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I am also interested in this product, but it seems pricey even without shipping charges. I've never been a big mac and cheese person, but it might be a good way to cram some Protein in.

I had my sleeve done in March of 2013, I was 59, I was a diabetic and taking 14 pain pills a day, I no longer take any diabetic or pain pills, it was the best thing I ever decided to do, I have lost 100 pounds 7 times before, but couldn't keep it off, I am at goal weight now and have been there for a year, I lost 100 pounds in the first year, I would look into having the sleeve and see what options is out there. Good luck!

Wow it has been a life time since I was last on this forum! I would love some advice right now as I am pretty much over this whole thing! I was banded 10 years ago in Australia and have managed to lose (and keep off) over 150lbs. Now I am living in the US (since 2004) and am having major complications where I cannot sleep at night due to choking on stomach acid. The band has to come out or I am at risk of Aspiration Pneumonia, which can be VERY serious. All options have been tried, so I am not here to ask for advice on that. My surgeon has advised me that the only option is removal or eventually severe illness. I am already wheezing and am weak due to the foreign matter constantly entering my lungs at night and choking me. My good old band has done its job and for that, I am thankful.However, it is time to part ways. I am exhausted due to lack of sleep and completely miserable due to the discomfort it is now causing me. My surgeon says it has to be out by the end of this month. One slight issue........ my insurance won't cover the removal. Not one little bit. It's excluded, even complications. So I am desperate and don't have a spare $10K laying around to self-pay for this. I have explored the Mexico options, which look REALLY good but was wondering if there has been anyone else in this situation. I do not qualify for any loans due to past credit issues but am in the best financial position of my life and can easily pay back a loan if I actually did get one, which I won't. Any assistance would be wonderful. I am too tired to even know where to begin.

Just curious about this one...I see some bariatric sites peddling for both kinds. Wouldn't a high Protein meal replacement with low sugar and carbs be better because of the Vitamins and minerals it has? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using the BariatricPal App

I'm tired of all my excuses, ....too tire, my knee hurts, blah blah blah. Its time to JUST DO IT! Just get my butt to the gym and exercise. That is how I lost 70 lbs the first year, EXERCISE! So - last night, I had me a good dinner, turkey and 1/2 cup of stuffing (not so good - but only ate a little), and some green beans. I waiting for about an hour, and then got ready and headed to the gym. I only did about 35 min on the elliptical, As I was doing the elliptical I concentrated on how great I feel when I exercise, it really makes me feel and look good. So why do I blow it off? Anyhow, thats when I decided, no more, no more excuses, its time to just do it! Today, at 10, went down to our gym at work and did 15 min on the elliptical, just to get my matabolism going. I'm going to do it again at 3. Then tonight, going to an abs, abs, abs class at 6:15 to 6:30, doing ZUMBA class at 6:30 to 7:30. Its time to fake it until I make it. No more excuses. I want to reach my goal - by gawd, I am going to reach my goal. Its time to dig down deep and pull that determination out! Menu today Bfast 1 cup of fiber one ceral with 1 cup of skim milk 1/2 cup of diced peaches on my ceral 3/4 cup of protein shake - 10:30ish Lunch tossed salad with turkey chopped up, salsa for dressing Snack - later in afternoon - 1 apple Dinner 1 chicken taco filled with mixed greens - no cheese Exercise 1. 10 am - 15 min on elliptical 2. 3pm - 15 min on elliptical 3. 6:15 pm - abs class 4. 6:30 pm - Zumba class - latin dance aerobics. 5 - Maybe some lower body strength training, not sure if I can do with all the other cardio......we'll see.

So i have realized that I am obsessive about weighing and measuring and proteins and carbs and my poor family is on a diet and have been since I have started the crazy measuring and weighing of everything in July. I now have given myself a week off.And just now my 11 year old and myself will be going to the beach and we will have hamburgers on the beach for dinner tonight. And we will be going out a few times this weekend and I will eat whatever,but not too much. This is the only way I am going to find this satisfaction level that I had with what I was eating for the first 4,5 months.This also prevents me from nibbling and constantly looking for something nice,which I still dont know what exactly that is. So,I will be relaxing a little until Sunday which is monday here and then I am going to start low carb and ruthless exercise program to gt rid of this last 38 pounds.

My husband and I traveled by truck 22,000 miles in two months and I kept the flavored tuna and salmon cups ( my fav was cajun and honey BBQ, and good source of protein), rye krisp or simalar crackers, almonds, jerky, water w/crystal light to go. I also have a small crockpot that plugs into the lighter socket and I baked Marie Callenders, dry mix, just add water corn bread (while moving) it bakes in about 1 hour. I also have a plug in pot that heats water for cup of soups or broth. Both items can be bought at most truck stops like Petro, Pilot, TA, or Flying J. Best of luck

Some thoughts would be: BumbleBee (great stuff) Netrition's Kitchen Table Bakers Prices (great crunchy, carb free, Protein filled, crackers) Syntrax Matrix 5.0 Protein powder (I travel quite a bit and keep it in my car at all times with bottled water) Gift Baskets, Dried Fruits, Nuts (Veggie chips or dried fruit) ready to eat meals, Camping, Hiking, Backpacking, Militaria items on eBay.com (Ready to eat meals)

Are you losing at a rate that works for you? It's a good question... and I'm probably not qualified to answer, but that won't keep me from throwing in my two cents... :eek: IMO, being so tight that you can't get in your calories is a much bigger problem than being a little less restricted. I would *hate* to be restricted to a 1/2 c or so of food in total at a meal. If I choose high quality food- lean Protein, fruits/veggies, whole grains... I can fill my salad plate, eat that and not be full- but not be hungry either. Even with this volume of food- my calories are probably 1200-1500 per day (which has allowed me to lose continuously) since my surgery. The point being that this quantity of food (which is larger than many on here claim to be eating per meal) puts me at a comfortable place- AND I know that I'm getting in enough Fiber, calories, vitamins/min, fruits/veggies etc each day. Sorry for the novel! My doctor and nutritionist recommend eating a small platefull at each meal (well balanced)-- which is about the amount in a Lean Cuisine- which is often about 10 oz. Hope there's something useful in this rambling post of mine... :cool:

Thanks for the advice. I am not always getting my fluids in. I am keeping a journal I get up early to try and get fluids in. I need to see the protein amount in my eggs, tuna, chicken and protein shake to make sure I am getting all my protein in. I was focusing on calories. Thanks for responding

Nana -- I was banded the same day as you and am facing the same boredom. Luckily my doc is a bit more liberal with the full liquids: anything thin enough to go through a straw, but no chunks. You can maybe call your doc and see if he/she can loosen up the restrictions a bit? Yesterday I tried mixing not-fat plain yogurt with fruit juice to make a kind of smoothie. It was much more interesting to drink than the Protein shakes. the mad frog lady.

I just got banded 9/12 and besides bein on Clear Liquids for 1 week (WHEN I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO Protein SHAKES) its been ok. My back hurts more then anything but i always had a bad back so having to sleep on my back for 2-4 days straight really hurt it. i am not sure how to keep my intake going when all i have is Water, sf Jello. i feel weak! my dr told me to buy Isopure which i did and it made me feel better but from the sound of it im not gettin enough fluids. i guess i need more isopure. Linda, i have those same "sounds" so im glad you asked because the answer :air: makes sense. GL

Thanks so much ladies for the advice i truly appreciate it! Im just going to slow down and just get my fluids. Yes i am taking vitamin B and my doc told me to try to get one meat protein in a day acutely.

The stages are a lot of trial and error. I know when I Was going through the stages one day I would LOVE something say yogurt, and the next day the thought of it made me want to puke and I couldn't eat it. If your stomach isn't handling certain foods it's ok to back track a little and stay with something you can handle then try again later and you may end up with a different result. I am over 6 weeks out and some days I can eat good and others I just Want my shakes and little food. Eventually it will all even out just makes sure your getting in your fluids, protein, and vitamins! Take your time with the foods. Are you taking b vitamins to help with energy?

WOW... that is awful! I'm sorry you have such an ordeal with your fills! I have only had this happen this time.... and I don't have an issue with needles so I'm not sure what is going on. I will try to have more protein before next time though.

Linda - I was on liquids so I just planned Protein drinks for B-L-D and crystal light all the other times! Best wishes on your new journey!

I got the mini protein sampler from BariatricEating.com, and I just tried the Whey Gourmet Chocolate Peanut Butter sample. It's REALLY good. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes peanut butter.

Due to threads like this I bought the Matrix 5.0 Orange Cream. They also sent me a sample of the Cookies & cream.. BLECH!!!! I mixed the cookies & cream with skim milk.. One sip was disgusting, threw it out.. so I tried the orange cream with water.. disgusting. I've tried to make myself drink it 3 times now, 3rd time I blended it with ice to make a 'smoothie'. They're all horrible to me I hate it, I was really excited from this thread to get Matrix. I've now ordered (and expedited shipping) the protein shots. Hopefully I can just shoot half of a shooter 2x a day and be done with it.

Hello Want, My name is Josette and I'm 31 from Michigan. I got the band on August 3rd, 06. I can really relate to what you're feeling. I went to a seminar in Feb and chose that doctor to do my surgery. I went then set up the consultation and the day before I found out about several out of pocket fee's that would be due prior to surgery that I couldn't afford. I was very unhappy with that but decided to go search out other surgeons in my state and find out my other options. I then set up another seminar for a lap band center 2 hours away but had to wait a month. I went to that seminar and fell in love with the doctor. I knew he was the one for me. I set up the consultation and the day of the consult I was an hour from the hospital and got a call they had to reschedule... this set into motion the whole "maybe I shouldn't be doing this. maybe this is a sign.. this process keeps getting delayed!" so I rescheduled and two weeks later went and all went well. Met with the dietician, had a sleep study... got my surgery date for a month later. I requested two days off from work and then my boss called me in to tell me that he had to renig on the days off and i couldn't have them anymore. again the "maybe I shouldn't be doing this" thoughts came back. Then the doctor had to cancel the date because of a conflict... again the thoughts.... But... I knew that I really really wanted this and needed it more then that. So I stuck to it and got rescheduled again and after that everything went fine and I finally had the surgery and I don't regret it for a second. I love my band and I don't miss the 36 pounds I've lost! You'll do great and don't worry. Everything happens for a reason and you'll have your surgery and be on your way to a thin and happy life! Now if only I could talk my husband into getting the surgery! tee hee! Good luck and keep us updated!!

Whey 42 Liquid Protein Fruit Punch by IDS Sports - VitaminShoppe.com This is the updated link for the Protein Bullets -- sorry the previous link did not work. Gina

Protein first? Increase water, increase exercise...track calories. Watch empty calories...alcohol, sugars, carbs. I usually know exactly why I am stuck without losing and it is usually one of the above.

:help: Hi Everyone, I havent been here in a while and I hate to rain on folks parade, but I am seriously contemplating having my band removed and having revision surgery to something else. My first two years of banding, I was very successful. I started with a BMI of 54 and managed to get down to a 28 BMI which equates to a loss of 155 pounds. After two years, I quit smoking to have plastic surgery and gained 13 pounds. I had plastic surgery in August 2005 and left the hospital at 189 lbs. MY lowest weight was 180 ever from a start of 334 lbs. During my plastic surgery, the saline was accidently removed from my band by the plastic surgeon. My problems started before this with lack of restriction, so I dont want to say this was the cause of all my issues with lack of restriction, but I am sure that this was a contributor. A month later, I visited my original band surgeon to get my restriction back and was informed my band was bone dry. I was given 1 cc and sent home and told to wait a few months and he would up it back to the 2.5 I had before. He wanted to do it slowly since normally patients who have their bands refilled usually need less than before to achieve the same level of restriction. I was worried about regain and told to just comply and keep portions small. Two months later, I now have gained an additional 10-15 pounds, so I go to get a fill from a doc in Dallas who takes me to 2.25. THings are fine for a short while and then I start losing restriction. By August 06, I have now gained 38 lbs. I go back for another fill and I am told I have pouch dilation. All the fill was removed from my band and I am put on a liquid diet for a month. I go to a lapband surgeon who was not my original surgeon due to insurance change and he tells me that I have a concentric slip, partial prolapse and that I will need a new band. I go for a second opinion with another band surgeon who does an endoscopy, tells me that although my pouch is a little large, I dont need a new band though and refills me to 2.00 CC. One year later: I am still gaining weight. I have moved to GA and no one here will take me as a patient because they did not band me. My new insurance does not cover my band at all, nor will they cover a removal or revision. I will have to pay for fills. This is not a problem, but I am reluctant to start again here and have someone fill me and then have dilation or slippage problems due to a too tight band. I fear I have dilation issues again and getting another fill wont help me anyway and a saline removal will just result in starting the process all over again. I am not looking for someone to just do a fill. I am looking for a doc who can tell me if my band is fine and I am looking for someone who can really take care of me due to the fact that I have had problems in the past. It never ceases to amaze me that the docs here have no interest in me as a patient because someone else banded me, only want cash for fills or that my new insurance wont pay for a removal, but they will pay for me to have a gastric bypass. I am not obese enough for this to be an option anyway and my provider is notoriiously bad at making people jump through hoops to qualify anyway. I dont have comorbidites and my BMI is not high enough anyway. I am obese but not obese enough with a 34-35 bmi. I am really sad that my band is not working for me. I have had 14 fills and several unfills. I am tired of trying. I also refuse to blame myself. I have been compliant and clearly I have the ability to stick to the plan when I have good restriction. Its like the cart before the horse. Some folks here might say the the dilation was caused by my overeating. THis would be partially true because to gain weight, you have to be eating too much. But if one does not have the ability to overeat with a properly working band then they cannot overeat. I make healthy choices, but I dont have any restriction and can eat a very big portion. Its easy to say only eat 3-4 ounces when you have restriction, but when you dont, then its a problem. So then one would say the solution is to get more fill. What if everytime you were filled, it was either too little or too much with really small increments? The most I have ever had in my band was 2.6 and this was too tight. The 2:00 I have now is too little. I have been at 2;25, 2.3 2.4, 2.5 and these amounts have resulted in too little or too much. All were done with flouroscopy. I dont have a leak, but clearly dilation is an issue and has been in the past. I am really sad and worried that if I get a fill and its too tight, then I will have to go for more fills and unfills at my own expense. Worse, if I had a medical emergency that required band removal, it would be at my own expense. I feel like maybe its time to move on. I am now considering the gastric sleeve and removal of my band as a self pay. No post op hassles, no maintenance, no fills . Whaddya yall think?? I would love to hear from newbies and oldies. Babs in GA 334/180/225?

Chantay, you are definitely not at the right restriction level. If your hunger is coming back within an hour that is not enough. Keep going back for fills until you are full for a few hours at least. Also, keep in mind that solid protein will keep you fullest the longest. It could be that the soft taco didn't have enough meat in it after all. Good luck.

12/21/08 My name is Julie and I am a food addict. I thought I had my problem under control. I thought that I had learned so many lessons that I could jump back on the wagon if I ever took a little sip from the bottle…so to speak. I had a Christmas party to go to on Friday. It went okay. Not great. I had a half of a dinner roll. Except for an occasional thin crust pizza I have not had any bread of any kind for 2 months. I didn’t even want to know if it would go down. It was a dinner party and they served steak. If it wouldn’t have been for the drink I had and the bread with butter I would have stayed under 1000 calories and been okay with the carbs…but I did eat and drink those things so I guess that’s how it is. The next day comes and I weigh in and I lost another 0.9 lbs. I realize that it will probably take another day to see the damage on the scale. I did good at breakfast and took my lunch to class with me and I was a very good girl. Pizza for supper…not so good. Today I have screwed the pooch….so to speak. (Can I say that here?) It is Sunday which means I am home all day and the gym is closed. Sundays are my hardest days! I ate leftover pizza for lunch and then …..we made Christmas cookies. I feel like a toad for the first time in a month! I half heartedly did a cardio Firm work out for 30 minutes today. Not a great work out. Oh here is the kicker…Are you ready…I was only 0.2 lbs away from my New Year’s goal. The gym is closed Wednesday and Thursday this week and next week. I want to go out and eat everything I can get my hands on. Almost like a last supper before I hike my butt up back onto the wagon. I’m not going to. I have to hit the gym in the morning if I can get up though. I have class tomorrow night, so I can do it then. It would have been better it I had gained a smidge back after eating badly just to teach myself that I can’t get away with it. I have to go back to those lessons I thought I learned. 1. DO NOT EAT UNLESS YOU ARE HUNGRY or unless it has been 5 hours since your last meal. 2. PROTEIN FIRST then you can have your HEALTHY side dish. 3. STOP EATING BEFORE YOU FEEL OVER FULL! 4. DO NOT EAT BETWEEN MEALS 5. DRINK YOUR WATER but not during or right after meals. 6. YOU WILL NOT SEE THE RESULTS YOU WANT UNLESS YOU WORK OUT! 7. Getting the lap band doesn’t make you lose weight. YOU STILL HAVE TO EAT HEALTHY AND EXERCISE! Time for a reminder Julie! Eating is for survival! It is to get enough nutrition to live. That is its main focus. It is not a reward. It does not console us. It doesn't take away boredom. It doesn't listen to our problems. It is a fair weather friend....actually not even a friend at all. It is that bi*chy girl in jr. high that we thought liked us, but only pretends to until she can stab us in the back. Memorize it! Put it to song. Make up a dance…I don’t how you remember it… LIVE IT! Okay you addict, get your big butt back on the wagon! Stop putting it off. Remember YOU ARE AN ADDICT! Oh you were so proud of yourself for 2 months. Well the jokes on you. Two months is not enough to give you permission to go back to your crappy eating. It only took two months to take off 45 lbs. I bet it would only take 2 months to gain 45 lbs. Didn’t you have some NSV along the way? Remember what it felt like to sit in a chair and feel like you didn’t know what to do with your fat stubby arms except cross them over your too big belly? Remember how it felt when your husband put it arms around you and you felt like he had to try too hard to hug you? Remember the first time you crossed your legs in YEARS. Maybe not as comfortable as you want, but you did it without even thinking. Remember putting those size 22 jeans in the give away and lounging around the house in the size 18 jeans. Remember putting on the shirt that hasn’t fit you in years. Do you really want to be back to that person that you see in all the pictures that have been taken of you over the past years? Remember when you started out and your goal was to feel comfortable sitting on the bleachers watching your kids play ball. Have you even thought recently that you have felt more comfortable doing that? What is more important to you? A slimy greasy piece of pizza and doughy cookie dough that sits in your stomach and makes you feel like crap or feeling great about yourself. What is more fun? Seeing how long you can go in between meals without getting hungry and being surprised by how little took away your hunger….or greasy butter garlic bread with a bowl of sodium filled tomato sauce. You are paying $265 a month for 5 years to have this tool to help you be healthy. You are so cheap…do you really want to throw all that money out the window for a crappy meal that will make your chest hurt and your feet swell again like they had been up until a month ago? Go to bed now and when you wake up you need to decide what you are going to do with the rest of your life. Are you going to live the life of a “user” or as someone in “recovery.” It’s all your decision Julie. It’s up to you to be a wonderful, healthy successful person who loves not only life, but herself as well!

tired. sleeping like shit. cant really get comfortable. easily annoyed by pretty much everything. animals making me crazy. stressed. i feel like my life has been turned upside down by this whole thing. i didnt realize i was going to be so stressed out by it. i cant focus on anything lately. i can barely think, probably due to the lack of carbohydrates. ive been forgetting protein shakes. i missed one yesterday...and one today but ill play catch-up for todays shake. 5 days left. im nervous and having second thoughts but thats pretty normal before surgery or so im told. i just feel like crap. also, i want food. *grumps* :redface: