IndioGirl55

Mejr62 Yes i told a few in my office and then the word spread like wildfire Yes most of us had the last meal mentality - I gained 5 lbs between my consult 5/31 and 7/6 my pre op visit... I joined the gym that just opened up across the street from my development about a week before surgery and started walking on the treadmill. My doc sells my fav clear liquid Protein drinks - but i can't find them on the web - here is where I found a real close 2nds. WonderSlim Fruit Drinks (7 Servings/Box) Love the grape & peach mango...

Jackie GREAT NSV:clap2::whoo::clap2::whoo: I am so happy for you..

Brandy a 10 day cruise - omg I am so jealous !!!! You know I never really over did food too much on my cruies except for dinner - cuz eating always makes me sleepy and there is soo much to do - but the drinking omg that alone would make me gain - all those "drinks of the days that are so yummy" Where are you going???

I guess I have a GREAT doctor - the nutritionist there when over every thing i could eat - showed me how to count Protein - gave me sample menus and foods.. 64 oz Water & 60 grms of protein daily... I even had homework... planning a menu and counting protein grams... Full liquids - Cream Soups (heathly request low fat) Protein Shakes, broth (I made homemade) made pinto Beans - then took the beans out and pureed and added back to the broth - yummy... Juices (lite) ... sf puddings - sf fudgecicles dannon lite & fit yogurts - add unflavor Protein Powder to your food (it has to cool some can't be over 130 degrees) in fact you can add to your coffe in the morning - also my doc sell clear protein drinks - grape, peach mango - punch they are great - can't find then on the web but found some close http://www.bariatricchoice.com/detail.aspx?ID=9 Pureed/Mushiee - zuchinnee - yellow squash, creamed spinanch - mash potatoes, refired beans, soft fish (mashed up), oatmeal (weight control), scrambled eggs (eggbeaters are great and lower in calories) pureed meat didn't appeal to me so i ate fish Soft - fork tender foods I was instructed to eat healthy - low fat - sugar free - and not to overload on carbs - i still eat carbs - 1/2 cup of rice - small red baked potatoes, 1/2 c Pasta - corn tortillas - lite wheat bread - 1/2 cup mash potatoes and when I am hungry i eat extra veggies as they are good for you and are low in calories (spray with I can't beleive it's not butter spary) - I don't fry anything - all my meats/fish/chicken are grilled or bake and if i am having a taco - i eat a soft taco not fried.... While i was on full liquids only counted protein grams - but once i went to mushiees i counted calories & protein - and logg my food - I find this helps me immenselly (sp) You are going to be hungry sometimes - but that hunger isn't going to kill you - those extra pounds will. The band does about 25%of the work and the other 75% is up to you to make healthly food choices... I know that with my 1st fill it did help the hunger for the 1st week but then it loosend up - I go back Wed for my second fill - I am able to eat about 2 cups of food per meal - I usually don't for Breakfast - but for lunch and dinner i do - I am hungry alot of the time - but the 40lbs i have lost so far is the motivation to keep going forward until i get to my sweet spot. Also, I find that half the time i'm not really hungry - after a meal of we will say a cup of mashed potatoes - i would sit and think about my tummy it was truely full but cuz it taste so good i would want more... This is work girls - but you are worth the work... You can do this... Good Luck !!!

Take 1 hour at a time - if you want to eat something you know you shouldn't be eating get up clean out a drawer - get on the computer come here - clean out your linen closet - clean the bath room do something to distract yourself from the food and I bet when that hour is up you will have forgotten about that bag of chips you wanted to eat... Challendge yourself - say " I bet I can go all day with a single chip - i am stronger than those stupid chips" I can do it... Sandra you can do this - I know that after my parent's passed and dealing with my brothers - i locked my self in the room and watched t.v. and ate and ate. This was 15 yrs ago - i gained about 22lbs during that time.. So I understand how much we "THINK" that food is comforting up - but it really isn't - it's really hurting you ... Good Luck and will keep you in my prayers

Sharon I go for my 2nd fill on Wed - I don't have a medical license (but i know a few who think i should ) so I will tell you what I would do - My doc requires that after a fill i go on full liquid only for 1 week, then mushies, soft and finally week 4 i get regular food - I think that this is to allow your stomach to get use to the new tightness and to introduce food back slowly - some say they don't feel their fill until 2 weeks after. IMHO again not a doc - I would try liquids for a week - but make sure you get all your protein and then proceed to mushies for a week - then soft etc - I should ask are you able to get liquids down without a problem, are you chewing your food real good and taking small bites and eating slowly - even now with just a tad restriction if i don't do these things (most small bites and chewing well) i will pb... I of the same mindset - lose a couple of extra pound while you can. But you should really ck with your doctor since it's almost 2 weeks since your fill.. (my disclaimer ) I sure don't want to give you mis information and you hurt yourself

sanadramae - I am sorry for your loss and other issues, I know how hard these things can be.. But I am going to tell you right now STOP STOP EATING THAT CRAP.... It really doesn't make you feel any better - no it makes you feel guility... Quit eating right this very second..... Go back to eating healthy you can do it - you did it before In our lives we allow for a margin of error – which we should also do when trying to eat healthy – if you are eating 1000-1200 calories a day – allow for some of those calories to be used for a little bit of something you really want (chocolate - have a healthy choice fudgecicle - it's s/f & 80 calories)- you need wiggle room in your diet to make it work (I save my morning and afternoon snacks for night time which is my worst time) – the all or nothing practices has to be thrown our of your mind. You can learn to reprogram your mind to strip away the guilt that comes with dieting. You have to realize that it’s not that the first slice of cake that will doom your diet – it’s the second or third or whole thing that leads to weight gain. You have to listen to your body & respond smartly to your cravings and emotions but over time you will learn how to eat right and mange your craving and that’s when you’ll train your brain to stop obsessing about eating right and punishing yourself – If you stop over thinking you’ll stop over eating.. Good Luck to you...<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

PCP = primary care physican

CJ - I agree with Barb - this is how i do it too ---

Taybarrera #1 The band is NOT the magic cure to your weight issues. I can't stress that enought - people think they can get banded and it does all the work - it doesn't - it only bands your tummy not your head and the majority of our problems are truely head issues. The band does 25% of the work and you will have to do the other 75% by making a LIFE STYLE change - eating healthy - low fat foods - sugar free foods - no more junk every day all day... Also another must Exercise... I can eat and be full but still wnat to continue to eat - this is head hunger . Most of us all have lost weight at one time or another - but evenually gain it all back and then some - this is possible with the band & or bypass - but this is because we do not continue to eat healthy, we go back to eating junk - fast food - pizza - candy - cake - Cookies etc... If you are willing to do the work (and let me tell you that until you find your sweet spot it is work - right now i just ate a small can of tuna and a cup of brussel sprouts for lunch - there is apple pie & cupcakes in the lunch room - I had to leave as I am still hungry and i wanted that pie - so i ate my lunch got up and left - now waiting my 30 minutes until i can drink my water) I love my band - I am happy i got banded - I did my research and knew that i was going to have to work too. Even though I haven't reached my sweet spot yet - I can not eat as much as i use to. But could have eaten a slice of pie today.. But I don't need it - I feel so much better with 40 lbs gone - I have so much more energy - I too can stand to loose 100 lbs - but at my age i am going for 80 lbs and we will see after that. I'm not telling you that you never can eat junk again - just every once in a while (like once a month a small bit of something you love) . When you are at your sweet spot - they say you aren't as hungry - I can't wait to get there - I go Wed for my 2nds fill.. Good luck on your journey - read read read

Carol - I don't think that the 40% is for malfuctions I am quite sure that it is not that high if it was that high I don't think insurance companies would be paying.. Bypass people think that is the only way to go.. Sorry for your health issues...

OK I'm in - I'll take that deal

My doc says 2 in the morning and 2 at nite - but i forget half the time.. Also vit b complex sublingual...

Mango Ya gotta live life a litte so a drink or 2 ain't going to kill you - i would just try and make sure that they aren't too high in calories. You sound like you are alittle tight - but i have read alot of people are in the morning - I would do liquids for a day or 2 as your body adjust to the fill - plus if you went to the mountains maybe the altadutes (sp) messed with the tightness - after a day or 2 if it doesn't relax you can alway get a tad taken out. Hair issue - This is an issue - I have read alot on this issue as i have thin fine hair to begin with - #1 they really don't know what causes it - it will happen to some and not other here are some of the reasons i have read about putting you under (anstesia sp) - the drastice cut in your calories - fat & protein. and usually starts 3 months out... and I have read that even people who get all their protien take botin still lose some of their hair - but the good news is that it does grow back. I had a gf who did medifast for about 8 months - she has very thick hair and she lost tons - but it is coming back now that she is eating better . I have been taking botin (not 100% answer) make sure i get all my protein (again not 100 answer) and luckliy i haven't lost any - cuz i really can't afford to.. Go search hair loss in thread tools - read and see what you come up with - but from what i gather - no one really knows why it happens to some and not other and even your doc will tell you that it can happen..

Ok Fairy - it looks like you may be alittle short on your Proteins. If you switch to skim milk you will reduce calories and fat too and i don't have a problem with it. How about butter or are u just using cheese for your flavor? I think you may need to increase to 1000 caloires one day - next day 900 - 1100 nextday - 1000 the next - vary you intake and try and get some wlking in... Are you using lite mayo - I don't use fat free stuff - but i do use the lite one - and your cheese may be adding up the caloires too. Are your pudding & yogurt sugar free?? Low fat - surgar free foods - talk to your doc - on your next visit - you may have a slow mebotablisim... I eat Breakfast -sf yogurt - 60 c - 5 pt Or 1/2 c Eggbeaters with cheese 100 c - 12 pt Snack - 1 oz cheese 100 c - 7 pt Lunch - small can tuna 70c 15pt & veggies 75c or fish/veggies Clear Protein Drink - 70c 15 pt Dinner - 4 oz fish baked - 250c 28 pt 1/2 c rice 120c 1 pt veggie w/butter spray - 50c 1 pt Snack - 2 sf choc puddings 120 6 pt - 1 sf fudgecicle 80 c 3pt It will come off - slowly but surely - are you retaining water?? do you need a new scale - only get on scale once a week at the same time (i do it naked 1st thing in the morning after my bathroom routine - tmi )

Ruby CONGRATS on the NSV - size 16:whoo: 5lbs to go that's great too :clap2:

Thanks again Brenda - I did get to the gym Friday & Saturday am doing about a 16 minute mile - did 3 miles each day - One day at a time... Go for my 2nd fill on Wed - can't wait - i think it will help with the weight loss cuz i can eat about 2 cups of food per meal - it's less than before but I have been working off of willpower alone for the last 2 weeks... But feeling so much better is such a great motivator... I got up at 6:30 on both Sat & Sun and went all day each day... Before I would have slept one of those days away if not both... Good luck on the 5th...

What do u mean by fails - The band does it's job once you are filled to your sweet spot and even when you aren't at that spot - you still have some restriction and you can't eat as much as before. Also you can eat around the band sweets - high calorie drinks - etc. it's up to the person who was banded to do their share of the work...

To me it's about the $$$ and fill issue - the bypass it's a more extensive surgery so there for more $$$ and they don't have to have you come back for fills. I can be very cynical at time - but bypass is an option for certain eating behavoirs - eat sugar you dump - with the band you don't. When I met w/my surgeon - I had to fill out a questionnaire on what i ate - Was I a sweets person - fried foods - large quanities etc. Based on that is what he recommends you have done - He does both.. He didn't push bypass with me - with bypass you do lose quick due tothe malaborsptions (sp) . I think you have more work with a lapband than you do with bypass - as the band only does 25% of the work and 75% is up to you. Where with bypass - you don't absorbe the calories - but in the end they both seem to work out the same weight loss - i'ts just quicker with bypass. but we do have quick losers with the band - wasabubblebutt has lost like 100 lbs in 9-10 months.. It's all about the head work that you do...

Brandy You and I are doing the same kind of eating & exercise plan... I know it's not a race:) I was making a funny - I can't wait for my 2nd fill on Wed.. I think this will help me - as lately it's been more will power than band...

Flower Fairy I am sorry to here about your furstrations.... We started at the same weight - so here is what i do - I log alll my food - I keep a food diary I count calories and Protein - I eat about 1000 to 1200 calories a day - and make sure i get my 60 grms protein in. What are you eating - just cuz you are still on mushies - isn't the guaretenee that you aren't getting more calories than you think - i hve read here that some people do gain once they move to mushies and that this is a time of healing. You may need more calories - increase to a 1000 one day and see what happens. Good Luck !!!!!

Kathy - How great to finally get to the place where you can't eat as much - I still find it so strange how every doc is diff - I will be on full lliquids for the week after my fill, the week of mushies and week of soft.. But in know that after my 1st fill i could only eat 1/2 of a dannon lite yorgurt - I truely have mostly been going off self control for the last few weeks and find my will power fading sometimes and i have- Last night went to ealry dinner w/x-dh (we are still friends) and was starving as i hadn't eaten all day and wanted to order the whole menu but got my usual taco enchillda rice & beans - had a couple of chips and could only eat the taco - then about 9 hungry so i ate the enchillda and beans that I had brougth home.. Thanks for the complement - still got a ways to go - but we will all get there eventually due to our band - self and our support system here... Kathy - I know how great it feels to help other - my hat is off to you for being such a giving woman I agree Cazulay - it's truely the headwork - as i have alway said too band they didn't band our brains...

Carol will keep you in my prayers...

Brandy What's your secert ??? You were banded a day before me and 3.5 a head of me.. Not that this is a race or anything - but you are doing really good.. How many fills what are you eating & whats your exercise.... I go next week for my 2nd fill - i can eat too much - eat good 98% of the time but even then can eat about 2 cups of food per meal...

Congrats Brandy T That's so GREAT :clap2::clap2::clap2: I know how happy you are :bounce: It seems like it's only you & me here this weekend - along with PCgirl:p