Betsyjane

My Dr. says 3 meals and if there are snacks, they should be way small and not often. I do better with snacks. Of course I don't need to get in much food since I'm not an exercise fiend like our role model here. I don't think of the snacks as a filling meal, so I don't worry about drinking with them. I drink 3 glasses AM before anything. Then I mostly drink just before I have a meal.

Hi Jodi First, I want to congratulate you for using this forum as you need to. It's great that you ask when you need..... In some ways, college will be the hardest part of your life. Appearances are important and you are in that rarefied atmosphere where it seems that some people have everything and get everything. You're not out in post-college life yet where some pretty girls still get lots of goodies, but some talented girls get longer term success, and some loving girls get great marriages, and the people you least expect to get divorces, or sick, or laid off..... Appearance becomes one of many ways to succeed instead of seeming to be the only way. Look beyond Brittney and Paris to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day OConnor. When you say someone is always better than you are, you forget that someone is alwasy worse off than you are. IOt's all in what you focus on. I don't know you, so I could be all wrong, but have you ever heard about Borderline Personality Disorder? It "borders" on bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, etc.... all those things you mentioned you had a little of. It can make you seem rudderless like you can't keep stable emotions, relationships, or much of anything else. Many women who have it used to be cutters. You might want to double check whether there is a counseling program at school that's free.... and if not, see if there is an MHMR office near you that offers counseling. Being Borderline can be tough....tough to get the diagnosis since it partly mimics so many things.

I'm confused. i just read the posts from the original thread, and they are all positive. If only "cowards" too snipes at you personally theough private messages, I hope you will report them to moderators. This town ain't big enough for the likes of them folks.

Thanks. That's interesting. I thought maybe the days that I had a protein shake I had more cravings...so I was thinking liquid calories aren't for me...or that the sweetness was setting off sugar cravings. I am doing a food journal, so I'll take a look at that.

What is Lipo6?

I get bored, so I buy old used ones on ebay. I find that the old Jane Fonda ones are great....but when I get sick of one, I put it back on ebay.

I go to the gym. The treadmill there calculates my target heart rate and keeps me there, and calculates calories burned. I wear my iPod shuffle. nike has some iTunes music for specific workouts. i haven't downloaded it yet, but it looks interesting. I also have a few free weights at home and a wobble board and exercise ball. I have to be careful, though. If I don't watch it, I buy stuff rather than exercising! My Dr said I couldn't do stomach crunches for 3 months, and I was actually happy to start doing them. I like the wieghts....just hard to get myself on that treadmill, even with great tunes.

I'm trying to fine tune my eating. What are your healthy band-friendly snacks?

I'm trying to decide what to do next. The weight isn't falling off without effort, so I'm getting more serious about exercise and thinking about some diet revisions. I've caught myself grazing lately, and I think iot's because I'm not getting enough calories in at each meal. It's hard right now. i broke a tooth and it hurts to chew chew chew, so I'm on mushier food that doesn' lead me to feeling as full. I'm also looking for appropriate snacks. Any dieas?

Congrats on crossing your legs!

Hey LeeinDe: don't worry. it gets better. Have you discovered Better Than Boullion Soup base yet? For a clear liquid, it's really hearty. the ham flavor feels like comfort food. LizRBit: How ya doing down there is Galveston? Have you been to The Strand yet?

I had some heartburn and found that I was eating too close to bedtime.

Jennifer: At the proper fill amount, the band DOES significantly decrease my grazing and cravings. What was impossible work on my diet and health has become hard work and entirely possible with the band. The stats my Dr. gave me were that on average, a lap band patient loses half their unnecessary weight and keeps it off. the gastric bypass person on average loses 70% of their unnecessary weight and regains 20% of it. You beat the averages if you do what you said...exercise and work the program alot. My willpower has always been nonexistent. With the band, it is better. "Better" to me is a miracle.

Just curious. why would restricting the stomach cause pneumonia?

Hey Barbara-What's the Mexican restaurant you like in Atascocita?

Anybody want to meet for dinner this Monday night...just go play together? I haven't tried Mexican food since I've been banded!

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Do the BMR calculation and then the Harris-Benedict and you're there! Sorry about your knee! I just got back from 24 Hour Fitness. Hired a personal trainer for next week just to get me on track again. She actually seems like a real person and not just a cheerleader or Rocky Balboa. Let me know if you go back to Jazzercise and I'll go. I figure I have cruised as much as I can and now I need to count stuff and get more exercise......

I hate liquid vitamins but I LOVE GNC Solotron chewables! Lemon lime flavor and sweet!

Me neither. No willpower. It just helps if I don't have it in the house. Can't say I'm always a saint....

How are you feeling?

Woo Hoo! Did you know that you are my hero.....

I have a different take on this. My theory is that aritficial sweeteners don't work long term because you still are accustomed to things being overly sweet. And since artificial sweeteners raise your blood sugar exactly like sugar does, they will precipitate a binge just like sugar. The brain just can't tell the difference. The only advantage to aritificals is that they have less calories....a different topic than getting rid of a sweet tooth. I find if I don't eat sweets at all I want them less than if I eat artifical sweets. If I have to eat somethign sweet, like a protein shake when I'm too restricted, I'm watering it down alot. Otherwise, I'm trying to stay sweet-free/chemical free. What do you think?

Most of us have been there. On liquids or mushies and craving food....banded but not restricted. Here's an idea. Think of feeling guilty for binging as your old way of doing business, pre-band. Now that you're banded, think of it as part of the learning curve. You try things, you discard them and try other things. When you're on solids, you'll have to learn all about that. When you are getting fills, you'll learn about that. the first time you are restricted and try to eat without chewing enough, wow will you learn that lesson! It's a long journey, and a good one. I just read an article about a woman in her 80s who starts each day by looking in the mirror and saying "I forgive you for anything you did yesterday". Every day is a new day with lots to learn. And think of it this way....Before the band, would you have stopped at chili and 10 fries after the amount of calories you didn't have for the rest of the day? It's starting to work, that darned band. Celebrate progress.

Attadoc, Dr. C! And congrats Sherry for getting what you need!

Just thinking out loud. Here's my latest cypherin'. With my BMR, I need 954 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week, or 1454 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week. Since "they" recommend not going under 1100 calories a day, that's my goal. Mostly from protein, fat from olive oil for cooking and any incidental fats I come across, and carbs mostly from veges. That's the plan. I guess I have to refigure the BMR as I lose weight, and if I increase exercise.....