marfar7

I'm a nurse and have treated people for hyponatremia (too much Water, not enuf sodium) in the past. But they drank like 3 gallons at a time. Can't imagine that happening with a gallon a day. I hate Gatorade. Tastes like salty Koolaid to me. I bought some Powerade Lite for post op next week. Haven't tried it yet, but I know I've got to get the salt and potassium that plain water doesn't provide. Good luck to you. Glad you're feeling better!

Wow! You look great! WTG!

Trader Joes has really good cartons of healthy organic cream Soups. Luv the tomato basil one! When I was on the liquid diet for 4 weeks in 2009 after lapband surgery, I ate the same thing every single day (1 can of Campbells tomato soup (broken up into 4 meals),a couple containers of Jello, a few cups of chicken broth, and a few popsicles). I couldn't look at tomato soup for at least a year. Now that I' looking forward to (NOT!) another 4 weeks on liquids (revision to sleeve coming up), I've found more yummy soups that I plan on enjoying. I'm sure I'll be sick of them soon enuf tho! Thai tomato sound good. Right now I'm into Progresso Creamy Tomato Basil. Yummy and 140 cals per 8 oz!

There's actually a section on lapbandtalk that does clothing exchanges. I've sent a couple boxes of 14-18 clothes out over the past year to fellow lapbanders. I feel better when they go to someone that needs them rather than to the Goodwill that overcharges for things (I just bought a pair of jeans last weekend at the GW and paid $9.00. Granted that same pair new would be about $40, but I think $9 for a pair of used jeans is overpriced!). I went straight from a size 14 to a 10 - never did buy any 12's! I just wore a belt with my pants/jeans till the butt in them became to droopy! Marci

Bummer! I LUV lobster! Alot less work than crab! I've only had it maybe 4 times in the past 3 yrs, but didn't have any problems with it. It might have been the way it was cooked. Maybe overcooked? I would give it some time and retry it. Things that you can't tolerate today may be fine ina few months. I can eat anything but pizza crust, pineapple chunks, and pancakes. I'm 3 yrs post op tho. Marci

I tried Spanx once and all it did was cause my belly fat to ride up to my boobs! I don't think girdles and the like actually work (at least on me). The fat has to go somewhere and for me, it was over the waistband of the Spanx! I've never heard tho that you can't wear them. They may not be very comfy the first week or so, but I don't think they would harm you! JMHO! Marci

Eat a hard boiled egg really fast and wash it down with a couple of swallow of Coke. That's what being stuck feels like! I never felt anything like it pre surgery, so not sure you're feeling it either. It'll last for more than a couple of seconds, if you're truly stuck. Lately, after 2 1/2 yrs of vomiting to get thru a stuck episode, I've been riding them out (after my band slipped from too much vomiting). They definately make it more important to chew and eat slowly! Good luck! Marci

I find myself craving anyting pumpkin right now! I made a pumpkin cheesecake for our poker game last Sat (can't eat that all the time tho) and it was delish. I found if you mix a pkg of sugar free vanilla pudding, 1/2 can of pumpkin, 1 tb of pumpkin pie seasoning, and put that into separate cups, it makes a very tasty, yet low calorie, pumpkin pudding. Top that with a dollup of Cool Whip and you have something yummy (and a little healthy with the pumpkin) to snack on! Love, love, love the Fall! Marci

I agree. I started dating (after being widowed for 2 yrs) after losing about 75 lbs. No one ever said anything to me about how little I ate. No one will even notice, I promise. Besides, I'm very open with everyone about my surgery. I'm proud of what I've done and don't waste a second not telling others about it! I've never heard a disparaging remark. Good luck! Happy Jewish New Year! Marci

After the first 5 mths (I ha no restriction till my 3rd fill), I started losing 8-10 lbs a month. So, about 2-3 lbs a week I guess. I think it's perfectly normal. And after 3 yrs, I eat EVERYTHING. Including bread, rice, pasta, and an occasional soft serve from DQ! Luv their vanilla soft serve! I noticed your blog about Olive Garden and not eating breadsticks and pasta. Olive Garden is my FAV restaurant and I eat there about once a month. I usually get seafood alfredo (I know, a no-no in most bandsters diets) and chicken gnocci soup. I can eat about 1/3 of the soup, 1/2 of a breadstick and the alfredo makes about 4-5 meals for me. I get sick of it after a couple of days of eating it and toss the rest. And I can eat more now than I could, say, a year ago. You'll probably still be able to enjoy your fav foods, once you get the proper restriciton and you experiment a little. Just don't eat a food for the first time at a restaurant. Thats my advice! Otherwise you'll have to explain yourself to all the ladies in the ladies room who inquire if you're ok. Good luck! Marci

Just out of curiosity, why can't you eat salad? Marci

I've never had any problems with any pills - even the big ones. I take about 9 pills a day, inlcuding a tiny birth control one. As long as I haven't just eaten, they go down fine. And I've been banded for almost 3 yrs. Good luck! Marci

In the last almost 3 yrs, I've brought up my food about 2-4 times week. I've actually "vomited" once. Just last month when we were driving to Southern Calif from Oregon and we were stuck in traffic. Thank God I had my dogs Water bowl in the car. Made my husband sick just listening to me wretch. I don't know if I was car sick or if it was the heat. I felt nauseaous for about 30 minutes, then threw up and felt better. Actually, I stopped bringing my food back up a couple of months ago - after being treated for a slipped band. A warning for anyone who often does it.... Marci

I've lost 104 lbs with about 9 lbs to go. I've had my band for almost 3 yrs Marci

I did exactly the same thing almost 3 yrs ago. I ate just like preband for almost 5 mths (after my 4 weeks liquids) after being banded. I could still eat a large Quiznos sandwich, a bowl of broccoli cheese Soup and still have room for Cookies. After my 3rd fill, the magic started happening. I could barely eat 1/4 of s small Quiznos sandwich! The lbs started melting off. I really didn't even try all that hard. I ate the same things - just much less. Good luck to you! Marci

I've been banded for almost 3 yrs - no pre op diet required. In fact, the night before my surgery was spent at Outback eating ribs! I just had to be NPO after midnight. I guess my liver was fine - he never said anything about it. Good luck! Marci

You guys have really great doctors if you don't know where your port is! Wait till you lose some weight - it'll become very pronounced. I can see mine thru my shirt. I could always feel mine tho - even before I lost any weight. Marci

Who said you can't have alcohol after being banded? I've been banded for almost 3 yrs now and enjoy an occasional glass of wine or margarita. You just have to watch the calories. There's nothing about the band that would preclude alcohol. Except that it lowers your inhibitiions on eating crap! Enjoy one in a while! Marci

Thanks! Always so nice to hear! Marci

I met my now-husband almost 2 yrs ago, after I had lost about 80 of my 105 lbs from the lapband. I started dating (I was widowed at 40) when I'd lost about 50 lbs. I told my now-husband about my lapband on our first date (coffee in a restaurant). He had recently also lost 80 lbs on low carb diet and I was proud that I had lost 80 lbs also. When we became intimate, I showed him where my port was - now he calls it my "contraption". He was very good when I told him about my surgery. He's very supportive and proud of my accomplishment. I'm not 60 (I'm now 45), but I think dating is dating, no matter how old you are. Now, I felt really comfy with my now-husband to tell him on our first date. Most of my dates I didn't tell them the first time. If I ate a meal with them, I usually told them. I've never had a bad reaction from telling anyone. Good luck to you! Happy dating! Marci PS: I met my husband on Plenty of Fish (the free dating site!). I paid $250 for a year of EHarmony and never met anyone. Paid $130 for 6 months of Match.com and had coffee with 2 men. Went on Plenty of Fish and had many dates! You might try it. It's a large site

I've had pancreatitis before - it's EXTREMELY painful. I think that if you hd something wrong with your pancreas, you'd know it FOR SURE. In 1994, I had my gallbladder out. For 2 yrs following, I experienced tummy pain when eating meat or anything really. They did the scope and found nothing. Finally got an ERCP (an xray that they put s scope down your throat and shoot die into your bile duct) and spilling of the dye onto my pancreas caused pancreatitis. I remember writhing in pain in the ER begging for pain meds. They had to wait till my labs were back to see if that was the cause. Spent 6 days in the hospital, NPO, on major pain meds. They told me that once you have it, you'll have a chronic pancreatitis forever. About 5 yrs later when I was stationed in Germany (Army), I came down with severe stomach pain that was exactly the same. After a nite spent in the hospital, I was fine. I've never had any other problems with it. Just wanted to let you know that if you have pancreas problems, the doctor probably wouldn't have let you go home. You'd be in a lot of pain also! Just an FYI... Marci

Why wouldn't you be able to sleep on your side? I think I slept on my side the night I spent in the hospital after surgery. I don't do well on my back either - but when you have severe reflux you have no choice... Marci

I don't think I've ever heard of no popcorn or gum from my dr. I chew gum daily, and I LUV popcorn. Don't eat it very often cuz it's a slider for me. I can eat a huge tub of it without feeling a tad bit full. Ugh. I don't think I've ever accidently swallowed a piece of gum either - even as a kid. Unless you chew like 10 pc's of gum at a time, I don't think the wad would be big enuf to not slide thru. But follow your dr's orders! Might I add: BE PATIENT! Thats my biggest word of wisdom. You didn't gain your weight overnite and it's gunna take a long time to get it all off. I went into my band journey thinking that it would just start falling off right away. Didn't happen. Didn't start losing anything till 5 mths post op when I actually got restriction. I guess I could've white knuckled it and weighed and measured my intake during that time and lost, but the reason why I got the band in the first place was so that I wouldn't have to diet again. And I don't. Good luck! Marci

I cross my legs all the time too. For years, I was too fat to cross my legs -so now that I can, I DO! Marci

I haven't had a Protein shake since I was able to eat real food. I didn't like them either. I know I probably don't get enuf protein in my diet, and I really drink them occasionally, but like u, I can't gaga them down So no, if u get enuf protein in ur diet, u shouldn't have to drink the shakes. Marci