niecyrenee

DITTO! We had a teaser of some nice weather last week which got me in spring fever and today it's freezing rain. :rain: UGH! I am so tired of winter! :twitch: I can't wait for the warm weather so I can get outside and feel the sunshine. That always does wonders for my spirits! We have a wonderful walking track that circles all the schools and I am ready to get back out there.

I wanted to pass something along to those who are at a plateau or who just simply wants to kick their weightloss up for a few days. It's the 7 day meat/egg fast. Tann, who I am in Spring Bootcamp with, told us about it and has had wonderful results from it. Basically you eat nothing but eggs and lean meats for 7 days (or 3 or 5). You can have mayo and mustard and a little ketchup as long as you keep your daily carbs below 10 g. I don't know if anyone is interested in this but thought I would pass it along. People have had some nice weightloss numbers doing this.

YIPPEE!! That is wonderful Tom! I say put those thongs on and strut around, you've earned it!!! :heh:

Are you still within your first 6 weeks following surgery? If so, this a time for healing and any weight loss is a bonus. The focus right now isn't on losing weight so don't get discouraged. I went through the same thing! Things will change. If you are out of the 6 week window, I would see about getting a fill. Good luck!

Hello Dawn and welcome to LBT! Those up and down emotions are certainly normal! We've all been there! Food has been a source of comfort for so many of us that it feels like you are losing a best friend. I am so excited for you about quitting smoking! That is a HUGE step! I hope everything goes well for you and if you any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Good luck!

I did have the same urge but I resisted. I was determined to start my new lifestyle and I figured there was no time better than the present. Sometimes I wish I would have pigged out for my last time. :heh:

Hello Hazelbunny! Welcome to LBT! Continue reading. There is a wealth of info on here. Good luck with your surgery! Keep us updated.

Good luck tomorrow! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you feel up to getting on the computer.

I totally missed this! Sorry! My username will be the same. It's easier for me to remember that way. :heh: Thank you!

I don't have any stairs either (at work or home) so for my challenge I will commit to doing the walking plan Josette posted on page 29 (#426) daily for the rest of the week. That oughta get my blood pumping!

That's great news! It's getting closer and closer!

Not a problem! I don't mind being Niceyrenee! Good luck on your m/e fast! So far so good but it's only been half a day. I sure hope to make it 7 days but I make no promises. Only time will tell.

Congratulations!! That is wonderful news!

Dr. C it looks great! Thanks for all you do for bandsters at LBT!

All nutritionist have different guidelines. Mine said to stay away from caffeine if at all possible. She does however say to most certainly not have soda. I don't drink any caffeine and I gave up soda last summer and don't miss it!

Without a doubt! It has given me my life back!!

As far as that insurance company, I can't help but for a surgeon, I can. I had my surgery done by Dr. James Pitt with Columbia Surgical Associates through Boone County Hospital in Columbia, MO. He is fantastic!! He has not only done a lot of lapband surgeries, he has the band himself. It makes it really nice that my surgeon knows exactly what I am going through, not just what the books tell him! Check out http://www.boone.org/bhc/ if you are interested. Right now on the home page it has his pic with one of his patients. Below that it has the calendar with a Weight Loss Surgery Seminar as the first item scheduled for 3/1. If you click you click on "Weight Loss Surgery Seminar", it will direct you to the page that list all his upcoming seminars. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, let me know. Good luck!!

Thank you! Secrets, not really. I told my hubby that if I was going to go through with the surgery, that I was going to make it work for me! I watch my diet closely and while I am not eating perfectly all the time, I try to keep my calories low. I have found that zig-zagging my calorie intake has helped me a lot. I will eat about 800 calories per day for a few and then eat 1200. It keeps my body guessing and losing. I also change up my exercise routine. I walk as well as ride the bike, do crunches, light weight lifting and do a cardio dance video. One thing that I have gained through this is willpower. I can't say that I don't get hungry because I do, but I don't give in like I use to. I also have just decided that I am not going to eat some foods much because they aren't good for me. For example, I rarely eat any sort of sweets, bread or pasta. I love them and I know that I couldn't stop if I got started so I try to stay away. Good luck to you! I hope your approval comes soon so you can get started on your new life! Keep us posted.

I walk as well but I too was looking for something different so I have added some other things. Some things I do: ride the bike, light weight lifting and crunches. I also bought a DVD at Wal-Mart that is a cardio dance routine. I don't know the exact name of it but it's not bad and not expensive. It's a good workout but it did teach me that I have no funk! :heh: My dh gets 40 mins. of pure comedic entertainment! I really don't know about the eating around walking thing. I get up and walk at 4:00 a.m. and don't eat Breakfast until 7:00. That's just how my schedule works out and it works well for me.

My doctor told me to not bend over for at least 4 weeks to give the incisions time to heal. All docs are different but you may want to check with yours about it.

Hey Tann! I am planning to follow it for 7 days but you know how things go. I have a conference Thursday and the only meats that will be at the dinner are bratwurst and barbecue pork. Not the best options. I wonder which one would be the best to eat? I signed up at lowcarbfriends.com yesterday. I got my approval e-mail this morning so when I get caught up here, I plan to hop over there and join the "Losing 100lbs. in 2007" thread. I need to check my calendar at home to double check my weight loss this year so far. I have a NSV to share! I went to the doctor this morning to get my blood drawn for blood work. (He took me off my cholesterol meds two months ago because my numbers where excellent!) Anyway, he took my blood pressure this morning and it was low! :dance: He said that he wanted me to cut my pill in half everyday and soon I would be off it completely!!! That is the only pill I am on and I look forward to having none. WOOHOO!!!

My answers based on my experiences/preferences: cottage cheese w/ raspberries & splenda I have no problems with cottage chesse however I don't add anything to it due to personal preference not because of problems. Wasa crackers (high Fiber whole grain) with crunchy Jif Peanut Butter Crackers do not give me any trouble. Creamy peanut butter doesn't either but I don't eat it often at all. I was recommended to not eat a lot of nuts from my nutritionist because she said most people don't chew them up well enough to digest them and some people have problems so I haven't tried crunchy. coffee w/ cream I don't like coffee. Iced Raspberry tea w/ lemon (decaf) I can't imagine having problems with this but I have chosen to give up all tea. I drink Water 99% of the time. Caesar salad w/ grilled chicken I haven't had any problems with either of these foods but again I was told that a lot of people have problems with leafy vegetables. steak As long as it is tender and without fat, I have no problems. I just cut it into tiny bits and eat very slowly. chicken breast No problems at all. I eat baked boneless, skinless chicken breast quite a bit. (I hate fish) Ditto! asparagus Don't like asparagus. fresh green Beans I LOVE fresh green beans and eat them regularly! broccoli I have only tried it cooked but I had no problems. squash Squash is easy for me to eat as well. corn bread I haven't tried corn bread because I typically try to stay away from bread. Other breads that I have tried haven't bothered me but a lot of people can't eat them. corn tortillas I have had them a couple times with no problems. apples As long as it is skinless. bananas Goes down fine for me. oranges Haven't tried. all berries I have only tried eating strawberries and blackberries and haven't had any problems but I didn't eat very many of them. grapes No problems. I usually peel the skins off. cheddar cheese Never given me a problem. I eat low fat cheeses regularly. I LOVE cheese! nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts) See above under peanut butter. chinese food w/ veggies and chicken My nutritionist told me to not eat rice so I haven't. I love chinese food but since I can't have rice, I haven't eaten any. This is just my experiences but everyone is different. Good luck!

I have tried the South Beach diet protein bars. They aren't too bad but I prefer my protein shake.

I snack occasionally but not everyday. Typical snacks for me are a low fat cheese stick or a Jello SF pudding cup. I even have protein shakes for snacks once in a while.

I just asked my doctor to write me a recommendation letter and he did, free of charge. I gave him an idea of what they were looking for and he put it all in the letter and gave me a copy. It did the job cause not long afterwards, I was approved!