nurse535

What are you talking about?

I have discovered that adding sugar free flavored coffee creamer to Protein shakes makes them much better!

I have always liked Gerber baby bananas, even before I had surgery. I ate them during the mushies stage and still occasionally eat them as a snack. (People at work look at me weird though haha!) Obviously you want to aim for maximum Protein intake, but sometimes you get tired of the same thing over and over. In my opinion it's no different than eating applesauce, and actually probably better in some cases because sometimes there's a lot of added sugar in applesauce. As far as it being loaded with fat, that may be true of some blends but the the bananas don't have any fat in them.

If you feel up to it, just take it slow and pay attention to your body's signals. Walking for a few minutes is still activity even if it's not an intense workout, so that may be a good place to start. Resting is ok, too! Sometimes the activity will make you feel better, sometimes worse, so just go slow.

Sorry, double posted!

It is a very emotional experience to have bariatric surgery. We have a lifetime of emotional pain attached to our weight, and many of us are emotional eaters. You're experiencing severe discomfort right now due to the surgery and then on top of it you can't even EAT anything like you're probably used to being able to do when you're stressed! It's overwhelming! I have been banded for 2 years. I lost about 60 lbs and then gained about 15 back 5 months ago. I went in for my first fill in a few months last week, and this weekend I was feeling really upset and overwhelmed because I was stressed from work, tired, etc...I kept thinking "I'll just have (insert whatever food)" and then remembering - oops, I'm on liquids/squishies, can't have that...made me realize I have slipped back in to my old emotional eating patterns. You will be able to get through this! Rely on this board for support, as well as your surgeon's office and their staff. ((HUGS))

After my surgery I tried to go for a walk for 10 minutes every hour for the first couple of days. I think it helped my recovery a lot. If you can't stand to do 10 min even 5 will help!

That sounds good.

I can take pills and fish oil capsules without any problems. I didn't like the big fish oil capsules in the first place, so I ordered mini ones which are about half the size. Have to take twice as many, but that's ok. I order them from vitacost.com.

I've been banded since June 2010. My last fill was in November, and I feel like I am very close to being in the green zone, but maybe not quite there. I occasionally have some regurgitation but I'm not 100% sure that it's not my fault from eating too fast or not chewing well enough, although I have been trying to be more mindful of that. Lately, I have woken up at night coughing. They always ask if I cough at night when I go for a fill, and I never have, and I've always assumed they meant coughing like when you have a cold. Well, this type of coughing is like some liquid has come up and is trying to go in my lungs! Super no fun to wake up like that. I think it has happened 3 or 4 times since my last fill but the last 2 times are within the last week. I have an appointment in a week, so I will talk with the dr at that point, but in the meantime I thought I'd ask for opinions here. I am scared of getting an unfill because I don't want to start gaining weight. I struggled last year and only had a net loss of 5 lbs for the year (weight bounced up and down instead of consistent losing), because I was either too tight or not tight enough and really struggled with eating right because of it. Now since the last fill on Nov 8 I have lost a little over 10 lbs so that's why I'm scared to mess with this fill level because I am going in the right direction. I have read that fills can be tricky when you're really close to the green zone, is that correct?

First of all, the best indication of needing a fill is NO WEIGHT LOSS! Saying you can't have a fill because you're not losing weight is like saying you can't have the lap band because you aren't losing weight. Ridiculous! Second, if she does have people losing 5 lbs a week, they are probably over filled, because that's not a normal rate of weight loss or a healthy rate of weight loss beyond the first few weeks post-op. I lost 10 lbs the first month and then about 5 a month for the next few months, then I yo-yo'd up and down for about a year because I wasn't adjusted right and I was using that as an excuse not to eat right. I guess 5 a week might be ok for some people, but not most people.

Thanks for this link! Looks like some good choices!

248.8 this week, lost 1 lb since last week.

Really good idea!

My user name there is kejojo.

That happens to me if I eat way too much, but not as a soft stop. The weirdest time it ever happened: one morning I made a Protein shake while I was getting the kids ready for school. I drank it, took the kids to school, and came home and went back to bed for about an hour. Woke up to that bad middle of the back pain! When I got up I had a productive burp with about 1 tablespoon of the shake coming up. Then the pain went away and I felt fine! So strange!!! I must have drank the shake too fast and caused the esophagus to constrict or something.

I buy bras from Lane Bryant. I do prefer underwire but they have some that aren't. They are pricey but worth it in my opinion! I try to buy when they're having a buy-2-get-2-free sale. Part of the reason I like them is that their underwires stay put. I've never had one poke through the fabric like I used to have happen with cheaper bras. Having my boobs in the right spot in important to me lol. I think I spent a total of $80 for 4 bras last time I bought them, and they have lasted a year. It's time to buy some more but I think I'm close to dropping a size so I'm holding out for the moment.

I do a no clothes weigh in right after using the bathroom first thing in the morning!

There's another thread, in the Nutrition forum I think, about carb cycling and some people are finding success breaking through a plateau with this eating plan. Maybe it could help you!

I am at 249.8 today, which is a 4.6 lb loss from last week but a 3.2 loss from my starting weight. Can't complain!

I have a patella that slides out of its grooves now and then, and even when the patella is in place the knee gets achy sometimes from the exercise. Putting some cream on before working out sounds like a great idea! Thanks! To the original poster: how about Water aerobics? They're often recommended for people with joint problems.

Thanks for that calculator link! I think that will be very helpful!

I'm late to this party, but I thought I'd share my experiences, too. I am able to eat breads in small quantities. Usually it's about 3/4 of a slice of Sara Lee 45 cal multi-grain or 1/2 of an Orowheat Double Fiber English muffin. Toasting them seems to make them easier to tolerate as well I can eat tortillas, but usually make them crispy by heating them in a skillet or baking them. I get 100% whole wheat tortillas and I'd say I can probably eat about 1/4 to 1/2 of the soft taco size. I can eat a small slice of thin crust pizza but I have to take my time and I usually ask for extra sauce. A few times I have indulged in Pizza Hut pan pizza when I've been there with my family - what I do is get extra sauce on it, then I scrape the sauce, cheese, and any topping off the crust. Then I cut the crispiest part of the crust off and discard the rest. I take very small bites of the crust and chew them well. It's crazy to think I used to be able to eat 4 slices of pan pizza AND breadsticks too! What I find very strange is that I can eat Cereal without any problem. I assumed this would be an issue because it gets mushy and because of eating it with milk, which is essentially the same as drinking while eating. But as long as I take small bites, chew well, and pay close attention, I can eat cereal. This is good for me on my work days because I can't fix eggs like I do for Breakfast other days. I can take the cereal to work with me, but I can't fix eggs at work! I recently discovered Special K Protein cereal which has, in a 3/4 c serving, 120 cal, 19g carbs, and 10g protein. I was eating Fiber One Caramel Delight until I realized it has 41 carbs per serving!!!!!!! White flour breads, pastas, and rice, are worthless nutritionally anyway, and I am so surprised to find that I don't miss them. And even though I can eat what I listed above, I don't eat it very often. I'm trying to learn more about this carb cycling eating plan so I'll have to be even more intentional about when I eat these items!

I like the idea of a cream cheese roll-up. I am gonna search for some recipes like that. Since I've been tracking on My Fitness Pal consistently lately, my carbs average about 170 per day. Thursday I was at 70. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how many I should have in a day. UGH! Trying to figure out how to eat right is hard, especially when you are a picky eater like me!

Can those of you who are having success with this post some sample menus of what your days look like? Or list the low-carb foods you eat? Thanks!