anglov

Mine is set for May 12th. I too am worried about the pre-op diet. I will be at work for only 3 days of the diet so that is good for my co-workers. I think they are afraid of how mean and cranky I may be. :bored:

I plan on eating every thing that I love that I either won't be able to have anymore or won't have for a long time. The KEY is not pigging out on it. I promised myself that I will have my last meals but in moderation. If I gain any weight they may cancel my surgery. I will lose some on the pre-op diet but if I gain a bunch then I might be in trouble.

That seems so wrong. I don't see how your job can deny you when you gave that much advance notice. Are you taking vacation or short term disability? Short term disability can deny you time off but shouldn't if you have a doctor's recommendation. I would check with your human resources to get this resolved. If you are entitled to time off they can't deny you forever and it is wrong to make you go through this.

I don't have a magic bullet. Mine is a Back to Basics fitness blender from QVC and it comes with two travel mugs with lids and also two cups that you can process food in. The mugs are the best. I blend my Protein shakes/smoothies in there and pop the travel lid on and I am off to work. I get banded May 12th so I have been toying with different shake ideas. It has a dial switch just like a traditional blender.

I am looking forward to using the cups to process my "mushy" foods.

It is the best thing I ever bought.

Hi anglov - good luck with your surgery! I hope that all goes well. I can't imagine having to pay for this on my own, if that were the case, I wouldn't be doing it. I'm lucky my insurance covers 90% - even though they have put me thru the ringer. And they may still even deny me, which I find totally unfair. But here's hoping that they don't. I'm hoping to have my surgery in the end of May, I don't see why not. All my stuff should be submitted to insurance by April 19. *HOPING*

Like you, I'm trying to get everything ready as well. My biggest challenge at the moment is quitting smoking. Everything I'm ready for! Just need to get my stuff ready for my 3 weeks of liquid diet. Still trying to find a Protein drink I like. Which ones did you seem to like?

I will be taking 15 days off. I get 12 weeks short term, but I'm just going to take the time off thru out my liquid diet. Don't really want to be on a liquid diet while at work. Plus the bathroom isn't very close. LOL.

Good luck with everything!! Keep us posted!!

I have to do a 1 week liquid diet which amounts to 3 days actually at work. They are terrified of how cranky I will be.:thumbup::rolleyes2:

I didn't like the Protein drinks from Bariatric Advantage. I had the pre-mixed which were runny and watery tasting and really kind of slimy. I love the Lean shake from GNC but it only has 9g Protein so I have to supplement it with a high Protein powder. More calories which I don't like. I did buy some unflavored to add to broth. It's a liquid just it is warm so I feel like I have some kind of a dinner.

I'm not using my short term at all. Just vacation time. After the 10 days I come back for 1 day then that Friday is my regular day off so I will get another 3 days off. I figure that one day will give me some insight on how I will do at work. I can't imagine doing the liquid for 3 weeks before surgery? I know I have the week before only Protein shakes then the day before is Clear liquids only then after a few days of Clear Liquids, back to protein and so on.

Congratulations! That is awesome. I am inspired now because I am starting out near the same weight and seeing how well you are doing makes me feel like I can too.

My surgery date is May 12th. They had two dates in April but they didn't work out with my job and my co-workers already had those days off. I plan on taking 10 days off from work so I can get used to everything I need to do. I am really excited and trying to get a list together of things to get done before surgery.

My insurance excludes this surgery even if it is medically necessary. I had to get other funding. My company is self insured so they make the rules. No appeals.

I don't understand why people are so cruel. Maybe she was jealous that you were doing something she didn't do.

If anyone at work is unsupportative they haven't said it to my face. They've asked a lot of questions. Several have started Jenny Craig this week I think because of what I am doing. . By them knowing, they are my second line of defense. They see me eat and know what I can and cannot have. Of course if it gets stuck then everyone will know that I ate something I shouldn't have.

Southwestern chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

16 oz jar of salsa, hot medium or mild (your preference)

1 can of black Beans, rinsed

1 cup of frozen corn

Dump all in crockpot and cook on high for 8-10 hours. shredd the chicken in the pot and enjoy.

You can top with a little FF sour cream. Delish.

Family can have it on rice.

I'm scheduled for 05-12-10 and also nervous. I have heard too that there is no way to tell how your skin will respond. At our group class a couple of days ago Karen said that there is a man that lost 100 lbs in 5 months and his skin isn't sagging at all. I also heard that exercise from the start will help build muscle and help with skin elasticity. As one woman put it in our class, as long as she can bend over and tie her shoes she has no problem shoving the excess skin out of the way. Hey! There's always duct tape. You know it has a multitude of uses!!

I have found a Water flavor packet that is great. I don't know if you have a Kroger grocery but it is Kroger's brand of Active Lifestyle Grape flavor. It is Immune Boost. You add to bottled water and shake. It has 600mg of Vitamin C. It has 50% RDA of several vitamins/minerals including B6/B12/Folic Acid and many others.

I also tried the Pure Protein from Target that someone mentioned and the Cookies & Cream is good but it is simply a snack because it doesn't have vitamins/minerals for a Meal Replacement. It is 21g protein in a convenient can.

I haven't found any samples yet. smoothie King also has Protein powder you can buy. In Louisville Ky, it is the protein powder that one of the local hospitals refers its patients to use.

I really like the lean shake from GNC and I add a scoop of wheybolic60 protein. I end up with 29g of protein per shake but is a little high on the calorie side so I am looking for other alternatives. The shake is 180 cal but the one scoop of added protein is an additional 80 cal. I drop a 1/2 a banana in mine with ice and Water and it comes out really thick like a shake.

Thanks, these are all great suggestions. I recently tried the GNC lean shake and added a scoop of wheybolic. Both chocolate. I mixed it with Water and ice and a 1/2 banana and it was very good. The lean shake only has 9g Protein but the wheybolic has 20g per scoop. I am definitely going to try an unflavored to add to Soup so I can have a hot "meal" of sorts.

I told some of my co-workers. Definitely my boss. These are people I deal with daily and that usually involves meals. I also want their support. If they know I have lap band they won't intentionally or unintentionally bring foods around that I can't have. At least during the initial weeks. I know that at some point I will be able eat all foods and then it will be my choice but at first I am very limited and I need their help. Plus if I were to have a complication I wouldn't have to explain. I haven't told all of my family and I may not. I am not as close to some of my family as I am to my co-workers. Sad as that is. I need support and knowing that they know will keep me on track or shame me if I don't. I need that accountability.

I had my initial intake in January 2010. I then scheduled my surgeon's consult for March 25. Two weeks ago I got my paperwork for the surgery and it said if I gain weight between the intake and my surgeon's consult then they may not schedule my surgery. If they do schedule it and I gain any weight between my consult and the surgery they will cancel it and if I don't lose the required weight before surgery to shrink my liver they may cancel it. Wish I had known that at the intake visit in January instead of just finding out two weeks ago. I am starting to replace one meal a day this next week and then work my way up to the all meals once I am told to start the all liquid diet. Hopefull I will lose a little weight doing this way until I start the all liquid diet. Needless to say I am weighing myself daily. I have a tendency to retain Fluid and my legs/feet swell up and as luck would have it, they have been swelling a lot the past few days since my doctor switched up my BP meds.

...last suppers...try not to think of it as something you will miss. At some point you could have those foods again in extreme moderation so look at it as you will get it later. If you go on the thinking you will NEVER have it again then you will pig out on it and pay for that. I could list a lot of foods I love and know I won't have for a long while. Is it worth it to pig on it now?? No it's not. My sugery hopefully will be mid april. I will know March 25. We can all do it if we stick together.

I need help with suggestions and recipes for Protein Shakes that don't taste horrible and do not have aspartame. I am supposed to have between 70-100 grams of Protein a day and no more than 800-1000 calories per day. I tried the doctor's shakes and they are nasty!! I went to GNC and they suggesed the Lean shake which has 9g protein and all the nutrients and mix in a scoop of the wheybolic60 which has 20g protein per scoop. I haven't tried it yet.

My employer excluded it even if medically necessary. I am going self-pay. It would have been nice to have insurance cover it but this is for me so I will do what I have to do.