Cassy

For those of you who are struggling I thought I would give a few words of encouragement. I've hit several plateaus in all of this when I've thought I was ok to start eating whatever I felt like eating. I find if I stick to eating high protein (mostly high protein shakes and yogurt with one food meal a day) that I stay on the weight loss track. I highly suggest the following items as a daily routine to help you have a plan and stick with it. Bring it with you every day so you instinctively buy, stock, and reach for the same items that you like to eat. This is my daily routing except for weekends where I tend to use as my free days: 1-2 Atkins ready to drink shakes per day(15g per shake + fiber) Sugar free red bull energy shot (2 cals, no carbonation) 1 New Whey protein (42 grams per tube) 1 Voskos Greek Yogurt (13 grams of protein) 1 Bowl of high vitamin cereal a day (Special K, Total, Product 19) 1 serving low carb high protein nuts & seeds mix (below) largest water bottle I can carry (whole days water at my fingertips so I can see where I'm at all day) soups/stews with a campbells soup base (can add benefiber or similar to make fiber content higher without chance of PB) Your one food meal of the day should be as high in fiber and filling as possible eaten early in the evening to keep you from snacking. also, I have found that as my band gets tighter I can't tolerate hard food until around noon so I've made myself a rule that I only do liquids til noon so I don't get to the BP'ing while also keeping on my water... so, I do the following order for the day and it works well: Water on waking - keep it right beside the bed(6am) coffee with half and half and sugar free vanilla or Red bull sugar free energy shot (2 cals) (7am) water again (8am) Atkins shake (8:30/9am) New whey shake (9:30/10am) Cereal with milk (10:30am/11am) or save for afternoon water or tea (noon before meal) light lunch (soup or water and Atkins shake or Voskos yogurt) water (1:00pm/1:30pm) small handful of high protein nut mix (almongs, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, shelled pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries) (2:30/3pm) water (4pm-5pm) dinner (6pm/7pm) usually soup or stew or something with a liquid component that is easy to get down without going too fast. I use campbell soups as a base, add benefiber and veggies that I can tolerate. You can also add frozen chicken and simmer for 20 minutes. Meat will be moist and you can use this to catch up on protein if you are behind for the day. If I have a craving later, I will keep low carb, low or no sugar chocolate or ice cream to satisfy any cravings. The important thing is the protein(1 gram for each pound of body weight up to half your weight, so if you are 200 lbs then you need 100 grams per day), fiber (at least 20-25 grams if not more),vitamin balance, and water Hope this helps anyone who is at a loss for a plan that works. I've been following this since I hit my first plateau in Feb of 2009 and I go back to it each time I go astray and weight comes off again. Oh yeah, and I haven't been great about exersizing either. Maybe 10-15 a day of walking. Of course, you can lose more if you do your 30 mins a day.

I get a brand with 13 grams of protein and low fat from Fresh and Easy...mix with either chopped nuts and raspberries with a little bit of honey....deelish!

Chewable Papaya Enzymes work pretty good for pushing it through if you don't want to force it up. Usually if I just bend over toward the floor it will come back up and sure enough I can tell that I didn't chew it well enough.

I am 4 days shy of my one year and I'm right around 75 lbs lost so far. If you hit a plateau, I highly suggest the no sugar, high Protein liver flush. If you do this for 7-10 days...you will lose a ton and it stays off. Your liver stores up a ton of fat when you eat badly and cutting out sugar burns it out of there first which gets all your other systems back in check. My doctor recommended this prior to surgery and any time I hit a plateau and it works. Stay away from anything with sugar in it and you will be AMAZED! I stick to no sugar meats, eggs, cheese, Atkins products and stay under 50-75 carbs a day for at least 7 days. Plenty of Water too and teas. Oh, and don't forget a ton of veggies and whatever flavoring you want except anything with sugar in it. Fiber helps the flush in any way you can get it. Aim for 35 grams a day.

Lap Band Surgery $10,000 cash Needle $1.00 Sterile Saline $5.00 F*cking up your band all by yourself...PRICELESS

I am very interested in finding out if anyone has gotten pregnant on their own after losing weight as a result of the lap band. I have almost decided that I will not pursue fertility drugs because of my age but I'm wondering if there is any chance that it will happen without fertility drugs.

Can I ask a bizarre question? Have any of you noticed that there is an equally large group of strange people that either stare at you or talk to you about random things vs. those that spoke to you before when you were heavier? I used to always get the misfit people who would talk with me or would make eye contact for whatever reason and now I get people who would not normally have spoken to me but they say or do the strangest things. It is throwing off my whole perception of normal. I think I liked the first group better. Is it just me? :thumbup:

I hear you 110%...I thought about the surgery for 5 years, in the last two years of that time I saved every bit I could to get the surgery with Dr. K. I maxed out my flexible spending account and send him small payments to set aside the money. I even borrowed from people and sold some of my stuff. I did whatever it took. Whatever amount of time it takes you to get there will be worth it - I can assure you of that. Plus, I think if you have to work harder to get there then you will put in the work necessary to lose the weight once you have the band. I started with Dr. K's liver shrinking diet and practicing chewing and putting down my fork and lost 20 pounds in one month. Maybe try that on and off to get a jump start. Really, if you start getting in lean Protein at about a half gram per pound of body weight and you eat around 25-30 grams of Fiber a day with tons of Water...you will lose weight. The only added value of the band is it physically keeps you from overeating at any one sitting. You can do it!

Hello, You all seem to be very successful with your eating plans and exersize. Would you mind sharing a typical day with me? I need to get back on track and I need some input from others. Thanks!

Before: 1st pic is me, miserable in Hawaii at 272 lbs 2nd pic, same place, same time, same baggage 3rd pic - worst of all! After: face after 65 pounds lost/9 months out (06/09) full length after 50 pounds (05/09)

I just realized I've gotten really lazy since it started getting hot. I've been blaming it on the heat and I'm really just being lame about it. I hear others talking about being 5 pounds from goal and it makes me cringe. I'm at 9 months and barely at 65 pounds. I better get on it!

I just realized I've gotten really lazy since it started getting hot. I've been blaming it on the heat and I'm really just being lame about it. I hear others talking about being 5 pounds from goal and it makes me cringe. I'm at 9 months and barely at 65 pounds. I better get on it!

I can't see your tracker at livestrong. What is a typical day of meals and exersize for you?

Vegas...can you tell me more about the sleeve? I am interested in hearing about this. I see it mentioned here and there but I don't understand how it works.

I used this site and a few other websites related to weight loss surgeries in addition to medical background tools online. You can also find out a lot from calling the doctors offices and asking questions. I tended to trust my own personal experience when calling the doctor coupled with experiences of people on this site. My Doctor, Kirshenbaum in Colorado had successfully helped close to a thousand people who were on this site which made it a pretty easy choice but I didn't find him until I had done a ton of checking in Mexico and the US.

You are always welcome. This is a great group and no one will have an issue with you coming at all. We're all here to support each other in our own journey...whichever path we decide to take.

Try salad greens, feta, blue cheese, or gorgonzola, a sprinkle of dried cranberries, walnuts or almond slivers, balsamic dressing. Yummy! ...and chicken breast

How is mid June looking for a meetup? I'm working to get in touch with FeliciaLevy...our usual planner to see if she's in. In the meantime, where do we want to go? I'm thinking June 13th/14th or 20th/21st. Preferences?

For anyone needing to do cash pay, I highly recommend my surgeon, Dr Kirshenbaum. He is in Denver (a 45 minute plane ride away) and he's been doing gastro medicine since 1977 and laparoscopic medicine since it started in the early 90's. His cost for everything included (pre-op, operation, surgery center, post-op check) is $9,950. His complication rate is miniscule and his aftercare is free for 3 months post-op and $15 per visit after that. Yes, that's $15. I have been doing my fills through FillCentersUsa with Dr Ricciardi here in Las Vegas and couldn't be happier (I needed fills every month to get me to the sweet spot so it was cheaper to go with a doc close by) These fills run $130 or you can do a annual package for a little cheaper. I decided to go with Dr. K because the $26-$30K cash pay price here in Vegas put the surgery out of reach for me. You can check out Dr. Kirshenbaum by running a search on this website...there are tons of threads about him and his patients. Also, www.lapbandrockies.com

Hey rockstar! I just saw your YouTube videos and I am so jealous of your 127 pounds. You are going to have to write down what you are eating for me. I am hovering around 70 in 8 months...although I haven't been working out so I guess I'm my own worst enemy. I have your stat books and we need to have a get together. Can we set something up for mid June? I see some newbies on here that are interested in joining.

Hi BioTeacher! Have you ever been testing for Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome or Metabolic Syndrome? Based on what you have experienced I would say that you might be experiencing a difficulty that I have also experienced. I had a hell of a time in the beginning because the band books I was following said to go low fat and low this and that...it wasn't working and I didn't have any restriction for the first 6 months (6 fills). It wasn't until I got a new fill doctor and my 7th and 8th fill that I really started experiencing success. I knew I had PCOS but I didn't realize that if you have any kind of metabolic syndrome that the low fat approaches will not work. This new doc told me that I had to get in enough protein and fiber to kick start and fuel a metabolism that was completely headed in the wrong direction. He said one gram of protein for each half pound of body weight. So basically you can figure out how many grams of protein you need every day by divinding your weight in two. Mine was 230/2 =115 grams per day. Try it and see if it works for you. It did for me. I highly recommend the following items that will help you kick start your metabolism: 1.) Week 1 and 2 - reduce your carb intake to less than 50 grams per day eat only vegetables, meats, cheeses, and low carb shakes or bars with no sugar- gradually work your way up in protein intake by 20-30 grams per day until you are at the amount you should be taking in based on your weight calculation. Put your fork or spoon down in between bites and chew 12-15 times per bite. Don't bother bringing a drink to the table when you're eating...this prevents you filling up on liquid. Steer clear of all sugar in fruits, no yogurt, no processed foods with any sugar, honey, etc. Only splenda or stevia. Also, watch our for cured meats and items with nitrates. These will interfere with your kick start. Get some Atkins shakes, breakfast bars...these really help a lot! Russell Stover makes great low carb candy that will carry you through this so you don't freak out about not having your sweet fix. Have nuts and seeds on hand to give you fiber and energy. 2.) Go see your doctor about another fill. I had to be at 8.1 in a 10cc band before I had any restriction whatsoever. You might be having the same issue. My doc told me that if you are overweight and overeating for most of your life that you can often have stretched the top portion of your stomach as well so it takes more tightening before you get to the sweet spot. IF your current doc is unwilling, consider fillcentersusa.com - I have had great success with the doctor they recommended. He listens and only does fills...so he knows what he is talking about. They have centers all over the country and more added every month. www.fillcentersusa.com 3.) Week 3 and 4 - continue to limit yourself to less than 50 grams of carbs per day...try to go closer to 20 grams if you can...this will really kick start your metabolism and you will start losing weight if you haven't already. Do not eat anything with sugar in it. IF you mess up, get back on the horse and get on with it. You are still eating less than you were before...also if you want a freakin diet coke then have one...depriving yourself will mentally throw off your whole effort. Just don't make it a habit. 4.) After 4 weeks...see where you are. Are you losing? Do you have restriction? IF not, go visit the doc again for another fill. You can ask for one every month until you get where you need to be. Fill Centers has a policy that if they overfill you - then you can come back within 72 hours for an unfill with no charge. Some even have an underfill policy within 72 hours so you don't have to pay again if you aren't happy. After you start losing, you can experiment with adding a few more carbs to see where you stop losing weight. When it stops then back off the carbs a little and you'll find your spot where you can eat some carbs you like without ambushing your loss. This is how I'm doing it. Very little bread and fruit, lots of meat, cheese, vegetables (not so much on the carrots, corn, etc) but green veggies and salads, lots of nuts and seeds and protein shakes.) Also, there are some very high protein shakes out there called NewWhey. www.newwhey.com or at health stores. They are about 4 oz each (three swallows) and they have 40 grams of protein. I put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then drink it...you are more than half way done with protein for the day with these. Also, Atkins shakes and bars are very high in protein. Almonds are always good to have around. Let me know how this works for you. I'm very hopeful that you'll be able to enjoy success with your band!

I think this last fill brought me to the sweet spot. I am now at 8.3 in a 10 cc band and I have been losing steadily for a month without any exersize. (Bad...I know). I have been working at last 14 hour days and I really haven't had a few minutes to even think about it...plus it's already almost 100 degrees every day here which isn't particularly motivating for a nice sweaty walk at lunch time. I have been watching my carb intake and am making sure I'm getting my protein although I was definitely slacking in March and April on the protein. I made a new mix which is almonds, shelled pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, white and dark chocolate chips, and a few other nuts and mixed up in a huge batch. Then split up into bags and put one every where I spend time so that I can snack on something high protein and fiber and relatively low in carbs. (keep the number of choc chips and dried fruit to about 1/4 to 1/5 of the total mix. This helps me stay away from the bad stuff. I am 9 pounds away from wonderland and I can't wait. Just cleared out another 50 pounds of clothes that don't fit me from the closet. IT's crazy! I find myself wanting to talk about my weight loss and most people just give me a crazy look. I realize that they don't care but I do!

I think this last fill brought me to the sweet spot. I am now at 8.3 in a 10 cc band and I have been losing steadily for a month without any exersize. (Bad...I know). I have been working at last 14 hour days and I really haven't had a few minutes to even think about it...plus it's already almost 100 degrees every day here which isn't particularly motivating for a nice sweaty walk at lunch time. I have been watching my carb intake and am making sure I'm getting my protein although I was definitely slacking in March and April on the protein. I made a new mix which is almonds, shelled pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, white and dark chocolate chips, and a few other nuts and mixed up in a huge batch. Then split up into bags and put one every where I spend time so that I can snack on something high protein and fiber and relatively low in carbs. (keep the number of choc chips and dried fruit to about 1/4 to 1/5 of the total mix. This helps me stay away from the bad stuff. I am 9 pounds away from wonderland and I can't wait. Just cleared out another 50 pounds of clothes that don't fit me from the closet. IT's crazy! I find myself wanting to talk about my weight loss and most people just give me a crazy look. I realize that they don't care but I do!

I think this last fill brought me to the sweet spot. I am now at 8.3 in a 10 cc band and I have been losing steadily for a month without any exersize. (Bad...I know). I have been working at last 14 hour days and I really haven't had a few minutes to even think about it...plus it's already almost 100 degrees every day here which isn't particularly motivating for a nice sweaty walk at lunch time. I have been watching my carb intake and am making sure I'm getting my protein although I was definitely slacking in March and April on the protein. I made a new mix which is almonds, shelled pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, white and dark chocolate chips, and a few other nuts and mixed up in a huge batch. Then split up into bags and put one every where I spend time so that I can snack on something high protein and fiber and relatively low in carbs. (keep the number of choc chips and dried fruit to about 1/4 to 1/5 of the total mix. This helps me stay away from the bad stuff. I am 9 pounds away from wonderland and I can't wait. Just cleared out another 50 pounds of clothes that don't fit me from the closet. IT's crazy! I find myself wanting to talk about my weight loss and most people just give me a crazy look. I realize that they don't care but I do!