haroldrussi

hot and spicy pork rinds have 1g of carbs and 9g of protein baked Cheetos have 17g of carbs and 2g of protein about the same fat 4.5 to 5 per serving of about 5/8 oz.

I would agree that it is considered a slider food but at least it is not a bunch of carbs for an evening snack. Still waiting for a dietitians reply....

Looking where you are at (Istanbul) I can understand why you can't get them...

Anyone try pork rinds?? Just protein and salt, no carbs. Great while on low carb diet prior to band but have not talked to dietitian about this but I sure do miss them...

I did not see any comment about a surgery to remove the Uvula, tonsils, adnode (sp), and some soft palate to cure sleep apnea which works only on about 70-80% of the time. I had this done about 5 years ago and got off the CPAP after two years. You will experience a lot of pain for this surgery for about 3-5 days but if it works for you like it did for me then no more CPAP. I also agree with the comments about following your doctor's advice and wear the "D" thing or get the doctor to not require it. Tell him the truth.

Outstanding posting, but as usual the standard rule of thumb is to follow your Dr. orders would be the only thing that I would add.

Just try to remember to ask for the pain meds before the pain get to great. It is better to ask early than later, the pain I had would start slowly then hit a point and jump so I learned to ask early but I admit that I am a wimp when it comes to pain (as most guys are but don't admit). And WALK, WALK, and WALK. The sooner you get up and walk the better you will feel. Good luck!!!

Thanks everyone, I told my Dr. staff about the bulge when it was smaller and a lot more painful and they said to just watch it and if the pain got worse or turned red (ie. infection) to call back otherwise the 7 April appt would be fine. Again thanks for the replies and support!!!

I would really call and ask your Dr. or his staff. I was briefed that you could only fit about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup. I am still having protein drinks for breakfast and lunch and getting 76 grams of protein thru those and now that I am three weeks since the surgery I have been having mushies for dinner (started at two weeks). The next level (three week) allows me to add chicken, turkey, shellfish, and fish. My Dr. works at a Hospital which is rated as a center of excellence which might be why I have received the increase in information.

I have had to resort to a hot pad to keep warm when I sleep at night since about a week after the surgery and a blanket while sitting a watching TV in the evenings. I never had a problem staying warm before. In fact I used to be called a polar bear because I was always too warm. I don't know if that is a normal process of losing weight with the band because it never was with regular weight loss for me anyhow...

I realize that I am only three weeks post surgery but the location of my port is a large bulge (fills my palm). It was not this big or I don't remember being this large before last night. Almost all pain is gone and it is not red which is all my Dr. office told me to watch for (pain and redness). Have you-all experenced this same issue??? Diet seems to be going great having lost 45lbs since starting liquid diet at pre-opt. Spend a lot of time hungry but want to loose the weight. Could the port just be showing more because of the weight loss or am I just not healed enough to have all the swelling go down??? Should see my Dr. again on 7 April for a fill.

I try to just count carbs, easier than cal. lower numbers, don't have to count as high. Good luck, my wife is getting a bypass on 6 April and as you can see I got the realize band on 4 March. The Liquid diet gets a little rough (hunger) but remember the end result and try your best. We only had to be on a liquid diet for ten days so we started about 14 days out and after the third day I had a bowl of chili so I was still in compliance with my Dr. orders but got thru the third day hump and the rest of the 14 day liquid diet went fine, infact I was eating one or two liquid meals a day prior to that to find a good liquid that I liked. Again Good luck.

Each Dr. is different (now that the disclaimer is done) but my Dr. told me to take Advil geltabs which is motrin in a geltab for increased pain relief because of the lower pain threshold I said I had. But check with your Dr for sure.

"Over stuffing your pouch up into your esophagus? hmmmm?" That is what my Dr's office warned me about, if you eat to much the food stacks up in the esophagus and will stretch it out as well as the pouch.

My diet plan has me wait 8 weeks but as you have heard here before each Dr. has their own diet plan. I miss my salads alot as well. My wife started her liquid diet today but she is getting the bypass. So now I have more support with my diet.

I fly all the time but not yet with the band. No fills yet either. But some of my flights are 18 hours long so I will have to plan accordingly and have protein shakes along to get thru the flights and a few days afterward.

Sweet spot is the fill at which you are limited enough on your intake of food that you are losing 2-3lbs per week from what I have read on this forum....

PB=productive burb

The following is from my Dr. office when I asked them about my port pain (edited to remove the names of the Dr.): "The pain in the port area is very common. The muscle reacts a bit to being stapled and certain abdominal muscle activities sort of irritate the port. I would expect you would have some discomfort on and off for about six weeks. Really severe pain with reddness and heat from the area or any drainage is not normal and you should see us ASAP if that is happening. I would expect that by the 7th you would be well healed. Just let me know. If PCP has questions he should give us a call. The nurses can answer or will talk with Surgeon and get back to PCP."

I thought the Realize band port was a little smaller (or so the staff explained. Realize also have a secure website that you record your meals, weight, etc and your Dr. as well as his staff can monitor your progress. My Dr and his staff had e-mail addresses there so I could e-mail questions directly to them instead of trying to get thru the phone.

I have been staying under 1000 calories since the two weeks of liquids at pre-op. I just figured that I wuold loose weight at that limit but I have really been counting carbs and with that I only have to count to about 20-25. Realize-my-success web-site has been doing the calories and the carbs. If you have a realize band, your Dr. numbers, and your bands numbers you can log into Realizemysuccess.com and your Dr as well as his staff can check your progress securely.

As you have seen each Dr. has different instructions so you should follow your Dr. instructions. I guess they are all different because they alot of them went to different schools and were trained differently. But if protein shakes are OK I don't see why creamy soups would not be OK, you could re-question your Dr. on that one.

From what my Dr. office said the band does not care about caffeine. They just wanted me to reduce the intake of caffeine but after a week they said I could have limited amounts of caffeine. But I would just ask your Dr. office to be sure because each Dr. is different.

Please keep us posted. I too was banded on 3/4 but I am only have what the nurse tells me is normal port pain which will last for about 6 weeks. She said if it gets hot and/or red to come in otherwise it is normal pain. When did you tape, staples, or stitches get removed???

I was not approved until TRICARE put the approval in the system which stated approved for lapband. So far it appears from what you have stated is that you are approved for consultation with the WLS. TRICARE in my case approved me at 120lbs over my recommended weight but I have read on this site they disapprove people that are only 99lbs over their recommended weight so If you are close either cheat(add weight to clothes) or gain so you are at least 100lbs over (I didn't really say to cheat the insurance did I???) but be aware they look that close but go on the recommendation of the WLS. My wife and I started the process on Dec 3, 08 and I got my band on 4 March 09. She changed her mind and is getting the bypass on 6 April 09. I was completed first because I am a chicken and might have backed out if she had too much pain. Other than the port site pain I am doing great. and I am told the port site pain is normal as long as it does not turn hot and red. Good luck on your approval with TRICARE but I think you can get it approved, If denied keep trying....