This group is for weight loss support for lower bmi bandsters (of course anyone is welcome!).

For encouragement, tips, accountability.... Give stats, helpful advice, etc.

How much weight you have lost, how long it took. etc.

In some case I have found it takes a lower BMI patient a lot longer to lose the weight.

Introduce yourself and jump on in!!!:welcomeB: :welcome2:

Audree

Here are our bikes - Sorry so large:

i was reading back about the fills....you know i got too tight for awhile and being stuck with every meal made my esophagus swell a bit....NOT FUN. so i think if you are losing, let it be. if you are not losing, but have restriction-well then you need to evaluate what you eat. i too have a 28 day calorie cycle~so my non medical mind assumes there is a connection.

anyway, does anyone have any good suggestions for lunches. i prefer to eat at work,but i am bored with my usuals. suggestions?

Hey Bikergirl,

Good luck tomorrow! Yay!

Audree,

I am here, just been really busy so it is hard to post. I've been lucky to keep up on my reading.

Miss Bandster:

I usually eat the same things for lunch everyday. A soup at hand and a cottage double. I keep thinking I will change and eat something else, but I have only about 20 minutes for lunch by the time I get the kids out of the room and get to the teacher's lounge. That isn't enough time for me to eat anything solid and NOT get stuck, so I play it safe.

This week is my first week of self-imposed NO LIQUID CALORIES. Of course it was snowing this morning on the way to work, and boy did a mocha seem like it would hit the cold spot. BUt, I stopped myself. I really want to see if I have been sabitaging (SP) myself or if I am really on a plateau. I haven't lost anything for 3 weeks now. I go up and down between 156 and 159 But, I press on.

Best wishes, Bikergirl, for tomorrow's surgery. No nightmares tonight!

Ok you guy's I had water and NO SUGAR popsicles. I am now watching American Idol, I should be ok for awhile. I plan to go to bed around 9pm. I have the alarm set for 4:30am. I probably won't sleep at all - If I don't that will be fine - I will sleep well during my surgery.

I have my prescriptions filled, my OTC meds. I should be good to go. I'm actually driving myself to the Surgery Center so DH can get the kids off to school and then his friend is going to drop him off. Hope I remember where I park the car!!

My mother will be here on Friday.

Well, I will post later. Keep me in your prayers!!

Well Biker Girl, We are on our way to Band Land. Sending prayers your way for tomorrow, send some to me on friday. To all of our Band sisters on the lower BMI thread, I am raising my protein shake in a toast to the kind, supportive, smart, and soon to be thinner band sisters. May we all be big FAT losers in 2007. Truely you guys are a great source of inspiration. I don't post that often, but I read the posts everyday. I have learned so much, and really feel more prepared. Thanks Guys! Good Luck Tomorrow Biker Girl. Teresa

Biker Girl and Tea Time, I am so excited for you! Take it easy and relax- it is the first day of the rest of your life, a healthy one at that.

Hey Tea Time,

I didn't realize your surgery is on Friday. Yay you too! How is the liquid diet going? For me, the pre-op diet was absolutely horrible. I was really glad to have surgery just to be done with the pre-op diet.

Since my fill I have been really concentrating on not drinking for an hour after eating. I have been doing it, and I do think it makes a difference in my hunger.

There are a lot of rules we have to follow as bandsters, and I feel like I am gradually changing all of my bad habits into good habits. I am not hugely restricted but I feel like that is okay right now because I am building the foundation that will allow me to be healthy as my restriction gradually increases.

For me, the initial stages of my journey have really been learning a lot about how I got fat. I have been forced to really slow down, to concentrate on my food, to take smaller bites. Mindful eating instead of mowing through the buffet line. If I never lost a pound, just learning to eat this way has been worth it to me.

Right now I am having a bit of a time getting used to not drinking with my meals. It does make me think before I eat something though becasue I know I am waiting for an hour to drink. I have cut back on grazing because of this and I think that will stick as I get more used to it. I have also been walking the dogs immediately after dinner. I walk them anyway, but now I am out there for a few extra minutes. It makes my hour go by faster to be up and moving rather than sitting and waiting to eat.

So slowly the good habits are forming. Which is a good thing.

i was reading back about the fills....you know i got too tight for awhile and being stuck with every meal made my esophagus swell a bit....NOT FUN. so i think if you are losing, let it be. if you are not losing, but have restriction-well then you need to evaluate what you eat. i too have a 28 day calorie cycle~so my non medical mind assumes there is a connection.

anyway, does anyone have any good suggestions for lunches. i prefer to eat at work,but i am bored with my usuals. suggestions?

I agree. I have food getting stuck regularly so I am not going to get another fill when I have my next appointment. I don't want to PB. Maybe my esophagus is swelled too. I don't know why food gets stuck. I don't get it because I didn't think the food went through the band until the digestion process. If food is getting stuck that means it isn't making it through the band while I am eating. I thought it stayed in the new smaller stomach before the band. I have a lot of quesitons for my dr.

I can give you some suggestions for lunches but I don't know what you're already eating. Things I eat for lunch are tuna with low fat mayo, ( no bread or crackers) egg salad, lunch meat rolled up with low fat cream cheese, sometimes I have an Atkins protein bar, or lean cuisine or ww meals that have protein and veggies. I don't eat any that have rice or noodles or anything like that.

Tea Time and Biker Girl, Best wishes for a surgery as simple as mine. I never had one second of pain. I know all will go well for both of you and we will support you during the liquid stage. One of the things that helped me when I felt deprived was getting egg flower soup from the Chinese Restaraunt. I felt like it was more of a treat for some reason than any other soup.

Can't wait to hear how your're doing.

Last post before going to bed. I feel really good. I'm 1/2 way doing this on my own - my DH has to play superdad/husband. Since I have to be at the surgery center @ 6 am - My kids don't get on the bus until 6:30. My daughter is in a black history program and DH is going to try to make it to that, then after that he is going to come to hospital - Once home - he has to go to my oldest daughters open house 6-730. Our kids are very important to us and I understand if he can't physically be there, I really hate I'm going to miss my daughters program - But I took her to buy her outfit and she understands. Well - thanks for the prayers, Post again as a bander.

Tea Time - I will not be able to post before you have surgery so Good Luck, and I will pray for you!!

Last post before going to bed. Well - thanks for the prayers, Post again as a bander.

Tea Time - I will not be able to post before you have surgery so Good Luck, and I will pray for you!!

I said a prayer for you this morning thinking of you. You will be fine. Take God in there with you!

Best of luck Biker Girl and Tea Time. I hope you have a great surgery. See you on the other side

Hi Low BMI'ers. Im three days out of surgery and feeling ok. Just very very bloated but I understand this is normal.

Ive been reading the forums alot over the last three days and am concerned that I wasnt given an xray the day after. Was this the case for anyone else?

Also how much liquids did everyone consume? Yesterday I feel like I had too much. I had:

2 x miso soup

1 x low fat strawberry soy drink

1 x actimel yogurt

1 x watered down tomato soup

2 x chuba chup lollies (I know these were bad but as I was at the cinema I was tempted)

1 x low fat fudgicle

Is that too much? I didnt feel like it was but when I wrote it down it seemed very piggy.

Sounds normal to me. As long as you are not in pain or focing things down, I ate when I was hungry and sometimes it seemed like a lot.

Congrats!!!