parisshel

You may be able to eat everything, just take small bites. Or, you may find (as I did) that you've lost the desire for red meat (due to the effort it would take to be able to eat it comfortably = negative feedback loop) but you won't care that you can't.

This is something you'll likely understand once you are banded, recovered, and at a good restriction. I know it seems sad from where you are right now, preband, but once you get into your banded life and groove, it most likely won't be something you'll miss, at least constantly miss. You may have pangs of wishing you could eat a big ole' hamburger, but it won't be the nagging craving you'd have if you were merely dieting.

The first photo is one week before my surgery--I'm the one in the grey sweater and the black dress (obviously!). The second photo was shot today. I can really see a difference in my face!

Nothing to add to the above excellent comments, just wanted to say your baby is adorable!

Well done! I remember my apprehension with my first restaurant post band. I was so pleased that 1) I ate according to bandster rules and 2)Nothing got stuck. Obviously the two are related!

Remember when restaurant experiences were so....awful? Because in front of that delicious menu, you felt so powerless? Either you stuck to your diet and felt empty and deprived, or you said to yourself "Oh heck, YOLO" and felt horrible the next day, as well as fatter.

Grateful to my band for whispering to me each and every meal. My life is no longer like that. Eating at home or at a restaurant, I listen to my band and it keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I did fine with microwaved cod filet. Just make sure you prepare your fish to be very moist. (Don't overbake it.)

Love it! I never thought about using phyllo for bread but I'll bet this is wonderful with the crispy texture. Will try; thanks.

I think everybody has trouble burping right after the surgery. But eventually everything settles down and you will burp. It will be a proud moment!

Yes, mine started two weeks ago. I had excellent restriction up until then...now I know it's time for my second fill. Completely normal and thankfully fixable!

Yum! Now that I've had a root canal on the tooth that couldn't take anything cold--I'm going to try this! It will be my celebration drink!

My comment would be wrote B-52 wrote above. Health reasons, not moral reasons. I'm all about wearing leather and lipstick made from beeswax! Don't tell anyone but I have a fox-trimmed parka, too.

lunch today: hummus, 2 flatbread crackers, endive salad with some sliced olives and oil and vinegar dressing.

Dinner: chicken with some baked vegetables: potato, green Beans and carrots, all cut up.

My breakfasts are alway the same and really boring. Need new Breakfast inspiration.

I had a to laugh at your labels. "Big & Fat" and "Less Big & Fat". I'd totally do the same thing lol.

It looks you're doing very well!

I love looking at the graph (LoseIt has one) of my weight loss because it really puts it all into perspective for me. It's easy to get hung up on how far we have to go or being stuck for a week but when you see the graph, you realize how good you're actually doing.

Thanks. I did this in Excel; I'll have to check out LoseIt.

I did this neat graph to show my surgeon when I went for my 4-month post-op appointment yesterday. It's interesting to see how my weight bounced around between my surgery date of Mar 20th and the date of my first fill (May 15th) at which point it starts a consistent descent. Not sure what happened on June 24th (there's a small peak at that point) but otherwise, I'm pleased. I'm getting a second fill next month and I'm sure the line will keep moving downward, perhaps even faster!

I can't imagine any doctor that would not be thrilled to see a patient be proactive about taking back his/her health. Go in with this in mind and the words will come out just fine.

This is terrific. I thought I knew a lot about fills, and I was just about to schedule a fill for August, when I return from a vacation (and a 12 hour flight) then I read this! Thank you! I will schedule the fill for 2 weeks after I return, in case I experience band-tightening from the travel.

Almost four months post-op, never been stuck nor had any discomfort. I'm 100% compliant with post-band directives which accounts for most of this. That said, as of about 2 weeks I've been out of the green zone now (maybe my weight loss has made my band looser? Who knows?) and getting my 2nd fill; hopefully I'll still be able to say "never been stuck" after the next cc!

This is terrific. You know what I learned? It's not the restriction of the band that's important, but how the band controls the descent of the food. That's why looking at pouch size is critical when assessing a fill. I went for my [almost] 4 month post-op appointment with my surgeon yesterday, and when he looked at my fluoro picture, he confirmed what I already know: I need a bit more saline. This was all based on the pouch size he saw, which was clearly not "pouchy" enough yet with my current 4 ccs in a 10 cc band.

Thanks for posting this because it really shows what we are aiming for when we talk about a green zone.

Well done! You look fantastic. I hope that with 38 pounds less on me (I'm about at your starting weight right now) I'll look just as healthy and fit.

I can't advise on the latter, but I'm jealous of the former!

I noticed a lot of people talk about how they used to eat (calorie laden this and fatty that). I ate about 75% of the time, light/low-cal foods like FF Lays chips, diet cola,94% FF micro popcorn, light mayo, pam, lean meats,tuna in Water, ECT... and I'm still fat.

I know that I ate to much period! More calories in than burned! With my surgery tomorrow morning will eating the same type of foods work for me or hurt my progress because of familiarity? Will the band help keep me full enough?

Like you, my life prior to the band was all about eating low fat this and reduced fat that. And trying to fill up with "bulky" low cal things like microwave popcorn, just to attempt to keep from feeling hunger. It didn't work, obviously, because the day I got banded I weighed 263 pounds.

Post-band, and once I'd gone thru reintroducing foods, what I eat is very different. I eat fat because it keeps me satisfied: I cube avocado for my salad, which I dress with olive oil, vinegar and mustard (no "lite" dressing with mystery ingredients). I drink 2% milk rather than nonfat. I eat full-fat cheese instead of plastic colored cheese. I use almost exclusively whole, unprocessed foods which means an entire category of my previous (fake diet) foods is now eliminated from my diet. This does not make me morally superior to anyone else, but it has made me thinner, with the help of the lapband.

I use my band to keep full between meals, but I also use my foods to keep full, as well. For me, that means not including any food that will "bring on hunger": sugary things, white carbs (bread, Pasta, rice), and most importantly processed foods.

Yes. I noticed the UPS guy lingers a lot longer in my office now.

i would personally disregard any doctor's advice to not eat or drink during a long flight. I fly internationally (12 hours each flight) and would not want to risk dehydration or the immense thirst not drinking for 12 hours (or more, if delayed!!!) would provoke.

As for eating: If you can drink (and really there is no reason you wouldn't be able to drink---just don't go get a big fill right before getting in an airplane !), drink. If you can eat, eat the band-friendly stuff they serve. Much of what is on offer on airplanes is not band-friendly for me (bread, Pasta, rice-based dishes) so I pack my own food in my carryon.

I pack Protein bars and Protein powder, fruit and nuts. Or sometimes I'll preorder a vegetarian option but that often come with Pasta or rice, neither of which I eat. So my advice when flying is to not worry about a too-tight band, but do bring on your own food especially for a longhaul flight. And sip sip sip Water all through the flight.

I'm in France. 3.5 months postop but would love to buddy up with you!

You know what's great about the band? No more watching the clock waiting for lunch/dinner/snacktime. With my appetite at half-mast, I don't count down the minutes until my next meal. What a wonderful way to live. Thank you, lapband.

Just read your story! Congratulations. You have done fantastic work and your weight loss shows how disciplined day in and day out you were! Well done. Good luck with the upcoming surgeries; may you enjoy this new body for years to come.