♕ajtexas♕

And it is very easy to make. Here is my favorite recipe Roasted Red Pepper Hummus 1 Can chickpea/garbonza beans (15oz) 1/3 cup tahini (See note below) ¼ cup lemon juice 2 Tbs olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ - ¾ cup roasted red peppers In a food processor, combine beans, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add red peppers and garlic until desired consistency. I calculated the nutritional information based on ¼ cup serving: Calories 154 Total Fat 11g Sodium 190mg Total Carbs 8.4g Dietary fiber 3.2g Sugars .9g Protein 5.1g Tahini is sesame seed butter. I find it with the peanut butter or in the international isle of the grocery store. Enjoy!

These are my babies! Atticus, Black Mouth Cur. He is the biggest baby in town. Hank, Blue Healer. Gill's dog, follows her around the whole time she is here. Sophie, Dachshund. Daddy's baby (but he won't admit it) and the BOSS of all the dogs! Bugsy, Rat Terrier and Dachsund mix. My baby, he is with his best friend Smokey the cat.

Lately I have had to do a re due. I had to get my phone out to time between bites.... Funny almost a year into this and I still have to go back to the basics.

Is my band too tight? How many times do we see this question? A lot so let’s talk about it. How tight you have your band is a personal preference. No one (including your doctor) can tell you how tight it has to be. This is something you have to decide for yourself. Personally my band is loose. The last time I had an x-ray my doctor commented that I didn’t have very much restriction. Oh well, it is what works for me. I have had 2 unfills because I felt my band was too tight, but I know now that it wasn’t. So how do I know if my band is too tight? I ask myself these questions: 1. Can I get water/liquids down okay? If YES not too tight 2. Are my bites the size of a nickel or smaller? If NO not too tight 3. Do I chew my food at least 30 times before swallowing? If NO not too tight 4. Do I wait 1 minute between bites? If No not too tight It appears that my eating habits cause me to think my band is too tight. When I eat correctly I have no problems. My advice to anyone wondering if their band is too tight is, evaluate your eating by asking yourself my four questions.

I believe it. Having a positive attitude can do amazing things and positive attitudes come from happy people. At least thats my opinion.

Eye candy a potty mouth?!! You crack me up. You will be in onederland before you know it because you are working this lifestyle. You go girl!!

It's great to be able to enjoy the holidays without food controlling them. Congratulations on all your success.

My mouth is watering reading that. Sounds delicious. What's for dinner today? I could be there by 6pm..... just saying. lol Enjoy your holiday, you are a true role model for us all. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

How adorable!

I see a lot of newbies asking what they can have during this or that stage of the pre/post op diet. Doctors give different diets to different patients; however the foods on the different stages are often very similar. Here are the 4 stages I had during my post op diet (straight from my post op paperwork): Stage 1: Clear Liquids · Water · Broth or the clear liquid poured off of soup (strain out solids, no creamy soup) · Black coffee (may be sweetened with artificial sweetener; preferably decaf) · Clear juices (not OJ ~ it’s not clear); 100% juice (not from concentrate) · Crystal Light · Sugar-free Jello (with no solid fruit) · Sugar-free Popsicles · Gatorade/Powerade · Herbal teas (caffeine-free) Stage 2: Liquids · All clear liquids · Protein shakes (low-fat, low-carb) · Fat-free milk · Orange Juice · Low-fat instant breakfast mixes · V8 juice Stage 3: Full Liquids · All clear liquids · All liquids · Apple sauce · Oatmeal/cream of wheat (thinned) · Smoothies · Low-fat creamy soups (strained out solids) · Puréed soups/vegetables · Low-fat, low-sugar pudding · Low-fat, low-sugar yogurt · Puréed fruit · Low-fat ice cream/frozen yogurt Stage 4: Soft food (aka Mushy) · All of the items on the liquid food list · Tuna/egg/chicken salad · Well-cooked mushy vegetables (no stalk or crunchy vegetable) · Thinned scrambled eggs (if tolerated) · Baby food · Soft, over-cooked pasta · Soft canned fruit (in natural juice) · Thinned mashed potatoes · Soft sweet potatoes/yams · Thinned oatmeal · Greek yogurt · Thinned low-fat refried beans · Low-fat cottage cheese · Soft/rip bananas This is just what MY doctor had for ME. Your doctor will have different orders. I wanted to post this list to give an idea of some of the things on each list. I hope this helps.

Wow, you look great. Glad all went well, congratulations!

Great blog Kime-lou. You are so right, we need to tell our story and respect others to do the same. This journey is not easy and a place like this is our sanctuary, let's respect it. Thanks!

Congrats on the bike riding. I have a real hard time exercising (I hate it), I really have to force myself to do it. BTW - don't cut yourself short on the clothing size. I thought 14 would be great..... I'm now in size 10. Wow!! I bet you get below size 12, just my prediction.....

My gallbladder is long gone. I had it out in 2005! lol. No this was just not eating the lap band way.

I have been having difficulties with my eating for about a week, I blogged about my lunch episode on Friday. When I say difficulties I mean, I’ve been getting acid reflex (first time since being banded) and I get a lump in my throat from time to time. I have been able to eat and drink, but it’s been more challenging. Over the weekend I decided I needed to see my doctor and find out what was going on. Either I am being paranoid or something isn’t right. So, I was on the phone to my doctor’s office first thing this morning and fortunately they could squeeze me in this morning. Upon arriving I was escorted to the x-ray room. Martha (the x-ray tech and support group leader, who is also banded) said, “What are you doing here girl?” “I’m either paranoid or something isn’t right”, she laughed and said let’s find out. We did a barium swallow and as my doctor said, “It looks perfect.” “So, I am paranoid?” “No, you are aware of your band and something changed.” “So what am I doing wrong? Why the acid reflex now?” “Could be you irritated your band in some way or it could be that you need a fresher on the basics. Size of your bit, how much you chew, time between bits. Maybe you need to get that egg timer back out that we gave you at your first post op visit.” “Funny, just last night at dinner my husband had to tell me to slow down on my bits.” We talked a little more and I was on my way feeling so much better. End result is something wasn’t right and that something was me. I was slipping back into old habits. It’s time to dust off that egg timer, cut my bits smaller and chew, chew, chew. Everything I tell newbies to do.

That's what I'm talking about! That's a great NSV! (Bonus embarrassing the kiddos!)

It's all about listening to your band. if I hadn't stopped when I got the soft stop warning, well it would of been a lot worse. & I respect her and will do liquids for the evening. I'll be back on track tomorrow. Rose will be blooming!

If my day is really busy I will eat lunch at my desk and continue to work. This was the case today. My lunch was meat & cheese rolled up and baby carrots, had this many times. So I’m eating and working….about half way into lunch I get the soft stop feeling. Okay, I stop. I then get the heavy chest feeling, something is trying to go down. This feeling stayed with me most of the afternoon. At 4pm I made myself a cup of hot tea, black tea with cream & splenda (It’s the English in me). I’m sipping my tea and I get the soft stop feeling….hummm, never got that with liquids before. I wait a few minutes and take another sip, get the soft stop feeling again. This time it’s followed up with saliva building in my mouth. TO THE BATHROOM I GO! Yep, I pb’d that tea right up along with carrots (sorry if TMI). Well, I guess I got stuck at lunch and finally got it out 4 hours later….. My Yellow Rose (my band) started talking to me after that & this is what she said, “See what happens when you don’t chew your food enough. See what happens when you don’t pay attention to what you are eating. See what happens when you eat too fast.” Wow, wasn’t expecting that. But, hay it happens. Sorry Yellow Rose, guess I won’t be eating that Mahi Mahi I planned for dinner. .. “Nope, I want liquids. I’ll teach you not to chew your food!” So, I am having a protein shake for dinner.

Kohl's

Cause I kicked it all out! I went to my PCP today for a follow up on my high blood pressure. When I was banded I was on 3 different medicines to control it. About 3 months ago my PCP took me off the last one and said we will monitor your pressure and see how you do. I was so proud of myself, for the last three months I have posted how I went from 3 meds to no meds… Well, today my doctor put me back on one of the meds at half the dosage. I was so disappointed in myself. I felt like I had failed, that NSV pulled right out from under me. I wanted to cry. I pouted all the way home. I know this is something that is not in my control. Everyone in my family has high blood pressure (the skinny ones too) and I know this could be genetic. But, dang it feels like I went backwards. To make myself feel better I went shopping for new pajamas. Mine where too big and the pants would fall off me as I slept (hubby didn’t mine this). Anyway, I got me some cute new PJs. See! Now time to put all my sand back in my sandbox. Thanks for listening.

Do you admit when you are struggling? Or eat wrong? Or over eat? Or do you just hide it?? I feel like I have been successful at my weight loss, I’ve lost 75 pounds in 10 months and I’m at goal. But, was I an A student the whole time? NO! I slipped more than once during my journey. I had nights where I munched on peanuts and chocolate chips, didn’t measure them out so I have no idea how much I truly ate. I also had times when I ate more carbohydrates than protein and times when I ate so fast that I was PBing my food back up. What I did do was be honest with myself. I tried to log everything in my food journal (I had to estimate some things). And I got back on the saddle as soon as possible. Perfection is not required for success; my doctor told me if I could give 80% I would see results. And I did see results. So to all of you struggling know that for every success story you read there are behind the scenes struggles, too.

You will love the fitbit! It's a pedometer on steroids!!!! I Love mine!!!

Congrats & happy 2nd Banniversary!!!

amq1976, The band will not take away any food cravings, it doesn't help with the mental side. I wrote a blog on this a while back: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/blog/7232/entry-24778-my-banded-brain-tool/ If you want something bad enough you will get it!

before you know it those 16s will be too big!