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Today is day 3 for me. I get 2 shakes per day and 1 frozen meal (Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine). I am sticking to it exactly and have the goal in mind. I am starving so trying to keep myself really busy and distracted. I've done a ton of projects already this week and making a list of more. :Yawn: bee

Yes, I had to take it too. However, they were kind enough to mail it to me a few weeks before my psych consult so that they already had the results. I think I had to pay $150 for the test too. Answer honestly! Sue

I am 10 weeks out have only lost about 10 lbs - I had my first fill on 8/8 and it didn't help much - I am not eating much but weight is coming off very very slow. I get another fill today at 3:00 so hope it helps. I definitely look thinner and my clothes are looser even though the scale doesn't show a change from last week - is it possible to lose inches even though it doesn't show up on the scale? Thanks.

I have had a lot of sugar the last week. My weight has popped up a couple of pounds. In reality I was only 1 1/2 pounds over my lowest weight this morning... not 10 pounds like most other years. I can see how easy it has been to snack on all the goodies without any problem... if I kept it up I think i could really see the scales keep moving up up up... Thanks goodness for the sleeve... I left most of my food on the plate and want to be away from the sweets and back to protein and salad soon... get all the junk out. I am going to a party given my my binge party friends tomorrow... I am bringing a bunch of protein finger food... and veggie yummies. I hope this will keep my junk food eating to a minnimum. Plan ahead....write it all down afterward!

Is anyone HOT? A week post op today and yesterday and today I feel extremely HOT! No fever but hot and clamy. Today ran some errands and I think the.exhaustion finally hit me. By the time I got into my place I was dizzy and heart.was racing. I took a nice long nap.

What you are experiencing is very common and completely normal. There is a pretty good chance that you will not lose any more weight (and may gain a little) until your first adjustment. Many doctors put the band in empty, so you are probably getting little to no restriction right now. Also, the first 6 post-op weeks are really for healing, not necessarily for optimal weight loss. Consider any weight loss a bonus. In the 2 weeks after my surgery, I lost 16 pounds. Then in the next 2 weeks (soft food stage), I lost nothing. Then when I added regular food, I gained 2 pounds! Finally, at the 6 week mark, I got my first adjustment, and within 4 days, I was down 3 pounds. Whew! This seems to be a pretty common pattern, so don't sweat it! Just eat as healthy as possible for now...lots of Protein for healing, and wait patiently for your first fill.

My surgery is in like two weeks. If I ever feel anxious or worried, I journal about it then weigh my pros and cons and then after that I feel better. [emoji846]

I had some issues with pureed. I did tuna with lowfat mayo and onion powder and celery salt. I used the magic bullet and I thought it was moist enough and it wasn't. It was still to hard and it didn't puree well. I tried canned chicken, again too dry. I did a lot of Healthy Request Bean and Bacon. The best way to do this is blend the bean & bacon Soup with very little Water, then add your can of water. The best thing I had was rotisserie Chicken. I didn't use the magic bullet though, I put it in the food processor with real celery (I made sure to cut the sides of it down so there was no strings, and I added real onion. It was almost like a thick dip consistency. It slid down easily and didn't hurt. Some people don't have an issue with their esophagus into the tummy and some of us struggle. You won't know which you are until you get to that point. I'm on soft foods now and I actually cooked three bone in chicken breasts today in the crock pot (it tasted like rotisserie chicken and I had about 1/2 ounce and decided it would be better as chicken salad and I shredded it and did it lightly in the food processor (not as fine as I did for the pureed stage - that I made mushy) and it's a whole lot of Protein, very little carbs and it's great for lunch, a snack or dinner. Make sure your meat is moist and until you see how you do, make sure it's really pureed. I dreamed about the day I would get tuna and it was rough on me. Below also is the Pureed List the doctor gave me, I retyped the list and I posted it in another section. I didn't do any of these but the Tuna & Canned Chicken and again, I didn't puree it enough so it was rough on me. BTW I do not follow this diet suggestion and examples. I'm at 7 weeks and still at 425-475 calories a day and don't snack. PUREED DIET - SUGGESTIONS AND EXAMPLES Breakfast 1/4 cup high protein cooked Cereal 1/4 cup pureed low sodium/low fat meat 1 chewable sugar-free complete Vitamin Snack 1/2 cup pureed fruit Lunch 1/4 cup cottage cheese (lowfat) 1/4 cup pureed fruit snack 1 cup High Protein shake Dinner 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with low fat gravy 1/2 cup broth 1 chewable sugar free complete vitamin snack 1 sugar-free fudgiscle This sample menu provides approximately 80 grams of protein and 885 caloires - SIP water throughout the day ------ High Protein pureed Diet recipes Cheeseburger 3 oz. lean chicken or turkey 1 slice fat-free cheese 2 tbs.p warm beef broth 1/2 hamburger bun Cook meat and drain fat. Add all ingredients except broth to blender and puree on high. Gradually add broth to desired consistency Yield 1 serving Calories 309 Protein 27.0 grams Chicken Stew 1 Cup Chicken, cooked and cubed 1/4 cup rice, cooked 1/4 cup mixed vegetables, cooked 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup skim milk 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk Blend together Yield 3 servings Calories (per serving) 120 Protein (per serving) 15.0 grams Fish 4oz. Whitefish fillet 4 tsp. nonfat tarter sauce Warm skim milk (as needed) Cook fish by baking or broiling. Place fish and nonfat tarter sauce in blender. Puree on high speed. Gradually add milk to make mashed potato consistency. Yield: 2 servings Calories (per serving) 116 Protein (per serving) 15.0 grams French Toast 1 slice frozen French Toast "I can't believe it's not butter!" spray 3 tbsp. warm sugar-free syrup Warm French toast according to package. Spray with I can't believe it's not butter. Cut into quarters. Place all ingredients in blender. Puree on high until smooth consistency is achieved. Yield 1 serving Calories: 171 Protein 4.0 grams Grilled Cheese 1 slice whole wheat/high Fiber bread 2 slices fat-free American cheese I can't believe its not butter spray 3 tbsp warm skim milk Heat non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray one side of bread with I can't believe it's not butter side down on pan, top with cheese and heat until cheese melts and bread istoasted brown. Fold sandwich in half and cut into four pieces. Place in blender and puree on high, adding milk until smooth. Adjust the amount of milk used for thicker or thinner consistency. Yield 1 serving Calories 146 Protein: 12.0 grams High Protein Breakfast Shake 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt 1/4 cup skim milk 1/2 small banana 1/4 cup non-fat dry milk Mix all ingredients together in blender Yield 1 serving Calories 125 per serving Protein 12.0 grams per serving High Protein Mashed Potatoes 2 tbsp mashed potato mix 1/2 cup hot skim milk 2 tbsp. nonfat dry milk Mix nonfat dry mil with skim milk and heat to a boil. Add mashed potato mix. Mix well with a wire wisk. Mix thickens as it stands Use Butter buds or fat-free gravy to add flavor Yield 1 serving Calories 148 Protein 10.0 grams Chicken/Fish/Turkey 4oz meat cooked 6 tbsp. low fat gravy Chop meat into small pieces, blend on high speed, gradually adding gravy until desired consistency Yield 2 servings Calories (per serving) 126 Protein (per serving) 16.0 grams Tuna Salad 1 6 oz. can light tuna in spring water, drained 2 tbsp. fat-free Miracle Whip 1tsp mustard 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/4 tsp. celery salt Add all ingredients to blender. Puree on high until smooth. Refrigerate Note: May substitute canned chicken for tuna Yield: 3 servings Calories (per serving): 60 Protein (per serving) 11.0 grams

You can definitely lose weight on fewer than 40 or 50 gm Protein a day, or else no one would ever starve to death. It's about the weight you're losing. The protein intake goals are about supporting healthy fat loss, not just weight loss, which would otherwise include loss of lean muscle mass. The guidelines per my nurtitionist are 60gm - 70gm. Call yours & see what their requirements are, they vary. The most I've been able to do is 60s, and just a few times. It's much easier for me to actually eat the protein than drink eat - Protein drinks sit very heavy for me, but I try. I'm only 7 weeks out & still trying to dance around capacity issues. If you do things that require more protein, you will need to increase. And yes, the 50s, 60s, 70s you're hearing are lifelong daily minimums. Type of protein matters too. They are not created equal. whey isolate is one of the better ones, plan whey works. Bunches & bunches of types out there. I just typed this earlier: generally if protein comes in packaging that looks like a test tube or a vibrator, you don't want it.

Congratulations to you!I have always wanted twins let us know how is the other pranut in couple of Weeks. I was supposed to have surgery tomarrow but it got canceled since it shows I am preggers in the pre op testing! I am in an emotional roller.coaster right now lol Alisha Sent from my S Galaxy using VST

Hi Ladies- first hope all of you are well! It's been a while since I posted but now that I am post delivery (my little girl is 2 months old already!) I wanted to share my experiences being pregnant and delivering with the band should it be helpful at all: - My 10cc band was filled to 5.5 cc at the time I learned I was pregnant - My surgeon suggested we leave the band filled as long as I could eat- subsequently I never had an unfill throughout my pregnancy - Food: Before I got pregnant I had not eaten any bread/crackers or other types of carbs since my surgery. My first trimester was filled with daily nausea and I got through it by turning to carbs to settle my stomach also ginger ale which I would let go flat first. - Weight Gain: I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy- most of it in the last 3 months. I did notice that as I grew so did my appetite and most days did not feel much restriction At delivery I was over 300 lbs and suffered no complications- in fact my entire pregnancy was pretty uneventful (thankfully!). I had the normal swelling in the last weeks and some carpal tunnel in my hands but that was about it. - Delivery: My daughter was 2 weeks late...and after 17 hours of labor we ended up need a c-section to finally get her out! Now post delivery I have lost 30 pounds from delivery but find my appetite and sweet spot gone. My surgeon would not do a fill without an upper GI first to make sure the integrity of the band was intact after pregnancy and delivery. Happy to say the test went well and have had my fill (6 ccs) and feel the return of the sweet spot! All in all, I experienced NO complications with my band during pregnancy and delivery. The only thing I noticed was that the port was VERY easy to feel as my belly was huge towards the end and many times it was mistaken for the baby's foot :-) Would also like to add that I have NEVER vomitted either post surgery or throughout my pregnancy. Good luck to all you ladies and am happy to answer any questions! Have happy and healthy pregnancies! xoxox abby

Hello everyone. I am 36 weeks pregnant. 3 years post op. I have gained 18 lbs. band is a 10cc and I have 4.5 ccs in it. I have never had an unfill. I'm curious. Did any of you breastfeed with the band. Was it hard to maintain weight after ?

I started at 240 lbs I'm 160 now, yes I work out, at least 4 times a week, it's help to keep me from getting saggy skin so far

I Am new to this forum. I had gastric sleeve surgery on February 25th of this year. I feel that I have been successful so far. To date, I have lost 85!lbs and have 45 more to reach my goal. In addition to my new nutritional plan, I exercise on the elliptical for an hour 5-7 days a week. I have read a lot of the posts on here and find it so interesting to read about all of your journeys. Having this procedure saved my life, literally. There are weeks were I "stall" too, but then I start losing again. I am looking forward to read more on your journeys.

I asked the nurse who handles appointments and pre-op visits how long the process would take and she said "anywhere from three to six months." I am sure that you can get it done in time to recoup during the summer if you are on the ball with all of your doctor's requirements and you could let your doctor know if there is an earlier cancellation, that you would be interested in taking that appointment. Good luck, Kat

Hi ReAnnah, nice to meet someone from Wyoming. I sent all my stuff to them and still haven't heard. I'll be going to the one in Cheyenne, they say going to Casper takes longer for booking the operating room (go figure). Are you going through Cheyenne Regional Medical Center? Did you know they can send you the seminar on CD, so you don't have to spend the gas money to get to Casper, unless you actually live close enough. I'm to the point of calling them to see if they received my materials. It's been almost 3 weeks since I sent it and I still haven't heard anything. I even collected my own medical records. So good luck, it'll be cool to keep in touch with you.Renee

I live in florence and Coos Bay is just a hop away from here. There is a clinic in Eugene that does the Lap Band, but there is no way I am going there, I have never hear a thing from them, but I have hear things about this clinic in Coos Bay that they are great, and I have seen results. they have a great website Bay Bariatrics - Steve Tersigni, MD - Coos Bay, Oregon Ofcourse I have not made even my first appointment yet, but I did called and they are sending me an information packet. They have a special for December for 10,000. Unfortunally I can't have mine until January, I want the Hollidays to be over, and I am self pay so even if I probably will have it all by then, I am not wanting to deal with the tax part of it until then. But if the price goes up quite a bit more after Christmas, I might decide to pay it and just go for it. I will be making my appointment probably next week to talk to him about all this and meet him. Denise, was wondering how fast does the process from getting ready to the actually surgery goes? I am nervous, I knew I wanted to do this a few months ago, but it has been in the last two months that I finally decided for sure and told my husband,, I been saving since and I will have it I know in one month. I have two little kids with autism, I need to have energy, and this is not on ly for them, but for me :cool: well,, anywho, I said enough lol, for now :faint:

Miss_heather, Have you done the five day pouch test before? I have tried to do it numerous times but was never able to get past day one or two. I did manage this summer to do two weeks of shakes only. Of course, my husband was deployed and it was just me and the kids do it was a little easier for me to avoid temptation. I managed to lose about 5 lbs in that two weeks, but half of it came back when I started eating again. Carbs and sugar are my weaknesses too. I found that if I cut carbs to one meal only that I am able to lose. It's just hard to stay focused. My will power isn't the best. I am curious how the pouch test goes for you.

I started out 223 pounds pre-op and was at 130 pounds at 6 months post op. I was told I was infertile before I had WLS. One year post op I became pregnant. I had complications with anemia and dehydration during pregnancy but delivered a healthy 8 pound baby despite the fact I only gained 20 pounds. I was lucky and lost it all within a week of delivery. Good luck on your endeavor it was the BEST thing I have done for myself & my health.... Not mention I got a beautiful baby I would never have had otherwise. My only regret.... Not having surgery sooner!

I can't say if it was easier or not to get pregnant. I got pregnant easily each of the three times no matter what my weight was. I didn't set out to have another baby after my surgery. She was a surprise. All I can say is I didn't have any blood pressure issues after my rny. I was off blood pressure meds within days of my surgery. I can say the pregnancy was easier on my body being a lighter weight and I got to enjoy looking pregnant. With the first two I was big already so I didn't get to enjoy cute maternity clothes. I have been to a nutritionist since its been 18 months since my baby girl was born. They are going to test my resting metabolic rate when I go back but haven't said anything about checking the size of my pouch. I have been trying to stay around 1200 calories a day, but it's been a struggle.

Hi everyone, It has been a while since I came in to LBT. Just wanted to show off my little one. Because of Lapband, that why I was able to get pregnant and now spent most of my time caring for my little bundle of joy. It has been tiresome, but wonderful in it's own way... I have a question that I hope fellow 'banders will be able to help me with. I'm now breastfeeding and eating more than usual to help replenish the calories burned. I gave birth 6 weeks ago (via C-section) and thinking about going back to get the band fill. I was just wondering, since I'm breastfeeding, would my daily diet be different? If you don't mind, please share with me what type of food are you eating while you are Breastfeeding. Thank you everyone for stopping by!

I think my surgeon will require 2 weeks but not sure. I have already started trying to do protein shakes for at least one meal a day so that I will be used to them. Trying different kinds also. I have slowly cut out caffeine and carbonated drinks....almost there. Having a hard time with food choice though. There is so much I don't like. So trying to at least cut down on portions....not easy since I have not had surgery yet. Just trying different things to get prepared. Any suggestions on what I will need the first 2 weeks post op? Getting ready!

I'll admit - most mornings I have some kind of eggs for breakfast. I really watch carbs, so it's hard to come up with much else, but I do like microwave protein "cake" - The World According to Eggface has a lot of variations: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2010/04/that-takes-cake.html Her recipes make 4 servings for me at this stage, so I only have to take the time to make it once a week. For leftovers I usually pop a slice in the toaster, maybe top with cream cheese or something. Right now I'm loving the pumpkin spice one, topped with a little pumpkin cream cheese from Trader Joes - yum! Do you like pancakes? The Big Train mix is great! Again, I find they do fine as leftovers, just popped in the toaster to reheat.

I was so scared.. I was more scared about this surgery than I was when I had open heart surgery...I think it was because I had three weeks to think about it...I didn't have that much time to think with open heart... The nurses at the surgery center was wonderful to me...they reassured me every step of the way...once I was taken into surgery and moved to the bed, they started giving me the medicine and the next thing I knew I was in recovery...went to surgery around 9:00 and was home by 11:30 I pray that you will have an easy surgery and a fast recovery.....but you are perfectly normal to have these concerns... Di/Texas

I'm with Dean... I had surgery 3 weeks ago today and my incisions never looked like that.... I don't think it's an infection as they would typically have pain associated with it. But it does looks like an allergy to something. I'd try to see the dr. sooner