MoreThanJustaPrettyFace

that's exciting!! How are you feeling about your date being so close? Yeah, I'm on a preop. i started monday. Protein shakes only, 3x a day. What about you?

I'm going to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico at the Obesity Control Center, and they use the latest generation of Realize C band. They're very up-to-date and he even trains American doctors on the procedure, since he's one of the pioneers.

I swear by Syntrax nectar brand. They have a "Naturals" line that is made with Stevia instead of Splenda too. They have the usual chocolate and vanilla (essence, which is DELICIOUS), plus a "Sweets" line and regular Nectar (tons of fruity flavors, in case you're sick of chocolate). From my Natural Orange bottle: 23 g Protein, 0 carbs, 0 g sugar. I also freeze them in a bowl for an ice cream like snack. The cheapest place I found them is www.supplementwarehouse.com Search Syntrax and see all of their products. Plus get free products with your order (shakers, pill dispensers, etc). Let me know if you have any other questions!

I just ordered my unjury chicken soup. Haven't received it yet but I'll let you know how it turns out.

Okay, I made a band-specific facebook account. staci.lala@gmail.com I'd love it if everyone that's doing this would add me!

It seems like there's a large percentage of people that have a hiatal hernia fixed at the same time.. How do you know if you have one? What is it? My pre-op diet starts tomorrow. Protein shakes only. Rar! It's a little daunting but I'm kind of excited to challenge myself.

They aren't bad. The texture is pretty chalky, but they taste just like hot tamales. I'm going to pick up some caramel chews from Target instead though. I can't handle the chalkiness. When I read "lozenge" I thought it meant that it would be more like a hard candy, but it's not.. It's a chewable thing.

I, too, like fast, upbeat songs that make me wanna work my a$$ off. I've been perfecting and tweaking this for a while... I mostly like rock, but there's a little bit of everything in there. I hope it does as much for you guys as it does for me! Maroon 5- Harder to Breathe Lil Jon- Get Low Mims- This is why I'm Hot Kelly- Since You've Been Gone Ting Tings- Shut up and Let me Go Ting Tings- That's not my name Method Man- Bring the Pain Cake- The Distance Gnarls Barkley- Run James Brown- Get up off that thing Katy Perry- Peacock Kesha- Tik tok Pearl Jam- Just Breathe Gwen Stefani- Wind it Up Beyonce- Single Ladies LL Cool J- Mama said knock you out Trick Daddy- Take it to da house Soulja Boy- Crank that Eminem- lose yourself Pink- so what Kayne west- stronger Outkast- b.o.b. Cee Lo- f*ck you Disturbed- down with the sickness Fort Minor- remember the name Black Eyed Peas- pump it POD- alive Breaking Benjamin- i will not bow Foo Fighters- the pretender Ozzy Osbourne- i don't wanna stop Papa Roach- last resort Nickelback- next contestant Rock- i am rock Bonecrusher- never scared Three Days Grace- animal Skillet- monster Trapt- headstrong 2pac- changes All American Rejects- move along

I got the Bariatric Advantage chewable multi's and the cinnamon calcium lozenge... I LOVED the multis at first (got both watermelon and berry) but now they are way too sweet.. they make me kind of sick thinking about chewing them. Tomorrow I'm going to try crushing it up and putting it in a tiny amount of liquid like a shooter. Maybe that helps.

Absolutely! I bought it from http://www.supplementwarehouse.com/brand.asp?brand=221 It's $32 now (on sale when I bought it), but that's still a good chunk less than the $59 on the manufacturer's site. Also, supplementwarehouse lets you pick a bunch of free stuff to add to you order at no cost. I got a shaker, a bunch of Protein bars, a pill holder (mon-sunday), and a couple other things that I don't remember. So before you place your order, make sure you browse through all of the freebies. They're quality product and what is better than FREE?

I also use the Syntax nectar Protein powder.. although I use the "Nectar Naturals" because it uses Stevia instead of Splenda as a sweetener. Shop around online. You can find it way cheaper than through the Syntax company website. I bought mine for like 24 dollars in a big 2 pound container. I 100% vouch for the Natural Orange flavor. I mix it with Water and a tiny bit of fresh pineapple juice. Perfect. It's good all by itself too. Or mixed into vanilla yogurt.

I'm having my surgery over spring break (I'm a college senior) so that I have some time to feel better before having to get back into life. Howevvveeerrr. That makes my pre-op diet (Protein shakes only) smack dab in the middle of finals. Being a microbio major taking calculus, cell bio, and organic chemistry this quarter, I really CANNOT have my brain functioning sub-par. I've tried to research this and have gotten some information, but really, I just need some first-hand stories. I've come across data saying that your mental capabilities are only affected for the first few days as your body adjusts. Has anyone else noticed this to be the case? I called my nutritionist to see if I could start the pre-op diet early (do 2 weeks instead of 1) so my brain wouldn't be panicking during finals, and she said it would be absolutely fine. But I'm still worried. I need your help!!!

March 27th here! It really does feel like it's so far away, since I scheduled in December. But MAN, now there's a March thread!! It's getting closer. Haha. I'm going down to Mexico (from Portland) to see Dr. Ortiz at OCC. I really couldn't be more excited to start the journey.

I have so many goals. Most of them are purely physical, since after years of therapy, I'm finally where I want to be mentally. Now I just have to get my body to mirror my interior happiness. 1) to fit into a beautiful, normal sized wedding dress so I'm not a plus sized bride. 2) to have my man be able to pick me up when we play without me being self conscious. 3) to be a runner. 4) better clothes!!! And being able to sleep in his smelly shirt without stretching it all to hell. 5) to actually get a PREGNANT belly when we're ready for it... Not just an extension to my already existing pot belly. 6) to be healthy. 7) to live how I want live, not how I have to.

Nectar Naturals (uses Stevia as a sweetener) is also really good. Shop around online and you can find it for around 23 bucks. Syntrax sells it for over 40. 23g protein per scoop. And they have fruit flavors, just in case you are sick of chocolate/vanilla/strawberry. Super delicious.

I just got my order of Nectar Natural Orange (no artificial ingredients in them; Stevia instead of Splenda). It's absolutely delicious. I tried it mixed with just water, which was good, and also added half cup of pineapple juice. SO AMAZING! It's nice to be able to have protein packed JUICE for breakfast instead of chocolate.

That's encouraging! Yeah, I've found a woman who does fills here, but she didn't use fluoroscopy, so I think I'll just fly back to dr ortiz for fills. He uses fluoroscopy and that makes me a little more comfortable I think

Oh, you said summer. Haha. Sorry, I'm on my phone :-)

Hi, longleggs! I know what you mean about being unsure. I've been doing research and reading lapband blogs for well over a year now and finally just told myself "do it already, dang. You could have lost all the weight by now if you weren't so indecisive!" After that, I haven't wavered at all. I'm actually excited about starting my new life. It sounds like you are quite the busy woman! Are you going to be able to take time off for healing? I'd love to keep in contact! I go back to southern california at least twice a year. I'm always there for over a month during the summer. when are you anticipating getting the surgery done?

Steph, it sounds like it's fate!!! One of my best friends was a personal trainer for years, and he also has a 24 hour membership. He said he's gonna help me and kick my ass. So I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you joined us!!!! Holly, you are SO CLOSE to your goal! Congrats on that. Did you work out to get there? What's your routine like?

I'm a text-aholic. I'd love to be support buddies! As far as gyms go, I'm getting a 24-hour membership immediately after the surgery. And I'd definitely be down for support groups. Since I don't have any family up here, and they aren't going to know anyway, it'd be nice to have someone outside of my guy.

Hi, Steph. Congrats on getting through that psych test. 370 questions sounds insane! Don't apologize for the history lesson... mine was quite a novel as well. Haha. Do they get back to you that quickly about the psych eval? I guess they should, considering it's on a scantron. Do you want to get into more personal contact? I'll message you my phone number. You'll be starting the journey before me, so it'll be exciting to see

So I guess that since I'm now posting in the forums, I should write an introductory thread about myself, right? My surgery is scheduled for March 27th. Deposit paid, everything done. Well, minus the pre-op diet, obviously. It's with Dr. Oritz at OCC in Mexico. About me: just turned 24. Lives in Portland, Oregon but from San Diego. Lover of dogs, science, music, forums, and blogs. Microbiology major at Portland State University. Huge geek/nerd. I have the most amazing support system (boyfriend) ever and my golden retriever (who is going to love the new active me!!) is my pride and joy. I'm 5'8-9ish. My highest weight is 265. Currently, I'm sitting at 225. My weight gain isn't due to BAD food. I rarely eat junk food, I cook constantly, and I LOVE my veggies. I haven't had soda in over 4 years, and I'm not one to have a sweet tooth. I guess that makes me lucky, right? My problem is QUANTITY. I eat huge portions. I eat until I'm so full that I go into food coma and sleep it off. Haha. I have a low-moderate activity level: I take my dog on walks, hike occasionally, and walk my a$$ off running back and forth to classes on campus. Post surgery I am going to become a runner. You'll see! Anyhow. I would absolutely love, love, love to have some fellow bandsters to chat with, as I'm not telling my family or friends, for personal reason. Like so many others, I'm not ashamed; I just don't want all my hard work to be written off because I hit an "easy button." If any of you are close to where I am, or even my hometown, let me know! I'd love to meet up and talk strategy (while making new friends along the way)!

Also, to those of us planning on flying quite a ways for fills, check-ups, etc, there is a REALLY CHEAP airline website I found. www.cheapoair.com It always shows the cheapest flight available as being Spirit Airlines. I got a roundtrip ticket from Portland to San Diego for $174. Shannalee, I'm so glad your surgery went well! Good energy being sent your way for a swift healing process!! <3

Hi, ladies! I'm going to see Dr. Ortiz on March 27th. My boyfriend and I will be getting there the night before so we'll have an extra day in the hotel beforehand, and then an extra night afterward too. I'm so excited that I can barely handle it. It feels like 64 days will never come!!! I pass the time by obsessively reading lapband blogs and forums. At least I'm well educated now. Cocoabean, I'm originally from SD. Is that where you live? I drive back every summer... It would be nice to have a connection with a fellow bandster.