Hey Ladies and Gents!

Having my Surgery done April 4th. Starting my Pre op diet tomorrow. They said Protein shake for Breakfast, small low fat/sugar lunch, Protein Shake for dinner until surgery. Any suggestions for the low fat/sugar lunch suggestions?

Im heading down to LA to get it done. They will arrange for me to be driven to and from there as I live in San Jose, Ca. My hubby is going to come with me for support. Hopefully they will give me enought pain meds for the ride home. Heh Woot! I'll be a Hollywood starlet by next summer haha!

So who else is getting banded in April? I could use a band-buddy for my journey!

And Lisa, that great!! I am so happy for you!

Well my fellow April Bandsters...Since Apr 3rd when I started my Pre-op Diet to today I have lost 21lbs! In One Month!Amazing! Good luck to all of us!

That is great! So inspirational to hear while suffering thru this pre-op diet.

I'm scheduled for May 23. I'm scheduled so excited! My doctor has me on a protein shake/clear liquid diet 10 days before. Any suggestions on how to make it a little easier?

I was banded on April 18. I have only lost 12 lbs including my pre-op diet. I have stopped losing weight. I am still on liquids but must admit I am not getting my protein in and am only getting about 600-700 calories. I am not suppose to start mushies until Wednesday and then not solids until a week after that. Any suggestions on what I can do to get over this hump?

My doc told me that I should not worry about losing during my first 5-6 weeks. I think it's really more about the body healing. Let me tell you, I have lost weight, but not because I am trying. I have no appetite, and the gas pains were so bad, I've been afraid to eat. It has been horrible. I would love to have an appetite so I can eat and at this point would welcome a couple of pounds! Hang in there it will get better!

Do much better today...Scale moving ever so slightly to the downward side...I am walking alot more...no more stuck episodes...every day is a new day.

Hey everyone' date='

I am 2 weeks post-op (surgery date was 4-18-12) and feeling really, really well. I went back to work 5 days after surgery. I was on liquid diet for 1 week. At my 1 week post-op appt., my surgeon said I was doing great and to advance to soft foods and within the next week advance to regular diet. My first fill is on May 17th. With pre-surgery weight loss and liquid diet, I am down about 25lbs. However, my appetite is back, I feel no restriction and have gained about 3 lbs. Needless to say, I'm worried about contining to gain weight. Is this normal? Is anyone else on a regular diet? Do you feel restriction since your surgery? Thanks for any input![/quote']

My preop visit I was told not to worry about weight loss and weight gain post surgery. The first six weeks are for healing only. Track what you eat before your dr visits to the spoonful so the fills can be more accurate. If you lie and tell them you can only eat a bit and aren't losing they are less likely to put more of a fill in if you report the fact you can eat a whole plate and still starve. Be honest so you get the right fill. Think of the band like a new toy you can't really play with for six weeks. Post surgical swelling will make you feel full for a while but you really need to just heal. After six weeks is when the fun weight loss will happen. I know...another exercise in patience. But it is what it is! Goodluck!

So far since surgery (Last Friday), I have only had soup broth 3 times. I figured that since I am gettingmy milk and protein shakes down along with pudding and occasional juice and water that I am okay. But that is ALL I have had so far.

Is anyone else surviving on just the shakes and pudding with occasional juice and water?

I know that I have to concentrate on getting more water.

Jen (I'm guessing?? LOL) - one thing I did that was a little different and my doctor didn't have a problem with, was I took a can of soup, like vegetable beef, and I put it in the blender (I have a little bullet one that works great). It made the soup the consistency that I needed for the liquid phase but gave me more of a creamy texture without eating a cream-based soup. It really helped on keeping me fuller longer and feeling like I got something to eat. Of course I could only eat about 1/2 - 1 cup at a time, but I only heated up the part I was eating at the time and refrigerated the rest.

Good luck, my post op days 3-5 were the worst, and now I'm at 8 and feel awesome!!!

I was banded April 30th and am starving. This liquid diet is soooo tough and I really want to cheat but I keep telling myself I didn't spend all this money to screw this up. I was told I wouldn't be hungry or even interested in food - food is all I can think about! I just keep telling myself only a few days to go.

I was STARVING from day 1 too. I felt like no matter what I drank it didn't go into my "stomach", which it really was in there but it didn't feel like it. I was swollen so it was taking a long time for any of it to get into my system, so I was actually nauseaus because I felt like I hadn't eaten/drank anything for hours. I kept hearing that I was probably not going to be hungry and wouldn't want to eat anyways, but even at the surgery center I was telling my husband that I wanted to eat, just AFTER the surgery. :-( Days 3-5 were horrible, I felt like I had made a mistake or I was doing something wrong. Day 5 I started blending a can of soup and eating that instead of just the broth and I felt much better. I'm at day 8 and started mushies, and feeling almost back to normal.

Good luck to you....it will feel like forever, but you'll make it thru to the other side. :-)

I made chili beans in the crock pot! I can't eat them but I strained bout 4 ounces of the juice/sauce for lunch and another 4 for dinner. it was soo good. It kept me full for such a long time! I'm still on full liquids, and this worked for me. My surg was 4/27/12.

Hmmm...I wonder if you could take some of the beans, some of the juice, and blend it (I use a little bullet blender that works great). Then it would still be the right consistency and be more filling.

Chili Beans- yummmm. Once again I'm hungry, LOL. I cheated yesterday and had some cream of potatoe soup- it was good except the guilt I felt afterwards. I start mushies on Tuesday and can't wait. No more cheating for me though.

Hi all of you 4/20/12 bandsters I'd like to know how your doing since we share the same "banddate". Please see my thread 4/20 surgeries on the post op forum...

Okay so today has been tough for me as far as being a bit hungrier but that has been managable. However, I could manage that except for the fact that:

I WANT TEXTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for complaining....there will just be days like that I guess. This week will be sooooooo long as far as fluids. Again, after a month, so sick of fluids. But it will all be worth it as I have already lost 20 pounds.

Will try not to focus on it and keep drinking water and exercising. Thanks for letting me vent

Hi all I just wanted to checking in and see where my fello 4/20's are since we share the same bandday. I have a thread entitled 4/20 surgeries if you would like to keep in touch.

I'm onto soft foods today, and I'm doing well. I can eat and drink as much as I need to, and I can clearly see my need for a fill, as my hunger comes back after just a few hours.