MAMA MICHELE

[lapbandgirl]

Mama Mitchele,

I noticed that your weight dropped off fast (smile) What are you eating? Someone mentioned that you did Optifast the whole time. Was it hard to drink that stuff?? What was your routine eating like?

Your awesome! When I was in my twenties.....I did not need a lapband to lose weight but now at 39, it much different now a days! Can you share your awesome tips!!!!!!!!!!!

Lapband girl

[MamaMichelle]

Thanks for the compliments, first I'll offer up a post from July that contained my best bandster tips, here it is:

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!

In September I got a small fill that has kept me pretty tight as well as started working with a trainer, in those 2 months I have lost 12lbs.

This is the diet I have been pretty much sticking to for these past 2 months (around 1,200-1,500 calories, 90-100grams of protein per day and 100-150 grams of carbs):

9am- An optifast shake for breakfast (yes I am one of the few that LOVE them, as long as l can add some sugar free vanilla syrup)

11am- 1/2 cup of blended brown rice (I have to pre-mix soy sauce and rice in a blender till it is paste-like in substance and eat it pretty slowly

1pm- Another optifast shake

4pm- 1/2 cup of blended brown rice (this helps up my energy before my workout) I will also usually have one of those protein shots after my workout because my trainer says it helps repair and rebuild the muscles I have just worked after the gym!

7-8pm- Whatever the family is having for dinner, steak, salmon, fast food all of course in a small portion

Again I allow myself "treats" when I feel like it, maybe a child size soda once a week or a reese's peanut butter cup at the movies, nothing that I don't burn off in the gym..

Hope this helps!

[JazzyJude]

EXCELLENTpost MamaMichelle!!! And it's testimonial to your weight loss now!! You look GORGEOUS!

[lapbandgirl]

Michele,

Thank you!!!!! I have a few questions......what other protein shakes do you suggest if not Opifast???? Is Opitifast drinkable? Where do you buy it? What is close to it, that I can use, if I can not stomach it? What is protein shots?

Your the best....thank you! Please keep up with me and watch for this post. I wil try not to drain you, but I'm stuck and really need some help. Oh, yes and did you exercise before you got your trainer?

Lapband girl

[Taz]

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.

Excellent quote. And right on. The band is a tool. Not a miracle cure. It is so easy to "cheat" the band. I actually heard of a bandster who recently was stressed out as she were gaining weight. When asked what her menu was, we found out they were having a Starbucks Ice Frapachino every morning, McDonalds salad with full dressing with a large diet coke at lunch, and a steak at dinner. Talk about self-sabatoge.

Insightful post, with the right commitment. There is no doubt why you have been so sucessful. It was you. Not the band (alone). Great job.

Taz

[Guest CaraMBA09]

Thanks for the compliments, first I'll offer up a post from July that contained my best bandster tips, here it is:

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!

In September I got a small fill that has kept me pretty tight as well as started working with a trainer, in those 2 months I have lost 12lbs.

This is the diet I have been pretty much sticking to for these past 2 months (around 1,200-1,500 calories, 90-100grams of protein per day and 100-150 grams of carbs):

9am- An optifast shake for breakfast (yes I am one of the few that LOVE them, as long as l can add some sugar free vanilla syrup)

11am- 1/2 cup of blended brown rice (I have to pre-mix soy sauce and rice in a blender till it is paste-like in substance and eat it pretty slowly

1pm- Another optifast shake

4pm- 1/2 cup of blended brown rice (this helps up my energy before my workout) I will also usually have one of those protein shots after my workout because my trainer says it helps repair and rebuild the muscles I have just worked after the gym!

7-8pm- Whatever the family is having for dinner, steak, salmon, fast food all of course in a small portion

Again I allow myself "treats" when I feel like it, maybe a child size soda once a week or a reese's peanut butter cup at the movies, nothing that I don't burn off in the gym..

Hope this helps!

Thank you for the post Michelle, I have printed it up to refer to

[ggdiva99]

Thanks so much for sharing. You really are a very inspirational person and I love seeing your before and after photos on all of your posts - something to strive towards!