Thats All Folks

I actually asked my nutritionist about "starvation mode". What people dieting refer to as "starvation mode" isn't actually starvation at all. It's more like a self induced metabolic syndrome from eating too little, drastically slowing down your metabolism. True starvation is entirely different. But yes, when I eat too little, my metabolism slows dramatically. When I eat more, it runs much more efficiently. I even wrote a blog entry about my own results messing with my calories: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/blog/6349/entry-24376-calories-do-count/ Thank you for the kind words I do feel really good, better than I have in many years. I really believe the band saved my life, or my quality of life at the very least.

It was the first couple months, actually. I think I averaged about 20 pounds a month the first 6 months. I've lost 175 pounds in about 11 months, so it is rather a lot relatively quickly. As far as other factors, oh yes, there's tons. For instance, salt intake. It can blow you right up with water weight. Another factor is exercise, because while a pound of feathers is the same as a pound of lead, muscle is much denser and compact than fat. So, you can shrink in inches but not see the scale move because you're replacing fat with muscle. Hormones are another factor, and I don't just mean female (obviously not for you anyway lol). You will find your own little triggers and road blocks, too. For instance, I realize I simply cannot eat after 6pm and lose. I also found I can't lose on less than 1000 calories a day and actually need to stay around 1200. But that's just "my things", it doesn't apply to everyone. You'll find "your things" too. Best wishes

It is really drastic actually lol. I have been told my old pics look like "my fat cousin" or some other relative but not at all like me now. I had pics up here for quite a awhile but recently took them down. Maybe I'll post more soon.

Well, you are correct as far as math. The bottom line is, if you consume less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. With that said, the human body isn't so logical I've lost as much as 27 pounds in a month and as little as 7 pounds in a month. There is literally zero difference in my diet and exercise between months. I'm actually pretty strict with myself so it's not a matter of cheating either. Still, there's a huge difference, right? That's because while the math is correct, there's a lot of biology that math doesn't take into account. If your body was a machine, you'd be all set, but because you're human expect some surprises along the way, both good and bad. Most surgeon say to expect/aim for a 1-2 pound per week loss. I think that's very realistic and anything beyond that is just bonus. Best wishes to you

I eat sandwiches, but if they have really thick bread, I eat them with a fork so I can more easily control my bite size.

Very interesting research study released that I thought I'd share. (CBS) Is loading up on lots of Protein the best way to lose weight? Some dieters think increasing or cutting back on protein will trick the body's metabolism into causing weight loss. But a new study suggests if you're going to eat a lot, changing the amount of protein in your diet probably won't help you lose weight. In fact, too little protein might make you fatter. "You don't fool nature by adding more or less protein," study author Dr. George Bray, an obesity researcher Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, told Health.com. "You may fool the scale, but you don't fool the metabolic processes which store excess calories as fat." For the study, published in the Jan. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers took 25 healthy, normal-weight men and women between the ages of 18 and 35, and put them on either a low protein diet where 5 percent of their caloric intake came from Proteins, a normal protein diet (15 percent from proteins), or a high protein diet (25 percent from proteins) for about 12 weeks. The researchers overfed the study participants by nearly an extra 1,000 calories for the last eight weeks of the study to see whether the amount of protein had an effect on excess calories when it came to weight gain. By study's end, all participants gained weight, regardless of diet. Those who ate a low protein diet gained about half as much weight as those eating the normal protein and high protein diets. But the researchers found those eating less protein saw reductions in their lean body mass, and stored a higher percentage of calories as fat. Those overeating a high protein diet gained more lean body mass and stored fewer calories as fat. "You may gain less weight by overeating on a low-protein diet, but it's because you lose lean body mass, not because you store less fat," study author Dr. George Bray, an obesity researcher Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, told USA Today. The bottom line? Overeating - regardless of the amount of protein in your diet - will cause you to gain weight. "Most people are overeating and for those people who are, they need to pay attention to what they are putting into their mouths," study co-author Dr. Leanne Redman, an assistant professor of endocrinology at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., told HealthDay. "If you overeat a high-fat, low-protein diet, you may gain weight at a lower rate, but you are gaining more fat and losing more muscle." http://www.cbsnews.c...or-weight-loss/

Merry Christmas and a blessed year ahead to everyone!

It's rough in the beginning, that's for sure, especially before you have adequate Fluid in your band. You said you don't feel like you're eating a lot. Are you counting calories? If not, you really should. Just because you're eating less food doesn't mean you're eating less calories. People who don't count calories and struggle with weight loss are usually shocked when they do start counting. Plus, when you're counting calories, it makes a lot easier to see problem areas in your daily diet routine. Best wishes,

I made 6 dozen cookies today. I didn't have any, however, I definitely am on Christmas.

When is the last time you saw your surgeon? It sounds like your band placement needs to be checked.

Yes actually, it's happened to me a couple times. The worst part is, if I go way beyond hungry into truly over-hungry, my band tightens up on me making eating a slow difficult process.

Did that eliminate the coughing and reflux?

That's odd, because Beans are very good for you. Is it just during the healing phases of the post op diet, or no beans forever? Does it specify a certain type of beans to be off limits? I'd ask your nutritionist the reason for banning beans.

Actually, any surgery can lead to hair loss. It's the drugs they pump into you during and after surgery, specifically anesthetic. This is why so many band patients lose hair 3-6 months after surgery, I would start Biotin a month before surgery to try to lessen the effects.

B-52 is dead on correct. You can definitely have too much Protein and it can have very bad consequences. I actually had this happen to me. Many years ago, I tried the Atkins diet. I lost about 40 pounds but I ended up in the ER with a raging kidney infection. Apparently I had a build up of protein in my kidneys/urine and it had a toxic effect. I was very sick for a couple days, it wasn't fun. Talk to your nutritionist and find out the recommended minimum and maximum amounts of protein that is necessary for you.

I'm no doctor, but I would increase your calories a little rather cut your exercise.

Always talk to your doctor to get his clearance. Pill size matters. If it's small, you should be fine. If it's larger, be extremely cautious. Always consult your pharmacist before crushing any pills. Some pills are time release and crushing them will cause them to be absorbed too quickly, leading to accidental overdose.

Yes, it could. Not that you threw up due to drainage, but because you have an active infection in your body and could throw up after surgery because of it. Definitely let your surgeon know you're sick ASAP. It's always better safe than sorry.

Well a couple things. The first 4-6 weeks post surgery are for healing, not losing, so I'm more than a little shocked your surgeon gave you a weight loss goal for the first month after surgery. The body has been through a lot and needs time to heal, not to mention the post op surgery diet phases aren't very helpful for losing. With that said, I did lose consistently even during the post op diet phases. The way I lost is by religiously counting calories- which I still do to this very day 11 months later. So, if you want to lose during the healing phase, counting calories is what I'd suggest.

When is the last time you had it checked? I worry you are showing signs of a slip, which would explain the night reflux as well as the weight gain. I'd get into your surgeon ASAP. Best wishes to you.

Given the choice, I'd definitely have it done at home. As stated by LoveTheNewMe, aftercare is a huge and important part of the Lap Band process. Unfortunately, I see a great number of people who go to Mexico get the surgery with very little pre-op information and almost no post op direction. They're left to figure it out for themselves. I'm sure there are some that's not the case for, but the majority I see posting on here, it is. The other issue is trying to find a doctor to give you fills once you're home. A lot of American doctors won't touch a patient banded in Mexico, so if you do decide to go there, be sure you've already found a doctor at home to care for you after first. Best wishes

I am so incredibly excited for you. You've worked so hard and come so far, you totally deserve this. I can't wait to see your fabulous results in the weeks to come. You will be in my constant thoughts and prayers over the next week. Let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it. ((hugs))

You're definitely in bandster hell, I don't miss that all. Ugh. A couple things struck me about your post. Don't expect the band to restrict your food intake. You mentioned in more than place how you could eat large quantities without being stuck or vomiting. That isn't abnormal. In fact, that's exactly why it's so important to stick to a cup or less of food per meal to make sure we don't accidentally over-eat. The band is supposed to control our hunger, not control our portions. Here's a really good link I think may help you: http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html Now as far as the hunger, that IS the band's job to help you control. Being early in your journey, I'm not surprised right now it's a struggle. The only way I was able to lose weight without starving to death during bandster hell was by concentrating on calories rather than meals. There was no way in heck I was going to be able to make it on just 3 meals a day. So, I spread my calories out throughout the day to allow me to eat every 2 hours. It wasn't always easy, but it did work. Best wishes to you!

Have you had any fills yet? Prior to having adequate Fluid in the band, it's hard because your hunger isn't satiated. I found concentrating on calories rather than meals helped me to control hunger and still lose before I had fills. If I was focusing on 1200 calories a day, I'd spread it out so I could eat every 2 hours. For me, it worked. I continued to lose even before I had fills. Hang in there, it gets easier.

I can definitely notice mine more and I'm still not done losing. When I was first banded, I couldn't even feel it if I pushed around. Now, I can see it when I tighten my tummy and simply look down. (with no shirt on, not through clothes) I honestly don't care, even if it shows more in the months to come. I figure it's like a little badge of honor "Look! I've lost so much tummy fat you can see my port!"