey has been pretty easy. You can do this it is just letting the band be in control of when you are full and the key is listening to your Dr and weight loss team and exercising. This site is a great place to find support and I wish you luck on this journey it is so worth it.

Checking in today at 145! I hit my challenge goal a week early, woohoo! Let's see if I can make it to 143 by the end of the month.
So close to my goal of 138 and my stretch goal of 135.

Hello all,
My name is Charlie i am 27 year old male and have been overweight since about the 3rd grade, so basically my entire life. I never had a tramatic experiance or significant event in my life that triggered this sudden obsession with food, that i can remember anyways. A little bit about my self, I live in New Jersey, my parents were divorced from each other twice with several seperations togehter inbetween that so my childhood was quite fun as you could imagine. Deep down i think alot of the stuff i went through with that has played a huge role in my eating but who knows. I have always looked to food for comfort my entire life whether it be for happy,sad,mad whatever i ATE. I am 6'0 and currently weigh about 450lbs(havent weighed myself in a few weeks) and have a consultation with a surgeon at a local hospital on February 14,2012. I have contimplated having this surgery many times in the past, attended 2 seperate seminars, learned aboiut the different procedures offered, even met with a nutritionist. Over the years i have always backed out due to my extremely high level of anxiety i suffer from and to be honest the saddest thing i could possibly imagine which is ending my "love affair" with food. I dont look at food as something to survive, i look at it for what it is...beautiful, delicious and can satisfy you in ways some things in life just never could. When i eat something i just cant put into words how great it makes me feel especially when its particularly tasty, im sure ALOT of you out there know/feel the same way i do and know where i am coming from!
So why get surgery now? Ive basically come to a point in my life where i am just literally disgusted with my self, what ive allowed to happen and continue to abuse. Like any drug user, i need a massive intervention and i feel with the band in place i will be FORCED to stay on a diet, no more bad day binges, depression binges etc because i will physically be unable to eat the food. Another good factor is i do have a irrational fear of vomitting so i also think that will play a huge part in my success with the lap band in not over indulging due to the risk of vomitting.
I know there will probably be some foods ill never be able to eat again due to them getting stuck in the pouch or things of that nature and as the days go on im trying to become ok with that. I know after i get this done i am going to have my good days and my bad days which will mostly consist of " what did i do?, i cant eat anymore :" i know it sounds stupid but this is a massive life change. No one wakes up in the morning and decides you know what today im going to work incredibly hard and continue to do so until im morbidly obese and have health issues just because. People who suffer from weight problems, like my self, dont really choose to be this way it just kind of happens. I mean granted im sure some people out there dont want to change bu I DO. I have been making a list of questions for my surgeon to ask him, im at about 50 or so haha hopefully he has some time to spare. I am scared to death of being put under as i have never had any surgery or even a procedure involving a :"twilight" sedation. The one major positive thing for me is as far as the liquid diet required i could eat Soup 3 times a day for the rest of my life, so i dont think that would be a huge issue for me, im mostly scared when it comes time for "real" food again what i will be able to tolerate etc. I know this is just a tool and only a tool, but its what i need to do.
If anyone can offer me any advice, or some encouraging words to help me through this process it would be much appreciated as i am just terrified about everything, but it needs to happen and i WILL NOT back down anymore! Ive had high blood pressure since the 8th grade, i have sleep apnea for the last few years ( documented anyways), and over all am just a miserable person, mostly due to my weight and hopefully i wont become a diabetic( fingers crossed). I want to know what its like to be thin, wear normal sized clothes and do things ive missed out on my whole life due to being overweight and shy. Thanks everyone for letting me vent. Hope all are well, and i am looking forward to this journey reguardless of how tough it just may be!

If you are anything like me you've lost weight successfully many times in your life. You've NEVER kept it off and you probably did it by some ridiculous means or something you just could not keep up for the long term. It's okay to NOT be perfect! We all cannot cook everyday from scratch, we all can't measure every food we eat all the time, we all can't log in and count our calories everyday, and most importantly we all can't resist our favorite foods (all the time), whether it be something sweet, salty, processed, prepackaged, filled with fats and butter or whatever tickles your fancy. For some reason, people that I know see me as the health guru. Like I have all the questions about weight loss and eating healthy. Think again. LOL! I have practically broken every bandster "rule" there is. The reason I have rule in quotation marks is because they vary so much. Being on these message boards, I have heard so many ridiculous, strange, true, absurd, scary, intriguing, interesting, etc. information about eating, food, dieting, etc. I've always searched for the magic cure for my obesity (since about 5). I cried because I was always large. Then I started to think it was okay to be big and nothing would happen. Then I got depressed, high blood pressure, and out of shape (even being over 200 lbs. I could keep up with the skinnys in the gym). I hit bottom, got LB started eating healthier, exercising etc. and have lost over 100 lbs. Have I eaten burgers? YES! Have I eaten ice cream? Oh, hell yes! What about pizza, wings, Cookies, cake, etc.? You name it I've probably eaten it in the last year after my WLS. You might say well that's not on the "plan"! Well, what is on the plan? No sweets, no carbs, Proteins, and veggies only? LOL! If I could eat that way I don't think I would have needed Lapband. Prior to the surgery that's how I ate because that's how you lose weight. Right? Of course, but that's also how you gain it back. You are always hungry. You can't even have cake on your birthday. You feel guilty for picking up fast food after having a long day at the office, busting your ass at the gym, and picking the kids up from some practice. You have to be realistic about your goals, your diet (what you consume on a daily basis), and living with the band. You CANNOT be perfect and someone who is expecting to be perfect is setting themselves up for major disappointment. I just wanted to share what I read on another website. It's my mantra for weight loss! You don't have to be a perfect bandster all the time (just most of the time) LOL!
for a while, I was seeing an abundance of "what's gonna happen to my boobs" threads. new batches daily, it seemed. but, lately, I'm seeing new folks coming in and asking if they can eat so-called 'normal' food. and, of course, soon thereafter they are informed by various members that, no, all of that food is terrible and they must stock their fridge with organic lettuce grown under the sunshine reflected off a tropical rainbow.

that really bothers me. people join this site, often, after years of failed attempts. many are frustrated ... discouraged. so much so that it probably wouldn't take much for them to just throw it in and give up. and you know what just might be that push? the organic rainbow lettuce brigade.

you know what, that food is certainly nutritious. no one is really going to argue that point. and is nutritious food better for your body than not-so-nutritious food? well, yeah. but here's the thing, ORLBs (Organic Rainbow Lettuce Brigade). that's an extreme change many -- if not most -- people can't make. and, yes, I said can't -- not won't. it isn't always as simple as just throwing away all the food you've got and restocking with fresh produce and tofu burgers. the first obstacle is cost. the second is ease/feasibility. and that's not even figuring in the fact that many -- if not most, again -- don't like to eat that food!

I get the concept that food is fuel. sometimes you have to eat things you may not like. but I'm not going to make it long by making that kind of food my only kind of food. that's no way to live, dreading your next meal. and most people won't. that's why diets fail. and that's why MFP (My Fitness Pal) works. because a calorie is a calorie.

Yes. You CAN eat 'normal' food. I'll eat pizza. I'll eat chocolate. I eat Pasta and bread and even, now and then, a cookie or some candy. I lost 3.5 pounds this past week. I've lost more than 17 pounds in less than two months. and it's because I'm learning to keep my food portions under control. I keep under my calorie limit. I plan ahead if I know I'm going to have a larger meal or a higher-calorie treat that day. and if it just happens without planning and I decide to take that treat? that means a longer stint at the gym to burn those extra calories off.

the ORLBs will now start sputtering, 'but that's not healthy!' and to that, I'd like to ask if being obese is healthy. I think ... no. so. let's move to basic food math:

eating less of most the food I like, keeping calories under my limit = weight loss;
weight loss = a healthier me;
therefore, eating less of most the food I like, keeping calories under my limit = a healthier me.

shedding that extra weight automatically makes you healthier, no matter what it is you are eating. there's simply no way around that fact. now, that isn't to say that you shouldn't make smart decisions. that isn't to say that you shouldn't work to find 'healthy' foods that you like, working them into your daily life. but, like weight loss, that's a process. it doesn't need to happen overnight.

focus on what works. turn yourself into a better you. and do it in a way that will allow it to be a life change. and if, for you, that means 'normal' food? do it, and do it without any of the guilt you've been programmed or pressured to feel.

122lb in 10 months but I had a lot to lose - still got a way to go but very happy with progress

I really love my band...

That is awesome! Welcome to band land it was the best thiing I ever did for myself. Post often and let us all know how you are doing

I think my favorite nsv was seeing my ex at a party and then all his friends who used to say how fat I was, come up and tell me how good I looked. I just smiled, thanked them and told them loud enough so he could hear too that it was only going to get better.

Congrats! It was the best thing I ever did. I'm like you it has been hard to not drink during meals but you will find that once you get the band the things that made you gain weight won't be that hard to give up once you see the scale start to move. I am 4 weeks post-op today and have lost 22 pounds since surgery. Good luck!