Hi All:

Well, today is the day I start eating "real food" and I am a little afraid! Everything is going so good, down 17 lbs in 21 days, no PB's and NO hunger!

I need to so shopping, and need some help on how you all started out. What do you have for breakfast? Thought I would have tuna for lunch, no bread, and maybe grilled chicken and veggies for dinner.

Need all the help I can get!

Thanks to all for your support and laughter, Lord knows we all need more of that!

Yeah, real food! And terrific weight loss! Please take it easy, cut things up to pea-size, and chew, chew, chew. Try to eat somewhere that's soothing and you won't be distracted (like away from the t.v.). Give yourself plenty of time (20 minutes), then get up, and get away from that food! LOL If you can't eat very much, don't force yourself. Heaven knows, we aren't going to starve to death! LOL I usually feel more restricted in the a.m. and drink a protein drink. Cottage cheese is good. But if I wait a while, drink some water, then I can eat a soft scrambled egg and a Morningstar breakfast sausage. The real foods help me feel full longer than the shake. I like tuna salad, it's moist, filling, and goes down easy. Just be sure your meats are moist and use sauces if needed. I can eat about anything, just a lot less. And most of the time, I try to choose quality foods. Great job, Sharon!

I'm restricted early on too, though I'm usually awake at 3 or 4 when I'm home (night RN) so by sunrise and a cup of coffee, I can usually have an egg, over easy, an omelet with veggies and cheese in it, or oatmeal that's not too thick, I like the low sugar maple and brown sugar, and I'm doing fine with cereal too. Several of the folks here talk about morning star veggie sausage, and this next visit to the store, I'm going to try it. I've tried the veggie burgers, and they are pretty good, so I think the breakfast sausage will probably be good. For lunch I'm newly loving the flavored tuna in a pouch, herb and garlic by starkist, no mayo required. There are other flavors, but I haven't tried them yet. For dinner I eat whatever I make my family, just in much smaller amounts, eating the protein first.

hi, sharon

it's true what the they say, you, have to becareful, with your eatting , and chew,alot, and small portions, use a baby spoon, for a while ,when your home, that will help you to eat small amount , i have a few,and my daugther wants them for her ,kids lol .

one egg scrambled, 1 breakfast sausage,...and other morning,1 half a dollar size pancake, w/1oz cottage cheese,.. or 2oz. cearal w/ 2oz.low1% fat milk,chew well,

or1/2 of banana or less in your 4oz. protein shake,you do the math. or farina 4oz. or oat meal 4oz.

lunch: ham and cheese sandwhich just cut out the crust.and weight, to 3oz.total.and 1oz potato salad. chew well, is not much in size but, i hope you get the idear.. variety...and is normal food. some thing you are familar with for now, until, you make really changes, and dareing to start changing you food ,choses,

dinner: meat loaf 3oz. mashed potato 1oz. or steak 2oz. and 1oz.pork and bean w/1oz rice.. and if you can tolerate some of the foods too, is a trail and error, also,

so you need to be careful, in what you eat, because, at one time you could eat, every thing and now, you mite not be able to.. so please, becareful, you mite feel tight or pain. just stop eatting.. it can happen with any kind of foods, any kind, even the ones you like most and love to eat....but.. all in all you'll love your band and your energy, and getting out, and feeling great... enjoy..

margie

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margie

295/257.8/-37

band 4/5/04

bx ny.

move to pa.

STILL AMAZE AT THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL...

Boiled eggs are good.

I call the Schwan's man and have him deliver most all of my sources of Protein. They have a great baked scrod, turkey filets, breakfast sausage, bratwurst, chicken breast, shrimp, etc, etc.

I'm single, so it's a bit more expensive, but they're all single packaged and portion controlled. I turn on the oven, throw it in for half hour and put a few asparagus spears or some veggie with them and I'm done. I have alot more control over just having more protein too, because if I make regular visits to the grocery store. I'll walk out with all the wrong foods - chips, ice cream, Cookies, yadda yadda. This limits my access to those foods. lol.

Thanks for all the suggestions. My first day went great, the scrambled egg went down just fine, no problem with the tuna, but by the time I ate my protein first, at dinner, I had no room left for the veggies or fruit.

I am going to have to schedule all the water in there, drank 24oz before breakfast, and that is so hard for me, now I have 2 more bottles to go! Have to really watch the clock to make sure I stop early before meals, and after also.

This has been such a positive experience for me, just wish I had not waited till I was 62 years old to do it!

Sharon, you're doing great!!! Good luck and keep us posted!

:redface:I have started mushie foods today. I had a little bit of ricotta cheese with a little bit of gravy ( or as most non italians call it spagetti sauce), I was thinking how good it would be with some chopped spinach in it, so my question is, has anyone had trouble or success with spinach in the mushie stage?

thanks

Debbie

I ate creamed spinach, spinach quiche and spinach soufflee during the mushie stage. I didn't have any problems because it was chopped.

Banded 4th Sept 2008 (264lbs) am now on day 5 liquid phase and want to start looking for cook books so I can see the portion sizes and exactly how everyone is managing what not to eat. I had no real issues so far