Anyone else lost interest in food?

[Betsyjane 2]

Hey Trans....Puleeze....I would love to have some of your favorite recipes!

Hey Zen....You're losing...just slower than you would with bypass. And someday you may really count your blessings that your band is adjustable! Take it from one who stretched a pouch...needed a slight unfill when sick...hates to get the runs....has the option to unfill a bit before travel....

[phyllisc 0]

I hate microwave meals....I usually end up getting a salad from a fast food place and making a couple of meals out of it. Getting tired of limp lettuce!

Phyllis.....How long have you had your band? I'm assuming you know that it is not leaking, since they believe they've filled you to the max. Without more info, let me offer a guess....Have you had a fluoroscope to see if you have stretched your pouch? You can do that through no fault of your own, and it is usually easily correctable. Mine was..... I I hfelt like I had practically no restriction and could eat anything so I went for more fill and found out I was living with too tight a band and so had dilated my pouch. A partial unfill and some days on liquids and I was back to feeling restricted.

Hi Bestyjane,

I don't know what the story is with me. I have 5.5 ccs in my 4cc band It took a long time to get any kind of restriction. I need to get the possiblity of a stretch ruled out. Last fill I had, all the saline was still there. I have been banded for 20 mos. I do occasioally get stuck but I can eat just about everything but steak or other tough dry meat. I wish I could figure this thing out. I will go to my Dr and see what he thinks. I have never had to get an unfill nor have I ever felt too tight. i can easily eat a 1.5 cups of food or more. What do you think?

[transformer 1]

Hi there!

Now, I don't make "gourmet" food or anything like that--I basically eat what "normal" people eat minus the fat, sodium, tons of carbs, and in smaller portions. No rocket science needed--I promise! If I can do this, you can do this! :girl_hug:

The first thing I do is eat out of plastic containers that hold only a cup of food at the most to control portion sizes or I use a dessert sized plate rather than a dinner plate. It's a psychological thing! I usually aim for 1/2 cup of Protein at each meal then add in veggies, etc. Some people can eat more than a cup of food at a sitting which is fine--everyone is different. As long as you're still losing, it's all good! I eat three "meals" a day and I try my best not to eat at all after 6 PM. I don't snack between meals. Instead, I drink Water in various forms and strive to get in 64 ounces a day to flush out fat, keep from retaining too much Water, and to stay hydrated. I don't really like plain water, so I got a PUR water filter and flavoring cartridge that I attached to my faucet. I either make flavored water by the glass or keep a pitcher in the fridge to fill up my water bottle.< /p>

For dairy foods, I'll usually eat the low-carb 4 oz. yogurts although I find that yogurt does not do a very good job filling me up! I do still make Protein shakes with store brand skim lactaid milk (I'm still working on my bottomless container of Champion Nutrition whey Protein powder from a year ago)! I usually make it with about 8 ounces of liquid, 1 scoop of powder, and enough crushed ice to raise the volume to 10 ounces. I buy fat free cottage cheese and eat 1/2 cup with different things mixed in. I might add a teaspoon of sugar free strawberry jam (10 whole calories!) or a tablespoon of yogurt just to add some flavor. My doctor advised me not to add fruit like applesauce to it to avoid eating too many carbs. I eat string cheese sometimes with about 4 whole wheat crackers. I tried the lowfat version once, but wasn't too crazy about it. I also eat Egg Beaters for Breakfast often. Some stores sell flavored Egg Beaters--Southwest/Garden Vegetables, etc. Those are pretty good. I usually buy the plain kind and add something to it (chopped scallions, salsa, a sprinkle of cheese, chopped onions, peppers, and tomatoes, etc.). You can also play with spices as well.

I eat refried Beans pretty often. I take a 1/2 cup of fat-free refried Beans and combine it with a tablespoon or so of different types of salsa just to make it more interesting (peach salsa, pineapple salsa, etc.). Sometimes I add a teaspoon of fat free sour cream or a little sprinkle of shredded cheese on top (emphasis on little sprinkle--cheese can have a lot of fat).

I also eat canned salmon a lot. I'll take a 1/2 cup of canned salmon and stir in different things (chopped scallions, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, dill, etc.). If you buy a couple of plum tomatoes instead of the big ones, that makes enough to mix in without having a lot of Tomato left over to spoil. I add to that fat free Mayonnaise or a fat free dressing that goes well with salmon. I do the same with canned tuna. I always rinse tuna (packed in water, not oil) in a collander to wash off the salt, too. That's an old habit I picked up from my dad's diet plan after he had a heart attack years ago. I also season salmon steaks with lemon juice and pepper and broil or bake it and then serve it with non-starchy veggies. I enjoy other types of fish as well (bake tilapia topped with salsa or canned chipotle peppers with adobe sauce which is very spicy, bake any white fish with a can of chopped tomatoes over it, etc.). All of these fish ideas can be split into smaller serving sizes and frozen.

I make stir-fry often with chicken or shrimp and frozen stir-fry veggies. It's very quick and easy, and you can freeze the leftovers in small portions for another time. I find it's too salty if I use regular soy sauce, so I usually buy the low sodium kind. I make a basic soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch sauce found in most cookbooks. I usually cook rice for my son, but I don't usually eat any because I eat the meat and veggies first in my little plastic container and I get filled up.

For chicken, I have the best luck if I use chicken broth to cook it. Dry chicken and I don't get along well! Blech! Sometimes I'll cook a whole package of boneless chicken breast in my pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth or a can of diced or stewed tomatoes to keep the meat moist. Once the meat cools, I'll chop it up and freeze it in 4 oz. serving sizes. I'll mix the cold or hot cubed chicken with all kinds of things. For warm meals, I'll heat the chicken up with some salsa, chopped tomatoes, or frozen non-starchy veggies. I'll add the cold chicken to salads, add fat free mayonnaise and scallions to make cold chicken salad, or grind it up with FF mayo and eat it on a few whole-wheat crackers. I use turkey the same way.

I haven't quite mastered making pork easy to eat yet. I'm still working on it. I can't eat shake 'n Bake pork chops anymore. Again, if it's too dry, I gag on it! :puke:I do have beef on occasion, but I make an effort to eat fish, chicken, and dairy more often.

I do purchase frozed meals sometimes (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.). I try to buy the ones that have just meat and veggies like steak tips and broccoli or turkey and veggies. If it's too much, I'll save the rest for another meal. If I buy a salad, I find that it lasts me for a good 2-3 meals. I dip my lettuce in the dressing as I eat rather than pouring the dressing all over the salad. It stays crisp a bit longer that way.

You'll notice that I didn't mention the words bread or potato. I do eat some of these, but sparingly. I'll have a toast with Peanut Butter on occasion for Breakfast. I can say now that I no longer eat doughy foods like doughnuts or cinnamon rolls. I avoid processed carbs as much as I can (chips, Snacks in the cookie/cracker aisle, etc.).

I don't know if any of this babbling helps at all, but at least there's a few ideas in there that might appeal to you! Part of learning to live with the band is changing your thinking--the hardest part of this journey is overcoming what your brain is telling you from years and years of bad habits. If you make the food taste good and look good, you won't miss junk food at all.

I feel like I'm a successful bandster not because I lost 100 lbs. in a year (which I most definitely haven't), but because I'm focusing on the good things I can eat and not bemoaning all of the foods I really shouldn't be eating in the first place. I'm choosing to lose weight at a slower pace than some folks--I'm not in a race with anyone but myself. I'm trying to make good choices to be healthy in order to change my lifestyle. I want to make lasting changes, not fall victim to the "fad diet" quick fix mentality if that makes sense. I didn't spend money to get banded and go back on the cabbage Soup diet, if you know what I mean! My band is just a tool to help me curb my appetite--the behavior modification and exercise is all up to me!

Good luck!!!!

[Sades 4]

Good advice Transformer... I don't freeze food but I do some of what you are doing. I have small cans of tuna and baked Beans handy at work for those times that I need a quick meal. I add things to them as well. Because I live with my sister etc (decided to move back to the family home around 10 years ago), it is easy for me because there is always some food around which I can choose small meals from. If not, there's always an egg. I also have lean cuisine type meals in the freezer but haven't attempted them yet. The way I see it, if you keep your house full of interesting healthy foods then you will always have something to eat to help lose the weight.

65 lbs in a year is nothing to be sneezed at... I'd be happy with that! Good luck with the rest of your loss.

[Betsyjane 2]

Great "food for thought". Thanks! I love your 1 cup plastic container idea! If I don't eat off of my husbands plate or order a side something when we're out, I have lots of leftovers from my meal. Putting them in 1C containers will keep me from overeating from my leftover plate. I too eat on dessert plates, and I've collected a pretty variety from Tuesday Morning, but I keep leftovers in the to go styrofoam! Duh!

I'm not afraid of a little fruit with cottage cheese...but I really got in trouble at first with artificial sweeteners! I had never been fond of them but started doing lots of them when first banded, and felt so "chemical", and they made my blood sugar go up!

My fast food meals are a salad from any fast food place eaten over several meals or those steam in bag all vege microwave meals with a bit of tuna added.

I try hard to be really good at home, but when I'm out, I allow myself the luxury of going with portion and carb control...and otherwise picking at whatever I like.

Thanks so much for your ideas!

Hey Phyllis, sounds a lot like a stetched pouch to me. Hope your doc can figure it out. And please believe me there is life (and band) after a pooched pouch!

[Betsyjane 2]

I read and really enjoyed the book by Dr. Oz on aging. Got some interesting food ideas from that...

Aslo here are a few of my recipes:

Blueberry, cooked cubed chicken, fresh spinach, walnut, garlic and ginger salad, slightly warmed in a pan.

black bean salad with Tomato, onion, cilantro, red pepper, a tiny bit of avocado, and a meat

"sandwiches" meats and veges wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf

eggbeater vege omelette

chicken salad stuffed tomato

[sweet_liberty 1]

I have not lost interest in food, but I do know my tastes have changed. I will cook a meal for the family that I would normally really like, but after sitting there for a half hour chewing and chewing and having the same flavour in my mouth ..I just get bored and don't want it.

Its funny ..now that I can't wolf things down and I REALLY have to work at breaking the food up before swallowing, so I have to taste it more and for longer.. I just don't like many of the things that I used to.

-Libby :peace:

[transformer 1]

Great ideas Betsy Jane! Yum yum!