georgia girl

I hear ya. I have to drink mine as crystal light or I won't get it in. I can't drink plain water all day.

Good grief, my cravings have been off the charts for the past couple of days. I am going to do liquids (mostly protein shakes) for a couple of days to see if I can break the cravings. B'fast~ coffee Lunch~ protein shake Snack~ protein shake Dinner~ tomato OR broccoli cheese soup Snack~ If I have one, it will be a protein shake

Not the best food choices today....my son had his birthday party tonight. I kept the portions really small, so all in all...not too bad. B'fast~ protein shake Lunch~ cottage cheese mixed with light yogurt Dinner~ 1 slice pizza, 1 cupcake (with all the icing scraped off), few m&m's, few chips

I never cook fish because my DH and DS do not eat it. However, I found Starkist Seasation in the frozen section of my grocery store and I really like those. They have several different flavors and they are very bold in flavor. Only 90 cal per fillet too!

Today: B'fast~ coffee, then protein shake Lunch~ grilled chicken nuggets, small chicken tortilla soup (Chick-Fil-A) Dinner~ bowl of vegetable beef soup and grilled cheese Calories~ 1,052

Hi there. Your doctor is right, it is better to eat protein than to drink it. I know a lot of people have trouble with their band being tighter in the mornings, so a protein shake is a good way for them to protein in. If I have a protein shake, it's usually first thing in the morning simply because I am not a big breakfast eater. Some people also have a lot of trouble eating meat, so that's probably why they choose to eat protein bars. I sometimes have a protein bar as a snack. How many calories are you consuming on a daily basis? Are you exercising? The best advice I can give you is to shake things up a bit. If you are not eating enough calories, try bumping it up for while and try changing up your workout routine. Sometimes all you need is a little change to get those numbers going down again. Plateaus are pretty common, so don't stress over it too much. It may take some tweaking, but it will pass. Best of luck to you!

I guess I'm in the minority. I rarely have any issues with pasta or bread. The only foods I have trouble with is scrambled eggs, french fries, and raw vegetables. Then again, I have never seemed to have the amount of restriction that most people get.

B'fast~ coffee, 1/2 c. cottage cheese, 6 oz light yogurt Lunch~ small bowl of chili, a few chips with queso Dinner~ 1/4 c. lasagna, 1/4 c. chicken spaghetti, 1/4 c. pasta salad (family get together)

B'fast~ coffee, then Nature Valley granola bar and banana Lunch~ grilled chicken nuggets and fruit cup (Chick-Fil-A) Snack~ Ritz Crackerful Dinner~ bowl of pumpkin chili, 1/2 cup spaghetti squash alfredo Calories~ 1,199

It's delish! I love it! It's spicy with a little sweetness in the background. Here's the recipe. PUMPKIN CHILI 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 clove garlic 20 oz. fresh ground turkey (at least 93/7 lean) 2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, mild 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 (15 oz.) can 100% pure pumpkin ( I only use 1 cup, but the whole can is fine too) 1 (15 oz). can dark red kidney beans 1/2 cup whole kernal corn, canned or fresh 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. Splenda Brown Sugar Blend few pinches of cinnamon Brown turkey in olive oil for a few minutes, then add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook until completely browned and drain. In the crockpot, add all other ingredients and stir until combined well. Add in ground turkey mixture and stir. Cook on low for 5 hours. It's even better the next day!

B'fast~ coffee Lunch~ chocolate slim fast, banana Dinner~ grilled chicken tenderloins, baby carrots (Cracker Barrel) Snacks~ Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte Calories~ 868

If you want to keep an eye on sugar, it's best just to make real oatmeal. I make my own and like to add peanut butter and honey. You could add a little smashed banana, or cinnamon and raisins. I have even cooked down diced apples and added that with a little cinnamon in my oatmeal. The possibilies are endless.

B'fast~ Irish Cream Latte Lunch~ 1/3 of a chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A Dinner~ going to have a bowl of Pumpkin Chili (YUM!) and a grilled cheese sandwich (no butter) Calories~ 1,097 Breakfast kind of set me back, so no snacks today.

That is a very clever idea! I like the idea of doing the cupcake lined cupcake pans, too. That would even be good for chili....just heat up a couple of them and voila, lunch. I will definitely be doing this.

I made the Alfredo sauce last night and it was good. I used the garlic herb cheese instead of Swiss and omitted the garlic powder. Definitely a keeper!

B'fast~ 1/2 c. low fat cottage cheese mixed with 6 oz. light & fit yogurt Snack~ Ritz crackerful Lunch~ 1/2 small baked potato, 1/4 c. chili Dinner~ 1 c. cooked spaghetti squash, 1/3 c. light alfredo sauce, 1/4 c. edamame Snack~ 1 oz. Emerald sweet and salty nuts Calories- 1,017

I am glad you are feeling better. Best of luck to you!

B'fast~ 1/2 c. 2% cottage cheese mixed with Toasted Coconut Vanilla yogurt (Dannon light and fit) Snack~ 1/4 c. roasted chickpeas, 1 wedge light laughing cow cheese Lunch~ 1/2 banana, 1/4 c. Emerald Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter nuts Dinner~ mushroom and cheese stuffed chicken breast, 1/2 c. edamame Snack~ IF I have one, it will be a protein shake

I am also in the process of breaking some old bad habits. I have been doing really good and have recommitted to getting back on track and following the rules. I've had my band for 4 yrs 5 months. Best of luck to you!

That's a great idea! I am all for rewarding....except when it comes to food treats. I learned first hand that it's not a good idea to reward yourself with food for meeting a mini goal. I like your idea. I used to sometimes treat myself to spa days, a new outfit, etc.....things like that.

Are you exercising? What kind of foods are you eating?

Plateaus are perfectly normal, it happens to most everyone. But going by the information in your post, I think you need to increase your calorie intake AND start exercising. 600 calories a day isn't enough. I would try bumping it up to 1000 calories a day. I think if you do that AND start exercising, it will help. If you can't get in more calories, then maybe you are a bit too tight and need a slight unfill. I'm not sure what you're eating, but if you are having trouble getting calories in, maybe try adding in some foods that are easy to eat and high in Protein. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are pretty high in protein. Best of luck! Hope your plateau ends soons!

I have had my band for 4 years and 3 months. It's been a roller coaster for me. Lost a ton of weight the first year, then started having cluster headaches and got put on high dose steroid for 2 months and gained 30 lbs! In 2 months! Crazy. Anyway, never really could get back on track after that. Got depressed and it went downhill from there. Anyway, trying to start over again. The only "problem" I have had is losing some Fluid. After about a year or so after banding, I noticed I was able to eat a lot more and my fills weren't "staying" as long. They started measuring fluid every time I went in and I would lose anywhere from 1/4cc to 3/4 cc, depending on the amount of time in between checks. Then they started having me go in every 2 weeeks to measure and get a fill. Got sick of it and just quit going all together. My doctor said I wasn't losing "enough" fluid to prove there was actually a leak. Needless to say, I am looking for another doctor. My band is still working, just not like it used to. I had also been breaking some rules, so I am pretty much re-training myself to get out of those bad habits. I definitely can't blame all of this on my band. Most of it is me, and I take responsibility for that. I miss all the "old timers" too! I keep up with quite a few of them on Facebook, but it's just not the same here anymore.

I am trying to come up with some healthy Snacks to have around my house. I found a recipe for roasted chickpeas that I want to try. I will post the recipe, but I'm wondering if anyone else has any good roasted chickpea recipes.... Smoked Paprika Roasted Chickpeas 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 1 Tbsp. EVOO 1 tsp. smoked paprika pinch or two of salt Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Drain, rinse, and pat chickpeas dry with paper towel (it is important that they are dry). Pour chickpeas in bowl and stir in all other ingredients until evenly coated. Place chickpeas on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 40-50 minutes. Chickpeas should be crisp and dry on the outside, but still have slightest chew when eating. Let cool for 15 minutes and serve or store in air tight container. I would appreciate any other recipes as well! Thanks!