Today is my one month anniversary with my lap-band. Hooray!

So far I lost 21 pounds since the surgery; I will be getting my first fill in two weeks.

One of the reasons I became over weight is because I loved dining out and ordering take-out. So I decided I should really learn how to cook and prepare healthly meals.

My new obsession now, I love watching cooking shows. I really like “The Dan Ho Show” from FitTv but I love watching also “Down Home with the Neelys” and “Paula Deen” from the food Network.

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For some reason I feel really satisfied by watching other people eat stuff I really can’t now. I think really miss my social life before the lap-band because we literally celebrated everything with food.

Did anyone have this problem in the beginning?

I am setting myself up for failure by watching other people eat fatting foods.

Any feedback with help!

I am totally obsessed with cooking shows and cook books.... I think of ways that I can make them figure friendly!!!

I find it a great way to get prepared for when I am eating normally.... ohh and I get to use my Family as lab rats trying them out!!! hahahahahah

Watching other people eat fattening food isn't going to make your band fail... Eating them will.... While you watch them cooking and eating jot down ways to make them lower fat and lower calories...Maybe run in place during the commercials.... hahahah You will LOSE weight while watching others eat fatteing foods!!

GOOD LUCK!

AND IF YOU COME UP WITH SOME GOOD recipes..... SHARE THEM!!!

Hey bxlisa! I have been thinking the same thing - sort of! My husband asked me what we are going to do with the time that we used to spend eating out, so we have been thinking about that. We both really loved trying new restaraunts and very much enjoy "fine dining". So, the more I think about, I think I would enjoy making cooking my new hobby. But cooking like this..... spending 1-2 hours making fine, tasty, low-fat small fufu meals and then savoring the flavor. My husband thinks I'm crazy for still focusing on food, but I actually want to CHANGE my focus on food instead of pretending it doesn't exist.

Thanks for all the feedback!

Below is one recipe I really like from "The Dan Ho Show" because it has tons of Protein in one plate.

Salmon Templada

Ingredients:

Salmon with 5 Essentials

fat (olive oil)

salt

pepper

aromatic (fresh or dry herb)

acid (lemon or lime)

White Bean Mash

can of white Beans (canelli)

olive oil

salt

pepper

Savoy Sauté

cabbage

olive oil

onion

Directions

Slice salmon in its raw state (like you would with lox) and place on oven safe plate. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper, and herb over salmon and squeeze a fresh lemon or lime. Put salmon in broiler and broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until just pink.

Open up can of white beans and drain. Mash them in a bowl, then drizzle olive oil, add salt and pepper. Mix and microwave until warm. Serve.

Chop up cabbage length-wise, drizzle with olive oil and combine with finely chopped onion. Sauté for 5-7 min. Serve.

bxlisa, now that's what I'm talking about!!! Sounds wonderful!!! Exactly recipes like that - something that you can't just throw together out of the box, takes "love" to prepare and appreciate. I'm just not that creative. I can cook 'em, I just can't think of 'em!

Thanks much! I'm saving this one for when I can eat again! :-) Feel free to share with me more. This could be fun!

I don't have my band yet but I have become a food network addict. LOL

much to the dismay of my kids who think its boring.

I adore Alton Browns Good Eats shows the most since he gets down and explains they whys behind most of the preperation methods and the science behind the foods.

I find it has increased my knowledge and allowes me to do more changes to recipes I already had that were family favorites to make them healthier for us.

I don't find that watching cooking shows increases my hunger at all. Comercials sometimes do but not the cooking shows.

love the salmon recipe will have to try it.

The whole two weeks I was on my post op liquid diet, I watched the Food Network and it was weird because watching the Neelys cooks their bbq and Paula Deen put all that butter in her dishes was quite theraputic to me. I don't know how to explain it but the shows somehow reminded me that I was going to be eating a whole lot less of what they were cooking and I was o.k. with that. I still watch the Food network and I love seeing how the dishes come together.

Hi, my name is Kristey and I am a Food Network addict. lol. I watch off the Good Eats myself, plus Paula Deen to get my Southern Cooking fix and I DVR Ellie Krieger's show called Healthy Appetite. She has some GREAT tasting healthy recipes.

So funny, I'm doing the same thing. the whole time I was on liquids, I watched Rachel Ray every day (I actually find her pretty annoying) but it was comforting to see the cooking segments. I've taking down shopping lists for a few easy recipes, but haven't cooked anything yet.

I just had my 1st fill, and I'm making Oprah's favorite turkey burgers this week!

I, too, am a foodie! I get a number of magazines AND watch so many cooking shows, it's just crazy!!! My husband and I have always checked out new restaurants in town and love to try new dishes. My plans are to eat sensibly when we go out, either share a plate and/or ask for a box at the beginning. I also love to cook, so I am planning loads of dishes to try as soon as I am able to eat again, BUT I am limiting how much I am cooking (cutting down recipes or freezing extra servings) and making them low fat and sugar free as much as possible. I have already begun to work on recipes to make them band friendly.

Luckily, I feed my in-laws a couple of times a week so most anything I make can go on to them. They have been hungry these past few weeks!!!

Good luck to all of us Foodies!! It wont be easy. Post anything that is good in the recipe section for the rest of us.

Orange-Ginger Stir-Fry

3/4 lb. (12 oz.) beef steak or chicken breast, cut into strips

2 tsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. orange marmalade

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets , thawed

1 can (8 oz.) sliced Water chestnuts , drained

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 cups hot cooked MINUTE Brown Rice

1/4 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

PLACE steak or chicken strips in medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss to coat.

Add marmalade and ginger; stir until well blended.

HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat mixture; stir-fry 4 to

5 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Reduce heat to medium-low.

ADD broccoli, water chestnuts and soy sauce; mix well. Cover; simmer 5 minutes or

until thickened, stirring frequently.

SERVE over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 430, Total fat 15g, Saturated fat 3.5g, Cholesterol 35mg, Sodium 600mg

Fiber 5g, Sugars 9g, Protein 22g