coolcrystal

Exactly what you said.. that's the scary part.. poeple will lose a lot of weight on the liquid diet, but it's not healthy. You lose muscle, not true fat.. it's not real weight loss when you gain a lot of it back after you start to eat regular food again. The two pounds I did gain was during my T.O.M, and I know that's what it was.. and it came right off. It was nice knowing that the pre-op weight I lost was "for good" weightloss. I just think it's important for people to learn how to eat before getting banded. I just really feel bad for folks who have to do this. Especially if their scale does go up when they start back on solids.

I had the same fear about the tubing floating around and strangling my intestines too. LOL. That's funny. If I can remember though, my doc said he cut it to fit my body, so I don't think it floats around in there much. Having second thoughts is pretty normal actually... I think most of us went through that.. Good luck!

I guess I was a lucky one. I belched like a mad woman for 4 days straight.. and I mean BIG TIME BELCHES.. all the time. Like every 4 - 5 minutes. Sometimes I couldn't even lay down because the pressure in my chest to belch hurt so bad and I would have to sit up to belch for 8 seconds and then lay back down. I did walk too, but the belching for me is what got rid of all that extra gas. My DH said he'd never heard anything quite comparible... But, I hear some people can't belch.. I'm so glad I could.

When you say "eating whatever you want", what exactly do you mean. Can you give us a few examples? I don't do the protein shakes either, but I do drink the Isopure Clear (40g of protein) after I have a fill for the first few days to get all my protein in, otherwise I eat plenty of tuna, fish, and chicken to reach my grams every day. So, I don't think you have to drink those shakes if you don't want to, if you are getting your protein in other ways. One thing that went down really well when I was pretty restricted was tuna mixed with a little Light Miracle Whip, and put on multigrain crackers. It chews up really nicely into moosh and never got stuck or anything. It gives you a good amount of your protein intake as well. Bumblebee has this lemon pepper tuna that is amazing. I can eat it right out of the can and its very moist and tasty. I wish you all the best sweetie!

You look fantabulous!! I can only hope to look that great one day, especially in a work out outfit.. I'm so happy for you!!!!!!!!

Great one Bikini! good choice.. Very flattering and pretty!

Wow, even when I say I wish you all the best twice you wish to insult me.. I actually am a pretty nice person. Just feel sorry for people who are told to do something they don't need to do.. and something I feel actually harms them more. But I have my opinion and you have yours. If you want to insult me and say in a facetious way that I'm "nice" aka, mean, go ahead. It is your opinion.

Oh, you think that's what I'm doing here, eh.. LOL. I don't have to reason anything, as my doctor doesn't make his patients do the liquid diet. Hey, I do wish you all the best though..

Yeah.. lol, one of those sarong things.. I make my hubby stand right behind me and go in with me and then I hurry and take it off and then run in real quick. HA HA.. but, it hides my arse for that one moment.. ha ha

1. You probably lost a lot of muscle because you have been starving yourself.. after you get banded, and get back on regular foods I bet you will gain some of this back. Doing it my way, I only gained 2 pounds after going back on solids and lost that quickly. Many people who do this pre-op liquid people end up gaining pounds back.. because guess what, you can't stay on the liquid diet forever... 2. Confidence? that will come in time no matter which plan you do.. 3. The other way does this too, as you eat a lot of Protein and get full quickly.. guess what, after your banded and you lose restriction and go through bandster hell, what are you going to do?? go back on a liquid diet until you get your fill? no, you have to learn to eat healthy and not gorge yourself. 4. Um, it took a LOT of discipline to cut out breads, pastas, rice, sugars, fruits, etc for me too. The SB diet aint easy! 5. When I was dropping 1-2 pounds a day on the SB diet, I was pretty dang excited too.. and, I felt satisfied every day... i didn't get headaches and lose muscle in the process either. Hey, I'm super happy for you if you are happy with your pre-op liquid diet.. but I still think its wrong to make patients do it..

I'm not sure if you didn't read my post properly or maybe didn't see my signature line, but I've been banded since 2-25 and my doctor put me on the South Beach diet for pre-op. I followed it faithfully and lost 11 pounds in 9 days! I'm basically writing this because I feel sorry for people who HAVE to follow this and told to do this by their doctors. I think it's ridiculous. But you did say one thing right, "He (my doctor) knows more about Lapband than we do, when it comes to pre-op"... "do as Dr. tells you to"... my doctor is a genius for having his patients do this diet plan over the liquids... Somebody mentioned that the doctor puts you on this so you can follow the liquid diet better after being banded, well, I found that I easily followed the liquid diet after as I was so swollen and tight the only thing I could get down for the first few days was liquids.. lol. Somebody else mentioned doing the liquids so you didn't have to poo after surgery.. well, I didn't poo for 2 days after surgery and when I did, it wasn't much... Somebody also mentioned shrinking the stomach.. well, I was a pretty big girl when I got banded and my stomach had shrank enough on the South Beach diet that the planned 10cc band he put on me had to have 4cc added to it because it was too baggy, so my stomach wasn't that large afterall. So, all the reasons I've been given for doing the liquid pre-op diet makes no sense.. its seems that the liquid pre-op is quite pointless. I'm so tired of hearing people tell other people who get stuck doing this pre op diet - "do what you doctor says.." when it seems that many doctors follow this low-carb plan and the other half does the liquids.. so, which is wrong? why don't they ALL just choose this better path?! again, the liquid pre-op diet doesn't teach you anything valuable...

Okay, I've just got to get this out, and yes, I have bitched about this on other threads, and after this maybe I'll leave it alone, but I'm SO SICK AND TIRED of lap band doctors putting thier patients on this stupid 2-3 week pre-op liquid diet. It's DUMB. It's RIDICULOUS. and it doesn't teach the patient SHIT. Why make your patient starve when they can eat healthy wonderful foods like chicken, veggies, tuna, almonds, and things like this? The South Beach diet does the same exact thing to your liver as going on liquids does. And not only does it do the same exact thing for you, but it also TEACHES the patient how to eat better and properly on the band. It teaches them to stay away from the breads and the rice and things of this nature that you really should stay away from and it teaches them to eat healthier overall. Instead you make them do liquids in which case, I bet you at least 95% of the patients end up cheating and what do they eat when they cheat? pizza... cheeseburgers.. etc.. guess what, they aren't learning anything! and I bet their livers aren't going to be much better. It just makes me so mad... My friend got banded a week after me and her doctor put her on this liquid diet.. she cheated... and guess what she's eating right now.. fricking texas toasters sandwhiches from sonic, cheeseburgers, pizza, greasy nasty foods, cheese sticks, french fries, and going to buffets eating 2-3 plates of food.. not losing anything... and I put some blame on her doctor for not putting her on a pre-op diet that prepared and taught her to eat better. My doctor said he tried doing that liquid diet a long time ago but found that his patients always cheated and the results of the livers were actually better on the southbeach and the weightloss was even sometimes better too or equal.. So, can somebody on here tell me why? is there some other fact that I just don't know about?? PS: And this excludes the liquids that you have to do 1-2 days after a fill, i'm talking about the pre-op diet.

Yeah, I don't know why any doctor would put you on diet pills before a weight loss surgery! that was just dumb in my opinion. Of course, I don't know why lap band doctors put people on a liquid diet when a south beach diet does the same exact thing AND teaches people how to eat properly before getting banded. The liquid diet doesn't teach crap. Even though this has nothing to do with your post.. it just makes me so mad!

I have this black bathing suit dress too and it looks really sexy, yet covers well. I also put one of those bottom wrap things on too, for when I walk around a beach. I only take it off right when I'm about to get in. I forget what they are called though...

I just remembered all the different weights I use to be and picked my favorite. I was happiest between 135 and 150. I think I have 150 down as my goal. If I get to that and I'm still not happy, I'll shoot for a little lower. But, I don't want to lose my curves as I do like them a lot. I might even shoot for 160-165.

I was told not to eat anything 3 hours before my fills. But I could have water. Afterwards I was told to have liquids for two days and mushies for two days. But, I just did liquids for the rest of that day and mushies for the next day. None of my other banded friends follow that two day liquids/two day mushies rule either.. but, since there are people on here who will freak out for me saying this let me put the little disclaimer here: do what your fill person says and be on the safe side..

I don't count calories.. I didn't get this procedure to live the rest of my life in a counting calories and non-carb hell. This was a life change not to feel like I'm dieting for the rest of my life.. I cut out all the bad crap, ie, no more fast food, no more hamburgers and pizza and chicken fried steak... I do eat toast, but it's whole grain/wheat and it's thin and toasted. I eat multi grain crackers... and sometimes if I'm feeling really naughty I might have a tortilla or some rice... My basic day is like this right now because my fill is completely gone (yay tomorrow!) Breakfast: banana and about 5-10 almonds, or a can of tuna, or Fiber One Cereal with skim milk Lunch: Bowl of vietnamese pho' chicken Soup. If you've never had this, it's very healthy and good. It's basically broth, bean sprouts, different herbs and chicken... Its very filling... I also sometimes bring the handheld cans of soup you drink... cream of chicken is my favorite. Dinner: Varies.. last night we had Pho' for dinner... or chicken and veggies, or wraps, or whatever... but it's something healthy I then have a SF chocolate pudding around 8:30 if I'm hungry. Or a plum. Now, when I have a fill and i'm really tight, my diet is completely different. Breakfast: Muscle milk or Isopure lunch: tuna and multigrain crackers or soup Dinner: Squash soup, or pho soup I stop when I'm full.. I eat something when I'm hungry, but I try to make healthy choices and I always get my Protein and Vitamins in every day no matter what.

OH heck yeah. I haven't lost tons of weight, but just from the little bit I've lost it has made a difference at work and at the rennaissance faire I attend. People were coming up to me flirting with me and telling me how great I look "now". At work men talk to me more and say hi when i walk by and they didn't before.... it's so weird.

do you remember the size that you made them?

My good friend Dawn is banded and she's also 8 months pregnant and this weekend was opening of Scarborough faire (we go to faire together) and she had gotten down to her goal of 135 before getting pregnant, but has gained about 60 with the pregnancy and this one girl that we both know came up to her and said, "awee, you lost all that weight, only to gain it back again.. what a shame". I just about wanted to knock her out! HELLO! she's pregnant! 8 months pregnant at that!! AND, she had just written a blog about being tired of the fat comments people have been making to her. So sad... makes me realize that no matter what weight we are, we will get picked on.. hell, even being pregnant.. when she was 135 people made fun of her for being too "skinny" and "anorexic looking". Depressing.

I have tried several times to create this jpeg of two pics side by side and I just don't know how to do it... or else I'd post an update pic for me too.. :-(

I have a 10cc band and I already have 5cc's in it and still have 120 pounds to go. LOL. So, I was also scared thinking, if I already have 5cc's, how much more will I need to reach goal ? what if I go over the 10cc's??? i believe he said that the 10cc will hold 12 cc.. but, I can't be 100% sure.I know he said it held way more than just the 10cc. I know you are talking about the 4cc band, but I think they all hold more than what they are sanctioned to hold.

I have tops that are swimming on me, but since my rear end is GIGANTIC, I've gone down only one pant size. I was a 26 and now I'm in 24. It was nice trying on a pair of my old 24's and they fit. But, I also have a pair of 22 jeans that fit me great too.. which is odd... I think for bigger sized people, the clothing sizes will fit you for a good 25-30 pounds in between.. as you get smaller it changes.. the size is only good for 8-10 pounds difference in between sizes. Of course, this is just what it seems to me..

Get the Slim Fast LOW CARB chocolate shakes in the can. They are hard to find, but wal mart has them. High Protein and very low carb. I do low carb, and nothing is wrong with it. I dont' do the Atkins where they basically say to eat bacon and eggs and all that, I do South Beach, which does incorporate carbs and fruits. I eat lots of multigrain stuff and I don't do bacon, I do turkey bacon. Much healthier.

I have heard of this happening, and I'm sorry it had to happen to you! I think it's BS that the fill center didn't want to give you a fill.. ridiculous! That's why we got it to begin with! at my place you just have to be dramatic about "i'm hungry.. i'm looking for food all the time... i've been eating a lot" type thing. that's how they gauge how much fill to give you. I go on Tuesday and I dont' know what to tell them. I can eat a lot, but I'm not hungry all the time. I don't go looking for Snacks, but I'm eating way more than I should. I haven't gained or lost any weight since my fill wore off, which is a plus, but it was nice almost losing a pound a day with my fill. Too bad it lasted such a short time.