PhotoNut

Hey Donna B -- Baldrick and Percy... Where's Black Adder??

What Donna said! :clap2: I also feel that this check list is something we should all use as a plumb line. Have a peek at it and see where you stand before you go in for another fill. Since you said you can't eat much at a time, it might just mean that you already have enough restriction and just need to tweak other areas. Adjustments 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 B. You may need a behavior adjustment 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 C. You may need an activity adjustment 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 D. You may need an attitude adjustment 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? E. You may need a band adjustment 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. F. You may need your band loosened 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

Mo - You're very welcome. I enjoy this club so much! Kristin - I am 5'5, weigh 232 lbs, and I have 1cc in a 4cc band. Get that slight unfill, girl! You don't want to risk your band slipping or damage to your esophasgus from PBs. And you're weight loss will slow if you have to rely on higher calorie foods that you can get down. Beacheegirl - Be cautious about overdoing it for now. Have you contacted an atty yet? I'm sure you'll be referred to therapy right? You might want to hold off on much activity until you hear what the therapist recommends. (I used to work for an accident and injury atty *grins*) :welcomeB: to the GFG Club, Trip2bme - I've added you to the Members page. I really enjoyed your mini bio! I'm afraid to lose weight too. Tell ya what. let's just go for it anyway. If we don't like it when we get there, we can always gain it back! Dcprincess - You've come to the right place for butt kicking support! You said you wanted to join the club, BUT... So does that mean you dont want to join? If it's the challenge you aren't sure of, being a member of the GFG club doesn't require you to participate in the challenge. That's just an added fun thing we're doing. I hope you do want to stick with us, and if so do you want your stats on the Members Page (page one, post 1)? Mystjin - Those pics were made with Microsoft GIF Animator, which you can DL for free. Just Google it. I opened .jpgs in MS Paint, saved as a .gif, added the gifs to the Animator. Then you just adjust the timing on each frame and there ya have it. Enjoy! I hope to see one from you soon! hehe HeatherGurl - You suck! :pound:

Twoterville! I love it! *laughs* Good job everyone!

Protein shakes are an important part of the liquid and mushy phases of the post-op diet, but I get all of my protein from fish, chicken, cottage cheese, and beef so I don't need the suppliment. If you can get between 60-100 grams of protein per day with your food (animal protein, not vegetable protein) you shouldn't need to worry about needing a suppliment.

*chuckles* Don't just take my word for it. Do what I do and google it! Before ya eat anything, find out what it really is and what its nutritional value is. Most products provide a list of the contents and nutritional values. Here's a great site for ya that will help a lot: www.nutritiondata.com

Maybe boost your lunch with protein. What are you having for lunch now? Perhaps you are getting hungry before dinner because breakfast and lunch were "light". Many people seem to eat lighter in the mornings and graduate to the big meal of the day at dinner time. If that's you, try eating a "heavier" lunch and see if it takes away the urges. If that's not the case... then perhaps it's boredom? What are you doing between lunch and dinner? If it is boredom, try to think of something you could do that would keep you busier. Like walk or exercise. (I'm a good one to talk.. Ive been so bad at that part of this journey!) hehe Love the swimsuit. Very classic.

Looks like it adds 35 calories per 2 Tbs. Do that three times in a day and youre looking at an additional 100 calories. I know it doesn't sound like much, but 100 calories could "buy" you some great protein that will help you stay full longer.

Nope.. its made of corn starch and that sweet glue, maltodextrin (derived from corn starch).

Hey mommaduck, I was banded in January and have 1cc in my 4cc band. I can eat a cup of food, and a bit more in the evenings. I expressed my concern to my surgeon about the quantity of food I'm eating and after looking at my average daily calorie and protein intake, along with my average weight loss, he said not to worry about being able to eat more than 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. Heck, I even ate 6oz of roast beef in one sitting when it was it was my TOM. But I'm happy with his decision not to fill me up tighter because I don't struggle with PBs and I can eat a good variety of healthy meats, veggies and fruits which gives me about 950 calories and 85 grams of protein per day. I eat 3 meals per day and have an evening snack of Pop Secret Kettle Corn wth a glass of iced tea. I can live with that. What kinds of foods are you eating? Soft foods? Are you eating your proteins first? Do you drink with meals? All of these could be factoring into your ability to eat more. I know I can eat a lot of salad compared to say chicken, because the salad breaks down to almost water when it's chewed.

Welcome to bandland, Karen! So glad to hear it all went well and that you're feeling drugged.. I mean good. *grins*

:welcomeB: to the Gone for Good Club, :clap2: Granlady, Styler96, and Juicyc!:clap2: I have added each of you to the Members Page and put Styler on the Honors page! So glad to have each of you joining us! Make yourselves at home and hang on tight... this train's a movin' on!

Come on.. sing it with me. o/~ baby got back! o/~

DeAnn! You are just melting away hun! Looking awesome! Holy smokes Bushbaby! This calls for a side by side! *snickers* How's this for WOW factor?

Now see? That's what I was talking about in my last post! Carol, you are one strong woman!! *salutes Carol*

One of the biggest things I've noticed about my food addiction is that the sight or smell of foods triggers this instant mindset of "MMmm... I'm so hungry!" Even when I'm NOT hungry. I am working very hard on re-training my brain in this area. These are the steps I'm taking: 1. Recognize the reaction to sights and smells. Wipe the drool from my chin and get a grip on the Pavlovic response. 2. Stop all other thoughts and focus on a discussion with myself about the reality of this reaction. It is a habit of an addict, not an honest message from my body letting me know I need nourishment. 3. Acknowledge that the aroma is very pleasing and attach that sensation to a nice memory that doesn't involve food, or just enjoy it in the same way I enjoy smelling rain or fresh flowers. 4. Attach sights of fattening foods to negative responses. Disect the image and get to the ingredients - fat, sugar, grease, heart attack, 307 pounds, stretch marks, size 26 jeans. (you get the idea) 5. Bring the experience to a close with the affirmation that I've overcome the addiction, and that each victory makes me stronger. This seems to be working very well for me, so I thought I'd share. I hope it helps someone else as well.

Ya want more eh? :girl_hug: These people might give you some encouragement.... People who have lost >100 pounds: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=16050

These are two of hundreds of birdhouses on posts that are placed around a privately owned park.

Funny, I dont remember... did you want the betting pool to be just within the GFG Club?

Well of course I would do it all again if it were the only way I could have my children. BUT.. my children have suffered a lot because of both divorces and I would not want to put them through that again. It is never a fair question to ask if you would change the past, given the opportunity. It is however, very wise to avoid making such mistakes in the first place. Had I married wiser, perhaps my children would not have had to suffer such heartaches of abandonment and disappointment. Not because of money, but rather because their parents would have been unified in their ideas about ethics and character, and might have stood a better chance of providing a long stable homelife for those kids, with both parents working together to raise them by example. Instead, I chose to ignore what I knew in my heart to be decisions based upon all the wrong reasons. I have heard things like, "well he can fix things" and "he's fun and nice". Ok, what about his character. Does he possess the character traits of a man who will provide good examples for your children? Will he be selfish? Will he cut corners where ethical choices are involved? Will you be disappointed in his attitudes about ethics? Do you trust him to be the head of your family? Do you love him? You can hire an electrician. Friends can make you laugh. And there are a lot of men who can be pleasing in bed. But a husband needs to be so much more. He needs to be someone you can trust, admire, honor, and cherish. If you cannot honestly say this man is of that caliber... then no amount of electrical wiring, funny jokes, or good sex will undo the damage that's done to you and your children when you realise you can no longer tolerate the situation you chose to get into, inspite of your own red flags. I don't see Christina as a woman who has to "settle" for anything just because she can't have everything. If you can't have everything, then at least make sure you get the things that really count. The rest will develop out of love and trust.

You used to be able to Roni. But now it has to be on a server and you put the link in here. Set up an account with photobucket: http://photobucket.com/ Upload your pics to photobucket, then copy the URL thats under the picture and paste it in LBT's "Insert Image" URL box.

I'm all choked up... with happy emotions and tears. I'm so happy for that beautiful girl who's finally being treated with lots of care and love. Happy Bandiversary, Sweetie. *big big hugs*

I tell complete strangers in the grocery store if I get the chance! LOL! I've told the guy doing the landscaping in our yard. I've told a lot of people I don't know, I've told all of my family, but only two of my closest friends.

I fully agree. You are too tight. Often when folks are too tight they resort to eating softer foods (like potato salad, pasta, chocolate milk, etc) which are higher in carbs and slow the weight loss. It is confusing because the quantity is so much less, why shouldnt you be losing?? Go get a slight unfill and start eating hard proteins, like fish and chicken. Then add in some yummy veggies and then a little fruit. You'll be losing weight in no time. *hugs*

That's just down right mean and spiteful. Grow up. I'm reporting you to the Moderators Jboy. Geesh.