New Year's advice for the newbie?

[Corridor72 518]

So it's a New Year and, having been banded Dec. 20th, I'm hoping for a new me this year! I thought maybe some of you veteran bandsters might have some advice for every day living with the band? Some of my thoughts so far are that I will pack my lunch for work each day so that I'm not eating in the hospital cafeteria. I'm going to stash a few Protein Bars in my locker at work for those times when I have "food emergencies". My surgeon doesn't like continued use of Protein Shakes once you're on solids but I figure a Protein Shake is better than nothing and WAY better than McDonald's drive thru on those mornings when I'm running late so I'll still keep some of those on hand for emergencies too. As far as exercise, I intend to get my treadmill back out of the storage building as soon as I get this Christmas tree down and bring it back in so that I can start walking and work up to running. I plan to be running(or at least jogging) some 5k races with my family by summer. I also want to join the local gym. What other suggestions do you veteran folks have that might help me to to achieve the "new me" in the coming year?

[Leepers 1,195]

Hi countrysweet. I was banded two days before you. I also work in a hospital. I agree with you about the shakes and the protien bars for food emergencies. (Eating a meal every 4 to 5 hours is not a realistic expectation with my job. Sometimes ya gotta have something to hold you over). I'm gonna get on my treadmill, TODAY, darn it. I don't have any advice cause I'm a newbie too. But just wanted to say Hi! We are not alone!

[SandyM 1,956]

My knees are wore out so I can't do this, but if I could I would look into the couch to 5k app. Important thing with exercise is set a specific plan i.e. time, duration etc. as for the snacks...yes, very important to have a plan...more important is try to make your eating at meals and try to get out of habit of snacking period. The add up fast and pretty soon, you aren't eating meals at all, just grazing. You won't get the feelings of fullness that you need that way. This is just my opinion and you will get other feedback, much that will differ from mine. We all develop our own ways of making this work for us.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

My advice is not to focus every day on food. I work in a hospital too and I have packed my lunch for four years now. Also as far as Protein shakes go yes they are good in a crunch but they go right through you and do not keep you from being hungry. My suggestion for Snacks is some cheese cubes with some Texas toast seasoned croutons they are yummy (just discovered them this morning) greek yogurt, mozzarella cheese sticks, some deli lunch meat, fruit but not a lot of it, hard boiled eggs. You notice my list is basically pure Protein.

[gowalking 10,790]

Can I suggest you use myfitnesspal? I found this invaluable in terms of understanding how many calories and sodium and Protein and sugar foods have. I know my success is in great part due to using it all the time.

[terrydumont46 1,954]

my best advice is to learn patience. getting fills require a great deal of patience. you have the food down and the exercise so i thought i would throw in a mental aspect of the band.

[B-52 7,113]

Don't give up on the band!!

Just my 2 cents, but I read post after post about all kinds of things people encourage each other to do and stay motivated, but the majority do not contribute anything to the Band....

Sometimes it is hard to tell this is is a forum dedicated to those who have undergone Lap Band Surgery....

There is a reason we had this surgery....and I have always focused on that, and never expected anything less....

Again, just my 2 cents....

Good Luck in 2014, and beyond....this thing DOES WORK !!

[cheryl2586 3,053]

B52 I honestly don't think about my band that often. It does what it's supposed to do but my mind is never on my band. My mind is not on food. I give little thought to this device planted in me. It reminds me when I don't do right and that is all I need it for. I don't choose to consume my life with my band and food. It can take a wear and tear on you if every minute of your life is about the band. I would say that 95 percent of my day is filled with constructive things that I choose to accomplish for this year like the two books in my computer that I need to finish. It will never control my life like it does for some. I know its there but I don't need to dwell on that.

[B-52 7,113]

I don't think about my band at all...it was a process, that has been completed more or less....were now I can now take it for granted, never having to worry about my weight or over eating again....

But it was a process to get there...and it was because of the band that I was able to do it and be at the place I am today...

...and in the beginning, going through all the adjustments, the stuck episodes, slimming, food choices...etc, etc...yes...the band was all I though about...

So yes, that is all behind me now...as Veterans we don't need to remind ourselves everyday...but there are less Veterans than New People....

.....and for the new people, like the OP, they are just getting into it and have a lot to learn before they get to that finish line.

Edited January 1, 2014 by B-52

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Well God help them on the first very stuck episode it is not pretty by any means lol

[kll724 3,055]

As the commercial and other sites say,"Never, ever give up." Sometimes the road a hea dis bumpy, but you can get there if you keep trudging ahead! Happy New year and new you, too! Karen..aka.kll724

[forwardlooking 36]

Can I suggest you use myfitnesspal? I found this invaluable in terms of understanding how many calories and sodium and Protein and sugar foods have. I know my success is in great part due to using it all the time.

Please tell me who or what Myfitnesspal is. I sounds like I could use it.

[SandyM 1,956]

Please tell me who or what Myfitnesspal is. I sounds like I could use it.

It's a phone app and a computer app that let's you track nutrition, wt loss and exercise

[Corridor72 518]

I also work in a hospital. I agree with you about the shakes and the protien bars for food emergencies. (Eating a meal every 4 to 5 hours is not a realistic expectation with my job. Sometimes ya gotta have something to hold you over).

I can totally relate to that. I am a nurse so Breakfast must be consumed before I get there or there is no breakfast because we basically have to be prepared to "hit the floor running". lunch is basically whatever you can get whenever you have time for it. It may be that you have time to eat lunch at "lunch time" or it may be that you don't get time for lunch until 3 or 4 pm. We work 12 hr shifts (7am-7pm). I may or may not get to leave by 7:30 in the evening, depending on how busy the day has been and how much documentation I have left to do at the end of my shift. There have been times when I didn't leave until after 10 pm. Those are the kinds of things I'm referring to when I say "food emergencies" because, if I'm running late in the morning or it's a busy day, I want to have things available that are "band friendly" and aren't garbage like you'd find in the vending machines. There's no way I can eat 3 meals a day at set times when I'm working so I want to have some good alternatives available for those times. I think if I can take my lunch, that will help a lot because then I can just eat my healthy lunch whenever I get time to eat it AND it will help me to avoid the dreaded cafeteria. One would think they'd serve healthy food in a hospital cafeteria but that's not true. And if they do, it's chicken that's so dry I could barely choke it down BEFORE I was banded so I'm sure it would get stuck with the band. If I take healthy Snacks and Protein bars, I could also use those for times when I don't get to leave on time or for something to hold me over until I get home to eat dinner. Or who knows, they might even BE dinner!hehe...

[Corridor72 518]

My advice is not to focus every day on food. I work in a hospital too and I have packed my lunch for four years now. Also as far as Protein Shakes go yes they are good in a crunch but they go right through you and do not keep you from being hungry. My suggestion for Snacks is some cheese cubes with some Texas toast seasoned croutons they are yummy (just discovered them this morning) greek yogurt, mozzarella cheese sticks, some deli lunch meat, fruit but not a lot of it, hard boiled eggs. You notice my list is basically pure Protein.

I really like cheese cubes too. In the past, I have paired them some apple slices and really like them that way. Do you think that would work? I love greek yogurt, especially for breakfast(I'm not a big fan of huge breakfasts). I was also thinking chicken/tuna salad might make for a good lunch or snacks? I know my surgeon always says to make sure we get enough protein and he will help us control the rest with the band. He also says to make sure we take our Vitamins, eat protein first, etc.