March Bandsters: MASTER THREAD

[Fenton 3]

Well, I have now had and enjoyed my half-Mars bar! And I have no regrets!

Pat, I'm not sure that there IS a specific time frame for everything. The Zone Diet and Atkins usually recommend something just before bed - I think that because our livers, since they're in a chronic fasting state, have less starch stored, so it might be harder for the body to regulate the blood sugar without that late night snack, but I'm just speculating wildly.

I think the issue is how YOU do with or without something before bed.

Someone here - was it Amanda? Chica? Someone here browbeat me into having Breakfast every day, so now I have Breakfast every day. And that works for me. My surgeon, who is banded, doesn't have anything but coffee for breakfast. YMMV!

Personally, I have just primed my system with the chocolatey goodness of a half of a Mars Bar...

[mylah 0]

Fenton I agree with you it is a head thing with me I have always been a night time eater.I could go all day and eat very little but when 9pm comes I'm like a bottomless pit.I finally have some restriction so I'm not able to eat so much.I guess I am lucky in one way because I'm a Protein person so I have some fish, chicken or meat and just a few bites fill me up.

I finally have 30lbs gone:cool2:.I guess the last fill did the trick.I'm ranting so bye for now.

Pat

[ajoneen 0]

I think the whole thing with what time you eat is just listening to your body. If you don't eat in the morning and are fine until you have your first meal then great. But it you are skipping breakfast and then stuffing yourself at lunch that's not good. You should be able to make it 3-4 hours between meals during the day. If you're not you need to revamp what/how you are eating (3 oz Protein first & slowly w/o drinking)

In the evening if you are laying in bed starving and you can't sleep until you have a snack than go ahead. But if you are just eating because you're bored or craving a sweet that's not good. For me, I try very hard to not have anything after dinner(about 6-7pm). My husband always has a snack before going to bed. If he doesn't he can't get to sleep or stay asleep. He's very fit so it's working for him.

Fenton have you had the other half yet? Do those freeze well?

[Fenton 3]

I've never actually frozen a Mars bar. The other half is cooling in the fridge - I'll have it late tonight.

I try to eat dinner early, 6-ish or so. I like that I have another 7 hours to burn up the calories - I usually go out after dinner, walk for 45 minutes or so.

[mylah 0]

just posting to see if my ticker is working.Have no problem setting it up just getting it to appear on my posts.

[k_podski 2]

So am I the only one who doesn't know what a mars bar is? Is it like a milky way? lol I love me some milky ways! I haven't had one in eons.. Now I'll crave one for days... More power to you Fenton for only eating half at a time! I know I couldn't do it:)

Well I did some more kayaking today. 6 miles, and it was amazing! The river was up really high from all the rain, so the currents were fabulous! I must say that the sight of the sun was very welcomed.. It was soooo good to be out! I am so sick of rain! Summer is the only time of year that I am outdoors all the time, so it kills me to be stuck inside with nothing to do.. I tend to look for something to eat every 10 minutes too, which is no good.

Pat- My nutritionist told me that eating at night time is not bad as long as you keep it light, and if you need Protein it's a good time to get it in. Often times I eat a string cheese, or some cashews to curb my hunger in the evening. Last night I had 1/2 of a banana, a few chopped fresh strawberries, and some cool whip free for a snack/ dessert, and it was so tasty! I could have used a little more protein but I was craving the fruit, and boy was it good! MMmmm:)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

:)Kerri

Edited June 22, 2008 by k_podski

[Fenton 3]

A Mars bar is indeed like a Milky Way, K-Pod - like US TV, many of the best available chocolate bars are knock-offs of British originals, only not as well done. The actual cocoa content of US chocolate is so low that most of the bars couldn't legally be called "chocolate" in Europe; the ingredients are better quality, which is why people here will pay $2 for a UK chocolate bar the American equivalent of which costs 75 cents.

But even UK chocolate is becoming poorer quality, I think.

[sharona 2]

:redface::smile::hi:ok so near the college I teach at is a "drive thru dairy queen" not good. I LOVE ice cream. I've gone there three times this week!!!! and although I had "just" a small cone with chocolate dip I have to find a substitute as this will be my demise through the summer!!!! Any suggestions!!!! How dare they put dairy queen with a drive thru....

I'm stuck.....no weight loss in two weeks....I believe I need a little more of a fill but that's not the only solution.....

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mylah 0]

Sharon,have you tried the skinny cow ice-cream low calories and large size.Saw them on Oprah,bought some and they were lovely.Just as good as oprah said and I'm not a ice-cream lover.

Kerri,I love fruit as well but I like Protein better.I try to keep it to some tuna /crackers the snack size 190 cals.I think it is mostly head hunger and trying to have enough will power to say no.I have to say the night time is the hardest part of this journey.

Pat

[SpecialK 22]

Hi to everyone. Got back from Florida from vacation and was anxious to get on my home scale this a.m. -- I stayed off the scale on vacation because I didn't want to let it run my life.... AND....drum roll now! I lost 4.8 lbs on vacation from where I was on June 13th when I left to today! Go Shrinking Shamrocks Go!!

:ohmy::biggrin::biggrin: <--- 4 smilies for 40 lbs!

AND second NSV... I was able to buckle a seat belt without an extension on the flights from Columbus to Charlotte, NC on an Embraer jet that only had 2 seats on each side but I needed about 4" of the extension belt still (darn!) on the 737 jet that went from Charlotte to Florida. Can't wait until I can buckle the airplane seat belt regardless of which plane I fly on but that was such a nice feeling.

I've updated my ticker and officially crossed the 40 lbs lost milestone as of today. About 3.5 months since surgery 3/17/08 to lose 40 lbs is fantastic for me.

P.S. Yes, I too now know what sliming and productive burping is. Nothing terrible but I definitely have a different level of restriction with this 2nd fill and if I push it and eat a few bites past my limit, I have that pressure sensation, want to get rid of it, and have excused myself once in a restaurant to be sure I was okay. I know now to just leave the food on the plate and let it to away and try not to feel guilty that my family or friend paid for a dinner and I can only eat maybe 1/3 of it. That's what got me, trying to eat a Thai dinner of chicken and vegetables, I didn't even look at the cup of white rice that came with the meal, and I just had to let 2/3 of it go to waste. I had warned them I couldn't eat much so they knew it wasn't that I didn't like the restaurant's food they chose to go to but I just was full.

I really missed checking into the forum but it was a good vacation and now its good to be back to sleeping in my own bed and with my own pillow!

[thin2bme 2]

Special K great job on your weight loss while in Florida, I hope I can do as well while I'm gone. We decided just yesterday to take the RV to Florida for 2 weeks and will be leaving this Wednesday. If I can just maintain, I'll be happy...

:biggrin5:

[Desdemona 48]

Special K ---WOW! On vacation?! That's great!

Speaking of Ice cream --I had a really interesting experience. I LOVE ice cream. I haven't had any since I was banded. The other night I made a sundae for myself out of coffee ice cream--sugar free hot fudge and low sugar (light) whipped cream. It was good and so I did what I ALWAYS used to do before the band. I went out to the kitchen and made myself another one!! As soon as I took a second spoonful--I had a dull but fairly powerful ache in my stomach. I felt really full like I just gorged myself on a Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't feel sick but I just had a funny feeling that if I kept eating that sundae I was going to vomit. All the craving left me!!! I actually didn't want the ice cream. It sat there and melted and then I had to throw it out. Now I just want to say that NEVER --- NOT ONCE in my entire born days have I EVER turned my nose up at Ice cream. I can't even imagine throwing away a perfectly good hot fudge sundae. But---I did it.

I also got back on track today with exercise. Did 40 mins on the treadmill at the gym. I also teach college and I have made up my mind to lose at least 20lbs before I go for the fall semester.

[mylah 0]

had to let everyone know I had a terrible experience with water.I was eating my dinner very slowly ,well I decided I was thirsty and had a drink of Water

Big mistake I guess my pouch was full from dinner and there was no where for the water to go,I hurled until the water came back up.I did manage to keep dinner down.Serves me right for breaking the rules:cursing: On the plus side I guess I have restriction for sure:thumbup:

Pat

[sharona 2]

Sharon,have you tried the skinny cow ice-cream low calories and large size.Saw them on Oprah,bought some and they were lovely.Just as good as oprah said and I'm not a ice-cream lover.

Kerri,I love fruit as well but I like Protein better.I try to keep it to some tuna /crackers the snack size 190 cals.I think it is mostly head hunger and trying to have enough will power to say no.I have to say the night time is the hardest part of this journey.

Pat

No but I will try some now...I also love fruit but have to watch the sugar. I need to keep things my in car to munch on. I don't do the shopping so that doesn't help. I'm going tohave to plan better. I know I have pretty good restriction but I need to have better self control. thanks for the advice...I love this blog you guys are so supportive...thanks to you all

[Fenton 3]

Sharona, I sympathize - I ADORE ice cream! And I make the BEST ice creams and sorbets at home. However, I'm avoiding ice cream, because it's a classic Band Buster - it's soft, so it slips right by.

I think you have a couple of options:

1. Pure will power, slam the door shut, no more ice cream

2. If you're going to go to Dairy Queen, go online and find out EXACTLY what it is you're taking. No, wait, I've done it for you: each small chocolate-dipped cone is listed on the DQ site as 340 calories. That'll be a conservative estimate, I suspect, to lull the customers into security - I'd bet it's more like 380 - 400 cals. OK, so know that each time you go to the DQ, no matter how "scrumdiddlyicious" it is, that little excess is costing you 340 plus calories.

If you ARE going to have those cones, then you're going to have to figure out a way to burn those calories - and it won't be easy. SO much extra work just to get you back to a manageable intake/consumption status!

3. If you need to have ice cream, find a lower calorie brand - I think the ones discussed aren't bad, actually. The other advantage is that you can eat those and have a clearer sense of your caloric intake.

4. Substitute a non-ice cream treat - some fruit or a bowl of Cereal with skim milk and sweetener. Either of those are attractive examples because they'll keep you full longer because they have a lower glycemic index. Well, certainly the Cereal will.