Considering lab band surgery... lots of questions......

 I actually do not have much land at all, I do some small square foot gardeining and grow stuff like onions and garlic in planters, but most of my stuff comes from local farmers. Seriously, do a quick google search for a "grange" in your area, that is how I connected with most of the local farmers and growers and hunters that I get my food from, and many of these farmers are happy to see the food go to local families. 

AND I barter, which is totally awesome and cuts the food big time. I have a local goat farmer that gives me milk to make butter, the only cost to me is that I return the "butter milk" back to him so his wife can use it to make biscuts and pancakes LOL Another local family keeps chickens and always has more eggs then they can use, so I trade them home baked breads and home made jellies and jams for their surplus. Works out for both families. 

It just took me a little google searching and some hand shaking to make these connections, and now many have become life long friends. 

I use mealsmatter.com, and I plan out a months worth of meals based on what I have on hand, and then create a grocery list for what I don't have. This was difficult the first month or two b/c I did not really know what I had on hand, and coming up with meals was hard, but then I got familure with what was in my pantry and started just transfering meals from month to month, and also making three meals a week pretty much consistent (we have a whole roasted chicken with veggies every Friday, homemade pizza on Saturday and Wendsday is always our leftover night) I DO NOT deviate from my grocery list, and I have cut out all fruit juice, soda and processed items. It honestly gets easier and easier every month as I know whta I am going to "need" for the next month and can pick it up when its on sale so it's already in the house when I go to make the next months meal plan. 

Check out http://thepioneerwoman.com/ she has some great, fast and cheap recipes that can be doctored up to healthy, and many of them are easily adapted to the crock pot (which I use, like every day during the winter LOL). 

For packaged items, I can usually watch Amazon.com and order them in bulk and save quite a bit, I use the Subscribe and Save option for free shipping and often times come in almost $4/5 lower then what it would have cost me in the food store (this is how I order my bread flour, rice, pasta, cereal etc). 

Good luck, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me!

Yeah my cousin lives in NY and she does alot of what you are saying here.... Makes her own bread.... bartering... gets alot of food from local farmers, etc.  But I've never found anything like that here.... that would be awesome if I could.  And yes it's always more expensive to start up and get all your stuff.... but sooooo much easier once you have most things and then just replace when you run out.  That's what I keep telling my dh... grr..... lol... but hoping to maybe have some money come tax time and get everything stocked up.... should make it easier.  ;)  Everything seems to have gotten so expensive and we really don't have alot of options here.... and there's only one farmers market and that is not the best in the world... but... we will see... maybe just a fruit stand when they have specials or something.  It's tough cause the land here is not the greatest for growing.... guess not just ours.... Well, off I go!  Congrats on your success by the way!

i love the pioneerwoman - her story is SO familiar, from NYC.....married a texan & now on a ranch.

it's been a work in progress & DH has always thought i'm a scary reality show on more than one occasion.

btw - thanks to you, DH built out one of our buildings near the chicken coop to store all my canned goods.    lost out on cabinet & pantry space in the house.

 Ack, can I either 1) come live with you or 2) borrow your husband for a bit? LOL My canning stuff has taken over the shelves. 

I was sad today though b/c I opened up my last pint jar of sour cherry preserves, cherries where not good around here this year for some reason and I just could not find the deals on them I usually get, so I have run out way short of the new season. It's the babies favorite too, so we go though it extra fast. BUT a friend gave me a bunch of ground cherry starters, so I am hoping to get a pretty go yield from them this summer. 

I just canned 14 pints of apple butter over the last week, and my house smelled SOOOO good the whole time, that is just another upside to canning, the smells are amazing. I am thinking about trying my hand at turkey soup next week, I have a 22 pound turkey that needs out of my freezer and fast (have about 20 lbs of venison steaks coming my way and they need a home LOL).

Oh and I found a use for all my used lids and chipped jars, they made the perfect gift giving containers for my gingerbread crack...umm I mean popcorn. Kept it nice and fresh and looked pretty with some fabric squares and ribbon to cover the top! 

have you figured out how to can that turkey?

i did pumpkin butter this fall & like you - they were gifts for the holidays & anyone that came over.

 I am not sure if it's going to work, but I found a great recipe for Turkey soup that is safe for canning, so I think I am going to make a huge batch of that and then see how it does in the pressure canner. I am excited to have something on the shelves that will help for when I need a quick, full meal! 

 no you cannot count on the lapband. it helps with portion control mostly. It requires a partnership. And complications can happen.

 
Wls can change our life, but only if you work with it!

Example. I am about to go out for a meal. I want to treat myself and so I will choose options that are easy to eat. I will have something like

Pate and toast,
Duck breast with sauce, mashed potatoes, braised veggies
Creme brulee
Several glasses of red wine
A dessert wine.

Probably in excess of 1500 calories?? Maybe a lot more!! Perhaps 2000.

My point. Normally I choose not to. My band helps me to make this decision. But if I choose certain foods, eat slowly, sip wine, I will be able to eat a lot of the above. I won't be able  to finish all the meat, but everything else... Yes!

All wls requires a lifestyle change.

Kate

There are 4 types of WLS: Lap Band, VSG, RNY, and DS.

Make sure you check out all of the options. The band has a high rate of post-op complications and the poorest stats on excess weight loss.

I would encourage you to find a surgery that offers you the best odds of reaching your weight loss goals with a lifestyle that you can live with...you deserve to be a healthy weight, so stack the deck in your favor.

I've had both the band and the VSG. For me, the VSG is the hands down winner between the two.

Best of luck and keep us updated,
Lindsey

Please read the Revisions forum before making any life altering decisions.

Speaking from my own experience, the lapband was the worst decision I ever made, hands down. I have nothing good to say about it at all.  

Research until you can't research anymore.


Good luck to you.