ta337

I sure have. Sometimes, if the crawfish is really chewy and I'm tight, I have trouble with that, but I have eaten boiled crabs. I think shrimp are the hardest to eat; they're manageable but you have to chew a lot due to their texture. Of course, the little tiny ones are easy and you can get the flavor even if they totally "dissolve" in a stew or something. Really, it all boils down (no pun intended) to how tight you are. Do you like dried shrimp? I've made some really tasty cream based Soups with that before... oh, and seafood gumbo is easy. I actually used my crock pot to make a seafood chowder with canned seafood... talk about delicious. I'm such a foodie... one more suggestion. If you like shrimp molds, you can do that and even add a little unflavored Protein mix in it for a little more boost. Hope this helps.

I haven't eaten bread in two years. One of the foods that I miss the most is a sandwhich. Gosh, I love them. This is what I do to cope. Buy a french baguette, the ones that are hard long and skinny. I LOVE the miltigrain ones from Albertsons even though I typically prefer white bread... do yourself a favor and try it. Cut into very thin round slivers and dab with a bit of butter or garlic butter. Bake in your oven at 375 until they are crunchy like croutons. You can top them with chicken salad, tuna salad, hummus, etc. and it doesn't cause me any pain b/c they're so crunchy. Be sure to cook them long enough. Hope someone gets to enjoy it!

I'm no doctor, but I would say probably not. Milk based products, even if they go in as a liquid, turn to a solid in your stomach so it makes you feel full. I drink lots of milk because of the full sensation I get.

Does sound like heaven to me! Thanks for taking the time to walk me through it.

This is so easy, I feel like I'm cheating when I make it. Wrap a half a pack of bacon in papertowels making sure they lay flat and don't overlap and put on a plate. Microwave until crisp. (You can cook them on the stove, but I usually do this super quick in the morning before work so I have something when I get home. I find the microwave way easier as far as clean up is concerned). While that is in the microwave, in a crock pot, add one can of cheddar cheese Soup, one can of potatoes (you can use diced or the little round ones), and one can of cream of chicken soup. Use one of the empty cans as a "measuring cup" of sorts. Add a "can" of heavy whipping cream and two "cans" of milk. Add a bag of seasoning blend, you know, the frozen onion and bell pepper blend. Just put it in there frozen. If you have any on hand, add parsley flakes for color; chopped pimentos make it pretty, too. Crumble cooked bacon in soup mixture and give it a good stir with a spoon. Put your crock pot on low and it'll be ready when you come home from work. For company, you can serve it with grated cheddar cheese, green onions, and/or sour cream on top. Also, try substituting the potatos and bacon with crab and frozen spinach or mushrooms and ham or left over turkey and macaroni. It'll be yummy... promise.

I have a recipe for a creamy cheesy soup. It is super easy and delioucious, but it is not healthy. I haven't posted it here b/c of this. If you want it, let me know and I will.

actually, i was just in the hospital and found out that milk isn't considered a liquid for this reason.

yep, milk turns into a cottage cheese consistency in your stomach not long after you swallow it. nothing to worry about.

I'm just curious what you stuff the italian eggplant with. I've never heard of that.

I love ceviche and always made it with shrimp and/or scallops because I find catfish (the local fish) too fishy for lack of a better word. I bet the tilapia is delicious!

I have to say that, pre-surgery, I could tolerate spicy foods that other people couldn't. That's saying a lot since I live in the heart of Cajun country. Mind you, we use a lot more spice that everyone else but I must admit that, althought I was OK for the first year or so, as my restriction was increased, I can no longer take much spice. It is hard to quantify "spicy," but I want to assure you that you won't really miss it that much if it causes you acid reflux a couple of times. Your tastes totally change and you'll start to enjoy and crave other things. My love of spice has been replaced by a love of eggplant, among other things. Weird stuff, but that's how it happened for me.

I love popcorn and eat it. One time, I think I must have gotten one of those hard shells stuck or something and I had trouble, but I have good luck with crunchy things like that... Just eat it in moderation and slowly.

I just take small bites. You'll adapt.

You can just order sashimi which is just fish, no rice. That's what I do! Albacore or Toro Tuna is my fave.

I can't drink carbonation at all. At most, I think I've had maybe 5 sips in 2+ years. The negative effects, including pain, are such that I don't crave it anymore at all. I was told, however, that, if you HAVE TO have diet coke... open it, put it in the fridge for a few hours to let it go almost flat then thry.

How sweet of you to write. Congratulations to you on your successes as well!

I am a newlywed and my husband is so supportive of me and my weight loss goals. I'm down over 90 lbs. Anyway, this is something he loves to cook for me, especially when I'm under the weather and need a Protein boost. Lay tilapia in your favorite italian dressing. If you make the Good Seasoning's Italian dressing with evoo and red wine vinegar, I think you'd like it. Anyway, marinate for 10 minutes on each side in the Italian dressing. Remove from the dressing and lay in a baking dish on top of foil (for easy clean up). Top with some Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's and a little lemon juice. Bake in oven on 375 degrees for 8 minutes. It won't be brown but it will be good. (Maybe a little longer if they are big pieces.) Let me know if you like it.

Hey there... please don't get down. You're still WAY too early to have felt much different. If I remember correctly, I had very little restriction. Just follow your surgeon's instructions. Up until my third fill, I had only lost about 30 pounds (a lot of it Water weight) because it wasn't until my third fill that I really started feeling restriction. After the third, the weight really started to drop. I'm down 75 now. Just hang in there, ok?

I was self pay... about 2 to 3 weeks.

Yes, ma'am. The acid reflux thing didn't start right away for me. Anita

I'm Cajun and used to be able to eat food so spicy that other Cajuns couldn't tolerate it. Since the band, I can't tolerate it at all anymore! I was sad at first, but then came to appreciate other flavors. I also never had heartburn a day in my life. A little word to the wise, get some generic "acid reducer." I got mine at Dollar General and now, if I wake up with heartburn, I just pop one and it's done.

I would suggest Dr. Lavin at WhyWeight.com- Weight Loss Surgery in Louisiana - Home. It was 12.900 and the first year of fills is free. Being that the latter is the case, it is the best economically... he's also very good.

Hello. I live in Eunice, now, but am from Lafayette. Dr. Lavin did my surgery in Dec of 05.

He did mine in 12/05. Nothing but good things to share.

I would go ahead and get a fill since you can eat rice and popcorn and haven't really been losing. The pill thing was probably a fluke. I've been banded a year and a half... every once in a while, even though I'm not too tight something that usually doesn't give me any trouble will get "stuck." It doesn't happen too often. You'll start dropping weight when you get to a good fill level. It took me about 4 fills to do so. Hope this helps.