That tunafish could taste so unbelievably good and that I could get full on half a cup of it!!!!!!!!! I broke the rules by 12 hours and had my first food (mushy) tonight. My tastebuds were dancing!!!!!!!!!!! You would have thought I was eating steak!

I did take my time and ate as slowly as I could for being famished LOL. I chewed chewed and chewed until it was completely pulverized, and then I would wait periodically to see how I felt before proceeding. I stopped at about a half a cup and I probably could have had more but I didn't want to push it especially my first meal. Tomorrow morning before we go on our charity ride I will have an egg, two if I can get it down. Again, I don't want to push it, especially right before going on a ride.

I also had an NSV! We went by Open Road Leathers to look for some new chaps for me as my old ones (the ones I bought in November!) were getting way loose on me, especially around the legs. Now, you have to know that they don't size chaps like regular clothes. Don't know why but they run WAY small. So the chaps I got in November were 6X (ugh) despite the fact that I was actually 2X at the time. Well, today I got into 4X chaps!!! Two whole sizes! I purposely got them nice and tight so that I would be able to wear them for a while before having to get another pair when I lose more weight. I normally wouldn't even bother getting something like this until I have lost all my weight but I wear my chaps even during the summer as it keeps the engine heat from burning my legs.

Oh! I took off the steri strips on the three small incisions today. They were starting to come off anyway and they were annoying me. One of them probably wasn't quite ready to come off but I just put Neosporin on it and covered it with a bandaid. It will be fine in a couple of days. The other two, my port and the big blob of cotton in my belly button are under waterproof tape and okay like they are. Dr. Cywes wanted them to stay on for two weeks. I'll see what those look like then.

I did a lot of running around today, brushed down the pool, washed my motorcycle, did a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, pulled some weeds and stuff. So I am definitely feeling back to my normal self with the exception of some isolated and periodic soreness in the muscles where my port is.

I'm very excited about eating real food again. I can't even begin to explain!

I feel like my journey has really begun today. I am starting to eat like a bandster and lead the bandster way of life! :biggrin:

Karen,

So glad read how well you're doing. Gives me something positive to look forward to. I was banded at 1pm this afternoon and am still a little sore. Not hungry but also not really looking forward to 2 weeks of liquids.

Take care.

Karen,

So glad read how well you're doing. Gives me something positive to look forward to. I was banded at 1pm this afternoon and am still a little sore. Not hungry but also not really looking forward to 2 weeks of liquids.

Take care.

Happy Band Day!!!

The liquids will definitely get old, but two weeks will be gone before you know it. Make sure you read the posts over in the food section for liquid diet suggestions for ways to break up the monotony of liquids.

Best of luck to you!

Jax-I'm 3 days away from mushies and your tuna experience sounds heavenly...LOL!! Did you mix it with a little mayo or just eat it plain?

You sound like you are doing WONDERFUL in your recovery. I had my first post-op appt today and am feeling fab!! Got my first fill appt scheduled and just enjoy each new day of this journey. Looking forward to ramping up the exercise next week.

Congrats on your NSV.....you'll be wearing itty-bitty chaps showing off your small booty in no time!! Keep me posted on your mushie delights!!

Amy

Karen,

So glad read how well you're doing. Gives me something positive to look forward to. I was banded at 1pm this afternoon and am still a little sore. Not hungry but also not really looking forward to 2 weeks of liquids.

Take care.

I'm amazed at how you're able to be up and around! I read posts about people who get up and type or what not on surgery day! I'm amazed! I was pretty much passed out til the next day, then sooo sore, I stayed laid down except for bathroom trips! My husband says I'm a pansy for pain... so maybe that explains it.

Karen,

Thanks for the tuna fish idea! I'm still anxious about starting real food today - I've tried yogurt and baby food, but I'm trying tuna tonight. I'm also curious if you added mayo or other fixin's to it?

And again - our stories are matching up! I took off most of my steri's today in a long glorious finally allowed bath.

Congrats on the NSV - I've told my hubby about what an NSV is and he's being a doll about pointing mine out for me. I just took a pair of size 22 jeans (my skinny jeans unfortunately) out of the dryer and put them right on without even unbuttoning them. Yay for that!

Karen,

Thanks for the tuna fish idea! I'm still anxious about starting real food today - I've tried yogurt and baby food, but I'm trying tuna tonight. I'm also curious if you added mayo or other fixin's to it?

And again - our stories are matching up! I took off most of my steri's today in a long glorious finally allowed bath.

Congrats on the NSV - I've told my hubby about what an NSV is and he's being a doll about pointing mine out for me. I just took a pair of size 22 jeans (my skinny jeans unfortunately) out of the dryer and put them right on without even unbuttoning them. Yay for that!

Hey Becca!!!

My doctor focuses more on carbs than fat so I am allowed real mayonnaise and I put relish in it as well. I am going to get a carton of eggs and have my husband make his fantastic egg salad tonight!

I still have two bandages that I have to leave on until Thursday, my port and the one in my belly button. I will be glad to get them off.

I think I am actually going to have to go out and buy a couple of 22's! I was standing in the kitchen today and my husband came up behind me and pulled my pants down while they were still zipped!!!!! After I smacked him I was thrilled that he could do that! :cheers2:

Your story about the pants made me laugh out loud! What a great victory! I tried the tuna today - made it with light Miracle Whip & pickle relish. It was "yummo" as Rachel Ray says (that's one more addiction I have to get over - obsessive watching of the food Network).

It amazes me how good food tastes now that I am really chewing and eating slowly. I'm sad to think about how much stuff I scarfed down without tasting over the last years!

I have just a few steri-strips to go, I think I'll try a bath tonight and get the rest off - they are ugly little things.

Since we're all in the same food stage mostly - here's a yummy I tried today. I mixed small curd cottage cheese and applesauce. Quite tasty and lots of Protein.

LOL I can't watch the food network right now. Maybe later when I am at my sweet spot! LOL Everything just looks so good. I especially hate food commercials right now.

That is one thing I have noticed too, about how food tastes now. It seems as though my sense of smell and taste have become much more sensitive. I don't know if that will change down the road but it's certainly that way now. I agree about scarfing down all that food in the past and never taking the time to really chew it and savor each bite.

I wish I liked cottage cheese but I don't! You would think that I would. I like yogurt okay. I like bleu cheese and other kinds of cheese but cottage cheese doesn't do anything for me. Tonight at the grocery store I picked up some treats to try. First of all, frozen buffalo chicken wings, (not breaded) are amazingly low in carbs. Also, frozen omelets (I forget the brand) they are also low in carbs and the meat in them is already in very tiny bits so you don't have to chew very much. I also got an International coffee (vanilla flavored) that is extremely low in carbs and would be a nice treat other than regular coffee. I also got some of those marinated tuna and salmon in the air tight packages (on the aisle where the canned tuna is) and thought I would give them a try. Hopefully they are tasty, they would be a very good source of Protein and very easy to chew.

As you can tell, my doctor is very big on keeping the carb count down (no more than 30 gms a day). I see a lot of people on the boards talk about having refried Beans, Soups, oatmeal, cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, etc. I can't have any of that. However, in my mushy stage I can have baked fish and chicken (not fried). I can also have canned vegetables or very overcooked fresh veggies (which I like that way anyway). I can have tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, and regular green leaf salad. Next week I can have anything I want with the exception of white starchy foods, i.e. bread, potatoes, Cereal, rice, Pasta.

I guess the next big challenge ahead is our first fill. I'm sure it will be an interesting experience!

I'm so glad you are rocking your band! =)

One way I LOVE cottage cheese is with a packet of Splenda and some Jello. It is like eating a big fattening parfait! Mmmmm.

I'm so glad you are rocking your band! =)

One way I LOVE cottage cheese is with a packet of Splenda and some Jello. It is like eating a big fattening parfait! Mmmmm.

Oh okay! I'll give it a try!!!! :biggrin2:

Yes! I'm nervous about the fill! Mine is the first week in March. I'm not nervous about the needle part (I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy, and had to get over needles). But I am nervous about having restriction and the scary sounding stuff - PBing and sliming and foaming. Yikes - I'm not sure even what most of that stuff is! Luckily I haven't even been queasy, much less have any weird throwing up.

My doctor isn't too strict on the carbs, but I'm trying to stay away from them myself. The only diet I was successful with before the band was South Beach. I actually did pretty well with it, and feel much better when I'm easy on the carbs. I'll have to try some of your grocery ideas! At the store, I had the deli slice turkey and havarti cheese super thin - next week when I'm off mushies I'll roll it up with lettuce - yum.

Tuna salad sounds so yummy. I'm still three weeks out from that. I'm looking forward to cottage cheese and creamy soups.

Hey Becca!

Yeah I'm not worried about the needle either, two years of injections for the Hep C cured me of that. I'm also wondering what the tightness will feel like. I think it is similar to what I experienced right after surgery when I could feel the Water sort of stop and then pass on through the stoma. I am able to eat quite a bit right now so I will have to adjust when I get my fill and really pay attention to my new full sensation.

Actually, today I'm looking forward to the restriction! It seems like 3 weeks is SO far away. I had my first "oops" today. I've been so hungry eating just a few ounces. Tonight I made a recipe I saw here somewhere with ricotta cheese and spaghetti sauce & parmesan. It tasted like lasagna without the noodles. I made a full cup of it, planning to eat half and save the other half for tomorrow.

Well, guess what....I ate the whole thing. And even though I don't have restriction - I feel like I just ate a whole Thanksgiving dinner. I'm hoping it will stay down. I know its a far cry from the kind of overeating I did before the band - but I still feel very naughty. Uggg. I think I'd better go and lay down!!

Who would have thought that a cup of ricotta cheese would have made you feel guilty. We've come a long way on this journey.

Congratulations. I can hardly wait for the cottage cheese stage.