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Sharilo - So sorry to hear of your accident. You look awesome, so keep up the good work, and don't give up! I had a severe sprain in my ankle when I was in Jr. High, and I still have problems with that ankle today. It doesn't hold me back, but every now and again it decides to punish me. Speaking from experience, your attitude about your success is everything. About a decade ago I started one of my many attempts to lose weight, and had a significant amount of success. Then, I woke up late for work one morning, and sprung out of bed. I ran to the stairs, where my ankle gave out and I fell down the entire filight of stairs. I wound up in the ER, and was put crutches for several weeks while it healed. Instead of keeping my focus on my goal, I felt sorry for myself, and used the injury to jusitify the bad choices that I made. All the weight came back and more, and I've got no one but myself to blame. What I've learned is that I have to own my choices, and I can't let excuses derail me. You've come this far - you can do it. If you need some support, we're here to help! Even if you're not able to loose weight - maintaining your weight will be a victory. As for exercise, no doubt you'll be unable to do that for a bit. Check with your dr. - you may be able to do some water aerobics after the first couple of weeks - even in a cast. I had foot surgery a few years ago, and was in a cast. They did let me do water aerobics with a cast protector. It was basically a big bag made out of really heavy rubbery plastic, with a band placed just below the knee to keep the water out. I'd tell them about your drs. about your concerns, and they may have better suggestions than I do. They may even be able to give you a prescription for a health plex type work out center, where they've got specialized equipment for your upper body. Good luck, and keep us posted! I'll send positive thoughts and prayers your way.

Have you tried the Leslie Sansone walking DVD's? I too hate walking on the treadmill, and since I live in the Chicago area, there are 4-5 months out of the year that walking outside is not possible. I actually prefer her dvds to walking outside - the time just flies. She also has you do some small things while walking which target additional muscle groups and they are super easy. Things like stepping to the side, and tapping your knee when you lift your leg like your marching. She claims that you do a mile in 12 minutes - but according to my fitbit it's actually a little less then that. I usually do her 5 mile walk which takes an hour, but my fitbit registers my steps as only 4.4 miles. I don't know which is right - I always thought my fitbit underestimates my steps and miles - but I'm ok with that as I'd much rather underestimate calories burned, while overestimating calorie intake! And congrats to everyone on your efforts. Keep up the good work! keep up the good work everyone! It gets easier all the time!!

I have BCBS of IL and I got my lapband 9/15/11. Congrats to those of you who are looking to get the approval. I had to do 6 months of supervised diet, but have to admit that it went quicker than I expected it would. Some companies exclude bariatric procedures, but when BCBS IL approves your surgery, they deem it as medically necessary, and they do cover all maintence required as well - and that includes fills. I too thought that they would not cover fills - but I've had a fill every month since being banded, and they've covered every fill.

I'm at 197 this morning. I leave for vacation Friday morning, going to the North woods in Wisconsin. I should be pretty active, so hope to be ok. I'll be staying with my parents, and they want me to get the weight off, so they're planning to have healthy food for me. I'm finally getting help from my band after my last fill, and I have to say the last week has been wonderful. Anyway, I'll post my final weight before I go, as I won't have a scale with me.

I get zone bars almost anywhere - Jewel, Dominick's, Meijer, even Walgreens and CVS have them! I was looking for them at Costco yesterday and couldn't find them, cause I thought I'd seen them in the sale flyer. I'll have to check again next week.

Thanks Jean! Some of these sound absolutly wonderful. Are these recipes in your current cookbook? I've got so many cookbooks that I resist getting another. I always find a handful of recipies in any book I get - but I have not had any luck with any of the cookbooks for bandsters I've got. They all taste like diet food, and that doesn't work for me. I may have to break down and order yours after seeing this!

I'm a goal setter, so when I began this journey, I set two major goals, and then broke it down into many smaller goals to keep me motivatived and moving in the right direction. Nine months ago today I had my lap band surgery. When I started my preop diet, I was at my all time high of 306. I've really had to push hard the last week - but I'm thrilled to say that I've achieved my first major goal today. So, nine months, and 107lbs later, I can finally say that I made it to Onderland - I'm at 199.4! It's an amazing feeling, even though I know I still have a long way to go - but I can tell you for sure, no one is going to bring me down today! The timing of this could not be more perfect - everything truly happens for a reason. I have to admit that I was one of those folks who thought I would be cheating by getting a lapband, and that it was taking the easy way out. I rejected it for years. Then my cousin opened my eyes when she got her band, and I started to look seriously into getting the band. One of my main reasons for having this surgery was to lose weight and be able to go out and get a new job, and not let my weight hold me back. I've always sold myself short, and settled for less just so I had a job. Well, on March 28th, my company announced that they were closing the plant I worked in by May 28, making it time to get a new job. They said that as they transitioned our work to new plants, they'd be needing fewer people, so they'd be making cuts all they through. Well, I almost made it to the end - last Friday was my last day, so I am now officially looking for a new job - and can you believe I'm excited about the opportunity? I have no doubt that I can and will do better, and looking at all the things I'm capable of is more exciting to me than you can possibly imagine. I would have thought I'd bury my head under a pillow and gone into a minor depression - but no - I'm looking forward to something new! They're giving us outplacement services, and I've talked to my consultant about my history of accepting jobs for less than I should, and told them I do not want to do that again. They've looked at my skills, accomplishments, and abilities, and they all believe that I should be able to get a job with a 30% increase in pay! It may not happen as fast as I want it to - they're expecting that fall is a reasonable time frame for me to expect a new position. I'm goning to work hard to beat the odds and find something sooner, as things will get pretty challenging for me financially by fall. But with a part time job and unemployment, I should be able to make it through the full 99 weeks worth of unemployment if I have to - but I'm praying I don't need more than 30 weeks!

I was banded 9 months ago today, and was at my all time high of 306 when I started my preop diet. I'm so happy to say that I'm finally in onderland - 199! No one is gonna burst my bubble today. I still have a long way to go - I'm proud to have come this far. And I've dine it with little to no restriction! Got a fill last night, and it seems like this one has finally made a difference for me. It's too soon to be sure, here's Hoping!

You can do this - you just have to figure out what works for you. All of the surgeons have different rules, and bottom line is we're all different too. Yes, the surgeons have the medical education and knowledge that we don't have, but we know ourselves better then they do. I would never recommend completely disregarding medical advice, but they need to incorporate our feedback in their treatment plan as well. We have to be able to stand up and say when something is not working! I guess I'm pretty lucky - I really like my surgeon, and he really does listen to what I have to say.

I'm not usually hungry after having a zone bar for breakfast. Have you tried the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese? If it keeps you satisfied and losing weight - I think I'd go with what works for you, nit what works for your nut. I don't see a nut, only my surgeon, and as long as I lose weight when I see him he's happy. I bring him my food logs, and the only thing he's ever gotten upset with are liquid calories. And on is a productive burp, when something gets stuck and you need to bring it up.

I usually eat a zone bar for Breakfast - chocolate mint is my fav. Sometimes I have Greek yogurt, or egg beaters with reduced fat cheese and salsa. The egg beaters are what fills me up the best. lunch is fat free cottage cheese with salsa, or fat free salad dressing or Greek yogurt. dinner is chicken breast, pork chop, lean burger, tilapia. I almost always have a salad with fat free salad dressing and veggie of some kind with it. I've also found that breakfast is really key for me. If I am satisfied after breakfast, the rest of the day is much easier, and I can eat less. If I'm hungry after eating breakfast, the rest of the day is going to be a real challenge.

I usually eat a zone bar for breakfast - chocolate mint is my fav. Sometimes I have Greek yogurt, or egg beaters with reduced fat cheese and salsa. The egg beaters are what fills me up the best. lunch is fat free cottage cheese with salsa, or fat free salad dressing or Greek yogurt. dinner is chicken breast, pork chop, lean burger, tilapia. I almost always have a salad with fat free salad dressing and veggie of some kind with it. I've also found that breakfast is really key for me. If I am satisfied after breakfast, the rest of the day is much easier, and I can eat less. If I'm hungry after eating breakfast, the rest of the day is going to be a real challenge.

It's clearly not my preference to eat only protein, but I do it as that's when I have my best results. It kinda helps with the feeling that its more trouble to eat than its worth too, so I end up eating less. Weight loss to me is all about choices and priorities. I can follow the rules and achieve my weight loss goals, or I can eat what I want and not make my goals. I can't eat what I want the way I want and be successful. I ask myself what I want more with every bite I take, and most of the time I choose to achieve my goals. I don't have to find it easy - but every time I make the choice to lose weight I'm that much closer to my goal. Making the right choice also gets easier with each repetition, and ends up becoming habit - especially when you start getting the rewards with good weight loss.

I've never had any sliming, stuck food, or pb's, but I don't have restriction either. What I've accomplished has been all mental. One day I sat in my surgeon's office and cried. I told him I'd be willing to go for psych help if that's what it would take, as I could not continue to live like with the constant denial that my life had become. He told me to wait until I had good restriction to make that decision, but was happy to know that I would consider it if necessary. I figure I had surgery to get my weight under control, so I have to be willing to do anything else necessary also. I go tomorrow for another fill, and I pray this is the one that makes a difference. It sounds to me like you may be too tight. Maybe a small unfill would help with your ability eat solid Protein? If you can't get protein down, then carbs are all you've got - and that's not good.