I though it would be fun to start a thread ... a kind of food diary, that lets us keep track of what we're eating and also gives some of the pre op patients an idea of what life will be like with the band... it might be a good place to also put if the food you ate caused you to pb too!

I'll start the ball rolling...

28/3/07

B: starbucks blueberry yoghurt

L:Carrot and corriander soup 1 cup 250mls

D: Roasted carrot and ginger soup 250mls with 150g VLF cottage cheese blended into soup for extra protein.

Snacks...

Drinks; blueberry ribena extra light 500mls, 2 large black coffees, 2 glasses water. 1 peppermint and liquorice herbal tea (300ml)

No pb's but lots of burping, still on liquid diet.

6/4/07

B: natural yoghurt and 1 orange

L: nothing! too busy and forgot!

D:1.5 poppadoms, 3 spoons raita, chicken tikka nargasi, small piece of naan, 175ml red wine

calories 605

7/4/07

B; natural yoghurt and orange

L; 1 Frikadellen 1 piece of bread... got stuck golf ball OMG! the pain:eek:

D 1/8 small quiche, 1 baked potato with 2 tspn philadelphia, 125ml cloudy apple juice, about 2 mouthfuls of simnel cake followed by ANOTHER GOLFBALL!!!!

Calories: 1053

8/4/07

B: None felt tight so just drank lots of water

Had pre dinner glass of Chateauneuf du Pape (red wine for the unitiated!)

L: 1/2 slice roast beef, 1/2 yorkshire pud, 1 spn carrots, 1spn green beans, 1/2 spn cauliflower cheese, 1/2 new potato.

Pudding! Home made brioche pud, with custard, small portion but still 320 calories worth!

Snack 3 milk tray choccies(not my favourites, but hey..)

Tea: 1 sliver o fhomemade lemon meringue cake.....

I've eaten everything slowly today and have enjoyed it all.

Total calories: 1257!

Well done Louise,

U r getting the hang on it. U also know when the next bite is going to make u rush to the loo.................

Until this afternoon I would have agreed with you!!lol!! I had my first PB after eating one and a half cold chipolata sausages. The pain in my chest was really bad and I was very surprised and how violent the PB was! It wasn't the amount I ate but the speed and lack of chewing that caused it. I know better now and won't be repeating the experience if I can help it!

As for my band size; I have an 8cc band filled with 5cc of saline and I think for now I'm about right.

It sounds to me as if you're too tight and may need an unfill. If you can't eat normally and you're surviving on sweet Desserts that isn't going to help your weight loss. I think you need to be able to eat healthier food for a more sustained weight loss. Hope all goes well!

Hi Louise and anon,

Cheers for your input. And yeah, I do know what Im suppose to do, but habits are hard to break somedays. Like you anon, someday I get so busy at work, I forget totally to eat, and by the time I have dinner, I'll be so famish, and I'll put things straight in my mouth and even though I think I hv chew enough, but after a few swollow, it gets stuck, and I know Im in trouble. So when Im hungry, I try to take some soft food like mash first, than attempt the meat part. It doesnot always goes well. Like you too, some days I can eat anything when I eat slowly, but someday like this evening, I cant keep anything in. I do wonder if it has anything to do with our time of the month. I also know at the mo Im too tight i.e 6.8cc on a 7cc band. I need to go back and have some taken out, Guesss Im just waiting and see how much longer I can hold on. Anyway, this is another week, so we shall see.

Take care everyone.

I'm told that if you usually retain water around the time of your period then it can affect the amount of restriction that you experience.

I've not posted on here for a couple of days.... mostly because they've been a disaster :rofl: and once I go off the rails, I tend not to keep a food diary! But let's just say that the band does nothing to restrict the amount of ice cream and chocolate you can eat!!

So, I've got the scales out this morning in an effort to draw a line under the whole sorry episode, the upshot is that I've gained the 1kg that I'd lost last week.

What did I expect eh? I'm not stupid! I had a bit of a barny with OH on Sunday and it kind of dragged into Monday... it lead me to the shops and down the 1/2 price choccy aisle.... (Lindor mini eggs, and Guylian mini eggs!) then the Ben and Jerry's was 2 for £5 so I had them too! Pre band I would have eaten all of it in one sitting, but I was happy with half of it on Monday night.... Then of course it was still in the house yesterday.... so I ate the rest.... I couldn't bring myself to throw it out! :o

So anyway, in the morning I'm quite tight(even with NO fill! ), and this morning is no exception, so I'm taking advantage and I'm going to go back onto fluids for a few days, to sort my head out more than anything else!

I've got lots of Cambridge diet still, so I'll be having that for a while and see how I feel at the weekend!

I blew it yesterday....grazing AND ice cream!

Breakfast...sipped a watered down Slim Fast Carb Control....Too restricted in the morning.

Late morning: 100 calorie low carb Protein bar

Noon: lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Had the chopped salad. Ate about 6 bites. Full. So far so good.

Mid afternoon: Hungry. Ate ice cream with chocolate sauce.

(I think I had been just too restricted to get enough of a fullness so I ate easy calories?)

Predinner: Had 1/2 dozen frozen blueberries blended in Water and ice.

Dinner: Turkey patty and veges. Ate half. Then had 2 bites of fat free cream cheese.

Today has been a good day although didn't have just fluids.....

Cambridge shakes for breakfast and lunch

1 homemade beef fajita with salsa and natural yoghurt.

Drank 2 litres of water as well as 1 mug coffee and 2 cups of tea.

Feel like I'm back in control which can only be a good thing! No more seeking comfort in the bottom of a carton of Ben and Jerry's!

Plan to have 2 packs and a meal again tomorrow!

this should answer your question give or take a gram or two

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/journal.php?do=showjournal&j=683

12/3/07

B: cambridge pack

L; Cambridge pack

D: 1/2 TEsco Indian takeaway for 2 only half the rice though!

1 small apple, 5 dried apricots, 150g natural yoghurt,

70 lemon curd stirred into the yoghurt

1tsp Peanut Butter

Hmmm... had an attack of the munchies...

total calories

1193!

Must try not to eat for the sake of it!

Today has been an OK day

Brekkie and lunch Cambridge packs 70 chargrilled chicken breast

Dinner small baked potato, 1/2 tin baked beans, 20g cheese grated. 1/2 strawberry tart

total calories: 972

Seems a lot of calories for so little, the cheese was 86 calories... wish I'd looked before I put it on my potato!!!

Hei

Truly sorry for being inconsistent on this thread. Been away for the weekend, didnt have a pc where I was. Anyway, I'll try and work backward on my food consumption. Its been a totally disaster week, what with the school hols, Easter and 2 parties I had. But here goes.

Sunday

BF-Tea w milk & sweeterner

lunch - Lasagne & salad, Tea w milk & sweeterner

Desert - Finished up my daughter's ice cream

- 1 pint of cider

Snk - 4pcks of party rings biscuit & 1 small pack of range juice

dinner - chicken & mushrrom veg stir fry w chinese sweet sour sauce

and 1/4 pkt of flavoured rice

Desert - Cream Bulea (I know I need to give up on this but Im so

addicted to it)

Eve Snk - roast chicken pieces

Exercise: 5 miles cross country bike ride

Saturday

BF - Tea

Lunch - Jkt potato with slice chicken pieces in green peso sauce

- 1/2 pint of cider

Dinner - Buffer party, eaten and grazed between 7.00pm - 9pm

(2chicken drumstick, 2pcs egg sandwich, 2 breadstick,

small portion of potato salad, 2pcs samosa and indian spring rolls)

- 1 bottle of cider, 2 bottles of J2O

Desert - Bday cake and some lemon meringue pie

Exercise - 3miles bike ride at the canal

Friday

BF - Muller light

Snk - Roaster honey cashew nuts

Lunch - Took son and daughter to their chosen choice of restaurant, that

being the Chinese Buffet restaurant. Thank god for my banding,

so cant eat as much as I used to. 1/2 way, pb, and all food came

back out. Went back to restaurant, sit down and try on abit more

food.

Snk 1 - 1 scope of vanila ice cream.

Snk 2 - Went back to work at 4pm had a Weight watcher choc mousse

Dinner - Met up with an old friend and had a junior burger with Burger

Gourmet with only 1/2 the bun and NO fries.

Dinner drinks - Water and 1 lager shandy

Thursday (took a day off work)

BF - Tea

- small portion of home made thai curry chicken

Snk - Mango ice cream cone

Lunch - Spur Mushroom Burger & jacket

Desert - Waffer and ice cream

Drinks - 2 bottle of J2O

Dinner - a small portion of home made thai curry chicken

Drinks - 2 bottles of J2O

See, told you all its been a disastrous week. Only good thing is I cycled cross country up and down hills 8miles this weekend. 1st exercise I've attempted since my banding 7-8months ago. (Apart from 1 session of salsa dance) Well tomorrow kids all go back to school, hopefully I'll be more discipline at work. Hope u all have a good week too.

I blew it yesterday....grazing AND ice cream!

Mid afternoon: Hungry. Ate ice cream with chocolate sauce.

(I think I had been just too restricted to get enough of a fullness so I ate easy calories?)

Hi Betsyjane,

I totally agreed with you too. I KNOW I am too restriced, having a 6.8cc filled in my 7cc band, and bcos of that I cant eat enough to feel any fullness, so I ended up eating easy calories i.e. desert, sweets etc etc. Worse still, somedays, I tried it on and kept eating even though I know the next bite will send me pbing. And after pbing, I come back to the table and tried to eat again, cos I just dont feel full cos all the food I ate earlier, have all been pbing out, so Im empty again. Its really a real challenge trying to control my eating behaviour. Im not saying it cant be done, its just going to take a lot of self control.

I too must do better.....

Yesterday: 14/4/07

B; Cranberry crunch cambridge bar

L;Chargrilled chicken minifillets and 2 tomatoes

D; small curry, 1/3 portion rice small piece of naan bread and 1 poppadom

Snacks, satsuma, apple, 4 dried apricots

Today;

B; pear, satsuma, plum

L;2 slices roast turkey, rocket salad, 100g lowcal coleslaw

D; Greek lamb stew with Pasta (homemade of course!) and a piece of german, marzipan cake, probably too big really...

Later... tried to sneak a bit of leftover stew.... wolfed down too fast without chewing, huge golfball and then pb'd:( 1st real one.... not nice all that slimey stuff and the spoon of stew made for a painful and messy experience.... will try to remember that chewing makes all the difference!

You know at your level of restriction just a 1/4ml defill could make all the difference to you.

I've not been there as yet and am still a very baby bandster, but my friend works with her band best with really tight restriction. She can only eat 3 spoons of anything at any one time...

Her words of wisdom for your delectation are as follows...

'the feeling of being full is different with a band, you have to learn to abandon the old feelings of satisfaction for the new 'full' feelings you get with a band. Use your 'soft signals', I find I get hiccups, others, start to yawn or get a 'feeling' in the back of their throat. Don't fight with your band by continuing to eat, seeking the feeling you want, all that will happen is that you end up with your head down the loo... which in turn causes trauma to your pouch and provides you with increased restriction!

My Surgeon told me when I moved up to this level of restriction that if I felt I had to 'fight' with it all the time, and ended up pb'ing a lot, I might cause slippage or dialate my pouch. Instead I should book a small defill, and live with slower rate of weight loss.'

apparently you may be over restricted if you

*cannot keep down enough fluids...remember 2l+ per day ( I noticed lots of J20!)

*Find yourself drinking your meals/calories, to get things down

*Are unable to sleep at night because you end up 'gurgling'

*Are miserable with the restriction....

As Jen says.... I chose a band so that I was in control of my restriction and rate of weight loss. A lesson to us all....

Choose a level of restriction that give your choices and a rate of weight loss that you can live with. Do not be impatient to lose all your excess weight overnight and don't test your band too much... it might just come back to bite you on the bum!

I really hope that this helps you t

Been away at a meeting but heres the last 2 days foods....

Monday

B; none felt full from night before ???

L; 10 chips, 1/4 pitta, filled with chopped beef and cous cous. 1/2 small individual cheesecake ( hotel)

Afternoon in meeting: 10 fruit pastilles, 50g dried fruit, 1 chocolate, 2 mini flapjacks I felt guilty, but it didn't stop me doing it!

D; 1/2 bottle red wine, one spinach and ricotta cannelloni, grilled turbot and green Beans, 2 florets of cauliflower with cheese on. 2 spoons zabaglione, 1 limoncello, 1 cointreau, 1 espresso coffee (italian restaurant)

It seems a lot but it wasn't even half of what I'd have eaten at any other time!

Total calories 1647!

17/4/07

B; small bunch grapes 2 mini flapjacks and 1 orange.

L: Roll mop herring salad leaves tomato, cucumber, beetroot. followed by.... 3 profiteroles with cream! :hungry: :hungry:

Oh god I hate hotels they put far too much temptation in my way!

I'm back home now and have had 3 spoons of homemade chicken curry and 2 spoons of basmati rice. I'm so much better without being surrounded by such choices of gorgeous food!

total calories 963

Hi ANON,

Thanks for a very wise advice. I totally agreed with you, your doc and your friend. I know I need to listen to the 'soft fullness of my band", rather than the 'fullness of my brain", which is nearly never. I feel I could do with a little defill, but am trying to see how much longer I could live with this tight restriction. As I said, it really is a catch 22 situation at the moment. However, each time I come on (and its 2x a month for me unfortunately) I feel I could gorge down everything. For some reason, a day or two prior to my menses, I can really eat alot if I chew and chew and chew, as if the restriction opens up during this period. The good thing is the weight is not going up. Thats a plus I suppose, even though its plateau and not going down either. I take lots of J2O (which is not good) cos I used to drink diet coke in pub/restaurant, but I cant take diet coke or any fizzy drinks now, so to prevent me from ordering alcoholic drinks, I go for J2O. Its not an option, but until I find something else, J2O is less calories (I think) than alcoholic drinks.

Anyway here's my food diary today.

Tuesday

BF - 2spoon of cruncy cornflakes with milk

Snk1 - Mullert light & 1 med size Banana

Lunch - 1 pot Weight watcher tomato soup (84cals) and some low fat

croutons. 10 pcs of Goumet Tiger Prawn & Garlic Crisps.

Snk2 - WW choc mousse

Snk 3 - A bar of cadbury brazil nuts choc (Very naughty!!!)

Dinner -Starter: Small Chicken pcs, 100g smoke salmon pcs, cucumber

& 2 slices of chick & mush quiche,

Main: Chinese duck fillet pcs stir fry

Snk 4: 1/2 apple.

Exercise : Zero

Monday

BF: Muller light

Snk 1: Banana

Lunch: Asda sweetcorn chicken soup, 2 slices of mushroom&chic quiche

Snk 2: WW choc mousse & 6 pcs Gourmet tiger prawn&garlic crisps

Dinner: 1 small pc grill burger meat, 1 pkt chinese stir fry duck fillet,

some chicken fillet pcs & 1pc of quiche

Snk 3: Asda creme bulea

EXERCISE: 5 mins walking up a steep steps