LiveStrong41

Ihave found that I really like the banana creme flavored & the new one is Cookies & creme , I work at a supermarket so I find it pre mixed I throw it in the fridge so it can get really cold then I can drink it but you have to shake them to mix it up also for me to have Water sometimes I get the Special K on the go Protein water usally found on the Cereal Isle but you can ask some one I had surgery the 28th of Sept 2012 so that's what I do , well good luck on your journey I have lost about 50 lbs so far, and only had one fill so far.

I love the Muscle Milk light--in the premixed container. I get it at Walmart and it tastes like chocolate milk to me.

Okay I believe I"m in the green zone. I have gotten stuck a couple of times. Boy it is painful and was my own falt for gabbing while eating. My question for you is. Do you find trying to burp helps the food go down? I find that I cough up slime if I try to burp. I usually end up over the toilet spitting out slime. Yet I have yet to throw up. Do you find it helps to swallow the slime as it will lubricate the stuck item? Do you spit out the slime? Do you burp? I know this is gross but i feel a valid question.
Thanks ladies CHEW ON!

This is my third Thanksgiving since being banded. My first Thanksgiving was just ok. I realized for the first time how long everyone sat around the table and just grazed all day long. My second Thanksgiving I knew what I could eat comfortably without becoming sick and running out of the room. This is my third Thanksgiving. I will get a small plate and get up frequently reserving people and cleaning the kitchen AND realizing I now have control...NOT the food!

To be honest personally the festive season no longer scares me. In the past food was always my focus and Christmas time I'd feel like I was dying by the end of the day with all the food consumed. This year I'm cooking for twenty people and will be making what everyone likes and I will stick with my portion controls and if there is something I really drool over I will have a small bit and be happy with that. This will be the first year in years that I won't be putting on weight from over eating and looking forward more to the company if people I love.

Last year was my first Thanksgiving after being banded, and I ate a little bit of everything I wanted, including Desserts. I even had a bite of a yummy roll! I took small bites, chewed well, and ate slowly. I enjoyed my meal and felt really great about having enjoyed it without overindulging.

eat your allotted amount and have alittle something of everything
we are not on a diet....i intend to use my small plate, get my Protein first and a smidge of everything else
happy thanksgiving

Well said. Stuck episodes are learned rather quickly and you may stuck one day on a food and possibly be able to eat it another day. Those rules of chew small bites, chew well, eat slow, etc are rules that are more meaningful as you begin to get fills and restriction becomes more apparent. So e foods tolerated by one person may not be tolerated by you. I also describe it as a bad case of acid reflux that doesn't know whether it should sit at stomach or get out!!!! You don't necessarily feel like you are dying but you will feel like it needs to get out of you...like a bird regurgitating. There are signs I get...my mouth gets watery, a need to swallow more, sort of deer in headlights feeling but not choking. I have had to sit and contemplate and then get up quickly to go to bathroom and literally look at toilet. For me I feel like a velociraptor sliming out a bone! It's not throwing up your guts ... It's expelling what didn't go down. For me one experience was a hard skinned Tomato chunk that really stuck because I didn't chew it well enough. Throwing up is a bad thing on your band, I don't care for stuck episodes because its not good for band yet it is a tool to curb behaviors such as large bites, not chewing enough, eating too fast and too much...all if these which caused me to be 274 pounds in first place:(

My small tidbit of information on this is that I find that I get stuck most often when I wait to long to eat. Causing me to want to "wolf" down those first few bites. So it's best not to wait to eat, small meals all day help avoid this.

I so agree with you here....I was having my shares of stucks...and my nutritionast told me...it was because i was letting myself get to hungry...also I find if i drink drink all day long it curbs that OMG im starving....
This is a huge new feeling for me..the last 2 days I have been out where there has been a free meal....and at each day I wasnt foaming at the mouth to eat....and when did sit to eat I was wanting to go slow...and the dessert platers didnt even look that good to me....so yep it comes in time ..Good Luck everyone

I understand your view Jean and I do have some basic knowledge of how the health care world works being a health care worker for 33 years. I also am one who does not regret getting a band but I do have personal concerns about the long term side effects of lap band. But lap band in the medical community is no different than any other implanted medical device, there are side effects and risks and benefits. The benefits have greatly out weighed the risks for me and many others on this site. My WLS surgeon has stopped placing the band in his patients and is promoting the vertical sleeve in his practice. His patients have not had the success with lap band and several have been converted to the sleeve or had their bands removed totally. I hope I can keep my band and I do what I can to protect it, but if I have to have it removed, like you, I hope I am in a place that I can maintain my weight loss without the band. You see if my band fails I will not have another weight loss surgery, that is why the emotional side of this journey is so important to me. I want to really understand, why I eat and why I react the way I do to everything. I am not only trying to lose weight I am trying to fix the total me in the process. Wish me luck because I still have a lot of work to do. As usual thanks for the great post.

It took me 9 cc's to feel sufficient restriction. Biggest key for me was that my appetite diminished greatly to a point where I had to make sure I ate something. I wouldn't focus too much on how full you feel because the full feeling you once had is different now. You don't ever want to feel that Thanksgiving type of fullness anymore. If you feel that then you've really overeaten. You need to ask yourself 'Am I really hungry' or 'Am I satisfied'. If you learn to tell the difference between head hunger and real hunger that's half the battle in my opinion. Other half is combating that head hunger.
Sweet spot takes time to find and everyone is different. Stay the course and you will get there!!

I can chew bread, yes, but I can not physically get it down. I'm a little over a year out from surgery and that still stands true. I take little pieces here and there if I get a craving, but your body pretty much adjusts, well at least mine did. Things I shouldn't eat I don't even want anymore, except ice cream. =) I can't eat/don't want Pasta, rice, bread or tortillas anymore. It could be my body figuring out that the end result is not fun with any of those and just ceasing to crave it. Good luck and don't worry! It gets soooo much easier.

Thanks for the pep talk!

About two years ago I decided to change my way of eating. Eating "clean" is how it's been described. Fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain, complex carbs, low fat Proteins, zero refined sugar, etc., etc. Basically prepackaged foods/meals were a no go. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and be mindful of how your food is cooked/prepared. In addition to eating healthier I worked out for 2-3 hours 5-6 days a week. Cardio for 60-90 minutes and strength training for about a hour. In eight months I lost 25 lbs. Well, good... right? I looked better. I felt better.
Now fast forward to today... two weeks shy of two months post-op. Still "eating clean", finally up 90 minutes at the gym 4-5 days a week, eating smaller portions, but with lapband (no fill yet) I've dropped 33 lbs.! Don't tell me this is only a tool. It's my fricken LIFELINE!!!
For anyone feeling anxious, doubtful, or scared... YOU CAN DO IT!! Best wishes.

As many of you know, I was stuck for more than a month. I was monitoring my calories, getting in all my Protein and exercising, yet the scale didn't budge. I know, plateaus are normal, but they still suck. Around the time the plateau hit I also started taking birth control pills. I even gained 2 pounds, which for me was the deal breaker. I had to find a way to break the plateau and start losing again.
So I started researching. Low carb, high carb, no carb, etc. I see so many variations on here! What's right? What's wrong? I already knew it was a matter of choice without a clear right or wrong answer, but I also knew individual body needs also played a very big part in it. During my research I kept coming across something called carb cycling, so I decided to look more into it.
Carb cycling is essentially trying to optimize your metabolism by alternating high and low carb days. Body builders often do this to build muscle and burn fat before a contest but it's also very helpful for weight loss. Then one day I turned on Doctor Oz...and wouldn't you know it... it was an episode on carb cycling. Chris Powell, of The Biggest Loser, was on his show talking about he has all the contestants on the show carb cycle and how he does it. For me, this was the point I decided to give carb cycling a try.
Chris Powell's method is specifically for weight loss so I decided to go with his (there's many out there). He has an excellent book called “Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution”.
His theory: No carb diets don't work. It's not sustainable long term and eventually it significantly slows the metabolism. Worse, people who cut out carbs usually end up gaining all their weight back and then some when they do suddenly reintroduce carbs. Carbs are the energy block of the body and a long term lack of carbs will cause the thyroid to slow down significantly.
7 day diet/carb cycling: High carb day followed by low carb day, alternating daily. Start on a high carb day and always eat within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning. Always limit or omit carbs after 6pm.
All this is within your own personal daily calorie allowance.
High carb day/energy day:
Preferably complex carbs. Protein, low fat. unlimited veggies.

Low carb day/burn day:
A little carb in the morning to boost metabolism
Cut carbs the rest of the day.
Protien, healthy fats, unlimited veggies

3 of each/low carb and high carb. 7th day is cheat day
Cheat day:
Boost calories to boost metabolism
Boost to no more than 1000 extra calories a day
Cheat at Breakfast and lunch, not dinner. 6-12pm “behave”
Cheat at a table. Not in a car, or at a sofa, etc. No “hypno binging”
No leftovers allowed.

Mind you, this is the short version of all this. If this interests you, I'd strongly suggest buying his book for a better understanding. It's very enlightening.
...So this is what I've done for the last week. I am very happy to say, carb cycling broke my plateau, despite still being on the birth control pill too. I lost 5.4 pounds this week!
I have decided I am going to continue to carb cycle. I am not a fan of the low carb days, but I am getting more used to them. Plus, I find my "carb cravings" have all but disappeared since starting this- something I didn't think possible.
For me, it's working. I just thought I'd share the results of my little self experiment

Sleeveless anything!!! I look forward to that clothing victory most of all! I've never stopped wearing shorts but it would be great to wear them and not feel self conscious about the size of my calves. I'm doubtful in my ability to pull off wearing a bikini, but there are plenty of cute one-piece suits that I wouldn't mind rocking. Ha. In fact, ill just be really happy when I can stop worrying and START LIVING again. Woo boo.

I'd love to have a wedding to go to and be able to buy a dress because I like the dress itself not because...it hides my arms, goes past my knees, comes with a jacket etc. Just becuase
And leggings and a sweat shirt. I know sweat shirt probably sounds so frumpy but I feel right now in comfy clothes I look even sloppier than jeans or work pants etc. I always hated my legs and want them to look nice in black skinny jeans or leggings, and sweat shirts never look big and comfy without looking huge on me like on my fit friends. I just want to be able to go out to the field with my kids, dressed like the other moms, comfy but neat and put together. I hate that even for causal events i have to put so much thought into what I wear.

I have not had any concerns with my coffee. I did give up all sodas which has not been as hard as I thought it would be, but leave my coffee alone LOL

Best wishes... you'll do great! To all who read this: I'm not saying this journey will be easy, but for me, so far, I've put in the same amount of will/wantpower and dedication as I have in my pre-banded life WITH FAR BETTER RESULTS. I don't expect the rest of my weightloss to be free of hiccups, and knowing myself as I do, I'm sure there will also be a little whining along the way, but I also know without my band I just wasn't able to do it. Lack of faith in my former self? Maybe. Probably. But, not this time around. Post band is a whole different game! Best wishes to everyone.... newbies and success stories!!! Love you all.

About two years ago I decided to change my way of eating. Eating "clean" is how it's been described. Fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain, complex carbs, low fat Proteins, zero refined sugar, etc., etc. Basically prepackaged foods/meals were a no go. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and be mindful of how your food is cooked/prepared. In addition to eating healthier I worked out for 2-3 hours 5-6 days a week. Cardio for 60-90 minutes and strength training for about a hour. In eight months I lost 25 lbs. Well, good... right? I looked better. I felt better.
Now fast forward to today... two weeks shy of two months post-op. Still "eating clean", finally up 90 minutes at the gym 4-5 days a week, eating smaller portions, but with lapband (no fill yet) I've dropped 33 lbs.! Don't tell me this is only a tool. It's my fricken LIFELINE!!!
For anyone feeling anxious, doubtful, or scared... YOU CAN DO IT!! Best wishes.

I'm sorry I forgot to add the most important tidbit... it took me 8 MONTHS to lose the 25 lbs. before surgery... and I swear I was at the gym working hard consistently. After surgery, in less than 2 MONTHS ive lost 33 lbs. Yes, both times ive worked hard, but c'mon in six months less time ive lost more. What I'm saying is there really is hope!

About two years ago I decided to change my way of eating. Eating "clean" is how it's been described. Fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain, complex carbs, low fat Proteins, zero refined sugar, etc., etc. Basically prepackaged foods/meals were a no go. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and be mindful of how your food is cooked/prepared. In addition to eating healthier I worked out for 2-3 hours 5-6 days a week. Cardio for 60-90 minutes and strength training for about a hour. In eight months I lost 25 lbs. Well, good... right? I looked better. I felt better.
Now fast forward to today... two weeks shy of two months post-op. Still "eating clean", finally up 90 minutes at the gym 4-5 days a week, eating smaller portions, but with lapband (no fill yet) I've dropped 33 lbs.! Don't tell me this is only a tool. It's my fricken LIFELINE!!!
For anyone feeling anxious, doubtful, or scared... YOU CAN DO IT!! Best wishes.

I knew you could do it!!! You are doing awesome. You haven't gotten your first fill yet? Get one when you are able cause it will make it so much more easier. Im so happy for you!!!!

I must say myself that I look so good!! The fact that I went shopping for a swim suit and was able to find one was just amazing! I still have some way to go before I reach my goal but I'm taking my time and enjoying life more with this new change
Bringing to where I'am now & still losing