ElfiePoo

My doctor didn't restrict me from alcohol or carbonated beverages after the first month although did warn that the carbonation might give me problems. However, I don't drink because (1) I'm a cheap date...one glass and I'm ready for bed, and (2) I physically crave carbs the next day. .

I use the EAS chocolate powder and mix it with unsweetened almond milk. It comes in at 160 calories and 4 gm of carb. I get it in a big bag at Sam's Club. .

I know people who've switched to Dukan from Atkins, but after a couple weeks on low fat, they switched back. Their weight loss actually slowed. A two year study (by Harvard, I think) showed that people on a low carb, low fat diet improved their cholesterol by 11%, but people on Atkins (low carb, high fat) improved by 23%...and lost more weight. So, personally, I don't see the point in torturing myself with low fat. The other *big* difference between Atkins and Dukan is that Atkins seems to stress the importance of vegetables. Even during the first 2 week, very low carb induction period, you're supposed to have 2 cups of salad every day. After the 2 weeks, you can increase it to whatever your critical carb level is. Most people try to stay under 45 carbs for faster weight loss. I eat a cup of vegetables with my lunch and another with my dinner. Dukan, in Stage 2, mixes Protein only days with protein and vegie days (e.g. 5 days of protein only alternated with 4 days of protein and vegie). Both work. It mainly comes down to what you can live with. Personally...I'd miss my vegies. They're the only thing that keeps me sane, although some would argue the sanity. .

Excellent advice. We don't need to be passive victims that have no control. We do have control. Yeah, it's a bitch that my body doesn't process certain carbs the way others do and, yeah, I have days where I get angry at how unfair it is that I can't eat fruit or grains...but it is what it is. I can bitch and moan and continue to eat the foods that are killing me because it's 'not fair' that I can't...or I can adjust and deal with it. At some point, we all need to just 'deal' with it. .

Wow...CA Hospice sucks then. I mean, 'cmon...if the person is to the point they need Hospice, then it's not likely they'll be able to actually go to the doctor and just because they're terminal, it doesn't mean you just stop all other medical care. Probably all part of 'cutting costs'. Very sad and so sorry it's another added stress on you. .

When I'd go in for my visits, they'd always ask whether I was coughing more for no apparent reason and said it's one of the signs of being too tight. .

Strange. I worked for Hospice and there was never any problem drawing blood for the labs the doctor needed to continue ongoing care. Could there be just a misunderstanding?

Yesterday was an interesting day...and it appears the band may have permanently reshaped my insides...which is so not a good thing. I can't remember the last time I got sick, particularly with the flu, but my husband brought it home on Tuesday and after several days of incubation, I finally succumbed at 4 p.m. on Saturday. I got my money's worth...chills, nausea, throwing up my guts...and throwing up is just as difficult as it was when banded because it has to go through that narrower opening that I will most likely have permanently. I am feeling better this morning, but weak so I think I'm going to just take it easy and maybe even just stick to protein shakes today since my stomach is still a bit shaky.

You know they say it's common even for normal weight people to put on a few pounds during the winter because they tend to be quite a bit more inactive. It's probably a smart move just to try to cut back a bit and give it some time. However, it is a woman's perogative to change her mind. .

^^This^^ She's either ignorant or just lying...worrisome in either case. .

Deidra, The truth is that the band works differently for everyone, and we all have different reasons for why we eat, so there's just no way of knowing whether it will or won't work for you. You need to find out *why* you eat. You say you eat when you're full because your brain tells you that you aren't full. How does it do that? Do you have real hunger...or just a desire/compulsion to eat? When we are truly hungry, it is because the stomach is producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. The band helps with that in most cases by putting pressure on the vagus nerves which tell the stomach to quit producing ghrelin. Unfortunately, some people never get this cessation of hunger no matter how many fills they get...and that's something the surgeons just aren't sharing. The band does fail people and you won't no whether you're one of them until you go through the process. If you're eating out of a desire/compulsion to eat that has nothing to do with hunger, the band most likely won't help you with that. Some people think the band will help by physically restricting how much they can eat. Again, unfortunately, it just doesn't seem to work that way with many people and they can continue to eat in unlimited quantities until they're so overfilled they can only eat slider foods...and continue to eat unlimited quantities of them as well. Many people think they have a food addiction and I think perhaps some do...but I also think some of these food addicts might find, as I did, that they don't have an addiction at all. Instead they're dealing with an actual physical response to the carbs in their food, which their bodies are unable to process correctly. This isn't an addiction. It is a very real metabolic disorder. In any event, the band (if it works the way it should) will help with the hunger. You might be lucky enough to find that it even works with physically restricting how much you eat. It will still be up to you to choose to eat the right foods and choose to put the fork down...and if you don't, then the band will be no more help than Weight Watchers or any other weight loss method. Good luck with whatever your decision. .

So...my husband took me to dinner and a movie (HOP) and we went to a new Mexican restaurant. Normally we share but he wanted some kind of poblano enchiladas in mole sauce and I wanted a shredded beef chimichanga. Yeah, I know...flour tortillas but I've been really really good and I was so jonesing for Mexican. Usually these restaurants take a *huge* tortilla, fill it up and then fold it and deep fry it. This place took a smaller tortilla, filled it and left the ends open and then fried it on the grill. The smaller size is probably why I got two. I ended up eating one and some of the salad (lettuce topped with pico de gallo and guacamole type dressing) and calling it quits. Fortunately, the chips were horrible and the salsa was so spicy I couldn't even stand a small amount so no temptation there. No problems going back to my grain restricted diet though. I'm actually thinking of doing a clear liquid day just to clear my system of the excess sodium that I am sure is causing my puffiness this morning. Also, no twinges from the incisions so I may try to do some Richard Simmons...although I'm feeling somewhat blah this morning so I may just 'go through the motions'...but hey...it's movement! Hope you all have a wonderful day! .

Ok...I know next to nothing about health care in the UK but don't you have some sort of national health care? If you had your appendix removed privately and then started having problems a year or so out with adhesions causing pain to the point of needing surgery, would they also refuse to take care of that? Your shoulder pain is common and sounds very similar to mine. It only got worse over time. It is called phrenic nerve pain and has to do with some part of the band rubbing against the diaphragm sending a radiating pain up the phrenic never to the left shoulder. I finally had to have my band out about a week ago and the relief from the pain was heavenly. .

I was giving you the benefit of the doubt (obviously an error on my part) that you recognize that *your* way isn't the only right way. We'll let it go at that. .

Joe, No doubt, low carb is a healthy way to eat and studies find that people who eat 30gm or less carbs per day generally can eat 300 or so more calories, and even higher fat, and still lose more than people on a traditional diet that is higher in carbs. Which means nothing if you find it difficult to stick to it consistently...and it must be consistently. I would say if you have a metabolic disorder (e.g. diabetes, hypoglycemia), a low carb diet is better because it has less impact on your body's insulin production which helps with a number of things including stabilization of blood sugar levels and physical cravings as a result of those levels. If you don't, then you probably have the option to go higher carb without too much difficulty. The best diet for you is the one you will stick with long term. So pick one and then stick with it consistently. .

Ok...sounds like your nutritionist does not understand how the band works. All the band does is slow the path of the food into the stomach, allowing it to put additional pressure on the vagus nerves which tell the ghrelin (hunger hormone) to shut off. That's why we have to chew well...so it will slide through. Personally, after a comment like that, I'd just ignore their nutritional advice and find a WOE you can live with. Atkins is a good healthy way of eating. I usually have 1-2 scrambled eggs for Breakfast and for lunch and dinner 3 oz Protein and 1/2-1 c. low carb vegies. Many people here are given similar diets. The only difference between mine and their diet is that on Atkins I can put cream in my coffee, use full fat blue cheese dressing on my salad and butter or olive oil on my vegies because it's 50-60% fat instead of the typical <30%. Some people are concerned about the higher fat but many studies are showing that it is not the concern it once was *if* you're doing low carb along with it. Despite that, the medical community refuses to budge on their stance that low fat is the only healthy option. A two year study done by the Obesity Research Center at Temple University came to the following conclusion (and this is typical of the other studies as well): "There was one difference, however. Foster said levels of "good" cholesterol (the heart-healthy kind that you want) grew by about 11 percent in the low-fat group but more than twice that -- about 23 percent -- in the low-carb group. Blood pressure also fell by a greater level in the low-carb group vs. the low-fat cohort." I'm not trying to push Atkins on anyone...just trying to keep the facts straight as to how healthy it is. *All* of the research is beginning to say the same thing, and I agree...and that is that it is less important as to which diet you're on and more important that you find one you can live with long-term. .

According to my surgeon, you should be able to eat 3 oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of vegies in a 20-30 minute period. The fact that you're resorting to mushies and sliders says you're probably too full. Depending on how long ago you got your fill, you just may need to be patient until the swelling goes down (2 weeks?). If it's been several weeks, you might want a slight unfill. .

Shirley, This isn't just my opinion and personal disagreement. What I posted came directly from the Oxford Nephrology site...specialists as well who agree that there just is no evidence to show that healthy kidneys are damaged by too much protein. Which strongly suggests that the person you know who died of kidney failure from a high protein diet already had compromised kidneys. While the high protein diet most likely did advance the problem, it did not cause the initial failure. That is an important distinction. Moderation would not have helped this person either. My father has impaired kidneys. He can't even eat moderate protein because his kidneys can't handle it. . .

Well it's definitely low carb, but it's not Atkins because Atkins involves eating carbs in the form of vegetables right from the start. In later stages, as you get closer to Maintenance he has you adding in fruit and grains *if* you really feel you must have them and *if* your body can handle them. Mine can't. As a diabetic, I eat protein and low carb vegies (2 cups per day of cooked) and avoid grains, fruits and starches. My carbs are around 30gm per day but I know people who can go as high as 60gm...which is a lot of vegies...and is still considered 'low carb'. My .02...eat your vegies. Fruits are higher in sugars so you might want to avoid them for now. Fruit juices are just concentrated sugar...wasted calories (just my opinion). . .

The best thing you can do is stop eating anything with sugar in it. Sugar just creates cravings for more sugar. The more you eat, the more you want. Unfortunately, your band isn't going to help you with that so it's going to have to be something you take control of...especially since those sugary things generally turn out to be sliders that go through even when we have too much fill. .

I do Atkins so my diet is a bit higher in fats (50-60%) than the low fat diet most doctors seem to prefer. That, combined with drinking 64 fl oz of Water a day and eating 2 cups of vegies (broccoli, asparagus, green Beans, etc.) a day seems to take care of any potential problems. .

Jenn, I was back on solid foods at 2 weeks, as quite a few people are, so if you're that far along it's probably not a problem from that perspective. However, some people do have problems with things that clump (bread and yes, cake) even before they get a fill, so you may find that you do have difficulty...but might not find it out until you get stuck. This is just my .02...but our inability to say 'no' and to find 'reasons' to eat got most of us in this position to begin with. There will always be some special event (birthday, holiday, weekend, groundhog day, yada yada) that becomes an 'excuse' to eat the foods that made us fat to start with. At some point you're going to have to decide which is more important...losing the weight...or continuing to find reasons to eat. Part of being successful on this journey is changing our mindset as well. Good luck with whatever decision you come to.

OK...so why would I still be having 'stuck' issues 10 days postop and no band? I made a 3 oz burger for lunch and got stuck on the first bite...including sliming! .

Crystal: Woohoo...are you having one of those 'mortgage burning' parties? Deb: OMG...I'm so glad all they took were the purse and wallet and that you all are safe!