SpideyMom

Hi, everyone! I have been low-carbing it since I was banded on May 7, 2009. Years ago I tried Atkins and South Beach, with very limited success, but this time I took my own approach. I don't count how many carbs I take in, but I do limit them considerably! After two consultations with my surgeon and a few sessions with a therapist, I realized that I was *truly* addicted to sugar, just like an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. During the time between my first consultation and my surgery, I made the very difficult decision to completely give up sugar and all white carbs (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes). It's been going good so far, and the longer I go without those items, the easier it is. I guess you would say my diet is closer to South Beach. My foods include: unjury Protein shakes in the morning (when my band is usually tight); fat-free Greek yogurt (really high in protein); lentil Soup or black bean soup with low-fat cheese melted in; refried Beans topped with low-fat cheese, fat-free salsa, low-fat sour cream (eat with whole wheat baked pita chips or just with a spoon!); hummus & tahini with fresh veggies and sometimes a few All Bran Multigrain crackers or pita chips; low-carb "sandwich": any deli meat, cheese, condiments, etc., between two slices of low-fat swiss cheese (the swiss allows you to hold it without getting your hands wet or sticky :thumbup:); Breakstone's 2% high-fiber cottage cheese mixed with 1 small container of pre-made sugar-free Jell-o (don't knock it till you try it -- got the idea from someone else on this board! :thumbup:); scrambled eggs with cheese; and if I'm out at a fast food restaurant, I choose a salad with grilled chicken on top, or I get a cheeseburger with all the toppings, take off the buns, use a fork and knife, and cut it all up into "cheeseburger salad." :thumbup: I have a question for you all: Has anyone found a good whole wheat/whole grain low-carb bread? :mad2: I was shocked to see to sugar content in most whole wheat breads! TIA! PS - A big hello to Minxz and LindaD, my fellow Mayo Banditos! :thumbup:

Awesome, OntheWay! :mad2:

This is great that everyone's trying to get some exercise in here and there. I think it has made a big difference for me compared to other times when I have lost weight. This is the first time I've really made a point to add any exercise. I don't do a lot compared to some people, but considering I have fibromyalgia and arthritis and I used to never be able to do anything without severe pain, I'm happy to be moving at all! I use a pedometer and walk wherever/whenever I can. Now that school has started, I walk my son to school, which is 1 mile round trip every morning before work. That helps wake me up! lol I also try to get in a 30-min. walk around the neighborhood at least 3x/week. Over the summer, I started doing Water aerobics (*loved* it) and water walking/jogging. That was awesome exercise. I'm looking into joining the rec center so I can continue my pool exercise throughout the winter. Oh, and I take the stairs now instead of the elevator -- that is huge for me. I injured both knees when I was 19 and now they are full of arthritis, so stairs were impossible for me -- up or down. Now I can do them! I'm slow as a turtle, but who cares? I'm doing it!! :thumbup: ValJean, that's amazing the amount of exercise you do. That Bikram yoga is wild! My boss does it and he swears by it -- tries to convince everyone in the office to try it. I'm afraid I would pass out! Keep up the great work, everyone! :mad2:

I was also told it was okay to break them in half. Good luck!

YES! I totally agree! And congrats on your other NSVs, also.

Hooray for everyone! :seeya: Great job!! :thumbup::thumbup: I :frown: this week, putting me in ONE-derland. Hooray! :thumbup: And John, WOOHOO!!!! MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED POUNDS LOST!!!! Fantastic work! Let's celebrate! :thumbup::party::thumbup: (No, those are not M&Ms, they are dancing Vitamins.)

Hey, Sarah, don't waste your money on the Rogaine! That's for people who are losing their hair because of genetics, not weight loss reasons. When I have had hair loss from weight loss in the past, I have always been deficient in Vitamin D also, which is why my doctor just ordered a blood test for that (and Iron levels). Vitamin D supplements are sold over the counter also. It's also important to get all your other Vitamins in, so make sure you are taking a Multivitamin with iron. And, about all that hair you are seeing, just to let you know, it is less that what you think it is. If you were to take the hairs that come out in your hands, count them one by one, there won't be 100 every time you shower. How do I know? Well, this is actually the fourth time I've lost my hair. And the first time I lost it, I lost all of my hair -- to chemo. When I started losing the second time (due to weight loss/Vit. D deficiency), I was freaking out, as you can imagine, having been truly bald before! That's when the doctor explained about hair (esp. long hair) looking like so much more in your hands than it really is. So, I started counting (think tweezers), and she was right. I wasn't losing 100 each time. And, the majority of your hairs fall out when you shampoo, so you aren't losing that much all day long. So breathe a little sigh of relief for that! :w00t: However, all that said, it's still no fun to lose any of your hair, ever! But, it will grow back, believe me!! Been there, done that enough times to know! :blushing: But it does take patience. And maybe some Vitamin D and Biotin. Never tried Biotin those other times, so I'm anxious to see if it helps this time. You might want to ask your doctors about getting a blood test done for Vit D and iron levels. Could be more to it than you think! Good luck, everyone! PS - My surgeon said the hair loss is stemming from rapid weight loss, not from lack of Protein. God knows, we're all getting lots of protein!

Aww, thanks, Less. :w00t: It is hard to tell if restriction is back when you're on liquids. I'm in the same boat. Had fill #4 on Tuesday, and am just now eating lentil soup. It's sorta starting to fill me up, but not as much as I'd like it to. We'll see what happens at dinner tonight. That will be the true test for me. Good luck to you! :blushing:

That is phenomenal, Jerry! Keep up the great work! :w00t:

Glad to hear it, OnTheWay. My doc and PA both say the measurement of the saline is inexact because it is to know when you have pulled it all up in the syringe and then how much you have actually added once it all goes back down again. So, it is easy for them to think they got a certain mg in, but be off by a little bit. Sounds like she just miscalculated. Don't worry! :w00t: Hope it doesn't happen again. :blushing:

Thanks, Sarahbellz! I have been taking Biotin for months and months, with no relief in sight for my hair, skin, or nails, but I was only taking 300 mg. a day! I was wondering on here just the other day how much I should be taking. I just ran out, so now I know how much I need to get. Thanks so much for the 411. At my last fill, my doc also order some blood tests, just to make sure I'm not anemic or deficient in Vit. D. I have had trouble with both of those in the past. I'm stopping at the store tonight! Thanks again! :w00t:

Less of me, you are doing fantastic with your WL! I would hang in there with the sideways port for awhile, but I would also start saving money because it sounds like eventually you will need to get it re-sutured. Find out from your surgeon how much that will cost -- I'm sure it's nowhere near the cost of the LB surgery. Keep your chin up. It will all work out somehow. Have faith! :w00t:

Sweetbean, that's great! What a wonderful feeling that is not to have the typical aches and pains. I can totally relate! :w00t:

Oh my goodness, BK! You are a walking mystery! I hope they can get rid of it quickly and easily! Glad there's no problem with the band. Good luck and keep us posted! :blushing:

Whoa -- that is cool!!!! I love it! :thumbup: And it happens to be my son's birthday, which makes it even cooler. He's five, though, not nine, which would be really cool and almost freaky! lol

Those are awesome NSVs, Sarahbellz! I still can't cross my legs comfortably. It's great to see you back on here. Please keep checking in with us! :thumbup: I have another NSV -- a funny one -- I put on a pair of capris on the other day, and they were a bit baggy. I was in my bedroom debating whether to wear them or not, and I tugged on them to see how loose they were. Well, they came off even though they were zippered and buttoned! LOL

Thanks, Jennifer! It does feel good, but I'm a little nervous about One-derland still because I'm only one pound into it (199) LOL! Don't worry, it's just around the corner for you! You have done so well -- 60 lbs lost!! WOW! I'm so glad you have found the sweet spot. I really want to find that. I can't even imagine how 1/2 a cup of food would keep me full for 4 - 5 hours. I know it can be done, though! Keep up the great work, Jennifer! And keep checking in! :thumbup:

Ok, so my body heard me complaining about it -- lol -- and this morning I was back down in ONE-derland! Hooray! :crying: Just goes to show you how one day you're up, the next day you're down. LOL I hope I just stay down from now on.

Work in Progress, good luck with the protein shakes! I think it is really making a difference for me. :sad: Oliviasmommy, way to go --4 lbs!! :mad: Mamadot, I've been taking Biotin also, but I don't know how much to take. I just ran out and have been wondering how many mgs. to buy. I told my surgeon about my hair loss and how you can now start to see my scalp (egads), so he wrote out an order for a bunch of blood tests just to be sure I'm not anemic or low in Vitamin D, both of which I've had problems with in the past, and both of which can also cause hair loss along with rapid weight loss. I think I may also try that Niacin shampoo. Thanks for the tip! :blush2:

Thanks for explaining it, John. You have a better way of telling things than I do. And I'm so glad to hear that your still cruisin' in the green zone! :hurray: I just got back from my 4th fill. The nurse wasn't sure if the surgeon would give me a fill because I lost 12 lbs. in 5 weeks, but like John said, I was aggressive with them. I stood up for myself and insisted that I was very hungry after 2 hours and that I was constantly eating 1-1/2 to 2 cups of food at a sitting! It's not fun to be hungry! The surgeon listened to me. He started out with .5, but that was a tiny bit uncomfortable for me, so we backed down to .25, just like you, John. I'm fine with that. :smile: I'm now at 7.25 in a 10 cc band. Oh, and this weekend I hit ONE-derland! :sad: For one day. :mad: Got on the scale and I'm up 2 lbs. just like that *snap*! Grrr... how frustrating! The next day, I'm up another pound! :blush2: What the??? I know it's all body fluctuations, but come on, bod, don't tease me like that when I finally see ONE-derland!!! That's just a cruel joke. :hurray:

Congrats, Rachael! You are more than halfway there now!!!

Hey, Sarah, sorry to hear about your "camel mode" episode. I've never heard it described that way, but it makes sense. I'm glad you have a good doctor who recognized immediately what you need to do. I started adding a protein shake every morning about two weeks ago, and it jump-started my weight loss. I'm sure it will with you, also. (My hair is also falling out like crazy!) Good luck to you, Sarah! Keep your chin up!

Carrie, I'm beginning to see that I really do have a good doc, for which I am grateful. I used to think he was so conservative, only giving 0.5 cc each time, but now I realize that he is at least giving me something when other docs won't give anything. What a shame. It is no fun to be so hungry! I thought that was a lot of what the band was about -- helping to quell the hunger! :smile2: On the Way, please don't be discouraged. It is a journey. I think that in the beginning we all tend to have more restriction because it was closer to surgery, when our stomachs were very swollen. So now your stomach isn't as swollen, and also, as you continue to lose weight, you are losing fat around your stomach and your stomach is shrinking, so you need more restriction. Think of it as a belt around your waist. As you lose weight, your waist gets smaller, and you are going to have to keep moving to a new notch on your belt. Eventually (so I'm told!) you will get to the point where you're in the green zone or find that "sweet spot" and you won't need as many fills. John337 is a great one to explain this better. He has had a lot of fills (and a couple unfills) and he knows more about it than I do. John, are you out there?? :thumbup:

Lisa, that's too bad. I've heard a lot of people say that their doctors won't give them a fill if they lose too much. I've lost about 12 lbs. every month, but the fact that I can eat so much and still be so hungry is what my doctor focuses on. Next time you go in, you should really emphasize how miserable it is to be so hungry in between meals. Good luck!! :smile2:

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! You all are amazing!!!! :w00t: You have all done so well this week! Even you, Rebecca, because you are hanging in there! :thumbup: And, John, you're the first to get to 100!! We have to have a party for you!!! :party:I hope you don't abandon us once you reach your goal. You started this group and are our inspiration, and we would like to see you continue to check in and give us tips and support. :smile2: I lost 2 lbs. this week, for a total of 62 lost so far. I'm really happy! I made a change two weeks ago that I believe has really helped me. I started drinking an Unjury protein shake every morning for breakfast. I never am able to eat much in the mornings and therefore, I sometimes skipped breakfast and didn't get enough protein in for the day. Once I started doing the protein shake every morning, I felt like I had more energy, and I've lost 6 lbs. in the two weeks since I've been doing it. Can't be certain that it is related, but it makes me feel better, so I'm going to keep it up. Just thought I'd pass that along in case anyone else is skipping breakfast because of being too tight in the morning.