gentlespirit

Congratulations!!!! Emily

Congratulations...you look so beautiful! And you shold be SO proud of yourself!!! Emily

I can still drink a glass straight down, but I don't really gulp it...seems like that would mean you'd get a lot of air, too. I don't have to just sip, though...that was one of my big worries. I'm susceptible to urinary tract infections and have always had to drink a lot of Water...I was afraid that if I had to just sip I wouldn't be able to get enough in. But I haven't had any problems and drink about 3 quarts a day. Emily

I wonder if the bacteria are from pickers? I've heard that sometimes sanitation leaves a lot to be desired in the fields. It's scary...wasn't there an outbreak from strawberries a year or two ago? Makes me not want to eat any produce I didn't grow myself!! Emily

I think it's so amazing that Dr. C will take the time to answer questions and give information to people who aren't even his patients or from whom he won't derive any business. What a nice guy! Emily

Wow! Congratulations!!! You should be SO proud of yourself! I hope to be where you are someday!! Emily

I bought mine online at unjury.com. And I have to admit I haven't tried it!!! But a lot of people on here said it really doesn't have a taste, which is why I bought it. I'll go home and try it tonight and let you know! Emily

I'd love to get some new vegetarian recipes, too! I make scrambled tofu that's like scrambled eggs...even my kids love it. And I use the Morningstar Farms soy Protein meat substitutes, too. Most are good and fairly good protein sources. Emily

Boy, that would make it tough for me, too! Do you do OK with chicken and fish? That would be my suggestion...or get some of the Protein powders that seem to be all over. I bought some that was recommended on here called unjury that is unflavored and can be mixed with Soups or almost anything to up the protein content. I use Atkins Protein shakes for Breakfast every morning. I'm semi-vegetarian so don't eat red meat, but I do use things like Morningstar Farms "fake meats" that are available in the breakfast items section at Wal-Mart and most grocery stores. They're pretty good protein sources. Good luck! Emily

I haven't but I've been thinking about it. Let me know if you try it, and I'll do the same! Emily

I don't usually check this forum because so far I've been fortunate not to have any problems (5 months out). But I wanted to add my thanks to everyone else's for being a resource for all of us. It 's rare to find a doc who is willing to take time from his schedule to share his knowledge without some benefit to himself. Must have something to do with his boss! Thanks again! Emily

It's a beautiful house, and I'm sure you'll be very happy there. Congratulations!! Emily

I'm so sorry you are having to face another surgery and the uncertainty of what's going to happen. I don't have any words of advice...just sending a big hug! Keep us posted, and I'll be sending good thoughts your way! Emily

Thanks, Wheetsin, for taking on the job! I'm sure you'll be an excellent moderator~ Emily

This sounds like an extreme version of Atkins. I lost 50 pounds in 18 months on Atkins and then started eating more low glycemic index carbs and gained 40 of that back. I don't believe anything that is that unbalanced is healthy, and I personally wouldn't do it. That's the reason I went through this surgery...so I could eat small portions of healthy foods in a balanced diet. When I was doing Atkins, I did take chromium picolinate to help with the cravings, and I will probably go back to that soon...it's in a capsule so I can open and empty into a spoonful of applesauce or something. Emily

No one told me we couldn't wear underwires, and I wore them after the first week with no problem. Emily

I don't have a site, but when I asked the same question prior to banding, a LBT member from Israel said they have had it for over 10 years. She also said that most of the people she knows who have had a band that long have had to have a second surgery for a variety of reasons. Good luck finding the statistics you're looking for. Emily

Karen~ Congratulations on your success! Your post was wonderful, and I know I'll will come back to it to motivate me. You should be so proud of yourself for perservering and staying motivated and for renewing that determination on this anniversary! Way to go, lady!! Emily

Thanks for sharing...there are several I want to try. Emily

Sounds wonderful...I'll ahve to get some next time I'm at the grocery store and give it a try. Emily

Oh, honey, I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this when you're already stressed out about your upcoming surgery. Please don't ever feel bad posting about any problems or feelings... the strength of this place and all of us together is that we can support each other whether or not it's about the band. I think probably those who say he's worried and scared are probably right. Only you know how your relationship was before this and whether this is really out of character for him. But don't let him get in the way of doing this for yourself...it's important that you remember that you are WORTH this. I do think he needs to know how hurtful he's been and is being to you. Men are weird sometimes (!!), and he might not realize how much he's hurt you. Here's a hug, and I hope things get better soon. Emily

I found the same thing to be true...carbs make you crave more. I actually did pretty well on Atkins, to I need to get back to that lower carb thing. I don't miss them after the initial week or so. I also use refried Beans...they're one of my staples. Yeah, they have carbs, but if you subtract the Fiber, they're not so bad and are high Protein. And they are so satisfying that I find I don't want Snacks later in the evening. Emily

Congratulations!!! What a milestone! I just got there, too, so we're celebrating together! Keep up the great work~ Emily

I used to eat spaghetti sauce with Parmesan cheese when I wanted something that felt "real" but was low carb. I've also baked the filling for manicotti with tomato sauce and just skipped the Pasta...that was really good and very low carb. How about egg salad or tuna salad? Emily

There are several of us who are vegetarians...we have shared some recipes on previous threads, which you can find by doing a search. I was vegan for many years but then started eating milk and eggs and now occasionally eat chicken orturkey but no red meat or seafood. I use Morningstar Farms meat substitutes as well as Worthington and Loma Linda stuff and have no problems as long as I chew well. I also use cheese, although less than prior to banding. One of my staples is fat free refried beans with salsa and a little cheese. I probably eat that 2-3 nights a week for dinner. We also use a meat-loaf like roast quite a bit...but it has cottage cheese and eggs in it, so if you don't like those you wouldn't like it, probably. An average day's menu for me would be a vanilla Atkins protein shake for breakfast (in the car on the way to work)...a few multi grain wheat thins midmorning if I get hungry. For lunch I might have green or chicken enchilada from our whole foods co-op across the street (about 3/4 c. total) or half a turkey breast wrap from Subway. If I'm getting hungry be 5 p.m., I'll have a small can of fruit jucie or V-8 on my way home so that I'm not STARVED when I decide to have dinner (if I get that hungry, I will probably overeat and feel miserable all night). For dinner maybe refried beans, salsa and cheese or maybe cottage cheese and broccoli or an omelet. I often make soups and take those for lunch, too. My dietician suggested not eating a lot of potatoes, but we can certainly eat some of them. And chick peas should be fine, too. it's a process of trial and error for most of us...some of us can eat things other people can't...everyone's band is different in what it accepts. Good luck with your upcoming surgery!! It's the best thing I e ver did for myself, even tho I'm only 4 1/2 months out. Emily