Search the Community

I am so excited like many of you this has been a very long journey. Actually, I have been thinking about it for 4 years. My sister had Gastric Bypass 14 years ago and lost 197 pounds. SHe has only gained back about 20! I am getting the LapBand because I have had Colon Cancer and my Doctor thought this WLS was the best of both worlds. I wasn't happy in the begining that he wouldn't do Gastric but now I am completely happy I had to wait the 6 months and am now going with LapBand. I am on day 6 of my pre-op diet. I am going through BayHealth here in DE. I was excited at first because in my pre-op folder there was a paper titled Pre-Op diet that was only 7 days and allowed for Yogurt, Cottage cheese and 3 oz of chicken a day BUT then I saw the dreaded paper that had my surgeon's name on it and it was 2 weeks of only liquid! sad times!!!!! I wonder how two Dr's in the same network would have two different prep's? Oh well, my Dr also required a 5-10 weight loss before surgery. I was 5'9 and 260 but at my last visit I was 245. My surgeon was happy but my PCM told me not to dip below 35 or I wouldn't qualify. Thanks for keeping me sane over the last couple of weeks!

I started at 310, I eat Greek yogurt because it has a good amount of protein, I also do a lot of fish and chicken. My snacking was my problem so I have replaced snacking with drinking water or powerade zero...also have learned healthier snacks an try to have them readily available because its so easy to fall back into bad habits and go back to the convenience foods. Im glad to hear all your replies...keep up the great work!

Well, I guess a little. But I will be three weeks out on Friday and feel like I'm 'eating' more because I have added soft foods like Greek yogurt, peaches, and cheese cubes. And I still drink shakes to get my protein in.

Getting cold feet before surgery day arrives is quite common, and so is "buyer's remorse" after surgery. You're contemplating a huge change in your life, and making the "right" WLS choice can be overwhelming. Sometimes I think that's aggravated by doing so much research online - you're overloaded with information and it all seems confusing. I've had both the band and the sleeve, so I'm uniquely qualified to respond to this thread. I'm going to quote from a post I made on a band-to-sleeve revision forum recently, but first I want to address a few specific things you said: For as many 'happy' band stories that I read about, I see as many or more disasters: slime, dumping (whatever that is), a lot of pain - Whether eating problems like sliming, stuck episodes, or PB's (food regurgitation) are a disaster is up to the individual. None of those events are life-threatening, so I don't consider them disasters. Unpleasant? Yes. Inconvenient? Yes. Painful? Sometimes. As painful as having your foot cut off? Probably not. We all have differing tolerance for pain. Edited to add: also, most of those side effects can be prevented with careful eating. Dumping syndrome results from rapid gastric emptying in sleeve and bypass patients because the stomach is too small to store and begin digesting food before the food hits the intestines. It causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, lightheadedness, and a general feeling of being ill for about 30 minutes (in my case). Dumping is more likely to happen when you eat something high in sugar or refined starches, but can also result from eating too fast or overeating. I've never heard of it happening to a bandster, but I guess that's not impossible, especially if the bandster is diabetic and therefore more sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations because their pancreas can't keep up with the food being consumed and digested. slipping, having to get the band removed, etc. Almost all of these disaster people have said they needed WLS, and revised to the sleeve. Every one of them wished they had gone with the sleeve in the first place. I have a strong suspicion that they feel that way because their experience with the band was unhappy, not because the sleeve is intrinsically better than the band. When they had their band removed and revised to the sleeve, the euphoria they felt was a bit like the relief you feel when you stop banging your head against a wall. Now, as I said before, I've had both the band (which I loved) and the sleeve (which I don't love), so here's a summary of my experience so far: I was banded in September 2007. I lost 100% of my excess weight (90 lbs) in one year. I had a minor band slip (cured with a complete unfill and 6-week rest period) and a port flip (fixed with outpatient surgery) and loved my band. When it was properly adjusted, it drastically reduced both my physical hunger and my appetite (desire) for food. Food just did not taste as wonderful to me as it had in the bad old days. I also experienced the early and prolonged satiety that is the band's #1 claim to fame. Unfortunately, I lost my band in April 2012 because of damage from 20+ years of silent reflux, which my band may have been aggravating. My surgeon and gastro doc agreed that my band had to come out, so I opted to revise to the sleeve in the same procedure. That didn't happen because my surgeon couldn't pass the bougie (the sleeve "calibration" tool) through my esophagus because of an undiagnosed stricture, so I was bandless until my 2nd attempt on August 16, 2012. I had thought that the sleeve would be a good 2nd choice for me because I wasn't crazy about the malabsorption aspect of RNY or DS, because one of the best features of the sleeve is that the reduced stomach size drastically reduces production of the hunger hormone, grehlin, and because the idea of a surgery that wouldn't require fills to achieve optimal restriction was appealing. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way for me. I am now ferociously hungry on an hourly basis no matter what, how much, or when I eat. I have to eat 8-10 times a day in order to keep my blood sugar steady. I've had to start taking metformin for my type 2 diabetes after easily managing it with diet and exercise for 7 years. I've discovered that sleeve patients can dump just like gastric bypass patients. It gives me miserable symptoms of nausea, dizziness, drenching sweats, and fatigue. That happens not just when I eat something with sugar in it but also when I eat so-called healthy foods (Protein bars, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, Protein shakes, most fruits). I've become anemic and have to take an Iron supplement twice a day in order to give me enough energy to function. Turns out that micronutrient malabsorption isn't unique to RNY & DS patients. Also, since my sleeve surgery I've developed a gastric bleed. When doing an EGD to locate the source of the bleed, my gastro doc discovered a gastric polyp (probably the cause of the bleeding) and duodenitis (inflammation of the duodenum), neither of which were present when I had an EGD 3 months before my sleeve surgery. Finally, I've discovered that sleeve patients can have "stuck" episodes just like bandsters do, and for the same reasons (in my case, careless eating). I'm not able to be objective about my sleeve at this point, and at 5 months post-op, it's probably too early for me to decide it was a mistake. But even if I decide it was a mistake, I'm never going to get that missing chunk of stomach back. It's gone forever. I do know that I absolutely refuse to go back to the land of obesity, and I'm grateful that my sleeve has helped me avoid that. I've lost the 30 lbs I had regained after losing my sleeve, and that is wonderful thing. One difference between my band surgery and my sleeve surgery is that my sleeve surgery was much harder to recover from. My surgeon says that any revision surgery is difficult because she's not operating on a "virgin" belly. I thought that the slow recovery was due to my age (59) because an older friend (age 61) who revised to the sleeve at the same time also found it difficult, but I met a younger woman (mid 30's) in my surgeon's waiting room whose sleeve was her 1st (and we hope last) WLS was also finding it difficult. I think the length and ease of recovery is also related to the patient's age (I'm 59), pain tolerance, general health, and amount of time spent under general anesthesia. My surgeon keeps band patients overnight in the hospital for one night, and sleeve and RNY patients for 2 or more nights. I hate being in the hospital but I was a mess even after 2 nights there. After my band surgery, I felt fine after one night in the hospital and was bored and restless and ready to go back to work (I worked at home then) within 3-4 days. After my sleeve surgery, just lifting a glass of Water to my lips was a struggle. I needed the whole 3 weeks my surgeon insisted on off work, and even then I was dragging. The other thing I want to say is that while my food capacity now is small (depending on the consistency of the food), my desire for and enjoyment of food is like it was before my band surgery. I feel like I get way, way too much pleasure out of eating. I believe that food tastes good for a reason (to keep us eating enough to survive and perpetuate the species), but that extreme enjoyment is a very mixed blessing. I constantly have to fight with myself to not take another bite so as to prolong the pleasure of eating. With my (adjusted) band, I did have some intrusive food thoughts, but nothing like it was in the bad old days. Well, the bad old days are back now. I think about food far too often for the good of my weight management. I wish I had a happier story to report. I've been told that I'm not trying hard enough to like my sleeve because I loved my band. That may be true, but I sincerely wanted the sleeve and sincerely wanted it to work. I know plenty of ex-bandsters who love their sleeves. Ask me again in a year or so, and I may be waving the sleeve banner. And as the advertising hacks would say, "Your mileage may vary." Jean

Personally, I love the nectar brand of whey powders. They come in flavors like Carribbean Cooler (pina colada), Roadside Lemonade, Twisted Cherry, and Fuzzy Navel to name a few. These do NOT have to be blended, they truly dissolve with stirring. I LOVE them, they don't have an aftertaste. My kids love smoothies made with these. I use a small amt of pineapple juice and Water or yogurt or milk to make them. With the Roadside Lemonade, I add a couple of teaspoons to my ice tea and stir and get about 10 grams of Protein. They can be found at www.prosource.com. They are about 25. for a 2 pound jug, so very reasonable cost wise. Hope this helps:smile: Sylvia

My name is Tamie and I was banded in July 2009, I had to have my port replaced in nov 2011 due to a leaky port. I had lost 100 then gained back 50 in that time. Now today I am down 106 lbs I feel great and eat like we are suppose to eat, small portions of anything. I make sure to eat healthy and every now and then I can have a treat. The key is proportions, I still take a lot of different foods for my lunch so I can have variety and this keeps me from straying to bad food. They make a dark chocolate granola that fills my cravings. I still eat on a small plate and my stomach does not like some foods any more but that's ok it just means I don't need them ( bread, tortillas) I have learned to layer my foods to make sure I an getting the right amt of proper Vitamins. Veggies first, then my Protein. Sometimes I just want desert so that is when I pull out yogurt ( vanilla) and add that chocolate granola. Yummy and 140 cal. Also log your food every bite!!!! I use My Fitness Pal, it is great and works with endomondo a exercise tracker. Don't worry just log it, this is for you to help you, another tool in your journey. Good luck every one, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!! Tamie 246 140 July 2009 PS; I AM AT GOAL have been for 2 years now. I still track my food and exercise.

Well, it's been about a week since I voluntarily started my pre-op diet a little early. I was supposed to have started it on Tuesday, but since I have been through carb withdrawal before, and know how miserable I can be, I chose to go start it on Friday, and do the "carb flu" on days when I was working, rather than on my days off. Strange logic, I know but in my mind I'd be busier at work and have less time to think about food. My initial plan was to just start drinking only protein shakes on Friday night when I got to work. (I'm an ER nurse. I work nights. Get used to me referring to things that happened in the late afternoon as "morning" and for things that happened in the early morning to be referred to as "last night") Anyway, that worked well until one of my co-workers decided to make a Chipotle run... then I altered my plan to just start low carbing for the weekend. Still drinking one or two protein shakes a day, and having one lean and green meal. Did that through Monday night at work, got home Tuesday morning with the best of intentions to have just liquid protein shakes from then on. So far, I'm ashamed to say that hasn't been happening. I am not cheating in large amounts, or with bad foods. I'd have to say all in all my calories have not been over 700 any day since Tuesday. And my carbs have easily stayed below 40. But I just have absolutely no appetite for the shakes. I can drink one Premier Protein (160 calories, 30g protein, 2g net carbs) in my 12 hours at work, and then I'm just not be able to face another one. But a few soy nuts? Sure, I'll eat those. I can chew them. So, a brief snapshot of my diet so far this week: Tuesday: -1 Isopure Chocolate Splendor Shake made with Almond Milk (160 calories, 21g protein, 11g carbs) -1 Premier Protein Chocolate Shake -1 bag of roasted peanuts (240 calories, 9g protein, 4g net carbs) -1 serving Isopure Chicken Soup (100 calories, 21g protein, 2g carbs) Wednesday -1 Isopure Chocolate Shake -2 hardboiled eggs (180 calories, 0 carbs, 18g protein) -1 serving Isopure Chicken Soup -2oz of cheddar cheese cubes (220 calories, 16g protein, 2g carbs) Thursday -1 Isopure Chocolate Shake -1 serving Isopure Protein'd Cheese Sauce over 1/2 cup steamed broccoli and cauliflower (190 calories, 21g protein, 11g carbs) 1 serving Isopure Vanilla mixed into 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (165 calories, 32g protein, 8g carbs) Friday -1 serving Isopure Chicken soup -1 slice of cheese pizza (250 calories, 10g protein, 25g carbs) -1 Premier Protein Shake -1/8 cup of soy nuts (65 calories, 6g protein, 1g carbs) So, as you can see, not stellar. But on the plus side, I've lost over nine pounds in seven days, and I am literally never hungry, at least not for protein shakes. But if you put a slice of pizza in front of me, I'll eat it (as evidenced by Friday's log). But here's the strange thing that I've noticed. The pizza didn't taste that good. The sauce tasted weirdly acidic, and the crust tasted like cardboard. This was from a pizza place that we've ordered from at work multiple times, so I know what it used to taste like, and it just tasted... different. And then this morning, I went with my husband through the McDonald's drive thru. Now honestly, I don't like McDonald's. I think the last time I ate there was in December, and that was only because it was Sunday, and the Chik-fil-a was closed. But his fries smelled good, so remembering the pizza last night, I tried one. It tasted like salt and grease. Not at all appealing. Unfortunately, both the pizza and the fries still smelled good... so the cravings are still there. But if I keep telling myself that the taste isn't the same, I think I can talk myself out of some trigger foods. One of the negatives of the pre-op diet (aside from the obvious, that it's a diet): I have literally no stamina for exercise. I've attempted to go for a run just once since this all started, and I got about halfway through what I usually do, and started feeling like my legs were made of lead. I took the stairs up to the 5th floor of the parking garage when I got out of work last night. Same thing; lead legs. So my cardio has decreased to basically walking the dog, although for some reason, I can tolerate my usual strength-training workouts with no problem. So I don't know what I'm going to do for exercise after my surgery. I guess walking is all that's advised for the first few weeks anyway. But that's been sort of bothering me anyway, because my surgeon said that his patients who have the most success are the ones who exercise the most... but how can I exercise if I have no stamina? I guess as I get lighter, I'll need less stamina to move my body. Other negatives? A slight headache that doesn't go away (this may be from giving up my one diet coke a day). A sticky feeling in my mouth that only goes away with constantly drinking water. That's about it. It's only two weeks of my life, as I keep reminding myself. I will keep plugging away at it, and hopefully get a little better at it by next week. Only 9 more days to go! My "Before Pre-op diet" photos

Hey! So I came up with this with the help of my mom. I'm sure there are probably other people who thought of it before, but I wanted to share just in case there wasn't! I took lean ground angus beef (I looked for bison - which would be better because it has less fat, but couldn't find any) and put it on top of multigrain tostitos and cheese on top of that, then I broiled it for a minute in my toaster oven and dipped those chips into fat free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (it tastes exactly the same!!!) It's a great way to get Greek yogurt in which is high Protein and absolutely delicious alternative to real nachos. I had to make it tonight because I was craving nachos like no tomorrow! I attached a picture! I hope others try it and love it as much as I do! Oh! And I know it looks like a lot in the picture - don't worry I didn't eat it all! I could only fit in 3-4 chips and the rest I'm saving for lunch even then I probably won't finish! And I even used a small side plate! :S

I went directly to liquids/ soft food (yogurt, pudding etc) from hospital. Maybe a week out was cleared to start trying anything else as tolerated Good luck!

I use plain Greek yogurt, add the pumpkin, spices, and stevia. The nice part about doing this is it doesn't add very many carbs. There is 3 grams to three scoops.

I use "Armour THyroid"--the natural medicine for the Thyroid...I have been doing well....You should try some broth--some yogurt--some salad---anything soft---try it

It gets easier once you're able to eat yogurt, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, refried beans. Hang in there. It gets better for sure.

Yes I think so too - I'm better today - just tired and being doing a lot of yard work with hardly any calories - this Jello and yogurt etc aint keeping a woman going strong!!

@@TracyBar It really is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me. I'm not swinging really high or really low, but I feel a little bit off. I'm not sleeping really well so I'm assuming that doesn't help, but I have no doubt the hormones are doing something! Stage 2 in our program is just broth, pureed, non-cream based Soups, yogurt and fluids. I would kill for a scrambled egg! When is your surgery?

jerky, turkey meat balls, chicken nuggets, hot wings, yogurt (carbs really vary from brand to brand on all of these so be careful), sliced cheddar and an apple, shrimp, string cheese, luch meat/cheese rollups, hard boiled eggs... I stick most of these things in sandwich bags as I am running out the door to some event such is the life of a mother of 4

After reviewing several blogs I must say that I have had it very easy! My pre-op diet was clear fluids the day before and nothing by mouth after midnight. My surgery was scheduled at 12:00 and I was asked to be there at 10:00 am. Everything went right on schedule. Not sure the exact time I woke up in recovery, but I remember being very uncomfortable and asked for more pain meds a few times. It was about 4pm or so and I was taken over to radiology for an UGI test. Basically you drink some foul liquid and they watch that it passes through the band properly. Then I was taken to another room where my family was able to join me and the nurse went over all the discharge instructions. I was on my way home at about 5:30. (Perfect time for rush hour traffic...ugh) Pain wise it wasn't too bad. I just felt like I had done 5,000 sit-ups...non-stop...in under an hour :tongue: The first two days....I took my pain meds a little more often than I was told...not for pain quite as much as I really just wanted to sleep. I was not hungry at all. Had to force myself to drink fluids. Got to take a shower on day 2. Felt great, but wore me out. I had some malt-o-meal and greek yogurt on day 2. No problems at all. I have also had the carnation instant breakfast a few times. So now I am on to day 3. Still don't feel like doing much. So, I don't think I will...plenty of time for that later...right?:thumbup:

You are dumping. Sounds like it's mostly with dairy products so it could be the natual lactose causing it. Go dairy free for a while. You can find yogurt and cheeses made with soy and nut milks that are actually really good. It's not uncommon to become lactose intolerant after surgery.

Hi all, I was banded on May 31st, been on liquids since then, but finding a need to move on to mushy food just for the change of pace. I've had applesauce and yogurt with no problems. Which side of the body is the port on? I too have a larger than expected incision on my right side. It's about 3-4 inches long. This is giving me the most problem as I'm constantly worrying that I'll rip it open. I had a unexpected turn of events with my short-term disability company. They expect me to go back to work on June 14, when I left work for surgery my expected return date was July 13th. STD company is only giving me two weeks off because I had it done laproscopically even though my doctor requested me to be off 6-8 weeks. Not sure how I'm going to do going back to work - at this point I can't stand to have a bra on. The last few days I've wished I didn't go through with the surgery. I guess I'm just tired, but I'm thinking this was a bad idea. I guess I'm just scared this won't work and here I've gone through this pain for nothing.

If you can eat. A slice of toast with a little Penut butter or a yogurt with cherrios mixed in. Those are currently my fav. breakfasts.

Don't be alarmed...this is quite often. Some doctors do rigorous pre-op diets. In my case, I tell patients to go on a yogurt and veggie diet 5 days before the diet in order to 'reduce' the size of the liver. This allows us to have a clearer field of vision when performing the surgery. Don't sweat it...you'll be ok. Best, Dr. JSA

Thank you for your encouragement! I am walking and have been since right out of surgery, I was implying more to power walking and for longer distances. But I did get out to local grocery store (like super wal-mart) and pick up some eggs and greek yogurt for when I transition into the "sliders" phase of eating. Doc also suggested low sodium broth based soup, of course run it through the blender first to puree everything. So am set for next phase, so happy have only taken one pain and nausea pill all day today

It is true that I have a lot of old food in containers in the fridge which I really don't want to deal with because of the ick factor. This played a central role in my garbage dream. You see, containers go in one recycle box and uneaten food goes in the "wet" recycle bin. Ugh! Fuzzy green yogurt and raita, etc.... Oh, pukies!

Missy, I am scheduled for surgery on October 30th as well...I have been on an all liquid diet for almost 10 days and it is a struggle. I knew going into this stage what it would entail. I was well prepared. I emptied all my cabinets of food and stocked up on lots of liquids, extracts and seasonings. The biggest thing for me is ice. I use it in almost all of my drinks and yogurts. It helps to add to texture. I miss crunching. I love to crunch on chips, nuts, and veggies. However, I go on here when I get an urge or I go to Youtube and watch videos and blogs of LapBand patients. My advice to you is this...if you truly want to have the lapband then your willpower will dominate the need to eat. If you are not able to do this, then the time is not right for you at this point. All you have to do is take a step back, re-evalute your situation and when you are truly ready your willpower will get you through the liquid stage! Of course...after all is said and done, talk to your doctor...he/she will give you the best advice. It might not be so bad. I send you all my best wishes and good luck with your choices! Peggy

I am doing well girl! every day gets easier I also tried some cream of wheat and added some milk to thin it out, I tried my premier Protein Shakes and they make me a little queasy...i think I've developed a milk intolerance , but I've read thats common, I'm staying away from them for now! funny though I can eat cottage cheese?!!?!! I've tasted just little things here and there, nothing too crazy though lol oh i tried some greek yogurt! a whole tub 5.3 oz was 80 calories, you have to get some 12g of protein( for the container) but 4 tiny tip of the spoon bits and i was so full. it was a very weird feeling, kind of a relief though that my life doesn't have to revolve around food anymore. i won't lie though i miss it kinda, but i think thats what this whole stage is about, making the change! i have been lucky, my energy restored post-op day 4 thank goodness, my kids need it! especially my 3 month old who likes to wake up at 6am to play lol well until our next update, take care!

to gettinsleeved, I am almost 4 months post op and I am still hungry. I eat every 2-3 hours and get in lots of Protein, they tell me its head hunger, I say B.S.! I just think it is part of the deal, your love for food doesn't go away. I think about what I am going to eat all day long. Be prepared and have food readily available, and something you can eat. I lived on homemade Soups and greek yogurt in the beginning, but I always knew there was something in the fridge that I could have. If you are unprepared you are going to go back to the same junk you used to eat. Just remember the hospital is the worst part of this whole process. I was very sick in the hospital, but it was the meds they were giving me, once I refused all pain meds my stomach thanked me for it. I did have some vomitting the first 2 months, but it was my own stupidity! Eating too fast, or eating too much. Just listen to your doctors and your own body, this is a learning experience, don't be nervous, just be ready for a change! Good Luck!