bambam31

Your body has been fasting all night and does not have a storage system for protein as it does carbohydrates (fat storage). In order to protect your lean muscle tissue always begin your day with some fuel - even if it is light.

My response would be it depends on your daily protein needs/goals... I would look at it more in terms of carb and protein grams rather than volume... For instance, I start my day with a protein shake consisting of roughly 30 grams of protein. And I sip on it until its gone, which may be upwards of an hour and a half... There are, however, differing approaches. Jachut, for example, is not as pro-protein as I, and has acheived amazing results. You may be fine with a food choice that is far less protein dense. At any rate, I would be certain to get some form of balanced nutrition to start your day - don't just settle for non-nutritive beverages.

And the debate goes on.... Look, in all seriousness... When it comes to life, DON'T BE SHEEP!!! If one person says caffeine stimulates hunger don't say "OMG I have to cut back caffeine!" As previously stated I would not recommend ignoring your doctor's orders - but challenge them! You hired them for God's sake! Remember, new and more in depth research is done all the time! For everyone insisting that caffeine is without question a diuretic - perhaps you should read this study.... http://www.jacn.org/...t/19/5/591.long Progress comes through challenge peeps... There are also conclusive studies that some people are more sensitive to caffeine... as is also the case with different GI value carbs and on and on and on... There is no "one size fits all" Just don't be sheep...

Stay determined but read...read...read and read some more.... living with a band requires self education... of all the pre-op hoops they made us jump through, what to expect and how to proceed is badly lacking... as previously stated, you are healing... the real weight loss wont begin until you are healed and getting restriction... begin exercising as soon as permitted and continually increase your exercise intensity as your activities get easier... you will get there but you have to know what to reasonably expect... but most of all realize the band is only a tool and a getting lean and healthy is a long journey... do some searches on bandster hell - that is what you are currently experiencing and most all of us have been there at the outset... the topic is well covered on LBT.... stay focused, determined, and educate yourself!

You are not eating enough! Eat more but not at once ... spread it out throughout the day.... Six meals evenly spaced out is optimal... and if your are stuck in a rut the calorie cycling can mix things up and keep your metabolism burning... Don't eat a low calorie diet on an active lifestyle - your metabolism will adjust to it!

I shall not wish you "luck" but instead "determination." The latter is what will get you where you want to be... It is an incredible journey but has many many pitfalls and you - like the rest of us - will experience joy and frustration. But determination will carry you through to your goals.

Not being able to eat early in the day is VERY common. In fact sitting and eating any meal for me is really a rare thing... I'm a grazer now... I eat a bite or two and then walk around doing other things and then return for a few more bites. It's more comfortable for me to eat standing and I frequently stretch too... There's no way I could just eat three meals a day in the 20 minutes or so I used too. That being said... It is VERY counterproductive to outright skip consuming any nutrition in the first hour after rising. coffee and Water, of course, have no nutritional value. And waiting until lunch or afternoon to eat will cause long term problems, both in fat loss and everyday performance. This will kill your metabolism and fat loss efforts. Simply put, your body - like your car - runs on fuel - and it won't run well on crappy fuel or no fuel. Get some carbs and Protein even if it requires a Protein shake for breakfast everyday.

Liquids for 24 hours... then proceed slowly and carefully... if it's still too tight for solids got get that tiny unfill.

Woot Woot! That is one of the main reasons to avoid alcohol because of what you eat and drink as a result... It lowers your inhibition and willpower and at 7 calories per gram it is one of the most dense fuels you can consume short of fat (9 grams). It is truly empty calories... That said, we aren't dead either and occasionally letting yourself up off the mat isn't a crime ... And in the quoted case it may cause your significant other to try to feed it to you more often............ alcohol that is....... ... Sorry... I'm in one of them moods...

Ah... the good old caffeine and coffee debates... Some surgeon's absolutely forbid coffee and caffeine... others say whatever you can personally tolerate... I love telling people of the story of my surgeon coming into the recovery room and letting me sip coffee... I have drank coffee ever since... I'm not one to encourage breaking your surgeon's rules, but I would encourage you to challenge their advice with logic. There really isn't anything I don't eat or drink these days, even if only once in awhile... And yes, that includes coffee, ice cream, alcohol, diet soda, pizza, and every other thing that some people are strictly forbidden against or their band might swell up and cause their head to explode...

Probably not a problem - but certainly a waste of time and money IMO... Nothing replaces true exercise...

Hey Jacqui! Yeah I'm terrible about long disappearing spells! Fortunately our village has excellent, steady, and reliable warriors like you with rock solid advice!

For maximum fat loss? Cardio Cardio Cardio! (with some strength training too but most of the emphasis on cardio) And it's a matter of finding the cardio beast of your choice that you can stick to... If you can run like Jacqui and you like it - you'll get addicted to it and that's great - but I despise running - absolutely hate it! My weapon of choice is a spin bike... No matter what tool or tools you choose (variety is best), make certain you're training all three of your target heart rate zones (if you are healthy enough).

What a great post and SO TRUE! Without exercise you can still lose weight - and lots of it... but you will skew the percentage of where that lost weight will come from (fat vs. muscle) You want to keep as much lean muscle tissue as you can while losing all the fat you can... If you want to look good without your clothes on then you must focus on exercise, hydration (inside and out), and sleep - but regular SUFFICIENT exercise is a must! Focusing on these components will allow your skin to adjust and firm...

You just have to learn your energy balance, which is different for everyone - but basic principles always apply unless you have very complicating chemical interferences. Its a balance of keeping a red hot metabolism through intake versus export. You will not be able to starve yourself thin and healthy... The human body is a survivor and it adapts to its' environment.... Calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and try eating about 500-750 calories less than that.... If you still don't lose after 3-4 weeks of honest calculations - then you should consult physician and start looking at chemical imbalances. Eating too few calories and killing your metabolism is a very common occurrence in band land and why so many surgeon's and nutritionists push low calorie diets is beyond me... They just don't work... They leave you tired, stalled, and frustrated... You can't be afraid to eat!

There is a book called "The World's Healthiest Foods" that is great desk reference for how to cook specific foods to maximize their nutritional value.

I am not a fan of most Protein drinks/powders because they taste like crap to me... including most of the ones already mentioned in this thread... I use protein powders everyday nonetheless.... If you can afford it I prefer BSN Syntha 6 and BSN Lean Dessert.... They taste AWESOME! But I'm also cheap... so normally I get different blends in bulk at proteinfactory dot com... The products are normally a fair compromise between price and taste and they mix very well... I despise clumpy or gritty protein drinks!

Everybody treats you differently...... EVERYBODY....

It's a man's milestone when you walk past the mirror and get a glimpse of manland and then look again and say, "Whoa!! That's me?? Seriously??" From that point on it's like a new kid with a new toy... And you just gotta show off your new toys right?

Both are just way too simple of answers IMO... It's not just volume nor quality... ITS BOTH - and a whole pile of other factors... But the bottom line: Intake Vs. Export...

Full octane soda or diet??? Full octane = Bah!!!!!!

To lose fat you need to create a calorie deficit. You best accomplish that through calorie restriction (limiting number of calories) and exercise. For example... My heartrate monitor indicates I burned 500 calories during spin class. My established estimated basal metabolic rate through just existing plus normal daily activities is 2000 calories. I want to restrict 500-750 calories a day for steady fat loss so I restrict my calorie intake to between 1750 and 2000 calories for the day to achieve that deficit. Calculating your basal metabolic rate accurately and also accurately calculating how many calories your burning during exercise are entirely another extensive topic. Many people make the mistake of trying to achieve their calorie deficit from the intake side alone. There is no replacement for sufficient exercise. Extended periods of very low calorie intake will crash your metabolism and your body will adjust your basal metabolic rate to it. Brad