Cingulus

I was reading a thread today by Arnaz…asking if we missed food. One of the responders made a great point about the answer will probably vary a great deal based on where you are in the Lapband journey. As many of you will note most of my blogs reference books, movies and songs. Earlier last year, I wrote a blog entitled, “Food…I Want a Divorce!” I was angry at myself and food. As I read the thread I was reminded of an old song from the 70’s by a guy named Paul Davis, I Go Crazy… that had the immortal words, “…they say old lovers can be good friends…” this kind how I view my relationship with food now. Food is no longer a lover that can be indulged with unbridled passion. I must keep some distance and boundaries. It is not to say that on occasion I don’t feel a twinge of desire and remorse, but it is fleeting and not filled with true regret. Under the heading of be careful what you ask for…The LapBand is making sure I now have a friendly relationship with food, not an amorous one. I am working with food in ways my intellect always told me I should, but my heart failed to let me execute. It would be safe to say, that food is a lover I/we thought to be secret and sought out in private, but our affair with it was displayed in public on our bodies. So in this case do I think my old lover can be a good friend? The answer has to be an emphatic Yes! If we don’t find a way to bridge that gap we will all surely fail. Food is like the child(ren) in a divorce. Regardless of your other feelings, you have to suck it up and find a way to get along so you don’t hurt the people you love and those that have supported you through this process. It will be very, very hard at first, but with a little patience and practice the balance can be found because food is never going away. You have to build a new friendship with your old lover.

I had mine on a Wednesday and went back to work the following Monday (desk job).

Now that I can start to eat again, one of the biggest challenges is eating out or getting out and finding yourself getting hungry. I think the best tool I have found is an iphone app from Men’s Health called Eat This, Not That $4.99. The key thing I like it is provides an encyclopedia of hundreds of restaurants and thousands of grocery store items. It will allow you to look up a specific eatery and it will show you the best food items on the menu. It will also allow you to select multiple food items and compare them. It provides not only protein/carbs and fats but sodium and other key food composition tid bits. I have also found that almost every place has a grilled chicken sandwich, sans bread that can work for a good protein meal. The really cool part is you can enter the food you want and it will then suggest a lower calorie and fat option. This might change where you go to dinner, but it will help keep you on track without making huge sacrifices to taste. Online it has gotten some harsh reviews because the books can be more complete, but it really works for me.

I do push the limits of the food budget 1300-1500 calories per day vs. the typical 800-1200 quoted by most doctors. I do this for 4 reasons: 1) I think that they (the doctors) under estimate the amount of Protein. The higher I keep my protein the better weight comes off. 2) I lift weights and feel I need the extra protein, 3) I want to keep my metabolism in as high a gear as I can, 4) based on my target weight 190 lbs. I won’t have to make many changes when I get there. Keys for my menu: First, one of my key tools is Vitol Egg protein powder. Second is packing all my meal in 8oz plastic containers so I don’t have to guess. Third, we make most of the items below in a big batch on Sunday and uses them during the week. Fourth, sometimes you have to eat out, when I do I stick to fish or soups/stews they are easier to digest. Fifth, I avoid directly adding carbs because they make my hungry between meals. Breakfast (5 am) Option 1: 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites, 1oz low fat cheese and sliced peppers and mushrooms Option 2: 1 Cup oatmeal with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Option 3: 1Cup fat free yogurt with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Mid-Morning (9 am) Option 1: 1Cup fat free yogurt with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Option 2: 8oz Diced chicken salad Option 3: 2 String cheese and 1oz. Almonds Option 4: MuscleMilk Protein shake lunch (Noon) Option 1: 1 cup Turkey Chili with 1 oz of Cheese Option 2: 1 cup fat free fried Beans with diced, onions, peppers and salsa Option 3: 8oz Diced Chicken or Tuna Salad Pre Work Out Meal Late Afternoon (4 pm) supplements – Nitric Oxide Drink with Creatine, Gummy Vitamins, Gummy Omegas Option 1: ½ Cup fat free yogurt with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Option 2: 4oz Diced Chicken Salad Option 3: 1 String cheese and 1oz. Almonds Option 4: MuscleMilk Protein Shake Post Work Out dinner Option 1: 6 oz Ahi Tuna Steak in olive oil and lemon pepper Option2: 1 cup chipotle chicken crock pot stew with carrots, onion, mushrooms, peppers Option 3: 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites, 1oz low fat cheese and sliced peppers and mushrooms

Dr. Oliak also did mine and it went very well. Good team. David Oliak, M.D. : Weight Loss Surgery in Orange County

I was reading a thread today by Arnaz…asking if we missed food. One of the responders made a great point about the answer will probably vary a great deal based on where you are in the Lapband journey. As many of you will note most of my blogs reference books, movies and songs. Earlier last year, I wrote a blog entitled, “Food…I Want a Divorce!” I was angry at myself and food. As I read the thread I was reminded of an old song from the 70’s by a guy named Paul Davis, I Go Crazy… that had the immortal words, “…they say old lovers can be good friends…” this kind how I view my relationship with food now. Food is no longer a lover that can be indulged with unbridled passion. I must keep some distance and boundaries. It is not to say that on occasion I don’t feel a twinge of desire and remorse, but it is fleeting and not filled with true regret. Under the heading of be careful what you ask for…The LapBand is making sure I now have a friendly relationship with food, not an amorous one. I am working with food in ways my intellect always told me I should, but my heart failed to let me execute. It would be safe to say, that food is a lover I/we thought to be secret and sought out in private, but our affair with it was displayed in public on our bodies. So in this case do I think my old lover can be a good friend? The answer has to be an emphatic Yes! If we don’t find a way to bridge that gap we will all surely fail. Food is like the child(ren) in a divorce. Regardless of your other feelings, you have to suck it up and find a way to get along so you don’t hurt the people you love and those that have supported you through this process. It will be very, very hard at first, but with a little patience and practice the balance can be found because food is never going away. You have to build a new friendship with your old lover.

They Say Old Lovers Can be Good Friends… I was reading a thread today by Arnaz…asking if we missed food. One of the responders made a great point about the answer will probably vary a great deal based on where you are in the Lapband journey. As many of you will note most of my blogs reference books, movies and songs. Earlier last year, I wrote a blog entitled, “Food…I Want a Divorce!” I was angry at myself and food. As I read the thread I was reminded of an old song from the 70’s by a guy named Paul Davis, I Go Crazy… that had the immortal words, “…they say old lovers can be good friends…” this kind how I view my relationship with food now. Food is no longer a lover that can be indulged with unbridled passion. I must keep some distance and boundaries. It is not to say that on occasion I don’t feel a twinge of desire and remorse, but it is fleeting and not filled with true regret. Under the heading of be careful what you ask for…The LapBand is making sure I now have a friendly relationship with food, not an amorous one. I am working with food in ways my intellect always told me I should, but my heart failed to let me execute. It would be safe to say, that food is a lover I/we thought to be secret and sought out in private, but our affair with it was displayed in public on our bodies. So in this case do I think my old lover can be a good friend? The answer has to be an emphatic Yes! If we don’t find a way to bridge that gap we will all surely fail. Food is like the child(ren) in a divorce. Regardless of your other feelings, you have to suck it up and find a way to get along so you don’t hurt the people you love and those that have supported you through this process. It will be very, very hard at first, but with a little patience and practice the balance can be found because food is never going away. You have to build a new friendship with your old lover.

I don't know if you call it snacking, but I do plan out 5 1 cup meals per day.

Went to the doctors today and got cleared to move to mushies I am really looking forward to some small meals. I had a cup of soup tomato for lunch instead of a protein drink. I it was really good

Top of my List: 1 Whole Egg and 3 Egg white Omlettes with cheese oatmeal with Protein added Turkey Chili, Slightly blended Cottage cheese with black pepper and cucumbers (very finely chopped) Split Pea Soup and Tomato Soup Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Non-Fat Sour Cream (skip the white ones) vanilla Yogurt with A Scoop of Vanilla whey Protein Fat Free Refried Beans mixed with Pace Picante sauce and a Little Fat Free sour cream Fat Free chocolate pudding mixed with a scoop of Chocolate Whey powder

Saturday was day 10 post-op and was a day filled with some errands and we went to see the new Travolta flick “From Paris with Love.” Which was OK, but I would save the movie until it comes out on NetFlix. However, the point to this little epistle is…Popcorn. I walked into the movie theater and was assaulted by the smells of Popcorn. It was like listening to Satin whisper in your ear…it’s OK…a few bites won’t hurt…you have been good… you deserve it…it will be fine. It was so overwhelming I almost left the movie theater. CRUEL is the only word I can use. The reaction was so physical and visceral that I wondered if I had gone back in time to when I could scarf popcorn. After a few moments, my brain kicked in and suppressed my primal reaction to the smells. During the first round of pre-op prep, (I lost about 6 months due to some extenuating circumstances at work) I posted a blog about the real battle for the band was with my mind and avoiding my own tendencies to self destruct on my diets. Now the front in my band war has shifted from my mind to my nose. We always hear that each of our sense can be extraordinarily powerful. For me this is very true, and my nose and Orville Redenbacher hit me with a full fledge guerilla attack on Saturday, that I did not come close to seeing in advance. We now know that the nose is a mean bastard and he works for the darks side.

Muscle Milk Light work for me

Congrats to you, you should feel very proud.

My wife has Fibro and she using swimming as here primary exercise. She finds that helps the most.

I can't answer the ladies part of the question, but If I did not already have a vasectomy spin class would have done it. 1. I went to a bike shop and found a "scuba suit" seat cover that I take to class and I lay a small folded towel over seat. 2. Also, I have found that if I just stand up during the Up-down sprints it dramatically reduces the bouncing in and out of the saddle which is hard to handle and often lands you in uncomfortable positions. 3. Do you use bike shoes? I found they help with balance and body control to reduce hitting the saddle to hard. I hope that helps.

So I will warn the ladies this is guys blog…I came across a real unexpected side effect of the LB surgery…the hair grows back. I can hear the collective “EEEEEWWWWWHHHH!” from the ladies, but I am hairy like a Wookie. Chewbacca could be my long lost brother. I new they would have to shave me for the operation, but it forgot how much it would itch growing back and the damn stuff is poking through the clear bandages like grass growing through concrete. Of course I can’t itch it very much and it is driving me crazy. I am sure my wife, who read these blogs as well, will be laughing and telling me this is what my beard feels like when it is cut to short and it is rubbed against her. So how does a bear itch in the woods…very carefully …with a fine grain emery board. Yes, this proven manicurist tool is the right tool for the job. It provides relief and does not seem to affect the bandage device. Bowling for Soup has a great line in one of their new songs. “Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear/Fuzzy Wuzzy had to much hair/so Fuzzy wasn’t fuzzy…was he?”

So I will warn the ladies this is guys blog…I came across a real unexpected side effect of the LB surgery…the hair grows back. I can hear the collective “EEEEEWWWWWHHHH!” from the ladies, but I am hairy like a Wookie. Chewbacca could be my long lost brother. I new they would have to shave me for the operation, but it forgot how much it would itch growing back and the damn stuff is poking through the clear bandages like grass growing through concrete. Of course I can’t itch it very much and it is driving me crazy. I am sure my wife, who read these blogs as well, will be laughing and telling me this is what my beard feels like when it is cut to short and it is rubbed against her. So how does a bear itch in the woods…very carefully …with a fine grain emery board. Yes, this proven manicurist tool is the right tool for the job. It provides relief and does not seem to affect the bandage device. Bowling for Soup has a great line in one of their new songs. “Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear/Fuzzy Wuzzy had to much hair/so Fuzzy wasn’t fuzzy…was he?”

In the immortal words of Tom Petty, “the Waaaaaiiiting is the hardest part.” I know that I am only 5 days post-op. I don’t want to wait for day 365. I know I will do the work and follow the right diet. I just want that year to be over so we get to those highly desired AFTER photos. I had really thought that going back to work would distract me and help me let time slide by, but alas that is not the case. I am neurotically thinking about the band and getting to the gym. Today was my first day back at work and the first thing I found out…my port is at just the right high to hit my desk. I found a new chair just one extra inch higher and that was enough…you have no idea how hard it is for me not make off-color jokes here…no men never really grow up. OK back on topic. I am fortunate that I can keep a small refrigerator in my office and it is stocked with new protein drinks…I went back to MuscleMilk, Optifast SUCKS! I have plenty of Jell-O cups and some Isopure drinks. Since I am posting this blog during my thrilling staff meeting today, I guess that confirms my distraction level. I can now confirm that the process is not that bad, but the waiting is truly the hardest part.

I am so waiting for 299. Like you I have not been under 300 since 1992. I am at 308 and hunting 299 like a junkie looking for his next fix. I know I still have over 100Lbs to go, but breaking 300 is a major gaol.

In the immortal words of Tom Petty, “the Waaaaaiiiting is the hardest part.” I know that I am only 5 days post-op. I don’t want to wait for day 365. I know I will do the work and follow the right diet. I just want that year to be over so we get to those highly desired AFTER photos. I had really thought that going back to work would distract me and help me let time slide by, but alas that is not the case. I am neurotically thinking about the band and getting to the gym. Today was my first day back at work and the first thing I found out…my port is at just the right high to hit my desk. I found a new chair just one extra inch higher and that was enough…you have no idea how hard it is for me not make off-color jokes here…no men never really grow up. OK back on topic. I am fortunate that I can keep a small refrigerator in my office and it is stocked with new protein drinks…I went back to MuscleMilk, Optifast SUCKS! I have plenty of Jell-O cups and some Isopure drinks. Since I am posting this blog during my thrilling staff meeting today, I guess that confirms my distraction level. I can now confirm that the process is not that bad, but the waiting is truly the hardest part.

Hang in there, I had my surgery on 1/27, it is tough but a few more days and you should be free to eat? I agree some soups could really help if nothing else.

I am very glad to report the band is finally installed as of yesterday. Very minor gas pains so far and all is good. As expected my stomach is sore, but not much worse than a bad bruise or overworked muscles. I am very glad to have the next phase of my LAP-BAND® journey begin. Leading up to yesterday, I was surprised how many people asked me if I was "excited" about getting the band. I told them I was not really excited, but "prepared" I know this is just the first step…yes a rather significant one…but a single step of a longer journey. The nurses kept asking me if I want a sedative before the surgery and I kept telling them no…it took 3 times before they stopped asking. I got the feeling that they thought I was trying to be a macho-male about the process. I did not have anxiety about the process, like many here, I have spent the past year doing research and knew this was the right path and the right process for me. So for all of those on the fence, do the research so you know what is going to happen and then you can relax. Watch the videos of the surgery, follow the blogs of people who have had success, remember that individual choice and execution is still required, just getting the band won’t do it all. And the final points I have taken away from all the people who succeeded with the band are load up on extra protein…exercise 5-6 days a week and crank up the intensity every month or you will plateau and we still have to eat better. No free ride. Now I just have to follow my own advice. Thanks to all of you who have been supportive and shared your experiences, I have learned how to be successful with the band now I have to do it. Update Today - This is the first day that I had any nausea and but other wise it is getting better everyday. I should be more else back to normal in a few days. Shaun

As a write this my son (Navy), my brother-in-law (Army) and nephew (Navy)…two of whom are in Iraq and Afghanistan serve with the global forces deployed in harms way. I cannot really imagine what their days are like…and I have a very vivid imagination. My brother-in-law is due to come home after a second tour shortly, assuming they don’t decide to keep him longer again…which they have done twice. As I was annoyed that I am having some post-op nausea and gas, I thought about what their days must be like in some of the most difficult places in the world. Needless to say, I was a bit ashamed of myself. However, I must say thank god for sugar free Jell-O…but I digress. The band if tough there is not free ride, but our time in bandster hell is a pittance compared to what our forces across the world face, or the horror going on in Hatti today. As I thought about this, I hope we can all keep some perspective on what is going on across the world, not just our individual part of it. Sometimes folks find despair in the limits of their success with the band, but it is not the only important thing in life or the world. I am not saying we should not vent and look for help and support from the folks here on the LBT forums. Just remember that our struggles with the band, plateaus in weight loss and side effects are real problems, but they are eminently solvable, by just little-old-us. Many of our family and friends are fighting bigger fights, and solving bigger problems. If you and I focus on that then we can make the band work and understand that perspective is as wonderful a tool for our problems and the band is for waistlines. So perspective is free, and can be customized by everyone as a vital resource in the band journey…so help yourself to all you want.

As a write this my son (Navy), my brother-in-law (Army) and nephew (Navy)…two of whom are in Iraq and Afghanistan serve with the global forces deployed in harms way. I cannot really imagine what their days are like…and I have a very vivid imagination. My brother-in-law is due to come home after a second tour shortly, assuming they don’t decide to keep him longer again…which they have done twice. As I was annoyed that I am having some post-op nausea and gas, I thought about what their days must be like in some of the most difficult places in the world. Needless to say, I was a bit ashamed of myself. However, I must say thank god for sugar free Jell-O…but I digress. The band if tough there is not free ride, but our time in bandster hell is a pittance compared to what our forces across the world face, or the horror going on in Hatti today. As I thought about this, I hope we can all keep some perspective on what is going on across the world, not just our individual part of it. Sometimes folks find despair in the limits of their success with the band, but it is not the only important thing in life or the world. I am not saying we should not vent and look for help and support from the folks here on the LBT forums. Just remember that our struggles with the band, plateaus in weight loss and side effects are real problems, but they are eminently solvable, by just little-old-us. Many of our family and friends are fighting bigger fights, and solving bigger problems. If you and I focus on that then we can make the band work and understand that perspective is as wonderful a tool for our problems and the band is for waistlines. So perspective is free, and can be customized by everyone as a vital resource in the band journey…so help yourself to all you want.

So the deed is done, i have the band and this story will not end like most bad blockbuster movies with the heroes having triumphed and the villain has slithering away to return in the squeal do next summer. Screw That! After getting banded I have no interest in seeing the weight-loss sequel. I just want the pounds-I-have-to-lose villain dead. One of the things I loved about the movie “Taken” is the Liam Neeson’s character does not try to be to be heroic. He is simply on a mission to find his daughter and take her home. He systematically finds the next bad guy, beat the crap out of him for the information he needs, then kills them so they can’t come back to haunt him. In the final scene, he does not taunt and gloat over the villain giving them a chance to cleverly get away. He simply shoots the ultimate villain and takes his daughter home. Now that I have the band, that is my plan for the pounds I have to lose and they are the villain. I plan on killing them cleanly and quickly with little fuss and no parades. Yes, my testosterone is talking, but I am a guy…deal with it. I am three days post op and went to the gym, did 30 minutes on the elliptical and I am hunting down those evil pounds like they have my daughter and I her want it back. My 26th anniversary is coming up and my wife asked me today if I wanted anything special. I told her no. My mission right now is to kill those villainous pounds and stay focused on the target. Those who have read some of my past blogs know I can be a bit over the top…and I am. However, that does not change my conviction and mission to make a great movie about losing weight , the villain will die at the end and there will be no sequel.