ducker2010

I had to do that. But they've since canceled that as a requirement. I have BCBS.

Yes. Look. I'm not trying to lecture anyone. That is not my goal. I'm just saying, as both a nurse and a lap band patient, there are many hidden calories and fat that we especially need to be aware of. You simply cannot lose weight, even with a band, if you're consuming even one 3000 calorie shake a day.

I agree. The band is not a miracle cure. You don't get the band and then continue eating the way you were before surgery and become model thin. You have to constantly monitor yourself. Watch what you eat and when you eat. Read labels. This isn't a cure all...

There are shakes at Jack-In-The-Box and Dairy Queen (A southern fast food place.) that top out at 1800 calories. Also, in the health food stores where you can get "healthy" shakes with whey and protein one store offered a peanut butter shake for a mere 3000 calories. Disguising things under the sign of "healthy" doesn't always mean it's so. Not lecturing anyone in particular. Just issuing a little info.

One thing I caution is watching calories. Just because it's in a liquid form and it says it's nutritious doesn't mean it's not full of fat and calories. You can even gain weight on a liquid diet.

TEDO, have you tried some of the milk free products? I tend to be milk sensitive too. There are a lot of good ones out there.

Your stomach really does need time to heal after surgery. People aren't telling you not to eat to be mean. You have stitches in your stomach and when you put solid foods in it your stomach muscles have to contract to digest it. They don't have to do that with liquids or mushies. I don't think people are being mean. There's a reason you're not supposed to eat at first. Besides, it's only temporary. Increase your fluids or eat an approved food like yogurt. Is it the same as steak? No. But it's not supposed to be.

Just an update... I was so severely constipated yesterday I had to do the Milk of Mag. Today I am two and a half pounds lighter. That's how bad it was. I have stopped taking the Colace and added Benefiber into my diet as of today. I am going to try this method and see what happens...

My doctor allows coffee immediately after the surgery. I mean, as soon as you can tolerate it. They just restrict it to one cup of caffienated a day. You can have uncaffienated if you want. My doctor allows you to drink coffee with yogurt. But I've learned each doctor has their own rules. You need to ask your doctor.

Thanks Violet! Always love talking to you. I'll look into the Danactive. I know our local Wal-Mart has it.

You know, the coffee thing could be a big issue. Before surgery I drank tons of coffee. And I do mean tons. And it acted like a laxative for me. As soon as I finished the cup I was pretty good to go. Pun intended. But since the surgery I have not had a single cup of coffee. I bet that's having an effect also.

Thanks KristyT! This is exactly what I'm trying to avoid! I'm an RN so I do realize the difference between a laxative and a stool softener. I'm deathly afraid of becoming dependent on EITHER! I don't want to be that old person that is always bemoaning their bowels! LOL I don't eat very much at all. I don't think that it's food related as I had this problem occassionally BEFORE the surgery. It just seems that it's gotten worse now. I know it's because I'm not eating fiber. I try to get my Protein in first and I used to consume a lot of whole grain breads and things that I'm no longer consuming. I'm sure that all plays into it. I also am not taking pain pills. I'm taking the same meds that I did before the surgery so that shouldn't be an issue either. I'm trying to work more water into my diet. I'm just so frustrated right now. This has been the only bad part of my surgery! I'm going to try the benefiber and see what happens. I'm hoping it helps. I just wondered if anyone had any other suggestions. Thanks for your reply!

Let me start by saying this might be TMI for some so if it is please pass over it and don't be offended. I am about seven weeks post band. Before my band I struggled with bouts of constipation. It would happen occasionally and I would take Milk of Mag (MOM) when it happened. The MOM helped but iit always gave me sever diaraherra. Since the band I simply cannot get rid of the constipation. It's getting horrendous. I strain to the point of bleeding. I know this isn't good. My doctor said don't use the MOM. She suggested Colace which is a stool softner. I've been taking the max dose PLUS a cup of prune juice every day. I'm STILL constipated. I tired Miralax and that did nothing. The doctor suggested Benefiber but told me that would make me really gassy and I'm already having problems with severe gas along with the consitpation. I'm at my wits end. Any suggestions? I just want to be able to use the bathroom! I bought some Benefiber today and I'm going to try that gas or not! I guess people will just need to stand clear of me...

My doctor says it can take up to two weeks for the full effects of the restriction so they won't even fill you again before that. Also, she explained it like this... When you lose weight you lose weight everywhere. Even in your stomach. So the band becomes looser because you have less fat in your stomach. That's why you need to get a fill. I just thought that was interesting. I've had my first fill and will be back to solids tonight for dinner. I keep hearing everyone say it takes several fills to find the right spot.

Every doctor has their own idea of which shakes to use. My doctor gave me a piece of paper that said the shakes have to meet these requirements, and listed them off. My advice is to ask your doctor which shakes or what they expect. Then go from there and experiment.

I use Target brand. It's cheap. I buy the vanilla and chocolate there. I really like it. But I also love the unjury products. Unjury has many flavors. The unflavored was nasty but the chocolate was good. I mixed instant coffee into the vanilla and froze it to make a fake mocha. Very tasty. Loved the strawberry. Mix it with a packet of Crystal light lemonade and it's delicious. The chicken Soup is also very good. I keep it around for when I get fills. It makes me feel like I'm eating. They also make a Protein cheese sauce that's really good. You can order a sample box from unjury which is really nice. I think the key is to experiment. Everyone likes different things and we all have different tastes. You have to find what tastes good for you since you'll be drinking it for a long time. Just play around and find your favorites.

My husband has been extremely supportive also. But I don't think he gets the emotional roller coaster. Our whole lives are changing. And I do mean every part of it. From the way we eat to the way we socialize now. Just be a sounding board.

I bought this sampler pack! Here's my take on it for what it's worth. I am in no way related to the site. Just a bariatric patient trying new products. I used the strawberry sorbet with cold Water, ice, and a crystal light lemonade packet. It was delicious. The French Vanilla I didn't like until I put a packet of Starbucks Via instant coffee (unsweetened) in it and let it freeze up a bit. Then it tasted like a mocha from Starbucks. (Well, almost.) But it was really good and palatable. I use the chocolate splendor with either bananas or Peanut Butter. The chicken Soup is really really good too. But beware of the unflavored stuff. I could not doctor it up enough to make it taste good. Maybe if you mix it in food or something it might taste better but as a drink it was horrible. But I'm definitely going to be ordering more of their products.

Those ARE good. You can also use them as "meat" in a hamburger. Grill the mushroom and slip it on a bun.

This sounds good. I'm going to have to try it sometime.

I really enjoy the unjury products. Even though they are more expensive than I can get at my local Target they are very good. Plus they have a bigger selection than my store.

At this point I'm still required to drink protein shakes. But I think reading labels can be very good because you can sometimes boost high protein items by mixing them with other products. Like sprinkling Koshi on greek yogurt. Or adding some protein cheese to a meat. It just takes experimenting to find the balance.

I had my surgery on January 23rd. It took about a week to be able to sleep comfortably on my sides or roll over. But after that yes, no problem.

I just purchased some unjury products and tried them. I will be ordering more. unjury also makes a protein cheese sauce that you can pour over eggs or veggies. Very good. It's got 20 g protein per half cup.

I only had to do one day of Clear liquids. But like so many I had to do the two shakes and then the meat and veggies for dinner thing pre op. Plus one day of clear liquids. I think it's probably because of your liver. Just hang in there. I'm three weeks post op and I have a hard time getting all my fluids/food down. I'm only eating one pureed meal a day at this point. The worst thing you can do is sneak a bite of something. Because you know, for people like us, one bite is never enough.