JudiM

WOW.....thanks for the lightbulb moment! Like everyone else....I'm a life long dieter. So, that means that I want to loose alot of weight fast. But, deep down in my heart, I always knew it's weight that would return...... THIS TIME....with my LapBand....it's a whole new deal! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Thanks for doing this!!! Name: Judi Exercise Goal: Walk at least 45 minutes/3x per week

Hi all..... My planned dinner was a hamburger.....very low fat, cooked on the grill, mushed up very well. About 3 oz. Feeling like I want to vomit.....don't want to and it doesn't seem to be happening. But, I feel like I need to..... I guess I am not going to be eating ground beef for awhile.... A really awful feeling! Anyone experience this with ground beef? The nausea is overwhelming......:cry:cry:cry

Hi all.....Now that I'm back at work, the days can get very busy. So, like everyone else, it's always nice to have some ideas handy for some quick things......I hope this gives you some ideas..... SUNDAY Breakfast: 2 egg omlet with feta cheese Snack: 1/2 Chai Protein shake Lunch: Lean turkey breast & provolone cheese rolled--filled with hummus Dinner: Fresh Tuna Tacos---I'll post the recipe in my "Let's Get Excited About Food" post.....these were EXCELLENT!!!!! MONDAY Breakfast: Chai Protein Shake Lunch: 1/2 container Campbell's Handfull Broccoli Cheese Soup Lemon Lite & Creamy Yogurt Dinner: 1/4 cup salad greens & veggies topped with 3 oz seasoned tuna, sprinkle of feta, parm & romano cheeses Snack: 1/2 cup of applesauce, 2 slices cheddar cheese YESTERDAY Breakfast: Chair Protein Shake Snack: String Cheese Lunch: 1/4 cup purchased chicken salad, 1/2 cup applesauce Dinner: 4 pesto ravioli (frozen) sauced with a little butter, a little purchased pesto sauce, chicken broth---sprinkled parm, romano and feta cheese on top, 1 Weight Watchers Carrot Snack Cake Snack: 1/2 cup applesauce, 2 slices of cheddar cheese TODAY Breakfast: Chai Protein Shake Lunch: 1/4 cup purchased chicken salad, 1/2 cup SF Jello pudding Planned dinner: 3 oz hamburger with cheese, very small salad with shredded cheese & Low fat dressing

Hi all...... I know some of you have been back to work for quite some time! But, for me....it's back tomorrow. Tomorrow...Sept 10....marks my one month bandiversary. I am working on what to pack for lunch, Snacks, etc. Even though I am to start to slowly put real foods back into my menu, I don't want to chance it my first day back at work. If I got sick....that would be a problem!!!! :whoo: Any good ideas for lunches, snacks to pack? And, any other good tips for getting back to the merry go round that is MY LIFE.....especially at THIS time of the year with everything kicking in! Love to hear what others are packing for lunches and snacks! :hungry::hungry: Thanks!!! Judi

Hi.....Back at work....smack dab in the most hectic time of the year! So, I haven't had alot of time to check here....:phanvan. I started slipping in some solid foods (at week 6). I made salads the past 2 nights for dinner.......topped it with grilled cajun salmon and feta cheese on Monday and grilled lemon-pepper tuna steak last night. I dished myself out first.....making sure I chopped, chopped everything very well. I put about 1/2 cup in my bowl (compared to my pre-banded life when I'd fill that bowl to the tippy-top and then come back for more!). Everything went down well. I didn't have a problem. Now...as for the frustrating part..... I am eating significantly LESS food than I ever had! But, that damn scale has not budged in more than a week! So...... Judi

Hi all...... Just passed the 5 week mark. And, I am feeling wonderful. Lots of energy, less aches and pains and I love not feeling BLOATED and POURED into my clothing all the time. Because I returned to work last week, I was very careful with solid foods.....I just did not want to be sick. I would like to have a salad but I'm not sure if that is a wise thing. Any input on that? Anyway, it's a chilly football day! So, I was craving comfort food smells in the house and some homemade Soup. So, I made wedding soup. I made sure to get the veggies very limp. Hopefully, that will go down well. If so, I can definitely have that a few times this week for lunch. Last night, I had a bit of a challenge and I think I did okay. We went to our favorite little neighborhood pub with some friends to watch college games. Lots of popcorn, nuts and "bar mix" were sitting at our table all night. Everyone ordered their favorite FRIED munchies--wings, fries, onion rings, zucchini, jalapenos, mozzarella. But, I did not touch anything. Thankfully, I didn't want to! I nursed a glass of wine all night, drank Water and enjoyed the conversation. I must say.....the pay off of NO HEADACHE today is great!!! I hope to get a fill on Sept 25.......! Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Judi

A severe pain in my left shoulder....almost at my collarbone. This is where I experienced the most intense "gas" pains after surgery too.

Hi again.....I've been in the kitchen.....again! Greek Salmon-Spinach Cakes--I made 8 nice sized "cakes" with this MIX the following together......FORM INTO PATTIES.....Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes on 350-75 -1 small piece of salmon poached in skillet....water, lemon juice, a little salt-flake it really well after it's done...I put it through my Magic bullet to get it very fine (I used a 4oz frozen piece..."Treasures from the Sea brand...come in a bag...individually wrapped, bought at Sam's) -1/2 small box of chopped spinach....cooked in microwave & drained really well -Crumbled Feta cheese (I eyeballed it....probably 1/4 cup) -8 Ritz crackers--ran these through the Magic Bullet to get them very fine -Salt, pepper, a little olive oil, 1 egg white (I used the liquid kind you get in a container), minced garlic (from a jar...in fridge section) to taste, oregano (dried), mint leaves (dried) I served these with hummus to spread on the top and a little extra feta cheese to sprinkle over. YUM!!!!! Tilapia Parmesan--this is for one but you can easily double, triple, quadriple (I used this for 2 meals for myself) IN A SHALLOW GLASS DISH sprayed with PAM: -1 6 oz. piece Tilapia....topped with 1/4 chopped tomato, 3 basil leaf--juliened, salt, pepper, a little minced garlic, sprinkle with black pepper and a good quality parmesan cheese. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Bake for about 10-12 minutes on 350. WOW! Pesto chicken salad This made enough for probably 4 meals for me. MIX ALL TOGETHER AND REFRIGERATE A LITTLE TO BLEND FLAVORS BEFORE EATING -1 small cooked chicken breast (I used a left over piece)--put it through the magic bullet until it is SUPER FINE -1/2 small jar of prepared basil pesto -1 slice fresh mozzarella--diced into very small pieces -3 Tbls. of light mayo -Black pepper, lemon juice WONDERFUL!!!! Bon Apetit!!!!

:hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry::hungry: Hi all....I know, sounds kind of funny since food is what sort of got us here in the first place! But,as we all know, finding something to eat that doesn't taste like paplum (what is that anyway?) is not easy. Let's face it, food is a source of enjoyment. It shouldn't hold as high a place in our lives as it once did. But, geez....we still have taste buds....we have to satisy them!!! And, since we do have to live this way FOREVER, I think we owe it to ourselves to make sure that the foods that we eat are satisfying, healthy and luscious. We deserve it......!!! As my energy has rebounded and I am still off from work, I've been puttering in the kitchen (one of my fav things) and coming up with ideas for foods for the mushie stage. Below are one of the recipes I've come up with and that I can highly recommend. Sorry that the portions/measurements aren't good.....I'm an "eyeballer" cook. If anyone else has any food ideas that they've tried, add them to this thread! I'll add more as I go along. I'm trying to perfect a few other recipe ideas before I share them! Crab "Fritters" with Pesto Aioli (this recipe made 8 mid size fritters---you can freeze ones you don't eat or put them in the fridge) For the Fritter..... 2 cans Bumble Bee Premium Crabmeat....remove any shells, run through blender/magic bullet Mix in: 1 egg 1/4 cup light mayo few tbls of lemon juice shot of hot sauce shot of worchestire sauce 10 low fat Ritz crackers--pulverized/crushed well Good quality Romano Cheese--not alot, not a tiny bit Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, celery seed, dry mustard Also....a little flour for dusting to "dry it up" a little Mix well....it will be goopy. Put the mixture in the fridge for about 1/2 hour to firm up. Cover bottom of skillet with Olive Oil. Heat. With melon baller or ice cream scooper, scoop out the mixture. Pan fry until golden. Drain on paper towels (although there really is not alot of grease) Pesto Aioli make a little or alot Add equal parts light mayo and jarred prepared basil pesto....place in fridge to enhance flavors Since I am in the mushie eating stage.....I smashed my crab fritter with a fork really well....I added a little bit of lemon juice to help it along. Then, I drizzled the ailoi over it...working it into the mixture until it was pretty pureed. My husband loved these too. I think they are going to become a regular menu item at my house. I'll bet the same recipe would be great with canned Salmon!!! Let me know if anyone tries these! And, if so.....please share your opinion! Let me know if you have any questions!!!!! Yummy!!!!

I am not sure what to make of things.....I am definitely not eating the same amounts as I did in my pre-band life. In fact, I am eating a fraction of the volume for sure! I'm trying to get all my protein in with shakes, mushie foods, etc. I'm not starving but yet I'm not sure if I am ever full. Part of the reason may be that I am being very cautious....not wanting to vomit or feel ill. And, I'm NOT craving certain foods even though I'm still cooking favorites for my family. Since I haven't tried eating solid foods, I don't know if that will be "dangerous" for me. Tonight we are grilling out hamburgers and I'm contemplating if that is something I could eat....perhaps "mush" it up after it's cooked with a little basil mayo, finely chopped tomato and fresh mozarella. Typically, I'd have 2 hamburgers with all the fixings on a bun. Again...I'm not craving that. I wonder if I even love them like I did!!! But, with all of THAT being said.....I am wondering if I should be loosing more! Am I just being selfish? I mean, I am loosing.......not gaining (a new thing for me). But, with all of the cutting down I have done, one would think that I'd drop weight like crazy. Like I said....I have lost weight. Maybe I'm selfish and impatient!!!!! I'm trying not to weight myself more than 2 times a week. I think I just better get my walking program in place today.....like I planned! That should jump start things a little more......right??????

Here's a good Autumn Recipe....works for the mushie stage but good enough to serve for company too! My family loved this recipe the other night. I ate 2 ravioli....mushed them up very well and enjoyed the heck out of them!!! I'm thinking this would be a great dish for Thanksgiving..... -Good quality frozen butternut squash ravioli--1 lb bag (I used Rosetta...not sure if they sell that everywhere).....exceed cooking time by about 3-5 minutes to make sure they are very soft. Drain well, reserve a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid -Heat together 1/2 cup Fat free/Low Sodium chicken broth, 2 pats of butter, 3 sage leaves (discard before serving), 1 tsp. minced garlic, pinch of black pepper, sea salt & sage powder -In big bowl---place ravioli, add reserved cooking liquid and sage butter sauce, sprinkle lightly with a very good quality romano cheese....fold all ingredients together gently.... Yum!!!!!

After some experimenting and taste testing, I found a new way to get in my Protein via a fabulous Chai Latte.....one that rivals those at Starbuck's, Border's and Fortune's (my favorite!). It's decadent! -6 Decaffienated Chai Tea Bags steeped in boiling Water for about 15 minutes -Add a little cinnamon, nutmeg to tea and place in a container you can keep in the fridge For COLD Latte (I use my Magic Bullet but you can use a blender) -1/4 cup tea -1/4 cup fat free milk -1 Splenda -1 scoop vanilla whey Protein Powder Blend together then add 2-3 ice cubes......whirl it a bit more Top with a dab of Fat Free Cool Whip and sprinkle with nutmeg & cinnamon For HOT Latte (I used Magic Bullet to froth it and mix in the whey powder but if you have one of those little mixers to make latte...that would be great) -Heat same amounts as above of tea, milk, splenda together.....stir continuously -Blend in vanilla whey powder using blender, bullet, latte mixers (whatever you have) -Top with dab of Fat Free Cool Whip and sprinkle with nutmeg & cinnamon You can definitely experiment using chocolate whey protein powder..... Enjoy!

Okay, I'm in. You heard it here...... -I want to start a WALKING program on Labor Day. 30 minutes a day to start. -I want to go back to work on Sept 10 (exactly one month from surgery date) weighing UNDER 200. It can be 199.999999. But, under 200. -I want to buy a really beautiful, luxurious and elegantly sexy negligee for our trip to Napa in May (to Celebrate my DH's and several of our friends 50th birthdays) That's it for now.

Wow-wee! Everyone is doing so great with the weight loss. Yesterday, I got into a pair of capris that I haven't had on since Father's Day 2005! And, I only wore them once. They never fit after that. The woes of obesity! Hopefully, they are all in the past! Hubby said to me....."did you go out shopping for clothes already?" when he saw me. He'll be asking that a lot over the next few months, I'm guessing. I've got lots of clothes that I just grew out of.....real quick!!! Some things never even made it on my body......I grew out of them before I had a chance to wear them. The battle of obesity really is a WAR! One we are all on the road to winning!!!! Thank God I did this! Thank God we all did this!!!!

Wow....I thought it was just me! The first few days when I was on clear liquids and eating SF popscicles, the sweetness of them just about made me nuts. I had this weird taste in my mouth for a few days and I just could not stomach another "sweet" thing. Needless to say, my freezer looks like I own a popscicle stand! I stocked up very well before my surgery!! LOL! Although even in my pre-lb life, I wasn't really a sweets eater. I like savory, highly-flavored foods.....lots of Italian foods! Now that I'm doing the mushy stages, I have been experimenting with alot of different recipe ideas. I'll post them on here in a different thread.

Hi all Crazy Ates! Hard to believe but after tomorrow all of the August bands will be in place!!! Thanks to everyone for joining me on this journey! When I sent out a call for a fun group......little did I know what a wonderful response I would have and what great, fun and generous people I would meet!!! This group has been a lifeline for me....and probably many others! It's been a life changing month for all of us! Looking forward to many, many, many months of sharing, fun and celebrating with all of you!!! It's great to be among you all!!! I think we are the best group on LBT!! What do you think? Good Luck August 31 banders! We'll be waiting right here for you! Hope everyone is doing well! And, once more....thanks!!!! Judi

Hey all....I can feel my desire to eat returning. But, I keep telling myself that I'll vomit if I overeat! So, as long as I can scare myself into NOT eating then I think I'll be okay. I have another 1.5 weeks of mushie foods then real food begins. That, to me, is scarey. My first fill is not until mid-September. So, I have to deal with what I have for the time being. The scale has moved so I am not complaining. But, I wish I could fast forward time a bit so I can get to the first fill. And, I KNOW I have to exercise. I keep skipping over the Exercise Challenge post because I'm feeling so quilty about that. Walking is my choice of exercise. But, it's been so darn humid! And, I think I'm doing to much now that I'm feeling better. So, I get worn out. Excuses! Excuses! Maybe I just better do it....right???? We just have to keep working on this my Crazy Ates Friends!!! We're all in this together. Judi

Congrats to you! Yes, it's true.....it gets better with each day. I know that's hard to believe at the moment.....I felt the same way! The gas was probably what lingered most. Those bubbles of air get trapped in your shoulder and mid chest. It's pretty painful.....to say the least. I walked, used a heating pad and took Gas X. Those things gave me relief. But, I think that it just takes time. I'm 2.5 weeks out and still feel a bit tired. But, then again, we aren't eating much! So, maybe it takes our bodies awhile to adjust to having a lower energy supply! But, then again, I was TIRED all the time from carrying all this extra weight around (before the surgery). I hope to get back to work next week. Best wishes!!! You really did a wonderful thing! Welcome to BANDLAND!!! Judi

GO! GO!GO! Your Crazy Ates brethren will be waiting right here where you left us! Good luck and remember....you are doing a wonderful, wonderful thing! Be sure to let yourself be pampered and taken care of....you deserve it!!! Our month is coming to an end here! In a few short days, we all be banded!!!! Banded together too!!! Wow!!! Watch those tickers go down, down, down!!! Hope everyone is well!!! Judi

:drum:Hey August Banders.....become a Crazy Ate! Come join us in the monthly groups! We're waiting for you. There's no initiation and we don't even require shoes and a shirt!!!! :clap2: Join in the fun and sharing as we make our way to August! It's a place where you can be yourself, be someone else or maybe even *become* someone else! Heck, you can even bring your old Aunt Betsy if you want! Come to think of it, Uncle Fred is more than welcome too!!! :hippie: Be sure to bring along your smile, your sense of humor and please wear a *CRAZY HAT* when you come so we can recognize that you're ONE OF US!!!! :peace: We're making lots of plans so don't miss the fun!!! :clap2:

You'll be okay! Trust us!!! Remember....you are doing a wonderful thing for yourself!!! We'll be waiting right here for you!!! Glad to hear everyone is doing well! I had a mashed up ravioli (my own home made!) today.....heaven on earth! And, to think, I could sit down and eat a dozen of them all by myself!!! Oh my!!!

All good news from everyone! This is great! This is my 2 week bandiversary and I'm getting prepared to eat MUSHIE foods tomorrow. Got a few things already prepared. Before I post any recipes, I'll make sure they are "worthy". Feeling good. Have family arriving in town to stay with us tomorrow for a few days.....sooooooo......I guess THIS will be the test!!! Congrats all!!!

Hi all! Hard to believe I am almost 2 weeks out. I'm on full liquids but I have had about 4 thinly sliced pieces of cheddar cheese in the past 2 days. I just needed SOMETHING. I had no problem with keeping it down. Which, I hope doesn't spur me on to indulging in other things. The thing is that it's not as if I am starving. Maybe I'm just bored. But, I keep trying to convince myself that once I start EATING, I may never stop. And, then where will I be? That's what is keeping me from overindulging. With all of that being said, I really want to encourage you NOT to get depressed over wanting to eat or eating some "forbidden" foods. This is a process. And, these early weeks are the times to learn. I will get my first fill in 4 weeks. I think then the real "living" with the band will begin. Right now....it's healing and practicing. So don't beat yourself up and don't let yourself fall into a pattern of feeling badly about yourself when you slip up. Look at what you just did.......you made a huge step in the right direction....one that you should be proud of and one that will change your entire life! Stand up and BE PROUD!!!!! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Hi all....I graduated to FULL liquids today. Must tell you that my stomach is in a bit of an uproar. But, it felt good to have something other than broth, broth, broth for lunch and dinner..... Got a MAGIC BULLET.....love it so far!!! That's what I used for all these things....... Breakfast: (could not drink more than 4 oz for Breakfast, saved the rest in fridge) Blended 1/4 frozen banana, whey Protein powder, Water, ice handful of frozen rasberries, 1 splenda pack for a shake. Lunch: (made 2 servings, put 1 in the fridge for tomorrow) 1/4 cup skim ricotta cheese egg white, a tad of chicken broth 1/4 cup home made Italian tomato sauce 1 oz romano cheese a few basil leaves YUMO! Dinner: (made 4 4 oz servings.....froze 3 of them) 1 can of Healthy Request Chicken, Broccoli Cheese Cream Soup 1/2 can water 1 handful of shredded cheddar cheese 1 oz of good romano cheese salt, pepper, celery seed Whipped it up in blender until completely creamy YUM YUM YUM I was very happy with this. Bon Apetit!!! Anyone know how long the FULL liquid phase lasts? I have my Dr appt on Tuesday. I can ask then. But, just curious.......