damalove

B - pizza quiche (made the mistake of making it this week entirely with egg substitute, next time i stick to some egg beaters, some real eggs) L - pork chop, frozen veggies in a cheese sauce S - flax flatbread with butter and strawberry slices D - going out to dinner with a girlfriend to a Moroccan restaurant, who knows what the hell I'll eat! They use a lot of dried fruit and sweet-savory combinations, so no doubt I wont be having the most atkins-friendly meal, but thats ok. Special night out for me and a friend.. I just have to make the best choices possible without ruining the dining experience. So far, 14g net carbs, 43g protein. Calories, not including dinner: 580. Im sure ill be pushing 1100 or 1200 by the end of the day, but thats still ok in my book ~

My scale is a friend who I avoid when Im not doing good, but whose feedback I appreciate when I am doing well. I dont weigh in daily, that gets too emotional. I weigh in once a week, Fridays, and occassionally on Mondays. Always first thing in the morning, before Ive had a bite or a sip of anything, and always in just undies. Lately I've been surprised to find how much I drop between Fri and Mon, despite the fact that I generally eat more on the weekends. Its gotta be due to all my extra activity on the weekends. I find as long as I keep my scale in its proper place, just a tool, and not the dictator of my life, we can be friends. I also take my measurements once a month, on the 2nd, just to keep track. Today I took my measurements, and 2 months after surgery, I've lost 3" off my waist, 3.5" off my hips, 3.5" off my bust (below bra), and 2.5" off my thighs. That is better than knowing I dropped a pound here and there!! And seeing the way my clothes fits... Also amazing

Hi Shelby feeling better yet?? I feel pretty healthy, just still occasionally coughing up..ahem..stuff here and there. B: pizza quiche L: 1 cup ceviche D: meatloaf, again... broccoli slaw S: 1 slice flaxbread, 1 string cheese totals: 954 cal, 65g fat, 17g net carb, 68g protein, 8g fiber

I also stayed at the Lucerna. my "final meal" the night before surgery was ceviche, it was delicious! but they have other yummy things on the free menu, fajitas, tacos, etc. Everything we had was pretty tasty. Just make sure you have your final meal early in the evening, try to be done by 8p at the latest. After the surgery you can continue ordering off the OCC menu (you have to ask for that special menu when being seated) and they will offer you broth juice tea or water. Your travelmate however continues to eat like a king or queen i found room service to be very speedy and efficient, it felt faster than waiting in the restaurant.

we just had our family bbq too and it was like a marathon of will power i dont know about you, but I don't do so well with moderation. Band or not. I can just graze forever. So i figure out what are going to be my best choices and just eat THAT and that alone, I cant do the "just one bite" stuff its a recipe for disaster.. one always turns into two, three, more. i still dont really have much restriction, so i am on a low-carb eating plan, so i had plenty of steak and grilled shrimp and stuffed peppers. did allow myself one bite of mac and cheese, but no cake. i managed to do ok, i think, but my eating plan is different from yours, im guessing. i think you have to dig deep and try to bring back that resolve you had in the earlier days to only eat good things. granted, at your average american bbq there wont be too many healthy options, so bring somethign to throw on the grill! asparagus or zucchini. my brother cuts the top off of bell peppers, scrapes out seeds/membranes, adds pepper jack cheese, and pins the top back on with a toothpick. he then grills it whole and cuts it into chunks for us to snack on - its a real treat without being anything too bad like potato salad, mac n cheese, etc. try that for your next family bbq - 4th of july, or whenever. or bring some sausages that are healthy alternatives, chicken sausages or something.

Im at work today so no BBQ for me; already got my fix on Saturday B: 3/4 cup cottage cheese L: 5oz buttermilk brined pork chop, spinach-beet-bluechz salad D: sage meatloaf (finally the last of it), broccoli slaw S: flaxbread with 1T peanut butter 1084 calories, 22g net carb, 65g fat, 90g protein

Ok no gimmicks, it is butter, but its highly seasoned so a little goes a LONG way. This takes some time to make, but it will make every single person in the house swoon at your amazing cooking abilities and the intoxicating aroma coming from YOUR kitchen... I like to put a pat of this butter onto your steaks as they come off the grill. Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes while this butter melts into it. Steakhouse flavors! RED WINE GARLIC HERB BUTTER makes 10 servings 1 stick plus 1 T salted butter 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on zester 1 cup red wine 1 tsp minced fresh thyme 1 tsp minced fresh parsley 1 tsp minced fresh sage Place stick of butter in a bowl and set aside, at room temperature. In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 T butter over medium heat until bubbling. Once bubbling has subsided, add garlic and cook swirling pan constantly until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until nearly all the wine is reduced, about 20 minutes. There should be about 1-2 tablespoons left in the pan, no more. Turn off heat and let cool completely. Using a rubber spatula, carefully scrape all of reduced wine/garlic into room temp butter. Stir in herbs and a little black pepper. Taste for seasoning. Dump out butter mixture onto a sheet of wax paper, folding paper over butter. Form into a log and chill for at least one hour, up to overnight. When you heat your grill, pull this out and put it on a butter dish, allowing it to warm slightly before spreading it on your steaks. This also works wonders on (boring) grilled chicken, fish, you name it. 111 cal, 10g fat, 0.7g carb, 75mg sodium * Use any herbs you have on hand or like, tarragon is a classic, chervil would also be nice. Just be careful not to add too much of any one or the garlic and wine flavor will be masked. *

dunno abt where ur at, but nor-cal is having one of the coldest Mays on record. its pretty miserable.. there are quite a few of us sick. being sick on a holiday weekend = the worst get well soon!! (and sip tea not ice cream hehehehe)

lost 2.6 lbs this week. am now at my lowest weight since high school

sick, but still eating. i guess im not dying B: chicken gorgonzola quiche L: leftovers again - meatloaf and shirataki noodle stir-fry D: buttermilk brined pork chop, spinach beet blue chz salad, frozen veggies w cheese sauce S: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with fresh crackedck pepper totals 1068 cal, 27g net carb, 56g fat, 98g protein

B: chicken gorgonzola quiche L: leftovers - meatloaf and stir-fry D: sauteed shrimp, buffalo wing sauce, blue chz crumbles, spinach S: tablespoon of peanut butter with flax seeds 990 cal, 15g net carb, 58g fat, 93g protein

Pre-op: lost 11.5 (3.83 per week) Liquids: lost 10 lb (3 per week) First month of solids: lost 10lb (2.5 per week) So yes, it slows down, but from a crazy-fast rate to a more normal rate. 2lbs/wk is great, reduces ur chances of having more hanging skin, etc. We got bands to lose gradually and at a healthy rate, right? A more natural rate? So this is it. It will slow down even further as you near your goal, but thats ok. The way the pounds fall off the DSers freaks me out. This way those that dont know I have the band will see me gradually slim down. Dama

B: chicken gorgonzola quiche - 218 cal, 2g carb, 21g protein L: bockwurst sausage, 2tsp garlic mustard, green giant just for one broccoli cheese sauce - 265 cal, 4g carb, 12g protein S: cottage cheese - 80 cal, 4g carb, 14g protein D: in-n-out burger, protein style - 250 cal, 10g carb, 18g protein TOTALS: 813 calories, 50g total fat, 20g net carbs, 65g protein, 11g fiber

Hi Momma. I had no problem eating whatever I wanted after the post-op diet. Steak, cheese, bread, whatever. I had zero restriction. So I contacted Dr Miranda and got the go ahead to continue with my pre-op diet (low carb) so i wouldnt gain too much and/or starve to death she said no problem. I didnt encounter any restriction until after my first fill. I havent PB'd yet, but I have gotten stuck three times, once with steak, and twice while chomping on big chunks of cheese. Im still learning the tiny bite thing; old habits die hard. I have to FORCE myself to slow down and really work on the bite sizes. Its a learning curve and you wont know where on the spectrum of restriction you are until you give it a shot. I'd say try to eat your normal stuff and dont put foods onto your off-limits list until you've tried them at least more than once. enjoy your first meal back and best of luck w the rest of your journey. btw, do continue to keep a calorie journal, just so you can see how much you really are able to eat. i would suggest really testing your band, see how little you can eat and feel satisfied with. it surprised me. ~dama

gained 0.8 lb this week... grrrrr

B: grazed cheese/veggie/cookie platters from a work meeting; ate mostly cheese, some broccoli, and exactly one bite of a white chocolate macadamia cookie L: pizza quiche (addicted) D: leftovers; baked cod with tomato fennel and onion; sauteed swiss chard D: 1/2 cup cottage cheese totals: ~800 cal, 40g fat, 27g net carb, 54g protein

Weight Watchers Tofu Tomato Bisque Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon flour 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes 2 cups vegetable broth 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 3/4 lb reduced-fat silken tofu (reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid) 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced 1 tablespoon honey Directions Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is slightly browned (about 1 minute). Add the tomatoes, broth, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until heated through (about 10 minutes). Puree the tofu and the reserved liquid. Add the pureed tofu, parsley, dill and honey. Use an immersion blender to whole soup for a smoother texture. Cook while stirring until just heated (about 3 minutes). Don't overcook. Number of Servings: 4

Hi Totsie. If you were banded a week and a half ago, you're still on liquids, right? Some people took metamucil/fiber capsules to help with hunger, I just drank soups and protein drinks. I think by day ten you're go for full liquids, right? Play with different protein drinks to see how that helps. I dont like the fake-sugar taste in just about any protein drink I tried, so I was happy to have Carnation Instant Breakfast, where you add milk instead of water. I'd go to starbucks and order an iced tall latte in a grande cup, then stir in my carnation packets, super delicious and fended off hunger for HOURS. For other meal suggestions, try the Recipes board in the Diet/Nutrition forum, you may find some that help. I went to the library and checked out a weight watchers cookbook and made some of the pureed soups. I know the docs say no purees, but I think they meant not to take somethign thick like say chilli or chicken and dumplings and puree them, not soups per se... Anyway I made a WW broccoli cheddar soup, the thai carrot soup, potato leek soup, stuff like that. Look especially for soups that have silken tofu as an ingredient; you can get it at any big supermarket... it thickens like cream while adding protein and very few calories. I will post the tomato soup to the recipe board now, I dont have the thai carrot one handy, but it might already be there. Anyway, best of luck with the hungries, just try to keep in mind this is temporary!! Hang in there

omg size six!! thats awesome! i think the last time i could fit a size six i may have been a 5th grader someday! my nonscale goal is a ten. six would be like hitting the lotto! CONGRATZ!!!!!!!!!!

Thats fantastic Kevin! It sounds like you can totally make your mini goal by June 4th! Plenty of time. By the way, I thought your story of pants falling down was hilarious, and an awesome thing to have happen! Theyre falling off bc you are taking control of your weight issue, thats rad. All my stuff is saggy but not quite falling off. I got soggy bottom but cant wait for my pants to fall off! (ok maybe not at work...) congratz

B: pizza quiche L: 3/4 cup cottage cheese, emerald 100 cal pack cocoa almonds D: tomato fennel baked cod, balsamic swiss chard S: green giant just for one broccoli cheese sauce TOTALS: 903 cal, 37g fat, 30g net carbs, 63g protein

Karen, I think port discomfort depends on the person. I too had some serious port discomfort; I sleep on my side, sitting at my desk at work, wearing high-waisted pants (that hurt!), bending over, sitting up, standing up, all that. Im 6.5 weeks post op, its mostly gone now. I sleep on my side again, I bend over fine, all that. One thing that really helped was someone suggested I bring a small throw pillow with me to MX; it helped to have something pressed up against my incisions on the car/plane rides, as well as at night. Made a big difference. I will say my first fill also hurt a LOT more than I was expecting. I think it was bc I had a fill only 5 wks after surgery, must have still been tender. Regardless, with the way the weight is falling off now, I really dont care! Its surgery after all and so it is not surprising that things hurt, are tender, sore, etc. The first 10 days after surgery I also had a LOT of pain in my left shoulder, some sort of displaced pain that is common with band patients. It was really unpleasant and lingered for a long time; but its gone now and I never even noticed when it stopped happening. I guess its just part of the healing/post op process. If you dont get that shoulder pain, count your lucky stars

omg shelby its really yummy. ive been doing low-carb for months and every week i make a different quiche and this one is by far my favorite. you can change out hte eggs for egg beater, and sub non fat half and half, if youre counting cals. i usually make 1 quiche a week, let it cool, cut it into even pieces, and wrap each in foil/plastic, for a grab n go brekkie. if you do make it let me know how it worked out for you. (i used contadina pizza sauce)