I am so excited

Hello family, My name is Amanda and I am from the DC metro area. Today I found out I was APPROVED!!! !yay! I am so excited. I am 18 and will be have LAP RNY on May 23rd. Could of had a sooner date but I want to finish this semester in college. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS: ~what do you use as far as protein drink? I know everyones taste buds are different but young people atleast have closer likings. ~what do you do at school as far as snacks and liquids? ~ when you are with your family for dinner what do you tend to do so you dont eat the wrong this or feel ockward (sp?)about it? ~What are some good thinks for the pureed stages? If anyone would like to talk and become WLS support email me and talk or email me and then we can talk on AOL IM. I am very excited and look forward to hearing from everyone. I have been a major lurker on the main board and teen board for the past 8 plus month meanwhile I was doing my 6 month supervised weight loss with the pcp for the inssurance company. ****Also any tips and suggestions are appreciated**** ~~~Amanda

I am still pre-op so i cant tell you much... but i just wanted to say CONGRATS ON GETTING A DATE!!! I am a tad jelouse since you just were approved and got a date so fast (i was approved back in september 04 and still no date- dr. is making me diet until i am under 300, and i started at 357) Anyway, again... Congrats *throws confetti*

M.M. I just wanted to day thank you. I am sorry you have to lose the weight preop. Personally it doesnt make since to me because you are having the surgery because you have a difficulty "dieting". I only had to do a stupid 6months that technically all I did was pay $75 dollars amonth to be yelled at by the doctor lost 2 mounds one month then would lose 2 a gain then gain 3 so i was basically even at the end not to mention i didnt do the diet. But any ways good luck and maybe you could change surgeons? just a though well keep in touch. I wanna become more active on this board. ~Amanda

First of all on getting a date :D ~what do you use as far as protein drink? I know everyones taste buds are different but young people atleast have closer likings. ~~~I personally use sugar free carnation instant breakfast drink [the blue box] and i mix in one scoop of unjury[unjury.com] flavorless protien powder, and a packet of sweet n low. That gives me about 64g of protien, and according to my nutritionist i absorb about 44g of that 64. ~what do you do at school as far as snacks and liquids? ~~~i dont do school or work, but for liquids i take a bottle and fill it 1/2 with water and freeze it, then when im ready to drink i just pu****er to fill the bottle and i have a HUGE ice cube to keep my drink cold for long :D and snacks, i dont snack :/ but i know ifi dont feel like eating, i have a tablespoon or two of peanutbutter and that fills me up, ussually i can eat about 1-1 1/2 of it. also a snack i use SF popcicles and fudgecicles. ~ when you are with your family for dinner what do you tend to do so you dont eat the wrong this or feel ockward (sp?)about it? ~~~Ussually i can have some of what my family eats, like my mom makes alotta chicken, so i measure out my 2oz portion and if their having a veggie i can have i take a lil tiny bit, and i eat with them normally, since we have to chew our food some long, as a post op, the time it tkaes me to eat my peice of broccoli and my 2oz of meat, im ussually one of the last ones done, lol, and if their having something i cant have, i make my own and eat with them :/ ~What are some good thinks for the pureed stages? ~~~ i cant give you much info on this one, i basically lived on the hood carb countdown yogurt and yogurt smoothies, occasionally i would have some oatmeal or a scrambled egg, but mainly it was the yogurt, lol. Im glad your no longer a lurker :D it nice to see new ppl all the time. If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask, i live on this stupid machine, lol. _mike openRNY 2/25 628/550/532/???

Mike, thank you so much for all your answers. I really like the water giant ice cube i dea that is so smart. everytime i frezze a waterbottle i end up not being able to drink it because it is frozen. i have some unjury that i got from my surgeon but am scared to tryit because i hate the taste of protein drinks. i have all three flavors. I am going to try it this week and use ur idea with the CIB. I wanna say you look great with your weight loss so far. I have followed your journey and read most of your post. I know somuch about the young posters. you guys i look to for guidence. Well keep in touch and thankyou, and good luck. ~Amanda

yeah i used to freeze the whole thing, then would be dying of thirst and not have anything to drink, lol so i was like ill freeze 1/2 of it, and fill the rest with water and ill be SET :D Unjury doesnt taste bad at all, it actually tastes good, the unflavored adds a lil weird flavor, but some sweetnlow or spelnda takes it way, and the choc one tastes like regualr chocolate milk :D thanks :D i wish my weight loss was going quicker but ill take what i can get :D I wish i was a lil more activity on the teen forum but i guess were all a lil sluggish somtimes, lol Im sure you will have an awesome wls journey once you get to the "losers" side, lol

As far as protein goes, I buy Sugar-Free Carnation Instant Breakfast packets and them mix a chocolate flavored protein powder with it. You would never know the difference and it is pretty good. If you can eat at school, try packing some packages of string cheese, it is small, it will fill you up, and it has protein!

Melissa, Thank you for the suggestions. I wanna say congrats on your up coming surgery. Amanda

Hey Amanda, congratulations on getting your date!!! That is awesome, I am also a college student and I had surgery back in December (lap band). I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS: ~what do you use as far as protein drink? I know everyones taste buds are different but young people atleast have closer likings. I started off with alot of Met Rx RTD (ready to drink) banana. You can buy it at GNC and its amazingly good! Plus, it has about 40 grams of protein. ~what do you do at school as far as snacks and liquids? For snacks I usully bring a protein bar called Power Crunch that you can buy at a vitamin shoppe or online at (www)bariatriceating.com Its easy when yo are walking to and from to classes. For drinks, I will have a water bottle, sugar free koolaid, crystal lite or usually I go to Smoothie King and get a High Protein Almond Mocha shake with no turbinado( sugar). It has 40 grams of protein and a size small will last you about 2 hours. ~ when you are with your family for dinner what do you tend to do so you dont eat the wrong this or feel ockward (sp?)about it? Sometimes i eat crackers and cheese or alot of chicken. Chicken is a great source of protein as well. ~What are some good thinks for the pureed stages? What an fun time eating that food...it got old, but its a good stage for rapid weight loss. I ate cream of chicken broth(comes in a packet in a box), mashed potatoes every now and then, cheese, crackers, yogurt was okay, still had the protein shake 1 or 2 times a day, plus....you guessed it...chicken! I found this chicken that was water based and came in a can, kinda like water based tuna. This ended up being very good. Have fun with it, mix and match different foods that you know you can tolerate then experiment with them. Feel free to ask more questions. ~*Megan*~

Hey Megan, Thank you for all of your great Ideas. I like the whole thing about the can chicken I eat that occassionally now so its good. Also i will try the Met rx drinks. I wanted to say congrats on your 60+ pd weightloss so far. I cant weight till i am at that point. Well keep in touch with your progress. ~Amanda