mandi78

What do you think of this haircut? I'm so scared because my face is fat and round (but hopefully not for much longer) and I have a double chin. I don't want to accent this and I have not had hair above my shoulder since I have gained weight. Does anyone have any advice about this? I really want something shorter (it's to the middle of my back now) and easy to take care of and quick to dry. Thanks.

UH OH, I just ordered a tub of the Whey Gourmet milky chocolate because I have about 4 bottles of Davinci syrup to use. I hope it won't be too bad. Have you tried the Cappucino? I ordered that one too.

Suebob-I love the Whey Gourmet Peanut Butter chocolate mix from Bariatric Eating - Protein, Vitamins, Gastric Bypass & Lap Band Info, Post-op Recipes, and Help. To me, it tastes like something you'd get from an ice cream shop. I make it with skim milk and so it has about 200 calories including the milk. Per scoop: Calories 120, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Total Carbs 3g, Sugar 3g, Protein 23g They also have a lot of other flavors that sound great but I haven't tried any of them yet. It is, by far, the best one I have tried and not too bad on cost considering the kind my doc recommends are $50 for the same size container of mix. Whey Gourmet

I am wondering who all usually has a protein shake for breakfast. My doc and I know many docs advocate real food once you are past the healing phase. However, I also know that many bandsters have problems in the mornings with bands being tighter and such and are only able to get down liquids for a the first few hours. It doesn't seem to me like having a protein shake for breakfast would be a bad thing as long as it's high quality protein and has some vitamins in it. What are your thoughts on this?

Here is a link to a card that you can print. It has a list of WLS friendly restaurants and lists Red Lobster as one of them so I guess the one Kat's DD worked for was just a jerk. RestaurantCard It prints really small so I have enlarged it. Here it is. Just print this page, cut it out, fill in the blanks and laminate if you want.

Wow Chris, I'm really sorry about all that you are going through. Did they fire you because you took the time off work? If so, that's illegal because it was for medical reasons but I'm sure your lawyer has covered that. Good luck and God Bless. Things will begin to look up for you soon.

Anyone else have any responses to this?

Water and vitamins....yes. Veggies....not so much. I need to start eating more of them.

I'm looking for some products such as marinades, bbq sauces, etc that have little or no sugar but also no artificial sweeteners. My DH is allergic to all artificial sweeteners and has horrible stomach issues (we'll leave it at that) if he eats them. It's a pain to have to cook 2 separate things when doing grilled meats and such using marinades, etc. I would like some that are natural and if they are sweetened, would like it to be with fruit juice, honey, etc. I could make my own but in this age of convenience, I am hoping to find something. Thanks.

I am on prozac and I took mine the day of surgery. But, mine comes in capsules and I just opened them and dumped the contents in juice. It tasted awful and bitter but I was able to take it that way for a few weeks. Now, I just swallow the capsules again and they go down fine.

When I came back to work one week after surgery, I did get dizzy on my first trip up the stairs and almost passed out. After that first time though, I was fine.

Can some of you guys list the things you are eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and how much? I am almost 4 weeks out and haven't lost anything in 2 whole weeks. I have not gained (which I am thankful for) but I am staying at 264-265 every day and not losing. I know I am eating some things I probably shouldn't but MUCH smaller amounts than before surgery and probably 1/2 to 1/3 of the calories as before. I'm probably averaging about 1500 calories per day. I get my first fill next week but I actually do feel a good amount of restriction now. Hopefully it will be more after my fill but I still want to start losing. Just wondering what you guys are eating. Thanks.

Are you guys counting your weight loss since surgery or are you including weight loss from your pre-op diet? If you're including pre-op loss, mine is 23. If not, mine is 10 since surgery.

Here is a variation on meatballs/buffalo wings. It was on Rachael Ray yesterday!!! Buffalo chicken Meatballs 1 pound ground white meat chicken 1/2 small onion, grated 2 cloves garlic, grated 1/2 cup parsley chopped salt and pepper extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling 2 Tbsp butter or margarine 1/2 cup hot sauce 3 scallions thinly sliced bleu cheese dressing carrot sticks celery sticks Yields: 4 snack-size servings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preparation Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with the onion, garlic and parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flatten out the meat in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Shape each portion into four balls – you should have sixteen meatballs in total. Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick sheet pan and drizzle them with EVOO. Place in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. While the meatballs are baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and spike each one with a toothpick or serving fork. Place the bleu cheese dressing in a small serving bowl and garnish with scallions. Serve the meatballs with the bleu cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks alongside.

Spanish-Style chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) 3 celery ribs, chopped 2 medium-size carrots, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 to 2 tablespoons (about a palmful) chili powder 1 bay leaf, use fresh if available Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) chicken stock 1/2 pound orzo Pasta 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken cutlets, cut into bite-size pieces 2 28-ounce cans stewed tomatoes 1 cup corn, frozen or fresh 1 15-ounce can black Beans, rinsed For garnish: 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced A couple of handfuls of blue or red corn tortilla chips 1 lime, cut into wedges Yields: 6 servings, with seconds Preparation Heat EVOO in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, onions, chili powder and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add the orzo pasta and cook according to the package instructions adding the chicken pieces during the last 4-5 minutes of cooking along with the tomatoes, corn and beans to heat through. Ladle a portion of soup in a bowl and garnish with sliced scallions and tortilla chips. Serve with lime wedges to add a zip. I cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot and shredded it to use in a few recipes, this being one of them. I left out the carrots because they didn't sound good in this soup. Also, I sprinkled my soup with 2% shredded mexican cheese and used a few of the Tostitos Light Restaurant Style Tortilla chips. Some may need to leave out the corn and pasta although you can cook this pasta until it is VERY soft and it's small. Just alter it to what works for you. It's Delish!!!

I actually found the Big Train spiced chai tea mix for a little cheaper at Big Train Chai | The most popular chai tea powder!.

Jessica-Try reading this thread starting on the 2nd page. There is some info on the quality of Protein shakes/drinks, types of protein used, etc. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/protein-40836/index2.html

Click in the top right hand corner on the A/A button before you edit. I know what you mean about the food/entertainment thing....I have already scheduled my 2nd fill for the day before Thanksgiving. My thoughts are the same as yours! Go us!!!

Nina-1 cup is 8 ounces. Does that help?

I think most people, not just the overweight, eat a lot at a buffet. Why else would they choose to eat there? I know plenty of thin/normal weight people who don't normally overeat but will at a buffet given all the choices and it's the same price to eat more or less. I think it's only fair for them to charge maybe the cost of a kid's buffet when you are only going to eat what a kid would eat or less. They assume that people are going to eat a ton at a buffet and they figure that into the cost. I don't see a problem with asking them to charge kid's buffet price. If they won't, then you have to decide if you are more willing to pay full price or just sit and sip Water. Sure, if it's someplace like CiCi's that only charges $3.99 anyway, I would just pay the price because that's cheaper than most places charge for a kid's meal but $16.95....that's steep to only be eating a few bites.

Is your mepergan in pill form? I'm surprised they gave you pills to take right out from surgery. I don't know if that could be causing you to throw up. I second what wasa said, I would definitely NOT be eating mashed potatoes and peas a few days out from surgery. These are considered mushies, not liquids. Even if your doc said it was ok, it seems to be causing you problems. If you don't want to take the mepergan, try some liquid tylenol. That will help some with the pain. Also, I would ask your doc if you can take some Emetrol. It is a liquid nausea medicine that works great. You definitely don't want to keep throwing up this soon after surgery. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

You can be pregnant with the lap band however most doctors recommend waiting 1-2 years after surgery before becoming pregnant. If I were you, I would have the lap band first, lose the weight which will make you healthier, then have a baby. That is what I am doing. Good luck!!!

I'm worried because I can see myself slipping back into my old pre-band habits. I have gone 2 weeks without losing any weight and it doesn't matter if I stick with what they told me to eat (baked meats, veggies) or eat what I want, I'm staying at the same weight. I know once I start getting fills, I will start losing again. That's not really the concern I am posting about. I am worried about stretching my pouch because when I eat, although I do get full a lot faster than I used to even without a fill (I have the new AP band which starts out with 3cc of fluid), I still eat until I feel stuffed. I know that we are not supposed to do this with the band. I know that we are supposed to eat until we only feel not hungry. Problem is, I never feel hungry. I eat because it's time to eat or because I want to....just like before. I really hoped this surgery would decrease my interest in food and while it has decreased my appetite, I still WANT to eat. I even get upset sometimes because I can't eat more.....though ultimately I'm glad. I do feel that I am still overeating although it is much less than before, I do eat until I am stuffed. Do you all eat to the point of just not feeling hungry any more or do you eat to the point of feeling full or even stuffed? Do you think it's possible for me to have stretched my pouch already? What is the amount of food I should be eating 3.5 weeks post op? My doc didn't give me a specific amount. I need to start measuring my food out and just eating that amount and no more whether I feel full or not.

I agree with Laurend.....chocolate peanut butter whey gourmet is my all time favorite (that I have tried so far anyway)!!!!!

If I get to craving a soda really bad and ignoring it doesn't make it go away, I will get a coke flavored icee at WalMart or Target and that hits the spot. I don't do it often though as they are loaded with sugar.