mrsto

That's great! That's a lot of weight in a short time.....good for you!

I'm so with you on this! I made the same decision, and hope that if or when the time comes, I'm at goal weight. At 57 years old, I feel that this is my last chance. When I get this weight off, it will be a cold day in hell before I let it come back. Amen!

Yes, I think everyone will agree that this is the hardest part..... What helped me through the liquids... I found that after awhile I got really sick of everything "sweet"; Jello, crystal lite, Protein shakes, etc. I picked up some regular V8 juice and some unflavored Protein powder. I made a vegetable juice Protein shake, which was a great break from all the sweet stuff. Campbells has a creamy tomato soup that is wonderful. That was a nice break as well. You really have to play around with it & have a wide variety of whatever you're allowed. Plain broth (chicken & beef) gets old really quick

WOW - thanks for posting these. VERY informative!

I understand the desire to replace the hand to mouth activity. I smoked when I was very young, but thankfully, it never really agreed with me. If it did, I would be a chain smoker

WOW - I thought drinking with meals is a cardinal lap band sin I think that doctor was the exception, not the norm. I love that when I DO drink about an hour or so after eating, I'm all filled up again. I can see where that dynamic really makes the band work for us.

I don't know anything about them, other than one of my clients employees was smoking one. But I think the whole point of those is no smoke and nicotine? If that's it, I can't imagine that they would be a problem.

LOL!! I was told that a meal should take 20 minutes. I told my doctor, if I take 20 minutes to eat, whatever I'm eating will be completely sickening before I'm done. He laughed; totally got it. He reiterated to just eat small bites, chew, blah blah. I believe that they give us these timeframes as a guideline, not as a Holly Bible. I also questioned his band rule of only three meals a day. I'd rather eat 5 smaller meals, etc. He told me that it was okay, as long as I counted everything. He said "you'll figure it out". But clearly, the rules are guidelines only. However.....there are a couple that aren't negotiable... one being, never drink with meals, and small bites chewed to a pulp.

I just starting eating animal Protein, but only ground meats, chicken, white fish and thinly sliced deli meats. 2muchfun pretty much covered the eating part, but I'll share one thing that I've been eating the last few days. I'm just THRILLED to be eating ground meat!! I was starting to flip out without it I brown ground turkey & drain it. I add a can of refried Beans and a can of black beans. Cook all together for a little while longer until everything is hot. Sometimes I'll put a couple tablespoons of melted cheddar (1/2 oz) on the top. YUM! I've got my husband strung out on it, too :-) I found that this mix not only tastes really good, but it goes down really easy. I tried some grilled trout when we went out to eat, and though it didn't get stuck, I just didn't feel very good after. If ground turkey works, there are a ton of recipes you can make with it, including spaghetti sauce with turkey meatballs. Or, tacos made with turkey. I'm just trying to think of flavorful things you can improvise with. I've been pretty boring lately, but as I get used to this new eating life, I'll be like Chefboyar-mrsinto in the kitchen - LOL!

Yes, they say smoking is killer for the band and bypass. Not sure about the sleeve.

I found that if I take too many sips at one time, or big gulps, I get a tinge of pressure. I take about 4 small sips in a row, the stop & start again. I don't time it; just wait until I feel ready to kick in again. Usually about 10 seconds. With food, I don't remember hearing the "put your fork down & wait one minute between bites". They did tell us to take small bites, chew it beyond thorough, and put the fork down while you're doing that. But if I waited one full minute between bites, my one egg in the morning would be completely cold and disgusting before I get a chance to finish. The key is to go slowly, and eat mindfully. Triple underline the mindfully part! If you eat too fast, you won't give your brain a chance to figure out what's happening in your body with each and every bite. It takes a little practice, but at three weeks out, I'm getting pretty good at it. But sometimes I find myself eating without thinking, and I have to back off, slow down and slip back into "mindful mode".

I use a small amount of plain Coffeemate powder & Splenda. I know the creamer is like death powder, but I love it! I don't even like the real thing; not as good.

I'm going to ask my doctor about liquid ibuprofen. But even still, it makes its way into the stomach, and is processed there. With this plication, maybe the rule is a little different. As much as I THOUGHT I learned prior, there are still things I'm learning as I go along. And YES, all the doctors certainly have their own take on this

Hmmm.......designer ibuprofen... I'd like to know what it's cut with, that reduces the negative effects. What is it called? I may need to request some to keep in my arsenal :-)

I feel ya! But he did however say that my prescription anti-inflammatory, Mobic (meloxicam) is okay, as long as I stay on Pepcid or Prilosec. I have a herniated disc, which isn't only back pain, it's pain down my leg, etc. Mobic is the only thing that touches it, so thank God it's not on his no no list.

No, his fear isn't the calories. He was very specific about the issue being the acid, and it's potential effect on the band, and potential ulcerative issues. From all the feedback, it seems that he errs on the side of caution.....which is fine. But I guess I'll just have to pick my poison. I've given up my #1 OTC painkiller of choice - Ibuprofen. And I get the no aspirin, too. But my sacred coffee is a WHOLE other story!

LOL!!

Decaf actually has a little bit of caffeine, but it's a fraction of what's in regular. As sensitive as I've become to caffeine, my guess is that I'll be on 100% decaf in the next couple of years.

In the aftercare classes, the subject of coffee usually comes up. They don't recommend it. It's not just the band, but it's the ulcers it can cause in the pouch. I understand the concern about ulcers from acid, but the band erosion doesn't make sense to me, either. There's no sense in me asking again, because I'll get the same answer. They don't support it, apparently from issues they've seen. But I also have to wonder if this is more of an issue for people who mainline it all day long. That would NOT be me. I'm trying to follow their rules as best as I can. But this ONE isn't going to stick.

LOL I totally get it!!

I too can no longer drink full caffeinated coffee. I'm now doing a little bit of 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf, but find the decaf ratio is increasing over the caffeinated. I found a coffee online that is reduced acid. It's marketed toward people with reflux and ulcers. I do find that I have a problem with the acid, but that started even before surgery. I ordered a couple of samples, before committing to a whole pound. I'll see how that goes, but I really don't want (can't) give it up completely.

LOL! I'm scared of the coffee you drink! I've become quite the wimp in my older age. All I can tolerate now, is a very small cup of 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf. But it's religion!! Makes a huge difference in how I feel.

I've never heard of that, either. The hospital called me & said that they'd need my full copay upfront. I paid them the $3,000, and now that the claim has been processed, I will be getting about $1,100 back (yay). Yeah, I would call for clarification. Sounds weird, but maybe they want you to come in so they can discuss how you'll cover the portion that insurance doesn't pay?

I was told to discontinue drinking coffee, because they've found that the acid can erode the band. That, in addition to the small ulcers coffee can cause in the pouch. I'm curious to know how others are dealing with this. Or, if they were even instructed against coffee. I've been SO out of sorts without that little bit in the morning, and tea just doesn't cut it. A couple of days ago I allowed myself a 1/2 cup of coffee (about 4 oz), and it made ALL the difference in the way I feel. Would love some feedback on this.

I was so sick of the canned condensed cream soups, so I got some of the homemade ones from the market. They were certainly made with 100% real cream, and very thick. I diluted them with some Water or milk, strained out the solids, and had a little less than a cupful. I was DESPERATE for something that didn't make me gag, and this was the bandaid that helped me get through.