phyllser

Hey, Ruby.. how's the pouch test going??? Any more M & Ms???? I got through the two days of liquids and moved on to soft Protein today. I've had 700 calories today, but over 100 gm of protein!! Had 1/4 cup of eggbeaters for Breakfast, then 1/2 can of tuna for lunch... It kind of got stuck & kept me feeling full until about 4 pm. I couldn't drink much today because I have felt so full all day. Had 5 1/2 oz of baked halibut for dinner and that did about the same thing. It was real moist so it shouldn't have done that. Then tonight I ate the rest of the tuna. I've probably popped about another 100 calories of Papaya tablets trying to get the fish to settle down!! 'm going to have eggbeaters for breakfast again. I have a meatloaf ready to go in the oven for dinner. Cheating a little with that because I put in a couple of mushrooms & about 1/2 can of diced tomatoes. Thanks for the message from Candice, Steph. Sounds like she's enjoying her getaway.

congratulations!!! you look great!!

You obviously have the determination and the motivation do do this. You're going to be crossing those things I put in red up there off that list one by one!! I promise! I've eliminated one cholesterol med and one of my two BP meds is now half the strength it was. I hope to get off the CPAP machine eventually, and get my knees fixed! Then I'll race ya!! Thank you, Nancy! You're so sweet for saying that. I have grown to love fish so much that sometimes I eat it three times a day!! I had baked halibut for dinner. It was sooo good! Wish I could join you all in FL!! DH & I have a very favorite fish place in Palm Springs when we go south for the winter!

Well, done!! You're on your way. Just a few definitions here: psychiatrist = the "shrink" (of course), not to be confused with the "nut", and that is the nutritionist. Easily confused because at times one seems to be just as "nuts" as the other. The "schnazzy scale thingy".... your ticker, you did very nicely!! Fasten your seat belt... you're ready to go!!

You're kidding about the bacon, right?!!!And I will stick you with a pin if you eat any more M & Ms!!

Glad to see you didn't fall off the face of the earth. If I didn't see a post from you tonight, I was ready to pick up the phone! I know you must be missing your family now that they're so far away. Nice they were able to visit. August will be here before you know it! We had a little visit with our DIL & two GDs from CA today. We spent some time shopping at the mall. We'll see them again on Sunday. They're coming up to see our condo and we're going to have a family get together at DD's. Pouch test is going okay. I'm starving, but I"ll live! I've had two Protein Drinks today and a mug of tomato soup. This is just about the end of the second day, so tomorrow I get to eat soft Protein. I'm going to have eggbeaters for Breakfast, maybe tuna for lunch and I'm going to go buy a piece of orange roughy for dinner. Mmmm! Karri, You've had quite an adventure!! Were you taking a really hot shower when you passed out?? With the heat, plus your body recovering from major surgery, then hot shower... probably just an accumulation of all that stress. Your BP is okay, right? And no temp. Nap is good. Rest and recuperate!

I had them once probably 7-8 years ago, on the right knee. I probably should've asked the doc about doing that for the left when I was there this week. As I remember, it didn't help a lot. I had better results from a series of steroid injections. It relieved the pain for about 6 months. Well, sort of... It's kind of to get you back on track, away from eating "slider foods", etc. For me, I thought it would help to renew my committment to this new way of eating, maybe get me off a plateau. I have a tendency to lose pretty well for about 3 weeks, then stall for maybe as long as a month. There is a website that gives you a lot of information about it. Just google five day pouch test. Try LivingAfterWLS, too.

Where the heck is Janet????? The last time she posted was yesterday at work when she said she hated her job??!! Maybe she ran away!!???

OUCH!! OUCH!! OUCH!! Hey! My Wii says I'm down 2 lb since yesterday morning! I'm in a really nasty mood, but the scale is going down. But it could be DH who is in a nasty mood. It may not be me at all! I made it through DAY ONE! I think I had four of my EAS protein drinks and one DH made with Whey Protein, skim milk, pkg of splenda and about 1/2 cup of strawberries. I had Campbell's Healthy Request clam chowder for dinner. I survived! I'm back to logging everything in my FitDay software. I'd been slacking off on that. Have a GREAT day everyone!!

That has happened to me a few times in the past, but not tonight!

Interesting to note... the problem with the partial in my rt. knee is that the hardware is coming loose due to the weight loss. That's apparently what is causing it to begin to collapse down. But, YES, I will do this! Before I moved here, I lived in OK & ortho surgeon there did the partial on the rt. knee when I weighed a lot more than I do now. Maybe I should've asked him to do injections in the left knee. I have very little pain in the rt. It's the left one that hurts when I walk. Standing still for more than a few minutes bothers both. But I can work on the Wii and Wii Fit for up to an hour with just an occasional sit down for a few seconds without pain.

Okay, this is what the science teacher on our other thread says: "Yes, protein will turn to sugars through the digestion/metabolism process... but it is a VERY LONG process and most of the proteins are broken down into amino acids(building blocks of proteins) to help form DNA, enzymes, and muscle fibers in the body. Once the body has reached the level of amino acids that it needs it will then convert the excess nutrients in to sugars which are stored in the liver. Here is the thing though... it takes a LOT of energy to break down proteins and even more to convert them into sugar so your body is using more energy than it would need to break down carbohydrates. Fat is the only thing that can't be converted into sugar. That is why when you plateau on Atkins they tell you to increase your fat levels and decrease your protein levels. My opinion based on biochemistry is that proteins should be eaten with carbohydrates as it slows down the digestion process but proteins can be eaten by themselves. Hope this wasn't too technical. Please feel free to post this on the other site."

Our train leaves some time in the morning. Janet leaves around 2 pm, so you can hang out with her for a little while.

Did you see my post about the Kashi Go Lean on sale at Target this week.. 2/$5. Don't know if you have a Target near you or not, but good price. Website looks good. Did you make your train reservations yet?? Yeah, that was my thought, too!! Bunch of HOOEY!! Where do they get these NUTS from anyway??? Medicare.... opt for the rehab center if possible. I think that's the new Medicare byword for nursing home. Go for it if you possibly can even if it buys you just a few more days of care. Do you have anything to say about the decisions being made?? Strongly advise you be an adamant advocate for rehab! Then the next step is to push for at home physical therapy. If the doctor says she needs that, I think Medicare will pay for at least a few days a week of nursing care... caregiver, not nurse. Congratulations!! We are July 2007 people, but you are welcome to visit any time. There are several threads for July 2008 people that you might want to check out. Yes, we are looking forward to the trip. So sorry you can't join us. We're talking about Vegas for our "bandiversary" trip next year.

So sorry to hear about your fall. Hope no damage was done. A gal on the 50+ thread posted something I wanted to run by you, since you are our resident scientist: "I spoke to my dietitian yesterday. She said that I should eat carbs with my protein, otherwise the protein turns to sugar. I note from a lot of posts that many of you think that carbs are from hell and you try to avoid them as much as possible. What do you think of my dietitian's advice - do you buy it?. When she talks about carbs, I think she means rice, pasta and potatoes, not sweet things."

Sorry... wrong thread... Karri is too young to be here!! Think I"ll pose the question to her though. She is a science teacher and understands all that stuff better than I do, even though I'm an RN!!

I put a little of that in my protein drinks sometimes, too..... sugar free raspberry in a chocolate protein drink is really good! In fact, that's what I had for lunch today! I started day one of the "Five Day Pouch Test", so I had protein drinks for breakfast & lunch and one this afternoon. At dinner time I had a cup of blended clam chowder soup. Didn't realize cream soups, sugar free gelatin & pudding were allowed on Day 1 & 2 until I looked at the list again tonight. I've had a few bouts of hunger off & on today, but not too bad. Yeah, the Wii Fit judges your age so differently every day. Yesterday I was 64. Then I did it again this morning & I was 36, I think... you'll have to look at my signature to confirm that. Forgot to post this yesterday, speaking of sizes... I rode through Target on my scooter trip through the neighborhood yesterday and found a pair of pants on the 75% off rack that I decided to try on ... size 20/22, and THEY FIT!! Smallest I've worn in well over 20 years, maybe 25~! They're 6 yards too long, but they fit! I might chop them off to capri length. Heck, I'll probably have enough fabric left over to make another pair!! :redface::biggrin::smile2: Liquid diet... yeah, sucks... but I'm tolerating it okay... one more day and I can have soft protein. I think this is good for me. New start, cleansing, renews the mind, etc. DH was impressed when I sat through lunch at Primetimers today sipping on my protein drink! And they were eating BBQ pork sandwiches! I LOVE anything BBQ! But, I was STRONG!! I really think this is renewing my determination. In fact, I was kind of pissed after seeing the orthopedic surgeon yesterday, and now I have this "I'll show him" attitude that is also strengthening my determination! After mulling over what he told me about my knees, I've come to the conclusion that he thinks I will not lose any more weight. He does not want to do my knee replacements until I get my BMI down to 40. So he tells me that as long as I am "getting by" the way things are, he'll just see me every year or two to make sure the partial in my right knee isn't "collapsing". He commented when I saw him two months ago that most LapBand patients only lose 50-60% of their excess weight... Where have we heard that before??? Since I'm almost at that point, I think he thinks I'm done. I'm sorry, but I'M NOT DONE, AND..... I'm not content to live like this... scooter and cane !! I want my knees back so I can walk comfortably, thank you very much!! Okay... I"m done ranting about that!! As for the standing on one leg, it does say that you can hold on to something if necessary. I use my cane and it really helps. Also, I close my eyes for that one legged test and it seems to help me to stay balanced if I'm not watching that line waving back & forth! I got on it this morning mainly to check my weight since I was starting this five day thing. Our bathroom scale was finally carted off to the trash bin because it was weighing us so irradically!! Hmmm... the protein turns to sugar??? I don't get that. Maybe Karri will chime in here and give us her two cents on that! Karri??? I don't know about carbs being from hell, but by the time I have my protein & veggies, not much room left for carbs. And I know the more carbs I eat the slower my weight loss will be.

Hi See if this posts from my Blackberry. Forgot to post this yesterday-- I bought a pair of pants on sale at Target yesterday, 75% off- size 2022!! Have not seen that size in about 25 years!

Important to know...... assuming she's on Medicare.... if the doctor/staff determine that she needs nursing home care, Medicare will pay ONLY IF she goes from the hospital to the nursing home.... not from HOME to the nursing home. At least, that is MY understanding. Can't remember.... you're not in Canada, right?? So sorry that hunger is plaguing you!! Hope the 5 Day Pouch Test will help. When do you go in for a fill?? FYI for all of you: Kashi/Go Lean on sale this week at Target 2/$5 Pharmasure Papaya chewables on sale this week at RiteAid 2 for the price of 1. I want to stock up for winter so I got two yesterday. Today I went back for two more and they only had one. So they gave it to me half price and gave me a rain check for four more. They help a lot when I feel "stuck".

I know us more "mature" folks have a more difficult time losing weight. Exercise is harder. We're not as active as when we were younger. Metabolism may have slowed down. BUT.... we CAN do this! Tomorrow I'm going to start the "Five Day Pouch Test" to see if I can get a new jump start. I know it's really designed for bypass people, but it's been suggested that it can be helpful for LapBand patients who want to make a new start. You can google "Five Day Pouch Test" if you want to learn more. It's basically five days of nothing but protein and progresses from two days of liquid protein drinks, then soft protein, then ground meat, more firm protein, and the last day firm protein like steak, etc. Don, you're a trooper! Plugging along waiting for the government wheels to turn!! Hang in there! it's going to happen SOON!!

Oh, that's STRANGE!! :biggrin::biggrin::thumbup: Are you doing it for a jump start?? Speaking for myself, at least, I think maybe as we approach the 1 yr mark, those of us not yet at goal are feeling a little impatient and frustrated that things aren't going faster... like POUNDS coming off! I'm pretty much committed to starting tomorrow... I told DH, protein drinks only for the next two days. I was going to wait until next week because tomorrow is our Primetimers... free, hot cooked lunch, next day DIL & two GDs coming for lunch, Sunday is a family get-together!! BUT.... you know what... it's always something! So I'm just going to bite the bullet, probably literally, and do this five days starting tomorrow. A week from tomorrow is my 1 yr follow-up, and I want to get a fill.... just a small one probably. Sorry to hear about your Mom.

I printed it up last night. Day 1 & 2: All liquids... protein drinks, etc, but LOW CARB. As many protein drinks as you want. Drink at least 8 oz of water. And try to reduce caffeine. Next three days, eat as much as you want, as often as you want, but must be solid protein and must sit down for 15 minutes only to eat. Nothing to drink 30 minutes before or after. Day 3: Soft Protein... cottage cheese, canned fish, soft fish - grilled. Day 4: Firm Protein.... ground meat, shellfish, scallops, salmon,halibut..grilled, lightly seasoned. Day 5: Solid Protein: White meat, poultry, steak I think I am going to start tomorrow. TOMORROW???

Refresh my memory: when was your surgery? And how long ago was your fill? Is it too soon or another? My surgery was late July. I had my first fill in early September....well, maybe about the 10th. Then I had a 2nd the beginning of October and a 3rd the end of October. Then I had fairly good restriction. We went south for the winter so I didn't have another for six months. That was April. Good restriction now, but I want another "tweak", so I'm going in next week. Sounds like you need to be a little tighter. This is so much easier when restriction is right. So sorry to hear about your son's home. That's so sad. Did they have flood insurance?? We are making our RV site permanent when we get back in the fall... well, we're taking it on a yearly rental rather than monthly. I guess that's not exactly "permanent", but we want to stay longer next winter and anything more than four months, you may as well go yearly. WA state folks from our RV park in CA had a reunion/picnic yesterday, so I faced a few temptations myself! I had a tiny sliver of cheese cake, a small spoonful of potato salad, among other things I shouldn't have eaten! Good to hear from you. One pound a week is okay! I strive for 5# a month. If I can do that consistently, I'm on track. If not, time for a fill!! That's GREAT NEWS!! Isn't that a wonderful accomplishment! Terrific NSV!! Since surgery almost a year ago, I am down to one cholesterol Rx instead of two and my doctor just cut strength on one of my two BP meds in half. I'm pretty pleased with that, too. Keep in touch, everyone!! We need the support and encouragement we get from one another! Us OLD CHICKS & GUYS have to stick together!

Forgot to report.. TOPS weigh in today... we went to the new scale, which is 1 1/2 lb heavier than the old one, so I stayed the same.... which I guess means I lost 1 1/2 lb. But can't change my ticker as this is the new official weight. I feel like I need a jump start. That's why I was looking at the 5 day "pouch test" today. May try that just because.

Several of us are meeting at the Mall of America July 25-28, staying at the M of A Homewood Suites. Interested in joining us???