cutlass6521

I just packed up two huge bags of clothes and took them to goodwill. I too was hanging on, thinking these don't look that bad on me...WRONG. I even found smaller clothes in the back of the closet-sadly for those clothes they are on their way to a new home. I decided that if I get rid of the big clothes it forces me to keep on track. I have made it a new game-when will my new clothes become too big.

wow! that's great news. Keep up the good work

Mar 1. 243 lbs Mar 18. 239 lbs Goal for mar 31. 235 Weight is finally starting to move a little.

Hi Cat: I too had my surgery at SWLC in jan 2014. I had my first fill on Feb 27th and yeah...couldn't tell the difference either. They tell me that they will only do one fill every 4 weeks, with only .5cc of fluid. I was told that it can take two weeks for the fill to take effect. I'm still waiting for the "effect" to kick in. LOL I found that to curb the cravings I have to eat lean Protein that takes a lot of chewing. I have never had a stuck issue, in fact, I think I could swallow an entire roast chicken (with a couple of side dishes). Maybe I am making the band work to pass the food by it, or I am just too tired to continue eating. I also found that exercising helps. If I get hungry, I will go for a walk, or ride a stationary bike. Again, usually too tired to get to the fridge. Looks like we are looking at a couple more fills this spring before we really see what this band will do. Keep positive, everyone here has similar stories and they tell me we will get there too. I was hoping to travel this journey on a super highway, but it appears to be a gravel road with potholes.

try www.myfitnesspal.com it is very popular, FREE and easy to use. It has a large data base of brand name foods and basic foods. There is also a feature to use your cell phone or tablet to scan bar codes that will put it into your food diary. there is also an exercise tracking feature as well good luck

3/1 243 lbs 3/8 243 lbs Stupid scale won't move. LOL Sticking to my goals of more Protein and exercise. trying to keep a positive attitude

Okay, I know what everyone is going to say...throw the scale away. (my husband hid my 2 scales this morning ) I went for my first fill and checkup with the nurse yesterday. I haven't lost any weight in the past 3 weeks. Actually it went up 4 lbs then back down, then up a pound today. What is going on with me?? I go for a 30 minute walk each day as well. The nurse tells me that I am not eating enough to lose weight? Could this be true? I am getting in 60g of Protein a day, low carbs and eating around 1000 calories. She tells me I need to eat a protein snack or two during the day to get to 1200 calories and then the weight will start to drop. Is this true???? anyone else experiencing this???? thanks, confused

Name, real or screen~ Charlene Goal weight for March 31st~ 235 Weight on March 1st~ 243 Age~ 48 City/State~ Calgary Alberta Dietary goal for March~ More Protein, less fat Exercise goal for March~ Add 30 more minutes/day Personal goal for March~ Weigh once a week (not 3 times a day) Date banded~ Jan 22, 2014 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 28 lbs What are you lucky to have in your life? My wonderful husband, who is a skinny 180lbs-but has joined me in my exercise and dietary goals

Thanks everyone for the great advise. I have been reviewing my food journal. I use the Lose It web to record everything that I put into my yap. I feel that I must be doing something wrong. I reviewed the calories-way under what I should be eating. Then I started to look at the report section. It gives info per day and week. Protein is right where it should be, 60-70 grams each day. Then I looked at the percentages. Uh oh.....my protein is 33 % of my calories, carbs 25 % Fats 42 % I think this is the problem. the Proteins I am eating have too high a fat content. Example: eggs-whole, not just the whites. Steak-wow, that one is a killer on fat. I reviewed the nutrition for the past weeks, every week the fat % is winning the race, protein second and carbs are last. Today, I flipped the numbers around. For 2 of my three meals today: 61% protein, 28 % fat, and 11% carb. does anyone else track these numbers?

2muchfun: thanks for the info. the Water retention thing has become a problem for me in the past 2 weeks. I am exercising more and all of a sudden my ankles and calves look like balloons. My doctor is pretty sure it is because I am exercising and all blood tests show normal. I guess I am a panic kind of person (my old boss called it the Electric chicken Syndrome). So many diet failures in the past that I am stressing over every ounce. Well, the scale has been shelved and I will concentrate on good food and sensible exercise.

I found this website that allows the home cook to enter all the ingredients of a homemade dish to calculate the nutritional values. list the amount and each ingredient ie: 1 pound ground turkey etc. Figure out home many servings you will get and it will analyse the nutritional value. http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

I called and talked to the people at Slimband. They talk a good sales pitch. They talked of quick weight loss, and were very sympathetic to my weight struggles. There was very little talk about after care. I did some research and found the after care is almost more important than the surgery itself. I decided to call SWLC in Mississauga. The people there answered my initial questions and sent me info via email and requested that I talk to Dr Cobourn before I make my final decision. Dr. Cobourn told it like it is...no instant weight loss, no miracle cure. He told me about the risks, how things can go wrong if the patient doesn't follow instructions etc. He quizzed me on my health condition and why I wanted the surgery. I had my surgery there in January. The clinic offers many webinars on the band, nutrition, support groups, etc. The team answers emails and phone calls quickly. They are eager to get their patients on the right track. If you are confused, they will set you straight. Understandably, they cannot give medical advise over the phone unless it is directly related to the band, found that out this past week. (thank lawyers for that one). Do your research before any surgery. Medical Tourism can be dangerous. Include your family physician before you go ahead with the surgery-you will need their support too.

I am newly banded Jan 22, 2014 by Dr Cobourn in Mississauga

This is exactly what is happening to me. I am following the meal plan, exercising every day and that pesky scale went up 1.5 lbs. My stubborn body is also keeping every last drop of Water I am pouring into it. 10 glasses of water in, very little coming out. I need patience, just a little. anyone got some they can send my way? LOL

I understand where you are coming from. Food was and I think still is a passion of mine. I am 5 weeks out too, and I am confused as what has happened to me. I understand the 3 bites and full syndrome. My clinic told me that 500 to 600 calories a way was not enough. I cannot tell when I am getting hungry, until it is way past the point of no return. So now, I am eating at the 4 hour mark no matter what. I had a test this past weekend. We were out of town for the day. My husband and friend decided they were starving and we need to go for lunch. Where did they take me you ask...Subway. What the hell, I can't eat bread. I told them let's go and I will figure it out. They did have something I could eat, sort of. I had the flat bread (toasted crisp) with teriyaki chicken and full off veggies. I asked for a fork and knife, and ate the meat and veggies. Wow it was good. I even tried a little of the bread, chewed it well and it went down ok. Like you I was and am terrified of eating. My old BFF has ditched me. I need to find a new BFF. Up until last week I was cooking 2 separate full meals. What a chore that is, especially since cooking seems to wear me out. That has now ended!!! If I have to get healthy, so does the family. I assume you have kids...they need to eat the way you do. They will develop healthy eating patterns and hopefully won't have to go through what we are going through now. That pizza, burgers, fries etc has to be the rare treat, not the norm. As for Vegas...you've got it made. Every restaurant there have and exceptional appetizer menu. Let the old boy order his mega steak, you order the fanciest appetizer on the menu and a side of veggies. We only get a cup of food at each setting, it better be good. Red wine helps our body digest and flush out the food we have eaten. So have a small glass and sip sip sip and enjoy. This lady has a great website with healthy, fun recipes for the whole family to enjoy. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/

The greek yogurt is a great idea. Try adding 1/2 cup of fresh berries and an ounce of chopped nuts or low sugar/low fat granola. This gives us the Protein, fruit and Fiber combo.

I have began full solids this week. I was told by my doctor I am not eating enough, so I have started to put a few more groceries down into my stomach. I get the worse back & neck pain after eating. I go for a walk, put a heating pad on my back. When will this ever end? Did anybody experience this too?

breakfast: 1 egg omlett with mushrooms, green peppers, and a slice of 1gram fat bacon/ham Lunch: leftovers from the night before (I cook extra so I have lunch the next day). consisting of 3 oz of fish, or 2oz of chicken plus 1/4cup of veggies Dinner:2 oz of chicken or 4oz of fish. 1/4c of veggies and 1/4c of starchy veggie Snack: 1/4c of yogurt with fresh berries 1/4c Today: I upped my intake as per my dieticians request to get to 1000 calories( I don't think I got there yet). 2 eggs breakfast; 2 oz chicken & 1/4 cup hummus and 3 small crackers for lunch. 4 oz of pork tenderloin & veggies for dinner. This is the most I have eaten since Jan 8 (pre op liquid diet) Hmm, could it be gas build up from my intestines and stomach-working it's way upward. Gas-X brings a small amount of relief

Thanks Cheryl My clinic is telling me I need to eat a min of 1000 calories /day. I upped my lunch calories today(because I was only eating around 600), then the pain came.

Okay, I know it sounds like a really dumb question. Is there anyone out there that is 3 weeks post op and still not hungry? I am living on 500 cal /day. Taking in 40+ grams of Protein. Very little carbs and fat. I am just not starving-or at least I don't think I am. I believe that I am ready to eat when my stomach growls loudly. A small amount of food seems to fill me up. I was told by the clinic that I go to that I would be getting hungry real soon-that was 2 weeks ago. Most patients are ready for a fill by the 4th week. I can barely get all the food in now. I am even exercising and drinking lots of Water. Worried something is wrong. Did I get into soft foods/solid stage too soon?

to cut the sodium, use no salt added canned tomatoes and use fresh herbs & peppers to make your own authentic fresh Italian tomatoes. I have also made the frozen fish in a greek style. Put one tablespoon of Caesar salad dressing-low fat on top of the fish. chop 1/2 cup of mushrooms. Arrange around the fish. Season mushrooms with herbs, garlic and squeeze fresh lemon on top of mushrooms and bake. The fish is creamy without all the calories and the mushrooms have a zesty lemon taste. Bake the same as your recipe (when dressing starts to brown, it is done)

Hi Nancy: First off you have made a wonderful decision to have the band. The clinic you have chosen is very dedicated to their patients. The support staff are extremely qualified and can answer any question that you may have. You will find out more after the surgery is complete. They have web seminars about the band, nutrition, supplements etc. they even have a support web meeting once a month ( I haven't attended that one yet). They give you the tools to succeed. Remember the Lap Band is a one step at a time program. 1 to 2 lbs a week weight loss-slow an steady wins the race to keep it off.

I don't know about the rest of you post op bandsters, but I am sure my brain and my stomach are talking behind my back!! My once lone scrambled egg was satisfying me for 5 to 6 hours. Now that egg wants company around the 3 hours mark after eating it. Hmmm, my clinic told me that once the swelling goes down I will start to get hungry. Is it brain hungry or stomach hungry? I only try to eat something once my stomach starts to complain by growling at me. Does anyone else get an all of a sudden instant hunger? Maybe I will be ready for a fill soon. Good luck everyone.

Yes!! I have this too. There is no sitting pattern or type of exercise that brings it on. Just all of a sudden my mid back will start to ache. I didn't have this pre-band, unless I was working stuck in one position for an hour or more. I wonder if it is related to gas build up. Let me know what you find out.

Tonight I start the mushy food section of this diet. I plan on taking 1 meatball, a dollop of spaghetti sauce and puree it. Heat it back up and sprinkle a small amount of parm cheese on top. Hope this goes down ok.