Tips and tricks

I love this thread! Today I made 25 small meat balls from lean pork mince, apple sauce, an egg and a small handfull of breadcrumbs. Cooked, blotted and froze at once, freeflow, and now 24 are residing in the freezer in a zip lock bag.
I have had fluids for the last 11 days so today got brave and whizzed 1 meatball, 1tbsp precooked baby peas, 1tbsp fine apple sauce and lots of runny mushroom gravy. (commercial) Had to add water, but after heating gingerly ate.
What can I say! Better than the best meal I have ever eaten! No after affects so far, and I did eat very slowly. Just a warm full feeling!
Eating mushy... runny food may taste better than I imagined.
It was about 60 ml. Is this about right?

its all good Rae

Last week I bought a pair of jeans which were a size too small & for motivation I've hung them on the back of my door. I also wrote the date I bought them on the price tag so that when I finally get into them I can see how long it's taken me to get into them.

I do the same thing Tanya.. I love seeing how much has come off & it's good to keep an eye on how you're going..

Recording my weight on a calender hung, with a pen, near the scales. It just lets me see the patterns and makes me really aware (and therefore more responsible) for what is happening to my body - a mini education in itself!
It is useful to me because ...
- I realise that if I eat 'such and such ' today, it will mean weight loss or weight gain in a day or two.
- I see just how much a kilo bounces itself around in a week -or even a day!
- In the first week or two I also saw that I was loosing weight but resisted believing it - seeing the numbers before me helped me to believe in the band and that I really will get out of it what I put in - with daily results! Very, very new concepts.

The numbers never lie :)

Baby food as a reserve for when you come home from hospital, or want a soft food but haven't prepared any.

Bestfriend
I am putting you Mango ice block in the recipe section.
If you have any other recipes you would like to share we all would love it if you put them in the section.
You are giving some fantastic tips.
Thank you

great tips and the drozen mango sounds delish!

now instead of iceblocks and ice-cream, I freeze chopped mango, sometimes adding a sprinkle of roasted almond slivers for crunch, a dash of liquer or coconut essence or vanilla, or a little low joule custard, and voila, a yummy dessert. Frozen grapes are good too, as are frozen banana pieces. doesn't feel like I'm being deprived.

My dietician recommended downsizing everything. bowl, cutlery, storage containers etc. so I use a cake fork and teaspoon, a cute small noodle bowl (1 cup capacity), a bread and butter plate for main meals, the smallest snap lock bags for measured snacks or portable food for my handbag. 150 ml Glad storage containers to freeze portions. And I'm buying the smallest tins of baked beans, salmon, tuna, chick peas, bean mix etc so I have convenience and appropriate serve sizes. and I have a small measuring cup on the kitchen bench to use all the time. Just a different way of thinking and getting myself into those habits for good. Hope this helps some of you.

Here's a useful thing Donna said a while back

"It takes 28 days to form a habit."

Worth keeping in mind...

I agree with Tara. Westy, it is so not worth being nervous about. It is so easy and quick. Not a big deal at all, although I can understand why you are anxious as it is all new to you. And just think it will be working in your favour. This is what it is all about. getting that restriction. you'll be fine. going thru the surgery is the big thing which you have achieved. isn't it nice to know that's in the past. x

Best wishes for Monday, Westy.

Hiya Westy,

No need to be nervous at all. It's a really quick process, you'll be in and out so fast it'll make your head spin. And pain wise it is just a quick sting less than when they take blood. He's actually really good at it - I have had sooo many fills and unfills and he has gotten my port first go all but one time.

Not sure what his rules are but have a light breakfast a couple of hours before the fill. After the fill sit in the waiting room and have some water to drink just to make sure it goes down ok ... it will feel soooo weird !!! But you'll be right.

Can't wait to hear how you go.
All the best,
Mwah
Tara

Hey Everyone hope all is well.

Having my very first fill next Monday, anyone got any tips. (I am a bit nervous)

Westy

I LOVE this thread....MORE please. It's the little things that help get us thru.
One tip for a sweet treat is to freeze half an orange so you can scrape out the frozen pulp which takes forever and is very absorbing. Also frozen berries made into a pulp. Frozen diet cordial made up into ice-blocks too.

When I go out I always ask someone if they would like to share a meal with me. 90% of the time I get a taker. I always have a small Tupperware container in my bag and if I have to order a full meal I put ½ the meal in the container as soon as it arrives. (Rarely anyone notices me doing this) I then have it for diner or if it is a warm day the dog had it for dinner. I hate waste especially with the price of food these days.
Delia

Also just to add quickly that I eat out of a bowl that can fit no more than one cup of food... once its gone its gone.
Some days I cant even eat it all and in all honesty other than soupy stuff its never full.

Cheers,
Donna :)

Hey Tanya,

I know what your saying, I used to eat quite quickly before my band.
I do have brain fades every now and then and to be honest its only when i'm really hungry.
The first couple of mouthfuls can make or break you lol.

I have 6.2ml in a 10ml band and had a bit of trouble in the last month or so.
My doc was reluctant as was I about taking any out. So, what we did was tried a different method which is working for me.
I know all the advice is to not drink 10 mins before and 30 mins after but he told me to try drinking half a glass of water about 2 mins before I eat.
This opens up the pipes I guess lol and you know what it works.
For the last two weeks I have not had a problem and not bought my food up since.
It also helps with hunger pains prior to a meal therefore you eat less.

Now I know everyone is different but this works well for me which makes me a happy camper.


Cheers,
Donna :)

Steiny: My toughest part will be only eating a small mouthful every 60 seconds. l tend to inhale my food most of the time :-)

Vogette (Beth): I will add a few:

Small bites, and chew chew chew
Eat very very slowly...don't load your fork or spoon until you have chewed - actually put them down and don't pick them up until you have swallowed the last bite.
Use small bowls, plates to trick the mind. I still use a teaspoon for most meals!
And the big one? Stop before you are full!!! Give the brain time to register that you are full.

I believe that is the big one cos that seems to be a common theme for us which got us to where we are today - not being able to recognise when we are full. By eating very slowly we not only give the food a chance to hit our tiny new tummies, it allows the brain to actually workout that we are full and don't need any more food, allowing you to push that plate away.[i]

tumultuous-tara: Order your meal, serve the portion you wish to eat onto a smaller plate, then ask for the "leftovers" to be put straight into a takeaway container or put it onto someone else's plate. This helps you to avoid over eating, stops you picking at more or that thinking "I'll have just ONE more mouthfull."

I have lifted these from our March 2011 Bandits thread

Tanya: These are the bits I have read so far that for whatever reason have stuck in my mind.

Emergency fizzy drinks (to unblock the dreaded sticks),

lettuce rolls,

stopping a mouth full before you think you should,

the difference it makes to eat quality food,

steady as opposed to rapid weight loss for the skins sake,

and yes the good news about sore joints and feet that look like the Stuart Highway- being a thing of the past...

I thought a cheat sheet of ideas and pointers people have picked up on the way might be handy.

Do you know something now that you wish you knew then? Heard or read a good idea from someone else? Have you had an 'aha!' moment, or perhaps an 'ouchy' one?

Pass it on, we're all ears...