horsegirl315

Sorry read it wrong thought you already got a fill i would do the liquids for 24 he's and take it from there...eating the right foods should never be a problem

You got a fill thursday? Did anyone tell you to stay on liquids then mushies after the fill? Your stomach can get irritated after a fill which is why your dr office should have told you this...definitely sounds like a stuck episode to me...as bandsters, bread is pretty much impossible so it's best to cut it out of your diet as soon as possible...many people do this per surgery to get used to the idea...chicken can be a problem if its dry...you should always do liquids for 24 hrs after having a serious stuck episode, and then take it easy from there

Just two youtz in our metallic green pontiac tempest )

Awwwww Shann I know you would have done the same thing for me if things were the other way around I'm glad I could be there for you before surgery, and after

I agree with Sue...I could eat breakfast if I wanted to, but I often don't care to sit at the table and take my time to chew bites...my band is much tighter in the am, but far from too tight. It is the perfect balance, and I love it!

shakes for breakfast...nothing else really goes down

I dont have a problem with salmon, but I make sure it is not overcooked...if it is, i get stuck....i also eat it very slowly, flaking off small pieces at a time

LadyBandito-Thanks!! Sounds like you are right on track to meeting your goal Nicki- it really does sound like you're too tight...even the smallest unfill may give you relief...happy medium, more is not more! I had a real bad cas of motion sickness on Monday, and ended up vomiting...not a PB....VOMIT. The only fashioned way. I was so afraid it would hurt....the only difference I noticed was, more dry heaves before the actual event, when before it probably would have been done and over with. Sorry for the graphics, but we all knew it had to happen sometime! At least we know it doesnt hurt now! I stayed on soft foods for the rest of the day, and the next day around noon, felt like having waffles, which went down, slowly, but no slower than other times.

Hello ladies!!! JDI-hang in there girl, the changes your hubs is seeing may be threatening him. I think the best way to deal with it is be straight with him. Tell him what you told us, and how it makes you feel. Nicole- I think that isn't the best idea, but only YOU know what is best for you right now. My advice to you, is if you want to take some time off, make it easy to keep track without keeping track...for example, if you know your calorie allowance for the day, maybe plan some meal combos that you know will fit within that number....I guess what I am suggesting is you plan for your break...which may be beyond your desires at this point. I'm OCD, so logging my food, and admittedly obsessing at times is enjoyable for me, lol. I did take about a month or two off previous to being so loyal to my tracking...and I figured, the amounts I was eating weren't much anymore....well I was wrong....the scale didn't move and I was frustrated. I started tracking food again, and to my surprise, broke through my plateau at 224-226 and am now at 214, in a matter of just a few weeks of dedicated tracking. If you are okay with staying at your current weight for a month, while you kind of take a breather, I think you'll be okay....just as long as you don't promise yourself you never have to track again--I personally feel like I will have to track forever, as long as I am losing anyway...and I'm okay with that, it gets the job done. As for me, I am finally at my lowest weight since starting this journey! 214.2 to be exact, and hoping for another drop next time I weigh in. I hope to be in onederland soon!!! As I continue on, I have realized I have a different mindset lately. When I used to track my food, pre band, I really had a hard time bc I was HUNGRY! Now, I find myself really thinking about what I am going to eat, and trying to make the best decision, bc it may not be what I want to eat at the time, I will eat it, be full, and move on with my life. I have also been very successful in stopping myself from eating things that taste good, and even fit into my daily calorie intake--but are not good for my body. When I go to eat something now, my first thought is Protein, does this have a good amount of protein? If not, does it have nutritional value? It is getting easier and easier to make the right decisions, although I do give in a few times a week, the nutritional value of my meals has really gotten much better. I haven't had a fill since my last one, I believe in April or May....and I haven't noticed a difference in my restriction. Still get stuck on the same things, still full for hours most of the time, still get stuck on the first bite if I am too hungry and don't chew enough lol

I agree with using myfitnesspal to track your food, that way you know you are hitting all your numbers as far as protein, fats, carbs, etc...I do find, some days, that I need a shake to fulfill my protein goal for a day where I didn't eat a whole lot of protein. I get stuck on chicken, most beef besides filet, and I eat fish a few times a week....the other days I get my protein from legumes, a good healthy source of lean protein, and Greek yogurt. Once you are adjusted to the green zone, you may find that often, you aren't hungry in the morning, and even if you are, you may get stuck on anything you try to eat...I get stuck on yogurt sometimes...nothing severe, it passes within a few minutes, but its annoying for sure. Drinking hot coffee or tea can help loosen the band in the am, but some days a shake for breakfast is all I can manage. Like the previous poster mentioned, it will help with cravings during the day. Don't worry, you won't be sick of shakes forever...if there was ever a time I hated then, it was post op...I swore I'd never drink another! Isopure protein powder tastes really good, its 50 grams of protein for 2scoops, and about 200 calories, no carbs, no sugars...herbalife is a good option too if you like to switch up your flavors all the time.

OmG that really was lonnnnng!! Whoever gets to the end wins a prize! Lol!

Kymie, congrats on getting over the hump!! I'm just getting back in to groove too, first full day of tracking food was today, so nice to track food in the green zone. I'm not hungry, I'm not over full, I'm satisfied. Could I keep eating? Probably. Do I always eat the things I'm supposed to? No, but I always watch my protein and fat intake especially, and I'm slowly beggining to realize, back to the basics of counting calories is really what will control my head hunger. Not saying I won't take a break now and then, but to get over this plateau I've been stuck at for the past few months, I'm finding it encouraging. NJ2NC, welcome back girl! We have all been so busy this summer, and I'm really looking forward to fall, it makes me feel so motivated! The weather, the scenery, running around in a corn maze and not feeling like the "fat person"...love it!!! Meredith, so glad to hear about your little "mistake" I'm so happy it gave you the confidence to rock your interview! Chrissylu, hope the scale was good to you!! Savannah!!! You're so close! Whether it is one or two pounds, honestly, you have already won. Look at how far you have come!! I'm so proud if you, and I'm sure you're gonna look HOT on Halloween!! I would like to be in onederland by Halloween!! I love having a goal to work towards. Ladybandito, so good to hear from you! Sounds like you have been doing amazing, keep it up, you're not too far from your goal!! As for me, I'm still slightly above 220 daily. I may dip below for a bit, but right back up I go. Honestly, one thing I know has been contributing to my plateau is alcohol. I have a fun loving family, and we get together a lot in the summer...I always say I'm gonna have one drink, but you know what happens when you have one...there go my inhibitions. Another reason I'm looking forward to the end of summer, lol. As I was saying before, I am back to counting calories, and day one went well. Even if I do have a drink, I'm going to limit it to once or twice a week and allow it only if I have room in the calorie count for it. I would like to keep it to once a week because of what alcohol does to your metabolism...its pretty much one of the worst things you can do for your metabolism....that being said, I'm gonna be trading the cocktails for water more often. I guess ee all have our demons, and mine just do happens to be having a good time, lol. I'm planning on Leslie Sansones 5 miles tomorrow, wherever I can fit it in, and going riding too. I'm so grateful for you guys, I love having you here, to talk about a plateau, and get me through it. I can talk to my family, but let's face it...they didn't understand me and my eating habits before...so they aren't going to now. They try, but no one gets it like you guys do Although I've been stuck, pun intended, at the sane weight for a few months, maybe a loss of five lbs over the past three months, I've been getting more compliments then ever!! Someone at work even asked me if I ever eat!! I went shopping with my sister today and was able to just pick some things out, try them on, decided I loved them, and went on my way! Am I the only one here that used to buy clothes without trying them on, just so I could cry at home instead of in a dressing room?? On that depressing note, have a good night everyone I think this post is long enough!!!! ))

Took me six months, including 3 months "supervised" dieting...aka meeting with nutritionist once a month and talking about eating while banded. Then the general things required by my insurance. I have BCBS of RI.

Helloooooo ladies! I am happy to report that I am (slowly) tackling my plateau. I was up and down between 224-220, but am now much more consistently hitting 221-220 daily for the past 5 days or so, even that for me is a small victory! It's been so hot, and between building a horse barn and renovating our house, I haven't really exercised too much, but walk when I can and have been riding a few times a week. On the plus side, I have a lot of deadlines to meet, and have been running around to look at building materials, kitchen sinks, etc...stressful and keeps me busy so I haven't been snacky, which is great. I try to at least keep busy during the day, that way if I'm not exercising, at least I'm running around like a nut. lol. Also, I waitress two nights a week which is like exercise in itself, we are a very busy restaurant. I'm working three nights this week instead of two, which is almost a guarantee to help me get over the plateau and under 220. Savannah, your profile pic is awesome, I'm glad you had a good time on your vacay, you enjoyed yourself, and have gotte home to continue to live the skinny life! Good for you! I must say, I went for ice cream with some (skinny) friends the other night, and we all got a peanut butter sundae...There was so much peanut butter, along with a lava cake with peanut butter INSIDE. OMG. I finally, once in my life, felt so horrible about that sundae even being in front of me--all I could think about was the fat and calories it contained, I couldn't even bring myself to eat it. After a few bites, I felt like I had indulged enough, and didn't want to ruin all my hard work. I felt really triumphant about that. It's a great feeling to know we have the control we never had, isn't it?! Nicki, I hear you on the chewing. I recently had some rotisserie chicken..which is supposed to be moist...but was incredibly dry...and I just had to keep chewing, chewing, chewing....until it was like sawdust...which ends up just being gross lol. I find getting stuck, a lot of the time, taking a few really deep breaths, like so deep I'm almost shrugging my shoulders, will release the offending food. But I have always wondered this...if what we have is a small pouch that holds our food for hours, why do we get stuck? The food doesn't go through right away, so it's not stuck going through our stoma, so where is it actually stuck? The opening of the esophagus? This is something I wonder quite often!

For me, the green zone is not being hungry before 2pm 90% of the time. I usually have a protein shake, or just a glass of skim or 1% milk win my vitamins in the morning. Then I don't think about food until its time to make dinner...that's right. I DON'T THINK ABOUT FOOD! Sometimes I forget dinner even exists. I definitely feel like the hunger nerves are calmed, lol. I'm not saying its smooth sailing once you get to the green zone, I still hit plateaus...in fact I've been at the same weight for almost two months....just going up and down with the same five pounds...but the difference now is, I don't feel helpless or hopeless. I just move on every day, knowing that I will eventually get over this. I LOVE MY BAND!!!

Thanks Nicki I started at 262, hovering around 220 right now...lost most of my weight in the first 4 months, last 2 months between heat and being on vacation have taken a toll.

I have been having the same problem, stuck at 220 for the longest time!!! I dip below, them go back to 220. I have picked up on my exercise and I am hoping to be under 220 soon....but I have been stuck there for a month or more.

Sorry for all the typos, I am coming to you from my phone at 2am with a migraine!!!

LadyB, I know exactly what you mean by not know if the green zone is really the green zone...there are some times when I eat where I think, ok if my band was any tighter, I wouldn't be able to eat anything! And I do get semi stuck, which would be pretty much daily if I don't pay attention to chewing really well. But I can sit down and eat pretty much any amount of salad, or something pretty soft. I really like the lean cuisines, bc once it is gone .i am full, but if there was still food in front of me I know I would keep going. I am however, more satisfied from those tiny meals than I ever way before....they were an appetizers before!!! I will check back in within the next few days once I weigh in...I can tell you ladies that I am back on the downwards trend, and have been more active. I bought a few new pairs of neon sneakers and some workout tank, sometimes that's all I need to motivate myself to get out and go for a walk or run. I lovvvve to shop, and finding more and more to have to step back and pick a SMALLER size instead of my larger ones....wow. what a feeling.

Hi ladies! I'm happy to report that I have been feeling much better this week. I tried my walking dvd yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised. I did three miles before work, and went riding this morning. Very hot and humid. My horses don't love the heat, they feel hot at 60 degrees, so you can only imagine hoe hot they are when its actually hot out. Anyway, I'm not stepping on the scale probably until tomorrow or Sunday, so we will see if my better outlook has helped me drop some poundage...I'm still about 20 lbs to onederland...I really hope the scale starts to move soon!

Nicki, I am going through the same thing...no loss in about a month! However, I cant say I've been doing wveything right. Had a 2 week vacation from the first two weeks in july, and while we didn't go anywhere, we got together as a family for eating drinking, beach going, sitting by the pool, etc. Not good, but i guess it could have been worse. I ended up doing as I usually have for the past month/month and a half....teetering between 222-224. I finally said, this is enough, and got on my elliptical a few times, focusing on eating when hungry, etc. I am down to 221 as of yesterday, and i just want to be under 220! I keep gaining and losing the same few lbs! I dont think I need a fill, because I still get stuck on some things, but it definitely has loosened up a bit, so it may just be time for one....i do feel like it is that gray line that you really have to pay attention to, or things could get out of hand without me realizing it. I went to Target yesterday and got the 5 mile walking dvd with Leslie....I know i have seen someone mention it here...so I figured I'd try it. Between my elliptical, the walking tape, riding, and going back to walking my dogs when the weather cools down in the fall, I should be able to finally get under 220! But it doesn't look like Savannahs bday goal of 217 will be met this time! That makes 2or 3 bday goals now that i havent met....ugh.

Ok so I am setting my savannah bday goal....by 7/26 I would like to weigh 217. I was down to 219, then up a few, so currently teetering around 223. So 217 it is! Hopefully realistic enough to make it!

Hi Ladies! It sure has been a while! I have been so busy, but have been keeping up with all the emails LBT sends me I quit my office job, and am now solely working at my parents restaurant, 2 nights a week. We are very blessed to have an extremely busy restaurant, so two nights there, while it is hard work, earns me a great income. This now leaves me 1. not sitting at a desk 2. more time to do things I like to do, like ride my horses 3. opportunity to be more active...you may notice I say it is an opportunity to be more active...cause I haven't really been exercising. I have been riding about 3 times a week, and I ride pretty competitively, so it def burns a ton of calories--both me and my horse are soaked by the end of our rides. Only problem is, the first 2 weeks in July, we close the restaurant so we can enjoy the 4th of July festivities in town, and beat the heat in the kitchen, which gets up to 130 degrees in the summer. So, I haven't been so active...spending a lot of time at the beach and by the pool...and the food choices, as you may imagine, are not always good. I do try to tell myself, at least it is only two weeks, and I am def eating less, even though it may be something bad, than I was a year ago. I am actually looking forward to getting back to a routine after vacation, and getting back to counting my calories, etc. I have been stuck for the past month at the same weight, give or take a few lbs, so I am starting to get worried that I have stopped losing and will be at this weight forever I know it isn't true, and there will be bumps in the road...some bigger than others...but I sometimes get that hopeless feeling. I think tomorrow, even though I am on vacation, I will get up, get some tunes cranking on my ipod, and get on my elliptical for a while....exercise boots my mood and energy...I don't know why I don't do it more often! One NSV, I guess you could call it--within the past few weeks, I have noticed I can do something I haven't been able to do in a while...control my weight....by that I mean...I have a bad day of eating, get on the scale a day or two later, see a higher weight, and adjust over the next few days to drop that pound or two...that may not seem like much to a lot of people, but you all know, that is a huge victory! It will help me through my plateau, and in the future, help me maintain my goal weight. YAY for that! One last thing, I was busy on July 4, did we reset goals? What is our next bandster bday?!