mrsto

String cheese doesn't have the same fat content as other cheeses. It's made with part skim milk, and makes it a lower fat choice. Yes, Protein is important, but it's good to check to ratio of fat to protein in the things you eat. If you check the fat content of cheddar cheese compared to string cheese, it's higher. That doesn't mean that cheddar is a bad choice, but it will be a higher calorie choice. As long as you try & get in a certain amount of grams of protein per day, while counting all your calories, you should be fine. Ask your doctor....or the nutritionist at your doctor's office, how much protein you need to have in a day. Make sure you reach that number, while staying within your allotted amount of daily calories. I suggest that you use a tracking program like My Fitness Pal. It's free, and you can download it on your phone, iPad, computer.....all of it. You can look up just about any possible food & get the breakdown of nutritional values. Then you track your food & always know throughout the day, where you're at with your daily needs.

It's exhausting, and yet one MORE reason I eat to self medicate This process of not being able to go straight to food when I'm "workin' it".......whatever IT is, has been quite frustrating. But I'm getting through it, and hopefully the urge to numb out with the hand to mouth activity will get easier as the weeks and months pass. I don't think we're ever cured, but would hope I find alternatives to deal with the madness

I'm really using it only to track my calories and protein, which is all I care about. I'm not getting too crazy with the rest (at this point). Certainly subject to change down the road :-)

Yeah - peanut butter is a controlled substance in my house - LOL! 1T isn't going to satisfy my craving for it, so I'm better leaving it alone. Although, I did pick up some of the PB2 powdered peanut butter, and get 2T for 45 calories. It's really good in Protein shakes and yogurt, but wasn't that great when I mixed it with Water to make actual butter. Maybe I needed to add some Splenda, because it was kind of bitter.

You've probably got a ways to go before your doctor will give you a fill; at least 3-4 weeks. I went through the hunger, but that didn't start until three weeks out. I got my first fill a little over 4 weeks out. As Carolinagirl says, stick to your diet progression, and make healthy choices. If you have to have an extra Protein shake to stop the hunger, then do it. Whatever it takes to get through, but just stick to wherever you're at in your progression. As difficult as it is to deal with, they have it setup that way for a reason. My doctor told me flat out that the people who jump ahead with food, are the ones who end up having many issues with the band. You will get through it; MANY people on this site can attest to that :-)

Thanks.... I think I'll just stop logging my exercise activity in the program. I know when I exercise, and if I'm not giving myself calorie credits, it doesn't matter if it's in MFP.

When was your surgery?

Since you are newly banded, what you are feeling is most likely swelling from surgery. I felt that as well, but it should subside once you are healed. It can take a good four weeks.

Does anyone know if there is a preference in MFP to NOT give you caloric credit for exercise? I have it set for my 1,000 calories per day, but when I enter my exercise for the day, it adds those calories into my daily allotment. I don't want that......I just want to stick to my 1,000 no matter what I do.

I love string cheese, and keep it around at all times. One stick and I'm good to go until the next meal. I piece of string cheese has 6 grams of Protein, so it's a very good choice. Weighing daily is a personal choice, but it's not something I do. I weigh once a week, and even then I'm sometimes annoyed that it's not going faster. I'm better staying focused on how I feel, rather than what the scale says. I'm sticking to my program, so whether the scale shows a loss daily or not, I know the weight is working its way OFF of my bod.

They place the port based on your anatomy. I also thought mine was going to be under my ribcage, but it ended up to the left of my bellybutton, and a hair below it. It's right under the largest incision. When I asked the doctor about it, he said that was the best spot given the length between my ribs and my waist. He also took into consideration where the waistline of my pants would be hitting. They place it strategically based on the layout of your particular body, and they have to consider how the tubing will layout as well.

Skipping math? YES, a win win! LOL!! I hated math in school, and do accounting for a living. Go figure..... I'm glad to hear that you're getting in sooner than later. Please let us know the outcome... I hope you feel better, soon.

Mine lasted for (what I thought) was a long time. I was afraid that it was something that I would have to live with from being banded. But it did stop, and I hope it does for all of you.

Tingling in fingers sounds like something coming from your neck.....a compressed nerve. I would call & ask your doctor. I haven't heard of anything like that, but I can say that my back was totally tweaked after surgery. I already have issues, and the way they position you on the table during surgery, can play havoc with any existing skeletal conditions. Took over a week before my back pain subsided from surgery.

GO! You don't want to mess with this. Could be nothing more than stress from your finals, but if you haven't had it before, you need to find out ASAP.

I agree with both above. When you sit down to eat your first pureed meal, take very small bites, and go slowly. Swallow each bite & let it go all the way down before taking another. I'm not on full foods yet, but I am eating solid foods; beans, potatoes, chicken, ground beef/turkey, toasted bread, etc. No fruits & veggies yet (except for bananas, apple sauce and avocados). Like you, I've been nervous about getting sick, and do NOT want to throw up. That being said, I follow the eating rules; small bites, chew chew chew, and I stop at the first signal of being "done". Well, sometimes I've pushed it just a little bit, but my body signals me by getting a fleeting feeling of nausea. At 5 weeks out, I have no issues whatsoever. There are a couple of foods that didn't feel great, so even though they're allowed, I avoid them. Yesterday, it was a toasted English muffin. Whole grain bread is fine, but the muffin didn't work well. Little by little, as you add things along your progression, you will find what works best for you. I'm a lot like Jack.....I absolutely love eating slow & chewing very well. A concept I was never able to practice before surgery. I feel SO much better eating this way, and do not get the bloating & other issues I used to have after eating. Good luck!

I had it for a good three weeks post-op. Now at 5 weeks, nothing. When I had it, it was really bad. And pain meds didn't seem to touch it. Although, a shot of liquid Vicodin made me not care

I take Prilosec intermittently for reflux. It works beautifully, but it does block the absorption of some B Vitamins. I never heard anything about weight gain, nor have I experienced it. But when I do take the drug, I make sure & add B complex to my Vitamin regimen. For people with chronic reflux, taking Omeprazole (generic Prilosec) can save someone from permanent damage to the esophagus, and possibly even cancer. We hear about reflux so much, and it's not to be taken lightly. Typical protocol (in my experience) is to take it for 2-3 months until symptoms resolve, at the same time, working to find the cause of reflux in the first place. Obesity is one major cause, but there are others. Omeprazole is a complete acid blocker, and I'm not sure why your doctor would prescribe this prophylactically....unless you've had some issues where he/she thinks this is warranted. My doctor prescribed Pepcid for one month post-op; 1 tablet twice a day. Pepcid is milder, and does not block all acid production. However, since I take a prescription anti-inflammatory, he wants me to take it ongoing to protect my stomach lining. I would get clarification from your doctor, as to the reasoning for keeping you on this medication. And if the answer makes no sense to you, you may want to talk to a gastroenterologist.

I feel ya! I do the same thing, and wish I could just shut off my brain. Obsessive thinking......horrible! Been doing it since I'm a little kid

I also deleted the app from my phone and my iPad. I took a break for a few days, and now breeze in and out. It became all consuming, and I needed to just be with my band, and the support from my doctor's office. These forums are a mixed bag; can make your head spin And the posts by the people with complications are informational, but unfortunately, a lot of the posters think that the lap band sky is falling if someone posts that they're having an issue. It's just TOO much sometimes!

My pre-op diet was 1200 calories/day; low fat. I wasn't perfect, and probably ate around 1400 calories/day. My surgery went fine. That is NOT to say that it's okay to go off the plan, because as mentioned above, if your liver is too large and fatty, they will not do the surgery.

I was also on clear liquids for two days, then on to full liquids. Did you get the dates for your diet progression? If you are on clear liquids, what type of protein shakes are you drinking?

Campbell - and (I didn't mention) that I also had a hernia repair at the time of my lap band surgery. I got severe heartburn about 8 days after; so bad that I thought I was having a heart attack. I went to see my doctor, and he said that it was hard to know, being that I just had surgery. Some of these things resolve with healing, but you should talk to your doctor. Did he/she put you on an acid blocker after surgery? Many doctors do; mine did.....I was given a prescription for generic Pepcid, and told to take one twice a day for one month.

You still can; I did. But that was soon after surgery.....like you. I'm now 5 weeks out, and haven't had a problem. But I will say that if you drink a protein shake or milk.....something other than water soon before you go to sleep, that will cause the stomach acid to backup into your throat. My problem has improved a great deal, but if I eat something too close to bedtime, I'll have reflux. And now with the band, I'll have other unpleasant happenings if I have anything in my stomach too close to bedtime.

Only your doctor can diagnose the issue, but it sounds like it could be reflux. I've had this issue for years, where I wake up in the middle of the night try to swallow a lump in my throat. It feels like a lump of post nasal drip, but as many times as I swallow, it doesn't go down. And it doesn't go down because it's swelling in my throat/esophagus from the reflux. You should talk to your doctor; possibly you should be on an acid blocker like Pepcid or Prilosec.