Hey everyone going through Kaiser Richmond!!

Where are you in the process?

I am gonna try some new recipes from my new weight loss surgery book..........I will post anything that is good. Lots of really high protien, low fat stuff...........some of it looks good but some of it is just plain weird.

Anyone with a fill wake up with it feeling/seeming tighter in the morning? Mornings are harder to eat but it seems to get easier in the afternoon.............my nature snacking time which doesn't help. Is it just me?

Hope everyone has a great week!!

Yes, that is pretty common to be tighter in the morning. I have read that some people drink something warm in the morning and it helps.

Ok I just caught up with the weekend posts - I typically avoid the computer on the weekends after being on it all week at work. Monthly fills? That must be new - I had my first fill at 6 wks post op, my 2nd fill at 5 mths post op and I have my 3rd appt 10 mths post op - assuming I will get a fill at my appointment on the 25th. I started out with 0 ccs and received 4 ccs at my first fill and 2 cc at my second fill. Yes, I had problems after my second fill with pbing but it got better. I still feel restriction now depending on what I eat. I also forget to chew good sometimes - old habits die hard. I am thinking maybe I need to get counseling to try to fight this head hunger I have. But not sure what I would say I need counseling for when I call Kaiser. Any suggestions?

Good morning beautiful ladies!!

Pam, I was just talking to the gal who led our Santa Rosa 14-week class for bariatric surgery patients yesterday, I told her I needed to have a refresher "mindful eating" lesson! She says that I can call psych & just tell them I want help & support with eating issues after bariatric surgery.

I want to bring clothes to the Pinole meeting the 25th, do you think Robin would mind? I have 14/16 through 20/22, anybody interested? Mostly career stuff from Avenue, and mostly tops.

Good morning ladies -

Any of you eat out while on the pre op diet? I made my breakfast & lunch to go this morning and wouldn't you know it I ran out the house without it! I won't ba anywhere near home till about 3:00. Since I didn't eat breakfast, I'm still not hungry & know I won't be till about 1:30 or so, I can wait till I get home to eat but I know I'm not suppose to skip meals.

Any suggestions??

Morning Candra! Goodness. I still forget my breakfast & lunch half the time, it seems. Safe bets for eating out pre-op: Breakfast: Starbucks for a decaf soy latte (or a skinny latte if you do milk). Or drop by a grocery store for a pint of berries - lowest carbs, highest fiber of the fruits. And of course, you do not have to eat breakfast foods for breakfast!

Lunch, I would ask in any restaurant for a plain grilled chicken breast on a bed of lettuce, no dressing (I carried my own packets) or olive oil & basalmic on the side. Eat the chicken breast first! Or I would go to the salad bar at a round table pizza, fill my plate with 2 hard-boiled eggs, pickle spears, sliced cucumbers and sunflower seeds (I put the sunflower seeds on the cucumber slices and pretend I'm having pizza, lol!)

Should be more ideas on here!

Thanks, riley - I'll pop out & get latte. There's only fast food restaraunts around here so I think I'll wait to have lunch when I get home. There is a KFC - they have the new grilled chicken but i don't what it's marinated in - I think I'll google it. Although, still not sure if I trust myself to eat out LOL

I thought about you this morning as I was walking up those flippin hills - I don't have any clue how you do those hikes!!

Hey Pam how are you? Nice to see you back.

I think different doctors do things different. Dr. Baggs has me for an appointment at 6 weeks, than I go back in a month and I assume I go back once a month for awhile now.........he gave me 2ccs on this visits, said 1cc at the next visit and than .5ccs at all the other visits. He told me he likes to "sneak up on the sweet spot" and that is why he does it that way.

The group fills are for Kaiser convience. Robin was saying she could see 8 lap banders in one day or all 12 of us in 2-3 hours..........and with a group we can all answer each others questions or all hear her answers at once.......She said it was a new thing they were trying and that patients were saying they liked it better. I like it better since it is fun to visit with people and nice to get ideas about what is working for everyone........or not.

I think the clothing is a good thing. Riley I could so use

the 14/16s and I have a few 20's to give away........hmm with Robin I have no idea.

Her and Dr. Baggs seem to have a system. She runs the group him and his nurse do the fills. He comes in and out of the nutrition class doing his thing and calling people out......

It all really does go pretty quick............and I was next to last and I say that!! :-)

I like starbucks non fat hot chocolate. Keeps me full awhile....

Also I do the taco bell beans and cheese when I HAVE to do the fast food thing.........but of course you can have tostado shells and those are only 270 calories and the healthiest thing on the menu. I don't eat the shells anymore now with the band.............before the band I would east tostados when I was without my own stuff.........of course I am veggie too...........

Good luck Candra you'll be fine.

Ha ha, I was just reading back on page 8 of this thread, it was back in December and I was freaking out about fills, I did NOT want to do that, the videos were totally grossing me out! lol, Christine is telling me it's no big deal, just close my eyes, lol . . .

Well ladies, we have come a long way and Christine you were so right! They are NOTHING! And I don't even close my eyes . . . I giggled through the last one . . . what would I ever have done back then without you girls??

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your support since we began this journey! You have no idea how helpful and reassurring you all have been.

Riley wow we have all come along way in just less than six months.............this support system has been my lifeline all the way through.............

In some ways it has been a crazy long journey and in many other ways it has flown by.........

I had no idea I would be banded by now. I was aiming for June or July at the earliest.....

A year ago I was just thinking about banding. I was staring my last attempt at WW to see if I could get out of the weight trap on my own...........OMG what a difference a year makes!!

How you noticed we have lost alot of people from the forum who started out with us.........wonder what happened and if they went through with surgery?

I was wondering the same thing . . . . some of them still have tickers that reflect a pre-surgery weight loss, but then I don't see any of those "not updated for 30 days" messages, either . . . it does make you wonder! I worry too much as it is . . .

Hey I found something high protein (20 grams) that I cab consistently eat without PBing, and it sticks with me too! Robin got me started on lentils, I cook 2 tbs. dry (makes 1/4 cup cooked) in water on high in micro until almost done (8-9 minutes), take it out & nuke a Morningstar original veggie sausage patty for 1 minute, cut/crumble it up into the lentils and cook them the rest of the way, add salt & pepper, YUM! Talk about comfort food. I think lentils make the whole house smell good! Actually cookies make it smell better, but that's SO not gonna happen. I make ahead to take to work, too.

Oh I love lentils had them last week....good to know the portion size since my 1/4 cup dry make way, way to many!! I put them with cottage cheese but sausage sounds good. I eat alot of the morning star sausages so I have them around.......

Lentils are my favorite. I could live on them!! Just that I want more than a 1/4 cup of them. Seriously I can't eat more than that without PB'ing big time still. But that is a food I feel sad I can't have seconds.....

I make a lentil loaf thing with cottage cheese, eggs, and breadcrumbs that is yummy and makes good sandwiches but I can't figure out what to replace the breadcrumbs with post op to make it work......

But OMG I love lentils. I just so can't eat much of anything right now...........a blessing in disguise!! But I had to throw a pot of lentils away yesterday they taste awful the second day!!