Bandista

The Shirataki noodles are made from a kind of Japanese yam. Because they are watery after washing they do well in a soup -- lots of ginger, shallots or scallions, in broth or miso along with the noodles. I haven't used them since WW days. Nice winter food -- hot noodle soup. There are dried Shirataki in Asian markets that don't have the odor from the water but I haven't tried those yet. The tofu Shirataki noodles have tofu in them but are still very low calorie, low carb and gluten free.

Here's to 2014, a year of health and happiness! Congratulations on your date.

Great thread, thanks so much! I am just two months out and trying to figure out what my food mode should look like. I've had three fills and go back a week from today for another then two weeks hence we will reassess. I am not in the green zone and still hungry, a bit preoccupied with food and feeling restrictive -- as in I find myself setting rules, outlawing things, saving up for later, etc. And I know that's not healthy for me and not the point of the band. So, working on getting to the green zone! I'm not hungry in the morning and have enjoyed Protein shakes to get started late AM, so that may be early lunch for me. I know those are liquid not food but it may work for me. I love fish, too -- and I grew up in Maryland and am also a complete crab cake snob. We should start a club! I love to cook and I'm glad I can still enjoy that even though I may not be eating much. We have a lot of stews, curries and thick Soups at this time of year. I've been enjoying Beans and lentils. Every holiday party and event had foods I wanted that worked well for me and I'm happy not to be limited. Yesterday I had lentils and a yummy Soup at a party, thick with winter veggies. Did not even look at the dessert table or long for the lasagna. That is progress. I am very wary of bread as I've had that chest tightness as a result -- swollen stoma? Even gluten free. I made stuffing with GF bread and loads of veggies but I had trouble with that, too. So I'm learning. Last night we played board games and had popcorn. I was shocked at how easily that went down. I had no idea! But I didn't deny myself. We don't have sweets much so that's good, and I can forgo the chips. Nuts are tough for me, too, but four almonds go a long way if I don't try to go back for more (unsalted so I don't trigger salt cravings). cheese was troublesome as it went down so easily. I have it out of the house for now. I have to be careful of Greek yogurt, etc. as that can qualify as comfort/boredom food for me. Looking forward to figuring it all out in the coming weeks/months, the green zone and how to get enough protein in, how to stop denying foods and the whole dieter mentality, being happy with my success and focusing on the fitness aspect.....it's a process but I certainly feel ahead of the game. I recall in my research phase that people often had a slump about now and that is happening to me. Losing and gaining back same few pounds, still quite nibbly and feeling impatient with myself, etc. I think this is common post-band and pre-green zone. I want to get there and not stop short -- no orbiting around these same old issues for months because I just wasn't quite filled yet!

Way to go -- sounds like a good prep and re-org time plus making a yummy recipe. My husband is definitely losing weight since MY weight loss surgery. I'm happy about that but it's so easy for him to drop pounds just by having a little less food here and there. Not me. But that's why I got a band.

Hi Shelly, good for you for writing out all your thoughts and collecting as much information as possible. I chose the band because I wanted the least-invasive surgery possible and I liked the idea that if ever necessary it can be removed easily. The band requires quite a bit of followup in the first year but I like that -- it keeps me accountable and we are getting the band to the right adjustment for me as an individual. It's a partnership with the surgeon. Some hospitals are no longer offering Lapband because they want their surgeons in the operating room, not doing extensive patient followup. Let's face it, it's the insurance companies that are making our health decisions for us these days. Whatever you and your doctor decide is the best surgery for you, know that you are making a big life change -- you are choosing a healthy future for yourself. Yippee!

So glad you are walking! I feel like that really kicked my body into healing mode, releasing any trapped gas but also the incisional healing, etc. Other animals do this naturally but we humans have to force ourselves.

Wow! Congratulations on your weight loss -- you are doing beautifully! Your posture, chin, face and belly -- what a big difference. Thanks for this encouragement today. I am two months out and look forward to getting rid of this Winnie the Pooh belly of mine......

I love the tickers as that's such an easy way to see where some one is in their journey. Use whichever starting weight is good for you to measure that progress over time. I went with my real pre-surgery weight prior to the pre-op diet (the number submitted to my insurance company was higher). Have fun watching the ticker go down and try not to get frustrated if it stands still sometimes. I highly recommend taking measurements as well, since the inches come off sometimes even when the scale is not moving.

I'm taking fewer vitamins and supplements now -- we are going to save some money! There are a few key ones I have to have. Fish oils make a big difference for me (arthritis and joint pain) and I was nervous about the big gel caps. Found a brand called "Half the Size" and they are much smaller. I take a gel cap vitamin D also and a supplement called SAMe. I'm also taking biotin as a preventive measure. There's one that dissolves in the mouth. I am just two months out and I think I will be settling into a routine soon -- may include a protein shake each day. That's a good way for me to get vitamins and I like it that I can add in whatever I feel like I'm needing (flax seeds, brewers yeast, etc.).

Good for you! I have recently been having thoughts of participating in some kind of organized event. For me it would be walking but I'm a pretty fast walker. I can hardly believe this is me thinking up exercise opportunities -- such a new way of thinking! Good luck and have fun with the training. You have so much to celebrate -- here's to a new year filled with health and happiness.

Hi there, congratulations on making this decision for a healthy future -- what a way to begin the new year! Be sure to walk all you can post-surgery. It makes a big difference. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

I have some very pretty lingerie from my wedding night -- will be 23 years this summer and that would be a nice anniversary present to be able to fit into that again. I love summer dresses and look forward to having a nice dress for my son's high school graduation in June. Hmmm.....June is shaping up to be a big month. I'd better get busy losing weight and toning all I can! Best wishes to all of us in the coming year -- here's to healthy happy transformation! Thanks for starting a great thread, Allie!

There will so many other events when you are fully recovered and stable in your new banded life -- don't put yourself I. The way of temptation to smoke, drink or eat right now. You've chosen this surgery for your healthy future. Just think how good you'll look and feel at the next big game.

Hi there Joanie, best wishes as you get ready for your new band - sounds like good timing to me as I know the bands have changed a lot in the last eight years since you had yours. And you were successful with that one. Thinking of you as I know the wait and see mode is anxiety provoking. You will do well -- just relax and let the surgeons do what they do best. Keep us posted on your progress!

Hope you get some good rest over the weekend and that you're feeling better every day. Best wishes!

Hi there, I am actively working towards this as well. My surgeon's goal for me is a tennis-ball sized meal and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. I have had three fills so far as part of their regular protocol (no Fluid in band at placement) and they seem to expect patients to take 4-5 before getting to the green zone. Of course this varies greatly by individual. I originally thought I might be one of those people who did not require a fill because I was not hungry after my surgery, but then the hunger did return. Mostly I've been able to stay satisfied on the small portion but then I get hungry again too soon. Just recently I am noticing a desire for a larger volume of food. So this tells me I definitely need another fill -- that is scheduled for January 6th. And then I am booked for January 20th (two weeks after) to assess that and see whether yet another will be indicated. I marked this thread to "follow" so maybe we can keep touching base. I have the chart, of course, with what the yellow, green and red zones are, but it's such an individual thing. And then there's the post-fill adjusting that the body does. As for protocol, I have no post-op protocol at all, beyond "take it easy." Well I always take it easy because I had one ghastly stuck episode early on and I don't ever want to repeat that. But I don't do all-liquids. Wondering what your post-op protocols are like and what you are looking for in terms of signs? Oh, also, I have been able to tolerate foods around me without wanting to indulge and now I am doing the "outlawing" thing -- getting stuff out of the house and declaring it illegal for me, etc. This tells me I am not near the Green Zone, that I have that dieter's mentality big-time right now. I'd like to get to the point when I can have an open jar of nut butter in the house without waking up in the morning and thinking about it. Good grief. Or cheese. Let's not even discuss that.

Hi there, don't forget to celebrate the fact that you are twenty-five pounds down at the end of 2013 rather than twenty-five up, which was the direction I was headed for sure. You got that chunk off and now you're ready to tackle the next. Let's do it! I am in the process of getting fills to get my band working properly for me. I want to find the green zone -- otherwise it feels like a diet and that is too hard to sustain over time (as I've proven again and again). I want to be in sync with my band and my body. So, the fills, the exercising, the attention to protein first. Here's to 2014 and the health and happiness we all deserve!

Put those medical professionals to work for you! We are always amazed at how good they are, especially those gastro docs. My husband suffers from acid reflux and there can be all kinds of contributing factors.

I'm very sorry for both of your losses. It's so poignant when we realize how fragile life is and how suddenly things can change -- what a gift to be present for that and not using food to stuff down the emotions. Sending best wishes your way! And TLButler, I'm so happy for you to reach Onederland -- what a great accomplishment before the end of the year. Here's to 2014 and all the new year will bring in terms of health and healing.

I'm just waiting for my exercise partner to arrive and I can't wait to get to it. This is definitely a new me. I exercised before but never wanted to, and now I look forward to the release -- and I'm working so much harder (kind of sore from BowFlex the other day and can't wait to get back on). I credit the band with this -- it has changed how I think not just about food but about what my body really needs, including exercise. Yippee!

Hi there -- here's to 2014, a year of health! For me getting the band was about choosing myself and my health before everything else -- and of course when I'm happy and healthy every one around me benefits. My family is very supportive but I just kept putting everything and every one else first -- until finally one day I realized I had to do something about my weight issues. So glad I found out about the band and then followed through with all the research, appointments, pre-op protocol, etc. Best wishes to each of you!

Hi Ramuse, so glad you found this forum. I joined in June and while I spent the summer going through the various steps required by the local hospital program I read all kinds of posts. So much helpful information -- and some red herrings, too, but after a couple weeks of sifting through you'll be able to detect those posts from people who are unwilling to address behavior modification in any way or people who don't understand that the band needs to be properly adjusted which may take a little while after the surgery. I was banded in November and am almost eight weeks out. I love, love, love my band and I'm not even in the green zone yet. It is a wonderful thing to have that appetite monster off my back, though there are a few reappearances of late (sign I need another fill). Know that the process is different for every one -- not just because of our individual bodies but because doctors and weight loss centers have varying protocols. Some of us do a lot of pre-op liquid diet or some such, others none. Some bands are "primed" which means the surgeon starts the patient off with a fill, while others of us have nothing in the band until six weeks out when we go for our first fill. I chose the band because I knew I did not want to have something too drastic -- I like the idea that it can be removed if that is ever necessary. I like the adjustability factor and the followup with my surgeon -- it gives me accountability. Good for you for calling your insurance company. I spoke with mine a few different times to verify everything and then of course the doctor's office had their own verification process. I had to stay on top of it to keep things moving forward. I also got a therapist to go through the process with me and to examine the ways I used food to soothe and ground myself -- not that I hadn't really worked on that before but this was different because of getting the band. I broke it down to very specific times I turn to food and then got ahead of it just by noticing, noticing, noticing. Even without giving up the behavior in advance of getting the band this helped me so much as the band is about listening to our bodies. I am 52 and wish this had been available to me in my thirties to save two decades of poor self-esteem and weight-related health issues. So happy for you! Good luck in your process and ask away -- people here are very compassionate and willing to share information about how it works for them.

Choosing myself first, putting my own needs in front of others....so for me that means saying no more often. I'm going to go with, "let me get back to you" for all those requests that end up haunting me later and taking up my time. I want to be less available for others and use that free time and energy for my own work. At the same time I am launching a son and seeing to my parents' end of life -- it is important to me to do those things honorably. But I need to take care of myself, too. Me first. When I hit Onederland I want a full body massage and a facial. That's just 20-25 pounds away for me so that's a good immediate goal. From there ten more pounds down to 190 another full body massage and facial. Then ten more pounds to 180 for a repeat of the same. That's three. I can do this -- I will tuck the money away and do this for myself. New fitness clothes are needed now and when I get another chunk off I will need the next size down in jeans and some new tops. Yippee! I'd like to do some big fitness thing -- like climbing a mountain or participating in some organized exercise event. I want to be off my blood pressure medication and my sleep machine. Next summer I want my joint pain to be lessened so I can enjoy gardening again. I want to be beautiful for my son's high school graduation in June.

Relax, take a few deep breaths -- you are here. That seems like a big step, as does booking an appointment. I'm new at this but I get everything you are saying. Holidays are stressful -- even good stress is still stress. But we are beyond those now and can buckle down. You're not alone, that's for sure.

I liked potato leek soup -- there's a brand in our local grocery store that comes in a carton -- it's called Imagine. I found that satisfying. Wanted savory things. Also I was able to have egg drop soup. I made miso soup as well -- all these I wanted but then after a little bit I was full. Also I had Popsicles, yum. Thinned out yogurt. Applesauce. Follow your diet and know it may take some fills for you to get to that place of satiety, a dimmed appetite. Then it will all be so much easier. Meanwhile, however, it feels like a diet. Hang in there!