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As with so many things, weight loss is different for everyone. There are a lot of factors mixed in (how much you have to lose, how tight your band is, etc). I was told that 1-2 lbs a week would be the average weight loss, and that some people lose more and some people lose less. It is really not good to compare yourself to others, but it sure is HARD not to! Everyone is doing such a wonderful job! You are great inspiration!!!

Awesome, congrats on your band!!!

I COMPLETELY agree with this :lunch:. My coworkers will ask me everyday, and most of the time I just say....I weigh the same as I did yesterday :w00t:. I know they are trying to be supportive, but it does kind of get to you after awhile!

Pink....So What (iTunes in my office)

For me personally I started with three meals and two Snacks a day. I would use the snacks to get in some of my Protein. These days I do good to eat one of my snacks, still some source of protein...usually about 10 almonds. I do watch my calories, but not everyday. I monitor them from time to time to see how many I am eating. I found that if I do not eat enough calories then I do not lose weight, my body thinks it is going into starvation mode so it holds on to everything. When I eat 1000-1200 calories a day I lose 1-2 lbs a week. BUT AGAIN THAT IS JUST MY BODY. Some people eat way less than that and some way more. I just did some experimenting with calorie intake to see what worked best for me. Sometimes that experimenting will slow down weight loss, but to me this was a lifetime decision. So I am willing to slow things down for a few weeks to find out what is best for my body. Just like Jachut said, at the end of the day it is about calories in vs calories out.

I eat lots of spicy foods, and have never had a problem. Though I am like Heather, I never eat the stuff that is going to make me cry. Mostly salsa and pico.

Sounds yummy, thanks for sharing!

At 20 lbs everyone started commenting that my face looked thinner, of course I did not see it :lunch:. At 40 lbs people started commenting on my weight loss.

Congrats on your band! I too have a desk job, but I took three days off of work (butted up against a weekend). I went to Mexico for my surgery so I had some travel time to put in the mix as well. I was OK when I went back to work, but my port area was very sore and sitting up straight was a bit uncomfortable for me for a few days.

Welcome Justme3! My port sight stayed sore for a long time as well. I was told this was normal because they attach it to the muscle tissue.

I take 5000 mg of Biotin a day with my other Vitamins. I started this as soon as I could after banding. I am now three months post-op and am still just losing my normal daily hair loss. I have been told that it is normal to lose 100 hairs a day. I think that there are so many factors with hair loss that you can't pin point it to one thing. Just like everything, everyone is different and reacts differently to weight loss.

When I was first banded I weighed multiple times a day. After I ate anything after I used the restroom, I weighed ALL THE TIME! I knew that I was getting obsessed with the scale so I then started weighing once a week. I found that to be to infrequent for me. So now I weigh once a day, in the morning as soon as I wake up. My weight will fluctuate throughout the week so I do not let weigh ins upset me. I only record an official weigh in once a week. I use the rest of the weigh ins to help me stay on track. If I gain some weight I adjust my calorie intake. I try not to be too obsessive about it though.

When I ever I start to feel frustrated about my weight loss I go to the pet section of Wal-mart. I know this sounds corny, but truly it is what I do . When I start to think that my weight loss is going too slow or that I have not lost enough I hit the pet food isle. The first time this happened was when I hit 30 lbs. I went to Walmart to find a sack of pet food that weighed 30 lbs. I found a bag of Tidy Cat that was exactly 30 lbs and when I lifted it I thought, "WOW 30 lbs is a lot!!" So now when ever I think about how slow the process is, I go to the pet food isle and started lifting bags and realize that the weight that is coming off is really a lot, even though it might not SOUND like a lot!!! It has taken some time, but now I know that any loss is good loss....no matter how long it takes! I did not gain all of my weight in a short period of time, so why do I expect it to come off so quickly? I REALLY had to change my mindset!! I have several friends that have had bariatric surgery, but they all had BP. So for the longest time I was comparing myself to them, and that is just not a reasonable comparison! I know that now.

I used a low interest credit card for payment.

Monday: B: Southwestern Omelet S: Almonds (1 oz) L: Taco Soup (1cup) D: low fat Hot Dog (bun and all) S: Watermelon (two medium chunks)

I too had my lapband surgery in December, so my scars are still very pink. I had Gall Bladder surgery 5 years ago, which was also laparoscopic so the incisions are very similar. Those scars are very small white lines, you can barely notice the larger ones and the small incisions you cannot see at all! Like others have said though, everyone heals differently and there are a number of factors that go into the equation (skin tone, age, etc.)! If you want to wear a bikini, and you do not want to tell anyone that you had lapband surgery (and someone actually notices the scars) just tell them you had your Gall Bladder removed :biggrin:.

Now this forum needs to have an app for the iphone . I actually looked for one the other day and had no luck.

I have this app on my iPhone and I use it often! Great way to track what I eat!!! I previously used Fit Day, but now I only use Lose It! Fit Day is good, but with Lose It I can instantly enter what I eat. I no longer have to wait until I get to the computer to update my food log.

I was given two cards after surgery, I cary one and have one put away. To date I have not had to use them. I always order off of the kids menu, and have not had any problems from the wait staff or restaurant. I have yet to try a buffet though.

I can practically eat my weight in popcorn :laugh:!! Very well chewed of course! When I go to the movies I get the smallest bag, the junior I believe it is called. I also make sure that I eat one piece at a time. This helps me remember to chew well. I agree with Kiz, I would just try a few pieces at first and see how that goes. Good luck!

Welcome! This is a great place to learn lots about lapband. I actually joined two months before I had surgery, for the same reasons you are here....to get information and support. I spent a long time just looking at different posts and the comments that people make, and learned a lot! Welcome, and good luck with your journey!

The tattoo I am getting will be in white ink, so no one will be able to see it unless they are very close to me and really looking. I am not getting a tattoo to make a statement, I am getting one to Celebrate my success....this is still a long time in coming, I have a LONG way to go....but I will get there :laugh:!!! I work in Higher Education, I cannot have a visible tattoo, and even if I were not in the education field I still would not get a tattoo that could not be covered up in some way.

Friday B: one scrambled egg with a piece of toast L: Tuna Salad w/crackers S: 2% cheese stick D: Half a stuffed pepper S: Half an apple w/peanut butter

I completely agree. I would NEVER tell someone on the street what I was planning to do when I reached my weight loss goal. This particular thread was about that though, the OP asked what every one was planning to do. There are definitely posts on this site that I do not agree with, as I am sure this specific poster did not agree, but I would NEVER comment on them! Believe me, I am taking this all with a grain of salt On a side note Jachut, I really enjoy reading your posts. You and some of the other veterans are very inspirational. :thumbup:

I am now kind of finding it comical! KIND OF :thumbup: