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Regarding cottage cheese I could have that on day 15.

That is very odd to me. I had a fill at like 6 weeks. Very few people get any help from the band until they have fills. I think it's stupid for a surgeon to hold fills hostage. I have heard doctors refusing fills if someone is loosing a lot without a fill (more than 2 pounds a week). I think the theory there is that if they are losing a lot they are probably also shedding weight around the stomach. That is makes sense to wait unitl they are done losing weight around the stomach before tightening the band. As a slow loser I would be very ticked off. Also it has taken me 6 months to approach restriction. On his schedule you might not get any help from the band for a year. Many doctors say even with the band that you lose most the weight in the first year. So wheres the logic?

I have to say I would be concerned about this doctors office at this point. They say band does'nt work and the sleeve leaks so go with bypass. Well are'nt they doing the surgery? How come the sleeve leaks so much? Aren't they training people before surgery about changing their philosphy towards food? The band WILL NOT be successful if you don't change how you look at food and in my opinion if you are a not willing exercise. Could be difficult depending on where you live but I would look for a new doctors office. At my first consult with the nurse practioner she asked which surgery I had in mind and I told her the band. She said "well normally for someone at your weight we would suggest bypass (334, 5'4"); but it's your decision. As it was after hearing that I'd had a ministroke the doctor said there was no way he could do a bypass due to the chance off having another blood clot. As it was he warned worse case scenario I could have another stroke (I did not).

I am also cold all the time. In general all my family have low body temp (around 96). If I have a temp of 100 I am seriously sick. My thyroid levels were low in a recent test so the doctor redid it. The next time the level was fine.

Part of your issue could be that you are still on mushies (though you may be on solids) which will especially slip through the band when you drink. I normally drink 20 oz or so like 10 minutes before meals. My doctor says an hour after eating you can start drinking.

My Nut. has never said anything about fruited yoghurt and she knows I have it everyday for Breakfast. I consider it one of my fruit/veggie servings for the day. Tacit approval or wishful thinking? nu2ywg, I add Splendra to nonfat Greek yoghurt because it is just super sour. Yeh I know artifical sweenter but I won't eat it without. Also since I'm eating it as a meal I add half a scoop of vanilla whey Isolate which brings it to about 25 g. Protein (also add 1 protein scoop of kashi go lean protein cereal)

Not to be a downer but no. I did not see any restriction until 9.4; saw more at 10; hoping to be in my green zone now at 10.6.

I agree you need a small unfill. Don't try to gut it out, I've read of being two tight over a period of time leading to slipping.

As many of you know one of my personal favorites is Greek Yohurt. Well I was zoning at the grocery store picking up my weekly truckload and saw a new flavor, Mango! Mmm I thought that sounds good. Well I get them home and they are 2% not nonfat. So I ponder that and say I'm not throughing them away! Who know that 3 g of fat could matter soooo much! Boy do they taste good and so much more creamy. Don't worry I'll be back to my nonfat when these are gone.

Congratulations on your loss so far! Think of is as weight you won't have to lose again. I make shakes with fat free milk because they taste better; and it only adds 90 cal for 10 g protein. I guess it could depend on how many you are eating a day. If you have 3 as meal replacements I don't think the extra cal. are that bad. But that is just my opinion. When I've spoken to clerks at Vitamin Shoppe about Vanilla they say that's the hardest flavor to make taste good by itself. That's were you can get into trouble. If the plain shake is boring you are more likely to add other things to it that will raise the calorie content.

Did you doctor give you a food plan? I am only reiterating that question because I would never tell you not to follow your doctors orders and they can vary. If they said to only have Protein shakes I would do that. Unless they specifically said to have fruit I would drop it for now. It is high in calories/carbs. Some hints to improve the taste of shakes is to mix them in a blender with: "milk cubes", ice cubes, fat free milk, sugar/fat free pudding powder, Davinchi sugar free syrups (found in the coffe isle), maybe Splendra. Did you buy the smoothy or make it at home? Almost guarenteed one you can buy will be high in cal and low in protein. If they said you could have solids I would have protein centered meals and Snacks. Fish is fine but eat is plain no breading, cheese, butter (same is true for chicken/turkey). For breakfast both pre and post surgery I have Greek yoghurt (greek yoghurt is much higher in protein, and lower in carbs). I personally like non fat Chobani with fuit. I add half a scoop of vanilla whey isolate protein, splendra (greek yoghurt is sour). Personally I would stick to lean meats and cut out port, beef. Also egg whites (I would skip the yolks as they add 70 cal per egg, which is 140 cals for two.) would be a good meal option (made non stick spray no butter, cheese) If you need a snack have a low fat cheese stick, Jello, no suger added (no fruit added) popsicles (crystal lite) version are good). No to sugar based lemonaid, again get crystal lite. I'm on the fence about the applesauce. If you are going to eat it I would get the individual servings with no added sugar. I would drop the potatos simply because they are probably made with butter and cream. I did'nt really have a pre op diet because I was losing weight on my own. Two weeks preop I did a shake in the morning, a low fat/cal protein based lunch, and shake for dinner. Your milage may vary.

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What has your doctor told you to eat? My doctor recommends whey Isolate Protein powder. Remember protein keeps you full longer than carbs. shakes like slimfast and carnation instant Breakfast do not have enough protein and won't keep you as full. I like Dymatize vanilla and Gold Standard Double chocolate. From costco Premier ready to drink protein is very good and has 30 g protein for only 160 calories. Also space out your food as much as possible. I understand if you only have one shake you will still be hungry. If however you know you can have something else in a couple hours it may help you stop snacking on unapproved food. FYI post op you will probably have 2 weeks of liquids and you can not cheat then it will be very bad for your stomach!

Hi. I don't understand why doctors put fills in during surgery. I can't tell you how many people post on here that they are having huge problems post op and it turns out they have a fill. My other concern is it sounds to me like you doctor is progressing you to fast regarding your "diet". You actually are not a month out more like 3 weeks. Based on my doctors plan this week would have been stage one mushies: cottage cheese, ricotta cheese. Tomorrow would be stage two mushies: adding mashed potato, canned chicken and tuna. I would not have been allowed solids until 3/3. Considering my doctors rules and the huge problem you had I don't understand why he is having you eat solids. Why not be more conservative? Yes Being on Mushies and liquids is sucky but you would probably be less sick. Please understand I am questioning the doctors judgement and not that you are following his/her orders. I am hoping that after 6 months yesterdays fill will give me the right restriction. The nurse was emphatic "If you can't eat solid Protein you are too tight! If you can only eat sliders and liquids you are too tight. Having the band too tight is bad for you in the long term. Not only can having the band too tight cause the band to slip and require another surgery. Which would be very bad! But if you can only eat eating slider foods they are probably going to be high in calories. There is nothing wrong with white potatos in the natural form. Having the mashed would not be a problem if you made them with some fat free milk; the problem is we don't do that we add cream and butter. I think you should get a complete until. I did not even get a fill until I was 6 weeks out.

Eating out or at a party I say to myself "eating that food is bad for me, or now that the band is helping me with hunger I don't have the urge to eat a cookie just because it was offered". I like tasty foods (we are built that way); I just need help not eating something because it's there. I will say that many of us having been mistreated because of our weight need to remember those moments. My mother has always said "the only thing worse than a recovering alcoholic is a recovering fat person!" They are very quick to point out someone elses poor food choices.

I agree with Elfiepoo that for me the weight distribution has been different in this banding process. Ten years ago I went on a MAJOR diet lost well over 100 exercised daily (including weight lifting). It was more of a low fat diet. I find this time with more of protein based diet (low fat somewhat low carb) that I am taking lower sizes at a higher weight!

How many calories are you consuming? The other day while swimming I felt very faint. Yes I know fainting while swimming could lead to you know drowning! I think it was because I had not eaten much that day and it had been quite a while since lunch.

Keeping in mind I swam before surgery. I was allowed to resume swimming after two weeks. The first week I used the treadmill no incline, week two used the elliptical machine.

Very Odd. Only time I've had an issue is after a fill when I was swollen. Ask your doctor if they gave you a fill at surgery that could be causing your problem.

I am the ultimate slow loser. Today I had like my 10 fill and after 6 months am at 10.6 CCs. I understand you are trying to stay under 1,500 cal but I would also review what you're eating. Take a look at what your trigger foods are. For me it's crackers, chips (even low fat), Cereal. Until you have restrition you can eat all you want. Personally I had trouble with Bare Naked chocolate granola, ate it by the hand fulls; and honey roasted crunchy Peter Pan Peanut Butter. Had to stop cold turkey. Regarding exercise I highly recommend lap swimming. It is easier for over weight people to do because it's easy on the joints. When I started (way before banding) I did an hour. I still do an hour but am now able to work a lot harder.

Not to give you a hard time but I just looked it up and it said 250 for 8 oz and only 20 g protein, 4 g fat. The bottle also holds two servings so really it is 500 cal for 40 g protein. Premier RTD is 160 cal for 30 g protein.

My doctor says 3 oz by weight of solid protein and then veggies/fruits. I use a digital scale and use a "lunch/sandwich" plate. I refuse to use baby silverware. Until you hit restriction this is a diet. Once you are on solids eat the perscribed amounts and then stop. While my Nut does'nt want me to get in the habit of snacks; she does approve having one between lunch and dinner. Since I go to the gym in between it can be a longggg time between the two for me. If you are having a snack I would recommend either veggies (no dip), greek yoghurt (excellent source of portein for the calories), low fat cheese stick.

I don't really have an answer for you. I can tell you that gall bladder pains are debilitating! Horrible. How much weight have you lost? Usually it's from losing alot of weight (like 75+) in a short span. One test they can do is an ultrasound to look at the gall bladder. Though it can also be problem for those they call the Female, Fat, Forty, Fertile crowd(no weight loss required). I had mine out at 19 after losing over 100 pounds.

Liquids and mushies are sucky. I have two thoughts about your issue with solids. I wonder if you are having troubles because your progression to solids was to fast (Yes understand you are following your doctors orders). Three weeks out I was only being allowed shredding chicken. It was like week 5 before I got solids. Also you mentioned gettig stuck with mushies. I have only had stuck instances from raw carrots (those suckers are hard!). Did you doctor give you a fill at surgery? If so that could explain your problems with mushies and now solids. Once you've progressed to solids you need to be able to eat dense Proteins. As you mentioned liquids slide through but solids stay around to keep you full. It is bad for you to be too tight; so I would call the office to see if you've any fill you may need a small unfill.