kjeter

If you have Jack-in-the-Box in your area, they now have grilled chicken strips. They are something like 240 calories, and I've heard they're very good. I personally can't get grilled chicken down without suffering through a few minutes of having it stuck, so I stay away from it, but if you're one of the lucky ones that can, I think this is a good choice when you only have time for drive thru.

I think you look pretty darn good! I had my fourth fill today, and my three month bandiversary is tomorrow. It feels like I'm having to fight for every pound now. I have lost 7 pounds in the past four weeks, since my last fill. Kind of disappointing, since I've been kind of counting on 10 pounds a month. I'm the most impatient and competative person in the world, so slow weight loss is very frustrating. I'm going to keep working on it, though. How tall are you, Becca? You certainly don't look like you weigh as much as your ticker says. I'm at 190 pounds now, and I don't think I look as good as you. I'm 5' 7". I had to have head shots taken for my workplace website last week, and I was disappointed to see how fat my face still is. Anyone know of any good exercises for the jowls? LOL!

At this point, you are still not receiving the full benefit that the band will eventually give you. I went for my fourth fill today, and am hoping I might finally have some real restriction now. I have a really strong will, and am very competative, so I've been losing weight despite being hungry in the evenings. At this point, you really aren't much better off that you would be on your own. It will get better, but it's not a magical device. You do have to work with it. Make better food selections, and get out and take a walk every day. I've recently increased my walk to 3 miles a day. Yes, I have had to miss a few TV shows, or record and watch later, but that's a small price to pay. Even when I'm tired and grumpy after work, I force myself outside and WALK. When I'm finished, I feel so much better! I'm miserable when I miss my walk now. Just get out there and do something. Do you have a dog? If so, take him with you on your walk. If he enjoys it, too, that's all the more motivation to get yourself going. Start slowly, and I think you'll be surprised at how much you enjoy it. You don't have to join a gym or buy expensive equipment to get exercise.

I'm going through the same thing. Started at 230, got down to 196 nice and steady, and since then I've been going between 196 and 194 for almost two weeks. It's making me nuts. I googled "diet plateau" but didn't learn anything new. Some people say to eat something high carb, like a baked potato, to jump start your metabolism again. The one thing almost everyone had to say is that you need to change your routine for a while. Eat something different, change your exercise, etc. I've done that for the last two days, and low and behold, finally made it to 193 today. We'll see if I keep going or if I'm stuck here now.

The last week and a half has been maddening. Monday-195, Tuesday-196, Wednesday-194, Thursday, 196... AAARRGGH! I'm not doing anything different! I swear I'm losing these same three pounds for the fifth time now! Get off and stay off already! Why is my scale doing this to me? What can I do to get off this nasty ride?

I just go on clear liquids for 2 days....it works like a charm.... This really works? I'd be willing to do that if it works!

I also just remembered an ex-friend who used the word "illiterate" to mean "stupid." I guess she thought that using a bigger word made her sound smarter. One day I asked her what not being able to read had to do with anything. I think maybe she finally went home and looked up the word because she finally stopped using it. The same woman once heard me use the word "oblivious" and thought she liked the sound of that, only she said "bolivious." I never corrected her so that all of those illiterate people wouldn't remain bolivious to how stupid she is!

Holy Moly, you do look younger! Good for you! I haven't taken any progress pics, but I guess I should. I'm wearing a business suit today that is two sizes smaller than where I started at surgery time. I don't know if I'll be able to find any "original weight" pics, though. I always threatened to break the knuckles of anyone who pointed a camera in my general direction. I think my hubby may have snuck one or two while we were on our anniversary trip to New Orleans last October. I'll have to check! I hope I'll see as much difference in me as I do in you!

Funny thread... I have a whole list, all of which come from my mother. I call them "momisms." My friends can't wait til I get home from visiting my mom so I can tell them any new momisms I learned. A few are "Mammy-o-gram" (mamogram) Supposably (supposedly) Mush-tash (mustache) Aggavated (aggrivated). Hey folks, she's from Oklahoma. She can't help it. Thank God she moved to Texas before I was born!

Tapshoes, your reply made me laugh out loud! I have my dream outfit already in my closet. Believe it or not, I still have two skirts that my mom bought for me my senior year of high school, circa 1983. I loved them so much, I could never bring myself to get rid of them. One is red, the other black. They button up the back and fit very close. They have two little pleats at the waist, so if you don't have a flat tummy, you shouldn't wear them. My dream is to get into those size 7 skirts and actually look good. The last time I wore them, I was 120 pounds. Doc says I should only go to 135. Maybe with a lot of help from a plastic surgeon, my dream will come true....

Chicken gets me every time. Grilled, shredded, or in soup, I just can't get it down without hanging it up in the band!

My highest weight was 230, which was my weight when I went in for my first band consultation. The lowest weight in my adult years was 117. You see, when I was pregnant with my son (who is now 21) I gained a lot of weight (my first experience being fat) and my doctor swore that I would never be able to lose the weight. Well, you don't wag your finger in my face and tell me I can't do something, because I'll have to prove you wrong. So for a year after giving birth, I lived practically on nothing but sugar free jello. You should've seen ol' doc's face when I walked in looking practically skeletal (I'm 5' 7" tall). Anyway, I think that's when I probably wrecked my metabolism. Every bite goes straight to my butt now.

You'll be surprised how little attention other people pay to what is on your plate. They're more concerned about their own. Put a small amount of the foods that you know you can eat on your plate. If anyone asks what's up, just say you're not that hungry, or you're trying to watch what you eat. The reason is none of their business.

My doctor says if you're going to drink, stick to very dry white wine or vodka. Those have the fewest calories/carbs. I myself love to drink wine, and have not found it to be devestating to my diet. In fact, one study that I read about said that patients who enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner lost more weight than those that didn't. After all, alchohol can help you de-stress and stress keeps the pounds on.

I'm very happy with my band, too. I've had three fills, but no sweet spot yet. I'm usually hungry again about 2 hours after eating, but manage to hold off and eat only my three small meals a day. I'm down 34 pounds and two pants sizes. My niece's wedding is next January, and I'm sure to be at my 135 pound goal by then! I'd just like to be able to squeeze in a tummy tuck and boob lift before then, but I doubt it. I don't want to spend the holidays recovering from surgery. Summer is coming to Texas, and my pool is warming up! Can't wait to buy a new swimsuit and dive in!

I miss bread the most. Especially those hard, crusty breads they serve in Italian restaurants, dipped in olive oil. But alas, I know that if I try to eat it, I will get stuck for sure, and I'll have to excuse myself from the table. Don't anyone try to tell me that they can eat it just fine, because I choose to believe it would nearly kill me. It's easier to leave it alone that way! On previous diets, I always gave up wine, and I missed it lots more than any food. My doctor says a glass of white wine with dinner is just fine, so I do indulge a couple of times a week. That's why the band is going to work for me permanately. I don't feel deprived!

Once I was back on solid foods after surgery, I stuck pretty much with grilled fish and green veggies, maybe a protein bar for breakfast. It was working great, then last week I hit the brakes. I didn't change my diet or exercise (30 minutes on a treadmill) so I couldn't figure out what the problem was. Then I remembered that my mom always told me that if you stop losing, it means you need some starch in your diet. So over this past weekend, I included some whole wheat pasta and a flour torilla, and viola, I lost two pounds! Mommy always knows best.

Always eat protein first, then green veggies and carbs last, only if you have room. I just don't even put the carbs on my plate. If I'm not looking at it, I'm not tempted to tell myself I'm not full.

The first fill is hardly noticible at all. A small stick, and you're out of there before you know it. Don't expect it to make much change in your eating pattern yet. It takes three or four fills to see much difference in restriction. I've had three so far, and still feel like most everything slips right past. Chill, Honey. A fill is nothing. Congrats on the 22 pounds! Keep on truckin!

The jitters you have now are nothing compared to the sheer joy of watching the numbers on the scale tumble down. Don't worry. It's really not that big a deal. I went home four hours after surgery with absolutely no complications. A little soreness for a week or so is a small price to pay for a smokin' hot bod in a year or so!

With only one fill, you have very little restriction at this point. That means that most likely everything you are eating is slipping right past the band. That is the reason you are able to eat more than you think you should. At this point, the band is really not working as it should. I wouldn't worry that you are stretching the pounch. I've had three fills now, and have had a few PB episodes, and lots getting stuck, but it's my own fault. I have to learn to slow down, take smaller bites and CHEW! I've done much better in the last week or so, because getting something stuck is a very uncomfortable experience. It's still a learning experience for you and me. I see that you were banded just two weeks after me. I'm in Dallas as well, but I paid a lot more than $9,500 for my surgery! Darn, I should have bargain shopped!

I am two months post op, and have had two fills. I have 7 cc in a 10 cc band, which they tell me is pretty good for such a short time after surgery. Thing is, I'm getting lots of stuff stuck since this last fill. Whatever isn't getting stuck is passing right through the band, so I don't get full on the tiny portions I'm allotted. I haven't been eating anything on the no-no list, but I'm still having trouble remembering to chew well sometimes. I am yet to experience that wonderful "don't give a crap about food" feeling that I had for the first few days after surgery. Will that come with more fills? Or will I just have more and more problems with sticking the more fills that I get?

I'm going in for my third fill in two more days. I get full quickly, but then hungry again 1 to 2 hours later, so I guess I need another one. I'm going to ask a lot of questions this time, though. I've had a lot of problems with foods sticking temporarily, then finally going through. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. I don't know if I want a very big fill if that problem is going to get worse with each one. I know I need to chew more, and I'm working on that. But I'm tired of being hungry two hours before lunch and dinner.

Go to Lap-Band Surgery FAQs and References, then look for the sticky "Abreviations and what they mean." This will answer all.

I got on the scale this morning and saw a "1" in the first position instead of a "2" - first time in a looooong time! I started this journey at 230 pounds, started prediet in late Jan, had surgery Feb 1. This morning the scale said 198.8! Also got into a size 16 business suit, down 2 sizes! Couldn't help but toot my own horn a little!