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Thanks ladies! I am in Miami now and getting on the cruise ship tomorrow afternoon. Thought I may as well pop in tonight. I am being very careful but I am allowing myself one "treat" a day on this vacation. For example when we dock in Key West I am allowing myself some key lime pie. I feel like i am losing weight pretty rapidly and am STARVING often. Maybe i need to eat mre... Cuz I rarely eat an entire cup in a sitting ( i lose interest). Sleepy one - I am not sure what your doctor considers mushies. It could be pureed food or soft foods. I started w/ Greek yogurt, chilis, anything ground/shredded in a crockpot with BBQ sauce or Italian dressing. Here is what I did today: Breakfast - 1/2c Greek yogurt lunch - 1/4c tuna salad, 1/2 banana dinner - 1/4c spare rib, 1/4c salmon, 1/4c potato/veggies, 1tbsp bread pudding

Breakfast - 6oz Greek yogurt w/ blueberries lunch - 6oz Wendy's chili w/ cheese, 2 saltines snack - 6 unsalted almonds, 4oz yogurt, 1 strawberry dinner - 4oz Thai Soup, 1/2 mini pita, 1 tbsp PB liquids - 6oz fat free hot chocolate, 2 8oz skim milks, Water Exercise - 30 min elliptical, 15 min weights

Thank you! Looks like you are doing great as well. Where are the other girls?! I am finally back home. Fun trip but anxious to get back on track again. Went to grocery store tonight to pick up fruits, veggies, ground turkey, light dressing, yogurt and whole wheat pitas. Will post tomorrow.

Had a blast at Benihana with friends tonight. I enjoyed my treat night. Breakfast - 1 Protein bar, 2 strawberries lunch - 3/4c beef chili, 4 saltines, 2 apple slices snack - 1/2c yogurt, 1/4 banana dinner - 1/4c white rice, 1/3c shrimp, 1/3c beef terriyaki Dessert - oatmeal raisin cookie, 1/2c chocolate ice cream Exercise - 20 min elliptical, 15 min stationary bike

whymomwhy - When you say drink do you mean alcoholic? Did you find it affected you a lot more now that you're a bandster? my doctor recommends no alcohol the first year but says I can on special occasions. Going to a cocktail party in September and would like a few sips. Navigating parties is so hard now! I think social occasions were my biggest downfall in eating and not taking care of myself pre band... I'd go to potlucks and hit that buffet 2 or 3 times, try every single dessert and have a few cans of pop to wash it down. Anyway, thank you for the motivation!! I am going to support group on Weds and therapy on Thurs, and just trying to be more busy. Breakfast - 6oz mango yogurt dinner - 1 sm wheat tortilla, 1/2 turkey italian sausage, 1 tbsp mozzarella, 2 tbsp tomato sauce snack - 8oz milk Was feeling really sick today (Worst cramps i have ever had) and slept through lunch completely. Tomorrow back on track.

Didn't feel too hungry today Breakfast - 5oz yogurt, 2 strawberries, 8 almonds lunch - 1 Protein bar dinner - 1/2 lean cuisine baked chicken snack - 6oz yogurt, 3 strawberries, 5 wheat thins Liquids - tea, Water, 8oz skim milk Exercise - 30 min elliptical, 15 min weights

My exercise has been horrible the past week. Back to it tomorrow, no excuses!!! Going to gym right after work. Breakfast - mango yogurt lunch - 3 baby carrots, 1/2c spaghetti with 3 mini meatballs (was hiccuping after.. Didn't sit very well) dinner - yogurt Snacks - green tea, skim milk

How did it go with jogging today? I have the new goal of walking my dog every day or at least 5 days a week, jogging half blocks when I can.. So far going ok. And yeah, lol, I would've done the same before the band!! Breakfast - 5oz yogurt snack - 8oz skim milk lunch - 1 skinless chicken leg, 2oz Pasta dinner - 3/4 boca chicken burger, 3/4 Arnold's sandwich thin, 1 tbsp ketchup, 2oz oranges Snack - 6oz Greek yogurt, tea Exercise - 30 min walk with dog

Breakfast - 6oz yogurt with sliced strawberry, 8 almonds lunch - 2/3 lean cuisine fajita egg roll, 1tbsp blueberries, 2 tbsp salsa dinner - 3oz bison, 1/4c wild rice, 1 pita chip with hummus, 1/2 date cookie snack - 6oz yogurt, 5 wheat thins Liquids - tea, Water No exercise today. I am just pooped. 4 days of exercise this week when my goal each week is 5. So, Monday is a fresh start. Seeing my trainer tomorrow.

I like lapband diva idea that way I won't use as much. Also going to try the hidden valley & yogurt sounds yummy.

Hi All, I'd like to join this "band" wagon! I get banded on Jan. 25. I have Blue Cross so the insurance was pretty easy. In fact I have not heard anything about it at all. The doctors office loves to work with them as I guess they are the "gold standard" as they put it. My 10 day pre op diet is coming on the 15th and I'm so so so nervous about it. The nutritionist (Nut) has said that I must have 3 servings of milk, yogurt or cottage cheese (or ricotta, but no thanks!), and 1-3 shakes (going to try Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar added kind) this week) per day, otherwise its broth, crystal light, sugar free soda, popsicles jello etc. Oh boy. I think I'm going to buy a big back of ice to chew on so I can chew on something!! I have an appointment with the pych on Thursday and my final appt with the doctor to go over all the results on the 19th, then surgery on the 25th! I have an ok support system. My husband would support me in anything, but he's extremely worried about "surgery". Thinks that if I would just work out more, harder, longer, whatever I could do this on my own. So that makes it a bit harder. "I support you, but I think your making a mistake" is not really support. So I'll probably be here getting my support. So nervous!! Nicole

I know some that did eat baby foods but personally YUCK! and a lot of my band friends threw stuff in the blender like roasts and said they tasted great again I just couldn't get past it. Once I switched over to the creamy/mushy phase at the 14th day I was all over the various cheese Soups if they had veggies in them I either gummed them to oblivion or fished them out. I couldn't be bothered to do the whole blender thing like I should have. I also made a variety of Protein puddings by mixing whey protein powders with instant sugar free puddings. (Chocolate, Cheesecake, Lemon or Lime, etc..) Later I discovered an even healthier option where I would blend Cottage Cheese until smooth and replace most of the milk called for in the pudding recipe with that instead. It had a much higher protein to carb ratio and tasted great. Most people think it sounds disgusting but really it tastes very creamy like you made it with whole milk (no hint of salty at all) Oh and if you freeze the puddings for a while before you eat them and stir them up they taste like eating soft serve ice cream. Yummy. Right now one of my favorite protein rich foods is Cottage Cheese with some Yogurt and a Cherry or Rasberry Crystal Light bottle Water packet stirred in. I've just been feeling too lazy to take the time to blend up the puddings and mess up the kitchen. But I'm not sure if cottage cheese would be considered "soft" enough for the 14 day mark. This stage was SO HARD for me but I just kept repeating to myself I can put up with anything for just a couple weeks and being self pay I couldn't risk the possibility of having to pay for any complications much less the loss of money with more time off work without pay. Speaking of work, one of these days I may need to talk to you about the whole teeth whitening thing. I'd love to do it but always assumed too expensive. Tried one of those home kits once and was VERY sore and dissapointed though I managed to get my money back. I personally think I would need veneers to do any good on my teeth. (though I'm not nor ever was a smoker)

I just had a bowl of Cream of Wheat with cut up dried fruit and a little margarine in it. Toast with peanut butter isn't too bad. Some folks eat Greek yogurt. There are several breakfast threads in the foods section. I'm not much of a dry cereal eater, but a cheese danish would be good(joke).

I make a breakfast protien smoothie. I use 4 big scoops of yogurt, 2 large frozen strawberries, a third of a banana, a scoop of eas 100% whey protien powder i think 42 grams protien, 3 or 4 frozen crystal light ice cubes made of fruit punch, and some crystal light fruit punch juice to keep thinks runny. then i blend it all. You can not taste the protien. I also throw in my 2 vicoden since i can not swallow them. i can not take anything bigger than a tick tack. It makes a rather large size cup of yummy. It keeps me full for 2 to 3 hours even tho it does go right thru the band. i have only 1 fill and i do not have restriction. when i take my first break at work i eat 1 packet of oatmeal and a wedge of quiche i buy at the deli.

Not only do I have the lap band but I work in surgery and see patients all the time have this procedure done. I have run across old and new threads about all three being months post op. Well here is the thing and I hate when people get frantic because they dont know what is wrong and want to take their band out or get the by pass done just sayin. I am 10 months post op. I often had and have shoulder pain but shoulder pain comes from over eating. Everyone has a nerve in their stomach that runs from the stomach to the shoulder when you have over eaten and the band presses on that nerve you will have pain. If you are havng this problem then whatever you are eating cut it in half. You also might have inflammation in your stomach so give it a rest of 72 hours. Go back to the diet you had when you came home from the hospital and start over. For gas and bloating my culprit was cinnamon in my coffee and spices and talking while eating, chewing gum, after I stopped all that the gas and bloating stopped. Also start drinking some probiotics dan active, eating activia yogurt, and use gas x until the symptoms stop. You probably are going back to your old eating ways at some point and you just cant. We have to stay on the diet, follow the diet or else you start having side affects you didnt have before. But dont talk about taking out your band until you have tried what you were doing before all that started. Hope it helps I really do.

Thank you so much blue for the explanation about the phrenic nerve. I thought I had a muscle spasm - I've had to put heat on it the last 2 nights - because eating or drinking doesn't seem to affect it as much as when I get tired. I'm 8 days out from my surgery and, like you, have bounced between a BMI of 20-35 for the last 20 years. I feel great (except for my neck), but not graduating to "mushies" until next week. Can't wait! In the meantime, I'm eating plenty of Soup (a can of Campbell's chicken Noodle pureed in the blended and then thinned out just a little tastes really good), cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. Thanks for the heads up about Carnation Instant Breakfast - I can't seem to drink the Protein shakes because they really screw up my digestive system. It is so great that we have all of this support - I am in awe of your power walking (getting on the treadmill after this). I'll tell you, though, like I told my sister last month - that's what you get for nursing! LOL!

I am having a hard time getting in all my Protein shakes, I was suppose to get in 60 grams but now I get in about 30. I eat 1 serving of greek yogurt, sugar free Jello, and try and drink 60 ounces of Water a day. I have been on the liquid diet since the 12 and have surgery on 5/3 yay it is almost here. I has been a struggle for me too but I just think about the weight loss and how I will feel. Then it is all worth it.

I need to look into that greek yogurt... They must have that up here in canada... Anyone know????

Yay, lots of October 2nd tonight! Welcome! It just depends on the doctor, and your starting bmi sometimes. My doctor has me on a kind of mixed diet. 2 Protein shake meals, and 1 regular meal consisting of 6oz of meat and 1 cup of veggies. Lots of Jello, and I can have 1/2 cup of yogurt or cottage cheese for a snack

bnape, I'm actually starting my preop diet 2 weeks early, because I also have a fatty liver and want to shrink it as much as possible before surgery. So I'm doing two Protein shakes, and some other high protein/low fat Snacks (jerky, LF mozz cheese, LF greek yogurt) and a meal of lean protein and veggies. Hoping to lose a good bit of weight before surgery, too. Hopefully 15 lbs isn't too idealistic

Hi all! Checking in. I love reading everyone's updates ! I'm 10 weeks post op & down 55 pounds. Couldn't be happier. I am struggling to find low-cal creative ways to get my Protein in, beyond chicken, fish, & Greek yogurt. Lol. Happy thanksgiving all!!

Thanks sarahbee. That's what I was kind of figuring. I just didn't want to be one of those people who feel little restriction. I just ate a 5 oz yogurt and a 3 oz sugar free pudding. I feel pretty stuffed now. I'm now finding out how important it is to eat slow even if I could eat it fast because it does take a little bit to feel full at least in my case.

So glad you're here. Good luck with your next stage. Hopefully things get better. Yogurt! Keep us posted. HW: 281.5 on 10.30.15 SW: 245.7 on 6.1.16 CW: 204.8 on 8.17.16

Thank you & that's totally fine as long as i can stalk yours lmao! I was in the hospital for one night, didn't need anything longer than that. I was literally doing laps in the hallway (walking that is) you want to walk as much as possible to alleviate the major gas pains you'll have (from them pumping you with air) I was out of work for two weeks, if i didn't have the issue with constipation i think i would've been fine to come back after the first week but id suggest if you could take the time off take it just because you will be very tired and still healing. Im not sure which line of work your in and if its a physical job or not but me i sit at a desk and get up and down throughout the day to file charts. I couldve taken off a month but i knew that we didnt have anyone in our office that was going to do all my work and the longer i was out the more it piled up lol. Protein shakes....i went with the Premier Protein for a while but i soon became tired of those esp vanilla, you may be different but they were delicious to start off with ( i liked the chocolate one more, it reminds me of chocolate milk) I have since bought the big container of Syntrax nectar fuzzy naval ( fuzzy naval is the flavor) its ok, not too bad its tolerable but i know for the nectar brand you can go on there website and try sample packs ( you do have to pay for them) but that way you dont buy something and not like it. The premier Proteins can come in packs of 4 pre made at like walmart and then they have bulk at like sams club or costco (not sure if you guys have these places where you live but you guys should have something similar) My diet now...Im pretty much back on everything but everything is very minimal. I can make a whole can of tuna (with light tuna of course) and eat on it for days. I have to stay away from raw vegetables right now just because they can get stuck. and i have to make sure that if i do a meat that i chew it super well otherwise that can also get stuck. liquid/puree stage... i didnt really puree anything except for Beans, i lived on beans for awhile along with all my liquid stuff: broth, sugar free Jello, sugar free pudding, yogurt, cream of wheat or cream of rice. YOU WILL GET TIRED OF ALL OF THIS STUFF, but once you start having solid foods again my doc told me to cut all of that stuff out completely except i could still enjoy some yogurt (high in protein) As far as the loose skin thing, were young still so our skin is more elastic compared to if we were to do this down the road so m hoping that with continued exercise that it wont be as bad but im sure its somewhat inevitable just because of the amount of weight were dropping in the period were dropping it. Have you bought all of your Vitamins yet? Do you have any issue with taking pills now? And its no problem about how many questions you ask im just glad i can share some stuff with you to make it hopefully an easier transition. http://www.premierprotein.com/ http://www.vitacost.com/syntrax-nectar-whey-protein-isolate-powder?csrc=GPF-PA-Sports%20%26%20Fitness-893912123536&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=893912123536&gclid=CKmOu-OwisUCFVGUfgod0IoAKg ive put links to the proteins, hopefully they work

I definitely have a love/hate relationship with tracking my food. I use caloriecount.about.com and find it preferable to MFP in the way you can enter your food amounts. However, I've had a long-standing argument with my surgeon about whether or not to track calories. I like to "know" my caloric intake and my surgeon hates it. He is very much in the camp of just "counting your Protein grams" and not looking at the calories. And my argument goes much like yours Misty that you put in your FOOD into a TRACKER and guess what it SHOWS you the calories. I suppose that I could just enter the food, and then jot down my protein grams on a piece of paper or in a note on my phone, etc. and not actually LOG the food into a system that automatically gives you a calorie count. I'm NOT OCD but you are right that it does smack of OCD when you are logging every single bite of food that you ingest. I've actually sat at the dinner table with my little food scale and measured out everything before I eat it. Now on the other end of the spectrum is my also-sleeeved-husband. He has ONLY tracked when I FORCED him to (he was probably about 4-6 months post op when I was like dude, that handful of mixed nuts you just ate was probably a good 250+ calories...maybe you need to weigh/measure/track) and so he did for a little and quickly lost interest. He has maintained his weight MUCH easier than I have, with little to no weighing/measuring/tracking. Sigh. I'm much looser now with my tracking and it really came down to ME trusting ME. I didn't for a looooong time. I felt like if I didn't track then I wouldn't KNOW and I felt like tracking kept me honest and I needed that honesty with myself. For a while my brain did this "if I don't track my food, then I will gain weight" but in reality I have to give myself more credit than that. I also did some little tests of myself. I would "portion" out a bit of food and do a guess as to how much food it was. For example I buy greek yogurt in a huge tub. So I would spoon out a bit into a bowl and say to myself, that looks to be about 3oz of yogurt. And then I would weigh it. Whenever I would do this I was literally within grams of accuracy. So that exercised helped me to get over the fear that I didn't know what I was looking at. Sorry this got long...I hope it helps you...