:help: Hello everyone. I am brand new to all of this so I only hope I am doing it right. I am looking for support od any kind. I live in Houston Texas. I was banded May 19th. This is my week two. I have lost 10 lbs. But would love to bite into a some MEAT........ Love to find someone to talk.

Thanks biker grammy

Hey, Biker Grammy...

Welcome aboard. I'm part of the "formerly banded" contingency, but I DO remember that second week. I've got no good news for you about the BITING part of your request, but by next week or so you ought to be able to down a Wendy's Chili.

Meanwhile, keep the liquids and the Proteins going, and know that this time will pass!

Sue

You did just fine with your post! Welcome to LBT!

*laughs* I remember feeling the same way! I would have given my right AND left arm for a big ole steak! Fortunately I was able to talk to my surgeon and get his permission to move on to mushies after week two. I'm telling you what, that first bite of cottage cheese was pure Heaven! Talk to your Dr and see what he/she thinks about your moving to mushies. If they dont want you to, then I have a suggestion. I blended Bean with Bacon Soup in the blender before heating it. I got it to pure liquid but its warm, its thick, and it's rib sticking. That will help. Are you keeping up with your Protein? 60 grams per day minimum? If not, try upping that. It won't cure the desire to eat, but it will help you feel better.

Hang in there. It's rough the first few weeks of liquids, but it will get easier and you'll do better in the long run by sticking to Dr's orders.

Thanks everyone. It nice to have you guys there for me. I didn`t tell anyone but my husband about my band. I have 50 lbs. to lose. I did not want ANTONE giving me a hard time. To tell you how bad I wanted this, I had to pay out in cash. I told my husband Mike just think of it as buying my a new bike.

Can anyone tell me if there is a support group in the Humble area? If not we should start one.

Hi Biker Grammy,

I'm from Idaho so I don't know if there is a support group that meets in your area, but I'm willing to bet there is. There are a lot of Texas bandsters here at LBT.

I was banded on May 1st and I there is a "May 2006 Band Crew" thread that is great. There are almost 100 of us now that have been are will be banded this month. Anyway, it's a great thread to compare notes with others who are going through banding at the same time as you.

Hang in there till he mush stage. It requires some chewing and is definately more filling than liquids!

Biker Grammy - I was self-pay, too. I hear you.

I was banded 3 weeks ago, so I DO know about how hungry you are. On my first day of mushies, I ate way too much of apparently the wrong stuff. Ow! You didn't say how long before you can come off of liquids, but just take care when you do. I suffered for two days before I came to my senses. Someone on another forum said I was the poster child for what NOT to do. Hang in there. I know you are hungry, but you have probably been on diets before. The difference is that although you have to be mindful of what you put in your mouth, this one will work.

What was it that you did eat. I want meat but I will be scared to put anything into my mouth. What would be good to start on? I am worryed that I not getting enought proteins.

Fat free Cottage cheese is a good one when you get to mushies. I also got hooked on thinned down refried beans with some salsa and ff sour cream on top! You might want to add some kind of protein shake to your intake if you are not already having them, until you get firmly back on solids (which will be weeks) it IS hard to get in enough protein with some kind of protein supplement while on liquids and mushies.

Grammy, I live in the Humble, I have not been banded yet, so I can not give you much support at this time. But when I do, maybe we can get together at Starbucks and share a green tea frappichino, don't think that we could handle one alone.

I hope to hear from the doctor on Tuesday, and I am planning on having the procedure done on June 16th if it is a go. I have alot more that 50 pounds to lose, but it will be fun getting together with some one that is gogin thru the same thing.

Chat with you later

What was it that you did eat. I want meat but I will be scared to put anything into my mouth. What would be good to start on? I am worryed that I not getting enought Proteins.

I don't know that I am a good one to ask. Someone on another thread said I was the poster child of what NOT to do. I had shredded chicken and mayo. I think it might have been a little too much, too soon.

I have done well with cottage cheese and some canned fruit, runny oatmeal, soft white fish with some sauce. Also, pureed chicken noodle Soup was good. And cream of wheat went down easy. My docs food list said scrambled eggs, but I got the golf ball on that this morning. Ugh!

I had Mexican on Friday. It will last me for 4 days since I had only 1/2 enchilada and a couple tablespoons of Beans. Skipped on the rice. The main idea is to introduce food textures gradually. I still have a lot of liquids.

On work mornings, I really don't have time to devote 15-20 minutes to eating. I have a scoop of vanilla whey Protein powder in a glass of milk. I holds me until lunch.

This is a list I have been collecting from LB groups and forums. If they are too thick, blend with milk and/or broth. Hope they help. Maybe they will inspire your own imagination.

Blended cottage cheese and fruit

Trader Joes oatmeals

Chili – blended during mushie phase

Cream of Wheat

creamy Soups

applesauce

yogurt - Dannon Lite N' Fit

Protein Powder for shakes

frozen fruits for Protein Shakes

Small pudding cups (SF/FF) or yogurt

1. refriedbeans toped with cheese

2. cottage cheese & soft low fat cheeses

3. pudding

4. cream of wheat/grits

5. yogurt

6. Jello

7. mashed potatoes

8. scrambled eggs (but not for me! )

9. Tuna

10.Plain crackers

11. lowfat milk

12. soups(cream or pureed)

SHAKES

• 8 oz soy milk, mini banana, frozen blue berries and a couple tablespoons bran Cereal
  
• Choclate Protien mixed with Milk, 3 strawberries, sm banana, some crushed pineapple
  
• 2 bananas peeled, broken in half and then frozen
  1 cup frozen strawberries
  1 cup plain yogurt
  2 cups 100% apple juice
  .25 cup wheat germ (optional for additional fibre)
  
• mangos and peaches

• SOUPS
  chicken/beef/veggie broths (low sodium as needed)
  soups & broths
  Blend soups
  "Imagine" Soups - in cartons. (Potato Leek, Butternut, Squash, Corn, Creamy Tomato....and more. They are considerably lower in sodium than Campbell’s soups
  Egg Drop Soup - 4 Cups, 160 calories total2 - 14oz cans low sodium chicken broth
  1 - tablespoon rice vinegar
  2 - teaspoons soy sauce
  4 - egg whites
  
  1 - tablespoon *optional* flour for thickener (or even better buy soup thickener)
  1 - tablespoon *optional* ginger
  
  I also add a few green onion chunks for flavor, but remove them after cooking since I can't have solids right now. Bring all ingredients on the stove to boil except eggs - once boiling drizzle in egg whites.