PhotoNut

There is someone on LBT who posted about being allergic to barium but I can't remember who it was. Hopefully they'll see this thread.

Hi April, I usually buy Nature Made C and E from Wallgreens. This month they are buy one get one free. I tried Nature's Bounty C and *makes a face* they were awful! Nature Made is really tasty. Tart orange. I buy Caltrate chewable calcuim and at first they tasted very gross to me. Very chalky. I drank Water with them. But now I really enjoy them. They don't taste chalky at all. Very fruity. The Centrum is pretty good. I liked the Centrum Silver better but I've been buying the regular Centrum lately. Regular Centrum tastes kind of like a chocolate/orange kind of thing, and Centrum Silver tastes fruity. I usually remember to take my Vitamins everyday now because I look forward to them, like a treat. And no, I don't consider the calories.

Here's my list: Morning 1 Chewable Centrum Multivitamin 1 Chewable C 500mg 1 Chewable Calcium 600 mg 1 E geltab 40 Units lunch 1 Chewable C 500mg 1 Chewable Calcium 600 mg dinner 1 Chewable C 500mg

I take Effexor everyday with no problems. It is in capsule form. Once when I got a migrane at my daughter's house, all she had for pain relief were large capsule things. I had read that you can soak jell-tabs in warm Water long enough to make the outside soft and gooey, so I took these capsules with warm water and let them sit in my mouth and soften up a bit before I swallowed. They went down with no problem. If you currently take meds that are large pills, speak to your Dr about switching to a liquid form. And don't ever take your pills with cold drinks. The cold causes the stomach to draw up/shrink/spam whatever the correct term is. :cool:

I'm going to be in Asheville soon! *grins* But I won't be able to visit! It's going to drive me nuts to know my adopted NC sisters are there and I won't be able to see ya! I'll be in Knoxville a few days and talked my mom in to running over to tour the Biltmore Estates. Woot! I haven't seen them in years and I just LOVE that place. Maybe if I let you know what day we'll be there you could all stand at the Biltmore entrance with signs that say stuff like Welcome P'Nut and her mom! Or Woohooo Susan! Welcome to NC! LOL! My mom would freak! LOL!

Thank you Kat! I was looking for just the right words and you nailed it! :cool: Nice looking guy, Em! I can see why you want to show him off.

Miper - I'm not sure the objective is to feel full, so much as it should be to feel not hungry. If you can eat your meal and stop before feeling full, then that's great! Don't be in a big hurry to get cinched down tight. That can cause serious problems in the long run. Some of you may have already read this but I'll post it again for those who haven't. <TT>How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body </TT> <TT>B. You may need a behavior adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry</TT> <TT></TT> <TT>C. You may need an activity adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids</TT> <TT></TT> <TT>D. You may need an attitude adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place?</TT> <TT></TT> <TT>E. You may need a band adjustment</TT> <TT>1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set.</TT> <TT></TT> <TT>F. You may need your band loosened</TT> <TT>1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention.</TT> <TT>(Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe</TT>

100 pounds!! :clap2: Excellent! :clap2: I agree... we want pictures!! :cool:

:clap2:Welcome to Bandland, Regina!! :clap2: So happy to hear that all went well for ya! And even happier to have you on this side with us! w00t!!

Hey T.O.M. I saw on another thread that Penni sells some stuff that might help your throat. *grins and cracks up laughing* :pound: (Seriously -which I rarely am- I'm glad everything's ok with your band and I hope the antibiotics get that thing in your tummy killed real quick!)

Oh very well then. I'll just shut my Pie Hole. *snickers*

I swear. This is one of my pet peeves in life. These people DO NOT KNOW ME, they DO NOT KNOW MY PERSONAL SITUATION, they DO NOT KNOW THE HOURS IVE SPENT ON PHONE CALLS to work through the frustrating bureaucratic red tape bull sh*t to get a situation resolved.. so WHY WHY WHY don't they just LISTEN to me and do it like I took the time to lay it out for them STEP BY STEP with CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS and REASONS WHY its so fricking important that they DO AS I ASKED!? Phew! I feel better now. Thanks.

There sure is.. here ya go: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959 No problem about the late reporting. I'll get ya updated now. And..:cool: WOW! TEN pounds! :clap2:

I am SO in on this..:cool: ... quick!! Someone throw some pie at my face! :omg:

JJB - How many calories per day can you possibly be getting with 12 oz of food per day?? Geesh. I agree with the others, test yourself. Start eating between 800 - 1,000 calories per day. For Breakfast, have 1/2 C of low fat cottage cheese with 1/2 C of fruit. For lunch and for dinner, have 3 or 4oz of hard Protein like moist fish or chicken, then have 1/2 C of veggies like green Beans, salad, or peas and carrots, then have 1/4 C of fruit. Also, drink a minimum of 64oz of Water a day. I'll bet you that you no longer feel hungry AND that your weight will begin to drop significantly faster!

More info on the bands with capacities listed, comparison pics, and graphs that compare how much restriction each fill gives. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15216

Well thanks Klynn, but if you take into account that I lost 16 pounds prior to sugery, that means I've lost 59.5 pounds since then. Which is only 9.5 pounds more than you! Surprise!! You are doing awesome too!! *big smiles* By the time I was ready to wear jeans again, after surgery, my 24s were too big! I couldn't even wear them prior to surgery. Then it seems to have dropped a size about every month? I think? :cool:

.... FREE ADVERTISING :pound: Telly, I know you've been told this a lot on LBT, but darlin' you are drop dead gorgeous! They should be paying you to be a Gold's Gym Girl :cool:

Hi Klynn. I was banded on Jan 9, 2006. July 9th will be my 6 month bandiversary. I started my pre-op diet on Dec 22nd at 307 pounds. Lost 16 pounds prior to surgery. As of yesterday, I've lost 75.5 pounds.. now 231.5. My goal is to hit 90 pounds by July 9th. I started in a size 26 pants and 4x tops. I am now wearing size 16 jeans and 2x tops. You've done an awesome job yourself! :clap2:

Hola, Hnawrocki! Welcome to LBT and Happy Birthday!!

My Dr said between 3/4 to 1C. He also wants 3 meals a day, 4 hours between each meal and no Snacks. I can eat more than 1C at times, and I do have popcorn (pop secret 100 calorie bag) but I'm losing weight at a good rate so he doesn't seem to mind about the quantity or snack.

Hiya Lucy! Welcome to LBT. Did you find the Before and After pictures? Amazing stuff in there! You might also want to check out this thread about people who have lost over 100 pounds: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=16050 And this one for folks over 50: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=16724&highlight=fifty And this one about what things to have on hand before surgery to help with recovery: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14814 Enjoy!

Tell those that know about your band, that one of the reasons you chose the band was so you could have reasonable rate of weightloss. The average loss is 8-10 pounds a month (about 2 pounds a week). This rate of weight loss will help you remain healthy looking as you lose and will allow your skin time to shrink with you. Also, when we move from liquids to solids it is not uncommon for the weight loss to slow or even to experience a small gain for a short period of time. Sometimes its faster, sometimes its slower but overall I'd say that you're right on target for the expected average. Great job!

Schel - I applaud you! You sought advice, got it, applied it and are now seeing great results. Bravo!

For those of you interested in band types and capacities, have a look at this thread. There is a chart and pictures of the bands on the thread, so be sure to scroll down after reading the first post. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15216