Woodys

Have respect for your band Marissa. Having an unfill just so that you can pig out totally defeats its purpose. Carol

I am only 20 lbs from goal but still regard myself as a big person because if it wasn't for the band I would be....and I never want to lose sight of how it use to be, it helps me to stay where I am today. As a big person it hurts so much when these small minded ignorant creatures treat us like that. Why, because of size, do they think we are so inferior to them and deserving of that kind of treatment. Why do we get treated like second class citizens just because of size? My overeating or choice of foods has never threatened anyone else's life...so what's the big the big deal. I never lashed out like that to a smoker who would blow smoke right in my face when sitting at bar or in a restaurant....but I would have more reason to then what this guy just did to you. I could go on and on but this A-hole doesn't deserve my effort. Carol

Good for you Doriana.....keep it up! Believe me when I say this....I own a fine dining restaurant, I spend 14 hours / day here and we live above the restaurant...even my refridgerator and cupboards in the apartment store restaurant food....so, If I could make it through the pre and post op diet.....then there is absolutely NO EXCUSE why anybody else can't. Good luck Sweetie...they will treat you very nice at TLBC, you have nothing to worry about. Carol

I am in the restaurant business, husband is a chef. Here are some ideas...but, like Jack says.....you welcome the food no matter what it looks like on the plate. Buy a smaller plate with a fancy border on it that you really like to look at, sometimes there are food combinations that are difficult to "pretty up" on a plate so the nice china will help, and be sure its small....like "side salad" size. Fish....overlap approx 3 thinly sliced cucumber or lemon slices on the top with a little bit of fresh dill fern poking out between each layer; find a recipe for a low fat white sauce, only a very little bit is needed to drizzle (not pour) over the filet....put whole pink peppercorns in the sauce or chopped chive Beef....there are recipes out there for vegetable pates....we make a red pepper one and set it in a roll formation and wrap in plastic wrap...when needed with cut a round approx 1/2" thick and place it on top of the grilled beef medalion....a small sprig of rosemary or other fresh herb gets poked into the top of the pate. chicken....we use Lemon/Myrtle rub on the chicken breast when baking...it adds a fabulous flavour. We make a mix of veg such as patty pans, baby corn, asparagus, carrots, turnip and green beens....after cooking they get tossed in a very little bit of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. The Chicken breast is placed in the centre of the plate....the veg are spread around it, and then, around the outside of the rest of the plate we drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil that has some safron in it...the colour is amazing and looks so appealing on the plate, If you use your imagination there are so many things you can do. To make my salad plate look more appetizing I cut cucumber very thin...works best on a mandolin. I make an overlaping layer around the outside of the dish. On the inside I place all my greens and try to stack it so that it stands "up" instead of flat. Then I make 5 scores on the outside of a carrot and when I slice it they slices look like little daisies, I scatter these on top of the salad. The greens have been mixed with a light vinaigrette before I put them on the plate....it really looks pretty. I also make a low fat salsa packed with lots of colour and flavour, I often use this as a condiment for chicken, pork, beef, and mostly white fish....it makes a great appearance on the plate as well. Carol

For all of us who wonder the following: How come I'm not losing How come I'm not losing fast enough How come I'm always hungry Do I need another fill Do I need an unfil Am I eating right I found this information at another site and it pretty much answers most of the questions I have seen at this forum that are either restriction or food related. I think some of us bandsters here could gain from reading this. Carol How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe

I have the 10cc Swedish band as well. I am at 9 cc now and have lost 72 lbs. Its been 2 weeks since my last fill and I feel like the restriction is at a good level. All my fills provided adequate restriction for a while but as I lost more weight I also lost restriction. So, if I can't get this last 20 off with 9 cc's then I just might have to go for another tiny fill before I reach goal and go into maintenance. Carol

I never did like to talk about my weight.....big or thin, so this is a very personal subject to me and I really am not comfortable talking to many about it. Having the band is also very personal, I just don't like talking to people about it unless they can relate. Carol

I was craving a Big Mac a month ago, went for it and was totally disappointed. It just wasn't worth it. I had to eat such small bites and still ended up PBing...with the PB I would have only been able to eat 1/4 of it.....I'll never go back. Carol

I have had several fills. The Dr. just feels and fills and I have never had a problem....as a matter of fact, I barely feel the needle being iserted. Carol

When people that don't know about my band relentlessly ask me about my weight loss I just tell them that I'm working very hard at it and so far so good....I leave it at that. My MIL knows about my band and her biggest problem is that I paid so much money instead of doing it myself. She has never had more than 5 extra pounds to deal with so she has no idea how difficult it is to lose on your own when its close to 100 lbs. Everytime she sees me she compliments me but then her compliment is wiped out by making reference to the money I spent.....and then carries on to tell me that she doesn't understand why I couldn't have done this myself......ARRRRRGGGGGGGGG! Carol

Deli food is easy for me too. I was on a blue cheese binge last month. Hubby made me poached pears (sliced) with crumbled blue cheese on top.....makes a fabulous lunch. Carol

Protien drinks in the a.m. don't keep me full for very long either...would prefer to eat the real stuff instead. Carol

You will probably be given post-op material which will include the post-op diet of Clear liquids, liquids, mushies, and solids. I would shop for the liquids and clear liquids before surgery...like chicken consome, sugar free Jello, etc. Here are some other helpful items: a pill crusher, chewable gas tablets (or strips), bottled Water (medication made my mouth really dry). Carol

I was 100% sure the second I saw the commercial on TV. I never doubted that it was the best thing I could do for myself....the risk of being obese totally outweighed the risk of the surgery, the risk of surgery was never a concern for me. As far as I was concerned life after the band could only be better and it was up to me to make it the BEST....and I have. Carol

I had the same thing, Doc told me it was gas or too much liquid in my pouch causing pressure...don't think its anything to do with the band slipping. Carol

I have restriction and I can eat everything I've tried so far, including bread, rice, potato, egg, pasta, steak, chicken etc. However, I have to take very small bites, chew it to mush and take a break inbetween bites. Green: I have had restriction with every fill for a small period of time but as I continue to lose the weight, I also lose the restriction and then go for another fill....maybe that's what is happening to you????? I am losing very very slowly now, even though I eat such small amounts of food I think I need to be more conscious of what I eat.....went on a blue cheese binge for about a month.....nobody needs to tell me to "Put down the cheese"....I figured out that one for myself...LOL Carol

Wow.....wonder what goes through the stupid head of the person who wakes up next to him every morning? How nasty, sorry you had to experience that. I've been laughed at by men and women because of past appearance but never verbally attacked like that.....so sorry. Carol

Credit counselling is the way to go, they will contact all your creditors and reach a mutual agreement for a new payment schedule. Re-financing on the equity in your house is also an excellent idea....this can all be discussed with the counsellor.....I would definately start there before you make any decisions on your own. Here in Canada our government has a credit counselling service that comes at no cost to the customer, one reason is to try to reduce the number of personal bankruptcies. Perhaps your local level or state government offers an assisted program as well. You have recieved very sound advice here.....I would act on it. Carol

One shredded wheat biscuit with just a little boiling Water to soften it and heat it. That's all I can manage til about 1 pm. Carol

VLB11752....he doesn't want or need to know us, that wouldn't make him money. For him to tell our real story wouldn't carry enough "shock value" to gather attention or earn a living like "shock jock" Howard Stern. He did this not because it is his real opinion, he did it because he his trying to make a name for himself like Howard Stern.....he doesn't care about the insensitivity, he doesn't care if he is right or wrong........what he cares about is a hot controversial topic that would allow him to create a shocking response for attention to get his name known.....and he doesn't care how much people will hate him for it. So many hate Howard Stern and by them voicing their hate for him it only made him more famous and put more money in his pockets. He is to be ignored, this type of tactic for fame and celebrity status does not warrant acknowledgement. Carol

I'm working on my last 22.....just had a fill on the 7th, hope this helps. I find that I have days where I can't stop munching. I do really good at meal time but whether I'm hungry or not I sometimes find myself "grazing". Carol

I have a 10cc swedish band, filled to 9cc. I feel that I have maximum restriction. I still have the odd day where I feel like I could eat a horse but not often....for the most part I have the restriction level I need. Carol

The weight loss as a result of being banded has dramatically changed my life. My attitude towards so much in my life has changed. My overall appearance, not just the weight loss, has changed. I enjoy being a busy business woman, before the weight loss it was difficult to do a lot of things so I dreaded certain aspects of my job.....like serving in my restaurant...it was a very tight squeeze between chairs to serve my customers...now its not. I breath easier, I climb stairs carrying a basket of laundry and don't have to stop to catch my breath, I sleep better, personal hygiene when using the loo is much much easier...its normal. Sex is great, I'm a lot less inhibitted and no longer self conscious. I like to shop for clothes now and experiment with new styles, hair, and makeup.....I didn't care before. I love my band, I wish I had known about this option a long time ago. Carol

Losingjusme: Looks like the buffet is a big problem for you, throw away the "buffet pants" and find somewhere else less tempting to eat next time you have to dine out.....and try not to miss your exercise....once you start allowing yourself to miss your exercise sessions then the motivation to keep it up goes away. Good luck Carol

I am mostly in the green zone but I do have the occasional yellow zone day where I am compelled to munch all day. Carol