KimmyTx

Today, for the first time since I was diagnosed with high blood pressure two years ago, the nurse at my doctor's office was able to use a regular cuff when checking my bp. It was so wonderful. I used to always get so embarrassed when they had to switch out the cuff for a large one. Never again!

Love that show and the absolutely adorable Tanisha.

I always stall-out on weight loss when I don't eat enough. It is for that reason that I've had only one fill. My doctor recommends never going below 1200 calories per day, though I know some people decrease their calories on days when they don't work out. At the same time, everybody is different and you kind of just have to play around with your numbers and see what works best for you. I use myfitnesspal.com and it's worked for me. Good luck!

I'm a teacher and yesterday we had a meeting in a room full of student desks. My old "fat" mentality kicked in and I momentarily panicked at how embarrassed I would be to have to search for a chair since there was no way I was gonna fit into a student desk. Then I remembered I wasn't "as fat" anymore, so I went for it and, lo and behold, I fit into it with ease. What a difference 60+ pounds makes. Imagine my delight!

lol Sabrina...that's pretty hilarious. Imagine someone doing that at a restaurant!

I've only gotten one fill because that's all I've needed to have sufficient restriction, but I guarantee my doctor would keep giving them to me if I required more. That's their job and the whole point of the surgery in the first place, in addition to giving you sound advice regarding diet and exercise.

I had horrible diarrhea the entire two weeks I was on the pre-op, Atkins diet, then had it the first two weeks after surgery. It was awful, yet at the same time, I knew it was also a good way for my body to rid itself of all the poisons I had put into it beforehand. It will go away eventually, I promise.

My dad suffers from gout and he's always been told too much protein fuels it. How you deal with that plus lap band is beyond me but I've often wondered about it. Please keep us updated.

I was doing the same thing, low number of calories (800 to 900 per day) plus exercising every day, and stalled out for three weeks. I decided to up my calories and voila, it started coming off again. I've only had one fill but will keep it that way for awhile because it's difficult to get even 1200 calories in without always feeling stuffed.

LOLOL @ "jiggle through the hood." Hilarious! I've been overweight all my life and have never been a runner, but I've often had dreams (those super-realistic ones) about what it feels like to be one. Now that that dream has become possible, it is my immediate goal to run a 5k by January. Thank y'all so much for the motivation.

www.myfitnesspal.com

That is so awesome! Thanks for sharing as it provides both inspiration and motivation.

Mine said 6 weeks before swimming because the skin pickles when you're in the water for an extended period of time, even if it isn't as obvious as it is on the fingertips, which can allow for absorption of bacteria.

It took me a month to get it all off my stomach!

I don't lose weight if I eat less than 1,100 calories per day and am exercising. Your doctor sounds like a dud. Good ones don't fuss at you and try to make you feel guilty for making what appear to be healthy, protein-rich food choices.

I had surgery on a Tuesday and went back on Thursday. It was do-able but I wouldn't recommend it.

Yoplait makes Greek yogurt that is absolutely delicious. You can find it at most grocery stores. Thanks so much, Leigha. Seems like you and I have very similar diets. By chance, have you tried the Morningstar Farms products? Their chicken patties are my favorite. So delicious.

Thanks SO MUCH for the great advice and link.

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Would you mind sharing what works for you as far as calorie limits? I'm having trouble finding a good place. I'm not going hungry but am limiting myself to 800 calories per day, eating very healthy, and exercising every day, yet my loss constantly stalls out. I just want it to be steady and find an overall plan that fits.

Myfitnesspal.com is what I use to track my exercise and food intake. It's really invaluable as far as keeping up with protein, calories, etc. I try to have everything logged in before dinner so I can see where I lack.

Know exactly what you mean, especially after reading all the stories on here about people PB'ing and sliming several times a week. I'm kinda thinking I would rather just let my willpower take over when necessary rather than have too much fill.

You've gotta advocate for yourself. If you don't, who will? Your doctor isn't giving you the treatment you require so he deserves to lose your business.

Pickles do it for me as far as crunch and salt. Plus, they're very low calorie and filling. EAS chocolate-flavored protein shakes are great for the sweet tooth.

Same here, 6 weeks.

It's so hard to tell, at least when you're new, whether a fill is necessary or not. Some days are MUCH easier than others. I do know I will need another one because, generally, it takes more than 1/2 a cup to fill me for a prolonged period of time. It's so nice to know, though, that fills are an option rather than enduring hunger all the time, like it was when dieting without the band. I generally go to bed hungry.