Kittycat

Congrats on restriction!! And you are so right when you say that it's a whole new learning curve...I have also PBed twice in the past week, eating too big a peice and not chewing well enough, I should know better...it's extremely important!!!

Good Luck and watch those numbers fall!!!

Hi Trav, it's totally normal to fantasize about food, especially when you can't have it...I guarantee that once you can have it, you will not want it as much..you can have small portions and if you eat in moderation according to plan, you will continue to do great!!

Hi there, I am sorry you are struggling..would your parents be open to the idea of you having surgery in Tijuana Mexico? The OCC, which is the administator of this forum, does to surgery on teens. The cost is more reasonable than in the U.S. but generally not covered by insurance.

Review the posts and obtain as much info as you can and talk to your parents...good luck sweetie!!!

Hi Bethb, you connected into a really old post.

You are only 10 days post op and on the 21 day post op diet, eat as much soup, liquid yogurt, fudgecicles, etc...as you feel you need to stay satsified. Do not count calories during this time, you are till healing and unlike the previous post indicated, do not go on soft or mushy foods, liquids only.

Cream of Cheddar/Potato soups are really feeling, try them..and good luck!

Oh Cara, I tried it your way...I got a peice of pork stuck tonight, after two bites of dinner and starting sliming bigtime and feeling tighness in my chest..yet again...I took a couple of huge gulps of water and the chest pain got 100X worse and I projectile PBed into the bathroom sink...honey drinking when your stuck may work for you...but definitely not for me.

You will do fine, just take a deep breathe and do it...after day 3 I was fine...even gave up Diet Coke at the same time, losing the caffiene out of my system helped with headaches and my weight loss. Diet pop is a diaretic and prevents weight loss...keep that in mind during pre-op diet. Post-op you are not permitted carbonated drinks at all, so you may as well quit now.

Good luck and I know you can do it...part of it is to prepare you for the post-op diet, which is even more strict and longer...if you can do pre-op and stick to the plan, you are ready!!!!

Get a fill, that's not the way things should be. My surgeon told me that if you are using more willpower than bandpower, get a fill.

Good Luck!!

Hi Kim, well based on the fill, you should feel full for 3-4 hours on less than a cup of food. I have 5.5 cc in my 9 cc band and I am tight, but not overly tight and I am starting to feel the way you do...and wondering if another .5 cc will do the trick..I eat and feel hungry within 2 hours.

You and I may need another tiny fill....does your food get stuck at all or are you PBing at all?

Hi Kim, you are going to be super tight, so be careful when you start on solids, eat really tiny bites and chew well...go slow!!

Good Luck!!!

Wow Cara, you are wicked tight now girl!!!

Be careful, alot of PBing can cause damage. I was told not to drink anything at all and to let the slime do it's thing. It's like a clogged drain and if you had food or liquid on top of it, it makes it worse...but if it worked for you, go for it!!!

Have fun tomorrow and don't forget to call me!!!

Good for you Trav, you are doing amazing...work that band!!!

Hi Ben! Welcome!!

Like Kensgirl said, research the best option for you..and if you decide to go for the lapband surgery, you won't regret it. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

It's not easy, but it's worth it!! My stats speak for themselves.

Good Luck and if you have any questions at all, just ask. We are here to support!!

I had cold cereal with skim milk all the time...I bought a granola type of cereal which is extremely filling.

Chewing like crazy helps get the food from mouth to pouch...if you take too big a bite and don't chew it well, it will get stuck and you will experience excruating chest pain and start sliming.

Be careful and chew chew chew!!!

OK, so what exactly do B12 strips do for you? I remember you talking about this before, but I never did ask that one question.

Taz

B12 boosts your immune system, prevently colds, disease etc.. I am B12 deficient and need more than the average vitamin provides.

Hi there, I was told the opposite...but it depends on the soft food.

I find that eating pasta or chili which is slippery, does not stay and I feel hungrier sooner. When I eat solids, such as steak, beef chicken, w/veggies or mashed potatoes...I feel full alot longer.

If I eat pasta, I eat the chicken or meatballs first and then the pasta to lay a protein base in my pouch.

Interesting point though!!

First off... don't you DARE be ashamed of taking care of yourself!!! 100 lb loss is an amazing accomplish, and you should be proud of the healthier, hotter you.

If you ever feel that the person in your life would change their opinion of you in a negative way by your decision... quite frankly they are not the right person for you. Let's get real... life is to short to be fretting about people that won't be supportive of your life altering decisions.

Of course, I don't know anywhere where it is written that you even need to tell them during the courting phase. A person you are going to spend the rest of your life with isn't going to negatively care about your band. They will probably be supportive. They are reaping the benefits... so to speak.

I sense a small lack of confidence in WHO you have become. Who you ARE. Before worrying about your relationships with others.... you might want to work on your relationship with yourself. YOU come first when it comes to your health. Anyone that wants to sabatoge that has no right to be in your life.

I hope you find that confidence... and the significant other you deserve.

Taz

Great post Taz, you hit it right on the mark!!!

First of all you should be extremely proud of yourself, you lost 100lbs!! That's an amazing accomplishment!!

You need to gain self-confidence and say the hell with everyone else my dear!! You did what you need to do to get healthy and if he accepts it, great, if not don't let it get you down. If you know this person well, you should be able to figure out how they would take this kind of news...if you think he will be negative about it, don't tell him.

I have told very few people..only those who I felt and sensed would be receptive to my decision and be my biggest cheerleaders...those who didn't fit that bill, don't know.

Only you can decide what the best thing to do is....drop hints and see how he reacts, maybe you'll get your answer.

Take care and good luck!!!

Weight loss is not going to happen right away, I gained 7 lbs with surgery and didn't drop it for over 10 days, you are swollen and retaining water, it's totally normal.

Put away the scale and do not focus on weight loss until after you've had your first fill. Until then you are to eat and drink as much as you need to heal. You may lose weight because you are on a specific diet plan, but if you don't that's okay too. During the first 21 days post op you need to concentrate on recovery and book your first fill.

After your first fill, you start the protein, veggie, grain, fruit diet plan, portion and calorie control.

Relax and it will all fall into place.

Take care!

Great idea Donna...I shop at local thrift stores, we have a couple of great ones here in town and you pick up great clothes for less than half the price!!

Wow, best of luck with the port replacement surgery!!!!

That's good to hear. I wouldn't mind having a piece of toast with peanut butter. Kinda worried about it sticking... so not sure how I want to approach that. The horrors I hear about gumming up, I want to be careful in my approach.

Taz

I used to eat toasted mulit-grain bread with peanut butter all the time, but since my third fill, I don't want to risk it. Small bites and eat slow.

Hi Taz, I am fine with toasted breads and potatoes..rice tends to stick a bit..but if you chew well and eat slow, it should be okay.

Everyone is different and it's trial and error to see what works and what doesn't.

Good Luck and enjoy!!!

In Canada, the band sizes are 9cc and 12cc...I have the 9cc.

Great post, thanks for telling your story!!!

LMAO!! That's too funny and a great NSV!!!

Go get some new jean, you deserve it!!!