bambam31

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.

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?

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

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