Calling on anyone more than 6 months out

OK I was banded in January and have lost a total of 50 pounds (including preop). Overall, that is good. Unfortunately, in July, we lost our sweet 16 year old son :(. As a family, we are hanging on by our fingernails. None of us have really cooked since then (cooking was one of my son's favorite activities). For a while, we lived on what people brought in...and take out...and junk, basically....none of us has the heart to go in the kitchen without Chris. :(

Add in to the mix the fact that my surgeon moved in October AND my insurance decided NOT to cover fills:( So, there is a new surgeon in the practice, which would be ok, but I have to save up to pay what I owe them before I can go back:(

I have some restriction, especially in the mornings, but I have discovered every slider food possible. I have not regained...bouncing around 5 pounds...BUT I need encouragement and a PLAN to get thru this until I can afford to see the surgeon for a fill. I do have some restriction...so there is hope here...I just need friends to help me thru this!

Oh, and I DO want to acknowledge, that.....had I NOT been banded....I would have GAINED 20 or 30 pounds...emotionally eating.....I thank the LORD everyday for it....I just need my hand held to get focused.

I am very sorry for your loss. What a tragedy. I would focus on eating the right foods- lowcarb/lowfat even if your portions are larger than ideal. Hopefully that will get you through until you can get a fill. Excersise would be great too. It's so tough to get started, but it is a great stress reducer and works wonders for weight loss. I also find that on days I workout I make better food choices. Keep us posted on how your doing. Best wishes!

I just wanted to reply to say how sorry I am to hear about the loss of your son. I can't imagine how painful that would be for all of you. I hope you can all stick together and help each other through this incredibly difficult time. Sending hugs your way...

I agree with the other poster...low carb has done wonders for me. Can you tolerate dense protein? I would always start with protein and try and fill up on that.

Hang in there the best you can,
Lindsey

 I am sorry to hear about the loss of your son, I am sure that was devastating. Here are some tricks I used when my band was looser over the years.

1. Drink very cold water throughout the day, but wait at least 30 minutes to drink after your meals, this will tighten up your band.

2. Eat dense proteins, like chicken, beef or turkey, fish is good also. Boiled eggs can make you feel fuller also, and eating string cheese as a snack. This will cause quick weight loss if you eat these food daily and keep carbs low.

3. Count your calories with an online website like  www.Sparkspeople.com to keep you on track.

Also, remember to do your part, by getting in some sort of exercise, which can relieve stress and kick start your metabolism and weight loss.


If you eat these foods, which is recommended for the band, you may realize that you may not need a fill.

Good luck

I can not do beef or pork unless it is processed...even chicken needs to be processed in some way most of the time...if chicken is REALLY moist, I can eat it...otherwise it is ground beef or some sort of nugget for me I haven't really tried eggs.....I will do that!

I know exercise wil probably help with the feelings of loss and hopelessness, too....

I will try the water.

I do not know that I need a fill so much as I need pulled away from the comfort foods that people bring....casseroles galore!....although noodles are an issue for me, too....I also can not eat bread.....but cookies and crackers are great...unfortunately.

 Baked moist chicken really helped shed most of my weight with the band, I usually season my chicken, with garlic, black pepper and salt and pour a little water in the pan for moistness, and let it slow cook for about 2-3 hours until golden brown and this type of chicken is band friendly, I can't eat thick dry chicken.  I rarely eat beef though, it's too tough in most cases for me, but I stay away from red meat in general.

I've never kept my band so tight to limit me to soft foods, believe it or not, you can lose weight by keeping your band moderatly restricted, and also save you from damaging your band too.

I am not trying to be too tight ... and I can't go back to the surgeon till I pay what the insurance decided to deny I need easy ideas that will keep me mostly out of the kitchen........for now......till I can stand to be in there....I have got to get away from the easy-peasy sliders that people keep bringing or we keep purchasing to avoid cooking without our sweet son there helping us....

I am so sorry that you lost your precious boy...I can't imagine how you must feel.  I lost my precious brother about 10 years ago (it was tragic), he was 40 and was 11 years younger than me.  Our mom died 15 years earlier, so I was very much a maternal figure to him and it broke all of our hearts.  He also loved to cook and we honor him and his passion for creating great food by making some of his recipes on special occasions.  We have adapted some of them to be lower calorie, fat, etc and it is a great way to honor his memory and place in our hearts as a family.

Is the family getting any grief counseling?  I know that many hospitals in our area offer free support groups that are specifically aimed at working through loss and grieving.  It might be a way to get to the point where you can bear to use your kitchen again and begin to celebrate his life and all he meant to you.

Safeway has some breaded chicken tenders that are very good and are within dietary guidelines.  So does Trader Joes.  These along with some veggies make a great meal.  RF string cheese, eggs, cottage cheese (it is a slider for some, but a healthy one) greek yogurt ranch dip with carrot sticks and thick soups can also get you through.  I make a lot of soups and eat the broth first, then the solid parts.  Costco rotisserie chicken is wonderful too.

For lunches, chicken salad, tuna salad made with RF mayo with chopped veggies and a few RF wheat thins or other whole grain cracker is good. 

I keep my band loose too...and still can't tolerate chicken breast or other dry foods.  Frozen raw chicken tenders work great and the whole family can eat them...just cook in a moist way...one recipe I use for these or boneless skinless thighs is to spray a casserole with pam, add a layer of chicken, a layer of mushrooms, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano over the top.  Drizzle with EVOO and  a half cup of dry white wine.  Bake covered for about 25 min on 350 and uncover for about 10-15 min.  Serve with your favorite sides (baked potato is good).  The house will smell wonderful, it takes very little time and makes for good leftovers.  Might be just the ticket for getting your kitchen up and running again.  Your son would want you to celebrate his life...cooking is a very cathartic activity.

Hugs to you and your family Steph

I am so very sorry for your loss.

One thing that helps me out is having a list of "25 things I can do besides eat" that I keep handy.
If it is not meal time, I have to do something on that list before I allow myself to go into the kitchen.

My list includes things I enjoy doing (knitting, sewing, reading, walking, etc) and it includes things that I don't enjoy (laundry, cleaning a closet or drawer, etc).

I use that list to find an activity to distract myself from the kitchen -- and I try to grab a bottle/glass of water during that time, too.

You HAVE to eat -- you don't have to eat sliders and carbs.
If you do eat carbs, try to pair them with protein (crackers WITH low-fat cheese or light peanut butter)

You might not be able to cook at this point, but you can put veggies and fruit into your home and use them for your snacks.

I am certain that your sweet son would not want you to lose your health due to his loss.
Take some baby steps to improve your health and your mood --- re-gain your health so that you can keep your family going. 
Godspeed.