flowers

When I did nutrisystem they allowed about 1200 low gi calories a day. Watched things like sugar and carbs though and I walk. Some days I have up to 1500 if its something like baked fish. I lose on baked fish and dont count calories those days, allow myself to eat extra. If you cut below 1000 calories you will drop your metabolism and then you will have to always eat less to lose the same amount, so I dont cut below 1000.

My doctor handed me samples menus and was like yours, have at it attitude to me. I never heard of the things here like only eat 1 cup or 1/2 cup or 1 1/2 cups and dont drink while you eat stuff. He just said what he wants me to eat and when I asked him about a low gi diet, he said stick with my diet, I have a great success rate. Very odd the differences I read here.

Hi everyone, sounds like everyone here is doing really well. Long2BThin, congrats on your win AND the $$$$. Nothing as good as money for a prize. I lost several pounds earlier fast and knew the next ones would be slow coming off. I really want to see the 170s, but they now feel like Ill get to them. Last two days I didnt walk outside, my main exercise, finally did a 2 mile walking tape last night, but think the outside walking works better. We are finally above freezing today, been thru freezing rain Monday and freezing fog (new one on me) and sleet and snow here in Dallas. Not walking hasnt helped, but at least the sidewalks wouldnt be slippery today, but have errands this afternoon. I have a dressy cruise coming up on the QM2 and nothing to wear and dont know what size to buy for. I arrive in NYC for that trip in June. I have two local cruises between now and then to slow me down. A little cheapie 5 day coming up in January. Its only purpose being to go where its warm for a while lol. I sure wish I knew what to do about clothes for the QM2 though. Afraid to start shopping now, and get the wrong size, and also thinking buying clothes that will probably only fit for that one cruise bothersome, because I wouldnt be to goal by then. The other part of me says go out and look for them bargains, and buy in a larger size, like a size 12 and by some chance Im a 10 by then, we can take a few darts in them. Im so torn what to do for that cruise because I live in tee shirts and jeans, dont have anything I can wear on a dressy cruise period.

Might not be the best for you, but I love Carnival Instant Breakfast shakes. They are soooo good. They have SF and one marked 4X protein, both will do when I need to do a day of liquids. Easy and cheap to get in the grocery store. Much better than canned versions.

I am in Texas, so I went thru El Paso to Juarez. The hospital is right across the border there. I lost 9 pre opt, and 52 since banding July 9th. I think the surgery care was much better than I have seen in the U.S. when my Dad was sick. Tons of nurses and IV for pain for 24 hours. I was alone, so I needed the after care you get in Mexico but not here in the U.S.

Im almost 5 7 and Iv been down to about that weight, true Im small boned, but if you look at my ticker I intend to get to about 120 lbs, depending on saggy skin, maybe a few more lbs than that. I dont want to be too saggy. I KNOW I can do it and so can YOU. No one knows how determined you are and how hard YOU will work at it. I went to a seminar and was the only one in the room still wanting to get a lapband. The lady leading the seminar asked me if I will be happy with only losing half the weight, duuh, of course not. As you can see from my ticker, I am getting close already to that half way mark the leader of the seminar told me I would probably achieve. I ran into her at the DFW Yahoo group and she is considered something of a guru, she lost 128 lbs or something and then she had to have it removed and a sleeve now, so she isnt very positive on the lapband. Its up to YOU what you will actually achieve. Im going to lose ALL of my weight down below what is considered normal weight and Im 58 years old, and all those other things against me.

I have osteoarthritis. I never even knew that was considered a co-morbidity. So I did have one. My bones are 80 years old according to the bone doctor who treated me after I broke my shoulder a year ago.

There is a DFW Yahoo Bandsters group. I was in that for a while, might rejoin later. There were folks from the surrounding area and they used to meet different areas, even south of Dallas had folks who meet at restaurants to get together with other bandsters. Might find some from your area in that group? I was too new to want to meet folks for lunch or dinner and be tempted to eat food that I know I shouldnt eat, so I hadnt gone to any get togethers in Texas yet, but I might one day when Iv lost a little more weight. I found them very dismissive of newbies, as if we couldnt know about the band and only folks who had lost a lot were listened to. I think many newbies have done so much research, they know just as much.

Hi Katydid, the seminar I went to, the lady used to have a lapband and lost her weight with it, and then had to have it removed because of reflux and she had another type of WLS. The reflux wouldnt go away, so now she has the sleeve. I was wondering if this is a side effect for some? I hope your doctor can find a good answer for you that works. Scary Im sure and worrisome for you, its rough not sleeping (and here I am up at 5:30, been awake since 3 am, so I know all about insominia).

I don't know if the lapband was the wrong answer for me or not. I dont feel like I probably was overeating, but eating the wrong foods to lose weight, so now I feel like Im back on my diet. I watch my sugar and carbs, but still eat pretty much otherwise as I did before being banded. I think the band helps me in the evening when I want to snack, thats my hard time. Im also walking daily. Im age 58 and without the walking I dont lose, so I walk, and walk some more. I need to start strength training my arms, can feel my arms are weak. So much to do and its hard to keep at it. For me the band only helps me stop eating junk at night, but thats enough that I hope this time I wouldnt slip back into junk food habits. Iv had 3 fills and can see on the fluoro machine how tight I am, yet I can eat anything. So I think you do have to still watch your eating, just having the band isnt enough to make you lose as much as most of us want. OP Im another July bandster, was banded July 9th.

wow, I didnt even know it was possible to lose 30 lbs in two weeks. congrats. I know I have been lucky to lose at a steady rate of a pound or so a week and Iv had 3 fills which dont seem to help much and walking every day. I didnt have to do liquids except 3 days, so that may be why others lose so much more at the beginning. Iv read many seem to do liquids longer. I did mushys for 4 weeks though.

What does your fill doctor said. Mine wouldnt fill anyone until they are more than 5 weeks out. Some wouldnt fill you if you are losing the way you are losing so far. Each doctor has their own criteria. There is not one answer. Iv just now had my 3rd fill and not sure it was necessary, as she said Im still tight and hardly filled me last time. I was banded July 9th.

Restless Monkey you say now no one treats you differently, but I can honestly say I believe they do. Iv been thin, a real head turner and sometimes think I put on weight to push men away. When Im thin, men especially, but even women treat me differently. They smile at me more. Iv seen their eyes follow me thru a room. Iv also run into predudice on other boards where people, young people especially, make unkind comments about folks weight. Men now dont want me just for my body, that instant attraction. When you get thinner, dynamics sometimes even change with other women, now you are a threat to their man. Some its true will act the same, but some wouldnt. When I start losing the weight and get closer to goal, folks start telling me, "You've lost enough weight" as if its their decision how much I can lose. It can be like they don't want you to look too good. There really is a difference imo.

Im at 4.1 cc in a 10 cc band. Good to know some people are at less than I am and still ok. I hear about folks that have so much more fill. I bake salmon and nibble all day when I want to lose. Dont love it, but it loves me and I almost always drop 2 - 3 lbs shortly after a day of salmon. I lost so fast for a week, more than 5 lbs, that I dont expect to drop much more for the next week. Iv seen slightly below 184 now a few times, but not enough to call it lower yet. I got the muchies so bad today lol. Going to be a hard day. Cold weather I seem to want comfort foods even more, but Im so determined to be thinner. How you doing Cheryl. For some reason only certain posts come thru to my email. Sorry I was so long answering you.

When I start not losing weight for a week or so, I bake salmon, its the only fish I can eat plain, just baked with spices and I nibble on it all day and within 2 days my weight drops. fish oil is good for you and the high Protein pushes me back into losing. Im sure others have their own tricks. I never count calories and I havent been real good even about following rules, but I do try and push the protein and Iv cut carbs/sugar down to as close to nadda as I can get. I snack on rolled up lean ham for instance, or scramble an egg. Sugar and me are enemies, so if I watch sugar I lose .... well Im also walking about 3 or 3.5 miles a day to burn those calories. Im 58 years old, and have as many excuses as anyone else but I just got busy and am going to do this. I think the band helps some with appetite, but since I was a nibbler, Im not sure the band helps me, but Im still going to reach goal. You have to want it.

I woke up from surgery hungry too. Some have more swelling which makes them not so hungry the first couple of weeks. I couldnt have a fill until after 5 weeks passed, so I was hungry for 5 weeks, some less some have more. Iv had 3 fills and still hungry, but it could be head hunger too, but it feels like Im hungry. I ate an entire Lean Cusine last night, and not a real small one, lots of whole grain rice and I had been snacking all afternoon so shouldnt have been hungry right? Trying to cut back today to make up.

I think meds which are needed as opposed to mashed potatoes are a different issue. The mashed potatoes I could have 3 days after surgery, I did liquids 3 days and then mushies for 4 weeks. Each doctor is different. That's a issue of not making your stomach work any more than necessary. Its not because you couldnt eat them if you wanted to. The meds are possible, even if they briefly make your stomach work to prevent whatever. Some people have swelling after surgery and a day or two or some for a couple of weeks which makes them feel restricted as the swelling goes down. Some of us had almost no swelling. I have never had a food get stuck, and my fill doctor showed me on the fluoro how tight I am, as tight as she is willing to make me. Not everyone has stuck food, and Im tight. Iv never had any vomiting or any of that, not even with three tight fills. Some fill doctors dont use fluoro and barium swallow test every fill so maybe they are getting too tight, or tighter than my fill doctor allows. Too tight is not normal with every fill doctor. There are some that guess and stick you without fluoro, but thats not the kind I use. Iv always been able to take any size pill too. If you are getting food stuck and vomiting you are too tight.

Congrats. I hope in one month Im where you are, you are doing so darn well. You should be so proud of where you are now. 65 lbs, wow. Thats a huge milestone, you are more than half way to your goal.

I don't know what it is either, but it's like self sabotage, like we don't really want to lose the weight. I call it being self destructive, hiding from people, pushing them away, putting on weight to make myself less attractive. I was in a abusive relationship and started it after that, you may have some reason like that in your past you can point at. Stopping it is another issue. I lost only a little over a year ago down to 150 lbs and put it all back on. So to put it back on so fast, I know its head issues and self sabotage, because I promised myself never again. Even you say you are eating things you dont even like, its like a way to punish yourself. I think you just have to keep trying and fight those head demons, I know I am fighting them.

It's a mystery to me too. I read on here about getting chewable Vitamins and bought 2 bottles under the belief I wasnt supposed to take regular pills. Then I have my surgery and my surgeon gives me antibiotics big enough to gag a horse for me to take for a few days. I took them, no problems, but the advise I saw on here was confusing. I still have those chewable vitamins I bought from advice on here, anyone need them?? lol

I hope your fill works for you too. I could eat more pizza, its in the refrigerator calling my name. Im just making myself quit eating it. My fill doctor insists my fill is almost too tight, and yet I can eat anything. Good luck with your fill, I just had one Saturday, .5 cc. I hope you get good restriction from yours. I wore a size XL tee shirt today that I havent worn in a while, fit, but tight across my stomach. I keep reading folks in much smaller sizes, but I need to be happy for my own success. I still need to lose a mite more before I can zip up my size 18 jean dress, tried it on yesterday. Not quite yet in a normal size. Hoping soon.

Sounds like a good plan for losing if you get to work out for free. $100 plus extra a week would help me too, go for it. The job wouldnt interfer with anything else you have to do that day, thats the other upside, and maybe better things will come from it.

Hi and welcome. If you have lost 25 lbs in the last 2 weeks, maybe you should be giving us tips, not the other way around. Good job.

It just looks so easy and like so much fun. I think I am co-ordinated, but that gazelle is like exercising and work, which if I was into that I wouldnt have gained so much weight :thumbup: I had been doing so well, with my weight suddenly dropping, and tonight I went to a pizza party, ate a piece and a half and brought home same (took 3 pieces all together). That should stymie any weight loss for the next week or so, Im a self sabatoger. I hope you keep doing well, and dont let your husband's success intimidate you. Im sorry you dont like exercising in front of him. I mind the flabiness that is creeping up on me too. I saw wrinkles above my mouth I didnt have when I was fat. Hey Orea, we all are pushing for you to break under 300 so we can celebrate with you.

You can do it if that's what you want. It took me a while to want it, and then I could commit. I just started walking. I'm walking 3.5 miles outdoors. Doesn't cost me a dime, but I did get a heat rash in the summer and now I'm like brrrr, but I keep on walking. Get a walking tape for indoors if you really can't make yourself walk outside. I think walking sheds weight faster than most exercises. Exercises are good for building muscle which Im going to need to get to, but putting that off. If you are hungry grab some Protein, a piece of rolled up ham, cheese once in a while, fry and egg in pam, etc. I even have a box of SF popsicles in my freezer, not my favorite thing, but I do what I need to. I do admit to cheating tonight, went to a pizza party, but only ate one and a half pieces. I also skipped lunch to do it. Its will power and if you want to do it enough, you will.