Would Lap-Band Friendly Recipes Help?

Now that I have had my Lap-Band for a while, I tend to forget that at first I was concerned about what I could and couldn't (or shouldn't) eat. I have been wondering if other Lap-Band patients would appreciate some recipes....?

Right after surgery most surgeons have their patients on a special mostly-liquid diet for a period of a couple weeks or a little longer; this would also be a time for some good liquid protein-packed recipes...but I'll work on that a little later.



Chicken Crock-Pot Chili



Right now, I'd like to share a favorite Lap-Band friendly recipe that works well for me and that my family loves as well. I got this recipe a few years ago from dietician that worked with  Lap-Band patients. (I have to say that the girls at work have all asked for the recipe too!) I like this one mostly because it is healthy as well as extremely easy. I use canned beans and  prefer a variety of different types, but you could obviously start with dry beans and vary any of the ingredients if you are so inclined to "tweek" recipes. Most people I know like to stick pretty close to the recipe, but this is one that you can change up in many different ways and still come out with a pretty edible product.

Chicken Crock-Pot Chili

1  15 oz can black beans
1  15 oz can kidney beans
1  15 oz can butter beans (small or large, either kind is okay) or Great Northerns
1  28 oz can diced tomatoes
1  package taco seasoning mix (I use the lower sodium one)

4  chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (I use them frozen, right out of the freezer, you can use fresh too)

1  16 oz package frozen corn (optional-I prefer not to use corn myself)

Put everything except corn in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.
The corn is added in the last 15 minutes.
Take out chicken and shred after it cools a little.
Return chicken to pot and serve hot.
This recipe freezes well (If you have leftovers!)

Optional garnishes:

• Non-fat sour cream
• Salsa
• Lower fat shredded cheese

Serve with corn bread or tortillas

I have had people ask me if I thaw the chicken first and I say no, just throw it in whole and frozen. Do I drain the beans? I have before, but most of the time I just dump them in juices and all.

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you...I would love to hear from you! 

 more Lap-Band friendly recipes!

Finished a 5K!

So I participated in a 5K on Saturday! I know that a 5K 'race' is only 3.something miles, and I didn't "run" the race, only walked, but I walked FAST! That's something I would not have been able to accomplish 60+ pounds ago. The first 5K that my daughter and I walked in was in Idaho, earlier this summer. There were TONS of very steep hills in and around that small community and we finished in 50.14 minutes. Now, she is a jogger and could easily finish a 5K in 15 minutes or less, but she's very encouraging and willing to walk with me; but don't think for a minute that I can slack off. Too much talking and I slow down. Too much sightseeing along the way and I slow down. She is quick to remind me to keep walking fast and FAST we walk! Sometimes we even break into a slow jog! So this particular 5K we finished in 48.3 minutes, we shaved about 2 minutes off our time....thanks to her "coaching".


It felt real good. Real good in a physical way; my heart rate was elevated most of the way, but it was also a real boost to my self esteem...an accomplishment to feel proud of. Sure, there were runners there, very fast, and in excellent shape but I didn't focus on them and let myself feel intimidated because I knew what I was doing was fast and excellent for me. I have done two now; will I do more? Well, if my 'coach' has anything to say about it, I definitely will! So I better keep up the regular walking so I will be ready for whatever may come.

Lap-Band Eating (Banana Bread Sunday)



 I had my granddaughter here today. She's 5 (and a half) and LOVES to make banana bread! Actually, she loves doing just about anything in the kitchen, but ever since she was little(er), she and my grandson (4 and a half) have had this little routine with the banana bread. Banana bread isn't the easiest thing to eat for someone with a Lap-Band. It depends a little on how moist or dry it is and even then, depending on the restriction of your band, you probably won't be able to eat more than a slice or even less. 



What do I mean, "won't be able to"? Well, if you think about where the band is placed (see THINKING ABOUT LAP BAND? page) try to imagine a funnel.  A wide-mouth funnel lets lots (of food) go through quickly. Now imagine a narrow-opening funnel; everything must pass through that small opening and it will take longer, with everything slowing down or backing up as the food goes through the small opening into the rest of the stomach. This slowing down or "backing up" is what creates a  feeling of fullness, a satisfaction with smaller amounts of food.

 What happens when someone with a Lap-Band ignores the 'new' full-feeling? If you continue to eat, despite the food only going through the opening rather slowly, I guess it doesn't take alot to figure that if food can't go down, it must come 'up'....not the most pleasant thing. I can honestly say it has not happened to me very often at all; and it shouldn't. There are a lot of complications that can occur as a result of chronic vomiting with the band...and it doesn't matter what term you use, PBing (productive burping), sliming, etc.; bringing food back up often is a sign or symptom that should be checked by your surgeon. 

So What's for Breakfast Today?

This morning was pretty typical. I had some Egg Beaters with Canadian bacon. Why Egg Beaters and not just regular eggs? No particular reason; except when they are already blended up in a pourable container, it makes preparation faster. Why Canadian bacon and not just regular bacon? Again, the prep time is easier...it's lean protein too. Remember earlier I said that lean protein is important in my diet. What I did this morning was spray a non-stick pan with olive oil, cut up the bacon in small pieces and saute' them a little first. Then I poured some Egg Beaters in with the bacon (about a 1/4 cup give or take a little bit) and gently cooked all together. Over-cooking makes the eggs tough so it is important to watch them and only cook lightly. (Tough eggs are hard to get down with a Lap-Band; sometimes impossible!) This morning I sprinkled a little grated cheese on top too.....I ate probably a little over half and was plenty full.                          

Lap-Band Weekend Eating - A Solution

So now that I have a Lap-Band, how has my weekend eating changed? Well, I have to admit I still relate relaxation with eating, but the overwhelming desire for non-stop eating has all but been eliminated. What changed? I can honestly say it was the "Band". My Lap-Band has allowed me to lose 60+ lbs. and keep it off for 2 years! I feel it is the best thing that has happened to me in a long, long time.

My typical weekend day begins with coffee (of course!). I like to relax with a cup of coffee and about mid-morning I will have some breakfast. I might have some soft scrambled eggs and turkey bacon or maybe just a piece of string cheese if I need to get moving and don't have alot of time.

By noon or so, if I am getting hungry again, I try to have a salad with chicken or tuna or low-fat cheese or even a hard boiled egg. See a pattern here? Yes, I try to include some form of lean protein with every meal and most snacks. This type of eating is easy when you are at home, but it also works well when you are out shopping, running errands or hanging out with friends.

Later in the day, I try to grab a quick snack and for me the best option is again (yes) protein. I might splurge and have a couple handfuls of peanuts or even some fat-free cottage cheese with sliced pears (also a good option for breakfast!).

Dinner on the weekends can be anything from whatever we are fixing at home, to eating out and because I have the Lap-Band, I find I can eat most anything that my family and friends are eating, just in smaller quantities (and I am talking about SOLID healthy food, not junk or fast food). I have found that it is very important for me to not get OVER HUNGRY! If I wait too long to eat, I have a harder time feeling satisfied with small snacks and tend to want to fall back in my old eating pattern (hard with the Lap-Band, but not impossible) Hey! I like to eat, so I need to allow myself to have all the meals and snacks I mentioned above, NOT skip meals like I used to do, thinking I could starve myself into good health.

Lap-Band Weekend Eating....The Problem

Well, it's the weekend so meals and eating are different for me than during the week. This might be true for alot of people, but since I work during the week, I find that my meals are more structured and it's easier to stick to healthier eating patterns. On the weekend, I like to relax and I equate relaxation with eating....(hmmm, wonder how I got to be overweight?). Before I was a Lap-Band patient, I would eat pretty much all weekend and the reward for making it through another hard work week would be to overeat the foods I really loved. Oh sure, I would wake up each morning not only resolving, but planning to NOT overeat. By mid-morning, or at the very best, mid-afternoon, my resolve was out the window and I was hungry, hungry, hungry!

My beginning....

The Why of it All

I hope to share some valuable information with anyone who reads my blog. I have been thinking for quite some time now about writing this blog, but since I'm not really a technology wizard, it's taking a bit of time to understand how blogs can and do work!

My goal here is to share the knowledge I have gained over the many years working with Lap-Band patients as well as my own experiences as a Lap-Band patient myself! Are these really "secrets"? Well, maybe not entirely, since if you spend enough time reading and talking and more reading and more talking, you might get all the information that I have gathered over the years, but do you really want to sift through the pages and pages on the internet (worrying if it is even accurate?) I also know that there is very little valuable information for those of us who are now living with the "Band". Sure, there are a few books out there, some poorly written or some with more technical medical terms that leave us needing a medical dictionary to translate!

WHY did I choose to have Lap-Band surgery?

Well, after years and years of frustrating dieting with minimal success, I guess you could say my weight finally caught up with me; it became a health hazard. I have heard many people say, "Well, I really don't have any health problems as a result of my excess weight". That was me. (Up until a few years ago.) During my annual check-up with my doctor, it was discovered that I was 'pre-diabetic'. We are talking Type II diabetes, which was strictly related to my obesity. My blood sugars and blood pressure were elevated and so was my cholesterol. NOT A GOOD COMBINATION. Now did I mention that I am also a breast cancer survivor? More about that later, but needless to say, I finally saw the writing on the wall and that writing was telling me that I seriously needed to lose weight once and for all. So a spent another 6 months or so struggling on weight loss plans that left me hungry, grumpy and with little to show in the way of weight loss and that is when I decided that I needed a helping hand. To make my long story shorter, I had the surgery and at my next doctor's appointment after losing about 45 lbs., my blood sugars were normal, blood pressure normal and cholesterol normal. HEY! My doctor said that I literally turned back the hands of time; medically speaking. For the first time in a long time, I felt great!

I love my band and am excited to share my journey....there is plenty more to learn!