Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

CONFESSIONS!!! I had a cheesy beefy melt from Taco Bell today...I hadn't had one before but thought "hey, lots of protein." Anyway, it was really big and filled with rice and I slowly ate almost the whole thing. It was 2:30 and all I had to eat was a slim fast at 7:30 this morning. I did come home and walk 2 miles so I don't feel quite so bad.

There was a support group meeting at my hospital tonight, I didn't make it, but they were kind enough to email me the information.....thought I would share it with you guys....some good tips!

Mindful Eating

Strategy #1: Think 20 percent more or less

• Dish out 20% less than you think you might need, you probably won’t miss it
  
• Eat until you are 80% full
  
• For fruits and vegetables think 20% more.
  

Strategy #2: See all that you eat

• Pre-plate your food; don’t eat directly out of a package. Put your snack in a dish and leave the kitchen.
  
• See it while you are eating it. Keep reminders of your food. Glasses, wine bottles, bones, ect. Will remind you how much you have eaten.
  

Strategy #3 Be your own tablescaper

• Mini-size bowls and boxes, repackage jumbo size food into smaller containers
  
• Become an illusionist-make smaller portions look bigger by serving them on smaller plates.
  
• Beware of the double danger of leftovers. If you have them it means you made too much of the original meal and the more leftovers you bring out of the frig, the more you will eat.
  

Strategy #4 Make Overeating a Hassle, Not a Habit

• Leave serving dishes in the kitchen so you have to get up to get seconds. It gives you time to ask yourself, ‘Am I Hungry?’
  
• De-conveinience tempting foods. Put them in a high cupboard that you have to stand on a chair to reach. Reseal them, wrap them, and put them back in the frig or freezer.
  
• Snack only at the table and on a clean plate. This makes it less convenience to serve and clean up.
  

Strategy #5 Create Distraction Free Eating Scripts

• Rescript our diet danger zones-trying different things/different habits
  
  • Dinners
    
  • Snacks
    
  • Parties
    
  • Resturants
    
  • Desk/Dashboards
    

  [*]Distract yourself before you snack—eat in one room only

  [*]Serve yourself before you start

Strategy #6 Create Expectations that make you a better cook.

• We taste what we expect to taste
  
• Tell them what is for dinner any two words “home-style pasta”, “Cajun chicken”
  
• Fix the atmosphere when you fix the food—soft lights, soft music, nice table cloth
  

Strategy #7 Make Comfort Foods More Comforting

• Don’t deprive yourself—one reasons traditional diets fail is that they deprive us of the food and lifestyle we enjoy. Eat comfort food in small amounts.
  
• Rewire your comfort foods—if they consist mostly of the four c’s-cake, cookie, candies, chips, substitute for other more healthy versions
  

Strategy #8: Crown yourself the official gatekeeper

• Be a good marketer-food should be neither a punishment nor a reward.
  
• Offer variety-try new things
  
• Use the half plate rule—half of the meal needs to be veggies
  
• Make serving sizes official.-package servings individually and put them away. Don’t leave them out on the counter where others will see them and snack.
  

Strategy #9 Portion Size me

• Beware of the Health Halo-McDonalds vs. Subway
  
• Think small and super-share—toss out what isn’t good and what you won’t eat.
  

Interesting stuff, Harley.

What is the Health Halo - McDonalds' vs Subway?

Also, I gave more thought to my longstanding desire and secondary goal: I want to learn to snowboard. .

When you're ready....remember that Utah has "The Greatest Snow on Earth".....I live 20 minutes from the ski resort that hosted the men's and women's downhill and Super G races in the 2002 Olympics.

I would so join you on that (not the downhill race hill, but the bunny) hill and SHRED!

Interesting stuff, Harley.

What is the Health Halo - McDonalds' vs Subway?

I have no earthly idea.....apparently there were some things that were explained more in depth if you were actually there....:huh2:

I have cleared my calendar for next month, though......kind of a PITA to drive an hour for the meetings, but I'll certainly give it a go one time to see if it's worthwhile.

The health halo effect is when people go to what they deem to be healthful restaurants, and tend to overeat because they think they're eating healthy.

Subway's 'health halo' can lead people to consume more calories - USATODAY.com

I have stuck scale syndrome. :huh2:

(((HUgs))) Amanda, I know how frustrating it is just stick with it. Those numbers will go down. Maybe try changing things up a little.

Christine

Amanda, I know the feeling with the stuck scale syndrome, mine has teeter tottered back and forth plus or minus 1 lb the last week. My pshychologist made my goal this month to only weigh myself every other since I was weighing everyday and not seeing the results that I wanted to see. I agreed to that and it's been hard just doing every other day and even that doesn't seem to be making it go down. :huh2: She would rather I weighed no more than twice a week or once would be ideal. But I'm determined to do this, so can you. Remember, it took longer than a day to put our weight on and it will take just as long to take it off. Keep up the good work.

I've been stuck at 21lbs since Saturday. I was losing at least 1/2 a lb a day and now I'm stuck!!!

Its good to know we're all hitting the same plateau period about the same time as it reinforces we just need to keep working our plan and it will go down soon. I think I'm noticing more in clothes this week than the scale so that's a victory. I've been pretty good about staying off the scale on a daily basis but I have a dr. appt tomorrow a.m. so I should see if that shows progress.

I have to tell you, I have connected to a Central Ohio group of other bandsters I met on this web site and we meet once a month in person now at a local mall and they've become such great pals! We have a bariatric style show at the mall this Saturday where I think about 10 patients who've been successful with both RNY and Lapband will be all dressed up in new duds by the mall stores, hair and things all done, and they are going to share their motivational stories of how they got from their Before to After. I hope all of you get connected In Person with another bandster buddy in your area because its great support!

P.S. We decided to meet the first time at a mall food Court where we could get coffee and I marked our meeting location by having a Helium Balloon hooked to the chair and we just found each other! We thought meeting in a public place would be less threatening to those who were meeting someone based on the internet introductions but it was wonderful to meet the 'real' people behind their screen names and see they are just wonderful people who have struggled with their weight like me. The second meeting at the mall we even did clothing swaps among some of the people!

Yay for rep'ing the Columbus Bandsters Kathy! lol

I hope to attend my first meeting of this group on Saturday, and I can't wait! Just being able to have that support, and to see the results of everyones hard work, is going to be amazing. I hope you guys luck into the same thing in your areas.

Hi Shamrocks!

Harley, thanks for the information. It is good to be reinforced by seeing that stuff in writing.

SpecialK - very cool that your group meets in the mall. I just started going to a support group and several of the folks were ones I had met here. Very cool to meet them in person. We are talking about getting together for a night out or even to walk together. I think the band is a great way to bond!

Today was very busy for me. I did drink and got some Protein in, but by 4:45 I felt light headed and weak. I had some cream of chicken Soup with powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury and that helped a lot! I really think I had just not gotten enough protein in. I am taking some more unflavored Protein powder into work to make sure that I get what I need!

I am so happy that I am less sore. I am glad that I am healing. Today I bent over at work several times and no pulling and no aches! YEAH! It seemed that I took much longer to heal that most everyone here. Of course that could be because I was baned at the end of the month, but who knows?

I have to tell you that this being the last in line for the Shamrocks is an interesting experience for me. I am usually the first to volunteer for everything! Good growth potential for me! :redface:

I hear ya Hope, I was banded 3/31. Talk about bring up the end of the parade! lol

I have an incision question you guys. I was peeling off some of my Steri-strips today (they are pretty much falling off) and most of them came off okay. But the ones on my big wound (port) not so good. A few of them, under the Steri-strip, were a little, umm, 'juicy'. Sorry about that, was the best word I could think of, lol. Just in two places, the wound seems to gape a bit, and it was a little, again, 'juicy'. I have no fever, and there is no redness. Can I perhaps put antibiotic cream on them? Maybe they just need a little air? Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

Let 'em dry out in the air, I say! I don't mean, like, midriff-baring shirts, but leave them uncovered. If there's chafing, or if the "juice" is staining your clothes, you can put a bit of gauze on them, but keep an eye on them, and they'll soon be fine.

I get the occasional little twinge of pain, but I'm pretty fine. Today I'm out 5 weeks, I believe. After 6 weeks, I'm going to start doing yoga.

I was worried that, after rapid loss at the beginning of the week, I'd have stalled or regained, but I was actually down 1 since Monday, so, Yay.