meachie

Thanks so much for your feedback!
I went for my appointment today and got a fill. My doctor felt that over the past month, I've been dieting, not taking advantage of the band. liquids today, mushies tomorrow and solids on Saturday, so we'll see!

I honestly just eat "normal" food, just smaller portions. When I can, I turn family favorites into healthier versions. For instance, I still eat spaghetti but now I use light sauce and add seasoning so it doesn't taste "light". I also use lean ground beef and whole grain Pasta.
What if you made some meals in bulk? For instance, there is a really good Enchilada Soup that I love. I'll make a big crock pot of it then put it in tupperware containers in the fridge. I measure a cup of Soup into each container so when I want some soup, all I have to do is grab one and reheat it. If you did similar with meals you enjoy, then you'd have it quick and easy when you want it.

I have 5.2cc in my 10cc band.
However, I started losing weight when my band was still empty.
Just remember, your sweet spot will control your hunger significantly but it won't suddenly make you lose weight. It just makes it a lot easier to lose weight because you're not hungry and satisfied on very little food.

Thanks for sharing!!!

Thanks for sharing!!!

Down 70 pounds so far...has been a big learning experience. I feel great so far and am adjusting to all the compliments I get. It is so wonderful to be able to pull something out of the closet I thought I would never wear and it fits easily! 50 more pounds to go!

I'm meeting with the nutritionist on Monday! Doctor's office is confident enough that the insurance will approve all based on their conversations with my insurance company that they scheduled have confirmed my "tentative" date of July 1 as definite. My cardiologist has been trying to get my insurance to approve an echocardiogram for 2 years. This surgery finally got it signed off on, so I have that on Monday, too! I have my final pre-op on Wednesday with my surgeon. I haven't gotten to the nervous stage yet; still feeling very excited. I think nervous will hit when I have to start the liquid diet. I have bought a variety of different products for the liquid diet part so it will be less boring and I'm ready! So glad to have others to talk with who will be going through the same experiences.

Hello! My name is Vickie and I too am excited! After almost 8 months I finally have a date for surgery! I first attended a lap band seminar late October. I gave them my insurance information and the next day I got a call saying my insurance would cover the surgery but I would have to have six months of meeting monthly with the dietician before they would pay. Because we had a major vacation already planned prior to this, I knew I would not be having surgery until after we returned from vacation. However, my doctors office submitted my claim for final approval and they DENIED it!! That's right denied it. Said my health condition was not "life threatening". Are you kidding me?? Thankfully, the woman at my doctor's office handling this did not give up and my doctor even wrote a letter to my insurance stating how in his professional opinion this was necessary for me. I got a call this week and I am scheduled for July 2nd. I have an appointment Monday to meet for my preoperative appointment with my doctor and the nutritionist and will get my shakes. The office where I go has group support meetings once a month and I have also been attending these meetings and I have learned so much in talking with people who have already had the surgery and are doing well on their journeys. I am so excited and was happy to find this thread to join. July banders we're soon to be!! I know the time now is going to go fast and soon I'll be on my journey and I can't wait. Good luck to us all! I look forward to sharing experiences with you all!

Getting banded 7/2
My diet starts 6/19
I'm excited nervous ready to get it over with!!!
I've been trying out homemade broth recipes to see which one's I like the best I think being prepared at all times is the key to a successful pre surgery diet
I would hate to be wake up from surgery and have no band ???”

I make kale chips and zuchinni chips in the oven. Just a little cooking spray and sea salt yum yum!!

I love Veggie Straws. I get the crunchy salty without all the fat and calories of chips. They are 130 calories for 38 sticks, which is a lot of straws lol.

Everybody s giving you great suggestions and I also get the salads at subway I used to be able to eat the flat bread and sometimes I still can but I eat only a bit and take he rest for later or give it to someone in my family and they eat the rs sine we can only eat a little so if you can tolerate the flat bread that is another choice but I do really like their salads & I get the veggies and chicken put in it.

I just bake it in the oven. Or, I make a tinfoil "tent" around it and bake it in there to keep it moist.
One of my favorites is taking orange roughy or tilapia filets. Put a couple quick sprays of "I can't believe it's not butter" on it, a little salt and pepper, then a couple slices of onion and Tomato on it. Make a tinfoil tent around it and bake it at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Open the tinfoil and throw away the tomato and onion slices- they were just to flavor it.
Enjoy!
It makes a really flavorful and moist fish dinner!

For anyone who loves muffin recipes- This is an Easy on the go food - can be frozen once done.
This is a small batch I made (3 Muffins) You can double the recipe up to make 6 or more.

*Get creative, you can add any meats to this such as diced up ham, tuna fish, ground turkey, etc*


Ingredients:
5 oz. can of chicken Breast (or you can use grilled chicken finely chopped)
1 whole egg/1 egg white
1/8 cup of celery (finely diced)
1/8 cup of shredded chedder cheese (reduced fat) or (any reduced fat cheese)
pinch of onion powder
pinch of chicken seasoning (optional)
Non-stick spray
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 -
spray 3 muffin cups with non-stick spray
In a bowl mix all ingredients, pour mixture into a well greased muffin cup (3) , place in oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Nutritional facts for ONE Chicken Muffin: (if you eat 2 just add on below)
Calories: 100
Fat: 3.7
Carbs: 1.2
Protein: 15.3

Tried something different tonight, and the family requested that it be put on the regular rotation schedule.
Lean ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning
diced green chili
Low Fat cheese
Greek Yogurt
Bean chips.
layer the chips with the seasoned ground turkey, top with diced chilies, low fat cheese and pop in the microwave until the cheese is melted, top with a dollop of yogurt and some sliced olives.< /p>

By accident I overheated my corn tortilla. I broke off a piece and voilla! a baked tortilla chip.
1 Corn Tortilla (Mission lo fat)
Microwave on high for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't overbrown.
Allow to cool and break into "baked" tortilla chips
Spray with no cal butter spray and season to taste before microwaving if you like.
Made a great "cracker" for my mexican salad (lettuce, 1/4 C refried Beans, 1 T lite sour cream, pinch of shredded cheese and salsa). I think I found a new lunch:hungry: :hungry:
Where have I been? I'll bet lots of people know this trick!!!

Your doctor sounds like an asshat. My inner fat girl just got crazy angry. I hate when people say "well go lose weight". Duh you have to try no matter the surgery, but if we could go lose weight without surgery, we wouldn't be here!!!

You're doing great lady!!! Stay motivated!!! Keep exercising and start tracking your food!!! At least then you can be accountable for what u are eating!!! Protein!! Protein!!! Protein!!! I've lost more inches too!!! Stay motivated u are doing great!!!

You're doing great lady!!! Stay motivated!!! Keep exercising and start tracking your food!!! At least then you can be accountable for what u are eating!!! Protein!! Protein!!! Protein!!! I've lost more inches too!!! Stay motivated u are doing great!!!

You're doing great lady!!! Stay motivated!!! Keep exercising and start tracking your food!!! At least then you can be accountable for what u are eating!!! Protein!! Protein!!! Protein!!! I've lost more inches too!!! Stay motivated u are doing great!!!

Your doctor should've given you a detailed post op diet to follow. Have a look at that and see what he allows and disallows so soon after surgery. It's the only way to be safe.

It sounds like you really need to see both a nutritionist and a counselor. No WLS it's going to magically make you eat healthy. Our issues with food are very real and sometimes we need very real help to deal with them.

I made these yesterday. They are super yummy and provide Breakfast for the week.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/broccoli-and-cheese-mini-egg-omelets-2.html?m=1

Enjoy...
This list is filled with sizeable options enjoyable enough to devour guilt-free without any diet damage. And while most of these Snacks pack a nutritious punch, a few are clearly set out to satisfy that sweet tooth (see #23!). But hey, at 100 calories or less, it’s worth the splurge.

1. Mini PB&F: One fig Newton with 1 teaspoon Peanut Butter.
2. chocolate Banana: Half a frozen banana dipped in two squares of melted dark chocolate.
3. Frozen grapes (any color): 1 cup (about 28 grapes), stuck in the freezer for 2+ hours.
4. Honeyed Yogurt: ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey.
5. Spiced Orange: One orange— about the size of a tennis ball— sprinkled with cinnamon.
6. Grilled Pineapple: 2 ¼-inch thick pineapple rounds (about 1 cup), grilled (or sautéed) for two minutes or until golden.
7. Berries n’ Cream: 1 cup blueberries with 2 tablespoons whipped topping.
8. Stuffed Figs: Two small dried figs with 1 tablespoon reduced-fat ricotta stuffed inside. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
9. Oats n’ Berries: ⅓ cup rolled oats (cooked with water), topped with cinnamon and ¼ cup fresh berries.
10. Dark Chocolate: One block, or three squares.
11. Nut-Stuffed Date: One Medjool Date filled with one teaspoon natural unsalted almond butter.
12. chocolate Milk: 6 ounces skim milk mixed with 2 teaspoons chocolate Syrup.< /p>
13. Cinnamon Applesauce: 1 cup unsweetened applesauce. Or, try this homemade version!
14. Citrus-berry Salad: 1 cup mixed berry salad (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) tossed with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
15. Maple-pumpkin Yogurt: ½ cup non-fat regular yogurt (go Greek for extra protein!) with 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon maple syrup… like this!
16. Chocolate Pudding: One 4oz package. Try a fat/sugar free version or a homemade one!
17. Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Five strawberries dipped in two squares melted dark chocolate.
18. Tropical juice Smoothie: ¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice.
19. vanilla and Banana Smoothie: ½ cup sliced banana, ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and a handful of ice blended until smooth.
20. MYO Banana Chips: One sliced banana dipped in lemon juice and chips.html" rel="external nofollow">baked.
21. Baked Apple: One tennis ball-sized apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender.
22. Fruity Waffles: One 7-grain frozen waffle toasted and topped with ¼ cup fresh mixed berries.
23. Skinny S’more: Two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate.
24. Cinnamon Graham Crackers & Peanut butter: Two graham cracker squares with 1 teaspoon Peanut Butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
25. Cereal and Milk: ½ cup rice krispies with ½ cup skim milk.
26. Milk n’ Cookies: Five animal crackers with ½ cup skim milk.
27. Warm Spiced Cider: 6 ounces apple cider with sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg, warmed.
28. Citrus Sherbet: ½ cup lime sherbet (about one standard-sized ice-cream scoop) with ½ sliced kiwi.
29. Café Latte: 8 ounces steamed skim milk with 1 shot espresso.
30. Jelly Beans: 25 of ‘em! Although we don’t recommend these.
31. Marshmallow Pear: ½ pear diced and topped with 1 tablespoon marshmallow fluff.
32. Protein Shake: One scoop Protein Powder with 8 ounces Water (choose from tasty powder flavors like Cookies n’ cream and chocolate peanut butter!).
33. M.Y.O. Popsicle: 8 ounces lemonade frozen in an ice pop mold, or use a small paper cup as a mold.
34. Apple Chips: Munch on ¾ cup of kinds like these, or use this recipe!

35. Carrots n’ Hummus: About 10 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons hummus.
36. Pistachios: A couple handfuls— about 25 nuts (Crackin’ them open will take more time and avoid grabbing 25 more).
37. cheese n’ Crackers: Five Kashi 7-grain crackers with 1 stick reduced-fat string cheese.< /p>
38. Dippy Egg: One
with ½ slice whole-wheat toast, sliced (to dip in yolk!).39. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: Two roasted plum tomatoes sliced and topped with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
40. Curried Sweet Potato: One medium sweet potato (about 5 inches long) cooked for six minutes in the microwave and mashed with 1 teaspoon curry, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
41. “Cheesy” Popcorn: 2 cups air-popped popcorn with 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast— it’ll taste like real cheese!
42. Guacamole stuffed Egg Whites: Halve a hardboiled egg, remove yolk, and stuff the empty space with 2 tablespoons guacamole (avocado, lime, cilantro and salt).
43. Grilled Spinach and Feta Polenta: 3 oz polenta (about the size of a deck of cards) cooked with 1 ½ cups Water and topped with 1 teaspoon feta cheese and a handful spinach.
44. Soy Edamame: ¼ cup boiled Edamame with 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
45. Dijon Pretzels: Two pretzel rods with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
46. Crunchy Curried tuna Salad: ½ cup canned tuna with 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 tablespoon chopped red onion, and two ribs celery (chopped).
47. Greek Tomatoes: One Tomato (about the size of a tennis ball) chopped and mixed with 1 tablespoon feta and a squeeze of lemon juice.
48. Shrimp Cocktail: Eight medium sized shrimp boiled and served with 2 tablespoons classic cocktail sauce.
49. Smoked Beef Jerky: About 1 ounce— look for low sodium versions!
50. Cheddar and Tomato Soup: ½ cup tomato soup with 1 tablespoon shredded low-fat cheddar cheese.
51. Kale Chips: ½ cup raw kale— stems removed— baked with 1 teaspoon olive oil at 400° until crisp.
52. Sweet Potato Fries: One light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes.
53. Cucumber Sandwich: ½ English muffin with 2 tablespoons cottage cheese and three slices of cucumber.
54. Turkey Roll-Ups: Four slices smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons honey mustard.
55. Mixed Olives: About 8 olives.< /p>
56. Antipasto Plate: One Pepperocini, a ½ inch cube of cheddar cheese, one slice pepperoni, and one olive.
57. Pumpkin Seeds: 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil (just a spritz!) and baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.
58. Choco-Soy Nuts: 3 tablespoons soy nuts with 1 teaspoon cocoa nibs.
59. Wasabi Peas: About ⅓ cup of these green treats.
60. Balsamic Veggies: 3 cups raw peppers (any color!) dipped in 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction.
61. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus: Four spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) and topped with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, baked for 10 minutes at 400°.
62. Cucumber salad: One large cucumber (sliced) with 2 tablespoons chopped red onion and 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar.
63. Spinach and Feta Egg-White Scramble: Three egg whites scrambled and mixed with ½ cup raw spinach and 1 tbsp feta cheese. Cook in frying pan or zap in microwave until egg whites are no longer runny (about 1-2 minutes).
64. Crunchy Kale Salad: 1 cup kale leaves chopped with 1 teaspoon honey and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
65. Chick Pea Salad: ¼ chickpeas with 1 tablespoon sliced scallions, a squeeze of lemon juice, and ¼ cup diced tomatoes.
66. Grilled Garlic Corn on the Cob: One small-sized ear brushed with 1 teaspoon sautéed minced garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil, grilled until tender.
67. pretzels & Cream Cheese: 15 mini pretzel sticks with 2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese.
68. Bacon Brussels Salad: Seven brussel spouts thinly sliced and mixed with one piece lean bacon, chopped.
69. Rosemary Potatoes: ⅓ cup thinly sliced potato tossed with 1 teaspoons olive oil and a teaspoon of chopped rosemary.
70. Spicy Black Beans: ¼ cup black Beans with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon non-fat Greek yogurt.
71. Caprese Salad: 1 ounce (hockey puck sized) of fresh mozzarella with ½ cup cherry tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
72. Goldfish: About 40 fishies…try the cheddar kind!
73. chips n’ Salsa: 10 baked tortilla chips with ¼ cup salsa.
74. Mini Ham Sandwich: Two slices honey-baked ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard rolled in a lettuce leaf.
75. Lox Bagel: ½ whole-wheat mini bagel with two thin slices of lox.

76. Chocolate Trail Mix: Eight almonds, four chocolate chips, and 1 tablespoon raisins.
77. Apples and Cheese: 1 non-fat mozzarella cheese stick with half of a baseball-sized apple (any variety), sliced.
78. PB & Celery: 1 medium celery stalk with 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
79. Cottage Cheese Melon Boat: 1 cup melon balls with ½ cup non-fat cottage cheese.
80. Carrot and Raisin Salad: 1 cup shaved carrots with 2 tablespoons raisins and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
81. Tropical Cottage Cheese: ½ cup non-fat cottage cheese with ½ cup fresh mango and pineapple, chopped.
82. Blue-Cheese Stuffed Apricots: Three dried apricots with 1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese.
83. Rice Cake and Almond Butter: One rice cake (try brown rice!) with 2 teaspoons almond butter.
84. Sweet n’ Spicy Pecans: Five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
85. Apples n’ Peanut Butter: ½ an apple, sliced and dipped in 1 teaspoon natural peanut butter.
86. Chocolate Hazelnut Crackers: Four wheat thins dipped in 1 teaspoon Nutella (or other hazelnut spread).
87. strawberry Salad: 1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic.
88. Cacao-Roasted Almonds: Pop in eight almonds like these!

I was just looking around on Amazon and I found a book called "Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery" by Patt Levine and I was wanting to know of anyone that owns it and recommends it. From what I have read about it, it has a lot of good recipes for days,months and years after surgery. A good recipe book I think will help me on my journey and help other people too! Let me know!!
-Amine