Daddyof4

Nobody has mentioned the one I like - Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein. I've had chocolate and strawberry and they provide 26 g of protein and only 8 g of carb. I have to say, though, they taste really good when made with skim milk but not so good with water. The milk adds protein, though. I don't care for Muscle Milk and cannot stand yogurt no matter how many times I try it with different stuff added, it just tastes spoiled to me.

I was banded May 21, 2012 and have lost 12 lb since then, 33 total.

Guess who got approved for solid food today? I am afraid I overate because my pouch feels FULL. We'll see how long it lasts. I had to call the doctor's office to ask how much longer I needed to do mushies. I wasn't having too hard a time with it but was hungry a lot of the time. I was told that I would, in fact, get my fill on the 26th. Can't wait. One suggestion for mushy - I browned ground beef, put it in the food processor a little bit and added beef gravy and it was pretty good and about the consistency of sloppy joes. I tried this trick with chicken but it looked too much like cat food to eat much of it. I was told that my portion size could be between one half and three quarters of a cup. Woo Hoo!! We are really enjoying JEB. I think it has gone through some changes and upgraded itself. My older son is going for the IB diploma - that's a ton more work than I was willing to do in HS. My wife graduated from there in 1982; I'm from a suburb of Rochester, NY and went to a tiny high school (200 in my graduating class).

You grew up about a half mile from where I live - did you go to Annandale High School? My kids are at JEB Stuart. I was banded May 21 and it's going pretty well. The 4 small incisions almost invisible now and the bigger port one is fading. Currently on mushies and getting pretty tired of it. Not staying particularly full; hungry lots of the time but, hey, I figure in a year I won't even remember this part. I see the doc June 26, presumably for my first fill - I can't wait. How about you?

I was told mushy is anything you can mash with your fork. I've been living on egg salad, tuna, gefilte fish, scrambled eggs and canned no sugar added fruit like peaches. Yams, squash and spinach work too, as well as well-cooked (really, overcooked) broccoli. I get my first fill June 26 and hope to get enough to give me some restriction. My will power won't much longer.

I was banded on May 21 and have not had my first fill yet (anxious to get some restriction!). I made the mistake of taking a small bite of my daughter's steak sandwich, chewed it really well and it got stuck. It felt like a golf ball lodged in my chest just above the stomach. I used one of the papaya enzyme pills and felt much better witin about 15 minutes. I got them at my local natural vitamin shop. Nothing like a bit of pain to remind me not to have steak sandwiches anymore!

Not close to Richmond, I live in Falls Church in Northern VA.

Hi Difa, How are you doing? Did you get banded June 4? I was banded May 21. I am 5 feet 9 inches, started at 285, now at 255 and am 55 years old. I did not have to do the pre-op liquid but did manage to lose a few pounds doing Atkins for two weeks prior. Still trying to juggle the soft foods, protein shakes, vitamins, etc. but happy with results so far. Let me know how it's going for you.

I kind of jumped the gun on this. I was told both 4 weeks and when the incisions are healed. My 4 small incisions look just like scabs now and I put a waterproof bandage on my port incision, which also looks mostly like a scab. I went into the (seemingly) ice-cold water slowly, got used to it shortly but got out soon since it was break and my daughter (8) wanted to sit with me. After break I got back in for a long while but I got cold (first time in ages) after about 30 minutes. So far no ill effect. I was cleared for light exercise so I swam a bit of breaststroke and felt fine. Just reporting in.

Hi K6TYX - I was told to do full liquid for two weeks post-op, not clear liquids - you should check with your doctor. Full liquid includes anything that acts like a liquid inside your body like cream of wheat, sugar free gelatin, sugar free low fat vanilla pudding and cream of chicken soup put through the blender to get rid of the large chunks of chicken. If your doctor's office says liquid is ok I see no reason why you couldn't put the vegetable soup through the blender and then drink it. I did that with black bean soup (not recommended for its side effects but tasted good). The variety helped me get through the liquid stage. Good luck!

Jannaboo, what helped me when I was hungriest was either low fat no sugar pudding or cream of wheat. Both of them have some substance to them and helped me feel a little full for a little while. I was also permitted cream of chicken soup put through the blender to eliminate the chunks of chicken. I ate it slowly with a spoon and it seemed to do the trick. Hang in there - you'll get through this. I keep saying that in a year I won't even remember this part. Good luck!

I was banded on May 21, full liquid diet for the required 10 days and went to post-op appointment to be told another 2 weeks of liquids - bummer! Saw nutritionist the next day - change of plans. I was hungry all the time on liquid but this morning I found out that if you eat a little too large of bites or a little too fast the food says it wants to make a repeat appearance. The difference between no restriction with liquids and no restriction (no fill yet) for mushies is amazing. How's eating going for you other May 2012 Bandsters? Buddyslim.com weight loss blog[noparse]<noscript>buddytslim</noscript>[/noparse]

I can't wait till my first fill. The liquid diet with no restriction is leaving me hungry most of the time! How long post-op did you have to wait?

Hi pbmls223. I was banded on May 21 also and am having similar pains that you describe. I have a small amount of swelling just to the right of the port incision (at 11:00 with navel as center) that is tender to the touch. When I lay on my left side the port area hurts and I cannot lay on my right side at all yet. I called and they asked if it was red and infected-looking which it is not. I was told this is quite normal but the PA will check it out Thursday at my appt. Yours sounds normal too based on what I was told. Hang in there; I hope your checkup goes well.

Bamasleever, I don't know where you got your information but there is no chlorine in any of the sugars or sugar substitutes. Elemental chlorine is a poisonous gas and is found in sodium chloride, common table salt. Sugars have carbon, oxygen and hydrogen - no chlorine in sight.

As a chemist I like Splenda the best in principle since it's chemically the same molecule as sucrose, just the mirror image, but it tastes weird to me. I use old-fashioned saccharin in the pink envelopes. I find the others have an off taste; not just sweet but with a taste of their own. Of course, many people think saccharin has a bitter aftertaste so you just have to try them all. I think Elcee has the right idea - try to get rid of the craving for sweet items and avoid the whole issue. My mom has always drunk black coffee so she doesn't have to find the right half-and-half or the right sweetener.

Cazzy, thanks for the advice and the reminder. I want the weight off me as quickly as possible and wish for instant gratification but I will have to be patient and know that if I follow my doc and nutritionist's advice I will lose the weight and improve my health. As soon as I am cleared for exercise I plan to join the gym at my office (cheap!) and get moving too. I see you've achieved your goal - congratulations!

The ounces may be limitless but the liquid diet is NOT helping me get into the new routine I need to have to succeed with the band. They say breakfast, lunch and dinner with protein shakes in between and lots of water but it's hard to say, this shake is breakfast, etc. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

I couldn't stand it last night - I was sooo hungry that I had to have something. I felt if I had another instant pudding with Protein (actually pretty good) I'd barf so I had a little cream of wheat too. It was extremely satisfying but I realize that I'm on liquids only to give my stomach a break. I had a small amount and waited to see if there would be any bad reaction. None, so I had more. I'll be good till I can get to the mushies but I don't see any point in beating myself up over it. BOB052212, thanks for opening up on this. Continued good luck with this. Buddyslim.com weight loss blog[noparse]buddytslim[/noparse]

Now at day 4 post-op and feeling mostly good. Doing research on the "gas pain"; sounds to me like lingering pains are caused by the phrenic nerve being disturbed. Apparently this nerve goes from your diaphragm to your shoulder and causes pain when it's moved during the surgery. The pain went away quickly, during my night in the hospital, but came back stronger than ever. Heating pad helped while it was on but pain came back when I took off the pad. Today I discovered that if I lay on my left side supporting my head with my left hand the pain disappears! Unfortunately, it's hard to lay on my side because the port incision gets stretched and hurts. Seems like you can have one or the other. liquid diet going well, got approval to have cream of chicken Soup with the chicken removed. I see the PA next Thursday, hoping to be moved to the mushies! Thanks everyone for the support and good wishes; let me hear how your recovery is going too. Buddyslim.com weight loss blog[noparse]buddytslim[/noparse]

Mine went well too. Doc took a biopsy of my liver because he didn't like the way it looked, whatever that means. We'll get the lab results in a few days and go from there. I know the treatment for a fatty liver is diet and exercise and I'm beginning both now. Had gas pains, they went away, then came back. Tummy is SORE! I stayed the night in hospital so am home now, very sleepy and sore but trying to drink and rest. I assume I'll feel better tomorrow and better each day after that. Wife stayed with me and was a great support. Talk about dry mouth! More tomorrow.

Hi Neece1. I am getting banded at 1:15 today, a few hours after you. I was lucky enough not to have to do a long liquid diet, just the weekend. I lost 13 pounds on Atkins in 2 weeks and today am down a total of 20. Unbelievable! My mom said that if I lost weight I wouldn't even need the surgery. Supportive but clueless. Anyway, good luck and we'll meet on the other side.

Hey Jackbandinva, are you still on this site? I'm having Dr. Moazzez install my band Monday, May 21. How did your surgery go and how are you doing now?

My wife wants to be supportive of my new lifestyle but neither one of us knows yet what that looks like! I don't know if others eating nearby will bother me - when I've done Atkins I ate differently from everyone else and it was no big deal (until I couldn't stand not having cereal). We asked the surgeon's office if there are materials out there for spouses in the way of guidance on how to be supportive. Anybody heard of such guidance?

Thanks, everyone, for your good wishes. I didn't have to do the 2 week Optifast but I managed to lose 13 pounds on Atkins. I'm supposed to do the clear liquid diet (plus 2 protein shakes a day) Saturday and Sunday for Monday's surgery. I bet I'll be pretty hungry after a while but it will be worth it.