StormRoyale

I mix my Myoplex Original powder with sugar-free Jello pudding and Water. Then blend it. It only adds 25 calories to Myoplex, but enhances the flavor of the shake and also turns it into a pudding. Which for me, makes it more filling. I also add a few squirts of sugar-free syrup (torani brand) for different flavorings.

Thanks! Believe it or not, but I didn't really think that the lap-band was going to work for me all that well before I got it. Hell, even after I had had it for a few months, I thought I would be like most and only lose about 60% of my excess weight. I figured if I actually DID lose all the weight I wanted to, I was expecting it to take up to 2 years to happen. Thankfully, I lost 2 pounds a week pretty steadily. Any time I started to plateau, I would do something drastic to shake up my body and start the weight-loss again.

The only one that I've like is Myoplex Original (300 calories 42g of Protein) You can get it on Amazon for a good deal.

Breakfast:: 3 slices of Foster Farms Oven Roasted chicken Breast deli meat (60 calories and 15g of protein) diced then browned in the frying pan, 3/4 cup of Eggbeaters (90 calories and 18g of protein), 1/4 cup of diced onion, 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Light Sun-dried tomato & basil cheese (35 calories and 2g of protein). Ends up making about 3 fluffy cups of food worth 185 calories and 35g of Protein. Lunch: Clif Builder's bar (chocolate mint or vanilla almond are the best!) 270 calories and 20g of protein. Dinner: A variety of things made out of Ground Turkey BREAST (8oz 240 calories and 56g of protein) Some example of what I make with the ground turkey: Chinese Orange Ground Turkey, Chili, Ground Turkey Tika Masala, Ground Turkey Asian Lettuce Wraps, Red Curry Ground Turkey, Ground Turkey Enchiladas (no tortilla), Ground Turkey Doro Wat (Ethiopian chicken in red pepper paste), Moroccan Ground Turkey, Ground Turkey Chili Rellenos... etc. With all of these dishes, 8oz usually equals about 400 calories. (If anyone is interested, I can give you my recipe. It's all about full flavor with minimal substitution.) I only cook them once a week in bulk. Half get frozen and the other half will last me most of the week. Snack: Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream bar (100 calories and 3g of protein) About twice a week or so, I'll also eat a Lean Pocket (average 250 calories and 10g protein). Average day: 900-1300 calories and 115-125g of protein Once a week I'll go out to dinner and eat whatever I want. I try to avoid empty calories (rice, Pasta, mayo, etc.) Other than that... on my nights out, I probably end up eating close to 2000 calories.

Nine months ago I was 270lbs with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and borderline diabetes. As of today, I've reached my original goal weight of 170lbs. Last time I was under 200lbs was... 20 years ago? I've had 2 fills totaling 6cc into a 14cc band. I've always had very little restriction. Nothing has ever gotten stuck and I can eat about 4 cups in 10 minutes. I truly believe that my surgery saved my life! It took having surgery to finally get that elusive something to click in my head that I had to change my eating habits. While I don't think that the Lap-Band is for everyone... (***I recommend most people I know to get a by-pass instead***) I'm so happy I got one! My new goal: loose 10 lbs of body fat and gain 15 pounds of muscle. ***From my experience, success with the Lap-Band is 80% willpower and 20% band. Whereas the people that I know who have gotten the by-pass: 80% by-pass and 20% willpower. With a by-pass you CAN'T over-eat and must avoid high sugar foods. With the lap-band, I can eat everything and must monitor myself.

Howdy y'all I'm having a bit of a conundrum. I use to lose weight each week eating 1200 Calories a day... then I plateaued. So I dropped downed to 1000 Calories a day and began losing again. When I plateaued again, I started eating 800 Calories and began to lose weight again. When I try bringing my Calories back up to 1000 a day, I re-enter my plateau. The writing on the wall is telling me that I'm going to eventually plateau again eating 800 Calories a day and I don't want to drop down to 600 to start losing again. Any advice?

I lose about 2 pounds a week at 1000 calories and 100-150 grams of protein.

Howdy y'all, I'm scheduled to get my first fill this Friday. My band was installed EMPTY of July 1st and I've lost just over 30lbs since my surgery. I'm eating 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of food 4 times a days... which adds up to 1000 Calories. The good news is that the portion size that I'm eating right now leaves me FULL. The bad news is that it only last an hour and a half; 2 hours at the most. I'm then hungry for the next 2 hours until I can eat again. My concern is that if I get a fill, my portion size that I can eat will get smaller. I'm very happy with my portions right now and I'm afraid that if they got smaller, I'll have trouble getting 1000 Calories in each day. (Any less than 1000 puts me into starvation mode.) I know I have no restriction right now. (I've accidentally swallowed very large pieces of food on several occasions and have had no discomfort or issues.) And I like having that safety net of having a loose band just in case I forget to chew... But I'm tried for being hungry half the time. There's also the knowledge that most people don't fill restriction until their 4th fill swimming around in my head. If I DO pass on getting a fill and get it later when I feel like I desperately need it... That first fill probably won't do anything for me and I'll then be waiting for the next 3 fills before I feel restriction! Aurgh! What to do?!

@Isa Bella My doc said that I could eat normally before I go in for my fills... just not to stuff myself.

My surgeon also has an in-office nutritionist and both gave me the same diet: Eat at least 100g of Protein a day... 150g if it's not filling you up. Eat three to five, 1/2 cup meals throughout the day. Try not to eat more than 3/4 of a cup at any one time. I wasn't given a calorie limit, but I limit myself to 1000 a day. (50-65% protein and the rest is usually divided evenly between carbs and fats.)

I am utterly amazed how anyone can blindly decide on and get a life altering surgery without doing any research beforehand. I researched for a year before deciding that any WLS was for me. And then another year during my approval process to decide on the Lap-Band®. Before I even buy a microwave, I'll read tons of reviews and opinions before deciding on a make and model. The Internet is my friend. I knew before hand all the 'worst case scenarios' and the odds of any of the lap-band cons happening to me. I also knew the odds of the 'best case scenarios' too. The lap-band is a tool and works well when used correctly, just as is can be a nightmare when used incorrectly. (Use a car correctly and you can travel in safety all over... use it incorrectly and you can kill yourself and everyone else in your way.) Sorry for the rant, but ignorance infuriates me.

I've tried quite a few of the main brands that everyone usually recommends and didn't like any of them. The only one that I like is Myoplex Original Powder, by EAS with 42 grams of protein per packet. I get the vanilla flavored one and mix it with 1/4 of a box of Jell-o sugar-free vanilla pudding (25 calories) and water. It doesn't get quite as thick as a regular pudding because I'm using water, but it's easier to eat a pudding a day rather than trying to force down a thick shake. Here's an FYI for you, so you don't make the same assumptions that I did... unflavored protein powders do not mean it is tasteless! It just means that their not adding anything to try and mask the awful taste.:party: Buy samplers first!

I had my surgery on the same day as you and my doc won't give me my first fill until Sept 1st. When I asked why she waits so long, she said she want to absolutely make sure that all the swelling has gone down. I also couldn't help but notice that you and I have also lost the same amount of weight thus far!:tongue2: We should totally become lap-band buddies. Edit: OMG! I also just saw that you're also in Sacramento! Dr. Machado?

My husband (who's a physician) said that it doesn't matter what you rub on your scars... it's the rubbing of the scars themselves that causes your body to send more cells to the area, increasing the healing efficiency and in turn... lessening the appearance of the scar. I probably look like an idiot walking around rubbing my belly all the time, but hey... whatever works!:wub:

I'm a month out and I'm still only able to eat about half a cup before I'm full. The other day I ate an entire chicken breast and thought I was gonna pop! I am so thrilled that this is my bandster hell.:rolleyes2: