♕ajtexas♕

Congrats on the "3" number!! even a 42 yo man can celebrate!!!

Oh Alex I hope you don't stop them completely. I forget so many birthdays & you always keep me on track.

What a beautiful attitude and statement. That is so very true. Thank you for sharing and congratulations!

OMG love it! That is sooo classic!

Congratulations! You look incredible!

You sister would be proud of you and I'm sure she is smiling on you for putting your health first. Congratulations for that. My condolences to you and your family.

Peanut Butter yogurt: 4ozs of plain or vanilla nonfat greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon (1oz) of creamy peanut butter. Tastes like the inside of a Reese Cup. Can add a package of sweetner if using plain yogurt and you can use the PB2 powdered yogurt for less calories. I eat this almost daily even when I'm not on mushies. lol.

This weekend brought an end to the preserving of my spring/summer garden (except for the okra which will produce thru September). It was a good year: 137 pounds of Zucchini (15 plants) 104 pounds of Yellow Squash (15 plants) 30 ½ pounds of Patty Pan Squash (5 plants) 43 ½ pounds of cucumbers (5 plants) 73 pounds of Tomatoes (10 plants) 4 bushels of pears (2 trees) I spent the summer preserving all this every way I could: pickles, relishes, preserves, marmalades, minced meat, pie fillings, canned tomatoes, canned pears, frozen roasted tomatoes, frozen squash, casseroles, zucchini bread, zucchini cake, zucchini hummus, zucchini cobbler (tastes like apple!)… You name it! It’s been nonstop!! What does this have to do with the band? You wonder…… EVERYTHING! Pre band I could not have done a fourth of what I did this summer. I couldn’t cook dinner in the summer without sweating like a pig. I would have a towel around my neck wiping the sweat off my face before it dripped into the pan (for reals!). I would have to sit down every five minutes because my back was hurting. I hated working in the kitchen and doing anything outside forget it. My husband use to do all the work on the land, I couldn’t physically help him….. I don’t exercise, I hate the gym and any formal exercise routine. It’s never worked for me….. but I move. I move all the time. I walk and take the stairs as much as I can at work. Every day when I get home I have to feed the chickens, pick produce from the garden, pull weeds, etc. And the weekends are full of chores too, cleaning chicken coops, mowing lawns, pulling more weeds, building goat shelters…. I have so much energy now that all this work is nothing, just life on my farm. Just last night my husband asked me… “So what is my zucchini mama gonna do next?”…….hummmmm

Drinking before, during and after meals is a subject that is constantly debated. Every doctor is different and so you will get all kind if answers. Your best bet is ask your doctor. My doctor allows drinking with meal, just wait 1 minute after bit. That being said I am more comfortable not drinking with my meal. I drink before and I drink after. This works for me but as suggested check with your doctor. Best wishes.

You are doing great, keep it up!

I agree with gowalking. Try to reschedule so you can follow the diet correctly. Take the time to really evaluate yourself, if you are struggling with the pre op diet how will you do with the post op? Or following the band rules? I don't mean to be harsh but if you are going to spend that amount of money be sure you are truly ready to change everything about food. I also was self pay so I do understand the financial part. Good luck to you.

I agree with lellow. Maintaining is not easy. For me I didn't change anything. I still eat 1200 calories a day, etc. I have struggled at times, gained some and had to focus on loosing again. Plus for me it is hard to rap my head around the fact that I am at my goal. My head is my biggest obstacle. Congrats on reaching your goal. And welcome to the next chapter of your journey, you will do great.

Nothing wrong with bread. Like Missy I eat bread and don't deprive myself of things I like. As for a timer there us a free app called Eat Slower that I have on my phone. Works great, you can set it to sound, vibrate or both.

Looking great girlfriend. Congrats!

First, no you didn't make a mistake. Second, get off the scale. now is a time for healing. There are so many factors as to your weight right now (swelling from surgery, gas from surgery, not going to the bathroom...just to name a few), Third, call you doctor about not going potty. They might recommend something for that (very common problem). Fourth, 11 pounds is awesome. Be proud of yourself. This is a long and hard journey. You can do this and we will support you every step of the way, Big cyber hugs to you!!

Welcome Pitboss and congrats on your surgery, The friends I have made on this site have supported me through my journey. This is a great place! Again, welcome!

Don't think of it as starving yourself, think of it as the beginning of a healthy life. No it is not easy, but nothing worth it in life is and believe me it is worth it! You can make it through these next two weeks just keep that big picture in mind (& stay busy....I cleaned out every closet in my house during the pre op diet), Good luck you can do this!!

You F****ing did it!!! YOU ROCK! That is success! and that makes you a success! And yes you will know what slim feels like.....if you want it (I think you do). You go girl!

When I started this journey I kept a food/emotions log. I logged everyday, what I ate, how I felt at the time and anything major that was going on at the time. From that log I learned that I like to eat when I'm bored....solution, stay busy!!! Yes, I am busy all the time. Don;t watch TV (food trigger), I go for walks around my property, I garden, I get on here and post, I sew, I do everything other than eat. You mentioned that you thought it was emotional eating, Why? What happened?? What could you do different??? Only you can change this so take a look at yourself and try to answer these questions. If you still struggle with this I would suggest going to a counselor for help. Good luck to you, We are here and will support you every step of the way!

My advise is focus on changing your overall eating lifestyle. Don't just focus on the "pre-op diet" focus on how you are going to eat for the rest of your life. Protein first, then veggies, then carbs.... and portion sizes 3-4oz of protien, 1/4 cup veggies, 1/4 cup of carbs. This will put you steps ahead in the game. Good luck to you.

Forgot to mention that Hubby is making some pear wine.... My preserving is rubbing off on him, lol.

This year my garden has produced an abundance of squash and I'm always looking for different ways to prepare it. I found this recipe for pattypan squash and I think it is a great substitute for mash potatoes. Ingredients 2 pounds pattypan squash, cleaned 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons chopped onion 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup milk 1 cup soft breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted Preparation Cook squash, covered, in boiling salted Water 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash. Drain again, if necessary. Combine squash, 2 tablespoons butter, onion, flour, salt, pepper, and milk; stir well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 1-quart casserole. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter; spoon over squash mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 6 one cup servings. I calculated the nutritional value of 1/4 cup using myfitnesspal (that is what I ate last night): 44 calories 1g fat 5 g total carbs 1g Protein I really enjoyed it.

So glad you are feeling better, that is good news.