JoJo1

If you are interested in this but don't see how it could work, I recommend getting a few different kind of toys. The vibrating ones are really cool. It is true that a man who is bigger is much more uncomfortable. I was very surprised when my first husband tried this and I ended up liking it a lot. He was long and more narrow The trick is to get the woman turned on and then go very slowly. Start with fingers, then maybe two fingers, a couple gradually larger toys and lots of lubricant. If you open your mind and have the right partner, you could be in for the suprise of your life. My current BF is too big so we just use toys. Hope this helps some of you!!!

Amen!!!!!!!!

For me, weighing food is too much like a diet!! Diets don't work. I look at my fist and I figure I won't eat more than the size of it. However most of the time, I am unable to even eat that much.... It just gives me a reference point. The key is choosing the right foods, the rest will take care of itself... (My opinion) Hugs!!!

THANK YOU!!! :thumbup:

It sounds like you were a little stuck!! It is more important now than ever to chew chew chew until the food in your mouth is the consistancy of water. Then wait for at least 30 seconds before taking the next bite. It is not unusual to not know you are stuck until you drink something. I have actually gone to bed and then when I got up in the morning, realized I was stuck when I drank my first cup of coffee. It will take a while to learn all of the stuff that you need to know. I am very close to my first bandiversary and I am still working on figuring things out... Hugs!!!

You can copy and paste this post into your word program then save it to your documents for future use. I post this same thread every once in a while, so that is how I keep it.... Hugs....

It is necessary to post a thread like this at least once a week or so.... Those of you who are newly banded need to read this and take note. 1. You are likely to lose a quite a bit the first week or so after surgery but if you are one who doesn't, don't worry, it will happen. 2. You won't lose much in the first weeks or even months because you don't have restricrtion yet!! You need to heal first then worry about weight loss after at least a few weeks!!! 3. Restriction takes from a few weeks to a few months depending on your surgeon and his/her belief systom. 4. You have in some cases a lifetime of issues with weight to solve. Be sure you do the work on this either before or after surgery. Some people cannot lose weight because of deep seated emotional issues.. Our subconsious mind has been programed by our life experiences. No surgery in the world will fix this. Please consider getting professional help with it 5. Be willing to follow your intuition. If you don't think something will work, don't eat it. Your body is talking to you, just listen. 6. If you get stuck, you will be swollen.. Go back to liquids, then mushies, then solids. Listen to your body, if it doesn't make sense to eat after a stuck episode, don't eat. 7. Everytime you miss food, make a mental inventory of why you did this to begin with... We did it to reduce the amount of food we eat so we can unload the weight we have carried around for sometimes a lifetime. 8. Remember, we didn't get this fat overnight. It won't go away overnight either... let me know what I have missed.... I will repost it in a week ot two for those things!! Hugs!!! ( I added a few other peoples comments here.) For many of us, weightloss is not steady w/the band. The weight seems to come off in spurts. Don't freak out if you haven't lost weight for a week or two weeks or even a month. Just focus on what you can do to improve your weightloss, especially exercise and cutting out empty calories. Well put! I think also that many people expect Gastric Bypass-like results from a band (very rapid weight loss--very soon after surgery). I mean patients, family, co-workers, friends, and aquaintances. That is not the way the band works. 1-2 pounds per week is what we can expect in general. And that is after restriction kicks in. If we lose weight before we hit our sweet spot, GREAT! That shows we are committed to our new lifestyle. But as my surgeon told me, my eating habits were 43 years in the making when I was banded, they weren't going to change over night. It is a process, enjoy the journey, and don't beat yourself up for mistakes--learn from them. __________________

You should be able to eat solid food once you are past the healing and are allowed to. The reason you need to eat solid food is because it stays with you longer. Protein first then vegs. An occasional treat is good. You should not deprive yourself of an occasional treat. We have spent our life doing this, and it only got us fat... The key is occasional. Sugar white flour, and processed rice is poisen. Stay with fruit if possible. I dont do fruit ever because I am diabetic. I only eat protein and green vegs. I have researched the hell out of this so I could be sure it is correct. Once you become convinced, it is much easier. If you are still unsure and you are a reader, here is a suggestion. This book details the history of dieting in the whole world. I guarantee you will be surprised at what it has to say.... Hugs. Amazon.com: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage) (9781400033461): Gary Taubes: Books

I didn't even need a fill for several months after the surgery so I know that it is different for everyone!! I lost my weight with only two fills. Weird I know. I had a very small unfill after I reached goal and I think I can maintain now. At least I hope so. I sometimes eat too fast and have to bring it up so I am almost at one year and am still figuring things out. Hugs....

It has taken me a year to figure out when I am actually full without over-doing and I sometimes still screw up. I can hear each bite going through, (I am told I am the only one who can hear it, and I hope it is an honest assessment) and I don't take another bite until it goes through. I can also feel it go through. If it doesn't go through or if I start to burp, I stop. If I don't I will be seriously stuck. It varies so I have no way of knowing when it will happen. Hope you are all learning what works for you.... It seriously takes awhile.... Hugs!!!

After months and months, you are still entertaining me!! Thanks!!! Hugs!!!!

I have made the cheese ones for years but I had not tried the mozzerella until tonight after I read Tracy's post. She liked them but I didn't care for it. I don't know if it is because a lot of the fat is gone or not. Each person has to experiment with it and just figure it out. I haven't tried it with the pepperoni yet but I will soon. My favorite is with extra sharp cheddar. Any sharp cheddar is good, but if you don't like sharp then I wouldn't try it. I also tried the fresh parmasan today and I liked it too. I have a feeling the pepperoni ones would work betrter in the oven, but can't say for sure until I try it out. I am intrigued by the idea of putting pepperoni into the cheese. Sounds good to me!! Good luck and cheers!!!!

I understand why the chips are expensive because good quality cheese is expensive. I think it is a little healthier to eat cheese this way also because it cooks out some of the fat. I have done this with parmesan but not with the fresh, I will have to give it a try. I often season it with natures seasons, onion powder, or even garlic powder. I don't think the pepperoni thing works for me, but next time I get some, I will sneak a few and try it just to see if I could like it. It is usually a little too spicy for me. Hugs!!!

I have actually done low carb for the last 11 years to control blood sugar. I believe in it for blood sugar control as well as health. I am not doing anything here accept trying to help those who believe it too. If you are craving crunchy here is what I do. I fry cheese and I microwave cheese. Here are the directions. Have you ever picked at the cheese on the edges of lasagna and wished the whole thing was crispy cheese? Take some grated cheese, (cheddar, sharp to mild, it just depends on taste) and spread it into a non-stick frying pan. It works in any frying pan with Pam. Use medium heat and just let it cook until the edges start to turn brown. This seems like a very long time. Probably 4 or 5 minutes. Then turn it over. (like a pancake) Let it cook until the underside turns a little brown. It takes a little practice because stoves are different, so just try it. Place the finished product on some paper towels and cool it. Break into chips,then prepare your favorite dip and enjoy!! In the microwave, you need some freezer paper. Place a slice of American cheese on the freezer paper shiny side and microwave for about one minute. This varies according to your microwave and your taste so be prepared to experiment a little. This only works with american cheese. And it only works with freezer paper. If you do this right you can make sandwiches with two of them and not deal with the carbs in bread. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions!!!

As I stated earllier, docs disagree a lot on the use of carbonation. My doc also said no carbonation and no caffiene. I do still enjoy one cup of coffee in the morning and now that I am a year out, I enjoy an occaional beer. In the beginning, when I tried a sip or two, it would hurt and I found out why they said no carbonation. Now I only need to pour it into a glass which releases some of the fiz, and I am fine with it. Hugs!!