vlp1968

So nice to read such a positive post. Keep up the great job!

That is awsome! I remember how excited I was to get off my meds. Keep up the good work!

I buy Kavili crackers- I like the garlic flavored. In my grocery store they are in the bread aisle. Only 10 carbs for 3 good size crackers. I eat them with tuna. Now that I am thinking about it, they would probably be good with homus too. Keep in mind 100% whole wheat crackers (like triscuits) and bread are a better choice than those made with white flour- more fiber wich keeps your blood sugar from spiking and keeps you full longer. Good luck!

When I was loosing I ate very high protien, low carb and low fat. Aim for at least 60 gms of proien. I tried to keep my carbs at about 30. I eat lots of chicken and fish. The only real carbs I ate where berries and veggies. I snacked on nuts and cheese sticks- they are pretty low in carbs. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I think you are doing just fine. The first month or so is about healing, not weightloss. Any weightloss is a bonus. My advice to you is to stick to a high protien, low carb, low fat diet and to excersise. I know you have a bad knee, but maybe you can swim. Even just some moderate walking would help. Good luck!

2-3 pounds a week is excellent, especially since you don't have restricition. I would keep doing what your doing. It will only get better once you hit restriction. Keep up the good work!

I lost 107 pounds in about 10 months- so a touch over 10 pounds a month. The loss wasn't completely consistant. Some weeks I lost more than others, one week I gained a pound. I was hard core with the low fat, low carb. diet and worked out.

Bannana and peanut butter is good if your not looking for a real lowcarb diet. The all natural peanut butter is much better for you than the other type. Most peanut butter has lots of sugar added, and contains transfats- the worst kind of fat. I snack on nuts a lot- I measure out 1/4 cup of almonds, or peanuts or chashews. Like you, I eat cheese. For meals I stick with a lean protien and veggies. I love perdue perfect portion chicken breasts. They come in different flavors. They are individually wrappped so I put the bag in the freezer and defrost one at a time (I live alone). I also like marinated pork loin. Again, comes in different flavors. You just bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes. Hope this helps. Good luck!

All these tips are great! I have found it helps if I don't let myself get too hungry before going out to eat. For me, it makes making a healthy choice much easier.

I live in Port St. Lucie, about 2 hours north of you. I would love to get to know you. I am very intersted it getting aquainted with people who have gone through the same thing as me. I don't know how to send a private message. If you send one to me, I will respond. Maybe we can exchange emails or whatever. Veronica

Thanks for the article- very interesting. I eat a fairly low fat diet most of the time (with the occasional splurge). I choose low fat dairy, sausage et.. I do so because they have less calories. The same goes for meat, I choose lean cuts.

It's tough to eat slow! I am over a year out and still struggle with it. I have found not letting myself get to hungry helps a lot. I eat 5-6 times a day. Being concious about putting my fork down between bites seems to help some too. You will get the hang of it!

You don't mention is your doing any kind of excersise. If your not, I highly reccomend you start. It works wonders for weight loss and has lots of other benefits. Start out slow and gradually increase your intensity/duration. I also found cutting carbs helps a lot. The less flour/sugar you have, the less you crave. The South Beach diet is a good one- it calls for the healthy carbs (whole grains, fruit, dairy) and healthy fats (unsaturated such as olive oil and avacado). Good luck!

I welcome the opportunity to brag lol. I was banded Nov. 16 09. I lost 107 pounds in 10 months. I had high blood pressure, diebeties and high cholesteral. They are all gone now, no meds for any of them. That was probably the most exciting thing that happened. Well that, and fitting into some size 0 clothes- who would have thought.

I have gone through the same exact thing. I hesitated to get an ufill because I didn't want to be hungry, didn't want to pay and didn't want to drive the hour to the dr. I suffered needlessly. Each time I eventually went in for an unfill I was much better. A small unfill will probably be good. Try to give your doc. as much information on what's been going on as you can. This will help determine how much to take out.

I too struggle with cravings for junk food. I am also in maintainance mode. I have allowed myself to eat things I totally stayed away from while loosing. Things I told myself I would never eat again. I currently am working hard on loosing a few pounds that I gained. 2 more to go. I have been weighing myself every day and basing what I eat, or don't eat, on that number. So one day I eat very well, and on another eat something fried or full of carbs or dessert. One good thing is even if I cheat I don't give myself license to "eat bad" the rest of the day. I know it would be healthier to eat more consistantly. I am struggling with cravings. I didn't give into them when I was loosing, but now I am. Anyway, glad to know others are in the same boat. I guess I just have to resign myself that my weight will be a life long issue. It felt good to get my thoughts out on this post, thanks for reading.

You felt restriction for the first few days because you were swollen from the fill. You are in what is known as bandster hell- the time inbetween surgery and getting restriction. Hang in there! It took me 3 fills to feel some restriction. Until you get to restriction, I would focus on eating the right foods (low carb, low fat, high protien) , even if your portions are larger than they will be once you get restriction. You can do it! Best wishes.

I would see your surgeon for sure. Sounds like you need a fill since you don't have restriction. I don't know if you stretched your pouch- the stomach has lots of give to it, again, something to talk to your doc. about. In the meantime I would focus on eating the right things (low carb, low fat, high protien) even if your portions are larger than they will be once you have restriction. Good luck! You can do it!

You do hear different things from different surgeons. I was told 1 week of liquids, one week of mushies, than solid food. I had no issues. You might want to call and talk to someone in the office- probably a nurse and see if you can progress to mushies sooner. Congrats on your surgery.

Wow- I am sorry to hear you are having so many issues. Insurance gets so complicated, and you hear different things from different people. That's good your not throwing up anymore. I guess all you can do is keep up getting on your insurance carrier and hope they will eventually pay. I had trouble getting my prescriptions filled when my job switched companies. It took many phone calls to get it straightened out. Good luck!

8 pounds in 3 weeks is great! We are only expected to loose 1-2 pounds a week. Also, I believe they put saline in the iv you get during surgery, makes you retain fluid. I didn't loose that much the first few weeks, then bam the scale moved. How often are you weighing yourself? Try to only get on the scale once a week. It's hard, but the natural flucuations are enough to drive one crazy. Try not to feel discouraged, it's counter productive. Every pound you loose is great. Just know you are doing the right things and you will see results. Good luck!

I don't think 3 gms of fat is a big deal. I buy the 2% greek yougurt. Same with cottage cheese. I think the creaminess is worth a few gms of fat.

Happy Birthday. Congrats on the weight loss! Keep up the good work.

Wow- I am surprised he took all your fluid out, and not just the 1cc he had just put in. I agree with the above post, focus on eating the right things- low carb, low fat, high protien. You portions may be larger than they will be once you have restriction again, but at least you shouldn't gain any. That is awsome your working out, keep that up for sure. Best wishes!

Watch out for ketchup- lots of carbs and calories. Mustard is a much better option. I use light mayo- only 20 cals per Tbls. Best wishes!