ElfiePoo

You say potato, I say potahto. If we change how much we eat, then we change the way we eat. :thumbup: .

I went to my nutrition class today in anticipation of my surgery on 11/3. They said that the Isopure protein drinks did not count as clear liquid even though they are 'clear' because they contain protein. Apparently for 3 days after surgery, there's to be no protein. The nutritionist didn't know why (have to say I wasn't too impressed with her). Does anyone here know why protein is banned? .

I think this is an excellent point. The Lap Band isn't a dieting tool. It's a tool to change the way we eat...for life. .

I don't get my band until 11/3 but went today for the nutrition classes. Their literature included a 'diet' they suggest you follow after you start eating solid foods again. I have no intention of following it. The whole point of getting this Lap Band was so that I could eat like a normal person and not 'diet'. In other words, portion control. I will say, however, that I'm not a junk food eater, nor am I a sweet eater. I already make good food choices. I just eat too much of them. .

Thanks. I read somewhere that taking 500mg of Vitamin C six times a day at the first sign of a flu/cold sometimes helps. So that's what I'm doing. No preop diet, but I just finished a 4-day simplified master cleanse and now I'm doing three no carb Protein shakes a day and a low carb dinner. My belly seems to be the first thing affected which means it should be a bit easier for the doc doing the surgery. .

Glad to hear you're home and doing well!

Well today was my preop workup. Gallbladder scan, x-rays, ekg, bloodwork, respiratory, yada yada...all came back normal. Had my visit with the doc and nutritionist and I'm set for a surgery date of Nov. 3rd! Of course, my son came down with a flu this past weekend, and I'm feeling a bit 'chesty' today so Murphy's Law says I'm going to come down with a full blow chest cold and have to cancel my surgery. :thumbup: .

I didn't, but I'll see him when I go in for my bloodwork in two more days. From a 'health' standpoint, my blood sugar is now dropping into the normal range. I'm with you. This is a great kickstart to a new life.

Don't lose hope. With a BMI of 48, they cannot reasonably state it is not a medical necessity. Perhaps there's an error in the records your doctor sent...like they recorded the weight wrong. Rather than call the doctor, I'd call BC and ask them how they can justify it as not 'medically necessary' because the doctors will only be able to tell you what the insurance told them. Go to the source. .

Talk to your doctor. Two slimfasts are only 380 calories and 20 carbs *total*. That's nonsense. Perhaps you misunderstood? .

Update: My surgery is set for Nov 3rd assuming all the bloodwork comes back ok, and I have no reason to think it won't. No special prediet but I'm doing a MasterCleanse right now (day 3 of 4) and then going on low carb...most likely Protein shakes for Breakfast and lunch and then a low carb meal for dinner. I've lost most of the bloat in my belly already just from two days Master Cleanse, and I'm sure the doc will be pleased not to have to grub around in liver fat two weeks from now. Oh my gosh...just realized my blood work is being done in 2 days and then two more weeks to surgery! .

No offense, but haven't we heard this from people over the years regarding our weight? "You could lose it if you want it badly enough." .

Except that if you have a smoker in the house, your blood will show evidence of 'smoking'. I know someone who works for a company that tried to enforce a rule that employees were not allowed to smoke and then backed it up with random blood tests. She doesn't smoke. Her husband does. She failed the blood tests. They fire her. She sued and won a year's back pay off them. Your friend should find another doctor. Which is not to say that it wouldn't be better to quit smoking. I vaguely remember reading that you don't heal as quickly if you smoke...something to do with the oxygen levels in your blood, maybe? .

Good luck to you both! :thumbup:

15gm of carb per meal pretty much allows you green vegies (broccoli, green Beans, salad type vegies). I have a pretty busy lifestyle as well between owning my own business and my work with the Dept. of Corrections so Breakfast for me is usually a Protein Shake. Sometimes I do the same for lunch if I'm in a hurry. If I have time to prepare, I'll do a caesar salad (homemade dressing so I control the carbs in it) with grilled chicken. dinner is usually some type of Protein (meat, fish, poultry) with a big salad and/or green vegie. In between meals, I'll eat a piece of string cheese just to keep the blood sugar balanced. Tuna or chicken salad with a small cut up tomato makes a good low carb lunch as well. Homemake chicken soup with vegies (no Pasta or rice in it) is a nice lunch in the fall. Oh, and watch the protein bars. Many will say they only have 2* grams of carbs, but if you read the little * explanation, you'll find they have 24 or some such but they don't count 22 of them because they're Fiber. As a diabetic, I found that those 22 grams did make a difference in my blood sugar levels. . .

What's your MasterCleanser? I do a MasterCleanser (that's what they call it) every now and again (and am on day 3 right now) where you mix equal parts lemon juice and maple syrup. Then 6 times a day you put 3 Tbs of this mix in an 8 oz glass of Water and sprinkle about 1/10th of a tsp of cayenne pepper on top. It's only a 4 day cleanse. I'm not hungry, don't have any cravings and have an incredible amount of energy right from the start. Best of all, my blood sugar levels drop to normal without meds and I lose anywhere from 10-18 lbs. Yeah...I know it's mainly water, but it's a great start to a low carb eating plan. Normally, if I go right into low carb, I only gain back 2-3 pounds but then lose it again within another couple of days.

Good luck. Sounds like an idiotic way to determine whether someone is following the diet since there are so many variables as to how fast you lose. .

Abby, I'm getting mine done at Barix. They don't require me to do anything more than my insurance and my own health mandates. I'm a fairly healthy individual with obesity being my only comorbidity. They are not requiring an upper GI, EKG, etc. Just the usual pre-surgery bloodwork. They have an excellent reputation and I've talked to others who've had the surgery through them. The amount of pre-surgery tests varies and was dependent on the medical needs of each patient. However, based on what you've said in the OP, I'd find another doctor. Heaven forbid you actually get the surgery through them and they continue to 'listen' this well afterward when you need follow-up support. As for the program fee...Barix does not charge a 'program' fee and neither did any of the other 4 bariatric centers I looked into. I'd definitely look around. .

Isopure Dutch chocolate low carb from GNC. I used to prefer Slim Fast low carb, but the Isopure is actually better. A bit thinner but without the aftertaste. Best of all it has 40 gm Protein vs the 10 in Slim Fast. Imagine drinking 4 12oz cans of slim fast after the surgery just to get the same amount of protein. :confused: .

This is really good advice and all part of changing the lifestyle that led to our obesity to begin with. .

Another lap band buddy! .

I wasn't required to lose weight, but interestingly, I lost 10 pounds during the 3 week process from seminar to approval. Now I'm on a low carb diet just because I want to feel better going into surgery. .

Lap Band Buddy! Is your doc making you do a liquid diet or special diet pre-surgery? Mine isn't, but I'm going to do a low carb, high Protein diet anyway. It can only help! I went to GNC tonight to stock up on some Alpine Punch and Mango Peach Isopure. Tasty enough that I won't upchuck them, but not so tasty that I'll go, "Hey...think I'll have another." :scared2: .

My husband loves to do this to me. We'll go to the store and he parks *allll* the way back in the back. I swear I have to walk a quarter mile just to walk both ways across the parking lot. .

Thanks, Cathy. I was given my date today (Nov 3rd) and I'm ready to go forward with this. I've taken all of these posts into account and am not hearing anything new. My main difficulty in controlling my weight has always been that I never feel full and I've used the carbs (potatoes, bread, Pasta, etc.) to fill that 'void'. I'm not a sweet eater so the pounds were put on by too much food and an ever increasingly sedentary lifestyle. When I stopped backpacking, playing tennis, swimming, etc. (right after the birth of my youngest), I didn't stop eating the carbs, so the pounds packed on which led to an even more sedentary lifestyle. When I lost the 70 lbs, I became more active as I lose the weight and that's how I've maintained for 6 years. That's the plan for this next 120 pounds. To regain my previously active lifestyle (now that my youngest is grown), but also to get rid of those excess carbs so instead of weighing 200, I'll get closer to my goal weight. .