jen_1381

My fave is probably the canned white chicken pureed with vegetable cream cheese. Heat it up in the microwave and it's pretty good! I would also puree refried Beans with a dollop of low fat sour cream, a pinch of shreded cheese, and salsa or hot sauce. Heat it up and it's like a healthier version of the filling of a Taco Bell bean burrito. I also pureed tuna with low fat mayo. Or scrambled eggs with salsa and a pinch of shreded cheese.

Hi Friends! Just thought I would share, I hit a big NSV this morning when my "goal jeans" fit! Not only fit, but they're comfy!! 15 more lbs to go to my weight goal, but these jeans are FIVE sizes smaller than what I normally wear.

Last night at my sister-in-law's house, the Halloween Candy was a'flowin. There were also the brownies, cupcakes, etc. I complimented my sister-in-law on how yummy one of the treats looked, and my husband says, "Why don't you just have one? You've done so good, you deserve it." He meant nothing malicious by it; he's just simply observed my good habits and thought a treat would be a good reward. For a split second I thought - yes, I do deserve it! Then I recalled skimming over a conversation on here about rewarding behavior with food is not a good idea. I thought about it for a minute then told my husband that I didn't need one, and that rewarding my small successes with junk food (post-op it could have been a bite, or half, of something yummy, before surgery it very well could have been a whole DAY of junk food) was a slippery slope. It hit me like a ton of bricks - - these little, insignificant (at the time) "rewards" are really just my form of self-sabotage. I jogged three miles - I'll have a bowl of ice cream. I ate well and lost a couple pounds - I'll get myself a venti frappe from Starbucks. I can talk myself out of exercising and into a Butterfinger in a split second. Are any of my fellow bandsters able to reward yourself with a treat, and use your self-control to not over-indulge? I tend to reward then feel horrible guilt afterwards. Dang it, now I really want a Butterfinger and a Frappe!

I would call your surgeon and go in for an unfill, or at least run it past him. Gorditas may be something your band won't tolerate. Are we talking like, Taco Bell Gorditas?

Wow that must be difficult! Did they give you and literature before surgery? Each program is different. I didn't start mushies until POD 14.

It absolutely can!! I was feeling okay at 6 cc's, and my last fill was only 0.5 cc's (bringing me up to 6.5) and it made the world of difference. I'm now totally in the green zone. I've heard as little as 0.2 cc's can change the restriction completely.

It's very bazaar. People make comments and I feel like they're making fun, or kidding, etc. My dad tells me every time I see him that I'm "too skinny". What a concept!! I'm far from that s-word. I tell him he's just not used to seeing me not obese. Maybe I'm not used to seeing myself not obese!

With my program it was anything pureed. A few of my favorites: Tuna fish, low fat mayo (just enough for consistency), and a pinch of shreded cheese pureed. Low fat refried Beans, salsa, and a pinch of cheese pureed and heated. chicken and low fat vegetable flavored cream cheese pureed and heated. Scrambled eggs, salsa, and a pinch of cheese pureed and heated. Also, things like peaches, pears, green beans, carrots, etc puree pretty good. Greek Yogurt was a staple at this stage. Good luck!

Thanks! My eyes still struggle with this whole body image change concept, but I feel fantastic.

My brain is still lagging way behind. I still see the same ol' girl in the mirror. It's been just over 5 months and almost 60 lbs. It looks like progress on paper, and clothes fit a LOT differently, but I still don't see it. It's a struggle

Hi Jackie. I'm about 5 1/2 moths post op. The preop diet does get easier. By day 5 I was doing fine. It became my own personal challenge and really made me test my will power. Postop was actually okay! The first week you're in this intense healing mode and food was hardly on my mind. I did two weeks of liquids and didn't feel hungry until the last couple days.

I love Fall here in the Northwest. It's rainy, dark, blustery, gray and just wonderful!

I am from the NW also! SW Washington to be exact.

If it's one thing I've learned in the past 6 months is that stressing over less than 5 lbs gets me nowhere. There are so many things that play into your daily weight that are beyond your doings; hormonal, water weight, etc. It feels SO good to be losing weight every day since we're working so hard for it, to see the scale go back up can be heartbreaking. Just keep following the guidelines and doing what you're doing. Your body will get used to it and cooperate eventually!

Shanitha - welcome! Good for you for making this decision towards a healthier lifestyle. This forum is a great place to bounce ideas and get advice. Hope you have an amazing journey!

I completely agree with Sojourner. Don't beat yourself; the great thing about a new day is we have a new opportunity to make good choices. And I love the "3 bite" rule. I find that if I'm having a craving I'll eat around it...instead of having a few salty, crunch chips, I'll find something healthier with the salt or crunch...then something else because I'm still not satisfied, and so on. It's okay to give in every now and then, but the big thing is moderation. Admitting you have a food addiction is a big step, and overcoming it is an even bigger obstacle. I was never one to promote therapy, but seriously, I'm seeing a lady now who is helping me accept my changing self, and it's been an amazing support. There is no shame in needing help.

My surgeon advised 1/2 - 1 cup. In the mornings, my band feels tighter so I can get in about a 1/2 cup of something before I feel full. Otherwise, meals are about 1 cup a piece. Just make sure you're getting in healthy, quality foods if you're only eating 1/2 cup at a time.

I have 6.5 in my 11 cc band. It wasn't an 'ah-ha' per se. It was a few days after the fill when I was ready to eat dinner and realized my 1 cup of food for lunch had kept me full until dinner time. It was a 'ah sweet!!' moment then!

It's normal. The more you lose the more you'll be able to see and feel it. I can see the outline of mine when I stand up. I'm thinking of switching to a low profile port once I get and stay at goal.

Missy is correct (as always - geesh, this woman is FULL of knowledge ) each surgeon is different. My own doctor said it goes patient by patient for him; I didn't have to do any pre-op diet but I opted to do one on my own, just to get geared up for the post-op diet. I started 12 days before surgery with Protein shakes all day then a light salad at night, then at 5 days pre-op I went to all skim milk or Protein Shakes. I think a good pre-op diet gets you ready for the liquids post-op. Also - Missy - If I haven't told you lately - you're awesome and so inspiring. Thank you for being so active on this website and sharing your knowledge/experience with others.

Welcome Amy! Studies and stats show that people getting the lap band can expect to lose 50% of their excess weight. Those are just stats though. It all depends on you! Set your goal and work your butt off towards it. Getting banded was just one piece of my weight loss journey. I've completely restructured my life, and all that together with the band has helped me already lose more than 50% and I'm only 5 months out. It's all up to you! Keep us posted on your journey.

I chose the band because it was the least invasive and thought it would be what I needed; a tool to use instead of re-routing my anatomy. Of the three surgeons where I had my WLS, two of them strongly discouraged lap band. They were very pro-sleeve. Surgeons are results-driven, and the lap band leaves a lot of control up to the patient, so if the patient doesn't do as they're advised, the surgery is not a success long-term. I chose the surgeon who did the most bands, and when I met with him in our consult, I had my reasons ready why I wanted the band. We spoke openly about the pros and cons, and he felt like I was a great candidate. You need to find a surgeon who is on your team. They really are an integral part of your WLS journey, so know that they're rooting for you and your surgery is very important.

Wow, thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! You are such an inspiration to all of us. You should be so, SO proud of yourself!