PhotoNut

Oh god.. thank you so much. I really, really needed this laugh. I vote to spray the pizza! Try some Fabreeze!

OMG! I have seen his website and was blown away. The guy even had a tummy tuck! Now there's a man who plans on getting the most out of life - even at 60! I have been thinking about contacting him to find out if there is a local group that meets or whatever. I'm so happy for your success. I was looking at some figures my husband did for me last night, my BMI will be normal when I weigh between 130-140. I have a long way to go before I'm even just overweight. I don't think I've ever wished a year away like I am this one. The days can't go by fast enough! Well, I'm off to read your blog now! TTFN ----------------------------------------------------- I only made it to the top of the page and I'm already saying WOAH! Look at that pic. I love the way you did the progression! Ok, you are officially my hero of the day! *big smiles* ----------------------------------------------------- Ok, I've just spent a ton of time reading your blog. What great info you have in there. I think I'm more prepared for those fills now - I really learned a lot from that, thanks. And you're a wonderful inspiration. What a trooper! *hugs*

Something I've been learning about is how carbs are quickly digested and Proteins take a long time. When you eat a candy bar, or breads, or even veggies, you are eating foods that are quickly broken down and used up.. then your body starts calling for more because it needs the fuel to keep going. Protein takes longer for the body to burn so you don't get the hunger feelings as fast. When you say you aren't eating healthy foods, but you are overeating and concerned that you are stretching your pouch, I can't help but wonder if you aren't eating a lot of foods that easily slip through your band. Especially since you have said you're getting stuck and throwing up so often when you try to eat healthy foods. If you are not able to eat proteins, like fish or chicken, you might be too tight. And perhaps you're feeling so hungry because you're not getting the protein your body so badly needs. I don't know what all you are eating, but offhand I would guess you are eating a lot of empty calories that are leaving you hungry but not losing weight. Try adding Protein shakes back into your diet. Try eating very moist flaky fish. Gorton's has wonderful frozen fillets (2 per box) that come in garlic butter and lemon pepper. Tuna mixed with a fat free dressing (I like thousand island) is a great source of protein. If you can't manage to get these proteins down, with careful and slow chewing, then you should certainly talk to your doctor about a possible unfill. I think you will find that once you are giving your body what it -really- needs, the hunger will stop and it will be much easier to control your food intake. Best of luck to you. Let us know how you're doing.

Hey Jessica.. the nutritionist, my doctor, my son (personal trainer) and JQPublic on this board (heh) have all stated that when you are only eating enough calories to sustain the daily funcitons of your body, and then you place more demand (for energy) on the body by exercising, your body will go into a self preservation mode in which it will cling to every ounce of energy reserves it can - because it believes it is being starved. Now, I'm sure that over a long period of time that there is no question a person will lose the weight. Look at prisoners of war who are fed very little, or Tom Hanks on Castaway (snicker). However, if you are wanting to maintain a steady and healthy weightloss the idea is to provide the body with enough nutrition for its daily requirements so that it does not think it is in danger of starvation and will then release the stored energy for burning. Also, when you are on a very low fat, low carb "diet" the body will begin to use Protein for its energy. This means it will be eating your muscles, and don't forget that many of your organs are muscles. So feeding the body the right amount is important. I hope this has helped.

Yep, very normal. A lot of people drink liquids in the mornings and as the day progresses the band 'opens up' more. There are many theories about why this happens, from Water retention to eating too late at night.

I echo the rest of the group in giving you a warm welcome. Best of luck to you on your journey!

Geeze Vera, what can be said accept how very sorry I am to hear about the loss of your neice. Thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. God bless

I have seen many people asking about how to choose the right Protein supplements so I thought this might be helpful. My son is studying for his Personal Trainer Certification through a program accredited by NESTA (National Endurance & Sports Trainers Association). The other day we were talking about Proteins and he showed me a three page section of his study course which I thought was worth sharing with all of you. I will try to include the most important points while keeping this post as brief as possible. Protein Dietary proteins are strong compounds that build and repair body tissues from muscles to hair and fingernails. In addition to maintaining the body's structure, proteins speed up chemical reactions in the body, serve as chemical messengers, fight infection, and transport oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues. The body uses protein only if carbohydrates and fat intake is insufficient. When utilized as an energy source, protein is diverted from the many vital functions it performs for our bodies. Therefore it is crucial that we intake enough carbohydrates and fat so protein is not pulled as a primary energy source. Proteins are made of smaller units called amino acids. Think of protein as the building block of muscle, and amino acids as the building blocks of protein. When we eat food high in proteins, the digestive tract breaks this dietary protein into amino acids. These amino acids are broken down to different size chains, or groups, to be absorbed in our small intestines. These chains of amino acids are called peptides. The human body can absorb only very small di and tripeptides (chains consisting of two or three amino acids). Larger peptides must be enzymatically broken down (hydrolyzed) before any absorption can occur. Most breakdown and absorption occurs in the proximal section (duodenum) of the small intestine. The human body has approximately one foot of duodenum. Once past the proximal bowel. there is essentially no further protein absorption. Undigested protein passes into the colon where it is a known health hazard. Beef, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, soy, grains as well as some protein supplements have no di and tripeptides. These proteins have average peptide sizes ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 Daltons which require significant breakdown time and limit average absorption to 30% at its best. People who do not eat animal products can meet their protein needs with plant proteins found in vegetables, grains, and Beans. However, plant proteins lack one or more of the essential amino acids. Therefore a keen sense of combining plant proteins to provide all of the essential amino acids is important. A good example is rice and beans. Each of these foods lacks one or more essential amino acids, but the amino acids missing in rice are found in the beans, and vice versa. Although considered complete proteins, the human body does not possess the necessary enzymes to break down vegetable proteins and most of it ends up in the colon where bacteria gain access to it. Research has shown that most of the gas once thought to come from the Fiber found in vegetarian sources of protein such as beans, is now known to be caused by the undigested vegetable protein instead. Animal proteins, found in such foods as eggs, milk, meat, fish, and poultry, are considered complete proteins because they contain all of the essential amino acids our bodies need. The following list will describe the different types of protein supplements available on the market today. Concentrate This type of protein has 20% to 80% purity, with the remaining consisting of fat and lactose. Could be 20% protein, and 80% fat and lactose; usually the case when not specified in a product. If the concentrate consists of mostly protein, it usually states so in the label. This is one of the cheapest and lowest quality proteins available in the market today. Calcium Caesinate This type of protein is even cheaper and lower in quality than “concentrate”. Isolate This type of protein has a purity of 90% and up—can only have 10% or less consisting of fat and lactose. Except for Soy Isolates – You should avoid Soy Isolates at all cost. (Here is an excellent article about Isolates: whey Protein Hydrolizates Remember that to “hydrolyze” something means to break it down to smaller particles; the key here is how “extreme” the hydrolyzation is. It could be 1/10th of 1% and can still be called “hydrolyzed” by law. If the protein is really high quality, the label will state 100% Whey Protein Hydrolizates. The best protein on the market today is made by Bio Nutritional Research Group (BNRG) and it is called Proto Whey. This is the only protein on the market that is 100% absorbable. Keep in mind that by law, all ingredients must be listed from greatest amount present in the product or supplement to the smallest amount present. If soy isolates, calcium caesinate, or a whey concentrate are one of the first ingredients in your supplements, you can be certain you are throwing away your money and being taken advantage of. Because of the types of protein contained in most if not all protein supplements (with the exception of Proto Whey or any other protein that is micro peptide protein complex from extreme hydrolyzed whey protein fraction), a maximum of 30% of its content can be absorbed by the duodenum or proximal bowel (where all protein is absorbed by the human body). The remainder goes on to the large intestine where it rots and creates gas and GI discomfort. If you are getting gas and discomfort from your protein supplement, you can be certain that it is a low quality protein that your body cannot break down and therefore cannot absorb. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- I am seeing a wound care specialist for an injury I recently got. We had a big dicussion on protein because of it's importance in wound healing and infection prevention. The doctor told me that most people can calculate the right amount of protein for them by multiplying .35 times the amount of weight you wish to sustain. Of course, I you are at 350 pounds and your goal weight is 125, you would want to gradually reduce your intake rather than a sudden drop. Example: I want to weigh 130 pound. 130 x .35 = 45.5 As in all things here, be sure to follow your doctor's recommendations for you. I know that right after surgery the typical protein amount is 60 grams. This is to help us recover from surgery, and because we are eating a very low fat/low carb diet - which means our bodies are going to be looking for more protein for energy.

So many people are asking about protein shakes/suppliments, so I'm bumping this thread.

Jenny and others.. here is some good info on Protein you can read: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14199 http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/health-nutrition/whey-protein-powder-1.htm

I agree! I would have loved to have had this years ago. Only, when I start thinking about how different my life would be I realize I might not have my children or my Dawg now. Deep thoughts eh? But yes, if this can help us at a younger age, why not? Dr. Pete - Be sure to give us your findings on this. I think it would be very interesting.

And a lot less!! *winks* :) :huggie: :boink: :woot: :fish:

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for success this time. Be sure to baby yourself with liquids after your fill. *laughs* Listen to me, I haven't even had a fill yet! See how much ya learn from all the people here? That, and I'm such a mom! Let us know how the fill works out for you. And by the way, 150 pounds lost. That is absolutely wonderful! How did your skin do? I'm worried about looking all wrinkly and old. Yikes!

Donali, I'm sorry. Truly. My feelings are so raw today. I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. I was told earlier today that people are calling us smug, condescending, judgemental, and so forth and this hasn't been our intention at all. Most of our posts have been written with a happy and encouraging spirit but have been taken wrong. When I saw your post, and honsetly, Alex's laughing afterwards, I took it all wrong. I am sorry. You've never posted anything petty. In fact, of all the people I've seen posting here your comments are the most mature and kind. And I'm sure I've complimented you on that before. Petty is the word on my mind today that fits all of the other digs that people are making at us. It doesn't apply to you. I hope you accept my apology. Sincerely, Susan

Donali.. Im disappointed. I thought you showed more character than to get involved in this petty and personal picking at people. Thats a real shame.

*sighs* Why must we keep on picking at things like this? Kare is the one who started this crap about spelling (on a different thread) and then she brought it up again here in this thread with her huge bolded dictionary stuff. Let it go. They were, I believe, just playing around about it at this point. How fricking petty can you get?

Are you following the no drinking with meals rule?

Hi Gloria, welcome to the board. I would think that your doctor has given you some good guidelines for post-op eating. So be sure to follow his (or her) instructions. It's very important to your success. With that in mind, I would suggest you look through the food forum. There are many great threads in there where others have posted what they are eating at different stages of the post-op days. Grats on getting your band, and here's to a successful and exciting journey!

Hiya Tia, and welcome to LBT. Browse the forums for tons and tons of great information. The FAQ forum has some great tips for getting prepared for your surgery, and the food forum will answer a lot of your questions about good foods to have on hand for your early post op days. Best of luck to you, and we look forward to hearing about your progress!

My son is a personal trainer and is studying nutrition for certifications. I have been reading about the Protein suppliments in the manual he has and it says to avoid soy Proteins at all costs. The reason? It is the lowest quality of protein suppliment there is. You body will not absorb much of what you are ingesting, leaving the bulk of it to rot in your colon. The best form of protein is whey protein. I posted some a good portion of the protein section in the food forum. Here is the link for that. http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14199 Also, there are protein isolate drinks out there that are more expensive but well worth the money. Here is a link with information about the isolates: http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/health-nutrition/whey-protein-powder-1.htm The Whey concentrates are pretty good. You can count on absorbing about 80-90% of the protein in them, while soy proteins will probably only give you 20% absorbtion at best. Good luck in your search for one that's right for you.

Wow.. you mean the low life, selfish asshole didnt steal your money and sleep with another woman? Unbelievable. *grins* Happy to hear it all worked out for you!

Nanaholmes brings up a very good point. Many threads have been touched on this subject as well. Be sure you have post op care set up locally before you go out of country for your surgery. Running into problems afterwards, with your surgeon thousands of miles away is not fun. Many doctors will not touch you if you were done out of the country, and some won't touch you if they weren't the surgeon who installed the band. Do a lot of research first, and be sure you are prepared with good after care. Best of luck to you.

Wow, I havent gone out to eat yet (considering it tomorrow, that should be odd). But I do still grab for the biggest bowl or glass when I'm getting ready to fix myself something to eat. When I'm not dealing with premeasured amounts or using a measuring cup (like with jello) I hear the old voices, better put more in there.. thats not much, you'll want more. Its crazy! I should go on and take down that big bowl and put that 1/2 cup of cottage cheese in it. Maybe then, when I see how rediculously oversized it is for the portion, it will finally sink in. *laughs*

Kare.. honey, I literally gasped when I read this. He DID want to hurt her? How can you say that to this woman? You don't know what goes on behind the scenes in their world. Just because you were married to someone who displayed similar behavior does not provide the proof you need to proclaim her husband a pyschological abuser. Please be careful tossing out such things. Everyone - This thread has really been on my mind and on my heart. I know from two failed marriages how damaging it can be to take your frustrations out of the home to bad mouth your spouse to others. And I am certainly not talking about serious abuse now. I'm talking about everyday quarrels and things which irritate us about our spouses. First of all, wives, this is betrayal. How would you feel if you found out your mate was calling you a bitch behind your back? Would this be someone you would choose to trust with your love beyond that point? And secondly, when we pick up anger on someone else's behalf, we do not have the same love and compassion for the "offender" as their spouse does so we have no foundation for forgiveness. It simply breeds bitterness inside of us. So while, you might have forgiven your spouse, your friends will most likely hold a grudge and be quick to point out your spouses faults to you in the future. It amazes me that women can get in a group like this and call men assholes, jerks, etc. If there had been a thread like this started by one of the men here, in which the other men joined in with comments like "Why are all women bitches?" or even talking bad about their wives behind their backs on this public board.. would we have said, "Oh poor guy, just needs to vent."? Not likely. We would have thought about his poor wife at home who is clueless to the way her man treats her behind her back. So please, give your husbands the same consideration, love and respect that all of you clearly demand. You will not help your marriage by finding others who are willing to throw stones at your spouse. You might, however, make huge steps in making things better by sharing your feelings with them. Give them a chance. They just might surprise you.

I was banded on Jan 9th of this year. Im in the second phase of post op eating, which is mushies. I eat Fiber One cereal w/skim milk, cottage cheese, applesauce, canned peaches and pears, tuna w/fat free dressing so its moist, Gorton's fish fillets, peas and carrots, green Beans, bean with bacon soup, some Healthy Choice meals (the small ones with chicken and mashed potatoes are very moist and tender), Jello, chili (the meat is very small bits). Basically anything that is moist and soft, easy to chew into small bites. The only thing Ive run into that worried me was grapes and pineapple in canned chunky mixed fruit. I spit them out afraid to swallow them. Hehe.