Band_Groupie

I'm 5 mo. out and have good restriction now. The calorie count is usually close to what I need (I'm tracking everything). I'm not a cook, and so I might be missing something, but I'm trying to get into a routine that will be a lifestyle change I can live with. I'm not hungry at all between meals, and I eat about a cup at each, but to get in all the Protein that's pretty much all I eat; I hardly ever get in enough veggies, fruit (hardly ever get ANY fruit in), or dairy. The 3oz. of protein (to get 20+g/meal) is usually 3/4 C right there...and that's if it's just plain meat. Is anyone able to achieve this on a daily basis? How do you get in all the protein AND veggies/fruit/dairy servings without eating more than a cup, or too many calories. My requirements (they don't look very different from most peoples): - *Key to this is that I (and my doc) do not want to drink calories including Protein shakes (I get that works for some of you). - About 60-70g of SOLID protein- that means I have to fit in more than 20g per meal. - Several servings of veggies, fruit, and some dairy per day - About 1C per meal. NUT says up to 1.5C, but no way can I eat that much, and it seems like that much could stretch things- BTW my NUT was NO help, gave me conflicting info. even. - 3 meals a day, no Snacks - 1000-1200 cals. per day I keep reading the posts on what people are eating and either they're drinking protein shakes, they're not eating enough at all (tiny amounts or too few calories), or they're no way coming close to enough protein, let alone veggies, fruit, and dairy. Just looking at the 'what I ate today' posts and most people aren't even coming close to getting the recommended 60g of solid protein. Am I missing something, is this even doable? If I'm not hungry between meals do I even need all that protein- are we eating it for nutrition or to satisfy our hunger longer? Or should I just not worry about the fruit, veggies, dairy? Help!

OK, glad to see others are working this out. I've got some new ideas of things I didn't think of; have been doing the greek yogurt, but hadn't thought about it as a sauce! ...and I'm going to have to look up canellini Beans (what are they?)...but I've been looking for different beans to add. Bought some chick peas/edamame...anyone have a hummus recipe that's not spicy? I just started adding 3T of soy Protein to my morning oatmeal 1/2 sv. It's now more protein than oatmeal...blech! I need another trip to GNC- good powder additions to solids, thanks! Lots of good ideas here...keep 'em coming! I've been reading the 'what I ate today' thread for awhile and it was just depressing me and wasn't helping with my needs, thanks so much all (SweetZ- doc says if you wanted to go on a Liquid Protein diet you should have done that and not gotten the band LOL....defeats the purpose of the band. Yeah, my sis lost a lot of wt. on a liquid protein diet...gained it back...doesn't teach you how to live.)

Thanks SweetZ! I was beginning to wonder if ANYONE was able to achieve this...and yet, most of our docs give very similar requirements; at least those of us that were told not to have liquid calories. I'm thinking I might have to start adding some Snacks in (my doc doesn't allow), even though I'm not hungry between meals, but I'm only losing a pound a week, so I'm not anxious to add more calories. Even on your day, I see you didn't get fruit in either (maybe in the yogurt?)...I never do. I'll have to look for some of those soy snacks...great idea. I'm beginning to see why so many here still use Protein shakes. This seems impossible to acheive...but I'm not giving up yet! Thanks!

Sounds like it's perfect! 8#'s a month is great...I'd take that!! Why a Chemo nurse? More experience with those kinds of needles?

16's!!! Great job! I can hardly wait for the 16's! Keep it up! -BG

Today marks the first day of Autumn here. We put up the Fall decorations this weekend. I usually wait until the end of Sept., but the next two weekends are booked for DH/and or I so we're early this year (I need his help with the outside stuff). Plus I never got the Easter or Memorial/4th of July stuff up this year because of the LB, so I'm ready to dive into another holiday (I'm a holiday freak). I thought I'd take a few pics of my fall decorations to share for those crafters out there. I love to craft so I try to add one new thing each year (and usually get rid of old tired things). Dag, I forgot the outside...I'll take one this week to share. - Pic 1: My stairs with basket pumpkins (store bought). DS2 stepped on the big pumpkin coming down the stairs in the dark last night; crushed it in, but DH popped it back out...creases in the back LOL. - Pic 2: The lighted garland/bows (my neighbors tell me it looks nice at night through the glass front door). Closer to Halloween we add a giant spider web that goes across the whole 2 story foyer and up to the 2nd floor...the kids love throwing hundreds of plastic spiders up into the web (they catch and dangle down) and we have some flys and rats we wrap like a cacoon. - Pic 3: My foyer table. DS2 and I made the pumpkin flower arrangement a few years back when he was sick at home for a week. I'm not a silk flower lover, but it works for me with fall's bright colors. He grew all the gourds in his veggie garden and we dried them. Oh, and you can see my glass front door I've mentioned before in the mirror reflection. - Pic 4: My fireplace. I've been a Homeroom Mom for all three of our kids and as an ex-art teacher I always organize the craft. I've done the pumpkins on the right with each of their classrooms over the years. For other HR moms or those with kids (I made these up, but they're easy I swear): just a block of wood with a dowel hot glued on the top pre spray painted orange/green stem and ready for the kids to "pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch" (set them out on the floor) to decorate....raffia bows (we premade with green pipe cleaners -Kids twist around the stem with some silk green leves and older kids can make tendrils with the ends of the pipe cleaners by wrapping over a pencil, some glue-ons (spiders, etc.- they would bring to us to hot glue where they wanted) and for the face either sharpie or black sticker paper they cut depending on the grade of the class (did the black stickers with the kindergarteners- just give them large/small squares and they can cut shapes). We made DH make the big one on the right a few years back (under many protests...he hates to do art), but it didn't look right with one from each of us in the family and not him (the kids love his- candy corn wooden glue-on eyes). - Pic 5: Acorn trees in the Dining Room. I would suggest doing these to no one! When we moved here about 10 years ago DH collected a bucket of acorns from the backyard (our backyard is up against a large wooded hillside going down with huge oak trees). He brings them in and proudly proclaims...Here, we got these for you to do a craft with! .....Ummm thanks? No clue what to do...I got some styrofoam cone shapes, covered them with fabric and hot glued the acorns on and then sprayed them with a sealant. Well, I kept finding what looked like tiny wood shavings around them...finally figured out there were tiny acorn worms burrowing holes out of them DISGUSTING...bagged them for a year and re-sealed them really well...and every year when I get these out I still have to re-glue acorns on that fall off (have a few missing in the photo- need to get out the glue gun today)....but thanks Honey for the acorns!

Haven’t you heard? Today’s the last full day of Summer; tomorrow is the first day of Autumn (well, at least up here on the top half of the World)! Yeah Baby, get out your bikini and run through that sprinkler one more time…Slip ‘N Slide?...Don’t mind if I do! I don’t know about you, but this summer went by like a flash. I know it will be one I'll always remember! Have you ever thought about all that beautiful sunshine and where it comes from? It looks like a speck of dust on the surface of the sun. But this spectacular picture shows the space shuttle Atlantis alongside the International Space Station (ISS) silhouetted as they orbit the earth. The image was taken in Normandy by French astrophotographer Thierry Legault. He used a digital camera attached to a $7,000 specially fitted telescope. The next image (below) is an enlargement. The shuttle and the space station can be seen in orbit 250 miles above the earth while the sun is 93 million miles away. Stop and think for a while about how far away the sun is from the camera compared to the shuttle and station. It will blow your mind. I thought I’d celebrate the last of summer with one last great summer sunset. Here’s some music to click on and play as you enjoy the sunset on another wonderful summer...click HERE. Enjoy… Keep reaching for the sun all!!!

Coughing at night is a big sign of acid reflux, which can be very dangerous to your esophagus and your pouch. A small unfill may be all you need, but it sounds like you need a hernia repair as well? Best wishes. -BG

OK, I'm a Scale Whore, so I can't help you there (SWA Member), but you need to track your calories for a few days. If you're getting less than about 800 or so, you'll go into 'Starvation Mode'. Your body thinks there's a famine and it slows your metabolism to hang onto every calorie. Keep the calories up to at least 1000 and get in enough SOLID protein and you won't be so hungry. Best wishes -BG

CONGRATULATIONS! *Doing the happy dance with you here* Such a great feeling! -BG

Risky- I know you know you're too tight, but do you realize this could be sabotaging your WL? You may not be getting in enough calories and are now in starvation mode...you may be getting in too many calories by eating the easy 'slider' foods. If you can't eat ANY meat or solid proteins, then your band isn't really able to help you out and keep you from feeling hungry. Call your doc or NUT to discuss what's going on...too tight may be the very thing that's making this harder for you. Best wishes -BG

Hope you feel better soon...can't believe they wanted you back to work that fast!!! Congratulations on your banding! -BG

It's hard to wait, but do what your doc suggests. These 6 weeks are the most important of your whole banded life for healing...don't want to mess up your tool before you even get the help from it!

You look great! Boiled eggs are hard...they don't break down at all in the pouch...like eating a rubber ball...chew, chew, chew.

187 today...1 pound at a time. Lingling...where are you? We don't need a spreadsheet...we just miss your company here!

"On September 24th and 25th, the world's financial representatives and leaders will come together to discuss economic policies and address the global financial crisis in Pittsburgh." The G-20 Summit begins tomorrow and the delegates are arriving (our President arrives today). President Obama will chair this meeting of 20 leaders from countries around the world that represent 85 percent of the world’s economy. Pittsburgh was chosen in May by the White House (the last summit was held in London in April). The reason for Pittsburgh? "The reason, according to the White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, was that Pittsburgh today serves as a model for economic and environmental transformation in the United States and abroad. The city has reinvented itself by building a balanced, innovation-driven economy based on its strengths in advanced manufacturing, financial services, information and communications technologies, health care and life sciences, education and research, and energy and environmental solutions." Pittsburgh has the first green convention center (where the Summit is being held) in the nation and the former steel mill town is now known for its higher education and health care and technology innovation. They've been preparing for the Summit for months now here. Streets have been repaved (although many roads are closed) and many local businesses and schools are closed. Downtown looks like a police state (police officers from every suburb are working this event; there was a lot of violence at the London summit that they are trying to avoid here) and hordes of protestors have come to town as well to draw attention to their issues (8 Greenpeace activists were arrested yesterday hanging off one of the city's bridges). No matter what your political or global views, I think we can all agree to have hope that the mission of this Summit is successful (to evaluate measures taken since the London summit and to implement new policies that will stimulate the global economy). We should all keep hope in our hearts that our economy will improve!

Barbara- I hear you...my DD graduated last spring with a double majors (Marketing/Intl. Bus.) and it was almost impossible for her to find a job (almost all her friends in Bus. went to grad school because they couldn't find a job). DD is in an Advertising job now and makes less than what I did when I moved from teaching to my first job in the business world over 20 years ago...not enough to live on (but we keep telling her the experience is invaluable because advertising is what she wants to do). Tell your son to start looking for an internship with a company that might hire him once he graduates, as soon as he can. Keep the faith...things have got to start looking up...at least a little!

Great idea JayTee, especially as we're about to all hit our 6 month bandiversaries in Oct. I've been wondering if others are still around here that we don't see often. I think these first 5-6 months have been crazy...not losing, losing, Bandster Hell, PB's, Sliming, restriction, no restriction, frustration, elation, doubt, trust... What a rush of emotions and the learning curve on this band changes almost daily! My blog here on LBT and posting have helped me a lot in creating the support system I need...helps you feel like you're not the only one going through all these things! I'm at a good place, I hope, now with good restriction finally. I'm lovin' my band...there's always been some doubt that this would work for me, but I have NO hunger right now between 1C meals...awesome. If you don't have great restriction yet...hang in there! It takes some many fills and some almost at capacity to get there (saw one gal who took a year to get restriction...I give her a lot of credit for sticking with the fills), so don't give up hope! We're here to support you! Can't wait to hear from all the Bunnies!

Hmmm...as a non-healthcare worker, I don't think I'd buy the supplies to even be tempted. Needles/blood/discomfort wouldn't bother me a bit. Puncturing my port or tubing...too much of a risk for me. I'd go to the ER at my doc's hospital. Interesting subject though. "Fill parties"?!! Seriously?!!

I'm finding even 20g at every meal eating a cup or less is now hard for me to do, but I'm working on it! Let us know how you're getting 30g in! Poor puppy!

Keep some high protein bars, or something similar around (in your car, purse, etc.) for these emergencies. You can eat them on-the-go.