reverie

If you're content where you're at, why restrict yourself more? If the scale is moving/inches are dropping and your portions are pretty good, I wouldn't get a fill! That was my main reason for not getting one; I can eat what I want, up to 1.5 cups, and be full for 3-4 hours. I see no reason to push it any further, especially since my loss was pretty constant.

Congrats!

I say do it. Who cares if everyone else is "skinny?" You're doing it to GET skinny, and I doubt everyone in the class will be stick thin. I say go for it as I'm sure it will boost your loss. Exercise is key to weight-loss, in my opinion, and if you can do it alone/away from the kids, go for it.

I'm on there!

Try papaya enzyme. Also, you shouldn't be eating normal food if you're stuck. Most people stick to liquids for a day or so to let things calm down as a stuck episode can really irritate your stomach/pouch.

Awesome loss! Remember we all lose at our own pace. I've lost 112lbs; down from 20s to size 2s/4s. Congrats to you; keep going!

They are good but shouldn't be your go-to Protein source. Focus on getting protein from lean meats (ie. chicken, fish, turkey, etc.) The problem with Protein Bars is that they are often high in fat, sugars, and sometimes carbs. They are good to have on the go but most of them are not a good diet staple. I do like Quest protein bars however. As for unflavored protein; no idea. I hated the kind I have so it's just collecting dust.

I feel like it's all natural now; calorie counting and exercising have become second nature, and I love it!

Yes, normal, though it is probably restriction due to swelling from surgery. It usually dies off within a few weeks though some of it may stick. I haven't had a fill and have awesome restriction Good luck.

There's a thread on here about taking the easy way out and how many people who have not had WLS or any type of weight problem see it as a shortcut. But for me personally, I almost feel like I took the hard way. Let me explain: I feel like with all of the fad diets, crazy exercise routines, weight-loss pills, "miracle" cures, weight-loss is even harder, even for the average person looking to lose 10-15lbs. While I do love my band and wouldn't trade it for the world, I almost feel like it sort of blinded me to the reality of healthy eating and nutrition. I hopped on the low carb band wagon really hard. I ate no fruit, no high carb veggies, was strict strict strict until about 3 months ago. During the first 6-7 months I lost amazingly, and I am glad that I rarely hit a long standing plateau, but at the same time I feel like I was almost put behind a mask; my brain went into this "food is evil; carbs are evil; high calorie foods are evil" way of thinking and now that my weight-loss is pretty much in a range I can deal with, it has been hell trying to break these thoughts. I never thought it would be hard to tell myself it's okay to eat carbs. It's okay to eat chocolate. I can eat anything I want. But the fact is that food is not evil. Food didn't make me fat. In my case, overindulging with little to no exercise made me fat. Yesterday I had an Oreo truffle; that's right. A bunch of freaking Oreos mixed with cream cheese and covered in white chocolate. I ate it; devoured more like it and then I felt an immediate sense of guilt. Why? Why does eating something sweet make me feel guilty? I'm not sure. But within a few minutes I came to my senses and realized that ONE truffle was not going to kill me. I was not going to gain 5lbs from it. It's funny how I've gone from being a food lover, to a food hater, and nowadays I am slowly, but surely, training my brain to realize that no food is bad. Nothing; none of it. And plenty of people on here will disagree, but I've allowed more "junk" food into my diet and I love it, but the sense of guilt still lingers. I can't wait until the day where I feel skinny, can eat whatever I want, and not second guess my choice.

I like this post; very well put!

Follow your doctor's recommendations, not your own and not someone else's. Also be aware that the weight lost during the liquid phase is generally water-weight, not true fat loss. If anything you're dropping water + some muscle mass.

This. PS chicken ground up is NOT so bad. It turns into a tuna-fish like texture. I still do it today LOL with ranch dressing and carrots.

I've had both; immediate and after a few minutes. Sucks! Not everything comes up though, at least not for me.

Snack: Pumpkin + cottage cheese Breakfast: Eggs, turkey bacon, and oat bran w/ blueberry craisins Snack: Protein bread with white chocolate PB Lunch: Spaghetti squash with turkey meat, pasta sauce and mozzarella Snack: Oreo truffle (oops)! Dinner: Salad with chicken, cheese, and almonds

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I weigh myself every Sunday morning as soon as I wake up. Weekly weighing, in my opinion, is optimal. Weighing on a daily basis is too much of a head game as the scale can, will, and does fluctuate so much. I became a "scale slave" and slowly broke the habit. It was hard but as long as I tracked my calories and exercised, I knew I wasn't gaining. I'm not opposed to weighing once a month however. I think with such a long time period you'd actually start to focus on other successes outside of the scale, including your clothes fitting smaller, compliments, feeling better physically/emotionally, etc. I believe those looking to maintain their weight-loss should weigh in daily, if not every 2 days, just to ensure they are still on track.

Broccoli is very fibrous and can cause issues without a fill; trust me I know from experience (no fill) Chew chew chew is a must.

No but definitely wise! I still have trouble chewing/slowing down. It can't hurt to get the hang of it beforehand.

Are you spending the night? Bring a loose pair of pants (ie. pajama/sweat pants) a t-shirt, and slippers/socks to go home in/walk around in. A pillow to hold against your stomach on the ride home is a good idea. Bring your Gas-X, maybe a book/iPod/cell phone/laptop if you'll be staying overnight. Good luck!

You could be. How much are you eating? Are you focusing on getting protein in?

Weight/fat loss will help; alas you can't spot reduce fat so it'll come off when it wants to. Try running/building your leg muscles (squats, lunges, etc)

Nothing will prevent hair loss. Some people lose hair, some don't. You won't go bald and keep in mind as your hair is falling out new hair is also growing in. My hair got pretty thin and it now back to being the thick hair it once was. Be sure to use a strengthening shampoo/conditioner otherwise it's a waiting game. No amount of Protein, Biotin, or some other medication is going to stop your hair from falling out as hair loss is generally caused by surgery, trauma of surgery, anesthesia, and weight-loss. Good luck.

Throwing up with the band is the last thing you want. You need to contact your surgeon ASAP to have medications prescribed to you. Vomitting and maybe even dry heaving can cause your band to slip. Stick to warm liquids/soft foods for now.

Your port can take weeks to heal. Remember that it was sewn to your abdominal muscle so you will feel some pain. I'd try to take it easy. Give it time to heal. Good luck!