brenty

coffee is good in moderation. Just keep in mind that every cup you drink dehydrates two cups of Water from your body. In the summer especially, this can really add up, so just make sure you're getting enough water with your coffee!

I think it's important to remember that, while we have a lot in common, everyone is unique. What 'clicks' for me may not hit the spot for you.
My wife smoked for 15 years and tried to quit at least 5 times that I'm aware of (and I haven't known her all that time!) My struggle with food and managing my weight is the closest I can come to understanding what that must have been like for her, but in the end we both did it.
Never give up! You just have to keep trying until you find what works for you. It is worth it. YOU are worth it!
Personally, it was a matter of changing my unhealthy habits to healthier ones over time. If I moved too quickly, I just got frustrated and ended up back at square one.
Weighing myself every day and logging my food and exercise allowed me to identify patterns -- both good and bad -- and make adjustments to get more of the results I wanted and avoid setbacks as much as possible.
This was a lot of 'two steps forward, one step back', but over time I could see that I was getting somewhere...which motivated me to try even harder.
Sure, I'd screw up sometimes. I still do. But I don't have to do it every day. I know that if I mess up today and eat too much of things I shouldn't that I just need to try harder tomorrow and the next day.
We all lose some battles, but if we keep at it and we'll win the war!

Unless you're immobile, your resting metabolic rate is almost certainly above 1200. If your body burns more calories than it consumes, you will lose weight.
The tricky part is that your body can and will consume muscle tissue for energy 'as needed' -- which is what 'starvation mode' is about.
Protein is super important, but it is even more critical that you consume enough in your diet while restricting to lose weight so that you're losing fat and not muscle.
A person who is trying to maintain their weight needs approximately a half gram of Protein per day per pound of body weight. But when your body is operating on a limited calorie budget, 1.5 to 2 times that is needed to ensure that your muscle mass is maintained.
And the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns daily even without exercise, which is a beautiful thing if you ask me.

I like the Premier Protein shakes from costco. They are the pre made ones that I can grab and go. They are creamy and smooth. I dont like the powders because they tend to be too grainy for me. The best advice is to try several and find which YOU like the best.

The important thing about breakfast isn't loading up on calories, it's jumpstarting your metabolism and fueling yourself with nutrients you need after a (hopefully) restful night without food. As long as you're getting a good helping of everything your body needs (protein, Vitamins, and minerals) you'll be off to a great start!
Personally, I can't stand having much more than a shake when I first get up anyway. I don't want to feel sluggish while my body digests something too 'involved' at the start of the day.
To this day, I still get that guilty feeling from time to time.

Jolly - I don't have a routine per se. Mixing it up keeps me going. If I really don't feel like jogging outside, I'll do a training session with the Xbox Kinect. If that doesn't sound appealing, I'll put my iPod on and hit the elliptical. I seriously dislike gyms and organized exercise, so I find things to do on my own.

I agree! I still have to force myself to exercise, but once I do, I feel amazing. It is a part of my life now.

I was banded 6/28 and now that I am feeling better I am always thinking about what exercise I am going to do when I get home from work. I have never been the one to jump on the treadmill or ride my bike, but now I am starting to like it and fitting it into my daily routine

i try to make sure i have breakfast. if i find at the end of the day i didn't get enough Protein, i'll have a Protein Shake then. it also tricks my food-addicted-brain into thinking it's having a milkshake LOL

Drinking "free fluids" (SF/FF) does help with helping to manage your hunger. I still keep a bottle of Water with me, and sip from it frequently...

keep drinking. (or eat sf popsicles, sf pudding, broths, drained soups).

I have to be around 900 to 1000 to lose. But I have heard you should fluxuate your numbers so your body doesnt adjust. For example, one day I would eat around 800, then 900, then 800, then 1100......
Everybody is different. I would be happy if I could eat 1500 and still lose!

yes, you need to find the balance. Where your body doesn't think you are starving. Lots of people I know add 200 calories when they stop losing so their body doesn't go into starvation mode. If it works for you do it. Funny how the body adjusts because at 1200 calories you'd think the weight would fall off!

Some Greek yogurts are better than others I'm finding. Aldis has a Greek yogurt, pineapple flavored. It's my favorite. Maybe Greek yogurt is an acquired taste?

Try everything! Do you have any friends that do any group exercise classes? I am not someone that likes to go to classes alone so it helps to go with a friend. Do lots of different things to see what you enjoy. The more you change up your routine the less likely you will get bored with it. I have a bike and I try to ride a couple days a week I try to swim a couple days a week and I really try to walk some every day. My daughter and I have tried all kinds of classes from Zumba to yoga and very time I finish a class I feel like I have accomplished something. Classes seem to push me to do more than I would if I was just exercising by myself. Good luck to you.

I haven't found a ready-mixed shake that was as affordable as a powder that you mix yourself. Besides, I like to experiment with mine. It's just more fun that way!

From my own experience, I think the best overall advice is to do something. Start small. Push yourself. Go a little bit farther every day -- that applies to running, lifting, cardio.
Just be aware that as you lose weight, you will burn fewer calories doing the same workout. Fortunately, as you build muscle your resting metabolic rate will be higher.
Varying exercise is important not just to keep your body on it's toes, but to keep you from getting bored. On the other hand, if you find something that works for you, just keep doing it!

I get super bored walking or running most of the time, so I've found that listening to audiobooks and podcasts really passes the time and keeps my brain engaged.
On the other hand, walking to GET somewhere at least feels purposeful (and there can be nice scenery!) so I try to walk everywhere I can to try to sneak in some extra exercise. Especially if it is sunny and breezy!

25 pounds is some serious progress! That's great!
I know exactly what you mean about nutrition and food choices. As hard as it was to get into exercising regularly, I struggled with that even more. It is so much more crucial that we get the nutrition we need, but it can be so much harder in a low-calorie diet.
Having fruits and vegetables handy and eating a lot of soy (high Protein and low fat!) in all forms really helped, but like Jeani said, nutritional supplements (multivitamins, etc.) can help take a lot of the guesswork out when it comes to Vitamins and minerals -- which allows you to focus on putting good things into your body. When I got on my nutrition program it made a huge difference in my energy, and saved me a lot of headache.
It is also really helpful if you use a food logging tool like Lose It! or MyFitnessPal. If you're consistent with logging, it will show you what you're doing well and where you need to improve when it comes to daily food and nutrient intake.

Protein, Veggies, and fruit should be the staples of every meal. Also - your nutritionist could be your best friend at this point. I was able to email the one I met with pre-op with questions. Can you do that with yours?

My doctor said to only eat between a 1/2 cup to a cup of food. Always put Protein first then small amount of veggies. I take Vitamins to make sure I'm getting the nutrients. I cut out all empty calories which is. Calories from food that isn't giving your body nutrients. My surgeon has a nutritionist working with him so maybe you could visit one. It helps to clear up any questions about nutrition.

I am there with you- I have the hardest time counting calories and know I need to do it and create that habit

My Dr allows them. However, he says to watch the carbs in them b/c some have way too many carbs so basically you would be eating a candy bar!

I use loseit.com because the mobile app is convenient and can sync with my fitbit account. It also has a nifty barcode scanner.

I'm a big fan of lose it.com