Betsyjane

As long as doc says you're OK, I'd be awfully proud, if I were you, for sticking to that rigid diet! You're off to an amazing start! Relax and enjoy it. Did you get any Better Than Boullion? Really hearty and satisfying.

I found a great fast Martha Stewart protein recipe! 3 cans of tuna, 1 egg slightly beaten, a very small handful of bread crumbs (I use Panko instead), 1/3C chopped cilantro or whatever herbs you like, a little jalapeno if you like it, a little lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of lite mayo...all stirred together. Make palm-sized little cakes/burgers. 1T of oil in a pan, or cooking spray...but very little oil anyway. Cook for a few minute on both sides. They are like crab cakes. Good hot or cold. I found that one makes a meal for me...well, actually 1.25, and I'm full. Dave eats them with his hands, like snacks. The combo of ingredients seems to go down smoothly for me, but not so smoothly that I lose that full feeling.

I looked into Thailand and India. Thailand was a bit cheaper and seemed to have more experience. I don't remember now how I found them, but it was something like Thaimedicalvacations.com...... I just like Bangkok alot, so I am probably not objective....wanted to recoup at the Oriental Hotel and their spa. All things considered, though, it is probably cheaper to go to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico and he has a great rep on this board....but the Thais are so good at those pampery medical vacations....

Here it is.... HowtoTellWhenYouArePerfectlyAdjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider

If you are losing an average of 1-2 pounds a week, you're fine. There's a great list about how to know when youy need a fill. I'll go find it....

I had no pre-op diet, and his post-op diet is lenient too, compared to others.

But those bid losers suuuurrre don't eat much! 600 calories a day!

I thought it was really a good meeting.....but it's an hour away...

I keep struggling with whether portion control is enough or whether a diet needs to also happen.....

Hey, Veronica! How are you feeling????

I understand from another person that Speigel has decided that if you get a fill and call back within 3 days to get a slight unfill, he'll do it. If it's longer than 3 days, he does a complete unfill. I'm getting it second hand, buit from someone I consider reliable.... It's a problem , if you aren't sure you're overfilled at first, or just reacting a bit to the fill....

Nope. They were bandsters not bypass. It's bothering me. I have a long way to go to get down to that number of calories and those partions.

I think we have to give our guys time to adjust! they don't have lapbandtalk to come to...or support groups....and it impacts them almost as much as it does us.

I went to Spivak's support group last night. There were a half dozen people there who had lost well over 100 pounds. I was shocked. The big losers were also aggressive dieters, eating around 600 calories a day, far less than I eat. I guess I have to decide if I have those aggressive goals. Here's a sample of a day's menu for these folks.... 1/2 yogurt for breakfast-save the other half for a snack. lettuce and tomatoes for lunch. meat and vege for dinner. no snacks except that half yogurt aerobic workout 5 days a week. Have I been in the dark???? I eat twice that much per day and I can't imagine filling up on half a yogurt.

I'd say about 50-60 people. The scheduled speaker was in a car accident on the way there and didn't arrive (she's OK), so it was an open discussion, which was probably a good idea for the first meeting anyway....

Call the company personnel dept and ask if they have group coverage. I'm covered under my husband's group insurance and have so many things wrong with me they probably hated to see me coming. but they couldn't refuse me or cover me at a different rate....

I went to Spivak's support group last night. There were a half dozen people there who had lost well over 100 pounds. I was shocked. The big losers were also aggressive dieters, eating around 600 calories a day, far less than I eat. I guess I have to decide if I have those aggressive goals. Here's a sample of a day's menu for these folks.... 1/2 yogurt for breakfast-save the other half for a snack. lettuce and tomatoes for lunch. meat and vege for dinner. no Snacks except that half yogurt aerobic workout 5 days a week. Have I been in the dark???? I eat twice that much per day and I can't imagine filling up on half a yogurt.

Did anybody go to the first Spivak support group meeting last night? I went begrudgingly and was pleasantly surprised. I got alot of good information and enjoyed myself. I think the man wants us to be ultra healthy party animals! He's having a Christmas party...sponsoring us in the Komen walk/run, and offering belly dancing, along with the usual educational stuff. I had heard that Speigel was making rule changes and wanting all fills done by him, slight unfills within 3 days or he'll completely unfill, etc. etc....so I asked about that for Spivak, and he's not changing anything. I'm so glad. __________________

did anybody go to the first Spivak support group meeting last night? I went begrudgingly and was pleasantly surprised. I got alot of good information and enjoyed myself. I think the man wants us to be ultra healthy party animals! He's having a Christmas party...sponsoring us in the Komen walk/run, and offering belly dancing, along with the usual educational stuff. I had heard that Speigel was making rule changes and wanting all fills done by him, etc....so I asked about that for Spivak, and he's not changing anything. I'm so glad.

Lana: That site is http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HoustonAreaBandsters/ Had a great time. Lana and I went to Spivak's first weekly support group meeting downtown. He wants us to be healthy and party animals, I think. There's going to be a Christmas party and he's sponsoring us in the Komen breast cancer walk/run. I asked about similar changes to the Speigel changes, and there's nothing... OK to continue to go to the Surgicenter for fills, no change in procedures for anything, no required meetings. He seems more into door prizes, fun challenges, belly dancing...jeez! Anyway, the first meeting was terribly interesting. There were probably 50 people, I'd guess, and a bunch of successful bandsters. It was eye opening....it looked like the ones who had the aggressive weight loss with the band were also being serious dieters. Doing things like eating half a yogurt for breakfast and saving the other half for a snack, having a lettuce and tomato salad for lunch, and a protein and veges for dinner...total 600 calories AND working out 5 days a week. Just depends what your goals are.... They handed out some articles and I found that the one of how to deal with plateaus/no weight loss was especially good. Anyway, I have lots of thoughts going on in my head, and tomorrow will be a new day for me.... Most of all, I enjoyed your company, Lana. See you all soon.

It's a funny thing, this band. My "typical day lately has been that I can only stomach a protein shake for breakfast, a tiny bit for lunch, and a decent dinner. So now it's changing to a little food for breakfast, a big lunch, and a little bit for dinner. sometimes it's hard to keep up with this little guy. He has a mind of his own.

You're right about not comparing! It's so different for everyone. I read about people who never seem to need a fill! I didn't lose until my first fill, after my first or second fill...never felt restriction...and now I'm living the bandster life after 3 fillls...and some people seem to need as many as 7! I'm impatient short term, and keep needing to tell myself we are in this for the long term results. Hmm. Actually 19 weeks and 20 pounds is a major success! We're only supposed to average 1-2 pounds a week, so you are right on the money, without even having hit your sweet spot yet! I'd say that's WAY exciting. I get that back of the throat feeling too, but now that I have the right fill, it is my signal that I'm full, and it's not an after the fact thing. I thought it meant I was too full, but doc says it is a referred feeling from farther down and not actually in my throat, even though it feels like it. I've also heard someone talk about having an easily irritated esophagus and I'm wondering if that might feel like it's in the throat too.

Barbara-Here's the Spivak support group agenda. Does it look anything like Spiegel's? 2007 Wellness Program Schedule of Events March 13th- Grand Opening Night- Terri Lemons from DePelchin on "Volunteering for Self Esteem", Introduction to Wellness Program, Door Prizes, Discussion of concerns. March 20th- Mike Seay- Certified Vitamin Specialist from GNC. Will discuss the different supplements that are available to us and proper values we should be having on a daily basis, in addition to regular discussions of concerns. March 27th- Eugene Green-CPA on Medical Tax Information & Fashion Trade-in addition to regular discussions of concerns. April 3rd- Physical Therapist -Ingrid Hanna- Coming out to speak on how to start out exercising properly.For people with bad backs, knees. In addition to regular discussions of concerns. April 10- Kerry Monroe, Representative from CURVES FOR WOMEN, speaking about their program, they will be bringing 1week free cards for their Curves. Topic of discussion will be "The Power of Choice", in addition to regular discussions. April 17- Dr. Heller, Plastic Surgeon from Baylor College of Medicine, to discuss the different options. We will also have a Topic of discussion"How to take a Compliment", in addition to regular discussions. April 24- Fashion Trade. Topic of discussion:"How to Build Self Confidence". In addition to regular discussions. May 1- Kim Brock, Make-up Specialist, showing us ladies how apply make up properly with the right color shades and more. Door Prizes on this night, along with our regular discussion of concerns. May 8- Cindy, Cooking Healthy. Everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite "BANDED" recipes, ideas and experiences. Regular discussion of concerns and issues. May 15- Nutritionist. Discuss proper nutrition, specific diets that are proper for you, along with our regular discussions of concerns May 22- TBA May 29- Fashion Trade. Topic of Discussion:"How to Dress like a Million Dollars for under $20.00(or close to it)" Everyone is encouraged to share shopping ideas, best deal stores, etc. In addition to our regualr discussions of concerns. June 5- Dianna Kinkead, Licenced Phyco-Therapist, on mental aspects of weight loss. Regular discussion of concerns. October 6- OUR ONCE, MAYBE TWICE, A YEAR SELF CHALLENGE Our Team will be participating in the Susan G.Komen- Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer. We will be doing the short walk on October 6, 2007. Dr.Spivak will have our team shirts made for all participants to wear. This is a great event for all members of our family. More information To Be Announced.

30 pounds in 16 weeks is 1.6 pounds average per week. We're only supposed to lose a pound a week, two at most. You are succeeding. It's just hard to get used to how erradic it is, especially uuntil the fills kick in. Say it.... I am succeeding.

Hey, that was fun last night.