ljv52

Hi, my doc tore all my tape off at my one week post surgerical visit. It kinda surprised me cause I remember reading to leave it on until they fell off, but he's the expert -- and he tore all the tape off. I think after 12 days it's safe to take it off. Linda

My doctor cleared me at my one week post op visit -- I was allowed to do water aerobics and walking. Within a month I was able to add recumbant bicycling and circuit training and haven't stopped since. Good luck! Linda

Hi everyone! Apples, thanks so much for the bday song and wishes. I baked an interesting (but good) cake today. I bought a sugar free white cake mix and made it with 3 egg whites and a can of fresca. Baked it according to the instructions on the cake mix. It seemed to bake okay, but it was done a little earlier than it should have been. I didn't think it raised as much as a regular cake either. Anyway, then I mixed 1 box of sugar free raspberry jello with 1 cup of boiling water, forked the cake and poured it over top. Then I took a box of frozen raspberries and put some splenda in that to sweeten it and poured that over the top and refrigerated the cake. Then I mixed a box of sugar free vanilla pudding with 1/2 Cup of skim milk and let it thicken and then mixed it with a container of Fat Free Cool Whip. Put that on top and then grated a little semi sweet chocolate on top (very finely grated - used my fine grater - it was just a dusting). Anyway, took it to work as we have 3 b-days at work this week and it was a big hit. According to Dailey Plate, it was 3 grams of fat per serving and 150 calories for the cake then probably a few more calories for the pudding and cool whip, but not many I would imagine. It was quite good, very fancy and no one could believe it was sugar free and low fat. You could make the same cake with strawberry jello and strawberries and black cherry jello with cherry pie filling. You could use the cherry flavors witih a chocolate cake. Yum, that sounds good. Anyway, thought I'd pass it along if you have company coming and want to try it. Julie, hang in there, just take one day at a time. That's what I had to do last summer and before long, I got up one day and realized how much better I was feeling. I know it may seem like that day may never come, but it will, I promise. Denise, congrats on Onederland -- you are doing great! 1dayatatime, glad you are going to doctor -- anytime pain in back is involved it could be a kidney problem, so please go and get checked out. Long, you have a lot going on, but you'll be terrific at the seminar on Saturday -- you'll be a huge inspiration to everyone who attends! Take care everyone! Linda

That's where I had mine as well Debbie. Hope it went well for you. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help you out. Linda

Glad you liked them which reminds me, I still have some in the freezer -- better eat them up soon. It was so good to finally meet you -- just wish the meetings were better - maybe give it another shot next month? It would be great if they would organize the topics and let us know what they will be discussing and if they would ENCOURAGE older bandsters to attend - I'll mention this to Chris this week and see what she says. I loved Pam, though -- she's great too. We'll make it through this - the three of us -- we'll be skinny minis in no time! Linda

When I first moved to Iowa 4 years ago, I ate these for the first time. They are very delicious and very, very soft. If you throw one in the food processor with some sauce and pulse it, it is mushy enough for mushies and tastes so good! I've adjusted the original recipe to remove some of the extra fat grams. 1-1/2 lbs. ground ham 1 lb. lean ground beef 1 Egg, 1 egg white 1/2 can fat free evaporated milk 1 package lower fat graham crackers (not the whole box, just one package in the box, about 12 double graham crackers or so), crushed Crush graham crackers in zip lock bag with rolling pin until fine crumbs. Mix everything together and form into large balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. If you keep your hands moist while rolling, they roll much easier. Spray a large 13x9 baking pan with Pam and lay balls in pan. Sauce 2 cans lower fat tomato Soup 2 tsp. dry mustard 1-3/4 C brown sugar (or use equalivant of Spenda brown sugar blend) 3/4 C. apple cider vinegar. Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over ham balls. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour, remove cover and bake 1 hour more. Makes about 2 doz. large ham balls. Leftovers freeze well. Kids also love these! My 2 year old granddaughter is in love with them! Enjoy!

Hi everyone, Just checking in and had a bunch to read as I've been busy the past few days. Joanne, glad to hear from you, congrats on your new grand baby. Hope you continue to lose weight and enjoy yourself on your trip. Hopefully the next tour will not be too long, I know how tough that is too. Apples, I also keep our solders and their families in my prayers - I was an AF wife for many years and I know how tough it is when one of your loved ones is in harm's way. Long, hope you didn't get too buried in snow! How much did you get? News said 20" in some parts of Colorado. We've had rain yesterday and today and supposed to be in the 80s later in the week -- thank goodness, as I've been cold all winter too. Can't wait to see how I feel in our hot, muggy weather (hopefully cooler than last year, lol). Okay, Janet, you asked for a lot of extra work. Here's what I ate today: brunch was egg beaters omlette, 1/2 serving of Morning Star Sausage Crumbles, 1 container of Yoplait light yogurt mixed with some strawberries and half a banana. DInner was taco salad I made with 1/2 C of 96% lean ground beef and black beans (I cooked together with taco seasoning and was yum) 1/4 C. 2% shredded Mex. blend cheese, lettuce, raw spinach, sweet onions and grape tomatoes tossed with non-fat ranch dressing. Tonight my snacks will be sugar free jello cup and sugar free pudding and later on I'll have a Skinny Cow low fat peanut butter/chocolate ice cream sandwich. Total calories: 984. My calorie budget is 1150 daily. I couldn't eat all my salad tonight, but I'll still count all the calories, as it's too tough to try to deduct some.I normally eat only two meals a day because I work nights (and don't go to bed until 2:00 a.m.) and usually don't get up until 10:00 or 10:30 a.m. By the time I drink a cup of morning coffee and then wait the 1/2 hour to eat, it's usually almost lunch time anyway, so I normally just eat brunch and dinner, it works well for me. I eat my snacks at night too, I don't think I could make it through without having a treat to look forward to -- it helps keep me in line all day. I don't drink milk and so my doc wants me to incorporate low fat yogurt, pudding and non-fat ice cream (in limited amounts) in my diet for calcium. I am finding Bryers non-fat ice cream delish (very creamy) along with some Fat Free Mrs. Richardson's Hot Fudge topping makes a truly satisfying dessert when you are craving chocolate. Unfortunately, it's NOT low sugar though, so I try to limit that treat to just once a week. I even put a little low fat granola on it once in a while for crunch or sometimes half a banana too. But only 1/2 Cup at a time (I used to think a serving was about a pint too). I've been very fortunate that I haven't had any problems so far with foods getting stuck (only had one fill so far). I really missed salads and was very happy when I could start eating them again - but I do chop up everything very well and chew, chew chew. I am getting my next fill on Wednes. please wish me luck -- I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will go smoother than the last one. Julie, so happy you are at home, that means you are getting better and I hope you start feeling better too. I hope spring comes along this week so you can get outside and get some fresh air too. I know I'm ready for spring to happen here. Janet. hope your jewelry party went well, I just went to one about a week ago. I have so much jewelry I could probably open a store, but always find something I MUST HAVE at those parties. LOL. My DS is coming on Wednes for my bday -- isn't that sweet? MY DH's b-day is Tues., so we have lots of celebrating to do. I found a low fat cake recipe that sounds delish -- I'll make that for us. Hope everyone has a great week! Linda

Hi everyone , just checking in. Good news - I weighed today. Didn't lose anything, but after spending last week in Vegas, am very happy that i didn't gain anything either! Linda

Debb, you're still in the healing phase and losing weight can be tricky during this time. I know I stalmated for several weeks after surgery and then lost 5 lbs. in one week and have continued to lose 1 to 2 lbs. weekly since. Although you may not be losing weight, you are probably losing inches. Are you weighing every day? If so, please stop and weigh yourself just once a week -- weigh yourself the same time each week (before you eat or drink anything). Keep up the good work, keep positive thoughts, this will work for you if you work the band. Remember, it's only a tool, not a miracle cure for obesity. Good luck to you.

Hello to everyone, happy Easter and welcome to all the newbies! I am just back from my trip to Vegas to visit DS and family and had a very nice time. DS and DIL house is lovely, up in the hills of Henderson and brand new. My step daughter and her hubby joined us for 2 days. We had never met our SIL before (they were in Spain for 4 years when he was in the Navy). Their work schedules have prevented them from visiting us since they've been back. I had to pay to use the gym at the Rio and so I made sure I used it each and every day that I was paying for! I also jumped in the pool and did my water aerobics every day as well. Most of the time we met everyone for a big dinner every night (usually a buffet), but I just ate the protein -- crab legs, salmon, sliced turkey, etc. The other foods don't even tempt me anymore -- except for the desserts. I managed to limit these temptations to mostly a "bite" here and a "bite" there and did have some low fat frozen ice cream a couple of times. Won't know for sure until I weigh in on Tuesday, but hopefully I didn't gain any weight. I walked more than normal, so that probably helped also. Long, your pic is beautiful -- you look gorgeous, bet you found some great clothes on your shopping trip. Julie, so glad you are doing better, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and hope you can go home soon. As someone else said, your health is what matters, there will be lots of other Easters and holidays with your family. Just take are of yourself and get well. Don't forget that positive thoughts are important when you are ill, although it can be hard to be positive when you are so sick. Apples, you are so wonderful -- and thoughtful -- what a beautiful, generous soul you are. Cheryl, Phyl gave you great advice -- I usually eat about what Phyl does -- usually a small egg beater omelet -- I use Morning Star Sausage Crumbles (only about 1/4 of the serving size) and a slice of 2% Borden American cheese. For lunch usually a piece of fish or homemade salmon patty or a small grilled chicken breast with soured green beans (or small salad) and the same for dinner. I love fruit and have a small bowl of mixed fruit (fresh strawberries, melon, mandarin oranges, etc.) once a day. I also eat a non-fat yogurt and a low fat,, sugar free pudding as a snack at night because I don't drink milk which helps me get some calcium in. That's usually between 800 to 1100 calories a day depending on what protein I've had. I track all my foods on thedailyplate.com which I know Janet recommends -- it's a good way to be accountable for the foods we put in our mouths. Someone asked how we figure out how many calories a day to eat -- I use thedailyplate.com for that as well - you put in your current weight, height and how much you want to lose per week and they will give you the number of calories you should eat for that formula. It's easy and it's been very accurate for me as I've averaged 2 lbs. per week since my surgery. I also exercise 3 to 5 days per week. Oh, I almost forgot -- I was worried that no one would notice my weight loss -- I hadn't told my DS or DIL that I had the surgery or that I was losing weight -- when they got to the airport, they couldn't believe the difference -- my DS showed me a pic he had of me when I was in Hawaii just a week before my surgery and then took a new pic of me and showed me the difference just to prove it to me. I did look so much better! LOL. Just one of those moments we all need. It gave me a boost for sure. Linda

Hi Happiness, Good luck to you and I hope your insurance approval comes soon. Keep in touch and let us know when you have a surgery date. Linda

Debbie, are you still out there? Have you had your surgery yet or do you have a surgery date? I'd love to hear how you're doing too. It's been a busy month, sorry if I haven't been around much. Linda

Hi and welcome Sgrmag31. I think you've made a great decision and let me know if I can be of any more help. I am a relative newbie to the band, but would be happy to give you any support and advice I can. Keep us posted on your progress. I wish you the very best. Linda

Julie, I'm so very sorry to hear about your illness. I was ill last summer for two months and it is no fun. I will be praying for you. Nice that you have a lap top available and that you feel well enough to use it. Just concentrate on getting well and try not to worry too much about everything (and everyone) else. Becky, glad your kitchen is almost done. My mom was a caregiver like you are. Sounds like you do a great job. I leave for Vegas in the morning, can't wait to get to some warm weather. It was really snowy and cold here today. Martyh, Phyll gave you great advice, just try to relax and take it one day at a time. Check in here for support, these ladies are all fabulous. Long, now I know who to blame for this weather! I didn't realize you were buying sandals, so stop for goodness sake. LOL. Hope you all have a wonder Easter and wish me luck on my Vegas trip. Linda

The drink can make me nauseous and I was having a gagging reflex, so the doctor gave me pills to take instead of the liquid. They still taste pretty bad, and you still have to drink a lot of water but it's a good option if you can't tolerate the drink taste. Good luck.

Hi, I had my first fill on 3/11 and I've had worse gas since that fill. I'm taking Ultra Gas x and it's not even touching it or helping in any way. I'm not eating foods that should cause me gas either. My doc had trouble finding my port and ending up poking about 12 - 13 tries before he found the port, so I was thinking this might have been the cause for the gas, but if you experienced it too it probably isn't. I hope someone can respond and let us know. Thanks for posting this problem. Linda

Hi everyone, I had my first fill March 11 and my doc had a tough time finding my port as well. I had about 12 pokes before he finally sent me to x-ray and my port was fine and he found it and got the fill done with relatively little trouble (still more than one poke however). The original 12 pokes were terribly painful (and I am NOT a baby, I am usually very tough). I am dreading my next fill on April 22, although he assured me he would not have this problem this next time. I had not eaten since the night before (my appt. was 9:00 a.m.) so that didn't have anything to do with my problems. Most of my fat is in my belly, however, so maybe that is part of the problem. The day after the incident, I had terrible pain in my abs, like I had right after surgery. I'm sure it was from tightening those muscles during each attempt. I'm just glad to hear I'm not the only one with this problem. Also, Healthy4life, before I'd have any surgery, I'd demand an x-ray to make sure my port indeed has flipped. Linda

Apples, great recipes, I printed them and hope to make them soon. I'm heading out Monday to Vegas to visit DS and DIL and see their new house. I was hoping to work on my tan, but checking the weather it doesn't look great - low 70s -- oh well, won't be much time for that anyway I suppose. Have a great weekend everyone. Linda

Hi everyone, Julie, I hope you are feeling better and if you aren't I hope you've called the doctor again. Ellen, thank you for your kind words. Yes, I've lost the 50 lbs. since I began the preop liquid diet on Jan. 13. I have been very strict with myself and was also cleared to start exercising just one week after surgery. I really believe the exercise is the biggest key as well as eating by the band rules, ie. protein and veggies. I've had very few carbs (other than fruit) since my surgery. I hope everyone has a better day tomorrow. Charlene, hope your DIL and new grandson are doing well. Linda

MsKelly, so glad to hear from you and so sorry about your dad. I'm sure he will be fine and will be much better after the stent is put in. It's very hard to deal with these types of situations. It's so easy to turn to our comfort food as it's always been there for us in the past. Try to make better choices tomorrow, and don't worry about what you ate today. Make each day a fresh start and try to have foods on hand that are healthy for you rather than the vending machine choices. I know in the past when I would have a bad day and go off my diet and eat bad things it could lead to just more days of eating bad things. Then I'd be even more disgusted with myself. Try not to do that, because that's just negativity in our lives -- try to remain positive if you can (and I know it's hard). I will be keeping you and your dad in my thoughts and prayers. Take care of yourself and know we are thinking of you. Linda

Wow, Janet, those pics are great! Looks like you had a fabulous time! That last picture (07 v. 09) says it all -- what a difference! Ellen, glad no one was hurt, what a terrible situation. Julie, hope your winter weather ends and you can enjoy some sunshine soon! Linda

Pen, Thanks for sharing, those are great ideas. Our room will have a fridge so I plan to go to the grocery store when I get there and stock up as well on some healthy choices so I can skip restaurants except for maybe dinner every night. Hope you had a good time, though. Linda

Pickle, I feel exactly like you do -- just didn't realize how crappy I felt till after surgery. Now I feel amazing -- and I can't wait to feel even more amazing as the weight keeps leaving. My dog has more room on the love seat when she sits next to me. DH and I recently went to a local auditorium and for the first time in over 15 years I had room in the seat and my arms reached the armrests!! I guess I had too much fat in my belly to reach them before. That was truly an eye opening experience. I don't know if any of you had this problem, but even on a plane I could not put my arms on the arm rests -- it was so uncomfortable! Linda

Hi Pen, Glad to hear from you. Yes, it is amazing how quickly we feel better, isn't it? I keep thinking, "why didn't I do this last year before I got banded?" Truthfully, however, the band truly has proved to be a tool to me. Although I still don't have great restriction, I do get satisfied on just my small plate of protein and veggie. I hardly ever eat any carbs (except fruit) which to me is amazing. I would have never dreamed before of eating a meal without carbs! I remember on my info from the dietician at the surgeon's office she added a handwritten note to the page that said, "carbs are NOT required, not required EVER" on the sheet. That really stuck with me (probably why she did it that way) and so when I started eating real food I quit thinking in terms of what else to eat besides protein and veggie. I did have a baked potato a week ago (first one and I used low fat sour cream on it and no butter but boy, it did taste good to me). But boy oh boy did I get full fast -- so when I say I don't feel I have great restriction, that's kinda a misnomer cause I realize if I try to eat like I used to I have great restriction. Anyway, just sharing some thoughts here, wondering if any of you feel the same way. I gave all my old clothes away a few weeks ago and have purchased some new ones. I have a new problem -- I have worn too baggy and loose clothes for so long it's taking me awhile to get used to wearing properly fitting clothes again. But, it's a good problem to have. I can't wait till my new clothes are too big. Have any of you taken measurements? My nurse thought she took mine before surgery which she didn't, so I ended up doing my measurements just a few weeks ago after I lost most the initial weight. I know I've lost lots of inches though cause there's a lot more room on the love seat for the dog to lay next to me -- she was pretty crowded before and now has lots more room. That's kind of a strange way to feel success, isn't it? Getting ready to go to Vegas for a short visit with DS on April 6. We had a credit with airlines from last summer which we had to use before June 1, so we decided to visit that week since I have Good Friday as a holiday. I'm a little worried I'll go crazy with food, but hopefully my little tool will keep me in line. It's easy at home, but eating out will probably be much harder. Hope you are all doing well and would love to hear from you -- Carolina Mom, TX -- keep us posted. Pen, love hearing from you, thanks for keeping in touch. Linda