enjoythetime

Thank you @@B-52! This helps a lot! I'm about 2 1/2 years post op and at times I notice I eat more than others but then there are times that I eat less so it's currently all balancing itself out. I think just from a maintenance stand point I will try this next week.

@@carla1869 As far as the baked potato goes I would probably error on the side of caution and stick with mashed instead. I only say that because today 2 1/2 years post-op I have a hard time getting baked potatoes to go down without a slight stuck episode of course everyone is different and you may not experience this but for some reason I have issues with it but not mashed, weird I know. For food choices it really depends on what you can stand to think of as being pureed. I know people will make chili and vegetable beef soup and then and puree it but for me I can't stomach the thought of meat being pureed........I would just stick with the tomato, broccoli and cheese Soups and refried Beans were my saving grace during this period, not much variety I know but again it's only for a few days. Let me know if you have any other question I will be glad to help if I can.

Ok so it isn't just me! I've been eating Quest bars for the last two years LOVE them, they're my treat and have always been able to curve my sweet tooth craving, however, lately I started noticing some crazy stomach things going on. I also noticed the change in flavor but didn't think a whole lot of it until I ran out and didn't have one for a couple of days and my symptoms were gone. From that point I knew there was something in them that wasn't digesting properly then over the weekend our local news station did a segment on Protein bars and how many of them are filled with such artificial ingredients that are worse for you then the real sugar etc. I'm sad because like I said that was my treat and I didn't feel guilty about it. I have tried the pure Protein Bars and the double chocolate is actually pretty good, not as good as quest but they will work on occasion until I can completely cut them out. It has 180 cal. and 21g of protein, 3g of sugar but they have 11g of net carbs. http://www.pureprotein.com/products/chocolate-deluxe-50-g/#

Without a microwave we will need to be more creative. Can you do a Protein shake with fruit blended in for lunch? I lived on bear creek broccoli cheese pureed Soup, pureed refried Beans with hot sauce, and had mashed potatoes a couple of times. I would stay away from tuna during this stage, I think that's considered to be more of the soft food stage and you don't want to do anything to irritate your band. You made it through the toughest part so just remember this is only temporary but the success is life long. You can do this!!!!

@@B-52 great response! How often do you find yourself doing the 5-day pouch test? When and how do you decide it's time? Do you recall how long post-op you were when you first tried it? Thanks!

I'm right there with you! I've been seeing small increases here and there and then I tighten my belt and get back to the basics those come off then I start relaxing again, not being so mindful and there they are again. I've been swaying 5-7lbs for about a year now. It's ok but I just want to get control over it so the 5-7 doesn't become 20. In my opinion maintenance is a lot more trying then the weight loss. I think it's because we've hit where we want to be but we're no longer fitting into different sizes, our new us is now just us. The comments have stopped and everyone now just sees us as us, they don't remember the "old" so in a way we forget too?

Once you find a routine that works for you, it's easy to just become programmed to do the same things day in and day out. It takes less thought, planning, effort, it's just easier. I find myself eating the same foods nearly every day at the same time at the same pace. Not saying this is a bad thing, it's convenient and comforting. Are you good about switching things up or are you repetitive in your daily routine? What are some of the things you do to switch it up a little?

@@Bandista I wish I was a switcher-upper!!!! I'm feeling kind of boring lately! I think a lot of my "routine" could be the time of year. Summer is always crazy busy so I tend to fall back on the easy reliable things I don't have to think about much! I'm hoping that when things slow down a bit I will be able to spread my wings and try some new things again:-) @@B-52 how often do you do liquids and for how many days. I know I've seen you post something about a pouch test or something for maintenance. Would you mind sharing that link for me again? I think this is something good to do occasionally! @@2muchfun Good to see you posting again!!!! Hope all is going well!

I don't know about you but I hate trying to eat dry salad but what I hate even more is consuming nearly 200 calories in some cases for 2 Tlbs. of ranch dressing so I did some searching and found a recipe that is really yummy and pretty much guilt free compared to the alternative so I thought I would share my find for homemade Ranch Dressing: 1 cup of Okios PLAIN Non-Fat Greek Yogurt- 120 cal 1/2 cup Lite Real Mayo- 280 cal (based on hellman's) approx. 1/4 cup skim milk (thin to your desired consistency) 20 cal 5-6 springs of fresh dill chopped 1 clove finely minced garlic 1 green onion chopped Mix the yogurt and mayo together then stir in the onion, garlic and dill. This consistency is too thick for me for dressing so I thin mine out using approx. 1/4 cup of skim milk or until I reach that middle consistency I like. Salt and pepper to taste. This fills a large mason jar about 3/4 of full and if my calculations are correct the ENTIRE jar is only 420 cal. which is nearly equal to 4 tlbs. of the regular stuff and to me this tastes really good. Give it a try.

I would say unless you're making a cake or baking something that calls for only egg whites, eat the whole egg. If it calls for egg substitute just use the real deal instead. They're likely just using that to cut down on the cholesterol. Glad to see you're back on track and working hard. You will get there! Never give up on yourself!

I've never been a coffee drinker but I've become a Tea-aholic since cutting out soda when starting my pre-op diet. I know some say you should limit the amount of caffeine you consume but I haven't. I love Starbucks shaken unsweetened green tea with splenda!!!!

Congrats to you! Wishing you a healthy and fast recovery!

I was banded in May of 2013. To-date I have lost 159lbs. I went from a size 22 in pants and a size 3XL in shirts to a size 2-3 in pants and sm/med in shirts. Height 5'1" Pre Op Weight 289lbs. ( all of the weight loss stats below includes the 16lbs I lost during the pre-op diet) 3 Months- 60lbs down 6Months- 91 lbs down 12 Months- 144 lbs down (past my original goal weight by 5lbs) 15 Months- 159 lbs down Today Maintaining my loss for a year. There is NOT ONE THING I don't love about my band! I would do it again in a heart beat! The band is a tool not an overnight fix-all, it's a lot of work, you have to make the right choices, follow your doctors orders to the T and believe in yourself! If you're committed to doing your part the band will do it's job and you will be successful! Best wishes to you! You can do this!

This is something I'm still figuring out. I went from a size 22 in pants and size 3xl in shirts to a size 2-3 in pants and a small/med in tops. I've gone through ALOT of clothes during this journey and while doing so it seemed easy for me to find things that fit and that I liked but I think the "like" part was only because I wasn't buying them from the plus size section so I went a little crazy at first:-) Now that I'm where I want to stay I'm having a hard time finding things I both like and I feel fit me right that are age appropriate. I spent too many years in baggy oversized clothes so now I find myself wanting to stay away from anything that fits too loosely even though I may like it to avoid that same feeling, however, I also don't want to walk around in something that's too form fitting because I don't feel comfortable so finding something in between that is cute is some times a challenge but it's one I love taking on. The best thing I've found is more of a form fitting shirt layered with a crop jean jacket, blazer, tiered cardigan etc. Venus.com is my new on-line obsession!:-) Oh and I'm ALL ABOUT THE BLING:_) I 100% agree that finding the right under garments are KEY to finding the right fit for your clothes!

@@catfish87 this is absolutely amazing and incredibly inspiring! Congrats to you!

Julie very true words. For some reason its always easier to find what's wrong with ourselves than to see what's right.

Of course this forum is for asking questions, I'm in NO way discouranging anyone from doing so but with a question you have to be able to hear responses you may not have hoped for. I gave this answer because like I said every dr. and patient is different! I don't know your history and are you really willing to take medical advice from people you don't know? I'm not. This forum is for support and questions but when you ask about specific medical issues I think its in your best interest to get those answers from your dr. Thats all I'm saying. Again wasn't trying to discourage questions just thought I was giving you the best answer.

Regarding the incision site where the port is, yes this is completely normal this is the largest incision you have and takes the longest to heal. Regarding whether or not you should or should use Neosporin or if you should swim, My intention isn't to come off rude but if you have any questions about what you should or shouldn't be doing it's always best to call your doctor, that's what they're there for and why you're paying them. I say this because I could tell you what my doctor told me to do but every doctor just like every patient is different so it's always best to go straight to the professional. Congrats on your recent surgeries and the start of your new life!!!!

@ first of all congrats on your 35lbs loss that's amazing! As far as your question regarding whether you need a fill or not the things I looked at to help me reach a decision is if I was staying satisfied for 3-4 hours after eating a meal? You said you felt like you were able to eat larger portions and that is another way I would evaluate my need for a fill. Have the burps and hiccups recently started after your portions have increased? If so, this could be your stop signal meaning you've gone past the point of satiety to full which is something you should try and avoid. I would say all of this with doctor but if you don't feel satisfied or if the satisfaction isn't lasting at least 3-4 hours then I would say it sounds like you could use a fill. Best wishes and congrats on your success!

@@pink dahlia Thank you for your response, You're absolutely right! I need to let the worry go! It's hard. For me it really isn't the fear of the 3-5lbs. flex it's the ultimate fear that the scale will continue to go up and I will lose control. This fear comes from all those years of dieting and that's not what I'm doing any more and some times I just need someone to point out the obvious so thank you for putting things back into perspective!

The addiction of the scale is a battle I've been fighting for about a year now. During the weight loss phase I would only weigh in when I went for a follow-up with my surgeon monthly, then I started maintenance where I only follow up once a year so I started weighing weekly then it was twice a week and now sometimes I'll weigh myself twice a day. It's become an obsession more than the tool it's meant to be. At first I would get discouraged with the normal 3-4lb flex (that I wouldn't see at monthly weigh-ins), now more of an issue has become when I see those 3-4lbs. go away in my mind it gives me the "ok" to be more lenient on my choices. Any one else notice the mind games the scale can play? How do you deal with this?

@@Julie norton...LOL thank goodness for Google girl!!!:-)

@@IcanMakeit I know and completely understand your fear. I have the same fear but I refuse to let that fear dictate my life. Some days I do let it take over but then I realize that it doesn't do anything for me accept take the joy out of our accomplishments. It's ok to treat yourself and you can do this in a careful way. I know I used hate it when people would say this but it really is the truth its all about calories in vs. calories out so while you may have a few more treats on vacation and some of those calories may stick for a while when you get back home and hit the normal routine (less calories in more burned) it has no choice but to come back off. @@amazon Right on girl!:-)

@@joatsaint I love your response! Can I ask you a question? You're almost 3 years out; I'm 27 months out. How many lbs. would you say you flex on your morning to morning weigh-ins during a week before you start getting concerned? I freak out about 3-5lbs flex. I know this could also be due to several things out of my control as well but it sure can determine my day(s) or week trying to get back to where I was. Now if I know it's happened because of some not so great choices on my part I tend to not worry as much because I know once I get back on track things should align themselves. Am I making sense:-)