cruisemissile

normally lap band is something for a higher BMI, OR if you also have issues related to weight (diabetes, sleep apnea, etc...) I'm sure some shady surgeon outside of the U.S. might do it. have you seen a psychologist/counselor? when dealing with binge eating, you have to look at it as a food addiction, and there are usually there's a set of deeper issues that need to be addressed. perhaps if you take this route, you may not need surgery at all. you may be able to lose weight and control your binge eating without surgery. also, look into a group like Overeaters Anonymous, maybe you can find some answers there. feel free to PM me if you'd like any more support. best regards, Jay

i'm jay, from sunny Tampa, FL i'm a financial analyst for a wireless communications company I am married (sorry ladies..!) and have a 4 year old son just got banded 4/2. yee hahh!

it blows my mind how different every doctor's post-op diet seems to be. mine was clear liquids for the first 4 days, then full liquids (including protein shakes, pureed foods, soups,e tc..) until day 14. then I move to soft foods. have I violated my rules? i'm a bit embarrassed, but yes I have. talk to your doctor again and see what they say about your diet.

thanks everyone for the well wishes.

i'm sure you're just a bit nervous, but it sounds like its the right thing for you to want to be healthy. just remind yourself why you wanted to go on this path the first time.

congrats on your milestone, its a big deal and good progress in the process. just a couple more small steps and you're there. hang in there ! best of luck.

i was banded 4/2/08. my 2 weeks is tomorrow. hooray

congrats on the surgery. I would doublecheck with the dr to see what kind of post op diet they prescribed. what stage should you be on? are you still on clear liquids or did they graduate you to full liquids? hang in there

today's my b-day, I just got banded 4/2. weird not to "celebrate" with cake, or dinner, or whatever. luckily my wife understands. i was really trying to get the surgery done before my b-day, so it would represent a new start and me getting on the right track. any b-day advice from the group? best regards from sunny FLA.. Jay B:thumbup:

I'm on day 12 and the last few days have been hard. I'm supposed to be on pureed food but CANNOT stand the thought of it, for real. so I'm sticking to protein shakes, and a few other things like yogurt. i am so hungry for real food. i totally feel your pain..

i heard alot of people had trouble with red meat post op. I have not graduated to solid foods yet, but when I do, I've love to try a meatball if its okay!

I know every doc is different, but my doc said my pills were okay. capsules are fine. stopping effexor is bad news, I've been through it. I'm on 2 different meds now. I never stopped taking them even when I just got banded. I don't think there should be a problem taking your meds. check again with your doc.

I adopted a 5 year old weimaraner. she's very low maintenance, very sweet, and loves to walk. we have great walks every day. i feel guilty if I don't walk her. she comes home and crashes for teh rest of the day. don't "buy" a dog- there are so many good dogs out there that need adopting. if you like a breed, check out that breed's rescue in your area. you'll be glad you did. good luck

thanks everyone for your guidance and support

I had my surgery wednesday 4/2, and went back to work monday I have a desk job. however, I should have taken more time off. i was still a bit out of it, due to getting used to lower calories. plus, I'd get mysterious shoulder pain (ask others, it seems to be something that others get) that would leave me very distracted. things not good for a mentally demanding job (I'm a financial analyst) it depends on what kind of job you have, and how demanding it is.

yes, I am progressing too early. I am a couple days early for "soft foods". thanks for the advice. its not worth it to screw things up.

carbs are evil. dont' get me wrong, I was raised on rice, beans, and tortillas (I'm from Costa Rica). however, carbs spike your insulin/blood sugar, then you 'crash", only wanting more carbs (CRAVING) just to level out. eating protein really helps kill cravings. eating enough calories helps your body feel like its not missing anything. eat mostly protein, but when you do have carbs, make sure they're good carbs, like from whole wheat. those metabolize much healthier and don't make you "spike and crash". good luck.

as a fellow Jew, just stick to your diet. stay away from the Manishewitz wine especially :biggrin:

a couple tips: 1) watch overall calories. burn more than you consume 2) most of your calories should come from lean Protein. eating fat makes it deposit directly. eating carbs spikes your blood sugar which makes that turn into ft quickly. eating lean protein "fires up" your metabolism. ask any athlete or body builder 3) exercise exercise exercise- shoot for 40 minutes of cardio 4x week. get your heart rate up. that will "spark" fat burning. you can even try weights a couple times week (low weights and high reps), since building muscle increases your metabolism, since muscle is living tissue and burns calories 24/7. we know you can do it, we're here for y ou! best of luck and success.:biggrin::tongue:

i had my band 4/2. I've been on Protein shakes and have been good for the most part, and some okay foods like yogurt, applesauce, mashed potatoes, etc... i refuse to "puree" stuff. yuck. yesterday I had some very moist skinless chicken (diced, and I chewed very well). later in the day, I had a couple Doritos (no, I dont intend on being bad), and some cashews. chewed the cashews well, of course. sorry, I have been exercising ALOT more and for some reason have been alot hungrier.. I've lost 14 lbs since my band 10 days ago..! a couple days ago I had a couple pieces of wheat melba toast. so far everything has stayed down fine without discomfort or anything else. any thoughts or feedback from anyone? is my band going to slip? am I hurting myself? or is everyone's healing a bit different?

higher metabolism maybe? its not happening to me, just a guess.

looks very interesting. but $400, a bit too steep.

i've never heard of flying restrictions. i know that you can't drive a car if you're on pain pills. but if you're not piloting the plane, you're fine. as long as you stay comfortable, and stay hydrated, i would think 1 1/4 hr flight is no big deal. as long as you don't try to lift luggage or anything. good luck.

my first couple days I could not sleep on my sides, either one. but after a few days I was able to, it was comfortable.

i would be reluctant to eat raw fish (sashimi), but maybe a california roll (made with avocado, crab stick or crab salad) sounds like it would go down okay.