rottie69

Can you put some fruit in your shake, like banana or avocado, strawberries, blueberries, orange, stuff like that and blend the hell out of it! I did and it made a huge difference AND I lost 10 pounds during the whole process. Kinda like a protein fruit smoothie,,its better for you than all that processed junk,,lol.

The 6 month diet classes are actualy a good thing. It gives you 6 months to ask questions and learn about this new lifestyle you are going to begin. I Think its a good idea. Ive heard too many times on here that someone was banded and didnt know this or that. Why didnt someone tell me they ask. Well now you can get into all the good info you need and theres a lot. There are actualy things I wish I had known before the surgery almost 2 years ago. The 6 months goes by pretty quickly, and you will be glad you did it too. It really does help get you mentaly prepared for this whole process.

Good Morning, I eat 95% fruit, some nuts in the afternoon, a salad with peppers onions pea pods nuts raisins cucumbers tomatoes and grated cheese sometimes in the evening,,,sometimes fruit all day long. I eat constantly just to get enough calories,,but this is my personal choice, I do not eat meat or eggs or milk, I get my Protein from nuts and greens and a little cheese. For me it works for others it doesnt. You dont have to go lo carb to lose weight, you just need to eat healthy and enjoy what your eating. Take care and Good luck on your weight loss!!!!!!!

My Doc made me take 2 full weeks off. I work construction and was told after I went back I wouldnt be able to lift more than 10 pounds for 6 more weeks! That made it hard but I did other things that werent so strenuous. It worked,,.

I had to do a 6 month doc supervised diet plan. At the same time, the hospital I dealt with for my WLS told me it would be approx 6 to 8 months before the whole process was finished. SO, heres how it went for me. This started in September 2008. 1st month September, referral from my doc (which was considered my first diet visit), orientation class at the hospital, and 1 support group meeting. 2nd month October, nutrition class. Doc diet weigh in. 3rd month Novemeber, 1 on 1 with a nutritionist. Doc diet weigh in. 4th month December, Phsych eval. Doc diet weigh in. 5th month January, Doc diet weigh in. 6th month February, SURGEON visit and approval request sent. 2 weeks later, denial letter was received. INsurance said I didnt have2 years of DOCUMENTED BMI of 40 or above. Hmmmmm what now? I stopped appealing,,and started working out and lost 10 pounds. August 2009 arrived and I said to myself,,,,,Self, call and see if Cigna has changed any of their requirements for WLS. YAY they had. In june 2009 they changed it to read you only needed 12 months of history stating you were over the BMI of 40. So back I went,,,I didnt need to see anyone , the surgeons office sent the original paperwork in again and my insurance approved it! I had my surgery septmber 16th of 2009,,,not even 4 weeks after I made the call to see if the changes had been made! Hang in there it does take some time for some of us. But I found that it was worth it and i was more prepared for it than if I had just run and got the surgery in a matter of weeks. There is alot to learn. Take care and good luck !

Mmmmm, I got one I still use. 1 banana 1/4 of a cantaloupe. 5-6 strawberries 1/2c bluberries 1/2 orange big handful of baby spinach ( you wont taste it I promise) 1 packet stevia 4 or 5 ice cubes and 1/2 cup Water Blend in your blender,,its thick or thin how ever you want it and alllll natural, I promise it will fill ya up. And its so good for you. Gotta love it.

DO IT DO IT DO IT!!! Soon you will be one of them Skinny people in that class and feel incredible about your new shape and stamina! But most of all do it because it will give you some time to yourself and make you feel wonderful inside and out! Good luck!

Why not make your own? Its thicker, lasts longer, has Vitamins and minerals and its all natural. 1 banana 5-6 strawberries 1/2c blueberries 1/2 orange handful (1 cup) of baby spinach, you cant taste the spinach trust me) 1/2c Water and 4 ice cubes. You will need quite some time to finish it. Mess with it and make it how you like it. Cut it in half if its too much. I love it and after 1.5 years out I drink it on a regular basis and it lasts longer than the Protein shakes. Have a great day and good luck!

Good Morning! CONGRATS on the 20 pound mark! I love hitting goals, what an awesome feeling. I started out at 246, lost 10 during my pre op diet, then another 33 in the next 1.5 years. I was so happy to finally hit the 199 mark last month. Now im at 190,,,,feeling good! Keep up the good work! Becca

Wow, I would go nuts eating like that. I didnt do a mushy stage after my band. I did the liquid stage for a week and then was able to eat, what I could manage as long as it wasnt something like a subway sandwich. Moist meat, with a vege, CHEWED into mush consisitency, I lost ohhhhh, lets see, 36 pounds in a year and 4 months. Not quite what I wexpected but oh well. NOW,,I said to hell with the menus I was given, I hated eating mainley meat all the time, I wanted fruits and veges too. So, now I decided to do things my way and see how it goes. I went a little extreme, I am NOT saying anyone should do it this way just because its working for me. I went raw. I eliminated meat from my diet altogether, I am also being tested for Celiac disease so I have had to eliminate any and all gluten products, if the celiac test is negative,,which I think it will be, I have an allergy test for wheat on the schedule,,,ANYWHO. I eat CONSTANTLY! I have a huge fruit smoothie every morning,,and now if I dont get it I crave it,,,,,I have banana, melon, blueberries, strawberries, baby spinach, goji berries Water stevia and ice cubes,,,OMG its big,,,takes me and hour to finish it. Thne a couple hours later I eat a banana or apple or some kind of fruit,,,full, the band helps immensely. Then for lunch a big salad,,,spinach, tomatoes onions peppers cucumbers cheese and nuts and dried fruit,,,again, it takes me the whole half hour to eat and sometimes I cant finish it, FULL again,,,,another snack,,sometimes, not always,,,watermelon and sliced bananas,,,,,or dried fruit and nuts. dinner,,,cheese and fruit,,,or r vege rolls, usualy after 4 pm, I cant eat another thing, good thing i eat early. It was different the first week but I was never hungry always satisfied and LOSING weight! its been 32 days and I went from 203.5 to 190!!!!!!!!! Thats almost 1/2 of what took me 1 1/2 years to lose. My Docs know im eating like this and say as long as im healthy and losing my weight and feeling good then its working for me. I get plenty of Protein, and calcium, I only supplement D and B-12 with my Multivitamin. I feel awesome! No more headaches, no more allergy issues,,I have energy I didnt know I could possibly ever have again,,my skin looks so good, and I sleep like i havent slept in years, I find I only need 7 hours of sleep now, compared to the 9 I had been trying for before i changed my eating habits. No more restless legs! I hated that. I just feel good, all over good. Its a little extreme but its working so well for me. I did alot of research before I started this diet because I had no idea what it entailed or how to do it. 14 pounds down in 32 days!!!!! YAYAYYYYYYYYY! Best of all, I get to eat! ANd now instead of craving junk food I crave fruit like mad,,,and eat it! Sorry so long,,,,I just feel so good I wanted to share it with someone Becca

Im 18 months out. And have the 9cc realize band with 8.25cc's in it. Breakfast,,,,smoothie with 1 banana, 5 strawberries (large) 1 orange, 1/2cup blueberries, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, 1/2 cup Water, 5 ice cubes, makes a little more than a quart,,takes 45 minutes to drink it. Snack, banana and orange. lunch, ezekiel bread with peppers, tomatoes, onions, cheese and lite mayo. Snack, apple and nuts. dinner, 1 cantaloupe, followed with a salad, if I can get it in me. It takes me a very long time to get all this into me...seems like im always eating,,lol, not a bad thing. And yes I get plenty of Protein from my greens and nuts. Have a great day!

Hi, Im going to say you are not getting enough calories. At rest your body will use around 1200 in a day. You said you on liquids. smoothies maybe? Hate the store bought mixes? Try this. its awesome and filling, and good for you! Its my Breakfast everyday. With variances on occasion, sometimes i put kale in, or add pineapple, sometimes blueberries or cherries,,anything I feel like at the time that I have in my fridge. It helps with my cravings too. If you use kale dont use as much, its very fibery and makes the smoothie thicker. It takes me the FULL half hour to get this in. then im good for about 3 hours. 4 or 5 or 6 strawberries 1/2 an orange, no seeds 1 banana BIG handful of spinach, (you cant taste the spinach) 1 teaspoon coconut oil, or not of you dont have it. 1 packet stevia sweetner 1/2 cup Water and 4 or 5 ice cubes BLEND this all together on high until creamy smooth, it is sweet and filling. and makes quite a bit. It will be green and not look very good but it tastes good. If you like fruit. Either way, up your calories. You will probably see a difference. It gets better. Dont forget to stay hydrated, the more you drink the more your body will get rid of. By the way, this smoothie may make you pee quite often! Lotsa fruit, lotsa greens,,,and all filled with water, very good for you, almost like a natural diuretic.

I posted this topic in the post op forum too but thought I would like to get some more input form others not banded yet. Hey everyone! I was watching the news about 3 weeks ago and heard a story of a woman who eats a raw food diet. She doesnt eat cooked food at all . So I did some research on this type of eating. I had no idea eating raw even existed. Is there anyone here who has heard of it or knows anyone, or has erven tried it? I did more research and bought a good book on it and im now on day 2 of it. Im doing a 30 day trial to see what its like and how it will affect me health and weight wise. Theres ALOT to it, and the amounts are a little larger and take longer to eat but so far so good. Alot of legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit and veges, and raw dairy, which needs ot be consumed quickly or it will spoil. Hoping the food allergies I struggle with on a daily basis will subside a little. Everythings organic and as fresh as I can get it. Any input on this would be appreciated. Good or bad,,,I want it all! LOL

What a scarey story with a WONDERFUL ending! You are good and healthy and SMART. I am so glad you went in and had yourself thoroughly checked out. I agree that there are so many people out there that will just wait and see if it will go away, and that ends up with more trouble for them. Good for you for going in.

Good Morning everyone! Some of you know I decided to try eating raw for 30 days, and so far so good. Its really not as hard or as bad as I thought it would be. I think the hardest part of the whole day is my dinner time. SO im off to buy a dehydrator today so I can germinate nuts and seeds and make some crispps from veges and nuts. Some asked about my Protein intake and I find if I put it all into Dailyburn.com it averages out to be around 45 to 50 g of protein a day. I also get healthy oils in too via olive oil or coconut oil. And alot of Water too. Im not hungery in between meals and I love that! day 1 , 203.5 lbs day 2 , 201.5 lbs day 3 , 200 lbs day 4 , 199.5 lbs!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! Finally in the 100's! I realize that some of that weight if not all of it would be Fluid from salt and sugar but thats ok, its a number in the right direction. Eating Breakfast right now, and my DH said I should call it swamp log! LOL, its just a banana with almond butter, sunflower seeds and goji berries... I like all of them ingrediants so its going down well. My snak will be walnuts and apple.Lunch,,,I dont know yet. Probably a sandwich with veges and ezekiel bread, which isnt 100% raw but its close. Have an awesome day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Morning Melody and everyone else. This AM Im having a banana, almond butter, goji berries and sunflower seeds,,,,,swamp log ,,,lol, better known as ants on a log. Snack, walnuts and apple. lunch, tomatoes, onions, cheese and ezekial bread, oilive oil drizzled on. dinner, I dont know yet.

Hey everyone! I was watching the news about 3 weeks ago and heard a story of a woman who eats a raw food diet. She doesnt eat cooked food at all . So I did some research on this type of eating. I had no idea eating raw even existed. Is there anyone here who has heard of it or knows anyone, or has erven tried it? I did more research and bought a good book on it and im now on day 2 of it. Im doing a 30 day trial to see what its like and how it will affect me health and weight wise. Theres ALOT to it, and the amounts are a little larger and take longer to eat but so far so good. Alot of legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit and veges, and raw dairy, which needs ot be consumed quickly or it will spoil. Hoping the food allergies I struggle with on a daily basis will subside a little. Everythings organic and as fresh as I can get it. Any input on this would be appreciated. Good or bad,,,I want it all! LOL

Hi, remember SODIUM. SALT, nasty stuff. It will put pounds on almost overnight! Can you try yogurt with mashed fruit, greek yogurt is very high in Protein and is very thick. Sugar doesnt help either, ice cream is loaded with it, and it will sliiiiide right through your band. There so many thing out there you can do, first and formest call your doc and let them know your slipping, and oyu need something to help you out. Maybe they will bump you to mushies,,that will help a little for a little while. Best of luck,,,

I have a 9 cc relaize band, it has 8.25cc's in and I have restriction but theres not one thing out here that I CANT eat. . Not what I expected from the band but thats ok. I chew my food well and definately take my time eating my meals. Cunner, I loved the 2nd paragragh of your post,,I can see the bowl and loaf of bread,lol. I did what you did years ago, and went vegetarian and loved it but found I was eating alot of bread, crackers, cheese as well as my veges and fruit. I didnt gain weight, but moved in with a meat and potatoes man,,lol. Im still with him and he is actualy supporting me with the meals im trying. He will NEVER try them,,lol ,, but thats ok. I have a great nutritionist, and she said if it works and i dont get ill or have issues regardgin the band and gettting stuck to try it and see how it goes. I beleive she is a vegetarian. But to switch back If I have ANY issues at all. Protein, I am eating nuts and Beans soaked to soften them. as well as the fresh off the farm dairy products (cheese and milk) There are also veges out there that are a great source of Calcium and protein both. Melody, I agree with you on drinking meals. I dont have a problem with that and the recipes I have right now are alot different from what I was using before the surgery and after. I am making everything home made (except for the green powder) and it seemed to hold up very well this morning when I had my first one. I definately dont want to have them all the time. I tried, the other day a 14 grain raw Cereal that was very good with dried cherries and raisins with some chopped walnuts and raw milk. I am using supplemens as well just to make sure I dont deplete anything. You guys are great!

Hmmmmm, what a great thread. I have a 9cc realize band. It has 8.25cc's in it . 1. I wish I had known it could take up to a year for me to get to restriction. The frustration was at times overwhelming. 2. I wish I had known that eating on a daily basis would be a chore, maybe not for everyone but it is for me. Yes I chew, yes im eating good quality food. Yes I knew about the 30 minute rule. Getting stuck sometimes happens even if I chew very carefully. 3. Wish I knew that food today might not work tomorrow. 4. Wish I had known that my hormones would affect how much and what I could eat with each monthly. Each one of us has an opinion on WLS and why we got, or why we didnt get one or the other. I was against G-bypass. I was not going to have my inards rerouted, it has been a miracle for others, but it wasnt for me. I did do some research on it, and I spoke with friends of mine that have had it, all of them have gained most of their weight back and one of them is looking to do a band OVER her bypass! I wasnt impressed with it. But this is my opinion and otherts definately vary drasticaly. If someones had bypass and its worked for them, congratulations. I am glad your life is better now, its just wasnt the surgery for me.

Hi, I got the band because it helps me eat less. If I start a meal out with the healthy portion, lean meat & vege I find that by the time I get to the so-called dessert, I dont have enough room and im no longer hungry . It definately doesnt make me not want the junk , but if im no longer hungry and cant put any more food in my stomach then I dont eat it. Do I like my band,,,,? No. BUT I like what its done for me. There is alot of willpower included with the band, if you want the quick fix, G-bypass seems to be quick, but I have 4 friends that had it and now 5 years or more later they have gained most if not all their weight back . They all had to work with the bypass as well, but I saw the weight come off QUICKLY . I wasnt inpressed with the dumping if they ate junk food. I wanted the verticle sleeve, but my insurance wouldnt approve it at the time. The removal of most of your stomach takes away the fundus, not sure if I spelled it right, and that helps somehow with your appetite. But check on that before you quote me, I read that info a long time ago. I like to eat, PERIOD, I like food, so its been a trip. A rough one at times. IM down 47 pounds, I have 69 more to go. Just my opinion,,everyone is very different and alot of people love their band and have been dropping weight like crazy since their surgery, and others, well, not so much. Best of luck to you and your decision! Currently im trying a raw food eating plan and that doesnt include meat so we will see where that takes me.

Good Morning!!!!! Scoobie you said it when you mentioned "a little more planning". Jess just for the record I am not eating , nor could I ever eat, raw meat . YUK, I am in total agreement on that part. I am eating raw cheese and raw milk. I just buy small amounts and use it quickly. Day one was Ok. Although it took me 3 hours to consume 2 cups of fruit and nuts all chopped up,,,but i wasnt hungry! LOL. I was concerened that due to the low amount of calories in the fruit that it would make it hard to get my calories in. I like to stay arounf 1200. I am coming in short, around 1000. But im not hungry. day 1 I was 203.5 lbs. Day 2 wasnt too bad either, I find my hardest time is in the afternoon, and I find I miss textures more than flavor. OMG the amount of times I hit the bathroom, seemes like someone turned on a Water faucet. Again my calories were around 1100. So im close to my 1200 goal. Im still able to get quite a bit of Protein in too as long as I include dark green veges, nuts and the milk. day 2 I was 201.5 lbs. Day 3, I had a Breakfast drink. It was so thick I had to go back and put water in so I could drink it and not use a spoon. It was made with raw milk, banana, strawberries, green powder, ice cubes water and raw stevia. Day 3 weight was 200 lbs, getting all the excess Fluid out I would say. I also read about the pet food raw recipes too. Thats expensive. So I tihnk they have to keep to the dogg food diet for a bit longer. Thanks for the input!

WHAT? We have ot move ? Eat less ? Count calories ? REALLY ? OK! Thats it,,,IM OUT! PS,,can I borrow the hammer?

My little min pins and rat terrier are all very slender, they are on strict feeding schedules and only get little treats through the day or eveninng, I wish I could force myself to eat like they do and stay in as good of shape as they are, lol. I would be devastated if they injured their legs or had a heart attack due to overfeeding, I would never forgive myself. So I guess the answer would be no, I havent changed my way of feeding my lil guys and they have stayed slender and pretty. Sigh.....why didnt I tihnk of that? LOL.

Thats why its a 30 day trial,, lol. I told my hubby I didnt think I could live like that unless I was desserted on a island and had no choice . I like ot think of it as a ,,,,hmmmmm, lets say, detox ...lol. Im as far from LA as they get, im in maine! I figure if it jump starts my weight loss, again, then it would be worth it. So onto day 3! Although I just made a mousse with, avocado, carob, vanilla bean, raw milk, dates and a little raw stevia,,,that was waaaaay to good with a banana! OMG! Thanks for the input