Band Chick

I'm trying to prepare for my band by practicing bandster behaviors. I would like to find a good protien shake or bar for breakfast. Please share what your favorites are. Thank you bandster buddies!

Lucky you! You have your surgery date! I will be going to Dr. Patterson, but am waiting for the intake person to come back from vacation. How long did it take you to go through the process? Do you have a pre-op diet? I met two other people that go to Dr. Patterson and my MD works with her a lot. I have heard good things about her. That's why I chose her. Lets keep in touch!

I would say you should call your surgeon. If it's too risky they may want to reschedule. Better safe than sorry. I'm so sorry to hear about your father. I absolutely understand why you had problems with the diet. So, wait until it's the right time. I'm sure your surgeon will understand too. Keep us posted!

Hi! Welcome to LBT! I hope you find this board as helpful as so many of us have. I look forward to getting to know you better. Congratulations on your surgery date!

Check out this poll: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/keeping-secret-31977/ I am only telling closest friends and family. It's hard enough explaining it to some of them.

Welcome to LBT! You and I are very similar. I too have been reading, reading and reading. I come here every day and study. Keeping notes and printing them out is a GREAT idea! Thanks for the tip. Hope to see you around the boards and get to know you better.

Congratulations!!! :whoo: I'm glad to meet you and look forward to joining you in Bandland soon. There are a lot of great people here who know exactly how you feel. Take their advice and you'll do fine. I say relax as much as possible and heal, heal, heal. {{{hugs}}}

Congratulations!!!! :whoo: I'm glad to hear you're doing well and posting so soon. Take it easy. I'll meet you in Bandland soon!

I thought I was the only one that hated sweetners. I'm not alone! For me it's so sweet that it makes me sick, the after taste is like medicine and the health effects concern me. It's pretty much banned from my house. I don't let the kids eat it either-- even though they like it. It seems like everything made "healthier" has artificial sweetner. It's very frustrating-- low fat yogurt, soy milk, protien bars, Jello, low cal Desserts, Crystal Light, etc. I end up having to cook a lot of things from scratch to make it both healthy and NOT with artificial sweetners. Thank you for posting this. I'll be reading for all the alternative tips I can get.

I sent you an email. Count me in!

Amen to that!!! That is GREAT news!!! :whoo: I LOVE my Effexor XR. I would have to really think seriously if I had to choose between the band or Effexor.

...and this is one of the many reasons they call this time period "Bandster Hell". You are doing GREAT!!! :clap2: Keep up the good work. Posting here was one of the best things you could have done. Hang in there!!! {{{hugs}}}

Someone was asking if there were other "celebs" that have the band... A bandster friend recommended Khaliah Ali's (the boxer's daughter) book Fighting Weight: How I Achieved Healthy Weight Loss with "Banding," a New Procedure That Eliminates Hunger--Forever

One of my favorite posts is the before, after and during pictures of bandsters that are really living this: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/before-after-pictures-pix-only-4642/ Many of them are gutsy enough to bare all and tell all.

What are the differences in the Lap Band types? How many of you have experienced hair loss? If so, how bad was it?

Thank you all for your tips, support and words of inspiration! It means more to me than I can say!!! I got the ball (so far it's holding up. lol), a set of pilates stretching bands and dusted off the old tredmill. I like the ball and bands-- stretching feels good. I will start using the tredmill 5 days a week at whatever pace I can. I'll start out slow so I don't end up hurt and hating it (I have done that in the past). I also made a list of activities I can do with the kids (with limits of course): hop scotch jump rope tennis walk frisbee croquette dance (open to more suggestions) I'm MOVING. That's what counts :bounce:

A little tip... When my mom had surgery for her neck the nurse disolved her pills in a bit of water and then added them to vanilla or butterscotch pudding. (don't use chocolate, it brings out the bitterness)

Congrats! It sounds like your hard work is paying off. Thank you for posting. This is very encouraging! You said "YOU have to be mentally preparred for all of this!" Any advice about what to be prepared for physically or mentally?

I'm 340 lbs and in really bad shape. It hurts to walk or do pretty much any activity. Just going to the mall for an hour or two can put me in bed for a week. Any suggestions from people who have been where I am?

Portland, Oregon burbs

:whoo: CONGRATULATIONS! That's great news!!! :clap2: See ya in Bandland!

(I'm not banded yet) The band is a tool, not a cure. Here's how I think of it and explain it to the few people I tell about it... Say you're standing in the store and see a fun item you weren't planning to buy and is a bit expensive. If you have the cash in your pocket it would be easy to buy it. If you have to leave the store, drive to the bank, go inside and withdraw the cash, and go all the way back to the store, it would make the purchase easier to resist and you probably wouldn't bother. That's how I look at the band. Right now it's easy to drive into a drive-thru and eat bad food. With the band I would REALLY have to work at cheating over and over and over. It would be easier to have something small and be done with it. I'm too lazy to bother cheating. LOL!!! A friend of mine is banded and says that another great thing is that if you are craving say ice cream, you can have it and be satisfied after only a few bites. That rocks! :whoo:

What are "don'ts" of being banded? No coffee, alcohol, etc? I know there are things that some people do or don't tolerate that may be different, but I was more wondering about things I won't be allowed to ever eat, drink or do with the band. What are the rules?

I'm curious about travel too. The hospital is only about 50 miles away but it's on the other side of a major city-- lots of traffic. So, I will be in the car 1-3 hours, depending on time of day and traffic accidents. I'm worried how awful that car ride might end up being. Good post.

I am getting ready to go through all my tests. I strongly suspect I have sleep apnea. If I do, how will this effect the LB process? Thanks. ~Kathy