Birinak

Actually, I'm glad you won that debate! Toronto can be very cold and snowy in the winters, and I think visiting the city would be uncomfortable in December. Vancouver, though, is one of Canada's warmest cities (It's still Canada, so you might still need a sweater and a jacket) and it doesn't have snow that often in December. I think you'll have a good time in Vancouver! Still, Toronto can be a great place to visit during the late spring (late April or May) until mid-autumn (October). Snow doesn't really fall in Toronto until mid-December and stops mostly in February (although we just had a sudden snow-fall a few days ago). Visiting Toronto in the summer is good because we have quite a few events and festivals then (like the Caribana parade in July). I usually recommend that visitors see Montreal, but, since Montreal is a very European city and you're from Europe, you probably will want to see something different from home. If you decide to return to Canada for another visit, you might want to consider going to Newfoundland (and Nova Scotia) on your next trip. People usually really enjoy the maritime provinces. Haha Actually, "Birinak" is just an anagram of my Iranian last-name. My background is Iranian (my family came to Belgium as political refugees from Iran, which is another reason that I love Europe so much!) But my real name is Irene. The name was given to me by a Belgian woman, who was helping my family at the time. My parents say that Belgium is lovely too. I was too young when we left for Canada to remember it, but it would be nice to see Belgium the next time I visit Europe.

Here's a youtube video about Field Roast at some Veg-Fest that takes place every year. The great thing about this brand is that its products are completely vegan and made from grain, not soy.

Hey, so this prompted me to think about which recipes you may like, but as I thought about it, I realized that I really don't make anything altogether special. It's pretty easy just to substitute tofu or veggie ground beef for most foods that you're already making, from Pasta to stuffed vegetables to stir-fries. So, for example, about once a month I make vegetarian tacos. I use a mexican-flavoured veggie ground beef (but you can use plain veggie beef too, and add in taco seasoning). The brand name of the meat is Yves. I'm not sure if it is available where you live (I live in Toronto). Without using too much oil, I first sautee some onion, then add diced tomatoes, then the veggie meat. I add a few spoons of salsa into the mix. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to cook the meat from frozen on medium heat, since it comes pre-cooked. Because I can't eat too much at this point, I break one taco shell in half (down its length) and place the ingredients on each half. There really isn't anything I can tell you that you don't already know yourself, if you've ever made meat-tacos. I use low-fat sour cream, salsa, lettuce, diced onions, black Beans, and grated cheese, along with the cooked meat. I also sometimes make chinese stir-fries. Again, if you made meat-stir fries, the process is similar, except for the fact that you won't be cooking the "meat" portion first or for as long. I buy frozen chinese-style veggies to make cooking faster (they turn out pretty well and, because they were flash-frozen, they retain more Vitamins then fresh veggies). I add in marinated tofu in the last five minutes of cooking. I sometimes make lentil Soup. It's pretty easy to make since lentils don't necessarily require soaking before hand. I just boil lentils (they double in size, so be careful how much you add) on medium-high, then, once they're almost done (soft), I add in some garlic and onion. I use vegetable bouillon, a little bit of cinnamon powder, and hot pepper flakes to add flavour. In the last 15 minutes of boiling, I add quinoa (which is high in protein) to give the soup some starch. In the last five minutes, I add in frozen vegetables. The soup can be pureed, depending on preference. If I haven't eaten tofu too much that week, I sometimes add in cubes of tofu (usually firm) at the same time as the frozen veggies. For extra flavour, sautee raw veggies as a base for the soup and add in after the lentils are almost ready, instead of frozen veggies. As for using tofu, I guess a few tips are: For better health, consider buying organic tofu and avoid vacuum-packed tofu. The tofu packaged in Water is supposed to be healthier, lower in carbs, and less processed, but it doesn't keep as long as vacuum-packed tofu. When you buy tofu, try to get one that is not near the best-before date. You can leave it in the fridge, in its unopened package, until that date. Once it is opened, the tofu will keep for about three days (although some people keep it for up to a week). The instructions are usually to rinse the tofu, place it in a sealed container with new water (completely covering the tofu), and to change the water every day. Don't eat tofu raw; if you want to put it salads, boil it for about five minutes first. If you want the tofu to have a definite flavour, like in foods where the tofu stands out, you must marinate it for at least an hour (or over night in the fridge). In order to get the tofu to absorb as much marinade as possible, you can do two things. First, you can freeze and then thaw the tofu before marinating. When it's been frozen, the tofu will look yellow and look like a sponge. Frozen tofu has a very different texture (more meaty) and it soaks up marinades very well. If you do not like tofu with that texture, you can also press the moisture out of the tofu in order to get it to absorb more marinade. Some people place tofu in a towel (paper towel or cloth) and place a plate or pot over it to press out the water before marinating. If I'm making a food that has a sauce or is a stew/soup, I don't bother marinating the tofu. I just cut it up in pieces and throw it in while cooking. Sometimes, I lightly fry non-marinated tofu (until the outside is a little crisp and yellow) to give it a better texture before adding it into foods. Finally, when buying tofu, pay attention to the firmness as listed on the package. Usually, if using tofu as a replacement for meat, you should buy firm or (even better) extra-firm tofu. If using the tofu in a soup or blending it (like in a Protein shake), you can use soft or medium-firm tofu (extra-firm tofu still works in Soups too). If you ever have tofu that you need to be more firm, you can use the techniques mentioned above (pressing or freezing). Beans make a great alternative to soy, and there are some beans that are lower in carbs than others. When I was on a low-carb diet, my doctor recommended eating beans, since I was a vegetarian, and I lost weight rather quickly while maintaining my protein intake. Another alternative to soy is quinoa, which, as mentioned above, is high in protein. Quinoa cooks in about fifteen minutes and can be used instead of rice. By the way, if you live in America (I looked at your profile earlier, but I can't remember just now), there's supposed to be a really awesome brand of veggie meats called Field Roast. It's not yet been brought to Canada, except for British Columbia, but I've read one Canadian vegetarian say that she even asked her friend to smuggle some Field Roast packs across the border--it's supposed to be that good. Field roast sausages are what people usually rave about, but I've also heard good things about their vegetarian holiday turkey. Anyway, I'd thought you might want to check the brand out.

Hello, Kim! I have many family members living in Holland (and a few in Norway). It's funny, this morning I was listening to a song by a Dutch DJ and I was thinking about how Holland is one of the best countries in the world. I was born in a neighbouring country, Belgium, and we moved to Canada when I was a toddler. But, when I was older, I visited your country twice and I really fell in love with the people, the culture, and the architecture. And, yes, Amsterdam is not very car-friendly compared to North American cities, but that's what keeps European streets so beautiful and lively. I'm glad that you've made the decision to change your life for the better and I wish you the best of luck.

Uh, you misunderstood what you read. Haha. Obviously, I meant that it was a little late in the day for me to post recipes because I was sleepy. Why else would I follow up "it's a little late now," with "but I'll make sure to come back tomorrow?" Also, I spent the next paragraph giving her advice on how to make a healthy transition to vegetarianism, then I wished her good luck on the switch, and told her to message me for tips if she needed them... so, just from the context of the statement, it's pretty clear that I'm not trying to discourage her from becoming a vegetarian.

It's a little late now, but I'll make sure to come back and post some recipes tomorrow. For now, I'll just give you some general advice about making the transition to vegetarianism. I've been a vegetarian for a little over 7 years, but in the first couple of years, I just replaced meat with more carbs. When my parents would make dinner (some kind of meat with rice), I'd just add more rice to my plate, along with a side. This led me to gain weight rather quickly and become temporarily anemic. So, I guess I'd just warn you to watch out for that. Although vegetarianism is associated with better health, higher brain functioning, and longer life-spans, if done improperly, it can actually be more unhealthy than a carnivorous diet. Always shop for enough non-meat protein to cover every meal. Typically, I make foods that are usually made with meat, but I replace the meat portion with tofu, veggie ground meat, or Beans. Also, as a new vegetarian, it's easy to fall into the all-soy mentality. In the first year of being a vegetarian, I drank soy milk, ate soy ice-cream (found a pretty good one too), ate soy hot dogs and burgers with soy cheese regularly. We, all of us, including meat-eaters, already get a high amount of soy in our foods. I try to limit my soy (tofu and veggie meats) to no more than 4 servings a week, since studies indicate that too much of it is risky. Out of all soy products, tofu and tempeh are definitely much healthier versions of soy than soy veggie meats, as veggie meats are highly processed. If you are buying veggie meats (i.e. burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips etc), try to search for those that are made from grain or non-soy protein (legumes, taro, shitake mushroom burgers etc). If you don't want to drink cow's milk any longer, I'd recommend switching to a non-soy milk such as almond or rice milk. Unless you're considering veganism, I also recommend replacing some of your meat protein with eggs (since they contain all essential amino acids, many important minerals and Vitamins (especially the very important Vitamin B12, which only comes from meat or meat byproducts!), and are only about 70 calories each). In order to get a proper amount of Iron (and other minerals in your diet), you may want to increase your regular intake of dark veggies like broccoli and spinach, and eat more beans and whole grains. You won't need iron supplements (or supplements of any kind) if you eat these types of foods. Anyway, that's it for now. Good luck on switching to vegetarianism. You can always message me if you need any tips.

I knew before that I always had a chocolate craving while on my period, but somehow, I forgot this fact today when I found myself snacking much more than I usually do. I usually restrict myself to only eating a treat twice a week, but today I've had a (small) slice of chocolate cake instead of breakfast and another slice as an evening snack. And, throughout the day, I kept thinking about this chocolate bar that I've been saving for later in the week. I didn't know why I was craving chocolate so badly, until I read this and remembered that this happens to me too (I'm also on my period right now). Anyway, I don't really have any tricks (but maybe I should seeing as I ate two slices of cake today!). I don't have a problem controlling my junk-food intake when I'm not on my period, so I'm not too worried about giving in to my cravings for a day or two a month. The way that I stopped myself from eating the chocolate bar in the house was to distract myself by reading, watching TV, or eating a fruit (to satisfy my craving for something sweet). Still, there's no reason for these days to be a set-back to your diet, unless you view it as one. I always view my "cheats" as a conscious choice to indulge and that way it doesn't feel like it's a failure and that I've ruined my diet for the rest of the day. I don't let my cheats to become an excuse to keep binging until I "restart my diet tomorrow/on Monday." In my view, my diet never ended, so I don't need to wait to restart it. I just had a little treat and it has no bearing on the rest of my meals for the day.

True, I totally forgot about ketosis. I remember having bad breath for a little while when on a no-carb diet (I'm not doing no carb now). That might be it. Then again, I don't remember having a film over my teeth. Yeah, I'd probably try to overcome the bad breath with mouth-wash and increasing my Water intake.

The feeling of a film on your teeth is usually from plaque. This would be the reason for the bad breath. If it is, the most effective thing to do is increase the time you spend brushing your teeth. So, if you're not already, brush for the full recommended two minutes each time. Other than that, maybe start using a good (non-alcohol) mouth wash? Alcohol mouth washes, while killing bacteria effectively, also dry out your mouth causing bad breath (but it wouldn't really explain the film). Also remember to clean your tongue, the roof of your mouth etc. each time. You may already be doing all of these things, but many people also don't, so I say this just in case. Are you using an electric toothbrush? They're really effective at getting rid of plaque. If you already are doing everything you reasonably can to keep your teeth and mouth clean, maybe it's that your not drinking enough Water since the surgery? Water not only washes out the mouth but also helps produce saliva, which reduces plaque.

I should clarify: I didn't mean that Jess was actively discouraging the OP. That sounds a lot more negatively critical than what I really intended. What I meant was that I'm not sure that the OP's concern about portions is an indication that he may not be ready for the band just yet, as Jess said. I agree that a lot of people go into this without understanding the process, or those who do understand may not be mentally ready to do what is required of them. My only point is that it is natural to feel as if 1 cup of food will not be able to satisfy your hunger, and that this is the one thing that the band should help you with once you reach restriction (not until several months post-op usually). If you feel as if you can't live without your binge-fests of cheetos and oreos, then you should know that the band is not yet the solution for you.

I'm not sure why your doctor told you not to snack. I think healthy Snacks are important, especially when only eating 3 small meals a day, in providing energy and nutrition between meals. Most of the naturally healthy and thin people I know snack often (but on a small handful of nuts and dried fruit, for instance, or on half an apple with Peanut Butter for another snack, or on one boiled egg with half a rye-crisp). My mother is a tiny and fit health-fiend and she's regularly snacking. I don't know. Your doctor seems to be particularly strict in this regard. My practitioner recommends about 1-2 small snacks a day. I suppose you should do what your doctor recommends, but maybe you should talk to him/her about including a couple of healthy snacks in your day, and possibly consult a nutritionist.

I think you can obviously break it down into three topics: 1) life pre-band: speak about those issues that most of the people in the audience can relate to (fitting into seats, embarrassing moments, missed opportunities); maybe mention the cycle of dieting and struggle with your weight pre-band; maybe also mention your moment of revelation (when and how did you decide that enough was enough and that the band was your answer) 2) life with the band: when you reached restriction, when you first realized that things were really working, your first or proudest moment of success during the process 3) life after reaching goal: maintenance, the difference between your life now and before the band (things that you do now that you couldn't do then). Finally, maybe mention your strategies of surpassing challenges along the way (the urge to binge, conquering plateaus, dealing with setbacks like weight-gain or stressful events, how you motivate yourself to get to the gym) Maybe include some interesting anecdotes (a particularly interesting reaction of a person who saw you for the first time in a long time (whatever stands out) etc.).

You're absolutely right when it comes to eating junk. Potential bandsters have to understand that the band will not control their consumption of most junk food. In fact, the food that it most effectively controls the portions of (those foods that you feel full the fastest from) are usually healthy and dense foods like vegetables and unprocessed Protein. Obviously, it would be perfect, for most people, if the band was most effective with junk food. Sadly, that's not the case (although it is pretty kick-ass that I can hardly tolerate bread, since I love bread). So, yes, potential bandsters must seriously consider whether they are willing or committed to consistently avoiding junk food (not that they can NEVER eat junk, but that they consistently limit themselves to the occasional treat and that they're honest with themselves in how occasional their treats really are). If they are unwilling to change the quality of the foods that they eat, they will likely fail. Even successful bandsters who admit to eating a lot of chocolate with the band will usually go on to tell you that they still choose to eat it much less often then they used to. Anyhow, what the OP was concerned about was portion sizes and, if you are eating healthy, hearty, and dense foods, the band will help you greatly in that respect (for most people). It's normal to feel like you couldn't possibly eat so little and be satisfied. So, what I was saying is that this concern is not a sign that you should reconsider the band. As I said, only if you feel like you can't do your part, which is controlling the kinds of foods you eat, then you should reconsider or hold-off on the band.

Yes, I'm also wondering if self-pay patients have to pay for the surgery to repair the slip. I assume that we would have to pay, but can anyone with experience tell us how much it was for them? I'm with Slimband, if that helps.

You had some good advice, but I think you shouldn't be so quick to discourage potential bandsters on the basis of their feeling like they couldn't possibly eat so little. I didn't think that I would be happy with 1 cup of food either. In fact, I think many people are surprised at how little they can eat and still feel satisfied once they have restriction. Also, the OP should know that the process of feeling satisfied on 1 cup of food is gradual and won't happen immediately after the surgery. It may take several months. In the meanwhile, during that time before you feel restricted to one cup, you should make a concerted effort to eat significantly less (and definitely much healthier) than you used to. The time before restriction is sometimes very difficult for bandsters (i.e. the "bandster hell" stage) who try to stick to 1 cup of food even before they feel satisfied with that amount. My pre-restriction stage was quite comfortable because I concentrated only on not over-eating (or not eating until I'm stuffed like I used to) and only eating a small treat 1-2 times a week, rather than trying to eat much less than what I then felt I needed. I never was hungry, but I still lost weight (slowly). Now that I've reached restriction (or very close to it), I can let the band do the rest of the work and I'm losing weight much more rapidly. But, you must first understand why you're at the weight you are and what your binging/over-eating triggers are, in order to find the best strategy of losing weight until restriction. Whatever you do, you must be consistent in order to consistently lose weight. Even before restriction, it doesn't take much to lose 1-2 pounds a week just by making tolerable but consistent changes in your daily eating habits.

Until about 4 months after the band, the few times that I ate at a restaurant, I pretty much ate one entree and no appetizer (I used to eat about 1 entree and 2 appetizers pre-band!). But, if I had wanted to, I still could've probably eaten 3/4s of what I used to eat. Just recently, though, I went to a restaurant with my friend (I hadn't eaten outside food for a few months) and I ordered an appetizer and an entree (out of habit). When the appetizer came, I could only eat 4 small tofu triangles, which was altogether about 1/4 of the whole appetizer. Then, it suddenly hit me that I also had an entree coming! So, while inwardly cursing myself, I had no choice but to ask the waiter to pack up the rest of the appetizer and the completely untouched entree to go. I just ate the rest for dinner and over the next day. I was partly pissed off at myself for over-ordering, but mostly pleased that the band was really working and to such an extent as to eat just a small fraction of what I used to eat. Yeah, I did sit there while my friend finished their meal, but it wasn't a big deal since they knew about my band and we have a comfortable relationship. Also, if I had ordered more wisely, started off eating slowly and chewing consciously, I probably could've been eating for a while longer. I suggest to you, if you get the band and you go out to eat with others, that you order a Soup (or maybe something with the consistency of mash-potatoes) and an appetizer. You can also consider ordering just an entree alone. Eat slowly, as if you were being very leisurely about it, and try not to finish too soon before your companions. Also, at some point, just get the rest packed up to-go. It won't have to go to waste; you can eat it the next day.

I was only made to do about 4 days of a low-fat, no-carb diet before the surgery. I could even have low-fat cottage cheese. It might have something to do with your current health and low likelihood of a fatty liver? I don't know.

The one time, pre-band, that I got to 193 pounds (my lowest), my waist was much smaller than my hips and butt. I liked it actually. Obviously, I don't want my butt to stay exactly the same size while my waist shrinks, because that would be freaky, but I definitely don't want a small butt. I worry about losing my butt more than my boobs. And I appreciate men who appreciate a big round butt! It seems like more men do than before. I remember when I was a little kid (in the late 80s, early 90s) that it was all about the small butt, or at least that's what I'd always hear.

I voted for you and the other candidate, Luis. I really hope Luis gets help with his weight, since he's at a risky age. I wish you and him luck in the contest! Please let us know if you win.

My boobs seem pretty even, but my sister always complains that hers aren't the same (they look fine to me) and she's always at a stable weight. Also, I've watched a few plastic surgery shows where women had this corrected (not that it needs to be corrected beyond a possible aesthetic concern).

Oh so true regarding the body-mind gap! It took me months to really mentally accept that I don't actually need to eat more than my stomach was allowing me. I mean, it's not like I didn't consciously know that fact, but, emotionally, I kept feeling justified in eating a few bites more. Great post!

You guys are really making some excellent points. As I'm reading all of your strategies, I'm also considering which ones I'd be most likely to implement when I finally have kids. As it is, I'm more open to either repeated encouragement (in a positive tone) or to requiring my future children to take a bite of a new food before they refuse it. Of course, I'd have to consider what my consequence would be if they did refuse even that bite (highly likely with many kids). In that case, I'd probably withhold a favoured alternative meal until they try the new food. Anyway, I'm still leaning to the "encouragement-only," surrounding them with good foods, and setting a positive example route, just as my mother did (it worked really well with all three of her kids, even the picky eater). But, I really never know until I have kids myself. One thing I will definitely not do is to physically put food in their mouths or offer comparatively unhealthy alternatives. I wouldn't have soda and white bread in my house. I'd have to find a spouse who feels the same way. One thing about the "one-bite" rule: many people have said that they use some variety of this rule in their house. As I said, I rather like the rule and I think it would be effective. However, it got me thinking about cases where I would not want to pressure a child into taking one bite of a new food. I'm a vegetarian and I would be very upset if I had been either forced to take one bite of meat, or given the choice to take a bite of meat or miss a meal. Some may be thinking: "Oh, boo-hoo! Suck it up, ya tree-hugger!" But, imagine if you were the child and the one bite was cat-meat. The situation is significantly worse if you had no choice but to eat it, but let's go with the gentler "one-bite" rule, where you'd have to eat it or miss a meal. Of course, now you could just choose the option of skipping out on that meal, but what if you were really hungry? I'm not sure how fair it would be to have to go to bed hungry because of your deeply-felt philosophical objection to cat-meat. Also, if you were a vegetarian, you'd be faced with the "cat-meat" dilemma at almost every meal (probably every dinner and lunch). My questions are: do you (or would you, when/if you have children) ever make exceptions to the one-bite rule? If so, in what kinds of cases? If you have multiple children, would you give the one (let's say, vegetarian) child the alternative but the other(s) the one-bite rule? Anyway, I think the one-bite rule is still justified in cases of vegetables, or meat where the child is a meat-eater but just doesn't want to try it in a new form. Thanks for contributing your input, guys!

That's after the 4-6 week post-op diet. The OP shouldn't eat fibrous veggies until they're cleared to by their surgeon. I can eat all of those veggies when they're cooked, and most of them raw. I can't eat raw broccoli (or I'd have to be extra careful). Anyway, it really changes from person to person and also how tight your band is.

Great advice, but one thing: I think sharing the post with him would be disastrous! He obviously is expressing his personal insecurities and fears with her... and now he finds out that it's on a messageboard? I think it's great that the OP posted here for advice and support. That's what this board is for, but telling her husband that she did or letting him read it will probably only hurt and embarrass him. Men want to feel independent, strong, and stable. This will make him feel that he's been wrongly portrayed as emotionally weak and childish (or imagine what he'll feel when he reads the posts that follow, where strangers, who've just read about his private behaviour, are calling him "childish!"). Some people are good with reading constructive criticism about themselves, but most people can't do so without feeling betrayed and misunderstood. Those people who can read criticism about themselves without feeling humiliated are those who are secure and self-confident. If anything, we've got reason to believe that he is not feeling 100% secure right now, at least less than his usual self. This would be the worst time for him to see that he's been publicly criticised.

Quite honestly, I was very confused by your interpretation of my responses. I'm not upset at all, don't get me wrong, but I never said that parenting comments are not necessary. Not even once, because I don't feel that way at all. In fact, parenting comments were what I welcomed with the most frequency--tried and tested advice. There are several commenters who shared their own parenting advice, about children they have, and I think they've been very helpful, as I said to them. Maybe you got this sense from the fact that I'm also welcoming people who aren't parents to speak about their own philosophies? I emphasized that a few times because I want to make sure that they know that, while this thread will obviously attract parents, non-parents are more than welcome to share their input too. I don't want to just focus on what is right or on those with practical experience implementing these issues. Everyone has ideas about how they will parent when they are older or if they ever had the opportunity to have a child, and I think it's interesting to hear what they think on the issue. Even if their ideas change drastically when they actually do have children, most people's approaches are coming from a certain philosophy (e.g. childen should have autonomy over their own bodies, parents should assume authority in everyday matters, there are or aren't such temperaments as naturally picky eaters). Anyhow, this is still soliciting parenting advice because I'm saying: "For those who don't yet or couldn't have children, what would you want to do if you were a parent or what do you do when approaching the topic with younger siblings etc.?" But, these questions always came after the ones asking current parents. So, again, I'm a little confused with your reading of my posts. The only times that I've had a disagreement about parenting, here, is when others have implied or worried that this thread is trying to tell parents how to feed their children. And what I've always answered is that I want all bandsters (from various experiences, lifestyles, and ages), whether they are parents or not, to share their own philosophy that underlies their approach to this aspect of parenting, to share some of the approaches they take daily or would take if they had kids, and to tell us why they find this philosophy and approach ethical or effective. They don't have to speak on all such topics, or they can bring up new but relevant subtopics of their own. So, actually, my questions are all about parenting, and they've always been constructed with the intention of soliciting answers from parents and non-parents.