Okay so my husband is taking me to Vegas in a week for vacation. I am a little nervous this is my first vacation since being banded in December. Also, I had a fill a week ago and am having a lot of restrictions.

Anyone have any suggestions or ideas?

I am ecstatic that I am skinnier then before and can wear a few dresses while there, but I am still nervous about what and how to eat while there.

Boy, I had the same problem last November when hubby and I were there for ten days! All I can say is planes are no problem as I had heard altitude changes might affect your band. food is another story! There are tons of restaraunts in the casinos, not just the buffets...so if you just order from the menu, you should be fine. I was having real restriction issues at the time, too...being way too tight. But I kept bananas and Protein bars in our room for the mornings and avoided regular Breakfast altogether. Once afternoon hit, I could eat slowly. Do just like at home...take your time...think ahead if you can...but always eat sensibly. It can be done!

By the way...have a BLAST! We did! We are going back in October this year, too! Go see "The Rat Pack Is Back!" (Greek Isles Casino, I think...) We saw tons of shows while we were there, and this was the BEST!

Ann -

I was also banded in December and travel often for work. I always carry Liveactive cheese snacks in one ounce packets. They say they need refrigeration, but I have eaten one after a week and not gotten sick. This is the perfect "in a pinch" tied me over snack.

As for restaurants, I generally stick to both based soups and crab cakes or other "wet" appetizers. If I order a full meal I tend to get distracted and eat too much. But if I do order a meal fish is the best bet, it will generally be soft enough. There are also times when I am eating with strangers that I will say I am not that hungry and just order dessert, like a small dish of ice cream or cheesecake. I know this sounds like a bad choice, but no one is going to question only eating a few bites of dessert, they will about meals.

The hardest thing for me is to remember to eat slowly. I aim for a snack about 2 hours before a meal so that I am not starving and risk an embarrassing moment.

Hope this helps; I consider not throwing-up in public a success and worry less about losing while away.

Best of luck,

Lanie

Wow,

Thank you to both of you. Lanie if i can avoid sliming and vomiting in public that would be wonderful. I've only done it twice in 6 months at work, but no one was around thank god.

Texasfire - We have several shows on our list that we want to see and I think that is one of them. We are also trying to get ticket sot Robin Williams; I hope we succeed, he is hilarious.

Let's see. I just got back from Vegas. I remember eating lobster bisque, shrimp at some Chinese place, fish and steamed veggies, scrambled eggs and melon, some kind of really fancy chicken stew (it was moist and went down easy, and easy to chew). I picked at a cheese blintz, that was really good. It was very soft. At the buffet, I could see the food first and size up whether I thought I could eat it. At the restaurants, it was a little trickier. I got the soup, ate a little and if I couldn't eat the meal very well, I'd finish the soup. But I did pretty good. Don't be afraid to ask the waiter how things are prepared.

A buffet is the best thing for you! You can control your own portions and you'll be stuffed from little food, with none of the usual waste.

Just don't eat a lot...lol... but you might be at the slots a lot, in that case.

I'm going on vacation and I'm getting the band emptied before then! Lol, I want to enjoy the food on vacation... it's half the fun!

Then again, on vacation, there's no 'sitting around'...you're always moving, so you get more exercise than normal. It all evens out.

Edited May 15, 200818 yr by cb11213
Saw "Vegas"

just asking, why would you get an un-fill after so much hard work, just to eat more and possibly gain?

I can answer that one, if I may? To not be hampered with the every-day routine of monitoring portion size, bite size, chewing, not eating what you dang well want to! LOL

When she goes on vacation, she wants to TRULY be on vacation, and I don't blame her a bit! It won't undo much in a weeks time, or however long she will be there. Especially considering the joy and relaxation she will experience by taking a vacation from her band as well.

I was completely unfilled last month, as well. Even though it took many fills to get to where I was, it should only take two fills to get that level back. I had one of those fills today. I likely will never get the rest put back in. During the month of being completely unfilled, I actually still lost. Only two pounds, but still a loss.

There are several bandsters on here who got unfilled when they reached goal, and have maintained very well. Vacation is a great time and reason to get unfilled to me, but its obviously not everyone's ideal.

One of the things mentioned at my pre-surgery seminar was that my surgeon won't do unfills for vacations or special events.

I think this is probably a good thing for me. I attend a number of events, then there are vacations and, of course, the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's holiday season. Mother's Day . . . Easter . . . Presidents Day ... Arbor Day . . . and the list goes on :thumbup:

I havent thought about getting unfilled for fun??? Interesting, will ponder this: ) Im getting first fill on 4/22 and since Im self pay my husband may "shoot" if i even mention this. Is this the secret to having the best of both worlds?

So let me see if this is correct: Get fills, lose weight, unfill for holiday, refill, continue weight loss....

This sounds too good to be true! Sounds like heaven but is it very expensive w/fills and unfills?

patches:)

My doctor charges $100 per fill or unfill. Unless the unfill is due to complications from the last fill, which I had last month. Charges vary by doctor

One of the things mentioned at my pre-surgery seminar was that my surgeon won't do unfills for vacations or special events.

I think this is probably a good thing for me. I attend a number of events, then there are vacations and, of course, the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's holiday season. Mother's Day . . . Easter . . . Presidents Day ... Arbor Day . . . and the list goes on :thumbup:

Yes, well good judgement has to come into play here, you know! LOL The holiday season? Presidents Day? Me thinks you jest at this point.

I don't go on big vacations but once or twice a year, and not all would prompt me to unfill. Vegas would definitely have me unfilling! I love Vegas and go every year. A week at the lake? No...no unfill for that...but Vegas? Oh yeah, baby!

I havent thought about getting unfilled for fun??? Interesting, will ponder this: ) Im getting first fill on 4/22 and since Im self pay my husband may "shoot" if i even mention this. Is this the secret to having the best of both worlds?

So let me see if this is correct: Get fills, lose weight, unfill for holiday, refill, continue weight loss....

This sounds too good to be true! Sounds like heaven but is it very expensive w/fills and unfills?

patches:)

That is one way of looking at it...the best of both worlds. I self-pay for fills now since we changed insurance recently, but that wouldn't stop me. My doc charges $150 for a fill and nothing for an unfill. That is expensive for some, and not for others...that's a personal decision there. I think the temporary freedom is awesome in a situation like a big vacation. To me, that would add SO MUCH to the enjoyment of the trip. Others think it's nuts, so what can I say? If you read my posting history, I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone more positive, more dedicated to her own and others' band success, more dedicated to eating clean and exercising. So my decision to unfill would certainly not be made out of weakness...I am not weak. It would be made to HAVE FUN! :thumbup:

Okay so now I am torn, Stay filled or Unfill??????

What to do! What to do!

I want to have fun which I will; filled or not, But I want to eat. We have many friends in Vegas, one couple is Chinese and always takes us for authentic chinese food. The food is fantasitc. I want to be able to eat. But I don't want to over do it, and gain weight.

What to do! What to do!

I'll call the doctors office and see what the head nurse thinks, she is really cool about this.

Oh...I don't think it's nuts to unfill.....and I looooove Vegas and would definitely consider it if it was an option. I'm still a newbie, though, I'm not sure I'd trust myself enough to get right back to the doc for a refill at this point :thumbup:

And, yes, Arbor Day was in jest. But maybe President's Day wasn't? :thumbup:

Just got home from Vegas. The .99 shrimp cocktail downtown at the Golden Gate was fantastic! Have fun!

I'm going to disclose something to you I've never heard anyone say. And to those reading this...do not flame me.

We all come from somewhere and are headed to better health...and it's a process. As long as we take a step forward...we are doing good, right?

Okay, that said. I still eat too much from time to time. I've gotten better...but still.

I frequent the Vegas Buffet. I always have a stack of cups in the car or in my purse. You know those Solo or Dixie cups...plastic...either red or blue.... anyways. I eat...then when I feel something getting stuck...I drink to bring it back up. I simply lean over a tad w/ the napkin at my mouth hiding the cup. It take less than a second. I put the cup down.

Location is everything...need a bench, wall, plant or something to at least block view.

Now, that's what I do from time to time when I eat out. No, it isn't right...sure it isn't healthy. But I do it.

I call it .... the cup. I rely on that cup when I drive long distances and have to eat drive thru, I rely on that cup when I try a new dish and don't know whether or not it will get stuck...I rely on that cup often. I used to do it w/ every meal. Then thru the process I retrained myself to learn my stop signal. I got it down to once a day, then a few times a week....now it's not so much anymore. But I do it when I go to a buffet.

Other than that, eat! Have fun! You don't have to eat a whole lot to enjoy food. Even at a buffet you can simply have a teaspoon of everything and just sample it. The buffet at Treasure Island is my favorite...most tasty. The funnest place is at the Excalibur...Angry Dick's Last Resort...they are a hostile staff and you get yelled at...the younger crowd loves it.

Have fun!