Passionatehrt

Hey There Newbie
Let me start by saying i am new toi the band only 3 weeks into it. I am now eating any food i choose with very little issue. My portions are so small right now that a 2 year old could out eat me. This is no trouble what so ever. I am very satisfied with it and crave nothing at all.
Pre band i was a cookie monster and loved cake too. The smell of fresh donuts got me pumped up. Now not even a nibble no craving and better yet no desire to eat that stuff.
Any other diet i have been on would not shake that craving. Any other diet it would have drove me mental eating those small portions.
You see the band actually has shut off all food desire for me. I eat because i have to not because i want to.
I can't tell you everyone gets that result but I sure have.
I told my doc this and he was not suprised. He felt it was a bit early for me to get this effect but this is the goal.
I havn't even had my first fill yet, and so far no need to yet. It will come i'm sure.
The only thing i havn't tried yet is bread, soda,and beer or spirits. I did have a glass of wine. It made me feel a bit odd so i will put that off till later.
Hope this helps. Just remember you need to be comfortable with your decision in the end.

Hello everyone,
I have done all the prerequisites and am just currently waiting on insurance approval. I have been thinking through all the rules that I will have when I get this lap band, such as no bread, no sodas, eat mostly Protein and vegetables. I am not great at following diets for a long time hince the reason I am overweight. This seems a lot like a diet with rules that you have to follow. Why can't I just follow these rules, what help does the lap band give? I know a lot of you have been successful with the lapband and I just would like to know how the lapband makes it easier to follow these rules and what difference it has made for you vs just doing it on your own. Don't get me wrong, I am all for the lapband, but before I submit myself to surgery I want to know that this will actually help me. Thank you for the input!

It's been six months since my surgery. I have had two fills. I have lost 109 pounds. I have gained so much more than I thought possible. Sure, I still have the same stressors that comes with living, but being ashamed of my weight is no longer one of them. People tell me I have gotten taller. I'm not so sure about that, but I do stand prouder and more confidently with my head held tall. I have fun with clothing now, even though I do limit number of garments I buy since I don't wear them for very long. My daughters are having issues because I am no longer the fat momma they are familiar with. I told them to get over it and share my joy. I would have the surgery again without hesitation. I know it's not for everyone, but it works for me. I limit carbohydrates and always, always eat Protein first. Today is good. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Make that 117.2 pounds in just over 9 months - LOVE MY BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly! Our mothers and grandmothers always new the secret....chew your food well, eat slowly, put the knife and fork down between bites! If we had heeded that advise in our youth we might never have gotten to the point where we needed the band in the first place!

Hi all,
I found this recipe, made it today and want to share it because my mind was blown after eating it. It's Baked eggs with Hummus. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it fit whatever your tastes are.
I adapted by recipe from http://sabra.com/rec...ggs-with-Hummus - seriously, how pretty does that look?
The picture on the site is WAY bigger than a regular ramekin; I think it was just the photography to make it look bigger. Use the normal, small size ramekins.
I did not use olive oil to oil the ramekins; I used Olive Oil Pam.
Here's how easy it is:
1. Spray the ramekin
2. Put 2TB (that's 1 serving) of hummus on the bottom. I used plain Sabra hummus. Use whatever flavor of hummus you like
3. Crack an egg on top - don't break the yolk
4. Salt and pepper the egg to your liking
5. Add extras. I used chopped onion, spinach and Tomato (de-seeded). I imagine this would be amazing with any combination. Some suggestions: peppers, olives, capers, mushroom, dill, basil, feta, etc .. really any veggie that's not too watery.
6. Cook ramekins in baking dish on 400 until the egg white is cooked and the yolk is how you like it. I like a runny yolk. Took about 15 mins to cook
Viola! Done! I made 4 so I'd have some for Breakfast this week (re-heated on low in the microwave).
The ramekin size is the PERFECT portion for my band/portion control, and I am not hungry afterward. I'm seriously stoked to make more variations on this, and it's easy to make if you're serving a few people for breakfast. Did not feel diet at all. If I were a little more hungry, I'd just add a side of fruit.< /p>
Felt like I had to share this to my fellow bandsters.
Enjoy!
-_Carrie

Adorkbl... We have the same menu!
The other day I bought eggplants, cut them thinly, brushed them VERY lightly with olive oil, put fat free ricotta cheese on them, then some spaghetti sauce, and sprinkled low fat mozzarella to top off.... Baked for about 15 min, and WALA! The best Parmesan I had in a looooong time! And very healthy, virtually no fat or carbs! My whole family loves it.

Hi, I was banded on April 3. I'm on purees too but I'm only allowed 3 tbl spoons 3x a day of protien. (a little light mayo and season is okay)
I've been eating refried Beans, black Beans, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad (using can chicken) and cottage cheese. I don't think I can put anything in the blender either. It just does not sound like I could stomach it.
I've also been having 1 Protein shake as one of my meals.
Sorry that I'm not much of a help.

I got it in as soon as my abdominal muscles allowed me to. Also for those that don't visit the Men's room, for every 30lbs us men lose we gain an inch down below :0)

great ideas, everyone!
some of my favorites:
coconut almond milk by almond breeze--tastes amazing, good in a Protein shake, 60 cals for a cup
when i dont want to make dinner--wendy's chili and a plain bkd potato--i can only eat half of the chili and potato, so filling, good amnt of Protein
chobani little champions greek yogurt in honey banana flavor--yes, its for kids. but it tastes soo good, and is only 100 calories. love to use it as a dip for strawberries
Peanut Butter CHEERIOS--enough said.
morningstar veggie crumbles--lots of protein, low on calories, good with skinny cow cheese shmeared on a pita and warmed in the micro
Shirataki fettucine "noodles" made from chic pea flour--40 cals for the 8 oz package
silken tofu--add to a Protein Shake for more protein and a verrrry creamy texture! LOVE this stuff.

After 3 days on my prep diet I dint really get too hungry but the first couple of days were hell .I was on all liquids .on day 3 I called and said I am really hungry there has got to be another way.then they said I can have 1 serving of Protein (chic breast) if I felt hungry after the shakes.I found that I could only eat 1/4of the breast .the rest of the time was easy I wasn't really hungry and rotated 1/4 lives of grilled fish and chicken the rest of the time.
Banded 4/6/2012
From preop diet till today 20lbs down in 21 days.:-)

Thats what I was worried about.....at first I was just going to tell my family, (you know, you have that little fear that you will fail...then everyone would think you can't even lose the weight with surgery).
Then I thought but if im successful, I would surely want to share what made it possible.....and if you tell one person, you might as well tell them all...because people just can't keep a secrete. And I'm not good with the half truth thing I just couldn't face people that kept asking me How I'm loosing the weight and I tell them eat right and exercise....then they find out I had a wsl surgery.....I would feel wrong.And besides, whats wrong with it...we act like its something to be a shamed of. Most people paticipate in some activity that is bad for them....smoking (would we look down on them if they went to be hypnotised?), Drinking (would we look down on them for seeking help?) I'm proud of ourselves!! we took control...we are doing what is neccesary to save our lives!! and if one other person can learn something from it ....then that would given be better.
You have every right to keep it private!! But I hope that you have a few good people around you that will support you and cheer you on.
Good luck!

I finally got my surgery date today!!! April 26th ~ I saw a few others with that day too.
Most surprising thing about that day???? It's my wedding anniversary!!!! Guess I'll have my wedding anniversary and bandiversary on the same day - it'll be easy to remember.

1 c. almond milk
1 sliced frozen banana
1/2 c. pure pumpkin puree
2 tbsp nutella (made my own with PB2 powder, cocoa, honey, and water)
Blend all together and enjoy!

I mix a veggie seasoning packet into Fage Greek yogurt. Makes a high Protein veggie dip. Yum-o.
Sliced apple with PB.
Wheat thins w/ laughing cow or hummus.
String cheese.
Peach Chobani with Kashi Go Lean Crunch added on top.
Home made chili. Lots of beans!! I use ground turkey instead of ground meat.
Salmon. Love salmon. Bake with salsa on top and it is incredibly moist!! (22 mins at 400)
pumpkin tofu Soup. Very yummy and filling.
Hard boiled eggs with the yolk removed and filled filled with hummus. Or egg salad using hummus instead of mayo.
For a sweet treat, Skinny Cow truffle ice cream bars. 100 calories of pure bliss.

What a great topic. my ideas are more snacky since i now tend to snack when i can't cook a whole meal.
Greek Yogurt- I add the plain Greek Yogurt to my baked potato and use it in place of sour cream to add Protein. I haven't had sour cream in over a year and I don't miss it.
Pretzel Thins- something like 20 of them is a serving and 120 calories and I dip them in humus. Love Humus...plus I only eat about 10 before I'm satisfied.
Almonds- i usually grab a low calorie cheese stick and with each bite of cheese, I'll eat an almond or two. the cheese lubricates it and gives me Protein, plus keeps me full. One cheese stick and maybe 15 or 20 almonds is a perfect mid morning snack for me.
Snap Pea crisps- little baked edamame in a bag. (also, veggie stick chips, same type of thing w/ different taste) I found them at Walmart. 22 pieces per serving for around 120 calories. these are great if you are a snacker and like potato chips. you get the feeling of eating chips out of the bag without all of the greasy chippiness. they are delicious!
Flat Out bread- this stuff is also at walmart in the deli/ bread section. it's flat bread that is low calorie and high in protein. i believe it has 7 - 9 grams of protein. i bake it in the oven with low fat/low calorie cheese and pizza toppings for a wonderful low calorie/ high protein pizza that is beyond filling and so, so delicious. http://www.flatoutbread.com/ their website has other great ideas, but i only like thin crunchy breads now, so i bake it or toast it.
Fiber One Brownies- Holy cow, these have saved my life. they are 90 calories each. I pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, add a dollop of low cal/fat free whipped cream and eat it with a fork. It's an amazing after dinner dessert that feels opulent but is actually good for you. The trick is eating it with a fork when it's nice and warm and not just eating it like a brownie out of your hand. It feels more like a reward than an afterthought and you can really spend time enjoying it. HIGHLY recommended. also kills that chocolate craving so I don't feel deprived.
I'm sure i'll think of more...

Mine has been split pea soup! I started when I was on the liquid diet after surgery, strained the peas and drank the liquid. Since then, I have been making a batch every week, freezing it, and taking it for lunches or warming it up at home. I've read that peas aid digestion and are good for the stomach, and I noticed that when I don't eat my pea Soup for lunch, sometimes my stomach doesn't feel as good as it does when I do eat it. Here's a recipe:
1 bag dried split peas
6 cups chicken broth (for one lb of peas, follow instructions on pckg using broth instead of water)
1/2 package chicken apple sausage, chopped small
1 small-medium onion
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped
lemon juice
fresh mint, chopped
garlic, pepper, thyme, rosemary, salt, basil, etc..to taste. I use fresh herbs if I have them, dry if I don't.
olive oil or whatever healthy oil you like
cook the peas as directed on package, add carrots while the peas are cooking to get the flavors meshed and the carrots softened. Saute the sausage and onions in the oil until brown, add to soup and let the whole thing simmer until peas are done - there should be no whole peas visible, just green mushy yummines. Add herbs last to retain the flavors of the herbs, especially the mint. Add lemon juice. Eat!

I am not there yet but much closer to a healthy weight than .. well EVER! Feel great and people are really starting to notice and comment. It's a wonderful thing but being obese all my life a large majority of time has been spent thinking about losing weight, trying to lose weight, etc. Now I am starting to have odd feelings about being at (or around) goal weight. What do I strive for? What will a large portion of my world be substituted with? I know that once I hit that ellusive # or size I won't be pooping gum drops or riding around on unicorns but it just feels odd for lack of a better term.
Thanks for listening!
Any thoughts?

Me too! I'm so anxious! I've lost 20 lbs so far without the surgery, and I had me pre-op today and my surgeon is very proud of me and has much confidence that I'll succeed in this journey

You're in bandster hell right now. It'll probably be this way till you get the right fill. Basically your band is wide open and you're feeling hunger just like you would have if you didn't have surgery. You have to decide if you want to stick to a strict diet(never worked before right?) or indulge till you get your first fill. I'm about 17 days out and I'm allowing myself to eat some Protein shakes, egg drop Soup, Tomato Soup, egg salad, tuna salad or something soft like deli smoked turkey. I'm still losing weight but I refuse to feel hunger. It's so uncomfortable and isn't that why we were banded in the first place. If you have the will power to stay on a diet, then eat only 3 times a day. But throwing together about 4 ozs of cottage cheese with some applesauce(or one of the other options above) seems to satisfy me between meals. Hope this helps.
BTW-This is simply a suggestion and I'm not a doctor and perhaps you should consult your doctor or nutritionist? This works for me but may not work for you?
Dan

if you're actually sick, reschedule. If you are just stuffy, then take massive amounts of that emergency drink to try and keep the body going and maybe kick whatever is coming on.
your body is already going to be healing from surgery, I wouldn't want to be sick on top of that.

I am so nervous. So many emotions running through me. Wish me luck....Im scared and happy....and cant even fathom what this could help me do. I was overweight starting at 7 and was an obese teenager and adult. Today is going to fly by I know it.

My surgery day story......It is 7:45 in the evening on Tuesday, 2/21/12, and I had my surgery today!!!!!!! I wanted to blog about my experience while it is still fresh in my mind. First....I feel great, definitely sore, but nothing unbearable; my incisions look great, and I am so happy that I did this.
I arrived at the surgery center at 9:45 and did all the registration stuff...actually just signed a couple of papers, put on a Bracelet and waited to be called.
I was called very quickly (at 10:05) and put in a pre-op holding area where I:
1. gave a urine sample for a pregnancy test
2. changed into a lovely gown that tied in the back (nothing left underneath)
3. put on orange socks with grippies on the bottom and compression things for my legs
4. was given my party hat (lovely blue lunchroom lady style)
5. was weighed along with all other vitals
6. answered lots of basic questions...(allergies, meds, when ate last, who was with me, med history
7. given the opportunity to ask questions of my own
8. an IV was started with saline (and even a little lidocaine at the site to ease the stick)
9. at this point, my husband was allowed to come back and sit with me until I went to the OR
10. I was given several meds.....heparin shot in right arm, pepcid in IV, zofran for nausea in the IV, a steroid in the IV (can't remember the name, but that one had to go in really slowly and was given to held with inflammation) and Versed in the IV to help relax me
11. the waiting game then began...waiting for an OR to open up....this took a while and at this point, I kind of started losing track of time.
12. When we were almost ready to go back, my doctor, Dr. Gorjala, came in and met my husband and answered any questions that we might have had.
13. The Nurse Anesthetist came in along with the surgical nurse and wheeled me away to surgery.
In surgery:
1. I moved to the OR table (around 1:00)
2. Untied my gown
3. Covered with a nice warm blanket and had my compression thingies on my legs hooked up.
4. put on a pulse oximeter and three leads on my chest to monitor my heart rate during surgery
5. put on an oxygen mask and was given some oxygen to breathe while we waited to get started
6. Ready to start surgery, I was given the anesthetic agent. It felt warm going into my body and took seconds to kick in.
7. Next think I knew, I was in the Recovery Room
In Recovery: (around 2:15ish)
1. My vitals were monitored very closely and I was encouraged to take nice deep breaths of Oxygen.
2. It seemed to me as if I woke pretty quickly with everything and everyone coming into focus (NO NAUSEA)
3. Finally able to talk and keep my eyes open, my nurse moved my bed into a more upright position and gave me some Water with a pain pill (omg...that was the best water!)
4. It did not take long at all, and I was out of recovery and moved back into another area of the surgery center
In my final location of the surgery center:
1. My IV was removed and my surgical scars checked (I have 2 and they look great)
2. I was given a cup of juice (yummy)
3. My husband got to come back (My Dr. had already spoken to him about the surgery results)
4. I got up and got dressed, got my discharge papers and was wheeled out to the car; I still felt very groggy but was able to dress myself with my husband helping me not to lose my balance...
5. I left the surgery center at 4:00, so in total, I was in their care for 6 hours and a good chunk of that time was spent waiting on an OR to open up.
I came home and went straight to bed. My pain is not at all what I expected; it is much better and the gas has actually been less that I expected also. I've also had no nausea at all. I got up at 7:00 pm and walked around for a bit and feel really good.
Overall, my experience was fabulous....everyone I encountered was so great, helpful and informative I was treated fabulously and just couldn't be more pleased with my day....the first day of my journey to a new me.....

WOW ! all i can say is if im ever in a war i want all of you in the foxhole with me ! (especially you Cocobean ! You go girl !!) i love how everybody is so supportive of each other and how we really encourage each other to be strong and make good decisions. I told my family and they were 100 % supportive. I kept it low key but open at work and also got 100% support and it has continued since got banded 3 months ago,(down 30 lbs, several nice compliments, woohoo !!) i got a few normal , healthy questions about how the band worked, but nothing remotely negative. Im pretty outgoing, funny and positive anyway, (my glass is usually half full) so as i think people saw me discuss it in a positive way to get healthy, they reacted the same way. Pure support ! So if you have to deal with the haters, just realize they're either ignorant or need to put someone down to feel better about themselves. It's not about YOU, its about how they negativly feel about THEMSELVES !!!!

And to respond to your original post, when people tell me it's the easy way out I jokingly respond 'well I can't be good at EVERYTHING I do! Something's gotta give'
I totally own up to the 'easy way out' thing and say well if I can find something that makes my life easier why not cut myself some slack? Would you refuse to buy a microwave coz it's the easy way out of using the stove to heat your food? If you can have a friggin microwave why settle for a stove