Getting ready for the lap band! What's your favorite food or drink I should try for when I am all banded or even now. I love soda so i'm trying to cut that habit. Other than that I should be ok!

I would say that before being banded my fav foods were all junk food/fast food. It was just so easy to go through the drive-thru and pick up that stuff. I loved pizza as well. Now I can't eat that stuff and it is amazing that I don't miss it like I thought I would.

After being banded I've gone through phases of fav foods. In the beginning I ate quite a bit of chili. It is a great Protein source.

I drank TONS of soda daily, like 6-8 cans a day. For me, that was the biggest challenge to find a replacement for.

Now, if I want a change from Water, I drink the diet Lipton Iced Green Tea in either mixed berry or citrus flavor. Zero calories, tastes great, and no carbonation. I also really like the SoBe Vitamin water, they have tons of great and unique flavors.

I absolutley love crystal light so many flavor options and you cant taste that its low cal or sugar substitue and it helps you get your water in theh even have teas and mornong orange juice drinks with only 5 calories per bottle.. Favorite food is hard to say because my band loves to change its mind but chili is great so many ways you can make it and get plenty of protien in I use ground turkey not hamburger because it will not go threw my band and cant get enough grilled chicken because its great with a side of skim cottage cheese or over some veggies .. My taste buds have changed alot there are many things I used to.eat before my band I cant stand now

Everyone talks about protein shakes and such that you have to drink afterwards? Can you just buy the weight loss shakes or do they have to be specific. Do you have to take supplements as well. I was told that you have to do a chewable vitamin. What are some of the things you have to do on a daily basis to keep your body healthy?

I used slim fast or breakfast carnations im sute there are others that may be bettet but if I have to drink it then I have to be able to stand the taste. I take two gummie multivitamins and I recently started takin a probiotic supplimemnt because lets just say frequent constipation seems to be pretty regular with the band

Everyone talks about Protein shakes and such that you have to drink afterwards? Can you just buy the weight loss shakes or do they have to be specific. Do you have to take supplements as well. I was told that you have to do a chewable Vitamin. What are some of the things you have to do on a daily basis to keep your body healthy?

You want good protein no matter what. I get the EAS AdvantEDGE carb control Protein Shakes. It has 17 grams of protein and around 100 - 110 calories each. I also get the Pure Protein Bars they are great for protein as well. I take a regular Multivitamin, a small one, but it doesn't have to be chewable - some of those taste really nasty.

Most weight loss sheet are too low in protein. Look for protein shake with at least 20 grams of protein for less than 200 calories. Premier brand found at costco and Sam's are very good. 30 g protein for 160 Cal's.

Everyone talks about Protein shakes and such that you have to drink afterwards? Can you just buy the weight loss shakes or do they have to be specific. Do you have to take supplements as well. I was told that you have to do a chewable Vitamin. What are some of the things you have to do on a daily basis to keep your body healthy?

It's very important that the Protein powder or shake you choose have "100% whey isolate protein"...that form tends to be more expensive, but is the best choice nutritionally for the bariatric patient. I have found several good options at GNC, and there are others which have been written about on the forum. You may have to try several before you find 1 or 2 that you like.

You are looking for the biggest number of protein grams, with the fewest carb grams. I was advised to look for 20-40 g per shake. Also, I was advised that protein bars are not a good choice for bariatric patients, as they usually fall short on the nutrition for the number of calories they have.

Both Calcium and multi vitamin supplements are essential for health post op. Your surgeon should have some advice about this area. I purchase my chewable Vitamins from the surgeon's office (they actually taste good in a wild berry flavor), and they are specially formulated for bariatric patients.

Some people can get their required calcium from 2-3 servings of either 1 cup of skim or 1% milk OR 6oz of low fat, or FF, no sugar added yogurt. I cannot seem to get that much milk into me, and dislike the yogurt choices I have found, so I have to take the calcium supplement daily. If you are advised to take a calcium supplement, it is supposed to be in the form of calcium citrate, a more effective form of supplement. I am unable to tolerate that form of supplement, and so was advised that I could continue with calcium carbonate which is usually found the calcium chewable form.

The other major diet element is the need to drink fluids...60-80 oz a day. I know that number may look overwhelming. It did for me...until I structured my Fluid intake so I know that before breakfast I have so many oz, then an hour after breakfast I have another 16 oz before lunch, and so on. That way, by bedtime I usually have about 90 oz daily. It's very important to remind yourself to drink the necessary fluids...I ended up in the hospital due to severe dehydration which I then did not recognize the symptoms for.

Hope that this information helps...keep asking the questions. It's the best way to learn!

Best wishes as your weight loss journey continues!

Thank you so much! That helps. I went with my mom today to her appointment with the surgeon and i was very helpful for me as well. I am just ready to get a date to start looking forward to something

I drink muscle milk light. It taste good and is low in calories, sugar and fat. It also has a good amount of protien. I take a regular multi vitamin.if it is too big you can always get a pill cutter. I stopped drinking soda two weeks before surgery cold turkey. I had a nasty headache for three days and I wanted soda like there was no tomorrow , but I figured better to go thru withdrawals before surgery than while your body is trying to heal afterwards.

Well another bump in the road. I am allergic to milk, have been since i was a baby. But i was always able to have a little bit in moderation and be fine. I took myself down to 1% and now i am having really bad stomach pains as if i had alot of regular milk. Can i go through this surgery and be fine without being on 1% milk?

Well another bump in the road. I am allergic to milk' date=' have been since i was a baby. But i was always able to have a little bit in moderation and be fine. I took myself down to 1% and now i am having really bad stomach pains as if i had alot of regular milk. Can i go through this surgery and be fine without being on 1% milk?[/quote']

See if you can have almond milk. It taste the most like milk to me. I don't even drink milk now, and it's like 60 calories for a cup of the original kind. The unsweetened one is only 40!

Almond milk. That sounds really good. Is almond milk the milk that is only 40 calories.

I have another question. My nutrisionist is always talking about counting my calories and making sure i stay under my calorie count etc. But my lap band specialist talks about it not being about calories that you consume but about watching the fats that you take in.? Do you count calories?

Muscle milk has no milk

Get an app like my fitness pal or lose it. Then log Everything you eat & drink. It is one of my biggest helps. It shows exactly how much you are consuming & all the nutrients. You can also look things up before you eat or drink & then decide if it's worth it. Also, take vitamins. Good luck.