bellaloco

I have this theory that if I am going to "splurge" on something, it is going to be high quality and worth it! I never regularly keep chocolate in my house, but on days when I feel I absolutely "NEED" chocolate, I will get one piece of something really, really expensive and savor it. If you really crave chocolate all the time, I agree with the chocolate soymilk...Earth Balance brand is euphoric! I also resently discovered this chocolate oatmeal that is really good. If you go to their website (betteroats.com), you can find them near you.

I try to get at least 1200 NET calories every day...you really shouldn't be going any lower than that. On days I work out, I am burning 800-1000 calories, so I eat a little more. Don't feel guilty for eating more calories when you work out, your body needs them.

as someone who used to work in a public pool at a rec center, I would say to wait until you're incisions have healed...scabs and all. Public pools are an infection waiting to happen...trust me on this one! After that, have at it. Swimming is the only thing I absolutely LOVE, and it is a great full-body cardio and strength training workout

a pair of True Religion skinny jeans and some Jimmy Choos!

I still have to force myself to get to the gym everyday, but once I am done working out, I am so happy I went. I agree with everyone. Find something you enjoy, or liked doing back in your "skinnier" days...for me, it is Pilates. I actually had that "v-shape" to my abs when I did Pilates back in the day. I have rediscovered my love for it recently, and I get excited to do it. Alternating in the cardio workouts is what I hate. I find nothing more boring than getting on a treadmill or elliptical machine and doing a 35 minute workout. I load my ipod with great music, which helps a bit, but honestly, it still really sucks. Try out some different things until you find something you do like, or I can guarantee, you won't be as successful. Rent some DVDs from the library, or Netflix has some really good ones on the instant streaming. You can also find sample workouts online. Some fitness centers will offer free aerobics classes. Good Luck!

ditto to everything others have said alread, but I wanted to add my opinion about liposuction and tummy tucks... I am in no way an expert, but have a really good friend that is a plastic surgeon...liposuction and tummy tucks really only work for people that are looking to get rid of those "last 5-10 pounds." From your question, it sounds like you have a bit more to lose than that. If you are going to spend that kind of money, go with the band!

I haven't had any problems with yoga, but I am a little over a year post-op. I do still have problems doing plain old crunches, but yoga doesn't seen to bother me. I would suggest trying it out and start slow. Your body (port site) will tell you if you're not ready yet-trust me!

I don't remember when exactly I had my first drink after surgery...probably my birthday, which would have been about four months after my surgery. I would suggest staying away from anything carbonated, and stick to something low-cal. I found the best sugar free margarita mix...I can make an entire pitcher for 300 calories-which is all just the calories of the alcohol!

I still have a lot of my basic "skinny" clothes from before I got super-fat (by basic, I mean things that aren't out of style), so I am covered clothes-wise until I get to a size 12-then I have no idea what I'm going to do, because I will need a whole new wardrobe!

I've built up quie a collection of home work-out stuff an one of our spare bedrooms has been transformed into our workout room. Jillian Michaels has a series called The Biggest Winner-it's a set of 5 killer workouts. If you're not up to that level, try Kathy Smith: Project You...it's great for beginner through intermediate. Others i have: Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets series, Winsor Pilates, and The Firm. i invested in a good stability ball, a stair stepper, yoga mat and some 5, 10, and 20 pound weights. If you have Netflix, there are some pretty decent Crunch series workouts, mostly Yoga and Pilates, but thre are a couple cardio ones as well. I am going to start getting The Biggest Loser workouts next. Most of them have really great reviews on Amazon.

My favorite workout pants I got at Old Navy...they are just a basic pair of capri-lenght yoga pants. i find they work pretty well for most everything, except running. If you plan on running a lot, get something with a drawstring waist! Up top, I wear a tight sports bra (champion brand from Target). over the sports bra, I wear a cotton/spandex blend camisole, then a t shirt over that. It may seem like a lot of layers, but they are thin layers, so not bothersome to me...works very well at keeping the jiggling under control!

My go-to breakfast on weekdays is 1/2 c egg beaters with a veggie sausage, some kind of cheese, and some random veggies thrown in. I can make it really easy the night before, and stick it in the microwave once I get to work. It does get kind of old sometimes, but I do manage to switch it up with the following: Greek yogurt is great because it has more Protein than regular yogurt. It is also a lot thicker than regular yogurt, so it stays in the pouch longer (for me at least). I mix mine with some kind of berries, slivered almonds and drizzle a little bit of agave to cut out the tartness. On occasion, I will have cereal with soy milk. Some of my favs are Special K with Red Berries, Kashi GoLean Crunch, and good old Honey Nut Cheerios. I also really love cottage cheese. I mix it with a packet of the low-carb maple&brown sugar oatmeal-this may sound really gross, but I promise if you like cottage cheese, it is a nice change up. At least one weekend morning, I will make me a kind of "splurge" breakfast-pancakes, french toast or waffles with sugar free Syrup. I don't do this very often because carb-filled breakfasts don't keep me full as long as ones that are protein-based.

I did really well in my two week pre-op diet, but the day before my surgery, I definitely splurged. I went to Wendys, had a DOUBLE Baconator, large fries and large Diet Coke...and I did not regret one bite! After your initial recovery, you can still eat the foods you enjoy, you just have to watch yourself. If I want a sandwich or burger, I have it wrapped in lettuce. For Pasta, I can't do long noodles (ie-spaghetti, fettucini, linguini), I have to eat bite-sized pasta-like penne or farfalle. pizza has to be thin crust and I eat it with a fork. You just have to learn to be smart, watch your portions, take small bites (especially with bread products), and chew chew chew!

anything carbonated is just way too painful for me...makes me feel like someone is sitting on my chest. If I am really craving it, I will just have a tiny sip of my husbands. Any more and I am extremely uncomfortable for at least a few hours. These are some of the things I drink now: crystal light, Liption Diet Green Tea, Powerade Zero, Sobe Life Water, Fuze Slenderize, Rockstar Recovery (when I need a huge caffeine fix), coffee with splenda and non-fat soy milk, and WATER...lots and lots of water!!

I went to the buffet at the Belagio in Las Vegas and I just told them I had a Lap Band and they gave me the children's price. They didn't even make me show a card (which was lucky because I didn't have it with me). Generally, I try to avoid buffets, but when you're in Vegas and everyone else wants to go, there isn't much choice! If I do find myself in that kind of situation, I stick to a small/salad plate, take my time eating, get a good Protein and avoid carbs all together. I haven't had too many problems, or fallen off the wagon from it!

Losing (and gaining) a lot of weight really quick has a huge affect on your hormones. It is pretty normal for your cycle to change. I got mine a few weeks after surgery..came a week or so early, but it has since regulated. I am to the point now where it is regular...and only lasts for 3 or 4 days (which is totally awesome)!

These are the reasons I am fat: 1-I am Italian...anyone else that is Italian knows the emphasis we place on food, and that all family gatherings are centered around the dinner table. I grew up loving food and not understanding the importace of nutrition and exercise. 2-when i finally did learn the importance of fitness at age 13...always the fat girl, of course, i joined the swim team. I toned up quite a bit. Swimming 11 times a week will do that! After i graduated high school, i was so burned out from swimming that i just stopped, but continued to eat like i was swimming 11 times a week...this is where my first big weight gain happened. 3-I hovered around upper onederland for quite a few years. My biggest weight gain started about 3 months after I got married. I had a pretty severe back injury that prevented me from doing most activities. The combination of the injury, adjusting to married life, plus going back to school full time and working full time led to a lot of really, really bad choices. The day of my surgery, I weighed a whopping 286 pounds (yuck). I am struggling with a major plateau right now, but I am NEVER letting myself get to that point again.

i'm at a loss...i was banded in June 2010, found a happy green spot for a while, but i have only lost about 7 pounds since october 2010. some days i feel like i could eat an entire vegas buffet, and other days i can barely finish a container of yogurt. with that, i still work out 5 to 6 times a week for about an hour, track my calories, protens, and carbs like a mad woman, but haven seen much change. i have heard about people finding success overcoming major plateaus by having all their fluid removed and starting over. does anyone have some more insight on this? i am planning a visit to my dr in Sept, but he is out of state, so i cant get to him sooner, which is why i am asking for some advise from my fellow bandsters. any advice on overcoming plateaus in general would be greatly appreciated. i am happy with the 55 pounds i have lost, and i keep those pounds in mind when i get frustrated, but i dont understand why my hard work isnt working. Thanks a bunch!

it really depends on the actual plan you are on, not necessarily your insurance company. if you have insurance through your employer, your employer may or may not have purchased some kind of benefit rider that covers wls. check with your hr department at your work for more information about your specific benefits. if you are on a personal plan (one not sponsored by an employer, there is a good possibility it is a general exclusion on your plan. insurance companies almost never cover something that is specifically excluded from coverage, no matter what your bmi is. good luck.

At wendys, I usually get the 5 piece spicy nuggets with no dipping sauce and a side salad. Carls Jr has a really good teriyaki grilled chicken sandwich that they'll wrap in lettuce instead of a bun. Jimmy Johns and In-n-Out will also do lettuce wraps. My advice is to avoid the combo meals-to avoid the temptation of fries, and don't get a beverage, since you shouldn't be drinking with the meal anyways!

This is the recipe I use, except I sub whole wheat flour, agave instead of sugar, and vanilla almond milk. I also add a tsp of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. Seriously the best, fluffiest pancakes ever! I use a 1/4 c measuring cup to put the batter on the skillet, which I feel is the perfect size for me. http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5138.0

It is unfortunate that your clinic did not communicate everything to you up front When I went to the initial seminar at my clinic, they broke everything down and let us know that everything would be billed separately. I used to work for a health insurance company, and currently still work in healthcare, so I know my way around, and I am able to speak on their level. I did have one little surprise though...the day before my surgery, the hospital called to confirm my deposit-which I had previously been told would be $2600. When they called the day before the surgery, they wanted $4500. I let them have a piece of my mind...telling them that my medical out of pocket maximum is only $3000, but that I would only be paying the $2600 that was originally discussed and I would be waiting until after the insurance processes my claims to make any additional payments to them. I ended up having to be reimbursed by the hospital because I overpaid them...that was a huge hassle!

My two favorites brands are Pure Protein-I love the Cookies and Cream flavored, and EAS (which I get in soy, not whey). Both of them I have been able to find at Target and/or Walmart. I get the powder and mix them myself (because it is tons cheaper) with about 4-6 oz of soy or almond milk and about 6-8 oz water-the thicker texture does not agree with my gag-reflex, which is why I add extra water! I put it in a shaker with ice and keep it super cold.

I had my surgery on a Thursday, was back to work on Monday, and was at a General Admission concert (mosh-pit like) on Tuesday! I was a little weak, due to being on only clear liquids, but I didn't want to baby myself. I was at the gym, doing easy elliptical machine within a week. I would definitely say everyone is different. It depends on how healthy you are before your surgery and what kind of work you do. I was relatively active exercise-wise before my surgery (active for a fatty, that is), and I sit at a desk all day. Plus, I needed to save my vacation days for another trip I took later in the year, so I wanted to take as little time off as possible. I would schedule as much as you can (I scheduled the entire week off), and go back when you feel you are ready.

My favorite breakfasts: Egg beaters OR extra firm tofu and morningstar farms veggie sausage and random veggies (whatever I have on hand). I make it at night, and pop it in the microwave when I get to work in the morning. The egg beaters and sausage=140 calories, so the rest of the cals just depend on what veggies to add. a packet of low carb maple&brown sugar oatmeal mixed with 1/2 c cottage cheese-it probably sounds gross, but if you like cottage cheese, you'll like it. EAS soy Protein shake-1 scoop mixed with 4-6 oz soy or almond milk and 8-10 oz Water (makes it last longer without adding extra calories) Dannon Light&Fit or Yoplait Light yogurt mixed w/about 1/2-1 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch Sometimes on weekends, I will make a huge batch of healthy pancakes and freeze them, topped with sugar-free syrup, smart balance light, and slivered almonds.