AlienBandit

Wow it sounds like you had a hard time with your fill. Luckiy that has never happened to me. As for the question asked, I never eat before a fill. This is because my doctor makes me drink some liquids before I leave after I get a fill and if I am too tight and some food is still present I am afraid it will get stuck.

When my fill seems to much I stick to hot liquids to open the band some more. Usually after a day or two I am fine. Glad to hear your doing better.

Here take a look at this link. Mini Tummy Tucks vs. Full Tummy Tucks

I am sorry this is going to be long. This is most of the info on the website Here is the info from the website Days 1 & 2: Liquid Protein low-carb Protein shakes, broth, clear or cream Soups, sugar-free Gelatin and pudding. Carb Monster Soup Mixes. ( if you buy the package set) The first two days are all liquids. You can have as many low-carb protein shakes as you like to satisfy hunger or cravings. In addition drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of Water each day. The purpose of all liquids is to break any snacking, grazing or processed carbohydrate habits. In addition the liquids will work to cleanse your system and prepare you for the following three days. Try to reduce your caffeine intake as well, but do not stop caffeine cold turkey or you will feel sick and frustrated potentially losing the desire to continue with the pouch test. Here are some recipe ideas Days 1 & 2 recipes - Liquid Protein Mocha smoothie by Andie Jamari Page 6 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 1/2 cup decaffeinated coffee 1/2 cup skim milk 2 Tablespoons vanilla or unflavored Protein powder 1 Tablespoon cocoa 4 teaspoons Splenda (or sweetener of your choice) 5 ice cubes Directions: Place all ingredients in blender container, cover and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves one. Per serving: 110 calories, 15 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrate and a trace of fat. Pina Colada Protein shake by BamaGal Page 6 Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 1 cup water 2 packets Splenda 2 scoops vanilla protein powder 8 ice cubes 1 teaspoon pineapple extract 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Recipe Note: protein count will vary depending upon the brand of protein powder used. Please consult product label for nutritional information. Vanilla Chai Smoothie by Andie Jamari Page 12 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 1 cup skim milk 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 cup Splenda 1/3 cup unflavored or vanilla protein powder 3 teaspoons instant tea mix, unsweetened 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon 8 ice cubes Directions: Place all ingredients into blender container; cover and mix until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. Serve 2. Per serving: 110 calories, 16 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrate and no fat. unjury Hi-Protein Pudding by Andie Jamari Page 47 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 1 (4 servings per package) package Jell-O sugar-free instant pudding, any flavor 2 cups fat free milk 2 scoops Unjury unflavored protein powder Directions: Measure 2 cups of cold fat free milk and add two scoops of unflavored Unjury. Shake or stir until Unjury is completely dissolved into milk. Place the sugar free pudding mix in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in milk mixture. Whisk until smooth. Cover and chill. Serves 4. Each 1/4 cup serving has 14 grams protein. Day 3: Soft Proteins The next three days you get to eat as much as you want as often as you want! Ahhh, but there's a catch: it has to be solid protein and you only get 15 minutes each time you sit down to eat. No drinking 30 minutes before or after meals and no drinking with your food. A dry pouch will hold your soft protein longer helping your to feel full and fed longer. Protein Recommendations: canned fish (tuna or salmon) mixed with lemon and seasoned with salt and pepper, cottage cheese, canned chicken, eggs cooked as desired seasoned with salt pepper and/or salsa, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, orange roughy), baked or grilled, and lightly seasoned. This starts your program with "soft" protein. Measure your portion (1 cup volume or 4-6 ounces weight) and eat only until you feel full, not overfull. Remember, no water for 30 minutes before or after you meal, and no fluids with your meal. We are going back to the beginning and fluids will prevent you from feeling the pouch. If you need to add a moist condiment ( Miracle Whip or mayonnaise) to the canned fish I understand, but keep it to a minimum so the meat is not too moist. One reason we lose the sense of tightness in our pouch is that we eat "slider foods" - foods that are too moist and do not stay in the pouch very long, they slide right through the stoma. Recipes Turkey Egg salad Serves 12 (about 1-cup each serving) 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise 1/2 cup vinaigrette 1/2 cup relish 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1/4 cup green onion, chopped 6 eggs, hard-boiled, chopped 6 cups turkey breast, boneless and skinless, chopped Mix mayonnaise, vinaigrette, eggs, relish, celery and green onion seed in large bowl. Gently stir in turkey. COVER and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Nutritional data: 247 calories. Protein, 32 grams (54%); Fat, 9 grams (33%); Carbohydrates, 8 grams (14%). Feta Chicken Salad Traditional chicken salad pumped-up with the flavor of feta cheese. This is satisfyingly delicious made with freshly cooked chicken, store-bought rotisserie chicken or canned chicken. Enjoy on a bed of lettuce. 3 cups diced cooked chicken 2 large stalks celery, diced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1/2 red onion, diced 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 6 tablespoons sour cream 1 (4 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled 2 teaspoons dried dill weed 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste In a serving bowl, mix together the chicken, celery, and red onion. In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, and dill. Pour over the chicken mixture, and stir to blend. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving. Day 4: Firm Protein Protein Recommendations: ground meat (beef, turkey, lamb) cooked dry and lightly seasoned, shellfish, scallops, lobster steamed and seasoned only with lemon, salmon or halibut steaks, grilled and lightly seasoned. By now you should be experiencing that familiar tightness that will reassure you that your pouch is working. Remember to drink plenty of water between meals. Take some time to meditate and rediscover the wonder of your pouch. Often we don't like that uncomfortable tightness of the pouch, which is why we gradually move toward slider foods that don't make us uncomfortable. It is always my preference to eat moist protein so I don't get uncomfortable, but doing so allows me to consume more than I should. Rediscovering the pouch with this 5-day plan reminds me of how the tool really works. I hope by now you are rediscovering your tool and enjoying the hope and excitement because your pouch still works. Recipes Baked Halibut with Herbs - Recipe of the Week page 98 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 2 6-oz halibut steaks or fillets 1/4 cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken stock 1 lemon, zested and juiced 3 medium cloves garlic, pressed 2 tablespoons capers 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon 1 tablespoons chopped fresh chives salt and pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Place the fish in a baking dish just large enough to hold them, and add remaining ingredients. Cover, and bake until done, about 15 minutes; don't overcook. Serve at once, pouring the pan juices over the fish. Halibut is 40 calories per ounce and 7 grams of protein per ounce. It is rich in tryptophan, selenium, Vitamin B3 (niacin), phosphorus and magnesium. Herbed Scallops by Beth Omicioli "BuffyCT" Page 120 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 5 oz. scallops 1/2 clove minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine 2 tablespoons minced onion 1 scallion minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon lemon juice salt and pepper to taste pinch dried tarragon Directions: Saute onion, garlic and scallion in butter. Add scallops, salt and pepper. Add herbs. Cook 5 minutes or until scallops are opaque. Do not over cook. Add lemon juice. Serve warm. Enjoy! Serves two. Per serving: 88 calories, 12 grams protein, 3 grams fat (2 saturated) and 2 grams carbohydrate. Mediterranean Turkey Patties by Lucinda Page 128 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 2 1/4 lbs. ground turkey 1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion 3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro 1 large clove garlic, minced 4 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a large bowl until well blended (can be refrigerated in a covered container for several hours or overnight). Form the turkey mixture into 6 patties. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the turkey patties and saute for 4-5 minutes on each side. To serve, place a turkey patty on each of six dinner plates and top with a dollop of Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Dip, if desired. Serves six. Per serving: 298 calories, 30 grams protein, 19 grams fat (4 saturated) and 1 gram carbohydrate. Cajun Shrimp This is an easy recipe. You can substitute a ready-made Cajun spice blend for the custom spice blend here. Use 2-3 tablespoons of a ready-made blend, but be aware of increased sodium content and MSGs. Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon paprika 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal bag and shake to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add shrimp; sauté 4 minutes or until shrimp are done. Per 5 ounce serving: 215 calories, 35 grams protein, 6 grams fat and 2 grams carbohydrate. Rich inVitamin B12, zinc and Niacin. Salisbury Steak We provide three ground meat options to suit your personal taste. Ingredients: 1 pound ground meat of your choice 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 egg 1 large onion, sliced 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth 1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms, drained 2 tablespoons cold water 2 teaspoons cornstarch Directions Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and egg: shape into 4 oval patties, each about 3/4 inch thick. Cook patties in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat from skillet. Add onion, broth and mushrooms. Heat to boiling: reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove patties to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm. Heat onion mixture to boiling. In a small bowl whisk together water and cornstarch. Stir into onion mixture whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and continue whisking for 1 minute as mixture thickens. Serve sauce over meat patties. Per serving using extra lean ground beef: 321 calories, 27 grams protein, 21 grams fat (8 saturated), 6 grams carbohydrate and 1 gram dietary Fiber. Per serving using lean ground pork: 354 calories, 24 grams protein, 25 grams fat (9 saturated), 6 grams carbohydrate and 1 gram dietary fiber. Per serving using ground turkey: 225 calories, 25 grams protein, 11 grams fat (3 saturated), 6 grams carbohydrate and 1 gram dietary fiber. Day 5: Solid Protein Protein Recommendations: white meat poultry cooked dry and lightly seasoned, beef steak (if tolerated) grilled or broiled. Remember to chew chew chew. Measure your portion (4-6 ounces) and eat only until you feel your pouch tighten. Remember, only 15 minutes per meal, so you'll have to work fast to chew your food completely. By now you should be out of any carb cycle you were in and perhaps you have lost a pound or two. You will have new confidence in your pouch and your ability to work the tool for your health and emotional well being. Don't go hungry! Remember, you can eat as often as you want as long as it is solid protein, consumed without liquids and measured in 4-6 ounce portions. Recipes Easy Lemon Chicken by Beth Omicioli "BuffyCT" Page 114 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, halved 1/2 cup white wine cooking spray 1 whole lemon, juiced 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning lemon slices for garnish Directions: Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan. Add wine, lemon jice and lemon pepper and cook over medium high heat until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm under foil. Add butter and flour to juices in pan and cook on high 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve chicken with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices. Enjoy! Serves four. Per serving: 150 calories, 14 grams protein, 7 grams fat and 3 grams carbohydrate. Italian Stuffed Chicken by Andie Jamari Page 121 - Neighborhood Cookbook Ingredients: 1 medium chicken breast, boneless, skinless 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing, fat free 1/2 cup bread crumbs, Italian style 2 pieces mozzarella string cheese, low fat olive oil flavored cooking spray Directions: Flatten chicken breast and dip into Italian salad dressing, coating thoroughly. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs. Roll the chicken breast around one or two pieces of string cheese. Place in an ovenproof casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Contributor's Note: You can vary this recipe according to your own taste. Marinate the chicken for about an hour if you want a spicier Italian taste. Or add a slice of ham before rolling up the chicken. Add some basil pesto or red pepper spread. Or change the type of cheese. Make it your own persona creation. A serving, 1/2 of the breast, is 416 calories, 38 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrate and 23 grams fat. Florentine Steak by Kaye Bailey Page 116 - Neighborhood Cookbook I like to use T-Bone steak for this recipe but any thick-cut of beef will work nicely. Plan ahead as the marinating time is quite long. One large (16-ounce) steak serves four. Ingredients: 1 large T-bone steak (16-ounces or larger) 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4-5 fresh rosemary sprigs 3 garlic cloves, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions: Place the steak in a shallow dish. Mix together the olive oil, rosemary and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the steak, cover and let stand in the refrigerator to marinate for 24-48 hours turning occasionally. Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. Heat grill or broiler until it is very hot. Grill the meat to taste turning to cook the steak evenly on both sides. Remove from grill and allow to rest 6-10 minutes. Drizzle steak with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Slice steak crosswise in thin strips to serve. A 3-ounce serving of beef T-bone steak has 161 calories, 22 grams protein, 7.4 grams fat and no sugar or carbohydrate. Parmesan Baked Fish, Recipe of the Week Ingredients: 4 each: 4-ounce fresh or frozen skinless salmon or other firm fish fillets, 3/4 to 1" thick 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise or salad dressing 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives or sliced green onion 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Directions: Thaw fish, if frozen. In a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, chives and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Place fish in a greased 2-quart square or rectangular baking dish. Tuck under any thin edges. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over fish. Bake, uncovered, in 450-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Nutrition: 302 calories. 22 grams fat (4 grams saturated). 25 grams protein, 0 carbs. This mayonnaise-Parmesan topping is great on baked chicken too! Bake boneless-skinless chicken pieces 25 minutes, remove from oven and spread with mayonnaise mixture, return to oven to bake 15-minutes longer. Delicious! again all of this is off of the website

I think most of us would be more then willing to help. We all have different challenges being different people living in different places. Feel free to ask me anything or check out my blog if your looking for some in particular

This is a great link that lets you compare surgeries Check it out Compare LAP-BAND® to Other Weight Loss Options | LAP-BAND®

all passion pit like sleepy head or electric feel. Really up beat music

I just had a mini tummy tuck and some work done on my belly button. The pain was very minimal and easy to live with. I am 7 days post op and this is my second day back at work. So far everything is looking ok but the results are hard to see because I am still swollen. There are pics on my blog. I am so glad I had it done. My belly button doesn't look like a second mouth anymore. Good luck with everything

See I live alone so I had to make my apartment super post op friendly because I didn't have anyone to help me. Luckily I recovered quickly so I had no problem doing things on my own. I bought pre made dinner boxes, made some things and left in my fridge for meals, cleaned my apartment, sent my dogs to the sitters etc. Things are going really well for me. I am still swollen but it doesn't hurt to walk to do many normal things. I am half way through my first day back at work ( day 6 post op) and I am surviving. Thanks for reading my blog, I hope there is some stuff there to help you out. Again good luck and if I think of anything else I'll let you know :smile:

You dont need to spend any money buying anything unnecessary for the test. It is basically just a diet where you do 2 days liquid one day soft food one day firm food and one day normal food. All you have to go is follow the requirements of what your allowed to have each day. There is a package you can order with some recipes etc but I have never ordered it. I don't think it could be shipped here. The package does look helpful though.

The 5 day pouch test is great to get back on track and get rid of cravings. I use it when I fall off the wagon really bad or after a big fill. The first time I did it I nearly lost 3kg! If you want to see how I did with it just go to my blog and search the 5 day pouch test :smile:

My best advice to you would be Do a super clean before surgery so your house will stay clean for a while after surgery. Try to wear comfy clothes and slip on shoes to your surgery. Depending on how long you stay at the hospital wet wipes might be good to take to use on your face etc when you can't move around a lot. Many doctors recommend using dial soap to wash before the surgery and after surgery ( not just regular soap). Prepare tons of comfy clothes for when you get back. If the drawer is low bring out of of the items because it will be hard to bend down after surgery. It might be difficult to put on over your head kind of shirts so prepare some good button up shirts for your days of recovery. It is hard to bend down and reach up after surgery so make sure items you will need from the cupboards are lowered ( this is of course if you live alone and don't have anyone to help you after surgery) Get a good shower chair for after surgery. Make sure you have some face clothes to use at first for showers because you won't be able to get your whole body wet. Buy or get out lots of extra pillows as you will need them to help you sleep in a more comfortable position. Prepare some food before surgery so you can easy just pop something into the microwave and eat after your surgery. Get some ice packs to use after surgery and a heating pad ( for your sore back). Also depending on how low your incision might be (mini tummy tuck incision can be lower), it might be good to get a wax down there as just shaving won't last very long and all that tape might cause some problems. Try to rest lots as you will be tired a lot after surgery. Good luck on your surgery! That is a great x-mas gift to yourself :smile:

I just had a mini tummy tuck on Oct 9th. After years of being overweight, losing weight, gaining weight etc my stomach was not my favorite part of my body. Luckily my band doc is also a plastic surgeon so I wasn't worried about my band being affected. Due to my port sticking out of my skin, my doc actually moved my port and right now I am not sure where it is exactly I can't feel it at all. As for your scars and stretch marks, it depends on what kind of tummy tuck you have (full or mini) to whether it will take away a lot of your scars and stretch marks. The tuck would stretch your skin down and take away some of your skin meaning some of the stretch marks might be cut away. I have seen some people before photos of a tummy tuck who had stretch marks and they look so good after the tuck and a lot of their stretch marks are gone. Do some research about tummy tucks and stretch marks to see what some other peoples results have been.

Sue you are so right about being tired, it hit me very hard while I was out and slept like a log on the train back home and then had another few hour nap once I got home. However if I am just at home resting it doesn't happen as bad. Cher thanks for the compliment. My stomach is still really swollen so it will prob look different after a while. Since I just had a mini tummy tuck the pain wasn't bad at all. I think the band surgery was more painful then this surgery. I was back on my feet faster after this surgery then I was after my band surgery for sure. I was banded on Saturday Oct 9 and going back to work tomorrow Oct 14 so I took 3 days off work and had Sat and Sun to recover as well. I think I will be fine because I only have to work Thurs and Fri then have 2 days of rest on this weekend coming. However I did already say that I could have gone to work on Monday. It is nice though to actually have time to recover and rest at home after a surgery (my first time to be able to recovery after a surgery). I'm about to change my bandages so I will post a new photo soon.

I was 24 when I got banded and have done this entire journey alone. I live half way across the world from my family so it was best I didnt tell them. I even kept all my surgeries a secret from my friends here. Good luck with your weight loss. With a good support group you can do great

Thanks for keeping up with me Sue. So I saaw one of my incisions and it isnt a normal tummy tuck I think my doc did a mini and changed my belly button too. I could honestly go back to work tomorrow but will enjoy my time off instead

If something was left in your stomach it would be way infected by now and probably green. It might be scar tissue or something near your port.

First of all there is stomach erosion and band erosion. To prevent stomach erosion dont consume tons of alhocol or spicy food make sure not to get large fills at a time or too close together. After a fill or pb episode make sure to follow your doctors orders like liquids for a few days etc. Dont get over filled that can cause acid reflux. Me personally i take a tums a day at night to help prevent stomach erosion whih i already had

Thanks Sue! Yes I am not planning much time off work but if i need to I do have more sick days just trying to avoid using them. Luckily I will be at the hospital a minimum of 3 days and might stay 5 just in case. I will see how I feel. I will update my blog as soon as I get my vision back ( it goes really weird after surgeries). Thankfully I can do it from my hospital bed thanks to my phone :thumbup:

any up date on this possible new fill place?

Weight loss can be slow with bandsters who have a low BMI however I started with a BMI of 33 ( but didnt do a pre op diet). After I was banded I lost 20 lbs in my first post op month. Within 4 months I had lost about 55 lbs. It is the last 15 pounds that are killing me, not the first. Don't worry if you don't lost a lot before being banded. As long as you follow your doctors orders, have a good diet and exercise you will lose your weight. Also don't be discouraged if you weight loss is slow. We all lose differently but get the end result that we are hoping for. You can do this :thumbup:

even though I have had a ton of surgeries I am still a big baby when it comes to pain and needles. I used to get my doc to freeze my stomach with litocan before a fill because I thought it would hurt so much. One time he got me to try it without freezing and the fill actually felt better without freezing! It didn't hurt at all! Don't worry, it is as easy as pie

I have everything documented in my blog like foods ieat, how much i lost each week and month etc. You can see my month summary on the right side of my blog and the rest detailed in my posts.

I am so sorry your mom is being so hard are you. Would she rather you have more serious medical problems because your not at a healthy weight etc? Your lucky at least to have a support inlaw family. My situation is not exactly the same but might be in the future. See I live half way across the world from my family. It was supposed to be a year away that has turned into a few more years. I had the surgery in Korea and never told my family back home. I knew they would protest because they didn't know how heavy I actually was, would be afraid because I wasn't home, would think it wasnt necessary for the surgery and wouldn't want their "baby" ( I was 24) to have a very serious surgery. I have done this entire journey alone because I didn't even tell my friends here. Though it was somewhat a challenge it made me stronger and more independent. I was able to do everything even the recovery without anyones help. Though not everyone thinks they are strong enough to do that I know you can be strong enough if you try. Don't let your mothers negativity bother you. Once you get the surgery and lose weight, she might come around and see it was a good thing to get done. You are doing this for your health not for anything [or anyone] else. I hope my family will be like your in-laws when I finally tell them the truth

It sounds like you have the lap band ap large band which is 14cc I have the lapband ap small band ( 10cc). There are tons of bands other then lapband and realize. I had the SAG band before with 10cc in it ( 11cc band) and barely had restriction. Now with this band (different shape etc) I have more restriction and I only have 6cc in it right now. Good luck on your journey :smile2: