vickyd

If you feel like you have to take a big bite, you can do what I do with a sushi roll...I put the whole piece in my mouth and then chew it and swallow it in stages (if that makes sense). I love California Rolls and I haven't had any trouble eating a few pieces of one (I can't eat an entire roll) using this method.

It can be a bit overwhelming...I, too, crave carbs. I ended up deciding to cut them way back (I shoot for 40 grams a day and I don't eat bread, Pasta, etc). I have found that I'm losing better this way and I don't crave carbs as much. Good luck!

To answer your questions...first and foremost you need to understand that the band WILL NOT take your cravings away. It can help you eat smaller portions but it won't control what you eat (unless there are foods you can't eat with your band...everyone is different but I could eat anything if I wanted to). 1. Again, it depends on your band...I can't gulp Water but I also don't take tiny sips either. Trust me, it will only take a time or two of gulping and either being in pain or having it all come back up to cure you of that. 2. Yes, I would love to take a huge bite of something but the reality is that by taking big bites you will get stuck and possibly PB. The pain of being stuck on a big bite was enough to convince me not to do that again. 3. As far as long term life with the band goes, I'm not planning on having to have mine taken out and if I do then I will just deal with it then. The basic message here is that you need to make sure you are willing to make the lifestyle changes necessary to be successful with the band before you go through with the surgery. It will be hard work...you have to eat the right food, eat the right portions and deal with your cravings - the band doesn't do all of the work for you.

Absolutely NO regrets...it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am healthier, more confident and more comfortable in my own skin

Breakfast: Egg Beaters with 2% cheese and chicken sausage Lunch: Chicken Burger with green Beans Snack: Babybel Light Cheese Dinner: Turkey Chili Evening Snack: 1 oz Almonds

Denise-I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL's passing. You will be in my thoughts as you deal with all of the craziness to come. It's amazing how people's true colors come out in times like this...

I made a big pot of turkey chilli, blended it and froze it in muffin tins...then I just had to pull out one and defrost it whenever I needed it...I actually still have some on hand and even though it is blended I still eat it from time to time.

I just love unexpected NSVs!! I found out yesterday that I have to go out of town for business on Sunday. Now, my daily work wardrobe is jeans (we are very casual) but obviously I can't wear jeans on a business trip...I bought some new pants at the end of February for my last trip and I was thinking that I could just have the waist taken up and they would be fine...umm, not so much...they were so big on me that I had to rush out this afternoon and buy new pants and rush them to the tailor to be altered (I am a classic pear shape and ALWAYS have to have the waist taken up in my pants). It was all a giant pain because I really didn't have time to go shopping but it was a great feeling to see how big those pants were!

For me, weighing and measuring is key. I put the appropriate amount of food on my plate and that is what I eat. When I am finished I no longer feel hungry but don't feel stuffed or sick either. There have been a few times when I couldn't eat all of the food I measured out and they way I know is that I get this feeling that if I eat another bite then I will get sick. I think eating slowly really helps you get more "in tune" with your body so you can recognize the signals...I never want to rely on throwing up as my signal to stop...if I get to that point then I am way past where I should be...

Breakfast: 1/2 cup egg beaters with 2% cheese and chicken sausage Lunch: Chicken Burger patty (no bread) and 1 oz almonds Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry Snack: Probably some string cheese and maybe some more almonds (Funny, I didn't realize until now that today is obviously a chicken day )

Spring Fever Challenge Weigh In

Since everyone else has handled the first few questions, I 'm gonna chime in on the last one. The best advice I can give you is to buy a food scale and start weighing and measuring your food. I, like many others, eat on a salad plate rather than a dinner plate. I weigh out 4 oz protein and measure 1/2 cup veggies and that is all. I eat with a salad fork and try to make my meal last as long as the rest of my family's meal even though I am eating quite a bit less than they are. Put your fork down between bites, have a conversation, etc...anything to slow you down. I also do not drink at all during meals...I don't even put a glass on the table for me so I'm not tempted...and I wait 30 minutes after I finish eating before I can have a drink. The results of this is that I'm not hungry any longer (I wouldn't use the word full because I rarely feel full - at least not the way I used to define it). I think that getting used to no longer feeling "full" has been the biggest challenge for me because I have had to change my whole way of thinking about food. Unfortunately, the band won't take away your mental hunger or desire to eat...that takes a lot of work on your part. Don't beat yourself up about the things you think you are doing wrong. We all have a lifetime of bad eating habits (or else we wouldn't be getting banded, would we? ) and it takes time to change those habits. Also, be willing to "tweak" things to make them work for you...try to change up your daily calories, reduce carbs, increase exercise...whatever works best for you. The band works differently for each of us, the trick is figuring out how to make it work best for you...

I too haven't told many people - my husband, kids, mother and mother in law. I had my surgery on a Thursday and went back to work the following Tuesday. I just took vacation time and when they asked what I was going to be doing I just said I had a lot of odds and ends that needed to be taken care of. As far as the liquid diet goes, I told everyone that I was working with a nutritionist who wanted me to "kick start" my new diet with a liquid diet to detox my system and everyone accepted that explanation. I really struggled with my decision to not tell many people but I have some very judgemental people in my family and I just didn't want to deal with them about this. In the end, I talked to my therapist about it and he said that I shouldn't feel obligated to tell anyone because it wasn't any of their business. That made me feel better about my decision...

I only use the Isopure shakes (not the fruit flavors). I like the vanilla and chocolate...one benefit to the is that they are lactose free which is great if you have lactose issues. They have 25g Protein and no carbs per scoop. That said, each Nut or surgeon has their favorites. Since you will be drinking them for a while I suggest you test several different brands to see which ones you like best...

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with all of you. I am starting what should be a very busy week at work but that is a good thing because the days just fly by! My band has been very tight for the past two days...not sure why because I almost never have tight days (I've only had 1 fill). I've just had to be very conscious of eating slowly and chewing well...luckily I haven't PB'd. I lost a little over 2 lbs last week so I am now over 60 lbs lost since I started my pre-op diet on November 18th. When I started this journey, my DH bought me a Pandora bracelet and started me off with a charm to represent my surgery day...I add a new charm for every 10 lbs I lose so I got to go pick out a charm this weekend . Hope you all have a wonderful day!

I have only told a handfull of people...my husband, sons, mother and mother in law. My husband, on the other hand, told several people at work but since we live several states away from my family then I can deal with that. My main reason for keeping it private is that I have several members of my family who are the types of people to make nasty comments and watch and comment on everything I put in my mouth. These people also have quite a bit of weight to lose and since I have always been the heaviest in our family then they will definately feel threatened by my losing weight. I have not seen any of them since before surgery and will probably be seeing them in a few weeks so it will be interesting to see how they react to my weight loss. We each have to make the decision that works for us. Some people can be completely open and others are just more private. I can say that the people who do know about my surgery have been 100% supportive of me and proud of my weight loss. I do feel guilty about not telling my father and brother but since the people I don't want to tell are on my Dad's side of the family and my Dad is not the type to keep a secret I made the decision not to tell him (after discussing it with my Mom). I think I will eventually tell people but I'm just not ready right now. NJGirl32 - I can't even imagine not telling my husband about surgery...there is so much involved in the pre-op and post-op periods, you will have scars that will have to be explained and your eating habits will drastically change...I certainly don't know anything about your relationship with your husband but I do know that mine would be very hurt to find out that I even considered not telling him...It seems to me that honesty is an essential part of a marriage and you should be able to be honest with your spouse...just my .02... Good luck to you...

I went into this journey not looking forward to the fills (I hate needles ) but understanding that in order to get the most out of this band that I might need them. As it turned out, I did feel restriction just from placement of the band and have only had one fill in 4 months (which I didn't get until last month). I have no intention to keep my band so tight that I throw up all of the time or can't eat certain foods...just my preference. I have only thrown up once since being banded and that was before my fill and completely my own fault for eating too fast and not chewing my food properly. There are some lucky people who can lose it without fills (and maybe you will be one of them) but I wouldn't go through the surgery if you aren't willing to get a fill if you need one...

It sounds like you are on track...I carry snacks every day to work...sometimes I eat them, sometimes not. If you can stay in your calorie range then I don't think you need a fill. There is no rule that you have to have one - you'll know when you need one.

I didn't get my first (and only) fill until 3 months after surgery. As long as you are losing weight, able to eat proper portion sizes and not hungry between meals then you don't need one. Some people can lose the weight with no fills or just one or two...

Denise: you are right, having a child with Aspergers is not easy at all. You never know quite what to expect from day to day. I live in New Orleans...if I was near you I would definitely send some meatballs your way

Thanks everyone for your input. I did mention it to the nurse at my surgeon's office when I went in and she said to talk to my PCP. I'm not going to do anything on my own (I'm not that careless ) so I am now searching for a new doctor. I've been very unsatisfied with my current doctor for a while but didn't want to change because I didn't want to mess anything up before my surgery...Hopefully, I can find one quickly and get this taken care of...

I have been on BP meds for several years and now that I have lost almost 60 lbs I am starting to think I may be ready to go off of them...I have been monitoring my BP and last night it was 115/63...so my question is how did you know you were ready to come off of your BP meds and who made that determination (your surgeon or your PCP)? The reason I ask is that I have my monthly check up/fill appt with my surgeon tomorrow and I am wondering if I should mention it (they don't normally check my BP when I go in)...

Denise~So sorry you are going through the whole furlough thing...I have several friends who are caught up in it too...it is interesting how they determine essential vs non-essential personnel. Melody~Thanks for the book recommendation. I am trying to stay low carb (although not as low as you do) because my weight loss is better and I feel better with this WOE, however my DH is a type 2 diabetic and is just starting to realize that low carb will be help his blood sugars and hopefully keep him from becoming insulin dependent like many of his family members (he has one of those family histories where the doctors have almost said it isn't a matter of "if" he will become insulin dependend but rather "when" and I am hoping that he will start working to prove them wrong). Deb~So sorry to hear about your father. Karen~Congrats on your pregnancy...that is such a wonderful time! Things are fairly calm on my end after a crazy and frustrating time yesterday. My youngest son (13) has Asperger's Syndrome and had a complete meltdown at school yesterday to the point where they couldn't calm him down and I had to go pick him up from school...all of this because he went to class unprepared and refused to sign the detention slip that his teacher gave him. He hasn't had one of these type of meltdowns in several months (I thought we had this under control) so I'll be interested to see what his therapist says about it at his appointment next week. In the meantime, tomorrow is International Day at his school and I have to make Swedish Meatballs (20 servings) and a cake for the cake walk in between getting my actual paying job done so this afternoon will be busy. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

This is very normal. Make sure to take your pain meds and just take your time moving around. Some people find it easier to sleep in a recliner for the first few days to be more comfortable. As far as putting an ice pack on the incision sites, I never tried one but did find a heating pad to help a lot. It makes sense that most of your pain is where the port is located because that is going to be your largest incision. Take it easy, be patient and I hope you feel better soon...

Here's a couple things that I have done to nudge my way out of a plateau...1) Try raising your calories slightly - if you are currently eating 1,000, raise it to 1,100 or 1,200 (since you are exercising a lot you may not be taking in enough calories) or 2) Try lowering your carb intake for a week or so (I was staying around 75-100 carbs per day and lowered mine to 20-30 per day and that really pushed me off of my plateau..it worked so well that I have tried to stay between 30-50 per day since that time).. Good Luck!