lapband 12/17 in Houston

i would love to talk to others....Jill

Hi, my name is Sheena and I had my lap band surgery 11/09/10. How are you doing with yours? I'm down 40 pounds so far, I'm excerising and going to support groups. It's a lot of work - certainly not the "easy way out".  I'm 61 and live in Los Angeles.

Hi Sheena...you are doing fantastic!  I had my surg in dec...im down 26lbs. I really need to vamp up my exercising..i cant find a support  near me. I am 53 and live in Houston. Houston is big you would think there would be a group near me....but the one from my surgery is 100miles across houston.  Tell me...what are some of the things you are eating?>  Im afraid of eating the wrong things...i look for high protein low carb.  It is a lot of work...but man i already feel like a new person!
Jill

I'm not a big breakfast person so breakfast is hard for me. I really have to make myself eat in the morning. Half of the time I just have a protein shake or a pre-made "premier protein" drink. I buy them at Costco. They have chocolate and vanilla flavors and because they come pre-made I can just grab one and go. I have been having non-fat yogurt with oat bran for breakfast lately, one of the women in my support group told me about it. It's great - filling and tastes good. I buy the Non-fat Greek yogurt at Trader Joe's. It has 22 grams of protein and only 7 grams of sugar. Except for the rare days when I make a scrambled eggs (1 real egg and 1/4 cup egg beaters) that's it for breakfast.  For lunch, I usually eat left overs from the previous night or a lean Cuisine meal (not the carbs but just the protein and the vegatables). I love to cook so I try to make homemade meals at night. I make at least 4 servings and freeze half so I don't have to cook so often - especially on busy nights. Last night, I pulled some chili from the freezer and made some angel hair pasta. I warmed up the chili and put it on top of the pasta for my SO and I just ate the chili without the pasta. Yum. I'm trying to convert my recipes to weight loss friendly ones and so far I've got some really good ones. If you are looking for high protein low carb foods you are on the right track according to what I've learned. We went to sizzler for lunch with some friends and I choose the shrimp skewers - no rice - and had them give me extra vegtables. I got a tip at support group last week that is really helpful. Chew your food 25-30 times and then count to 100 before taking another bite. It really slows me down and it takes about 25-30 minutes to finish my meal. By that time, I feel full. It is really hard to do for someone like me who used to just inhale my food - I don't think I ever chewed much - I just shoveled it in! I live in Palmdale which is a suburb of Los Angeles. My doctor is in Hollywood so his support group is over 2 hours away! I found a small support group here in my town by asking around to other WLS patients in my area. We meet in a church on Tuesday nights, so it's not in "doctor's office or hospital" and it's moderated by the "old timers" (some of which are 10 years out).  I find it really helpful. Just listening to the others and learning from what they have done or not done is invaluable. We all share tips and recipes and the support is invaluable. Maybe you could check with your doctor and see if they can put you in touch with some of the people in your area (with their permission of course). It's worth a try - maybe you have a support group closer that you just haven't heard about yet. You also might try checking with the hospitals in your area and nearby - some of them have support groups also and you don't have to have had surgery at that particular hospital to participate in the support group. You are so right - it is hard work - definately not "the easy way out" but so worth it! I too feel like a new person. My knees and feet don't hurt all the time like they used to! I re-joined 24-Hour Fitness Gym and am taking Aqua aerobics 2x a week and then 2 x a week I take the Senior Sneakers Class. I understand that the YMCA also gives the Senior Sneakers classes. I figured since I hadn't done any exercise for a long time that I should start with something low impact and work up from there. I never really enjoyed going to the gym and using the treadmill or precor machines but I'm really enjoying the classes. I think it's because they are more social and fun. In both Aqua and SS class there are people who also can't keep up with the "20-somethings" and I feel more at home so I enjoy it more.