niecyrenee

I walk as well but I too was looking for something different so I have added some other things. Some things I do: ride the bike, light weight lifting and crunches. I also bought a DVD at Wal-Mart that is a cardio dance routine. I don't know the exact name of it but it's not bad and not expensive. It's a good workout but it did teach me that I have no funk! :heh: My dh gets 40 mins. of pure comedic entertainment! I really don't know about the eating around walking thing. I get up and walk at 4:00 a.m. and don't eat Breakfast until 7:00. That's just how my schedule works out and it works well for me.

My doctor told me to not bend over for at least 4 weeks to give the incisions time to heal. All docs are different but you may want to check with yours about it.

Hey Tann! I am planning to follow it for 7 days but you know how things go. I have a conference Thursday and the only meats that will be at the dinner are bratwurst and barbecue pork. Not the best options. I wonder which one would be the best to eat? I signed up at lowcarbfriends.com yesterday. I got my approval e-mail this morning so when I get caught up here, I plan to hop over there and join the "Losing 100lbs. in 2007" thread. I need to check my calendar at home to double check my weight loss this year so far. I have a NSV to share! I went to the doctor this morning to get my blood drawn for blood work. (He took me off my cholesterol meds two months ago because my numbers where excellent!) Anyway, he took my blood pressure this morning and it was low! :dance: He said that he wanted me to cut my pill in half everyday and soon I would be off it completely!!! That is the only pill I am on and I look forward to having none. WOOHOO!!!

My answers based on my experiences/preferences: cottage cheese w/ raspberries & splenda I have no problems with cottage chesse however I don't add anything to it due to personal preference not because of problems. Wasa crackers (high Fiber whole grain) with crunchy Jif Peanut Butter Crackers do not give me any trouble. Creamy peanut butter doesn't either but I don't eat it often at all. I was recommended to not eat a lot of nuts from my nutritionist because she said most people don't chew them up well enough to digest them and some people have problems so I haven't tried crunchy. coffee w/ cream I don't like coffee. Iced Raspberry tea w/ lemon (decaf) I can't imagine having problems with this but I have chosen to give up all tea. I drink Water 99% of the time. Caesar salad w/ grilled chicken I haven't had any problems with either of these foods but again I was told that a lot of people have problems with leafy vegetables. steak As long as it is tender and without fat, I have no problems. I just cut it into tiny bits and eat very slowly. chicken breast No problems at all. I eat baked boneless, skinless chicken breast quite a bit. (I hate fish) Ditto! asparagus Don't like asparagus. fresh green Beans I LOVE fresh green beans and eat them regularly! broccoli I have only tried it cooked but I had no problems. squash Squash is easy for me to eat as well. corn bread I haven't tried corn bread because I typically try to stay away from bread. Other breads that I have tried haven't bothered me but a lot of people can't eat them. corn tortillas I have had them a couple times with no problems. apples As long as it is skinless. bananas Goes down fine for me. oranges Haven't tried. all berries I have only tried eating strawberries and blackberries and haven't had any problems but I didn't eat very many of them. grapes No problems. I usually peel the skins off. cheddar cheese Never given me a problem. I eat low fat cheeses regularly. I LOVE cheese! nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts) See above under peanut butter. chinese food w/ veggies and chicken My nutritionist told me to not eat rice so I haven't. I love chinese food but since I can't have rice, I haven't eaten any. This is just my experiences but everyone is different. Good luck!

I have tried the South Beach diet protein bars. They aren't too bad but I prefer my protein shake.

I snack occasionally but not everyday. Typical snacks for me are a low fat cheese stick or a Jello SF pudding cup. I even have protein shakes for snacks once in a while.

I just asked my doctor to write me a recommendation letter and he did, free of charge. I gave him an idea of what they were looking for and he put it all in the letter and gave me a copy. It did the job cause not long afterwards, I was approved!

For me, it wasn't bad at all. The only uncomfortable part was the gas that others have mentioned but even it wasn't that bad. I never once took a pain pill. I took a week off from work but could have easily have went back earlier except I was lazy. :heh: I got accustom to having my afternoon nap and wasn't ready to give it up! One thing that helped me along more than anything was walking. I was up walking in no time after surgery. I believe it had a lot to do with my speady recovery. Good luck and keep us updated!

Regrets? Not a chance! This is the best decision I've made (outside of marrying dh!). We researched and thought about lapband surgery for a year because my dh had doubts but now, he's as much for it as I am! The risks of being obese are significantly worse than the risks of surgery. It has saved my life! Don't let anyone tell you it's not hard work, because it is. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it work but it's well worth it!

Welcome to LBT! There is a lot of good information on here so read up and if you have any questions, ask away. Good luck to you!

I'm glad everything turned out ok with your EKG. I bet it is an advantage to work in the medical field. There have been a few times when that would have been nice. I think my surgery was only like 45 mins. (If I'm remembering right.) Not bad at all. March is just a few days away!! :biggrin1:

Tann, I have another question. Do you take (or need) any type of fiber supplement when you are on the M/E fast? I was wondering how it would affect that function.

I did like the site! There is a wealth on info there! I am not getting any work done today because I've been reading all day. :kiss

Welcome to LBT! Sounds like you are doing great! Congratulations!

Welcome Keith! :wave: You have found an essential part of the lapband journey, a great support system! The people here are wonderful and have lots of experience to share. Good luck with your pre-op diet and your surgery. Let us know how everything is going!!

Welcome to LBT! This place is an added benefit to a great doctor and support staff! There are wonderful people here and a wealth of knowledge. Hope everything goes well for you! Keep us posted!

Challenge went well this weekend. I felt it when I got up this morning for sure! The scale didn't move this weekend but at least it didn't go up! I will be starting the M/E fast tomorrow. :hungry: I'm looking forward to it. Tann, I assume that since venison is a lean meat that it's ok? I went to that website you mentioned and checked it out. Anyone else interested in the M/E fast?

Angela, that is fantastic! Way to go! :clap2:

Wow! That sounds amazing! We like to travel to either climate. We haven't decided yet for sure where we are going but we are looking north of us. We are thinking about Wisconsin/Michigan. Something like that. I have been looking into Mackinac Island. It sounds interesting. Ever been there?

Avilla, that is wonderful news about your son!! I am so excited for him! And it sounds like you have been really busy. I don't envy you at all. Think of all the calories you have to be scrubbing away though! Isn't it funny how when we put a time on something it seems to take forever because we are watching the clock way to closely! It seems to be the longest 45 mins ever! It is worth it though, I just have to keep reminding myself that.....as I crawl to the couch for rest! :heh:

My biggest NSV to date is needing to buy new jeans and realizing that I had dropped several sizes! I knew I needed new ones but I was amazed at how much smaller they were. Another, how nice it is to be able to stand for long periods of time and not be tired. What a nice feeling!

That is awesome! Way to go!!!

That sounds like a lot of fun! I don't know if it would work out this year or not but when are you going?

I often find myself wanting to run up and tell total strangers about the band but I always stop myself because I don't want to offend anyone.

I have really gotta find somewhere interesting to travel to! I have been ordering some visitor's guides to states all over the US for our summer vacation. What I really want to do is book a cruise but my dh isn't fond of the idea at all. I will have to work harder to convince him next summer. And hopefully by then I will look good in a bathing suit!