My best bandster tips!!

[MamaMichelle]

Throughtout my journey I have often gotten questions about my success and what kind of tips I can offter to other bandsters, while I am by no means any sort of expert (and I still have a long ways to go before I reach my goal) so I can only offer my advice about what has worked for me, and what is still working for me... I hope it can help others!!!

I pre-plan everything I will eat for the day, I don't write it down in advance but by the time breakfast rolls around I know what I will be eating for the rest of the day... maybe it's from my past life of eating a meal and already thinking about the next meal, lol. I also keep bad foods out of my house so I'm not tempted into thinking about indulging. I do have a hubby and son and I don't want them to be denied the things they want to eat, so I make sure that some of the "bad" things they like are things I don't like (oatmeal cookies, BBQ potato chips etc) they may not be their total favorites but they understand it's a way for them to enjoy what they like while still doing what's best for me and my diet.

I do try to write down my calories and water for the day, I have used sparkpeople.com and fitday.com but lately I have been using my new phone that has a calorie counting program. If I know I will be going out to dinner, or if I am in the mood for a dessert one night I shave off a few calories here and there throughout the day to keep my daily total around 1,000-1,200. I also make sure that every meal has 20-30 grams of protein because my daily protien goal is 70-90 grams, I use unflavored protien powder in things like my slimfast shake, soup or even my salad dressing to help me reach those numbers!

I am one of those who is more than happy to eat the same things everyday, this used to mean cheeseburgers for lunch and pizza for dinner. Now that my band doesn't allow many of those bad foods anymore I find my diet consisting of pretty much the same things daily: a shake for breakfast (about 200 cal), a salad with chicken or soup w/ protien powder for lunch (about 350 cal) and some sort of chicken or beef with veggies for dinner (about 500 cal). Yes some people may consider this kind of eating "boring" but for me I am eating the things I REALLY enjoy everyday (yes I do actually like my daily protien shake) and I am still able to lose weight so it is something that works for me!

I like pre-packaging meals/snacks a few days in advance, this means I'll grill 3 chicken breasts on Sunday and then divide them up in mini containers (my fave are the Gladware Mini Rounds, each one holds 1/2 CUP or 4 OZ, perfect bandster size and only cost $3 for 8 Containers & Lids). This makes me less likely to overeat because things are pre-measured for me and it's easier to control calories because I know the exact amount I am eating. I even make batch of either sugar free mousse or sugar free jello each week and divide them up for a portion and calorie controled snack (1/2 cup equals about 80 cal).

I do indulge in 1 or 2 snacks per day ONLY if I am hungry. Some doctors say 3 meals a day with no snacks and others say 5 mini meals per day is best, I think you need to find out what works for you. Because I limit the food I eat during my meals (keeping to bandster sized portions) there are times that I feel that twinge of hunger a few hours after I have eaten so instead of going hungry till my scheduled meal time (and risk overeating at that meal) I will have a snack. Usually something small and pre-measured like SF jello, SF canned peaches or some applesauce, whatever it is I make sure it less than 100 cal so that even if it's more of a craving than hunger it can't do too much harm to my diet.

If I am being honest there has only been about a total of 3 weeks total where I have had "good" restriction, but I am determined not to fail with this band so even when I don't feel restriction, I eat as if I do have restriction. In my opinion this is one of the major attitudes one must have in order to be sucessful with the band, it's very easy to use the excuse "I have no restriction" to eat as one did before being banded. George Washington Carver said "Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses" so I choose to not use my little restriction as an excuse to make poor choices. This means stopping eating after about 3/4 cup of food (approx 20 bites the size of a pencil eraser) I find that when I stop after that much even if I "think" I am still hungry the hunger is gone (though I don't feel that magical feeling of fullness) and it stays away for a few hours. Of course there are times if I am really enjoying something I might eat more but usually I wrap it up or get it to go so I can enjoy it all over again the next day.

I think the time I spend on the forum is very important to my success. I find reading the struggles and success stories that people post on the forum help me understand and explore my own experience with the band. I try to post helpful things to others or just encouragement when someone needs it because we all have had those good days and bad days. Many of you have said that I am an ispiration to you which is very hard for me to imagine but that is very flattering, for me posting my pictures and stats publically gives me an acountability because if I know others are watching my progress it helps me want to be more successful!

That's all I can think of for now!

[readysetgo]

Thanks for the great post Michelle. -- as always.

I love your positive attitude, and your determination to make thisl lifestyle change a success, no matter what.

(( BIG HUG ))

Shannon

[Allcdngirl]

Thanks for posting all that Michelle. A few really good pointers that I will surely be using. I have heard before that alot of people who are able to maintain and manage their weight, eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. It seems to have been working for you. 64 lbs... wow... you go girl!!

[karenlynn79]

Thanks Michelle for posting that! I am doing nearly the exact thing as you, down to those little round containers!!! Just found them recently. I have been cutting up strawberries or hard boiled egg whites to put in them. I am not getting as much protein as you so I might supplement more... Do you know how many grams of fiber you get? I've been trying to do 20-25 a day. I am losing between 1-3 pounds per week now so I am happy, though I was banded a year and a half ago and have had some ups and downs and a baby along the way.....

Thanks again!

Karen

[Maytee]

Michelle,

That was great. I love how you are always so informative and open with your experience. Thank you for being such a great support and motivation.

Maytee :lb21:

[erin2796]

As always a great post! Lots of useful information!

[banded4life]

Thanks for sharing. You have some wonderful ideas. I agree that planning meals out ahead of time really helps!

[crazycoolbutterfly]

Well said, Michelle, I agree that it is all about accountability. The forum is a nice outlet, as well as inlet, because of the honest postings and positive support. Awesome on you weightloss!! Almost there!

[FLAN]

Thanks for the great advice. You are my band hero. Keep up the awesome work!

[Kittycat]

Throughtout my journey I have often gotten questions about my success and what kind of tips I can offter to other bandsters, while I am by no means any sort of expert (and I still have a long ways to go before I reach my goal) so I can only offer my advice about what has worked for me, and what is still working for me... I hope it can help others!!!

I pre-plan everything I will eat for the day, I don't write it down in advance but by the time breakfast rolls around I know what I will be eating for the rest of the day... maybe it's from my past life of eating a meal and already thinking about the next meal, lol. I also keep bad foods out of my house so I'm not tempted into thinking about indulging. I do have a hubby and son and I don't want them to be denied the things they want to eat, so I make sure that some of the "bad" things they like are things I don't like (oatmeal cookies, BBQ potato chips etc) they may not be their total favorites but they understand it's a way for them to enjoy what they like while still doing what's best for me and my diet.

I do try to write down my calories and water for the day, I have used sparkpeople.com and fitday.com but lately I have been using my new phone that has a calorie counting program. If I know I will be going out to dinner, or if I am in the mood for a dessert one night I shave off a few calories here and there throughout the day to keep my daily total around 1,000-1,200. I also make sure that every meal has 20-30 grams of protein because my daily protien goal is 70-90 grams, I use unflavored protien powder in things like my slimfast shake, soup or even my salad dressing to help me reach those numbers!

I am one of those who is more than happy to eat the same things everyday, this used to mean cheeseburgers for lunch and pizza for dinner. Now that my band doesn't allow many of those bad foods anymore I find my diet consisting of pretty much the same things daily: a shake for breakfast (about 200 cal), a salad with chicken or soup w/ protien powder for lunch (about 350 cal) and some sort of chicken or beef with veggies for dinner (about 500 cal). Yes some people may consider this kind of eating "boring" but for me I am eating the things I REALLY enjoy everyday (yes I do actually like my daily protien shake) and I am still able to lose weight so it is something that works for me!

I like pre-packaging meals/snacks a few days in advance, this means I'll grill 3 chicken breasts on Sunday and then divide them up in mini containers (my fave are the Gladware Mini Rounds, each one holds 1/2 CUP or 4 OZ, perfect bandster size and only cost $3 for 8 Containers & Lids). This makes me less likely to overeat because things are pre-measured for me and it's easier to control calories because I know the exact amount I am eating. I even make batch of either sugar free mousse or sugar free jello each week and divide them up for a portion and calorie controled snack (1/2 cup equals about 80 cal).

I do indulge in 1 or 2 snacks per day ONLY if I am hungry. Some doctors say 3 meals a day with no snacks and others say 5 mini meals per day is best, I think you need to find out what works for you. Because I limit the food I eat during my meals (keeping to bandster sized portions) there are times that I feel that twinge of hunger a few hours after I have eaten so instead of going hungry till my scheduled meal time (and risk overeating at that meal) I will have a snack. Usually something small and pre-measured like SF jello, SF canned peaches or some applesauce, whatever it is I make sure it less than 100 cal so that even if it's more of a craving than hunger it can't do too much harm to my diet.

If I am being honest there has only been about a total of 3 weeks total where I have had "good" restriction, but I am determined not to fail with this band so even when I don't feel restriction, I eat as if I do have restriction. In my opinion this is one of the major attitudes one must have in order to be sucessful with the band, it's very easy to use the excuse "I have no restriction" to eat as one did before being banded. George Washington Carver said "Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses" so I choose to not use my little restriction as an excuse to make poor choices. This means stopping eating after about 3/4 cup of food (approx 20 bites the size of a pencil eraser) I find that when I stop after that much even if I "think" I am still hungry the hunger is gone (though I don't feel that magical feeling of fullness) and it stays away for a few hours. Of course there are times if I am really enjoying something I might eat more but usually I wrap it up or get it to go so I can enjoy it all over again the next day.

I think the time I spend on the forum is very important to my success. I find reading the struggles and success stories that people post on the forum help me understand and explore my own experience with the band. I try to post helpful things to others or just encouragement when someone needs it because we all have had those good days and bad days. Many of you have said that I am an ispiration to you which is very hard for me to imagine but that is very flattering, for me posting my pictures and stats publically gives me an acountability because if I know others are watching my progress it helps me want to be more successful!

That's all I can think of for now!

That is great advice, I am trying to follow the same program. I felt guilty for having an unsweetened apple sauce or pudding for a snack in between meals when I was hungry, but they are under 100 calories and my daily is under 1200, so I am okay with that now!!

Thanks MamaMichelle, have a great day!

Cathy

[soccermom]

Michelle thank you for all your tips, this really helps. I have a shopping list to go to the store today, I just got my fill over the weekend. The information that you provided is wonderful.

[Alana]

Thank you for sharing, Michelle. I've been struggling a little with finding a meal plan that works for me, so that gives me a lot of great ideas to try. Your posts are always appreciated.

[shrty835]

thanks Michelle, very helpful hints. I plan on using a few.

[Kimra]

Thanks so much for posting that...!! SUCH GREAT INFO AS ALWAYS!!

[C1BandedBabe]

Thanks so much for posting that Michelle. 1 and 1/2 weeks left on my post op diet and I will definitely be using some of your tips..... I was just in the drug store looking for some unflavored protein, didnt know such a small bottle was so expensive! lol

[mistyband]

Thanks Michelle for Sharing your info!! Your always helpful...Your banded friend, Misty

[ashmaemac]

You always have such great informative posts.

I leave tomorrow morning and I'm very nervous. But with you and all the other bandsters advice and experience, the anxiety is melting away

You guys are like Big (skinny) Sisters <' />

Thanks to everyone for sharing all your experiences!!

See ya later Gotta go PACK!!!

[julieburns]

Once again thanks Michelle for the great tips. You have been successful so it makes sense to use some of your tips.

[MamaMichelle]

Thanks so much for posting that Michelle. 1 and 1/2 weeks left on my post op diet and I will definitely be using some of your tips..... I was just in the drug store looking for some unflavored protein, didnt know such a small bottle was so expensive! lol

Trina- Check http://www.unjury.com you get 15 servings of protien in one container (1 serving=80cal and 20grams of protein) and the cost is $15 (per container) plus $6 for shipping (that's the max for shipping no matter how many containers you buy).

[denisem]

Michelle,

Thanks again for another well thought out, helpful post. I've already made my list for the grocery store for small containers w/lids and unflavored protein powder! I'm still in the soft food stage, but will quickly be needing some guidance on what to eat when I reach the 6 week mark.

As always, your tips are much appreciated, and I wish you much continued success on your wonderful weight loss progress.

Denise

[MamaMichelle]

Here's a pic of what to look for:

[thesuse]

Thanks so much for the tips Michelle!

I just ordered the unflavored unjury - that's a great tip, I didn't know unflavored was available.

You are indeed an inspiration to me. I'm so glad that posting your progress is good for you - because it's so good for us too!

[magpel]

Great post, Michelle!

I also never feel much 'restriction' but also try and remember that the proper portion should be enough.

I found the differnce for me is now I eat until I'm no longer hungry, which is the proper portion - but I never have that FULL feeling, which is a much larger portion.

An important revelation for me was discovering the difference between not being hungry anylonger and being full. Being full is overeating for me. My goal at every meal is to eat until I'm no longer feeling hunry. Every time I do that, I eat the right portion - it's so great!

The few times I've slipped up, I've had that FULL feeling - I knew I ate TO much!!

I also try and portion out meals at least 3 days out. I cook for myself, my husband and two small children. After the meal, I divide all the food for lunches, next night dinner meal. It usually works out great!

I also snack usually once a day about 4 out of the 7 day week. It's usually a bag of dried fruit from http://www.brothersallnatural.com/index_default.htm We order these fruit snacks in bulk since both my kids love them, and they are really a great healthy snack for at home, on the go, on while working. I always have a bag or two in my car in case I start to get really hungry.

Tonite I'm making a great garlic pork/veggie stir fry. We'll have leftover for a few nights - so good! I'll skip the rice, and still have a great meal.

I'm so glad I'm glad I'm over the plataeu, and loosing weight again - it really does boost your spirits to know the scale is going down.

Good Luck to us all!

Peace,

Maggie

[banded4life]

Your ideas on not feeling hungry and feeling full are exactly what I needed to hear! This is what makes this message board such a great support system. Thanks Maggie!!!

[Fat 2 Fab]

Thank you!