chica

Fenton, This is practically begging us to go into the Men's Room-- something I try not to make a habit of. However, when I was 18, one of the execs at my job decided it was an important part of my education to see the inside of the men's room. Funny, I've NEVER been tempted since then to repeat this action, but the time may have come!

I just had my first fill yesterday, so of course I have no idea yet if there's any restriction -- 2 days liquids, 2 days mushies, then soft/real foods. Like Christine, I'm very interested to hear how it's going for those of you who've had a fill. I think several of us were getting fills yesterday!

Actually, my doctor allowed full liquids for pre-op and post-op (starting the day of surgery), so there may not be a restriction on using milk to mix with the unjury. If your doctor has you on full liquids, this should be fine. If you're restricted to clear liquids, then by all means, follow your doctor's instructions. And if you're not sure, give their office a call. BTW, I love chocolate Unjury mixed with skim milk, 1T Peanut Butter and ice!

Hi Cyrena, I'm curious given the small amount of food you eat now, how well do you think you meet your nutritional needs, specifically in the area of Protein? I have yet to get a fill, but I focus on protein... not really counting calories or carbs at this point. Portion control sounds great, but I want to know that even when properly restricted, I can get enough protein in. Thanks for all your posts with your experiences...:thumbup:

I'd just like to give a little birthday shout to my friend Sheri (aka Lattedah) who is not only a tax-day baby but also a fellow Shrinking Shamrock. Just think what a great gift you've given yourself this year by getting control of your weight with this band, and imagine how amazing you're going to feel next year at this time! Happy birthday, girlfriend! :biggrin2:

HarleyGirl, I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it, and I even saw her before and after pix today! Good eye...:biggrin2:

OMG, Diva... That's my kryptonite! :biggrin: I just don't understand how you can lick 'em and not eat 'em!

Diva, Bacon is not the worst sin you could have committed (it is Protein, after all :confused:). That said, don't go out and try to top it! Keep repeating this to yourself until you believe it: "I will lose weight with this band when I have proper restriction. Until then, I will try to do my best." Your best includes sticking to protein, veggies, some fruit, and staying within the rules of the stage you're in (mushies). In the end, your weight will come off. For now, just stay with the program, stay off the scale, and remember that we're all here for you. I'm having no luck with the scale either, but I know that what I wrote above is true. I just have to wait until my doctor lets me have a fill -- hopefully at 6 weeks.

No offense taken here! :wink2: I'm having some tuna and yellowtail sashimi for lunch, but even more exciting is that soft-shell crabs are finally in season (albeit they're saying it'll be a short one). Floured and seasoned, sauteed in butter with a little fresh lemon juice... Ahhh....

SilverBand, It's my understanding that the weight submitted to your insurance is your original weight that you walked in with. He wants you to lose weight either to satisfy an insurance requirement of 6 months' doctor supervised diet (very common) or to show him you're serious. Hope that helps ease your mind... :huh2:

...and small children around to pick up the clicker when it falls to the floor!

Never heard of this... but wasn't he an Olympic gymnast or something??

I love to listen to my MP3 player when I go walking, keeps the pace up! Here are some of my entries (warning: some of these are quite old!)... Christina Aguilera - Fighter - Ain't No Other Man Christina A. plus Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink - Lady Marmalade (Moulin Rouge sdtk) Earth, Wind & Fire - Shining Star - September - Boogie Wonderland Janet Jackson - Pleasure Principle - What Have You Done For Me Lately - Control - Escapade Michael Jackson - Working Day & Night - Remember the Time The Jacksons - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) Prince - Let's Go Crazy - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man - 1999 - Delirious Stevie Wonder - I Wish The Time - Pandemonium - Jerk Out Beyonce/Jay Z - Crazy in Love Rick James - Give It to Me Baby - Seventeen Teena Marie - Behind the Groove New Edition - If It Isn't Love

More than the protein shakes and water, what I used most of all for the first 3 days and nights was my recliner, a heating pad, and a pillow that I put over my stomach to remind my kids and husband not to go near that area when giving me lovely little kisses!

Sadly, my doc says no unless they've been through the blender after cooking. Not good. I tried it. Anything that requires chewing is not allowed in his book. Better for the soft foods weeks 5-6 on my doc's plan...

According to my kids, that's now called "Criss-cross applesauce"! And no, they're no longer in pre-school.:thumbs_up:

It's just your body adjusting. Really, stay off the scale and be patient. Try to limit your scale visits to once a week if you can. I can't, but I try to wait 3 days before I give in... And BTW, I don't really measure and track stuff so much as I focus on eating Protein and maybe a little veggies. Applesauce for dessert or maybe some protein pudding!

The difference for my surgeon using the surgical center or using the hospital is if you need to stay overnight to be monitored for stuff like apnea, high blood pressure, etc. If you don't have any other complications to look for, using the surgical center saves you about $3k, but you still have to do all the same pre-op requirements (psych test/eval, pre-op testing,etc.) It's not a way to bypass all the pre-op steps at all.

Dee, You won't love this answer, but the scale will likely go up a bit before it comes down. Your body will now be getting a little more carbs and fat than it had on liquids -- this is why it will go up a little, but trust in time that it will come back down. I promise! :thumbs_up: I'm just starting on soft foods now after 2 weeks on mushies, and I actually kinda enjoyed that stage. I was advised that anything decent (i.e. not ice cream) that I blended was eligible, including my favorite Pasta dish! Veal-filled ravioli with a spicy arrabiatta sauce and baby spinach. Yum! It looked horrible, but tasted great. Don't be afraid of the way your mushies look, just enjoy all the flavors you can taste now! The only thing that was not good blended was scrambled eggs. I'll probably try that in this stage...

I read about this on a couple of threads about protein shakes and others about can you eat peanut butter, but I wanted to share this with everyone who might not be aware of it. I just tried it today and it's surprisingly good! :crying: Not quite as smooth and creamy (and therefore, fatty!) as regular peanut butter, but for the fat and calorie savings, I think it's worth it if you're a peanut butter fan. You mix it with a little water till smooth (or throw it directly into your protein shake) and use it just like regular peanut butter. It has 54 calories and 2.8 grams of fat for 2T verses 190 calories and 16 grams of fat for 2T of regular peanut butter. :thumbup: I haven't seen it in stores, but you can order it at Bell Plantation - PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter - Home. Also, while they don't have samples, they do have a money-back guarantee.

Are y'all really foodies? :thumbup: If so, why am I not hearing all the juicy delicious details of what you ate at various restaurants or what wonderful dishes you've made at home?? Please, please help me out by giving me some descriptions! I need to eat vicariously because I'm just getting to soft foods now... I had a sushi roll for lunch today (brought it home so I could pick off most of the rice) -- it had tuna on the outside, salmon, white tuna and avocado on the inside. YUM! :Dancing_wub:

Diva, Just click on your ticker to change it! Congrats on the weight loss!!! :Dancing_wub:

Jack, You're a riot! :Dancing_wub: StarbuxQueen, DW = Darling Wife (or Damn Wife if my DH has his way!) IMHO = In my honest opinion Check the FAQ section for Beginners for more...

Lisa, The Diva is right! This is exactly what I was thinking... I, too, have a sister like this (manipulative and financially strained!), and she and her family are coming to visit next week. :regular_smile: (Fortunately, I'll be up to soft food by then and will be slightly less stressed dealing with them. Phew!) It's your house, your rules. Sorry, sister. Too bad, so sad! If they want bbq so badly, they can go out to a restaurant to eat it (clearly not a foreign concept to them), or take their stuff to a park and bbq on a public grill! :biggrin:

Thanks for being so honest with us, Christine! It takes a lot of courage to step up like that. Just remember, we're all here for you anytime... :tt1: