HelloPenny

This is a favorite... It is like the Spicy Sausage & Lentil Soup @ Caraba's Italian Grill. What I do is REALLY EASY! Brown a package of Hot Italian Turkey sausage. (make sure and remove the casing. just cut a slit up the side and it slides right off.) I put about 2 or 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in, because you will need the extra fat to also saute the veggies. season it with your Nature's seasoning, some Italian seasoning if you have it, and I LOVE adding fennel seed... yum yum!! About 2 teaspoons. Add onions, celery, and carrots. I don't have a magic amount for these. I just chop up what I think I will need. Last time I added some zucchini to up the veggies. It was good. Add several cloves of garlic. I LOVE garlic so I add a lot. But, you don't have to. You can buy the pre-chopped garlic at the store, but it is not as potent as the fresh stuff, but its a lot more convenient. Just an FYI. Add a large can of diced tomatoes. I liked the Hunts Roasted Garlic brand. But, that's just me. I used some fire roasted ones last time. I couldn't tell a difference. I thought I had let some burn on the bottom of the pan, and then I realized it was "roasted" tomatoes. LoL! Add your lentils! I soak them for a few hours at least. Over night if you can, but just during the morning is fine. They say you don't have to soak lentils at all. Now you can either add Water till you like the consistency or chicken broth. Or water and chicken bullion. It can be pretty thick like chili or thinner more like a soup. A few recipes call for you to take part of the soup out and then puree it in a blender. I did this once. Mom hated it. It made it a lot thicker, with more of a base to the soup than just liquid. Definitely not a necessary step. Here is a link to the original soup I tried to copy! Carrabba's Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup Recipe | Recipezaar

Depends on how healthy a choice you want to make. When buying whole wheat pasta, it should say 100% Whole Wheat. A lot of labeling is very tricky and it is actually a blend. Sometimes they even will use the word blend. I am currently (well before pre-op diet) living a low glycemic diet. Meaning I avoid anything with processed flour in it. I can honestly tell you it has been the easiest and best tasting "diet" of my life. And, will remain this way. Before, I even decided to look into getting the Lap-band, I had lost 30 lbs! Just eating healthy! Avoiding bad carbs! Anyway.... Wal-Mart's whole wheat pasta is pretty damn good for the price. Make sure and cook whole wheat pasta longer and brown rice for that matter. Whole Foods has a brand called 365. It is good too.

It's all about the Williams Chili Seasoning. Hands down the BEST chili powder ever. I can't use anything else! It all taste horrible in comparison. It's sort of regional, I have my Mother send it to me in Alabama. We use to be able to buy it at Sam's in the giant size seasoning containers. And, then they stopped selling them. We checked for years every time we went. And then! Last week our Sam's had them!!! We bought 4!!!! We are going to put them in FoodSaver bags and freeze them. We may go buy more. LoL. I also like to use the hunt roasted garlic diced tomatoes and sauce. YUM YUMMY. If you use Beans.... BIG CONTROVERSY! I use to use all ranch style beans with sweet onions, but when I changed my diet recently, I just started using several different types of regular canned beans. I buy the Wal-Mart brand. They tend to not have anything added to them, like corn syrup (RAR!!! WHY DO THEY DO THIS???). I think that Light Kidney Beans, Red beans, Navy or Cannellini Beans, and Black Beans make a really nice looking combo. The kidney tend to be people's favorites. But, my recipe is nothing special. But, people love it. I think it's the Williams.... LOL

Sam's sells (at least the mine does, they all have different stuff) EAS powder in a humongo (yes that is a word) bag. I got chocolate. It tastes pretty good. Like a slim fast or instant breakfast. I do want to get the unjury broth though. I have been drinking broth but prefer the idea that it has a whollop of Protein behind it.

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We should trade! I'm not real whippy about Alabama, and would much rather be in Texas or Oklahoma! LOL, I totally got caught up in the Auburn Alabama controversy living in Alabama. People were like are you Orange or Red??? And I was like neither? Go OU?? My parents got my daughter an OU track suite when she was a newborn. She wore it to my SIL's house. Everyone there said right colors, wrong team. My SIL called me yesterday and asked if she could get Caitlyn a Crimson Tide bib that said, Alabama Born, Alabama Breed. My Mom, said not to waste the postage! Got a call from my Mother, driving back home from the game. She was pouting!

I am using the EAS powder. My Mother got it for me at Sam's Club. I think it was relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives. Sorry, I don't know how much she paid. Or which Sam's she was at... I am betting maybe Frisco. I have the chocolate flavor. I like it. I mean, it tastes like chocolate diet shake to me. Like a slim fast or an instant breakfast. Go to Braum's and get their skim milk. It has 13g of protein in 8oz. That's a LOT more than most of the grocery store brands. It's not organic, BUT, it has No Hormones and it's got added calcium. Bonus! I have not been hungry drinking my shakes. I think when I am hungry it is head hunger OR I have waited too long to have something to eat. I am terrible about eating...sigh. I put a scoop in my coffee in the morning along with some Benefiber, fat free creamer, and two sweet and lows. Yum. I have one of those Cuisinart hand blenders. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! This is my second one. I used my other so much I wore out the gears. But, it works great for the shakes and for making up broth. I would cry without it! I would just go get some EAS and not stress about it!

Looks like I have to eat some crow..... I wonder how many grams of Protein that is?!? :thumbup:

My Mother was the one that encourage... Let me rephrase that to be more clear... PESTERED me to look into getting the Lap Band, once we found out TRICARE covered them. I am living with my parents while my Husband is deployed, so I would have extra home support for myself and my 1 yo Daughter. SHE was the one that said she could help me, and watch the baby, and help me recuperate. So, I went ahead and looked into it. And, never in my wildest dreams would I have believed or been prepared for how quickly I was approved and a surgery date set. Less than a month! Total Shock... I kept telling the coordinator at my Doctor's office, "I can't believe it!" I spend well over a year trying to be approved for WLS, 5 years ago. I was dejected and heart-broken. So, ever since I started making my appointments and driving down to Dallas. She has gotten more difficult about the details that come with supporting me. We are arguing a lot more now (which we do some anyway, we are so much alike, and very close). And, it seems like now there are all these obstacles. She's just being more cranky. She did make a comment, "At least your insurance will pay for the surgery, mine won't!" I think she is a little jealous. She is losing weight right now and doing great. She has lost about 28 lbs since July and looks great. She is smaller than me to being with. Anyway, how did you guys handle the "little green monsters"? Thanks.

I am getting excited too, but a little nervous. Totally freaked out actually. I had all my pre-op testing done on Friday. It was uneventful. I knew what to expect, as I have done all those tests before. My Doctor made me do the breathing test in his office, and they left me alone in the room for the 10 mins. I totally fell asleep and the tube fell out of my mouth! Not once but twice! I was so tired! I had had nothing to eat or drink since the night before, so I was stimulant free!! Good to see another Texas Pumpkin. You are going the day after me.

Hi Jenni! I am new too here! Everyone is super nice and helpful so far!

boomer sooner!!!

Well... I am living in Denison, Texas (North of Dallas) while my Husband is deployed, with my Parents. I am having surgery in Plano, Texas @ Plano Presbyterian Hospital with Dr. Alan Cribbins. But... Normally, we are stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, Alabama. I am praying that when he returns from his deployment he gets a new assignment and they PCS us to Tinker AFB (Oklahoma City, OK) or Shepard AFB (Wichita Falls, TX). But, I am not holding my breath.

Several people have compared the pain to a c-section. And, the BEST advice I got from my Lamaze coach was (she was preparing us, if we had to have a c-section, which I did) the first chance you get to stand up, to stand up as straight and tall as you can. And, to do this every time you stand up. Not to walk around all hunched over. Doing that does nothing to help get your muscles back in whack. So, I did it. All the nurses were SOOOO impressed with me. But, I was ready to get my catheter out, and she told me that I had to be able to walk to the bathroom to get it out. So, I was going to stand up and walk, like a Pro, no matter what. But, I have no CLUE what I am talking about, when it comes to banding surgery and the pain. I mean a c-section is lower abdominal and this is upper. But, I don't think it could hurt to stand up straight.

Sort of the same boat here. We have been in 6 years and never deployed. He did get a deployment order right after I got pregnant, and a guy in his office volunteered to take his place. That was to Iraq. Then this time, his 1st shirt, asked him what number round he was, because he was probably going to get picked and sent to Iraq. So, he told him to go volunteer for Kygerstan. Which he did! It's a lot safer. They have an actual AFB, with dorms, bx, gym, bar, Internet cafe, and they can even leave the base with groups and a Msgt. or higher. The best part or at least he thought so. Was he got 4 new uniforms, 2 pairs of boots, and a full set of Gortex Winter gear. He said he has the best skiing outfit he has ever own!

Air Force Wife Here! My Husband is deployed right now. He will be back in late January. Only 120 day deployment for Air force. Thank you God. I really feel for the other service branches and their families. To get the glittery thing. Click on someone else's glittery tag...like Mine! And it will take you to the web-site to make it. Then you copy and paste the BB code option into your signature, under the User CP options. Let me know if you need more help!

I agree. I think your body may need more calories for as active as you are. I lose in stair steps, meaning I don't lose every week, but Every other week or even third week. I also find that if I have a high calorie day during the week, I tend to lose more. But, I am not banded yet. And, I really think banding is a tool, it's not the answer or solution. At least that is how I am approaching it. I wish you success and happiness. Make healthy choices and think positive!

I can't wait to eat eggs again!! I am doing my pre-op diet, and I had to fix my daughter scrambeled eggs this morning. I swear I was drooling. I was jealous! So, Get excited! I would be too!

LUCKY!!! That's really great. I am sure you deserved every single penny. And, I bet he thinks you do too.

That's an AMAZING Victory in my book!!! I always thought I looked really good when I was a size 14! I am POSITIVE you look AWESOME in those jeans!! :wink2::thumbup::cursing::thumbup::cool:

Thanks for all the responses! I think we are going to have to get creative around here! I think I can herd her around the house, if we are on the 1st story. I think I can get her to hug my neck and I can just drag/pick her up out of the crib, w/o bending and lifting. Now, getting her into the highchair and bath tub. I haven't figured those out yet. I am POSITIVE it will all work out.

Will I be able to pickup my One year old daughter after surgery? 22lbs.

My Husband is deployed right now, and I am living with my parents. I would never of been able to even consider having lap-band surgery w/o my parents support. We are still trying to figure out how me not being able to pickup my 1 yo daughter, is going to work out, if one of them can not be at home. But, once he gets back at the end of January, I will probably be back in Montgomery, Alabama @ Maxwell AFB. YUCK!

Thanks! My Hubby made it for me!