TracyNYC

I went away with my 4 best girlfriends this weekend and survived the food frenzy. Yes, we ate out twice (I had a chicken quesadilla one night and 1 piece of chicken parm (no pasta) the second. There were Snacks, but I was pretty in control and even indulged in 2 drinks. I am thankful I had a fill last Wednesday, but am still surprised at how much I can eat. I brought hard Boiled eggs and cheese sticks for Breakfast and had 1/2 a sandwich each day for lunch. I made it open faced on a sandwich thin. All condiments and cheese were full fat, etc, but I did OK. There were croissants, muffins and doughnuts all over the place. I succumbed and had 1/2 a doughnut one day. I did some grazing on the snacks, but felt in control most of the time. I exercised Saturday before I left and today when I got home, so only missed yesterday. Does shopping count as exercise? LOL I guess I could have done better, but was more in control than I have been in a long time. Hoping this is a good start for big things and loss..... Thanks for listening. Tracy

I was always an 8 1/2 in shoes. Then, as my weight ballooned, I was buying 9 or 9 1/2. I am down about 50 lbs. and am back in an 8 1/2. I even have one size 8W shoes. Now if only my thighs would follow....{sigh}

So glad we have this forum to share our 'Band-Friendly' recipes.

Thanks Cindy! I wonder if I can "low cal" the drink my friend made: Absolut, Cran-Grape and OJ. Maybe with diet cran-grape and Trop 50? It was over ice and was delish. It was wonderful when it was so hot the other night.

I am really really struggling. I was rebanded in March due to a slip. From January when they unfilled me until now I have gained 40 lbs. I know that the last 15 -20 I lost in November thru January was b/c I could not eat ANYTHING. I developed really bad habits and have continued to make poor choices. I have started exercising. 20 minutes on exercise bike and about 10 minutes w/ resistance bands. Not a lot, but am building up. I have about 4.5 cc in my new band. I wish I could regain that drive and focus I had the first time around. I was down 90 lbs. at one time. Tomorrow I am going away w/ my friends for the weekend and we will be outing out a lot and Snacks will be abundant. So hard....... How do you get your head back in the game?

This great. Def ordering one.

Thanks, that is not a financial possibility. I am just making myself "do it". I hate every minute of it. I just finished working out this morning knowing the weekend will not afford itself to much exercise. I had a good fill on Wednesday (1.2) and it seems to be helping. I keep singing that HS Musical song "Get Your Head in the Game" to myself. LOL

I am always amazed at the things people will say. A month after my first banding ( I had a slip) someone said to me: Too bad it didn't work, you are bigger than ever. Only b/c she is older did I hold my tongue. I was down 20 lbs. at that point.

That is awesome!

I recently bought the Pampered Chef covered baker. I have made 2 successful Band friendly chicken dishes in it. It works in either the oven or microwave. With temps in the 90s here for weeks who wants the oven on? 1st recipe- 4 skinless chicken thighs 1 can low sodium healthy cream of mush room or cream of chicken Soup. Don't dilute soup too much. Place in baker for 20 minutes in microwave. Chicken needs to be spiced up prior to cooking- garlic and onion powder or real onions in with soup. 2nd recipe Hawaiian Style 4 skinless bone in thighs 1 small can crushed pineapple 1/2 - 3/4 cup BBQ sauce (whatever you use) Cook 20 minutes in baker. I served over rice for family (none for me, just veggies.) Chicken is moist and falls off the bone. Both of these can be done in crock pot/slowcooker, but 20 min in micro is pretty good. I am not a Pampered Chef rep or anything, but I like this thing A LOT for my chicken.

Hi Everyone, I have been absent from here and I know why.....I am doing all the wrong things. Recap- Banded 10/09 @289 Unfilled 02/11 @199 due to slippage Rebanded 03/11 @216 Follow up 04/11 @224---- =( I have been having a party with food since I was unbanded. Even after the revision, once I felt better was eating crazy. Each day I start over and do fine while at work, but once home the grazing begins. I am eating the wrong stuff and so much of it. I feel more out of control than before the original surgery. I also have been smoking again. I took a walk tonight and feel good and hope to do this regularly. I feel like I am on the downward (upward on the scale) spiral. I know what I need to do, just having trouble doing it. I need that excited motivation I had when starting out. Having a lot of stress at work and though my BF is great, I will be leaving my school and home within the next year to be with him and that is weighing on my mind. Nothing is "planned" and that makes me crazy. Just thought some true confession might help by getting the sins out there. Hope everyone is doing well.. Tracy

Thanks! Feeling good after I walked tonight. Hope that will keep up and make me stay focused. They are not sure why I slipped. I doubt it was a surgical error since it was so long after the procedure. I did have a bad stuck episode in December and that could have started it all. My surgeon was able to do the 2nd procedure as a 1 cut in belly button and it looks great. They have good support at my docs and I may call the psychologist there, or really dive into this with my own therapist. Tomorrow's another day to start fresh.

I was very tired after school today and fell asleep on the couch for about 2 hours. I ate some cheese slices before the nap. I woke up and felt fine. I was feeling a little hungry and was making baked Beans for dinner and lunch tomorrow. All of a sudden I broke out in a sweat, had cramps and felt like I was going to vomit. I had some very bad 'runs' and the cramps have subsided, but still feel mildly nauseous. I am 4 weeks post-op from revision and am deathly afraid of throwing up. I have no fill, but am worried about slipping again. What happens when you have a 'bug'? I have not had one since before my original surgery in October 09. Should I be worried? TX

My BF has seen me up and down with the scale, so that is not a concern. I hate the squishy skin on my belly and usually need to drape something across there. He does not care at all, but I do. Things were always pretty good in the sex dept, but are are a bit more athletic these days. LOL

The doctor who did my band will be on Dr. Oz today at 3pm on FOX. It will be interesting to see what they both have to say. Oz is not a fan of WLS, or at least he wasn't back on Oprah days.

I think Oz did an Ok job and seemed to have changed his mind since a few years ago. I agree.....six months out and she is eating 4 spoons of yogurt for lunch? I am 3 weeks out and eat more than that. Did anyone notice neither banded woman had a Breakfast? I also agree that doing this sooner rather than later is a wise choice.

They seem to be discussing the new FDA lower standards for Lap Band rather than Yes or No for the procedure at all. My guy said 1% slippage rate...LOL I am one of them....

I do turkey meatloaf. I buy the ground turkey and added egg beater, a little bread crumb, onion soup mix and some BBQ sauce. I then sprayed cupcake pans and made mini loafs and cooked them about 35 min at 350.. I made mashed cauliflower and also put it in the cupcake pans and froze it. I then popped them out and froze a baggie of cauliflower and turkey meatloaf. Heated it in microwave at work, added BBQ sauce to the whole mess and it was damn good, plus portion control. I cheat w/ cauliflower and make the easy steamers and then put it in food processor w/ a little FF sourcream to smooth it out. I sometimes add FF shredded cheese and a little bacon bits and make "loaded cauliflower".

I guess the "in your face" is better than behind your back or the subtle sabotage. The backlash I get is more about my change in attitude. No longer the YES girl for the group. "You've changed"....YES DAMMIT I have: I turned 40, lost my mom, went to therapy and took control of my weight and health. You are damn right I changed. Can't stay where I was to make some one else happy. Diva, decide whether or not the relationship is worth saving or move on. We do enough negative talk to ourselves, that we don't need others helping.....Good Luck.

I have had this since my revision surgery. Never happened before. Drives me crazy. I certainly am not stuck as I am on mushies and very limited amounts of food. I wonder that that is about...

Yep, I slipped and just had a new band put in on March 14th. I am worried too, but am trying to do the right things. I did have some bad vomiting and then I think it becomes a vicious cycle. I don't know if it's me, but seems like I have seen more "slipped" peoplke on here. Or maybe I am just more sensitive to it since it happened to me. On mushies now and not happy. I can eat regular food on easter Sunday and hope to have my first fill the week following. I forgot how bad the head hunger is....

Rite-Aid has shaker bottles on sale for $8.99 and buy one get one half off! I bought 2 for $13.48. Usually they are $12-14 a piece. The sale ends on the 29th.

Even with my big blabbing mouth telling too many people, I found eating out or at a party very stressful. Not from a questions point of view, but worrying constantly about what would be there to eat. Now I check menus on line and make a decision or have an idea about what to order beforehand. A party is different b/c the food is not known. I keep a can of soup in my car or something else I can manage OK. If anyone asks, I stick to the "diet" story. My downfall is chips and cheese and crackers stuff at parties. The meals I can manage, but the snacks kill me......Even after 1 year out I battle this a lot.

I agree with the others. Not to be a doom-sayer, but that is how I started out last November and last week had revision surgery for a slip. I think I waited too long to have it checked and then missed 3 appointments due to the constant snow storms here....Please go to doc.