PeaceLove-n-Hippos

Here are several ideas for homemade dressings. Buy a packet of Good Seasons Italian or any flavor packet with one of their mixing cruets. Where the recipe says to put Water to the water, instead put oil to the water line and where it says to put oil to the oil line put water. In other words just switch the amounts for the water and oil. It is very tasty and cuts most of the calories. Also, you can get the Ranch dressing packets from Hidden Valley and use non-fat or low fat mayo and non-fat or 1 % milk. These are much better tasting than the low-fat bottled products. You can also make low-fat French dressing by adding a little ketchup to low-fat or non-fat mayo. If you add a little sweet pick;e relish you have thousand island dressing. Hope this helps.

By accident I overheated my corn tortilla. I broke off a piece and voilla! a baked tortilla chip.
1 Corn Tortilla (Mission lo fat)
Microwave on high for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't overbrown.
Allow to cool and break into "baked" tortilla chips
Spray with no cal butter spray and season to taste before microwaving if you like.
Made a great "cracker" for my mexican salad (lettuce, 1/4 C refried Beans, 1 T lite sour cream, pinch of shredded cheese and salsa). I think I found a new lunch:hungry: :hungry:
Where have I been? I'll bet lots of people know this trick!!!

4 medium beef steaks (or 1 per person eating) thin cuts
2 to 3 pinces of sea salt (or meat tenderizer)
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce.
Put steaks in a Pyrex dish and pierce several times with a fork. Add salt and pepper and douse with sauce.
Bake in the oven at 400º for 30 min.
It usually leaves a nice aujuice sauce so the meat is tender and not dry. Don't over bake! Sauce can be spooned over rice or Pasta or potatoes.
(you could also vary this by using ginger and soy sauce instead of worcestershire sauce for an Asian flair)

chicken Adobo

2 lbs. chicken cut up
1/2 tsp. garlic, mashed
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt, pepper & accent to taste
1 medium onion cut into cubes
2 Tbls. vinegar
1 cup Water

Mix all ingredients together. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer 1 hour. Serve over rice.
-Jessiebear

JACK THAT WAS TO FUNNY NOSE , HOSE PATROL, I knew I had sleep apnea because I would wake my own self up snoring, & I was diagnosed after one of my son's woke me up & said I was scaring him , after being banded , one day I was exhausted , and I felt like I had been snoring , so I asked some one sitting in the room & they told me that I didn't so I guess losing the weight helped , because I haven't used my cpap machine since 2 months after , now my Mother is using it .

I had been a member of the 'nose hose patrol' for 10 long years preOp due to sleep Apnea.
Within 10 months postOp and loss of about 40# I was off CPAP as well as insulin.
As well as my anxiety being considerably lower and my episodes of Panic ceasing totally.
In fact, I learned much of my own overeating was directly related to my 'panic & anxiety' disorder.
Good luck on resolving your issues, you're on the way!!!!

I have sleep apnea, was diagnosed in March 2014. I had my surgery August 8, 2014 and in total I have lost 34 pounds since starting my pre-op diet ordered by my surgeon. I didn't think I would see results this quickly, but I sleep much better now than when I did before my surgery. Directly after my surgery, I couldn't sleep with the machine on because it made me nauseous and I didn't want to heave.
As far as Protein drinks go- Body Fortress chocolate Peanut Butter is really good, to me. The strawberry was gross.
I have anxiety about a lot of things, believe it or not. I'm not sure if it's common- but I know that being nervous is.

I am a newbie. Reading and watching all the YouTube videos.

I have my first fill next week and know how you feel! It's a mix of excitement and nervousness, for me. I'm excited because it's the first big step since my surgery toward being satisfied but I'm also nervous about how it's going to feel, how I'm going to feel afterward, and if any of my food tolerance levels will change.. But, we can do this!!

I know exactly how you feel. I'm one week post-op as of today and I feel like I am doing things wrong. I am following the instructions, to a "t" and am starving. I am afraid I'm going to screw something up. My swelling is gone, but my incisions are still healing. I have my first post-op appointment next week and I'm nervous. I know I shouldn't get discouraged because I'm not losing a whole lot (with my pre-op diet, I lost 24lbs) because I have a long way to go. But- at the same time, I'm scared I'm stretching my pouch, even a little bit. I'm scared.
I'm kind of happy that I stumbled into this website... and you guys... because I was googling things like "Post-op lap band, I don't feel full" and I was terrified...
Best of luck, and friend me if you like- I don't have any haha.

Hang in there!!! I was banded on July 25 and just finished the "mushy" food phase. What has helped me the most is a good Protein Shake, blended with ice to make it a little thicker.

Traci L. ! You are almost the exact same weight I was when I got banded, and I understand your temptation issues. I found that when I ate my Protein 1st, fruits and veggies 2nd, carbs last, I really didnt have hardley ANY room for junk. If I still craved something sweet, I was happy with a small cookie or a WW ice cream bar. I swam 3 x a week, walked 1x a week. And im not lying , the weight started coming off immediately. On surgery day ( Dec 13, 2011) I was 220 lbs. By end of Feb, I was down another 15 lbs. Everyone 's body will respond differently, but if you stick to the rules, you will be much more successful. Wishing you luck !!! You can do this !!