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I am re-learning how to eat and what to eat. the group that I go to has a binder and there are support groups that have sample meals at various stages of being banded. I followed them and learned to listen and feel what my body was telling me about when to stop eating.
There is no one particular way to do this process.
I am not the normal skinny person, so I don't even try to convince myself that I know what they eat. I focus on a day at a time and monitor my portions while cutting back on carbs, i.e. processed breads, rice, etc....

spoiltmom, you look fabulous! WOW! congrats. you don't have to explain yourself or how you run your household.
it really is no one's business. to bad sanction doesn't get it.

the gas build up and putting pressure on the band and pouch. Though I have read where there are a few folks who can tolerate a small amount of carbonated beverages. I gave up my diet pepsi after I was banded.

NYdad, congrats on a great job, keep it up. I think that as we go, we all re-learn what our bodies and our bands are capable of...I am a month ahead of you in being banded. Been pretty lucky so far and like you a few bumps in the road, nothing that I could not over come. However, I have learned to listen to my body and watch for signs that I may be eating the wrong foods or combination of foods, or need to change up my exercise routine.
I do need to exercise and I do need to watch the amount of carbs vs. the amount of Protein that I intake on a daily basis or it can stall my weight loss. Overall, I am extremely happy with my results and will continue on. The process is certainly not an easy one and will take a life time of being vigilant about what I put into my mouth and when I choose to put food into my mouth.
Good luck ot all of us!

learning to luv.....you have to make your own decisions in the status of your relationship. That in and of itself is a hard one. The band is a process and is by no means an easy way out. You will have to work it everyday and as you learn yourself what your "food / habits in eating" are you will have to identify them and modify your behavior and this will go on for the rest of your life as it is easy to fall back into our old routines of eating.
REal women? what would he know? He does not feel your pain, or your angst, and perhaps your fear of not living long enough to be there for your children.
The good news for you is that your children are old enough to take care of themselves and to assist you if need be. There are bandsters here that have been banded and their children are small. Selfish? OH, yeah, we are all a bunch of selfish band of people because we would like to live a healthier life and be able to be there for our families and yes, ourselves.
You might want to consider counseling for yourself to assist you through this difficult time. Do not let your hubby sabotage you in this process. As you start to lose the weight you will start to feel better and better. If your weight loss is slow...so what you are still losing and punds on the scale is not the lone indicator that you are losing. Your body will reshape.
You do need to get moving. Walking is good aim for 30 minutes a day. This will also aid in the healing process, apply a heating pad to your stomach when you sit or lay down.
I cannot say where your marriage will go or what the end result will be, but you do have the power to get back on your feet and decide where it is you want to be.
Learn to forgive yourself and never stop believing in yourself.
I wish you much strength as you go through this phase and it is only a phase, happiness and health!

Everyone has different directions. So I think there is room for some adjustments.
1- 2. Some docs do liquids for 1 week post op and others longer. I would say you should have Protein minimum 60 g per day. so yes to milk and Protein shakes
3. Depends upon what type of sutures the surgeon used. Most these days are absorbable and will dissolve, however with that said he may have used some non-dissolvable ones on the outer portions of the incision. I would give his office a call. Others use no sutures, but a substance like derma-bond in which will dissolve on it's own.
4. Vitamins and minerals are usually started by the 2nd week, though here again different surgeons have different opinions. as long as they are chewable/liquid you should be fine.
5. The first week I was on liquids, Jello, broth, milk, Protein Shakes, Water. The second week mushies (eggs, cottage cheese, Beans,e tc...), third week started to re-introduce foods, i.e. tuna, chicken (2-3 ozs), fourth week added veggies (.5 cup to 1 cup)...etc... My surgeon's team reccommended: 60 g of carbs, 20 g of fat, 60-80 g of protein. Once again this will vary depending upon the bariatric team's protocols and what your body will respond to...
6. yes gas ex can at times be your friend.
Keep moving, walking as you can tolerate, try to get in at minimum 30 minutes/day to start with and remember you can break it up into sessions as you can tolerate. Find a site to journal you food and exercise and remember as you re-intorduce food your weight may slow or you may even gain a few pounds. Keep track of your measurements, sometimes when the scale is not moving your body's measurements are. For my myfitnesspal.com was the easiest to use, however, there are several other sites out there, so look and choose one that is right for you. There is no right or wrong way as long as it works for you.

These are great NSVs.
Mine are two seperate ones within the last month, but hey, I'll take 'em! A few weeks ago, I sat in my car to drive to work and noticed a funny feelilng around the sides of my thighs. When I looked down, I realized that 1) I could see the sides of my seat on both sides as I sat and 2) those edges were molding to my thighs and hips.
The second one happened last night. I took my DH out to eat for his B-Day. When it came to dessert time, I had a scoop of sorbet...then they brought a chocolate cake....(my down fall is chocolate)...It has been 9 months since I had a bite of chocolate....I took a bite and thought I had died and gone to heaven! However, when I opened my eyes, there was my DH with this wild panic look in his eyes...He thought that I was going to dive back into the cake and was trying to think of how he could get the cake off of the table without me diving in after it...I put my fork down and thanked him for the taste....started laughing and told him that I would not be needing anymore. He then proceeded to tell me how proud he was that I could control myself around chocolate. Nice to be able to laugh through the course rather than fight inner cravings.

As you get closer to your goal weight, the harder it gets to lose those lbs. Go back to your basics...are you keeping a food and exercise journal? review what your intake is and your exercise pattern. you might need to increase or possibly decrease your kcal intake or increase your exercise time, or you might have to "shake" things up a bit by changing your routine with both food and exercise.
Don't beat yourself up to badly, plateaus are expected. 2 lbs in a month is better than nothing. My loss started to slow and then was doing nothing. I started with the food and kcal, then went on to change up my exercise...I'd start to lose and then nothing for weeks, so I shake things up again...I have finally started to lose again so we will see how it works out.
Also, check your measurements alot of the time even though we may not be losing lbs, we do lose inches. Good luck!

Teekii, I know it is hard to stop those bad habits. Do some further research on the band and you will find that it does not prevent you from eating. It helps with Portion Control and hopefully hunger once restriction sets in. The types and choices of foods will be yours to make all through this process. Call your doctor, let him or his team know of your extreme hunger and see if he/they will allow you to advance your food levels. Try drinking added Protein some for some folks it helps with the hunger.
Wishing you luck in learning new ways....

The main reason for wearing a medical alert band, necklace, or whatever you so choose to wear is to alert medical personnel to the fact that you cannot be blindly intubated with a nasogastric tube as for some with restriction it could potentially puncture a portion of your stomach.
Mountain Mamma, you can go on the internet and find several different companies who offer a wide range of choices for the medical alert id. Some of them are pretty cute from charm bracelets to dog tags....

We eat out alot and I have learned to just ignore the looks. It really doesn't bother me. $6.95 for an extra plate? I don't think that i would frequent that restaraunt either! I usually take over my DH's bread plate anyway.

USMC Wife, I am sorry for your employment problems. However, what a great and empowering victory for you to be able to beat the food monster. Congrats! and a job well done!

There is no NSV that is too small! These experiences are what keeps us going and lets us know that we are changing even when we can't see those changes it also allows us to laugh at the funny things.
Congrats on utilizing the treadmill and gaining better balance!

Yup, my weekly weights have all been changed. I corrected where I could. Made my X-mas goal and hit my New year's goal too!