I'm just feeling so blah about dieting. I've been going through these weird spurts of losing 10 pounds, then staying steady for a month, then losing again. I think I maybe be emotionally eating, or maybe just bored with low calorie foods. I think I might just need some easy and convenient food ideas. Hope y'all can help!?

It looks like you are doing wonderfully! :tongue2: 10 pounds in 1 or 2 months is awesome! Remember, even though we want it gone fast 1-2 lbs per week is normal and healthy... Keep in mind, this is not a diet, its a lifestyle!

(I just started the process but I could imagine it getting annoying if you focus just on bland food)

Add stuff to your food. Don't be too afraid! What do you think is missing?

Add spices to your foods.

With onion, garlic, salt, pepper

lemon or lime

wine

Cream sauces- with skim milk.

salsa

ginger

pickles

hot/sweet peppers

easy ideas- frozen meals (lean cuizine/smart ones has some tastey low calorie stuff); subway sandwiches (veggie delight with pickles); turkey and low fat/fat free cheese rolled up with lettuce; tuna with mustard and pickles (lol I love pickles can you tell-gives it tons of flavor); egg whites with salsa...

I was told by my doctor that I pretty much can eat other foods then just low calorie after my full food phase BUT its all about portion control and moderation. So if I decide to have a higher calorie meal, I will just be sure to compensate with exercise or watch the other meals... and just have a smaller portion of it.

I would think that if you look at this as a strict diet, you will give up. But look at it as a lifestyle and allow yourself to have other foods as a TREAT once in a while, then you will feel more satisfied. Be good all week then allow yourself one or two meals/snacks on the weekend that you normally wouldn't have, as a reward... But remember moderation and portion.

Sorry it was so long! Good Luck!:thumbup:

You are doing so well!!! May I get to 79 lbs some day - in spurts even!!!

It's not a diet - EAT WHAT YOU WANT (focusing of course on protein) but get that band tight and eat only a little bit of it. This is a NEW way of living.

Are you in your sweet spot? I think I might be in mine - I can eat almost anything - but I eat so little of it that it hasn't affected my weight loss at all. Don't get bored - you can do it!

I'm not really in my sweet spot, and I'm kind of afraid to get another fill because I've had two unfills so far, and I don't want to go back to throwing everything up. My band could be tightened a little more, but my doc is an hour away, so it's not easy to get back there if I need an unfill. I feel like my lap band is somewhat successful, based on the fact that I realized I was so over weight and need to make a lifestyle change. But after all the pain, throwing up, and plateau in weight loss, I almost don't find it worth it anymore. I've recently rediscovered Subway again, so that's been my latest addiction. (and of course picking out some of that bread, being bad for the lap band and all).

I'm just feeling so blah about dieting. I've been going through these weird spurts of losing 10 pounds, then staying steady for a month, then losing again. I think I maybe be emotionally eating, or maybe just bored with low calorie foods. I think I might just need some easy and convenient food ideas. Hope y'all can help!?

I'm not really in my sweet spot, and I'm kind of afraid to get another fill because I've had two unfills so far, and I don't want to go back to throwing everything up. My band could be tightened a little more, but my doc is an hour away, so it's not easy to get back there if I need an unfill. I feel like my LAP-BAND® is somewhat successful, based on the fact that I realized I was so over weight and need to make a lifestyle change. But after all the pain, throwing up, and plateau in weight loss, I almost don't find it worth it anymore. I've recently rediscovered Subway again, so that's been my latest addiction. (and of course picking out some of that bread, being bad for the LAP-BAND® and all).

Kelsey,

Even though we're a lot different in age, we were banded about the same time, only a year apart..and are losing at about the same rate.

I started March 9, 09 at 383 and by Sept 3, 09 I was down to 299.. so losing at about the same rate.

I'm not sure what you mean by dieting. This isn't supposed to be a diet, it's supposed to be a lifestyle change. I do eat low fat & no fat, but that is my choice. It's not everyones.

I am also confused by the term "sweet spot". I don't worry about that.. I eat my 3oz (sometimes 4oz) of Protein and 1/2 cup or 4oz of veggies and quit. I try not to eat again for 3 to 4 hours.

I don't know what type of things you like, or if you like to cook..so here are some ideas.

I make mini meatloafs in muffin tins. We love tex-mex here, so I put a can of drained blackbeans and a package of taco seasoning in my meatloaf. I use 90/10 ground turkey and turkey Breakfast sausage (yes, a lb of each), with 1/4 to 1/2 cup steelcut oatmeal (instead of bread) an egg or 1/4 cup egg white. Sometimes I throw in some mushrooms, onions, garlic.. a little ketchup (try to make sure it doesn't have HFCS in it). If I'm really feeling the need for flavor, I'll add a package of ranch dressing mix in there too. And maybe a cup of frozen corn. Mix it all together and fill the muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20 or 30 minutes.

1 or 2 meatloaf muffins will make a meal with some veggies. These are super easy to freeze in baggies in serving size portions so you can grab one and have it thawed and ready for supper by the time you get home.

A non cooking meal that I like: a package of chicken of the sea smoked salmon, a reduced fat philadelphia mini cream cheese & 3 light wasa crackers (the ones in the purple box). Veggie or fruit of your choice.

John Soules chicken fajita breast.. weigh out 2 ounces. 1/4 cup Gebhardt non fat refried Beans (this makes up the rest of the protein). 1 slice Kraft 2% pepperjack cheese. 1 or 2 tablespoons pace picante sauce. Veggie of your choice ( I love broccoli & squash..green beans, not so much..chose what you like). 5 black olives. Maybe a medium tomato. place the chicken & beans (and veggies if they need heating too) on a plate..heat about 40 seconds on high in MW. unwrap cheese and lay over the beans. heat another 10 to 20 seconds. When I have this, I eat the chicken and the refried beans together. The beans act as a lubricant to help the chicken slide down. My bariatric people say this is ok with them as long as I'm not getting hungry too soon.

It's very normal to plateau a bit. Start taking your measurements .. and check them monthly. You might find that even though the scale isn't moving much.. you are losing inches.

Hang in there.. dont give up. Hope this helps a little.

Wow that sounds good! Thanks for the suggestions and advice! That's great that you are doing so well with your weight loss! I want my sister to have lap band surgery because I believe she weighs around what you started at and she is only 16. I believe she will be going to her first consultation for the surgery. I hope she has better dedication to the lifestyle change than I did.

I hope your sister does well too. Whoever does the cooking where she lives will need to be on board with the necessary changes.

You (and she) might benefit from joining Bariatric recipes at Yahoo Groups. BariatricRecipes : Weight Loss Surgery Recipes

It's a spasmodically active group..sometimes tons of posts, other times you'd think it was shut down it's so quiet.. but there are lots & lots of recipes in the files section. They don't usually post nutritional info, so if that's a concern (and it often is for me), plug the recipe into a recipe calculator.. I like the one at caloriecount.about.com, there are others online.

Lots of other online support at yahoogroups. Check out DFWBandsters (started out just for Dallas area, now is international), SmartBandsters and SmarterBandsters.

I pointed out that our rate of loss is similar so that you can see where you might be in another year.. if you stick to it, you will be at goal or mighty close.