Hi, This question is for post-op patients. I know everyones different but I was hoping for a scenario of what your day is like with the band at any and all post op stage. Do you prepare all your meals before hand? Do you measure portions? Are your meals completely different from your families? I just want to have an idea of what to expect if there is anything I can do now to start preparing (even though my surgery wont be for a couple of months) for my NEW life. Thanks:smile2:

I was banded in May, have had 2 fills now.

For breakfast I usually make a shake of 1 banana, 1/2 cup fat free yougurt, 4 frozen strawberries. I drink this or SF instant breakfast on the way to work. Once at work pound Water, special k protien water, or crystal light. For lunch I usually have leftover meat/veggies from a previous dinner, I skip starches as much as possible. I eat only about 1 cup of food max at a time now so there is usually a couple lunches left from dinners and I make them up in little containers and freeze them. For dinner I fix a protien, a veggie and then for my husband and son a starch or other side dish. I eat the meat and veggies but not the startches. Snacks sometimes between lunch and dinner I will have a SF 1/2 cup of fruit or applesauce, occasionally after dinner before bed I will have a little something like a string cheese or ff cream cheese on a couple crackers.

I was banded in March and have had 3 fills. I'm content with my restriction for now. Here is what a normal day is like for me:

Get up at 4:30.

5:00 - Cup of Tastefully Simple Chai - this is my one splurge and since I don't really care for tea or coffee, it's my hot drink in the morning.

My doc says to eat when I get hungry so breakfast varies. I work from home so this is easy to adjust... anyway...

Breakfast: 6:45-8:00

Might be a Protein bar

Banana (have had low potassium)

Water between meals

Lunch: 11:00

Usually 3-4 ounces of protein

A dairy (yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, etc)

WATER between meals again.

Dinner: 6:00

Another 3-4 ounces of protein

A veggie

I occasionally get hungry between breakfast and lunch. Not sure why I can go so long between lunch and dinner, but I occasionally have a snack in the morning if I really need it. I try to make it something high protein like cottage cheese, etc. At this point I'd rather have a small snack if needed than be tighter. I think you have to learn when your body is hungry to some extent and just listen to it.

My meals include everyday foods like chili, meatloaf, chicken, loveeee burgers with fat free cheese, etc. We dine out quite a bit and I just order the best I can and eat much less. I occasionally treat myself to a sweet as well, but not very often and a very small portion.

For me it is just much easier to eat protein at each meal and to have a full serving of either dairy, fruit, or veggie. I don't like having a small spoon of fruit and a small spoon of veggie with each meal. I'd rather do a larger portion of a fruit (like most of a banana - less wasteful) . It just works well for me. I mix it up, just make sure I get a serving of each in a day.

Obviously what I was doing before the band wasn't working and I want to follow the band rules as much as possible, but I think to some degree we just have to try to eat NORMAL. I know where deprivation has gotten me in the past. Luckily with the band if I do have one of my trigger foods from the past, it's not going to let me do the damage it did before. But at the same time, I have to be in the mindset that I have to change my style of eating as well. Just a lifestyle change, not a diet.

I've found shredded beef doesn't work for me, so I don't eve attempt steak and some other cuts of beef. Otherwise, bread is the only food I've had issues with. I haven't had the desire to give bread another try, just to painful thinking about it!

I log all my food and exercise on dailyplate.com. I don't exercise daily, I'm still sporadic with that, so that's something I need to work on.

Sorry this got so long!

Edited July 29, 200917 yr by bambam

As a self-proclaimed creature of habit, my days look like this, pretty much every day for the last 6 months..

Breakfast

Wake-up, take my Slimquick pills (LOVE these btw) and one large glass of Water. Take my Muscle Milk (LOVE this too btw) and drink on the way to work (25g protein)

Drink water as much as possible until 12:00-at Noon prepare my Nutri-System lunch (cup o' noodles type meal with chicken) and eat about 12:15-(19g protein)

1:00 take my other 2 Slimquick pills

Snack around 2-3:00pm, small bag of Smart pop popcorn (100cal)

Workout for 1+ hours (50min cardio-then circuit training)

Dinner-chicken breast cooked in the Rocket Grill (if you don't have a Rocket Grill, you MUST get one, I use it EVERY DAY..LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!) and small serving of broccoli

That's it. On the weekend, I still drink my Protein milk, but am a little less strict on what I eat, works great!! Like monkey, I do not measure or count calories. I know what I should eat and about how much, and by not limiting myself I feel FREE and in control of my band and life!

I also do not measure or count calories. I never was good at that. In the beginning it might be a good idea, if you feel like you really need to. But after a while, you learn how much to eat.

Normal every day begins with a little Water and my medication. When I get to work, I sip on a Protein Shake (made with either milk or an Atkins shake and 1 scoop of Unjury) for about an hour. I try to drink water (only room temp seems to go down the best) until lunch.

Lunchtime usually consists of a Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice or if I have some made, a little Breakfast quiche (cupcake size) and a little cottage cheese.

In the afternoon, I really try and concentrate on drinking water, and if I get hungry, I throw some home-made trail mix into a 3 1/2 oz of greek yogurt and eat that.

For dinner, I usually eat the Protein of whatever hubby made, just much smaller portions. I may also have a little pc of cheese.

In the evening, if my stomach is grumbling, I'll have a SF popsicle or SF fudgesicle or a handful of my trail mix or a SF pudding. Any you know.....WATER!

. Eat breakfast (either fruit, nut bar or balance bar) about 9:30. For some reasons, eating breakfast make me want to munch on crap. Some days I fight the urge...

This is because you are eating fruit, which is sweet and sugary which causes your blood sugar levels to rise and then sharply fall (where the cravings come from!). Fruit is great for you, but include something like eggs (think eggs more than nuts etc) or other Protein (I know it sounds redundant) and you'll find that you eventually wont have those cravings and urges anymore, and no more munching will be needed!

Edited August 4, 200917 yr by libriteen
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