happy2lose

I enjoy a prepacked non-fat Greek yogurt with fruit already mixed in. Add just a little granola and it's yummy!

If you pound your chicken and flatten it out before cooking it will cook faster and is easier to avoid over-cooking. Try cutting leftovers into very tiny pieces and making chicken salad with reduced fat mayo. or cook in crockpot until it shreds apart and you can use it in enchiladas, pot pies or just for munching.

Not at all the case, I am eating Oikos zero fat Greek yogurt at this very moment.

As soon as you have good restriction your appetite will decrease significantly. Until then, you must rely on your will power. I suggest you establish a daily exercise routine. Exercise is proven to stave off hunger and will make you more thirsty to aid in getting all your Water in. Be sure you are waiting an hour after eating to resume your water drinking.

You are very welcome Monique. I guess I just like to get to the point without any fluff mixed up in it.........Funny, I come across so bland (without personality). In real life I'm not at all that way. I'm actually pretty nutty!

It's been proven necessary to stay properly hydrated to obtain healthy skin and cleanse and cool our bodies among other things.

This surgery is recommend for people 50 pounds overweight not 100. You will have to change your lifestyle to be successful. Seems like you are doing research to me. Good for you!

Hope my answers help you make a decision. Donna

At 300 calories your body is in starvation mode. Soon you will notice tingling in your extremities. If your body is starving it will not give up the stored fat. You need to consult your nutritionist to find out what and how much you specifically need to eat.

If you read through all the threads you will see that it is completely normal to gain wait during your pureed/soft food stage. The first 2 months are for healing, not weight loss. Some people do lose during this time but most do not. Until you have restriction you most likely will not lose weight and should not worry. Also, if you recently began exercising you are probably gaining muscle at the same time as losing fat and I'm sure you've heard it before....muscle weighs more than fat! You are just a band baby. Give it time and if you follow the rules you will lose weight.

One thing I forgot to say.....my nut. told me 1200 to 1500 calories per day is my target however, I have found that 1000 calories works best for me. Hope this helps!

The plan I was given was only 3 meals per day, no snacking. I follow this most of the time but there are times when I am hungry and I have a snack of low fat string cheese in between meals and lately I've been eating popcorn in the evenings. If I don't lose weight one week, I cut back on my calories a little the next until I find what works. I am not perfect 24/7 but I do stay within my allotted calories most days. Head hunger is something you need to deal with because you cannot continue to feed it or you will remain fat. Unfortunately, there are those people in the health care field that think fat equals stupid and treat us as such instead of taking the time to make sure we understand. You are paying for the service of medical professionals, stay on them until they explain what you should be eating. Perhaps you should make another appointment with your nutritionist and have her sit down with you and give you a diet plan to follow. Until you have good restriction, you have to rely on good old will power to get you through the hunger. Be sure you are drinking at least 64 oz of Water and not drinking with your meals. My doc says try to wait 2 hours after eating to drink your water. Always eat high Protein for your meals. Greek yogurt is a very good source of protein. Try just nibbling at chicken and see if it helps you eat it. My band is so tight now that nibbling is about all I can do but solid protein is going to sustain you much longer then cottage cheese or Protein shakes will. Good luck to you!

If you can't tell the truth why bother telling people anything at all!!! I don't really need anybody's approval or opinion so I just state the fact "I had lapband surgery" like it or lump it....the truth is the truth!

As the others have said, check with your doctor first, but I eat popcorn all the time lately. I just include it in my daily calorie allowance. I cook it in mazola oil and don't add butter. The salt I use is actually a salt substitute. It has not affected my weight loss.

You should be focused now on healing and eating only what is on your recovery diet. If you focus on foods with high Protein you will stay satisfied for longer periods. Many people gain weight during the mushie/pureed stage so don't expect too much. In the first month I lost 37 pounds. There are some months where I lose only 7-8 pounds and others where I lose more. I did begin walking a lot right out of recovery and each day would increase the time by more until I was walking about an hour and a half each day. Also, the bigger you are the faster you will lose at first. The biggie for me is exercise. Get yourself into a routine of exercise that you can stick with and gradually increase in intensity and duration for lasting results. A mix of aerobic exercise, weights and strength training is ideal. Log all your food each day so you know exactly how many calories you are eating. This will help you to be more aware of why you may not be losing if your portions are too big or maybe you are snacking too much. Earlier on when I would read of people eating only 1/2 cup of food I would feel like Miss Piggy because I could easily eat way more. Until you reach really good restriction you will most likely want to eat more. This is where will power comes in. Just make sure you stick with the #1 rule of protein first and be sure to not drink with your meals. I wish you great success on your lapband journey. Donna

I take Celexa too. Have been on it for about 8 years now. I split mine in half and have no problem taking it.

I was absolutely terrified to have the stomach flu. PBing is different. It is not like the kind of vomit that comes to mind when you hear the word. The food is undigested and there is no stomach acid involved. A better description would be like a baby spitting up. It isn't as bad as you think and actually is a relief when it happens.

Nope, my doctor said no carbonation ever.

Sounds like something a fat person who is still making excuses for being overweight would say about someone they are jealous of who had the courage to do something about their weight. Let her wallow in her own misery while you are busy getting healthy and beautiful.

Eww, you just had to share this???

Perhaps you need to increase your workout time. When the scale stops moving for me I exercise more. When you feel bored and want a snack go for a walk around the block. Maybe you need to go back to basics. Start logging your food intake. Try decreasing your calorie intake by about 100 calories and see if it works.

After about six weeks I was feeling pretty normal. Up until my last fill I really couldn't feel my band at all.

I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!

Yes, I have heard of this. In fact, the Adkins diet forbids aspartame. If it doesn't make you crave food then I'm sure you can still have it in moderation.

Hi, I'm Donna. I had lapband surgery in April of this year by Dr. Alberto Aceves. He and his staff are wonderful! Let me know if you have any questions.