Hi All!

This is my first post although I have been visiting the site since Oct. 2006.

I was just banded on 2/28/07 by Dr. Ponce in Dalton, Georgia. My friend and I are participating in a low BMI study. Are there any other study participants on the site? We would love to hear from you!

I'm not part of a study, but I thought I'd say welcome! I am new to this site as well

Hi!

Thanks for the welcome. When and where were you banded and what has your experience been so far??

I was banded at OCA Hospital in Monterrey (Mexico) by Dr. de la Garza on February 16. I have lost 16 lbs so far, and I am feel great. I did 2 weeks of liquids, and I have now moved on to a puree diet (looks gross...tastes good:hungry: ). Next week I will be able to start eating "soft foods". Tell me more about this study you are a part of.

Hey Get-N-Fit!

Wow! You have lost a lot of weight already!! Congrats!!

What's the difference between puree and a soft diet?? and what types of liquids were you allowed to have the first 2 weeks? Just curious...

To answer your question, the study is tracking people with BMI's between 30-40. I would not have been able to get a lap band in the US if I weren't in the study because my BMI is only 31 and ,apparently, the LB has only been approved for people with BMI's over 40 or btw. 35 and 40 with 2 cormorbidities (even if you self pay which i had to do anyway). Of course if I had known more about all the great doctors in Mexico, i could have gone there (and I could have saved $10,000) but I am really happy with my doctor (Dr. Ponce) who, by the way , is Mexican, and was trained by Dr. Rumbault in Mexico but practices in Dalton, GA..

My understanding is that low BMI studies have already been done in Europe and Australia and have shown the LB to be very successful for this population. I suppose my study will clear the way in the future for low BMI people to get the procedure done here in the US (both self pay and payed by health insurance). In other words, I guess I am a guinea pig!!

Where will you get your fills??

Hi and welcome to the forum, Im not part of a study but welcome all the same

That is soooo awesome....and what a great opportunity for you:clap2:

So here is an example of foods included in my diet during each stage:

Liquids: Tomato juice, 100% fruit juice (no sugar added), creamy Soups w/out chunks (campbells Soup at hand was great for this), 1/2 C of slim fast at each meal, yogurt, smoothies, and Jello.

Puree: I bought a food processor and made all of my meals like baby food. Some things I enjoyed (although they looked disgusting) were tuna salad, tofu (sometimes w/ brown rice), cooked carrots, cooked peas, baked Beans, chili, chicken, avacados, mashed potato, bake potato, canteloup,bananas, cottage cheese, grits, and anything from my liquid diet...I was also able to take certain lean cuisine meals (the ones w/ brown rice) an puree those...I could only eat 1/2 at a sitting.

Soft Foods - I am now chewing foods. So basically it is everything mentioned above only I am allowed to chew it up. I am also able to add whole wheat Pasta, whole wheat toast, eggs, oatmeal, and crackers. Still no raw veggies or tough fruits (i.e. apples), no nuts, or white bread. So today...I had my first few crackers w/ salmon salad from whole foods...so far so good!

I will get my fills in Mexico for now. I work from Houston a lot, so the travel is cheap, and I am a part of a fill prgm w/ OCA hospital so those are free. I will go sometime in April after my 6 week mark.

So tell me more about you...your experience...where you are w/ the band...etc.