annecolorgreen

You might want to let the doctor know how you feel. Someone at a support group meeting was talking about he had a similar situation--he could still eat anything he wanted!--and the nurse running the meeting suggested he go see the doctor. He did--and his band wasn't around his stomach...it was around the fat pad that is in FRONT of the stomach (on x-ray it looked the same). When he got a fill, he could feel it so he thought it was okay. He had to have another surgery and two years later is doing great now! ~~anne

You need to send a detailed letter to the hospital administrator. Any one of those things would have meant the termination of employees at the hospital I worked at for 14 years. Ridiculous. Glad you came out of it okay! ~~anne

Oh. That is crazy. My surgery was the day after yours and my doctor told me Wednesday to eat anything that isn't "doughy" or meat that is too dry. A week before that, I was okayed for "soft" foods. Today, I ate mexican. I had two chips with salsa and about a cup of veggies from a fajita (sp?) and a tablespoon or so of rice. Lots of leftovers! I'm sorry. I didn't realize that your doctor still had you on that diet. Why are they all different??? ~~anne

I didn't know Whole Foods had that pizza crust...interesting. I was there yesterday (first time) to get some tofu "noodles" for my vegetarian daughter. I think they are called Shokateri or something like that and are shaped like spaghetti or fettucini noodles but very healthy. She hasn't tried them yet. I have no problem eating. Penny--you need to EAT! ~~anne

I had pain like that (chest) and I think it was from eating too fast. When I slowed down, I didn't have it anymore. Today I made "healthy" mini-muffins and had TWO with no problems. I used Devil food cake mix and a can of 15 oz pure pumpkin and mixed it and baked it for 20 min @ 400 degrees. They are yummy and have lots of Vitamins. You don't use the eggs or oil or anything. Kind of taste brownie-like. I also ate a toasted chicken salad sandwich tonight on 100% whole wheat bread. I ate VERY slowly and chewed a lot. I am exercising almost every day for about an hour or more. Treadmill, stationary bike, and stretches and/or weights. How many calories are you consuming? Any ideas? Have a great weekend! ~~anne

I'm doing pretty well so far. I've lost 18 lbs (including pre-op) and have advanced to soft foods. I've worked with a trainer at the gym this week and feel pretty good about that. I found out yesterday that I get to have a fill at FOUR weeks! Yay! The other MD's in the office wait for SIX weeks...mine doesn't! So far, dh doesn't seem to be changing his eating habits as he said he would...we'll see.

We should lose 1-2 pounds a week. As long as I do that, I will be happy. I hope that with a regular, slow weight loss that I won't have skin issues (just hoping!). Penny--that was SO nice of the doctor to buy that for you! How sweet! I had an experience at bible study this week that was interesting. I've been out three weeks for various reasons (including my surgery). The unintended rumor was that I was having knee surgery. When I went back, someone from the group said, "so, you had knee surgery?"...pause...then me, "uh no, actually"...pause...then I said, "------- got mixed up"...long pause...then other conversation resumed! My friend who had started the rumor unintentionally about died! She was like "I just kept thinking--please, someone, change the subject!". I just don't want everyone "watching" me eat. Enjoy your weekend! ~~anne

Congratulations!

When I first heard Obama speak, I thought "WOW, I think I may vote Democratic for president this time". Then I saw his voting record. That is solely the reason that I could not vote for him. My hope is that he will govern as he ran in the election--toward the middle instead of the left. I AM proud that our country was able to get past the good ol' boy mentality and elect someone of another race (hopefully one day we will elect a woman too!!!). I have high hopes for Obama because I feel he is highly intelligent and, I hope, smart enough to see that leaning too much to the left will divide the country instead of unite us. We will see... :mad2:

I'm doing pretty well so far. I've lost 18 lbs (including pre-op) and have advanced to soft foods. I've worked with a trainer at the gym this week and feel pretty good about that. I found out yesterday that I get to have a fill at FOUR weeks! Yay! The other MD's in the office wait for SIX weeks...mine doesn't! So far, dh doesn't seem to be changing his eating habits as he said he would...we'll see.

I'm so excited! I get to have a fill before Thanksgiving! The other docs in the group wait six weeks...the one I went to does a fill in FOUR weeks! Yay! I also got to up my diet today so I made baked tilapia and baked beans for dinner and it was SO good! I am trying not to drink with the meals but in between. I had 4 oz of tilapia and 1/2 cup of baked beans. My dh was just glad I cooked something! :smile2: It really helps me to keep track of diet and exercise online. ~~anne

Do you use something online to track your nutrition/calories? If so, what? I started out using fitday.com and was pretty happy with it until I kept having to ADD new foods in that weren't in their database (lots). Then I found one at caloriecount.about.com and LOVED It because it had lots of things in the database already including EAS Protein drinks. Well, then I had a Vivanno from Starbucks and it wasn't in the database (other Starbucks drinks were) and you couldn't add it in like you could on the other site. What I would LOVE to find is one that has an extensive database, one that you can add or modify to it, and that would allow you to put in your recipe and it would give a breakdown. Am I asking too much? Thanks in advance! ~~anne

I felt much better today. Last night, I ate some Quaker weight control oatmeal made with skim milk instead of Water. VERY filling! ~~anne

I am SO hungry today and I don't know why! My stomach is growling! I've had my usual number of calories and protein...ARGHHHH! I don't like to be hungry! Congrats on your successes! ~~anne

I watch the Biggest Loser show. I like the black team this year. ~~anne

Good morning! I have a "Wii" question for those who have some of the fitness games. Can you set up a progam on it or is there a way to get a report on how much and how long you use it? The reason that I'm asking is that I homeschool my dd and she is trying to graduate high school a year early which means we are cramming LOTS of stuff in this year. She needs a PE course. My original thought was for her to do 12 weeks with a trainer at the YMCA but she is working 28 hours a week in addition to some college and online classes. Obviously, she is VERY busy but I would love for her to get some time in working out. Does anyone know? Thanks. ~~anne P.S. I own Wii Fit and was saving it for Christmas but don't have to.

Maybe something warm would help that pain? Drink some hot tea or something. I like chai tea with a little sweetener. Sadly, I'm having NO trouble burping...I can't stop it from happening and it's embarrassing! I AM starting to deal with some constipation issues since I've been on mushies for a week. Nothing x 3 days! I took some Senna S tonight so I hope that helps. I've lost 17 lbs total including one week of pre-op diet. I haven't lost anything in a few days...probably because of no BM! I hope you feel better! ~~anne

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't get to wish those at the end of the month well...after my surgery, I developed a very bad chest cold and have been just trying to get things done that I have to and that's it. No time to hang on the computer! I'm feeling better now...just coughing a little bit. My dh and girls have had it too. I had my first "outing" to a restaurant last night...and ended up with a bowl of butternut squash soup. YUM! I even brought some home...I couldn't eat it all! Tonight was a relative's surprise #50 birthday party and we brought appetizer kind of stuff. I brought dirt pudding (Old As Dirt--get it ) and it turned out really good! I also brought hummus and just used my chip to "eat" it as I'm still in the "blenderized" stage. Here's the recipe for the dirt pudding if anyone wants it: Worm it Up! You don't have to be a kid to enjoy a creepy, chocolatey dessert on Halloween. And what's creepier than gooey mud (chocolate pudding), dirt (crushed Oreos) and worms (doy, gummy worms!)? NOTHING! The only thing NOT creepy about this particular yummy Halloween creation is the nutritional info -- it ROCKS! Check out this spooktacular recipe from Hungry Ghoul... er, Girl -- Guilt-Free Dirt & Worms Surprise! Ingredients: 2 small (4-serving) packages sugar-free fat-free instant pudding mix, chocolate 4 cups fat-free milk 12 gummy worms; chopped into thirds 3 packs 100 Calorie Packs Oreo Thin Crisps; crushed Directions: To make the pudding, add both packages of pudding mix to the milk, and beat with a whisk for 2 – 4 minutes (until pudding is thoroughly mixed and thickened). Pour pudding into a wide serving bowl. Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to set. Once ready to serve, sprinkle worms over the pudding. Then, evenly distribute crushed Oreo Thin Crisps on top. MAKES 8 SERVINGS HG Alternative! You can also whip up a single-serving version of this recipe using a Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Snack, a few gummy pieces, and a small handful of crushed Oreo Thin Crisps. Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2/3 cup) Calories: 163 Fat: 1g Sodium: 430mg Carbs: 32g Fiber: 1.5g Sugars: 16g Protein: 6g POINTS® value 3* It's from the Hungry Girl website. (my nieces and nephews loved the worms!) Hope everyone is doing well! ~~anne

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't get to wish those at the end of the month well...after my surgery, I developed a very bad chest cold and have been just trying to get things done that I have to and that's it. No time to hang on the computer! I'm feeling better now...just coughing a little bit. My dh and girls have had it too. I had my first "outing" to a restaurant last night...and ended up with a bowl of butternut squash soup. YUM! I even brought some home...I couldn't eat it all! Tonight was a relative's surprise #50 birthday party and we brought appetizer kind of stuff. I brought dirt pudding (Old As Dirt--get it ) and it turned out really good! I also brought hummus and just used my chip to "eat" it as I'm still in the "blenderized" stage. Here's the recipe for the dirt pudding if anyone wants it: Worm it Up! You don't have to be a kid to enjoy a creepy, chocolatey dessert on Halloween. And what's creepier than gooey mud (chocolate pudding), dirt (crushed Oreos) and worms (doy, gummy worms!)? NOTHING! The only thing NOT creepy about this particular yummy Halloween creation is the nutritional info -- it ROCKS! Check out this spooktacular recipe from Hungry Ghoul... er, Girl -- Guilt-Free Dirt & Worms Surprise! Ingredients: 2 small (4-serving) packages sugar-free fat-free instant pudding mix, chocolate 4 cups fat-free milk 12 gummy worms; chopped into thirds 3 packs 100 Calorie Packs Oreo Thin Crisps; crushed Directions: To make the pudding, add both packages of pudding mix to the milk, and beat with a whisk for 2 – 4 minutes (until pudding is thoroughly mixed and thickened). Pour pudding into a wide serving bowl. Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to set. Once ready to serve, sprinkle worms over the pudding. Then, evenly distribute crushed Oreo Thin Crisps on top. MAKES 8 SERVINGS HG Alternative! You can also whip up a single-serving version of this recipe using a Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Snack, a few gummy pieces, and a small handful of crushed Oreo Thin Crisps. Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2/3 cup) Calories: 163 Fat: 1g Sodium: 430mg Carbs: 32g Fiber: 1.5g Sugars: 16g Protein: 6g POINTS® value 3* It's from the Hungry Girl website. (my nieces and nephews loved the worms!) Hope everyone is doing well! ~~anne

Good luck ya'll. Just an FYI--citrus liquids (OJ) can increase nausea post-op. Try to avoid them. ~~anne

Wishing everyone today and tomorrow the best on your surgery. I'm sorry if I've missed anyone--I've had a terrible head/chest cold which is great when you are recovering from surgery. I was supposed to start back to work last night but wasn't able to because of my cold. I also wanted to start with a trainer yesterday and couldn't. Today: Michele777; Rosie Sage October 29-knickerbocker; ~Bridgette~; SCTexasGirl; julie.ann; lauriel; dirigo; CMTurner; sunwyse; Altoonasoup; chrisfer1;wvgal33; gracie78; Tamisha; Road less traveled; debbie brooks; tomatogirl; vicbrad; mvane08; babe134; grateful1; Maggies; abbalv; debbietx I am reading the book written by the daughter of Muhammed Ali and it's really interesting if you like novels. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061170941/][/ame] [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061170941/]Amazon.com: Fighting Weight: How I Achieved...[/ame] Thanks for the bean soup idea. I didn't get to go to bookclub because of my cold though. Oh, I've been having stomach pain and just realized that it's hunger pains. Yesterday, I stopped and got a Starbucks Vivanno with protein powder and that really helped. Tomorrow, I start pureed foods! ~~anne

Wishing everyone today and tomorrow the best on your surgery. I'm sorry if I've missed anyone--I've had a terrible head/chest cold which is great when you are recovering from surgery. I was supposed to start back to work last night but wasn't able to because of my cold. I also wanted to start with a trainer yesterday and couldn't. Today: Michele777; Rosie Sage October 29-knickerbocker; ~Bridgette~; SCTexasGirl; julie.ann; lauriel; dirigo; CMTurner; sunwyse; Altoonasoup; chrisfer1;wvgal33; gracie78; Tamisha; Road less traveled; debbie brooks; tomatogirl; vicbrad; mvane08; babe134; grateful1; Maggies; abbalv; debbietx I am reading the book written by the daughter of Muhammed Ali and it's really interesting if you like novels. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061170941]Amazon.com: Fighting Weight: How I Achieved Healthy Weight Loss with "Banding," a New Procedure That Eliminates Hunger--Forever: Khaliah Ali, George Fielding, Christine Ren, Lawrence Lindner: Books[/ame] How's everyone doing? ~~anne

Another question: I have book club tomorrow and am thinking about taking soup so I can eat it. Any suggestions? I'm not a soup person, in general, so I don't have any good recipes on hand. I am allowed full liquids only right now and we always bring something to share. Thanks, Anne

Anything you are doing to combat itchiness? I know it's normal but it's driving me crazy! ~~anne

I am itchy too...any suggestions? I have a bad habit of scratching until I bleed when I have bug bites...I definitely don't want to do that now! I was hungry today for the first time. I just sipped on something almost all day. I also added back in the SF pudding which helped me feel full. Eighteen pounds is awesome!