I'm being banded on Monday January 26th. Three days into my pre-op "liver" diet and so far I'm doing fine (except for some "head" hunger). My surgery is going to be done by Dr. Jaime Ponce (Gastric Band Institute) in Dalton, Ga (I live in Ooltewah, TN - near Chattanooga). Anybody else scheduled for that date?

Hope, your band is higher up (close to your heart at the top of the stomach). The soreness near your navel is maybe from your port?

Can everyone see/feel your port? I can feel mine (below my port incision) but I can't really see it sticking up.

Morning Summertime,

I'm in Louisiana, so don't feel alone down near the bottom(omg)!

Morning!!

Doing pretty good here in Chicago. I'm taking benadryl for the itchy rash but that seems to be helping, the surgeon advised me to take off the strips over my incisions and that helped a lot. It was definitely an allergic reaction.

I'm down 17pounds now, whooo hoooo. I've gone to puree which is making it so much easier to eat enough protein. I'm getting in about 800 calories and that seems to be working, so far. I'm eating scrambled eggs, cottage cheese (small curd), mashed potatoes, and some ground up meats. Basically it's anything I want to eat, I just have to put it in the food processor first. One thing I have done is to put a few oz each of deli sliced meat and a slice of muenster cheese, add a tiny bit of mayo and mustard, blend until pureed and eat with a spoon. Tastes great! It just looks funny.

Welcome Jewel, just jump in whenever, we're a pretty chatty group.

Craig, I'm so glad you are continuing to lose, I think that is one of the amazing things I have realized, that even when we are not making good choices we can still lose. It helps you to get over the guilt quicker, LOL.

Hope you guys have a good day!!

Christy

Craig, Hi! Could you explain the "stones" thing? Thanks!

-Julie

Christy, I have also found pureed tuna and egg salad (in the food processor with low fat mayo, pickle relish with the tuna) very good.

As of yesterday I had lost 12 pounds since the surgery, 19 since before the surgery due to pre-op diet.

Edited February 4, 200917 yr by jewel01

Hi Julie,

Hi Julie,

In the U.K. they measure weight in "stones" (14 pounds = 1 stone). So if you weigh 280 pounds, you only weigh 20 stone. Sounds much better, doesn't it?

If you look thru the previous posts in this thread you will see the discussion.

For lunch today I'm mixing a half cup of Bob Evans Garlic Mashed Potatoes with a can of Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup (two servings per can). Yummy. And not alot of calories or fat.

Craig

Craig...

Thank you! Lol...that does sound much better!

-Julie

Hi Everyone,

I was banded on Janaury 23rd, but I have been messaging with Hope and Julie and they suggested that I join your group to follow our progress. Would that be ok? I read your postings and they are so helpful!

I hope you all don't mind a new friend?

Thanks,

Kara

Hi Kara - glad to have you. Welcome the the 1/26/09 thread!

Craig

Had first check up today and all going well, my first fill is scheduled for 5 March. I am on second week and have progressed the thicker soups etc ( as long as it can go up a straw). Next week I progress to mushy food and the 4th week is soft food. Starting to feel bit hungry but doing ok.

Went back to work last two days and felt bit tired on day 1. Hard to maintain eating reguarly so need to be more onto having things at work as well.

My incisions on the stomach have healed and hardly noticable.

Looking forward to being "normal" again and going to a resturant and eating normal food

Welcome Kara it's good to have you. How are you doing?

Hey Tiare I'm so glad your appt went good. I found that once you are able to have creamy soups it makes it easier for you to fill up. Way to go!!

Craig, garlic mashed potatoes sound so yummy!! I had some mashed up scalloped potatoes last night. There's so much you can do with potatoes.

I'm doing much better, the rash is fading and I am not having to take medication anymore. I'm still having some twinges from the "gas bubble" when I breathe deep but I'm beginning to wonder if it may be the band pressing up against my diaphragm.

I'm down 20lbs today from my surgery date so I'm really excited. I know that I will not have this level of loss once I get on regular foods but it's nice for right now.

Hope you all have a good day!!

Christy

Hey everybody! I hope everyone is having a good day. I have had 2 bad days in a row! I have been able to eat anything and I mean ANYTHING. I had lost almost 30 lbs but I have gained back 2 in 2 days. I have been trying to watch what I eat today, but in the last 2 days I have had chicken, ground beef, goldfish crackers and chicken wings! I progressed waaaaaay too fast to the solid food phase. I wonder if my Dr. put the band on my kidney instead of my stomach :biggrin:

I also can feel my port. It is just left of center under the skin. I worry about that because when I get tot he point that I am doing laundry on my "washboard abs" I don't want it sticking out.:thumbup:

Trock97,

As disappointing as it is, I certainly understand. I myself had a good sized piece of chocolate today that I knew I shouldn't have had. I wasn't hungry all day, though I forced down a little tuna with low fat mayo and relish. Then- the chocolate looked so good and I had not had anything solid in so long...I did it. And I think that might be what is happening to you. You have had liquids and puree for so long...you want something solid.

However, I think tomorrow is a new day for both of us, and we need to make better choices. Did that food sit well with you? If not, maybe going back to softer foods is a good idea. If you are up to solid foods the chicken and ground beef don't sound bad...mashed or cut very tiny maybe. Don't forget, if you have no fill you are just as hungry as before (though I loved the line about the Dr. putting the band on your kidney!), and that will change soon.

Don't be down on yourself...I felt SO guilty about the chocolate until I read your post, and you were so honest, I said to myself...THIS is what it is about, making good choices, but being honest with yourself when you don't (I was a member of the "lie to yourself" club when it comes to weight...i.e.- that IS TOO a portion size...a little gravy (a 1/2 cup IS TOO a little) won't make a difference...I screwed up my diet today, so it won't matter if I eat this plate of cookies...etc.) So thank you for reminding us there will be ups and downs- things were going so well I was a little devastated at my "chocolate indiscretion."

Just keep the goal of your fill in mind, think of the hunger you are experiencing now as short term and work toward making the best decisions you can for the time being. Good luck and keep us posted. It is so nice to have this thread and to all be in this together!

-Julie

This week of cream soups and pudding has made remember that I really can't handle carbs well. Once I start eating carbs I just crave more. I'm going to start my soft foods a couple of days early (Saturday instead of Monday) so I can move to more proteins and less carbs. I've gained back about a pound, but not bad considering. I will start solid foods on Valentines Day, so my wife and I can go out to eat and I can get a nice piece of fish!

Trock and Julie,

Hang in there. I had a bump in the road today also. There was a jar of hot fudge in the fridge,and I dug right in and had a HEAPING spoon full. After it settled I did not feel very good. The main thing for me is that I came upstairs and got on this board before I had more spoon fulls. I would have lied to myself in the past, like Julie mentioned, that it was not much. This time I did realize that it was a HUGE spoonful.

When I logged in and saw othes had a hard day and it seemed to let me know that I am ok. We all have hard times and it helps to have people who understand.

No more fudge for me. I threw it out. I need to tell my husband and kids that we just can not keep it in the house. they are very supportive and I know that there will not be a problem.

I hope that eveyone has a great day tomorrow and that we all feel good and eat clean.