musicalmomma

I don't think EVERYONE feels the pre-op diet is "so rigorous". I think that MOST obese people find an all liquid diet to be a serious challenge and need to be able to express that in a safe environment. That's what this thread is all about. You don't go your whole life eating to obesity, then all of a sudden find it simple to make the transformation to healthy eating, much less cut out all solid food completely for a period of time. There are the few that have no trouble sticking to the pre-op diet, but the majority find it difficult and I personally don't think their feelings about it are trivial at all. Kudo's to all of you on the pre-op diet and are making it through! It's not easy, but you're doing it! Each day you do it, the closer you are to the healthy you! Keep up the good work!

:clap2: This is SO true!!!! You always have GREAT advice and insight!

Post however works for you, if you'd give a "total" each post, that would make it a little easier for me. And of course, if I make any mistakes, point them out and I'll correct them. OK, here's the chart so far. I'm off for my bike ride now, so I added my 30 minutes for today already Name…………Goal in Minutes…Completed…..To Go MM………………..600 ……………60……………540 Ja9va………………960…………….0……………960 Dawneb……………600…………….0....................600 Cbm818…………...600……………..0……………600 Suzzzie……………705……………..0……………705 Captain Danbo……2700……………0……………2700 Sweetie…………...1000………….…75…………...925 huntersmom………300……………...0…………….300 Stephanie42767…..1860…………….60…………..1800

I made it!!! ONE WHOLE DAY with NO JUNK whatsoever!!!! YAY ME!!! Funny thing too, eating solid foods really DOES keep me fuller longer! Go figure! (being a little sarcastic there) I'm thinking that one more fill may just do the trick! Today will be a little tougher, as it's my 39th Birthday, and my daughter made a cake, and my sweet hubby invited friends over for cake, even though HE'S on his liquid pre-op diet (his surgery is Monday). I don't know how I'm going to pass up on the cake, but I need to psych myself up for this today and be prepared for the attack tonight!!! Wish me luck! boo boo kitty - I so wish I could be happy with one nutrition bar that tasted like candy. One day I hope to get there...right now, if I had one, it would turn to two, then three...I dunno tho, maybe the nutrition bar would stay in my pouch longer...Anyway...Happy Band Birthday to you!!!! 120 pounds in a year!!!! You are an inspiration!!!!!

Well today is day one of my one month challenge. I find myself remarkably inspired today! I was afraid I would be "afraid", but so far, so good...at 8:22am! hahahaha!!! Side bar: It is BUGGING the HECK out of me that I can't edit the Subject line of my original post! "go" was supposed to be "to". I'm sure you wonderful people already figured that out. Back to the subject at hand: I got some nice healthy varieties of fruits and foods, so I have the tools I need...now I need to just suck it up and do it! How's the rest of us JunkFoodAholoics doing?

OK...here's the final chart for July unless someone has more to add... Name…………Goal in Minutes…Completed…..To Go MM………………..480 …………….550………..0 FarmerE…….. …….480 …………….400………..80 Lucy……………….900 …………….360……….540 Huntersmom………480 …………….210………..270 Eva………………...960 …………….0…………..960 Dana………………480 .……………180…………300 Suzzzie……………900...............…..195………….705 Glindab……………240……………..0……………240 Cbm818…………...480……………..255…………225 Jackiep12………….480……………..90………… 410 Crabby54………….450…………….216………….234 Bigbaby……………360……………..0……………360 Carebears………….755……………560…………..195 Waters……………..320…………….154…………..166 Farmmomto2………480 …………...300…………..180 Itsjustme…………...420……………..0……………420 Joanie………………300……………182…………..118

My reply would have been..."YAY, I don't have to do anything!!!!" hehehe OK...we have many ambitious Augucizers!!!! Captain_D...You are doing SOOOOO well...you've set the bar high for the rest of us OK...here's the challenge! Name…………Goal in Minutes…Completed…..To Go MM………………..600 ……………0……………600 Ja9va………………960…………….0……………960 Dawneb……………600…………….0....................600 Cbm818…………...600……………..0……………600 Suzzzie……………705……………..0……………705 Captain Danbo……2700……………0……………2700 Sweetie…………...1000………….…0…………...1000 huntersmom………300……………...0…………….300

I'm not sure about the ab exercises...my surgeon just said that my exercise (swimming and biking) were great and told me to keep it up. I would think waiting on the abs for a while would be wise. I am quite proud of myself today. I got my big butt out of bed at 6am and biked for 10 miles! That is the longest I've biked in one go since I was 15! It felt great! I can't wait to lose enough to feel comfortable on roller blades! I live 3 miles from Lake Michigan and we have a 7 mile bike trail on the lake. I sure hope, by next spring, to be able to bike to and from my house in one go (20 miles) and blade one way in one go. Ah, that will be so nice :eek:

This thread was SO encouraging to me! I totally related to the original post. I was wishing I had just opted for bypass. Then reading this helped me realize that I haven't even really given this a chance and I was looking for a quick fix AND I wasn't doing MY part! No real point to posting this other than to say I really appreciated this thread and the advice given. I'm going to take some of that advice and apply it!

This was a GREAT question that I had myself...and WONDERFULY informative answers!!! You are so right that this takes time and practice AND PATIENCE! I was feeling quite discouraged before stumbling on to this thread, now I feel empowered and encouraged. Thanks Kat & Jack!

I have finally put down the fork of denial and am fully admitting to being a junk food junkie. I crave sweets, I eat sweets, I crave chips/crackers, I eat chips/crackers. I am fully admitting that this band will NOT hinder me from consuming these easy foods! I am fully admitting that I MUST NOT eat these things. I can't even give in a little, because, as an addict, one is never enough. All my diet life, I've said "everything in moderation". Well, at this point in my life, I can not moderate my junk. So, I am making a VERY tough decision to eat NO junk food whatsoever for the entire month of August! This is very easy to type, but not so easy to live by. This will be difficult on my birthday, but tough snoogies! I've had cake before, I know what it tastes like, I'm not really missing anything! Anyone else need to put down the fork of denial with me and join me in banning junk for one month? It's sometimes easier to do this when others are going through it with you. Heck, I'm even considering looking up the twelve steps from AA and going through them in August. Am I nutz????

OK Folks ALL Junies have at LEAST one month since surgery, so we should all be exercising with consistency now...right??? *pointing finger right at myself!* There are 4 weeks and 2 days in August... I'll start the challenge off by challenging myself to 600 minutes. This will be tough for me, but it's not really a challenge if I make it easy right??? Thursday is my 39th birthday! I want to be FIT by 40! I have a year to get there and by golly, I'm gonna do this!!!!

July is almost over...I made my goal...but ONLY because we swam so much in the ocean while on vacation...otherwise I wouldn't have come close. NOW I must challenge myself for more exercise and *gulp* stick to my eating plan!!! I'll start an August challange on a new thread. Name…………Goal in Minutes…Completed…..To Go MM………………..480 …………….520………..0 FarmerE…….. …….480 …………….400………..80 Lucy……………….900 …………….360……….540 Huntersmom………480 …………….210………..270 Eva………………...960 …………….0…………..960 Dana………………480 .……………180…………300 Suzzzie……………900...............…..195………….705 Glindab……………240……………..0……………240 Cbm818…………...480……………..255…………225 Jackiep12………….480……………..90………… 410 Crabby54………….450…………….216………….234 Bigbaby……………360……………..0……………360 Carebears………….755……………560…………..195 Waters……………..320…………….154…………..166 Farmmomto2………480 …………...300…………..180 Itsjustme…………...420……………..0……………420 Joanie………………300……………182…………..118

I just had my first fill Monday and the doc specifically said that I needed to be able to eat solid meats consistently or else I would need to have some fluid removed. He said to have occasional issues with meat is to be expected but that over all, I should be able to eat small, well chewed bites of chicken. He also said that when we're too tight, we'll revert to a 'soft' diet and weight loss will slow or stop. SO, from what you're describing, sounds like you may need a slight unfill.

I would be interested if the price and time is right :confused:

Here's the updated chart... I've been sooooo lazy...Gotta get out and MOVE today!!!! Name…………Goal in Minutes…Completed…..To Go MM………………..480 …………….460………..20 FarmerE…….. …….480 …………….400………..80 Lucy……………….900 …………….360……….540 Huntersmom………480 …………….210………..270 Eva………………...960 …………….0…………..960 Dana………………480 .……………180…………300 Suzzzie……………900...............…..195………….705 Glindab……………240……………..0……………240 Cbm818…………...480……………..135…………345 Jackiep12………….480……………..90………… 410 Crabby54………….450…………….216………….234 Bigbaby……………360……………..0……………360 Carebears………….755……………560…………..195 Waters……………..320…………….154…………..166 Farmmomto2………480 …………...300…………..180 Itsjustme…………...420……………..0……………420 Joanie………………300……………182…………..118

I cheated with beef jerky twice. I was on a liquid protein diet for one week, on day 5 & 6 I had beef jerky. I needed to chew SOOOO bad and I was SICK of sweet protein shakes...so I did the best I could and had chewy pure protein. The doc said my surgery went picture perfect. I don't think half a chicken breast will do you in At least it was pure protein! Hang in there, it's almost time

Congratz on your new baby I concur with the others...sounds like another fill may be in order.

My daughter is a nursing student and I wouldn't take her advice about surgery...the ONLY nurse I would even consider to be credible about surgery would be a practicing surgical nurse or a nurse that HAD the surgery I was having. I call my daughter "Nursie Know It All" because she THINKS she knows it all! We all have a good giggle, including her, when she gets on her nursing pedistal Don't sweat it Chim...you're going to do GREAT!!!!

I PB'd a couple of times before my first fill yesterday. It was always when I wasnt paying attention and ate too fast or too big of a bite. Since my fill yesterday, I've stayed with mushie stuff. The great thing is...I AM FULL on 3/4 pack of oatmeal!!! YES!!!! The doc said the fullness may only last a few days, but I'll take it! How are you doing now finallythin?

That is SO great!!! Congratz!! I LOVE the NSV stories...so inspiring

LOL!!!!!!!! Amen to that!!! How about a big balloon bouquet? She may hate you when she has to drive home with it, but everyone will see it's her birthday!!

Got my first fill yesterday...1cc in my 4cc band. He found the port easily. He told me after surgery that I had a thick abdomen wall and it may need to be done under fluro, but he found it right away. I have a tiny bruise at the injection site and that's the worst of it. It's no more of a nuissance than a blood draw. Gosh I hope this gives me more restriction!!! I have been ravenous! I'm scheduled for another fill on Aug 23 if it's not enough. I have a feeling it won't be *sigh*. The doc said the band takes a lot of patience in the beginning, but it pays off once proper restriction is achieved.

Thank you all sooooo much for the encouragement, advice, and support. At my appt today, my surgeon saw the disappointment on my face before I said a word...he said "What's wrong? No eye contact today?" I said "I've had a bad day and I gained weight". He looked at my chart and said with a shrug "WOW, that's not bad at all!" Then he explained how most people maintain or gain a little until they get the proper restriction. He pulled out a chart and showed me the "zone" I will progressively achieve. He also told me that the 4 days I spent in the car will also cause me to retain Water and that he bet those extra pounds would come off quickly with some extra water and exercise. He's such a supportive man! GOOD NEWS...He found my port!!!!!!! I am now the proud owner of 1.0 cc in my 4cc band. He told me that next month, there will only be about .5 cc in there because of the tiny bit of air in the band now causes a slight reaction of some sort and decreases the first fill by about .5cc over the course of a couple of weeks. More good news...I am NOT giving up ice cream, but I AM going to limit my intake to no more than twice a week AND limit it to a single serving of a lower cal version of ice cream (skinny cow or WW). I'll try some of your suggestions of yogurt and frozen fruit...I'll add some davinci sugar free choc syrup and it should hit the sweet frozen spot! You all are so wonderful to me...thank you again for your wisdom and support.

OK...I'll keep this as short as possible... I am supposed to get my first fill today, but it may not happen because if it needs to be done under fluro (as the doc suspects) I will have to wait... Anyway...I lost a little weight after surgery, then gained it back. I'm the same weight I was at surgery on June 1st...it's still 32 pounds less then when I started my journey...but I feel so discouraged. I can't seem to get my head around eating less. I have VERY little restriction...I feel hungry almost all the time...I still LOVE ice cream...my BIG downfall. I am getting so worried that I won't make this work. I KNOW that I have to work the band...I KNOW I have to say NO to ice cream and the like...I know I have to do my part and that the band is not a magic wand. I just wish it were a little easier. I pray once I get my fill, I truly will feel full and will start to lose...but now, I feel hungry, and discouraged. I'm beginning to regret not having the bypass instead... Anyone else in this band limbo?? Anyone else gotten through it and have some helpful hints?