Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

March Bandsters: MASTER THREAD



Recommended Posts

You guys are doing great! Very inspirational.

Going back into this WoE, I'm doing what you are, Special K - my patented Fenton shake for Breakfast, Soup for lunch, then I had a dinner of veggie burgers, yogurt and pear sauce. Eventually, I want to get to where Scrappy is, but I've proven myself a bad bandster enough times that I think I'm going to be using girlie2shooz' friend's "Keep filling til you're at Goal" advice.

We'll see.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice to see some activity here!!

I still start my mornings with a Protein shake....I still find, even after three years that I'm pretty tight in the mornings. Sunday morning I went out for breakfast and paid for it all day....I was super-duper colossal stuck for the rest of the day. I generally don't/can't eat until afternoon.

lunch is usually just protein....tuna, a few slices of cheese, some sliced turkey, chicken....whatever.

dinner varies greatly.....Del Taco .99 bean burritos are a staple...I know, tacky, tacky, tacky....high protein, high Fiber, fairly low in fat and I can eat dinner for $1.06!

I packed on fifteen pounds over the holidays (YIKES).....I've managed to get ten of it off.....but the last five is sticking. I'm sure once the weather finally breaks and I'm out more, it will be easier.

It was a rough winter.....I'm looking forward to the change of the weather...and well, just change!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Scrappyfriend ! You are doing fantastic. I am maintaining within +/- 5 lbs right now but never got the last 50 lbs off. I was a stress eater before and still am a stress eater now. I know the right choices to make and do very often which is how I'm maintaining but I am discouraged with myself, not the lapband, that I didn't stay committed long enough to finish. I have to say I still have the desire to finish but I just don't stay committed every single day, every meal, every snack like I need to. I got to the point where being healthy at this weight was such a blessing that I'm just enjoying that. Plus, I'm still under incredible stress due to my family situation and as we all know, eating doesn't solve the problem but it sure is a quick fix that is hard to walk away from when you have a lifetime history of behavior. I did see my foster mother by dropping in uninvited on Mother's Day and she invited me to stay and eat with them and I did but I was under such stress that I could barely eat due to restriction. I haven't seen them now since but I am staying committed to myself to do what I know is right for me. Can't let family drive my life and I was doing that.

I walked in the Race for the Cure for breast cancer here in Columbus and really enjoyed that. I am still getting out and taking walks and I did a tremendous amount of spring yard work this year 250+ bags of mulch! because I couldn't do any last year due to being post breast-reduction. I'm totally healed great from that surgery and still wish some day I can get my arms excess skin done - they look atrocious -- but I am not going to allow myself to get the stomach skin problems done until I lose what I think will be my final weight or close to it.

Just want to say hang in there to all of us who are now 3+ years post op! I would still do it again!

I've been pretty much maintaining a weight in the 140's for 2 years. Been as low as 132 for about 10 minutes and as high as the low 150's. I eat all the same food as I ate before sugery just a lot less of it minus the junk ( cakes , Cookies and chips). Once I eat the junk I start to gain, so I have to be very careful with that. Breakfast I will either eat a banana or 2 scrambled eggs, lunch is some sort of leftovers today it was a bowl of chili and a dinner roll, for supper I will have meatloaf, baked sweet potato and green Beans. I also eat a bedtime snack some examples are Jello, popcorn, salad.

I love to eat and have to deal everyday with telling myself no I'm not really hungry inbetween meals, and not eating junk food is a constant battle.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi friends. Summer is here and I love getting outside. Been doing some celebration and stress eating so I guess I always need to be on guard. Not out of control but coming back to this forum for support helps. Have any of you tried Overeaters Anonymous.. I have been considering this for emotional support. I can't make my hospital support groups due to my new job being so far away now and I can't get there in time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Special K,

I am now well aware of the psychological aspects of my eating. It has been an interesting unwinding process since I was banded, and I have set backs too. I am now on a set back but plan to get my head in order by next week to get filled and start losing again. Just made myself a sandwhich in the middle of the night ha! (Woke up after going to bed to early) Took one bite! Silly me for thinking I could actually eat a sandwich. All one bite was delicious! ha!

I too find this forum very helpful to get me back on track or keep on track. Keep on posting I am listening.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Happy 4th of July to my Shrinking Shamrock friends. Yes, I am still hanging in here and hope you are too. I have recently begun reading some of my inspirational books again about eating and controlling your urges and it is helping. I keep thinking I should go back for some counseling to get stronger but then I have good weeks and think I'll do it on my own. So, I've been pretty good for this holiday weekend -- promised myself to give up the sweets that I had been indulging in and get the sugar out of my system. I did allow myself some corn on the cob yesterday and it was good. I find that I can only eat about 2/3 of an ear of corn and then I get the full signal and have to stop for 15 minutes and then I can finish my ear of corn and even eat a 2nd one. I know 2/3 of an ear of corn can't be a nourishing meal but it is a treat to enjoy a summer favorite. The fresh strawberries in the stores are wonderful. Enjoy your summer.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I need to ban myself for all junk food for about a month. I gained 4 pounds just from eating junk over the 4th of july weekend. Somedays I just hate myself.

Happy 4th of July to my Shrinking Shamrock friends. Yes, I am still hanging in here and hope you are too. I have recently begun reading some of my inspirational books again about eating and controlling your urges and it is helping. I keep thinking I should go back for some counseling to get stronger but then I have good weeks and think I'll do it on my own. So, I've been pretty good for this holiday weekend -- promised myself to give up the sweets that I had been indulging in and get the sugar out of my system. I did allow myself some corn on the cob yesterday and it was good. I find that I can only eat about 2/3 of an ear of corn and then I get the full signal and have to stop for 15 minutes and then I can finish my ear of corn and even eat a 2nd one. I know 2/3 of an ear of corn can't be a nourishing meal but it is a treat to enjoy a summer favorite. The fresh strawberries in the stores are wonderful. Enjoy your summer.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What books are you reading on eating and controlling eating? I am very interested in helping my head in this journey. I was banded in March 2011 and haven't had the success I had hoped for.

Thanks!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What books are you reading on eating and controlling eating? I am very interested in helping my head in this journey. I was banded in March 2011 and haven't had the success I had hoped for.

Thanks!

I've had these awhile but they might still be available online or a library maybe.

The Thin Book by Jeanne Eddy Westin, 365 Daily aids for fat-free, guilt-free, binge free living

Thin Tastes Better,by Dr. Stephen P. Gullo.

The Dieters Prayer book by Heathe Harpman Kopp

This is a more recent buy that I am just starting: Made to Crave, by Lysa Terkeurst

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My hot air balloon basket link

I had the most wonderful work experience but it was also another weight loss journey checkpoint for me too. They had a carnival at work with all kinds of great rides and they also were offering tethered hot air balloon rides where you got in the basket, they take you up about 50-100 feet and then bring you back down. It turns out they have to be careful about how much weight they put into a hot air balloon basket at one time -- oh my! never thought that they would make a comment about me and my friend being too much weight with the 2 others they put in our group to get in for a ride. The balloon pilot was a little nasty or snide that they hadn't planned right to put me and my friend in a group with lighter people. I hate this kind of weight embarrassment stuff. It wasn't easy climbining in and out of the basket but I did it okay. So that is a win for me -- I was light enough with this 130 lbs gone that I could do it but still embarrassed that there are things you can't do if you are still a certain size.

On all the other rides I was able to fit on the rides just fine. There were some rides that are hard for me to step up and get into and then you had to jump a 18" or so for getting down but I did it! It did make me aware I have to keep working at this. I want to be able to jump down from a small height and not be fearful of my knees.

Last, I'm celebrating a victory that I walked and walked all day in 90 degree heat and my feet were not hurting and my friend who is about the same size or little smaller and definitely 8 years younger than me, was so tired and her feet were aching and I was still going strong years later.

So keep on going Shamrocks, no matter how long it takes, getting to our healthiest weight is worth it.

http://www.lapbandta...38353-dscn0283/

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

OK, back again. Sick of backsliding - an incredibly stressful year, but so what? I'm not the only person to have had stressful times, and so many of you guys have ridden it out, and clung onto the band and have done well.

I'm on Day 2 of the Five Day Pouch Test, and it's going fine. For me - for most people, I think - starting is easy, but sustaining the effort is the killer. I look at people like Scrappy with profound admiration and gratitude: she's brought herself to where she needed to be, and she's stayed there. So now I have to try to be more like her.

I think focus is key. I was listening to Tom Arnold on TV last night, and to Dr. Drew Pinsky talking about Amy Winehouse, and they basically said the same thing: with addictive behaviours, getting clean must be the only priority - not family, not love, not career. Pinsky cited Robert Downey Jr as an example of the only way he felt that narcotic addiction could be conquered. Downey left the movie biz for almost two years while he worked on himself, and now, clean and sober, he's at the top of his game.

Of course, eating behaviour and straight drug addiction have as many differences as they do have parallels, but I think that's a useful example. I'm going to try some kind of daily affirmation, where I shall think about what I'm going to do to lose weight each day before I get out of bed.

The band is a fantastic tool; I have to learn how to use it, to embrace it, and to let nothing get in my way.

Weigh-in on Thursday...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Everyone,

After reading Fenton's post last week I decided to try the 5 day pouch test too. I've never done it before and today is my 2nd day. I am keeping myself busy so as not to think about food. But other than that I am doing fine. I am facing the prospect of having to have my band removed. My doctor has mentioned it a couple of times. I started to get heartburn and terrible reflux after about a year of being banded. My original surgeon was no help, he kept saying he didn't know what was causing it. He left the practice to go to another area and my current surgeon, who is a banded patient himself, has taken a more proactive interest in my case. At first he hust slowly started refilling my band and I didn't go back to him but was in horrible pain from constant heartburn and reflux. I had to sleep in either my recliner or with several pillows propping me up in bed. I took Prilosec twice a day and still had the problem. Finally, when I stopped losing weight, I went in for another fill and my husband told me to be sure and tell the doctor about how I have to sleep. When I did, he refused to give me a fill. Instead he set up a gastro swallow test for me. He met me there the next week and when they viewed me swallowing the nasty tasting liquid he said, "I was afraid this is what it was, you have a dilated esophagus" At that point he removed all the fill from my band. He told me to come back in 3 months and we would do the same test. That was last October. I've done the test 3 times more and I have another appt on the 16th of this month for another. Each time there was no difference and he said I still have a dilated esophagus. I am so frustrated over this. I asked him if something I did is causing this and he said no. He said it was caused by being too tight for too long. Needless to say, with little restriction I have managed to gain back about 15 pounds. So I thought maybe if I did the 5 day pouch test I would feel tight again and get back to where I felt restriction again and begin to lose weight . He has told me that he thinks he'll have to remove the band. I am just sick over this. I don't want to go back to where I was before I began this journey and I don't know if my insurance would cover another surgery for a vertical sleeve or a larger band ( I have a 4cc band). He thinks the band being small is part of the problem. Have any of you experienced what I am going through?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I finished the 5 day pouch test and lost 6 pounds in the process. I now have a tighter feel when I eat (even though I am not filled) and am more conscious of what I eat. My appt is on the 16th and I would like to be a few more pounds down and have a successful gastric swallow this time. I am trying to eat more like when first banded, rather than eating like before banding. It's a little hard since I am married to an overweight, poor eater who loves mexican food and slider type foods. Not impossible though just more work. Sigh!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hang in there, Kathy! It sounds like the results from the pouch test are really promising! How are your symptoms - any easing?

Things have been going well for me: it's been about 2 weeks and I'm down about 15 pounds, I'd guess, a significant amount of that being that Water weight you lose rapidly when you first drastically reduce your calories. I need to focus more on the satiety thing - right now I'm basically doing calorie counting, and being glad that I don't feel hungry between meals. Every Sunday, I'm going out to dinner at my favourite restaurant and having a three course meal - including desert, and a glass of wine. I don't know if that's the right thing to do, but it restricts any excess I might eat to one night, and I ignore cravings to allow myself that one blowout. And I save half of my entree for lunch the next day. So far it's going well: we'll see if I need to revisit that down the road.

One nice thing about being Back on the scale is that I've found I put on less weight than I'd thought. Either that, or I lost more Water weight than I estimated!

SO, yeah, full steam ahead...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So far so good, I weighed in this morning and lost another pound. I am more mindful of my eating now and plan on trying to stay with it as long as I can. I also haven't had any heartburn during the day like I was starting to get again. The best part is my clothes are fitting better. This gives me incentive to keep going. Sounds like you are doing the same thing. Keep up the good work Fenton. No hunger pangs really makes it easier. Now if I could just turn off the head hunger. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×