Found this on ObesityHelp and thought I would share..

How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted -

You are losing 1-2 pounds per week without struggling with hunger.

If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week, then:

A. You may need an eating adjustment

1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day

2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber

3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories

_a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome”

_b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram

...(1) It’s also a stomach irritant

...(2) It relaxes the stoma, allowing food to go thru easily

_c. fruit juice is just sugar Water

4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of

foods?

_a. Are you avoiding soft foods

_b. You can’t just eat what’s easy

_c. cheese is glorified fat

5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals

6. Are you eating too much junk?

_a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly

processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived.

_b. Stay out of fast food places

7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily?

8. Do you always eat the protein first?

9. Then the vegetables or fruits

_a. Five servings a day

_b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable

10. Is your portion size appropriate?

_a. meat or fish

...(1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards

_b. Vegetables

...(1) ½ cup – the size of your fist

_c. Starch

...(1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much

...(2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta

11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners

_a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the

appetite

_b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar

_c. They teach you to like things too sweet

_d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t

12. Avoid most diet foods

_a. Real food usually tastes better

_b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes

_c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great

...(1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine

...(2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats

~~~(a) They may go into permanent storage

~~~(:bananajump: Some people think liposuction is the only way

to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body

B. You may need a behavior adjustment

1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait.

2. Are you eating three meals a day? With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks

3. Are you sitting down to eat?

4. Are you eating consciously? No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions

5. Are you eating slowly?

_a. Put the fork down between bites

_b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal

_c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying

6. Are you taking small bites? Use a Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork

7. Are you chewing well?

8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals?

_a. Practice water loading between meals

_b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal

9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness?

_a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough

_b. Hard stop versus soft stop

10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing.

11. Do not eat when you are not hungry

C. You may need an activity adjustment

1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3

times a week?

_a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day

_b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week?

_c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes?

2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your

physical activity?

Easy Ideas -

a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators

b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding

c. Parking your car further away from the entrance

d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through

e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination

f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash

g. Playing with your kids

D. You may need an attitude adjustment

1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey?

2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are

eating and exercising?

_a. Log your food and activity on Fluid added to your band

1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes, but getting hungry between meals?

2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large

portions.

3. You are having to struggle to lose

4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and

having a good mind set.

F. Signs You may need your band loosened

1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down

2. You are vomiting (PB'ing) too much

_a. How much is too much?

3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night?

Ideas for controlling indigestion

a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating

b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime

c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime

d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux:

..(1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods

..(2) Chocolate

..(3) Caffeine

..(4) Alcohol

..(5) Some fruits and vegetables

such as Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers

..(6) Peppermint

..(7) Carbonated drinks

e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals

f. If you smoke, quit smoking

g. Reduce stress

h. Exercise promotes digestion

i. Raise the head of your bed

j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist

k. Stress increases reflux

l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning

m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK)

n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring

o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications

p. See your health care provider

G. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if

1. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack.

2. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise.

3. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you

also have nausea or fever

4. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee

grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention.

(Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.)

5. If your pain is severe

This was written by

Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

thanks. i needed to see this, and will come back daily for a good reminder. :bananajump:

Woah.. someone sticky this puppy!

What a great reality check list for us all!

Thanks Theresa

Thank you for this! I am saving it to my hard drive so that I always have it. This will be a great reference after I get my band.

I just read this in Jessie's book. The book is awesom by the way. Lots of info.