tifferoni326

Ok so Im not one of those people who is good as estimating things. Anything from feet to weight, I'm always way off. That being said, I can not look at a hunk of food and be like yah thats about right...haha. I bought a food scale for like 20 bucks and do use it, but mostly I just cook dinner or lunch or whatever for myslef and make a normal person's recipe, and then eat out of a small bowl until I get full. I dont let myself gets 2nds of any carb. Leftovers are for another meal, which I do because I hate cooking, and the less I have to cook, the better. I do think that many people can "eyeball" things, but I can not, so I wouldnt depend just on this Good Luck:D

Hmm I never went through a pureed stage...Day after surgery I was put on liquids, next day mushy for two days and then regular... Saying that I think that as long as what you are eating doesn't hurt or anything or make you throw up, then you should be ok. Sure it would be ideal if you could follow the doc's orders, they didnt go to medical school for nothing, but at the same time, have they ever tried eating baby food..YUCK! I doubt it. Just do what feels right to you. You know yourself better than any doctor Good luck and Congrats!:clap2:

Does anyone have any good recipes for quick meals? I am so tired of tuna cups!! I go back to school in a couple of days and need ideas for lunches. I can make theings the night before and will have a microwave if needed. Thanks!!:ranger:

For a lil spice in my diet for this stage, I would go order soups from Chinese restaurants and not eat the solids. They were so flavorful that it helped..I also took like apple juice and froze them into popsicles..

I feel ya on the tuna..I think I might be growing fins... I have been trying Vegan and Vegeterian (prob not spelled right!) foods recently. These are often made to be real high in Protein. I found this chili that used like fake turkey and Beans and it was actually real good I found it at Walmart but cant remeber the brand, but it fed me for awhile. But they do have lots of tofu etc foods available and these are higher in protein..o and of course I drink soy milk everyday. Its actually a chore for me because I dont like milk of any type, so I have to work myself up for it and have this lil pep talk about how i need the protein etc, then I also add coconut extract to it, to help get it down. Good luck, as a last result, even though my doc told me not to, I will drink a Protein shake as a meal. He didnt want me to eat them bc they were empty calories, but I make them real thick with soy milk and freeze them into a shake..keeps me full for a while and ensures that I am getting protein

ok so this is gonna sound...odd, but i love it I make this for my school lunches and eat them as I walk around campus.. I take a slice of pickle, and put fat free cream cheese on it, then roll up a couple slices of thin sliced lunch meat...i know its some what odd but I like it because I can keep it in a baggie, and its different from things like tuna..bc I eat enough tuna that I might grow fins!! Also suggestions, I buy these little oranges, theyre like less than a dollar a piece, and perfect for me, because they take a while to eat bc you have to peel, and still small, this way its not so noticable on the amount of food I eat good luck with the hurricane..this is coming from someone who spent DAYS on the road bc of Hurricane Rita..

Alright call me lazy or whatever, but after a day of work etc and dealing with a kid ( i have 2 and although they might have tails they still count!) sometimes you just can't physically muster the strength to get up and workout. I myself sometimes have a hard enough time brushing my teeth. So, heres what I started to do. I bought a little cooler and alot of those ice packs to have my lunch in. THEN I parked in a slot across the lot from my work. At lunch, I would go down the stairs, walk across the parking lot and get my lunch. THEN its a walk back across the lot, up the stairs to go eat. Then as I got more in shape itd b back to the car to put the cooler up. That way I was getting in my exercise without really knowing it and it wasn't in the beginning of the day when I was asleep or at the end of the day when I had to talk myself out of crashin on the couch. Just a thought...

I guess Im lucky bc I live in an outlet town. So I have an old navy outlet near me and a lane bryant outlet. So I went like last week and found like 7 shirts all for $5 or under at ON and 2 at LB for the same price..try seeing if there is an outlet near you. The ON outlets always has plus sizes..thank goodness!

Ok so I had my band in Feb. I am one of those people who doesn't eat bc they are hungry but bc Im stressed or bored or happy or sad or doing something. My whole family is like this. We watch TV with a thing of Cookies, we work in the yard drinking sweet iced tea etc...of course I am the only one thats real overweight but whatever... So getting this bad was a huge deal for me. There are still alot of times when I miss being able to eat. When I want to jump the person eating next to me. When I go and open the fridge to look longingly at the food. Do I miss eating. YESS!! But, I've lost 30 lbs since my surgery. This is without exercise..oopps!.. I bought a new pair of jeans last week, went from a size 22 to 16 stretch. New bra -a cup size (of all the places to lose). Several new shirts. Before this, I would go to walmart and go buy these mens solid colored shirts for 5 a piece bc I was covering myself up. Now not so much. I actually flirted with a guy at a party last week..heck I actually went to a party!. Sure I miss food. This is not as easy as I was hoping. Its hard. It takes alot of work. BUT I am finding ways to live. I buy side dishes at restaurants. I buy suckers to eat while studying. I am addicted to Crystal light pink lemonade. So would I do this again. Yes. but there are drawbacks. Everytime I eat something too fast or too much and must throw up its like the biggest deal to people around me. Sometimes I would like the temp satisfaction of being able to drown myself in food. But, at the same time, I am happier. So, while its not a walk down a park road, this whole thing is worth it. Its helping me find myself under the fat..as corny as it seems

Ok so I got my band in Feb, everything is going ok, but to tell you the truth I was sort of imagining an easier way out..figures!! Anyways I have trouble when ever I eat Anything. I burp. This may not sound like a big deal to some but the thing is I think its so grossss..its like a pet peeve. And sometimes I'll burp with no problem and other times I get this painful air bubble that I'll have to pound on my chest to unlocate. I was wondering if anyone else has or had the same problem and any advice. I've accepted the fact that I am probally not chewing enough which doesnt help anything. Has anyone tried something like those thin strips of gas-x for something like this? :help:

Its odd, but since right now im stilll in mushies, i cant hav this and im totally craving..Ive tweaked a lil though... corn tortia- microwaved and broken in small pieces for chips shredded lettuce for tacos- easier to eat and already cut up! Than I mix salsa and Beans together to make a dressing that is runny so it covers more..Yum. Also cheese if desired on top and sometimes I brown the 99% ff turkey breast with taco seasonings:hungry: Ugh I miss salads..Im hoping though that when I can eat them that this one will be ok, cause Im so used to eating salads!!!

God I hate those chairs. I found myself haveing to work up the nerve to go sit down and squeeze it... other reasons 1. So many of my happy memories are associated with food. I had fun at this restarante, and this movie theatre had good popcorn and this was the drive thru etc.. 2. Look back to your fat pictures..not many huh? My little brother had to for a school project find pics of all his family members...took me forever to find him one of me 3. I got tired of having to prove to people that I was more than the fat girl..almost like I had to make it up to them 4. For the last 2 years, I havent worn anything but jeans and a t shirt 5. I decided to live my life instead of just saying "Yeah Id do that if I was thin..." 6. Ill be graduating soon, and I hate going in for the interveiw, b/c I have to be way better than the skinny people, just to be considered! I could go on, but its so depressing Basically. I got tired of feeling trapped in my own body...

I went online and ordered them. They are fantastic. I have this weird thing about texture, and these werent powdery or too milky if you want to try one, send me an email and I can snail mail one to you. i have teh ones fro women, and when my family and I, including my father, mother and sister did BFL, we all liked these shakes the most. Ive tried the MuscleMax or whatever at GNC and yuck..btw, you might find these shakes at a local health store, theres none around me, so i dunno :mad:

I was on it for a week. It was the worst. I went to a local chinese take out place and got LOTS of wonton Soup, and took out the wontons..my dogs apparently love them.. that helped spice up my life. I also bought like those packets of ranch to put in my chicken broth which helped..LOTS of crystal lite. I bought like 6 boxes of sugar free popsciles, and didnt feel guilty about not eating the orange ones. I ended up duc tapeing my fridge door closed. That way, if I was tempted to eat something not liquid it would take me longer to get to it, and Id have time to snap out of my Food-Craze-To-Chew Maddness!! Good luck!!!

Ok, so this is gonna sound weird, but my doctor told me to take Flinstones Vitamins ! Swear. He said that it was a complete Vitamin that couldn't be beat on price and conveinence (sp?)..chewable and what not As for shakes I think its all about what you like to drink. Theres some clear Protein shakes for the clear stage etc. As for taste, Im picky, and fell in love with the Eating for Life Shakes, these are shakes made for th eBody for Life Diet. Theres also tons of shake recipes online for them..yum

Ok, I just said that to stand out! :mad:, being from Texas and all...hah I am in week numba TWO on my band..Freaking awesome...ok, not all roses, so heres what ive had problems with, so youve had a heads up. liquid diet..i was put on a liquid diet for a week..If I never see another can on chicken broth, itll be too soon!! The Pain... I sleep on my stomache, so my incisions were always keeping me up, so be sure to stay on those pain meds for that..Also the worst part of the operation is the shoulder pains from anesthia (sp?)...goodness they were like a cramp pulled muscle and a burning sensation all at once..ugh! food.. I really had no idea how often I opend the fridge until I duc taped it shut...also it made me face my emotions unstead of eating through them....weird All in all however, this life after band is GGRRRREEEEEEEAAAAAAATT Good luck and may there be less of you at each post

I've kinda felt that i was the only one cheating on here, so its nice to see Im not. Its just a hige adjustment!! I feel like I need to stand up and say "Hi my name is Tiffaney and I have an emotional relationship to food!". This has really put my entire life in prespective of how much I link with food.! ...The other day, I bought a Dr Pepper and let it go flat and had a lil bit of it..It felt like I was going to Food Prison!!! Also for the shoulders, I liked Polar Ice on mine...my sympathy goes out to ya though they are awful

I went through HOOPS to get this done. I go to school 3 hours from my doctor and theyd call and be like you remember your appt in 2 weeks, well we have an opening tomorrow, can you be there?..always was. Once they approved me I decided to get it done ASAP. Im in school to, and am actually a senior in college. I decided, that me being happy with myself and thinner and first in line with myself was more important than my grades. I did this for myself, and had a rough week post surgery. HOWEVER.. I did get alot of sympathy from people, although I didnt tell them what I had done exactly...still even though my test scores suffered, I am feeling much better, and thats what is important Keep on Hangin!!:mad: even though you want to SCREAM!

For some reason, I dont know why, but I thought we couldn't..I was depressed..Ill admit it. I LOVE Popcorn Now for a lesson in self restraint..I think Ill wait a week, and then try some..o man I cant wait:clap2:

OK...breathe..in then out. First off..this is me on my like second week, so totally not an expert, but heres my experience. Erosion..shouldn't concern you, I think you might be mixing it up with band slippage, which could happen if you tried to pass something that wouldn't fit and kinda shoved the band down. I dont believe it would cause shoulder pains howver, basically, look at how much you are eating. If you are still eating little in comparison to what you did before, then youre probally ok Shoulder Pain... The worst part of my surgery was my shoulder pains. The incisions..nuthin compared to it. I believe its a left over from anethesia. Mine hurt like crazy for like 5 or 6 days. OMG I wanted to shoot myself, it was like a cramp and a pulled muscle in one..ugh horrible Cheater...cheater cheater pumpkin..no wait..pea eater!! Stop being so hard on yourself. No one learns to ride thier bike on the first day. The hardest part of a lap band is the life adjustment. Split pea soup huh?..I just pureed veggies in my chicken broth. Fat free pudding...ok so the reason for the liquid diet is that your stomache is swollen and the passage from the banded region to the not banded region is going to be narrow until the swelling receedes. Some doctors, like mine, said a week of Clear liquids, some say 2 or 3 days..basically they dont want you to block that hole. When I first ate my chicken broth it felt like a tortia chip that "went down teh wrong tube"..you know that awful buring feeling. I think youre still ok. Just be careful. Regardless of what you might think, you are not in this situation because you are perfect, learn from this anxiety and breathe! If youre keeping the food down, Id say you are fine, just try super hard to follow Docs orders as much as possible, goodness knows they hate to have to redo thier handiwork!! Im making light of this situation because I truely think youll survive this and learn from it. If you are majorlly concerned, call your doc! They are there to help you. Just to remind you..mistakes happen, the best thing you can do is learn from them

Hi guys! I am in my first week of banding. I wish I couldve done this earlier!! It so nice to see the scale go DOWN for once, and stay there. I go to a HUGE party school in Texas and havent really felt like Ive missed out. I have a friend who was banded and she recomended getting a tap beer and let teh foam go down, and drink slow if you want a beer. Theres a bar in San Marcos that has like 100 diff beers and I found one that was really thin and sweet. Of course, I probally wont be drinking that much anyways, I've kinda think Ive grown out of the whole party thing a lil bit. I still do it every now and then, but not often..Who has time? b/t school and my exercise buddies (Kip is 3 and Petris still a puppy) and sleep I can only zone out for a couple hours a week in front of the TV with Grays Anatomy and or CSI. Plus, I think itll be good for me to only drink a little and be designated jane for the ride home! Besides..I figure once Im thin, Ill have some fun at the beach, and Ill look so good, I wont need to drink!!!!:faint:

I have to crush mine up too. Ive started doing it the Mary Poppins way, with a spoonful of Splenda or whatever...takes off some of the aftertaste. I just crush teh pill, put it on a spoon, a packet to half a packet of Splenda over it, then add water to fill up spoon..bottoms up!

Basically, the enzymes are digesting the food in to smaller pieces for you Anything thats low enough in pH will also break down the food, coke works b/c of the acid in the soda Honestly, I think sticking with teh enzymes will be best..I think meat tenderizer will only break teh bonds on teh top of the food, so youd have to drink alot of it to work, also, try some lemonade or something, you might have to drink a lil more, but meat tenderizer UGH! If you do the meat tenderizer, try fajita seasoning, its one the best tenderizers that Ive found for my barbque..that is when I used to barbeque..now it wouldnt be worth my time to fire up the grill!

I am in teh same boat.. I'm going to my doc to talk to him on Friday about this. If I look at one more can o broth..I might go insane..my dog's food starting to look tempting!! HAHA I had to boost up my protein intake to stop from feeling so weak. I drink as many of those Special K protein waters as I can, and it helps, try those

It'll be nice to do it together I'm sure. Plus it helps not to have someone sitting besodes you eating while you're drinking chicken broth..my sister did that to me the other day and I wanted to jump her and take the pizza!! It was awful..she told me to just chew on a piece..itd make me feel better...all I could think ok was running with that pizza..HAHA..So Im sure that going at it together will be nice