Saraboo

Tuna is a great thing to have on hand. Have you tried the starkist flavored ones that come in the packets? At my last job, I always kept a couple at my desk for in case I needed a small snack, or I would have it for lunch. The lemon pepper is my favorite, and I can eat it straight out of teh pouch with a fork. Had that for lunch today, actually. Lol. Low fat, high Protein, and it's convienent. I'm not sure what your restriction level is, or what you can eat,but here are a couple more of my favorites- lunch meat with cheese rolled up- turkey with provolone is pretty good. if you have to do fast food, a small chili from wendy's Egg Bites- the recipe is here http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/10/party-time-confetti-bites.html her low carb izzas are pretty awesome too. Actually, pretty much any recipe on her blog is awesome. Everything she does is WLS friendly. If you can do salad- green leaf lettuce with toasted almonds, a sprinkle of cheese, and a squirt of lemon juice. You get texture and flavor without the fat. Hard boiled eggs Homemade soups-you can control what goes in them, and put extra veggies in for the nutrition when i'm really craving something salty and crunchy, I'll bake some pepperoni slice on foil- usually at 375 for like 8 minutes-i blot them after too- Baked asparagus with garlic and lemon. Yum. Gladware also makes some containers that are a 1/2 cup with a twist on lid. Perfect for portion sizing when taking your lunch to work. Try walking on you lunch break, and you can use to 16 oz Water bottles as free weights. That way you can work your arms at the same time. You can try the 5 day pouch test- I'm not too sure on teh exact details but if you do a search on it, it should pop up. Make sure you are getting your water in. Rocco DiSpiroto (sp?) has a cookbook called "Now Eat This" It's pretty awesome. He took a bunch of comfort/favorite foods, and made them healthier. As in, almost all are 400 calories or less. There is an awesome coconut shrimp recipe in it, and a mac and cheese recipe.

Both of these were taken in August of 2009- on a cruise for my Dad's 50th birthday. THis was at my highest weight, about 3 months before surgery Easter of 2010- down about 60 ish lbs at that point January 2011- down 85 lbs at that point I'm about to take some during pics for my dr's office so I'll post those when I get them So far, down from a tight size 26, to a comfortable 16

I'm somehwre between 5'9" and 5'10" (all depends on who's measuring). I origanally had a goal set of 150, but I never set it in stone. I always said that I would go by where I was most comfortable. I have recently raised my goal weight to 160, so I have a number to shoot for. It's in the healthy BMI range which, other than feeling better, is my ultimate goal. I started in a tight size 26 loose 28, and I'm down to a size 16 in most clothes-14/16 in some, and mostly L tops. I'm lucky enough that I have someone who is going to pay for my plastics, and I know that if I had a TT now, I'd probably drop 2 pants sizes due to wear my excess skin hangs, Goood Luck!!!!!!!!!!

For me, it's definitely a day to day thing, and how long it's been since my last fill. In general, I can't do normal sandwhich bread. Too doughy, and my band does not like it at all. I very rarely go for bread products now, but if I do, it's usually part if a biscuit, or splurging on the top part of a piece of garlic bread. Pasta for me depends more on the type. i can do angel hair better than spaghetti, and ravioli is one of the easier ones. The last time I had pasta, I made it from scratch and rolled it out extra thin so I could enjoy some with my family. They didn't mind, and I was able to enjoy too.

There is no way I cold wear Spanx everyday. I only wear my control tanks if whatever shirt or dress I'm wearing is too form fitting. I tend to wear ribbed cotton tanks, or shirts that cover my sag. Because of the way my stomache hangs though, I can't get away with low-rise pants. Yet.

There is no way I cold wear Spanx everyday. I only wear my control tanks if whatever shirt or dress I'm wearing is too form fitting. I tend to wear ribbed cotton tanks, or shirts that cover my sag. Because of the way my stomache hangs though, I can't get away with low-rise pants. Yet.

I've also found that pants that are loose-like falling down loose- can cause issues depending on how i''m sitting. I can sit at a table fine, but once I switch sitting positions, for example sitting in teh car after dinner, I have issues. I can go out to eat, eat an appropriate amount and be fine, but once I sit in the car, because the way my seat is I guess, My pants always shift and press into my stomach. Grrr.

Here's my question for all of you, do any of you have issues eating when wearing tighter clothing? Or issues just in general? I bought one of those "skinny" tank undershirts-you know the kind, the ones that smooth you out. I've discovered that if I'm wearing clothes that are a little bit tighter, I have issues. I can barely eat if I'm earing it, or any type of pants with an elastic wasteband. I wore the skinny tank, and after a couple hours, I had to take it off. It ended up making me feel nauseus. I think it has something to do with the loose skin and fat being pressed in where it's not any longer. Any one else experiencing something similar?

Have a couple more to throw out there I went to a family party last weekend, and my Aunt didn't recognize me at first Most of us were wearing Sherrif Stars with our names on them (Wild West Theme) and my cousin told me mine should say Skinny Minnie. FIrst time someone has said that!!!! I am now only "Overweight" Back in Dec of 2009 I had bought a pair of Capri's from Torrid in a size 12 to wear at some point in the future. I tried them on yesterday, and while I am no where near being able to zip or button, I actually got them past my hips!! 6 weeks ago they wouldn't go past my thighs! I have a "friend" who has seen me at my heaviest, and has seen me now. Even with my saggy wrinkly skin, he calls me sexy :wub: He's a great ego boost for me. I can bend over and tie my shoe like a normal person None of my rings fit anymore. I have a pair of rings I got the christmas I was 13. I got them to fit on my ring finger. I now have to wear them on my middle finger because they are too big. My ring size on my ring finger is down to a 5 1/2. (I've always had pretty small hands though) My 12 year old sister now wears a larger ring than I do, and she is skinny for her age The pair of skinny jeans I got in Jan in an xl are bagging on me I ow no longer have to unbutton my pants to get them off. I fit into a size L dress from Kohl's :Dancing_biggrin:

Dr. Sal is amazing!!!. I was banded by him nov 12, 2009, and I absolutely love him!!! He is one of the best Dr's I have ever met, and I have met a lot of Dr.'s. I have had a few issues with my band-totally my fault, and I own up to it-and Dr. Sal has been so understanding and supportive. At one point I was in the office every 2 weeks because I was having issues- I had been overfilled at one point, and my stomach is now very sensitive to fills. Not only has he been understanding, but he also asks after my my mom and sisters whenever I see him. Whenever I talk to someone about getting banded, and they express an interets, I recommend Dr. Sal.

If you're gaving issues with reflux, I would stay away from things that are acidic like grapefruit. It will only aggravate it. I've been having issues with reflux for the past couple months, and when it flares up, I have trouble eating all day. I'll wake up at night choking if it gets really bad. But what I've found that really works, is I take a Pepcid AC at night, and then one in the morning before breakfast. It has made a world of difference. And I try to stay away from anything really acidic

If I eat too much, I get a feeling like a lump in my throat. It's not comfortable at all. If it's something my band doesn't like, I'll get pain in my chest; or, if it's really bad, my mouth starts filling with saliva, and i know to head for the bathroom because I know taht whatever I ate is not going to stay down. YOu do not want to get to that. Bad for your band, and you.

Nov 12, 2009 (day of surgery) 298 lbs- BMI 44.1-Morbidly Obese This morning March 5th, 2011 201 lbs BMI 29.7-Overweight

Wow, we've been a quiet bunch! Just checking in for another update. Didn't have to go for a GI. I went back on liquids to give my tummy some time to heal, and that seemed to help. I even got another slight fill last month. I go back in on the 22nd of this month. Weight wise I seem to be dropping decently. The past week the scale has been going back and forth between 203 and 210. But, I got a fill, and then the next week I was really sick. And now, I'm PMSing which always makes me tighter anyways. Lol. It's been a streeful couple of weeks. On the upside, when I was in for my adjustment, the Dr. brought up plastic surgery because of my saggy belly skin. Yay. It made me pretty excited. I'm still about 35-45lbs from goal, but it's exciting to start researching. I'm hoping I'll still continue losing at the same rate I have been, and hopefully be to goal by my birthday in May. Hope everything is going well for everyone!!!

I've had a few bouts with having to be unfilled, and I've found that since I had a complete unfill in September, everytime I get a fill now, my stomache is ultra sensitive. I literally go on liguids for a good 72 hours after. I do have issues with water even the first day or too, but I sip. Lots of little sips. But, if you don't feel relief relatively soon, you're going to need to go back for an unfill

It will get better! I would say you probably have at least a week of that needing to burp feeling. It does suck big time. The shoulder pain does go away too; probably will before the urge to burp does. The nausea-well, everyone is different, I wasn't really nauseus at all during that time. Just make sure you get your liquids in. Staying hydrated is a very big part in healing properly, and I've found that I can eat better when I drink more water. Congratulations on taking the steps to changing your life!

I actually started with the 1-800-get-thin, but for some reason my insurance wouldn't cover me through them. I was refered out to a surgeon though. He used to be affiliated with them, but before my surgery disassociated himself from them. He has his own practice, and has offices all over So Cal. I absolutely LOVE my Dr. His Name is Dr. Sharam Salimitari- he's listed on lapbandtalk actually under surgeons, so if you did a search he would pop up. He and his partner's website is www.lapbandvip.com. They are both great, but Dr. Sal is my favorite. I have heard nothing but rave reviews of him.

I plan on getting a couple new tattoos. I've held off becuase my skin is just not where I want it to be. I'm also lucky in that my Dad is going to pay for my plastics as a present, then take me to some swanky hair place in Hollywood to complete the makeover effect. I'm pretty jazzed about that. We're hoping that I'll get pretty close to goal soon, and start maintaining so that all this starts happening around christmas.

I've been in your shoes. I had a complete unfill in September, and it took a long time to get restriction back. I actually ended up gaining back weight. Right around when I was unfilled, I also sprained my ankle pretty badly, so not only was I able to eat normal, I couldn't do my normal work-outs Just try to make smart choices, keep up with your workouts, and keep your water intake up. Good Luck!

At only a month post-op, I'm kinda suprised you got a fill already. I got my first fill at 8 weeks, and then it was only 1.5ccs. It is going to take a while to get restriction, and it can be tricky once you get close to your sweet spot. Take it slow, and remember that your body is still healing. Letting your body heal is so important. Good Luck!

Oh, I look in the mirror and I feel exactly the same way. I hate the way I look naked now. I used to have no problem walking around in just my bra, or changing in front of people, or having "fun", but now, all I see is saggy skin. I hate it. I just try and remind myself that saggy skin or not, I'm happier this way, and healthier. But still. Ugh. :success1:

My life has changed in sooo many ways! I was banded Nov 12, 2009. Since then I've gone from a 26/28 to a size 16/18, deppending on the brand. I've gone down to a ring size of 6. I am 1 pound from being overweight, instead of obese. I can go to the gym, and not feel like an idiot. I can walk for miles on end, just because. I can wear high heels now, not just kitten heels, but 4 inch heels. I like to go just try on clothes now. When I look in the mirror, I'm starting to see how I actually look, not the 298lb girl I was, but someone who actually looks kind of skinny. I have curves, and I'm not afraid to use them! Lol. My self-confidense is so much higher. I'm not afraid of traveling anymore because of seatbelts, I know they will fit now. I can cross my les normally. I feel better about myself. I now weigh what I weighed beggining of sophmore year, and am back wearing the same sizes I was in Junior High.

I've had a few NSV's lately. ~One that I hadn't even realized I wanted-on of my dr's commenting on my skin and telling me he's going to give the name of a plastic surgeon-that totally made my day ~Starting at a 26/28, and I'm currently in 16/18's ~going from a 44G to a 36/38DDD(depends on the bra) ~ I was walking to the store last week, and a guy riding his bike whistled at me as I went past ~ Being able to borrow clothes from my mom ~ Guys telling me I'm beautiful, or sexy ~ Having lost a shoe size, I can now share shoes with my little sister ~ Going shopping, and being able to get stuff in regular sizes ~ The compliments I get from friends and family ~ My dad telling me I've inspired him. He's now training for the Ironman competition ~ My Dr.'s office asking for before and after pics to possibly use on their website/brochures ~ Being flirted with in general ~ I wore stretchy/spandex leggings to the gym!

http://ramblingsofaformerfatgirl.blogspot.com/

298 5'9" BMI 44 No Co's I had Blue Cross at the time. Once my paperwork was finally taken off someones desk-they "lost" it- Approvale took a couple weeks. I started as Morbidly Obese, and I'm about 10 lbs away from being merely Overweight. Best Decision I have ever made