raedelicious

I have followed the doctor's/nutritionist's advice and have ended up with gout....too much damn protein...albeit low fat protein and terrible constipation. All I ate was protein, until yesterday when I realized I miss grains whole grains and salads. Some of you said that you won't eat anything that comes from a box or lives in a freezer...I have to...1) because I am lazy...2) very convenient for a single gal. But I think I have found the solution...the brand Kashi...I love all of their products and I had a frozen dinner..1/2 for lunch and 1/2 for dinner. It was perfect...7 grain mixed pilaf with chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and red peppers. I am switching my diet up a bit. It will relieve the both of my symptoms. I had my first fruit since before surgery...cherries!!! OMG, they are delightful:) :grouphug:

I am going to Italy next summer, so I am going to find an Italian studmuffin and......

This has been the bestest postest everest!!!! TY soooo much.....

Amen, sister!!! Teaching is one of the most stressful and I would venture to say, the toughest job I have ever had...of course we bitch, whine, moan, complain, and vent...we are only human...lol. But, teaching is also the most rewarding job I have ever had.

OK, this is just a bit of advice...I wish I would have thought of this prior to getting banded. I thought about measuring my body...waist, bust, hips, thighs, etc. with a tape measure, but decided against it for some unknown reason. Instead, I opted for the scale. I have been exercising and eating properly, but that damn scale hasn't budged. I was getting discouraged and almost gave in to evil (I have not touched or eaten any evil since pre-band...BTW, evil=McD's) The thing that bought me back to good thinking and behavior was as simple as putting on a pair of pants that I couldn't wear 2 weeks ago. The scale is a useful tool, but it can deceive...lol I think I am going to measure my progress with the tape measure...the scale will be useful, too.

:lol:OMG...I just laughed so hard that I couldn't breathe....Thank you soooooo much for the shart reference!!!

I co-teach biology in a high school. I am the sp. ed. teacher and I teach with the science teacher. The last few weeks of the school year we dissected frogs and pigs. I told the students that if they did not follow the lab directions they would receive lower grades. I had one of my best classes receive poor grades. Four students were assigned to a pig. Two groups received faling grades. One group decided to cut off the limbs. The other group decided that piercing the the ear and nose, and cutting the tongue like a snakes was a cool idea. Although only one student in the group did the deed, the rest of the group suffered. I was not ticked I was super-pissed...I don't think they have every seen me like that...I called parents....the wrath of a mad teacher ...lol

Since being banded, I too, have been dreaming about food. What is strange is that they are always about food mishaps...I took a nap today and I dreamt that my mother's friend brought over a key lime pie and put it in my freezer. And in the dream I went to get it out of the freezer and someone (in the dream, I think it was my dad) had flipped the pie and it was all broken and crumbled in the freezer with chunks of frozen pie all over the inside of the freezer.

She was talking mostly about the positioning and angle, I think. No comparison was done since we had no previous pictures. She said it was working because I had to sip barium before she filled and after she filled...fluid went through before and after and I was restricted since after the fill the flow rate was slower. I think I am now being paranoid...because I am super sensitive to my abdomen and stomach area now that she mentioned it....psychsomatic, I think is the word....lol.

I went for my third fill this Friday 6/6/08, and the fill dr. was looking on the flouroscope and was looking at my port...she said that it was in the perfect position. But, then she shifted the machine. She looked at my band and asked has my band always been there. I looked at the image...I have no clue. She said it had shifted up...not slipped down. She filled me the first time, then another woman filled me the second...no one said anything previously. She asked if I had any problems swallowing, nausea, or throwing up...I don't have any problems...she checked the band to see if it was working and it was. So, she filled me. Has anyone else had this experience, if so can you share?

I was in pain, but I am a serious wimp...I used the pain medication for 3 days afterwards...the pain ball did absolutely nothing for me, but I think it was leaking. Ask for the medication as a precaution...use it if needed.

Mary, Congrats!!!! I had one of those cool moments yesterday. Right before I had the surgery I had an endocrinology appointment. The follow up was yesterday. The nurse called me back and took my vitals...weight, blood pressure, pulse....the usual. I was sitting there and he started to enter the information in the computer...he stopped and said, "I need you to step back on the scale." I said ok...even though I knew he was concerned about the weight difference from the first appointment. I said to him, it was correct then, and the weight is correct now...because of Lap-band. "OOOhhhhhhh..." was his reply...37 pounds and counting.

My doctor recommends that we take it twice a day...so, take it...keeps you regular!

I had no pre-op diet...they just said not to gain any weight...I was fine. I ate a lot of "last suppers" though.

Cool chart!

TY Lise:) Monday will be 3 weeks since surgery and I think I am doing about 600-700. So, I am on target. I didn't lose anything for about 6 days and was think I was consuming too much or not enough, but I hopped on the scale this morning and another 2 pounds lost:)

Jack, you rock:)! Thanks for the positive and dead on thoughts! This is one hard journey;some days I have smooth sailing and some days rough seas. BTW, those dragons of Habit, Gluttony, Sloth, Desperation are mighty fierce. I even printed out your reply.

Tracy...weird...we were banded the same day by the same doctor...you had 4 holes...I had 5.

I think I needed some Protein, so I went to Wal-Mart and bought Slim Fast's low carb chocolate shake and EAS's chocolate shake...Gonna do a taste test...they are pretty even in the carbs and protein categories, but the Slim Fast fat content is 3 times higher. I had half of a Slim Fast last night...it was tolerable... I had half of the EAS this morning...it was tolerable...

I am going to type exactly what the doctor's packet says... Weeks 1-2 "We strongly advise that for the first six weeks after surgery you should consume liquids only...Furthermore, we feel that hydration is the only important function of oral intake for the first few weeks after surgery. So your main intake should be thin liquids (zero calorie) i.e. Water and other sugar-free liquids and you should only consume small amounts of liquid Protein (no sugar drinks) if you are hungry. Even at this early it is important to minimize sugar, so milk shakes and ice cream are definite "no-no's."" Weeks 3-6 "If you are tolerating the clear liquid diet after the first two weeks and you feel like your appetite is not controlled with sugar-free liquids then add thicker liquid foods to your rapid weight loss plan. Also remeber warm foods create a sense of increased satiety so high protein fortified creamy Soups are a great option. High protein low sugar creamy shakes are another alternative if you are hungry and wanting a quick alternative." How in the F*&% can hunger be controlled with zero calorie liquids? I am 12 days out and starving...I did do soups...didn't realize that I had advanced the diet already. The packet neither gives requirements for calories nor protein.

Congrats! Traditional...who needs it!

Gas-X works for some...I am 9 days post-op and they lasted for 5 days...I was at my parents' house the first 2 days...I had my dad burp me:)) like a baby:)...sometimes that worked.

Ha! I frickin' love my doc now...No pre-op diet...just don't gain any weight...No bowel prep either (i.e. colon cleanse)...no food after midnight...that's all folks...surgery went fine...recovery sucks...lol

The school district I work for carries BCBS of Texas...the school district has an exclusion policy and they say that the reason is that the insurance company recommends that they exclude all bariatric services...what a crock of #$%^!!!

I was banded 3/31/08 and the doctor/dietician gave me 3 packets (each contradicting eachother slightly) about what to eat the first 6 weeks (and beyond). They all say liquids the first 6 weeks...no mushies, no soft foods. IF I am hungry (I haven't been...mostly nauseated), then a cream Soup or a low sugar Protein shake. Everything else is sugar free...popsicles, Water, flavored water, decaf tea, etc. I have had the following "food" items 4-5-08 Saturday 2/3 of a no sugar added Carnation Instant Breakfast with 1% milk 4-6-08 Sunday about a cup of Campbell's Tomato Soup 4-8-08 Tuesday about 5 oz. of a regular store brand yogurt smoothie (probably too much sugar) All three have given me diarrhea (is this normal?). My other question is...how many calories do I need? I really don't feel the need to eat, right now.