healthyin08

So far my only issue is bread and that just came about today. Until today I could eat bread fine. I had my first stuck episode with a piece of toast this morning.:thumbup: It was NO fun so no more bread for me!

I have a blackberry and I use Livestrong's Daily Plate. I think I paid $2.99 for it, but it's a one time fee and that's all you pay ever. You can add your info online or on your phone and they will update each other.

Until last week I too had been struggling with what to eat and how much. My surgeon said a saucer of food was how much I should eat 3 times a day. Well I could fit alot of food on a saucer. I thought I was doing right, but I was not losing at all once I went to solid foods. One of his office staff came to the montly support group meeting and brought us a menu plan to try for a month. It was set up by their onstaff nutritionist. It's really helped. I've been on that plan for 6 days and I've lost 5lbs.:thumbdown: I thought I'd share it with you all in case anyone is interested. On this plan I'm allowed to choose 3 meals and 1 snack per day and ONLY eat what's on this list. My doctor's mostly focused on watching fat grams so that's why items are fat free whenever possible. Breakfast: 1) 2-3 egg whites with 1/2 banana 2) 1 cup cheerios with 1/2 cup skim milk with 6 strawberries 3) 1 cup oatmeal mixed with skim milk or Water 4) egg beaters (or egg whites) with 1 piece of wheat toast (40 calorie bread) - use butter spray and sugar free jelly 5) fat free yogurt with blueberries 6) 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup fat free cottage cheese with peaches 7) 2 slices of turkey bacon with one piece of wheat toast 8) 3/4 cup of corn flakes + 1/2 cup of milk 9) 2/3 cup of light fruit yogurt + 1/4 cup of granola 10) 1 serving of Protein supplement 11) 1 small apple + 1/2 cup of milk 12) 1/2 english muffin + 2 tbsp sugar free strawberry spread 13) 1/4 large whole wheat bagel + 1 oz fat free cream cheese 14) blenderize: 1/2 cup light vanilla yogurt + 1/2 cup berries of choice 15) 1 low-calorie granola bar + 1/2 cup of milk 16) 1 whole grain waffle + 1/4 cup of mixed berries + sugar free syrup 17) 2 egg whites, scrambled lunch and/or Dinner: 1) tuna fish mixed with pickle relish or mustard (can add fat free mayo too) and 5 fat free crackers and 1/2 apple 2) any Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers Meal that is 5 or less fat grams per meal 3) deli turkey or deli ham with 5 fat free crackers and 10 grapes 4) salad with grilled chicken or shrimp (only lettuce and veggies) with fat free dressing (or 2 tsps of light dressing) 5) baked potato with 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese or fat free ranch dressing 6) grilled or baked chicken marinated in BBQ sauce or fat free italian with 1/2 cup brown rice and steamed veggies 7) grilled or baked fish with 1/2 sweet potato and veggies 8) 1 cup whole wheat Pasta with red sauce with chicken or shrimp in the pasta 9) grilled or boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce and veggies 10) vegetable Soup 11) chicken noodle soup 12) 1 tsp tomato sauce, 1/4 oz fat free mozzarella cheese atop 4 whole wheat crackers 13) 1 slice whole grain bread with 1 oz lean ham or 1 oz fat free cheese 14) 3 oz baked chicken + 1/2 cup of green Beans 15) salad: 1/2 cup salad greens, 2 oz grilled chicken, 1/4 cup raw carrots, 1/4 cup raw bell peppers, 2 tsp low calorie vinagrette dressing 16) 1 serving of low calorie beef and vegetable soup + 4 whole wheat crackers 17) 1/2 pita stuffed with 2 oz turkey, lettuce, and tomato 18) 2 oz baked fish + 1/2 cup broccoli 19) 1 medium baked potato + 1 oz grilled chicken, 1 oz cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes 20) 2 oz turkey + 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato with 1 tsp of margarine and 1 tsp of cinnamon 21) 1/2 cup refried beans, fat free sour cream, and salsa on a whole wheat tortilla Snacks: (one a day) 1) any fruit 2) fat free popcorn 3) 100 calorie snack pack (only 1) 4) yogurt 5) turkey or ham slices from deli 6) 1 piece of laughing cow cheese with 5 fat free crackers 7) kiddie size frozen yogurt (sugar free/fat free) from TCBY 8) 1 small peach, plum, apple or orange 9) 1 low fat, no sugar added ice cream sandwich 10) 1/2 cup light yogurt 11) 1 oz fat free cheese with 3 whole wheat crackers 12) 1 low calorie granola bar 13) 1/2 cup vanilla fat free, no sugar added ice cream 14) 1/2 cup sugar free Jello or pudding 15) 17 grapes + 1 oz fat free cheddar cheese 16) 1 small while grain bagel + 1 oz fat free cream cheese 17) 1 no sugar added juice popsicle 18) 1/2 cup etamame (soybeans) 19) 1 small apple with fat free caramel

I was banded 3/6. I lost 8lbs on the pre-op diet and 12lbs since surgery. It's not coming off as fast as I would like, but at least it's coming off.:cool2: I had my first fill this past Thursday. I feel I have some restriction, but I do think I'll need more than this one fill before I have full restriction. Sounds like everyone else is doing well!

Wow! You drive a long way to work then if you come from Wynne to Memphis. I work in Memphis too, but don't have near the drive you do. Nice to meet you. Do keep in touch.

Hi, I live in Marion, AR, but I lived in Wynne until I was 12. I'm 30 years old and also have one child. I was banded 3/6/09. I'd love to chat with you any time.

Hi, I got approval with them in January. I had to do 6 months of a supervised diet so I went to my PCP every month and that worked. Insurance approved me in 5 days. Best of luck!

I don't know if you are still looking, but I highly recommend Dr. Allison Stiles in Memphis. She's a wonderful doctor. She does internal medicine and pediatrics, but I used her for my 6 months of superivised diet and she was wonderful. She's for WLS.

Hi everyone, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm very excited to be on this board. You all are so very supportive of each other and I know that will help me as I begin this journey. I'm Jen, I've been married almost 10 years to a very wonderful and supportive husband. We have one son together. He'll be 6 in a couple of months. I've been overweight most of my life. It's just in the last 12 years though that I've become extremely overweight. I started at around 400lbs and I'm currently at 350lbs. It's taken alot of ups and downs over the last 5 years to get to this weight. I have already talked to my insurance company and I'll need 6 months of supervised diet. So I called yesterday and made an appt with Dr. Stiles to start that process. I am not using my regular PCP because he is very old fashioned and will barely give me medicine when I'm sick, much less help me get approved for surgery. So one of the bariatric surgeon's offices recommended Dr. Stiles. Well, I look forward to sharing in all your journeys.

Well I'm back to update again.:frown: Lenore, I'm SO glad your appt went well and you now are able to know you're doing the right thing. So when will you be able to have the surgery? I've been doing really good. As of my last appt I am down a full 20lbs!!!! I was so excited to see that number. So I've met my first goal and now am looking forward to meeting my next goal (to be under 300lbs). My doctor is SO happy with my progress. She told me I needed to lose at least 2lbs a month and I've lost at least 4lbs every month so far. I'm half way through my 6 months of supervised dieting and can't WAIT to finish out the other half so I can get on with my surgery.

Hi all, Thanks for the support and warm welcomes. I really appreciate it. Lenore, Good luck with the weight loss center. I'd love to hear how your appt went. Newday, Send me a pm sometime. I'd love to hear more about you and where about in AR you are. WOW!!! Congrats on the 86lbs!!!! That's wonderful!!!! You're certainly an inspiration to me and give me hope that I CAN do this. Well it's been just over a month now since I started and I'm doing really well. This weekend I started exercising again. My body is changing so much just by doing this 6 month diet. I'm already fitting into clothes that I couldn't wear a few months ago. I don't crave the carbs like I used to and for that I'm SO happy. Those that know I'm doing this to have WLS ask me how I can stick to this so much and I just tell them that I have no choice. I really feel like I HAVE to do this because if I don't, my future doesn't look so bright. However, I already feel a TON better with the little bit I've lost so far so I'm well on my way I think.:biggrin2:

Hi, I wanted to update on how things are going. I met with my new GP on March 8th. I'm now 2 weeks into my 6 months and I've lost 11lbs so far. My GP referred me for a sleep study which I had a couple of nights ago. I should know the results in a few days. I'm just trying to take this all one day at a time.

Hi, I talked to the receptionist at the surgeon's office I plan to use and she told me that I'd need the 6 months diet before I ever made an appt with their office. I was quite disappointed to find that out. Maybe though it depends on your insurance. I have BCBS of MN.