WASaBubbleButt

Would you provide a typical daily menu for us? I mean during times that you were starving. What exactly were you eating and did you have restriction? You never know, if you post a menu of what you eat when caloric intake is low yet you are hungry, you might get some great ideas.

Right after surgery I think it is common to lose weight without exercise. It was for me. As for exercise, do you have a treadmill? An eliptical? Anything? What if you just do ONE minute a day, the next day do two minutes, then three, etc. In two months you'll be up to an hour. For me the motivation is two fold. I think I'll be losing my band soon so I want to lose as much as I can while I have it. Also, the other one is that the more I lose the more I want to exercise. I talked to a guy that has his masters or some such level in fitness and he really likes to focus on obese people and their specialized needs. He gave me suggestions that honestly, have paid off. He explained some basics such as Protein. He said that the only people that need massive amounts of protein are professional football players and such. That's less than 1% of the population. He said to munch on complex carbs (Kashi's Breakfast Cereal, for example) an hour before a hard work out and protein after the work out. Get about 60gms of protein daily or more. Start small and go from there. Even one minute a day is better than nothing. Just a minute! Work up from there. But I'm telling you, when the pounds start dropping it gives you all the motivation in the world to continue to exercise. There is a guy on OH, Wendell. He's a wealth of information however we tend to disagree on protein needs. But he does bring up many good points about protein. He has hundreds of pounds to lose. When he was first banded he lost 100lbs and not a single inch. His doc told him to increase protein and now he shrinks. His wife refers to him as the incredible shrinking man. Perhaps you are losing inches and not weight, unlike Wendell? What is your protein intake like? How many calories are you eating? Have you looked up the number of calories you require daily to "maintain" your current weight and then looked at what you are consuming?

Ohhhh, that will be changing after banding! LOL Are you keeping a food journal? If not, might want to consider doing so. It's very rewarding after you are banded to see the differences.

Mary... Those CDs that Sandy sells are not good. I know a few people who have purchased them and they all feel they blew money needlessly. Sandy makes lots of claims, you kinda have to take what she says with a grain of salt.

How many times have we heard this? How many times have we questioned ourselves if we are taking the easy way out? Especially before being banded. Just my humble opinion here so take it for what it is worth. Being banded is very hard and I know a lot of thin people that could not tolerate being banded. They could never hack the surgery, possibly surgery in another country, life changes, the lack of specific daily foods such as bread, etc. Maybe even no wedding cake at their own wedding? When I used to go on a low fat, low carb, low flavor diet after a few weeks I could not pass up a juicy cheeseburger. THAT is the kind of hard I can't do. Being banded, that is the kind of hard I CAN do. Perhaps if we try to explain it to the non-banded of the world who seem to save up all their uneducated comments to throw at you when you are at your lowest, maybe we can teach them something. Being banded is the kind of hard we CAN do!

I didn't either! I never even noticed that icon before.

English Muffin Bread Ingredients: 2 pkgs yeast 6 cups flour (5 for microwave) 1 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt 2 cups milk 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup Water cornmeal Directions: Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and soda. Heat liquids until very warm (120-130 F). Add to dry mixture; beat well. Stir in rest of flour to make a stiff batter. Spoon into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover; let rise in warm place for 45 minutes. Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool. Or: microwave each loaf on High for 6 minutes 30 seconds. Allow to rest 5 minutes before removing from pans. Notes: The bread won't brown if you bake it in a microwave, so don't be tempted to bake it longer than the specified time. It's still delicious! My favorite way to eat this bread is in thick slices lightly broiled with lots of butter (or margarine) and cinnamon-sugar mixture.

I'm familiar with it. Usually they only use it when someone is malignantly obese and they use it to get their weight down to a reasonable number so they CAN do surgery. As soon as it is removed the person gains weight back. I can't remember exact numbers but I think they have to be replaced every six months or so. There are other complications such as leaks and then it goes through your GI system. Honestly, it's not a very good option. What about VSG?

They are great! Just DON'T try the Thai unless you KNOW tuna goes down well. It's spicy and it is 10x spicier when you PB. The tomato is my fav. http://www.bumblebee.com/sensations/

I have never seen salmon Sensations. I was raised Roman Catholic and EVERY single nasty disgusting Friday night (as kids we dreaded Friday nights) we had salmon patties. I swore that when I moved out of the house I would never again put a piece of salmon in my mouth. I'm 44 and I've been true to my promise. LOL

OMG! Look at that face. How you possibly leave the house after looking at that face is beyond me! You are a stronger woman than I! HA!

Ingredient Substitution List • 1 teaspoon baking powder = ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup buttermilk or ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1 cup sifted cake flour = 7/8 cup sifted all-purpose flour or 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 1-2 tablespoons • 1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt • 1 cup all-purpose flour = 1 cup whole wheat flour • 1 cup honey = 1 to 1¼ cups sugar plus ¼ cup liquid • 2 large eggs = 3 small eggs • 1 medium egg = 2 egg yolks plus 1 tablespoon Water (for baking) • 1 medium egg = 2 egg yolks (in custards or cream fillings) • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate = 1 square or 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine • 6 squares or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted = 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (as thickening) = 2 tablespoons flour or 2 teaspoons quick tapioca or 2 egg yolks • 1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = ½ to 1 teaspoon dried herbs • 1 small garlic clove = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 pound fresh mushrooms = 3 ounces dried or 6 ounces canned • 1 cup whipping cream, whipped = 2 cups thawed whipped topping • 1 cup whipping cream as liquid = 1/3 cup melted butter plus ¾ cup milk • 1 cup light cream = 3 tablespoons melted butter plus ¾ cup milk • 1 cup ricotta cheese = 1 cup cottage cheese, liquid drained -2- • 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt, stirred, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice stirred into milk to make 1 cup; let stand 5 minutes to make soured milk for baking only (never use sour milk that's been in the fridge too long; it's actually spoiled) • 1 cup whole milk = 2 teaspoons melted butter plus 1 cup fat-free milk (or water) or equal parts evaporated milk and water or 1 cup nonfat dry milk plus 2 teaspoons melted butter • 1 cup sour cream = 3 tablespoons melted butter stirred into 7/8 cup buttermilk, soured milk or plain yogurt • 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain yogurt (but it will taste less rich from the missing fat) • Pecans = walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts • Chunky Peanut Butter = creamy peanut butter (or grind roasted peanuts in a blender with a little peanut oil) • 1 cup bread crumbs = ¾ cup cracker crumbs • 1 cup butter = 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup vegetable oil or 7/8 cup butter-flavored shortening • 1 pound lard = 2 cups shortening • 1 cup sugar (in baking bread) = 1 cup honey plus a pinch of baking soda • 1 cup sugar (in baking) = 7/8 cup honey plus a pinch of baking soda • 1 cup sugar (in main dishes) = ¾ cup honey • 1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup white sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses • 1 cup molasses (in baking) = 1 cup sugar (omit baking soda; use baking powder) • ½ cup dry red wine or white wine = 2 tablespoons sherry or port • ¾ cup maple syrup = ¾ cup maple-flavored syrup, corn syrup or 1 cup sugar and increase liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice = ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon • 1 pound tomatoes = 3 medium or ¾ cup sauce (6 ounces) or ¼ cup paste (2 ounces) • 8 ounces tomato sauce = 2/3 cup water plus 1/3 cup tomato paste -3- • 3 cups tomato juice = 2½ cups water plus 6 ounces tomato paste plus ¾ teaspoon salt, dash of sugar • 1 large marshmallow = 10 mini (dust off cornstarch from their surfaces or it might overload a recipe) • 1 cup granulated sugar = 1¾ cups powdered sugar for uses other than baking • ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger = 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 2 teaspoon minced crystallized • 1 head fresh dill = 2 teaspoons dill seed • 1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish = 2 tablespoons bottled • 1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar • 1 teaspoon dry mustard = 1 tablespoon prepared mustard or ½ teaspoon mustard seeds • 1 /4 cup rum = 1 teaspoon rum extract plus liquid to make ¼ cup • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 inch vanilla bean, split and simmered in liquid of recipe • 1 cup wine = 13 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar or a little less than 1 cup apple juice plus lemon juice • 1 cup dry bread crumbs = 3 to 4 slices bread, torn and blenderized • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk = 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry milk powder plus ½ cup warm water plus ¾ cup sugar and dissolve • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar = 1½ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar • 1 tablespoon maple sugar = 1 tablespoon granulated sugar plus a dash of maple extract

Ohhhhhh! AZ people. We really are the best of the best. LOL I was banded in Mexico but Dr. Debarros and Orris are the guys I plan on going to for follow up. They are pretty fantastic. Had I known about them before I had my surgery, I would have likely had them do it to begin with. Dr. Terry Simpson is the one most likely to get cash pay patients but Drs. D and O are actually better AND a special perk is that they are cheaper than Simpson. You aren't making a mistake by going to them. BTW, they are two of the verrrry few docs that aren't greedy enough to decline to see Mexican banded patients. They are rare in more ways than one. From what I hear they have a great program. Just so everyone knows, we have an AZ bandsters lunch every now and again. We all meet at Sweet Tomatoes off of I17 near Metro Center. If anyone wants to join us please send me your email address via PM and I'll let you know when we are going to meet next. I usually send out an email with about 3 dates available and see what most folks want. We are pretty small and want to keep it small and cozy, but we welcome everyone. We don't have formal speakers and such, we just meet for lunch and mostly laugh the whole way through lunch and annoy those around us. LOL So far we are about 10 people big.

Faith, I envy you in many ways. I sincerely hate cooking. Probably because it is so expensive. I ruin large appliances when I cook. I'm not kidding. Want to hear an amusing story? I swear on my band, this is a true story. We have lived in this house for about 9 years. A couple of years ago I was trying to do really deep cleaning. Well, you know that metal strip along the front of your oven? I was trying to scrub that strip. I was using q-tips and anything I could find to make it shine all the way to the back. Finally I tried pulling and tugging to pull as much of that little strip out as I could so I could clean the back of it with a q-tip and alcohol. You'll understand my surprise when I pulled the whole damn thing out and a drawer came out! I landed on my butt and was totally in shock that there was a drawer in my oven! I looked at that drawer for the longest time and was totally impressed as that is *such* a good idea to put a drawer in there! I ran around to all my other large appliances such as the Water heater, etc., looking for more drawers. I didn't find any but that doesn't mean they aren't there! I was actually banned from a cooking forum once because they thought I was a troll making up stupid questions about cooking. Truth is, I wasn't a troll and the questions were sincere. Now THAT is just pathetic! I once made a T-Day turkey at the last minute. I'm not much into meat and I don't typically eat turkey. But the old guy behind us does eat meat, it was Thanksgiving Eve and he had no place to go for dinner. He was too old and frail to cook the entire dinner himself so the night before the big day I went looking for a turkey. The only one left was a FROZEN turkey. Next day the darn thing still was frozen so I was holding it up in the shower trying to make it thaw a bit. Finally got it "mostly" thawed and tried to put it in a cooking bag. I'm here to tell you that turkeys can indeed fly regardless of what the experts claim. It went flying through the cooking bag all the way through the other end and landed on the floor. Back to the shower we went. I was standing on the edge of the tub trying to hang this turkey in the shower while my hubby was laughing at me. Suffice it to say we traded places and HE stood there giving the turkey a shower. I finally found a recipe for a turkey. You put it breast DOWN for extra flavor. Yeah, the lady that gave me the recipe for breast down turkeys failed to mention that when the last turkey in the grocery store is a 28# turkey, you can't do breast down. That was designed for a 12# turkey. Well, I say you can. It's tricky turning a 28# turkey over in a cooking bag (those bags come two in a pack, thankfully) the last hour of baking but it can be done. Do you know that hard boiled eggs explode if you don't put enough water in the pan? They sound like someone is shooting a shotgun as they blow up and dress your ceiling in egg bits. Metal pans will start a fire when you are boiling a bone for the dog to chew on. You MUST put enough water in there. I'll bet you didn't know that one clove of garlic is not the same as a whole garlic thing. There is no recipe on God's green earth that calls for 4 garlic things. Ohhhh.. there is big sugar and little sugar. If you try to make frosting with 5# of big sugar it will burn out your Kitchen Aid Mixer. Suffice it to say, I could go on and on yet people who know me STILL wonder why I used to eat at Mickey D's. Heh... and they call *me* stupid!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA

Who took the original post seriously? Nobody I saw. You give yourself far too much credit for fixing something that wasn't broken. That didn't happen either. Are you familiar with a straw man concept? I find it insulting to gays everywhere when some Christians make a comment that gays are human too and they are loved too. And they hate the sin and love the sinner. Do they say that about others? Like their fellow Christians? Those who cheat on their spouse? Those who are a priest and rape little children? Those who steal from others? Nooooo, they typically feel the need to impress upon others that GAYS are people too. Is it really necessary to remind others of that? The rest of us KNOW that. The poster in question proved my point beautifully! I couldn't have planned it to work out better. When I changed the word from "gay" to "Christian" and used their own words against them the first words out of the keyboard was that s/he was not gay. When you use some Christian's words against them they don't even recognize their own words! Instead of, "...gays are people too..." blah blah blah and "...love the sinner and hate the sin..." When I changed it to, "Christians are people too..." blah blah blah and "I hate your sins," suddenly they don't recognize the words. (as demonstrated) Why is it that some feel the need to remind others that gays are human but there is little need to remind anyone that Christians are human? I find that line of speaking to be most insulting to gay people. Before you say that isn't what was intended, go read it for yourself. The person spelled it out for everyone to see. Agreed. That does not give them the right to assume others need to be reminded that gays are human beings. It's insulting. Agreed, but since when it is the job of ANY Christian to condone the bedroom behavior of another because their religion says something is wrong? We have standards in this country and Christians have to follow that as well. ALL Christians, even the blind Christians.

KFC Cole Slaw 1/2 C Mayo 1/3 C Sugar 1/4 C Milk 1/4 C Buttermilk (okay to omit but double milk) 2 1/2 Tbs Lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 8 C finely chopped cabbage (about 1 head) 1/4 C shredded carrot (or more) 2 Tbs minced onion Chop cabbage and carrots to the size of rice. Combine mayo, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add cabbage, carrots, and onion, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serves 10-12. This recipe is really good and it does taste exactly like KFC.

I think some people just plain become uncomfortable when being faced with their own behaviors. Even if someone else writes something that they typically say, they will jump in and make the moment easier by changing the subject.

Whoosh..... hear that anyone? That's the sound of something flying right over the head of another.

No, I didn't misunderstand anything but you sure did. Even though you are a Christian I still accept you because I know you are a human being too. I just hate your sin. This doesn't sound the least bit familiar to you, does it?

Trust me, I am not perfect and even though you are a Christian I realize you are a person just like the rest of us. The only thing is that I really hate your sin.

HAHA! Priceless!

Let's see, I'm a conservative, heterosexual atheist. Are you gay?

**EDIT** The following came out all garbled. PM me for info and maybe I can email you a list. ARIZONADebarros, Johnhttp://wliaz.com/index.php480 829 6100TempeArizonaCallCall Paul x110BipleyARIZONAOrris, Michael Jhttp://wliaz.com/index.php480 829 6100TempeArizonaCallCall Paul x110BipleyARIZONA - FlagstaffDr. Robert Berger 928-773-2222FLAGSTAFFAZW/FLUORO $200.00 ARIZONA - Phoenix - Dr. Alan Barnettwww.fillcentersusa.comdrbarnett@fillcentersusa.com866-345-5872PhoenixAZ$299 without ARIZONA...Snowflake Women's Clinic261 S. Main St, Snowflake, AZ 85937928 536 5377$75 - $125Not unless needed Your best bet is Wendy Hall if you don't mind no Fluoro. She's in Heber most days but she'll be in Phoenix in the next couple of weeks. Mesa, actually. The above phone number is wrong but the correct number (her cell) is 928 409 0039. DO NOT GO THROUGH FILL CENTER USA!! If you do Wendy has to charge you $300. If you go directly through Wendy it is $100, same w/all FillCenterUSAs. She is about 2.5 hours from Phoenix or she'll be in Mesa soon, I just got the following yesterday: Reminder from: AZBandsters Yahoo! Group Title: Wendy Fill Day Date: Monday March 19, 2007Time: All Day Repeats: This event repeats every month on the third Monday.Location: Mesa OfficeStreet: 4455 E. Broadway Rd. #104City State Zip: Mesa, AZ Phone: 928-601-3836 (pgr)Notes: 928-601-3836 (pgr)--call for an appointment 4455 E. Broadway Rd. #104 (Dr. Farr's office) Greenfield/Broadway Dr. Debarros and Orris are great, but it will be $500 because their program is all or none. Dr. Berger in Flag is wonderful from what I hear and he is $200 w/fluoro. Dr. Barnett is a putz. There is also Dr. Verdugo in Nogales, MX. About 2.5 hours from Phoenix, he charges $50 w/o Fluoro and $150 w/fluoro. If you want his number I'll get it for you. PM me if you need more info.

Regarding bread recipes (not for a bread machine, I don't like them)... Is there such a thing as a recipe that would be for a super duper dense whole grain (vs. wheat) bread? Something loaded with grains of various types, and no white flour? Is it even possible? Seems that would be perfect for us but I don't even know where to start. I Googled it but didn't find exactly what I was looking for. Any thoughts?