ducker2010

I don't know how you drink your Protein Shakes but I have learned to vary them up. It makes it so much easier. A scoop of Peanut Butter in the chocolate. I take vanilla and add orange kool aid (unsweetened) for an orange dreamsicle flavor. I also use vanila and put instant coffee and sugar free caramel Syrup (for coffee) in it and make like a mocha. I do strawberry with crystal light lemonade for a strawberry lemonade drink. Also Unjury has a chicken Soup Protein Drink that's awesome. It doesn't taste like broth but like soup without the noodles. They make a cheese sauce that rocks too. Truthfully, this is just a really hard part of the diet. But stick with it. You'll be great. If you can do it without cheating you'll feel better physically and also mentally that you had the willpower to do it. Just try varying things and remember that this is not forever even though it seems that way!

One thing people on this site have told me, which I've found to be really true, is that a lot of other fat people are really jealous inside. Even though they come off angry and judgmental at YOU it's really about THEM. I've become comfortable with my band and I don't mind telling people. If they have questions then I am more than glad to answer them. If they appear to be judging me then I just tell them simply, "Well, the band is not for everyone. I did what was right for ME." And then I leave it at that. Some people are haters and are just going to be that way.
Those same people are going to say bad things about you when you get thin too. They'll talk about how you are a binger or anorexic or whatever. They won't congratulate you but instead talk about how you look so sick. I think a huge part of this process is learning yourself and becoming comfortable with who you are no matter what stage of the process you are at.
Love yourself. No one else will do it as well as you do!

One thing people on this site have told me, which I've found to be really true, is that a lot of other fat people are really jealous inside. Even though they come off angry and judgmental at YOU it's really about THEM. I've become comfortable with my band and I don't mind telling people. If they have questions then I am more than glad to answer them. If they appear to be judging me then I just tell them simply, "Well, the band is not for everyone. I did what was right for ME." And then I leave it at that. Some people are haters and are just going to be that way.
Those same people are going to say bad things about you when you get thin too. They'll talk about how you are a binger or anorexic or whatever. They won't congratulate you but instead talk about how you look so sick. I think a huge part of this process is learning yourself and becoming comfortable with who you are no matter what stage of the process you are at.
Love yourself. No one else will do it as well as you do!

This is what I am talking about. I am relatively new and I was given the exact same instructions. At first I didn't have issues because I had no restriction. But a my restriction increases I'm learning just how important this is.
I have a friend who wanted to do bypass. She lied about her heart condition. (Among other things.) I told her not to do it. She got a surgery date all scheduled. Then they did the EKG and they found it and canceled her surgery. She doesn't know if she'll be able to have it.
Last night in a chat room I was talking to someone in the same position. They planned on lying to the doctor. I guess I just don't get this.
And I really really really do understand bad days. But saying you're not going to follow the rules is a whole different ball game.

I was banded in January and I've gotten a lot of help here. I've been able to talk to people and learn a lot. But lately I feel really confused. I see post after post after post of people flat out saying they're "breaking the rules" or doing wrong and they don't care. And then I'll see tons of people encourage them to break the rules. I wonder if there's any correlation between these posts and all the posts that say HELP! I'm not losing any weight!
My point here is that I figured this board would be more of a You really shouldn't do that. It's not a good idea. Rather than, Do whatever you want and live your life. Kind of thing. I guess I'm kind of disappointed. I feel like it's a privlege to have the band. Not a right I can trample all over every time I want something I'm not supposed to have.
Last night I even saw where someone said Don't listen to your doctor. They just tell you stuff to make your life miserable. Um, I'm an RN. I've NEVER told a patient something JUST to make their life miserable. And I've never heard of a doctor doing that either. There's generally a reason for what they tell you. If it doesn't make sense, ASK! It's YOUR body.
Sorry, maybe this is just a vent from having a bad day or something...

B-52. I have read several of your posts. They are encouraging and clear. They are NOT confusing. You give good advice.

I was banded in January and I've gotten a lot of help here. I've been able to talk to people and learn a lot. But lately I feel really confused. I see post after post after post of people flat out saying they're "breaking the rules" or doing wrong and they don't care. And then I'll see tons of people encourage them to break the rules. I wonder if there's any correlation between these posts and all the posts that say HELP! I'm not losing any weight!
My point here is that I figured this board would be more of a You really shouldn't do that. It's not a good idea. Rather than, Do whatever you want and live your life. Kind of thing. I guess I'm kind of disappointed. I feel like it's a privlege to have the band. Not a right I can trample all over every time I want something I'm not supposed to have.
Last night I even saw where someone said Don't listen to your doctor. They just tell you stuff to make your life miserable. Um, I'm an RN. I've NEVER told a patient something JUST to make their life miserable. And I've never heard of a doctor doing that either. There's generally a reason for what they tell you. If it doesn't make sense, ASK! It's YOUR body.
Sorry, maybe this is just a vent from having a bad day or something...

B-52. I have read several of your posts. They are encouraging and clear. They are NOT confusing. You give good advice.

BEFORE I was even banded they started telling me I have to do the following:
Chew properly, small bites - pencil eraser size, put fork down between bites an swallows, use small utensils, use a timer to time between bites, don't drink while or after eating, etc, etc, etc.
At that time, these rules made no sense! I could follow or ignore them with no consequences, at that time.
But they are lessons everyone MUST learn, for there will come a time, that it will be the only way you can live with the band and be successful, or you can keep your band unfilled and do your on thing.
It's that simple....follow and learn the rules, or don't.
But please don't complain that the band is not working.

I was banded in January and I've gotten a lot of help here. I've been able to talk to people and learn a lot. But lately I feel really confused. I see post after post after post of people flat out saying they're "breaking the rules" or doing wrong and they don't care. And then I'll see tons of people encourage them to break the rules. I wonder if there's any correlation between these posts and all the posts that say HELP! I'm not losing any weight!
My point here is that I figured this board would be more of a You really shouldn't do that. It's not a good idea. Rather than, Do whatever you want and live your life. Kind of thing. I guess I'm kind of disappointed. I feel like it's a privlege to have the band. Not a right I can trample all over every time I want something I'm not supposed to have.
Last night I even saw where someone said Don't listen to your doctor. They just tell you stuff to make your life miserable. Um, I'm an RN. I've NEVER told a patient something JUST to make their life miserable. And I've never heard of a doctor doing that either. There's generally a reason for what they tell you. If it doesn't make sense, ASK! It's YOUR body.
Sorry, maybe this is just a vent from having a bad day or something...

I was banded in January and I've gotten a lot of help here. I've been able to talk to people and learn a lot. But lately I feel really confused. I see post after post after post of people flat out saying they're "breaking the rules" or doing wrong and they don't care. And then I'll see tons of people encourage them to break the rules. I wonder if there's any correlation between these posts and all the posts that say HELP! I'm not losing any weight!
My point here is that I figured this board would be more of a You really shouldn't do that. It's not a good idea. Rather than, Do whatever you want and live your life. Kind of thing. I guess I'm kind of disappointed. I feel like it's a privlege to have the band. Not a right I can trample all over every time I want something I'm not supposed to have.
Last night I even saw where someone said Don't listen to your doctor. They just tell you stuff to make your life miserable. Um, I'm an RN. I've NEVER told a patient something JUST to make their life miserable. And I've never heard of a doctor doing that either. There's generally a reason for what they tell you. If it doesn't make sense, ASK! It's YOUR body.
Sorry, maybe this is just a vent from having a bad day or something...

Alcohol isn't supposed to BE your liquid diet. And four glasses of alcohol contains about a days worth of calories.

My doctor said there are no restriction on sex. As soon as you feel up to it. For me, my husband had to leave on a business trip three days after surgery. I wanted to say "good bye"... We just found an alternate position.

I had some summer clothes I had way outgrown. I couldn't even get the zipper up. I tried them on the other day and they not only zipped but they buttoned. Sure, they were tight but Im well on my way to making them comfortable to wear!

I too love the Unjury. I don't want to drink my calories, but being tighter in the morning it's a great way to get breakfast in with a good amount of Protein. If you want to try the unjury, they have a sampler pack with 2 chocolate, 2 vanilla, 2 strawberry, 2 unflavored and 2 chicken broth- good to try before you buy, for sure!!

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.

This was really well said. I hate to say it but I can't even imagine cheating. I'm three weeks post band and I'm just not hungry. I drink my shakes and eat my yogurt like instructed and can barely find the room for one tiny meal a day. I eat about three ounces of meat in the evening. That's it. They've told me I can have five small meals but at this point I can't even fathom that much in my stomach.
Maybe I'm too anal but I just don't want to do anything at all to risk messing up my one and only chance at health.

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.

The pre diet is hard. I think a lot of it is a test to see if you'll be compliant when you have the band. I followed exactly what my Dr. said and only ate the approved stuff. I didn't really feel hungry. I will agree those two days before surgery on the clear liquids were horrible. My husband was eating Girl Scout Cookies, my son eating a Big Mac, and I was drinking chicken broth. It was miserable.