auntbrat

I also use MyFitnessPal as an app on my phone. I love that it syncs with my Fitbit. I love them both.

Beneprotein is the best unflavored Protein mix I've tried. I love Jay Robb tropical dreamsicle flavor. It took me 3 years to find that perfect flavor. Beneprotein is the best unflavored protein mix I've tried. I love Jay Robb tropical dreamsicle flavor. It took me 3 years to find that perfect flavor.

I've been there and actually am still battling emotional eating. I see a therapist to deal with the problems that drive the emotional eating. I do a lot of reading on the topic too. Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers has been very helpful. Any Geneen Roth book is great as well. I also find that exercise really helps keep my appetite down. I've had my band 3 years and after one year my surgeon told me I had failed and should consider bypass. I had no restriction and for the past 2 yrs I totally gave up. But in October I started with a new surgeon and he checked the fluid in my band and said it was nowhere near full. Now I have restriction and it's a great thing - finally!!!! But I sure wish I hadn't wasted 2 yrs completely giving up and gaining weight by emotional eating. I just take it one day at a time and am learning how to break old habits. I wish you well. I know you can do this.

I'm sorry you're having problems with the band. I also was a self pay because my insurance at the time didn't cover bariatric surgery. My current insurance agreed to pay to have band removed. I was thrilled at the time. I didn't want it removed until I had approval on bypass. My insurance denied removing band and converting to bypass surgery. They said unless I have a mechanical failure with the band they won't convert it. I am still so frustrated. I meet all of the criteria for bypass and they still won't do it. I would guess that you have a pretty good chance at getting coverage for it. I wish you the best.

I really like it. My doctor suggests mixing it with Carnation Instant Breakfast and it is pretty tasty. It's a bit pricey but they all seem to be. I add a scoop with other protein flavors and I can't taste it at all or smell any funky smell.

It's been 10 years since I had my reduction and I didn't have the band at the time. But based on my recollection of recovery the protein shakes will be good. You won't have much of an appetite for a few days. I wish you the best on your surgery. You will be thrilled with the outcome.

My doctor has me sign a form each time I have a fill and the form has instructions such as for me to stay on clear liquids for 48 hours. But my previous doc only had me on liquids for 24 hours after a fill.

I'm in a similar spot with the band and wanting to revise to bypass. My insurance won't cover the sleeve so I have to go the bypass route. I have talked with some who had the band removed and had the bypass or sleeve all in one surgery. My doctor prefers to remove the band and let the stomach heal for a few weeks and then do the second surgery. My doc submitted documents to the insurance to approve band removal and they denied it. We sent an appeal today so hopefully they'll approve it. I paid for the band myself in 2009. I'm frankly torn now because my new doc checked the Fluid in my band and I still had much more room in the band. The previous doc had told me it was full and there was nothing more to do. So now that I've had more fills the band is helping me more and I'm not sure what I should do. I never imagined I would be in this predicament.

I saw them at Walmart but I bought one at a small local grocery store. They should hopefully be easy to find. Tasty treat.

You have to mix the shakes with a blender, a magic bullet ( you can buy cheap version at walmart for about 20) or you can buy one of those blender bottles with the wire ball in it to mix it well just by shaking it. Stirring them doesn't blend enough. I hope your diet goes well. I know it is a pain but in the end it will be worth it to establish healthier eating habits now.

Just to echo what everyone else has said, I wouldn't worry about not having any restriction at this point. It took several fills over quite a bit of time for me to get there. Unfortunately, I fell into old eating habits in the meantime and really did sabotage myself. But it sure sounds like you are in the right track now and losing at a good pace. Be careful and keep up the good work.

Yum! Thanks for the tip. I'm going to look for it today.

I was banded in El Paso Tx by Dr. Applebaum in April 2009. After several fills over the next year he told me the band was full and I failed and should consider bypass. Since I was a self pay and my insurance at the time didn't cover bariatric surgery, I gave up for a while. Now I have insurance and went to a new surgeon who said I had 7.5 cc in a 11 cc band! I couldn't believe it. He added more fluid and it has made a huge difference. It has given me hope again. I think it's worth it for you to look into that possibility. Just don't give up like I did for so long. I wasted a year and a half because I let my doc take my hope away.

Have you gotten a second opinion on the level of fluid? My original surgeon told me the band was full and when I finally got a second opinion I found I was nowhere near full. Just a thought. I wish you well. Brandi

Thank you for your input. I think you're both right that my body is starving and holding onto every ounce it can. I talked with the dietician today and she suggested I do 2 shakes a day to substitute meals and one solid food meal per day. I think that's ridiculous. I am just going to stick within my calories and eat my small meals.