BlooEyez

I've always LOVED beef jerky ... I find myself eating it more these days to help get in the Protein I need. I buy the Tillamook brand @ Winco as it is always so tender, not rough like some brands. Just curious Laura, what does that sweet & spicy flavor taste like? Have you tried their original?

Thank you all for your advice ... I'll keep working at it!

You can get some unflavored protein powder to add to your meals too, just stir it into your soups, chili, potatoes ... anything! I use Unjury ...

I was addicted to cranberry juice before I was banded ... I drank the Oceanspray Light everyday, absolutely love the stuff! I saw the diet shortly after banding and decided to try it, blah! I thought it tasted horrible (compared to the light) so I gave it to my children ... they didn't like it either, LOL

You will need a passport when walking/driving across the border beginning in January 2008 ... right now a passport is only required if you are flying in & out of MX ... for now, your ID will work just fine. If you plan on returning to MX for your fills, it might be a good idea to apply for a passport now though. Good luck with your surgery!

Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs w/ ketchup Lunch ~ 1 C chicken tortilla soup Snack ~ 1.25oz beef jerky Dinner ~ 1 hard boiled egg and a fruit & walnut salad

Speaking for myself personally, because my weight loss has been so slow, I've decided to stick with a high Protein, little-to-no carb diet ... sorta like Atkins (but I do get in about 50 carbs per day) I've found this is the only thing that works for me, at least until I get enough fills to reach my "sweet spot" ... Besides, I haven't liked veggies since I was a kid :rose:

No, I haven't tried it ... but this person did and they say it's awesome

Are you referring to PB2?

Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs w/ ketchup Lunch ~ 4oz meatballs & 1/4 C cottage cheese Snack ~ .5oz beef jerky Snack ~ 1 hard boiled egg Dinner ~ Michaelina's Lean Gourmet salisbury steak & mashed potatoes

Wow, I read that and it was just as if I had written it myself! :omg: My husband was supportive in the beginning, well, he was pretending to be! When I first discovered the Lap Band procedure a little over a year ago I knew that it was what I NEEDED to do, it was my last hope! Unfortunately I don't have medical insurance, and when I found out it was costing $12-$20 thousand in the states, my hopes quickly diminished. My husband consoled me and told me not to worry, we'd figure something out yadda yadda yadda ... Then I discovered the option of going to Mexico, and he was still supportive ... even said he would go down with me when I had it done. So fast forward to this past June, I decided it was time and I called and scheduled my surgery. When I told my husband that night, he did a complete 180. He was furious, he told me I was selfish for having an elective surgery, putting my life in danger and risking the chance of leaving my children without a Mother. He then tried using scare tactics ... told me I would likely be robbed or even kidnapped while I was in Mexico blah blah blah ... I asked him where the heck all this was coming from?? He had been so supportive! And ya know what he told me? He was just pretending to support me in order to keep me happy ... he didn't think my having the surgery would ever become a reality. He wanted me to cancel it, I refused! The morning that I left for Mexico, he hugged me as I was leaving and he whispered into my ear that I better come home safe or he'd never forgive me ... however, when I did return home and for the first month afterwards he refused to speak to me and slept on the couch. He was mean, rude, told me I took the "easy way out" and even went as far as trying to sabotage my progress because he wanted me to fail! All of this he did because he was scared ... afraid that I'll leave him for someone else. He thought that since he loves me the way I am, I should be happy & content with that ... well, I'm not! My surgery brought out alot of insecurities that I had no clue even existed! But as far as I'm concerned, those are his problem and he needs to deal with them on his own. I've told him over & over that I'm not trying to get someone else's attention, and that I have no desire to leave him for someone else ... I just want to feel good about myself, for like the first time EVER! I want to feel comfortable in my own skin (even if it ends up sagging just a bit) and most of all, I wanna be HAPPY! He's OK with everything now ... he's taken it upon himself to shed a few lbs too, and he bought me an elliptical last weekend! :whoo: So to those who are having problems with the hubbies & boyfriends feeling all insecure and whatnot, hang in there! If my stubborn, hard headed husband can eventually come around, so can yours! :confused:

My favorite pureed meal was just plain ol chili ... I bought the Dennison's 99% fat free chili and pureed it with a little bit of water added in to get it liquidy. Another favorite of mine was my "chicken enchilada" mixture. I found these little cans of chicken at the grocery store, called Valley Fresh, and each little can has 20 grams of protein. I pureed a can of that along with some green enchilada sauce and then nuked it in the microwave. Add a dallop of sour cream and voila! Also tomato soup with cottage cheese is good too. As long as you have a blender anything is possible! :biggrin1:

Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs w/ ketchup Lunch ~ 8 1/2oz meatballs (=4oz) & 1/2 C cottage cheese Snack ~ SBD high protein cereal bar Dinner ~ 2 hard boiled eggs & a fruit & walnut salad Can ya tell I'm ready for another fill?

Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs w/ ketchup Snack ~ 1 oz Beef jerky Lunch ~ 2.65 oz grilled chicken & 1/4 C cottage cheese Snack ~ 1 oz Beef jerky Dinner ~ 1 Hard boiled egg & a fruit & walnut salad (from McD's)

I buy the Crystal Light to go packets ... they come in a box of 14 I think and all ya do is add it to a 16.9 oz bottle of water. It comes in different flavors (fruit punch is the best!) ... also Wyler's makes "to go" packets as well and they are a little cheaper too

I've been craving a PB&J sammich ever since reading this thread a few days ago ... not wanting to spoil my weight loss by adding bread to my meal, I've found myself snacking on just the PB alone. A spoonful of PB makes a great snack, unfortunately it's close to 200 calories (Skippy Creamy PB, 2T = 190 Cals, 7 Carbs, 7 Protein) ... Still I can't help myself

Well it's a good thing I haven't been taking them!! I had no clue they did that! Thanks so much for the heads up!

I bought some Fiber Choice chewable wafers ... I had been taking them in addition to my chewable Centrum multi-vitamins regularly after I was banded when I was able to resume eating "normally" however, it seems that since I got my first fill back on the 8th my taste-buds have changed a bit and now I can't stand either of them as they seem way too sour and disgusting! Will be checking on that Benefiber too ...

Breakfast ~ Unjury chocolate protein shake Snack ~ .5 oz Beef jerky Lunch ~ 7 Meatballs & 1/4 C cottage cheese Snack ~ 1 oz Beef jerky Dinner ~ 1 hard boiled egg & a fruit & walnut salad (from McD's)

Breakfast ~ Unjury chocolate protein shake Snack ~ 1oz Beef Jerky Lunch ~ 2oz Grilled chicken & 1/2 C cottage cheese Snack ~ 1oz Beef Jerky Dinner ~ 1 Salisbury steak patty & 1/2 C mashed potatoes (Ate more than usual and it reflected on the scale this morning )

Breakfast ~ Unjury chocolate protein shake Snack ~ 1 hard boiled egg Lunch ~ 6 meatballs & 1/3 C cottage cheese Snack ~ 2 T peanut butter Dinner ~ 1 hard boiled egg & a fruit & walnut salad

All it takes for me is 1 hiccup and I am done!

Breakfast ~ Unjury protein shake Lunch ~ 1 C Campbell's Select Chicken Tortilla Soup Snack ~ 1 hard boiled egg Snack ~ Fruit & Walnut snack (from McD's) Dinner ~ 6 meatballs & 1/4 C cottage cheese

Thanks for the bump! Might give it a try :waytogo: