Dontondan

Oh my God, I am a food Porn addict! HELP!

Sorry to hear about your being so sick, hope you are now on the road to recovery and that you recover completely soon. Take it easy and do what the docs order.

Yorkie Mommy, Didn't realize you are from Seattle area......I live in Bremerton, where are you? Are you coming to the NW Bandster get together on July 5th?

You are doing great so far and are off to a great start, just keep on doing what you are doing and you will do fine. I too have a housefull of teens and know what that can be like....Junk Food Heaven! Just stick to what you know you can have and you will be fine. I was surprised at how fast the weight came off for the pre-op.

I found the mini utensils at IKEA. They are a "playset" for kids! I love them, they are very nice and classy, just smaller. I also bought some of the seafood forks that work nicely and some ice tea spoons which are smaller. I like these ones the best.

Jann, Do you have time to work???? I would be on potty breaks all day long!

I have always "stocked up" on things, just in case....I will probably always do this, but I am stocking up on better things now, thank goodness! My pantry is s-l-o-w-l-y getting less and less in it, but I have a long way to go. I still cook like I am feeding an army, but I have a houseful teenagers and always expect a few extra mouths to feed every day. This may be troublesome when I retire and it is just my husband and I. At least I don't use the drive thrus anymore, used to be a daily thing, now I prefer better restaurants if I go out at all, and I share a plate with everyone else at the table. Luckily my family and friends don't mind this and are very supportive. Food is a very big thing in my culture.... everything was revolved around a meal, not just a meal, but a huge meal! I haven't changed my cooking much at all, but my portions have really changed. I have my "special" plates and mini utensils, I cut and portion everything on my plate prior to eating so I can slow down and savor the flavors more. I also try to make everything look pretty on the plate so it seems more special. Even though I do this I still fall back into my old habits of preparing for any social situation by storing supplies to cook for an army! I try to make an effort to pick quality now over quantity though. I splurge on special things....like CRAB LEGS or LOBSTER, which I never used to do, but I eat so little of it that it doesn't cost me much. I can only eat 1 or 2 legs instead of the 12 or 14 I used to eat. A steak now lasts me for 3 meals....I have adapted by cutting up leftovers and using it for other dishes during the week. I will eat steak one day and then cut the rest up and throw it on a salad or make a fajita later on.

Hey you can learn what to "avoid" by watching that stuff. It is still one of my favorite networks to watch....as long as I don't sample, and I am too lazy to actually make the stuff. I am living vicariously by watching what others eat!

Luck and Prayers, sweetie! Just relax and put your feeties into the pool and enjoy the sun (I am in the North-wet and am not lucky enough to see that). I am sure you will feel up to shopping....I was calling for a cab within minutes of returning to the hotel! I can relate!

I have a big problem with bread and can rarely eat any type of it. If I do splurge and have a piece I have to just pick small bits and chew like heck and it still backs up sometimes. I love bread and that is one of my problem areas, so maybe this is a blessing!

That sounds pretty darned yummy!

You can drink some hot tea or coffee to loosen your fill a little before you eat your breakfast....I sometimes have to do that. Cold things work the opposite way in the evenings, it tightens things a little bit.

I am not a soup lover, and would only eat potato or tomato soup the entire time....it was a very boring month for me. I loved the safeway potato soup and blended it, never had a problem with it, and still lost drinking it. it was filling and tasted good.

Flintstones are definitely more fun!

Some of the things that I keep in my fridge are sugar free pudding.....I love this for a "treat" in the evening and I keep cheese sticks...They are quick and easy. I also freeze grapes in a baggie in the freezer and pop them when I want something sweet....very handy and they have to thaw in your mouth....great snack. I can't eat hard boiled eggs either, they never stay down. I can do scrambled eggs if they are covered with ketchup. I mix yogurt and protein powder and throw in some fruit and it tastes almost like cheesecake! I buy the little bags of cooked chicken (there are several flavors) and they are pre-cooked and you can throw them on salad or make chicken salad with them and they seem to be moist enough that they don't get stuck.

I always carry small plastic bags in my purse or car......come in handy when you discreetly spit up into it cause you were not eating mindfully! I have to be very careful when I go out to eat, because I get to talking and forget that I have to chew my food! This even happens to veteran bandsters....so they tell me.

I still have all my TOPS Charms that I saved over the years.....must have a hundred of them!

I have a years supply of Gax X strips and liquid tylenol and liquid vitamins....they really taste bad, but will I throw it away......NAH....feels good to have them there! LOL!

It wasn't a dream, but a vision of the future!!!!

It is Dr. Acosta, and he is absolutely adorable!!! He was very kind and considerate and spent a long time comforting and talking with me when I went down there for my fill. Very young and nice eye candy!

Tanya.... That is part of the sickness of obesity...we hoard food! I am the same way. I can't be happy unless I have a full pantry of stuff I can't even eat! It makes me feel better just knowing it is there. Someday I may be able to deal with this issue, but not today. As long as I don't eat it all, and I don't, I just like having there, just in case! Silly huh?

This is a "support group" right? Well although I can't condone the falter in your diet, we are all human and last I heard we all make some mistakes. Therefore I believe that you can get back on the band-wagon and change your eating habits. I know it is difficult for those of us that are perfect....I am not, I make mistakes, I learn from these mistakes, and therefore I am human. I hate to see when people don't want to give a kind word of support to someone who obviously needs it. We have all been on many diets and failed miserably or we wouldn't be here, right? Some people will fail miserably at their band, but they will do so with the knowledge of what went wrong...that is when changes can be made. A lot of my lessons of what I can and can't do have come about by trial and error. Just keep on trying and some of us will be there to support you if you fail and not be judgemental about it, but tell you that you CAN do it and we want you to do it. I for one will be there to support whoever needs it whether it is good or bad. Enough said! No more DRAMA please....

I had to laugh about the iodine sticking your boobs to your tummy.....I forgot about that little tidbit!!! The joys of having breasts! Tee-Hee!

It is always good to see one of our bandsters educating the medical profession on the benefits of Lapband! I want to be a Lapband "poster child" someday!!!! That is the way that changes can be made in our healthcare when they "see" the benefits involved in having the procedure done.

Hanna, I will be there with bells on! I may have to drag my girls along though......they are teens and can entertain themselves, just can't leave them home alone. Are NW fills open that day? I may want to get a small adjustment then. I guess I will email them and see. Donna