Kristin1031

I still go back to what I learned in all of my education classes and that is you must measure your portions and stick to them. This I believe is the hardest part for us overeaters to realize and to get our arms around. I used to eat platefuls of food in one sitting and I mean platefuls. Since my surgery I am not eating more than 3 ounces in one sitting. I do this three times a day. It does not matter what the food is, no more than 3 ounces. I use small bowls and baby spoons....YES baby spoons. This helps when learning the portion size. Also helps in keeping from taking too big of bites and getting stuck. I have only been stuck once so far and I do not want that pain ever again. I have never had a PB and I chew and chew til I masticate the food I am eating. Also always eat your Protein first. This is HUGE most of my meal is protein with some vegtable. I have not really started eating alot of fruit yet. I have it occasionally but not every meal. I also allow sometimes at dinner or lunch a bite of dessert. I am having huge success with this format I am using. I have lost an amazing amount of weight and I feel satsified and am not hungry. I have had no real hunger since being banded. My surgeon told me last week that some people don't need fills the 1st year out.....he has seen this......I am just following the program and so far I am thrilled with my results. Portions are key and eating slow and steady and never never never drink with meals or 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after. This is what works for me!

I thought it would be neat to share Receipes as we find them or create them for everyone to enjoy!! 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tsp garlic fresh or minced 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper 1tsp of Emerils Essence Original 1 can low sodium creme of chicken Soup 1/2 cup skim milk 1 package of frozen mixed vegtable of choice (I used snow peas with red peppers and zucchini) 1 box of low sodium stove top stuffing In Iron skillet saute or braise the chicken til brown and not pink coating with the spices, in a pot that is oven safe ( I cook with cast iron) mix the soup and milk and belnd together with wire whisk. Remove chicken and lay over the soup mix then pour the vegtables over the chicken making sure to cover it, prepare the stuffing according to package directions and spoon atop the vegtables. Bake covered in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes until bubbly!! Bon Appetite Everyone!!!!

Holly: That sounds yummy and I think I will definately have to try some....hehehehe I thought this thread would be a great thing.....I was surprised no one wanted to share recipes..LOL THanks for sharing though.......

I am down 24 pounds since surgery!! I feel great and still have no hunger and no fill......I am in Heaven!! :whoo: Congrats to all us LOSERS!!!!!

Steph; Thanks, the Buffet went fine, I stuck to my program and only had my three ounces, and I even ate a baby spoonful of peach cobbler..... It was so nice to see everyone else piling the food on and going back for seconds and thirds and I was not one bit uncomfortable and I was satisfied even. I ate green Beans and a small piece of chicken breast with florentine sauce and a small spoonful of twice baked potatoe. It is wonderful about your success as well and I am sure you can tell when you look at you. Remember they told me that it would be awhile before my body image would change when I look in the mirror. I know I do not have my pregnant looking belly anymore and that makes me ecstatic. Longhorn: Congrats on the 16 pounds and don't you think for one minute that is not wonderful.....it is!! We all are doing wonderfully and if you go try to pick up the pounds that we have lost....it is a massive amount of weight in a very short time. They told me ideally 1 -2 pounds a week and I am over 3.5 average pounds lost per week. I do not want to lose it too fast. I love this Thread and all of our successes!!:whoo: Yippee Ladies we are on our way!!:clap2::clap2:

Bravo! on throwing away the tender....LOL I just got back from our Medical Group Christmas Party.....we are a huge group and this was only 4 one region.....about 500 people....were there. Massive amounts of food. I had worried about this for over two weeks.....but it was a breeze. I walked to the buffet line and I took a teaspoon with me. I took a teaspoon of lettuce salad.....a teaspoon of green Beans and then another....hehehehe they looked to good. I took a half of chicken breast and I took one peach out of the peach cobbler. It was wonderfully delicious the food melted in my mouth. I sat and watched as my fellow coworkers plates were mounded up beyond belief and some went back for seconds and thirds........heheheh I just sat back and enjoyed my three ounces and smiled. It was not bad as I had anticpated and I did not even feel temptation to eat more. Thank you BAND...I love you!!

I was nervous and excited and scared of the pain. I only had one day after surgery where I was wondering what the hell I had done to myself. Other than that I have been like this is the best present I could ever have given to myself. I am thrilled and yes it was so hard waiting....and then the PreOp testing wow.....had a scare with someone who did not know how to put on the electrodes for my ekg and it gave them a reading that I had possibly had a heat attack so I had to go through a Thallium study and Stress Test three days before surgery.....LOL But I was proven totally fine and everything was a GO!! Better safe than sorry I suppose. Time will pass quickly and you will be wondering why you were so anxious and nervous. Good Luck!!

Congrats:) I know that feeling when I went below 270 I felt the same.....I am setting 10 pound mini goals for myself......!! Since we were banded on the same day, and nearly have lost the same amount.....we truly are TWINS.....LOL Keep up the great work!! Hugz!

I saw my Dr this morning and he has released me to go back to working out:clap2: I am thrilled with that news. I lost 21.5 pounds and I could not be happier. He said that I am doing great and that as long as I am not hungry and I am loosing he is not going to even consider filling me. He told me that some of his patient don't need fills right away....some it may take months and months.....so we are going to see how it goes. I told him I am restricted because I feel it when I am eating. I cannot over eat because it will hurt. I was thrilled to hear this because I am scared of my first fill because of all of the horror stories written here....LOL I see him again in two months....so no weighing til then 4 me.....I was glad I did not scale watch these past 4 weeks.....it made it easier to concentrate on listening to my band. The clothes tell the story anyway better than any scale can. I am definately positive I made the right decision by having this surgery. There is no doubt in my mind at all. I hope everyone else is having a good week and surviving the midwest ICE storms that we have here. It is so sad.....so close to Christmas and all this devastation around everywhere. Hugz to all!!

Jill: If you have lost 23 pounds since 11/20/07 you are doing amazing!!! I would have to say you have some restriction.....or you are eating all the right Proteins....!! Keep up the great job!

We have dear friends who lost their 25 year old son to sleep Apnea he was not Obese or overweight and he had it and did not know it, never was diagnosed or had a sleep study. He died on night while sleeping, and trust me it is worth finding out if you have it that bad. I had the study done preop and I hated it as well. I also told them I would never come back it was the most unrestful night of sleep I ever remember having. They came in many times in the night to reposition wires that had come lose on my face and head and would crawl into bed with me with a flash light and I was so mad. LOL Turned out I had very mild sleep apnea. They wanted me to get a CPAP anyhow and I told them it was a racket they must be getting kick backs from the company selling the machines. I in no way needed CPAP with the case that was so very mild. I understand you not wanting to go back.....But you should find out if you have it severly or not. Just my opinion. Especially before being put under anesthesia. I was told it can cause problems bringing you out from being under as well.

I was told no more than three ounces at any meal. Eat the Protein first and then veggies and then some fruit. I was given 1 ounce medicine cups at the hospital and told to use these to measure my food. I carry one with me in my purse with a baby spoon in a zip lock bag. I have measure everything I put into my mouth. I do NOT eyeball it. I was told it is to easy to overeat when you do this. I was told the small portion size is very important in how the band works. We should never ever stretch our pouch too much. It needs to be full so that our brain gets the signal that we are full, but that is it. Not OVERLLY full. Also the speed in which we eat has to slow way down. I was told 20 to 30 minutes to eat and 45 would be wonderful. However if you eat too slowly, your pouch will empty and you can overeat that way as well. Never drink with your meal, this is a no no. It just forces the food out of the pouch and the goal is to keep it in their as long as possible. Protein takes the longest to digest and that is why we eat it first. It will keep us fuller longer. With a small stomach this is key. Hope this helps, some. It is working for me, I have no hunger and I have lost 21.5 pounds in 4 weeks. Good Luck!

Thanks Ladies!!! Holly I have been following you as well, and I agree we may be the only two here with true restriction from just our bands alone.....I am thrilled with that!! I think you are doing fantastic as well........Steph you too!! I know how hard it is to keep off the scale especially with everyone asking me all the time how much have you lost, like it is suppose to change day to day....LOL I tell them no idea, ony weighing at the DR. LOL they look at me like I am totally nuts. I just know I have not had the anxiety that I read about here, because I have stayed off the scale.......I too like instant gratification just like the next guy. I can only hope that things continue to progress in this fashion......I am going to remain positive and believe that they will til proven otherwise. I am anxious to get into the gym...things crazy next couple of night it will be on Friday night I believe or Sat morning. Hugz,

CONGRATS Holly! Amazing accomplishment in such a short time..........I bet you feel like a new woman.......50 pounds lighter!!!! WOO HOO:) Keep up the great work!!!:whoo:

I have no had any dreams about food, but I have had cravings when I see a TV commercial or something and think WOW that looks so yummy. But I quickly remind myself that Lean looks better than that will taste!! It is not easy by no means......but it is much easier to Just say NO when you have the band don't you think? I was told at our local support group by one of our nurses that you should never NOT eat something if you really want it.....just have a taste....not the whole bag or whole cake or pie.......I have not had any candy since my banding. I had a bite of pie at Thanksgiving and I had a bite of cheesecake last week when out to dinner with DH. I really am not craving these types of foods anymore. LUCKY me I know!!

Lizzie please don't beat yourself up.....it took great courage to get this far in the process. You are still healing and until you get that fill that stops your hunger, it is not surprising that you have gained weight. I am here for support, to let you know that we all care and that you will succeed in time. Remember this is a slow process, we did not gain it over night and we will not take it off over night. Some people loose quicker than others, simply because they have different metabolisms and also age can be a nother factor. There are many reasons. Do not be so hard on yourself, you will do just fine, once you get it tweaked just right. Remember your healthy food choices and always eat your Protein first!! Drink your Water and move your fanny.......it will all work out I am certain of it!! Hugz!!

I made a wonderful meal this evening and it was so nice too cook for a change...LOL Glad I have not forgotten how. I made the recipe up so here goes: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tsp garlic fresh or minced 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper 1tsp of Emerils Essence Original 1 can low sodium creme of chicken Soup 1/2 cup skim milk 1 package of frozen mixed vegtable of choice (I used snow peas with red peppers and zucchini) 1 box of low sodium stove top stuffing In Iron skillet saute or braise the chicken til brown and not pink coating with the spices, in a pot that is oven safe ( I cook with cast iron) mix the soup and milk and belnd together with wire whisk. Remove chicken and lay over the soup mix then pour the vegtables over the chicken making sure to cover it, prepare the stuffing according to package directions and spoon atop the vegtables. Bake covered in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes until bubbly. My DH went nuts over this and it was so delicious. I am going to do a variation of this with beef and creme of mushroom soup. But it is great and easy and Quick which is wonderful when I get home from work and it has been hours and hours since lunch.

Firebolt I am keeping a food journal at FITDAY.com and I have found that it truly helps me to see where my calories are and how in line I am with Protein and fats. I love it and I am diligant in loggin it each and everyday since finding it. I think this is helpful because without a log we tend to eat more than we think we are. If we force ourselves to be accountable and write everything we put into our mouths down then we see where the problems are before they become 5 or 10 pounds. I am in agreeement with everyone here I love our November group and I like posting here. Everyone is so nice and supportive of one another. We are all going through things around the same time and it is helpful to know we are not alone in all of this. I find the success stories inspirational but it is nice to follow along with others who are at the same junciton in the road as I am. I am not weighing at home, so I cannot be certain of actual pounds gone but I can tell a huge difference in my clothes so that is the only thing I need to see for assurance that this is working. I have been told that once filled you really begin to see the pounds come off, but I already am and so I am happy. I don't want to lose to fast I want my skin to catch up. I love hearing from bandland as well he is always so eloquent in his posting and I feel like he says what I am feeling so well. Although I have had no real temptations, I have had a couple. I have not been eating between meals and for me that was huge before surgery. I always had Snacks at work and would eat after supper watching TV. SO I feel that is a victory:whoo: for me!! I also agree that measuring your portions is key to this band tool.......it helps you be positive of how much is going in. Eyeballing it can lead to over eating. Good luck to all of us as we continue to do well and shed the pounds that will NEVER return. Hugz my new friends,

Well I went through my closet yesterday and was able to clean out some space.....I also fit into a size 20 pair of cargo pants I have not been able to wear in over 3 years....YIPPEE...the band was the best decision I have ever made for myself. I wore them to work today and everyone oooed and ahhhhd they all know that I had the surgery. They are watching me like crazy I feel like I am under a microscope but don't care really. They are always asking ? like what I am eating for lunch and stuff like that. We have a lunch tomorrow at a restaraunt for someone in our dept who is leaving, I will enjoy being there and being able to handle it just fine. I have been out a few times since surgery and was able to eat high Protein choices off of the menu. Our company Christmas Party is Thursday night and that will be intersting it is a buffet and I am not sure what is being served. But I know I will be ok. I agree Linda that the fact we are all seeing such dramatic changes in only a months time....is remarkable in itself. I am trying to be less hard on myself....since I have not even had a fill yet....LOL We are due for a horrible ice storm tonight through tomorrow keep your fingers crossed that I make it to the surgeons office for my official weigh in. Congrats to all of us!!!!:clap2:

I begin my normal diet tomorrow, the last two days I have been adding more meat to my diet in the form of chicken, baked of course. I have had no problems with it at all. I was getting tired of living on FF refried Beans although they are delicious when mixed with salsa and LF cheese. I had some shredded lettuce yesterday at lunch with them and it was devine....really good and I also had some avacado....wow truly tasted like heaven. I am going to try and stay away from potatoes and rice and Pasta as much as I can the 1st 8 months. I know these are not BAD per say just should be limited. I was told to steer clear of rice and pasta as it swells in the stomach. I am nervous about eating normal food, but I am going to make sure that I measure everything that goes into my mouth. What is the difference between mushies foods and soft foods? I am uncertain of that. I thought they were the same. Good Luck Longhorn it is nice when you get to eat a variety rather than the same ol same ol. Hugz,

I am 4 weeks out and the only time I feel true hunger is if I go too long in between meals say longer than 5 hours. I have no Snacks in between meals. I do drink 2 Protein shakes a day one mid morning and one mid afternoon. I am only eating 3 ounces of food at each meal. I am satisfied with how this holds me at this point. I will know more on Tuesday what my Dr's plan is, as I feel I have restriciton somewhat or I would be starved. But I am listening to my band......and trying to really get rid of the head hunger.....I still have it....I see something and think wow I want that.....when my body is not even the least bit hungry. This is where the will power comes into play with the band. I know the road will be a long one, but I am truly going to enjoy every step of this journey.:clap2:

Lexi: 15 pounds in two weeks is Amazing.....don't be so tough on yourself. If you are fitting into clothes you haven't worn in ten years that is huge success. Remember the band is designed for a gradual weight loss not like bypass. You sound like you are doing fine although I would up your Protein to at least 60 grams a day. That is truly important. I was told by my dietician that we should be consuming between 1000 to 1200 calories a day. With excersize on a regular basis. Keep up the fantastic job and don't beat yourself up too much. I was doing the same thing. I think I have lost clost to 20 pounds in a month and I was not thinking that was so hot......but when you stop and think about it that is alot of weight. My Dr told me no more than 2 pounds a week would be ideal. Your skin has time to catch up when the weightloss is like that. Just keep doing the right things and the magic you speak of will continue......

I was on clear liquids for three days after surgery and then full liquids for 7 days and onto soft diet or mushies for three weeks. Every DR is different, so you should follow your DR's orders first and formost. It is important to keep most food out of the pouch so it can heal and I believe that is why they do these types of diets. It will also give you a jump on your weightloss. It also helps in learning to eat the small portions.

I have ahd some similar experience with the being stuck this past week on broccoli that was cooked very well. I thought I had chewed it well enough but nope swallowed then when to took the bite of fish and swallowed WHAM.....stuck...and oh the pain and the feeling of what do I do now.....it feels like not being able to breath.......expcept in my food pipe....LOL Does that makes sense to anyone? I have stuck to my diet strictly....not allowed to go to regular diet until Monday. Still on the mushie stage, I have to admit that I thought I would see more weight off....but I have to stop being hard like this. I had surgery 4 weeks ago and I am down 2 pant sizes and fitting into clothes I have not had on in years. I will know for sure on Tuesday morning what the official weightloss has been for me. I am imagining somewhere around 25 pounds since my pre-op appointment. I can't expect to loose like this forever.....it is going to slow down. But I have not even begun to go back to the gym either I am waiting for the ok to get back in the Water. So we need to be easier on ourselves here. I know I was told the band is a much slower process than bypass and they mean that.......I want the weight to come off slowly so that my skin will recover. I think that is why people have so much loose skin with bypass.......they loose it so darn fast the skin can't recover. We all have issues as to why we ate the way we did before surgery. But for us to get our arms around the BAND we have to change those habits and reasons. We have to create better habits and healthier life styles. Like getting off our butts and moving......this is first and foremost, we cannot expect the BAND to do all the work for us....it is afterall a tool. I have been using fitday.com to log everything I put into my mouth it helps to see where your calories are or arn't. I plan on being a success and that means using baby spoons when I eat and measuring every meal that I have until I reach my goal.....and am maintaing it. Then perhaps I will graduate to eating by eyeballing things.....but I doubt it....I think measuring and being certain not to overeat will just be part of my life. I was told no more than three ounces EVER.....for a meal......I know some bandsters in my local support group that are 4 years out that eat 4-5 but no more than that. When you do you will see the weight start to creep up again. I told myself this morning after raiding my closet and fitting into a favorite pair of pants again, that this is all worth it.....my DH smiled and asked me so it was worth it....and I so oh HELL YEAH!!!!! COngratulations to all of us who are on the journey together....we CAN MAKE IT!!! One date at a time..... One Pound at a time:clap2:

I wanted to ask what NSV stand for if you do not mind....LOL I am imagining it is noticeible wieght changes. I have gone down two pant sizes and am wearing shirts I have not had on in a very long time. Woo Hoo so exciting. I actually have size 16 clothes in my closet because I had gotten down that small before this last huge wieght gain I did over 2 1/2 years. I am excited about wearing them again.......and even surpassing that size in a year. COngratulations to us all for our huge achievements already!!