MistyD65

Beth, my scale does the same thing. And it never fails that the first weight is the lowest. I should just stop there, but NO, I have to step up again. It can vary as much as 2 pounds within one "session". Very frustrating.

Woo hoo! I've lost the 3.2 pounds I put on over Christmas, plus another 0.6, to put me at just 0.2 from my end of year goal. And I'm not gonna pout over that little bit - it'll be gone by this time tomorrow anyway! Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

Things are going great! I'm not doing the detox exactly, but I've kicked myself back onto plan. As of today I've lost the 3.2 pounds I put on during Christmas (and even more than that if I measure from last Saturday's horrible numbers on the scale - but I didn't write those down and consider them a bad dream lol). Keep up the great work everyone! Here's to a slim and trim 2009!

Well, I have two "official" weights - what I weigh at the doctor's office (clothed but shoeless) and what I weigh at home (nekkid, on Friday mornings after ...umm....elimination). I don't worry about the difference.

I'd love to, if I'm not in Mississippi. I'm going to visit my parents for a couple of weeks sometime in January, but I'm not sure when yet. But if I'm here, I'll be there! Any time works for me.

I'm in! After putting on almost 4 pounds at last Friday's "official" weigh-in, then getting a scare of 4 more on Saturday, I decided to get back on track on Sunday. I didn't go the liquid route, but I journaled what I ate and got back on plan. I did go out and buy some of my favorite RTD Protein drinks in case I decided to go with liquids for a couple of days. I traveled to visit my folks before Christmas, so I missed 4 of my daily work-outs at Curves. That, coupled with mindless eating, pimento cheese, and chocolate/peanut butter candy, put the whammy on me. I was really hoping to hit the 60 pound mark by the end of the year - instead, I'm trying to make sure I STAY at 50. This morning's unofficial weigh-in was very promising, and I got in a good work-out today, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. I go in for my second fill on 1/5. My previous appointment on 11/3 was supposed to be my second fill, but my doctor and I decided to postpone it, since my weight loss was so steady and I was having pretty good restriction on 0.6 ccs. He said that the 2 holiday months would be the test, and he was right. I was feeling pretty proud of myself for continuing to lose...until last week. But it was just a bump in the road, not a dead end, and I'm moving in the right direction again. Three cheers to all of us for taking control again and doing what is best for our bodies!! And thank you BBK for getting the ball rolling!

I found Protein Blitz, Lean Body and Muscle Milk at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. I've also seen Muscle Milk at Kroger. But you should be able to find them at most vitamin/nutrition stores.

Well, I posted only my second gain since surgery this week (and the first gain was only 0.3 lbs), and I'm not surprised. Travelled home to see my parents, didn't exercise, ate for entertainment, didn't drink enough Water...all the culprits. But I'm getting back on track this week and hope to lose what I put on. Last week 248.8 This week 252 Gain of 3.2 lbs But I still made my Christmas goal of 50 pounds, so I'm pretty darn happy!

Ick. I put on 3 pounds this week. Travel, no exercise, visiting family, emotional stress all caught up with me. It's just a bump in the road though, and I'm getting back on track. We'll just have to see how things go this week.

My instructions for the first 3 weeks post-op were: 1) Drink a total of 6-8 cups of Fluid, 2 ounces every 15 minutes while awake, and 2) Drink 2 ounces of a high-Protein liquid every hour while awake, aiming to consume 45-60 grams of protein daily. After the first week the 2 ounces every 15 minutes got to be kind of ridiculous, and I was having no trouble with liquids passing through the band. So, what I would usually do is pour myself 4 ounces and drink on that during a half-hour. It seldom lasted that long though. Actually, with Water and my hot broth in the evenings (that was my "meal") I would have 8 ounces at a time for the hour. The protein drinks that I used were Muscle Milk, Lean Body by Labrada, and Protein Blitz by Designer whey (these are all ready-to-drink). My routine was to have 12 ounces of Muscle Milk, 12 ounces of Lean Body and 8 ounces of Protein Blitz each day, for a total of 32 fluid ounces, 64.2g of protein and 478 calories. I would get the rest of my fluids with water and beef or chicken broth. I highly recommend the Protein Blitz drinks, especially if you are tired of "shakes". They are like Kool-Aid, in Grape, Orange Mango, and Punch flavors, with no funny protein taste.

Journaling your eating is an excellent idea, especially if you include how long you take to eat your meals and how long it takes until you are hungry again. The more information you have about your eating and hunger, the better prepared you will be.

I can definitely tell a difference. Your hips look a bit narrower, there isn't as much of a crease at your waistline and your tummy is a little higher. I am shaped very similarly to you, although I am heavier. And while I can see some change in myself, it's really my pants size that shows the difference. Also, did you take measurements before your surgery? If not, be sure to take some now for comparison later. There's nothing like concrete numbers for proof of shrinking!:tongue2:

Well, I am one of those odd ones who had restriction with little or no fill. When I finally graduated from the liquid phase after surgery, I quickly found that if I ate more than a cup of food I would feel discomfort in the area of my band. I took that to mean that my upper pouch would hold about one cup of food. My first fill was 0.6 ccs (in a 4 cc band) and I didn't really notice any change in what or how much I could eat. But I have lost weight steadily. In fact, when I went for my second fill, my doctor and I decided that I really didn't need one. I can eat just about anything, I just have to watch the amount. I do hope to get some fill added when I go back on 1/5, because I'd like to stay satisfied for a longer period of time after each meal. I have to admit, I wouldn't mind letting the band take on a little bit more of the work, but I definitely do NOT want to deal with PBing and not being able to eat appropriate foods. My doctor is conservative with fills though, so I don't think that will be a problem. For a ticker, you can go here to make one Weight Loss - Diet Ticker

At only one week out your stomach is quite possibly still swollen from being banded. At the least, it is still healing. I would be VERY wary of eating solid foods so early, even if my doctor had allowed it. But if you had food stuck, you would know. For me, it hurts in the middle of my chest, I feel a gurgling, bubbling sensation around the area, and I start to burp. Drinking something to help the food go down does NOT help. It just backs up on you. As long as fluids aren't coming back up, you are probably ok. Just appreciate being full!

Last week: 259.8 This week: 258.8 1 pound lost for a total of 55.2 Worked out at Curves 6 days last week.

I have an iced green tea from Starbucks almost every day. It helps keep me sane.

Before I started exercising I found that I lost better when I was around 1200 calories. But now that I am burning around 400 calories a day, 1300-1400 keeps me on the losing track. I have definitely found that my weight loss suffers when I don't get enough calories.

I was at 249.8 when I weighed-in on Friday, and my goal was 248, so I'm almost there. I'm going to go out on a limb here and re-set my goal to 244 - 60 pounds from my pre-band weight. I'll be happy to get to my original goal, but I'll be ECSTATIC to hit the new one! Hurrah for hitting your goal Carramia! And you are exactly right, it usually takes just a taste of things to satisfy the desire for goodies. Then comes the hard part of overcoming the want for MORE!!! I'm having more and more success with that, so that's a step in the right direction.

I'll chime in with Tracy and Jacole - change something. Up your workout intensity, try a different kind of exercise, make a change in your diet. Perhaps your body has gotten complacent and needs a kickstart.

I've lost 54.2 pounds since my surgery on August 4!! At the time of surgery, I had a goal of 40 pounds by Christmas, but hoped to reach 50 or 60 - so right now I'm hoping for 60 by New Year's Eve!! I've had one fill of 0.6 ccs in a 4 cc band, and when I went in for second fill, we decided that I really didn't need one. I go in again on January 5th. You all ROCK!!!!!:wink2:

Last week: 253.4 This week: 249.8 GOODBYE 250's!!!!!:wink2: Lost last week: 3.6 pounds for a total of 54.2:w00t: I've got to tell you, I lose more when I eat at the upper end of my "calorie scale". I've been working out at Curves M-F and burning 400 or so calories with each work-out, so I've been allowing myself between 1200-1400 calories a day. This week I've been closer to the 1400 zone and well...the numbers tell the story. Keep up the good work everyone and enjoy the holidays!

Apparently, drinking through a straw causes you to take in too much air. It has never been a problem for me though - I don't find that I burp more when using a straw than when I don't.

santhony, perhaps you should suggest to your surgeon that he and the nutritionist get on the same page regarding post-op diet instructions. That's unnecessary confusion for you, and for who knows how many other patients of his.

When you do finally move from liquids to mushies or soft foods, you might try what I did. I was given a sample soft foods diet with menus for a week that gave specific amounts to eat. I would sit down with that amount of food, eat it slowly (taking about 20 minutes) then I would ask myself "Am I still hungry?" Not "Am I satisfied" or "Am I full". Because, no, I was not satisfied or full, not in the way that I understood those terms from a lifetime of overeating. But I could truthfully answer that I was no longer physically hungry. That was a real epiphany for me. I still WANTED to eat more - that's the head hunger - but I knew I didn't need it. Also, I know that for me, if I eat more than a cup of food, I'll get a feeling like a stitch in my side where my band is. That's uncomfortable and can last a couple of hours, so I want to avoid that. I came to this conclusion, which is an overgeneralization, but it works for me: Skinny people eat until they are no longer hungry; fat people eat until they have had all they want, or until it is all gone. I'm having to re-train myself to want less. And it's getting there! You'll make it through this time and come out stronger on the other end. Really make use of these boards - you will learn a lot! Much success to you!

Even with the lap band you are still going to have to change your eating habits and start eating healthier. This 6-month diet could be a good indicator of whether or not you are prepared to make the changes that are required to be successful with the band.