LapBandit

I've been banded since April and have not yet PB'ed or slimed. But, yes...at work or in public I tend to stick with foods that I have already tried. I chew really, really well and I think that helps avoid PB's and slimes.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F2HCNQ/sr=1-1/qid=1154468854/ref=sr_1_1/002-0267610-2822472?ie=UTF8&s=hpc]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F2HCNQ/sr=1-1/qid=1154468854/ref=sr_1_1/002-0267610-2822472?ie=UTF8&s=hpc[/ame] This scale is dead-on with my doctor's scale. I really like it. It accurately measures up to 380lbs.

I was banded in the U.S. My first year is totally covered for fills. (I still have to pay a co-pay for visits.) They offer a weekly support group and gym with an onsite trainer just for their patients. I see my surgeon monthly and a nutritionist is available. I feel like I'm in really good hands with them...they have even told me that even if it's 2AM I should call them if I have a problem and that they'd come in after hours for emergencies, if necessary. Of all the ammenities they offer, I'd say the free gym and access to my surgeon are the two most helpful.

I hope everything works out for you. Maybe it's a stomach virus or something? I know it's strange to have happen in the middle of summer, but some bug is definately going around my town right now. Did something else happen that makes you think you have a slip?

IMHO if you're eating good foods, and it sounds like you are, then you should eat until you feel satisfied...not "full". (What Jack said about satiety.) I do not believe in a standard serving size for bandsters...some talk about limiting yourself to 1/2 c. or so per meal...some people must be satisfied after that amount, but it just doesn't do it for me! We're all different and when I first started I felt bad that I could eat more than 1/2 c. at a time until my doctor said "so what". He said that if the food you're eating is good, healthy food then eat until you feel satisfied. Those two words made me feel a whole heck of a lot better about this whole "serving size" myth! But...I agree...it's up to you and your doctor to decide the methods that will work best for you.

Thanks Molly. I think you may be right. I'm trying to "shake up" my body by working out differently and at different times of the day! We'll see what happens. I also think you're right...it seems like your body sometimes says to itself that it's let you loose too much weight and starts holding on again. My doctor made me promise that I won't start counting calories or "dieting" again. He said the best plan is to hold tight and try experimenting with exercise to spark up weight loss again. We'll get there...we're SOOOO close!!!

I had mine the day of surgery. I wore a tampon (no one told me not to) and I was really embarassed about it...but everything turned out just fine. So, please don't worry! It will be the least of your concerns that day---focus on yourself and your recovery. Good luck!

I'm getting so frustrated. Why can't I make it? I am so close, I keep fluctuating between 1-2 pds before I make it to Twoterville and I just can't get there. I thought summer would be the perfect time for losing weight but how is it that I'm sweating like a pig at work all day (the AC is broken) and exercising more than ever before yet not make progress??? Sorry for whining but I needed to vent!

That is my "rest of my life" plan. I don't see anything wrong with that either. Sorry, to each their own.

You got it! Slim Fast killed my gallbladder but EAS Advant Edge is great! The chocolate fudge tastes good and it's very well-balanced.

I started a post like this awhile ago but didn't get too much of a response...I'm not sure why. But, I'll offer my usual "menu"...I'm not saying it's perfect but it's just what I've been doing: I have to eat 6 times per day: Breakfast: 1 serving of Kashi Lean cereal w/ skim milk Mid snack #1: South Beach snack bar Lunch: EAS CarbAdvantage Protein shake w/ 2 low fat cheese sticks Mid snack #2: EAS CarbAdvantage Protein Shake or Protein pudding Dinner: Low carb/low fat wrap with spinach, turkey, mustard, low fat swiss Mid snack #3: Piece of fruit or something small

I agree completely with this post! I love my vegetarian refried beans...plus I find them very filling! Carbonation is a "north end" problem and beans are a "south end" thing. I like that analogy!! "South end" gas won't hurt your band.

Welcome! :clap2:

That was sooo funny!! Thanks for sharing!

That's me exactly! I can feel the scar tissue from the port incision but was surprised to find out the actual port was about 2 inches below that incision line. Did it move???? I don't know. All I know is that it took several tries before my doc could even find it. He felt it but I still can't!! I only know an approximate location of it.

My surgeon cleared me the following week and I started with a trainer the same day. Talk to your surgeon.

I was instructed...not 1/2 before eating or 1 hour after. But, sometimes I sneak a sip or two if I really feel thirsty. In my experience, I really do get hungry earlier than normal when I drink too soon after eating.

You'll probably be eating normal foods by week five, I was. Also, I think the average time off from work seems to be a week from surgery. As with anything though, everyone has a little different story so you'll have to see how you feel. Good luck with your surgery!

I'm not very "seasoned" but my doc required an all liquid/no sugar pre-op diet. Your doctor didn't give you specific instructions? I wasn't allowed any solid food for a full week prior to surgery.

You're full! Congratulations! ---That's what it says in my doctor's Lapband Handbook!

Yep, I was a terrible eater. My biggest flaw was that I would always skip breakfast then most of the time skip lunch and by dinner was ravenous. A frozen pizza should feed how many people??? One, me. Then I'd eat ice cream and chips while watching TV at night. I did that forever. I had to come to a realization that I'm not happy with my body and that it wasn't healthy any more. That was motivation factor #1 toward getting my butt in gear. Then I realized "what exactly was I afraid of giving up?" Was it the same old junk food I had spent the last 10 years stuffing into my face??? I'd tasted it many, many, many times before and so now it was now time for me to taste all those strange lookings healthy things that I had always bypassed in the grocery store! That was motivation #2. For me, personally, I still have an occasional moment of weakness but for the most part my "tastes" have changed and I actually crave the better food choice because I know it makes me feel better. When I slip up and eat something fried or not that great of a choice it makes me feel tired and gross. That's motivation #3!!! I hope that helps! You'll do great!

You got it! We can and ARE achieving our goals everyday!!

My stitches broke and came out. I think it depends on what kind they used and how your body reacts to them. If your doc didn't seem worried then I'd say you're probably OK. I know...it's weird though! Good luck!

WHATEVER. Ugh...those people can kiss my big ol xxx. So what they're saying is that most large people have no will power?! So they're recommendation is to give up on them and have them undergo a surgery that will do all the work for them? Nothing against GB-at all. But, I'd love to see an article that gives us credit for the hard work it takes to be a good bandster and stop telling us that it won't work for us. And, my BMI was 56 at the time of banding...I'm not getting a "free ride" with the whole "the heavier you are the easier it is to lose" thing. It's hard for all of us! Sorry to vent! And thanks for sharing the article...I'm always interested in lap-band articles. It's a free country...they can write what they want and I can have the opinion I want!! :clap2:

Based on my conversations with my doc and my own experience...I don't believe anyone would lose enough weight eating this way (even if it's cut in half) to make the surgery worth the money. After surgery, the amount of food one can ingest is significantly reduced so the "QUALITY" of the food starts making a huge difference. Sure, junk food would keep a person alive but it won't help them lose weight.