SpideyMom

Thanks, John. I think you're right -- lost another pound! :thumbup:

Greek yogurt is not just thicker, it also has much, much more Protein than any regular yogurt, so straining regular yogurt will only thicken it, not make it more protein-rich, unfortunately. I swear by the plain Greek yogurt, just like your doctor said, nawlinzlady. However, I don't like sour things and I gave up sugar! SO, I always add two packets of Splenda to my serving to sweeten it. Once it is sweet, it tastes like vanilla yogurt to me, and any fresh fruit (including bananas) added is delicious!!! I also have added sugar-free preserves like others have mentioned, and I've been told that adding chocolate Protein powder makes a pudding-like treat, but I haven't tried that yet. Once at work I added a little bit of Strawberry-Banana South Beach Tide Me Over drink mix-in, and that was really yummy. I have also added a dollop or two of it to Protein shakes to make them thicker. That really packs in the protein, too! :frown: My surgeon, who is Lebanese, suggested straining the Greek yogurt (which is already thick), to make it thicker -- to spreadable cheese consistancy, then adding spices and perhaps a bit of olive oil to it and serving it with veggies or whole wheat crackers. He said it would be similar to "labneh." HTH!

PS -- On the Way, good luck finding that leak! Let us know what happens. :frown: And hopefully your reflux will go away soon also. :eek:

Well, the doc took out .5 ccs, which makes me less than where I was after my 3rd fill (I've had 4), but let me tell you... what a relief!!!! I feel awesome!!!! :frown: And I am back to enjoying food again. I had told several friends that it was to the point that all enjoyment was gone from eating. Heh... last night I had a whole steak & pepper kebab and it tasted like the best thing I had ever had in my life! I was very careful about cutting and chewing and taking my time, and I didn't have any problems. Oh, and important to note -- especially for you, On the Way -- my reflux went away instantly with the unfill. The doc said that the onset of reflux is definitely a sign of being too tight. What a relief that that burning pain is gone! And, to top it all off, I dropped two pounds since the unfill -- go figure! So, another Bandito lives to tell the story of a successful unfill... don't be scared to ask for one if you need it! :eek:

Pephlin, way to go! That's awesome -- 4 lbs. in one week!!! :frown::eek: I found one of the greatest tools to help me is the dailyplate (Click here: Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate). It is an online food tracker that helps you keep track of calories, Protein, Water intake, exercise, weight, and so much more. A believe a lot of people on this forum use it or a similar online food tracker. Good luck to you! Keep up the great work!

Hey, Chele, if you are vomiting up a Vitamin, you really are too tight. I strongly encourage you to go in to your doctor STAT and get a slight unfill. I ate something two weeks ago that got terribly stuck and I vomited it up. That caused swelling, and everything I ate after that (unless it was yogurt or a Protein drink) hurt to eat. I finally called my doc and went in for an unfill. The difference is night and day! I feel SO much better, and in just two days, 2 lbs. dropped off. So, don't think that having an unfill will necessarily cause you to gain weight. :eek: Get back on the bandwagon today by calling your surgeon for an appointment. I think you'll be very glad you did. We're rooting for you, girl! :frown:

Jacqui, it sounds like you really love your grandmother's rings. Our tastes are always changing, so why not wear your grandmother's rings and just enjoy them?! :frown::eek: Tell your hubby that you love your gold rings, but for right now, you're going to put them away for safe keeping. Then you can take your time and decide what you really want to do with the gold rings.

Thanks, everyone. I'll let you know how it goes. It seems to get worse every day! My PA thinks the stuck episode caused swelling around the band, which just isn't going away. Today I've had a Protein shake, 8 oz. of Water, and 3 cups of tea, and I hurt!! That is very odd for me. Usually I can drink lots of liquids and never have pain from it. Weird. Here's to getting back to the green zone! :smile:

Carrie, that is awful!! I would post on the main board here, inquiring if there are any good fill doctors in your area. I would bet there is someone out there on this board who can help you. Also, I would write a poor review of your surgeon on his profile, if he is listed under the official LAP-BAND®® surgeons. You don't want others going through what you've been struggling with. Remember, the customer is always right.....and in healthcare, the patient is the customer, and you deserve to be treated right. If you have a medical need that is urgent, you need to get an appointment. Period. Everything about that office sounds unprofessional! :smile: And, as far as no restriction goes, I was there for 4 months -- and I know it was hard!!! I just kept telling my doc how difficult it was, and he kept giving me small fills. Now that I finally got restriction, I was feeling great... until I ate something that got horribly stuck and now I can't eat much of anything without it hurting. So I went from the yellow zone for 4 months to the green zone for 1 1/2 weeks, to the red zone for 1 1/2 weeks. Let me tell ya, the green zone was great, as John337 can attest to, but the other zones suk. Hang in there! In the meantime, have you tried South Beach Tide Me Over mix-ins for Water? Each packet has 3g of Protein and 5g of Fiber and only 30 calories. It really does help curb your hunger more than just water between meals. Here's a link to check it out:http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=195721&catid=126486&aid=337953&aparam=south_beach_living_on_th&CAWELAID=215858979

Thanks, John! We like having you around! :smile: Good job, Sassysara! The important thing is to have fun while you are in Vegas! I'm sure you will do fine.

Wow, you all are amazing! Hmdavid and John337, you are leaving us all in the dust! Like I said before, I hope you don't leave us all together once you get to your goals. We need you to stick around and give us encouragement. :w00t: Somehow, I :smile: this week. It was going very slow at the beginning of the week, and then, the last two days, poof! Funny how that happens. Having my unfill today, so it should be interesting to see how next week's weight loss (?) goes. TGIF! Keep up the great work everyone!!! :thumbup:

Taz, glad to hear that you found a rhuematologist. I hope that you find that s/he is very helpful. I know mine is! She is so up on the latest developments and treatments for fibro, it is great. Most internists don't have time to become that involved in any one disease, which is why they are often not as knowledgeable about FM. Want so bad, you will know that your medicine is working vs. just having a good day when you start to have multiple good days in a row. When your good days outnumber your bad days, that is awesome! Lana24, that is very interesting about the artificial sweeteners. I definitely had a problem one time with too much nutrasweet. I went for years without touching it, but then starting drinking Diet Coke in 1998 and became addicted to it! I just quit that right before my banding this year. :smile: I do believe you that sweetner poisoning exists, because I've been a victim -- landed in the hospital with a severe kidney infection after a crash diet of nothing but "zero calorie" foods -- but I still think that FM exists, too. There are children who are diagnosed with FM. My best friend who has FM has a son who has it also. My rhuematologist told me that researchers believe there is a genetic link now. One day I think the mystery will be figured out, but it's going to take a long time because FM symptoms mimic so many other things! That's why it takes so long to get diagnosed, as we all probably know. Hang in there, my friends, I think we've got a good support group going here. And I know that my weight loss has definitely helped my fibro pain. Anyone else agree?

WOWZA! 940 lbs! :biggrin::smile: Are we awesome, or what?! (Carriemc, we're rounding up, so your 60.5 is counted as 61.) And this is just a sampling of the Mayo Banditos. I know there are more out there who just haven't checked in for a while. Foxxy, great to see you back here! :w00t: Don't say "boo" unless you're playing around for Halloween. :ohmy: Every pound lost is a pound closer to goal. You're doing great!! :thumbup: John337 -105 SpideyMom -70 hdmdavid -75 less-of-me -58 Oliviasmommy -25 tulsarealtorGB -38 ruguay -35 Sarahbellzz -34 Jennifer75 -55 Sbush70 -48 bkmom -34 naynayto2 -40 Mamadot -54 Mamabully -41 On the Way to Thin -44 DON14 - 102 carriemc78- 61 Foxxy-21 Total- 940 :w00t::biggrin:

Carrie, I think that is totally unacceptable! I would definitely look for another doctor. Check on here first. I believe there is a section where you can search for doctors by area. If you are having troubles and you can't get in for basically another month, you need to move on and find someone who will treat you right! You could even call your insurance company and ask them for other doctors in your area who would be covered under your plan. Good luck! You deserve better than that!

WOW, Kartman, that is awesome!!! Congratulations!

Don14, FANTABULOUS JOB!!! :eek: I didn't realize we have TWO Banditos who have lost over 100 lbs already! WOW!!! :eek: You know, that calls for the Dancing Vitamins!!! (not M&Ms) :party::w00t: And for the Mayo Banditos, who have almost made it to 1,000 lbs.... more of the same!! :w00t: :)

That is wonderful! You should have her join us here on the forum! We'd love to have her!

Leftover, great idea on having a ring made for you! Good luck! I found the website for Ring Snuggies: Ring Snuggies | The original ring adjuster I forgot to mention that they are comfortable. Jachut, I have heard you can have yellow gold plated white with rhodium, but it doesn't last forever. However, it's a thought if you really like your rings.

Foxxy, the pp above said everything I was going to say! Hang in there. You're doing great. And we'd love it if you joined us on the May 2009 board. There's a great group of people there who are very supportive. :scared2: Click here: May 09 Bandsters - LAP-BAND

Chele, I'm jumping in here late, but I wanted to congratulate you on getting back on the bandwagon! I hope things are going well for you! I would have to agree with one of the previous posters who said to not be afraid of an unfill. Someone I know was upset because she wasn't losing; she went to her doctor and it turns out she was too tight. Once she had an unfill, the pounds dropped. However, I also agree you need to get rid of the Cheetos. :scared2: I also have problems with chicken and oranges. I just keep trying different foods till I find things that work better for me and my band. Good luck to you!

I know! I was afraid I would lose mine also! I hope it works out for you.

Alright! We are going to surpass 1,000 pounds for sure! We're now up to -756!!!!:thumbup::w00t::tongue: Way to go, Banditos!!! :w00t::w00t::w00t: John337 -105 SpideyMom -70 hdmdavid -75 less-of-me -58 Oliviasmommy -25 tulsarealtorGB -38 ruguay -35 Sarahbellzz -34 Jennifer75 -55 Sbush70 -48 bkmom -34 naynayto2 -40 Mamadot -54 Mamabully -41 On the Way to Thin -44 Total -756 PS -- Mamadot, who is Mamabully, your alter ego? :scared2:

Aww, thanks, Jennie! You are so sweet. :thumbup: Congrats and best wishes for continued success to you also! :scared2:

Brandy, I have a 2-piece ring set also, and I found a ring guard that works. Best thing is, it's really cheap -- only $5.50 at Claire's in the mall! It's a package of 5 assorted sizes, and they are made of clear rubber. One of them was just the right size to encompass both rings at once (and that wasn't even the widest one). They are called "Ring Snuggies." Hope that helps!

WOW, Mamadot, that is really something -- from a 24/26 to a 16 in just 4 months? Amazing! Way to go!:scared2::thumbup::thumbup: I've been shopping at a local thrift store for my in-betweens, and just a few days ago was able to get into size 14 jeans! :tongue: I have never been this small since I've known my husband. It has been about 17 years since I was a 14. In May I was a 20/22. It feels great!!!