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Fourth 5K on May 16, 2009 in 32 min. 46 sec.  Not my best time, but there were a lot of hills!!!  I came in 3rd in my age division.

Third 5K on April 25, 2009 and I CAME IN FIRST out of all the females!!!!!!!!!!!!  I got a very nice trophy.  I hope to post pictures as soon as I get them (they had a photographer).  Yay me!!

I completed my second 5K on April 18, 2009.  Finished in 31 min, 11 sec.   Beat my previous time by 1 min, 38 sec.  Came in 2nd in my age division (40 - 49 female) and got a nice silver medal.


I did my first (but not last) 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 28, 2009.  I finished in 32 min, 49 sec. (at 48 years old!).  This was a TREMENDOUS accomplishment for me.  For those who don't know, a 5K is 3.1 miles.

Following are some things I use most often.  I also gave away all of the white rice and white pasta I had.  I now only buy and use brown rice (for my husband) and whole wheat pasta.  I also buy whole wheat pancake mix to make waffles (for my husband). 

 

Must haves for the kitchen:

Measuring cups

A good food scale

Measuring spoons

Magic Bullet (some will disagree with this, but when I'm on liquids (post-op and now following a fill) I use it several times a day)

 

For Liquid stage

Whey protein powder (there are many, many brands.  I use Body Fortress from Wal-Mart)

Skim milk

Frozen fruit (make protein shakes with protein, milk and frozen fruit)

Campbell's Healthy Request low sodium tomato soup (make with skim milk for added protein)

 

For Mushie stage (I still eat all of these – eggs and/or cottage cheese every day)

Fat free refried beans

Salsa

Reduced fat shredded cheese (mix refried beans, salsa and cheese and heat in microwave)

Low fat cottage cheese

Mozzarella string cheese

Boiled eggs

Reduced fat ricotta cheese

Fat free cheese slices

 

3 oz tuna pouches

3 oz salmon pouches

Canned chicken

Canned turkey

Light mayonnaise (mix with any of the above)

98% fat free turkey

Light Laughing Cow cheese wedges (make roll-ups with the turkey)

Yogurt (I like the Yoplait Light Thick and Creamy)

Well, it’s finally here, my one year bandiversary.  Last year on this day I went in to have surgery weighing 206 lbs and wore tight 18s, 20s, some 22s and 1X tops.  Two weeks prior to this when I started my pre-op diet, I weighed 215 lbs.  My highest weight ever was about 7 years ago when I weighed 231 lbs.  I am 5’ 2” tall, so that’s a lot for a person my height!  When I weighed 231 lbs, I joined Weight Watchers and managed to lose around 80 lbs.  Obviously, I didn’t keep it off.  I rejoined many, many times over the years with very little success.  I have also done just about every other thing known to lose weight.  I researched the Lapband for about a year before I had surgery.  At this time I was Insulin Resistant, had high cholesterol, acid reflux and pain in my knees.  I have been very fortunate in my life not to have high blood pressure.  Diabetes is very prominent on both sides of my family and that is the number 1 reason I had Lapband surgery – to prevent becoming diabetic. 

 

Today, I weigh 154 lbs. and wear a size 10 slacks and jeans, and Medium tops and jackets.  I walk/run 65 minutes, 6 days a week.  I am VERY happy with my success with the Lapband.  I would have loved to have been at goal – I have about 19 lbs to go, but I’m still happy.  I lose very, very slowly – if at all - now.  I hit a plateau a while back and was on it for a couple of months, lost about 10 lbs and plateaued again.  I continue to watch what I eat (not so much the last couple of weeks) and exercise.  I know that the rest of the weight will eventually come off.  I just have to be patient (which is not always easy). 

 

I have a 10 cc AP Lapband.  I’ve had 5 fills and 3 unfills.  Two of the unfills have been due to acid reflux that just started out of nowhere.  I am a little loose right now, but am going to try to hang on without getting another fill.  I’m very leery of being too tight and developing the nightly reflux again.  That is just misery!

Good luck and continued success to everyone in 2009!

Makes 4 servings

 

1 16 oz. pkg. lean ground turkey

1 Tbsp.  chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp.  onion salt

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

MIX turkey, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and onion salt in large bowl. Shape into 4 (4-inch) patties; set aside.

MELT butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Remove mushrooms from skillet; cover to keep warm. Add patties to skillet; cook on medium heat 12 to 14 minutes or until cooked through, turning occasionally. Serve turkey burger topped with mushrooms.

People are always asking what others can no longer eat.  Here is my list (so far):

 

1. rice (well sometimes if it's in a sauce and has fully expanded before I try)
2. bread (including English muffins, hushpuppies)
3. corn
4. ground beef patties
5. apple (not even if it's peeled)
6. grapes
7. iceberg lettuce
8. cole slaw

2 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni
2 cans white meat chicken, drained
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup (undiluted)
2 cups skim milk
8 ounces 2% Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 2 qt casserole with Pam.  Combine all ingrdeients and pour into casserole dish.  Bake covered for 45 minutes.  Remove cover and bake an additional 10 - 15 minutes.

My nutritionist advised me to start taking 5000 mcg of Biotin to help prevent hair loss, and I started that 2 weeks prior to surgery.  I have continued taking it daily since then.  Even with taking the Biotin, I have experienced hair loss during months 3 - 6 post-op. I am now a little over 6 months post-op and it is getting better.

Two weeks after my last fill, I had to go today - November 20 to get an unfill of -1.5 cc.  Started have reflux the last 2 nights.

Had my 5th fill today - November 5.  It's been 3 months since my last fill, and after losing around 10 lbs, I just needed a little more.  I was starting to eat more and get hungry sooner.  He added .3 today.

After being in pain and having reflux at night, went back to Dr. on August 6 for an unfill.  He removed .4 cc of the .8 cc fill.  Drank some water and it was instant relief.  I know that I DO NOT want a too tight band.  It was horrible.  It even made my back hurt!  I now have a total of 4.9 cc and currently have restriction.

Had my 4th fill on August 4.  Dr. said he changed the way he measures the fill, and that I had 4.5 cc instead of what I thought.  He added .8 cc for a total of 5.3 cc.  Drank some water and it went down - slowly, but it went down. 

Just had my 3rd fill this morning and am hoping for the "sweet spot".  10 cc AP band.  So far, fills have been:  

Time of surgery - 1 cc 
1st fill - 1 cc
2nd fill - 1 cc
3rd fill - .6 cc
(see above)
4th fill - .4 cc
5th fill -.3 cc
unfill - -1.5 cc
Real Total now - 5.05 cc

The Dr. put in 1 cc today under fluro (per my request) and the barium wouldn't go down so he took .4 cc back out.  Of course I'm on liquids (for 3 days, then 3 days mushies), but I really think I'm finally going to have good restriction after this.  I can feel it already - just on liquids.

Pure Protein bars.  I buy the Chocolate Peanut Butter ones at Sams.  They have 190 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams sugar and 20 grams protein. 

Fat free refried beans with salsa and cheese - heat in microwave

Low fat cottage cheese with marinara sauce and cheese - heat in microwave

Egg scrambled and then melt cheese on top

Hard boiled egg, chopped up and mix with light mayo and some Mrs. Dash

Jean's Ricotta Cheesecake Fluff

Shelly's Baked Ricotta