How is weight loss for people over 50?

[nicnaknut 0]

Thank you so much crabcake for the encouraging words.. I have been concerned about that, as I keep reading different threads of people who can't eat this or that and I wasn't really looking forward to a protien powder and fish diet from now on.. So thanks again for giving me some encouragement.. People such as yourself is what makes this site so wonderful..

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I really haven't found anything I can't eat either. Meatloaf is something that's

perfect for a band. I eat a lot of meatloaf, actually. I make it out of ground turkey. I also eat an awful lot of chicken. You'll be able to eat pretty much whatever you want to eat for awhile, until you get filled tightly. A lot of people are able to lose without having their band really tight.

[thompson632 0]

I am 55 years old. I was banded in November 2006. To date I have lost 101lbs. I started at 481 and I am now 378. You just need to face the mental stuff and the physical stuff starts falling off!

Carole

[crabcake 0]

You just need to face the mental stuff and the physical stuff starts falling off!

Carole

Wow Carole! That's fantastic! You're so right about the mental stuff. I think it 'weighs' more than the other!

[crabcake 0]

Thank you so much crabcake for the encouraging words.. I have been concerned about that, as I keep reading different threads of people who can't eat this or that and I wasn't really looking forward to a protien powder and fish diet from now on.. So thanks again for giving me some encouragement.. People such as yourself is what makes this site so wonderful..

Thanks. That's nice to hear. Glad to help!

[phyllser 3]

I really haven't found anything I can't eat either. Meatloaf is something that's

perfect for a band. I eat a lot of meatloaf, actually. I make it out of ground turkey. I also eat an awful lot of chicken. You'll be able to eat pretty much whatever you want to eat for awhile, until you get filled tightly. A lot of people are able to lose without having their band really tight.

I'm still in the "mushy" stage and I'm amazed at what I can puree in to baaby food consistency.... and it still tastes pretty good. This weekend I had salmon/mashed potatoes/green Beans and the same combo with a few chunks of BBQ ribs instead of the salmon. Put it in my Magic Bullet and add a little BBQ Sauce and/or milk. Eating 1/2 cup servings 4-6 X a day.

[BJean 16]

nickanut I had meatloaf for lunch today. I made chicken & dumplings last week and had some of it for a couple of meals. I had to go very easy on the dumplings, and with the meatloaf no bread, but I did have a couple of small bites of roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

I am one of those who can't eat most chicken. The chicken & dumplings dish was the first chicken I have had in months. It was extremely tender and cooked very well, but I still didn't eat much of it. I went for the broth mostly. Some people eat chicken often, I'm just not really one of them

I used to never eat fish and now I order it a lot when we go out. It just is much easier to eat and it tastes much better to me now than pre-band.

Good luck. I think you'll agree that the weight loss is worth any foods that you can't eat (like bread).

[BJean 16]

thompson362: Can you give some hints on how exactly to go about facing the mental stuff?? I am sure a lot of my problem is in my head, but I have no idea how to begin to straighten that out.

[nicnaknut 0]

Crabcakes, Denise, Phyl, and BJean.... Thank you so much for sharing with me your experiences with different foods... I was getting real worried about that since I keep reading about people who can't eat this or that. I don't mind giving up certain foods for the lap band but, I was beginning to think I was going to be doomed to a life of protien drinks and fish. While I do like fish, I really like other foods as well, plus I keep thinking about my poor husband who doesn't have a weight problem and what to fix him to eat.. :hungry:

Carole, Congratulations on your fantastic weight loss. That is a great accomplishment. Hopefully I will do as well. I know alot of the process is mental and I'm trying to get the positive thoughts going. One thing I have found to be helpful is this web site and all of the support and encouragement you get from everyone here.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Hello everyone, I just found this thread and have enjoyed reading about us over 50 folks..

I am scheduled for my band surgery in October and I'm getting excited for it, but at the same time I'm a little aprehensive about no longer being able to eat some of my favorite foods, such as my homemade meatloaf, Beans and cornbread, chicken and dumpllings, etc... How have all of you been able to give up some of your favorite foods and is it as difficult as I'm thinking it is going to be? I would love to hear how you cope with it.

Thanks to all of you kind folks out there in bandland..

Nicnaknut - You can still eat your fav foods - just less of them as long as they are band friendly and this seems to be different for everyone - some can eat bread (i haven't tried) some can't - OMG Dumpings are you talking about the flat ones that you cook in ck broth - my Mom use to make/eat those (and in one summer gained 20 lbs) - and me too. Havent had them in YEARS... - But do you really want to be eating your fave foods often - aren't they what got you where you are today (I'm not trying to be mean). The other day i wasn't feeling good and was tired (a big food trigger for me) and i was still on mushy food - so i thought i would make some white gravy to go over my mash potatoes - i got the bacon out started frying it and then said "Janet - did you really go throught all these tests (had tons of pre-op test) the pain of surgeryn & $$$ just to screw it up cuz you a big baby and want your comfort food" I said NO and threw it away - I just had my 3/4 cup mash potatoes with no gravy !!!!!

My personal opinion is that you still have to do 75% (eating the correct foods - excercising) of the work to loose the weight and the band will do the other 25% (control your portions) I don't find that the band has taken away my hunger - I get full alot faster but I have to pay attention. We are so use to eating large portions that I feel (imho) that in our head we don't feel full cuz we didn't eat 2 bowls of whatever - we only ate one.. I still have the battle of head hunger at night and to eat slower - but this is a journey which i have begun and for which i will continue and each day is a new challenge - but a worthy one.

[carol1951 0]

What is it with the head hunger thing. It's really bad for me in the evening. I had a really good supper. I made this skillet dinner with ground beef, onion, rol-tel and cabbage and I had a bean salad. Right now I can't get it out of mind that I want something sweet. I don't really want pie or cake. I want Cookies which has always been my down fall. I don't buy them anymore even for my husband. I know I would eat every last one in no time. I also love chocolate, but can usually leave candy alone. So why this almost uncontrollable feeling that I need something sweet. Does anyone else have this kind of feelings? I have alway done a lot of cooking and baking and this is very hard not being able to do this now.

Oh well thanks for letting me get this off my chest tonight. Maybe it will help me get through this evening.

[IndioGirl55 32]

What is it with the head hunger thing. It's really bad for me in the evening. I had a really good supper. I made this skillet dinner with ground beef, onion, rol-tel and cabbage and I had a bean salad. Right now I can't get it out of mind that I want something sweet. I don't really want pie or cake. I want Cookies which has always been my down fall. I don't buy them anymore even for my husband. I know I would eat every last one in no time. I also love chocolate, but can usually leave candy alone. So why this almost uncontrollable feeling that I need something sweet. Does anyone else have this kind of feelings? I have alway done a lot of cooking and baking and this is very hard not being able to do this now.

Oh well thanks for letting me get this off my chest tonight. Maybe it will help me get through this evening.

Carol1951 - Well the "experts" say we have unresolved issues - that we are covering up our feeling with food. I can't say i am covering up feelings - i think i use food to cover up boredom.( well i guess that is a feeling).. Also, as a child we had dinner and then a couple of hours later we had "dessert" be it cake, ice cream etc.. That is how we were trained. I was reading an artical in Prevention magazine which covered how thin people look at food and how we look at it - we obsess about food where thin people don't - I'm not one who thinks all day about what my next meal would be but once i started eating (usually when I got home from work) i would just keep on until bed time - I also found that i use food to self medicate to help me fall asleep - I can't sleep if i am hungry... Now I am trying to figure out am i really hungry or do i just want to fill up time... If i am hungry then i have a pudding, fudgecicle or lately watermelon. But i just don't have the junk in the house cuz if it's here I will eat it... And it is so hard to stop at 1 or 2 when it taste so good.... I think the answer is that we have to re-train ourselves. We need food to live - we should not live just to eat... Don't know if this helps just throwing it out there ..

[nicnaknut 0]

IndioGirl, Wow what willpower to throw out some yummy white gravy for your mashed potatoes.. My mouth was beginning to Water as you were describing it. But you are so right about 75% eating right and exercise, as the band is just a tool to help you with your journey to weight loss.

Carol, I hear ya with the head hunger thing.. I am trying so hard now not to eat anything after dinner, but lately I have been craving sweets in the evenings too. My sweet tooth has been for pastries, like donuts or cinnamon rolls but a good banana nut cake or zucchini bread will work for me.. :bounce:

Ok, no more talk about the bad foods, just healthy food talk... Oh, just one more thing for IndioGirl, yes the flat kind in chicken broth...

[IndioGirl55 32]

Ok, no more talk about the bad foods, just healthy food talk... Oh, just one more thing for IndioGirl, yes the flat kind in chicken broth...

OK nicnaknut - you are from the south Flat dumplings -white gravy-cornbread.... All that good food... it's just to bad that we don't have to farm anymore to use up all those calorie from eating all that good food - not really i would rather have my desk job than a phyical one - but again another reason i am fat :paranoid

[BJean 16]

I don't do the flat dumplings. Mine are large and very fluffy. Melt in your mouth - not chewy.

Btw, remember that we are supposed to realize that there are NO BAD FOODS.

Indio I think you're right on about the head hunger issue. I am one of those people who has started obsessing about my next meal. I haven't been able to decide if it is because I am too restricted or not restricted enough. Or if it is simply that my head is so used to thinking up good things to eat that I have reverted to that since I've been so restricted that I can hardly eat some of the time.