My Lapband Weight Loss Success Story

As most of you know, I got my lap band in May 2004, and with the support of my surgeon and his staff, my hard work, my friends, my relatives, and the community of those with lap bands I have been able to lose 250 pounds.  I have been maintaining that weight loss within a 10 pound range for over four years now.  In June my family suffered a devastating loss and I found that I have reverted to some old, bad habits, using food to stuff my emotions.  Some pretzels here, some cookies there, just not paying attention to what or when I was eating.  I was eating mindlessly and I knew this was not healthy and was going to result in weight gain if I continued.  I didn’t like myself, I was beating myself up, even as I counseled others not to beat themselves up for straying for a day, or making a bad choice every now and then.  I felt like a failure, and somewhat of a sham.  That still didn’t stop me from going to the convenience store and grabbing a bag of pretzels.  As a matter of fact, my negative feelings about myself probably were some strange form of motivation to do exactly that.  Give myself permission to make bad choices.

Thank goodness, the one thing I did not give up was my dedication to the gym.  I was still there 5 days a week and out bicycle riding on the sixth day, taking one day off from “planned” exercise and allowing the day to unfold as it may.  This keeps me sane and is probably also what has kept my weight from creeping up despite what I have been eating.

Friday I decided that this was it.  I was on a slippery slope and not willing to fall into the hole.  I called my surgeon, made an appointment to see him on Monday afternoon, and decided I would weigh myself (which I had refused to do for over 2 months), and actually get a fill to help me get this eating in check.  I woke up Saturday and completed my plan of action by going to the gym and working out for an hour (30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes swimming laps) instead of my usual day off, then went grocery shopping so that I could pack all of my breakfasts and lunches for the following week.

I also started eating mindfully.  Doing nothing but eating my meals- no reading, no TV, very little talking, and taking note of when I was no longer hungry and being done at that point.  Wow, in 24 hours I was 1 ½ pounds lighter.  Yes, the light bulb went off for me and I remembered how to REALLY use my tool.  Sunday afternoon I made up my breakfasts for the week as well as my lunch.  For those of you who may be interested, breakfast was seven ounces of fat free Fage Greek yogurt, with a teaspoon of vanilla, a teaspoon of Splenda, ½ cup blueberries and about a teaspoon of slivered almonds.  This totals about 185 calories with about 20 grams of protein.  Lunch was curried turkey salad made with canned turkey breast, fat free mayonnaise, lots of curry powder and chopped celery.  I used 2 cans of turkey and measured the mayonnaise so that I could get 5 portions totaling 175 calories each with about 25 grams of protein.  I packed some celery sticks to have with the turkey salad.  Sometimes I pack cherry tomatoes.  My favorites are the heirloom variety called black cherry which are red/black and taste wonderful with virtually no acid.  I get them at my farmer’s market every week.  I also packed grapes and turkey jerky just in case I needed a snack.  I had a plan, and a plan B and was determined to stick with my plans.

What I found was that I was eating about ¾ of what I served myself and then was able to walk away from the table satisfied, but about two hours later I was hungry once again.  Then I remembered, oh yeah, the processed carbs I had been eating would do that and it will take a while to get them out of my system.  Since I knew that my breakfast and lunch were under 200 calories I would allow myself to eat the unfinished portions this week while I was doing a “system overhaul”.  This, combined with a small fill would get me back in the saddle again and I could probably even take off the 15 pounds that I have been wanting to lose for the last 3 years.

Monday afternoon I headed into Dr. Billy’s office with much trepidation.  Could I figure out a way NOT to have to get on the office scale and deal with hating myself?  Nope, took off my belt, my shoes and hopped on.  The scale in my surgeon’s office is lovingly called R2D2 by those of us who climb on barefoot, hold the “arms”, listen to the music and wind up with not only our weight, but our lean body mass, body fat mass, total body water, BMI, percent body fat, segmental lean development, and the number of calories you burn in a day.  The scale does just about everything for you except choose your foods.  What did it tell me this time?  I weighed the same as I did a year ago, so I am maintaining.  Whew, that was okay.  Then when the doctor was reviewing the two page printout of R2D2’s results he told me that I had gained six pounds of muscle mass.  No, I wasn’t six pounds heavier, I had converted six pounds of my body fat mass into lean body mass…That took a lot of work in the gym, so instead of feeling big and out of control I started feeling good about myself.  It’s amazing what one little NSV can do for you, isn’t it?

I did get a little fill, have a bit more restriction today and am not hoping to lose 15 pounds, I have the plan in place to make that happen so stay tuned for more.

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So I was hoping that once I got my lap band and got my weight off and my eating habits under control I would no longer have to deal with emotional eating.  Guess what?  I was wrong!  The last few months have been a particularly stressful time for me and I have found myself reaching for food as a crutch on several occasions.  I have given in to the incredible “call” of carbs to help me “feel good” and stuff my emotions.  I’ve found that not only do they not make me feel good, but I actually have to deal with feeling bad physically as well as emotionally when I do give in.  Add this to the sleep disruption that stress causes and it is a recipe for disaster.

Let me give you an example of what happens to me:

1. 

   Bet You Can’t Eat Just One?

   I give in and eat a cookie, or two, or three, or five.  (it could just as well be chips, ice cream, or whatever the “craving” of the moment is);

2. First I feel guilty for having eaten too much of the “forbidden” food (after six years none of this is forbidden, it is just extremely limited in both quantity and frequency);
3. Then, a short time later I am hungry when I shouldn’t be.  Guess what, my body has the last laugh having created the “need” for more carbs once I give in to them;
4. For the next few days I am dealing with that craving for more highly processed carbs, my digestion gets upset, and I am generally too focused on food.

So you see, there are definite physical and psychological reactions to giving in to “binges” no matter how minor they are.  I can assure you that with my lap band I can no longer eat the entire box of cookies or bag of chips, but, if I try, I can certainly find a way to eat “around” my band, and any quantity of these highly processed foods have too many calories with very little value.  Self sabotage of the first degree!  This is definitely not an ideal situation.

How do I deal with this emotional craving for foods that will have this negative result?  As best as I can each time I am faced with the issue, which is frequently during times of stress.  Here are some of my coping techniques:

1. If the foods are in front of me (as in the supermarket or at someone else’s house) I walk away from them, or look for a food that would be a healthy alternative with fewer calories and higher protein if possible.  I also try to use a food that will “fill” me up, like fresh fruits, vegetables or jerky.  Looking at this from best case scenario a piece of celery would satisfy my need to chew on something and definitely fill me to the point that I could not eat anything else, while providing virtually no calories.  If I have this with a little salsa I get to eat something that is tasty, crunches and fills me up.  Worst case – I buy the bag of chips, eat some and then put the rest in the trash, and by trash I mean the big smelly can outside.  I avoid having these “trigger” foods in my house.
2. If it’s just a craving and the food is not right there in front of me I try to change what I’m doing to try to distract myself.  For example, if I am sitting at my desk writing a blog and suddenly find the need to munch on something that is not in my plan for the day, I will frequently get up and change what I am doing, even if it means going for a short walk outside, calling a friend, going to the gym, or emailing or calling for help from my support people.
3. 

   Sugar Cubes In Ice Cream Cone – Ultimate Sugar High!

   If I have “fallen off the wagon” and made some bad choices I work very hard to not beat myself up ( Not beating myself up is different from allowing myself to consistently eat highly processed carbohydrates on a regular basis).  The best way I have found for dealing with this is to have a conversation with myself that goes something like this:  “Ok, so you ate some of the _________.  You didn’t want to, but you did.  Now what?  Are you going to gain back everything you lost just because you ate this once?  Nope, now just don’t do it again.  This is not like when you used to be on diets, went off and just threw in the towel and lost all control.  You have a tool and a group of people dedicated to helping you continue your success.  Use your tool and use these people and your next choices will be good ones.” This works for me because it gives me the permission to have acted in a human fashion and made a poor choice, but reminds me that I have the ability and opportunities to make good choices and should plan my next actions.

In summary, I am not perfect, my choices are not perfect nor have they been throughout this journey.  My lap band has given me the opportunity to learn that I don’t need the “whole bag of chips” to be satisfied.  I have learned that I can taste one chip, or one cookie, or one bite and enjoy it and be done, or better yet, not have any at all.  Any more than one I don’t taste, so why bother, since all I am doing is stuffing emotions and wind up feeling bad physically and emotionally.  I can choose alternative behaviors to eating sweets or carbs and be just as happy, and even more healthy.

All this talk about cookies and chips has made me hungry so I’m going for a walk!

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The Ventura County fair opened last week, and my family and I were there on opening day.  We got there at about 1pm and were immediately assaulted by sounds, smells and visuals – the rides, the midway, the foods cooking, the music, the laughter of kids of all ages.  Since we had breakfast hours ago, we only made it through one exhibit before asking “What’s for lunch?” Strolling by food stands offering everything from cotton candy to funnel cakes, the world’s largest waffle cone, giant hot dogs, chocolate covered bacon (is this a main dish or a dessert?), deep fried Oreos, and whatever other items could be put on a stick and fried, I wondered if I could find anything I would either want to eat or give myself permission to eat.

I knew I would- I had for the past 6 years, but every year I forget for a moment how far I have come in my ability to make choices.  The answer came soon as the smell of meats
cooking over a wood barbecue drew me in.  Low and behold, we could actually get barbecued chicken, ribs or turkey leg that was neither smothered in barbecue sauce nor deep fried. 
My family ordered their chicken and rib dinners, and I ordered my turkey leg, barbecue sauce on the side, in case it was too dry to eat without sauce.  I knew I would be sharing my turkey because there is no way I could possibly get down a whole turkey leg in a day, let alone the ½ hour we would be sitting and having lunch. 
I peeled back the skin, had about 5 or 6 very small bites which I chewed very thoroughly, and then passed the rest of the leg to my husband who promptly devoured it.  Boy, was I ever grateful for my lap band.  This was the 7^th time I had gone to the fair since I was banded and I have had more energy to navigate the exhibits and have put less energy into eating my way through the fair each and every time.  In prior years I would have eaten the entire turkey leg and then looked for dessert.

Off to view another exhibit – photography, one of my favorites, and no food allowed in the exhibit hall.  Since we had an 8 year old with us we only lasted about 45 minutes at this exhibit and then back out to the midway and the visual and olfactory assaults.  I looked around me and the lines for all of the food booths were 10 deep and growing, and every other person had some sort of food in their hand.

I took notice of the fact that although I was definitely not hungry, I probably would eat something if I too had it in my hand.  Time to hit the commercial buildings.  While crafts and knives and pots and pans and windows and doors were for sale in these buildings, about every 3^rd or 4^th booth was food of some sort.  The world’s best garlic stuff, spices, salsa, fudge, candy, cookies, ice cream, nuts of all types.  You name it, it was there. 
Hmmm, an entire bag of soy nuts was 130 calories, but the same size bag of toffee coated cashews was considered 6 portions, with each one having about 130 calories.

Okay, 130 calories per bag or 780 calories per bag. I chose neither since I don’t like soy nuts, and I knew if I ate one cashew I would eat them all.  As we walked between buildings I kept seeing funnel cakes- dusted with powdered sugar, covered with strawberries and whipped cream, or covered with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.  OMG, they looked absolutely amazing and they were everywhere.

My youngest granddaughter was ready for the Youth Expo building and the interactive exhibits.  She was not yet ready for dessert (she at 8 years old and 50 pounds ate an adult rib dinner for her lunch and was still “Thanksgiving turkey full”) but was ready to not be so bored looking at stuff.  I, however, was ready for my 2^nd course after my 2-3 ounces of turkey. 
Right outside the Youth Expo building was a funnel cake stand, and………
a roasted corn stand.  I ordered an ear of roasted corn “naked” (no butter) and proceeded to enjoy about 1/3 of it in small bites, chewing very thoroughly.  It was extremely fresh, extremely sweet and absolutely YUMMMM! 
But 1/3 of it, or about 25 calories was all I could get down before feeling satisfied.  It seemed that biting pieces off the turkey leg, and biting kernels off the cob kept the amount I could eat down to a minimum no matter how thoroughly I chewed the food.  Once again, grateful for my lap band.

I had now been at the fair for about 3 hours and managed to consume, as lunch, about 175 calories of great tasting food while watching others consume thousands of calories.  Not bad, I was doing okay.  This time I just threw away the leftovers.  We sat down and watched a show in the Youth building and then my little one was ready for her dessert. 
Guess what her choice was?   That’s right, funnel cake with powdered sugar, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.  Probably right around 600 calories of pure fat.  County fair and her birthday are probably the only times this child gets to eat food, and I use the term loosely, like this. 
Since her mom and grandpa were around we had them give us 4 forks.  Yes, that’s right, I did indulge.  However, one small bite was too much.  It tasted like pure grease.  Since I no longer eat fried foods they actually taste bad to me.  I have found that French fries (even the crispiest ones) taste like oily potatoes, donuts like mushy, greasy cake, and fried fish like greasy breaded fish.  I have no taste for these foods any longer and that is a good thing!  The little one couldn’t finish it either, even with her mom and grandpa helping so more food into the trash.  The only thing wasted was a few dollars, what was preserved was our health so we didn’t worry about throwing some food away.

We were off to the professional landscaping exhibits next and were hypnotized by the aroma of hot kettle korn as we headed to the tent where we could “relax” surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds and waterfalls.  My husband was hooked by the aroma, and so was I.  That sweet and salty taste is too hard to resist and too easy to munch as we walked along.  I didn’t measure how much of the kettle korn I ate, but a conservative estimate is probably 2-3 cups overall.  When I check the calories for it I get anywhere from 35 to 80 calories per cup, so worst case is 240 calories of kettle korn

and about 175 calories of turkey and corn, 24 ounces of water and about 2 miles of walking around and a great time.  I managed to avoid the fudge at 140 calories per ounce (one ounce is NEVER enough), fried Twinkies at 420 calories, jumbo corn dogs at 260 calories, beef ribs at 400 calories, and instead made choices that made sense to me.

The best part was that I didn’t suffer by not eating junk.  I still had a great time, felt good, and enjoyed all of the exhibits and the vendors. 

I was reminded of 3 things.  County fairs do not have to be all about food, lapbanded living does not mean you have to eat “special food”, and being successful with a lap band is about making mindful food choices.

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I don’t know about you, but with my lap band it is easy to get into habits, or ruts of eating the same foods all the time because they are easy and I don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about them.  Every weekend I go to my local farmers’ market and this time of year the choices are amazing.  The most beautiful displays of fruits, vegetables and flowers are on display and I try to plan some interesting new ways to prepare them before I purchase them.  I have taken the nutritional information from the Calorie King web site.  Here are some of my favorites:

1. 

   There is nothing better than fresh picked corn.

   Fresh corn :
   There is nothing better than fresh picked corn.  A seven inch ear of corn has about 75 calories and about 3 grams of protein as well as lots of fiber and potassium.  I love the taste of fresh corn with NOTHING but a little salt and pepper.  I don’t boil it though.  I take off the husk and silk, brush it or spray it very lightly with olive oil and put it on the barbecue.  I use indirect heat only, and turn it frequently for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Since sometimes taken bites off the cob result in my getting “stuck”, I remove the kernels from the ear and then enjoy.  I can usually only eat ½ an ear of corn with a three to four ounce portion of fish, chicken, turkey or beef.  The fiber in the corn makes it very filling for me.  Cooking it on the barbecue seems to keep the taste sweeter than boiling, or it could just be REALLY, REALLY good corn.

2. 

   Summer squash and green and yellow string beans are best this time of year- the young ones are crisp and tasty.

   Green beans or yellow wax beans:
   You should here the snap when you break them in two.  Then you will know they are fresh.  Don’t go for the giant extra long ones.  They are not as sweet as the young smaller ones.  I lightly steam these and usually add maybe one tablespoon of parmiagiano/reggiano cheese shreds making a cup of beans with cheese total about 50 calories with four grams of protein with potassium, fiber and calcium to boot.  Again, there is lots of fiber in these, so with a small portion of dense protein they make a great meal.  I eat leftover beans cold for a snack that is filling and tasty.

3. 

   The trick is to pick them young and small.

   Zucchini:
   If you ever have grown vegetable yourself you know that once zucchini starts it just keeps going and doesn’t stop until the ground freezes.  The trick is to pick them young and small.  I like yellow and green zucchini as well as all of the other summer squash.  A cup of sliced zucchini has about eighteen calories, 1.5 grams of protein, some fiber and potassium.  It is great lightly steamed, or sautéed in a pan sprayed with olive oil spray, with onions, garlic, and bell peppers added to it.  (If you make 2 cups of this your total calories would be around 45.  All of these flavors mixed together are inviting.  Try adding some fresh oregano for an Italian flair or cilantro for a Mexican flair.  Once again the fiber helps with the satiety, and the taste is great.  If you like you can add a tablespoon of shredded cheese as soon as you put it on the plate for even more flavor.  I also add chopped summer squash to my turkey chili when I make it in the crock pot, for added bulk and fewer calories overall.

4. 

   Yumm. With cheese and lemon.

   Broccoli:
   I live on the California coast where we pretty much grow broccoli year round.  I have to steam this a bit more than lightly or I can’t eat it at all.  I frequently squeeze a little lemon juice and then sprinkle some parmagiana/reggiano cheese on it.  Yumm.  With the cheese and lemon 3 ounces of broccoli and one Tablespoon of cheese is about 50 calories and four grams of protein.

5. 

   Spinach is great sautéed with garlic or in salad.

   Spinach:
   This is one of my year round favorites.  I start all salads with fresh baby spinach since lettuce does not agree with my lap band.  Four ounces of spinach (which is A LOT) has about 26 calories, over 3 grams of protein and lots of potassium and calcium.  In addition to salads, you can sauté it in a pan sprayed with olive oil with some fresh garlic cloves.  The entire process takes less than 5 minutes and it is a great side dish.
   That covers a few of the vegetables I can get every week.  Now comes dessert or snack.  That’s right, fresh fruit.  I usually use fruit as a snack, and frequently will have a small piece (50 calories worth) of cheese with it to balance the sugar.  That keeps my snack at 100 calories.

6. 

   Cantaloupes are super sweet this time of year.

   Cantaloupe:
   These are at their peak right now at the end of July.  They are wonderfully sweet and 1 cup of diced cantaloupe is about 50 calories.  It makes a great breakfast or lunch with ½ cup of cottage cheese (80 calories).

7. Watermelon:
   This is also at its peak right about now.  I prefer the seedless variety.  A cup of diced watermelon is about 45 calories with about 1 gram of protein, and makes a tasty snack, or I serve it on the side on weekend mornings when I make omelets.
8. Grapes:
   Grapes are wonderful in so many ways, and 10 of them have only 35 calories.  You can have them as a snack, add them sliced to a salad, or as an edible garnish to a meal.  They are great frozen on a hot day.
9. 

   Fresh fruit is great for lunch or snack

   Peaches, nectarines:
   These are definitely tasty snacks, or can be eaten mixed with cottage cheese as a meal, or added to salads with a tablespoon of sharp cheese like blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles.  A large fruit, 2 ¾ inch in diameter has about 65 calories and about 1.5 grams of protein in addition to fiber and everything else.

10. 

    The best.

    Strawberries:
    Yes, I know, chocolate covered would be very nice.  But, not happening for this gal living the banded life.  A cup of strawberries has about 45 calories and 1 gram of protein in addition to fiber and everything else.  I can only eat one or two strawberries before my band tells me to stop, NOW, so I like to mix them in with other fruit.

11. Blueberries:
    Fortunately we can now get blueberries year round which makes my breakfast at work very easy.  I take 1 cup of Greek yogurt at 80 calories, add ½ cup blueberries at 42 calories, a drop or two of vanilla, some Splenda and a teaspoon of slivered almonds and have myself about 20 grams of delicious protein for about 200 calories.

Sometimes I’ll mix everything up – like make a fruit salad with all of the fruits mentioned above, take a cup of it and a cup of Greek yogurt, add some vanilla and some Splenda and call it lunch, or just the fruit salad with some cottage cheese.

Other times I’ll take fresh spinach, cucumber, one to two ounces of sliced avocado, sliced grapes, ¼ of an apple, 2 tablespoons of blue cheese crumbles and 3 ounces of chicken or shrimp and have this for dinner with a Tablespoon of almonds or walnuts on top.  With the sweet fruit I usually do not use any salad dressing.

It really is not that difficult to be creative, and it’s easier if you are out in the fresh air, walking around your local farmers’ market.  Somehow it gets those creative juices flowing for me and I come home with some great ideas for the next week.

If you have any good food ideas please submit them to:  food and recipes@bandedliving.com or post them directly to:  Forums: Lap Band Friendly food and recipes at Banded Living.

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