GreenChrysalis

Hi fellow VVs! I have not been around on this forum in awhile...it is all I can do to keep up with my surgeon's forum here. Such talkative people we bandsters are. Well, coincidentally Saturday was my four-month anniversary and I hit the fantastic milestone of 50 pounds lost that day! I squealed from the bathroom, I think I scared my DH. I have been so fortunate, no problems whatsoever. I have had three fills and for a total of 4.4 cc in my 10 cc band. My fill doctor (different from my surgeon, as I went out of state) is great. Very kind, thoughtful, not the slightest bit condescending. My weight loss has been pretty steady, luckily. I eat very normally. I have learned to avoid soft bread and dry meats; otherwise, all is well. The only times I have PB'd are when I have eaten one of those or waited too long between meals and eaten too quickly. They are learning experiences. As I write this I am eating my lunch of leftovers -- baked salmon and steamed snow peas. I eat fast food on occasion but the amounts are so much smaller than they used to be. I also eat the occasional piece of chocolate. My favorite Snacks are nuts -- dry-roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews. As long as I portion things out reasonably (no sitting down with the whole can of nuts), I am OK. I exercise nearly every day. At least five days a week, usually six. SparkPeople is my friend -- I love the videos and exercise tips there, and I use it to track my food daily. I also have a variety of workout DVDs and the Wii and Wii Fit. Mustn't get bored. My fitness level is definitely increasing and I don't feel like I'm going to pass out if I go up a few flights of stairs (which is good as the darn elevator keeps breaking at work). I don't think I could've been prepared for the emotion that goes along with this. I am ecstatic, overjoyed, of course. I feel like anything is possible. But it also feels strange. I feel sad that I didn't do this sooner, for example. I could've been happier and healthier in my 20s. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see no change. Yet the drawstring of my yoga pants is pulled as tight as it can go, most of my bras don't fit anymore and I can no longer wear my favorite jeans as they end up around my ankles. I am so used to thinking of myself as a giant, Jabba-the-Hutt-like blob. What will I become? I am still me, but I'm changing into a different version of me. I'm just getting to know that girl, but already I like her! :biggrin: I'm trying to slowly catch up here. Wish everyone the best!

Brandysmom, I saw that recently and was thinking that if I hit a plateau, I might try that vs. the other plateau buster diet I've been seeing around.

OH my, me too. We are going to Orlando in a few weeks and I am sure I'll want to take a dip in the hotel pool at some point. I have had the same swimsuit for 5 years and I haven't worn it in at least 2. Not sure how it fits now, if at all. The butt is all picked up. I probably need a new one, but the idea of shopping for it is, just, well, horrible. Even though there are some really cute ones. I will need separates with a skirt or maybe boy shorts because the world does not need to see my rippling cellulite thunder thighs of doom. Oy.

Congrats to you JDsmommy! :biggrin:

No, you are probably not getting enough calories. You definitely need some Protein shakes and/or powders because you usually cannot get enough calories and Protein otherwise while on the liquid phase. What is your doctor's or nutritionist's post-op plan? Did you get some guidelines there? I should hope so. Take care of yourself. Call your doctor's office and explain what's going on.

Thank you! And no, definitely not. The last time I lost weight...in 2002, I think...it was 35 pounds and that took me about eight months of miserably exercising and depriving myself. Then I had surgery, couldn't exercise for eight weeks and that was enough to send the scale going back up. In no time flat, that 35 pounds was back on and it brought friends.

This is a great thread! I used to stop by Chik-fil-A regularly for breakfast and get a meal with 4 Chik-n-Minis, hashbrowns and a Diet Coke, as well as a Cinnamon Cluster or a chicken biscuit. Now, on the rare occasions I go there for breakfast, I get a chicken biscuit and eat half of it. Sometimes, I get a meal with a fruit cup and a bottle of Water. I drink the water after eating (my surgeon's guideline is 30 minutes) and eat the fruit as a snack later or with lunch. At Taco Bell, I'd eat two tacos, two bean burritos and one or two portions of nachos & cheese. Now I'm lucky to get through 1 taco and an order of pintos & cheese. At McDonalds, I'd get the meal with a double quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, large Diet Coke and an apple pie. I can avoid most french fries, no problem, but if I really want them I want McDonalds. Now I get a kid's meal and either get milk (to drink later) or get Diet Coke without ice and save it for my DH. At any sit-down restaurant, I always have leftovers. I eat them again for lunch the next day and sometimes again after that, depending on what it is. I can often make a meal from a side salad and eating some of the appetizer. It's nice that many restaurants have smaller portions now. Cooking at home is totally different. Before = big plate of Pasta with meat sauce (ground beef or sausage), tons of Parmesan cheese, that delicious frozen garlic toast, big salad with all the trimmings. Now = small portion of whole-wheat pasta with meat sauce (ground turkey breast) and vegetables, tiny sprinkling of Parmesan, salad with veggies and low-fat vinaigrette. I do still feel irritated sometimes at having to box up leftovers so much. But you know, with 50 pounds lost I will deal with that!

Not much burping, but hiccuping...oh yes. Especially if I eat too fast. But usually when I start hiccuping, it's a sign that it's time to stop eating.

Add me to the list of those loving the Wii Fit! I especially like the yoga, boxing and step aerobics. A Wii Fit Challenge would be awesome.

Hi peek, I think it may be that you are eating too much and/or eating too quickly. Do you measure your food? Do you stop eating when you are no longer hungry? For me the key is not eating until I am full but eating until I don't feel hunger anymore. It usually takes me 20-30 minutes to eat, depending on what it is. The full feeling you describe sounds similar to what happens to me when I get stuck. Sometimes I can wait and it will go down, other times I have to PB.

Yes! So fantastic!

I give up, I will never be able to stay caught up with you chatty Cathies! I always love seeing those RR photos. I wish I could be there. All of you ladies are so lovely with such radiant smiles! :smile: Best wishes to dogs and dads; looks like both have been going through rough times lately. I am one stubborn half-pound away from the 50-pound loss mark and I couldn't be more thrilled! This lapband thing just might be working for me. Tomorrow is my four-month bandiversary. At this rate, could I ponder the possibility of being at goal before the 1-year mark? We shall see! :crying: I had my annual exam at the GYN on Wednesday. Ended up telling the nurse all about lapband and Dr. K. Her husband is considering it. My GYN asked a lot of questions too and was really encouraging. So nice to go and hear good things about my weight instead of the usual "you really need to lose weight, it's so much better to be healthy when you get pregnant." Now I am on track and have a plan for the next couple of years. New birth control pill also. I didn't know that there was a chewable one out there (Femcon Fe). BC pills are usually so small I wasn't worried, but I like the option. I am a proud pet parent -- specifically kitties. I love dogs too, but cats are so very special to me. My Pumpkin, an orange and cream tabby, is 10. His sister Cinder, a tortie, is 9 and the baby is Tiger Lily, a multicolored tabby, who is 6. They are my darlings and I love them more than most people. Gus, my gray and white boy died last summer at age 14. I talk to his urn sometimes; easy to do since it has a lovely engraved photo of him and his favorite toy sits on top. Pumpkin had a dental cleaning today and like any mom I was worried. But my DH (who is a teacher and home for the summer) gave me updates. He's sleepy but doing well, no extractions necessary. :thumbup:

Pureed and mushie are pretty similar. Pureed is literally food that has been put through a blender or food processor, or food with that texture. Mushie is pretty close to pureed, but thicker. oatmeal is a mushie, but not pureed food. Soft foods are a step up from mushies. Scrambled eggs are soft, for example. That's my take on it anyway. Sometimes people use some of these words to mean the same thing, but I think that there can be a distinction. The important thing is that you're following whatever plan and progression that your surgeon requires. Hope that helps!

My surgeon did not offer a plan like that. It sounds like an extended warranty, which is often a waste of money. Yes, you could have any of these complications, but they are not common. Whether it's worth spending an extra $1000-1300 is really up to you. I personally would probably not have done it, had my surgeon offered it. If something goes wrong and it's surgeon error, he will cover it anyway.

Bahotmomma, your daughter is cute with her new car! I am jealous. When I was 16, I had the privilege of driving my mother's station wagon "grocery getter." Had to turn the air off going uphill if I wanted to go over 25 mph. It wasn't mine, either -- she was just sharing it with me! I hope your hub is OK, ShelbiCallie. I don't want to nag my hubster, but I am very worried about his health. He was diagnosed with Type II diabetes a couple of years ago, then HBP. He got scared and for awhile, he was really eating well. He lost about 35 pounds. Then he slowly slid and has gained about half of that back. He does drink Diet Coke instead of regular (but that's all he drinks) and eats salads (lettuce and cucumbers covered in cheese, croutons and tons of Hidden Valley Ranch). But most of the time, he eats like a child. He is on meds and is supposed to check his sugar twice a day, but he doesn't always. Once I discovered that he hadn't checked in in weeks. You can be the s--t hit the fan there! Of course now that I am on this healthy kick, it is hard. We used to be partners in crime, although I always liked more fruits & veggies than he did. I go to the store most of the time and will usually only buy baked chips, high-fiber granola bars and fruit as snacks. I buy him lean lunchmeat, light cheese and "whitewheat" bread. I can't control what he eats otherwise but since I do the shopping and the cooking, I can control that. We have still gotten into some scraps, though, like when he asked me to make Sloppy Joes and onion rings for dinner last week. I said I'd make the Sloppy Joes, but not onion rings. He said, "Well, Sloppy Joes aren't healthy either" and I said, "They will be the way I'm going to make them." Then he made this disgusted face: :thumbup: I told him that if he wanted to shop and cook for himself from now on, fine, but I am not making him an unhealthy meal. No exercise. He will go to the park with me and walk laps sometimes, and he likes to play Wii games like tennis and does some yard work. But nothing sustained or consistent. I have asked him very nicely to do other things with me, but he always declines. He thinks I expect him to change because I did. No. But I am worried about him. He is only 34 and there's a history of diabetes, stroke and heart attacks in his family. I want him to be around forever. We plan to start having children within the next couple of years and I am told that may change things. We will see.

Just wanted to comment regarding what orea15 said about foods not being band-compatible. For some bandsters, not everyone, potatoes and Pasta are off limits. Others, like me, have no problem with either -- although I do limit my intake of both and try to only eat whole wheat pasta. There are many frozen meals out there with just Protein and veggies, no potatoes or pasta. And Lean Cuisine Spa meals often have whole wheat pasta. gone, have you tried measuring your food when eating? That was really an eye-opener for me. What I thought was half a cup was really a cup and so on. Good luck!

You people are evil with all of your cyber-fooding. Yeesh. Oh wait, I'm going to talk about food...:wink2: Those Magical Peanut Butter Cookies are awesome. I used to make them with sugar & now I can do it with Splenda. Every time I gave the recipe to someone they said...but there's no flour, how does it work? It does. It's magical! OK, these are not healthy at all...but I get Shape magazine and this month's issue is the 100 Best Snacks or something along those lines. And I saw...Sara Lee Cheesecake Bites. Evil, right? Well, they're like half an inch square and only 20 calories, about 1.5 g of fat per bite. If you can just eat a few, you can get delicious cheesecake without having that whole piece. I managed to just eat three. ShelbiCallie, here's the recipe for Mediterranean Sweet Potato Pizza...did I mention it was on the BBC show "You Are What You Eat"? Well, I modified that recipe slightly. Anyway...one piece is plenty for me and I don't have any problems with any of the veggies or crust. So if anybody reading this does, proceed with caution. :smile2: Makes 2 medium pizzas (eight slices total) Ingredients: Topping: 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed Italian herbs 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 small bell peppers (red, green and/or yellow), deseeded and sliced 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges 1/4 cup sliced green or black olives 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese fresh basil leaves, to garnish Crust: 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups' worth) 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup cold water mixed with 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic and mixed herbs or oregano in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the onion is softened and the sauce is thickened, stirring regularly. Cool. If smooth sauce is your thing, go at it with a stick blender or put it in a regular blender (but wait until it cools to avoid splattering). While the tomato sauce is cooking, boil the sweet potato in a large pan of water for about 15 minutes until very soft. Drain well, return to the pan and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Place the sweet potato in a large bowl. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the water and oil mixture with a large spoon until the dough comes together. Knead lightly to form into a large ball, adding a little extra flour if the mixture seems too sticky. Divide the dough into two equal balls and roll out on a lightly floured board into two circles around half an inch thick. Lift carefully onto two baking sheets that have been lightly oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Brush tops lightly with olive oil. Place both pizzas in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden. Then remove and top with tomato sauce, vegetables and cheese, leaving half an inch around the rim. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until well risen and lightly browned. Serve garnished with basil leaves. If you don't want to make both pizzas at a time, you can wrap one half of the ball of dough in plastic wrap, then in foil or place in a freezer bag to make the other pizza later. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, roll out, top and bake as usual. Nutrition Info per slice: Calories: 276.7 Total Fat: 5.7 g Cholesterol: 8.2 mg Sodium: 424.8 mg Total Carbs: 47.1 g Dietary Fiber: 3.9 g Protein: 9.7 g As for your family gatherings, I don't see why you need to tell anybody you're banded. If they ask, just say that you're exercising, eating healthy and watching your portions. No lies there! My family still doesn't know I am banded and I intend to keep it that way. Nobody has commented on my weight loss, either...I keep wondering if it's not noticeable or they figure I'll just gain it back anyway? Dee, I am so sorry you have had such rude, thoughtless comments from people. I must admit, this is why I did not tell my family. I am hard enough on myself. Welcome, deboregon! Will you have your surgery in Parker or Aurora? I went to the Crown Pointe Surgery Center in Parker Adventist and stayed at the Holiday Inn Select, which is literally across the street. We had a lovely room and everything was great. They have a yummy restaurant on the top floor -- we got room service and I was able to get a low-carb meal for my last meal before banding. One note: we did not get a suite so no refrigerator or microwave. Dr. K prescribes an antibiotic that has to be refrigerated but he said it was OK to keep in the ice bucket. That's up to you but just FYI. Hey minidriver, I think we all went through a little "last supper" syndrome. However I found it was totally unnecessary -- I can eat pretty much anything, just less, and I mostly choose to eat healthily. It's working so far! OK you Chatty Cathys, I am out of here. Mini-goal, to be below 250 by my wedding anniversary July 1. I lost 8 pounds in May, surely I can lose at least that much in June. We are pondering going to Disney World. We can't really afford it, but dammit this is lucky #13 and we deserve it. My mom said she would give us some money for it but I need to decide how to subtly ask "how much?"

I eat frozen dinners for lunch occasionally. But as another poster mentioned, they can be really high in sodium. I have found a few brands of organic ones that fit my needs. I don't think it would be good to eat them all of the time, though -- we still need fresh fruits & veggies.

AdorKable aka LA ~ You will get back on track. You and the hubby are so cute, congrats! ShelbiCallie ~ Yay for Onederland! Save me a spot. You are so inspirational and should be very proud of yoruself. As for healthy kid recipes, my DH has the tastes of a kid so I am always looking for this myself. I just made Mediterranean sweet potato pizza and he liked it. I will post the recipe if you are interested. minidriver ~ My fitness age is 5 years older, my husband's is 2 years younger. And he's older than me! But he's not as overweight and has better balance, apparently. I would love to do Wii Fit challenges!

Oh my goodness...I don't read for awhile and the activity has just exploded on this thread. I am so glad to see everybody's lovely faces -- the RR gathering and all of the beautiful pictures of Lapdancer and her family. Woofay, my husband gave me a Wii & Wii Fit for my birthday. We were already video gamers, so we have some games we play together on the Wii now, which is great. And the Fit is fantastic! Definitely counts as exercise. I work up a sweat doing hula hooping, step aerobics, jogging and rhythm boxing. I also enjoy the yoga poses, strength exercises and balance games. Can't do all of the poses or strength exercises...yet...but I will get there. It's a lot of fun, doesn't feel so much like exercise and the more you do, the more games and activities you unlock. So there's my ringing endorsement! This is the last week of the Swimsuit Bootcamp Challenge on SparkPeople. 30 mins of cardio 5 days a week, plus at least one 10-minute video on the site every single day. This is more exercise than I have done in, well, forever...and strangely, I am loving it and looking forward to it. I plan to keep it up after the challenge is over. I had my third fill last week by my very attractive fill doctor. Sigh. He told me that I was doing great and was kind of reluctant to give me a fill at all, but I told him I was starting to get those between meal munchies and wanted to keep up my momentum, so I got 0.3 cc. It was enough to make a difference. Now if I can just resist my hubby's "let's get fast food" moments. I do most of the time...but on Sunday afternoon, after shopping and walking at the park, I could not. I've discovered that if I eat too much fast food, I immediately feel bloated and, well, gassy. No fun at all. Must keep in mind that the good taste is not worth the gross feeling later. Otherwise, I am doing really well. I hope everyone else is too and that you all had a nice long weekend (if you got yesterday off).

Hi ladies (and gentlemen, I know there are a few of you)! Life has slowed down considerably lately (I work for a university and we're between semesters; summer should be slow in general) so I hope to be around more. I'm doing well still. My third fill is scheduled for next week, and I know I need it. Once again getting hungry between meals, needing more food to fill up, etc. Weight loss has slowed, but I did hit 40 pounds this week. So happy! My size 24 jeans are getting loose, which means I'll finally have to buy some more pants. I have no nice pants that fit me anymore. My favorite wide-leg gray slacks fall down and they don't have belt loops. For some reason I still have some 18s and 20s from several years ago, but no 22s. Time to hit the thrift store or consignment shop, I'm not shelling out big bucks for clothes that won't fit for long. So far I've only bought new clothes when I needed them, like my brother's wedding. I was bemoaning this to my DH who said, "I thought your clothes falling off is a good thing!" Oh, it is. But I don't like clothes shopping and I can't help but be sad that some favorite clothes don't fit. I will have to make new favorites! My boss said yesterday while I was at the printer, "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you have lost a lot of weight!" I said, "Oh thank you. Not at all." I hate it when people say that you look "great" sometimes because it implies that you looked hideous before. But she gets that, she lost 75+ pounds a few years ago. Exercise. Taynuh, I know what you mean. I always hated it. But now I am doing it every day (I am on SparkPeople and doing a bootcamp there -- 30 mins of cardio 5x a week + a 7-10 min strength training video on the site). Who is this strange person who has to exercise? My absolute favorite type of cardio is dancing. It's so much fun and I enjoy learning the moves, so I forget that it's such hard work. I have DVDs, but I know that there are classes everywhere. I hope you can find something that works for you. My challenge at the moment is getting up earlier to exercise & eat breakfast. I like to sleep. But with everything else sometimes that means going to bed late (can't go right to sleep after exercising). I usually grab something for breakfast I can eat in the car, or I eat at work. Another challenge is keeping my damn mouth shut about what DH eats. I had the surgery, not him. I am very worried about his health, because he has type II diabetes and HBP, but he has to want to change. Hugs to all & I hope all mothers had a Happy Mother's Day! I got a new Wii game because, my DH said, I am the "kitty mommy". :thumbdown:

I hear you Queen of Hearts! So glad that you're doing great too! I must admit that after reading everything here about some people who can basically never eat certain foods, I was worried...but I decided that I would rather be healthy than be able to eat bread, you know? So far, I am so glad that I am able to still eat everything, just in much smaller quantities. And I feel so empowered -- it's like something clicked in my brain that never did before. So happy! :thumbup:

I haven't checked in here in ages, so I thought I'd say hi to my fellow Febsters. So far, so good. I am down 39 pounds as of today. I definitely see it, not only on the scale, but in my face, waist and stomach. But I am impatient to get it off, like we all are. I have to remind myself that this is a huge accomplishment. Next Tuesday is my three-month "bandiversary." I have been using SparkPeople to track my food and exercise. I joined a bootcamp there that started on Sunday, so now it's 30 mins of cardio 5 days a week and a 10 minute workout video every day. I have my third fill scheduled in about two weeks. I anticipate needing it; my last fill was 3/18 and the restriction is definitely waning. But eating this way has become pretty much second nature to me now. I still don't have any foods I avoid completely (except for popcorn and soda). I still eat in restaurants, I just make different choices and always have leftovers. It doesn't feel like a diet at all. I guess that's it, hope all are well!

Well, Aviatrix, from all that I've read on here and elsewhere, it sounds like your experience is not at all typical of what most people experience with Dr. K. It sounds like 180 degrees from mine -- everyone was polite, friendly, the facilities were clean, everything went really good when I had my surgery with him. During my first fill, fluoro was available but my port is incredibly easy to locate. The fill went smoothly and I left knowing exactly how much I had in my band. The only negative experience I had was when his office staff somehow had no record of my fill appointment, but they got me in quickly. I am so sorry for your troubles, and I certainly wish you the best of luck on your lapband journey and finding the right doctor for you.

Hey Jason, It is very typical to require a psychiatric evaluation. Lapband is a major surgery and requires a big commitment on your part. They are also concerned that people with active eating disorders not be banded before dealing with those. So it was just to make sure that you're mentally and emotionally stable and able to handle the surgery and everything that goes along with it. Sounds like things are going right along for you. Good luck!