♥LovetheNewMe♥

Shelly thanks for the reality check, being at goal for me it is a message to never lose site of why I did this. I appreciate your courage and honestly and you can do this. You did this before and you will find your inner strength to get back to where you want to be. Good luck!

Awesome job, keep up the good work!

Great post AJ we all battle the junk food demon inside especially during stressful times. Even at goal I have days when I battle my demons and old habits creep back in, the key is admitting and knowing when to ask for help. The old AJ and Love would continue to closet eat, the new us admits our flaws and moves forward. Great post!

Congratulations on NSV! and welcome back also!

You go girl, you got this!

What your feeling is normal, we have all been there and the feelings are pretty over whelming in the beginning. I was what I call very prepared for the surgery but nothing prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster ride I had for the first few weeks and month after surgery. I went through a period of time, I morned food. I never thought I would every be able to get all those calories down and felt I would live on shakes for the rest of my life. Enjoy your band and allow yourself some time to adjust to the new life. Good luck!

My sister in crime! lol we won't talk about Love and her wine!

Kime this was a hard lesson for me to learn. I like you was afraid if I ate more I would loss. I stalled my weight loss for 6 months by eating to little and not enough protein but once I increased my calories and protein and made sure i did not over exercise I started losing again and Dylan i agree with Terry YOU are NOT a FAILURE! Sometimes our bodies have to adjust to the major weight loss and it may stall for a few weeks or months. This is a process and it takes time It took me two years to loss my weight and sometimes I never thought I would get here but I am and have been for over 6 months. Good luck to you all!

One day guys you really will see the thinner you, it takes time to change the image in our mind even after we lose the weight. But you all are doing awesome!

Well first that is a lot of weight to lose in less than a month. Special reason you want to lose that specific amount. Some tips:

Track your intake, if you want o lose that much weight you are going to have to be very focused and really know what you are putting in your body. In order to lose 1 lb of fat you have to eat 3500 calories less for every pound. You need to figure out what your body currently needs just to maintain your current weight and than work back wards. You should not eat less than 1200 calories per day and for the best weight loss you will need to exercise at least 45 minutes 6 days a week. If you can do strengthen exercise you will build muscle and burn fat faster than just doing cardio. You need to drink your water at least 6-8 glasses per day, limit salt intake and only eat lean meets and vegetables. Going to venture out here and say yes it carbs but be wise in your choices and cut them way back after the noon meal.

I hate to tell you but there is no magic way to do this with out a lot of hard work. Is it it doable yes but is it worth going on a diet instead of gradually losing weight?

Good luck to you!

Try and enjoy the day with family, one day you will be able to get to place where the food thing and lack of food on your plate does not bother you or is difficult to talk about. I can tell you what I do and it drives people crazy, I say are you seriously going to eat all that food, and your going back for seconds, WOW, wish I could eat like that, NOT!

Seriously enjoy the day with family!

Awesome Terry, congratulations on a new size! Keep up the good work!

Plateaus are hard, I sat at one for over 4 months and you are correct it is very frustrating. I know it is easy to say have patience but honestly that is what it takes, sometimes when we are losing large amounts of weight our bodies need time to adjust to the weight loss. One thing you may try is increasing your protein, I lost best at 90 gms and above and exercising 5-6 days a week for 40-60 minutes. If you could do some strength training to start building muscle your body will burn fat faster. Good luck to you!

Congratulations and you have hit on all the key things success with lap band, exercise,accountability, believing in yourself and having patience. So happy for your success and thanks for sharing.

Congratulations, and I agree, DITTO. Maintenance can suck!

Lori Jo, I think you may have a platter not a plate! Your postive attitude will take you far in your journey. My wish for you is strength and success as you move forward. Please let me know how I can support you during your journey, best wishes and good luck.

I am so sorry for your lose and I think we can all identify with your feelings of depression and yes we all resort back to what used to make us feel comfort. As Missy stated the plus for you is recognizing your situation and moving forward. We are all human and bad times bring out bad behaviors and unfortunately that is human nature. I know you will get back on track, be good to yourself and love your self you know that is what the women in your life would want for you. Good luck to you and I am so sorry for your loss.

I am a successful bandster and have been at goal for 6 months. The head hunger game can really be an issue all along the journey. I eat small high protein meals all day long. It is actually kind of funny, because on the days I do my best I am constantly eating about every 3 hours. I only eat protein for snacks, peanut butter, sliced turkey, nuts, soy nuts, etc. I do try to eat at least 1-2 small pieces of fruit a day, usually a small banana, cutie or small apple peeled and sliced but when I eat the fruit I always add a small amount of protein. I eat very little zero or low calorie foods, like lettuce, cucumbers, carrots,( I call this rabbit food) To me I think of this as diet food and I am not dieting. I do count calories and I do measure and write down all food intake, I have done this my entire journey because it helps me stay focused and honest with myself.You say you have busy days, I would suggest you start your day with a very good high protein and carb breakfast and energy. I know a lot of people frown on carbs but they give you energy and fuel and if balanced with complex proteins you will stay full longer. My typical day of eating.

Breakfast daily is 1/2 cup oatmeal dry oats cooked with 1 cup water, 1/3 cup egg whites, and 2-3 tablespoons of SF Brown sugar syrup. I add 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/8 cup chopped apple, 2 pecan halves and 1 teaspoon of raw sugar. It takes me about 30 min to eat this and most days I can only eat about 3/4 of this. It is less than 300 calories and very nutritious.

Mid morning I usually have a protein bar that is around 180-190 calories with 9-12 gms of protein or if band is tight I may drink 1 scoop of protein powder which is 140 calories and 25 grms of protein

Lunch consists of 3-4 oz of protein(usually chicken, turkey, fish, or lean pork), some green veggies, lettuce, green beans, zucchini a splash of olive oil and vinegar and some days I add half a sweet potato, no butter or additives. (I have used a few of lean cuisines salad creations lately and they are around 19gms of protein less than 300 calories and I use about 3/4 cup lettuce)

Mid-afternoon, I have a small apple or banana and 1-2 tablespoons of natural ground peanut butter.

Dinner: Lean protein 3-4 ozs and veggies

On days I work out I always have an additional dose of protein by drinking a shake.

I eat about 1200-1500 calories a day.

If I am starving at night, I drink more liquids and rule is after 8pm I do not eat.

to help me stay focused I have kept a picture of fat Diane on the fridge beside thin Diane. A picture is worth a thousand words and I am trying to never go back wards.

I do have grazing days, they are usually Sunday's but I tend to eat same amount of calories and my protein intake on Sunday's usually sucks.

Do not get discouraged, this is a life style change and it takes time to change bad behavior.

Awesome Jim, it is so very easy to get discouraged and to have unrealistic expectations as any of us that have been banded for a while have come to realize. I am so happy for you, sending you lots of positive affirmations for continued success.

Good luck and glad you did not give up, even with the band WL is hard. We are trying to undo years of bad behavior.

Sorry lap band did not work for you but you made a very valid statement, with or without WLS the key to losing weight is healthy eating, in moderation and exercise. This same philosophy goes for us that had WLS and it has worked. My key to losing has not been my band it is my added insurance or safety net, what I have learned in two years in portion control and if you exercise and burn more than you take in you lose weight. Yes my band has helped me but without out totally changing my views on nutrition I would have never been successful. I wish you luck in your weight lose journey applying the principles you have identified.

Awesome, keep up the good work, committment and accountability are key to our success with lapband. I will be cheering for you!

Good post, glad the tool is working for you and you are successfully losing.

ROFLMAO, thanks I needed a good laugh!