Sept. 2010 Bandsters !!!

[stateofzen 46]

Yay Monica, for hitting 50!

I'm sorry you're still struggling with portions, MissJoany. Would it be possible for you to go talk to a counselor about food issues? It might be helpful for you if you find yourself thinking about food all of the time as a food addict. It's worth a try if it might help you succeed!

I got a little fast and loose with what I was eating for a bit-- going out a lot and eating whatever sounded good, though not eating much. of it portion-wise I've forced myself to go low-carb again for the past couple of days and whew, what a difference it makes! I'm hoping to see a new number on the scale this week. I hit 210.2 after my fill and then tipped back up to 213 after I started eating solids again. The last two days have helped me lose the extra I'm hoping to see 209 or lower by the end of the week. I'm just hoping I can hit onederland by April 15th!

[LisaA 1]

Alright Monica, that is great. I hit my 40 lb mark last week, can't wait to get to 50.

Joany, if you ever decide you want to do some home cooking (as for me boredom leads to cheating) anyway I love the free recipe calculator that Spark People offers http://www.sparkpeople.com you have to get an account but it's free

this is the page within spark people that you go to http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

anyway you put in the ingrediants and the quantity you put - or someone else puts in the food, then you decide how many portions that makes. So if you made a pan of lasagna and you decide you want to have 1/8 of the pan for your portion, you say 8 portions, and it will give you all the nutrition information. So then you say go back and try if you did 1/12 portions, then you could see how much is in that portion etc. or say you go back and reduce your oil in half, or use fat free cheese or whatever. you see what I'm saying. It is for the ocd but I too am obsessed with food.

Another option that I use is to follow a laid out plan. I highly recomend the Instinct Diet. It's a book you can get on Amazon. tons of recipes, and daily food plan that includes Snacks and meals, includes vegetatian or meat, includes home cook or fast prep. Even if you don't use the detailed meal plan, the recipes are great and already have nutrition calculated for them.

Well anyway, everyone is doing great.

Lisa

[LisaA 1]

Ok so I have a low carb question. my doc was like I should keep my carbs to 40 gs. that seems extreme to me. I am trying to at least keep it below 100, and would like to work toward 65-75

so when I look at my food log, one place I see high carbs (besides my piece of fruit, which I'm not willing to part with) my yogurt is high carb. I like it because I do that instead of the cup of milk I was told to do. it's also got Protein, which I like in a snack. plus it's very tasty. So I'm wondering what other folks do. My nutritionist in Mexico felt that I should get 1 piece of fruit per day and 1 cup of milk. I don't like milk much. But I do prefer to eat my nutrients in food. Plus with the fruit there is the Fiber, which I also pay attention to.

So what are some other Snacks low carb people do, or what do you think about all this.

Lisa

[emsbugbug 7]

I don't know if you have a Kroger around you, but Kroger puts out a great low-carb yogurt called CarbMaster. I eat it everyday, but I have to put in a packet of Stevia bc I need it to be sweet. I put a half a banana in my smoothie every morning, but that is about all the fruit that I eat. I try to keep my carbs between 50-65. I don't accomplish this everyday, but the carbs I am eating are from fruit and Beans, not Pasta, rice and other white stuff. I also like to snack on cheese and beef Jerky. I am a real stickler about not eating sugar. Except for my banana, I try to eat nothing with over 5 grams of sugar in it. Hope this helps.

[stateofzen 46]

Lisa, I snack on cheese. It has Protein and is very low carb. It fills me right up. Sometimes if I'm super tired of cheese I snack on almonds (though they are higher in carbs) or turkey pepperoni.

[Scarred4Life 1]

Hi, guys!! I know, I know... I am never on this think like I was BEFORE I got banded.. Life tends to sweep you up and move you through the days pretty quickly, it seems. I went to my doc this afternoon to see where I am.. Just before Christmas I made my personal goal of 50 pounds, and he stretched out my time in between appointments from every month to every 6 weeks now.. SO.. here I am, nervous as can be because of the holidays.. and even though this is so horrible to admit, I have rekindled my love of moon pies.. I mean, what the hell?? The last time I ate a moon pie (before this last episode) had to of been 12 years ago... If I could go that long - why is it now that I keep thinking of them.. Damn them, and all their marshmellow deliciousness!

But.. according to the scale, I have managed to lose another 10 pounds.. so that puts me down 60 pounds. Which is wonderful, so I will not go without giving myself a pat on the back - Oh, but how I wish there was a way to "pat" (pound/beat/pummel) the moonpie out of my system that I ate last week... Arrgh! This is still a learning process for me.

Wow.. 60 pounds. Sounds great, right?? How is it that I dont "see" a difference... yes, I am down 1 pant size. but when its just me and the mirror?? I feel like I look the very same, just hangs lower. I will say that the other day I felt something brushing the back of my thigh.. I was horrified to find out that it was my very own buttcheek... please let it stop at the back of my thigh.. if something starts tickling the back of my knee...?? Oh goodness!

[stateofzen 46]

Tiffany, your comment about your butt touching your knee made me laugh-- this whole weight loss thing is a mystery, isn't it? I've been worried I'll have a flat butt when it's all over, but I guess there's always something else to worry about. I'll tell you what, my boobs have looked better-- that's all I'm saying.

Congratulations on your loss! You're doing great, Moon Pie or no!

[Scarred4Life 1]

Lyla,

Too funny! I was literally brushing at the back of my leg trying to figure out what I had sat in..

I know I have been *feeling* better.. but I still dont see difference.. I think maybe because I still have such a large amount to go..? And I am constantly reminding myself that its only been 4 months, and need to cut myself a little slack... and learn that slack doesnt come in the form of Moon Pies. Before I went into surgery, my doctors office took a picture of me.. one that I didnt see.. and my surgeon told me that I should ask the girl up front to pull it up so I could see how far I have come. I left the office without looking at the picture... I think I will save that moment of horror when its a little farther behind me.. I dont want to still resemble that girl.

You are doing absolutely SUPER.. 83 POUNDS?!? WoWoWoWoW!! You are more than half way to your goal. How exciting! When did you start seeing the results for yourself?

Keep it up, girlie!

[LisaA 1]

Tiffany, I hear ya, it's so hard to see the difference. I'm only at 42lbs gone, but I know I'd feel the way you are feeling. One thing I can say is keeping track of measurments helps me in times of feeling like it's not showing. Also taking a picture of yourself at certain times, standing the same. I saw a really cute thing someone did where they wore the same outfit basically, only it was obvious she had it in smaller sizes in that outfit. I'm going for jeans and a tee shirt, but maybe more form fitting is better.

Anyway I feel I am still wearing the same size, but I am for the first time, buying a belt. My goal is to not buy clothes until I can no longer reasonably hold up my current clothes. which I imagine is more like 2 sizes smaller. but I feel like also maybe I was pushing the limit of my current size, like on the tight end of it.

I do know that last night when I was at yoga for the first time since my surgery that it was shocking how noticeable it was that I could more easily like sit cross legged, and reach my feet sitting down, like there was definitely more room, I wasn't straining against my stomach and boobs. It was a great feeling. Do you have any memory of defferent weights in your life when you were wearing different sizes. That's how I'm thinking of it. There are times that I remember knowing my weight, and feeling like I was wearing a certain size at the time in my life. Like I think when I was like 225 ish that I was somewhere between a 16 and a 18. Can't believe I think of those as good days. been above 260 so long. LOL. not anymore, 258 today, yeah.

Anyway there are differences, it's just hard to see. you are doing awesome, remember that.

[LisaA 1]

ok, I'll try it, yeah in my thing from the nutritionist she says 1 peice of fruit, but 1 banana counts as 2 pieces. I do a lot of apples and grapefruit this time of year.

I like Lyla's jerkie and cheese idea too. I'll look for carbmaster, we do have krogers here. although I'll need it sweet too. my carbs have been like around 100, I like the idea of gettign them to 65. I just can't imagine doing 40. that's what these docs said. that seems pretty low.

I don't know if you have a Kroger around you, but Kroger puts out a great low-carb yogurt called CarbMaster. I eat it everyday, but I have to put in a packet of Stevia bc I need it to be sweet. I put a half a banana in my smoothie every morning, but that is about all the fruit that I eat. I try to keep my carbs between 50-65. I don't accomplish this everyday, but the carbs I am eating are from fruit and Beans, not Pasta, rice and other white stuff. I also like to snack on cheese and beef Jerky. I am a real stickler about not eating sugar. Except for my banana, I try to eat nothing with over 5 grams of sugar in it. Hope this helps.

[LisaA 1]

hey all, how's it going? I hope you all are doing well. Happy Valentines Day. I am still only getting 4 days on the treadmill, my goal is 5. I'm down to 256 today, I'm hoping to hit my 50 lb mark by my birthday March 10- that will be 8 lbs to go.

Lisa

[bandcamp1210 1]

Hi Everyone!

Eveeryone is from teh KC area right? Anyone else using Dr. Malley or New Hope Bariatrics? I was banded 12/29/2010. I have lost only a total of about 25 pounds

I get my first fill today-I know, Valentine's Day, right? Something like poetic justice about that. Right now I don't feel like I have ANY restriction. I can eat almost normally. Almost.

I struggle with stress eating. I am married with a stepdaughter (20) living with us and a daughter (17) who is a senior and we are trying to get her college stuff done. My husbnad DOES NOT COOK ANYTHING. We are at odds right now because I feel unsupported by him not stepping in at mealtime more-he doesn't have a weight problem.

Not only a stress eater, a food addict. I will be the first to wave my hand in the air and say "My name is Bandcamp and I am addicted to food.

I have a lot of people watching me. My Mom, who in love, paid for my surgery. My husband, who wants a healthy wife who is going to be around a few more years. Work, my boss had this done too, and is supportive and has done well.

I am struggling with exercising. Why am I not more motivated? We got Wii so I would have it right there at the house. I try and walk at work, but some days end up with my butt in the seat at the computer too long.

I have an online support group for stepmoms who have changed my life. I guess I am looking for something consistent here too. It seems like several of you come back quite often.

This is really long-sorry! But count me in. I am a daily poster.

As far as carbs-I am also seeing Dr. Mary Vernon-she wrote Atkins Diabetes Revolution. She has two offices-one in Shawnee and one in Lawrence. She is a low carb passionate preacher-she said good Snacks are cheese, chunks of meat (small and chew well!), olives, almonds or macadamia nuts-just portion everything, Don't eat mindlessly. For Breakfast or lunch she said eat an egg white omelette with cheese, spinach, feta cheese-chopped olives, chopped chives and tomoates-. All low carb. The egg whites are a great Protein she said will keep me full and going going all day till next meal. So far I am still doing Protein Shakes. She referred my to www.leanerliving.com. They have recipes for pumpkin protein shakes :yum:

[missjoany 0]

Hi everyone, I have alot of reading to catch up. Now that my infection is gone, then I got bronchitis for a week, back to exercising. I finally made the 50 pound mark, but what a struggle. Only lost about 3 pounds this month, but that is three more than I would have, right! Let me read all your entries and get back to you. This is the third time I am working out with a trainer though!

[LisaA 1]

wow Joany, a trainer, cool! that sounds great. I'm there with ya - I'm at 45 lbs lost, am hoping I can get to 50 by March 10, but my loss is slow indeed compared to many. But you are absolutely right about it being 45 or 50 more then it would have been so let's Celebrate.

Band Camp hello, I hear ya on the stress eating- also have a holiday thing I'm finding- Valentines was a bear. and excercising is my problem, well that and carbs I think, oh and drinking enough. this thread is not from one location, we are all folks that were banded in Sept 2010, but anyone is welcome.

good luck everyone.

[sarwenc 0]

Hi Lisa, Joany, Zen, Bandcamp, Tiffany... How's everybody?? I haven't posted here since last year, just after my surgery probably. I'm a such a slacker! lol

I'm so excited to see all of your progress! You gals ROCK. I've had a slow start, partly b/c my doc only fills 2ccs at first and then .5 ccs at a time after that (a month apart), so I've only really had restriction this past month or so. But I'm there now! Really feeling the restriction! YAY!

Congrats Joany on working with a trainer! You are a bad mamba jamba, hehe! I've been working out 4-5 times per week at home, using videos or playing Xbox 360 Kinect games (don't laugh, they make me sweat!)

Do you have any mini-goals for Spring? I'm trying to get to Onederland by the end of March (10 lbs to go- should be doable, right?)

Ok ladies- talk more later!