December Bandsters

[Nathalie 4]

Just a note.

You may think it's a good idea to mix fat free pudding with a scoop of Protein powder. It's not. This crap may look like mashed potatoes and taste like cookie dough, but it is literally gagging me. I'm eating it though. 25 grams of Protein and 140 calories. I also had one of my drinks today @ 15 grams of Protein, so I'm already up to 40. If I have another drink later and the chicken/cottage cheese, that's another 35 grams. I also think it's about 500 calories.

Ummm, who rocks? Yeah. I do.

I have many steady girlfriends up in this piece. Don't fight ladies! There's enough of The Nat to go around! At least for a few months more. HA! I'm trying to shake my stuffins. I need to take my measurements today - and I'll report tomorrow. But I'm 33 lbs down... and counting.

Work isn't so bad. The new daycare sucks, thanks for asking. It's only temporary though, so I keep reminding myself of that.

Do we have a collective goal? Like, to lose 10 pounds by Valentine's Day or something? Personally I'm trying to hit 255 by my 1 month date (1/14). I'm like the little engine that could: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Well let me get back to the grind...

Nathalie

[Kaydotrn 1]

((Jill)) hang in there. 15 pounds is great. You are still healing. Give yourself some time to adjust. I know it is frustrating. RNY definitely means faster weightloss. Your weight will come off in it's time as well. It is so hard to not want it off yesterday! I understand.

B-man-can't fight you girl! Love ya too much. hehe.

BKWall-WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING AT ME? just kidding. How are you doing? Are the kids back to school today? Mine are-woohoo (is that terrible? I just like the routine and I could get my butt back to the gym)

Douglas-nice to meet you and thanks for sharing. Your diet seems similair to mine except I am liquids for 3 weeks (but not clear). Can't wait for mushy food.

Carol-glad to hear you are doing well and the jeans are getting bigger! Exciting.

I went back to the gym today. I plannedtotakeit slowly and just do30 minutes onthe elliptical, but I did 45 since there was a good show on tv that I was watching. I wanted to do some nautilus but I canot do weights without MD's okay. I cannot wait. It seems weird to be there and not do as much as I usually do. I know it will change in time.

Have a good day all.

[bkwalling 0]

Okay Now I Want 2 Be A Steady Girl Too

We R Crazy

My Husband Makes Fun Of Me Being On Here

He Is Like What Can U Possiably Talk About He Says One Person Says Oh I Have Mash Tators And Another Says Oh I Tried Chunky Soup I Am A Daredevil

I Told Him Not At All He Wished He Was In The Inner Circle

He Is So Crazy But Really Supportive And Has Not Ate Mexican food Since I Have Been Banded And We Normally Would Eat Twice A Wk So I Love Him For All The Little Reasons

[beversman 0]

Love you guys too!

I am stuck as well... I dont know what I'm doing wrong... i know it isnt eating tooo many calories... I must not be getting enough Protein or something. Trying to up the Protein starting to today to see what happens...

At this point we are all just dieting our asses off. Isnt it annoying that the majority of all of our weightloss is just sheer will power right now?

Damn - makes me a bit angry at the hefty price tag. but i am being negative right now... when I get a fill it will be a bit more worth it...

[Kaydotrn 1]

Just a note.

You may think it's a good idea to mix fat free pudding with a scoop of Protein powder. It's not. This crap may look like mashed potatoes and taste like cookie dough, but it is literally gagging me. I'm eating it though. 25 grams of Protein and 140 calories. I also had one of my drinks today @ 15 grams of protein, so I'm already up to 40. If I have another drink later and the chicken/cottage cheese, that's another 35 grams. I also think it's about 500 calories.

Yeah,that doesn't sound too appealing. But I too am eating things I don't love for the sake of getting in my protein. I put ascoop of 20gram unflavored Protein Powder in mywater bottle with one of those 4C flavored Water mixins. It is foamy and a little thick but palatable. We do what we have to do.

Do we have a collective goal? Like, to lose 10 pounds by Valentine's Day or something? Personally I'm trying to hit 255 by my 1 month date (2/14). I'm like the little engine that could: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

I am trying to make my goals fitness oriented, but secretly I would love to be at 232 by my MD appt on the 11th. Doubtful but it would be SWEET!

[StephC 0]

Kay - too funny! I actually knew what you were talking about before you sent it! I'm thinking oh yeah they look like crap but dang they're comfy! I tried jeans on in Walmart yesterday - not that I don't have enough in the bottom of my drawer - but they have these ones that have a built in tummy control - I didn't get them because the ones that fit are the same size that I'm wearing now and I'm not ready to get new jeans yet - but how cool is that? Tummy control!

Jess - towards the end of my liquid phase when I was starving - I started making Soups like potato - then pureeing the the potatoes and added it back to the liquid so it was thicker - and bean Soup, I mushed up the Beans so it was so good and thick, then you can also melt in some cottage cheese - which is very high in Protein - like into your Tomato Soup. I tried the Protein powder but found out that it doesn't work in hot foods.

Carol - good luck on the job interview!

Kay- I know what you mean about the fresh sauteed foods - but no asparagus or brocoli ends - too stringy - that and celery - doc says it all balls up in the pouch and gets you stuck. I ate some of the brocoli tops at chinese yesterday - they were very well done but then from one of the other dishes they weren't as well done so I stayed away. I'm allowed casseroles so I figure if its mushy it should be ok to eat.

How's the bm's going? LOL Everyone past the mud butt stage? I'm trying to eat shredded wheat every morning to keep me regular but I miss the pre-op poops. <---- ok sorry but that was in tribute to the "steadies" Love ya girls! (Nat I assume we are all your steadies?)

Nat - its so good to hear you are back to you're old self! Let us know how work went.

[StephC 0]

you are all too freaking fast! I just post a comment and theres already 10 more to read!

[Nathalie 4]

beversman:

I'm on the same quest: to find more protein-enriched foods.

I found this handy dandy chart on the website http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_4_20/ai_n6002944

Need more Protein in your diet? Then eat more of these foods, which

have the highest levels of Protein.< /p>

food Protein Content

Salmon 42 g per fillet

Haddock and rockfish 36 g per fillet

chicken breast 35 g per breast

Cottage cheese 31 g per cup

Veal and lamb 31 g per 3 oz

Ricotta cheese 28 g per cup

Crab meat 28 g per cup

Pork chops 27 g per 3 oz

Most cuts of beef 27 g per 3 oz

Turkey breast 25 g per 3 oz

Lentils, white Beans 18 g per cup

You can check nutrition labels and add up grams of protein on your own, or just remember the numbers 1, 5, 10, 15, 25 to roughly estimate protein intake. (That's 1 gram of protein for every serving of fruit and vegetables, 5 for every egg or handful of nuts you eat, 10 for every cup of milk or yogurt, 15 for every cup of Beans or half-cup of cottage cheese, and 25 for every 3-4 ounce serving of meat.)

On my own I discovered that 4oz Salmon has 20g protein and 140 calories. I plan to blend it with 3oz plain non-fat yogurt (3g protein, 40 calories), and add some dill, lemon and lemon pepper. I think that will be good with some Tomato slices.

It's all about the protein baby.

And as for the weight loss stalling, I think it's just because we're eating. Our bodies must have thought we were starving while on the liquids, and now it's holding on to the calories that we're eating regular foods. That is why I am pushing the Water and determined to exercise 30-45 minutes 2x per day (AM and PM). F*ck the BS - I gotsta get this ass offa me!

((Steph)) - yes, I am feeling better. Pissy that I'm at work today, but *ahem* you see how much work I'm actually doing. I was productive for 2 hours and then? LBT and the protein search! HA!

((KayDoll)) - we have got to find a better way. I think I'm going to look into some other solutions this weekend. Your concoction doesn't sound any better than mine! *hurk*

HA!

NGA

[StephC 0]

Ok so I'm gonna shock you all and say I don't count my Protein AT ALL!!! No kidding! At my last visit I told the dr I haven't been drinking my Protein drinks and he said you shouldn't have to. He said if I eat properly I'll get enough Protein. So I haven't really worried about it. I do think about things like cottage cheese and milk (more because I'm not taking a Calcium supplement and already have bone loss)

yesterday

egg & toast - 8 g

chinese(mostly the chicken) I'd say 20 g

crab cake w/shrimp alfredo whole wheat linguine - 30 g

1/2 c cottage cheese 15

thats over 70 grams of protein and probably too many calories

I'm guessing that I've been eating enough protein but I'm probably stalled because I'm eating too many calories. Its strange tho because I do not snack at all - and my portions are WAY smaller then what I had been eating - so I don't know. I guess I better start tracking it better. And looking at that I just realized I'm not getting much fruit and vegies - I am taking my flintstones and I'm still drinking alot of Water. UGH! I'm so confused!

[StephC 0]

btw thanks for the Protein chart Nat - I'll check out that site too.

[VABandster 0]

CAROL - Good luck w/your interview!! I just got a job offer myself (was laid off in Nov), so I'm thrilled that I won't have to spend all the severance I got and can actually put some of it into savings for my sons college!

JILL & BMAN - I know the frustration you're taking about!!! My scale has not budged much in the past week but a few things I've changed in the past few days I think helped b/c I was down 4 pound this AM from where I've been "hanging" the past week! 1) I started drinking more Water. I realized I wasn't drinking enough b/c I typically drank most of my Water at meals, which I can't do anymore, so I was forgetting to drink in between meals. 2) I added flaxseeds to my Breakfast (lost o'Fiber in this!)....this helped me uh...'clean the pipes', shall we say?? I hadn't been pooping much and I actually went 2x in 2 days, which was amazing for me! and last but not least 3) I went back and re-read the "rules" for eating...i.e. small portions, take 30 minutes, and I think it really made the difference b/c I had been NOT eating as slowly as I should have been and had been eating more than I should have b/c I could! So hopefully those tips help you get the scales moving. But as I type I can hear my tummy grumbling for lunch and all I have is oatmeal today....hopefully that will be enough to get me through the afternoon!

NG - Thanks for the list of good Protein foods! I didn't see Peanut Butter or tuna Fish on there? Both of those have some good amounts of Protein too, right??

Sooo glad to see such a great supportive group here! I love it!!! Since I had my surgery so far away, I don't get to go to an actual group, so you guys ARE My lifeline! THANKS!!

[soontobethin 0]

BKWalling - Your husband looks very cute in your picture. I'm glad he's nice too. My weight loss is stagnating but I know I need to drink more Water and write every single thing I eat down. Bad habits are hard to break. I want to lose 45 lbs by July (I have an event to go to) but I know this is so worth it. Can't wait for the fill though...

[StephC 0]

Ok so I just got off the phone with the dr (actually the PA) and they said about the Water - at this point its not going to dialate my pouch because the opening is so big that its going right through BUT they don't want me doing this because the whole idea is to get into the post-fill habits and after I have the fill it could stretch my esphosgus, the same with the amount of food I've been eating. I told him I know I'm eating more then a half a cup, more like a cup - he said at this point without the fill I can but shouldn't - there again with the whole habit thing because after the fill I won't be able to eat more then a half cup, so its better to eat several times a day, half cup at a time then to eat a whole cup and only eat 3 times. Have I made any sense at all to you? The wonderful news is that after my next appt - next tues - the 9th - he thinks I'll be able to get a fill the following week - since I'm tolerating food so well. I told him nothing has ever made me sick, or golf ball feeling, I've never even felt nauseated, he said well you will probably be able to get a fill a week after going to reg. foods. Wow - its hard to believe that next tues I'll be going to regular foods! Think we may have pizza for supper that night. LOL

[StephC 0]

I was just wondering how often you all see your doctors? I had a 2 week visit, and a 4 week is scheduled and then my fill at 5-6 weeks. I also popped in 3 days post-op to get more tape on my incisions. I saw him at the support group at one week post-op too. How often are your support group meetings - mine are once a month at the dr's office and then daily on LBT

[soontobethin 0]

StephC - Congratulations on your fill. Let us know how it goes, if it hurts and if you feel fuller afterwards. pizza sounds awesome. So does french fries, but I never want to be fat again. Maybe when I'm very old, I'll have this band removed and eat everything all the time. Until then, I do love Cream of Wheat, thank goodness.