mama angela

Going shopping today for the Reunion. I will be looking at size 14-16 clothes......not size 24-26.............YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for starting this thread HealthyNewMe! I've considered myself unique on this forum as I have 200 lbs. to lose and I'm also in my mid-fifties. If I could turn back the clock I would. The other day cleaning my desk I found a calendar from 1990 and I weighed 290. I thought if I could turn back time I should have had the surgery then and what a different life I would have had for those last 25 years but the fantastic news is I'm taking control of my life now! I'm glad to see that you have had super success and I'm sure you will be the "Belle of the Ball" at your elementary school reunion.

Just wanted to get all my FIFTY-SOMETHING year old friends interested....
So much better than FIFTY AND FAT !!!!!
I'm heading up a 40 year class reunion ( from my ELEMENTARY school ) and the reunion is in one month. For years, my mentality would have been panick mode about three months before such an event about RESTRICTIVE DIETING.......
not any more..... For the first time in decades, my thoughts are about shopping for something fun to wear.... Not what piece of material can cover/hide this body.

In Boise with dr. Anderson...anyone else local?

Hi Julie, way to go pulling it together -- you are worth it! It's such a big thing to choose our health and happiness in front of everything else. Choose Julie First!

Hi there, thank you so much for low down on. Your food.. Today I have had oatmeal, then lunch was 3 crispbreads and homemade sweet potato and lentil Soup, dinner was chicken casserole with lots of vegetables.
I have started lots of exercise.. Yesterday we went on a long bike ride then a walk to the beach.. I'm aching lots today!!! I generally struggle with breakfast too so my oatmeal lasts me most of the morning and seems to keep me full longer.
I have to say I feel a bit deflated having the lap band... I thought it would stop me being hungry and solve all my problems.. I think sometimes , especially over here in the Uk, they don't give you the whole help and low down on it all.. If you pay for it that's all they want.. They don't tend to follow up on it, which I think is my problem.. No real aftercare.
I hope you have had good weekend.
Julie x

I'm pretty much a creature of habit during the weekdays (weekends are quite different). As I said before, I usually do not eat breakfast; however, when I do, it's either eggs and bacon or sausage, or oatmeal. For lunch, I make lots of salads for the week: tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, chef salad, seafood salad, or chilli, or Protein Shakes after I exercise. I buy a vanilla already prepared shake, and add either frozen fruit or an extra scoop of choc Protein Powder and a scoop of PB2 and a frozen banana. I whip that up in my blender ...... Thick, rich, and full of Protein. For dinner, I eat whatever I fix for my family.... Usually meat (ground beef, chicken, steak, roast beef, turkey) and some sort of vegetable. I might also eat Beans or Italian, Mexican, Chinese foods. I pretty much eat anything, just modified. I try to not eat: sugar, white flour ( so no baked goods), white bread, white Pasta, or white potatoes. I really like those carbs, but I really try to NOT eat them. I do not worry about fat.... It's like the one thing I'm not willing to "give up." So, I'll eat fried seafood or fried chicken every once in a while. It's all working, bc the band helps me with the portion sizes. Like I said before, I do not buy or bring into the house snack foods. I do like guacamole and chips, so I found a brand of chips called Beanitos ( made of ground black beans or pinto beans). I'll eat those chips and homemade guacamole, but I eat it as a meal, not as a snack. I log all my good into MyFitnessPal to track calories each day. I aim to eat 900 calories a day. Since I exercise each day and burn around 500-600 calories, I eat those calories back, so I eat about 1400-1500 calories a day on days I exercise.

Hi there, I'm doing good, getting focused and ready to start a new week... Just trying to plan my food for the week.. Can I ask what sort of things you eat on a daily basis... I'm getting my head in gear and have bee for a long walk with my puppies today, planning on a bike ride and long walk tomorrow to kick start it all.Thank you so much for your words of inspiration.. Ready your last email we have some many similarities then I think most banders will be able to relate.
Julie x

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law work on SHAPE in Belgium. Boredom and head hunger go hand in hand. I always tended to eat at night.... Watching TV..... while my family slept. I totally QUIT buying JUNK food. Can't have it in my house bc it calls my name. I have never been a Breakfast eater. I like breakfast food..... I just don't like eating in the morning. Like I sai, I like to eat at night, so this is what I do.....I drink two cups of coffee every morning, and that keeps me "full" until lunch time. That is when I eat my breakfast. I eat again when I come home from work . That is my lunch. And then I eat later that night. This is my dinner... But that way I'm eating twice at night when I always wanted to eat anyway. You have to remember why you started this process and had WLS to begin with....you weren't happy or healthy, right? Those chips, Cookies, chocolates, etc don't make you happy.... They are filling a void. Everything you walk into your kitchen, you should pick up an apple. Looking at the apple, you should ask yourself, "am I really hungry? BC, if I'm truly hungry, I'm going to eat this apple." 9 out of 10 times, I put the apple down and walk out if the kitchen. Also, I found I needed to exercise. I was a certified couch potato. Started exercising two months before my surgery, and haven't stopped since. That's a good alternative to boredom/snacking. Please stay in touch. Don't fall backwards. STOP now and RECOMMIT.

Hi there, thank you so much for replying to me.
I have the lap band which I have had now for nearly three years. I haven't seen my surgeon since I had my operation but see nurses from the same hospital. I had my surgery in Belgium , and the nurses come over to the uk to fill the bands. I wasn't happy the company who were originally looking after me so I go direct now to the nurses under the supervision on my surgeon. I have the right amount in my band.. My problem is the snacking between meals.. Things I know are going to go down. When I eat a meal it is only small. It's the chips , crackers and chocolate that go down too easily!! I work an office job so sat down all day, my husband works nights so I come home and snack.. I need to get out of this downward spiral which is why I decided to come back on here.. I need some inspiration and someone I can chat to when I feel I need to snack... It's silly as I'm not hungry. I'm eating for the sake of it!! Habit and comfort... I thought all this would be easy but it isn't... The band stops you eating but your brain still tells you to eat! I also work too near a grocery store which is always tempting! Maybe I should leave my purse at home so I can't buy treats! Xx

I'm from the U.S., so I always have to do kilo to pound conversions, and stone to pound conversions. I know the fear you have about putting the weight back on..... I have TWICE lost 100+ pounds before (when in my twenties). I steadily gained till I was up to 327 pounds.... Yikes, that's hard to type. I'm in my 50's now and find it soooo much harder to lose weight now, but I have steadily lost over the past year. I was banded on August 22, 2013. Now to you..... What WLS did you have? Do you exercise on a regular basis? When is the last time you saw your surgeon? You must put the brakes on now. You cannot let yourself regain your weight. Share with us what is and isn't going on with you.

Okios Greek Yogurt Dip. That's right, before surgery I was a big dip junkie, I ate it on almost anything:-) Obviosuly it was something I had to give up because well it's not very nutritious BUT recently I discovered Okios greek yogurt dip. I think it's been our for a while but I told myself that stuff can't be any good until the other day when I was at the store and had a craving I just couldn't kick so I broke down and bought some of the french onion and for comparrison (for my husband's sake) I also bought the Dean's french onion and to both of our suprise...WE BOTH perferred the Okios to the Deans A serving is 2Tlbs. and only only contains 25cal, 1g fat, 2 carbs, 1g sugar and 2 g Protein.....Yipppeee I never thought I would be so excited about something as silly as this but it's just another little thing that keeps me on track for the long haul of a lifestyle change:-) I thought I would share with everyone just in case you're a dip junkie like me:-) I know I'm a nerd:-) Enjoy.
Check it out for yourself
http://www.oikosyogurt.com/greek-yogurt/oikos-greek-yogurt-dips/french-onion

I'm almost 3 mths out and I tried alittle of it the other night...it didn't hurt or anything...but was worried about eating too much...so I stuck to having just a few pieces. hope you at least try it to see if you can handle it or not. I know i get very fearful of certain foods myself after reading these posts. so at least try it...then you'll have your own answer-that is once you are at that stage!!! best wishes to ya!!

I don't have any problems eating popcorn. I have it a few times per year....usually at a movie theater.

I had my first fill today too! Mine wasn't primed during surgery, but they put in 3ml today. It didn't hurt, but the doctor had a hard time getting the needle in my port. Congrats on your weight loss! Every little bit counts so I'm glad you see the positive side. I blog about all my LapBand related stuff, including my first fill, so if you're interested, you can check it out. The link is in my signature below. Best of luck to you in your journey!

Ok so I've been reading how everyone's first fill went. All the way from painful to easy. Yet again I'm a lucky one. Easy as pie didn't even feel it. My band was primed with 2 ml during surgery and the fill today was 2ml so I have a total of 4 ml. Today was the first time I've weighed since my post op appointment and down 8 pounds. Of course I wanted a bigger number but im pretty damn proud of 8 pounds in 3 weeks. My cloths are getting looser and my energy is soaring. Getting my band has certainly been a life changer and I would do it again in a heart beat

Hi there, hope you're feeling better today -- the post-op phase can be tough emotionally. All the hoopla of the surgery is over and now it's a time of waiting for the body to heal up so you can take the next steps.
I'm happy to report that nearly five months out I still really enjoy my food. I just have it in much smaller amounts which (miraculously) I am satisfied with. I really wondered whether it would work for me -- if I would be the one person whose appetite could not be satisfied, etc. Well, it's working great and the more weight I lose the better I feel. I still love to cook and I have fun with my little meals but I am also discovering that there is so much else to life besides eating.
Best wishes to you! Spring is such a great time for renewal and healing.

Remember that every stage is just that, a "stage". Its' s only temporary , NOT forever ! Each stage has a purpose to have the band be a success, and for you to lose the extra weight, which is why you chose to be banded in the 1st place, right ? As far as mourning the food you wont be able to eat, I can still eat 95 % of normal food, I just have to adjust the texture so it goes down easier . Softer, thin textures are fine, thick , chewy ones are not. You, ll find out what works for you in time. Yes, I miss broccoli, but I sure dont miss 65 lbs !

Once you are able to add food, it will get a lot better. I'm 10 months out and haven't found anything really that I can't eat if I chew well and take it slow. I still have a little to lose and could probably lose it faster, but I'm satisfied with slow and easy.

Yes, it is very hard right after surgery, but it does get easier. I found that, believe it or not, getting moving helped everything. Not just post-surgical discomfort, but it also got me revved up and feeling better and motivated. And I hate exercise. But I started walking (only because my nurse coordinator told me I had to) on the treadmill and added a minute each day. It somehow helps with the hunger, and I don't know why. I also found that right around a week post-op, my body started to adjust to the liquid-only, low-calorie amount I was taking in. I personally got a little more boring with my meals instead of fancier, because there's only so much you can do with liquids. But when I started to plan it and stick to it (and drink LOTS of Water all day long) my stomach stopped complaining all day. I'm averaging 800-900 calories a day right now, and you would not believe how boring my intake is. But it's not that hard, compared to the first week, when I was actually consuming around 1300 a day. I hope some of this helps. It's only my experience. Make sure you're drinking enough Protein -- it really holds you longer. And don't flush it through with Water until at least 30 minutes after drinking it. I like powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chocolate Protein powder. Also, Atkins Dark chocolate Protein shake. Good luck!

Egg drop Soup is very satisfying and has lots of Protein.< /p>

I'm doing two amazing things at the same time, thanks to the miracle of modern medicine: I am losing weight (thanks to the band) and I am on day 5 without a cigarette (thanks to Chantix). Smokers fear gaining tons of weight when they quit...not enough of a reason to keep smoking, but I am so happy to say that thanks to my band my weight is easier to control and thanks to chantix I'm not going ape shyt crazy or eating everything in sight.
I'm a loser and a quitter and I've never felt so proud of myself.

Mama Angela, it sounds like you are doing really well. You're exercising regularly which is something that I need to do. (I have insomnia and then I start a bad sleep cycle which makes me useless except during the work hours. But it's an excuse -- I can and should do more exercising.) I religiously write down stuff in my My Fitness Pal on my smart phone. And I weigh myself every morning. So far I'm stuck or plateauing but again -- I have to do the exercising part.
I won't get anything for another four weeks until May 5. But this is where I need to be, I suppose and teach myself how to eat better, healthier and do more healthier things. I'll get some rest tonight and plan on walking and gym tomorrow. Thanks for writing. This group is pretty great and supportive.

readhdgal...sounds like you are on track!!!! I had my surgery Feb 6th...so I'm almost 9 weeks out...my doc won't do a fill until next week. He really wanted to wait 12 weeks...but I begged....
So, I lost 14 lbs since surgery...in the first 3 weeks...since then I bounce between 8-14 lbs down...ughhh. So, I have been riding my bike and walking...and I am counting calories again...and leaving off the stuff I know I shouldn't have. I'm trying to keep calories under 1200. I probably should go lower...but we will see.

i found out i was going to be a grandma and it got me started to do something (serious and forever)........and this little angel is now what keeps me going.....just turned 2......i hope her is as proud of her meme as i am of her...