Lap band to sleeve , sleeve to RNY Surgery

I am just able to get to a computer and functional enough to type more than a few sentences ! So here is what happened, I had the surgery done on Thursday ( Sleeve to RNY) The doc came in post op and asked me if i have ever been diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder ? I said no why ? He said my hiatial hernia has stretched its away back out , as did my esophagus and my sleeve. He said I would have known by now if i had any connective tissue disorder, However he seemed sure since I did not that the RNY pouch would not stretch its way back out, he also said IF It did there was a very small pouch and it should be ok ? So I dunno ! So the first day I was super happy to have the PCA ( Patient controlled anesthesia ) HOWEVER let me tell you if you have migraines SO NOT GET A PCA ! The pca meds ( dilated ) caused me to get a migraine , Its one of the side affects. Once a RN realized this was causing my migraine she switched the pain meds for me , HOWEVER it was one of the WORST Migraines i have ever had , and the migraine cause me to get nauseated
and then dry heave . It was NOT FUN , by far the worst day My doc comes in ( The one who did my sleeve ) See's my hunched over and says " You look like your in pain your not going anywhere today ( I should have gone home ) So the next day he came in and saw I was doing better, asked If i felt I could go home and I said yes, So he let me go home, I only had to stay one extra day which is great. The comparisons between this surgery and the band and sleeve, this one was by far the most painful ! But I am feeling alot better today, I am trying to see if i can go longer than 4 hours for my pain meds today to wean myself off of them . So far today feeling pretty good !

Another terrible story about the Lap Band : Lap band complications a year out

The following is a recount of my friend Schatzi's lap band nightmare story in my opinion . 
It is nothing short of a miracle that she is still alive. All caused by the band .. I can't stress enough to people to give this surgery a second or third thought . 
Please read :

This is Schatzi's stomach , showing damage the band did.
The black portion is the portion that her lap band killed off. That's right it KILLED a portion of her stomach ! 

I had the lap band placed on May 1, 2007. By July 2008, I developed a  hiatal hernia. From Friday until Monday morning, I couldn't hold anything down. Was even having problems holding any fluids down. I contacted my surgeons office first thing Monday morning, they had me come straight in. I lived 3 hours away so headed there immediately. When I got there they took all the fluid out of my band, had me drink a small amount of water to see if I would be able to keep it down. They then had me drink a dye while they did an x-ray, or scan, or whatever it was. He showed me the hernia above the band. At the band site, the stomach had a "bubble" right above it that wasn't allowing the food to go anywhere. It would hit that spot and cause the vomiting.I asked at that point if we could just get the band taken out. I was down 80 pounds and only had about 40 pounds to go. He told me no, insurance companies didn't like taking the band out and that it would completely heal on it's own and that we could even add fluid within 2-4 weeks.

Well, I NEVER had any more fluid put in. I had constant problems after that with vomiting, even without any fluid. I could take a bite of yogurt and throw up. Then there were other days when I could eat just about anything. There was NO normal. I could NOT eat out in public unless I knew where all the restrooms were. Never failed, take one bite, need to vomit. I continued to follow the rules with portions, no drinking with your meal, eat proteins first, etc... We all know the rules. BUT.. I still had problems about 95% of the time.

Around year 3, I started having major problems with protein. My body would not digest protein anymore. I became allergic to fish (my throat would literally close up if I ate fish - still have this allergy and has gotten worse). I could not digest chicken, any way I tried to eat chicken I would end up vomiting, and it got to be very violent vomiting. I tried eggs, they lasted longer than the chicken, however, started where I could not eat them without vomiting. Same goes with beans, cottage cheese, pork (even bacon), then to cheese. I started eating slider foods just to have energy. Mashed potatoes became my comfort food because there were several times where that is all I could hold down.

Fast forward...

December 12, 2011 - I had bought a house for my mom and I. My boyfriend and I were painting and hanging mini blinds. I lifted my arm to hang a mini blind and ended up on the floor. What I felt was undescribeable. Almost felt like someone stabbing me, but it was near my left shoulder blade, deep. My boyfriend wanted to take me to hospital right then, but I was stubborn and asked him to just take me to his house and let me rest (I thought I may have pulled a muscle and just wanted to relax). Took turns with ice/heat thinking that would help. Slept that night in the recliner. Next day, couldn't eat anything without vomiting. Tried soda crackers (big mistake), tried drinking juice (another big mistake). Water it was - or wasn't by the end of the day. Being stubborn, I took pain pills trying to get to feel better for 2 days before I allowed him to take me to the ER.

December 14, 2011 - After 2 days of the worst pain in my life. I let my boyfriend take me to the ER (did I say I was very stubborn?) They put an IV in me with fluids and Demerol. I told them what happened, that it felt as if someone was stabbing me and now worked it's way to my left shoulder to the point where I couldn't lift my arm. I told them what had happened in 2008 when I had the hernia and couldn't hold down any fluids and I thought it might be something with the band. They did a bunch of bloodwork and an MRI and came back and told me that it didn't show anything wrong, that I probably just pulled a muscle. They gave me a prescription for a pain pill and sent me home.

December 15, 2011 - In and out of consciousness throughout the night with strong pain killers. By about noon, I couldn't even swallow. I could no longer even take a pain pill because I couldn't swallow. I tried sucking on ice and would vomit. The doctors told me I just had a pulled muscle, that I had to let it work itself out. I felt like I was being a baby. Around midnight I told my boyfriend to go to bed, that I didn't want to try to crawl up the stairs so I would just sleep in the recliner again (this was my 3rd day in this recliner moving only to go to the bathroom). He challenged my stubborness and told me that if I wasn't going to the hospital, that he wasn't moving from the other recliner. I let him take me back to the hospital. They took more bloodwork, gave me a shot of Demerol in the butt, would not even put an IV in because they did not believe I was in the pain I told them I was in.

***NOTE: I tend to have lower blood pressure and it rarely raises, even when in severe pain. I also have (or had) an extremely high pain tolerance.

They had me sign my discharge papers (second night in a row), told me they couldn't do anything for me, that I was going to have to toughen up and find a general practioner that week and get a check up. I had gone through 4 of their vomit bags while sitting in the ER, kept splashing water at my face and in my mouth cause I felt like I was going to pass out, told the doctor "if you send me home, you might as well shoot me cause there is something horribly wrong". Still, they were going to release me as soon as my bloodwork came back. All of a sudden, I heard them down the hall saying things about, my white blood cells skyrocketing, over double what it had been the night before, we need to run more tests, something wrong with that white blood count.

The doctor came back into my room, told me there was a problem with my white blood count and they needed to do another MRI and since I could clearly not hold anything down, they were going to have to inject dye in me.

About 45 minutes after the MRI was taken, the doctor comes into my room, we need to get you to Memorial Hospital in Springfield (about an hour away), which ambulance service do you want? I told them my boyfriend can take me, he is right beside me this entire time. They told me, "No, you have to go by ambulance."

Next thing I know, ambulance crew is getting there, putting me into the back of the ambulance and off we go. I really don't remember much about the ride there. Honestly I still have memory loss from that morning. It is now the morning of the 16th.

December 16, 2011 - Arrive by ambulance to Memorial Hospital in Springfield. The surgeon comes into my room and tells me that they are going to have to perform emergency surgery, he believes that my band has slipped. I told him that's fine, take it out, I am sick of it. He proceeded to ask me if I realize this is a matter of life and death. That is about when it hit me how serious this all was. All I could say at that point was "no." He told me that looking at the MRI he is suspecting some damage and that they need to operate immediately. I remember him telling me that he hated fixing other doctors mistakes and that they should have removed that band the minute I had that hernia. He then told me that he would do what he could, but he couldn't guarantee that I would even make it off the table. Best would be they take the lapband out. Worst I wouldn't make it. He said he wouldn't know until he got in how bad it would be so I told him to do what he needed to try to fix me.

He left me alone with my boyfriend (I hadn't even called my mom or daughters to let them know I was going to hospital). They came in, wheeled me out to surgery. The thoughts that run through ones mind at that point... I can still remember as if yesterday instead of last year.

About 8 hours later I woke up in ICU. My boyfriend, my mom, both my daughters, my daughters boyfriend were all there... Uh oh, it must have been bad for everyone to be there when I woke up. Ok, I had tubes out of places I didn't know tubes could be... I had a nasogastric tube, 2 IVs, a central line, something on my forehead, a feeding (J) tube, a catheter, a drain line, that thing they put on your finger to check your pulse oxygen level, not sure what all else...

I was in ICU for the next 2-1/2 days, then was removed to intermediate care for a day and a half. I was very determined to get out of the hospital so was up trying to walk whenever I could. I was in the hospital for a total of a week.

During my week stay, I was not allowed anything by mouth until the second to last day, not even water. Honestly, my first request was coffee... it had to be decaf, but hey, it was coffee :)

They had to make sure my stomach was going to handle liquids. No food for three weeks :( and only 2 more days to Christmas. They told me they were going to try to release me that night since I was doing so well. I was able to drink 2 ounces of protein drink at a time and hold it down so they were going to let me go home without using the feeding tube. They had to leave the feeding tube in, however, they finally were able to remove the IV, the drain line (that almost killed me.... ouch), the nurse forgot to remove a stitch and pulled the line out, oh yes, I screamed for the first time during this entire incident. Luckily I still had the morphine drip at that time so the other nurse threw the button at me and tells me to push.. LOL

After finally removing all the tubes (except the feeding tube - had to keep that in for 2 months), they were letting me go home at 8 pm the night before Christmas Eve...

I do have memory loss during my entire ordeal, but what I do remember, I remember well. I remember doctors from other areas coming in to see how I was doing because my surgeon literally 'brought me back from death'.  I remember those darn breathing treatments, let me tell you those are more important than you realize at the time.

After going home...

It literally took over 2 months before I could actually lie down to sleep. I had to sleep sitting up because it felt like my stomach was ripping apart when I laid down. I had to clean my 'wounds' several times each day and still managed to get an infection at the J-tube site. I could not have a bath until after they removed the J-tube, then until the hole closed which was about another month. Showers were almost next to impossible with this bag hanging from my stomach, so a LOT of sponge baths. Try having grandchildren over and not be able to pick them up, couldn't carry anything over 10 pounds for 2+ months.

I had the J-tube removed at the end of February. By March was feeling that there was something else wrong with me. I couldn't put my cup of coffee up to my mouth with my right arm. Okay, tried the ice and heat trick again, found a GP, went there. I have been going to the doctor 2-4 times a month to try to manage pain. He says that he believes my cells are attacking each other. He says that I have Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and still trying to figure out why I have dumping as badly as I do. Almost anything I eat goes straight through me, sometimes I have to run to the restroom before I am even done eating, yet, I have gained over 50 pounds in the past year.Sorry this is soooo long, but I have had some requests on what happened and figured it would be easier here...Thank you for taking the time

In the past 5 months.... 
I have had x-rays due to extreme swelling of right foot and ankle. Doctors thought it was broken, nope, say it looks like a sprain. Seems somehow, tendon had slight tear and honestly, didn't do anything to it but stand up.
I have had my upper and lower GI, I definitely have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which is completely out of control. My stress makes it worse, which my health makes my stress worse (endless cycle). Doctor putting me on an anti-spasmodic medicine.
I have Rheumatoid arthritis which is hard to treat due to the damage my stomach is in. I can never have an NSAID or aspirin again...
I have fibromyalgia (thinking cause they can't figure out what else is wrong with me.. LOL)
Right now my doctor is working with Mayo Clinic to see if I can get there for studies. Seems I have symptoms of Lupus, CFS, and who knows what else.
Weight is not quite at the highest but can't seem to lose anything no matter what I do, of course the doctor says it is because of the meds that they have me on to manage the pain.
Just wanted to update on what has been going on...
the doctor firmly believes that what I am going through now is due to the "trauma" my body went through when the band slipped. It had cut off "ALL" the blood supply to my stomach for over 72 hours before my emergency surgery. I guess if the hadn't found it when they did, I could have died had it been another 12 hours. He says that now my cells are attacking each other. We were hoping it would have gotten better by now, but doesn't seem to be Just something new every day...
My only hope is that with my story, someone else won't have to go through the same thing...
Oh, and as for eating normal.... Not sure I will ever be able to eat normal again. Some days it seems like I can eat, then like the last 2 weeks, I will take 2-3 bites and feel miserable. There are a lot of foods that really agitate the IBS, so normality for me is a daily challenge
Since my last post, just 3 weeks ago, I have been diagnosed with TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint Disorder). My doctor is working to try to get me into Mayo Clinic as he has exhausted all avenues and not sure what else he can do

Law Makers calling for Lapband Hearings !

Lawmakers Call for Transvaginal Mesh, Lap Band Safety Hearings

 Democratic lawmakers are calling for congressional hearings on medical device safety in the United States, highlighting recent problems with transvaginal mesh products and Lap-Band weight loss implants. 

Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and other House Democrats have urged Republicans in control of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a hearing over growing concerns that FDA approved medical devices are causing individuals throughout the country to suffer debilitating and potentially life-threatening complications.
The lawmakers want congress to look into the activities of the manufacturers, seek records regarding the safety record and design of the devices, and called for hearings in a January 20 letter (PDF) to their Republican colleagues.
The Lap-Band, or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, is a band placed around the upper part of the stomach that creates a small pouch which quickly fills with food. The band causes the person to feel full quickly, which may result in weight loss. However, the Lap-Band is linked to a number of complications, including erosion of the band through the stomach wall, the band moving out of position, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), abdominal pain, and leaking of the gastric band. In addition, recipients must change their eating habits, as they are unable to eat large meals and must eat a series of smaller meals throughout the day for the rest of their lives or until they have the band removed.
Recent studies found that 40% of patients who were implanted with Allergan’s Lap-Band weight loss device suffered serious complications. In addition, the FDA raised concerns in December that many clinics were not fully disclosing the risks associated with Lap-Band procedures in advertisements.
Earlier this month, the FDA also called for more studies into the safety of vaginal mesh products used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women, following growing reports of problems, and the agency’s own analysis which brought into question whether they provide any health benefits.
The Democrats point out that the vaginal mesh products were approved through the FDA’s controversial 510(k) process, which only required that the devices be substantially equivalent to products already on the market. That means they were not required to provide extensive clinical studies before doctors began inserting them into U.S. women.
The FDA is now requiring 99 new postmarket studies, with 88 of those focused on surgical mesh for pelvic organ prolapse and 11 targeting single-incision mini-slings used to treat stress urinary incontinence. Manufacturers will have to submit study plans to the FDA showing how the studies will address the agency’s safety concerns.
An estimated 300,000 synthetic transvaginal meshes were implanted in women in the U.S. in 2010.
Last summer, the FDA issued a warning about the risks of problems when vaginal mesh products are used, especially for repair of pelvic organ prolapse. The federal health regulatory agency indicated that it could find no benefit in using transvaginal mesh to treat POP when compared to older, safer alternatives.
Between 2008 and 2010, the FDA received more than 1,500 reports of transvaginal mesh complications, including erosion of the mesh into the vagina, contraction or shrinkage of the mesh, infections, pelvic pain, urinary problems, vaginal scarring and other complications.
A growing number of transvaginal mesh lawsuits have been filed in courts across the country by women who say that vaginal sling manufacturers created defective products and failed to warn doctors or patients adequately about the risk of complications.
Democratic lawmakers sent a similar letter to Committee Chair Fred Upton and other Republicans on the committee in October to ask for a hearing on brain stents and metal-on-metal hip implants, but Republicans have refused to respond.

I only hope that some how , some way , this helps at some point so many of us get our bands removed that need it !

For Shaggs and Other Newbies : Your most Valuable Tip

Shaggs is on Day 3 of pre op optifast.
So I thought for her and any other newbies reading this we could give her each a tip or 2 for either post op or pre op that helped get us through ...
So either email them to me or post them on comments ..

Here are mine :
1. THE best advice I can give to ANYONE newbie or not is to follow your doctors orders to a T .
2. If you have any questions, concerns ect call your doc that's what your paying them for .
3. Protein is the key pre op and post op for hunger to ward it off. Eat plenty of protein and you wont get too hungry !

Everyone else please give a tip or 2 !!!

Options for eating on the run

Finding some good articles on Spark People today :
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=you_can_eat_fast_food

Food on the Run: Wendy's and McDonald's

By: Tanya Jolliffe : 1/19/2009 5:45:13 AM : 160 comments

Sometimes you have to eat on the run.
Sometimes you just want to eat away from home.
What can you eat while maintaining a healthy diet?



Here are two of the most famous fast food restaurant chains and the healthy options you can find when you have to eat away from home.

Most of these options are below 250 calories and 10 grams of fat and can be included in a health diet once in a while.




Wendy's





Jr. Hamburger
Calories - 220
Fat- 8 grams
Protein - 13 grams

Mandarin Chicken Salad (skip the almond, noodles and substitute the dressing)
Calories - 180
Fat - 2 grams
Protein - 24 grams

Chicken Caesar Salad (skip the croutons and substitute the dressing)
Calories - 180
Fat - 4 grams
Protein - 28 grams

Side Salad
Calories - 35
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Calories - 90
Fat- 6 grams
Protein - 0 grams

Fat Free French Dressing
Calories - 70
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 0 grams

Small Chili
Calories - 190
Fat - 6 grams
Protein - 14 grams

Strawberry Yogurt Squeezerz
Calories - 70
Fat - .5 grams
Protein - 2 grams

Mandarin Orange Cup
Calories - 80
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Low Fat Milk
Calories - 100 (white) 170 (chocolate)
Fat - 2.5 grams
Protein - 8 grams



McDonald's




Hamburger
Calories - 250
Fat - 9 grams
Protein - 12 grams

Grilled Snack Wraps
Calories - 260 (Chipotle BBQ or Honey Mustard) or 270 (Ranch)
Fat - 9 grams
Protein - 18 grams

Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
Calories - 220
Fat - 6 grams
Protein - 30 grams

Side Salad
Calories - 20
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad
Calories - 210
Fat - 8 grams
Protein - 4 grams

Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
Calories - 40
Fat - 3 grams
Protein - 0 grams

Newman's Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing
Calories - 60
Fat - 2.5
Protein - 1 gram

Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
Calories - 90
Fat - 2.5 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
Calories - 160 (130 without granola)
Fat - 2 grams
Protein - 4 grams

Apple Dippers
Calories - 35 (additional 70 with caramel dip)
Fat - 0 grams (.5 with caramel dip)
Protein - 0 grams

Low Fat Milk
Calories - 100 (white) / 170 (chocolate)
Fat - 2.5 grams (white) / 3 (chocolate)
Protein - 8 grams

Now that you have all these options, the fun is putting together a meal that best meets your nutrient needs. Here are two meals that I would put together.

Wendy's Jr. Hamburger
Side Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Mandarin Oranges
Water
Total = 445 calories; 14 grams fat; 15 grams protein

McDonald's Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad
Side Salad with Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
White Milk
Total = 370 calories; 13.5 grams fat; 13 grams protein

I will share other restaurant and meal ideas in the future. Let me know if you have a specific chain you would like to learn more about.

Share your meal combination ideas. Will you keep any of these ideas in mind next time you find yourself needing to eat out?



You will earn 3 SparkPoints

11 Worst Foods of the Year

Some of these are a No Brainer , but a few of these are some of those foods that restaurants try to play off as "healthy" or you would think would be "ok" and they are not.
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=the_11_worst_foods_of_2008

The 11 Worst Foods of 2008

By: Stepfanie Romine : 1/5/2009 10:28:01 PM : 655 comments

Fast food and chain restaurants have evolved significantly over the last few years. Burgers, fries and sodas are still the status quo for many diners, but those who seek healthier foods have plenty of options, from fruit and yogurt parfaits and baked potatoes, to apples cut like fries and grilled chicken. Trans fats have been reduced and eliminated; lowfat milk, fresh fruits and vegetables grace the menus at even the most ubiquitous roadside eateries; and more companies are disclosing nutritional information.

Despite those changes, fast foods menus remain dichotomous: Healthy choices reside next to triple-stacked burgers and extra large fries.

We've rounded up 11 of the worst foods we've seen this year.

Stay far, far away from the foods listed below, and instead select from the plentiful healthy choices at each of the restaurants included in this article.



Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolates

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know you need your caffeine fix. And yes, we know, Starbucks is delicious. But these Signature Hot Chocolates are drinkable desserts, plain and simple.

The no-frills version has 430 calories, which has more than three times as many calories as a grande skinny Caffè Latte and almost twice as many calories as a skinny Caffè Mocha. (You save a few calories by getting iced hot chocolate, but in the middle of winter, who wants to drink that oxymoron?)

Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate (no whip)*
510 calories
22 g fat
14 g saturated fat

Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate (no whip)*
550 calories
24 g fat
14 g saturated fat

Signature Hot Chocolate (no whip)*
430 calories
20 g fat
12 g saturated fat
(*calculated for a grande with 2% milk; add 70-80 calories and 7-8 g fat for the whipped cream, and save 30-40 calories and 3-4 g fat by asking for nonfat milk)



Wendy's Gourmet Mushroom Swiss Burger

Wendy's worked hard to class itself up in 2008, giving its namesake a tuxedo in ads and stressing the freshness and "gourmet" items on its menu. The home of the fresh-never-frozen-burger earned a respectable B rating on its restaurant report card, thanks to a variety of salads and healthy side items such as yogurt, chili, baked potatoes and mandarin oranges. After last year's Baconator, we thought Wendy's had learned its lesson.

Then Wendy's came out with this:
"A 1/4 lb. of fresh, hot 'n juicy beef, topped with natural Swiss cheese, sautéed Portabella mushroom blend, hickory smoked bacon, a savory peppercorn sauce, crisp lettuce and red, ripe tomato."
Gourmet and gourmand aren't synonymous, Wendy's. This burger would be better named the "Glutton Mushroom Swiss Burger." A regular 1/4 pound hamburger has 170 fewer calories and 16 fewer grams of fat! Stick with the chili and a baked potato if you want to watch your girlish figure, Wendy!

600 calories
36 g fat
14 g saturated fat
1.5 g trans fat
110 mg cholesterol
1,090 mg sodium
37 g carbs
2 g fiber
35 g protein




Burger King Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse Burger

Wendy's, we take back what we said. Yours is not the worst mushroom Swiss burger to show up on fast food menus this year. That award goes to Burger King, which relied on Simon & Garfunkel style warbling ballads to sell its upgraded burger:

"Flame-grilled Angus beef, tender mushrooms, warm, melted Swiss cheese,* crispy onions, golden corn dusted bun. (*Processed and pasteurized cheese)"

Burger King doesn't mess around with lettuce and tomato on this burger and nixes the bacon, too. I'm not really sure where those extra 220 calories come from, but they're certainly not helping you reach your five a day vegetable and fruit quota!

Maybe, instead of naming each of these burgers to our list, we should have just named "Mushroom-Swiss fast food burgers" the worst food trend of 2008.

850 calories
48 g fat
18 g saturated fat
2 g trans fat
130 mg cholesterol
1,950 mg sodium
54 g carbs
4 g fiber
41 g protein



Romano's Macaroni Grill
Seared Sea Scallops salad

Why bother even calling this a salad? Could we ask restaurants to have a calorie and fat limit for the salad section? I'd like to be able to order salads without worrying I'm consuming an entire day's worth of protein and fat. Judging from the Macaroni Grill menu, it's impossible to create a salad with more than lettuce and dressing for under 500 calories. Macaroni Grill flunked the Men's Health restaurant review.

"Seared sea scallops, tender leaves of spinach, arugula, feta cheese, crispy prosciutto, toasted walnuts and Parmesan crisps with light citrus dressing."

Psst… vegetables and lean protein taste good. You don’t need to douse them in fat for us to eat them. (Don't you just love that it comes with a "light" citrus dressing? Nothing in this salad is light, judging from the nutritional info!)

1,270 calories
94 g fat
27 g saturated fat
2,740 mg sodium
42 g carbs
76 g protein
6 g fiber



Butterscotch Rocks Pancakes at IHOP

That IHOP doesn't provide nutritional info should be enough reason to skip breakfast. Most of the foods gracing the pages of its large glossy menu are desserts masquerading as breakfast and have more toppings than a banana split!

We shook our heads at the "stuffed" French toast, dropped our jaws at the coffee cake pancakes and finally threw down our forks at the Butterscotch Rocks pancakes:

"Four fluffy buttermilk pancakes filled with pecans, granola and butterscotch chips, then topped with whipped topping and drizzled with caramel sauce."
Needless to say, these pancakes didn't find their way onto the "IHOP for Me" healthier section of the menu. This dish seems to be the winner of a "how many sweet-and-sugary-toppings-can-we-cram-onto-a-stack-of-pancakes" contest!

We conservatively estimated the nutritional content of these pancakes based on menu description.

1,310 calories
52 g fat

A standard 4" pancake has just 80 calories and 3 grams of fat; however, IHOP's flapjacks would dwarf your homemade ones. You could eat more than a dozen regular 4-inch pancakes with a 1/4 cup of syrup and a tablespoon of butter for the same calories.



KFC Original Recipe Fully Loaded Box Meal

Nobody needs a box of food. Chances are good that if your restaurant food comes in a box, it should be shared or just avoided. KFC made our Worst Foods of 2007 list with its Chicken & Biscuit Bowl. Now, the folks that brought you a chicken dinner in a bowl bring you the "KFC Original Recipe Fully Loaded Box Meal." It comes in a Guitar Hero box, but we're slightly confused. Are you supposed to eat this while playing Guitar Hero? When I think about rocking out to a video game, I don't conjure an image of myself holding a drumstick seasoned with 11 herbs and spices.

"The KFC Original Recipe Fully Loaded Box Meal brings all your favorites together for an over-the-top concert of flavor. Each box is jammed with two Original Recipe Strips pressure-cooked in the Colonel's famous 11 herbs and spices, plus an Original Recipe Snacker, your choice of a drumstick or thigh, 2 individual homestyle sides, a famous KFC freshly-made biscuit and 32 oz drink. Man that's a lot of food!"

1,320 calories (calculated with barbecue baked beans, cole slaw, a drumstick and a Pepsi)
43 g fat
8 g saturated fat
3.5 g trans fat
100 mg cholesterol
2,740 mg sodium
196 g carbs
40 g protein
13 g fiber



Taco Bell Fully Loaded Nachos

If there were 10 Diet Commandments, somewhere on that list would be this sage piece of advice: Thou shalt never eat the receptacle in which thy food is served. Nothing healthy comes in a carbohydrate bowl! Taco Bell has taken the edible food vessel one step further. Their "Fully Loaded Nachos," which are already a big pile of greasy chips with "double the seasoned beef, fiesta salsa, guacamole, hearty beans, three cheese blend and nacho cheese sauce," are served in a giant fried tortilla. Nachos served in a nacho. Na-cho best idea, Taco Bell.

Parent company Yum! had been making tremendous progress on the healthful fast food front, by touting its Fresco menu at Taco Bell, adding lighter items at Long John Silver's and volunteering to post nutritional info. This, along with that whole "Fourth Meal" campaign, is a giant step back across the border, Taco Bell!

1,390 calories
83 g fat
17 g saturated fat
4.5 g trans fat
70 mg cholesterol
2,190 mg sodium
15 g fiber
34 g protein



Olive Garden Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara

Carbonara pasta is essentially bacon-and-egg pasta. Delicious, yes. Healthy, no. The simple dish is traditionally made with "egg, pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon), black pepper, and parmesan or pecorino" cheese. Olive Garden's version "combines chicken and shrimp with bucatini pasta in a pancetta and parmesan cream sauce." It's then "baked and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs."

UPDATE: Olive Garden now lists nutrition info! (Score one for the Olive Garden! Thank you!) However, we now know that this pasta has 1,440 calories, 88 g and 3,000 mg sodium! Olive Garden doesn't release its nutritional info, but this dish is rumored to have upwards of 1,400 calories . Picture fettuccini alfredo--an Italian fat bomb on its own--with bacon and breadcrumbs, plus shrimp and chicken. The photo on the Olive Garden website shows pasta swimming in sauce, so this clearly is a high-calorie dish.

Maybe someday Italian food in America will no longer be drowning in butter, cream and cheese. Plenty of traditional dishes contain those rich ingredients, but Italians have learned a word that's been lost in translation: moderazione, or moderation.



Jack in the Box Egg Nog Shake

Jack must have been knocked in his noggin before he came up with this eggnog shake. Egg nog, that delicious yet caloric holiday beverage chock full of eggs, sugar and cream, is blended with ice cream for a seasonal treat. That's almost an entire day's calories in a glass. You could eat four Jack in the Box hamburgers with cheese for about the same calories and 23 fewer grams of fat. Pretty hard to swallow, isn't it?

1,450 calories (large shake)
68 g of fat
24 g of saturated fat
3 g trans fat

Quizno's Prime Rib Cheesesteak

"It’s the sandwich your mouth always wanted," says Quizno's. It's the sandwich your heart always feared, we say. This beefed-up cheesesteak boasts "prime rib, Swiss, sautéed onions, mayo" on toasted bread. Let's return to the list of Diet Commandments for a moment. #4:Thou shalt not eat anything thy can't fit in thy mouth. No one needs to eat sandwiches so big you must unhinge your jaw like a snake to consume. Pass them by, Dagwood, unless you want to eat an entire day's worth of sodium and saturated fat in one meal.

Large sandwich
1490 calories
88 g fat
21 g saturated fat
2,675 mg sodium
(Small: 640 calories, 37 g fat, 8.5 g saturated fat)



Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch dressing

Whose idea was cheese fries? They're delicious, sure, but really, did we need to top deep-fried potatoes with greasy melted cheese and bacon and dip them in dressed-up mayonnaise? No, we did not. Now they're a staple at chain restaurants, who try to one-up each other with signature ranch dressings, extra toppings and, ultimately, more fat.

Chili's boasts: "homestyle fries topped with melted cheese, jalapeños, applewood smoked bacon & jalapeño-ranch dipping sauce."
These fries lost the contest for the worst cheese fries in America (that dishonor went to Outback Steakhouse's cheese fries), but it was a tight race.

One hundred and sixty grams of fat. One-six-zero. 160! (Oh, and you'll get 1 1/2 days' worth of sodium in one meal!)

2,070 calories
160 g fat
73 g saturated fat
73 g carbs
85 g protein
8 g fiber
3,730 mg sodium

Eating away from home--even when you're on the run--doesn't mean eating unhealthfully. We've got 11 ways you can slim down your fast food order.

Have you tried these foods? Do you intend to try them? Know of a food that should be on our list?

Your Favorites

Ok lets get things back on track for me and anyone else who needs some help.
Lets start thinking positive !!!!
What are some of your favorite healthy things to drink or eat ?
One of my FAVORITE things to drink on a daily basis Vitamin Water. I like a few flavors:Orange, Lemonade and Raspberry Apple.
Also I am very sensitive to protein powders , the ONE kind I can drink that does not give me migraines is Bolt House Farms. They are SO YUMMY . I have one every morning for breakfast.

For a snack , I like granola bars . And for meals and sometimes snacks I love my "veggie mix" which is squash, bell peppers, red onions, zucchini and olive oil stir fried together. its YUMMY I can eat a TON Of it .

So what are some of your favorites ?

SOB

Im SO Tired of gaining. or not losing. I gained another pound. Im back up to 141 !
Seriously . I still cant afford another fill. But im going to have to SOON !!!
I dont see how I can get one anytime soon though . Next week is my son's birthday , the day after that is our anniversary , the week after that is my husbands birthday.
UGHHH So another 2 or 3 weeks before i can afford it !
I cant afford my antidepressants , So i dont want to do ANYTHING ! But i have got to get off my ass and work out if i cant get my fill !
This just sucks ya'll ! Seriously . I have not been in this much of a funk in a LONG TIME !

Me tips. Our time is NOW !

Bel, Of the Miss Piggy Chronicles inspired this post . Here is her post that lead me to mine :
http://misspiggychronicles.blogspot.com/2009/01/me-whinge-never.html

Weather it be before surgery or after at some point i think we all get back to what we had surgery for . US , me , myself , I , numero uno !
After all if anyone is like me for so many yrs I neglected myself, put myself on the back burner. I was a mother first, a wife next and a woman last.
After I had surgery I slowly started to get some confidence . I slowly wanted to look better. But I realized too , i was not quite sure how to do that .
It had been SO Long since i had any style. The last " Style" i had was in high school and I was a "cowgirl" , or that was my style. Wranglers and Boots.
NOW , let me say this .. I am BY NOW MEANS a style expert. At ALL . I laugh really about giving any kind of advice in this direction . However, I think its a good idea to know where to start again .

My first venture , make up . It could be cheap ( or not) it did not require me to constantly buy new stuff as i went down in size.
So a friend told me about a few sites on youtube.com .
Make up tutorials if you will. A W E S O M E !
I dont have a ton of money to spend nor will i spend a ton on make up . If i get somthing on sale im SO HAPPY .
I found this one ... this guy tells you which paint brushes , every day brushes you can get that are exactly like MAC brushes. NOW If your like me and dont know WTF MAC is , its an expensive form of make up . The brushes can run $30 and UP for ONE ! 2 words for that .. HELLLL NOOOOO will i spend that on make up brushes , STUPID !
SO here is this site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9lPfKzQAXE&feature=PlayList&p=BC93C2326DC9FA07&playnext=1&index=6
He also has a tutorial on how to make brush cleaner ! As well as make up tutorials on cheap alternatives to MAC .


This one ,,, Awesome make up tutorials . She's so cute and funny . I wish I could do half the stuff she does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCmhj4NHylM

The next one is more "every day" looks that's just great.
http://www.youtube.com/scalmat

You can also just go on youtube.com and search "Make up " or make up tutorials"
Its very useful . Its a whole new world. Or at least it was for me .

Clothes. I am ALL about cheap clothes. I am REALLY all about CHEAP designer clothes.
Now the closer you get into "normal" size clothes ( non plus size ) the cheaper they get. The best advice someone gave me ( granted I am a stay at home mom So i dont need a lot ) is to get 2 or 3 pairs of pants and multiple shirts. Old Navy ROCKS for this.

Once you want to start buying designer clothes 2 words CONSIGNMENT SHOP !!!
I recently got 3 pairs of Seven for all Man Kind Jeans ( retails for $200 each ) for $20 each . Also got a pair of Lucky Brand Jeans again retails for over $200 for $15 at a consignment store. It takes digging and hunting but take the time it works !

If anyone else has any "ME Tips" to add feel free !

What is your blog spot ?

Ok Im working on mine but after seeing a post by Doc Sly who was inspired by Nola I thought this would be fun for all of us on here.
Post a pic of what your blog spot looks like . Where you sit to blog .
After seeing Doc Sly's cute little , clean office spot I am in the process of cleaning mine up . SO ill try to post mine by Monday .
Would love to see everyone else's ! OR if you do not want to show your office how about the favorite room in your house.
Mindy

Getting Back on Track : The Shame

I have not been a good bandster lately . I know its hard for me to admit that to ya'll because i preach so much to everyone about following rules ect.
But i thought maybe if i came here and admitted what a loser ( and not in a good way) i have been I would stop. As i mentioned in a previous blog about being in a funk lately. Well its not getting a whole lot better. It is and it isnt.
My eating is suffering. I either do not eat until late, late in the day because i have been in bed all day ( until my kids get home) or I am not eating the right stuff.
And the worst , my confession. Ice cream ! I have been eating a bowl of ice cream every night. I know its probably not a HUGE deal . But for me it is. Granted im not eating the whole thing, I have never been a binge eater. But Im eating 150 extra calories i do not need.
My youngest son has been suffering in my funk . He's always been a picky eater. But he also will try anything and eat some pretty healthy things. But in my laziness I have not wanted to make good dinners for him or my oldest.
I worry , since my youngest is not in sports yet ( I did just sign him up for baseball) that he will get over weight. ( just a fear of mine)


SO yesterday i went to the store. I told my youngest NO MORE , no more junk , no more waffles for dinner , no more waffles for snacks ( he would eat them all day if i let him ). I did get him 100% whole wheat with flax seed waffles he can have for breakfast and breakfast only . I got him yogurts , granola bars, fresh fruit and other healthy snacks. Also I got myself one pint of sugar free fat free ice cream and will allow myself one of those every month. ( If my kids do not get to them first)
I have got to snap out of this and start doing things right again .
Not only am I suffering but my kids are too.

On a side note our grocery store had these light whipped yogurts for 5 /4 packs for $1.00 each . I got 5 of them 5/$5 . I am not a big yogurt fan at ALL . But one flavor they had was key lime pie and it was VERY GOOD. So i think i might lets my kids have the ice cream and replace my midnight ice cream w/ the yogurt until i get it out of my system at least.

Weigh In Starts on Monday

Come on ya'll I have 1 follower for the weekly weight in blog !!!
I need more . Lets go MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT !!! We all need the support !
Dont make me go drill sergeant on your ass' !!

COME JOIN !!
http://mindyntexas-wlsweekly
weightins.blogspot.com/

OMG A New "Before" picture of me

My mom found this "new" before picture of me ! Hold on to your lunches my friends !
My 7 yr old son said " EWWW MOM " when he saw it LMAO I am pretty sure I am bigger in that picture than my original "before" picture .
YICK ! Nothing like seeing that to perk ya up . Before pictures do not make me feel good about myself though. I am obviously I am glad i have lost the weight. But I do not like looking at them that's for sure ! Does that make sense ?

Funky Monkey

I am in such a funk right now . A combo of gaining weight, stuff going in w/ the family, stress from money , hubby and I not getting along ( stress from him working out of town ) ect , ect life in general . I cant get out of this .
I am not eating healthy things right now either, which makes me feel like total crap.
I am not sleeping well at night either. Last night I went to bed at 1am (typical time for me ) I was watching TV for a while and thought i heard something or someone out side my window. Well that was it for my night. I did not go to bed until 4am then had to get up at 6 to get the kids off to school . It SUCKED .
I dont sleep well w/ DH being gone to begin with . This just stunk .
I know i just need to try to do something to get out of it , but i just do not know what .

Weekly Weight In's ?

I weight myself every Monday . Its a habit I have gotten into since day 1 of surgery .
So I got to thinking if everyone ( who reads my blog ) would want to start a "weekly " weight in post . We use to do this on a board i was on . Kind of keep you accountable thing.
But we also set "goals " .
For instance , at the start of the month we would set goals for how much we wanted to lose and some would set goals for how much they wanted to work out ?
We can do this I can start a Weekly Weight in Blog for everyone ?
Since Jan, if half way over we can do what we can now and start fresh in Feb. It might help with "new yrs resolutions" anyone made ? Anyone game ?

I'll start working on a blog for it . If anyone is interested.
Mindy

Stop , Dont feed the piggie !

Ok So i am not a pig but damn do i feel like one lately . I told my dh tonight i have GOT TO GET A F'ing fill SOON ! I honestly have not felt this fat since i have been banded. I feel like everything i have put in my mouth im gaining and gaining.
I have not had to go this long w/ out decent restriction since my total unfill and let me tell ya'll it sucks big fat ..... well you know . It SUCKS !

Hubby swears i'll get one soon . But DAMN IT !! I know im bitching about this a lot . But unless you have had good restriciton for a long time then been this damn hungry for this damn long you have NO CLUE how badly this sucks. I refuse to let anything in this house that is junk .
I cant have it right now . The only thing close to junk food is granola bars.
I hate this ya'll. I get SO DAMN close to my goal then i gain and gain ! SON OF A BITCH !!!

Ok sorry i just had to vent !

Drinking While You Eat

 I have noticed some other people have some issues kicking this habit. (this might be a repeat somewhere else on my blog if it is sorry )
This was something I worked on before surgery . Here are some tips that someone gave me and some tricks I picked up on my own that might help . Keep in mind I am allowed to drink up until I eat and then an hour after my meals. If your docs orders are different than go by what they say .

Eating at home :
1. Drink while you cook . I think while im cooking . It hydrates you so your not so hungry during meals.
2. Do not even bring a cup to the table with you with your meal.
3. Set a kitchen timer for 30 mintues at first . Once it goes off then get something to drink. Then try 45 mintues and then 60 . The longer you can wait to drink the longer you will stay full .

Eating out :
1. Drink up until the meal comes.
2. Once the meal gets there Tell the waiter " Please do not bring me any more beverages and you can take this one " have them take your drink away , out of sight out of mind .
3. Later on I started having them make me a to go cup . I would write the time i could drink ( an hour out ) on the cup .
4. If you do the to go cup thing DO NOT Get a straw. Its easy to just grab it and drink out of habit, So the straw reminds you " No cant drink it yet "

Hope this helps some . If anyone else has some tips for Newbies Or not so newbies please leave them !

My thoughts on the Biggest Loser

Ok ya'll can smack me , flame me , disown me off the blog sphere for this one . BUT I have some thoughts on the biggest loser. I caught it tonight for the first time in a long time.
Over all I like the show, i think it can be a great motivator , starter to lose weight. And most of ya'll should know ( if you don't i will say it now ) that I do NOT think that WLS is the only way someone can lose weight nor do i think that the Band is the ONLY surgery that works. Lifestyle change and working out works for some too.
Now, that being said, here are my issues with TBL. Its JUST NOT REALISTIC .
Ok here is why .. First off these people are working out 24/7 basically while they are there.
Ok fine, i can deal with that. But my biggest issue w/ TBL ... The weight loss.
Tonight someone lost 30 LBS in a WEEK . Are you freaking kidding me ? That's not even "Normal" for someone with bypass . I am not even sure its HEALTHY not to mention when someone else comes along and their "totals' add up to more, the guy who lost 30 lbs in a WEEK is disappointed and that number was no longer Good enough for him . What does that teach people ?
What does it teach people who are sitting at home wanting to change and they lose 3lbs in a week ( which is awesome) ? They are surely going to be disappointed . These people are losing DOUBLE Digit amounts of weight in a week . Its just not realistic.
THEN for that to not be "good enough " ! How sad !

I think this show is sending the wrong message . If your going to do a show like this lets be realistic . Make it realistic so people at home have something real to go by . Not this bullshit of losing 10,15, 25, 35 pounds in ONE WEEK. Correct me if I'm wrong , but i have yet to see anything on the show, a disclaimer that says " THIS WEIGHT LOSS IS NOT TYPICAL " Because we are working their ass's off 24/7 !

Im curious what others think of it ?
comments ?

Review: My Fitness Coach for the Wii ( DAY ONE )

I have a Wii and the Wii fit. LOVE it all. The only thing i don't like about the Wii fit work out routines is there is no " routine" . You have to start and stop start and stop .
So i asked hubby for the My Fitness Coach for Christmas. I had heard the Jillian Michael's one was crap so i did not even bother.
So I used the Fitness Coach for the first time last night . The first thing is does is ask you to do a fitness evaluation . OH BTW you do NOT need the Wii Balance board for this .
Anyway , it asks you to do some exercise to assess your fitness level . Jumping jacks, Sit ups, push ups, ect. It also asks you what equipment you might have to use at home. Balance balls, dumb bells, heart rate monitor ect. You check which ones you have to use and it incorporates that into your work out. Then you do a stretching move to test your flexibility . So after you do that it tells you what it thinks you should work on . It gives you options of cardio, flexibility, strength training and a few others i cant think of . It will then ask you how many days a week you want to do the work out and for how long. Then you begin the work out . I did 15 minutes of cardio .
I really like how you can do a full 15, 30, 45, or 60 minute cardio work out non stop and not have to keep selecting things like on the Wii fit . The work out I did was not easy . It was probably a jazzercise type routine . it was not easy at all . My butt muscles hurt today from it , and my legs.

So over all I really like this so far. We'll see how i like it tomorrow night when i do it again .

I am SICK of this !! Please listen up !

OK I am going to have a little vent ! This is not directed at any one person so dont get pissy with me ! This is something that comes up and probably something i have been guilty of myself.
OK here is how a conversation would go :

Me: Gosh i have gained 5lbs over the holidays , I am so upset , i need to get this weight off once a gain to get to goal , im so close .

Someone else : Oh you are just fine , You should be glad you have lost so much weight .
Someone else B: OH you will get it off , dont worry
Someone Else C : You have lost so much weight 5lbs is nothing to you
Someone else D : OH 5lbs I only wish ! You have lost so much weight I wish I could look that good ! ( actual comment not being stuck up )

You get the idea ?
So here are my points !

1. Just because someone has lost 50, 70 ect pds does not mean their gaining 5lbs does not freak them out any less than someone who still has that weight on !
2. It is NO LESS upsetting to someone at or near goal to gain weight or have a "set" back just because we have lost most of our weight.
3. giving a compliment followed by " 5lbs is no big deal " does not make us feel any better.
4. Im tired of my feelings being minimized because people think I should be grateful that I am close to goal, lost over 100lbs ect.

Telling someone ( me) that I look "good enough" im " small " enough does not make my feelings any different than anyone elses for gaining 5lbs.

About me and those 5lbs , I have lost and gained those 5 lbs since JULY !! I FINALLY Got them off before the holidays and gained them back AGAIN ! I have been 20 pds from goal since August ! That is SO FRUSTRATING I cant tell you . Am I grateful that i have lost the weight I have . YES . But does that mean I dont want to or should be at goal by now ?
Why is it "ok" for someone is has lost 20,40 60 lbs to be frustrated by a plateau but its not ok for ME or someone who has lost 100lbs or more ? I am not any different than anyone else that has had this surgery . I want to be at GOAL ! Just like everyone else !!!!

Sorry if this is pissy but frankly im a little pissed. I am tired of getting comments from friends, family , ect about this . If anything learn from this and dont do it to someone else !!!

Mindy