PrincessNitaJ

I love Unjury! That's all I will use. It is amazing. I really don't like Protein Drinks at all due to that nasty aftertaste and Protein flavor. I gagged down Isopure in my clear stage, I tried some other stuff from GNC and Walmart and it all made me gag. I bought the Margaritaville smoothie maker and it is awesome. It crushes that ice down to a slurpee (icee) texture just like you buy at 7-11. The Chocloate splendor is great. I make it with 1/2 cup skim milk and ice, its just like a milk shake. I actually really like it. I also get the frozen berries in the freezer section and mix that with ice, the unflavored Unjury powder and 1/2 cup skim milk and it makes a great tasting smoothie. These are my life savor. I have been drinking them since I got off clears and will continue. I wont drink any other Protein Powder mixes... I found the one that is for me. UNJURY is awesome! I cant even taste the protein, and NO aftertaste. 21 grams protein, 0 sugar and 0 carbs. The chocolate isn't too chocolatey either which is great because I always liked my milkshakes light... like 1/2 vanilla 1/2 chocoloate. Worth every penny, especially with the Margaritaville mixer.

I feel you guys on the scale. I think I am going to ban myself from it for the first few weeks until my 1st fill appointment.

Hi guys -
I am almost a week post op - and was having a hard time with my Protein. The sugar free Protein drinks are horrid, with a bad aftertaste. I heard about powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury www.unjury.com before my surgery and ordered a sample pack. It came yesterday...and OMG - it is a life savor! The Protein is 21g and 2g Sugar - it actually tastes good. The chocolate taste like chocolate milk with no horrible aftertaste.
The prize though is the chicken Soup flavor - I mixed it in with a cup of chicken noodle Soup and it add a great richness to it PLUS 21G of protein! It would even be good on its own.
So if you are struggling...definitely check on out Unjury...get the sample pack so you can try it all out...its going to make things ALOT easier for me Wanted to share!
Nita

I'm having surgery tomorrow as well. I am also nervous and excited. I think those are great emotions. This is a major life change we are embarking on. If we had no emotion something would be seriously wrong I think lol. Best of luck to you tomorrow!!

Well tomorrow is IT. I'm excited and nervous. Nervous about going through the procedure and not knowing what to expect afterwards but excited to start my new journey. I can' t wait to look back a year from now and think, wow I've done this! I know there will be many ups and downs but I know in the end it will be worth it to be healthy and happy! Any last words of advice for calming the nerves?? Thx all!

Hello all! My day is tomorrow! It is surreal. I've been on liquids and purees for 5 days, and did surprisingly well. So nervous, but I know it will be ok. Its been more a mental journey these past few weeks than anything. When you pay attention to the amount of times you want junk fook, or fast food, or just eating due to head hunger – you realize how much food has control. It is insane! This morning I realized that I would be stronger than food…because I was more important than a cheeseburger, Pasta dish, or McDonalds. And though it sounds petty…its so true.
Looking for some other banders to walk this journey with

You can bring your own stuff, or I just look for high Protein foods, chicken, burgers , vegtables and I do allow myself a tsp of whatever I want, just so I don't sit and crave it. Just a taste, not a meal.lol
Its all about eating healthy portions and choices, not depriving ourselves.
Also this is a time to learn that gatherings with friends and family are about being with friends and family, not about food.

Good post. Thanks for sharing and thank you for providing a link at the bottom.
I've got the band and was scared going into it. Still scared. I'm trying to make sure that financially I'm ready for a complication. Don't think it's going to happen, but knowing the money is there will give me peace of mind.
As someone else just posted, what is the alternative really? I've done several diets and exercised like mad, but hunger and life always brought me back to my original weight.
Still, great post though. Band definitely has had a bad reputation. Believe the science has improved a lot though and with a good surgeon and common sense, a person should be okay (most of the time).

"so unpopular that the major manufacturer of lap bands, Allergan, no longer wants to make them?"
This is a huge leap made on an obvious predisposed opionion by the author.
I don't believe Allergan has said they don't want to make them? There's also the leap that they are unpopular? Based on what? Lagging profits? Lagging profits may or may not reflect sales or popularity. Lagging profits could be a result of more competition from Realize driving patient costs lower or even from exposure to liability. The fact is, the product is still profitable although profits are declining?
"Are you addicted to eating? If so, a Lap-Band is probably not going to help you lose weight.
Do you love ice cream or fattening drinks? If so, a Lap-Band is probably not going to be effective in helping you lose weight." I think there are so many on this forum alone that make these two comments totally bogus.
So, what is the author's remedy for gastric banding failures to help patients lose weight? Make one more attempt to diet and exercise. OK, been there, done that.
tmf

My surgery is on the 30th too!! I know the feeling! We can do this!!

Replace your worry with hope for yourself and a healthier future, good luck!

Hi bandies! I am scheduled to get banded in NYC at the end of June Congratulations on your DATE. I have gone through all doctor appts and two sleep apnea tests, which might I add was terrible! Now that the time is coming closer to when I am having my surgery, I am becoming nervous (even had one or two dreams about it, Nervousness is natural, It's major surgery after all
I have sleep apnea and getting the machine soon. I hate the apnea mask, as I get restless and claustrophobic It is possible to just use a nasal canulla for sleep apnea , but remember the mask is more efficient in getting Oxygen into the lungs to keep your Co2 stats up What can I expect after surgery regarding that? I do not want to wake up from surgery w/ the mask on I don't know for sure but in most cases I don't think they will need to use a mask since they will control all the oxygen levels during surgery, and your not going to be sleeping, that being said if your levels decrease post-op they might need to use a mask while in recovery. I want to be as comfortable as possible as I know I will freak out. Also, I have been reading a lot of forums that talk about gaining weight, not losing and a lot of shoulder/neck pain. I am starting to overthink and worry Your truly going to drive yourself CRAZY if you keep reading about all the "what if's". It's great to learn about the possible complications (forewarned) BUT...the most important research is to look for all the different diets that are suggested, and the PROPER way to use your Band. Because allot of people DON'T get all the information that they NEED from their health care professionals I am not one to tolerate much pain.Then make sure you have Pain/nausea medication BEFORE I'm starting to have second thoughts but I do know regardless of 2nd thoughts, I will go through with the surgery. Wondering if the sleeve was a better choice Did you ask your Doctor about any other surgery? It's never too late to learn about the options. I am 27, 215lbs, 5'2 in height, have pcos and sleep apnea. Oy Good luck on your Journey

And thats what I figured - I will need to saddle up and put in the work. In my mind, this is by no means a quick fix. I can diet and exercise with the best of them, but something always happens to derail me..and I give into it, going back to my old habbits. Not with this - the decline won't be as easy.
And I think knowing that my fiance and few friends know that I have it - if I start to go left, I am sure they won't have a problem "reminding me" of my LB.

Great way to think about it!

It works when you do the work.
Patient compliance is so crucial to success with the band. Making healthy food choices, staying to band sized portions, and doctor follow up are all so important. Having realistic expectations and educating yourself on the band is very important too.
I can only speak for myself, but I've lost over 200 pounds and I know I never could've accomplished this without my tool- my band. But, I also went into this understanding what was expected of me and I committed to change for a lifetime.

And thats what I figured - I will need to saddle up and put in the work. In my mind, this is by no means a quick fix. I can diet and exercise with the best of them, but something always happens to derail me..and I give into it, going back to my old habbits. Not with this - the decline won't be as easy.
And I think knowing that my fiance and few friends know that I have it - if I start to go left, I am sure they won't have a problem "reminding me" of my LB.

Great way to think about it!

I have been baned for 2 -1/2 years, and I have not had a single problem.....I have not struggled with my weight loss either....
Granted, the first 4-6 months were "Hell"...going through the band adjustments, learning how and what to eat all over again, stuck episodes sometimes 2-3 times per day...all part of the learning curve, and behavior modification on my part.....
But once I got through that rough start, the band...and myself, began to behave the way it was attended to....and although it bothers many people here on this forum (jealousy?) it has been then easiest thing I have ever done.....once in the Green Zone th weight steadily and consistently came off and I reached my goal in a year.....but it is now a lifestyle so the body determines when it is done loosing and I continued to loose until there is simply nothing left to loose....body fat% is normal if not athletic, everything reached a point of equilibrium....
Today, I simply live my life day to day, don't think about the band all that much...never count calories or worry about portion sizes..(Have not done so since 3 months post surgery)
To this day as it was the first day I settled into the Green Zone, I am very rarely hungry...food simply does not interest me so I don't have cravings like I used to....and the band still controls my portion sizes.....dos not matter where I'm at, or what food is offered me, the band is still the band and that will not change....short of some medical condition that would change things...but for now it's all good....could not have expected anything better.....
I read and talk to many people who "Struggle" with this surgery and I have noticed certain common themes, and I have my suspicions why it is so....but it not my place, nor any one else's to tell other people what they should or should not do with their lives, let alone their health...so I keep my mouth shut....and would be happy to share my success story and my first hand experiences.
I am glad I did not find this website untill AFTER I had my WLS....otherwise I am not sure where my head would have been..confused I'm sure from all the mixed messages one can find here....and I may not have been successful as I am if I followed some peoples examples here....
But in a sea of negativity I will continue to tell MY story because people need to know that this thing DOES WORK, and can work, just the way it was intended to....
A lot of people who have succeeded, adapted to their new life, move on and way from this website...for varied reasons...I know, I still talk to them on other (private) forums, and many vow they will never come back here.

Want to know what no one else will tell you about life with the band?


The NITTY GRITTY of WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY
Nobody can predict the course or outcome of your weight loss surgery, but I’m going to try anyway, starting with a simile that most of us can understand.
WLS is like a marriage, with your band as your lifetime partner. At times you’ll thank your lucky stars you found each other. At other times you’ll wish you’d never met, never mind married. You’ll never walk alone again, but you alone will be captain of your ship. You will lose weight and gain a new lifestyle, but some of your losses and gains will be bittersweet. You’ll wonder what on earth you got yourself into, as well as why on earth you didn’t do this a long time ago.
Most of all, you’ll scratch your head and say, “Why didn’t anyone tell me how much work this would take?”
I’m not telling you all this to scare you. A little fear is fine if it makes you a compliant patient, but I don’t want fear to rule you. I just want to remind you that like every other human endeavor, the WLS journey has ups and downs. I believe that my band surgery saved my life and I’ve never regretted my decision to do it, but I can’t claim that every moment of my journey has been sunny and carefree. If you don’t want to hear about the tough stuff, that’s fine. You have my permission to move on to another article (preferably one by me). But if you want to hear about some of the things I wish I’d known at the start of my journey, read on. Knowing these things in advance wouldn’t have changed my WLS decision, but it sure would have helped me stick it out more easily when my weight goal seemed a million miles away.
1. The band is not magic. There is nothing in it that – hey, presto! - will make you lose weight. Changing your eating behavior and lifestyle, plus dozens of other factors that vary from one person to the next, will make you lose weight.
2. Your band won’t do all of the work. If you don’t (metaphorically) grab hold of it and use it as a tool, it will be about as useful as a cordless drill without a battery.
3. For most people, the band doesn’t start working right away. As a new post-op, surgical swelling and/or a small “primer” fill may or may not kill your appetite (desire to eat) and physical hunger (physical need to eat), but most bandsters need several fills to get the weight loss going, and more fills after that to keep it going.
4. If you don’t eat carefully, will you will suffer temporary, extremely uncomfortable side effects that can, if ignored, turn into permanent, expensive, and unhappy complications.
5. Once you achieve an optimal fill and restriction level (which will last for 30 seconds, 30 minutes, 30 hours, but probably not for 30 years), your restriction is very likely going to vary, for reasons too numerous to explain here. In this area you must remember that the human body is alive and always changing, whereas the adjustable gastric band is inert and changes only with the addition or subtraction of Fluid. One day you can hardly eat, the next day you can eat anything and everything, and the day after that, you can eat just the right amount (remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears?).
6. Restriction may also vary according to the time of day (or time of month, if you’re of the female persuasion). Morning “tightness” is very common, and it may limit your morning food choices. That is not, however, a good excuse for skipping Breakfast and thereby depriving your body of the fuel it needs, and doing so can set you up for a monster binge when hunger suddenly hits you at 11:38 a.m. So you will have to be willing to stay flexible, try new foods, and practice patience (which is something I have to practice every day in every way anyway).
7. You will have to deal with restriction even when you wish you had none at all, when you’re at a party or on vacation or sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner at Mom’s overloaded dining table. At times you will want to go on eating because the food tastes so good, but you’ll have to stop because you physically can’t eat more, and because eating more would cause uncomfortable and undesirable side effects (to say nothing of weight loss plateaus or regain). That experience of food “deprivation” has been very frustrating for me. Not every day, not at every meal, but often enough to remind me again and again that my upper GI tract is no longer the free and easy party girl it once was. That reminder is often a good thing, but sometimes it makes me want to put my fingers in my ears and chant, “I can’t hear you, Stomach!”
8. This next piece of WLS Nitty Gritty is such a big, important one that I left it for last so that it will (I hope) stay burned into your brain a good, long time. NO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY OF ANY DESCRIPTION WILL KILL THE EATING DEMONS IN YOUR HEAD. Vanquishing, subduing or managing those demons is something you’ll have to do yourself, possibly with the help of a counselor or support group, with daily practice for the rest of your life. But that’s OK, because you are worth all that effort.

Are you afraid of an unhappy outcome of your weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Use your fear to conquer obstacles rather than letting it conquer you


For most of us starting a WLS journey, bariatric surgery is vast, uncharted territory, full of unknowns. We long for a happy outcome – maximum weight loss with minimum problems. We listen to stories told by other patients with a combination of hope (to be as successful as they’ve been) and fear (that we won’t experience the side effects or complications they talk about).
No one wants to be haunted by the specter of anxiety and dread, but I think a little bit of fear is a good thing. I don’t want fear to dominate my life, but without it, I’m likely to become complacent about my weight loss success and/or revert to the old, all-too-comfortable ways that made me obese in the first place. In small doses, fear keeps me on my toes.
Like pain tolerance, fear tolerance varies from one person to the next. Perhaps I’m able to tolerate and use fear because my childhood and adolescence were so full of fear-provoking experiences. By the time I was in my late 20’s, I actually got a little thrill out of fear, possibly because it stimulates adrenalin production. There’s nothing quite like a knife coming at you to activate your fight-or-flight system, causing a perverse fear “rush”.
At the same time, prolonged exposure to fear has also taught me to respect it. I don’t play with fear the way daredevils like Evel Knievel did, risking life and limb for the brief thrill of jumping 14 buses at a time with his motorcycle. But I do like the way fear can clear my mental field, forcing me to draw a line between important and unimportant. When the choice is survival or surrender, I’d rather choose survival. I’m not a quitter. When challenged, I’m going to fight back, especially if something precious like my health is at stake.
If fear tends to paralyze rather than mobilize you, you may have to use your own compass to navigate a problem, or play follow-the-leader (provided you have a trustworthy leader) instead. Whatever you do, don’t give in. Giving in turns you into a victim (click here to read an article about victim mentality: http://www.lapbandta...-of-obesity-r79), which is not a position of strength in any battle worth fighting. And your health is worth fighting for, isn’t it?
So, how can you make fear a working partner in your WLS journey? Let’s take a closer look at two of the more common faces of fear.
FEAR OF FAILURE
Somewhere between my first, mandatory pre-op educational seminar and my pre-op liver shrink diet, I became uncomfortably aware of a shadow that followed me everywhere. It was dark and scary, and even bigger than I was. It was my fear of failure. After decades of struggle – diets, weight loss, weight gain – I felt that WLS was my absolute last chance to be healthy. And after slogging through all those pre-op tests, evaluations, consults and procedures, I danged well was not going to fail this time.
Since I had to admit that my weight management skills were sadly lacking back then (as amply proven by the number on the scale and the numbers in my medical files), the only option available to me was to become the most compliant patient my surgeon ever had (click here to read an article about patient compliance: http://www.lapbandta...g-deal-abo-r112). I had to believe that he and his staff knew what they were doing and would guide me well. I’m a very curious and often mouthy person, so I asked a lot of questions and did my best to understand what was going on in me and around me, but I spent very little time trying to second-guess the instructions I was given. That approach freed up a lot of time and energy that I was then able to devote to changing my eating and other behaviors in ways that helped my weight loss.
FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS
Compliance served me well I this area also. I can’t claim that I was never tempted to cheat on my pre or post-op diets or to test my band’s limits. I can’t claim that I believed I’d be forever exempt from the side effects and complications I heard about from other WLS patients. But when my dietitian told me (for example) that I’d be mighty sorry if I accidentally swallowed a wad of chewing gum and had to have it scraped out of my stoma, I quickly lost my interest in chewing gum. When I observed that many bandsters experienced certain types of side effects and complications after engaging in certain types of risky behaviors, I resolved not to follow them down the road of no return.
Eventually I discovered that life after WLS can deliver some unpleasant surprises, just as in every other aspect of life. I had to learn some things the hard way, like: If you swallow a large antibiotic capsule that can’t pass through your stoma and slowly dissolves into a corrosive mess, you will end up in the ER thinking you’re having a heart attack (and end up with a big unfill). And no, liquid antibiotics don’t taste good, but they taste a lot better than the weight I regained after that unfill.
Most of the mistakes I made were the result of impatience or carelessness, but I did my best to learn from those mistakes and keep moving on. A handful of mistakes was about all it took for me to decide not to challenge the validity of my surgeon’s and dietitian’s instructions, and that kept me trudging along the bandwagon trail, getting ever closer to my weight goal. And once I reached that wonderful place, I was determined to stay there!