determination

Today is a very important day for me because I officially woke up 100 pounds lighter....LOL.. I have worked so hard to reach this goal that I have to say that I am very proud of myself. I eat healthy, I workout everyday ( even twice a day) and I really use the band as a tool and it really did work for me. I still have 15 more pounds to go, but for now I am so happy. When I first decided to get the band I really didn't think it was going to work for me but it has. It has not been easy but well worth it. I am a new person not only on the outside, but on the inside too. I feel great and look great.. Thank you OCC and the band for helping me achieve something I never thought I could achieve...finding myself again... =D>

How exciting! I can't believe that it took less than a year. So encouraging to hear for us new to the band. Do you have any tips or an example of the type of meal you would eat? I would sure appreciate any examples that you are willing to share. Please do not feel that you have to put down anything fancy. What would be a spur of the moment type of meal?

Anyway, congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anne

Where is Northwest Fills located?

I am having my second fill on the 11th at 11:00. We will probably be in the same shuttle to the OCC. I will be flying in from Denver. How bout you?

I am flying in from Eastern Oregon, I arrive at the airport at 9:30am. What time are you flying in? Does that coincide with your arrival?

I was alone also. Everyone is very friendly as you can see by all of the comments. I was lucky. I never had the gas pains or anything. My flight coming home was fine. I never felt any discomfort at all, and that included having to almost run to one of my gates. Congratulations and chin up.

Thanks for the information!!!! I will have to keep a look out for it. I love cereals.

Like Jazzy Jude, I also had soup 1/2 cup at a time (maybe I learned it from her). I really enjoyed the drinkable yogurt in the morning, but again I kept it to 1/2 of a cup. The only thing that I had (other than water) was 8oz. of a protein shake. I really like Crytal Lite in the little packages for a bottle of water. It really helps the water to go down a lot easier. Peach & Sunburst Orange are my favorites. But instead of mixing it like they say. I use a 32oz bottle of water to one packet of the Crystal Lite.

Someone also mentioned puddings, Dr. Miranda told me no on those along with jello. She also asked me to stay away from the Vitamin Water and the Special K water. She actually drew a frowning face below her list of things that she did not want me to have. But from what I understand after reading everyone's posts on here, is that we all seem to have come away with different variations of the food list. She did a lot of writing on mine so that is what I have stuck to.

Good Luck, I just know it seems that we can never learn enough about this whole procedure. (At least for me) :-h

Thank you Dolittle for answering that question concerning the port. I have been curious over exactly the answers that you gave. Even though I am a long way from having a LBL, it is in my future and I was wondering what would happen with the port.

Hi, I like you prefer homemade soups. I am 4 1/2 weeks post-op. During the creamy stage I made my own soups and just strained them like you said. The reason they tell you not to use a blender is because of all of the air that it whips into the food. But if you are straining it, I don't see why that should be a problem.

Hey by the way, congratulations on your banding. And when it comes to the ticker, it took me several tries. If you go back to a few conversations, Chad has a post on how to do the ticker. Are you going to "Tickerfactory.com" That was the one that I was able to get to work for me. Good Luck! :-h

Hello all,

Today is my one year anniversary. I can't believe that and entire year has gone by. It certainly was not an easy year by any means--but it's all worth it in the end.

I can't believe that I was almost 300 pounds at one point--I had trouble walking up the stairs and was short of breath all the time. Today, I can run on the treadmill and feel great.

It's been quite the emotional journey. The hardest part was the not being able to eat a lot of food part. I still struggle with that today--I always miss food. Thankfully, all the work I've put in has paid off, and will hopefully continue paying off.

I really encourage anybody that's thinking about having the band to do it. It's changed my life. I'm only 15, so I'll be able to be healthy for the rest of my life (hopefully )

As someone two seasons ago on the Biggest Loser said, "I'm fat. I'm a statistic." How true that was. I was part of the --% of American teenagers who are severely overweight. Well, I am no longer! I may still be part of a statistic, but now it's a good one.

I used to feel like the odd one out--the one who was wearing 3x's and 24w's, the one who needed a seatbelt extension on the plane, the one who waited in line for a roller coaster ride only to find out that I was too big to fit on it. Now I feel like a normal person. I am beautiful, I am healthier, and I am happy.

Thanks to the forum for providing lots of useful information. I really hope that everyone here continues their hard work (I plan on staying here!)

I wish everyone good luck and much health,

--TRS

Way to go! May I follow in your footsteps. One of the things that I read the most here for us newbies, is wanting to know what you eat or ate daily. When you get up for example, what do you eat or drink? etc. I would really appreciate it. Thanks Anne

Cindy, I called ahead and asked about my flight. I arrive in San Diego at 9:30 and my appt is at 10:30. My departure is at 4:10 and they said that that was perfect. Call or fax the clinic and they will let you know. At least they did me. Anne

Hi there,

I was banded in April 2001. I lost 85 lbs and hit my goal. Until last year, I had only required one fill. Then we decided to try IVF to have a second child. All was well until about a month into the meds, when all of a sudden I couldn't swallow water. So after a series of unfills, I finally had to be completely unfilled. I got pregnant, all was well, then at four months along, tragically lost the baby. We tried one additional time, I got pregnant again, but unfortunately again, miscarried. It took several months for my body to finally rid itself of the IVF meds before I could start the process to refill my band to the right level. Unfortunately during my unfill stage, my cravings for all things carbs returned, and I'm now up approx 25 lbs. We've slowly been increasing the amount in my band, and I'm almost back up to what I was for those 6 1/2 years that I was perfectly filled. The carb cravings are still tough, and I'm learning all over again how to eat while banded. It's funny, I think I fooled myself into thinking I'd conquered this weight thing, when obviously I hadn't. We're set to leave for Maui on 1/30 and at 175 lbs, I'm not exactly excited. And to top it all off, my FAVORITE soap opera couple of all time broke up, so I'm pissed about that too, so it's been a tough month Anyway, wanted to introduce myself, and let you know that I'm now back on the wagon. No matter how long I'll be banded, I know that it's an ongoing process, one that I can never again take for granted.

First of all, Lucy I am terribly sorry for your loss of your 2 babies. There are no other words to say.

And WOW what a great achievement in your weight loss. It helps us that are new to actually see the reality of how this band works and what a lifetime of commitment we are facing. If you do have any tips or suggestions to help us please let us know. Anne

I just scheduled for my first fill - February 11th. Gloria told me that with my fill it would be $100 (with floroscopy) and with the transportation from the airport and back would be an additional $99.00. So $199.00 total. Also she emailed me and told me to fast 2 hours before the fill. Hope that helps some.

Thank you all so much! I do hope they have fish for that would be the perfect choice. Do any of you remember the show "Million Dollar Man"? Well I think of myself as the $8000.00 stomach. LOL That definitely keeps me on track. Have a great evening. And you know you are right. They have all seen me lose and gain multiple times, so this won't come as a surprise to them that I am dieting again. That was an excellant point to make. Anne

Great for you! Until you are banded you feel like you are on the outside looking in. Well, now you are in!!!! Take it easy. Don't forget to dilute your juices if you order some.

Hi,

What I found out on the pre-op diet was a lot information that I gleaned from others on this board. One thing that I took their advice on was making sure that my protein drink had a lot of protein in it. If you live close to a Costco, there is a brand "EAS". This is a powder for making your protein drinks. It has 27gr of protein in one 8oz. drink. And also the chocolate is really good! Dr. Miranda really approved of this one. I also did the lean cuisines for the evening meal. I was suppose to lose 13lbs pre-op and ended losing a lot more than that. Drink lots of water also. I dilute my 32oz bottle of water with 1 packet of crystal lite.

That way it is not so strong, but yet refreshing. You are so close to surgery. I am excited for you. I am only 4 weeks post-op myself. This is such a great place to go for questions and encouragement. Anne

I don't know when your dinner date is supposed to happen,, but I can tell you haven't had your first fill yet by your data in your post. You'll be surprised how much you'll be able to eat without that first fill. When are you supposed to be able to eat solid food? After 4 weeks? 6weeks? I can't remember what the doctors orders are pretaining to that.

I have almost finished my first week of solids.

My dinner date is January 17th. And you are right, I haven't had my first fill yet. But I have been strictly following the food amounts that Dr. Miranda told me to eat. I guess it must be about the same amount that you would have after a fill. So, would it be wise to try and eat normally after I have shrunken my stomach so much? I am literally full after my 3-4oz protein, 1/4 cup veggies and or fruit, 1/4 cup of grains if possible. From what Dr. Miranda told me and wrote on paper work, I just assumed that this is what I was supposed to do. She wrote it all for when I started solids. Thank you for all of the input. My first fill is scheduled for February 11th.

I guess I'll claim the flu bug, New Year's Resolution and all of the above.

Happy for you! You will realize after you reread your post just how much you were still on drugs. LOL Be good and don't over do it.

Congrats! I relate with the not being able to remember anything. I don't even remember being rolled into the OR. If you can just take it easy for a few days.

I found out that if I didn't lean to the left I was fine and if I remembered to just do everything to the right I was fine. I am glad that you finally were able to get this part of the journey over. It is quite amazing isn't it? Good Luck!

Help! I honestly don't know what to do. My husband and I have been out to dinner by a business that we a lot of business with. They do this every year as a thank you. But up until this year it has not been a problem. I do not want to appear rude and order a prime rib, etc. eat a very small portion and then make them pay for it. My husband was joking with me today and said that maybe he would tell them that I was going to be sick on Jan. 17th. I seriously do not know how to handle this. Some of my husbands family will be there and I have not told them of what I have had done. They have not seen me since my surgery either. And I definitely can not tell them where I had it done. Long story short. Husbands sister lives in San Diego, mother in law is snow birding there. Trying to explain to them why I did not contact them while I was there is another story. Help! Help! Help. :-?

Hey everyone,

I was on google today (imagine that) and I wanted to share something that I found. It was very interesting and I thought I would share with the ones that did not know this. Very informative! Hope this helps, I had not a clue!

Beef

· Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein

· Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams

· Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce

Chicken

· Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein

· Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)

· Drumstick – 11 grams

· Wing – 6 grams

· Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish

· Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce

· Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork

· Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein

· Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams

· Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams

· Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams

· Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams

· Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams

Eggs and Dairy

· Egg, large - 6 grams protein

· Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams

· Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams

· Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label

· Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz

· Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz

· Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Beans (including soy)

· Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein

· Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams

· Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams

· Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans

· Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein

· Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams

Nuts and Seeds

· Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein

· Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams

· Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams

· Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams

· Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams

· Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams

· Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 19 grams

· Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

Good Luck!

I have been searching for this because the first time I saw it, I thought it was great! Then I lost it. I am trying to repost this for all of the recent surgery people out there. I think this will help us realize how much protein some of the most common foods have.

Hey everyone,

I was on google today (imagine that) and I wanted to share something that I found. It was very interesting and I thought I would share with the ones that did not know this. Very informative! Hope this helps, I had not a clue!

Beef

· Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein

· Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams

· Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce

Chicken

· Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein

· Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)

· Drumstick – 11 grams

· Wing – 6 grams

· Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish

· Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce

· Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork

· Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein

· Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams

· Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams

· Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams

· Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams

· Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams

Eggs and Dairy

· Egg, large - 6 grams protein

· Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams

· Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams

· Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label

· Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz

· Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz

· Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Beans (including soy)

· Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein

· Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams

· Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams

· Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans

· Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein

· Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams

Nuts and Seeds

· Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein

· Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams

· Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams

· Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams

· Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams

· Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams

· Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 19 grams

· Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

Good Luck!

I have been searching for this because the first time I saw it, I thought it was great! Then I lost it. I am trying to repost this for all of the recent surgery people out there. I think this will help us realize how much protein some of the most common foods have.

There are also 2 computers available in the lobby of the Lucerna. It was a nice break from being in the room. The day I got there a very nice young lady that had surgery on the same day, let me use her laptop in her room to contact the family that I had made it there. Then because I was so drugged she evidently dialed my home number for me after my surgery. She was up and around and walking. I was in and out of it. Was able to use the computers at the clinic also. You are going to find that you will have access to computers as much as you will want to. Good luck on your surgery! Anne

Okay, I know this sounds gross. But I am glad you brought up the mucus issue. Mine is a little different and it has only happened since I have had surgery, December 15. I wake up in the morning with mucus in my mouth. It is so gross. I won't go into details. The only way I help my issue is to suck on a sugar-free cough drop. Do any of you have this problem? Anne

There are days when it seems like everything goes against us. I had either heard or read somewhere, that blind fills were included with our initial surgery also. But I am not sure where I got that information. I'll have to research in all of my paperwork that I have been collecting.

As for the customs...................well one of the many hats I wear is that I am a certified passport agent. Here is the not so funny thing, I still do not have my passport. We are lucky that they extended the deadline to have a passport until June of 2009. It was to be January of 2009. I do know that you have to have a birth certificate and a drivers license to cross the Mexican and Canadian Borders. Here is another odd fact, it is not for getting into their countries, it is for getting back into ours. And that is only for driving. You can not fly north or south of the border without a passport. If it comes to the point where you have to get one, there is a passport card that only costs $45. That after June 2009 will allow you to drive back and forth across borders. (but not fly) In comparison to the $100 that we have to pay for a passport book.

Sorry that you had such a difficult time. It would be interesting to know what the policy is on blind fills.

Hi, I am getting my first fill February 11th. My appointment time is for 10:30am. I am getting a little nervous plus a little excited.