bambam31

I prefer to eat largely whole unprocessed foods and keep foods containing simple sugars to a minimum... That's not to say you can't reward yourself from time to time. Brad

Various studies have determined that a patient will lose on average between 50% - 60% of their excess body weight. Is this finding consistant with YOUR personal goals?

Spin classes are the best bang for your buck cardio and easy on the knees too! Add a decent heart rate monitor and you have a recipe for serious progress!!! Brad

In the heart of my fat loss I was doing an hour of significant cardio most days of the week... (ie: 5-7) I'm now doing cardio 3 days a week on average and another 3 strength training sessions a week. Sometimes cardio and strength training is on the same day. (ie: AM cardio / PM strength) Brad

The degree of definition you can achieve I think depends greatly on where you're starting from and how much "damage" has been done. You can only get your skin to shrink so much and you can only get other tissues to alter so much... But it is possible to see great results if you work hard! Good luck! Brad

Hot button topic. You'll get answers all over the map on this... I try to stay as close to 1gm per pound of lean body mass as I can. Brad

It's not about how little you can eat. It's about your energy balance. Eat as much as you can while achieving the desired effect. You are IMO eating too little for your activity level. Brad

Good for you! There is no substitute to sufficient exercise - it is vital to long term success! Just add intensity and variation as you get stronger and your body adjusts. Brad

The absolute worst thing you can do is get frustrated and give up... It wasn't until my 5th fill that I achieved the restriction I was looking for. I had none after the first. I only had a limited amount of restriction that didn't last long after the 2nd and 3rd... The band is truly a journey! And even though you've been at it awhile - you're really just now beginning... It will get better just hang in there - it is SO worth it! In the meantime learn good eating and exercise habits. Treat food as fuel. IMHO exercise is really the key to long term success. And the exercise needs to be of sufficient intensity to always provide a challenge. If it's not a challenge then it's time to increase it, because your body will adapt and get stronger. Don't get discouraged - trust me - it's worth the effort! Brad

Every surgeon is different for sure... Mine let me have coffee in the recovery room.... lol Mine allows alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated beverages - carefully and in accordance with ones' tolerance - they all effect each of us differently. Personally, I'm a coffeeaholic... I drink many, many cups every day. Brad

Kudos to Jachut and KartMan!!! Great posts! Brad

I was really concerned about strenuous exercise and my port too. My doc said there was nothing I could do exercise wise to disturb it... Brad

Not a prayer that drinking green tea will burn 200 calories in a day... There are studies showing it is beneficial but nothing near that extent. Please cite the study showing this... Personal heart rate monitors during cardio are very important! Don't rely much on the ones on gym equipment - they are at best generalizations. Brad

I like to think of activites such as working outdoors, cleaning, walking, etc. as part of an active lifestyle. It burns calories but may not be of sufficient intensity to be considered dedicated exercise. There just is no substitute for dedicated exercise. Brad

I prefer a.m. cardio and p.m. strength training. Brad

Every weight loss surgical method has its' success and failure stories. No matter what method you choose you can only treat it as a tool and must work very hard to achieve long term success. There is no easy way to lose fat long term. I wouldn't give up my band for anything! And a band doesn't reroute your plumbing so you there's no nutrition absortion component like there is with the bypass. Brad

Thanks for pointing that out... Yes... going from morbidly obese to what is commonly referred to on this site as a skinny fat person would be HEALTHIER... but not necessarily HEALTHY. Brad

Do not like this approach... We can lose "weight" by eating less - that's true. But are we really healthier? Did we have surgery to just get a bit better or did we do it to change our lives? That's an individual question. The average loss with a band is 60 percent of excess body weight. To me that is entirely unacceptable. I want as close to 100 percent of UNWANTED fat loss as possible. We can't get anywhere near that goal by just eating less, rather, its determining when/how eating less factors into the big picture. Brad

Excellent! Very well said!

Excellent! Very well said!