suzmelon

I am 4 weeks post op and now that I am past all the post op diet restrictions I am wondering how much to actually chew my food. I think I have myself so freaked out about food getting stuck that I might be chewing it too much. I tend to chew it until it's almost liquid. Is that really necessary? The reason I ask is I have a hard time eating because I get so sick of chewing it that after a tiny bit I just give up and tend to reach for a protein shake instead. Any chewing advice would be appreciated!

Can anyone recommend a good app for the Blackberry? I tried downloading a free one but it doesn't seem to work well. Susie

Hi Shelly, fellow August 16th bandster here. I know how you feel about all the sweets. I normally have a sweet tooth but this liquid thing is killing me. I am literally sucking on pretzels and spitting them out to get some other flavor into my mouth. I unfortunately cannot have shakes until next Monday (a whole week of nothing but clear liquids). However, during my pre-op phase I used to spice up the shakes to take some of the sweetness out. Cinnamon is good with vanilla shakes and I like adding extracts (such as almond) to the chocolate ones. It doesn't take all the sweetness out but it does tone it down a bit. Susie

I woke up feeling really weak and shakey this morning. Anyone got any tips for that? I did get good sleep last night. I am guessing it's maybe because of the clear liquid thing. I am already sick of juice...I usually have a sweet tooth but the juice is even too sweet for me! Susie

Congrats to all the other August 16th bandsters (Becky, Dee, Amanda, Laurie...I think there was a Jason too, and anyone else I missed) I too got my band in today. Unlike most of you I was able to go home. I've been a little sore today and a bit of gas pain in my lower back, but other than that I'm doing quite well. Anxious to hear how everyone else's surgeries went today! Susie

Wow, I am so excited to see all the activity on this board. I joined the August 2010 board back in June but there wasn't much activity so I haven't been back for awhile. I will be banded on August 16th. So far I see that Laurie, msdv, Jason and I all have the same day!! I am currently on a 10 day shake only diet. The first day way really rough. I drank a Special K Protein shake that I didn't realize had a soy product that I am allergic to and I spent the evening throwing up...YIKES! I was so worried it was going to make me gag every time I had a shake, but 3 days later and I am doing fine. Carnation Instant Breakfast has been my favorite...add a little cinnamon to the vanilla one, it's delicious!!! I'm so excited to see most August Rushers who have already had the surgery seem to be doing well...I hope my surgery goes as well as all of yours did. I have a desk job but I still took a full week off of work. I probably didn't need that much, but if I feel better then it's just more time to get stuff done around the house since we are trying to get in ready to put on the market. Gee...you think maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew with moving and having surgery so close together (ha-ha) Also just want to add that I've told all of my family about the surgery and after it's over plan to tell my coworkers. I'd rather they know the truth then deal with all the whispering as the weight falls off. So sorry for the rambling, there were just so many topics covered since I last signed on that I figured I would try and comment on them!

Kurby, I am with you...I am such an emotional eater I am worried about how I am going to fix that part. I know unless I can get my head around that part this might not be the right tool for me...but I've got to give it a shot. I have one month before I have to do a 10 day high Protein liquid diet. It seems like everyday I keep saying to myself that it's fine...I can eat whatever I want because it's all going to come to an end. Kind of like every day is my "last supper". Luckily I haven't gained any yet. I think it's because I signed up for a walking program at work and I am tracking my steps with a pedometer and it really is getting me to move more. Glad to see so many joiners...hopefully we can be an active group and support each other through this. Suz

My doctor does not require any weight loss before surgery. I thought it couldn't hurt to get started. For those of you that had to do a full blown diet...what does it consist of? Was it shakes? If yes...any in particular that you recommend and how many a day did you have?

Hello everyone, I'm new here too. I have spent quite a bit of time reading lots of these boards in order to be prepared for what's ahead. I have my surgery date set for August 16th. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time! A little history about me... I am a 36 year old mother of 2 boys. They are still young and I really hope that with this surgery they'll have memories of mom doing EVERYTHING with them...not sitting and just watching!!! I am 5ft 2in and am starting at 246 (which puts me at a BMI of 45). My insurance is flippin' the bill for this...YEAH!!! Like many of you I went through the 6 months of doctor's visits and my time is now almost here.