steph_co

But would like to keep it low carb...Whole grain... I just thought I'd pass on a tip about one of my favorite products which is Southaven Farms mixes. I got them actually a couple years ago when I was on South Beach Diet (pre-band). For whole grain, I couldn't believe how yummy and moist they were. Heck, they are even better (IMO) than regular bread. There are a lot of different mixes that you can substitute in your own recipes to make them more low carb. Like pancakes and such. They are also unsweetened, so you get to choose how to sweeten them. whole grain | sugarfree | fat free | dairy free | muffin | bread | recipes | southavenfarm.com I still have a couple boxes in my cupboard I haven't used. But I did make some bread with this cinnamon mix they have that reminded me of my mom's zucchini bread without the zucchini. It would have been even better with the zucchini! I'm not much of a baker so I don't have a whole lot of imagination or experimentation, but I bet there are lots of things you could make. I just can't believe whole grain could taste this good, so I thought I'd pass this along to those that still eat bread.

Sorry to be anal. But I had to fix it because I was at 35 lbs lost when my arms were that size. I'm down 13 more lbs since then - they are probably smaller, but I don't have a measurement, yet. Just wanted the numbers to reflect accurately for my weight vs arm size. ARM DATA TABLE Name....... Start (in) .....Now (in) .....lbs lost .........lbs to go Foofy ...........16.................14.5............31.............. 86 Zannie ..........23.................18 ............100...............84 Nurseamy.......15 .................9.5............ 82............... 0 Sweethot...... ? ..............12&13.5 ...........81 .............26 Jachut...........?................. 10.5 ..............?................0 Luluc........... 15.5 ..............11.9 .............38 ............37 Steph_co...... 16 ................14.5..............35.............68 JulieNYC .......19.5 ...............9.75*..........217..............5 xxlaneyxx.......17..................?.................?..............1 27.9 *Brach

The ones I have now are usually much less under my control. That's always fun. LOL

It's a continuous stream from your port to the band. There is no valve that keeps all the saline in the band. So part of your total ccs that you have in your band is actually in your tubing. I don't imagine it's very much. But maybe that would explain why bands are said to be able to hold more ccs than the cc number given for the band?

Unjury also does the sample packs: Welcome to the UNJURY Homepage

To get the fluids in for the day, it's really easy if you have an egg timer. Set it for about every 10-15 mins and take sips. I had a hard time getting in all my water, but it sure made me get in MORE water to have that little reminder.

Not bad at all. I do have to watch what I eat if I want to lose weight rather than maintaining...so I am, in essence, dieting to lose. Which reinforces what you'll hear all over this board about the band - it's a TOOL, not the solution. But it is a fantastic tool. It's easier to stick with a diet plan when I get full faster and stay that way longer! You can do this.

When I started, my arms were 16". When I measured after 35 lbs of loss, I was at 14.5". I have no idea what they are now. I didn't do measurements this month (bad month). But when I do them next month on the 15th, I'll be sure to let you know!

WHOA....I would be talking to your nutritionist about the only 250 calories. That is not enough. Even if you lose weight on such a low amount, a good portion of it is going to be muscle because your body is not getting enough of what it needs from food. If you don't feel like EATING more, then maybe try Protein shakes to supplement. I would ask your nutritionist for a MINIMUM caloric intake amount. Eating such a low amount can also affect your bones as you lose weight because your body will start to pull nutrients from there, as well. In addition, 250 calories will be incredibly difficult to maintain long-term. Better to learn now how to make healthy food choices that fill you up and give you a good daily number so that when the initial push of motivation wears off, it's easier to follow. You may want to google how anorexia affects your body because that is essentially what you're doing. There is no way you can get all of the nutrients your body needs from 250 calories per day even WITH supplementation. If I sound harsh, it's only because I'm really worried for you. That does not sound healthy at all.

I'm not really a tea fan and I STILL like Snapple's Diet Peach Tea.

Oh, my gosh - that is such a good idea. LOL I think I love you, Jacqui. I am going to give this a shot and if it works for me, you are my new hero. I have the hardest time getting off my ass when I have my 3 days off from work. And yet I KNOW that there are things that NEED to be done at the house. Because I do hardly anything for the house, neither does DH. OMG, this just might work. :thumbup:

I vote for the hernia repair lie. It very well could be possible when you have your surgery and they'll be messing with that part of your stomach, anyway. I had to use the hernia lie.

I wore my hair long for quite awhile. I grew it out from 2002-2008 with trims every once in awhile. I'd sometimes get layers or framed around the face. I ended up wearing it in a ponytail all the time. So at the end of January I chopped it off. It's very similar to Storm from X-Men: The Last Stand. I would post a pic of myself, but I can't for personal security reasons. Just know that it does look very similar to Storm, but I wear my bangs off my forehead. I had some light and dark blond streaks put in, too. It's great because my hair is not very thick to begin with and this gives it some depth. I LOVE that my hair has style.

I have noticed an increase in my drive. It seems to increase as I lose more lbs. I do think that a part of it is confidence, but I know for sure that part of it is physical. DH is happy about it.

I LOVE that feeling of "something is finally working!" You're doing fantastic! Keep up the good work.

FireDust - I got banded at 27...I just turned 28. It's great to be able to nip this in the bud now while (IMO) it's a little bit easier to lose the weight. My goal is to lose 103 lbs total. I started at 233. I'm almost halfway there! This band has been the best decision I have made in my life. I love that the weight goes and STAYS off even when I have an "off" day. You can do this! We're all well on our way to a healthier life!

I like the Daily Plate. :thumbup:

That's awesome, Jacqui! Best of wishes to him - I'm sure he'll do fantastic with you by his side!

I haven't dealt with insurance a lot. I was self-pay for this surgery. But based on a lot of what I've read on here, it sounds like the first application to insurance is almost always denied. They will find any reason under the sun to deny a claim. Keep appealing. And appealing and appealing. I wish you good luck. You may want to read up in the Insurance forum on the main index - you'll probably find threads just like this one. :thumbup:

Depends on if you are self-pay or using insurance. I was self-pay. I dallied around with the idea of this surgery for a couple years. In October I got serious and went to a seminar. A couple weeks after that, I had my first appointment (Oct 18). At that appointment, I was scheduled for surgery November 15th. So it all went pretty quick for me. Which is good because I have this instant-gratification problem.

These kind of studies annoy me, too. I am more satisfied with less of a treat that has Splenda than I am with plain outright sugar. I can pound away easily a cup of something with refined sugar without a problem. With a Splenda pudding, for instance, I'm satisfied with that one little cup. I don't know - maybe it's a head thing. But I do not agree that ALL artificial sweeteners are the same. Aspartame, on the other hand. THAT stuff is awful for me. If I consume anything that has it in it, I have the WORST drop in blood sugar and I feel like I'm starving to death. I can believe that study when it relates to Aspartame. But I also feel that each artificial sweetener is going to affect each person differently. For me, Splenda is a God-send.

Geneen Roth books are good (Feeding the Hungry Heart is hers). I also did start reading a book called "I Can Make You Thin," but I'm kind of stalled on that. I have a bit of an attention span problem. LOL But the author of that book is actually starting a series based on that book. I think it's going to be on TLC or Discovery or something like that. Should be coming up in March.

When I was right around where you are post-op, I had hunger pangs from hell. I'd be ending my night at work and driving home and get the loud gurgle and very hard cramp of my stomach. It was because I had ended my eating for the day about 4 hours prior and my body was hungry. I have no idea why they hurt more after banded. Maybe it's the pulling on the band when the stomach contracts? I have no idea.

Whew. I took a 3-hour trip home from my surgery...only 170 miles. I don't think I'd chance 1700 miles. 170 wasn't bad at all. I got out every hour to walk. I really doubt I would have felt up to being on a vacation anyway right after surgery until about 10 days post-op. Before then I felt weak, tired, and achy. I did go back to work at 4 days post-op, but that definitely wasn't for "pleasure." I would have been miserable on a vacation. If it's 7 days or more after your surgery, then you may be okay for the roadtrip, but I would highly recommend you stop about every 2 hours to get out and let yourself walk and stretch your legs. Healthy people should do that anyway, but how many do? But I agree that asking your doctor would be the best route.

This is SO true. I had a heavy friend that ran a marathon and was in excellent health. I then had a stick-thin friend (possibly, maybe, just barely into the "normal" category rather than underweight) that had the worst problems with cholesterol and blood pressure. I was in the severely obese category (35-39 BMI) and had no problems with my heart. My BP was stellar. Interesting how the health profession can jump to conclusions so easily when it comes to weight. YES, there is a greater propensity for health problems with added weight, but that isn't ALWAYS going to be the case. I've been lucky to not have any doctor comment on my weight. It probably would have been a Death Match at that point. LOL LH - How stressful about the call into the nurse! I experienced severe bleeding with my miscarriage that scared me - I know how that can be. I am REALLY glad to hear that they got the nurse to call you back. It's crazy to have to go through that kind of stress when you're already stressed enough with the physical problem. I hope you get to have a calm, relaxing weekend.