JazzyJude

You know, you might want to google "whey liquid protein bullets" and see if you can purchase them online. Most places are reasonable and even have discounts. You don't have a GNC store near you? That is where I get mine.

VERY interesting...I must have had inflamation as I was told to go on full liquids for 3 days... Thanks for sharing Kristy.

LOL...way too funny! How much was the tramadol did you purchase from TJ? That is another thing my Mum just recently been prescribed for. Also, did you have to have a prescriptions for any of the meds you bought? Which Pharmacy did you go to, if you can recall...LOL!

This is what I do too. Although I didn't do strengeous exercises until after 3 months, as I was told your muslces are still in the healing stage. I didn't want to push it...so I just did a lot walking and very light aerobics during my first 3 months. After that, man I was ready and raring to go! I haven't felt uncomfortable as of yet. Good luck!

DITTO! I totally LOVE beans! I have beans just about every other day. I make bean soups, cook a variety of beans together for a side dish, Campbell's Beans and Bacon soup is awesome!, and even have those wonderful Taco Bell's pinto beans with cheese...YUMMY! NOTE: If you are making bean soups at home, don't add salt while burping or cooking them as they won't be tender or soft. Add salt, if needed, at eating time. They have some wonderful Bean soup spices in grocery stores that takes the place of salt and takes real good. I like to go to Quartzsite, Arizona for there annual Bluegrass festival and they have those HUGE, GIGANTIC swap meets for MILES ~ literally! There is a vendor who sells these variety of bean bags that are out of this world and a few bean soups already preapred and all you have to do is just add water and if you desire, some chicken or ham or extra bulk and fullness. YUM, YUM, YUM! Now I am hungry! LOL

Hi Kiddo! NO, I don't do these daily, only when I don't get in all my protein intake due to tight restrictions, skipped a meal due to work, or just plain need more energy. I would say, I would do a protein bullet about once every 10 days or so. I do, however, do more protein shakes after a hard core exercise to help replenish the muscles nurishments and I do this within 30 minutes right after exercising. Hope this helps you...

It's advisable to wait until the 'glue' is gone from your incision before applying any lotions, gels or creams. You don't want to infect the area. I think I actually waited close to 3 weeks and then I applied Maderma and Vitamin E, alternately. NOTE: Use a very small amount of the Maderma (gel form). It spreads out nicely and you only need a THIN, LIGHT application. It also works well for the old scars you may have.

I didn't have any issues either and mine were in my bag, which they scanned over.

GREAT Candy! Glad you got this worry taken care of. Maybe having that small wee bit taken out will do the trick for you and hit your sweet spot! Good luck!

Hi ckiki! I get those at the GNC store and sometimes there's a discount and you can get 12 for $25 and this is what I do. They have 176 calories. I don't have them everyday, mind you...just when I need to up my proteins on my down days. Either this or a couple of protein shakes (which I LOVE the creamy ice cream shake flavor/texture of AmazeRX...go to www.AmazeRX.com for them, as seen on TV). Hope this helps you!

Hi Amanda! You are NOT a band failure! Don't think for one moment you are. You need to refocus and start fresh. Now, 1800 calories is a lot, unless you are doing some real heavy duty hard core exercises? At my highest, I had it up to 1510 calories and I was only doing 2 sessions of Turbo Jam video exercises and walking 5 or more miles. Are you eating enough proteins? I do anywhere between 60 to 100 proteins a day, depending on what I am doing that day. After exercises, I do take a protein shake to help with the muscle building. Remember, your first fill is just a 'primer' and you will not retain your restriction for too long. I had mine like 2 weeks and then I schedule for my 2nd fill and I am at a sweet spot for now. also, I do continue to take those wonderful chewable Fiber Choice, one at 10am and one at 3pm...this really helps with the hunger pangs. I vary my liquid intake for the day...just not all water, such as Crystal Lite and Ocean Spray Cranberry drinks "to go" packets, Gatorade, Special K protein water, tea, hot Ovaltine, and a few others. Drinking helps you get full too. YOU CAN DO THIS Amanda! If I can, so can you. Be motivated. Turn your negatives into positives. Find out what DOES work for you instead of what isn't. Keep a daily journey starting today and write down everyhing you eat and do. Do this and as the days goes by, you will be able to see what you've done and you can mark your days that has been great and you can learn from it. Switch around your foods if you have to. Do a different exercise. Switch the times of the day to do them too. Also, take one day and eat a high calorie meal and then the next day, jump start by having a protein shake for breakfast and lunch, and a nice dinner. Do this a couple of days and you might be surprise to see you've lost a few lbs. Don't get too frustrated as it took you awhile to be the way you are. Take the time to regroup yourself and relax...you are not racing against your life but embracing it to prolong it. Sorry to make this long...but you're doing so great and you haven't gained any of the weight you'v elost and THAT IS ACCOMPLISHMENT you should be proud of yourself babe! YAY! You ARE succeeding...stay focus and you will soon see some weight shedding off you!

Hi Ladies ~ ok, the bloating you are feeling is from the surgery as they used C20 to pump up your chest and stomach area to do the surgery. Trust me, it WILL go away, give it some time. Remember to continue to sip, sip, sip (no straws, to eliminate more air inside you) and do LOTS of mini walks throughout the day, not just a long walk. This will keep any gas bubbles moving and eventually they will go away. Also, don't sit for too long and the gas bubbles likes to hide in the joints and just hang on! When sitting down watching TV, raise one of your arms towards the ceiling and stretch upwards and then do the same for the other arm, just to keep moving. Rolling your shoulders and neck, forward and backwards, seems to help too. Since you are doing liquids, it is clear (hahaha...no pun intended!)...that you are not taking too much daily protein. You need a little help in which you can add unflavored protein powder in your clear broth or soups AND, take those wonderful "whey liquid protein bullets". These bullets have 42 grams a proteins and they are GREAT! They look like a tube-like vial and comes in 4 flavors (orange, fruit punch, grape, and blue raspberry). You can drink it as is (kind of like a thicken gel) or mix it in with a Crystal Lite, Gatorade, or even water. If you drink the whole thing all at once, you will definitely feel kind of strange with all kinds of tingling effect. But what I do is take 1/2 in the morning and the other half in the early afternoon, to spread it out a bit and this works well for me. Protein is the key here and it helps with the weakness, nausea, fainting, headaches, etc. Also, GREAT for hair and nail growth as well help your skin glow. also, I drink those yummy Special K20 water as well, which has 5 grams of proteins. BrandNew Dawn is correct is saying the recommendation is to have 1/2 cup serving of broth or creamy soup at a time, as many times in the day you want. There's no limit and there are no calorie counting the first 21 days. YOU CAN DO THIS! Stay on tract with the guideline and go forward with your own journey and keep coming here for questions and concerns or ideas. Check out the recipe sections for ideas of menus to have for your creamy soups days and then plan for your solid food stage. Good Luck! ((HUGS!))

Clynn ~ thanks for sharing!

I started walking down the clinic's hallway 20 minutes after the recovery, to walk off the gas they give you during surgery.. I had no problens at all. At home, I just used a regular bed pillow propped against my tummy while sleeping when I laid on my side, which I did and again, no problem. No issues going to the bathroom ever. I had my surgery in Oct 2008, and my scars are very soft and smoothe and the only one that is still pinkish is the larger incision, where the port is...but it is starting to fade away in time. I am very fair, so it would stand out more. The only exertions I did was just walking really. There is no lifting more than 10 - 15 lbs for the first 3 months. No hard exercises until after 3 months and no carbonated drinks until after 6 months post op. Basically, you just need time to heal and rest up the first 3 months or so because after that, you are in for a ride of your life to get your weight loss journey on the road! Good Luck! Where are you having your surgery done?

Worm Butterfly ~ I am so excited for you! You will NOT regret this decision...you are in for an adventure of your life! Woo Hoo! What the girls have said about packing, is true. Pack as little as you can because you won't need anything at all really. Just wear the same clothes home thatyou are going to the hospital. Having the slip on shoes is much easier to handle when bending down. Wearing a sports bra was a god saver for me. Other than that, since you will go home the following morning, you have it made babe! Keep us posted and we will see you on the other side!

If it would ease your mind without stress, inquire about it...I would. In your situation, I would be on top of it and keep track of everything I am doing and eating. This way, when you go to the doc, you can explain all you've done. You are doing the right thing right now. Keep us posted please.

I am not a medical advisor, but if I was in your shoe, I'd be calling the doc. This, to me, is not a normal situation to continue after having a fill, You should be able to eat some things without too much hassle. Maybe you might need to get a wee bit unfill?

You two are going to be fine! I can feel your excitement! LOL...good luck and see you on the other side!!!

GOOD LUCK with it Kristy and if it is tolerable, continue with it and keep us posted for the learning experience. If not, can you return it for your money back? Interesting to see that it's a 3 month program though. The Dual-Action Cleanse program is only for one month and if you want to do it again, you need to wait a month and then do it. It's amazing how each colon cleanse product is different for each person. Wishing you lots of good 'roto rooter' plumbing! LOL...

Oh this touches me so! Thank you sooooo much for posting this. And having spousal/family support really makes a difference too as you all are on this together ~ fantastic! I know some of the feelings you are going through and yes, it's the reality of it all. Oh, all I can say is a am applauding you for your consistent in keep going forward. You are driven because you've hit a realization in your life and you are making a a huge difference. Isn't the band wonderful? It is paying off Kiddo! You've lost 115 pounds! WAY TO GO!!! You should be PROUD of yourself ~ I am! You are inspiring me! I am interesting to see what types of foods you are eating. I see you are exercising quite a bit in one day, how much calories are you eating? Keep up the good work and keep on focusing your newer goals as you've reached your old ones. You are doing AWESOME!

Ladies I feel your pain and know exactly what you are saying ~ trust me, it will get easier as times goes by. You MUST be patience on this and you MUST have faith in the band. Don't focus too hard for a quick fix or will feel frustrated before you even start your band journey. Yes, the band is a tool and with it comes benefits. You can't expect the band to work over a short time when you have been eating poorly all your life. Give yourself a break. You need to focus on the how's and why's of foods. Take the time to learn what food can do for you, even energizing. You need to explore your body and how it will succeed with your band. If you have to do this elementary theory to make it work, then do it! I use my daily journal EVERY day. It helps me track the things that do and don't work. What am I missing? What didn't I do? How much calories am I REALLY eating? How much protein intake am I eating/drinking? Do I have the right amount daily requirement of vitamins/minerals? What exercises am I doing to keep the metabolism going?, etc. I've spent good money on the surgery and I am NOT going to blow this wonderful experience of my life time. Since being banded, I learned to be patience, love me, relearn the healthier way of eating, knowing what nutrients my own body needs, find out different exercises that works for me. In addition, outside of the weight loss, find ways to destress my life, focusing on the positive, motivate myself to be a better person...the list goes on. ALL of these things triggers our lifestyle. You CANNOT rush this weight loss journey. Your body will go at it's own pace and you need to adjust WITH it, along with the band. Very simple. Each person is going to be different and react differently too. I was at a stand still for awhile but then I did something different to get me going again. Currently I am doing the colon cleansing with the Dual-Action Cleanse program you see on TV. Well, it's working on me and so far, I've lost 3 lbs...not a huge weight loss but heck, in less than one week, that's good for me! Also, I purchased one of those sauna/slimming suits from WalMart to assist with me while exercising and I am sweating, as I don't sweat like normal people do. This also helps firms my muscles and skin and also I am drinking more water/liquids, which helps my dehydration. Keep a list of 'healthy snack' foods in hand. There is nothing wrong in having them in moderation. Gather the foods you like and mark how much you can have in a reasonable snack size and note how much proteins, if any. For example, I can have: ~ Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers: Each cracker = 2 calories and only .03g proteins. So, 25 goldfish x 2 cal = 50 cal and 1.5g proteins; 50 goldfish x 2 cal = 100 cal and 3g proteins ~ Dried Apricots: 7 pieces = 120 cal, Fiber 2g and Proteins 1g (but this is good fiber snack choice) ~ Beef Steak Nuggets (not sticks or strips): 1 oz (about 3 pieces) = 70 cal and 10g of proteins ~ Peanut Butter: 2 teaspoons = 180 cal and 7g proteins ~ Cashew nuts: 1oz = 160 cal and 5g proteins; 1/2 oz = 80 cal and 2.5 proteins ~ V8 juice: (1) 5.5oz can (the mini can) = 30 cal, 1g Fiber, and 1g proteins You get my meaning? You really need to read the food label's serving size and go from there. Sometimes, my snacks are part of my meal ~ depends on my restriction that day. Yes, I, too, at times have big time restriction in the morning and that is when I would make a quality choice of foods/drinks such as a protein shake as my first choice and then follow up with a yogurt, as I need my potassium, and then if I still feel tight at lunch time, have soup and add unflavored protein powder. There are LOTS of food/drinks choices to make...you just need to research and do the math. VERY simple. Exercising ~ gosh, I HATED walking but when I started on the Step Challenge from Taz in Oct 2008, I never thought it would really make a difference. But I lost 2 pants size, stopped the panting and huffing at short distances, and my energy went up in less than 3 weeks. THIS execited me to no end and it made we WANT to do more! I now do anywhere between 7 to 9 miles A DAY! Who would have thought I could do this??? (THANK YOU TAZ!!) Now, I look forward to my exercises every day and it is making a huge difference in me. If on a plateau ~ then mix your daily routines of things, mix your foods around, and do a different exercise. If you do and eat the same thing over and over, you will be in a rut. Trick your body, do something spontaniously and watch the difference it would make. Mental stress has a lot of play into this too. If you don't make some changes, expect slower weight loss. Sorry to ramble on, but you just can't let the band do it's own thing without your help. You need to educate yourself and really look into this new lifestyle change as a permanant change for the rest of your life...and, THIS IS A GOOD THING! I just simply LOVE MY BAND! I am now starting to reap the benefits and I am telling you, I AM HAPPIER! I now have more energy and can do things much, much better than before. And you know what? I have NEVER gained one pound since I've been banded in Oct 2008! I couldn't proudly say this from any of the other diets I've been on thus far out starting on a weight loss journey. Now ask yourself these questions ~ have I really committed myself to this band? Am I doing my best to get the manimum results I want for me and my body? I am driven, dilegent, disciplined, committed, VERY strict and have faith in myself and the band to make this a successful journey of my life. I am NOT in a race or comparing with anyone here or elsewhere. If I see ONE pound or ONE inch (even a half inch) lost, THIS IS SUCCESS! I am grasping this huge NSV and embracing it and going forward with it. YOU CAN DO THIS! Believe and you shall receive!

Ooh...I'd be careful if I were you on the food. I went with someone who had a fill and ate mexican food and ended up PBing within 20 minutes...so take caution to the wind on this...

Thanks for the info. That is one of the reason why I decided to take the pill form program, as I, too have the texture/taste issue. Let me know how you are doing with this program. I've done almost a week and it's amazing already for me. I've lost 3 lbs so far...

Hey Gurl! You are doing great! Keep up the good work! You should go to the Recipe section and click on the Healthy creamy soup thread. Also, there are a lot of other soup recipes you can try to help break the ice of eating the same thing, over and over. My main soup was having the Campbell's Cream of Potato (one can) and Cheddar Cheese (1/2 can) and one can's worth of milk. I added garlic powder and crushed Rosemary and warm the soup up and drink up! This soup makes me full and satisfy. Also, I would have tomato soup and added hot sauce and basil and oh so good! NOTE: After my fills, I would have the Cream of Potato soup for the three days and it helped me 'jump start' my metabolism and my weight loss. Good luck and don't forget, you can have those drinkable yogurts for a change... Best of luck!

What does it actually taste like?