meachie

I just got her book called "Bandwagon Cookery" in the mail today. It's awesome! recipes for all stages of post surgery diet, and they look soooo good! Really wishing I wasn't on pre-op liquids right now :-/ Lol!

I have never bought the book or heard anything about it. However, there are 2 different online places that I go to get more ideas... Emilysbites.com and LapBandFriendlyReceipes.com. Both are helpful if you are on a Full Regular diet and your Doc has cleared you for regular foods.
Cheers to idea and food.

I have always said, you only fail when you stop fighting. Welcome back to the battle!

Your surgeon's comments are very interesting, and explain a bit more about the phenomenon of how microscopically different fills in the same size band in different patients can have such different effects on the patient.
I have to say, for the sake of bandsters reading this thread whose surgeons do not routinely do fills under fluoroscopy, that while fluoro fills can help ensure a tolerable and effective fill level, they don't guarantee it. I have never had a fill under fluoro and don't feel that my band's effectiveness was compromised because of that. Fluoro gives the radiologist or surgeon a snapshot of your esophagus, band and stomach at one point in time. A few hours or days or weeks later, the effect of that fill can feel quite different because of perfectly ordinary physiological events and processes, including hydration, hormones, time of day, allergies, medications, etc. etc.
Often bandsters get what seems to be a "perfect" fill under fluoro and a few weeks later feel as if they didn't get a fill at all. The stomach expands and contracts to aid digestion by breaking food down into pieces that can be absorbed properly by the intestines, and that necessary movement can affect the position of the band enough to affect the patient's experience of restriction. Also, as you lose weight, the visceral fat clinging to the stomach shrinks, so that your band feels looser and you need more fill. And finally, a new fill can feel extra tight in the first few days but feel less tight as the patient learns to adjust their eating skills to accommodate the new fill level.
Also, bandsters can get what seems to be a perfect fill and hours or days later find themselves struggling even to drink liquids. That can be because the fill itself, and the newly increased pressure of the band against the stomach, can cause enough irritation to cause the patient discomfort. Eventually the band settles more comfortably against the stomach, everything calms down, and life goes on.
Jean

What I've read lately is that you get a "bigger band for your buck" if you do 30 min. of intervals than an hour at one intensity level. In Chris Powell's carb cycling book he says to do this 6 min. cycle 5 times for a total of 30 min.: 3 min. of low intensity, 2 min. of medium intensity, and 1 min. of high intensity. He also says to take Sunday off. It really makes the 30 min. go by fast. Experts say you need to change things up when your body gets used to a certain type of exercise. If you think that's what is happening, it might be good to try intervals and see if that changes the amount of weight you're losing. BTW, congrats on all of your exercising. You rock!

I just looked at the boxes. They are Cliff Builder's 20g Protein bar. I buy chocolate, chocolate peanut better and chocolate mint. They all taste good. I buy them at Target for $7.84 for I think 6 in a box. I just ripped the top off to see what. I am very fussy with what i eat and I found these 3 flavors good. I have seen some flavors at Walmart, also for about the same price.

I will have to look at Walmart for the chocolate Peanut Butter, I think I could handle those, sounds good!!! thanks a bunch. I don't have a Target close by well its 30 mins away but I think my Walmart will carry them.

Premier Protein Ready to Drink shakes available at costco and Sam's Club.

Thanks Catfish
have a bike, now i just have to ride the damn thing... need to lose 10, would like to lose 20. But don't tell my hubby, he said i'm skinny enough... I told him... hehe no such thing.... silly man

I just got back off of vacation and on to my bike for the first time in a week. Felt soooo good!
I would invite you to log your miles for the month of June on this thread. This is not competition, but my personal goal is to do 10 more miles than what ever Catfish does which is going to be hard since he is a skinny little guy and doesn't have as much fat to lug around.
Starting it off with today's ride 20.09 Miles, 1:15 minutes, 953 Calories.
Ok, Who is next?

Cannot possibly understand what is happening to you or your body,...but in my case....
With my last fill, which was only 1 cc, that actually did the trick for me....BUT it was rough to say the least..like you said, for me almost 2 full weeks...and everything was fine when I left the Dr.'s office, and for 24 hrs after....
But I came very close to flat out calling my Dr. to get a unfill....could not eat anything substantial.....
Now I am not suggesting this to anyone, just my story....
I stuck it out, determined to get it...I was of the impression that it was ME that had to change, and not the band....mind you, it was a gamble....and yes I did stress about everything I ate, as I have to stress about everything I do if I want it to be perfect....
Then suddenly, as if by magic...it all leveled out and everything has been fantastic since then...2 years ago....no more struggles....definitley in the Green Zone everyday since then....I don't have to think about what I am eating anymore...it all comes natural, from forming new habits....but it was a learning curve....
Was it because I adapted and finally learned I needed to eat differently? (probably) And stay away from those risky foods? (still do)
I think about what would have happened if I did get that unfill...I don't know....would I have yo-yo'd up and down? never getting it right?
Or was it because I was not giving the band adequate time for the inflamtion to go down but continuing to force myself to eat? I don't know....I may never know....all I do know, in my case, is I am glad I stuck it out.....I have now lost all the weight I possibly can, having a very low fat %. Dr informs me I am finished with my weight loss, and any further weight loss would not be fat, but muscle.(unhealthy, REAL starvation mode)
And yes, the band is TOTALLY in control of my life...I would not have it any other way because I have tried many times to loose weight and failed...I needed surgery to correct that....in control with permanent life change....

That's so unfair!!! I'm still proud of you!!! You've done an outstanding job!!! They don't know the band is just a tool!!! It doesn't make you work out like you have for 18 months to loose the weight!!! God will bless you in another way and your blessing will exceed $25,000!!!

Heard exercise helps stress, and I had one heck of a weekend, so last night in the dark, at the high school track, I took a step. Then another, then another....
Three miles. No partner, no ipod, just unwinding my head. It helped.
Tonight, three miles again. Ipod this time. Kinda proud of myself for a change.

Hi All!
I just had to share a pretty cool app I've been using the last couple weeks. It's called "Lose It!" and it's free on the Android market.
Unlike others, making an online account isn't required (but it is possible). It tracks your weight loss, goals, and food intake. The cool thing is, it's all adjustable to meet your specific needs.
I use it to track my food. Everything I eat, I enter. You can enter food by brand name, scanning them via bar code, or manual entry. Once you've used a certain food once it's easy to "pick from previous meals" and use it again.
I really like it also tracks nutrients. On any given day, I can see how many grams of Protein I've consumed, what percentage of my diet was carbs vs. Proteins, fat consumed, etc. Of course it also shows calories consumed. It'll also showing me weekly averages. I find this very helpful, especially for tracking my Protein intake, because I see the big picture at a glance and know specifically what I need to change (or what's working and not to change).
When you set it up the first time, it'll ask your starting weight and goal weight. Then, it'll ask how fast you want to lose it, the most possible being 2 pounds a week. It will then calculate how many calories you can consume daily to reach your goal. As you loose weight and enter it in, it not only tracks your weight loss but also adjusts the number of calories you can consume.
If you don't want to consume a high amount of calories (like me), you also have the option to adjust your daily intake goal.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share my find with you all.
Here's a link to it if anyone is interested: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fitnow.loseit&feature=related_apps#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEwOSwiY29tLmZpdG5vdy5sb3NlaXQiXQ..

I also had my first fill feb 6th. And I feel the same as I did b4 I got a fil. I recieved 4cc. I get hungry its seems like hour and half to 2hr later, if not sooner. Ima give it a full two wks before I request another fill. But I know I will ask for one., I hate being hungry all the time cud

That's awesome Mis73! Here's a few of my nonscale victories:
1. I can use the smallest towel in the house that no one would use before AND it wraps around me now!
2. My work chair prior to surgery was on the lowest setting with my legs, uncrossed, touching the underside on my desk. Now I am on the highest setting and I CAN cross my legs with room to spare!
3. I can take a bath without filling the Water to the top of the tub. Before I filled it to the very top and my belly was still sticking out of the water!
4.My goal was to get into a size 12 pants. I am now the proud owner of 3 pairs of 6's!.
5. The other day a friend of mine saw me on my morning walk with my 2 friends. She asked who was the chubby one lagging behind. This time it wasn't me who was the chubby one and lagging behind!
Today is my 15 months anniversary and I am down 88 pounds. This was the greatest thing I have ever done for myself!

Going in tomorrow to get my second fill. This is awesome considering may 24 will be my band anniversary! I've lost a total of 92 lbs!

It didn't happen... my APRN looked over what I was eating (brought a few printouts of my daily food intake) and he suggested that my Protein intake was excellent, and that I could even add a few more calories. At present I am staying under 1000 calories a day. He was ecstatic that I had joined a gym and was going on a regular basis. I asked about a fourth fill, and while he was willing to do, he advised that since I am losing two or three pounds a week that a fill wouldn't yield any benefit.
My concerns to him... I can eat whatever I want, as fast as I want... the dietitian told me to eat 1 cup meals...
His response was that yes, if you are eating some foods that are moist and properly chewed, they will easily pass through the band, and that I shouldn't be obsessed with measuring one cup portions.
So I decided to "save" this fill for when I hit a major plateau after a substantial weight loss. He is sending me for fluoroscope as part of six month surgical follow up, and he felt that the fluoroscope would show how much restriction the band was providing.
In the beginning I think I expected the band to do the work. Now I know while it helps with a feeling of being satiated, it is I who control how much, and the quality of the food that passes through it. I'd rather be at this stage, than risk being sick whenever I exceeded a limit by a small amount, that isn't living.

I pray for the day you stop judging yourself. You is kind, you is smart, you is important(especially to me). God don't make junk!

right after surgery when I was not very hungary but needed the Protein and calories I used the "New whey " liquid Protien ( i got mine at Walmart) they are only 3.8 oz so if you are no very hungary are perfect BUT have 42 grams of protein as well as 180 calories.. I used these to fill in the gaps at first.. hope that help. it will get better though. I m 7 wks out and Lovin it!!!!

So I made this yesterday and was in heaven. I've felt so deprived until now! I thought I'd share incase anyone else needs a pick me up.
I put 5 sugar free Popsicles in a blender with some raspberry lemonade crystal light. It's like a fruit smoothie!!!

You are FINE!!! You go Boy!!! I need tips!!! I wish I could drop 80!!! But congratulations you look fabulous!!!

Thank you so much:)

You look beautiful!!! I always see your post and now I see you are a pro!!! Can you please share some tips!!! I was banded 4/8/13 248.8 today 236.4. I feel as though I've lost a lot of inches!!! I had hernia repair as well!!!

You look great!!! I love your hair too!