♥LovetheNewMe♥

Kime, Stress plays such an important factor in our lives and always sabotages our good intension's. Like you I decided to have Lap band due to many medical factors, the biggest was watching both my father and eldest brother die due to complications of strokes in their late 50:s. I was 54 when I had my surgery. I am so sorry that you are having to deal with so much heartache and stress right now. I have a few suggestions for packing some snacks for your road trips and being on the go. I have found that if I carry stuff with me I am less likely to overeat and reach for the unhealthy or just settle for what I can get in the cafeteria, convince store or fast food restaurant. Stock up on some low carb protein bars and premixed shakes. These fit easily in your purse and you can reach for these if you can't eat a healthy meal. My favorite bars are, Oh Yeah, Nature Valley Protein, and Quest. Now they are not high in protein only about 10gms but they do satisfy that immediate hunger and prevent me from eating something less nutritious. In the shakes, that is really a taste preference. I prefer powdered shakes, I carry a small shaker container with snack bags filled with chocolate and vanilla, sometimes I put one of those flavored water packets into the vanilla powder to give it a fruit flavor. Low Cal cheese sticks, turkey pepperoni, almonds and soy nuts travel well also. I do not trust myself with the entire bag, when I am stressed I tend to want to graze. I measure all snacks when I bring them home from the store and place in snack bags, that way they are always ready for me to grab and go. Eating out, this can be that hardest for us, my favorite fast food restaurant is Chick Fli A, their grilled chicken nuggets, fruit cup and diet lemonade in the kids meal is just perfect. The are high in sodium but for a quick on the go meal in the car, you can eat it with your fingers and keep moving. Hospital cafeterias are the worst, I know I am a nurse. You would think as health care workers we would have healthy food around us but who wants healthy when stressed we all migrate to what reminds us of home. I grab a Greek yogurt or some oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch,low fat cottage cheese, individual hummus with the pretzel chips, natural peanut butter and 4 saltine crackers, an apple, banana, a small bunch of grapes. Berries like strawberries or blueberries are also nice choices. Those Oscar Myer lunch-ables with cheese turkey or ham and crackers is also a fast grab. Some of these are high in sodium and yes they are processed foods, but they will keep hunger at bay, you can carry most with you or find in a cafeteria or convenient store. I know this sounds like a lot of work upfront but it will help you to get refocused and back on track. I hope your family does well and again I am so sorry for all the added stress and sorrow you are dealing with. Good luck to you. Diane

I had some between the cheeks of my butt. I rubbed it raw doing floor exercise and the lose skin rubbed together causing a bad break down. I also sometimes break down in my belly button. I use a fungul cream and it works well, sorta like the jock itch stuff but a cream. I suggest you go to your doctor, I don't have enough skin hanging over to need surgery but some people if they keep having issues their insurance may pay part or all of the removal. It is a good idea to have these issues recorded.

Hey bandster buddies and MFP friends. I was just doing a little Internet surfing this morning and wanted to share something with everyone. As all of you know I have been on this journey for 2 years now and have been very successful with losing weight and using my band. That being said, there has been periods during this journey where I have been frustrated and never saw the scale move, not even a tenth of a pound. It took me along time to get it pounded into my head that you need to eat to lose. I have done a lot of reading about lap band, weight loss and exercise. Bottom line is even though we have a lap band we still need to make healthy choices, we need to eat Protein first and take in at least 60-70 gms per day. (I eat 90-100 plus grams a day) The diet needs to be balanced, eating fruits and veggies is probably the hardest for us because so many are difficult to digest or pass through the band. We need to eat some fats because they slow down digestion and make you feel full longer, protein makes you feel full longer, veggies and carbs leave you hunger. So basically the rules for us are no different than anyone trying to lose weight except we have a tool that helps us with Portion Control and helps us to feel full sooner than the average person if our band is functioning in the green zone. But sadly getting to the green zone can sometimes take us months or even years and staying there can be just as difficult. Below is some info about protein and why it is important. As always these are my opinions and thoughts and not meant to offend any one. I want to share my success and help anyone who is having difficulty. I am not perfect in my eating by any means and I have days just like everyone else and crave the sweet and salty Snacks. Some days I eat those snacks but the key for me now is I don't keep them in my house, I have to go out and buy them if I want them, (really makes me think about them) When I really want something and my head hunger is rearing it's ugly head and I can't control with Water or healthy snack, I break over, take 3 bites and throw it in the trash. Works for me and I don't feel deprived. Keep positive and always believe in your self, this is a life time journey and we will always be working to achieve or maintain our success. I am in the phase now of skinny girl with a big girl living inside and I am determined not to let her back out. The Article: Can Protein Really Help You Lose Weight, Curb Your Appetite and Keep You From Eating Wasted Calories? Yes! Protein has gained a great deal of attention in recent years and for good reason. While studies have shown that carbohydrates cause a swing in blood sugar (that signals the body to create body fat), protein actually helps to minimize your carbohydrate intake, thus minimizing how much fat your body is creating. Additional protein has also been shown to help some individuals lose weight by helping them feel more satisfied and therefore less tempted to snack on empty calories. Proteins are essential to human life and participate in every process within our cells. Protein is found in your muscles, bones, skin, hormones, blood and enzymes. Protein comprises 20 building blocks called amino acids. Of those 20, the body makes 11 called nonessential amino acids. The other nine, called essential amino acids, must be supplied by food, or dietary protein, explains Julie Burns, M.S., R.D., owner of Sport Fuel Inc., a sports-nutrition company in Western Springs, III. There are two kinds of dietary protein -- complete and incomplete, Burns says. Animal and soy proteins are called "complete" proteins because they contain all nine essential amino acids. Plant products, including vegetables, nuts and legumes, are called "incomplete" proteins because they lack one or more essential amino acids, she says. So, How Do You Calculate How Much Protein You Need On A Daily Basis? It's easy! To calculate your daily protein needs in grams, simply multiply your weight by 0.4 (for a 150-pound women, that's 60 grams a day). Knowing this information will help you as you start to choose healthier alternatives for protein. It's important to note that as you lose weight, be sure to recalculate your daily protein requirements. Because as you lose weight, your daily requirements will decrease. With So Many Foods to Choose From, What Are the Best Choices for Protein? While such foods as meat, milk, cheese and eggs are considered to be high in protein, unfortunately these foods are also high in fat and cholesterol. Therefore, it's important to choose your protein sources wisely. Some good choices include lean meats (such as skinless chicken or turkey and chuck or round ground beef) fish, lentils, Beans and low-fat dairy products. In addition, fruits offer an excellent source of protein, plus a ton of nutrition for fewer calories. Try oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, bananas, and grapes. Fruit is also filled with Fiber, which helps fill you up and keeps you feeling satisfied longer. So when you eat fruit, you have a win-win situation. Healthy Alternatives, Do They Exist? Yes! A perfect example is substituting a meal with a Protein Shake. Meal Replacement shakes have become popular due to their convenience and quick preparation. Shakes are perfect addition to your morning schedule or for an on-the-go lunch. And the best part is if you choose a well balanced shake that is full of protein, you won't experience those mid-morning hunger pains or afternoon cravings. A good protein shake should last you well until your next meal. With so many shakes to choose from, it's important to look at the content label to ensure that a shake offers enough protein to help you meet your daily allotment. Often times Protein Shakes can also be high in other areas (sugar, carbohydrates, fats, etc.) or may not offer enough protein all together. So, before you buy any protein shake, check the label. As you start to create a healthy balanced diet, remember to add the important element: protein. Be sure to choose protein sources that are healthy and beneficial such as lean meats, fish, beans, fruits and low-fat dairy. If you are consistent in choosing such high protein foods you may start to feel the weight fall off! Of course remember to try a meal replacement shake as well. Incorporating a shake into your diet is easy and they can often be very tasty. For suggestions on a great protein and fiber shake, be sure to check out the link below. To your health!

Great job, stay focused stales are normal. Patience pays off.

Crimson tide, Welcome to the group. We are glad you are taking charge of your journey again. It is all to easy for any of us to get off track and go back to our old way of eating. I think this is the fear that the majority of us have and why we are trying to take accountability for our journey and lead some accountability to each other. My user name on MFP is LovetheNewMe,(same as here) There is a large group of us from LBT that track our food and exercise daily. Join us and we will lend our support and encouragement. Remember anything is possible, don't get caught up in the woulda' coulda' shoulda's of the past. Focus on the future. We look forward to getting to know you. Diane

Good luck to you, we will all be here waiting to offer support as you start your journey!

With Lap Band like most WLS it is very important to eat your protein. Lap band patients who consistantly eat more protein tend to lose at a better rate and are more successful than those that eat less protein. Good luck and if your really worried log and measure your food, I am almost 2 years out and I still log everything I eat. Some may think that is over kill but I need the checks and balances. Good luck to you, Di

Michelle, I would be glad to suport you through your journey. I am almost 2 years post op and have lost 115 lbs. I started near your weight at 252 and currently weight 137. I am 5 lbs from goal. I have been active on this site since surgery, I don't personally blog as much as I used to but I still read the forums and respond to topics. There is also a fairly large group of us from this site who are friends on myfitnesspal.com and are trying to help each other through this journey. Good luck to you, Diane

You have my support, I am also in the health care field, a nurse for 33 years. Being banded has been a great experience for me. I am 5 lbs from goal. 115 down and 5 to go. I was banded in October 2010. I will say from personal experience while I love what my band has helped me to accomplish this has also been one of the most eye opening experience of my life. I never really realized before being banded how much I used food for coping and comfort. I was well informed about the procedure before surgery, had read everything I could get my hands on, search the internet looked at the complications and read the blogs about the successes and the failures. I will say, your life does change. Your relationship with food changes. I believe with lapband you get out of it what you are willing to put into it. Unlike the Gastric Bypass and the sleeve after the first 40-50% of weight loss you really have to be accountable to a healthy life style. Good luck to you, as long as your mind is open and you walk into this with your eyes wide open and are always honest and accountable anything is possible. Best wishes, Di

Before I would comment we really need to know more information. Like are you following the rules? Are you eating enough Protein? Are you exercising? During the first 4-6 weeks it is not uncommon not to loss, everyone is different. From my own expereince all I can say is that I try and eat at least 80 gms of protein a day and I do exercise daily. The weight loss has not been as fast as I thought it would be it has taken me almost 2 years to lose 114 lbs, which is an average of around a pound of week but sometimes I have sat for months and not moved the scale at all. It took me a while to realize that this was going to be a journey and not a fast fix but honestly, I did not gain all this weight overnight and it did not fall off over night. Lapband has forced me to deal with poor behaviors and coping skills and has helped me grow emotionally. good luck to you.

You can remake your southern recipies and change. Today I made some fresh greens, no bacan, no fat, I used a teaspoon of olive oil, added garlic, protobella mushrooms, a few shredded carrotts and some purple cabbage with fresh rosemary and garlic. I sent some of these to a true southern neighbor for dinner with a couple slices of pork loin roast and roasted potatos and he thought they were awesome. i had to laugh, they were cooked so healthy. This is a life style change but you can do it, I have changed how I think about food and now find it fun to remake recipes using healthy ingredients. Goodluck to you!

I echo everyone above. We all lose at different rates. We get stuck at times and may sit at the same weight for months on end. Doctors do say, 50% weight lose is what is the expectation and most doctors are happy with that. I was not. I have lost 95% of my excess weight and have 5 lbs left to lose to reach my ideal body weight. I have followed the rules, I am one of the odd balls, I weigh and measure my food, I journel my food and I do cardio 2 days a week and strength training 4 days a week. The most improtant thing is not to get discouraged if the scale does not move. Many times I have lost inches and not pounds. I do weigh myself every morning, but no longer get upset if the scale goes up or down a pound, I finally realize this is normal. Good luck.

Congratulations!

I have had good success with my band but lap band is not for every one and I have had several co-workers who have not done as well and one even had what they are calling band failure. She did not tolerate the band well and the restriction, she had her band removed after 2 years and had the gastric sleeve 2 months ago and has done very well. Typically you do not lose weight as fast with lap band and some seem to lose faster than others. The one thing you really need to focus on is, are you ready for WLS. The surgery itself which ever one you have only gives you a tool and the tool is only as good as it is used. It does make your stomach smaller, or as with lap band it gives you restriction, but what it does not fix is how we think and relate to food. That is the hardest part of the journey, developing healthy habits and truly making a life style change. If you are a bulk eater than you will do with WLS because it will limit how much you eat at meals, if you are a grazer and like to nibble on things off and on through out the day, you will struggle no matter what surgery you have. I strongly urge anyone thinking about WLS to have physiological screening and be totally honest with all your issues and continue with a few sessions for the first 6 months after surgery. Another key for success to support, family and friends can either support or sabotage you, make sure you have their total support. Your life does change after WLS and for me it has been a positive change. I am almost 2 years out with my LB and am 5 lbs from my goal weight. I have changed my life style, I eat healthy, I exercise, I weigh and measure everything I eat, I log my food everyday, I drink my water and get all my protein in. This has been a journey but for me well worth it. When you have your appointment with your MD, I suggest you discuss all your options, be honest about your commitment, how you eat and how much support you have. My husband went with me through every pre surgery visit and seminar. I wanted him to understand everything I was going to experience. For the most part he has been my rock but he also has went through some turmoil. He now has a tiny wife and I had been over weight and they past 10 years morbidly obese. WLS puts strain on relationships if you allow it because you both change and you must be honest with each other along the way. Good luck to you and I hope I haven't scared you off. But I want you to be prepared for all the emotions and obstacles you will have to over come in this journey. Good luck, Diane

First and foremost, you are not a Debbie downer. The feelings you are having are soooo normal, the majority of us have been obese for years and some their entire lives. Being of "normal" weight, what ever that is, is a goal that many of us thought we would never achieve. Now we are faced with living with the new us. Now we have to learn to live with the tiny person we have spent the past few years scupting.. It takes our minds time to catch up with the weight loss. Today at work a vendor said to me, "You are so tiny and petite, you look like a model for Talbot's". I just stared at her and started laughing, she looked very shocked by my response. My friend answered for me, "She does not see herself that way, she still sees herself as the overweight person she was 2 years ago." Sad but true, I know when I look in the mirror, I am tiny now but sometmes I look at that person in the mirror some days and all I see are the flaws that the weight loss has left me with. I know that may sound ungrateful and totally fickle but it is honestly how I feel. I am grateful for my band, I am happy with my weight loss and would never go back to who I was before. Keep working hard and you will reach your goal, you have made awesome progress and should be so proud of your progress to date.

@ Tracy, you look awesome and have done a fantastic job on your weight loss. Back to topic, I set my goal with my phsician. My goal is 132 lbs, I am 6 lbs from goal, I hear daily that I am getting to thin and I need to stop but actually, I am very peite, small boned and very toned. I had a clothing size in mind, I wanted to be a size 10, but i am actually a size 4. I think goals are important, I think what matters that most is that you are happy where you end up no matter what the weight or size. Good luck.

Hope all of you are doing great, attached one of the newest magizine posts for you to review. It talks about the top five areas that trigger emotional and over eating. Some good stratight forward comments and realizations. I have attached the link enjoy.Diane http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/healthy-living/emotional-eating-and-overeating-five-triggers-r89

Ditto to all above comments, this is hard enough without fighting the ones who are suppose to support us. You will get there, believe in yourself and to heck with the negativity. I have heard it all from friends and family. First I was fat now I am too thin, have decided that I am the only person I need to please and frankly, I love the new me and who ever doesn't can just..........................kiss......................! Believe in yourself and you will be successful, do this for you and only you, stay focused and develop a healthy life style. It is worth it and you will feel wonderful! Good luck to you!

Your weight loss is great, don't expect it to fall off quickly. With lap band losing 1-2 lbs a week or less is pretty typical. Increasing your activity and increasing your protein as you become more active will help you to burn calories. It has taken me 22 months to lose 113 lbs and those results are not typical. If you read the literature it will say 40-50% of total weight loss is the normal expectation. Remain focused and set realistic goals for your self. Small mile stones should be celebrated. Good luck and you are doing great!

Ignore them. I am proof that it can be done and there are many more like me out there. Yes it is hard work, yes it has taken me almost 2 years. Everyone's personal success is just that, they do say a 40% weight loss is good with lap band but I have set out to prove them all wrong. I will get to my ideal body weight. I am determined, my surgeon gave me a tool and I am using it to it's full potential and working my butt off to get to where I want to be. Just follow the rules, adopt a healthy life style and prove them all wrong. Gets them every time, my new philosophy is put up or shut up. Good luck to you and all of you, you can do this, you are all worth it!

Happy Wednesday everyone. Today I want to offer some encouragement to all the new bandsters and all that have been working hard on their weight loss. While cleaning out the closet I found these pants that I "USED" to wear and they were tight before I stated my journey. I have now lost a total of 112 lbs, (Banded in October 2010) This has been an eye opening experience, I never realized how unhealthy I was or how badly I ate. I wish I could say my journey was over but I know that my true journey is just beginning. I now must maintain this new me, I must learn from the past year and rely less on my band and more on the new behaviors I have been drilling into my brain. Portion Control, Protein first and "No Snacking Between Meals" and let's don't forget daily exercise and if not daily at least 3-4 times a week. This is my life now, "Learning to Stay Healthy" This journey has given me back so much, when I started I was not only morbidly obese but I had sleep apnea, I was on multiple medications for asthma and hypertension. I have none of those issues now. I must admit getting here was a journey but being here is both rewarding and scary. The band has worked well for me, it has it's ups and downs but I have learned to work through them and have modified my eating and life style. I love my cyber family and all the support and encouragement they have given me and hope I can pay it back ten times over. Happy Wednesday! Picture # 2 is me standing inside of one leg, yes one leg of my size 24 draw string jeans. (I am sure we all have a pair or had a pair of these) Picture # 1 is me in my small top and size 4 linen (no stretch pants)

Awesome, your walking on the trea mill will pay off. I started out just walking in my neighborhood and than progressed to my treadmill and than to a gym working out with weights. I can now do things I never thought I would be able to do. Starting an exercise program early is so key to your success. Keep the positive attitude and making sure your getting your protein. In the early stages prior to your first fill it is normal to feel hungry. Best of luck to you.

Forgive yourself and move forward. I hope things get better for you in the job market.Keep positive and use your energy to believe in your self.

Nice to see so many new face's on LBT. I have the day off today so I was trying to catch up on the web site. It is nice to see some old friends and some new faces. I am Diane and I was banded on October of 2010. I have now lost 112 lbs and am 8 lbs from my ideal body weight, a healthy BMI and healthy percent body fat. My journey like all WLS patients has had it's ups and downs. I have had my share of plateaus and difficulties and I can not tell you how much this web site and the people on her who are now friends have helped me. I have been a silent stalker and finally an active participant. In the beginning I didn't feel I had much to share so I read, listened and tried to learn all I could about my body and lap band. lap band got me started on this journey but after the initial 50 lbs the work really starts, honestly having lap band is just a little insurance.(sorry if you did not realize this but it is true) It is like having an extra conscious, that says,"Now you know you have eaten enough and if you take one more bite I am going to make your throw up if you take one more bite" "See I told you" I still have days when my eyes are wanting way more than my tummy will hold, and my 3rd conscious (hubby) says, Di ya gotta lot of food on your plate, you know you can't eat all that. I hate it but he is right. I can not say enough about my family, friends, co-workers and cyber friends. With out all of their support I would never have made it. They have held me accountable and challenged me when I felt things were stalled. Hard work, dedication, goal setting and sticking to the program works. The old saying is so true, "You are what you eat!" I love eating healthy now, I feel so much better, I have so much more energy and I am off all of my asthma medications and blood pressure medications. I never thought that would happen! I love exercising and I love working out with a trainer. Yes it is hard work, yes it takes commitment and yes it is also expensive but I made the financial cuts in my daily life because my health is worth this, I deserve to be healthy. I am thin now, WOW, can't believe I said that but I do have to admit, I am thin. I wear size 4" and 6's, I have no boobs left, (but a really sexy bra from Victoria's Secret with some sexy panties) I do have a little loose skin on my upper thighs and tummy could be tighter. But hey my arms look awesome and with "Justin's" drilling in the gym I will tighten up the other areas in due time. Will I be perfect, "Hell to the No" but you know what for a 56 year old lady who used to weight 252 lbs and wear a size 24 I look pretty damn good. Soooo. lapbander's new and old my words of wisdom to you are: Love yourself, believe in yourself, never lose site of your goal. This is not a "DIET", this is a life time commitment to living a healthier life style. This is about beating the odds, this is about being accountable to yourself. We can lie to ever one else and say, yes I am following the rules when In our hearts we know we can give more. How bad do you really want this? How much are you willing to give? After all it is your life! I am giving this 100% plus, I am so worth all the hard work, dedication and commitment. Remember you are worth it also, give your self a break, forgive your self for what went wrong yesterday and move forward. If you dwell in the past you will never have a future. Hugs and Best Wishes to all my cyber friends, thank you for all your support and encouragement!

Carie, Here goes... Can you meet with a nutritionist? If so they can really help you plan your meals. If not a good resources is the original lap band web site and it sorta gives you some examples of how much of each food group to eat. if you have lost 60 lbs since surgery, this is awesome, about gaining 10lbs back, in order to lose 1 lb of weight you need to eat 3,500 calories less per week than your body utilizes. it might help you if you had an understanding of how your body burns calories just to maintain normal stasis. For example, I am 5'1" tall, I currently weigh 140 lbs. I know I need 1757 calories just to maintain this weight, I plan my daily meals on a 1257 calorie a day diet. that is 500 calories less than my body needs. I have a lightly active life style, a sedentary job. I do exercise with a trainer 3 days a week to lift weights and do cardio. All of those factors taken into consideration, I lose on an average .8-1 lb per week depending on activity and how much protein I eat. Protein, that is the other key thing to weight lose, I eat between 80-100 gms of protein a day. Stress will effect weight loss. I think one of the hardest things for all of us to learn with lap band is that it is not the fix all for losing weight, it really is just a tool. I call it my insurance policy, my safety net to keep me from falling. (Kinda like a tight rope walker) I have been banded since October 2010. I have only had 3 fills. Yes sometimes I get hungry, yes sometimes I feel like I could eat my way through the fridge. But I did not go through all the pain and agony of WLS to gain my weight back, fighting head hunger is hard and it is a real issues sometimes. Do you log your foods, do you measure what you eat? Have you cleared your cupboards of all the tempting foods that are your triggers to over eat. We are like addicts, just our drugs are legal. Now an addict in recovery wouldn't keep a drug around, so we should not keep our tempting foods around. My temptations are dark chocolate and potato chips. I have never met a chip I did not love. So do a little internet goggle on weight loss and burning calories. I also recommend Myfitnesspal.com. It can help you get started figuring out how much you need to eat to lose weight, also there is a large group of us from lapbandtalk on there supporting each other and we make our food diaries public so we can learn from each other. This is a process and it is a life style change, embrace your success and make a commitment to use the band as the tool not as the main focus of your journey to a healthier, happier you. Good luck and if you want to join us my user name is the same as it is on this web site. Diane