A New New Dawn

I definitely agree with Chez. Sugarfree options have helped me when I have had cravings for sweets. For example, sugarfree popsicles, drinks, etc. Also, when I have had a hankering for chocolate, Jello has refrigerated sf chocolate mousse cups that are 60 calories each. I was able to satisfy my "urge" and not sabbotage my eating. Also, one thing that has helped me is finding healthier versions of some of my fave foods. On Emilybites.com there are many alternate recipes for ones we love now. I made her lasagna cupcakes that are made w/ wonton wrappers in a cupcake pan and they are delicious yet healthy. Healthy eating doesn't have to be bland or boring. Finding distractions as she mentioned helps too! Many of us (me) eat when we are bored. Lastly, if you are eating out order from the low cal menu that many restaurants have. They are usually pretty tasty or omit excess calories by skipping the cheese and mayo on sandwiches, etc. Some fat free oil dressing for me adds flavor w/out the fat and calories. You would be amazed how little tweaks can make a big difference in calories w/out jeopardizing flavor. Good luck to you! We have all been there which is what made us need/want WLS in the first place. It isn't easy but your health and happiness is sooo worth it!

It may be irritated for a couple of days. Definitely follow dr. orders of liquids for now. It will get better. Also, when I was first banded my dr. had me cut my BP med in half. I would ask your dr. (as it varies by dr. and by what the med is) if you can cut it or crush it. If dr. approves, then I would see if you can cut the medicine in half. I have a little box that I got for a couple dollars at Walgreens to cut mine as it is a big pill. Hang in there. The liquids and possibly even a heating pad should help.

Oh boy, so sorry to hear that. Hoping the ring re-emerged from before though. I hate those days where it feels like nothing goes right. Go to sleep before anything else happens and tomorrow will be a better day!! Happy thoughts!

Also, I wouldn't add paprika that probably didn't help. If you need more flavor, I go with either chili powder, garlic, sometimes a little cumin but since you are saying you aren't a good cook, I would stick w/ the packets of mix or a recipe rather than winging it.

You are supposed to brown and drain the meat before adding it to the crockpot. That is probably why it was grainy and slimy.

I agree with talking to a nutritionist and your doctor for how you should eat and what you should be expected to gain. More than anything ENJOY this!! How exciting!

Wow, that stinks then as it seems like you are doing what you should be. Good luck and definitely try to switch up your routine and see if that helps get things going again.

Perhaps it is the doctor's office you need to be more persistant with and not Aetna. Good luck either way and definitely call back to Aetna tomorrow and make sure they finally received the documents and if not bust out a can of whoop ___, I mean nicely call your doctor's office and be that squeaky wheel. Good luck to you!

If you are relying on the band to do the work unfortunately it won't as it will just help you feel satisfied with lesser amounts of food once you reach your green zone. Per my doctor, I need to take in no more than 1200 calories per day, eat 60+ grams of Protein per day, drink liquids (8-10 glasses), no more than 1 cup of food per meal and exercise (as able). Are you tracking your food or exercise? It will help a lot if you are not as sometimes we don't realize we are taking in through food or liquids way more calories than we think. Good luck to you and keep the faith and determination.

Excellent post and glad you are at peace with yourself. It is a great reminder to set realistic goals and focus on today so it seems doable and not overwhelming. Every mini goal will get us to the final goal line and keep us sane in the process. I hope others that may be struggling can learn from this as well. I, personally, get excited every time the scale goes down to the next 10 digit series of #s. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

I agree stress can cause it to be tight one day, or if you are really bloated, or perhaps you irritated it with something you ate previously. I was feeling that last week quite a bit and feeling like I may need another unfill. I also noticed I was having a lot of sinus issues and an ear infection. Now that the sinus and ear pressure passed, my band seems to like me again. Glad you are taking it easy and it passed.

Agreed, until I saw the replies I actually glazed over that detail.

You and your daughter (niece or whomever she may be) are both beautiful! Congrats!! It is always great to hear stories like these to encourage us newer banders. For Protein, I eat chicken breast a lot, snack on 2% milkfat cheese sticks (there is a cheddar/string cheese one that has 50 calories and 7 or 8 grams of protein). Sometimes I make cold Pasta salad (or warm pasta) and use Barilla's Multigrain Pasta as it has 10 grams per 2 ounces of pasta and tastes decent. Salmon is another great option too. Good luck to you and enjoy your "treat" TT. You certainly deserve it.

I should probably try this too. I feel like I could be down another pant size or two but this damn belly isn't shrinking enough. The "girls" are getting smaller now how about my waste!!!! Admittedly, I don't watch my carbs that much just calories.

Most doctors prescribe no liquids half hour before/after meals; however, there are some like yours that are ok with it. I would just follow what your surgeon recommends is ok. There are varied opinions on this. I will share though that for me during a "stuck" moment, the last thing I want in my belly is liquid. It adds to the pressure/pain or makes me even more nauseous. However, that is just my experience.

I would definitely look at what you are eating to see if that may be why you are still hungry. I understand you are dealing w/ head hunger but if you are eating 3-4 ounces of solid protein, then veggies/fruit you shouldn't be experiencing the hunger and should still be losing. Perhaps you need a fill too. Is there anyone that you walk with? I am currently doing Zumba and there are days I want to just slack off. I go with a friend so we motivate each other and stay on track better. Have you tried using myfitnesspal or some other method of logging your food? It may help keep you on track as well and honest with yourself about what you are eating to make better choices. Also, if there are foods at home that are triggers or tempting and not healthy, I suggest getting them out of the house. If they aren't there you cannot eat them. Lastly, my Nutritionist advises me to have a small planned snack between meals. It helps keep me from getting really hungry and by having a planned snack, I already have a healthy option picked out instead of being tempted to graze on salty snacks or other foods I shouldn't. Good luck to you!!! You can do this. Don't fret about what is done, you can start anew right now.

I wonder like Floridays. Did they tell you it slipped or you stretched your pouch? Why did they remove the Fluid? It's hard to really answer not knowing what caused them to remove the fluid. Either way, I am happy to hear you want to kickstart this again before taking a more drastic approach. Good luck to you.

Perhaps you are drinking too fast. Remember to sip your liquids, you have a tiny pouch now.

I work as an A/R Supervisor doing business to business collections. Not the break your kneecaps kind, working with hospitals and doctors and other medical professionals getting them to pay their bills. I absolutely LOVE it because I work with customers in 53 countries, get to practice my Spanish from time to time. I love working with Ministries of Health, the World Health Organization, military facilities, etc. It's funny because my company accredits hospitals and medical facilities all over the world and most U.S. hospitals use us. So when I go to the hospital or urgent care, etc. they take my insurance info and ask where I work, as soon as they see that they get very nervous... Little do they know I am in finance so I wouldn't know the first thing about whether they are following the standards. They make sure they take really good care of me!

So glad you have realized we can still do these things and enjoy them without sabbotaging ourselves. I go out to eat from time to time and I LOVE that many restaurants are now (as of Jan. 1 required to list calories). Plus, many restaurants have special meals under 500 calories that are quite tasty. I typically order from those or will do like you ordered. We have a cafeteria at my work (and 80% of the items are healthy). They list what is in everything and the nutritional content. I find I can still eat out too and enjoy myself. The only caveat is I eat much slower than others that are gulping down their food but other than that... it's all good. So happy for you and this IS a great story to share so others, especially newbies, can see that life does go on and we can still do most things we did before, just better than we used to.

Have you been taking pain meds? The surgery and as Sojourner mentioned dehydration or even pain meds could cause that.

They are foods that are not good choices for you but you can easily eat with the band. Examples are chips, icecream, etc.

congratulations!!! Keep up the great work.