Cappy

So well said, lello...that helped me out tremendously...thank you! We all are addicted to food, to some degree, and we rely on it to make us happy and give us comfort...I think I can speak for most of us when I say that we are all scared that the band will restrict us from so many of the foods that we have come to depend on...for some people, there will be foods that they can never eat again... but for others, that won't be the case...its very scary not knowing which category you will fall under! Not knowing if I could ever eat pizza again, one of my favorite foods, terrified me for a long time! But honestly, what has helped me up to this point has been the wealth of knowledge I have gained from this board...you all have truly helped me to realize that I don't need to mourn food because food will always be a part of my life...I just have to make adjustments, I can handle adjustments! I cannot wait to be the person that eats to live and NOT lives to eat! Sooverit, your going to be just FINE!!! You will struggle a bit, we ALL will, but what you have to believe and trust is that, in the end, your NOT losing your best friend, just gaining a new one! Hope this helps....best of luck to you!

By the way, how are you feeling? Are you getting use to your band?

:tongue: Those flips better subside once I reach LaLa land! Thank goodness for medication!

Not sure I can add much to the great advice you already got, but I just want to reiterate what someone else said....after a few days of the pre-op, your not going to crave those things you were craving before....the first day of my diet I had to go to a baby shower and watch everyone eat ITALIAN FOOD....you know how hard that was? VERY! But I did it...I don't know how, but I just got through it....I brought a big thing of Water and just drank! Sunday I went to a birthday party and while everyone ate all this good stuff, I had soup...and it wasn't THAT bad! I have two kids, 7 & 3, so I understand where your coming from....my kids had PB&J last week and it took everything I had NOT to eat the leftovers...was I hungry? No, I just wanted to eat it because that is what I always do, finish THEIR plates! But honestly, if your following your pre-op correctly and eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours then you really shouldn't be hungry....your mind may want the sweets, or the pizza or the PB&J, but your tummy really doesn't! This has been my experience...today is day 11 for me and I haven't cheated once....this is coming from the cheater of ALL cheats! LOL! HANG IN THERE...you WILL get through this!!!! GOOD LUCK!

Hey Dolphin!!! WHOOOAAAAAAA.....its coming up for both of us! I'm very excited....I'm not nervous yet, but I'm sure on Thursday my stomache will be doing flips! Best of luck to you....I will keep you and everyone else posted on how I did!

Awesome! So happy to hear your doing great and that your up and about! Love to hear these stories....it really helps those of us whose surgeries are coming up! Many blessings to you and continued success on your new journey!

WOW, BOPPER!!!! I hope my surgery goes as well as yours did!!!! So glad to hear you had minimal pain and a quick recovery! We should all be so lucky!! Congrats and all the best to you!

I just wanted to send everyone blessings, those banded already, those going in today and the rest of us going over the next few days!!! I'll be thinking of you all, wishing you a fast and speedy recovery! My surgery is on Thursday....not nervous yet, but I'm sure that will change on Thursday! Pre-op is going very well....I started 5 days earlier and I've lost 9lbs in 11 days! WHOOOAAA!!!! Best of luck to my NOTORIOUS NOVEMBER buddies....your ALL in my prayers!!!! Please POST as soon as you can, I will too, and let us know how everything went! SKINNY JEANS, HERE WE COME!!!!!

Go to the main menu on this site...scroll down to Local Lap- Band Support Groups....click on the sub forum for USA Local Lap-Band Support...scroll down to New York and open....once in this forum, look for a thread called, "Any Long Islanders"...great thread:biggrin:

Thank you, Sue!!! You guys are AWESOME here, I'm really so glad we all connected! I'm feeling pretty good....getting very TIRED of liquids though (started pre-op early so I'm on day nine today), but I have lost 8lbs so its worth it! Okay, we are allowed to have COTTAGE CHEESE pre-op??? Its not on that list that Dr. Geiss's office gave me so I thought we couldn't have it yet! I knew we could have it post-op but since I wasn't sure about PRE, I didn't want to chance it....why didn't I just come here and ask you guys??? DUHHHHHH! I've been having alot of Soups because there are days that I am hungry....but if I can have cottage cheese too, I'm running out RIGHT NOW and buying it....LOL! Can you tell I LOVE it??? Thanks, Ajoneen! Hi Miriam! Too bad we weren't having surgery on the same day (I'm the 20th), we could have been at Dr. Geiss's together! Best of luck to you! Yeah, Sue...your banded!!!! So glad your doing okay...wishing you a speedy recovery! Hope to hear from you soon! I can't recall but, did we already hear back from Deb? Its too early in the morning, my brain is in a fog! Deb, hope surgery went well also! Thinking of you a wishing you a speedy recovery too! Have a great day all!

It's great to hear from all of you that have been banded! Sounds like your all doing great....I keep hearing about the gas pains, I really need to go get me some gas-x! Thanks for sharing your stories...it really helps those of us that aren't banded yet to hear your experiences! I promise to post after my surgery too! Many blessings to all that have already been banded and those whose surgeries are coming up! We are all on our way to happier, healthier lives:thumbup:

Great job, Froggi!!!! Your on your way...

Your the day before me! Can you believe we are really doing this? Its really starting to hit me now...I don't feel nervous at the moment, but I'm starting to realize that there are foods that I will probably have to avoid for the rest of my life and its a bit sad to me...take tonight, for example....I went to pick up a pizza for my kids....the pizzeria smelled AMAZING...as I'm standing there I realized, I'll probably never eat this again! I know that everyone is different and there are some people that can eat pizza...but with my luck, it won't happen :Dancing_sorry: Oh well, I'd rather be skinny!!! Good luck to you!!!

Hey Bobbi! Good luck with your surgery on Monday! I'm right after you, on Thursday! To get to the NY/LI website: first go to the main page and scroll down until you see Local Lap-Band Support Groups/Sub Forum and click on USA; scroll down to New York; once your in the NY forum, find a thread called "Any Long Islanders"...I think you said you were being banded by Dr. Geiss, right? Almost everyone on this board is being banded by him! Good luck to you!!! Keep us posted after your surgery!

Hey Bobbi! Another Dr. Geiss patient, he's very popular on this board! Yes, you absolutely can have tomatoe soup! I went to Trader Joe's and bought their low-sodium brand....it is DELISH! I believe with the soups, as long as its 3 grams of fat or less you can have it. You should come and join us on the New York/Long Island board....we are mainly Dr. Geiss patients! We would love another poster! Good luck on your surgery....please let keep in touch and let me know how your doing!

I hope my story is as "boring" as yours...LOL! Sounds like your doing great! So glad your feeling well! It helps to hear stories like yours, makes me less nervous! I'll take your advice, along with others here, and Walk Walk Walk after my surgery! I've had bad gas pains before, they're not fun! Best of luck to you on your new journey!

Great, thanks for the update, Sue! I've been thinking about her! GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!!!! Keep us posted!!!

Hey Sue: I'm not usually one that has alot of will power, but this time around I know I can't screw up, so I guess that's where my will power is coming in! Don't worry about the bagel....everything we are doing is a process! We can't be perfect, nothing is! I still haven't gotten down the whole drinking without eating yet....I try, but that change has been so hard for me to make! I can't believe your surgery is in two days! Your going to do great! You'll be in my thoughts and prayers....please remember to keep us posted! Hey Debbie: Idol, wow! Never thought I'd hear anyone say that to me...LOL!!! At first I thought, am I NUTS to start liquids on the day of the shower? YES! I really needed to put my a-- in gear and just do this...stop wasting time! My first consult with Dr. Geiss was in eary August...between then and 5 days ago, I gained 6 1/2lbs! I wanted to try and drop those lbs, plus a little more, so I started early! 5 days on liquids and I've already lost those 6 1/2lbs! So I'm very happy about that!!! Good luck with your surgery...you will be in my prayers too! Please let us know how your doing!!! Hi Chris! I've been thinking about Lisa since yesterday and hoping she's doing okay! Lisa, your in all our thoughts....hope everything went well!! Hope to hear from you soon!!! Again, good luck Deb & Sue....when your up to it, please let us know how your surgery went!!!! I'll be thinking of you both!!!

Hi Keshia! Welcome to the board! Congrats on your surgery! Glad your hear to share your experience....I'm getting banded on November 20th...I'm both excited and nervous! Are you in lots of pain? Are you able to drink your liquids without any problems? I keep thinking I'm going to "feel" my band, but I'm told I won't....do you feel like you have a foreign object in your stomach? Hope that's not a silly question:huh2: Please keep in touch and let us know how your progressing! Take care!

Welcome, Jersey Girl! Are you scheduled for surgery or are you just considering it? Whatever support you need, you just come here and I'm sure there will be lots of people to help you! I'm going in for surgery on the 20th....a bit nervous, but very excited! I'll help support you in any way that I can! Good Luck!

Good luck tomorrow!!! Wishing you a speedy recovery!!!

Hey tamiklynnmike: Welcome to the board! I had been thinking about this surgery for a long time and I would come to this site often and read through the posts...then after researching for about a year, I finally decided to have the surgery (November 20th)...this board is a wealth of information, its what helped me to finally decide to do this! If you would like to meet some other Long Islanders, there is a thread in the New York forum that refers to Long Island....lots of really nice people there! Best of luck to you, whatever you decide!

Hi All! Like most of you, I'm a little nervous about surgery on the 20th! I started my pre-op diet yesterday....didn't have to start until the 12th, but since I've gained a few pounds since my initial visit in August, I wanted to get a head start...it hasn't been as bad as I expected but its only day two...I'm sure I'm going to be SICK of Soup, Protein shakes and pudding by Tuesday...LOL! How are you guys doing? Anyone having a hard time with the pre-op diet?

I haven't been banded yet, but I can only IMAGINE how you must have felt...I teared up just reading your post! I am so sick of my wardrobe...I'm so sick of wearing everything LONG and BIG....I cannot wait to shop in regular stores instead of Avenue, Dress Barn Woman and Lane Bryant! I swear, the first thing I'm buying when I reach goal is a pair of nice jeans and a fitted, waist length top...not covering up that booty no more...LOL! Congratulations on your loss...you really give me such hope! Thank you:biggrin:

Hi November Buddies! Wow, we have a lot of people on our board now....I love it! Welcome to anyone who I haven't officially "met" yet! Christine: Hi! You could absolutely join our support group! I don't believe we came up with a day, time & place yet, but keep an eye out here on this forum for details to come! Lcubed (Lisa): OMG, its almost Monday! How are you holding up? Listen, your going to be JUST FINE...we're all thinking of you here, all positive thoughts!!! Please keep us informed and let us know how everything goes! Good luck!!! susancarole: You are doing soooo awesome, I am soooo proud of you! 47lbs in 10 weeks is just amazing! I hope I can do nearly as well as that! I can't wait for all of us to get together because I sure could use one of YOUR pep talks!!! Sue & Debbie: Good luck to you guys on Thursday....we will all be thinking of you too! Can't wait to here how your doing! Good luck! Well, I said I was going to start my liquid diet early (don't have to officially start until the 12th) so I finally did, TODAY! It started out rough...then wasn't too bad by mid morning...went to a baby shower today and watched everyone eat Italian food....thought I would die, but in reality, I was OKAY...it didn't even phase me because I had my soup right before I left...when I got home tonight around 5:30 I was starving! Had one more soup and some more pudding. But I did realize that I sorta screwed up today...I didn't have ANY Protein shakes...just Soups, puddings, instant carnation Breakfast and a yogurt...so tomorrow I'm going to do this diet correctly and include my two protein drinks! Anyway, just wanted to say hello to everyone! Gotta go give my kiddies a bath! Have a good night and talk to you soon! Fran