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See there ya have the diff between my surgery and yours . I had it so I wouldn't be on a diet for the rest of my life (off plan). While I log my foods and wine it is an important part of a lovely meal. Nothing is "off plan" as long as I get in my Protein and take in enough other fluids. I have as glass of wine or two regularly and stay easily below 800 calories daily. Not at four weeks out mind you...but certainly at four months I do and I'm losing weight just fine while I enjoy life.

I have been at my goal weight for almost 2 years but have put on about 6lbs over the last couple of months due to having to have a partial unfill. I am still not back at my optimum restriction level so am having to fight the desire to snack when I shouldn't. I need to knuckle down and do something proactive to get the weight off. The problem is that I have had a really easy ride so having to think about what I eat, log calories etc does not come naturally.I got the band so that i could give up dieting and that is what happened so to now have to consciously think about dieting is really hard. I was playing around on a couple of sites this morning to try to calculate how many calories required etc. I entered my info on 1 site and the results it came back with were that to lose 6lb I should not go under 1200cal per day and that it would take me until Jan 4 2013!!!! Well maybe I should give up now(joking). I am wondering if anyone else has used 1 of these sites and also come up with a ridiculous calculation. I am going on away with my husband for 4 days next week for a much needed break before he starts a new job so won't be watching my intake too hard then. I think the best plan is probably to try to stick to around 1000 cal per day, get off my ar*e and do some "exercise"(which I hate) and try to log honestly what I am eating. I go back to see my Dr mid June and am hoping he will bring me up to a reasonable level of restriction again then. We are treading a fine line between me actually being able to feel like I have a band and my reflux recurring. I live in a small country town where the nearest gym is 40min away so I can't join a gym - the motivation and the cost to get there a couple of times a week whould be prohibitive. Yes I could theoretically walk or run as that is free but it is seriously freezing here at this time of year. I think my only option is to dig my exercise bike out and use that.

I have the same story as you. I discovered that I can eat normally after one week post op. and boy did i eat! I was eating solids when i was supposed to be on mushies I didn't lose a single pound for several weeks. But then by my third fill the magic happened. Suddenly I was able to eat small portions and actually feel satisfied. So don't give up hope! It takes a while to get into the green zone but once you do, it's easy to stay on track. I highly recommend using a calorie counter like my fitness pal and stay at 1200 calories or slightly less. I didn't follow the rules in the beginning but now that I have restriction, I'm losing weight! Best of luck to you! You've got this!!!!!

Exactly. Is it wiser to wait until you have dieted yourself into a higher BMI or realize that you have proven to yourself that you can't keep the weight off without doing something other than diet & exercise? I too for many many years poo poo'd weightloss surgery as waaaay too radical a solution to a simple "calorie in/calories out" problem. I finally dieted myself up to be a 360 lbs (5'4") old woman who had 3 total knee replacements, high blood pressure, and pre-diabetic. If I had it to do over I would have had the VSG when I was 20 and weighed 220 and had already been on lots of diets (because it's just a matter of willpower, right?). I haven't sat around doing nothing all this time but, OMG, what my life COULD have been like just boggles my mind. No do overs! Go for it! And God bless you!

Honey, just my opinion, but I think you need to rethink WLS completely, regardless of the method. Read here and on other boards about how many people regain weight after RNY (and lapband and sleeve, too). That is because WLS is just a tool. It won't keep you from sabatoging yourself. You need to get your head on straight before you attempt this. If you have a sugar problem, it's really best to address it beforehand. Some thoughts: Get on a low carb Atkins type diet asap and stick with it. Once you get past induction phase your need for carbs and sugar is substantially lower. You may find this is all you need. Attend counseling prior to getting surgery to deal with food issues. Understand how eating slider foods can easily disrupt and delay weight loss with WLS. Learn about addiction transferring and how some people with sugar addictions switch it to other foods/alcohol etc. and still continue to sabotage their weight loss Really understand how liquid and soft calories can cause you to stop losing and regain weight. Best of luck to you however you decide.

I think stalls happen at random times and there's not a set schedule. We all have them and talk about them and it's true you just need to keep following the plan and the weight will come off, also measuring inches help too. I think our metabolism gets jacked, so mixing things up can help that (exercise, types of foods, amount of intake, etc). I noticed that I'd stall everytime I worked out during that week and think I'm not getting enough calories or working out to hard. I'm in week 13 and have stalled (for a week) 2x now, but wasn't until later, I'll have a 0 loss week then a random 6lb loss. Keep it up and as easy as it is to say but hard to do....don't get discouraged but I know it's frustrating!

I don't suppose it is a big deal.. Unless, of course, you're packing away a load of calories. The more you eat, the more you'll get used to - I would have thought would be the school of thought on that one?

There's no surgery that can make you eat only low calorie foods and in the correct amount. The only thing the sleeve is capable of doing is limiting the amount of food you can eat, to help you learn to be satisfied with less. So if it is your intention to rationalize a way to circumvent that limiting factor, then the sleeve won't work for you and you will fail. Trying to get others to enable you by agreeing with your rationalization is further proof you're headed down the wrong path. All I can say is you need to readjust your thinking and stick to the program as outlined by your weight loss team if you want to salvage any success from your surgery.

I did a 3 week preop diet and lost 20 pounds during those 3 weeks. However I was definitely eating less than 1200 calories a day. 15 pounds in 3 weeks is probably doable though. Good luck!!

Yes, add calories. Try healthy, calorie-dense foods like nuts, avocado, olive oil mayonnaise, and dried fruit. Eat more frequently rather than larger meals -- you want to maintain your restriction. Congratulations on all your success!

Yes,and no No you don't need to increase calories to stay out of starvation. But you will want to increase your Protein to reap the benifits of your work. This will by default increase your caloric intake. Also if you ate doing endurance type exercise you'll need the extra carbs to sustain your energy. I'd suggest talking to some of our resident bikers & runners on the endurance stuff.

Come on you can do it...... I have 2 weeks to lose 10lb min only 1000 cal.... I have lost 7 in a week!!! you can do it. Just stick to the plan. I am using a white board on my fridge to track my calories so I know where I stand during the day. Hang in there!!!

Don't have a defeatist attitude. You can do it! You've said how many calories you plan on eating but what about how many you are going to burn? To lose 15 lbs in 25 days, you need to burn about 1800 calories more than you eat each day. It's definitely doable. If you cheat a little on the diet just exercise that much more that day. Don't be upset with yourself if you miss by a few pounds. They probably want to just see that you have the motivation and made the effort.

Ingrediants: 1/4 cup of 2% cottage cheese 3 Tbs. of a fresh avacado (blenderized or hand forked) depending how soft the avacado is 2 Tsp. Guacamole Seasoning Directions: Add 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, add 3 tbs fresh avacado, sprinkle 2 tsp. guacamole seasoning. Calories : 130 / 7gms Protein Enjoy! *** Perfect for mushy stages, or any part of a meal ***

I'm in the same camp as Jacqui. I don't want to 'diet' ever again in my entire life, and I'm not. I do, however, try to make healthy choices considering that I'm not getting a lot of food in....the food I do get should be healthful. I'm also in the camp that says a month-long plateau, or even 2, is not such a horrible or unexpected thing. Panic is not my friend. That being said, I do track my calories (most days) on Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate. I go to the gym 5x a week. I figure if I'm eating around 1200 calories a day and working out that's the best I can do. If that means the weight will only come off 1/2 pound a week, then so be it. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and evenutally I'll get "there". This attitude of mine prevents fear of failure and all that negative self-talk. As far as the sweet spot goes, I'm still not experienced enough to give much advice about that. I'm struggling a little with this 3rd fill of mine and have only been banded 3 months. Best of luck to you. To me it sounds like you're doing alright!

My problem is I was struggling at times to reach 800 calories a day and everything I had been reading and hearing was telling me I was possibly putting my body into starvation mode. At that time I was going through like a month and a half period of the scale just sitting in one place. So I went to see the Nutritionist about it and they set me straight. Come to find out I had gotten away from band portions and was eating too much and eating around my band which is what slowed down my weight loss. I also had a couple of stuck episodes during that period and still I didn't see the signs I was doing it wrong. Still though it was confusing because I was consuming more than usual but still struggling with low calories counts and not losing. Now my calorie intake is still on the low end but my portions are back on track and the scale is moving with a little more ease. Like Stephanie says I think its a matter of learning the basics and then finding out what works for you individually. It's too bad it doesn't just work by following basic rules. If it did then none of us would have weight struggles.

i am with my friend catfish and jim here i dont count (carbs)..but what i do count is my Protein (i get as much as i can) and eat alot of veggies/fruit and always (always) make sure i burn off more calories than i take in by eating (3500 cals is a pound ate/drank)..my nutritionist advised me to choose fresh foods vs boxed/processed and i have adhered to that and it works.. i eat better foods and i let my band dictate how much (which is about a cup or cup and a half of food)......how i see it, you got to eat to lose weight....make better choices and exercise and drink alot....that is all i do......(plus use my want power attitude). you can do this donna. doing good so far. i just keep (hearing) doubt from you...let the band work and do its job.....and you just make good choices :wub:

I'm 21 days out since my surgery. I haven't drank any soda, too afraid of possible pain or messing up my band, which I paid for myself. I don't drink alcohol at all, but I do know others do, but in moderation, as they are empty calories. How weird that your doctor does your fills by the amount of weight you lose! Mine does it based on my hunger level. I've eaten tiny bites of a Pillsbury crescent roll, maybe 1/4 of one roll. I've had 1/2 slice whole grain bread, well toasted. I've had a tiny bit of tortilla. I've eaten turkey, chicken, ham, beef meatballs, pot roast, without problems so far. I cut them into tiny pieces and chew the heck out of them. I haven't tried steak or pork yet. I haven't had any issues yet with something being stuck (except perhaps one of my antibiotics that I didn't cut in half), but I definitely do feel full with around 3/4 to one cup of food, sometimes less. I expect once I get my first fills, that will change. Good luck!

My doctor didn't ask me to do a pre-op liquid diet. I was on liquids for 6 weeks after surgery. I don't remember how much I lost before I started eating solid foods, but I do remember I lost 18 pounds in the first two weeks (was only allowed 2 oz 3 times a day plus protein supplements). After the first two weeks, I could have more liquids. I did gain a little bit (a few pounds only) when I started getting more calories, and from what I've heard from others on this site, that's normal. After a week or so, the weight started coming off again. Good luck! I know it seems like there is no way you can make it through the liquid stage. But now that I'm past it, it seems like it flew by!

I am completely in agreement, I went to France for mine cause my GP kept telling me to count calories. After a weight gain of almost 5 stones in 2 years I think I was way past counting calories. If it was that easy, we would all be thin right?? LOL I paid £3300 in France for the op and the surgeon there told me that I was a prime candidate with a BMI of 46. The NHS board refused to refund the op cause they said that I would not have had it on the NHS if I had been patient enough to go through the year long process of seeing all the specialist pre-op so I am glad I went abroad! Surely it is about time they realised that being obese is as much an illness as being boulimic or all those other thin illnesses around! They are advertised as ill people to be pitied, we are put up as a figure of shame to be ridiculed???!!!!!

Sorry but thanks to Google, anyone can find an article to back their argument. Here's one that explains what starvation mode is and how it CAN effect you: "While a starvation diet may help you lose weight quite fast in the short term, you will pay a heavy price because you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of weight problems. Your metabolism gets progressively slower with each day you remain on a starvation diet. This resultant slower metabolism needs less fuel, so you consistently have to eat less and less to lose weight!" For the full article, look here: http://optimalbodywe...ode-weight-loss Perhaps "starvation mode" is a poor thing to call it, but as stephyanders mentions above, eating too little can adversely effect your metabolism by slowing it. Everyone is different, and everyone's body processes calories differently. Not only calorie amounts but types. Some say "no carbs!" but some need and do well with good carbs. Some can loose like crazy on only 800 a day, others need a minimum of 1000. I have done a lot of research on the topic of calories and calorie types and have found the whole "less is more" isn't necessarily true. I had been eating about 1000 calories a day the first 2 months and had steady weight loss. However, I'd slowed a lot and only lost 7 pounds last month. So, after my research about calories and metabolism, I upped my calories a mere 200 to 1200 daily. I have lost another 23 pounds this month since increasing my calories, bringing my total weight loss to 81 pounds in less than 4 months.

Hi guys I have been banded for 1 1/2 years now and have noticed throughout my journey that when following a 1200 calorie a day diet, I did gain weight. This was with regular exercise. It was totally fruatrating, and could not figure out why. With the fear of going into starvation mode, I did not want to eat less, but I had to try something else, so I cut down the calories and BINGO! I lost weight. So I'm a true beleiver that everyone's boby is different. Right now, I'm in the green zone FINALLY! and I'm able to eat 800-900 calories and stay satisfied.

A little bit of info... I just got back from my monthly doc visit, and I saw the nutrionist in the hallway and asked if I could speak to her. She's a lovely woman and of course said yes. I told her specifically about this thread and the starvation mode debate. She said she hates the term "starvation mode" because that is not what it is at all, it's really a self induced metabolic syndrome by lack of calories. She said when you aren't eating enough calories to sustain your body, it's not a matter of hanging onto calories but more that your metabolism goes "Oh I don't have to work so hard" and slows way down. That is why sometimes even a little caloric increase, 100 or 200, can make a huge difference in waking up the metabolism. Now, when you TRULY are starving, it's a complete lack of nutrients and your body starts essentially eating it's own muscle tissue, resulting in the skeletal figures we think of when we think of starvation or even anorexia. (this is also why so many anorexics die from heart failure, the heart is a muscle). So, straight from the expert. We're not starving by eating too little, we're slowing down our metabolism. I think that is where the debate comes in, because we call what is essentially a self induced metabolic syndrome "starvation mode", creating big misconceptions.

I'm going to throw this out here just for the sake of proving the point. Cycling carbs and calories while exercising sufficiently is a very effective strategy to strip body fat. Men lose fat more easily than women. Why? Because a man's body consists of more lean muscle tissue than a woman's. And a man's hormonal makeup is more geared toward anabolism. I like to eat. I don't like to feel deprived - and I like ice cream... No... I LOVE ice cream. I want to eat as much food as I can, while still losing body fat. Here is an example of my last 8 day period. For the first 5 days I ate relatively good foods and stayed in the 2000 calorie a day range - which is a deficit for me. I kept simple carbs to a minimum while making certain I was eating sufficient grams of Protein to protect my lean muscle mass. Then I let myself up off the mat and in the last two days I ATE... and I ATE A LOT... In the last 2 days alone I ate a combined 3000 calories plus of JUST ice cream. That does't include the mexican food at Bandidos or the alcoholic beverages or any of the other intake. I no doubt consumed somewhere around 4000 calories each day. But now I will settle back into a deficit for 5 more days, limiting those simple carbs but still keeping my protein intake sufficient enough to protect my lean muscle mass. This is certainly too extreme of a swing for most people here, but the general principle still applies. The high calorie days and sufficient exercise keep your metabolism white-hot, yet the lower calorie days keep your lean muscle tissue protected. The end result is a reduction in body fat, while not feeling weak and sluggish or depriving yourself. I have used this principle for quite awhile and have more and more muscle definition as each month passes. If you don't believe me check out my gallery. My abs are becoming more and more defined as body fat continues to strip away. It's a slow but steady process but it is very effective. When I first started I had to dig through fat to find my port. Now the damn thing sticks out like a tumor because there's so little fat over it.... I have struggled with low fat / low carb / low calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles just like everyone else. I did Atkins and so many other fads... They don't work long term... You must have a permanent lifestyle change to be successful - band or not. The proof is in the pudding as they say... Search LBT and you'll be bombarded with threads and posts about people eating 800 calories a day and not losing weight... There's a new group of them that comes along every few weeks... So many just end up throwing in the towel and declaring the band didn't work for them... This isn't stuff that my surgeon or nutritionist gave me. It's research and trial and error I did on my own to get results. Save yourselves the headaches and struggles and learn from the mistakes of those who've gone down this road before you. My advice for women trying this technique would be to do sufficient cardio 5 days a week at 40 minutes a session, working all 3 target heart rate zones. Add in two strength/resistance training sessions a week. Continually challenge yourself and increase intensity of your workouts as they become easier. Everyone's activity levels are different, but for the sake of argument I'd increase calories by 100 every 5 days until you achieve about 1200. Then every 5-7 days take 2 days and run that number up to 1800-2000 and then slam back down to 1200 for another 5-7 days. Repeat this cycle and you will strip body fat... and you will have so much more energy and not feel like you are dieting so much.

Precisely on target IMO... The bottom line though is no 2 people have the same body, same nutrition needs, same job activity, same exercise patterns, etc., etc., etc., You have to learn your body through trial and error... BUT... basic principles still apply... Your body is an evolutionary masterpiece. Its' will to survive is far greater than we give credit. When that internal engine senses a reduction in fuel - it begins to make adjustments. Not in one swoop - but steadily. So you will be able to trick it for a short while by eating very low calories. That's why people on very low calorie diets lose massive amounts of weight within the first few weeks. But those losses are going to come to a screeching halt as your body successfully adjusts your metabolism. And then you're left with weak, sluggish, undernourished people eating 800 calories a day and not losing - or worse yet - gaining weight. That is what most people mean when they refer to the starvation mode - a crashed metabolism... As an aside - if you lose 5 pounds a week eating low calories and think that's all fat - you aren't kidding anyone but yourself - but that's a whole other discussion. Catabolism is something different. Your body doesn't have a storage system for Protein as it does carbohydrate. There are 9 essential amino acids. If you fail to provide these - and in sufficient quantity - when your body needs them - then your body will break down lean muscle tissue in order the supply itself with the nutrition it needs. That is a double edged sword for people trying to lose fat because it requires so many more calories to maintain lean muscle tissue than it does fat. The less lean muscle tissue you have - the harder it is to lose fat.