mrsto

For a snack, I absolutely love the Atkins chocolate hazel nut bars. OMG - it's like eating a candy bar, but only has 3 net carbs. Such a treat! The Atkins caramel nut chew bars are exactly like Snickers, minus all the sugar and calories. Every time I eat one I'm waiting for the sugar shakes, but it never happens. Amazing....

I've found the leanest ground turkey (all white meat) isn't that great. But there is another one that is something like 7% fat, and that one works really well. The ground beef I buy has the same ratio of fat, and though it would be too dry for hamburgers, it's great for various concoctions.

I buy this three cheese pasta sauce in a jar at Trader Joe's. I sauté garlic, onions and mushroom with basil, then add ground beef & cook it all together. Then I drain it, and stir in the pasta sauce. I add some parmesan cheese, and whatever salt, pepper, a splash of sugar to bring up the taste to my liking, and it is GREAT without pasta. It's way different than chili, but it's meaty and mushroomy......and goooood. My husband loves it, and we don't miss the pasta whatsoever. But my neighbor turned me on to spaghetti squash last week, so I'm going to put some over that.

I've been through all different kinds, but the only one I drink anymore is the chocolate ready made Premier Protein. I get it at Costco. Seems to be the only one I can stomach. It has 30 grams of protein.

I have an appointment for a fill in the morning. I keep going back & forth on whether I actually need it. My capacity seems to have increased, and I get hungry more in the 3 hour range. I'm thinking, maybe 1/4 cc. They make us sit in the waiting room and slowly sip three glasses of water before we leave. I would hope that if 1/4 cc is too much, that I'll know with the water??

Yeah......a Quest bar and plenty of Water during the day, has completely stopped my need for MiraLax I believe that the Vitamin Shoppe carries the Muscle Milk bars. I haven't tried them yet, but I will pick one up next time I'm in the store. I also have a BIG problem with sugar, and some of the other bars mentioned, are loaded with it. Gives me that blood sugar spike, then the fast drop where I become a shaky, brain dead idiot. That is one cycle that sets me up for out of control eating, and since I've been living a pretty clean life since surgery, I seem to be even more sensitive to it.

I love ground turkey, and have no issues eating it. But I rarely eat a plain turkey patty. Not because I have problems with it..because I don't care for it that way. I make various dishes with ground turkey or ground beef, with added refried beans, other types of beans, tomatoes, etc. I find most all meats much easier to eat when they're lubricated (for lack of a better word) with other things. One of my favorites is a ground meat, mushroom, onion & garlic pasta sauce, which I eat without pasta. LOVE it, and it goes down easily. I recently tried it over some spaghetti squash, and it was great!

MRSJLH - I'm curious..... Did your bariatric surgeon do an annual TNE or upper endoscopy? Mine requires that we have one once a year, to make sure everything is in good shape. Since you had no issues prior to gallbladder surgery, it almost sounds like something went awry when that was done. I feel bad for you......what an ordeal! Thank you for informing us of the possible insurance issues when considering this surgery. Bariatric surgery is completely covered under our plan, but with medical coverage in such a state of flux right now, I have concerns on what will happen in the coming years.

Which Quest bar did you try? I didn't care for the chocolate, but I love the chocolate chip cookie dough, and the vanilla almond crunch. The chocolate Peanut Butter weren't bad, either. I love Quest because they have 17 grams of Fiber plus all that protein. Helps me with other issues - lol! But they're expensive.....$2.79/each. Even if I buy a box of 12, they're still about $2.49/each.

Arlene - how many calories to the Cliff Builder's have? I'm looking to venture out & try some different ones.

I had mine taken out at the time of surgery. I wasn't having any problems, but there were some stones. It was pretty much a given that it would have to come out sooner or later.

This is very disheartening to hear. It is difficult for me to understand why a doctor would choose such an extreme form of surgery, over something reversible. Somehow, it doesn't seem that they have the patients LONG TERM best interest at heart. Yes, certainly they will lose weight. But what happens beyond that, with 1/4 of a stomach or a rerouted plumbing system? I don't see my doctor discontinuing lap band procedures, but he is very upfront about it being his least favorite surgery. Even still, he does dozens of them yearly. If I ever have issues with my band, or move to a place where I cannot get the necessary care, I would have it removed without a revision. As much as I agonized over which surgery to go with, now that I've lived with the band for 7 months, I would never agree to any of the other surgeries. Way to extreme for my taste, and the band is working perfectly fine. I'm annoyed with all of these doctors chasing the almighty buck, instead of having the long term health of their patients be the #1 priority. Granted, I don't see what they see on a day to day or year to year basis. But it seems so many of them really don't like the band......my doctor included.

I can eat them without problem, too. They tend to be dry, so.....small bites, chewed to a pulp

This scares me. Part of me feels like I've come so far, that it will be a cold day in hell before I allow myself to gain weight.....AGAIN! But as strong as I feel, I'm not sure that I could control it any better now, than I did pre-band. That's why I say all the time in the threads, that we're never really cured. I'm with the other posters.......don't beat yourself up. You exposed yourself by posting here this morning (which, depending who is reading it......has its own risks-lol), but I really think that if everyone is painfully honest with themselves, we're all vulnerable to old behavior. It's never gone......only in some sort of remission. Hang in there..... My heart goes out to you. I know all too well, the feeling of being pulled in two different directions; the compulsion to eat, against the fear of gaining. Let us know how it goes after your appointment.

I know, right?

Unfortunately, we're never really cured of our eating obsession. Sucks, actually. My question is..... What is it that you've eaten in the last 6 weeks, that you couldn't allow yourself with a filled band?

You are amazing! A testament to the band; using the tool properly, and the success that comes from it.

Bandista - keep in mind that the 1/2 cup he mentions, is solid matter. When Water content is part of what you're eating, the amount will slightly exceed the half cup; more like a full up. Things like veggies and fruit are high water content. Picture those as if all the moisture was pulled out, and you were left with "packed solids". The one cup you read most about on here, is solid Protein PLUS veggies and (sometimes) a little bit of complex carb.

I haven't used PGX, but even if you do go to the expense of buying all those supplements, you're still going to have to eat less, exercise more, etc. Why not do what dylanmiles above suggested......go back to see your surgeon? If you get back on track & use the band as you did before, the weight will come off.

I'm so with you! I ALSO met my husband 8 years ago on Match.com

Though I met my husband here in So. California, he is from South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale). The most wonderful man on earth. I was a "normal" size when we met 8 years ago, but ballooned up to a size 22 during those years. He never once beat me up for it, nor did he ever put me down. Loves me through and through. His biggest concern is, and has always been, my health. That being said, I would venture to say that if he met me at a size 22, the attraction would not have been there. If we are really honest with ourselves, do you blame him......or men not being attracted to obese women (and vice versa)? As much as I've struggled with the same 100 pound swing in weight, I was never attracted to obese men. A bit overweight, yes. Morbidly obese, no. Just being honest......

Exactly!

Sounds like the Vitamin you were taking had something in it that didn't agree with you. When I take anything with ginseng, green tea extract, ginkgo, etc., I don't tolerate them well. Best to stick with a basic multivitamin, without all the added bells & whistles.

I would call your doctor ASAP. I don't think anyone here can know what the problem is. Even if someone experienced (what sounds like) the same thing, the cause could have been something completely different than what may be going on with you.

I just reread your question, and I think what you're asking is...... Is soup okay because of the liquid, because we're not supposed to drink with meals? If so, soup is fine. Depending on what type, it's more of a slider food. You'll get full, but you may not stay satisfied for as long as if you ate a piece of chicken and some veggies. Make sense?