Juniper

i sooooo agree about the sugar free crap. i can't even eat jello now because of having to eat sugar free "liquids" so much after surgery. and i'd rather drink a cup of low-sodium broth than have to tolerate anymore "diet drinks". sucralose is my new enemy! hehe what happened to the labels they used to put on products so you could clearly see what fake sugar they were using? i guess sucralose is like a generic fake sugar now, so i have to search the ingredients list... sneaky fake sugar...

maybe if you were able to take lots of breaks! and don't forget to sip some Water all day long. gonna be kinda tough while you're waiting on tables, but if you're careful and don't overdo it... best of luck!

yeah, that's what the milk of mag is for! a little dose'll do you, though! my doc also recommended miralax, since it's over the counter now, and safe to take everyday.

headin, i was the same way to a lesser extent. i was lying in the hospital thinking "what the hell have i done to myself??" and feeling really bad about having not been successful without the band. it seems to be pretty emotional after anesthesia, although i totally don't understand the connection. :-) i'm glad you're doing okay. when are you heading back home?

hehe, must be some good drugs.

i'd really like to see % of weight lost, but i know... that means MATH! but since i'm heavier than a lot of folks, i like the %'s better. it has more meaning for me. just my opinion.

*sending you positive thoughts* please come back soon and let us know how you're doing...

i tried one of their strawberry banana protein smoothies the other day, which has more calories that i usually like to drink, but a decent amount of protein for a starbucks product. it was okay, but a little on the sweet side. i had them make it with non-fat milk, since it normally comes with 2%. i've learned the best 4 words to add to the end of my starbucks order is "non-fat, no whip". that usually saves me 200-300 calories. :-D

Jerra, I'm so excited for you! :wub: I can't wait to start having some nsv's myself, but I guess I'll be happy with the scale moving for now.

since there's only a few of us interested so far, and 2 of us don't care what day, let's go with Amy's suggestion of Monday! :wub:

angelic, i think that it's possible, cuz i did it in that amount of time. but i really did take it very easy for those days i was off work, and got lots of rest, and very slowly moved from Clear liquids to full liquids. if you push things, you'll set yourself back, so take your time. but walk (even if slowly) as much as possible, so you get the gas out, and do your deep breathing, since that helps get the anesthesia out of your system, supposedly. good luck!

for the first couple of days i was Clear liquids only, which included broth, luigi's frozen ice, sugar free Jello, and i ate/drank with baby spoons to keep from going too fast. i would recommend the gas-x strips or chewables, or the baby's mylicon rather than phazyme gels.

oh, yes, there is a significant difference in taste!! i've tried soy and whey Proteins, and i prefer whey, so i'll skip over discussing the soy products. i've tried GNC amp brand, unjury unflavored, vanilla, chocolate, and chicken Soup, atkins rtd chocolate, labrada chocolate and vanilla ice cream rtd, Isopure, and a couple others i can't think of right now. the absolute BEST tasting "shake" type one i've tried is the gnc amp vanilla. it truly has a vanilla shake flavor. the unjury chicken soup isn't bad, either, just don't smell it if you can help it. the unjury unflavored is okay, just cuz you can add it to just about anything. the labrada rtd was okay, but i had to add ice and mix it in my bullet, cuz it tends to get this thickness to it. the atkins cafe caramel one i tried this week tastes good, but i have trouble ever finishing it. the isopures are okay, because they don't have the chalky, milky texture, but some of them are horribly sweet, like highly concentrated gatorade or something. overall, unjury's a good one, but at little difficult to mix, i think. and the smell. :thumbdown: what's important is that you find something that you'll actually drink. but i understand that at $30 a container, and $3 a rtd, it gets really expensive to NOT like something! good luck in your Protein hunt!

headin... you'll do fine, i just know it. :thumbdown: you've waited for this a long time now, and it's almost here! keep being brave, and take it nice and easy. i can't wait to hear your story when you get back.

Please post to the dates thread.

You know, I bought some baby food to eat, but after tasting a few of them, I'm regretting I ever did! Instead, this last weekend I went out and bought a small food processor. I figure I'll get lots of use out of it between my mushies stage, and those times after fills that I need to take it "soft" for awhile. Oh, and someone mentioned Aleve, but I was reading in my Lap-Band paperwork that they don't recommend using any type of nsaids since they can be harsh on the stomach. Of course, I'd always follow the advice of my doctor, if your doc says it's okay for you, but I just wanted to throw that out there.

I've heard from my doc that straws are a no-no. I guess it makes you swallow a lot of air or something? Anyway, just thought I'd mention it.

ocotillo, thanks for your words of encouragement. :biggrin: you know, i have lots of little goals in my mind, non-scale goals mostly, but i usually just keep those locked up in my head. heh when it comes to the numbers, though, i'm a long-term planner type person, so my scope of vision is all the way to the finish line! i know that may seem weird, but it's just how my brain is wired. :thumbdown: i've been thinking a lot lately about having to have plastic surgery to remove the "apron", too. but here's a weird question for those who might know... do they have to reposition your belly button if they have to remove a LOT of skin?? i'm a little concerned about that, cuz my belly button is amazingly low on my abdomen to begin with, and i really can't see how they could cut away much of my skin without making it drop even lower! maybe i just don't understand this plastic surgery stuff very well. hehe

I know the idea of a weekly weigh-in has been thrown around a couple times, but I haven't seen an actual thread started on it, sooooo...... What do you think, weekly weigh in? If so, what day? I'm partial to weekends, just cuz I'm more likely to weigh myself on the weekends, but I'll go with the majority vote.

Are you curious who else is having/had surgery the same day as you? Check it out!! July 1st: Juniper, Melinda_205, tessiekay, leshers2x2, hot tea, lovely9257, racegirl July 2nd: Ocotillo, psj71, Iris_L, jen_e July 3rd: Tish5632, somedayslim:) July 6th: mcb2009 July 7th: Bstone, Mary on a Mission, Aivey, Barbie1978, Bonbellrussell, Bobbie045, waiting4, psj71, thatswhatdefinesme, lunarosa July 8th: Deedee747, kellyb1007, nellie09 July 9th: MiniTam July 10th: jimofthejungle, healthy-me-in-Az, writeonamber, abcangirl, Cphaber48 July 11th: bjbardave July 13th: Mom2smc, Sweettea25, UnforgettableRN, knrpick, sweettea25, nicb1318 July 14th: wonderwoman2009, JustJoe, hopeful27 July 15th: Lindz92, audjbr July 16th:gitrdone, ksb37us, Evie71609, newmel, Teacher2010 July 17th: babiedoll July 20th: KayVee, JacquieOC, 1hotchocolate, mom2trips06, melodicone July 21st: Berna, Neonatalicurn, freedom2009, Bunz1969 July 22nd: Jerzyshore, Big Mama 514, RobinAnn, Ayyypapi, Pereza211, losingitat41 July 23rd: Daqui26, Toot, Lilpeach_059, missymouse, kimmaylynn July 24th: CantB2noty July 27th: BeckySon July 28th: mil51 July 29th: d4lussier July 30th: slpcat July 31st: cb0828, scotgrl75 If you want your date added to the list, please post it on the July 2009 Dates thread. Thanks! (and special thanks to JustJoe for updating the list with upcoming dates) :thumbdown: GO FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!!! :biggrin:

You know, Barbie, every other time I've lost weight, I've had to go out and buy new clothes pretty quickly, but for some reason this time, it just ain't happening! I've lost 25+ lbs, and yet I haven't noticed ANY change in my clothes at all! In fact, my stomach still seems swollen to me from the surgery, and my pants are very uncomfortable, what with my port incision being so close to my waistline. I have noticed less Fluid in my feet and ankles, so I'm sure most of what I've lost is Water, but even so!! 25 lbs just seems like it ought to feel different! I'm happy to have lost it, but I'm just wondering when I'll start FEELING like I've lost weight. :crying: Congrats to you, and keep losing those inches!! :biggrin:

Michelle, my 3rd and 4th day after surgery I was super emotional. It has gotten better, but I'm still feeling more emotional than I usually do. I kept thinking it was "that time", but it never happened, just the moodiness. I've heard many times that women can get very moody as they lose weight because we release stored estrogen as we burn fat. So I've tried to prepare myself and my family for the potential roller coaster of emotions that may be ahead. I wish you the best.

hehe, thanks Joe. I usually update on Mondays, since more people post on weekends.

this is a subject that gets me pretty emotional. just one short year ago, i myself thought of weight loss surgery as the "easy" way, and felt that people who had to undergo surgery to lose weight were somehow more lazy than others. now i realize that LOSING weight's not the hardest part. it's KEEPING it off. and that sure, the surgeries help a person lose weight, because it forces you to take in less calories, but that's not why most of us get the surgery. it's because we've lost weight in the past, only to gain it back, and then some, and we're trusting that the band will help us not only lose it, but KEEP the weight off. i'm a cheater because i want to be able to QUIT yo-yo-ing up and down, and causing my body more harmful effects from doing this? i'm a cheater because i want to live a healthy, longer life? i'm a cheater because i don't want to be morbidly obese anymore? nevermind that i'm dieting and exercising right along with all those non-banders...

I have only told my family. And all the doctors and nurses, of course. :ohmy: I've lost weight before, only to gain it all back, plus some, so I decided to keep my band to myself, I guess on the off chance it didn't work for me. Plus, I really don't want to have it be a topic of conversation at work, and have people "watching" to see how much I lose how quickly. I've had the feelings myself that the band was the "easy way out", and I've had to deal with those feelings, so I don't feel like taking on anyone else's issues to work through about it, either. It's my time to focus on me, and I get enough support from my family, my doctors, and of course all the great folks here going through the same experiences with me. :confused: