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About this blog

My Lap Band Journey

Entries in this blog

 

WTF???

The new title of my blog. Same website new name. Why WTF?? It stands for Where's the Fat??   Please check it out and join to follow my blog. I was banded 14 months ago and have lost 115 lbs. I have good days and bad days. I am sure you can relate. See what can and can't happen 14 months post op.   http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/
anglov

anglov

2
 

Back again...

It has been awhile since I have been on here. My weightloss has slowed considerably. I am now down 115 lbs in 13 months. I have been struggling with getting stuck or really constricted when eating but I am supposing that it is mainly stress related. I am working on that. I don't give up and go back to mushies. I keep trying different foods to find what works. Things that worked before I have issues with now.   The key is to eat slowly which I will admit I don't do. Sometimes I wait too long to eat and then I end up eating too fast and well it gets ugly from there. Other times I eat slow but because my kids are bickering at the table I get stuck and it might be something as simple as green beans.   I am sitting here today re-evaluating what I am eating and how I am eating. I started a new job so I need to work that into the equation. My former boss ( I got a new job 3 weeks ago) and I used to eat lunch together a lot because I sat right next to her and we ate at our desks while chatting or working. The problem is I eat lunch out 4 days a week now. I don't eat bad foods persay just homemade you can control the food such as sodium and fat. Although I don't eat fat free I know that my home-made food is lesser in fat than the restaurants.   I have a few new recipes on my blog: http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/ and updates on what has or has not been going on lately.   Advice, it is perfectly natural to have times where you seriously wonder if the band was the right choice. To this day, I still have those moments when food gets stuck over and over. I get so frustrated (which only adds to the stress factor) and even depressed about it if it happens for several days continuously. I am 13 months post op and still deal with those feelings. It's normal. I truly don't regret it at all. I mean who would REALLY regret losing 115 lbs in 13 months? I would have never done that without the band. I am human though and at times I get so tired of fighting myself because of the band. I make it harder than it needs to be.   So back to re-evaluting...My former boss and I still eat out. Well, we run out and grab food and bring it back to work. I go my way and she goes hers and we eat separately now. Weird, I know. I need to break that cycle. Monday is the only day that I eat my lunch brought from home. I need to start bringing it more often and just tell her no. I feel so bad though because she is struggling now that I am gone to my new job. She uses the drive to get food as her time to vent to me over her struggles. I know she needs to do that otherwise she will crack under the pressure. I have always been her sounding board. We worked together for 10 years. I will need to think on how to handle this delicate situation.   I enjoy shopping now for clothes. I can buy off the rach at most any store. I still buy some larger sizes. I wear an 18 in pants. I wear an XL or XXL in shirts. The normal XXL not the plus size 2X. There is a difference. I have a lot of loose skin around my belly and my upper arms so that is the only reason why. I see plastic surgery in my future but not for a very long time.   Well, check out my blog site. I have lots of more indepth info and recipes. As I have said before, I don't eat fat free. I usually try low fat or if it is high protein then I am not so picky. I have been successful so far so something is working for me.   Best wishes everyone and if anyone needs to chat or talk about things then give me a holler.
anglov

anglov

1
 

ONE YEAR BANDAVERSARY!!!!

Today is my one year bandaversary. I am so happy I decided to have this surgery. My grand total for 1 year is 112.5 lbs lost!   Check out my blog http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/ for my anniversary post.   Good luck to everyone out there banded or considering to be banded. It is a journey I am happy I am taking.
anglov

anglov

6
 

I write this as I sit here devouring a bowl of homemade guacamole!!

Since the surgery I have a new love of guacamole. I never did before and now I love the stuff. Crazy good!   Well, I haven't been on here in almost a month. I am down 107 lbs as of today. I had my surgery almost a year ago. One year will be May 12th. I plan on that day posting a look back at the past.   Today I thought I would share a VERY IMPORTANT TIP..............   DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF OR YOUR JOURNEY TO ANYONE ELSE'S. I know, it's easier said than done but it is so important. Everyone is different. Everyone's body responds differently. What works for me may not work for you. It doesn't hurt to try but it is very easy to get discouraged when things don't work out the same as others. It may not be that you are doing anything wrong it's just not in the cards for you at the same pace as others. I see others on here upset because they aren't advancing the same as others. I used to be one of them. I wasn't losing weight as fast in the beginning as others who had surgery around the same time. I compared myself all the time. I don't anymore. I am ME. I have tips and things that have worked for me and it is only as a suggestion to others. It may work for you too and it may not. Trial and error.   Here are few differences I have. I don't drink protein shakes anymore unless I get a fill and I only drink one for that day. I don't eat a mere few ounces at a meal. I eat a salad plate size portion at each meal. This is my surgeon's and lap band's recommendation. Lap Band has even come out with a lap band plate showing the size portion you should have. I was beating myself up over vacation last year because I thought I was overeating. I came back from vacation and had lost 12 lbs. WOW. They told me it was because I was eating more. Okay so I took that advice and ran with it. I now eat that much when I can and I incorporate high protein foods. Life is good and it works for me. Find YOUR niche and you will be so much more happy than you are when you compare how you are doing to someone else.   Much Love and Respect to everyone who is on or are about to embark on this journey!! Angie http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/
anglov

anglov

6
 

I've said it before, I will say it again...I AM A LOSER!!

But not in the bad sense of the words. Being a loser can be a good thing if you are obese. LOL!   My weightloss has definitely slowed down and I am good with that. I have made tremendous headway in 11 months since my surgery. May 12th will be one year and I am currently down 103.5 lbs!! Something I NEVER would have thought was possible. My life is so much better and there is so much more to it now. My health has improved. If I was not to lose any more weight I couldn't be more proud of where I have come since that day nearly a year ago when I stepped into the outpatient center for my life changing LapBand surgery.   I enjoy life. I don't worry about diet or food or calories for once in my life. I eat what I like. I eat what I feel like eating. I only avoid those foods that cause issues but sometimes I try them just to see if they still bother me. Yeah I am a sadist.   My favorite food right now is Qdoba's three cheese nachos with chicken. I get the chips on the side. I put black beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and guacamole on it. I use probably 10 chips out of the huge bag they give me. Since I have started eating that most days for lunch my weight loss has upped a little. Here's the skinny on it...well not so skinny...1350 cal., 75g fat, 27g fiber, 55g protein. Yeah it is a lot of everything good and bad but that also includes all the chips which I don't eat. Here's the thing, I eat this for lunch 3-4 times a week. Since doing so, it has kick started my weight loss again. I mean that is a lot of protein in one meal and I am addicted to it!! Like I have said before I don't eat low fat intentionally. I eat what I like and try to choose lower fat options. I don't do fat free anything. I don't like it so I am not going to force myself to eat it. What's the point? I want to enjoy life, not struggle with it.   Hey the point is, whatever works for you, GO FOR IT!! I found my niche. I can't say it would work for anyone else but you have to find what it is that makes it work for you.   Check my blog out for my recipes and thoughts. http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/
anglov

anglov

2
 

101 lbs gone!!

I am definitely a success story in the making. I have reached a major milestone in my life and one that I would not have made without the lap band. Please see my blog about my journey so far and click to follow. http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/   I was banded 10 months ago and cannot believe where I stand today. I never dreamed I would hit this milestone in less than a year. My surgeon had a goal of 40 lbs a year with a total weight loss of 120 lbs over 3 years.   I have always shopped at places like Lane Bryant and Woman Within (when I could no longer buy off the rack at Lane Bryant stores). I have gone from a very tight size 28/30 in pants to a size 18/20. I went from a size 4x/5x (30/32) top to a size 1x/2x (22/24) at a regular store not the specialty plus stores like Lane Bryant. I am shopping at Old Navy and saving tons of cash on clothes. I now shop at least 2-3 times a month for clothes. I am LOVING it!! That is definitely something I would never have thought I would do again.   I still have a long ways to go but I know without a doubt I will get there. I am not eating bird-size portions. I don't eat fat free. I eat a salad plate size portion at each meal. I eat eggs every morning pretty much for breakfast. I don't exercise as much as a I should. Frankly hardly at all so I know that if I were to change that I would probably have been at my surgeon's goal already. The key here is I am happy. What I am doing is working for me. I don't obsess about food. I only recognize the foods I cannot eat. Other than that, all is fair game. I have come to realize my whole problem was portion control. I can choose healthier items if I want but I would eat really huge portions of everything. Now I don't.   Another milestone for me is that I have not had a single soft drink in a year. March 25, 2010 was the day I stopped drinking soft drinks. I only drink Vitamin Water Zero, milk, juice. That's it. I have no caffeine at all.   May 12th will be my 1 year bandaversary. I can't wait to see where I will be at that time.    
anglov

anglov

5
 

Super Bowl Sunday eats and treats, do or don't?

Do, Definitely DO!! Why deprive yourself of certain treats and foods? I mean as long as they don't get stuck. The band is a tool and as I see it, I use my tool I don't work against it and I also don't work against my brain. My brain wants something and by golly I give it what it wants just in moderation. That's where the tool comes in. It helps me to eat less. My brain in return makes better choices or makes my regular recipes a little healthier, if possible.   Today I have chicken breasts roasting in the oven for white chili and buffalo chicken dip. I am looking forward to both. I eat a lot of regular foods and not always low fat foods. The fact that I eat much less than before allows me to have what I want. If I am eating MORE of those not so good for your foods then I know it's time for a fill. So far its working for me. To each his or her own I guess.   What are your favorite Super Bowl Foods or regular meal foods? Recipes? http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/p/recipe-collection.html
anglov

anglov

1
 

What a wild ride...

I had the most horrific sliming episode. It was more embarrassing than anything. I did what I had to do to "survive". Check out my blog for the gruesome details. http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/   I am hanging on steadily with virtually gaining and losing the same few pounds every week for the past few weeks. I am maybe down a pound this week. I truly need to step up my exercise or actually just step up to it period. I do nothing. I have done a little but easily get distracted. I absolutely hate it and I don't have time. I work four 10 hour days so I get home at 8pm. I only have the three day weekends to really catch up on everything I need to do. Somehow I need to find something somewhere that will motivate me to "move it". I am also a person who does not like to work out with others even my own family. I have a Wii and have tried the Wii fit, which by the way, is down right rude if you get off the board to take a rest. The problem is my kids or husband comes in and wants to "watch" and I can't do that so since they refuse to leave I just stop and then don't touch again. Any suggestions? I wanted to try the Wii Zumba but again if the family comes in the room they won't leave so I just quit.
anglov

anglov

3
 

It has been a long time...Update: Down 91 lbs in 8 months

It has been forever it seems since I was on here. So much has happened since then. My blog at http://anglovato.blogspot.com/ can fill you in on the ups and downs of my journey so far. I try to post there weekly at least.   This was the best decision I have ever made in my life. This decision has made my life, literally. I have had struggles and made it through each one, learding a lesson along the ways.   To those that have the band, CONGRATS, to those thinking about the band, stop thinking and just do it!   I don't have a special diet. My band controls my food intake. My head controls the choices I make. I am so much happier with myself and my life and people are starting to take notice of me. They are now noticing my weight but I think my new attitude and the new way I carry myself with pride and self esteem has made them really step up and take notice. It's like all of sudden in the past month people are always taking note of my new look. Can't say I'm not enjoying it. I used to never want people to notice me and I still don't "want" them to but the difference is now I don't mind if they do. Before surgery it would bother me because if I was noticed it meant people saw my morbid obesity. I preferred to remain hidden. I am still obese but now I am more outgoing and enjoying life. I have a long way to go but still going strong.
anglov

anglov

6
 

Stuck like glue update

See my previous post for all the gory details but essentially I was SEVERELY stuck Thursday night. When I woke up Friday morning water still was not going down very easy so eating was not an option and since no one was in my doctor's office here in town I had to wait until Monday unless I wanted to drive to another city, which I didn't. Melissa, the nurse at my doctor's office, told me to sip hot as I can stand it liquids. So I went out and got me some apple cider and heated it up hot as can be and sipped on it. I was still afraid to eat at that point but my throat did feel better. I felt I could actually swallow my own spit again. WOO HOO!! I had put some pot roast in the crock pot that morning to cook and by late afternoon it was smelling fabulous and well my stomach started protesting my fast. I decided to cook some eggs. I took a few bites and at first it felt a little like it might get stuck but it went down. I breathed a sigh of relief and so did my stomach. I started sipping my water and eventually I was drinking fairly normal again. I decided to make some Carne Asado for next week and did a little cooking. Boy did that make me hungry given the little food I have had since my episode. Pot roast was done. Carne Asado was done. I was starving! I pulled out some cooked veggies from the pot roast. I ate them slowly and they were soooo good. Then I see it! A little peice of pot roast on my plate. Do I or don't I? I do'd it! Chew, chew, chew...AND.....NO PROBLEMS! So I got a little more and again no problems. I even ate a little Carne Asado, because I needed to make sure it tasted right and that too was no problem. I am back to normal, well band normal. A little hot hot cider and I was good as new, that and not eating anything for many hours. It gave my esophagus time to recover. I have no idea what caused me to get that stuck but I know I have bought a box of apple cider packets(near the hot chocolate in stores) and am keeping it with me at all times. I don't like tea or coffee and those are just as fine. I do like the hot cider so that is my hot beverage of choice. Just a little tidbit I thought I would share. Something to try if you are stuck in a restaurant, ask for super hot tea or coffee or hot water w/lemon.
anglov

anglov

3
 

Stuck like glue

OMG!! Last night was excruciating. I went in for a fill on Monday. I only got .5cc, so no biggie. I am up to 5cc now. Everything was fine. I was a little tight on and off during the day. Each night at dinner my food would get a little stuck. Each day it seemed to get worse. Wednesday night I was eating dinner and it got stuck. Really stuck! I was at work at the time which made this even worse. I walked around hoping gravity would help but no, nothing helped. I started sliming and well it had to come up. I felt better. Last night was the worst ever! I took one bite of a bean burrito and it was more bean than tortilla. It got stuck and it was painful. The sliming started and I expelled it. I call it expelling becuase it's not really throwing up. It comes from my throat not my stomach. Anyway, I was still stuck. Still sliming. Still expelling. Every 10-15 minutes from 8:30 until 2am. Completely stuck until 2am when it eased up. I called my doctor's office today and they said that once you get stuck your esophagus spasms. Drinking hot liquid, as hot as you can stand it, will relax your esophagus. Drinking cold or even room temperature liquids causes your esophagus to spasm. Good to know. I am to drink hot liquids right before eating to relax my esophagus to see if this helps my situation, if not then I have to come in and get some liquid taken out. No one is in my doctor's office that can take out fluid toda. They are in the other office which is too far away(as in another city) so I am trying this little trick until at least Monday. Wish me luck. Still all in all, I don't regret it. This is the 1st real problem I have had. I am sure there will be others but I wouldn't trade this for anything. The band is the best decision I ever made. I am down 53 lbs. The sliming sucks but this too shall pass.
anglov

anglov

1
 

Calling all cooks!!!

CALLING ALL COOKS....I AM LOOKING FOR NEW RECIPES THAT ARE BAND FRIENDLY AND/OR JUST PLAIN EASY AND DELICIOUSLY LOW FAT/CALORIES. SEND ME AN EMAIL OR POST AS A COMMENT. I WILL COMPILE A NEW RECIPE LIST FROM ALL YOUR INPUT AND POST FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY:thumbup:!!   angela.lovato7@gmail.com or you can visit my blog and post a recipe...   http://anglovato.blogspot.com/
anglov

anglov

1
 

Vitamin difficient

Just yesterday I responded to a blog about someone who was potassium difficient with a great website with potassium rich foods. Ironically, today I go to the doctor and since I hadn't had a call about my labs from a month ago I asked. Turns out the lab never sent them over. My motto...no news is not good news, it just means they haven't gotten the results and I need to call about it. So she calls me back and said she knows why my joints and bones have been hurting. See I just thought it was because I lost weight and the tendons were stretching in a new direction, hence the pain. WRONG!! Anyway, the labs showed I am potassium and vitamin D difficient. The vitamin D is the worst. My doc said they have never seen it that low in many many years. We should be at "30" and mine was "8". So now I have to take presciption meds for both. The potassium pill is the size of a horse pill. Guess I am crushing that one and the vitamin D is 50,000 IU and is a tiny little thing. Crazy! Anyway, make sure you get your vitamin levels checked. Low potassium leaves you achy, tired and dizzy. Low vitamin D causes bone loss, joint pain. Explains a lot. She said I should be feeling spectacular soon after starting the meds. I will let everyone know. Now on to my visit. I lost 8.5 lbs in 3 weeks. I felt so guilty on vacation because I was eating a small (salad)size plate of food at each meal. I wasn't hungry for 5-6 hours after but I thought I was overeating and in desperate need of a fill. Turns out that is exactly how I should be eating and feeling. I am in the green zone and didn't even realize it. The green zone is not eating tiny amount of food and being satisfied. It is eating 1250 cals a day in the way of salad size plates of food and not being hungry for at least 4 hours. I was so glad to find out I need to eat more. She said "see you ate more food and lost more weight in 3 weeks." AND I am bloated if you know what I mean and that usually means weight gain for at least a week. I was thinking all wrong about my food intake. I was so happy. I go back in a month to see how this stage is going. Wish me luck! Oh my total loss now is 45.5 lbs.
anglov

anglov

7
 

Measuring Success

I have lost 44 lbs so far and I don't see a difference when I look in the mirror and I don't see a big difference when I put on clothes. Why? Because 44 lbs, while a huge loss, is only a drop in the bucket for what I NEED to lose so the clothes difference is not happening all that fast. It is a little discouraging when no one notices that I have lost weight too. I wonder if they don't notice or they feel since I had weight loss surgery I don't deserve to hear it since it was surgery and not dieting. That would be the ignorant ones who think this surgery is an automatic fix all. But that is another blog topic all together. To combat that, I take notice of small differences other than the scale or clothes. My blog at http://anglovato.blogspot.com/ gives my accounts of small differences I am noticing that, well, give me the boost I need when the scale or clothes aren't. Start keeping track and you will be surprised at just how well you are actually doing when other measuring means do show it. :mad:
anglov

anglov

5
 

Must make time to prepare and Pain is not my friend

I have found that if I don't prepare food and portion it out for the week for lunch I don't do so well. I end up having a long period of time between meals and feel sick. I am in training this week and didn't prepare my meals like I would normally. Don't get me wrong. I bring my food from home, I am just not bringing something satisfying. So then, I am hungry after a few hours and end up stretching that time out until dinner because I didn't bring a good protein snack with me. I do this it seems every other week. Next topic. Pain. My knees, hips, back, legs. For years I have felt twinges, dull aches, sharp stabbing pains. I was always told, LOSE WEIGHT. Well I have started to do that and well, it hurts even worse. Go figure. Turns out I have arthritis in my knee and I have been advised no treadmill or walking long distances. Stationary bike or water exercises until the knee is better then try the elliptical. Not a good prognosis.
anglov

anglov

2
 

Down, Down she goes!

I went in Thursday for my 2nd fill. My 10cc band now has 4.5cc in it. I go back in 3 weeks again for another fill. I will be probably need two more tweaks she said.   I am down 41.5 lbs! I feel great!   I met with the nutritionist and she said I am a poster child for what to do right. That made me feel good. My lunch cooler is a great idea and is what keeps me on track all day long. I work four 10 hour days each week so I am there for dinner every day. I eat breakfast at home but take enough food to eat every four hours. It has been working great for me. I don't even think about eating out unless I want to. No vending machines. except when they have these cheese cubes/grapes cup. I do tend to buy those for a snack. My suggestion is to be prepared. I eat what I want when I want it. I just eat everything in moderation and yes my weight loss is not fast but it is steady and I am not suffering for it. I am not struggling at all because I am not putting too much pressure on myself and I don't set high expectations either. Be realistic in your goals otherwise you are setting yourself up for real disappointment and failure when you really didn't need to. Think about it. Did you gain all this weight overnight or even within a few months? No you didn't. This was over years and years. Why would you expect to lose it in a few months? You may WANT to lose it in a few months but that is not healthy or realistic. My doctor said I should aim to lose 40lbs a year to be within a goal range in 3 years which is right where the Lap Band should have me. I am already at the 40lb mark for this year and I am not reaching for the stars when setting my goals. Good Luck to everyone.
anglov

anglov

3
 

I am SO DOWN right now

And I don't mean depressed. I was banded 5-12-10 and am DOWN 18.2 since surgery for a grand total of 36.5 since March.   It has been a road full of bumps and ruts. Some of the potholes were HUGE. I am making it though. I am not discouraged and I am not looking at this through "rose-colored" glasses.   I have seen some banders go into this thinking this is the miracle cure. We know better. I have seen some upset because they aren't dropping 10lbs a week. We know better. The point of WLS, well at least it should be, is to lose weight to be healthy. Now think about it, if we are told that with the lap band we should be losing about 2 lbs per week, why would we even imagine that 10lbs a week is normal? If you sent unrealistic goals or have unrealistic expectations then you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment. I have realistic goals and you know what? I AM HAPPY with my band and how I am doing and I am happy doing it.   I am to the point that I don't think band first before I eat. It is now a habit and everything just falls in place. I don't project I AM BANDED anymore. I am just me. They see me, not the girl who had band surgery. We are all successful no matter what!!
anglov

anglov

5
 

Very little weight loss this week...Still...GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I have hit my 1st week barely losing anything. Am I bummed? You know, I'm not really. I thought I would be. I look at it this way, a loss is a loss. I lost 1/2 lb this week.   I know why I only lost a 1/2 lb. I have been swelling up this week which I haven't done in a long while. Why did I do this? I would say I have had too much sodium this week. I KNOW I had too much sodium this week. My plan is to change that up next week and increase my water intake.   NOW THE GOOD NEWS!!!!!   I am officially UNDER 300 lbs!!! YEAH ME! I in the elite group of TWOFERVILLE.   LOSER LOSER LOSER...YES I AM A LOSER and proud of it:tt2::tt1:
anglov

anglov

4
 

1 month post op today AND 1st fill!

Well, I must say I learned a lot today at my post op. I wish it had been sooner so I could be privy to this info but I am glad just the same. I learned several things. 1st--my doc does not have us on a long liquid phase after surgery because he has found more success in his patients if they are re-introduced slowly to foods as soon as possible. Less cheating and damage to the band. Plus since he does not put any fluid in the band the healing time is less. 2nd--I should be eating a "salad plate" size portion at each meal. And here I thought I was eating too much. 3rd--I must eat 1200 cal a day. Eating low low calories can cause weight gain or I would stop losing weight.   As it was explained to me, I should not be struggling with my diet. The only thing I should have to be concerned with is healthy choices. The amount I eat should be dictated by my band. Hence the reason for follow ups and fills, of course we all know that. Got to get to the "green zone otherwise known as the "sweet spot".   Well I weight in and have lost a total of.....33 POUNDS!! 14.7 lbs since surgery. Not a lot but REALLY excited. My doctor is thrilled with it. He said slow is the way to go. As he put it, if you expected to lose a lot weight fast then you should have chosen one of the other surgeries. So true!!   My BP is down. It is normal so that thrills me. I am off the reflux meds now. I haven't had any since surgery.   Ok, so I had my 1st fill. I didn't have anything in the band and now I have 3 cc's. It was interesting. It didn't hurt one bit. We chatted as the nurse practitioner did my fill. It was tight and all day I sipped water and ate mushy foods. The swelling is down now because I am no longer burping when I swallow water.   Then...I get home today and a local hospital (not the one I went to) sends me an invitation to their weightloss surgery seminar. I had never even inquired there. Strange.
anglov

anglov

2
 

So my thinking has had a makeover...

No restriction is no reason to give in. I don't get a feeling of being full until sometimes up to an hour after I eat. That can be trouble if I overeat.   It is hard to get the protein in. I crave vegetables so I try to have some when I can. I am also running out of protein ideas and getting bored with the ones I have. I went to bingo last night. This is my first outing since being banded on the 10th. My bingo allows you to bring your own food if you want or fast food. Whatever you want. I brought some food with me but I saw they had chili. I really wanted a bowl and knew if I couldn't eat it hubby would. It was delicious. I don't think I would have liked it normally but I guess I was starved for something different. I ate maybe a 1/2 c if that and chewed the meat really well. I did fine and was stuffed so maybe what I am eating is not filling enough or it is too mushy? I ate meat and was full. So should I eat more solid proteins to stay satisfied longer and to feel full while eating otherwise I just don't get that feeling until it is too late and I have eaten too much.   I am so confused. I think that an appointment with a nutritionist should be the 1st appointment post op we have. I could really use some help. I met with one before surgery but when you haven't had this done yet you don't know what questions to ask.   I need more protein ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and some things easy to take to work. I hate fish such as tuna. YUCK. I haven't been able to eat it since my 2nd pregancy.
anglov

anglov

4
 

Restriction or no restriction that is the question

I posted a question in the post op form on restriction. I received several replies with good reminders of what I need to be focused on. I have no restriction. I have read that it happens when the swelling goes down. I just didn't expect it one week after surgery. I guess unrealistically I expected to be a little "tight" for a while. So, now I am on a different path. I have to be more mindful of my eating since I obviously don't have the help of my band right now. I go to the doctor on June 10th so that is quite a while to be on my own. I have thought a lot of what would I do if I stretched my pouch. What if this lack of restriction was actually my pouch was stretched? Could that be it? What do I need to do if it is stretched and how would I even know? Anyone?
anglov

anglov

4
 

1 week post op

I am down 7.2 lbs since surgery. It isn't a whole lot by comparison to others but isn't that point? I should not compare myself to others. My weightloss is just that, MY WEIGHTLOSS. That doesn't include the 5 lbs I gained from swelling after surgery. I lost that 5 lbs of fluid(that counts right?) and then 7.2 lbs after that. Not too bad considering I am not on a liquid diet. I only had clear fluids 2 days and surgery day was considered day 1. Each day I add more foods as I tolerate them. I am down a total of 25. 5 lbs since March 25th. This is the most weight I have lost in years.   I am amazed at how well I am doing and I don't feel deprived really. I still miss my mac and cheese but I suppose I will one day get over that. I had breakfast casserole this morning. It was very tasty. It's funny how the little things are so much better now. I made it myself and it took a few minutes but tasted so good. I made ham salad that is wonderful and a change for lunch. I am not a tuna fan or any seafood for that matter. I think chicken, ham and egg salads will be my staples. It's best when you can make things yourself because you can control what goes into it but in reality since we are eating such small portions most foods are well within guidelines.   Ok, has anyone else noticed that your tastebuds aren't the same? I LOVE to put lots and lots of pepper on my food. I never use salt. I have realized that now I am super sensitive to pepper in my food. I made egg salad and put a very small amount on my food. I mean very little and it still seemed to overpower the dish. I actually was coughing as if I had poured a cup of pepper on it. Very weird.   I have to say I am so glad I found this site. I feel I have so much support and help on here and hopefully I can pass what I have gotten onto to someone else just joining us. Thanks to everyone I have met along the way and will continue to meet. Each one of you have touched my life in a way that is changing my life. At a time when I wasn't sure if this was the right decision I was reminded how successful I could be. Now that I am banded I know that no matter what I can get the help or encouragement I need right here.
anglov

anglov

2
 

Each day is a new beginning

Right now each day is like a new beginning. I learn new things about my new "friend" every day and in turn new things about my new life. I learn what works and what doesn't. Everyone is different so what I may tolerate someone else may not and vice versa. I haven't added anything new the past few days. My "food" choices consists of: yogurt, egg salad, refried beans ( to be used sparingly), applesauce and mashed bananas. Oh and Chocolate cheesecake pudding if I need a sweet fix. Which isn't often. I am not much for sweets. I am more of a savory girl. Not much variety there. One tip to watch out for andyou may not have this problem but refried beans are delicious when thinned with taco sauce but after 2 teaspoons I start to get the full/bloated feeling. It lasts a pretty long time so all in all is a good protein choice and staying power in my pouch. Can be painful if too much is eaten.   I drove for the 1st time today. No problems. I have a van that sits a little high but I was still a little sore getting in and out. I only drove to the bookstore and back home. Which brings me to my find. I purchased the book "Eating Well after Weightloss Surgery". Intersting book/cookbook. It has 140 recipes that on each one indicates how much is a serving for Lapband, Gastric bypass etc. It breaks it down for each surgery type. It also indicates how to prepare your serving depending on how many weeks you have been banded or if not recommended in the first few weeks. I flipped through it first to make sure the recipes are something I would be interested in and found quite of few I liked and more that I could tweak to my liking. Some I thought were not worth the effort until I could eat them regular. Like an omelet. Why would I go through all the effort to make an omelet if I am going to just puree it as suggested for weeks 1-4 for lapband? Ummm....isn't that scrambled eggs? It is worth taking a look at. I haven't found many websites that have lapband friendly recipes. If anyone knows of any please share.
anglov

anglov

1
 

This was a crappy day!

ok well not totally crappy. I suppose it could be worse. I felt clogged today. I felt like something was trapped in the back of my throat. Like it was sitting there like nothing was going to pass by it. I didn't feel nauseated or anything but suddenly I just knew I needed ot get to the bathroom. I got in there and gagged. Again not nauseated it was just a feeling. I gagged three times and only spit but it dislodged whatever it was because I felt "free". Very weird. I sipped water for the next couple of hours. I am having a lot of sinus drainage that makes me cough day and night. I hope this doesn't cause any problems. All day long I was STARVING, okay not actually starving but you know what I mean. The hunger pains were there all day. I limited myself to 2 oz per meal like yesterday and felt I could have eaten 4 more. The pain was mostly gone today. I actually wore pants that button and I buttoned them so I would say the swelling once again is down. Maybe that is why I am so hungry? Dang if that is the case then I am a fast healer which could be problematic since I don't have the opportunity for a fill until June. I have realized today that even though I had surgery I have a habit of grazing. And if you think about it, if we are to eat every 3-4 hours anyway then that is essentially the same as grazing. I cooked again tonight and while I kept from scarffing the mac n cheese(by the way I AM ADDICTED TO) I was sooo hungry while cooking and it wasn't time for me to eat again. I prepared myself for how hard this would be but I guess I never thought that it would be like this. That's not true. I did I guess I just hoped it would cure some of my habits. Again a reminder this was surgery on my stomach not my brain. I have to be determined to make this my new life. I am really thankful my doctor does not require an extended liquid diet after surgery. Tomorrow I am going back to the foods I ate yesterday since that day was optimal for me.
anglov

anglov

2
 

An End to Day 4 of my new Banded life

WOW!! What a rollercoaster day I had! I guess the swelling in my band went down ALOT because I was hungry every 3-4 hours and I ate every 3-4 hours. I was full each time after 2 oz. I had yogurt, egg salad(I pureed the heck out of it and then thinned it with relish juice), cream of broccoli soup, chocolate cheesecake pudding(lap band recipe).   What I found really strange was when I am full at some point I hear gurgling in my belly and it sounds and feels like a clogged drain draining down. Then the full, bloated feeling goes away and I am just comfortable. It was a very interesting day as I had to listen to my stomach to find out what to do next.   Oh big problem today. I was cooking dinner for the family and absentmindedly I take a spoon of the food and pop it in my mouth. I was suddenly going OH CRAP and spit it out. It was fettucini alfredo with diced chicken. I am going to have to break out of thiat nasty habit cause that could have turned ugly real fast.   Here's the recipe for the chocolate cheesecake pudding from lapband.com   Serving size: 1/2 cup Recipe makes: 10   Ingredients   1 small box instant sugar-free chocolate pudding mix 2 cups milk, skim or 1% 1 small package of low-fat soft cream cheese 1 (8 ounce) tub of low-fat cool whip Directions   1. In a medium bowl, beat pudding mix with 2 cups milk according to package directions. 2. Mix remaining ingredients until all are well blended. 3. Let stand in refrigerator for one hour.   Nutrition Facts   Serving Size 1/2 cup Recipe makes 10 servings   Amount Per Serving   Calories 130 Calories from Fat 60 Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 15gSodium 125gTotal Carbohydrate 13gDietary Fiber 0gSugars 5gProtein 4g
anglov

anglov

3
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