Bandster25

Has anyone had lipo to get rid of the double chin? I'm just wondering how effective it is and if bariatric patients have had success with lipo alone in this area (i.e. would most weight loss patients have loose skin in this area after lipo). I'm planning to have abdominoplasty and brachioplasty next month, and I'm considering asking my surgeon about liposuction in my neck as well. Thanks for your help.

I'm sure a lot of people struggle with the pre and post-op diets because they are so restrictive. During this time, it was helpful for me to remember that the liquid diet was only temporary. I hated every type of protein shake I tried, and I haven't had another shake since a few months after surgery. The liquid protein diet is no fun, but just remember that you have to do it for a few weeks only, and then you will be able to eat many different types of foods again. People have various food intolerances, but honestly, there isn't anything I physically can't eat, even with 8cc's. There probably won't be many foods that you absolutely cannot get down after surgery, so there's no need to feel anxious about completely giving up food. The liquid protein diet is in no way representative of the diet you will be following after you have healed. Good luck with your pre-op diet and with your surgery.

I was wondering if anyone can comment on whether the basal metabolic rate of someone who was previously obese is lower than it would be for another person of the same height/weight/gender/age who was never overweight. I have heard various theories on this topic, which discuss factors like muscle loss during weight loss, but everyone seems to have different opinions. Also, has anyone else experienced extreme food cravings after losing a substantial amount of weight? I was just reading some articles on the hormone leptin (which promotes sateity and stimulates metabolism) and how its levels decrease as a person loses weight. Does anyone know anything about this? I am having a really hard time losing weight now. In addition to food cravings, I have experienced a really long plateau, even though I have been on track with my eating and exercise since Christmas. It seems like my body is doing everything it can to resist further weight loss. Does anyone have any tips or advice for continued weight loss, once you get somewhat close to goal? Also, for people who are maintaining, how many calories do you eat each day, and is it a struggle to maintain?

I know how you feel. I have found that once I start snacking throughout the day and eating processed carbs it's extremely difficult for me to control myself, and my band seems to become less effective, almost as if all the slider foods cause it to loosen up. On the other hand, when I eat no more than 3 times a day, and I avoid carbs, I feel much more in control. It's probably somewhat of a psychological effect, but it seems like my band will let me overeat when I really want to, but when I eat less often it gets tighter. I know that many people don't like to "diet" after getting the band, and I don't know what your views are on this topic, but I think something like the Atkins induction diet (or at least completely avoiding sugar, white flour, and processed carbs) for a while would help you regain control. I have had lots of slip-ups, and I know how hard it can be to get back on track. Just try not to beat yourself up about it. The important thing is that you're willing to fix this problem before it gets too out of control. I have tried several different eating approaches while being banded, and I have finally admitted that I need a structured eating plan that eliminates both the need to make daily food choices and "trigger foods" (carbs). I wish I could handle routinely eating all foods in moderation, as this is probably the healthiest way to go, but I have found that it really is necessary for me to completely avoid all carbs except for veggies most of the time (I eat junk food once in a while but definitely not on a daily or weekly basis). During my regular schedule I have a can of v8 vegetable juice and an atkins advantage bar twice a day, and for dinner I have Protein and veggies. If I start eating carbs I get completely out of control, but after sticking to my plan for a few days the cravings go away. Maybe you can eat some other whole grains and healthy carbs and do fine, but I know that I am better off sticking to veggies only as far as carbs go. I think using Meal Replacement bars twice a day is a good way to keep calories low, get in your protein and Vitamins, and help you regain control by taking away the need to think about food. Then for dinner have protein, veggies, and possibly one serving of a healthy carb. I know this plan is very rigid, and some people might say it's not realistic to follow it long-term, but I am pretty sure that I will always be following a modified version of this plan to avoid weight re-gain. Some people are complulsive eaters who need to avoid their problem foods (usually processed carbs) almost to the extent that an alcoholic needs to avoid alcohol. I know this is not true of everyone who has lap-band, but it's what I think you should try if you're feeling like a foodaholic. Oh, and exercise can also be very helpful, as I'm sure you already know. I would highly recommend the Bodybugg calorie counting device (www.myapex.com) if you're interested in tracking your calorie intake and seeing how many calories you burn through exercise.

I have never tried to show the card to bring liquids in carry-on bags, but they are pretty strict about the no liquids requirement, so I wouldn't count on it. It's possible that you would get through, but is it really worth risking having them throw away your supplements? Once you're through the initial security, you can bring liquids that you purchase in the shopping areas onto the plane, so you could buy a protein shake from one of the convenience stores. Also, you are allowed to bring snacks through the initial security, so you could bring a protein bar, or you could bring protein powder and then add water after you get through security. If the protein bullets are less than 3 oz, I guess you could put them in zip-loc bags with toiletries.

I am between 5'4" and 5'5", so according to the BMI charts I should definitely lose more. My surgeon said 10 more pounds would be good, but honestly I would like to lose at least 20 more. Another thing to consider is the fact that excess skin can weigh a lot. I have recently been looking into getting a tummy tuck. I am strongly an apple body type, so my entire abdominal area is looking pretty bad. I was pretty disgusted with my body, thinking that I still have so much fat on my stomach, but now I am realizing that a lot of it is probably excess skin rather than fat. Plastic surgery is the only way to get rid of it, and I am hoping to have a tummy tuck this summer. In hearing about other peoples' experiences with this procedure, I am thinking that probably at least 10 pounds of excess skin will be removed (maybe closer to 20 since the majority of my fat was stored in this area). So maybe I really only need to lose like 10 more pounds before getting a tummy tuck. Also, I have heard that previously obese people have heavier bones than people who have always been a normal weight, so weighing slightly more than average might be a good goal. I'm not sure if this is true, but it makes sense to me. Also, do you exercise? I have really been getting into exercise over the last several months, so I think that my body type is becoming more athletic, which could justify weighing a little more. How many calories do you consume, and what type of diet do you follow? I have found that I have to pretty much completely avoid carbs except for veggies to keep the cravings in check. It just seems so weird to me that whether I eat 1000 calories a day or 1500, it doesn't seem to matter, and my weight just stays the same. Like you, I am worried that this is just where my body likes to be. I guess we just have to give it time, though. Losing so much weight has probably been a shock to our bodies, and maybe we just need to be okay with taking several months to lose a few pounds at this point. My surgeon was very happy with my progress, and she said that most lap-band patients don't lose nearly this much weight, so I guess we both should keep in mind that we have been very successful.

I am having a very similar experience, and it's extremely frustrating! Up to this point, the weight has come off pretty reliably, as long as my calorie consumption is where it should be (not much over 1000 calories). If weight loss did not show up one week, it would almost always be close to the expected number for the next week. However, now it seems like there is nothing I can do to lose the weight. My lowest ever weight was also around 160, and now I have not been able to get below 158 for over a month. I wear a body bugg, which shows daily deficits of 1000 calories (for a 2 pound loss per week), but the scale will not budge. I have been exercising for over 6 months, so I don't think I'm currently in a substantial muscle gaining phase, although I have recently started to jog/run. The interesting thing is that for a week or so around Christmas I overate, which caused a temporary scale increase that was easily reversed when I got back on track. And varying calorie consumption (within reason) has had no effect on my weight, so it seems like my body is pretty happy with where it is currently. Sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I hope that some other people will reply. I also hope that the scale starts to move for both of us very soon.

I have heard of some surgeons saying to go ahead and drink up until you start eating but just not during or after. This is what I usually do at restaurants. Most of the time I don't drink for at least 30 minutes before eating since this is what my surgeon said to do, but it doesn't really make sense to me, either. I have noticed that if I don't eat or drink anything for a really long time (like more than 5 hours) that I'm extra tight the next time I eat. It seems that drinking right before you eat might cause the pouch to loosen up a bit so you will eat more.

At this point you will have to do a pretty extreme diet to make sure you get enough weight off in just a few weeks. Try a liquid protein diet, just like the post-op liquid diet. Have 2-3 liquid protein shakes (or protein meal replacement bars would also work) each day and nothing else besides water. Make sure the meal replacements you use are low carb (starting a low carb diet causes you to lose lots of water weight in the beginning). It won't be fun, but it's just for a few weeks, and if you really want to have the surgery you can make it happen! Good luck!

Hello Everyone! I have recently been doing a lot of walking, and I would like to start trying some jogging/running. I think it would be so motivating to have a dedicated exerciser to meet up with to help force me to be accountable. Anyone interested? If you want to find exercise buddies, please post your location, available times, and give an idea of your fitness level and preferred duration of exercise. This way people can contact other people on here who they want to meet up with. Hope to hear from some people soon! Location: Philadelphia, PA Times: around 8 am or 4 pm (I'm a student with a varied schedule, but I will make it a priority to find a consistent time) Level: brisk walking with the goal of building up to jogging and/or running (I'm thinking that I should try spurts of jogging along with the walking); I would like to exercise for long periods of time, like 2 hours or more Other: My quarter goes from September - December, so I want to stick to a consistent exercise plan during this time, and then my schedule will change in January. I am also a member of Sweat gym in Center City

My doctor said that it's healthy to use meal replacements for 2 meals a day, so it sounds fine. Since protein shakes tend to be slider foods, you could have protein bars instead. I find that some of them taste a lot better than the shakes, and they keep me full for a long time.

My surgeon said that some caffeine is fine, but it's probably not healthy to drink excessive amounts of it. It does usually stimulate appetite, so just be aware of that effect. Just try not to drink more than 1-2 cups a day, and don't add anything with lots of calories to it.

I still get hungry in the morning. The band is not supposed to eliminate hunger, but it helps you feel satisfied for longer after eating less food. It seems that many people are tighter in the morning than at night, so it might be difficult to eat in the mornings for some people, but I don't see why the band would make you not get hungry at all in the morning.

Interesting article. It makes sense when they talk about sitting in an office all day and then vigorously working out for only 30 minutes not being good for weight loss. When we are completely sedentary all day and then push ourselves really hard for a short period of time, we probably burn less than 300 calories in that amount of time but then are fatigued and want to reward ourselves with food. So we eat and completely stop moving. We'd be better off figuring out ways to stay moderately active throughout the day. I found it interesting that they stress the idea that exercise stimulates appetite so much. I'm sure this is true for many people, but my appetite actually seems to be suppressed by exercise. Maybe it's just that I don't want to completely negate all by hard work by overeating. I think exercise is very important for weight loss and overall health, but we just need to make sure we're not overestimating our calories burned and then eating too much.

Maggie, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I found your response to be very helpful. Wow, you burn a lot of calories walking from the train station! That makes me want to go for a long walk now. When you are working out, does the BB tell you how many calories you burn just from working out, or does it tell you your basal metabolic rate + calories burned from exercise? I know you have to get the display to have instant calorie feedback.

Here are some pros and cons that someone on another website wrote about the BB. It's pretty basic stuff, but it might be informative for people who are just learning what this device is. a) it is a little more accurate than the body-gem (the one you blow into) :sneaky: you get a whole computer program that runs with it. You upload the info from the body bug and it gives you all sorts of pie graphs and charts so you can see where you stand, not just in the day, but across the week and month! Also, there is a nutritional database and it will tell you were you should be, as far as calories go, with regard to your goal and activity level and how much calories you expended that day. c) you have to wear it all the time to get the benefit because it doesn't just measure your intake, it measures what you burn through out the whole day. The problems: a) you have to wear it around your arm all the time. The guy I knew that had one, wore it for like 10 months straight (except when he slept. I think he said he even wore it in the shower, but I can't remeber) jsut to compile data on himself as far as dieting goes. The wearing it everyday gets annoying. he wore it during all of his workouts too. While it is a little more accurate as far as the body-gem goes in telling you how many calories you should be intaking, and it does tell you daily what you burn.....do you need to be that accurate? I mean honestly, The body-gem is easy...you go in fasted, you blow into it for like 10min or 15min, it spits out a RMR for you. You take that and set up your diet. Wait about 4 weeks and go back and see where you are at. Do you really need to know day to day details? People diet efficiently without any of these things, just by journaling what they eat and knowing their intake. c) it is expensive and once you have it, you register the software in your name and it is yours. All the data base stuff is set up for you, so no one else can use it. That really keeps me from buying one. If I bought one, i wouldn't be able to use it with multiple clients. Essentially, all the clients that want one would have to buy their own and, they aren't going to wear it for more than a week, to get an idea where they are at and to know what to do to get where they are going. After that, it is useless until you are ready to re-asses. So, $300 for one week of info and then you might never use it again? Seems steep to me. At least with the body-gem, you can go into a gym, get your RMR taken (sometimes for like $75-100) and then know where you stand. Plan your diet and just go. It is easy from there.

Thanks for the replies. I didn't even know about the BB before, but now I'm really interested. The weight loss didn't take much effort at first, but now I'm finding that it's taking a lot more work. If anyone who uses the BB could answer a few more questions that would be great. - How does the calorie tracking work? Is is similar to thedailyplate? Can you just enter your total calories for the day, or do you have to spend lots of time tracking absolutely everything? - Do you wear it all the time or just when you're working out? - Have you found the expected weight loss for the week to be accurate? - How many calories do you burn in a day with and without working out (if you could include your age, weight, and gender, that would be great)? I'm trying to figure out which online calculators are the most accurate. I'm female, I weigh 190, and I'm 23. I estimate that I burn about 1600 calories a day without exercise. Does this sound accurate? Thanks in advance for your help. I think the BB might be exactly what I need to lose the rest of this weight.

After surgery you generally follow a liquid stage, a mushy stage, and then you can progress to regular foods. The length of time in each of these stages varies. I followed liquids for one week and mushies for two weeks, then I could cautiously eat anything. I think most people stay in these preliminary stages for a bit longer than I did, but I would think that by now it would be okay for you to eat normal food. Just check with your surgeon's office first to make sure. Once you progress to normal foods, you can try eating anything, but just eat small amounts and take it very slowly when you're trying new foods.

Thanks for the replies. Jacqui, I think that's great advice about mixing protein and fiber. The combination definitely works. In Australia are you encouraged to get at least 50 grams of protein a day, or do you think that it's okay to eat less than this amount? I think some surgeons in the U.S. go a little overboard with their protein recommendations, but I do know that you need to get enough of it to prevent muscle loss. I still don't know exactly how much is enough, though. Also, about how many grams of fiber do you consume on the average day?

I try to eat around 1000-1100 calories with 50-60 grams of protein. I don't use protein shakes at all. I think they taste horrible, and liquids just don't keep you full for as long as real food does. I eat tuna, chicken, ham, salmon, and low fat cheese a lot. Sometimes for lunch I have a cup of fat free cottage cheese mixed with sugar free jelly (10 calories/tbs), and this has 26 grams of protein. I also eat kashi go lean cereal with 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber in a cup. If you focus on choosing protein rich foods for all of your meals you will feel satisfied and probably not need to rely on protein shakes too much. Fiber also is good to eat, so just focus on protein, veggies, and complex carbs. Try to eat 3 meals, each with 20 grams of protein.

Is it okay to eat foods with lots of fiber like celery as long as they don't get stuck or cause you any problems? I have been eating kashi go lean high protein/high fiber cereal with 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber in a cup. I have heard that fiber tends to swell in the pouch, so is a cup of this cereal too much to be eating? It really fills me up and is good for weight loss at only 140 calories in a cup. I just want to make sure that I am not stretching the pouch or doing any damage by eating high fiber foods.

Restless Monkey, thanks so much for your response. That was a great analogy. Thinking about food in terms of fuel is really helpful. We should focus on only consuming high quality stuff like 95% of the time, but for the other 5% of the time it's not a big deal to make a few not so great choices. It's just important to get right back on track the next day. Do you guys count calories and track everything, or do you find that if you follow the band rules that the band will take care of portion control for you?

Thanks for such inspiring posts, everyone! I was wondering if you guys could say a little more about having bad eating days and getting right back on track. I'm still having problems with this because I'm still stuck in the all or nothing thinking. For now I am totally avoiding all white carbs/snack foods/slider foods because it is really difficult for me to eat them in moderation. I think I need to completely avoid these foods at least for a while, but I know it's not realistic to never eat them again. I still think about food a lot, especially when I start making food choices that are not so great. Any helpful thoughts or tips that you guys have for getting past this would be great. Sorry to ruin the positive vibe of this thread. The band is a really great tool, and I'm confident that I will get to my goal, but I guess I just need a little advice on how to think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet.

You have done well so far, especially since you didn't lose weight for a month. I also didn't lose any weight for a while. I was at 200 pounds for a few months because I was off track. To do well I find that I have to eat 3 times a day and really focus on protein. I generally try to eat about 1000 calories each day. I can include some carbs with meals like a sandwich with bread or meat with a carb, but I have to stay away from simple carbs and snack type foods. Now I completely avoid chips, ice cream, cookies, and other simple carb foods because if I eat them at all I just want more. I also try to get around 60 grams of protein each day, and I am finding that it really helps me stay full for longer. I recently started keeping track of my calories, protein, and exercise each day, and writing it down helps me stay accountable. It's hard work, and some days will be better than others, but the important thing is to get right back on track when you have a bad day. Have you found any helpful tricks so far?

Yeah, I choose the interval program for 60 minutes. It alternates between two intensities with two minutes at each one. I enter my age and weight when I start. I get pretty sweaty by the end of it. I was just reading that inexperienced exercisers usually burn about 4-5 calories a minute while you can burn about 10-12 calories per minute when you're really in shape. If this is true, and I'm burning like 5 calories per minute, that would only be 300 calories for 60 minutes.:crying: