SpideyMom

Hey, HG, Soooo glad to see you on here again!!! Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad I could be of help. I still strive for the small 1/4" x 1/4" bites but sometimes I'm guilty of going up to dime size or more. It really depends on the food. I can't actually chug Water, but I can take big gulps of it and drink it quickly. I've never had to just sip it. So maybe some people are just different with the water? I just had a fill last week, and the PA gave me a large cup of water to test how tight I was, and I forgot that I was supposed to be testing and I took two large gulps. It went down fine. Go figure. However, what she and my doc have told me time and time again is that the longer it's been since your surgery, the harder it is to eat certain foods. For instance, I can barely eat chicken at all now. It has to either be super moist like Peruvian-restaurant rotisserie chicken (the grocery store rotisserie is too dry) or shredded chicken salad with lots of mayo for me to tolerate it. And get this -- I can't eat my dh's homemade hamburgers, but I can eat McDonald's hamburgers. (BTW, I also have no trouble with chips. I've heard that from lots of people.) It is soooo frustrating! I can eat nuts, Peanut Butter, cheese without problem, but sometimes hummus gets stuck. Huh?? So, I think maybe it just means we're all different. I agree with you, I like being able to drink water at a pace more than just a sip. When I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty! :tongue: Here's what my doc has always asked me before getting a fill: Are you eating more than a cup of good food (meaning protein-heavy) at each meal? Are you hungry between meals (meaning at less than 4-5 hours btwn meals)? Are you snacking between meals because you can't make it to the next meal? If you answer yes to any of those, you should definitely consider a fill. Don't be afraid of a fill just because you might not be able to eat a certain food. Look at it as a learning experience. Try new foods. Add more sauce or mayo or anything to moisten up your foods that tend to get stuck. In the long run, you'll lose more weight by getting that fill than by worrying that you won't be able to eat X, Y, or Z. Sorry to talk your ear off! Good luck and check back to let us know how you are! :smile: And, BTW, you are doing an AWESOME JOB!!!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I sorta do my own combination also. I remember hearing once, "Lose it how you will live it." It is so important that we are able to live with the changes we are making! :smile: Right now I am having really bad cravings for chocolate -- real chocolate that I can sink my teeth into -- but it's just not worth it to me. And my tummy can't handle all the sugar alcohols in the sugar free kind. I know, this too shall pass!

Hey, Sarah, great to see you on here!!!! I was just thinking about you. I have a friend who drinks the Coconut Water all the time, and my boss swears by it for after yoga. He says everyone in his yoga class drinks it after doing the hot yoga. Don't be a stranger, Sarah! Happy New Year!

Irene, I just decided that today also!! I've been eating Sun Chips because they are whole wheat, but they go down waaay too easily! So, no more.

I just bought some really yummy peanut butters by the Vermont Peanut Butter Company. I bought them online at Netrition.com, but here is their website: Vermont Peanut Butter Company Products They have 8 different flavors, all of which are 100% organic and have 100% whey Protein isolate added for extra protein! They also have no refined sugar (which is a plus for me), no preservatives, are low-sodium and gluten free, and contain no trans fats or hydrogenated oils. So cool. But the best part is the flavor. OMG. I got Monkey Business, which is banana peanut butter with raisins mixed in (heaven!) and Mad River Mojo, which is peanut butter and almond butter mixed with finely chopped cranberries, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, flax seeds, and honey. Sooo yummy! Now, the calories and the fat are the same as you find for regular peanut butter -- about 190 for 2 Tbs. and 15 g. fat, but the protein is 10 g. and considering all the good ingredients, I think it's much better than your average PB. Check out their other flavors, too. Some have chocolate chunks mixed in! (Too bad I gave that up.) But, these others are still a real treat! :thumbup:

Hey, John, how did it feel to gain weight? Scary or okay? I had an unfill a month ago and just went back today for a refill. I actually went up almost 2 lbs since last month's official weigh-in. That's the first time I've had a gain at the doctor's office. Bummer. Guess I'm not going to make my mini-goal of losing 100 lbs. by New Years. LOL Oh, well. That's life. I am not letting it upset me. But, it does show how easily I can gain when the restriction is not right. I've also been eating way too many salty things like Sun Chips ("they're healthy" I said ) and dip over the holidays. I gave up sugar and had no problem staying away from it, but now I've turned to the salty stuff. Guess my demons haven't all been conquered. Imagine that! Oh, yeah, and not exercising for two weeks doesn't help either! Oh, boy, I've just had a reality check here! :tongue2:

Hee hee... thanks for the compliments. It did feel good wearing something sexy for once. Darn... I should have had dh take a picture. lol Next time. :sad: Bmooney, fantastic! I know you must be feeling great! :wink5: Rebecca, congrats on size 14! And, just like you, I am taking bags and bags of clothes to the thrift store tomorrow (want to get them in for a tax deduction before the end of the year). Funny thing is, 75% of them I bought from the same thrift store! :w00t: Since I started losing weight, I hate buying things full price, and we have a fab thrift store near us that has really nice clothes. Keep those NSVs coming! I love to hear them! :tongue2:

John, YOU truly have been an inspiration to us all. You totally amaze me and have been the one I have looked up to this past year. I really appreciate your kindness, your humor, and your words of wisdom! And you look great in your new picture. Here's to another fabulous year!! :tongue2:

I had to stop eating them because I liked them too much and started over-eating them. (I'm doing low-carb.) There have been a few foods like that that I have had to give up because I can't control myself around them. *sigh*

That is awesome, dispatch! :smile: Keep those NSVs coming! This is the time of year when we can really use them... especially if you saw the scale creep up a little like I did over the holidays. Forget about the number and focus on the other things -- like how far you've come, how great you look, how good you feel, how healthy you are, and maybe even how you can cross your legs now! :biggrin: My latest NSV is that my DH got me a pair of high-heel knee-high boots for Christmas, which I wore with a minidress to a party this past weekend. I never would have been able to wear that before!

Thanks, Mamadot! I share your sentiments! :smile: Happy New Year to all! :biggrin:

Glad to see everyone made it through the Christmas holiday weekend okay. :smile: Rebecca, you are not alone. I went up 4 lbs! Tomorrow I go in for a slight fill (after an unfill about a month ago). I've been able to eat tooooo much lately and it doesn't keep me satisfied. I ended up snacking on a lot of chips and dip over the weekend. Not good. But! I'm not letting it get me down! :biggrin:

Good luck with the Savella! Let me know how it goes. I'm reluctant to try if it increases the migraines. I have enough troubles with those already. I take a combo of Cymbalta, Wellbutrin XL, and Lyrica for my fibro. My neuro wanted me to decrease the Lyrica recently, and when I did, my fibro started flaring up again. No fun!!! So, now I'm back up to the dose I was on before the flare, but I'm still flaring. I guess it takes a while for the flaring to go away once it has started. Every little thing hurts -- like something very small that dropped on my toe the other day felt like a hammer had fallen on my toe. The pain is immense! I also get a lot of bruising when I flare. Does anyone else have this? Seems odd. I was really hoping I could do away with these meds once I lost a bunch of weight, but I can see that they are here to stay. At least I was able to cut the dosage on most of them. Hang in there, everyone! :biggrin: (((Soft, gentle hugs to all!)))

It has been a wonderful year getting to know all of you Mayo Banditos. You are a fantastic group, and I'm glad to have your support! I wish you a fabulous holiday weekend. May your Christmas be merry and your New Years be bright, but most of all may you have peace in your heart. And don't worry about the food! :w00t: If you fall off the wagon, just pick yourself up, it happens to the best of us, and think about how far you've come and how good you look!!!! :)

Hi, everyone! I'm checking in today rather than tomorrow, since I will be very busy then. I lost 0.5 this week. I was thrilled when I saw that scale move, let me tell you. lol I have been eating anything that's not nailed down it seems. I've lost restriction in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Not only can I eat huge amounts, but I'm hungry all the time! So, I called the PA yesterday, and I'm going in next week for a tiny fill. It has to be tiny because any time I've gone past the 7 cc mark, I've had to back down again. I believe I'm at 6.75 now. I wish you all a delightful holiday weekend! PS -- Julie, good to see you on here again! You're doing great!

Congratulations, everyone! I lost the 2.5 that I gained last week, plus another .5, for a total loss of 3 lbs this week. I'm losing restriction, though. I am eating way too much and getting really hungry between meals. I think I need to go back for a tiny fill, but after having two unfills, now I'm afraid. I feel like it's a very fine line now between just right and either too tight or too loose. *sigh* But, let's all keep on keepin' on and we'll get through these holidays with great cheer! :sad::biggrin:

Thanks! I don't measure my foods (except the ingredients in my protein shakes) but I probably should! I just ate some cheese at lunch and kept slicing away at the block. When I went to wrap it up, I noticed that there were marks on the wrapper that showed you where to cut for one ounce slices. I thought I had eaten 2 ounces of cheese, yet it turns out I ate three! :ohmy: And now, suddenly, I feel overfull. So, your doc is smart. Measure and then put the food away. That's what I did at the beginning, and I'm starting to slip. I get frustrated when my weight fluctuates for more than a week. It always seems to go up around my TOM, but this week (the week after) it has gone up, then down, then up. Ugh! That's two weeks out of the month, and it's really disheartening. I think less exercise has a lot to do with it also. I'm bad about getting out in the cold weather.

Dani, that is so awesome! Congratulations! :thumbup: What a wonderful holiday gift for yourself! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Elaine, don't you worry, those 2 lbs. will be gone soon. I gained 2.5 last week, and 1.5 is already gone since I weighed on Friday. It's a fact we have to live with...especially women...the scale fluctuates. :willy_nilly: David, great job! I hear you about having trouble finding time to get to the gym. Same thing here. I haven't been to the pool in weeks, and I miss it! I usually go on the weekends, and every weekend is full this time of year. It makes a big difference with weight loss. John, always great to see you on here! :biggrin:

Wow, you are all doing sooo awesome. That is great -- keep up the good work! :thumbup::w00t: LOM, welcome to size 12. I just got there this week. Now you and I both have something in common with Marilyn Monroe. :mad2: I don't blame you a bit for waiting for your regular doc to come back for your next fill! Linda, good job on the loss! I totally understand about wondering if you're just a little too filled. That was me last time. It is so tricky. You do wonder if it's going to be this hard when it comes to maintenance. ugh. It's frustrating. But, don't hesitate to call your doc if you start feeling like it's just not right -- or if you get acid reflux. I've had to have two unfills now, and that was my big red flag. Hang in there. You are doing great! :smile:

Wow, John, you sure had a harrowing ordeal! I'm glad your on the mend now. :w00t: Everyone is doing so well! I'm so happy for all of you! :rolleyes2: I put on 2.5 pounds this week (eeek!) thanks to my monthly visitors, "Aunt Flo" and "Uncle TOM." lol. Seems like lately this monthly visit is really setting me back. I get a lot of PMS munchies for salty foods. :frown: But, I got into a size 12 this week, so I'm not sweating it! :smile: Now I have something in common with Marilyn Monroe -- did you know that she was a size 12 for most of her life? Yep, it's true! When she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy, her dress was a size 12, and she looked damned good, IMHO. :w00t:

Thanks, reneek! You know, I'm also taking better care of my skin now, too! Lots of moisturizer every day, all over... :eek:

Absolutely, RaeAnn! You came to the right place. Congratulations on making the decision to get healthy again. I definitely think you should go back to your doctor for a fill. If you're eating too much, you're not going to break through your plateau. My PA told me just recently that it makes her sad that so many people will stop coming in because they're embarrassed that they've gained weight. She said gaining weight is very common, and there's no reason to be embarrassed. You have the tool inside of you to help you! You just need to make the decision to go back and get back on track. So, good for you, you've made that decision! We're here for you!! :thumbup: Let us know how it goes. :ohmy:

I finally got a pixie haircut this summer, which I've always wanted, but was afraid my face was too fat to pull it off. You can see a picture in my profile. I love it now! :thumbup: I'm also wearing heels again for the first time since my 20s. :sneaky:

I'm still doing low carb also. The carbs I do get are good carbs from beans, lentils, a few fruits, dairy, etc. So I guess my diet is more like South Beach. I don't do bread unless it is a slice of Ezekiel bread; I occasionally will have a small bit of whole wheat pasta; and I sometimes will have a little brown rice. Other than that, I take in no refined white sugar and no white carbs. It has done wonders for me! :thumbup: