2012

I quit 8 mths ago. I used E-cigs also. They have a couple different % of nicotine I started at the highest and went to the lowest, and then slowly tapered down how much I smoked. I got down to about a couple drags every once in awhile and then none. It was easier than I expected, easier than all the other times. Now I just have to never pick one up. That is the hard part. But so far so good I get banded the 28th of May.

2012ALM and look up my fitness pal on LBT in the forums and you will find at least 2 threads full of friends.

Thank you Lisa, much appreciated!!

I weigh myself every morning, but I only record it when I have a loss. Obviously, I don't lose every single day, and there are times I can go up to 2 weeks without a loss. When I do stall, I always stay within a few pounds of my lowest weight, so I know it's not a true gain. I just know that as long as I'm sticking to the rules, eating within my calories, and exercising my weight will eventually go down.

If you can do it, I would do it. It makes your liver smaller and having a smaller liver makes it easier on the surgeon doing the surgery. It's also a nice detox for getting used to less food, sugars, caffeine, carbonation, etc.

I bought a Cuisenart from Sears $150.
The research I did said that Brieville is the best and Cuisenart a very close 2nd.
Basically you need to be in that $150-$200 range to get a good one that will extract the most juice.
I'm not following any real recipes.
My local juice bar has their drinks/ingredients on the take home menu. I've just been trying to follow what they do.
You want to really want to wash the produce.
When juicing, I've learned that celery will overpower just about everything.
Beet juice-spinach-carrot-green apple-pear is pretty good.
Yesterday I did pineapple-mango-line-green apple-pear. Now that was GOOD!!!

Really? Let's turn that around....if you had no lead in your pencil anymore, is it ok for your wife to go elsewhere? Or would you believe in honor, understanding, commitment, dare I say love? And the huge one: self respect, self esteem.

I'd dump his selfish sorry @ss so he could do whoever and whatever he wanted.
Who'd want someone so shallow and selfish they would even consider going outside the relationship just because things got tough?

To 2012 This has not been a "movtiation" issue for me at all! I eat what I can and let the rest go...I'm not tempted to over-eat because when the pipe is full, there ain't room for anything else! And I do have to give you KUDOS for 92 lbs lost!! WOW! I know the rest of us will be so happy to see our goals get closer. I figure I'm more than 1/2 way there...you are doing AWESOME! Do whatever it takes to get to your goal. Just keep reminding yourself how much has changed for you since 92 lbs ago, and how much better it will be when you are where you want to be!
NOW, I will say that I can really put away the ice cream!! So what I cannot eat in VOLUME, I can make up for in CALORIES!! Suffice it to say, THAT is where any "motivation" comes from -- staying away from the freezer!
I do really love sherbet, tho, so I eat that w/ little remorse. Its FF, and one cone will do the trick.
Marie...I think my Dr told me I was at about 1.5cc!! I have trouble enough with that...I can't imagine trying to eat w/ a tighter band.
Linda...that's exactly where I was before this last adjustment. I "think" I might be in the Green Zone I've heard about. I am losing - which is what we want, right??? -- and there are things I simply avoid altogether. The risk of it getting stuck is just not worth it, esp if I am in a group setting. I did have a couple episodes of that last week when the Hub and I were in Maui...Had to excuse myself and almost RUN to the restroom to try and get it taken care of.
Once I do - either get it down or out - I am fine, and can eat a bit more. I am pretty sure I did lose another 2 lbs, so it is working.
The weather is FINALLY warming up here in Indy, so I am closer to getting outside to walk. I know that'll help things, too.
I am motivated - but this "brick wall boundary" has done that for me. I am rarely hungry, and I find that very little will do the trick.
One thing I have noticed is the reality of having to let go of certain things - or at least how I ate them in the past. For instance, I can no longer take a big bite of a hamburger, and savor the taste of it. The risk is that too much will want to slide down the hatch and it will NOT go all the way down.
Most foods I love can no longer really be "enjoyed" - I do miss that. And by the time I do get it all down, (IF I get it all down = rarely), its stone-cold. That's been a kill-joy in the pleasure of eating. Eating has just lost its "fun" - does that make sense? Oh well...its worth it.
Hang in there everyone. Best wishes for continued success and feeling better than ever!
K.

Since you are newly banded and it's the first day for solids, I would stay away from steak. Steak is harder for banded people to eat and you really should learn and get more comfortable with eating solids before you eat something like this in front of others. I would suggest getting Soup or something softer to start with. Once you've been banded awhile and get the hang of eating with the band, then I would give a steak a go.

Since you are newly banded and it's the first day for solids, I would stay away from steak. Steak is harder for banded people to eat and you really should learn and get more comfortable with eating solids before you eat something like this in front of others. I would suggest getting Soup or something softer to start with. Once you've been banded awhile and get the hang of eating with the band, then I would give a steak a go.

Knox private will definitaly be the go then!

Before and after, down 92lbs as of this past Sunday:

I can only speak for myself, but because I've lost over 200 pounds and my tummy apron is so big it interferes with my daily activity. Plus, I have some rather large hernias that need to be fixed so my doctor is doing it all at once.
My doc says with the amount of weight I still have to lose, as long as I work to keep my tummy tone it will shrink right along with me.

Stept, Do you really need to ask if any of us have problems losing weight? We all do or we wouldn't have this surgery! Sorry, just giving you a hard time
"I read the band tricks the body into thinking it is not in starvation mode thus speeding up the metabolism" ???
Nope. The band only slows the passing of food through a small pouch. Nerve endings in the small pouch send signals to your brain that you've eaten enough and dims your appetitie. That's it in a nutshell. It doesn't restrict how much you can eat, it doesn't store food in your pouch, it doesn't make you eat less, it only helps you to know when you've eaten enough.
There's so much more than just this and you will have to read this forum to learn more or buy Jean McMillans book "Bandwagon" or Alex's book "The Big Book on the Lap-Band". link is below.

I'm 3.5 weeks post op and cleared to eat most things, as long as I take small bites and chew chew chew. But still, I was apprehensive about going out to eat. I'd read so many posts about people getting stuck when in a restaurant, or always scoping out where the restroom was in case they had to leave the table to bring something up.
But we had lunch out today and everything went really well! I'm so pleased! My restaurant experience was fantastic, notably because with my band, I don't have to be counting points or agonizing over the choice of restaurant (do they have low-cal options, big salads, a fruit plate, etc?) I so thrilled to be out of this "special diet" mentality (all while making band-appropriate choices, of course).
The biggest and greatest difference between eating out with a band and eating out while following a "traditional calorie-limiting diet" is I had no sense of deprivation before, during or after the meal. I ordered chicken breast with a balsamic vinegar reduction sauce, and a baked potato. I cut up my chicken into little pieces, swirled them around in the lovely sauce, and spooned out a bit of the potato from its skin. I could only eat 1/2 the portion (and portions where I live--in France--are small to begin with compared restaurant servings in the States) and it was perfect. (I gave the other half to my BF to avoid comments from the chef. This is not a good longterm strategy, however, because my BF does not need to be eating both his meal and 1/2 of mine.)
I left the table feeling completely satisfied and, more importantly, I really enjoyed what I ate. I didn't have to order the "lowest calorie option", nor pester the chef with a million requests ("no oil, no butter, just poach the chicken breast in Water for me please ").
If I ever had any doubt that I made the right choice for myself when I chose Lapband surgery, today's experience proved that this decision I made was a positive, life-enhancing one. How wonderful to eat a small amount, feel satisfied, and not leave the table saying to myself "Why can't I eat like everybody else?" Because with the band, I can. Just smaller portions.

Good, glad to hear it I have to switch back and forth between 2 different browsers depending on what website I'm on, it's a pain, but it works.

Staying on the post surgery diet has nothing to do with weight loss. The band was sewn into your stomach and by eating large meals with solid food at this point could cause the sutures to tear away and cause your band to slip.

You're right...you messed up...you missed your chance.......NOT!......
You were just banded....what do you think is going to be different today than what is was before March 29th ?
The early phase of this is VERY hard...as though there is no band at all....that's why it is adjustable. Over the next few months it will get better as the band is adjusted.....
In my case it took a good 4 months of "White Knuckling" it, then another 2 months getting it figured out.....
Go EASY on yourself....we have ALL been there...if anyone says they were not, then they did not need Weight Loss Surgery.....

Great job Missy, you look great! I'm so happy for you!

But if you're staying between 1200-1400 calories a day, how much Fluid that is in your band is irrelevant. The band doesn't make you lose weight, burning more calories than you consume is what makes you lose weight. The band is there to help control your appetite.
Being as you're already monitoring calories and not losing, I really think it's important you see your primary care doctor and get a full physical and blood work up to make sure there isn't something medical stopping you from losing weight.

I think it's okay, but I don't like how they mention that it's even good for those who have as little as 30 lbs to lose.

I think it's okay, but I don't like how they mention that it's even good for those who have as little as 30 lbs to lose.

I think it's okay, but I don't like how they mention that it's even good for those who have as little as 30 lbs to lose.