Hello everyone, The one and only shake that I could and still tolerate is Muscle Milk Light. The chocolate flavor is the best one I have come across. It taste great if you mix it with water and ice. You can find them at Vons, GNC and Vitamin Stores nationwide. I have also tried the protein shots and even though they don't taste very good, they do provide a great portion of protein in a small package. Thats all. I hope this infromation helps someone out their. I am 15 months out. I am down 173 lbs. Best of luck to everyone...Chris

I don't know why but I still feel hungry all the time and I can eat a pretty big amount of food. My first fill was four cc and I dont feel any different Is this normal.

Hi Lisa, I was able to get my fill last week. I can tell I have some restriction, but not a lot. My doctor put 1 cc in my band and wants me to come back the first of August to add another cc. I have lost 2 lbs since my fill, for a total of 3 lbs in one week. My doctor said he expects me to lose 1 lb a week for a total of 4 lbs a month. I was on a liquid diet the day after my fill, but now I can eat regular again. I didnt eat right during the 4th holiday, but now it is time to get back on track. I have been tracking everything I put in my mouth and I am trying to keep myself under 1000 calories, but I seem to be struggling with my carbs. I am sick of eating chicken, tuna, and drinking protein shakes. I need to find a new way to mix up my diet. Luckily at this weeks support group our nutritionist will be giving the meeting. I am sure she can give me something to work with. I have had trouble getting all my water too. I cant seem to hold it or I am just not thirsty. My water consumption dropped from 64 oz daily to 24-40 oz daily. I wouldnt worry too much about the lack of weight loss. Your body is probably still trying to catch up to the 20 lbs you lost, which is GREAT by the way! I know it is easier said than done. I didnt lose any weight for 4 weeks and wondered everyday if the lap band was really worth it. It got really depressing until last week and I finally lost a pound. I was so excited! Give it time and get the fill, maybe things will pick up. Keep me posted on how everything turns out.

Thanks so much for your response. It helps to know that the things we go through are normal when we are able to share with other lap-band patients. My doctor said the same thing your nutritionist said, not to worry about the weight loss until after the fills. It is just that we have worked so hard to get here and people look at you differently after they know that you have had the surgery that we want to show a loss and not feel like a failure. Please keep in contact and let me know how the fill affects your weight loss. Best of luck to you! I am rooting for you! Lisa

I had my lap band surgery on May 30 and lost 20 pounds on the 2 week liquid diet pre-op. Since then I have not lost any more weight. I am scheduled for my first fill on July 10, as of now I am hungry all the time and can pretty much eat and drink whatever I please. I am hoping to notice some restriction after my fill on Thursday and hope that I start loosing some of this weight. I have questioned whether I made the right choice by going with the lap band vs. the gastric bypass. Would love to know whether you were able to get your fill and if so, have you noticed restriction. At my last appointment (about three weeks ago) to have an incision looked at I briefly spoke with the doctor concerning my lack of weight loss and his comment was that my job at the time was to get my body healthy after the surgery and I said "So I will start loosing after this fill, and he said sometimes it takes a few fills before restriction is noticeable. Needless to say I was very discouraged and disappointed. Best of luck to you and would love to keep in touch with you since we are so close in surgery dates to compare and bounce things off of each other.