Sharpie

I can't figure out how you were able to eat a taco salad, 2 weeks post op? I was still on mushy foods by then.. My Dr said you have to heal.. first 6 weeks should be taking it slow, I could have eaten the refried beans and possibly tomatoes if they were small but doubt I could have eaten the bowl which is actually a tortilla... anyway there are several things you can eat at fast food places.. I eat @ Chic filet sometimes if I'm around one.. their chicken tortilla soup is awesome.. only 260 calories .. about 1 cup .. if nothing else they have grilled chicken nuggets.. Wendy's has great chili.. I'm not sure about McDonald's never have liked that though.. you just haven't had enough time yet to get discouraged.. my Dr also said not to worry about working out until 6 weeks... Good Luck and be good to yourself..

I have to say , If I eat too fast or too much or something that doesn't agree with my band I get a clear signal from the band.. now that being said, I won't ignore those signals just so I can stuff some pizza or crescent roll down my throat.. I just don't understand how you can eat around the band.. I have had 2 fills. only have 2 cc in my band.. but, I feel enough restriction that I know when I have ate too fast or too much.. I also track my calories though and started some exercise recently.. I also give myself some time to feel satiety.. I think the Band is a tremendous tool and I too could not have done this by myself.. The band has given me the chance to get my weight and eating under control. I think you have to realize that a certain amount of will power is required no matter what you do. I know people who have had bypass and still ate around it..

ad block will fix that problem..

Excellent,,, always feels good to have something fit ..

eggbeater omelette.. turkey sausage , with a little cheese melted on top.. I am not a big yogurt fan but sometimes if in a hurry I will have a greek yogurt with fruit.. I have eaten bacon and eggs but would rather have the turkey sausage ..

I don't think it's just fat people who do this.. I am sure alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. have the same thoughts.. well I had one drink so I might as well get drunk,,, I think some of it is just human nature.. I used to weigh myself, if I had gained I would spend the day eating what I wanted cause I thought what the hell.. self punishment I guess.. now a days I weigh in the morning and I take it and go.. if I haven't lost oh well I will see if I need to change something like drinking more water or skipping a carb.. I have not gained anything since surgery so I am lucky.. I feel confident that this will work and I do not feel deprived...

The pre op diet is important and tough.. But, even after the surgery life will go on... My husband needs to gain weight and he eats all kinds of crap.. donuts, ice cream, fried foods, etc. I can't remove all foods from my house .. also we have birthdays , anniversary, holiday parties and life goes on.. As someone says you have to Woman Up... I never thought I would be able to stay focused and determined enough to make it through the pre op diet but, I also wanted this surgery to be successful so I did what I had to do. Staying busy does help and keep telling yourself that it will be worth it... It has been worth it, I have lost almost 40 lbs since Jan 15th.. I feel great, energy to burn and I am actually going ot the gym.. never thought that would happen ... Keep your eye on the prize.. Take Care

Terry you made the right choice... even if you had eaten yourself silly and perhaps endangered your health, how would that have helped your family member with their issue? I know firsthand about trying to medicate yourself to avoid the pain.. We lost 3 family (daughter, son and son in law) in the past few years.. it's the worst kind of pain ever losing your children.. but my eating and even going back to smoking for a short time could not fix it... it gets better with time . I am able to cope better through this process of making myself healthy and realizing that my life is still worth living.. Take care of yourself so you can help your loved ones.. I will pray for you and your family member.

get in touch with a bariatric center or surgeon's office, they pretty much know the in's and out's of insurance.. I would say with your disc problems you would qualify but I'm not a insurance specialists. I have Medicare and BC .. but I had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol.. got approved no problem. my bmi was 38 I think.

I had to slow down when I ate.. my husband eats like a house on fire so after being married to him for 37 years I ate way too fast to keep up with him.. now I eat very slow .. he's done way before me but I told him to go ahead and leave the table..I also have not had anything with more than 5 grams of sugar in it since surgery... sugar is my trigger and I have to stay away from it so I can lose the weight I need to. I was taking medication for diabetes before surgery now I do not have to.. my small changes have had big results...

I am so sorry that you are feeling disheartened... frustrated, etc. I know my first week post op was a big wow what the hell did I do to myself moments... anyhow, my surgeon and staff prepared me for every bit of discomfort and pain I would face... They also said you will not feel like drinking much but you can sip, sip, sip.. true enough I couldn't drink gallons of water or anything but I sipped a little all the time. your body has undergone a shock, you will have to let it heal.. Milk of Mag worked like a charm on my constipation and I felt like a new person once that was fixed.. Nurses and Doctors are not always the best patients and rarely worry about taking care of themselves as they do their patients. Remember this is your time and believe me this was the best thing I have ever done.. I tried every weight loss plan and even had a personal trainer nothing worked.. I feel confident that I will be successful this time..and you will be thanking yourself soon for getting the band.. Take care we are all here to offer support and advice.. There are some long time banders here who have way more knowledge than I do.. They have helped me along the way...

You have done amazing... Definate difference in the before and after,,I love to see these pictures also. It gives me encouragement... Keep up the good work...

I would either ignore it or tell them directly that you are not interested and do not want to receive any further emails from them... I don't know of anyone to report it to unless you want to pursue legal action...

I did not use gas x.. however the gas is not really in your stomach it's the gas they used to inflate you.. it will work its way out but you need to walk about once an hour around your house.. move as much as you can without over doing it.. also I used some milk of mag and that resolved by bm issue and I felt so much better after that... I also used a heating pad on my shoulder and a pillow on my stomach when I got up and down... it will take about a week to start seeing some improvement.. best thing for you to do is drink as much as you can and rest as much as possible....

great job....

I have had a chopped steak but only ate about 2 oz.. you have to make sure it has moistness.. I had some mushroom soup on it.. I have also eaten sirloin steak but very small pieces and chew, chew , chew.. I do eat fish and chicken (dark meat) more than beef... I doubt I could eat a big mac even if I wanted it...

my Doc said because I am not really big (my staring wt was 198) It would probably be a slower process.. but, that is okay I think I will stay healthier.. so far I have lost 38 lbs (surg date 1/15/13) so it's slow but steady.. yes I also think it's how you eat, exercise, age and genetics... I am older (66) than some and I just started exercise routine so we will see what happens . I am staying in the plan 1 cup of food each meal.. sometimes I eat in between but usually low cal , high protein snacks.. My diabetes is in check, my blood pressure has improved and I have more energy than I have had in years so it's a win, win...

I wasn't told not to eat popcorn but it's a carb so, doubt I could eat much...it's not my favorite snack so I don't mind..

From what I understand if your bmi is 40 or higher you should be approved.. but, the guidelines have changed for lapband so I'm not positive... your Dr's office should know .. My Surgeon's office told me I would be approved right away, my bmi was 37 but I had diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

awesome... I thought about how much time I spent eating crap... in the past.. since being banded in January, my outlook on food has changed.. I even have a hard time thinking of something to eat when I grocery shop.. but the great part is that food no longer has a hold on me.. when I get bored I do something like laundry or vacuum.. I also started trying to get some exercise going.. I joined the gym this week and will try to go every day or at least 3 times a week... mostly to use the treadmill and bicycle.. The band is worth it and I hope you have continued success and a longer, healthier life...

there are tons of band friendly recipes on bandedliving.com they have been computed for calories, fat, protein...all fall in the 10 to 1 ratio for protein...I have tried several and they are good. I even made pancakes one morning with blueberry syrup... made with eggbeaters/banana's and fresh blueberries.. I am sure there are other sights but that is the one I found the most recipes on...

My bmi was below 40 also but my pcp sent my medical records and a letter stating that my co-mordalities indicated that I needed the band...depending on your age and any other medical issues they should approve you. Best of Luck I hope you are successful.

wow look at you in those skinny jeans... you are beautiful. I love to start my day with inspirational posts... thanks for sharing...

When I finally said I'm Fat I decided to do something about it.... not a bad word, just honest..

how exciting for you and you can yell all you want to...Disney requires a lot of walking and it takes at least a week to enjoy it.. Good for you and congratulations...