Melinco

I've used acupuncture in conjunction with trying to conceive. Do I think it helped? Maybe. Did I get pregnant? No. But it, along with all the other things I did, help me develop three eggs which we were able to retrieve and inseminate and grow into beautiful embryos. I just wasn't lucky that time. My acupuncturist has said it can be used for weight loss (as well as a host of other issues) but I've not used it for that. Shop around. If your insurance doesn't cover it, you may be able to find a package deal for cash price that is affordable.

So have any of you used the Shape Ups for exercising other than walking? I do some light aerobics at home and am wondering if these would be good for that as well as walking. Thanks!

I'd recommend asking both your lapband doc and your PCP (or whomever told you to take the 81 mg aspirin) about this. Often times, if it is coated, it won't dissolve until it's lower in the stomach. This is one of those cases where it may be ok to take it.

Did the nurse give you a reason why s/he thought you should stop at the weight you are now? Or is she basing it just off how you look? How toned are you? Meaning how much have you been working out? Sometimes, once you get to a certain point, you can start to shift your focus from losing the extra weight to toning up, which will help with losing some extra inches, as well as a bit more weight loss. But I'd definitely ask why the nurse thinks you should stop where you currently are rather than pushing forward to a healthier BMI.

Since he has the MD behind his name and I trust his opinion, I think I'll listen to him. Unless you think I should follow the advice of the psychologist (who had the lapband) I went to who during our session was drinking a soda (which my surgeon advises against) and talked of his eating McDonalds quite often? I don't think so. Also, not everyone who has the band has a "disordered relationship" with food. Good luck with your journey! :cursing:

Way to go on your weight loss to date! You're doing an awesome job!

I agree with Happy. I didn't even cut it pre or post op, just the day of the surgery. And I use the coffee Mate Fat Free French vanilla creamer too. I just calculate it into my plan. I tried when I first started my pre-op to do hot tea, no coffee. Ugh, just was not the same. So I switched from the creamer above to regular half and half during the pre op (I was on a strict 30 carb limit during my pre op diet and I actually measured my creamer). After surgery, I went back to the Coffee Mate. Now I wouldn't suggest going to StarBucks and getting a grande vanilla latte or caramel macchiato (as those things are well over 300 calories), but enjoy the coffee you make at home, or if you can stand StarBucks black coffee, have it.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I seriously pulled this out of the air on Saturday when I was at the grocery store deciding what to make as a dessert for the super bowl. I've made similar Desserts (using different types of crusts like graham crackers or even pretzels), but decided that this combination of flavors sounded good. Who doesn't enjoy vanilla wafers with banana pudding? And bananas and chocolate seem to go hand in hand.

I do want to chime in with something that my surgeon told me once about another of his patients. Of course, he didn't name names or anything like that (so no need to worry about HIPAA). But what he said was that one of his patients just loves steak, but due to her restriction, can no longer tolerate it. So what she does is cooks herself a steak, chews it to get the flavors, the juices, the experience, but then spits it out. And he is fine with this. Now, should we do this all the time? No. If our band will allow something (such as pizza), then enjoy it on occasion. If the band won't allow it, then I'd say do as my doc's patient did above. Just make sure you do actually eat something other than the "crumbs" left in your mouth from the chew and spit. As always, follow your doctor's advice (like my disclaimer?).

Congrats! I know for me too, I could really see it in my face (lack of double cheeks!). Keep up the good work. You'll get through BH.

I had my second fill yesterday afternoon. Got 0.6 ccs, bringing me up to 5.6 ccs. No problems with finding the port this time, I just laid down, he felt my side, popped in the numbing medication, then in went the huge butt needle and voila! It was in. He likes to take out all the fluid first then put it all back in till full. Let me tell you, when he filled it all the way up, I could feel it close off my tummy! It didn't hurt, but it did feel odd. I did the normal drink water till I felt it at the back of my throat, then he let out fluid until the water went through quickly. Last night I ate some of the shredded pork I made with maybe a 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes topped with green chili from hubby's restaurant. The nurse did tell me to lay off the yogurt in the mornings, she said it's my new ice cream, so no more (since it slides right through and won't sustain the full feeling). So this morning I brought an egg that I'll scramble with some string cheese and salsa. I go back in two weeks for my next fill.

I'd say it depends on how the chili is prepared. If it is very runny, I'd say it would easily be classified as a slider, since it will slip right through the band. However, if it's like I make it, very thick and chunky and not much liquid, then I'd say it is not a slider. The last batch I made I used ground turkey breast, onion, can of roasted Mexican style tomatoes, diced, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can of pinto beans (rinsed both beans), as well as cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder. I cook it until it is nice and thick. It is full of protein and fiber. And, if you add even more veggies, like bell peppers, etc., it has even more nutrition in it. If you are thinking of Wendy's chile, I'd say it would run towards a slider, but if you strain most of the liquid off, then you'd have a non-slider.

This may not be a hard and fast rule, but what helps me to remember what is a complex carb vs a simple carb is its color. White tends to be simple, such as sugar, white potatoes, white rice, white pasta, white bread, etc. Brown tends to be complex, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole grain breads, etc. Also, many fruits and veggies are considered complex carbs (remember, I said many, not all). I hope this helps in remembering what is considered simple vs complex. And if you ever forget, Dr. Google is great with these kinds of things.

I'm glad you were able to "enjoy" your pizza. Yesterday pizza was sounding really good, but we had ribs instead. I should say everyone else had ribs, I made a pork shoulder Saturday in a crock pot and ate that instead, as the beef ribs we make, though tender, are very fatty and still tend to be a bit grisly. I made a dessert for yesterday's festivities that allowed me to partake of it. 1 box low fat vanilla wafers 3/4 stick of butter Crush wafers in food processor, add in melted butter, mix then pat into 9x13 inch pan, bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool. 1 8 oz fat free cream cheese 1/2 cup Splenda 1 tsp vanilla Mix and spread on top of crust. 1 box sugar free banana pudding 1-1/2 cups fat free milk Mix and spread on top of cream cheese. Let set in fridge for about 20 minutes. 3 bananas - sliced thinly, layer on top of banana pudding 1 box sugar free chocoloate fudge pudding 1-1/2 cups fat free milk 1 8 oz contain extra creamy cool whip Mix pudding and milk till dissolved, add cool whip. Spread over bananas. Let set in fridge for 20 minutes. Top with dollops of cool whip (I used a cake decorating bag with tip) and chocolate curls (use a vegetable peeler on a large Hershey's bar), one per dollop of cool whip. It was such a pretty dessert and really not bad for you at all. I cut it into 24 pieces.

I get that too, sometimes, but I think for me it's not hunger, but thirst! Once I'm allowed to drink (I make myself wait an hour after eating), then that feeling starts to go away. Perhaps that's it for you too?

Woohoo! And the pounds keep dropping! One week to go until this challenge is over, and I'm 4 pounds below goal! Also, I met my new revised goal of being the weight that is on my driver's license. I'm 250! Can't wait to see what the scale says next week. By the way, are we reporting our final weight as of 2/14 or on Monday 2/15?

Six days between first fill last Tuesday and my second fill this afternoon. My doc says the first fill doesn't last long (which it hasn't) so why make you suffer needlessly? Great Scale Victory today: I'm now my driver's license weight: 250!

Each person should calculate their BMR, Base Metabolic Rate, by using a BMR calculator, such as this one BMR Calculator. It will ask you your height, weight, age, and gender. Based on that information, it will give you the number of calories you should take in each day just to maintain your current weight. If you are wanting to lose weight, then you should subtract from your weekly calorie limit 3,500 calories for each pound you want to lose. You don't want to go too low in your daily caloric intake as you still need to fuel your body's most basic functions like breathing, digesting, brain activity, etc., so if you exercise, you need to add back in those calories so you don't go below your daily intake goal. Example 1: Male, age 40, 5'10", current weight 295 pounds BMR - 2521 calories Weekly weight loss goal: 2 pounds No exercising To determine your caloric goal for the day to lose two pounds per week, you'd take the 2,521 calories x 7 days = 17,647 calories - 7,000 calories (2 lbs) = 10,647 calories / 7 days = 1,521 calories per day. Example 2: Male, age 40, 5'10", current weight 295 pounds BMR - 2521 calories Weekly weight loss goal: 2 pounds Exercises 4 days a week and burns 250 calories per session To determine your caloric goal for the day to lose two pounds per week, you'd take the 2,521 calories x 7 days = 17,647 + 1,000 exercise calories = 18,647 - 7,000 calories = 11,647 calories / 7 days = 1,664 calories. So as you can see, if you are exercising, you actually want to add those calories back in so you do not drop below what your body needs just to function. As always, you should consult your doctor to see what he/she thinks is the right amount for you to lose per week, as it will vary by individual (this is my disclaimer). Don't forget to recalculate your BMR as you lose every 10 pounds or so, as the total number of calories you need each day will lower as you lose weight. Good luck!

I got my first fill on Tuesday. My doctor doesn't use a floro or whatever that is, but by feel. However, with that said, he does numb the area first. And we determined that it's easier to get to my port if I lay down rather than stand up as the port doesn't face straight forward when I'm standing. My port area is a little tender but not bad. I got 5 ccs though and go back again next week for another fill.

My weight at night is higher than in the morning, due to water retention, the foods I've eaten, etc. So while I do sometimes weigh myself at night, I don't give that weight any credence. Funnily enough, it seems most of my doctor appointments are late afternoon, so my weight there tends to be a few pounds higher than what it is at home.

This morning I had to take my last horse pill - I mean antibiotic - for my ear infection. I just got my first fill on Tuesday afternoon, so since then, I had been crushing them and mixing them with apple sauce. I forgot to pack some apple sauce this morning so I cut it up into tiny pieces then swallowed it with Water. Gross! Then the last little pieces I swished with some water before taking it and I thought I was going to PUKE! Those are the nastiest tasting things ever! Thanks goodness I had my flavored coffee with me to wash out the taste. I'm so glad I'm done with those! Next time I'm going to ask for a liquid antibiotic.

Like the PP said, take one, break it in half, so it looks like you're eating it, then toss a half, then a few minutes later, toss the other half. Be sure to give him a big smile and say thank you. OR, you can say, Thank you Mr. Cute Sales Rep for the donuts. I'm (we are) starting to watch what I (we) eat so perhaps next time you can bring in some fruit or bagels? Give him a big smile. When we told our sales reps (I work at an insurance agency) we were trying to become healthier, they were all really cooperative and brought healthier items. We still get the occasional pastry, but not near as much as we did before.

I've been mulling this question over in my head ever since last week when I was able to buy size 20 jeans. I had been wearing my size 26s with a belt to hold them up. I think what I will do is wash everything, then box them up in a rubbermaid box, then put them in our storage room. After a year, I will then donate them to Goodwill or give them to another bandster or maybe even take them to a consignment shop (like my nicer work clothes). Some things (like cheap t-shirts) I may just toss. I will definitely get rid of my saggy baggy butt granny underwear!

My scales are right in front of my bathroom door. I will weigh each morning if I have time, BUT I only count my weight on Monday mornings as my progress weight (which you see in the tickers below). There will be times if I have to go #2 that my morbid and weird curiosity will have me stepping on the scale before or after, but I am not consumed or obsessed by my weight. Just as the others have said, your weight throughout the day will fluctuate, based on what you've eaten or drank, whether you're retaining fluids, that time of the month, etc. So I say go ahead and step on those scales, but only be concerned with what your "official" weight is once a week.