46 replies to this topic

[LoriBecky]

Ok... I don't sell Avon but thought this was a fabulous find for those of us that need to split or crush pills (check with your pharmacist before breaking, splitting, or crushing your medication!)

Avon Pill Splitter/Crusher

I thought it might be fun if we posted our fabulous finds!! Let's see how it goes

[carolynbandster]

I've found that some of the medications come in an elixir...liquid form. Ask your doctor and/or pharmasist

[MyNewLife]

Ok... I don't sell Avon but thought this was a fabulous find for those of us that need to split or crush pills (check with your pharmacist before breaking, splitting, or crushing your medication!)

Avon Pill Splitter/Crusher

I thought it might be fun if we posted our fabulous finds!! Let's see how it goes

Hi Lori!
My friend that was banded with me has this same exact one and she LOVES hers. I have not real problem with pills but I just wanted to say that this is a great product for someone that needs one.
Thanks for sharing!
Carrie

[LoriBecky]

Hi Lori!
My friend that was banded with me has this same exact one and she LOVES hers. I have not real problem with pills but I just wanted to say that this is a great product for someone that needs one.
Thanks for sharing!
Carrie

I'm sure there are lots of great ideas out there that bandsters have found to make things easier... let's start rounding them up

[ValleyGirl]

For those looking to mix things up during the liquid phase with flavoured waters, the Sobe Life water apple/pear flavour is fantastic!

[desertgal]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the suggestion on the SOBE water. I'm heading out to the store and have it on my list.

I've got a GREAT FIND. It's a Low Glycemic FAT BURNING coffee that tastes amazing. It uses a special patented buffered caffeine that is not the same as regular caffeine (which they have proven stores fat) You can order a free sample (that makes a full pot of the coffee) at this site www.OrganicCoffeeForWeightLoss.com (there's also a free sample available of their green tea)

The other GREAT FIND that I think is most important is a 100% Natural, Low Glycemic, Sugar Replacement made from the Acai Berry. It's earned the kid friendly, diabetic friendly & low glycemic seals from the Glycemic Research Institute. It tastes, feels and bakes just like sugar (no artificial anything in it) We've got to get our kids off sugar!

Make it a great week.

[LoriBecky]

Frozen mixed fruit - I bought mine at Target - Market Pantry brand... frozen pieces of peach, grapes, strawberries, melon and pineapple. You can take out just want you want and keep the rest of the bag frozen.... great for blending with yogurt in a smoothy, thawing and having a serving of fruit, or eat like a fruit popsicle. Lasts a long time in the freezer and no cutting or chopping. Much cheaper than buying those little cartons/trays of mixed fruit that I never seen to make it through before it goes bad. Love it!

[bogiesmom]

This list is a work in progress but I thought I would share some items that I could not live without as they have become priceless replacements in my life:

1. I can’t Believe It Is Not Butter Spray
2. Walden Farms Zero Calorie Dressings & Spreads www.waldenfarms.com
3. Hebrew National 98% Fat Free Hot Dogs
4. Oscar Meyer 98% Fat Free Bologna
5. Digital Food Scale
6. Low Calorie Sliced Bread (Sara Lee, Orowheat, different brands in different parts of the country but 2 slices usually equall about 90 calories with about 4 grams of fiber)
7. Low Calorie hot dog & hamburger buns (if you are lucky enough to find – no longer available in southern California) Wonder bread had some available.
8. Fat Free, Sugar Free Jello Pudding Cups with Fat Free Cool Whip
9. Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches
10. George Forman Grill (my best friend) (You can literally cook an entire meal with it in minutes!)
11. www.calorieking.com (look up the nutritional value for hundreds of items)
12. Pirate Booty
13. Hungry-Girl Cook book & Recipe Cards
14. Dill Pickles - eat as many as you want for zero points!
15. WW Taco Soup Recipe care of Mom - This should have been #1 on thie list as it is a staple in my household since it goes on and with everything from omelettes, potatos, and taco salad. Major comfort food!
16. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges (good bye forever mayo & cream cheese!)
17. Oroweat Muti-grain Sandwich Thins (a slice of bread and a bun got married & had a baby and this is it!) - Only 100 calories for 2 slices.
18. Thomas' Bagel Thins (same concept as sandwich thins but a bagel - also works great for sandwiches toasted).

Liquids Anyone?

1. Active Lifestyle Gellatin Cups - loaded with 4 grams of fiber per serving! Flavors are better than Jell-O!
2. Mishima Miso Soup poweder mix - comes in individual packets that you just mix with hot water! Only 35 calories a pop.
3. Cool Whip Lite or Cool Whip Free (great with the Jell-O. Feels like you are cheating when you are not)
4. Nestle Rich Hot Cocoa Powder with Caramel - A liquid Candy Bar!
5. Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea Bags - A box of 20 (Try with a dash of skim milk and you would think you paid $3.5 for a cup at Starbucks!
6. Campbell's Soup At Hand "Blended Vegetable Medley"
7. Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (comes in a rectangle carton)
8. Yonique Low Fat Yogurt Drinks (Pina Colada is awesome)
9. Lifeway Lowfat flavored Kefir (found this at Whole Foods)
9. Slim Fast Optima Shakes (The only protein shake I like)
10. Benefiber individual Drink Powder (like Cystal Light except 3 grams of fiber per pouch - sold in the Metamucil Aisle. Flavors are awesome. Mix with bottled water.)
11. Original V8 - I love this at room temp or heated on the stove as a soup.
12. Naked Fruit Smoothies (variety pack of 10, 10 ounce bottles found at Costco for $5.99. I use these for breakfast!)
13. Glaceau Vitaminwater10 - Was sick w/ cold this weekend and had to add this since it literally brought me through the storm single handedly

[bogiesmom]

Care of Hungry-Girl.Com:

We interrupt our regularly scheduled News to bring you TEN of our favorite things spotted on shelves in 2009...

Mousse Temptations by Jell-O

Pudding cups got a kick in the pants when this stuff arrived. (Bet you didn't even know they wore pants!) These INCREDIBLE individual containers of mousse come in three flavors -- Chocolate Indulgence, Dark Chocolate Decadence, and Caramel Creme -- and have 60 calories, 2.5 - 3g fat, 9 - 10g carbs, 0 - 1g fiber, and 1 - 2g protein (POINTS� value 1*) per snack cup. If you didn't try 'em the first time we told you to, do it now!

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew

This really IS the best instant coffee ever. (And yes, it's totally worth the price.) The Colombia brew is rich and delicious with a hint of nuttiness, and the Italian Roast is bold and a little sweet with a yummy roasted taste. Look for the brand-spankin'-new, just-released-this-month Decaf Italian Roast to start popping up everywhere. Get some at your local 'Bucks or order and have it delivered straight to your doorstep. (FYI, no stats are listed for VIA because a serving of it is pretty much calorie-free.) Woohoo!

Reformulated Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt (50 Calories and HG-Endorsed)

Our pals at F1 have put out some great products in the last few years, but once we tasted this revamped, super-low-cal yogurt, we wanted to put our seal of approval ALL over it. (So we did.) It's the perfect size for a snack, sandwich sidekick, or light dessert. With flavors like Key Lime Pie, Strawberry, Vanilla, and Peach, you're BOUND to like one (or all) of them. Each 4-oz. yogurt cup has 50 calories, 0g fat, 13g carbs, 5g fiber, and 3g protein (POINTS� value 0*). And yes, we like it even more because Hungry Girl is ALL over the packaging. Is that wrong???

Contessa Green Cuisine Stir-Fry Meals

There are two HUGE reasons why these meals are way better than any other freezer-aisle bagged skillet options out there: 1) NO starchy noodles or rice driving up calorie counts. 2) The sauce comes in a pouch, on the side. BRILLIANT! In Shrimp, Chicken, and Beef, a serving of each without sauce (1 1/2 - 2 cups) has 120 - 150 calories, 1.5 - 3g fat, 11 - 14g carbs, 3 - 4g fiber, and 13 - 17g protein (POINTS� value 2*). Use ALL the sauce, and it'll add around 60 - 80 fat-free calories to each serving (for a total POINTS� value of 3 - 4*). BINGO!

Glaceau Vitaminwater10

We fell hard for this super-delicious, naturally sweetened, vitamin-packed beverage line in '09. If you missed it, there's still room on the bandwagon! There are eight flavors: Mega-C Grape Raspberry, Recoup Peach-Mandarin, Revitalize Green Tea, Go-Go Mixed Berry, Energy Tropical Citrus, Essential Orange-Orange, Multi-V Lemonade, and XXX Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate. Our favorite is the Peach-Mandarin, but really, they're all good. An 8-oz. serving of each has just 10 calories -- that's 25 calories per bottle. It's officially a staple.

Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet

This pre-made dough found a permanent home in the HG fridge this year. (Sure, technically it debuted in late '08. But we don't care much for technicalities.) It's an endless source of inspiration -- from breakfast pinwheels to Danishes to dough-ball desserts. Pretty much EVERYTHING tastes good paired with this flaky pastry dough. One-sixth of the package has 120 calories, 6g fat, 16g carbs, <1g fiber, and 2g protein (POINTS� value 3*) -- but you can EASILY get more servings out of a package. The Pillsbury Doughboy has really outdone himself this time. Wish we could t ickle him ourselves...

Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

About halfway through the year, we discovered THE BEST frozen dinner of all time. A 10-oz. entree full of sweet potatoes, plantains, black beans, polenta, and more, smothered in a fantastic sweet 'n smoky sauce. This has 340 calories, 9g fat, 58g carbs, 8g fiber, and 9g protein (POINTS� value 7*). It ROCKS beyond belief. It's totally unique, phenomenal in terms of flavor, and super-filling. Find it and take it home with you.

The Skinny Cow Truffle Bars

Just because winter is coming, that's no excuse to abandon frozen treats. (That's what indoor heating is for, right?) In Chocolate (great) and French Vanilla (REALLY great), these deliciously drizzled ice cream bars are our freezy find of the year! Each bar has just 100 calories, 2g fat, 12 - 19g carbs, 3g fiber, and 3g protein (POINTS� value 2*). Gotta love that cow!

Arnold Select/Oroweat Sandwich Thins

Alright, to be fair, we first wrote about these at the end of last year. But 2009 has DEFINITELY been the year of flat sandwich buns. This brand started the craze, and then Pepperidge Farm joined the party with its Deli Flats. After that, even MORE started coming out of the woodwork. But we'd like to take this moment to respect the bread items that got it all started. Arnold Select/Oroweat even upped the ante this year by unrolling new flavors like Honey Wheat and Seedless Rye. With 100 calories, 1g fat, 21 - 23g carbs, 5g fiber, and 4 - 5g protein (POINTS� value 1*) per Sandwich Thins roll, we applaud AS/O for a job well done!

Kraft Bagel-fuls, Fruit & Cream Cheese Varieties

Give it up for the most fun grab 'n go breakfast treat of the year. While impressed with the original Bagel-fuls of '08, we REALLY got excited when these fruity filling + cream cheese versions launched this year. In Cherry, Strawberry, and Apple Cinnamon (featuring a cinnamon & brown sugar bagel!), each one has 190 calories, 3g fat, 34g carbs, 2g fiber, and 6g protein (POINTS� value 4*). They come frozen but are quick to thaw or heat up. What more could you want? (A food item is never gonna drive you to the airport, so don't even think about it.)

[bogiesmom]

Okay, I am a self confessed soup junkie! This is why 21 days of liquids was oh so easy for me. I can have soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner and never get bored. Whn I got this article emailed to me from Weight Watchers I could resist passing in on (I am definately checking out this book when i go to my local bookstore):

Love Soup
Article By: Irene Sax

Veteran food writer Irene Sax tells us about a new cookbook and shares healthy and delicious recipes, including one that's been lightened up with tips from the book's author. This month's book is Love Soup by Anna Thomas (Norton, 2009).

Tell the truth: Is anything better than soup? Filling and healthful, soup can be a big-bowl main course or the starter that curbs your appetite and helps you manage the rest of the meal. It's usually thrifty and always easy to make. You don't need a sous-chef or a designer kitchen to turn out a bowl that warms the heart and the stomach.

When Anna Thomas wrote The Vegetarian Epicure in 1972, her whimsically illustrated book showed the world that meatless meals didn't have to be boring. Now she's done the same in Love Soup (Norton, 2009), a collection of recipes that are both vegetarian and endlessly inventive.

If you, like me, have a soup repertoire of two or three — chicken, minestrone, gazpacho — you’'ll be delighted and inspired by Thomas's collection of 160 recipes.
I’ve never thought of soup as seasonal but Thomas does, and she is convincing. In the fall, she wants us to try Roasted Root Vegetable Soup; in what she calls “deep winter,” there’s a Cauliflower Bisque topped with buttered breadcrumbs and a Caramelized Cabbage bowl from Hungary. Spring is the season for a Potage of Baby Spring Greens, followed by summer’s Zucchini-Basil and Sweet-Corn soups. And all year long she makes different seasonal Green Soups based on what’s in the market, from broccoli to kale to sorrel, each one a bowl of shining good health.

Nothing in the book is hard to make — hey, it's soup, isn't it? — and practically nothing will get your POINTS® value-alert sensors going. In fact, the whole thing is very plan -friendly. So much so that I had trouble finding an opulent recipe to list under “Easily Improved.” I settled on a classic pappa al pomodoro, merely suggesting that you use whole-grain bread instead of white. And if any dish totally deserves our "No Apologies" label, it's Thomas's Green Soup, a thick, flavorful purée of spinach, chard and kale that's about as health-enhancing as you can get.

[bogiesmom]

For those of you who can eat donuts without an issue...

Holey Donuts!!!!

These are low-fat gourmet donuts delivered to your door! The variety of flavors are a lot more decadent than the popular boutique cup cakes AND with out all the guilt!

Shipping is pricey so be sure to use a coupon code...

http://www.holeydonu...sp?idCategory=2

[Kayla]

This list is a work in progress but I thought I would share some items that I could not live without as they have become priceless replacements in my life:

1. I can’t Believe It Is Not Butter Spray
2. Walden Farms Zero Calorie Dressings & Spreads www.waldenfarms.com
3. Hebrew National 98% Fat Free Hot Dogs
4. Oscar Meyer 98% Fat Free Bologna
5. Digital Food Scale
6. Low Calorie Sliced Bread (Sara Lee, Orowheat, different brands in different parts of the country but 2 slices usually equall about 90 calories with about 4 grams of fiber)
7. Low Calorie hot dog & hamburger buns (if you are lucky enough to find – no longer available in southern California) Wonder bread had some available.
8. Fat Free, Sugar Free Jello Pudding Cups with Fat Free Cool Whip
9. Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches
10. George Forman Grill (my best friend) (You can literally cook an entire meal with it in minutes!)
11. www.calorieking.com (look up the nutritional value for hundreds of items)
12. Pirate Booty

Liquids Anyone?

1. Active Lifestyle Gellatin Cups - loaded with 4 grams of fiber per serving! Flavors are better than Jell-O!
2. Mishima Miso Soup poweder mix - comes in individual packets that you just mix with hot water! Only 35 calories a pop.
3. Cool Whip Lite or Cool Whip Free (great with the Jell-O. Feels like you are cheating when you are not)
4. Nestle Rich Hot Cocoa Powder with Caramel - A liquid Candy Bar!
5. Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea Bags - A box of 20 (Try with a dash of skim milk and you would think you paid $3.5 for a cup at Starbucks!
6. Campbell's Soup At Hand "Blended Vegetable Medley"
7. Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (comes in a rectangle carton)
8. Yonique Low Fat Yogurt Drinks (Pina Colada is awesome)
9. Lifeway Lowfat flavored Kefir (found this at Whole Foods)
9. Slim Fast Optima Shakes (The only protein shake I like)
10. Benefiber individual Drink Powder (like Cystal Light except 3 grams of fiber per pouch - sold in the Metamucil Aisle. Flavors are awesome. Mix with bottled water.)
11. Original V8 - I love this at room temp or heated on the stove as a soup.
12. Naked Fruit Smoothies (variety pack of 10, 10 ounce bottles found at Costco for $5.99. I use these for breakfast!)

Bogiesmom,

As a person who will be banded pretty soon, this is great to see these helpful tips and things to purchase!

Thank you for posting these with your opinion about them!

[Linnipoo]

Ok, so here are some things that are just really really good for you, but a little spendy and a lot icky tasting. I don't make much as a college student, but I figure I'm already in debt for the procedure, I might as well make the payments worth it. I decided that I'M worth it. And the powders last well over a month, maybe even two, so it's a good long term food investment. Here's what I have been using:

Juvo 100% Raw Whole Food Super Food
Juvo Natural Raw Meal Whole Food
*** 1 Scoop or less of each in light chocolate soy milk. It tastes gross, so I add chocolate Ovaltine. I do what a gotta do This stuff is FULL of nutrients, probiotics, enzymes, and other health-nut stuff. It just straight up gives your cells what they need with minimal waste. It makes me feel like I just naturally have energy, as opposed to a stimulant feeling where I'm just waiting for the crash. I don't even drink coffee anymore. I discovered it while cramming day and night for a truly brutal set of finals. It's like my secret weapon now. If you pick just one, go for the 1st one. It's more of a meal replacement.

Lifetime Life's Basics Liquid Multiple Whole Food Concentrate
A liquid multi with some other health nut stuff in it. Everybody needs a multivitamin. This one is liquid and easily absorbed. And gross. Take it like a shot and chase it with some juice or something. Don't mix it, because then you'll just have a whole big cup of gross to choke down.

Genesis Liquid Protein Dietary Supplement
15 grams of protein per ounce. Also gross. I take it the same way I take the multi, but not every day because there is only so much gross a human should have to endure. This stuff will shut up a hunger pang in no time flat.

This parade of ICK is how I start my day. But it does the job. Makes broth seem like a luscious indulgence. I don't get very hungry since I started this regimen and I can tell my body appreciates it. My incisions are healing super fast, my hair looks great, my skin and eyes are clearer than they've been in a decade (if I were a dog, this is where I would say that my coat is really shiny) AND I'm losing weight the way I normally lose my keys.

I got most of the above at LuckyVitamin.com. The protein stuff I found on sale at my local hippie store. And now I know why it was on sale!

[CxJx]

For the diet diary I found this app for my iPhone called "Lose It"! It works great and you can input your exercise as well! Amazing! It has a ton of major brands in the database already.

Another great find for me was the Nutiva Hemp Protein with Fiber! They have the plain in a 3 lb bag from Vitacost.com which saves a lot of money. They also have the flavored in smaller amounts, but well worth it. Low calories!

And my last fabulous find that I will post for now is Peter Gilliam's Natural Calm. It helps soo much when you can't seem to have a BM. Sounds gross, but it works! The flavors are great but a little tart. It does fizz up when you add hot water, but if you let it sit for about 2 minutes all the fizzies go away. I actually let mine sit for about 5 minutes just to be safe! I order this from Vitacost as well. They usually beat most prices. Ohh yeah and for anyone out there that likes liquid vitamins, Peter Gilliam has a line of those as well.

Linipoo thanks for reminding me about the Juvo, I wanted to order that a while back and forgot all about it!

[bogiesmom]

Thomas' Bagel Thins

I found these at Costco this weekend and I am doing cartwheels! You get a pack of 16 bagels at Costco for $4.19 and toasted with the Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge instead of cream Cheese the Bagel AND the Cheese is only 145 calories OR 2 WW points!!!

I also want to mention that if you toast these babies they also make the perfect bread for a sandwich! I made tuna salad sandwiches with these this weekend and guess what I used in the tuna instead of mayo?!?! If you said Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges you are absolutely right!! Just pop a couple of wedges in the micro for 15 seconds to bring to room temp and you are good to go!

Thomas' Bagel Thins - People are going gaga for these things. (Imagine Sandwich Thins, only a bagel version.) In Plain or 100% Whole Wheat, each has 110 calories, 1g fat, 190 - 210mg sodium, 24 - 25g carbs, 4 - 5g fiber, 3g sugars, and 4 - 6g protein (POINTS® value 1*). We've been barraged with emails about 'em. Worth seeking out!