DesertRose

Thank you all for your encouraging words of wisdom. LOL...I guess I should have explained better... 1. I am an honorary member of the chocolate Lover's Association...in other words, I am a chocoholic. 2. Chocolate, sweets, etc. are the things I binged on for years, causing the weight gain, leading to the Lap Band, etc. 3. I've had 3 fills and I'm still losing very slowly (banded June 24) Also, the way I just mindlessly reached for the candy bar, like a zombie and had it eaten before I realized what I was doing, scares me crazy and I can't explain why. It's like...what is it going to take to get me to lay off that junk once and for all? However, you are right, I should not beat myself up over one candy bar. It's just now I want to go home and eat a whole bag. But I won't...I won't...I won't...:biggrin:

I looked for a thread relating to the problems of spouses who are thin and can and DO eat anything they want.... in front of you. *sigh* I love my hubby but he makes me crazy. He will be good for a while but soon he's right back into the same habit. Buying boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes, stocking the fridge with ice cream, etc. He was supportive during and after the surgery (banded June 24) but he looks at me like I'm crazy if I tell him not to bring that junk in the house. He seems to think, though he has not come out and said it, that I should have more will power than that. Yes, I'm banded and have had two fills but it's a slow process until you obtain the proper level of restriction. I keep having the cravings for sweets, which has cause me some minor set backs. He brought doughnuts into the house the other morning. I tried one and it got stuck. I almost PB'd, which made me put down the doughnut, vowing never to touch them again. I've gained all this weight since being married to a thin person who loves to eat. :wink2: It's all his fault. :cursing: Any advice???? sewing sheets together.... just kidding!!!

My no-no's so far (3 fills to date) Doughnuts Bread Biscuits Rice Pasta Anything that 'swells' after it's swollowed...yuk. I'm on my 5th day after my 3rd fill and I enjoyed a juicy rib-eye with a small salad. I remembered to cut it in small pieces and chew until my jaw hurt, but it was worth every extra minute I put into that meal. One thing that helped was putting my fork down between bites. I'm so happy that I can handle meat SO FAR. Sometimes vegetables are hard to eat if I can't chew them enough.

Make a pot of strong coffee (any flavor you like) Let it cool Pour in an ice tray and freeze The next morning use 4 cubes of the coffee ice Place in blender and crush Add two tablespoons of heavy cream (this makes it low carb) 1 packet of splenda 2 scoops Protein powder (I use Body Fortress chocolate or vanilla whey Protein Powder from Wal-mart) If you like you can even add a splash of DaVinci's sugar free caramel syrup This tastes just like a frozen Cappuccino to me.

Oh, I am soooo glad you brought this up. I'm not a popcorn fanatic or anything, but when I smell it at work when someone microwaves a bag or when I smell it at the moves, I begin salivating. However, due to the band, I've been kind of afraid to enjoy a little. Another thing, popcorn is a quality carb, and is high is Fiber and low in calories (that is if you don't eat the whole darn bag and/or pop it in oil and/or drizzel it with caramel and/or sprinkle butter flavored stuff on it)....LOL I've only avoided it because of the kernels and fear of them 'scratching' the inside of my pouch. Now that I know other banders have enjoyed a little, I'm going out and buying some low fat/low cal popcorn! Yeeehaww

Maybe, to avoid this in the future, you could let your friends know that you will no longer be able to go to Buffet restaurants? If you have not shared the fact that you're banded, perhaps you can just tell them you're changing your eating lifestyle and would prefer not to do the buffet thing. Honesty is always the best policy. But, I would have probably done and felt the same.

Hello there: Maybe it is not that you're eating too much, maybe it's WHAT you're eating?? From what I understand, peanuts will be hard to eat with the band...and tater tots...if they are fried are a greasy food, which can cause reflux. Just my opinion. Further, my fill dr. told me that people often have different signs they've eaten too much or have eaten the wrong thing. Sometimes, they get a pain in their shoulder...sometimes I feel the "stuck" feeling in my chest. That to me is an indicator that I must immediately stop. If you're not getting this feeling WHILE eating - maybe you should talk to your surgeon. Good luck and I hope my rambling helped shed a little light.

Hello: I just had my 3rd fill on Saturday - Sept. 13 - and it has made a tremendous difference. I stuck with liquids for the first 48 hours and today I had oatmeal for Breakfast and cottage cheese for lunch and dinner. Tomorrow it will be another day of soft mushies but on the 5th day I get to really try out the restriction. I get full quicker and stay full longer. Now I have more confidence that I am on my way. For a while I was beginning to think my experience with the band would turn out to be one of those failure stories I keep hearing about. This 3rd fill has given me the extra 'ummph' I needed to get back on track (as I had gained back 1 lb.). Remember, with the band in place you might get by without fills for a while, but eventually, you might need 2 -3 - or even more fills to obtain the right amount of restriction for yourself. Everyone is different. We're not all going to come off the sofa running a marathon a month after surgery. Some of us, and maybe most of us, will have to battle these inner demons crying out for all the wrong foods. It might take some of us 1 yr. to lose 50 lbs. where it might take others 1 yr. to lose 100! If you need 3 or more fills, don't beat yourself up about it. Proper restriction is what it's all about. Anyway, I can assure you, once you reach proper restriction (again) or for the first time, you will not be able to handle the crappy foods. Take care and good luck.

Hi there, I do not want to be a naysayer, but I am against IUD's after my daughter's experience with the Mirena IUD. She had severe abdominal pain, weight gain, depression, anxiety, etc. She had always been a very petite, happy-go-lucky, optimistic and carefree person until the Mirena. On top of that they recently found out it had perferated her uterine wall and it had become infected. Again, I do not want to be negative, and everyone reacts differently to different drugs, etc. but I urge you to do some thorough research before considering it. Good luck!

I am barely able to get in any exercise and my energy is low most of the time. Studies show a link between obesity and lack of sleep, etc. We need at least 8 hrs. - I'm getting less than that. Sometimes, I can barely wake in the morning. Do you think it could be lack of sleep??? My typical days looks like this... 6:00 a.m. wake up – drink 8 oz. water 6:15 a.m. to 6:30 – walk 6:30 a.m. – drink 8 oz. Water – shower 7:00 a.m. – get dressed – drink 8 oz. water 7:25 a.m. – leave the house for work/school (talk to daughter) 8:05 a.m. – arrive @ work, punch in 8:20 a.m. – eat Breakfast 9:20 a.m. – have a cup of coffee 10:20 a.m. – snack 11:20 a.m. – drink 8 – 16 oz. water 12:30 p.m. – lunch 1:30 p.m. – drink 8 – 16 oz. water 2:30 p.m. – snack 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. – walk 3:30 p.m. – drink 8 – 16 oz. water 4:00 p.m. – drink 8 – 16 oz. water 4:30 p.m. – drink 8 – 16 oz. water 5:00 p.m. – leave work 5:30 p.m. – start dinner (talk to husband) 6:30 p.m. – eater dinner (talk to family) 7:00 p.m. – clean up 7:30 p.m. – drink 8 – 16 oz. water 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – do weight training 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – family time, computer time, housework, etc. 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. - watch a little t.v. spend time with husband Asleep by 11:00 or 11:30 Saturdays (laundry, house cleaning, etc) Sundays (church, number one priority on Sunday)

Hi, thanks for posting this. I started a thread about sleep deprivation being a possible cause for my low energy, etc. Since I'm getting almost 7 hours a night, one poster suggested that's probably enough sleep. Now that you've posted this, I'm thinking it could be low Iron. I'll get checked when I go for 3rd fill this Saturday. Thanks again!!

Oh my! Sorry you had to endure such an experience. It must have been horrible... Whether or not you chewed well enough, or whether it was the weather all I have to say is THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. It serves as a stark reminder to us newbies about what can happen if we DON'T chew properly, etc. I haven't had the sliming problem, but a doughnut got stuck once and I haven't touched them since. Same thing with biscuits and other doughy breads. This is a very good thing because they are some of my problem foods! Oh, BTW, even before the band, stringy pot roast was always hard for me to chew properly.

Ew...queasy here. But, very cool pictures. Kind of neat to see what it looks like from the inside. Wow...

I feel your pain! Anything sweet... Cookies, candy, cake followed by something salty like chips. Hey it's all C's... Anyway, I read the other day that if you suffered from a lot of ear infections as a child you are prone to be obese later in life. No kidding...the article specifically stated... "repeated ear infections can damage the chorda tympani nerve, which passes through the middle ear and controls taste sensations. Damage to this nerve appears to intensify the desire for fatty or high-energy foods, which can lead to obesity"... I have horrible scars in my ears due to several bouts of very bad ear infections. I thought it was just me, that I had no self-control, now I'm finding it could be something that was beyond my control all along. HOWEVER, that being said, with the help of the band, I'm learning to have control over the cravings instead of the cravings having control over me. I passed up cake for desert tonight...you don't know how good this made me feel. Well, you probably do. :thumbup: Here is a link to the article if you would like to check it out. Ear Infections In Childhood May Predispose To Obesity Later In Life

Ok, I'm a little worried. I've had 2 fills. My next one is still 2 weeks away and I am hungry all the time. I know I'm eating way more than I should, and I've had too many sweets. I haven't started a rough work-out regime yet because of the asthma. I'm hoping and praying that when I drop 20 more lbs. the asthma will ease up a little. It's a vicious cycle. I can't exercise because of the asthma. The asthma flares up because of the weight. I can't lose weight right now because I can't exercise properly. I lost 17 lbs all together during pre-op and shortly after the surgery. Since I've gained my appetite back, I've gained 7 of what I lost. I was banded June 24, 2008. Sorry to complain, but I'm discouraged and needed to vent. :thumbup:

I had many ah-ha moments. From having to lift my fat belly to wash around my 'mid-section', to hearing my flab slap together when imitating the MC Hammer dance for my kids. My main ah-ha moment, however, is realizing that I needed to be a better example for my daughters. Oldest is married with a baby (she put on some weight that she hasn't been able to lose) and the other is 14 and getting obsessed with the fear of getting fat. My whole family tells me I'm beautiful, etc. but I know that underneath their facades, they don't want to be like me. I don't want my beautiful daughters to go through what I've been through.

I haven't been reading this forum for long, but these posts are examples of why I'm here. You are all very brave for putting your stories out there. Some are/were hard to read and I'm sure they were hard to write. We're all here for the same thing. We are (and in some cases, WERE) fat because of FOOD. Because of what we eat and how much of it. However, the underlying issues are what drove us to become obsessed with food. Food is necessary to our existance and vital to our health. So then, why and how did it become such a wrecker of our health? I'm in the midst of doing some soul searching to try to answer this question and answer the question in the title of this thread. I've learned that the problem is ME and not food. As previously stated...WHAT I eat and how much of it. Food was never a real issue for me as a child. We didn't have much money, but we always had plenty of good, healthy food because I was raised on my grandparents farm. We grew our own vegetables. Gathered eggs, milked the cow, etc. Always had a side of beef in the freezer or hams in the smoke house, etc. Furthermore, we had 65 acres on which to roam. Building 'forts' and treehouses, riding horses, swimming in the pond, etc. we had lots to do and we burned off any calories we might have consumed on any given day. Grandma baked cookies once a week or so and every now and then we were treated with a Mountain Dew and Moon Pie when we went to town. Although I did love sweets, I was not obsessed with them and was too busy- having fun- to focus on them. I was not abused, although, I did have to deal with some unwanted attention from a married man, when I was a mere 13 yrs. old. My God, I was just a baby. But, I was strong and tough - and somehow found the strength to say no. I knew my Grandpa and Dad would kill him. For the most part, I was very sheltered and protected. We had some rough patches but nothing out of the ordinary. I didn't play a lot of sports in school but P.E. was a requirement and we had some very tough coaches. I wore a size 3 thru high school and eventually a 5 by the time I graduated. Married my high school sweetheart, and after I had my first baby, I lost all the pregnancy weight but was only able to get down to a 7. I divorced (he told me he was too young to be tied down). Remarried 6 mths later (for fear of being alone), had another child and lost most of that pregnancy weight but by that time I was wearing a 9. Two years later, had another child, packed on more weight than before and could only get down to a size 12. For the next 4 years I fluctuated between a 12 and 14. Divorced again (abusive & controlling husband). Three mths. later moved in with a great guy, to whom I am still married to this day. Had my fourth child 1 yr. later and somehow I managed to get back into the 12's and 14's. ...then I started back to school. I decided to take business and computers so I could work a regular 9-5 job and be home with my kids in the evenings. Got out of school and started to work in an office in 1997. Over the next year I put on 10 lbs. The following year, another 10. I remember, to this day, in 1999, I had to buy my first pair of size 16 jeans. So, here I was, in a sedentary occupation, depressed about my size and I started eating to feel better. I would be so busy getting the kids ready for school in the mornings that I didn't take the time to pack a healthy lunch. I would order cheeseburgers and fries and all those things that I didn't have the money for (before I started working outside the home). In 2002 I quit smoking and ate even more! So...I can safely say that what got me into this mess is OVEREATING and LACK OF EXERCISE. In 2006 I had to go out and buy my first size 22's. I've maintained that since. But now, with the help of the band, I am getting off my butt and doing something about it. Thank you, so much, for 'listening'.

My doctor has me stand up while he does my fills. He's never missed and it takes 2 minutes to complete the procedure. He says this helps with equilibrium and with complications after? Has anyone else heard of this? I know it sounds like a silly question, but I'm wondering if it makes a difference as far as restriction, etc.

Dear Speck, I too deal with food addictions in the worst way. I'm awaiting my 3rd fill and am thinking about asking my surgeon if I can come in early (next fill Sept. 18). I started out at 247 pre-op (I'm 5' 3"). I can blame having 4 kids and stopping smoking, but the simple fact is, over the years I learned to depend on food for comfort and relief. A couple of things I'm learning about WHY I have depended on food is: 1. I've used my weight as my armor 2. I've associated feeling hungry with pain, and vice-versa I'm down to 232, and the weight loss has been slow since I was banded in June, but the problem is ME and not the band. I love the shovel analogy used by the other poster (I'm sorry, forgot the name) and it is so true. As we learn to use the band as the tool it is intended to be, we will learn to recognize real hunger and somewhere, in the not so distant future, we will learn to deal with all the head stuff. We will make it!!!!

Can you please list the foods that you eat in a typical week? Feel free to provide a menu, etc. What has worked for you? What has not worked for you? Thank you so much!!

Dear Clickersister: I'm sorry that a thread I started would give you concern. The problem is ME and not the band. Once you (and I for that matter) reach proper restriction, things get easier. For me it's not so much that I'm hungrier, but before the band, I just ate without thinking about it. Now I'm learning to recognize real hunger instead of 'emotional' hunger...and I'm finding lately, I'm hungry all the time. But again, it's just ME and everyone is different. Good luck to you. :smile2:

I found this on the Steaks Are High blog located at food processor or mixing bowl: 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp lemon extract juice of one lemon 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1/2 cup sugar-free vanilla syrup (or 1/2 cup of Splenda or equivalent sweetener) Blend until combined. Then add: 16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese (it's easier if the cream cheese is softened beforehand, and cut up into pieces before you add it) 2 tbsp melted butter I usually let the crust cool a while before pouring the batter on top. Then, I bake the cheesecake in my own improvised Water bath. I plop the cake tin into a wok half-filled with water and then put the whole ensemble in the oven to cook. The water prevents the top of the cake from cracking. Alternative methods: a pan of water placed below the oven shelf you use for the cheesecake. This isn't absolutely necessary, so if you feel intimidated by it or don't have the pans, don't worry about it - it just makes for a prettier overall result. Turn the oven down to 325* and bake for 35-40 minutes. IMPORTANT: After the cooking time finishes, don't open the oven door. Just turn it off, otherwise the whoosh of cool air will crack your cake. Leave the cake in the turned-off oven for an hour (more if you can), before letting it cool at room temperature, and then moving to the refrigerator. While the cheesecake is baking, it's time to make the topping. Grate the zest of two lemons into a bowl. (When you hit white, stop grating and move to the next section.) Add the juice of both lemons Stir in 3/4 cup of Splenda (or other granular sweetener) Now, add two whole eggs, plus two egg yolks, and stir everything up. The next part is to slowly, slowly cook the mixture so it turns to curd. Place your mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and keep the heat low-med. If you cook it too fast, you'll get lemony scrambled eggs. (I always found this double-pan method intimidating, but give it a try, it's not as hard as it seems.) It should take around 10-15 mins to cook. Keep stirring so the heat moves through the mixture evenly. It should start thickening, and once it reaches a pudding-like consistency, remove it from the heat. Add 6 tbsp butter for a richer, creamier taste. It will melt and combine if you stir pieces of butter in immediately. This is optional, so you can skip it if you'd like to marginally lower the calories of the final product! Put your lemon curd in a container and place cling wrap over the top so it's touching the mixture, otherwise a skin will form. Place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken. This can be used as a topping for more than just cheesecake - on low carb yogurts, flax muffins and more. It tastes like an extremely intense lemon custard. Once everything is cool, you can remove the cheesecake from the pan and spread the lemon curd over it. The result is a deliciously creamy, rich cheesecake with tangy lemon topping. Heaven for lemon lovers. Protein

I used to love fried chicken for breakfast. Now I coat (de-skinned) chicken breasts in olive oil, roll them in seasoned bread crumbs, and place on a cookie sheet, cover with foil and bake in the oven on 350 until the chicken is done. It tastes a lot like fried chicken, only better for you. It's a protein packed breakfast that will keep you full for hours. You can also coat the chicken in tobasco sauce to spice it up a little.

Silly me!! I should have posted this under the recipe thread. Forgive me, I'm still learning. :thumbup:

I've been taking sips during the meal but I'm sure after my 3rd fill I will not be able to do this any longer without suffering for it. My surgeon insists it will wash the food down too quickly, leaving you hungry for more shortly after.