Bandista

Way to go on the cauliflower -- very sneaky (though as a bander those skins would probably not work for me). Love the production cooking mode, have fun!

Pyrex makes some great glass containers in rectangular shapes that fit really well in the fridge. We have lots of the small ones -- a great size for prepping veggies for cooking and for storing leftovers or just for eating right out of the container. The larger loaf-shaped ones are also great -- hold a lot and stack well. I prefer glass because of plastic out-gassing, etc. For freezing we use mason jars.

My doctor uses the chart above as well and that was helpful for me. Also we were going for two things: satiety after a tennis-ball sized portion of food (his lingo) and not being hungry again for 4-5 hours. I would have one but not the other and we kept going until I had both. There were a few back and forths (having to have a smidge removed) but I haven't been back for a long time now and feel like I'm in the right place. You'll get there!

Hi Briefs, long time! I am some one who never had GERD, etc. who now has an omeprozole in my Vitamin strip. I don't always take it (or my other vites) but it's there if I feel like I need it. And I keep Gas-X strips by the bed in case I need one from time-to-time. If the GERD is serious I would go right to the doctor as I don't want to have any long-term problems with my esophagus. I find eating too close to bedtime can be a culprit. Some people put blocks under the head of the bed to raise it up a few inches to be helpful. This is weird: I know I am having GERD in the night if my teeth begin hurting. I don't know if that's the famous Vagus nerve or what, but that's how it happens for me.

Changing things up works for my body.....and you may be having a few more calories hidden in there somewhere that are just putting you over the limit so you are status quo when you want to be losing. Maybe time to see your bariatric physician for a check-in?

Me, too. Sigh. Old habits like eating too fast can reappear, especially when I'm distracted. Glad you're okay and that you know getting stuck is not the end of the world. (Also, I have sometimes used Water to help bring the inevitable to pass).

Hi there and congratulations on your surgery. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my band, a life-changing experience. That was almost four years ago and I am so grateful that this was available to me. Good luck with your recovery phase. Walking really worked for me -- I walked around and around our driving circle and any one who came over walked with me. That gas that gets pumped into the abdomen for the surgery has to get released somehow -- some people experience left shoulder pain. I did windmill arms and all the movement I could. The "Happy Baby" yoga pose in bed (basically all fours up and rolling around on the back) also helped. And a heating pad.... I am some who needed several fills to get to my sweet spot. It was great to connect with my surgeon's office each time, giving me accountability and doing the fills incrementally so I could learn to slow down (I sure could shovel it in fast prior to my band!). Sending best wishes -- keep us posted on your progress! And if you need any extra motivation or information while you're recovering, the links in my signature below helped me understand how the band works and how to work the band.

Hi there, I'm so excited for you to have insurance and to be able to get the fills you may need to get you there -- it's going to be night and day. And you did a great job basically on your own. Critical to have those doctor's visits and periodic check-ins to assess for whether you need a fill. You're going to love having a partner in this process. Foods that work for me are ones that I can thoroughly chew. I think it's important to figure out what your sliders are (things that just go right through). Check out the links in my signature below about how the band works -- satiety is all about the chewing! So chew, chew, chew (which you'll really need to do as you have restriction in your band) and learn to listen for the signals that you are full. Chili for me is a great food and I make it regularly (family and company love it, too). Any ground meat for me needs to be cooked down (I cook it in stock for a long time to get the right texture). For steak I have to have something in the tenderloin realm. I prefer chicken thighs for the falling-apart quality. I love eggs and thought I might have scrambled eggs all the time but it turns out what works best for me is a fried egg, go figure! Makes no sense to me. Basically, we have to experiment to find what our bodies like best. Good luck with all -- you are off to a great start!

Hi there Band Friends, Just catching up here and sending very best wishes to all. I struggle between not knowing whether being on the forum makes me feel more or less connected. That's just me, I think -- first time as part of an on-line group and probably not really a group person to begin with, but here I am wondering how people are doing and wishing for more of a community. I get invested but never quite know if that really flows in both directions. My weight is up a bit as well. I wanted to lose 15 over the winter/spring and ended up gaining 12 instead -- so that's 25+ altogether. The last chunk (if it is the last -- who knows where I "should" be but I figure I will know when I get there) feels like unfinished business, a project that needs to be completed. On that note I started the Whole30 program on September 1st. I really did this to support a cousin and her sister who are trying to eliminate sugar and then my husband and two friends jumped on the bandwagon. It's not really a diet (which is good because I am NOT going back there) but an elimination plan. The idea is to restrict foods to determine triggers for various issues. No grains of any kind for 30 days, no dairy, legumes or sugars of any kind. Let's just say the wine and cheese party is over. I am also forgoing my arthritis medication in the name of cleaning out my liver from all those toxins -- hoping to find a food trigger for inflammation (which may be corn), but also dropping some pounds and getting on a new bandwagon for myself for the fall. The Whole30 is all about Protein, Protein, Protein so it is a good fit for what I need to be doing anyway. Of course I don't want to put anything on the regular forum because I don't believe "dieting" is a good mentality for most, at least not for me. But I'm not doing the on/off thing, just a real focus on exactly what I'm eating and when and then only choosing from protein and veggies. It's a great exercise for me to re-tune into my body and its nutritional needs. Speaking of exercise, that part of my life has been excellent these last months of beautiful weather and walks around a local lake that I love. We've had a lot of family stuff going on with elders passing and people coming together. My own parents are still living but the elder care is a lot just now. I am privileged to be able to do it but it can be exhausting. On the other end of the spectrum our son is back to college the last couple of weeks and settling back into his routine. He is also a major protein guy and in need of extra right now, so there's a lot of great food available. Fortunately I love to cook, especially in volume, so no one is suffering in the Whole30 camp, that's for sure. I would like to do a five-day "pouch test" (still can't really understand this term -- probably "pouch rest" is more like it) just as maintenance for my band and am thinking about the best way to go about that. Rather than juicing as I've done in the past, I think I will go with Protein shakes as I feel like I need to be a little careful of over-sugaring, which can happen easily on a juice fast. Fruit is great but sugar is sugar. I've had some professional setbacks and accompanying financial panic, but as long as I stay in the day-to-day then all is well. The whole "one door closes and another opens" is something I think about a lot these days -- the need for allowing space for the next thing to arrive. A serious ongoing sexual harassment dilemma resulted in my having to find a therapist to deal with the ramifications of that and how best to deal with necessary confrontation. That took a lot out of me but ultimately was important for my self-esteem. Knowing there were other women going through the same thing with the same guy helped me find my voice for that. I'm a consultant so it was a complicated scenario (no real workplace and no HR) but I feel proud of resolving the issue. Here's to September and a beautiful autumn ahead! I love this time of year. Sending best wishes to all.

Hi there, just catching up and sending lots of love and sympathies all-around. Hard times for so many here. Life is very poignant -- a reminder to grasp the joy and delight when we can.

Great post; thank you! I joined Lapband Talk when I was researching weight loss surgery and benefited greatly from all the support. When the forums combined and banders became such a minority, I was a little overwhelmed by negative posts from people who elected a different surgery. I am truly sorry for any one who has had a bad experience with their band. In my case I am very happy with my choice, it was the right thing for ME. I love my band and would not have had a different surgery. Life-changing.

Go to your doctor! It could be any number of things.....

I love my band and plan to have it forever.

Hi every one -- just popping on for a quick check-in. Julie, sending best wishes for your move. Wonderful seeing your picture and glad you got a break from packing, shedding, moving. It must be such as poignant time for you -- sending extra love your way. And you, too, Sharpie. We have all been through a lot together on this forum. Just Watch Me -- 170s, YIPPEE! So happy for you! That is great news. I have a rich outdoor life at this time of year and that is soul-fulfilling as well as good exercise. Gardened early this morning and now just back from a morning walk at the lake and settling in to get some work done at the computer. The peonies are out right now and the air is heavy with their scent. We've had one spectacular day after the next. Weight-wise I am having trouble budging the scale, but I am not too troubled by that. I know what I have to do and just have to want to buckle down and do it. I would benefit greatly from a five-day juice fast or all-liquids with Protein shakes might be a good way to go. Will have to find a place on the calendar for that as it's a very social time of year with visitors, little trips, a wedding, etc. The good news is I feel good about my body. Yesterday I ironed and I'm happy to have clothes that fit and are fun to wear. No more shame and embarrassment. Time to go check and see what's happening on the forum as a whole. This thread is my go-to and you are my go-to people. Thanks for being there!

Glad I came on here today. Proud of you -- and totally agree. Our Bodies OUR Selves. And whoever this guy is, lucky, lucky man.

This is very common. You will have restriction and appetite cessation bit these are early days -- there are a couple of great links in my signature below to understand how the band works.

EASY! I love my band and how it's changed my life. Love having the appetite monster off of my back. Love I still have my anatomy intact. Reclaimed life.

The band only works when it's adjusted properly and I owe myself to keep it working optimally -- you, too! And you're the customer. YOU are in charge of your body and your band. 12 pounds? Meh, you can do this no problem but you are in charge. Throw your shoulders back and get in there ASAP.

Thanks for that, Liz. There's the for me part and big one for the new people, but I also really need the colleague/compatriot factor -- people who "get me." Thanks for getting it. And me!

Hi there, A quick check-in with my banded friends. Very sorry for relationship woes and health crises -- sending best wishes for peace and good health all-around. We have gorgeous weather here in NH and I'm glad to be able to walk outside again. Trying to do the 4-mile lake walk daily but have to take the occasional day off here and there for arthritis issues. Still, I'm so much more active in this season and that feels very good. Will need a better plan for getting exercise next winter but not worrying about that right now -- just enjoying summer which seems to have arrived quite suddenly. I've been gardening like crazy and doing lots of outdoor work. Veggie beds are all full and the flower garden is going to start blooming soon -- plus lots of projects around the place, building a stone wall, fertilizing fruit trees, moving plants around, etc. I have never been able to understand why that kind of physical labor does not seem to "count" for exercise -- at least as far as the scale is concerned. I gained about five pounds over the winter when I hoped to lose ten, so now I need to buckle down and see what I can do about that. Just bought Protein Shakes that I have used in the past but not for a long time -- thinking that may set me on course for getting off a chunk, and also that the exercise quotient will kick in at some point. Getting out the bin of summer clothes was so much fun and everything fits well except for two pair of pants I bought as "Goal Pants." These are size ten and I still can't get into them but I'm not giving up! One is red linen and the other a deep shade of purple, extra long. I WANT these pants to fit, dammit. Seems like kind of a shallow goal but I am going to turn that WANTING into DOING. We have some events this summer -- a wedding and two memorial services, reminders of how quickly time passes and the importance of being happy and enjoying life, choosing to have the right people around and letting them know how much they are loved. Also celebrating a big anniversary (25 years) and son turning 21 -- a big year. The aging parent factor is very present right now and I'm trying to keep balance there. My father is in his nineties and has dementia. He can only be in the moment -- no looking back now or leaping ahead as I tend to do. It's good for me to be with him and realize how rich the present can be if I am pausing enough to really notice all of it. The band has done that for me as far as food is concerned. The slowing down and really noticing......

Maybe after this US election cycle!

Yippee! Isn't it grand? Congratulations on all your hard work.

Getting the appetite monster off of my back has been such a relief! I am no longer driven by that hunger and obsessing over whether I am on or off a plan, etc. I have a new normal. Every one is different and you will find what works for you. I am happy to report that I still love food, just in much smaller quantities and eaten at appropriate intervals. I am not on a diet but I eat smart and listen to my body. I do not deprive myself -- that mentality did not serve me well during all those years I'd dieting and regain. There's a part of me that enjoys being "in food" -- I'm a cook. I hardly taste now when I'm cooking (not hungry!) but I enjoy the display and presentation, the textures, aromas and notion of preparing food for others to enjoy. It's all good!

True story, well just see and wait with me, I have a close bound with my friends is just me assuming , since I like my caribbean food a whole lot Jerk chicken is a good source of Protein.... And beans! I can't/don't eat rice now but enjoy Caribbean food -- to answe your question above about doggy npnags, etc., we eat out a lot and usually I just order small and let my family help me. Cheaper date now for sure. Good luck with all -- you're going to do great. I have all my same friends, by the way.

@@Jim1967!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you both! Twins, wow. Congratulations!