littlebit181818

From reading other posts I thought that the diarrhea was normal. Then I realized that I was reacting to the whey Protein. Stopped the whey and most milk products and I was back to normal in two days. Now I only have milk if I have the opposite problem. Don't let yourself get dehydrated. You could end up in the hospital. Good Luck

You go girl!

Was it worth it? YES, YES, YES, YES and YES.

I was a bmi of 30 but had 25 years of Weight Watchers records showing my gains and loses. I also have high blood pressure. Of course, no insurance would cover me so I paid. Best investment I ever made.

Not hungry here. Banded 7/22 and can ean anything (just a little bite). In fact, I have had trouble eating enough to get the protein and fiber I need. It is getting better now that I can have real food.

After you are banded you are not going to care if you had something "one last time". Better to skip it and not add to the amount you need to lose. On the bright note, I find that I can eat anything, just a little bit at a time. Nothing bothers me. Good luck

I was banded 7/22 and have lost 12 pounds. I didn't expect big losses at first as I had previously lost some weight. I am happy as I only want to lose about 2 - 4 pounds a month. I find slower is better for me. Good luck all.

Gas-X and walking are the best. I also found warm beef broth to help (go figure).

I only told my family and one friend (I wanted someone non family to talk with about the process). The friend turned out to be very against the surgery so I had only my family. I did not tell anyone else, even the close group of women I have weekly meetings with. I let them know I had surgery but indicated it was female stuff. I think that you could not tell and use other excuses for feeling tired and eating funny for a few weeks. (At one meal with people I rarely see I just said I was having dental problems and needed soft food). Good luck and it is your business, no one elses.

I am one of "those" who was banded under 200 pounds. I have lost and gained the same 90 pounds over and over again for the last 30 years. For some reason I saved all my Weight Watcher books (not really a saver) and showed them to my doc. He agreed that this was a good solution for me as I obviously have trouble keeping the weight off. I am thrilled to be banded and look forward to not focusing on my weight every minute of every day the rest of my life. I am also looking forward to having more than two things to wear. As I would lose weight I would toss my fat clothes. Then when I gained I would only buy two things, since I was going to lose again. Well, the result was a lot of laundry and looking the same always. Now, I will be able to have a real wardrobe. What fun.

Congrats! I am one month ahead of you, being banded on July 22. The past month has been a time of learning and waiting and some hurting but it is all worth it. My recommendations are: follow doctors orders, listen to your body both in terms of eating and moving, and be patient. It took until the end of last week for me to feel normal again. The weight goes up and down during this time as your body gets used to less and different foods. Good luck.

The first thing to do is look at the list your doctor or nutritionist gave you and follow it to the letter. I was allowed soft foods only, yogurt, cottage cheese, Carnation Instant Breakfast, eggs, tofu and refried Beans. Remember this is to let your band heal and prevent future problems so it is extremely important you take it easy on what you eat. I am not one to ask for help but ended up calling the nutritionist twice for advice. Better safe than sorry. Good Luck

Very happy with Dr. Billy in Ventura. Good team and follow up help. If you go on the lapband site (not this one) he is listed as a prefered doctor. He actually teaches other docs to do the procedure. Good Luck

My husband was like yours, didn't like it but went with what I wanted. The great thing is you do not have to tell people. After the liquid stage you appear to be eating normally, just less. Your parents will think you are dieting. If you have to tell them, which you really don't, you could try education. Take them to the docs with you and have it explained. There is also a good youtube video they could watch. I only told my immediately family and not one non family person has commented except to say I look thiner. I go out to eat wtih friends or to each others homes for meals. (In the mushie stage I just said I had strange cravings that day and wanted egg salad and mashed potatoes. I avoided eating at others homes for that time). Good luck.

Sorry to say, I was banded on July 22 and still have port pain. You have a foreign body in your stomach and your body does not like it one bit. It is much better than when I was three days out and each week it eases a bit. My doc says 6 to 8 weeks is normal. I am 55 so everything takes a bit more time then when I was younger. Small price to pay. I fit into pants today that I have "outgrew" before I could wear them. Good Luck

I was banded on July 22nd, have lost 11 pounds, and still can't go down a size in pants. I have only two pair that fit me so I do laundry every other day. I am just too swollen still. I think that you have to be fairly along into regular foods before you can really understand what the band will do for you. I just started normal foods and the going is slow. I just keep trying different things and most are easy to eat. Of all things, applesauce bothers me. Go figure.

I can get this at Trader Joes (California) and Whole Foods Market. It is the best I have found and I can eat it plain. I put it on my husbands potato as sour cream and he never notices the switch. This is often sold at Greek take out places in airports too. It is always nice to have an alternative to fast food.

I found that I was sensitive to the whey Protein as well as the milk. When I stopped both I stopped the explosive experiences in the bathroom (and elsewhere-yuck). It is harder to get protein but worth the change. Good luck.

Sounds yucky! Hope you don't have this again.

Be sure that you can handle the protein shakes and mixes before your surgery. I found out after surgery that my body couldn't take the protein when I was having explosive and uncontrollable D (you can fill that in yourself!). Since everyone complains about "liquid in, liquid out," I thought at first it was just how it would be during the liquid stage. My healilng would have been simple had I known this in advance. Good Luck

No, chili in a blender is not the same as cream soups. You want your band to heal properly and now is not the time to bend the rules. Although it seems like forever, the time does go by and you do get to eat real food again. Frustrating, I know, but worth the wait. good luck

I was banded 6/22 and found out the hard way that I am extremely sensitive to the Protein drinks. I had major gas and other ugly side effects. When I stopped using the protein I healed right up. Maybe you should try other things to drink and eat. Good luck

Hi, I used Carnation Instant Breakfast (comes in a variety of flavors), Silk soy milk in 8 oz. containers (chocolate, coffee and spice), Jello and juices. Are you watching your protein? You may want to add some protein drinks like Isosure. Good Luck

Warm beef broth helped settle the gas for me and gave me a few more Protein grams. Good Luck

I found that my system couldn't tolerate the Protein drinks and I had to eliminate all of them. No more explosions after that but I have had a really hard time getting all the protein I need. Now I am on mushies I am finding that my system is unhappy with any food and I hurt all the time. Just an ache, but not fun. Banded 7/22/08 Good luck. Sounds like we are all normal.