Lindsay

i believe there is a technique where they use little strings along the side of your face, to 'pull' your face, and they don't put you under completely for that. it's a less used process .. and apparently isn't as successful. i know if you google it, you'll find it.

i paid cash, too. for me, having this surgery was considered a luxury, and payments wouldn't have been suitable on top of my mortgage i pay.

focus on fat loss. not so much weight loss. my scale hasn't moved in 2 weeks (i only step on ONCE a week), but I'm still going down at least 1/2" on my body measurements .... start monitoring progress with measurements, not the scale. Especially once you start to incorporate solid food, it's going to be a major mind-f*ck when you see the scale gradually go back up.

I completely agree with this, and couldn't have said it better.

What is that? I almost always drink with my meals. I suppose I don't really know why I shouldn't. It doesn't enable me to eat more.

the gas & shoulder pain was a bit outrageous for the first couple of weeks. it also didn't help that i was on a plane for 8 hours within 24 hours of having my surgery ... didn't help!

I didn't. I was too scared i wouldn't qualify for surgery if i didn't follow the diet. And I also knew, that if i couldn't even follow the pre-op diet, what chance of self control did i have to be successful with the band. Because in all honesty, the band isn't a miracle. You can still eat whatever you want.

me too!

i noticed your very first fill was 2.7cc's .. which is the most i've EVER seen for a 1st fill 'round. out of curiosity, who's your doctor advising you with the fills?

i know i've had to cut brown rice out of my diet - just far too hard to eat. i was assuming quinoa would be the same - very similar texture. let me know if anyone tries it! i know it's very popular, too ...

no.

coffee w/half&half (3tbsp) 1/4c oats 190g egg whites. num num ..

3.6g/pro =1 large egg. i wasn't really talking about 'an egg'. cartons of egg whites from costco (3 cartons, for $7-ish) 190g is 20.7g/pro 220 > 24g/pro one should aim for around 24g of protein per meal, if you're only eating 3x's a day.

as a side note, i don't like egg whites, but it's a great source of protein - so i eat it. we're now eating for fuel. and not so much for pleasure. remember that when making your food choices.

Egg whites are great - they go down easily. I was having issues with chicken (which was my protein source, prior to banding), and switched over. Egg whites tuna (even canned is fine) Cod salmon tofu soy beans hope this helps a bit ..

I get this too!!!!!

120g sweet potatoes 200g egg whites.

it sounds like you're either taking too big of a bite .. or you're just too tight. another thing you should try: drinking something warm. (ie a cup of tea) I always find that 'primes' my stomach for eating, and helps things go down a lot easier.

coffee, i drink freely. alcohol, no. far too many cal's when i can only take in an average of 900 a day.

- you can still eat whatever you want .... - restriction takes awhile - like 6 months. i thought i'd feel it within my first fill, with it NOT the case at all. - it's a very slow process for the majority of us - eating a 'meal' takes at least 30 minutes now - burping & forcing myself to burp to get rid of that gagging feeling - fills for me are $150 EACH. You'll need at least 4 - so budget it in. Chances are you won't be returning back to TJ for your fills, so make sure you've sourced it out LOCAL to where you live BEFORE you have the surgery, including the expense. This is a big one, as there are tons of people who get the surgery, and then can't afford the fills!

my boyfriend knows .. my mom knows, and my sister knows. and ONE Of my best friends' knows. That's it. I didn't (and don't) feel it's anyone's business.

i took mine too - no problem.

the body digests it more quickly than sources like meat. if you're only eating a couple meals a day, i'd not use whey.. i'd use casein (a dairy protein that is very slow digesting) if you want to use a powder, or stick with chicken, lean red meat, fish, etc.

tummy is fat - increase cardio and you'll slowly see the results you're wanting!

is this consist with what you've been eating since getting the band? i have a feeling it isn't.