I'm in the research mode of this process. I have had an initial consult with follow up appointments scheduled for Friday. I haven't scheduled a date for surgery yet, but I'm researching the nutrition portion of this process. Everyone seem so positive......are there any NEGATIVES that should be considered? I don't want to have to live on liquids or think of food or lack of consistently.

What are the drawbacks?

:help:

Do you eat normal, example do you eat like the food guide suggests?

Is DIET COKE out of the question? It's my source of caffeine.

ALL soda is out per most doctor's orders. That has been a topic of discussion many times on this board. Some people drink it in moderation, some make it flat, some not at all. I'm in the not at all category. I thought I would miss it, but I never think about it. I can honestly say that before the surgery, I was told that I could eat the same foods, just 1/3 of my previous amount. I am not able to eat that way. There are things I just cannot eat AT ALL. Bread in any form plugs me up almost instantly(this includes tortillas). But, overall, I am pretty happy with my decision. I've had some troubles along the way, but the best part is the HOPE I have of never being fat again. Good health to all of you making your decision!

OK...now were getting some positive information. Thanks for the insight and keep it coming. And JACK...thanks for your tidbit! I want to know that IF...and I mean IF...I ABSOLUTELY WANT A TASTE OF A GOOD STEAK that it's not going to send me to the HOSPITAL!

I would also like to know what slime is.

Also, someone said you can't eat Pasta. Is that for good? I don't eat pasta very often, but spaghetti with meat suace is one of my favorites. What if you chop it up really well?

For the record, my doc gives back the diet pop after 1 month and the only time I have to go without CAFFIENATED coffee is during the clear liquid stage........ but I started my pre op early and I haven't had even ONE taste of my fav.... diet dr. pepper and I'm fine!

I can eat spaghetti and meatballs with no problem. I just had that yesterday. Unfortunately due to the texture I can eat quite a bit of it. Julie

Just my 2 cents... I was banded 7/31/03 in Los Angeles by Dr. Cuneen at Cedars Sinai. I haven't lost all that I thought I would lose... but I have lost almost 70 lbs and I cannot imagine life without my band. (don't ever want to even go there again). I am slowly but surely on my way down.

I DO miss food...not WHAT I eat, but how much I eat. I can eat anything, but sometimes I miss the feeling of big bites. In the beginning, I swear I wished I could just take HUGE bites of a chicken Baja Fresh burrito and shove it down my throat. (don't know why it had to be a burrito! haha) Something twisted in me felt good about taking large bites, and I MISSED being able to do that. It took a long time to get over that, but the weight loss felt so good, and now chewing my food 30 times is sooo natural to me, it's like breathing. If I don't chew well enough, and I feel a big chunk go down, I have to admit I feel some panic waiting for the inevitable PB.

I have a passion for cooking, and I spend alot of time making my meals. Sometimes I get frustrated after I spend along time making a nice meal and I get full after like 3 bites. I have a hard time with leftovers, I'm just a picky eater. So I feel like I'm wasting alot of food when I have to toss it after a day. That was very hard for me in the beginning...now I feel like it's okay... at least I'm not EATING all of it. I think if I had had psychotherapy to deal with my food addiction as soon as I got the band, all of this would have been much easier to deal with.

Also, I don't know if it is just me... I have become the PICKIEST eater on the planet. It has to be prepared exactly the way I like it, or it's almost not worth eating. I am now able to taste EVERYTHING that is in my food, probably because you have to chew a million times, whereas before I was just shoving it down my throat. haha.

But all in all... for the few times I have really missed the volume/type of food I wanted to eat, that is all completely overshadowed by the fact that now I can shop in regular stores for my clothes (even those cheap little places like Windsor Fashions and Charlotte Russe) and honestly, that is SOOO worth it to me. I tried on a tankini the other day, my first in my life, and I was so surprised about how it looked- it just made my day.

I would do it over again in a HEARTBEAT. I have no idea where I would be without it.

Thanks for the positive comments. It's getting less intimidating!!!!!!!!!

I'm really similar to elvisgirl. I do miss big bites and eating all of something good sometimes. More often though, like when I go out to eat, I'll get full and kind of look around at what I've eaten (especially if I feel like I ate alot) and think about what I USED to eat at the same restaurant. It's really mind blowing. There's nothing I can't have at least sometimes, except maybe egg yolks. Sometimes I can eat bread, and sometimes I can eat Pasta, etc.

There IS an adjustment time. And for me, even now, sometimes I kind of still go back to that awkward phase. I kind of feel like a four year old stomping her foot because she can't have what she wants. But it passes, especially if I look at an old picture...

Of course we miss food- that is what got us here and whether most of us admit it or not we still look for ways around the band, and are frustrated when it diesnt work. Example: I can not have solids before 4pm- unless I have absolutely NOOO stress, which is rare and if I do I will suffer and PB which takes me a good hour to get the bad food out. It is ridiculous, but it takes time to learn what to avoid. I have a hard time with soft lettece, bread is really a no no, pasta is a mess and nacho chips/tortilla chips really plug me up- so I have learned to eat what is on top of the nachos, to eat spagetti meat sauce, and the topping of a salad. I have also learned to drink advantage or unjury for breakfast every day and to drink hot tea before dinner if I really want to eat something without restriction. Lastly, I truly have missed beer and had a few sips last week. It made me feel very bloatted, but I got it out of mysystem. I have not had soda and really dont miss it. i do miss sandwiches, quiznos, etc. but I have to step back and think that is what got me to over 300lbs. i dont miss feeling huge and unhappy about my body. i dont miss watching every single thing that goes into my mouth. Would I do it over? Even knowing about the sliming which I hate- yes I would do it again! It is coming off slow, but I didnt gain it in one year! I am barely preparing for my first fill and I had this done in June of 06. i have lost 52 lbs and need to add exercise to get this going, but lazy me hates exercise. so I have to change something to see another drop! I have rhematoid arthritis and this has helped with my pain- do it, just make sure you have a good doctor and that all your attending doctors know how to help you if you need it!! ALso make your family understand your reasons as they will be your biggest supporters and understand when you get up to run to the restroom!lol

Just do it! (like Nike says)

I pretty much eat everything I ate before surgery. So many people were quick to say "you'll be changing that attitude quick smart" but well, pffffft to them. I'm now not even overweight and I eat chocolate and I sometimes eat donuts, and I drink coffee and wine, and eat carbs and dont buy low fat products either.

That said, I was always a relatively healthy eater, plenty of fresh fruit, veg and wholegrains, just too much quantity wise overall and a few too many sugary carbs.

Of course you can have a taste of whatever you want to! But you will find that there's foods you just cant eat and my previous danger foods - muffins, cakes, donuts etc are just not that attractive to me now because they're so hard and uncomfortable to eat. But I dont miss them becuase I just dont want them. When I do have a taste I cant even remember what I was so crazy about.

i had my surgery apr5 '07 at 7:30 am and i was home on the couch before noon. i starved the first week no matter how much i drank i never felt full. now i have progressed to soft foods (anything out of a can) and i am feeling good. i average about 1200 cals a day now and i am still loosing around 1.4-1.8 lbs per day:scared: i had no post-op problems and very little pain so i was off the pain meds by saturday morning. i also lost 18 lbs on the pre-op diet alone. so good luck to u and i hope u have an easy a surgery as i did.