tinksmom

I am post-op and have just started using Benefiber in my food and drinks. Seems to make me feel less bloated.

I am in Texas and did a program with Internet Medical Clinics. At the time it was approximately $250 for 4 mos plus $18 a week for B-12 shots. They did a lot of lab work, prescribed Armour thyroid as well as the regular, phentermine, a very mild diuretic, for the first few weeks, vitamins and gave a reommended diet. I lost really well for 6 months (phentermine apparently works less well after) and even kept weight off. I think the B-12 helped tremendously and wish any of my dotors would offer it. But it was expensive. Still, I am now at a plateau and am considering going back for everything but phentermine.

The Smart-Balance fat-free milk is 110 calories and has 10g of Protein. A few more calories BUT it tastes like 2% so is good in recipes, tea, coffee and smoothies. I am also using Research Power Designer Whey powder... tasteless (really, I don't notice it) that has 100 calories and 19g protein. I add it to smoothies and Greek yogurt. Whih brings me to that which has (thank heavens) replaced my protein drinks. I like the Brown Cow, Oikos, Chobani, Fage, and now Dannon has joined the club. I do not like the Yoplait which is sour...more like traditional Greek yogurt. The ones I like are more like regular yogurts but with almost twice the protein. The first two come in smaller portions of 100 calories so if you add the whey powder it is 29g of protein for 200 calories. Good deal. When I have calories to burn I make a smoothie with the yogurt and powder plus fruit and a half cup milk. If you keep an online food diary you will probably be surprised at how much protein can be had from your foods. Then a few brand substitutions as you start to really read food labels and protein isn't the overwhelming problem it once seemed. (Whey powder can go into stews, sauces etc)

(groan) I have hit that same plateau. Our stats are similar but I have been banded 6 mos and haven't lost for the past 2. The difference is that I usually eat between 1100 and 1300 calories so "should" be losing. I have been careful to get protein and do feel a lot better. It seems to me that in the past when on successful diets that reached this point I got "stuck" here for some time..which was one of the reasons I got discouraged and gave up. I am hoping another fill will help me feel less hungry so I can add more veggies instead of foods that are fast and less healthy. My doc is not noted for long talks about fills and what is going on but I think I will insist this time.

I took Lyrica for RA pain and promptly gained 4 lbs. I told my dotor that I couldn't deal with that so switched to Cymbalta.It takes a while for Cymbalta to kick in but it is working well finally. It has one unfortunate side effect...it tends to curb the appetite. Guess I'll just have to live with that.

I have been indulging in 100 calorie packs and found that my favorite is Smart Food popcorn with white cheddar. I eat it slowly and it goes down just fine. It also seems to keep me full for a few hours...long enough to resist the temptation of eating something with more calories. And by having the pre-packed bags I don't sneak back for just one more handful...no maybe two...oh...a few more.

Cravings get easier. I am always surprised at how little I crave chocolate or potato chips. On the other hand, if I have a craving I tend to indulge them in a small way and I have found that reassuring. Having my old favorites in a new way and amount calms my anxiety at the prospect of being forever deprived. When on diets where foods were forbidden for one reason or another I'd get on the carousel of wanting one thing but deciding to be good, which made me feels deprived so I'd reward myself with several other things that were, in the end, worse than a small amount of the original food. So I just give in in very small ways.

I relied heavily on protein shakes for the first few weeks, but have lately changed to Greek yogurt. The same level of protein but fruity and doesn't taste so much like chemicals (to me shakes just taste artificial). They come in 1/2 cup portions...and you could thin them with a tablespoon of skim milk if you wanted. You can also get shakes that have more calories AND more protein. My choice is usually Atkins Dark Choc Royale...about the best one I have found. A friend likes Muscle Milk. BUT I agree that you will have trouble losing weight on such a low calorie regime. You can't get your metabolism out of park with that. I didn't really lose weight after the band operation until I started eating 1200 calories a day. Then I lost 2-3 lbs a week. Lately it has slowed and I think I have to lower it a bit or settle for a smaller loss or 1-2. As you lose weight you need fewer calories to maintain.

I don't think I'd have a problem with flying per se but I avoided fills before vacation just because you never know how you will react. Each fill I have felt a lot tighter and had a few sticking issues two or three days later, Nothing major but nothing I'd want to deal with on a vacation either.

I try to factor in the amount of protein I need in a pre-planned daily menu. This is pretty loose...but even thinking about it for a few minutes helps keep me on track. Then, I factor in veggies, fruit, and try to leave "room" for snacks and treats. I've stopped the protein drinks in favor of Greek yogurt...fruit on the bottom...that is easy to swallow in the morning and has the protein and calcium I need. When I eat something as a meal I mix...but make sure that I put the required amount of protein right on the plate and just bear in mind that even if I mix I have to make sure to eat that. I'm almost 5 months out and now I'm finding that I really want to eat the protein first as I have learned that it's more satisfying and comfortable that way, but this was part of a natural process. My eating habits are modifying without me forcing the issue.

My ultra fit, dancer coed niece loves Zumba, I'm glad to see that others here are so positive about it since I also saw the TV ads and almost wanted to dance with it for just the brief time it was on. I currently have a frozen shoulder but my ortho says that with treatment and PT I should be able to do it at home in a few weeks and take classes by October. I am an awkward dancer, and hate regular exercise but Zumba looks like fun.

Are you getting all your protein and other nutrients in? I find that if I skimp on any one type of food I start to get hungry no matter how often I eat. If I make sure to take vitamins and supplements and keep vegetables and calcium in my diet I can last the three or more hours between meals.

I have lost over 40 and have only gone down one full size...maybe almost another. I am small busted and short waisted so it takes longer to show. My clothes fit a lot differently now, though. Pant and capri legs are loose and tops skim nicely instead of hugging every lump.