I’ve been running around to appointment after appointment the past couple weeks. I’m so tired of driving and the amount of driving I’ve been doing has made me very sore. But enough whining, on with the preparations.

There’s just so much information. Most of what I knew already about the diet and behavior modifications came from friends and acquaintances who had the gastric bypass. Lap-band, it turns out, is a little easier. The diet isn’t entirely different, but there are less foods that will potentially cause you problems since the stomach is still there for the food to pass through. The band just restricts intake and is supposed to trick your stomach into feeling full.

Still, there are a lot of behaviors to change. I already drink plenty of fluid but you can’t use a straw and you are supposed to take small sips. No drinking before, during or right after meals. I have found that I sip better with a straw and tend to gulp too much without. So, right not, I’m working on no straw and small sips and no drinking during meals, I’ll get to the before and after issue.

I’m supposed to begin keeping a food log. I know how important that is. I really hate it! I know that if I don’t log and measure, I have no real idea how much I’ve eaten. The “diet” part is much like the diabetic diet, avoid simple sugars and high-fat foods, eat fruits and vegetables and whole grains. I need to have my fruits and vegetables cooked/processed since my stomach already doesn’t handle stress. No rice, ever. No doughy bread. And protein comes first.

Then there is small bites and slow meals. Nom nom nom…where did my sandwich go? I am practicing earing in small bites and chewing thoroughly. It’s harder than you think. I forget and half my dinner is gone. I reckon this is something I should have been doing all along.

Oh, and no snacks. Scheduling meals in may be problematic. It always has been. But I will work on this.

The band is a tool to help control portions. I really need to use it right. It still worries me that I will screw this up but everyone is being very encouraging.

I go to the exercise consult not this week, but next. Then an eight hour class then the final preparations for surgery – like 2 weeks of liquid diet to help shrink my liver before surgery. I didn’t know it was unshrunk!