Humming Bird

They sell Protein bullets at walmart that taste like very strong gatorade/koolade. They come in a big test tube looking thing and are by all the other protein and diet stuff in the store. You can add more Water to them or just drink them as they are. I also like nectar brand lemonade. You can get samples of the Nectar brand flavs (look online). They have many fruity flavs. like cherry, green apple (tastes like jolly ranchers) ..... I'm not sure if this offer is still good. I got the samples this way in 2009. I got the info off someone's post from another site: Syntrax is offering samples of all 11 of the nectar flavors to everyone for only 4.99 and 5.00 shipping! Thats only 9.99 for the eleven samples to see if ya like any of them. Call 866-333-7403 and speak with customer service If that offer doesn't work, I'm sure there is a way to get samples.

The one product I continue to use after all this time is Vitafusion brand Fiber gummies (Target). Many bandsters seem to have trouble with regularity and these are what I have found to work the best for me. I still use Protein powders when I don't feel I'm getting in enough protein. The nectar brand roadside lemonaide is great when I don't feel like something milky. (order online to find lowest price)

I like my band tight, but keep in mind there is a very fine line between "tight" and "too tight." When I reached my sweet spot it took about 2 weeks of liquids, then mushies, sliders, and so on, before I knew I was at just the right fill level for me. At first I thought I may have been too tight, but after those 2 weeks I didn't need a fill for almost a year. The weight flew off. I do have a long list of foods I can no longer tolerate, but also have a long list of NSVs, smaller size clothes and happy times. For me, "tight" means not being able to tolerate things like bread, Pasta, dense meats ........... For me, "too tight" means reflux at night that is not explained by eating too late or wrong food issues. Vomiting (including what some people call PBing and "spitting up"). Living on liquids only. Living on icecream and such. ......... What foods do I eat? I do eat a variety of foods. It is more of a texture thing with me I guess. The foods that come to mind that I eat often: Chili (green and red) Chunky Soups (not canned) oatmeal yogurt smoothies Lattes :tea: Salads (no iceburg, cucumbers or tomotoes) cheese and reduced fat wheat thins crab scallops there are many more things I eat, but those are what comes to mind

Kate, There are several people here at LBT who have done lapband with plication and it sounds pretty good. It's worth asking the Dr. about. As for the lapband and my experience with it, I do believe you can take off 200 pounds! I'm glad I didn't have anyone tell me I would only take off 50% of my excess weight with the band. That would have been so discouraging and it simply isn't true. With a high BMI, your chances of dropping 150 pounds in the first year are great. After the first year the weightloss will slow down, but I do believe you can take off the last 50 pounds in that time. When I started I figured I had about 114 pounds to take off. I lost 100 in the first year with very little effort on my part. If I can do that, I have no reason to believe you can't. As for the office staff, maybe try the "killing them with kindness" thing.

This post was the only thing I ever saw about it.

Yesterday ....... there was no real invite ....I don't think anyway

The hospital where I had my out-patient surgery made my husband swear he would not leave me alone for the first 24 hours. I didn't really need him to "do" anything. I was able to get up, go to the bathroom, get something to drink .......

I pretty much feel this way too ... ditto I also believe some people may not feel the pain/discomfort I feel and can use their esophagus as part of their pouch. I think this is how the esophagus can be damaged. If I even eat one bite too much, because solid food does stay in my pouch for quite some time due to my level of restriction, it causes pain and other bad things .....

When was your last fill? It may be something as simple as getting a small fill to get things going again for you.

I don't care what the scale says as long as I can wear a size 10 jeans without a muffin top :biggrin3:

If the things you buy are too small now, try them on often. I ended up shrinking out of a few things before I could wear them. Don't just hold an item up or compare to other clothes you are already wearing. Remember it takes time for your brain to catch up. There have been many times I have gone closet shopping and I think it won't be long before I can wear those jeans, then I try them on and they fit or are even too big.

Yes, the sweet spot and green zone are the same thing. Try this thread : http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/132729-finding-the-green-zone/

A whole meal? I forgot what a "whole meal" is like ...... You know me and the word "meal". I have not had a "meal" since july 2009. I eat 3-6 snacks a day ..... no meals

I'm 100 % happy with the band and 100% successful. Keep in mind that many thousands of banded people who are happy / successful do not post online about it. They are too busy living their new skinny lives. People tend to post more if they want input and advise from other bandsters and sometimes they may seem like they have a big problem but it passes or they get it figured out.

I wish you the best with your surgery! It's the first day of your new life! As for how I did it, the band has worked well and done it's job for me. I think the key for me was reaching my green zone early in the process. In the beginning it sure was a learning process figuring out what types of food give me problems (there are quite a few / sensitive stomach). I think the band works well if you follow some very basic guidelines and don't make it harder than it has to be. By basic guidelines I mean, learn what your full signal is and stop eating even if you have to throw food in the trash, take your vits., drink Protein shakes, stay away from candy bars , chew every bite well (when you get on solids). I just stuck to some very basic stuff like that.

You might be able to do the 3 meals a day after you have had a few fills. Make sure your Snacks are Protein. Go with a cheese stick instead of crackers maybe. I don't stick to 3 meals per day, but I'm 2+ years post-op ..............(have never been able to stick to 3 a day, but lost over 100 lbs)

I think the asprin will just add burn to pain and it is an NSAID .........I wouldn't do the asprin

Oh gosh, I feel your pain ........ I hope you get it up or down and get some relief. When you have a hard stuck episode like this you should stick with cold liquids for at least 24 hours after you get un-stuck. Then proceed with caution through the stages ..... creamy , mushy.... soft ...... I hope you are doing better now

We ended up getting about 10 inches of snow, then the sun came out and it started melting. I'm not looking forward to the next snow. Many times in the winter we don't see the ground/yard all winter. We are on the shady side of a hill and in think pines. It's beautiful, but the cold gets me now. I was looking out the window when the snow was letting up and saw the most beautiful red fox come out from under my front porch. We did have chipmonks living under there this summer. I'm not sure if it is ok to let the fox stay or do something about it to block where he is going in. I fear what happened to the chipmonks. We have quite a few bears, so I guess I can be glad it's a fox and not a bear.

oh, geez....... I had to go back and read .... I thought you said he was your husband ......but, he's your "man" and not a member .................

Have you gone back in for fills? I know I don't stick to any strict diet and when I'm at my sweet spot I really can't even eat pizza easily. I think the band has worked for me because I found my sweet spot early in the process. At least it's something to consider ...............

I was self-pay and the only thing I had to do pre-op was 2 weeks of Atkins diet for liver shrinking. I'm sure every surgeon has their own pre-op requirements and they may be different for patients depending on health situations. See if the surgeon you are thinking about has a website. He/she should fill you in on everything when you go in for a consult.

oh geez , Lyla, just when you deleted I quoted.... want me to delete?

So true. When posting in such a large public forum it's tough to know just where that line is that shouldn't be crossed. We are all so different and have different lines.

Great NSV (non-scale victory) post ! I am so happy for you. You have done a great job so far. :clap: Keep going all the way to goal!