juliansmom2003

okay, so I know this is kind of crazy to ask, but I of course forgot my lunch today and need to buy something, so I was thinking of getting a turkey BLT salad from saladworks (304 calories--I get it dry and use my own FF catalina). the thing is, I don't have my scale with me and have no restriction. I can't find anything online either--does anyone know how much one of these suckers roughly weighs? I'm trying to hard not to stretch out my pouch, but with no restriction right now, that means stopping myself while I'm still hungry :-( thanks for any info anyone has!!

Believe me, I can soooo relate. I had a 6 inch subway sandwich a couple of weeks ago and have NO restriction (haven't had my first fill yet). My worry is that I'd stretch my pouch eating that much, but a lot of people say that their docs have mentioned it takes a lot more than that to stretch the pouch. We shall see soon- I have my 6 week post op appt on Tuesday and from there we'll get my fill scheduled-THANK GOD! My thing is everyone says that hungry is different after the band and stomach rumbling is actually head hunger. Sorry then I don't know what 'real' hunger feels like! I am thinking full is that hiccup, quick inability to breathe and chest pain, but I am not sure. That said, I only had that feeling about twice. I'm with you- my scale isn't moving either. Hang in there!!

I know this sounds like a silly question, but I am really looking to figure out WTH is going on with me. So, restriction...is it something you all feel in your stomach or is it higher, like in your chest? I recall someone at support group mentioning that full feels different to her now, but I have no clue what that means LOL. I am in the final days of the soft stage and moving onto lifetime on Wednesday (day 43--wow! never thought I'd see the day!) Ever since Thursday, I have been getting a very weird feeling. It's not pain, it is uncomfortable, and it comes and goes. Nothing in particular triggers it, it can be an hour after I've eaten, when I'm eating, just any old time. I get this weird feeling sometimes in my chest area like I almost can't breathe and it gets intense if I'm yawning or breathing in at that time. Again, it doesn't hurt, but it's very uncomfortable and it's not something that's constant. I posted before about a "lump" in my throat and I apologize for any confusion. I don't have an actual lump in my throat from the anesthesia tube, as I'm almost 6 weeks post op. This crazy feeling just started out of nowhere and nothing in particular triggers it. I'm not sure if it's an indicator of something major or if it can just wait until I see my surgeon on 12/8 (when we discuss if I need to get my first fill). I have been "one of those" who can eat anything and feels no different than before I was banded. No pbing, no vomiting, nothing! I'm so confused right now that I don't have a clue what full truly feels like or why this feeling is happening all of a sudden. I'm just hoping that someone can give me some ideas. I've been all over the internet this weekend trying to find anything remotely close to what I'm having and I must be crazy because I can't find a darn thing! I hope someone has an idea! This is all so strange to be happening now! I just hope there's nothing wrong! :confused:

So, I've done pretty well today. Had my oatmeal this morning, some almonds and apricots for a snack, some grilled chicken for lunch (LONG day at the airport with layovers and major delays--was in the air/airports ALL day). It's now 7 pm and I'm freaking starving. Right now I have 680 calories in and have been moved to 800 to 1,000. I am ordering me some room service. I stayed away from the burger and rigatoni primavera that was calling my name and am going for the tomato bisque soup and club sandwich (minus the bread). I deserve it, right? Saw the nutritionist on Monday and she can't seem to figure out why I stopped losing except that I'm good and ready for my first fill. I agree! I'm ready to lose some more!!! I can't wait to see the doc next week to get this puppy scheduled. Anyway, just wanted to say that day 1 is okay....hope I can figure out what to do tomorrow while I'm in my business meetings!!!! It's so tough measuring portions on sight!!! Anyone have tips on that?

I feel like I'm on here asking a million questions per day LOL! So, ever since Thanksgiving (when I think I may have taken one bite too many causing that God awful pain), I have had this intermittent chest pain on my left side. I'm not sure if it's related to this incident or it's something else, but could this be gas too? I take a deep breath every now and then to see if it's gone away and sure enough it's still there (doesn't affect my ability to breathe in deep, but it's how I can tell whether or not it's gone). Is anyone familiar with this one? Definitely a new pain for me.... Thanks!

I have no idea how to describe this feeling. It comes and it goes. The best way to describe it is that it's almost like a lump between my throat and my chest. It doesn't necessarily happen when I'm eating either. It's been like this for a couple of days now and I'm not sure if it's anything to be concerned about. Has anyone had the same issues or know of anyone that has? Trying not to freak out, but I'm not sure if it's a symptom of a real issue here...

Here are the ones I promised. The cheesecake is only 163 calories per slice and 15 g of protein! You better believe that has been my Breakfast the last 3 days. Anyone else have some good band friendly recipies to trade? Kickin' Cranberry Sauce PER SERVING (1/3 cup): 63 calories, 1g fat, 20mg sodium, 13g carbs, 2g Fiber, 8.5g sugars, 1g Protein -- POINTS® value 1* Dab or pile this stuff on top of your turkey. Or just eat it plain! (There’s so much good fruit in here, we wouldn’t blame you.) P.S. For quick day-of assembly, start this off the day before... Ingredients: One 12-oz. bag whole cranberries One 11-oz. can mandarin orange segments in their own juice 1 cup peeled and finely chopped apples 1 envelope (1/4 oz.) dry unflavored Gelatin 2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated) 1/4 cup Water. Set stove to medium heat, cover pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes, uncovering to stir occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water, stir well and set aside. Turn off heat and stir in gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved and thoroughly combined. Stir in cinnamon and apples and mix well. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (overnight is best). Once chilled and set, remove mixture from the fridge and give it a good stir. Drain juice from the can of orange segments. Roughly chop orange segments and drain any excess liquid from them. Slightly crush almonds so that they break into smaller pieces. Add chopped orange segments and almond pieces to the cranberry sauce, and mix thoroughly. Serve with lean turkey, pork, or chicken, or anything else you like cranberries with! MAKES 12 SERVINGS HG's vanilla Crème pumpkin Cheesecake PER SERVING (1 slice, 1/12th of cheesecake): 160 calories, 3.25g fat, 579mg sodium, 20g carbs, 5g fiber, 7g sugars, 15g protein -- POINTS® value 3* HG Heads Up! You'll need a springform pie pan for this recipe. You can usually find 'em cheapie-cheap at any supermarket, or Cereal (original); ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor 1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Smart Balance Light or Brummel & Brown); melted & mixed with 1 oz. water 3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated 1 tsp. cinnamon For Filling 32 oz. fat-free cream cheese; softened 1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters) 1 cup canned pure pumpkin 1 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated 1/4 cup light brown sugar (not packed) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice For Topping 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream 1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all crust ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spray a nonstick springform pie pan (about 9" wide) lightly with nonstick spray -- make sure to get the sides as well as the bottom. Then evenly distribute crumb mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust along the bottom of the pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Using an electric mixer set to medium speed, mix until completely blended and lump-free. Pour mixture into the pan. Bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes (or until set). Allow pie to chill in the fridge for at least 3 - 4 hours (overnight is best). Once pie has chilled, carefully release and remove springform top. Mix all topping ingredients together, and spread topping evenly over the pie. Return pie to the fridge until ready to serve. Cut pie into 12 slices.

It's weird. Every now and then it happens when I take a deep breath. Now I'm having a protein shake and I have to go really slow or it feels worse. Hope I didn't do any damage over the Holiday (although I was REALLY good about weighing everything!)

I did the cooking here, and I was proud that I managed to handle myself very well- had 4 oz of turkey, 1/2 cup stuffing, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes and some corn/green Beans. It was so nice to feel human again (banded Oct 21). I ended up taking one more mouthful of my mom's stuffing and then I felt this uncomfortable feeling I've never felt (I'm the one with absolutely no restriction) so I left the room and did my mile in 15 minutes on demand lol. Of course I never had dessert- I was full for the rest of the night. So of course today is worse--I have been laying around watching tv with my daughter all day, but twice I've been up, I've been picking at the pies :-(. Mad at myself because I've been doing so well and then I go and do that! I do have a couple of GREAT recipies which I will post soon. One is a vanilla pumpkin cheesecake that's 163 cals per slice, 1.5 fat grams and 15 g of protein!! It was a big hit last night- most popular dessert (figures). Anyway- hope you all had a great Holiday!!

So on Friday night, I did go to the movie and didn't have the popcorn! I did however have a Subway 6" Turkey/Cheese sub on wheat! The thing is, I am worried that it was too much! I mean, it filled me up, but I don't want to stretch my pouch. I have looked all over the internet to see how much the sandwich physically weighs, but of course I've had no luck :biggrin:. When I went home to read over my post-op nutritional info for the millionth time, it said do not eat over 6 ounces of food at once. The new stomach is like an egg, blah blah blah and I shouldn't exceed 6 ounces. That was the first time I ever saw that, since all the dieticians were talking about living on "a cup of food". Now I'm worried that I might have stretched my pouch. The sandwich went down fine, no vomiting or pbing, so I'm hoping that is a good sign that I'm not stretched. Believe me, I'm not looking to make this a habit, but I've been so starved for the past week that I just needed some "real" food. I am almost 5 weeks out and it seems like it's getting harder for me. I'm thinking it's because I've yet to get a fill, so I'm still holding out hope..... Any thoughts on the possibility of stretching my pouch with the sandwich?

Congrats and good luck tomorrow!

Wow, antsea, I could have written your post! I say that all the time --I can feel the port and see my scars, but I swear nothing is in there! I was banded on 10/21 and I am hungry ALL the time. I take in about 70 grams of Protein a day and 80 oz of Water, so nothing seems to be working for me. I have no restriction and can eat bread, Pasta and rice (I had a freaking subway turkey sandwich on Friday night). Honestly, I have been making healthy choices on food, but I really need help with the portions, which is why i chose the band in the first place. I am seriously living in bandster hell right now. I have an appt on Dec 8 with the surgeon and from there he will decide if I need a fill (and that has to be scheduled, so I'm looking at Christmas time for a freaking fill). I started out so well and now I'm in a bad place. I don't feel like I can do this..... I'm sorry you feel this way too. Hang in there!!

....the rest of my company is in the conference room having a freaking pizza party (and yes, I'm having a mini-pity party)! Luckily, I brought yummy lunch (salsa chicken and some green beans--left over from last night). Pizza is like my favorite thing ever (and not saying I'll never have it again), but I think it would be bad to try it now, as I'm still on soft and I have been STALLED for 2 weeks with the weight loss!! Anyway, needed to vent. I miss pizza!!!

Thanks for posting this. I find it really helpful. I am 4 weeks out on soft right now and I have no restriction whatsoever. I am taking bigger bites, watching how I'm chewing, but not pulvarizing it to the point where it's like water without any issues, so I'm glad that's acceptable. My thing is, I guess they're preparing me for post-fill band life? Right now, bread, pasta, rice, nothing gives me a problem--I can get everything down, never slimed, never got stuck--nothing. I guess this is because there is nothing in my band? Honestly, I can feel the port, but if I didn't know better, I'd swear the doc forgot to put the band in LOL! Anyway, thanks again for posting this. I too am completely stalled, starving and wanting to see some results again....

What a wonderful idea --journaling your progress! That's so great! Your kitty is adorable too :-)!

Congratulations on such a wonderful milestone! What a success story!! 8 months of being banded and 100 lbs--truly an inspiration to someone like me that's one month out and completely stalled on my weight loss. Celebrate that success! You've earned it!

I'm confused. A lot of things I've read about lap band have bandsters eating 3 meals per day with no snacks, but the sample guidelines my dieticians gave me post-op have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. Of course, I want to do whatever is best to maximize my weight loss. What do YOU all do about meals/snacks?

Congrats! Glad you're doing well! Lots of luck to you as you move through this next stage of your journey!

OMG--you are definitely one of the lucky ones! I was banded the day after you and I've lost about 19 lbs post op. I'm on soft foods now and have absolutely NO restriction!!! I'm officially in bandster hell now and I don't even have a fill date (need to go for another post-op appt on 12/8 to determine with my surgeon if I need one)! I'm so happy for you that you've lost so much and you have decent restriction! If it wasn't for the will power I learned through all my pre-op classes, I would just keep on eating because I have absolutely no restriction at all! Keep up the great work!

OMG, my husband said the same thing! Please, I was skinny when we started dating LOL! I don't need to lose weight to leave his dumb butt :thumbup:! Jessica-- hang in there, girl. You can do this! It is REALLY hard initially, but after awhile, they say we get to a better place with it all (I guess after we start getting filled). Just remember, you can have certain things in moderation, so if you have a love of Pasta (like I do), you can indulge once in awhile in a healthier way with a smaller portion. (And I have to confess, I was banded just before Halloween, so I would chew up candy and spit it out just to get the taste, so I know how you feel!!! ) Hang in there, we'll get through this!

Thanks for all your replies. Honestly, I sailed through the first couple of weeks thinking "this isn't so bad". This week is really bad for me. I am seriously stalking these boards trying to regain my motivation. I am just worried my momentum is shot, which is nuts for me, since they joke with me at the support groups that I'm like the most motivated person they've ever seen! I just don't want to feel these hunger pains anymore. I'm going to try a boca burger for lunch today. I just want to feel full. Honestly, I keep saying I have the scars and I can feel the port, but there's just no damn band in there LOL. Thanks again for all your support. I really need to just stop complaining, pick myself back up and do something to get my positive outlook back.

I'm now on a soft diet with NO restriction whatsoever. I am starving to death eating 1 cup of food. I have been measuring on sight (at a class again today where they served this amazing lunch), so here I am having my steamed veggies and mashed potatoes. Couldn't have any chicken because it was breaded a million times over. They haD these amazing cheesecakes and everything too- I just wanted to cry. I have never had an issue with food on my pre op 1500 cal a day diet, but now with this one cup crap I am soooo not satisfied and worried I did the wrong thing here. Please tell me it'll get better after my first fill! I'm really strugglinh right now. Any support or advice would be SO appreciated. (Fyi- getting 60 to 70 g of Protein per day!)

Wow! Congrats! You're giving me hope!!! I am having a really bad week with hunger. I was banded a week after you, but not even scheduled for a fill yet. Have to meet with the doc on December 8 and from there he schedules the fill. I am so hungry right now and it's so hard to stay motivated when I feel like this. Congrats on feeling full and hope the weight loss kicks in to high gear for you!!!