*Love*

I had one years ago & didn't like it. It didn't line up in the right place for me.

Just twice since I have been banded. (Both at the same meal.)

I started to feel human again on day five. I was dizzy & weak for about a month.

Nope. I got a phone call to check on me, but that is it.

Nothing. :Dancing_sorry:

I have never heard of them paying for anything. That doesn't even make any sense to me. I paid $18,000 in May.

Here is what I eat: Breakfast @ 11:00am: - 1 egg scrambled with 1 ounce of cheddar cheese & some chopped black forest ham - 1 packet instant oatmeal (flavoured, or natural + 1 tsp honey) with skim milk, 1 ½ tbsp raisins, 1 tbsp toasted wheat germ, & 1 ½ tbsp ground almonds or walnuts Snack @ 12:30pm: - 1 cup plastic juice box of apple or orange juice - a small can of original V8 lunch @ 2:00 or 3:00pm: - a High Protein vanilla Boost dinner @ 6:00 or 7:00pm: One pot meals frozen in 1 cup containers: - chilli, made with ground turkey - spaghetti sauce, made with ground turkey, & a bit of macaroni - sheppard’s pie, made with ground turkey - beef stew - Canadian bacon & potato stew - chicken dishes made with a little rice or Pasta & light cream of broccoli or chicken Soup - Kraft dish made with chicken, corn, salsa & cheese Evening Snack @ 10:00pm: - 1 cup Silhouette cherry yogurt - 1/3 container of fat free cottage cheese with tuna salad & sunflower seeds, 1 cup total - 1/3 container of fat free cottage cheese with fresh or canned fruit & pine nuts, 1 cup total - 2 rye crisps with 2 tbsp hummus - 2 rye crisps with 2 tbsp almond butter - 2 rye crisps with 2 tbsp guacamole - 2 tbsp Peanut Butter - a hard boiled egg - ½ cup almonds or walnuts - a ‘baked’ apple - cored apple stuffed with 1 tbsp raisins & lemon juice- 1 oz light cream cheese wrapped in 1 oz smoked salmon - 2 oz cheddar cheese Add, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds to amp up the protein in any meal or snack. I take a B12 & Zinc before breakfast, a liquid or chewable Calcium / magnesium after breakfast, a chewable Centrum or Flinstone’s multi-vitamin after dinner & a chewable Vitamin C after my evening snack. (These also help remove the food taste from my mouth.) I try to get 4-8 oz. Water in first thing in the morning, on the drive to & from work, & before bed. I am only getting in about half of what I'd guzzle pre-band. I try to get in as much water, fruits & vegies, as I can in between meals. I am not the best at this part, so I drink juice.

The band is more about portion control. It is not magic. You have to work with it. For me, I find it is not the band itself that makes me not hungry. I was taught to eat every 3-4 waking hours, whether I am hungry or not. I eat mostly Protein & never more than a cup of food at a time. I would never have imagined that eating like that regularly would turn into rarely being hungry or haivng cravings.

The band istelf can not be affected since it is inside you. I put an SPF 45 sun screen on my scars when I tan because I heard that the new skin can brown permanently. I am not sure how true that is, but I am not taking the chance.

No meds will physically harm your band as it is on the outside of your esophagus at the top of your stomach. The problem you can have is with the size. Larger pills can get stuck in the opening to your stomach. I crush or split my bigger pills, or I get liquid or chewable versions.

I was done on a Thursday & there is no way I would have been able to go back on the Monday. I didn't even start feeling even remotely human until the 5th day. I was weak & dizzy for about 4 weeks.

Yes, I am.

Has anyone else noticed any memory loss since surgery? I don't know if it is related, but in the last few months forget a lot & I have been feeling totally stunned. My husband I now emailing me his daily itinerary so I don't forget what he has told me.

Those are not bad choices as long as you don't eat more than one per day. I just buy the healthiest versions you can. (low in fat & sugar, with Protein if possible) or make your own so you know what's in them.

I find I can only keep away from those treats is if no one eats them in front of me, and better yet, not have them in the house at all. Can you get rid of those troublesome Snacks & replace them with healthier options? Maybe fruit, applesauce, Peanut Butter, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, hard boiled eggs etc...

Hi All: Just checking in. I am now at 16 weeks. As of last Friday, I am at a 21.2 lbs loss since banding day. :cool2: I am happy with my 1 lb average loss per week. I'm still eating only 1 cup (mostly protein) per sitting every 3-4 hours whether I am hungry or not. I find that I am rarely hungry. I wish I could have done this well without the $18,000 band. I don't notice any restriction even with a 3cc fill. It is the fear of stretching out my pouch, wasting the $18,000 & the consistant loss, that are keeping me on track this long. How are the rest of you doing? :sad:

I am pretty sure my hospital gown stayed on (at leas on the top) as they put my I.V. in my arm with it on & strapped my arms down to boards that stuck out from th sides of the table while I was still awake.

I was 176.8 lbs on my scale when banded on May 22/08. I have lost 21.2 lbs, by never eating more than a cup of food at a time, eating protein first & eating every 3-4 hours whether I am hungry or not, so I am rarely hungry. I am now stepping up the exercise. I am happy with at 1 lb week average loss.

I wouldn't worry about it yet. Mine is in my lower belly ares & it changes from week to week. It was sticking out, then it was indented, then flush, then indented...

I used a straw or a plastic juice box after surgery. They kept me from guzzling my liquids. I didn't notice an abundance of gas.

Work with your band & eat only one cup of food every 3-4 hours, until you can get to restriction. You & your body will get use to it. :thumbup:

I totally agree. I did tons of research & would not risk losing my entire retirement fund until I knew exactly what I was getting into.

Surely you have noticed that almost everday someone posts distraught that they are not losing weight before their first fill, & don't know why. It would be nice if we all got all the information up front. Since many don't seem to have it, I thought I'd share some. Please feel free to add in anything I have missed.

I don't know if it's something lacking with the doctors, nutrutionists, the pre-op meetings...they don't seem to be sharing enough appropriate information....BEFORE surgery. Something is missing for sooo many woman. They are not getting all the information they need to be sucessful. They are not told that a band is a tool, not a miracle cure. This does not mean, eat whatever you want, whenever you want, after surgery & the band will magically stop you. It means, you must follow your outcare instructions to the T. You absolutely do not want to risk stretching your pouch or causing it to slip, due to the mentally that: if I can eat it, it is fine. It isn't fine!! Save those food you just have to have now, as milestone rewards in tiny portions. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!! Once at goal weight, you should be able to have them more regularly, if you even want them anymore by then. The weeks between surgery & your first fill is for healing. If you lose weight during that time, it is a bonus, not a rule. Before & after fill, you have to work with your band. It can be hard work, but I find getting into a routine is helpful for me. My doctor told me to: 1. Eat every 3-4 waking hours. 2. Make nutritious choices. 3. Always eat the protien first. He said you never want to get hungry, because that is the sign that tells your body it is not getting enough food, so it goes into hybernation mode & stores for later. My body was in hybernation mode for 3 years. That is how I ended up here. My aftercare package also gave meal suggestions & suggests eating 1/4 - 1 cup of food. To me, all this means that I will never stretch out my $18,000 pouch by ever eating more than a cup of high Protein food at any 3-4 hours sitting. I follow these rules strictly & it works for me. I eat Breakfast, I have my alloted Snacks, I eat my pre-homemade dinners that I froze in one cup containers, I never let myself get hungry, and I am starting to get more active. I eat off of a dessert plate or bowl with baby cutlery. I take the time to savour my small portion of food & typically finish after my husband. It's only 3-4 hours to the next meal. That is only a short wait, during which I am not hungry, since I am eating what I should, when I should. Between meals is when we are suppose to squeeze some fruit in. It only takes a half hour to digest. I am a prime example that, if you stick dilligently to your plan, you can lose with or without a fill. I was able to put off my first fill for quite a while because I am still losing an average of 1 lb a week. That is good enough for me.

My doctor told me to: 1. Eat every 3-4 waking hours. 2. Make nutritious choices. 3. Always eat the protien first. He said you never want to get hungry, because that is the sign that tells your body it is not getting enough food, so it goes into hybernation mode & stores for later. My body was in hybernation mode for 3 years. That is how I ended up here. I follow these rules & it works for me.