"Just" Paul

Pasta with sauce? Yep. once a week, for Sunday dinner (I'm Italian... it'a a tradition) Lasagna? Just had it last night. Yummy. Mac n cheese? Yep, with some nice baked fish. Grits? Don't like em. Had cream of wheat though, same consistency. Oatmeal? Every weekday AM. It is my Breakfast I have at my desk every workday. Weekends I usually do eggs. Cucumbers? Don't like em. Bananas? Don't like em. Grilled cheese sandwich? I don't do bread unless it is toasted... a lot, so I could do this, but haven't tried. Oysters as in fresh? Yep. Raw. Had to chew a lot. Not that great when you have to chew them so much, they get bitter. Sushi? Don't like it. Cook my fish, dammit! Rice? Occasionallly. Chew it up good. Shrimp as in cocktail? Yep. Like the oysters, you really have to chew a lot. Had my first PB on a piece of shrimp. Careful. Celery? Not good. Gets stuck. I avoid it. French fries? Yep. went down fine, especially when covered in gravy. Fake crab meat? Nope, haven't tried it yet. Corn on the cob? Haven't tried it yet either. Chili with Beans? Monday... yummy, and goes down good. Enchilada? mmmmmm.... Good stuff, no probs. Have you ever slipped up and had champagne? What happened? What could happen? Had a momosa last weekend. Made me burp... loud!

Down 124 now! WOO HOO!!

Passed the 2/3 point!!! ONly 1/3 of my goal left to lose... And only 20 more lbs until I am Overweight!! Goodbye obesity!!!!! Now, my 42 pants are falling off. Last night I tries on 40s... OK, but I could get on 38s!!!!!! I haven't worn pants in the 30's in over 15 years! Good times!!

Woo Hoo!!!!

I use this one when people keep pressing me... EAT LESS FOOD!!!!!!

Ditto on the Fiber one! Also, you could add a spoon or 2 of ground Psyllium husk to a Protein shake!

Another good sugar substitute is Xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally occuring sweetener that is extracted from Birch Bark. It is a sugar alcohol, but does not have the side affects that most sugar alcohol has (cramping, diarrhea, gas, bloating). It is also known to kill bad bacteria on your teeth, and some dentists actually recommend toothpaste and mouthwash containing Xylitol. It has very little glycemic impact to your body. It can be expensive, and there aren't really any products on the market that use it exclusively, but if you want it to sweeten coffee or tea, or to bake with (it browns like sugar does, so is suitable for baking, Aspartame looses all of it's sweetnedd when heated, and sucralose has no bulking or browning capability... like sugar) it is a good choice. It is almost impossible to find in stores, but you can likely find it online. When baking a low-sugar treat, I use a combination of Xylitol, Splenda or Stevia (depending on the taste I am going for... stevia actually has a little of a licorice aftertaste). Just another alternative. I'm gone folks, leaving for vacation... see you all next week!:heh:

Tap Tap Tap... still tapping... Whew, I'm getting tired.

It's not going anywhere folks. Saccharin was reported to cause cancer... and Sweet snd Low is still on the market... never went anywhere. My opinion is, if it give you problems, or you are afraid of it... don't use it. I have read several of the studies done on it, and I am not afraid of it, and it has caused me no ill reactions. So, I'll use it. But, it is NOT being pulled off the market. believe me, it would not be hard to find a story about that... it would be HUGE news. Heck, it was HUGE news when ephedra was pulled, and most people never heard of it, almost everyone knows what Splenda is. Having my CRYSTAL LIGHT, sweetened with Splenda. Yummy!

WOOO HOOOOO!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Actually, Splenda is Sucralose. Nutrasweet is Aspartame. Completely different sweeteners. As far as the chlorine is concerned, it is molecularly bonded as part of the sucralose molecule... similar to SALT, which also has a chlorine atom in it. Salt is not know to release pure Chlorine into the bloodstream, neither is Sucralose. In the chemically bonded form, it is not acting like pure chlorine would. Same is true of Fluoride in toothpaste. It contains fluorine, deadlier than chlorine, but again, in this bonded form, harmless. Just my 2 cents.

Ain't it the truth!

I do all the cooking in my house, so I can easily control the fat and calorie content of the food. For the most part, I just make regular meals, and eat my portion on a saucer, not a regular plate. We joke now that my 4 year old eats a bigger dinner than I do! It's true! I try to keep to good fats, like olive oil for cooking (if I add any fat at all). Lots of fresh veggies and lean meats, and healthy carbs like potatoes with the skin, brown rice and Dreamfields lower carb Pasta. I eat the Protein first, then the veggies, then with whatever appetite I have left, I eat the carbs. I eat 3 meals a day, oatmeal for Breakfast (with 2 spoons of Flaxmeal added for Fiber and good oils), on the weekend it is scrambled eggbeaters. About 100-150 calories. lunch varies from 110-220 calories, usually leftovers (I bought some small containers that only hold 3/4 of a cup, and are microwavable, so it is easy to put a bandster portion in one). Dinner is whatever the family is having, between 300-400 calories. In the evening I have a snack, between 60-100 calories (a sugar-free pudding, 8 mini rice cakes, a couple pretzel rods, or a square of cheese) That's about it.

P'nut, According to the BMI charts, I am "normal" at 189. We'll see, I just may look like skin and bones! I also want to go a little low bfore I consider any plastic surgery... a tummy tuck may occur if my skin does not tighten up, again, we'll see. I've heard from a few that it is better to go a little low before a tuck, that way when you get back to "normal" it is nice and tight in your abdomen. Again, we'll see. To add to this, I went and bought new jeans last night... 42s, and I could get on the 40's, but were tooo tight for comfort... but I got them on!

Damn DeLarla, I was gonna see if you and your hubby could meet up with the wife and I this weekend. Bummer. Oh well, have fun as the cotton candy lady... but dion't eat too much of it. It's poison you know? heh heh heh

1-800-lap-band

Can't do it. Going on a long trip in September, and likely another smaller one in August. Damn. I am going to be in Vegas this weekend! Staying at the Stratosphere, going to Penn & Teller on Friday night, and an ATV adventure in the Valley of Fire on Saturday. Woo Hoo. Gotta go see the Star Trek thing too.

Seminole, 5 days a week on the recumbent bike, 30-45 minutes, depending on the program... hills and all... ouch. Weights 4 days a week, mostly for toning. I'm trying not to add too much bulky muscle mass.

WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! heather rules Heather Rules! HEATHER RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome job!

You're doing great. He has his head up his rectum.

Doing the tap dance of weight loss... Tap tap tap... Think positive thoughts... 3 more lbs... 3 more lbs...!!!!!!!!!

I think Nana was on some kind of Medieval camping thing... in costume and all. I assume she is not back, or is catching up.

Most docs won't do it, give you an unfill for a vacation. They would question your commitment, and you could lose them as your doc. Mine would not do it for that purpose, and if he knew you had it planned, he would not take you on as a patient. Only 5 months out, and I can tell you that your whole attitude about food will change. Don't even consider it. Bad idea.

P' Nut is right on the money. You need to evaluate the food choices. The band is not malabsorbtive, you make high calorie choices, and the weight will not come off. I aslo agree that you need a little unfill. You shouldn't be vomiting like that. You need to call your band doc, and tell HIM/HER this whole story... immediately.

Two weeks out from surgery, something like pork chops is likely not a very good idea. You said the doc cleared you for soft foods, and pork chops aren't soft, mashed potatoes are soft. I can also say that a whole pork chop is a lot at one time too. Seems you ate too much, and not the right texture food at this point. You are still healing, so stay with the doc's suggestions. I'd go all liquids for a day or two, as it seems to me you got "stuck". A few suggestions... 1. Don't lay down after you eat. With the band, gravity is your friend, as it helps the food to flow through the stoma 2. VERY small bites, and chew the crap out of them. 3. Eat incredibly slowly. Take a bite and chew. Put down the fork. chew. chew chew chew. swallow. Stop wait 30 seconds. Pick up the fork again. Take next bite. Put down the fork, and repeat as above. 4. Don't rush it. You are still healing. I know you are probably hungry, but you need to heal more before going to foods like pork. Move slowly from the mushies to more and more solid food. Don't make the change so drastic. If you are getting pain from eating too much, guess what, that is the band telling you you ate too much. Simply put, eat less. If you eat slower, you are more likely to detect that satiety point. remember, it does not feel like "full" like you did before the band. You need to find your stopping point, and not exceed it. As you described, and I can back you up (having done it myself) eating too much hurts. Call your doc, and check in with them, and honestly tell them what you ate. Heed their advice... totally. Do not use what the doc says as a guideline, follow it to the letter, and you will be a success. Hope this helps. PM me if I can help any more.