:welcomeB:

This marks the official beginning of the May 2006 Band Crew for June. It will be great to keep up with those we've come to know and get to know those who were banded in May and just joining LBT. Everyone is welcome!!

Don't get left behind.....jump in and enjoy the ride!!

Hey all! Haven't checked in here in the last few days... I'm still in the Full Liquids/Mushies stage.. soups are starting to get old. I eat a carnation instant breakfast for breakfast about 1/2 -3/4 cup of a pure'ed soup for lunch and more soup or thinned down re-fried beans for supper. I've had 1/2 cup of sherbet a couple of times as a snack, and I'm drinking my 64 ounces of water. I have lost 12 pounds since being banded and 24 since beginning the liquid diet on May 12th. I feel pretty good, still get times of soreness in my band area. I should get cleared to begain working out with my exercise physiologist on May 19th at my 4 week check up. So far, so good! Glad to see everyone is well! The worst part of my day is taking my pills. I take 2 pills for blood pressure that I have to cut in half, a pill for hypothyroidism, a diuretic that goes along with my BP meds, Prilosec, and Allegra for allergies (this pill is huge, I have to cut it into several peices). It seems like it takes forever to get those things down, and I get that feeling that they are stuck in my throat too, I hate that! Hopefully I can get rid of some of the meds with more weight loss. Keep up the good work everyone!

:confused: I'm kinda confused. I know ultimately we should eat 1/2-1 cup of food. Now my surgeon says that he wants me to eat until I'm satisfied, so that if I gain weight or not lose weight then he knows it is time for a fill. That I'm to work on the quality part of my diet, and the band is to work on the quantity part. But I see that some of your docters are saying only to eat 1/2 -1 cup now. If you don't have much restriction yet then arn't you getting hungry? Or maybe your one of the lucky ones that will never need a fill. I'm curious to hear what you guys have been told or your point of view to what my surgeon has said.:grouphug:

CLOE ~ I just had my check-up on Mon and my surgeon said the same thing. I'm to start eating the solid foods until I'm full that way we can see how I react to determine if a fill is necessary. Since I've only been on liquids, we can't really determine the need of a fill. I get full easy even with soft foods so at this point, I'm thinking it will be a while for a fill. I am OK with that.

Kim ~ It's great to hear from you!! Glad your doing well....I've lost 12 lbs too. :biggrin1: Did you get the food lists I sent? I hate taking pills too & get that stuck feeling. Laurapar started a thread about this.... http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=19680. Seems a few of us are experiencing this. Talk about your band soreness....I have been doing great in this area until last night. I heard my cat outside getting into a fight and jumped up so fast I felt my port pull. It seems to be fine today, but it was sore last night. Cat is fine too. Poor thing ran in the house & her tail was about 3 times it's regular size and her eyes were about to pop out of her head.

Trip2bme ~ I love your enthusiasm. You are a great inspiration and much appreciated!!

3loves: Thanks so much for the lists, they are very similar to mine. (Good to know that our docs are on the same page). Almost all of my soreness had gone away, but Sunday I spent the day outside "opening" my parents swimming pool (taking cover off, cleaning, etc). I think I may have overdone it, so I was really sore on Monday and Tuesday, not so much today. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

Cloe: I'm still in the full liquids/thin mushies stage, so I eat until I feel the signal that it is time to stop (light pressure in my chest). This typically occurs about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup into a bowl of pure'ed soup or thin mashed potatoes. I was told to eat every 2 hours or so during this atage and to drink while eating to avoid putting pressure on my band by food sitting in my pouch. I shoot for around 1000 calories a day and am everaging about 45 grams of protein. When I move into more solid foods after the 26th, I think I'm supposed to have about 3 oz. of protein, 1/4 green veggies, starches and stop drinking with my meals. I think quantity is different for everyone because I already feel the restriction and I'm not on solids yet. I hope to delay fills if possible. Good luck!

The only probelm that I seem to be experiencing is the back pain when I eat sometimes. It is a dull throbbing pain that occurs on my life side about mid-way up. I asked my surgeon's nurse about it the other day at my support group, she said that my liquids need to be thinned a little more.. Has anyone else experienced this?

Keep up the good work everyone!

Hi All,

Hippo's Hope - Good to hear from you! We're doing "soup nite" at Artist for a Day by the Edwards Cinema. The woman who owns it has a lap band and is goingt to donate mugs for all of us to paint. There has been talk about a potluck but no definate decision yet. I hope you can make it.

3Loves: Try the turkey breast. I have had no problem with turkey until the other night and I think it had more to do with trying to down a quick snack before bed and not chewing well enough!

Trip2bme: I havn't lost for a few weeks now. The same 3 pounds comes and gos. I can't remember, have you had a fill yet? I hear it makes a big difference when you get proper restriction. At least we havn't gained! It sounds like you are doing a great job working with your band. I still eat too fast and I am sure that is going to come back to bite me in the butt after my fill on Friday. I am going to try to work on that from now till then. Either way, I'm not changing my ticker until reflects weight loss!

Kim,

I think your back pain is gas. I returned to work today and found out Gas-X is my friend, unfortunately, I took my last strip yesterday. A couple time a day while recouperating at home I would take a Gas-x strip whenever I felt some pressure that I couldn't attribute to something I ate or drank. Usually within a few minutes the pressure would be gone. Gone of course after a few burps or gas passes.

I had to return to work today and didn't bring any strips with me basically because I ran out of them and didn't think it was important. About 2 pm the pressure started. Went to our medicine cabinet and got some Tums...it took about 45 mins, but the pressure went away.

Plan from this point forward - have some gas-x with me at all times.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Thanks Chris! Those Gas-X strips are convenient aren't they? I'll try that next time. I used the Gas-X early on, but I haven't used them lately.

Hi friends!

I'm officially 2 weeks out today and have lost 13 pounds!! yippee yehaw and shazaam!!

my doc says I can start soft foods now, but I'm chicken- I've read about pb's and stuff getting stuck, and I really don't want to experience it! I also worry because I have a pretty high pain tolerance (it's a read-headed woman thing) so I'm afraid something will get stuck, and it's more serious than I think it is and I get really sick. all I can do is try I guess, can't live on jello forever.

I've been walking, and my DH is fixing my bike today, I'm wondering too, how soon is too soon to start ab work? my doc didn't say.

thanks for all the support and info- I know I wouldn't be feeling as good as I am without it!

happy wednesday!

kato

banded may 31

dr. rodriguez

monterrey mx

Hi kato,

Congrats on your weightloss! I was banded by Dr. Rod as well, on May 17. Isn't he great?! :cool:)

As for eating mushy foods, if they are truly mushy, you won't have a problem with it going through the band. I put chicken or tuna and salad dressing in a blender (Magic Bullet) so that it would have no chunks. I had no PBing with that. Just be sure to eat slowly and chew, chew, chew anything that you eat to make sure it's mush (if it isn't mush before you start eating it) before you swallow.

Keep up the good work.

Cathy

LindaV,

What night are you having soup?

Hope

Hi Hippo's Hope,

Soup nite is June 22. Photonut left a message on the Idaho thread. I will let you know when I know more information.

I get my first fill on Friday. We should have lunch next week.

Hi,

I was banded on May 31st by Dr. Sergio Verboonen In Tijuana Mexico.

I had a lot of pain from the gas, but everything else well well. I notice if I eat too much I get a backache. has anyone else experienced this? My brother was banded the same day and he gets a backache if he Doesn't eat.

So far I have lost 20 Pounds. I think it is mostly fluid but I am so glad!

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post at this site. I was banded on May 3, 2006 and am feeling great except for some fatigue, which I think is because I'm not getting enough protein in. It could also be because I have Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia too. :cry Anyway, I will fill out my profile and signature and things tomorrow. But so far, I have lost 31 pounds and that is incredible for me. Will write more later.

Weeble

welcome to lbt-----i read posts here at least twice a day. this is an interesting web site---it was very helpful before my surgery and since also. be sure to check out the lap band lounge for fun threads when you do not feel like talking about the lap band itself.:biggrin1:

Hi everyone...

Well I am now 6 weeks out and have lost just under 25 pounds. I got my first fill 3 weeks ago and since have lost about 5 pounds. I have decent restriction I guess but I think I am still eating too much at a time. I'm hoping to eat about 1 cup or so and be full. I am currently eating probably more around 2-2 1/2. I do stay full for at least 3-4 hours though so that's good. I am going to go in next Monday for another small fill. I just want a smidge... just enough to get me to that sweet spot. I am afraid of being too full though. I am pretty lucky as I can eat anything as long as I eat slowly and chew well, no problems with meats, bread, potatoes or pasta but I'm afraid with another fill all that might change.

I joined the rec center in my town last Sunday and was able to put in 30 minutes on the treadmill walking at a pretty good clip. I plan on going 3 days a week at least. Monday I walked with my cousin, we did almost 2 miles. I was hoping to get a workout in last night but she wanted to take me out to dinner for my bday that is coming up so we went to Red Lobster. It was awesome to just have a bit of everything and not eat everything in sight. But going to dinner meant I didn't get to the gym. My hubby is in the hospital and has been for the past 3 weeks. We were hoping he was going to come home next week but there have been some additional complications and things are up in the air right now. So between work and going to the hospital I don't have much time for working out right now. I just have to make that time and it's hard! Tonight I'm planning on going to the hospital for awhile after work then head home and get changed and hit the gym. Hopefully things go as planned!

I am so proud of all of us May bandsters! Everyone seems to be doing well. Let's keep up the good work!

Peace.