Corridor72

Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! I am 2.5 years out from having my band. Every time I think I have this thing figured out, I realize I don't have it figured out at all. I know what I'm supposed to do and feel my band is properly adjusted but the head hunger is just too much sometimes. A lot of it has to do with the ridiculous amount of stress in my life right now but that's not going to go away anytime soon so I have to get a grip and learn to come with it better. I have to figure out to avoid falling into that old habit of using food as a coping mechanism. And thinking I need to eat even when I'm not physically hungry. What are some of YOUR recommendations for dealing with head hunger?

I still aim for 100 grams per day, per my surgeon's recommendations. I'm very active though so that's why he insists I have a higher protein intake. I think for my height/weight, it would normally be somewhere around 48-60 grams per day if my activity level was more that of the average person. However, I run(distance running) and do weight training and, if I don't run, I do some sort of cross training. I would talk to your surgeon and see what his recommendations for you are because protein needs can vary a lot between individuals.

Oddly enough, I was never a coffee drinker prior to surgery. I was definitely a caffeine addict though but my crutch was Diet Dr. Pepper. I gave that up in October 2013 and haven't touched it since then. However, I have picked up the coffee habit over the past 6 months(thank you grad school). I usually have a cup in the morning with splenda and sugar free non dairy creamer. I treat myself to Starbucks about once a week but I usually get a skinny latte.

I have a card given to me by my surgeon but have never used it. I usually just take the leftovers home and have them for lunch and/or dinner the following day.

I like the fairlife milk that was previously suggested. Lately I've been buying Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt in vanilla and adding PB2. The yogurt has 80 calories and 12 grams of Protein. The PB2 has 45 calories and 5 grams of protein. So that gives me a total of 125 calories and 17 grams of protein. I use it either as breakfast or a snack. I really can't eat much in the mornings because my band is too tight so it's either yogurt like this or a Protein shake. You can also buy Nature Valley Protein granola in various different flavors and add that to your yogurt.

Curious as to what you found out?

By the way, I LOVE both of these! I remember being excited to buy new clothes as I lost weight but frustrated when they didn't fit for very long. I was so excited last winter when I got to buy my winter wardrobe because I was at my goal weight and knew I'd be able to wear them again this year! And I was determined I wouldn't need bigger clothes ever again!lol...and I'm still determined I'm not ever buying bigger sizes. And posing for pictures...wow! I used to hide from the camera and now when someone asks me to pose for a picture, I'm happy to do so! No more hiding from the camera for this girl!

I'm sorry to hear this. Yes, it is tough. In fact, it freaking sucks.

It's been a long time since I've posted anything on here. It's been almost 2 years since I had my lapband. I've done great. Met my goal weight about a year ago and have maintained since then. However, I have to admit that over the past couple of months I have noticed some of my old habits creeping back up. Eating too fast. Eating slider foods. Not exercising as much. The problem is that A) I'm extremely stressed out right now as I am in school working on a master's degree and my husband and I are getting a divorce. And I think some of it is that, having met my goal and maintained for a little while, I've gotten a little too comfortable, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm trying to get back to the basics of eating the right foods, eating slowly, chewing everything to mush, etc. In addition, I'm trying to remind myself of how much better life is now than it was before so that I remember why I don't want to go back to being what I was before. And it needs to be more than just "being skinny and beautiful". So, here are some of the things I've come up with that I can do now that I couldn't do before my surgery and weight loss: *Tie my shoes without difficulty *Run *Shop for clothes in the regular size section rather than the big girl section * Apply lotion to my own legs & feet * Wear knee high boots *Go to the gym without feeling embarrassed * Walk up hills or stairs without becoming winded * Ride roller coasters with my kiddos * Fit comfortably into restaurant booths and theater seats *Squat(who knew this would be an accomplishment) * Get myself up off the floor/ground should I choose to squat/sit/lay on said floor or ground That's all I can think of off the top of my head at the moment. So, what are some things that YOU can do now that you couldn't do before? Or, if you are just starting out, what are some of the things you are looking forward to being able to do?

Very interesting to see the picture comparison! Thanks for sharing!

0. What type of weight loss surgery have you had? Lap-band 1. How long have you been in maintenance mode? Since December 2014 2. What's your current height and weight? Ht:5'6" Wt:135 lbs 3. How many calories do you eat daily (on average) to maintain your weight? I have no idea since I don't actually track calories. 4. What kind of focus do you put on Protein -- number of grams or anything else you want to say? Protein first, always and at least 60 grams per day, minimum. 5. What kind of focus do you put on carbs - number of grams or anything else you want to say? During the weight loss phase of my journey, I tried to stay under 100 grams per day. After shifting maintenance, I don't really count carbs anymore. I do try to avoid foods that are highly processed and full of added carbs though. However, I eat fruits, vegetables, and grains in liberal amounts. 6. What other nutritional tips / tricks are working for you that help you maintain? I eat only when I'm hungry and only until I'm satisfied, not stuffed and then I stop. I choose protein first and if I'm still hungry, then I will eat some veggies and fruits. 7. Which foods, if any, do you avoid altogether? Junk food and Pasta 8. What exercise regimen (exercise types and frequency) do you follow? I spend 30 minutes to an hour on the elliptical followed by some weight training 3 days a week. I also run 3 or 4 days a week. My runs are anywhere from 3-8 miles at about a 9 min/mile pace and I'm currently working my way up to being able to run my first half marathon this fall. 9. What role, if any, has counseling or therapy played in your WLS success? I haven't officially had any counseling, per se. However, my surgeon is one who spends lots of time with his patients discussing everything from diet and exercise to life circumstances and coping mechanisms. That has helped tremendously. 10. What advice would you offer WLS patients to help them be successful? Choose a surgeon who cares about YOU as a person and who will provide the follow-up care that you need and then do what he tells you. The "rules" given to you are there for a reason. Obey them. Forever. And understand that whatever surgery you have is just a tool to help you reach your goals. It is not a magic fix. It will not do the work for you. You have to do the work of utilizing your tool appropriately and making it work for you. Otherwise, you may lose some weight initially but you will eventually gain it back if you don't make lifestyle changes. You have been given an amazing opportunity-make the best of it!

@@B-52, I can understand the issues with chicken. I'm the same way in that, if it's not prepared just right, it's not going down. I can eat beef and pork as long as it's not overcooked. However, since having my band, I've totally changed my lifestyle and eating habits and, as part of that, have avoided eating those meats simply because they're not very healthy. And now that I've stayed away from them for so long, I find I just don't like them anymore. And I don't care for chicken either. This is why I'm considering a vegetarian lifestyle. I just don't see any point in forcing myself to eat foods I don't like anymore, ya know? I did talk to my surgeon about it. He said he wouldn't recommend it for everyone and he thinks it will be difficult for me to get enough protein but told me if I wanted to give it a try that he would be supportive as long as I make sure I get at least 60 grams of protein a day. I think I can do that easily. I can add quinoa to my diet. I can also add chia seeds, which are high in protein and can be added to oatmeal, yogurt, salads, etc. There are high protein milk varieties now that are ultra filtered, like Fairlife, which has 13 grams per 1 cup serving. I can use that to make my protein shakes and I'm more than halfway to my 60 grams without even eating anything. Then of course there's cheese, cottage cheese, peanut butter, nuts, beans. Right now, what I've decided to do is is to completely give up all red meat and pork for a few months and see how that goes. Once I get through the next few months without those, as long as I'm doing okay with getting my protein in and not feeling like I'm missing out, I'll cut out chicken and eventually I may cut out fish. I'm ok with keeping the milk products, eggs, and cheese in my diet though so that makes things easier.

I've been looking into this myself and while I haven't made the jump yet, I've come to the conclusion that I don't think it will be as difficult to get the protein in as I previously thought. Quinoa is high in protein and is a complete protein so it's a good addition. It essentially takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Chia seeds are high in protein and can be added to yogurt, oatmeal, salads, etc. If you are doing vegetarian and not vegan, you can still have milk, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese. There are actually higher protein milk varieties now. The best I've seen is made by Fairlife. It has 13 grams of protein for a 1 cup serving. Kroger's carbmaster milk is 11 grams per 1 cup serving. I plan to use Fairlife milk for my protein shakes and to make my oatmeal with. Speaking of oatmeal, Quaker makes instant oatmeal that has 10 grams of protein per serving. Add some chia seeds and use milk instead of water and it's even higher! Greek yogurt is also a good choice and you can add Nature Valley protein granola to up the protein content there. You just have to look for ways to add protein to what you're already eating as you eliminate the meat from your diet.

Just wondering if there are any vegetarians here? Or if it's even possible to be vegetarian and get all of the needed protein and nutrients with lap band. I'm just kind of exploring the idea for various different reasons.

Oh geez...things that are easier now than before? There's a lot of them. Some have already been mentioned like putting on shoes and tying them. Fitting in restaurant booths and movie theater seats. Getting up off the floor or the ground. Touching my toes. Walking up hills. Exercising and RUNNING! I can RUN now! In fact, I've actually won several medals from running 5K's :-) I hope to run my first half marathon this fall! I literally can't be still anymore just because it's so easy to move! I just love being up and going! I also sleep better. I was never tested for sleep apnea but now that I realize how good sleep can be, I'm convinced that I probably DID have sleep apnea and just didn't know it because I woke up several times a night and never felt rested in the mornings. Hubby says I used to snore a lot too and now I don't snore at all. So even sleeping is easier now!lol