DerbySunflower

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've been inclined to try Meatless Mondays since getting banded. There are lots of high protein veggie burgers. There are lots of veggie recipes on MeatlessMonday.com with nutrition information.

I always like sour cream in my chili and on baked potatoes... plain Greek yogurt makes a guilt free substitute

Get your liquid protein from EAS soy shakes - 17 grams / 110 calories. If you're on mushies, perhaps Chobani fat free yogurts. Also packed with proteins.

I was thrilled when I realized that I'd lost more than 3 year old son weighs... 32 lbs.

You'll find plenty of sympathy and encouragement on here, but it all comes down to personal accountability. The heat may account for why you've not been outside much, it doesn't account for your eating habits. And you can find ways to exercise in doors if you want to... buy a treadmill, join a gym, play active video games (Wii Fitness, etc), get off the couch and clean the house. Personally, I've walked outside in 100+ degree heat every day this summer. Every day... no excuses, no exceptions.

Size 14... then Size 12. Fitting in to athletic wear in Large or even Medium. Seeing friends and acquaintances that I haven't seen in months and enjoying their compliments. I even heard a couple of teen aged boys refer to me as a MILF... that's a new one for sure.

My Doctor recommends 3 days of liquids followed by 2 days of mushies. I failed to follow his instructions, got stuck and have figured out that I have to bend over with my head below my hips, face over the toilet to let it all backflow a bit. It's scary when it happens.

Just had my first fill today. My surgeon did it, so he knew exactly where he'd put the port. He numbed me up, no questions asked and hit that port with the first injection... nothing to it. Wham, Bam, Thank you Mam!

True confession: I started on solid foods one week after surgery and had no compliations.

I use My Fitness Pal for food records and Fitbit for physical activity. The two sites can be connected to synchronize some of their data.

I just had surgery a month ago and never gave it a thought... I'm sure I was sleeping on my stomach the same night.

There's a lot being said on here about replacing one addiction (food) with another (alcohol). How about we all choose our new addiction and throw ourselves into working out. If we can conquer food, then we can take control of and retrain our minds for what we will embrace. This band isn't the one doing the work. It is my tool... but it's still up to me to take control of what goes into my mouth, whether it's food, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. Folks, I don't want to get on a soapbox, but if you think you're having a problem with alcohol, you need to reach out for help before it takes root in your life.

I only take one pill a day and it's about the size of a baby asperin, so I just take it whole.

Your risk for alcohol addiction increases after weight loss surgery. Be careful! Thankfully, I've had to quit for pregnancies enough that I no longer care if I drink or not... now, cigarettes, that's my Achilles' Heel.

My doctor recommends not drinking carbonated beverages and would prefer that patients not drink caffeine. My program recommends only low / zero calorie drinks and no beverages for a half hour after eating... Beyond that, it's up to my stomach to determine what I can or cannot tolerate. I understand that popcorn is a food that can be very problematic with the kernals.

I've been walking a couple of miles a days since Day 3. I'm on day 8 now and still not up to my usual 15,000 steps a day... only about half that, really. I haven't hopped on my elliptical yet because this seems like something that would be somewhat taxing on my core, but soon.

I recently found Campbell's Cream of Shrimp soup... I did not know they made that flavor. Quite good.

Just banded 8 days ago... I've cheated in small ways almost every day. My doctor's prescribed diet is extremely restrictive with clear liquids only for the first 4 weeks. Addition of protein shakes on day 5-7. Addition of cream soups on days 7-14. Finally pureed mushies on days 15-31. I can't handle it. I've been allowing myself to eat 4-5 cheez-its at a time with my son just to enjoy some texture. Yesterday I pureed Thai chicken soup with red curry... yep, it was spicy. I haven't hurt myself yet, but do recognize that I should be very careful.

Just banded last Tuesday. Happy to be now enjoying EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control shakes with 17 grams of protein and only 110 calories. Low fat, Low Carb, Low Calorie soy protein.

Just drink a half gallon of water before going to your appointment.

I had surgery yesterday with a BMI of 28. Insurance paid. I qualified for surgery with BMI of 35 last November but had to go through the medical nutrition program as well as a huge bunch of other tests and classes to meet insurance requirements. I was reassured by the insurance coordinator that my qualification would not be cancelled for being successful with weight loss prior to surgery.

Surgery yesterday. Sore as expected, but it's bearable. I've eaten popsicles and broth. I'm surprised that I'm not feeling any hunger pains at all, but the dry mouth is unexpected. I went to Wal Mart today just to get into some air conditioning and walk a bit. It is important though to take the pain meds on time but I expect to be off the pain meds in another 48 hours or so.