shellyj.

sure you can eat it. i sprinkle cinn. or nutmeg or cocoa powder for flavors. *i* think its a good low cal sweet tooth fix! i use lite

banded monday worked that friday. if i could have i wished i could have had that friday too. i was SOOOOO tired!

one other thing that i have been eating a lot of is cilantro..i have always used it for salsa and mexican but its soooooo good on: a regular salad a sandwich cooked in eggs

hey pumpkin, i have never tried pilates and have never like videos before. if you do try it let me know how you like it! jacqui, i have also been looking for a good weight set. we are trying to make a home gym. why cant it just be 70 degrees everyday! when it gets really hot and dry here i cant do much outside either! leatha and kat, i dont have a PS2 or game system in general...well ok i DO have a atari and an original nintendo but i dont think dance revolution was made for that! i was thinking of buying the hubby a game system...maybe i should with an alterior motive!

what about making a homeade fruit smoothie and adding protien powder to it?

well thats AWESOME! congrats on going to the gym! i too didnt use exercise the first few months of banding and lost then i hit a major plateau and realized i HAD to do both in order to lose like i wanted. NOW i exercise to feel the way i want! i feel like a million bucks when i exercise! good luck! keep it up!

it has been to cold to continue to get my exercise outside! i would love some ideas or product reviews on indoor exercise!!! we have been doing: the biggest loser workout video. it REALLY is a workout! and its designed for folks who arent a size 4, or a size 12 even, well atleast not when they start. you can customize your workouts. we really like it! medicine ball, 12 lb: we have used this for a while- throwing it, waiste twists, sit-up - throws, incorporating into the biggest loser... i LOVE it! resistance bands: calvin uses. i dont. he seems to like them though. recumbant bike: does anyone know the desired heart rate for fat burning? i have been riding this for an hour at a time. its a great workout i crank my MP3 and GO!!!! full size punching bag: i am just getting into using this. will let ya'll know how it goes. i need some training, i got one at goodwill for $20 but i need find some exercises or see what the 'proper form' is, i dont want to hurt myself! gym membership, going unused:paranoid : i work from home and its to cold to drive :nervous what have you been doing indoors to workout? i like and need variety!!!

lately i have been eating: lite cool whip and sprinkle cocoa powder on top! lite cool whip and sprinkle nutmeg and cinn on top, or both! egg whites OMG i forgot how good and low cal. they are! 6 whites with 1 yoke is 150 calories and it keeps me satisfied soooo long. hummus: i have eaten for years but lately i am skipping the cracker and just eating it with a spoon. walnuts and brazil nuts: i have been buying them in the shell cause it takes longer to eat and i dont eat nearly as many. now that its cold i just made huge pots of each: pea Soup, black bean soup and lentils...i froze them in small containers and i have ingredient controlled yummy lunches for the winter.

hey alex, it is so hard living with an empty band. i did get a small fill a month ago and while i still have no restriction- it did help with the constant hunger...it is taking the edge off and i am at a happy medium with my band. for me my biggest 'trigger for a bad day' is....lack of planning. everynight i think out what i am gonna eat the next day. on days i my routine changes i always eat WAY more calories and carbs.

thanks for posting your struggles. i am dealing with long term effects of having a band placed as well. i am worried that eventually it may have to be removed. for now my dr sees no reason to remove it. i just can not have restriction, thats when my problems begin. thanks again and please keep posting your updates so we (I) can see how you are doing! michelle

i have been unfilled many times. my dr's always make you wait 3 weeks as well for a refill to make sure the irritation is gone and swelling is down. its tough without restriction but leaving a to tight fill could cause worse damage. good luck!

garland mom, thanks for sharing your story. i am sorry you had these complications and lost your band. i hope the removal solves all of your reflux and pressure issues. i am also having esophogus issues and just hoping they dont have to remove it. did you self pay for the removal? please keep us updated and how your and your esoph. do post banding. michelle

for me wheetsin, its defintally the pain before the PB or the pain of letting it go down instead of just PB'ing that hurts the most. my sweet spot to me is: if i am happy about the quality and variety of foods i was eating. like jachut, i could always eat bread and i could eat salads, steak, or pork! i couldnt eat much and i couldnt eat fast. by the time i got the food down i was tired from chewing and satisfied. i could drink in the a.m. and only had to worry about a PB if i was being careless. i lost 100 the first year. YOU decide what proper restriction is for you. according to my dr if i could eat pork or steak i needed a fill (WTF?) i was losing and still enjoying food and i think thats important. i like to eat- i want to eat and dont want to worry about pb'ing at breakfast! after 3+ years i have learned that having a band changed the way my espohogus works and now i must leave it empty in order to not have to have it removed. i have learned that the DR's dont have all the answers (or sometimes ANY!) and the fact remains that we really dont know WHAT to expect long term! i have learned that exercise is just as important as restriction!