season4change

Hit a major milestone this morning, going under the big 3-0-0 at 297 lbs. As God is my wittness I will never be over 300 lbs again!!!! Thank you El Bandito! (El Bandito is the name of my band as Mr. Bandito has stolen my appetite away... and gladly I might add!) :thumbup:

Thanks everyone! It does feel great. I have never lost this much weight at once EVER, let alone in such a short period of time. Good luck to all of you, wishing you all success with your band.

Hit a major milestone this morning, going under the big 3-0-0 at 297 lbs. As God is my wittness I will never be over 300 lbs again!!!! Thank you El Bandito! (El Bandito is the name of my band as Mr. Bandito has stolen my appetite away... and gladly I might add!)

I have Anthem Blue Cross too. Just had my first fill last week so we shall see. But I'm also having problems with Anthem covering the office visits before surgery. Were yours covered? They also kicked out a bill for the bloodwork. It's frustrating! Please keep us posted on your progress with Blue Cross. Good luck!

I found this thread to be very interesting. I had my first fill a week ago and now I am noticing some restriction in getting the food down, not huge but I notice a difference. Still, I'm pretty much eatting what I did before. My weight loss had been pretty good in the beginning, now I'm slowing down. I faithfully chart what I eat on www.thedailyplate.com where I can monitor my protien intake and calories. I think my calories went a little low lately so I'm going to boost that up a bit to see if that helps as I've now started to walk on my lunch breaks. Here's what I eat: Breakfast choice of: A) egg beaters (love the southwestern one) 2 egg equiv, sometimes I'll add 1/4 cup of Cabot's lowfat cheddar shredded cheddar cheese :thumbup: high protien cereal (ordered online) with skim milk C) high protien pancake (ordered online) w/sugar free syrup, 1/2 c microwaved frozen mixed berries & a squirt of light whip cream (my weekend treat) Lunch choice of: A) 1/2 can tuna mixed with lowfat mayo, celery, onions and eatten on 5-6 low fat ritz crackers :thumbup: Soup (most of the time homemade) C) Tossed salad w/2 oz lean ham & fat free dressing D) leftovers from dinner Dinner choice of: A) Baked fish with 1 oz (dry weight) whole wheat pasta sprinked with 1 tbsp of parm cheese :sigh: Boneless grilled chicken breast with roasted fingerling potatoes (usually 3 whole potatoes cut in half) C) On occasion 2 homemade meatballs and whole wheat spaghetti D) Chili ... This is just a small sampling. I try to convert older recipies into heather ones, such as ground turkey for Chili. I didn't include veggies as these vary. However if I don't get my veggies in then I have a low sodium V-8 in the evening. Or I may have fruit instead. Snacks choice of: A) Lowfat Yogurt High Protien Bar (choose the lower calorie ones with most protien) C) Sugarfree/fat free pudding or jello D) Cracker Barrell individually wrapped 2% low fat cheddar cheese E) Kay's Better Balance High Protien chips (order online) F) Small serving of nuts I'm the kind of person who needs that inbetween meal snack or I'll get too hungry by the time the next meal comes and could grab for the wrong thing. As for protien drinks, I still have them from time to time. Sometimes I will substitute them for breakfast or lunch, especially if I'm on the go as I buy the ready to drink ones. Or I'll add them inbetween meals if my protien falls short. As for eatting out, I always check online to see if the restaurant posts their menu and I'll decide ahead of time what I'll eat. This helps me to make wiser choices. I divide the dinner in half and know in my mind that is what I will bring home for tomorrow's meal. I'm also trying new recipies that I've found on lapband.com and also bariatriceating.com. That helps with the boredom of the same old thing. Tonight I'm trying an enchillada recipe!

My surgery was on Nov 2nd, I had my first fill yesterday. I've been losing at a steady rate and didn't know if I should go ahead with the fill or not mostly because I was afraid of not being able to eat things that I can now. Funny though, I would have wanted the fill last month so I wouldn't be tempted during the holidays but my surgeon talked me out of it since I was losing well without it! Anyway, this time he suggested maybe just putting in a little and see how I feel, so I said okay. I forgot to ask how much I have in there! The fill was easy... no numbing before hand and I'm not afraid of needles so that part didn't bother me. Congrats to everyone who has lost weight and for those who are struggling, hang in there. For me, this has been the best experience... I'm halfway to my first goal and I love my band.

Doctor's appointment yesterday. I wasn't sure if I should ask for a fill or not so when the doctor asked me if I was ready for one, I told him I wanted one but was concerned about not being able to eat things that I can now, so he said why don't we just try a small amount and then see next month how you are doing. Sounded good to me. So... today I had some applesauce and noticed I had to eat it very slowly. No problems drinking though.

Doctor's appointment yesterday. I wasn't sure if I should ask for a fill or not so when the doctor asked me if I was ready for one, I told him I wanted one but was concerned about not being able to eat things that I can now, so he said why don't we just try a small amount and then see next month how you are doing. Sounded good to me. So... today I had some applesauce and noticed I had to eat it very slowly. No problems drinking though.

I do best with an online journal of what I'm eating. I use www.thedailyplate.com and I stick to that better than if I had to hand write everything. It will also break down the nutritional info for me and you can log in exercise and find out how many calories you burn.

Wow Marmar, that's fantastic! Keep up the good work!

Thanks everyone! Good luck to all of you and may you have a great 2010!

I'm doing a victory dance this morning! :biggrin: Weighed in today at 308... actually 307.4 but I just had a nightgown on and I think last weigh in I had regular clothes on so I rounded it up. This means I've lost 51 pounds since my first visit to Dr. Pucci in July, and 40 lbs since my surgery date on Nov 2nd!!! This is the most I've ever been able to loose on any diet. I think on Jenny Craig I lost 40 something but never hit the 50 mark. I know 2010 is going to be a great year, I just feel it in my bones!!! I have been getting out there and walking, weather permitting, during my lunch break. I plan on adding other types of exercise once I get back from my trip to NC for New Year's weekend. I hope I won't gain anything when I'm down there, so I'm bringing some packaged diet foods along to help. :biggrin: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I'm doing a victory dance this morning! :Dancing_wub: Weighed in today at 308... actually 307.4 but I just had a nightgown on and I think last weigh in I had regular clothes on so I rounded it up. This means I've lost 51 pounds since my first visit to Dr. Pucci in July, and 40 lbs since my surgery date on Nov 2nd!!! This is the most I've ever been able to loose on any diet. I think on Jenny Craig I lost 40 something but never hit the 50 mark. I know 2010 is going to be a great year, I just feel it in my bones!!! I have been getting out there and walking, weather permitting, during my lunch break. I plan on adding other types of exercise once I get back from my trip to NC for New Year's weekend. I hope I won't gain anything when I'm down there, so I'm bringing some packaged diet foods along to help. :present: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

That's so true! One just never knows where they will find their blessings! Wishing you all the best!

Happy Holidays to everyone! Congrats to everyone who was able to get through the holidays and still lose weight, congrats to those who maintained and didn't gain and even if you gained I'll bet you ate less than you would have if you didn't have the band, right? So a big congrats to all!!! From my co-workes I was given cash to buy new clothes if I wanted but one of the things I bought even though I didn't think I would yet was a digital scale. But I promissed myself not to weigh in more than once a week and Thursday is my day. So actually I have no idea how I did over Christmas but I think I did pretty well. I haven't eatten on Christmas cookie and for me that is big!!! I'm the baker in the family but told everyone this year no cookies from me. Still, I had to use some willpower to not touch any that came into the office. I'm even surprising myself! I truly feel that for once I've got a handle on making good choices. Now I didn't totally deprive myself. I did have sweet potato soufle on Christmas but I made it lower calorie than normal by making some substitutes. And a low-cal pumpkin pie that was good too. I'm getting out there and walking (weather permitting) during lunch break. Started out small and working my way to being out there longer and longer but it's cold!! Somehow I've got to find time to fit in exercise at home too but haven't quite gotten there yet. Once I get home I'm pooped, and my 2 year old granddaughter lives with us, along with her mom. Well if I don't check back before the new year comes, here's to a great one. May 2010 treat us all well. I hope everyone reaches their goals!!! Happy New Year!

Oh my, so sorry to hear about your kidney and liver but glad that they were able to go ahead with the band. I wish you the best of health. Hang in there!

Funny you should say you are craving eggs because when I was in the "early stages" I craved scrambled eggs. I think I just kept reminding myself that I would have them soon and then the craving would pass. Hang in there, it won't be too much longer until you can have your eggs!

Doctor's appointment was yesterday. In the last 2 weeks I lost 3 more lbs, so that's average now I think. I knew it would slow down sooner or later, but that is understandable. Anyway, since I've lost 30 lbs in 6 weeks the doctor said that was fantastic and that he preferred that I hold off one more month and see how it goes before I get a fill. He said by what I'm eatting and how much I've lost that I appear to have good restriction. I told him it doesn't come without some strong will power! But I understood his reasoning. Sometimes after a fill there are lots of foods that you can no longer tolerate eatting or I could all of a sudden have a problem with reflux or vomitting if over restricted, so he said no rush. Plus I was banded with a smaller band and already have some fluid in the band, so I was glad to hear that. So, actually I'm pretty happy with that because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat at our early Christmas dinner at my sister's house on Sunday. Now I know I will be careful, but at least I can have small portions of what I want to try. Christmas at home will be just us, so my cooking will be pretty healthy. New Year's I'll be at my Brother's house, so another challenge. I think though it is better to just have tiny bites than to feel deprived. I hope I'm right! AND... my new "legal" treat are protien chips that I purchased from www.bariatricchoice.com. At only 110 calories it has 10 grams of protien and 3 grams of fiber. Just the thing when you need something with a burst of flavor and lots of cruch!

Doctor's appointment was yesterday. In the last 2 weeks I lost 3 more lbs, so that's average now I think. I knew it would slow down sooner or later, but that is understandable. Anyway, since I've lost 30 lbs in 6 weeks the doctor said that was fantastic and that he preferred that I hold off one more month and see how it goes before I get a fill. He said by what I'm eatting and how much I've lost that I appear to have good restriction. I told him it doesn't come without some strong will power! But I understood his reasoning. Sometimes after a fill there are lots of foods that you can no longer tolerate eatting or I could all of a sudden have a problem with reflux or vomitting if over restricted, so he said no rush. Plus I was banded with a smaller band and already have some fluid in the band, so I was glad to hear that. So, actually I'm pretty happy with that because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat at our early Christmas dinner at my sister's house on Sunday. Now I know I will be careful, but at least I can have small portions of what I want to try. Christmas at home will be just us, so my cooking will be pretty healthy. New Year's I'll be at my Brother's house, so another challenge. I think though it is better to just have tiny bites than to feel deprived. I hope I'm right! AND... my new "legal" treat are protien chips that I purchased from www.bariatricchoice.com. At only 110 calories it has 10 grams of protien and 3 grams of fiber. Just the thing when you need something with a burst of flavor and lots of cruch!

Sounds like you are ready for that fill. You may find that changes things. Try not to give in to temptation. I know it's hard... I was close to losing it these last few days because all these treats are coming into the office. 'Tis the season for food gifts. Try to distract yourself and the feeling might pass. I know it isn't easy!!

Good for you! I go for my first fill tomorrow!!!

Could be heartburn, best to check with your doctor. Are you eating spicy foods or tomato based foods? I haven't had any heartburn since surgery and I really haven't had it much before either but my often people complain about heartburn because of certain foods they eat. Good luck, hope it goes away.