It's the month of love and our 11th month since being banded.

Let's keep encouraging each other to our anniversaries and beyond!

Juli

I'm getting a slight fill tomorrow. I'm waking up hungry and able to eat too much in one sitting. It's time.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Hi All, just checking in and finished reading the past posts.

I want to share something that might work with overeating which I completly forget. The extra Fiber and filler to help with feeling full/er. Flaxseed, oat bran, oats, sunflower and almond. It gives extra Protein and fiber...I found a container that I had not finished when cleaning.

3 cups of flaxseed/linseed

2 cups of sunflower seed

1 cup of almonds

Blend them in a blender/grinder till fine. Use them in your meals, in cooking your meals, yoghurt or drinks, etc. It also helps with your bowel movements and get you to drink more Water. You don't want to be constipated.

I found this in "The Liver Dleansing Diet" by Dr. Sandra Dabot.

I forgot how much that had worked for me. I had used the reminder again by adding it to my meals. Especially my drinks. This time I only had flaxseed left and about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal left. So I blended them. Blending these two seems to work better than the flaxseed, sunflower and almond. Depending on what you're eating you judge how much to use. Hope this may help someone.

I still eat the same portion size. and measuring. But stay fuller longer. Since adding the extra fiber and protein, sometimes I can go with only two meals a day. I still drink my water which helps also.

Had another bout of food being/feeling stuck. I had just gotten the Papaya Enzyme pills mentioned here. After taken them the burning, uncomfortable feeling only lasted about 10 minutes. So, I keep some at work, now I just need to remember to carry them always. I had taken the hot tea in the morning before my oatmeal Breakfast. Then only had Soup for lunch. Then had a piece of meat for dinner and that's when it happened. Mrs. Husker, I must give you thanks again for that bite of info. I do not go a day without my hot tea or hot water drink anymore. It really helps when taking that first solid food meal.

I had another fill two weeks ago, 2/6/08 and I am feelig better restriction. Started losing weight again. From 245lbs to 233lbs. Hoping to lose 5 - 10lbs by the end of the month. I need to get back into exercising to help this along. I've let the cold weather and little bit of snow we've had keep me from exercising and putting a mood with no motivation to exercise.

So, thanks for reading all this and hope to read your success over the weekend. Please try the recipe above of some variation of it. Let me know how it worked for you.

Thanks Whitepants, I just printed off you "recipe" and am hoping to get everything this weekend. I have been constipated since surgery and I already have a polyp problem so anything that keeps that part of my body working better is worth a shot.

I am trying to end the night time snacking by knitting. I have several project that I need to finish. One is a blanket for my husband. He wanted a really big one and by the time I am done with this one it will fit on a twin bed. Trust me, that’s a heck of a lot of knitting. I am also scrapbooking. I am now working on a family trip to South Dakota that we took in ‘03. Anything to keep my hands busy.

I am getting a fill today. The doctor that did my surgery will be doing it. This will only be the second time that I have seen her in person. Her assistance usually does the fills. I am planning on taking to her about my gallbladder also. I am in so much freaking pain right now that I have to keep stopping while typing and bend to the side. I have had it checked in the past and nothing comes up in the test. I want to be checked for SOD and want to see what her opinion is.

I just got a fill today too. Seems like we are all being proactive about finding our sweet spots.

I'm running my first 5K on Sunday! In 28 degree weather. It's shouldn't be too bad. I'm excited. I've never had to pin a number to my chest! W00T-W00T!

I'll let you all know how it goes :thumbup:

I've always stayed away from the sunflower seeds & almonds/walnuts. Thought they were too high in fat to eat Your recipe sounds like it would be worthwhile to try. I too, have been constipated on and off since surgery.

I should really get a night time hobby to keep me from snacking also. I have no clue how to knit/crochet. I do like to sew, if I could replace eating with sewing I could outfit the whole family!

Good Luck on your run tomorrow OH Juli, I know you'll do great

Everyone have a great weekend

Good Luck on your run Juli, you the woman!!!

I got my fill today. The last time I was in they thought I might have a leak as they only pulled out about .7cc. At that time she filled med to 1.1. Today they pulled back 1.7cc (guess I don't have a leak), and tried to fill me to 2.3 cc and that was too tight. I felt the berium (sp) come back up, so she backed me down to 2.1. Hope this does the trick.

While I was there I asked about this pain in my side and they had no idea what it could be. Think I am going to call my PCP and see about seeing a gastroentrologist and get to the bottom of it. This is the longest "attack" that I have ever had. It started at 9:45 this morning and I still have it.

Barb,

girl, get yourself checked out! Pain = something is wrong!

Go, Go, GO! to the doctor.

Mrs Husker, when I hear of pain in the side, I think of appendix or hernia.

Get to the hospital right away. That long in pain is dangerous.

The appendix is located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen

Check out WebMd to see if you can narrow it down to what may be the cause of the pain until you see your doctor.

Good Luck Oh Juli on your run Sunday. I haven't even gotten up the momentum to run on the treadmill yet.

Thanks for wanting to give this recipe a try. As for the ingredients, they're being grinded so it's not like eating whatever a serving is. It's spread out among the other ingredients. I also sneak some into the family meals. Especially when I need to thicken up the gravy.

My plan is prepare meals for the week again. This kept me on track with my foods this week. And besides I gave up meats for Lent. I'm eating fish and seafood for the next 40 days. I must say eating fish has cleared up my complexion. I wonder what else I'll notice.

Well, have a good weekend and hope to read postive results.

How is everyone doing? It's been quiet over the weekend. I bought a wok and tried it out today. I made broccoli and eggplant w/ garlic sauce. I bought the garlic sauce from the Chinese Rest. Blanched the broccoli added the eggplant and strired in the sauce. The broccoli was to soft and I added in too much of the sauce. But it came out good, so I know how to perfect for the next time.

I also prepared and cooked my meals for the week. 4oz of veggies and 4oz of fish 3x this week. 2oz of carbs and 4oz - 6oz of veggies 4x this week. All I need is to make my Protein drink in the mornings and go off to work. Now if I can just be motivated to exercise, I'm sure to lose the 5lbs I want by the end of the month.

What meals or food do you plan to include to eat this week? Well, hope to read positive things from you.

Gwen,

I'm trying to make Soups this week. My band is particularly tight, so Soup it is.

As for exercise, do it, do it, do it. You'll always feel better when it's done and it's a great way to invest in yourself.

I love that you have your meals measured and ready. You are inspired! I'm lucky if I know in the morning what I am making for dinner! (Tacos tonight, my DD's request. I'll just eat taco salad, maybe!)

It has been quiet. I did run my first 5K this weekend. I was going to post the pics here, but I can't from work. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f81/has-anyone-taken-up-bicyling-35343/index337.html#post726845 I don't know if you can see the pics on this post. I can't but I did put them up.

Anyway, happy third week of February everyone!

Huston, We have Restriction!!! I have to drink hot water in the morning just to get my meds down. I am hoping that by next week the scale will also have moved down. I am tried of seeing the same 2-3 lbs going up and down.

Whitepants-I have had this pain for years. It is in the gallbladder area but all the test show nothing wrong with it. I believe that I have S.O.D. but don’t want to take the test to find out for sure. I have read that the test can mess with the pancreas and since I am diabetic (granted, in remission) I don’t want to mess with that.

Juli-Glad to hear that your run is done. So how was it? Details girl.

Today is the start of my 30 day count down to my 1 year with the band. I am hoping to hit 170 by March 20. Wish me luck.

Oh Juli, the picture came out good. Are you in this shot? I couldn't make out any of the numbers. I had no doubt that you would not finish the race. I can only imagine the rush you had when you finished. With you friends and family there. This was your first race, right?

Since some are us are in accord with being nicely restricted, more weight is about to be lose by the end of the month. I'm working on at least 5 - 6 lbs myself. Just to get out of the 230's. My next band is 3/5, w/ .1cc hope to be at the best restriction and won't have to go back for a few months.

Mrs Husker, I don't know what S.O.D. is? Did the pain get greater w/ each fill you got? Maybe there's a corralation there? With the restriction the stoma being full is pressing against something in the area. Just an idea.

I did lose almost 10 lbs w/ this last restriction. It was better than the last. So maybe you'll have some of the same results to Mrs. Husker.

How's everyone else doing?

Hi all,

I was reading your posts and I am hoping someone can help me with this new problem that has arisen for me. I was banded on 3/28/07 and have done pretty well. I have lost 87 pounds and my diabetes is so much better. The thing is that I have developed an extreme hunger for Mr. Goodbar candies. I have never really been crazy about sweets, my weakness has always been fried foods. Lately, this candy goes down to easy and I am eating close to 3 candy bars a day. This scares the heck out of me. Any other chocolate does not do. It has to be Mr. Goodbars. I am so scared. Half the time I cannot eat until the afternoon. But I crave these candies. Has this happened to anyone else? Is anyone else developing any strange cravings or addictions? I am 40 pounds away from my goal and I feel I am messing up with this craving. Let me know any input. Thanks!

Gina

Gina,

Mr Goodbar is a weakness for me also. Anytime I am at the store and I see one I feel my port and tell myself "You've had surgery". My other weakness is Lays Classic Chips. I know if they are in the house, I'm going to eat them. So I don't keep them in the house. Now, are you getting in your protein? Try having healthy snacks with you at all times or drink something when the craving hits. If push comes to shove, get some of the little bars and limit it. Or set a goal and reward yourself with one when you meet that goal. I know that food rewards should be a no-no, but sometimes it helps. I also find that if I deprive myself of something that I am craving, I go overboard and eat way too much of it.

You are down 87 lbs!! You must be doing something right, Way to go and keep up the good work.