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If "starvation mode" was real, starving kids in 3rd world countries, French models, or anorexics wouldn't weigh so little. Ask one of them if we 1st world tubbies are in starvation mode. Lol [emoji13] I personally think it's just another thing we try to convince ourselves of. If you have weight to lose, you will lose it. Google "is starvation mode real". There are some good articles. What IS real is your body needing either more calories to kick metabolism in gear again or your body trying to readjust to the weight lost by pausing a bit before it realizes you're not done and it has to let go more. I was on a 2 week stall (I'm pre surgery). I spent a weekend on vacation where I ate between 1700-2000 calories a day for 3 days. My normal caloric intake is from 1000-1200. I also didn't work out for 6 days when normally I was at the gym 4 days a week. The past 2 days after vacation, I put myself on a diet similar to my intended preop diet. Premier drink for breakfast and lunch and a sensible meal (protein and veg) for dinner. I've lost 6 pounds in the last 2 days. I just had to reset and retrick my body. HW: 328 (02/22/17) SW: TBD CW: 292

Had mine on 12/14. I’ve lost 18. Dr just told me to up my calories to 1000. I was keeping it right about 800. I walk 2 miles daily. I’ve got to add in some weight training. It is frustrating but at least I’m not starving all the time! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have a fitbit and I love it. I have worn one daily since 2011. Since I have had my fitbit for so long, I never had the chance to use the other fitness trackers because most of them appeared later. I wear the fitbit ultra on my bra daily. I like how small it is. I like how it easily syncs to myfitnesspal and i like the information that you can see on your fitbit and the free app that shows and stores all your data. I can see steps and calories burned and my sleep and since it syncs to myfitnesspal it shows the calories I have eaten vs burned for the day. I know that some trackers require you to pay a fee to see your information on the computer. I have weights and activity stored on the fitbit website since 2011. I just think it is easy. They do have ones you can wear on your wrist. I wore the first one they had years ago but I preferred the one I wear on my bra. Now they have several different ones available that also track your heart rate. I haven't tried those.

Well I use MFP anyway so I like that it syncs to fitbit and shows my calories there. I used to track my food on fitbit but I like MFP better. I can't remember why I like it better because I stopped using it years ago to track my food. I have recipes stored on MFP. I cook a lot and MFP allows me to build recipes and store then there and I can see all my nutritional info. Also in the past before I was thinking of doing this surgery, I used to fitbit and MFP to help me decide how many calories to eat a day. It is more useful when each app can see your activity level and calories to come up with a daily calorie goal. For example, if my calorie goal was 1200 calories then MFP could see that I burned an extra 500 calories with exercise on the fitbit and it would tell me that I was allowed to have extra calories that day based on my activity. Or on fitbit, it would see how much I ate and it would tell me how many more calories I needed to burn to reach my goal of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week.

I'm schizophrenic I'm schizophrenic bipolar 1 extreme Mania and I've take 400 mg of Seroquel and I'm only doin 2 meal replacements and 3 oz of meat my dietitian for me on anything else keep me at 750 calories and I am now a stall for 6 weeks and I actually started gaining weight again and they have no idea what's going on as do I as I am now still continuing to exercise need help if anybody has any answers thank you

Wow you are doing great. I'm almost two months post op and have only lost 28lbs. What are you eating? Or how many calories do you get per day?

Actually haven't been doing vits. Just recently started. Unsure if I should try ti count calories. I eat mostly protein every effin meal.....so maybe restrict cals?

Hi all! Monday marked 3 weeks since my band removal and conversion from banded plication to sleeve. I am still working on getting all of my Protein in. Luckily, I purchased a lot of sample packs of Protein drinks before surgery so I haven't gotten bored with any particular brand or flavor. I also bought several different brands so that's helped me too. Since this is my 3rd WLS, I felt I was prepared for what life would be like immediately post-op and it was pretty much what I expected. I'm still sore from where the band and stomach were removed. I also had a large hernia repair in the same area, so my left side is still tender. My incisions look great and I'm almost completely healed externally. I try to not lift heavy items but still tote groceries and laundry baskets full of clothes around! I'm off from work for another 6 weeks due to summer break (I'm a teacher) so hopefully, I'll have my eating and drinking patterns established by then. What I've learned so far to help me: 1. Drink 4-8 ounces of Water upon waking (I learned this from VSGTanya on Youtube) 2. Drink a Protein shake soon after waking (Right now I'm only drinking about 4-5 ounces) 3. Eat protein every 2-3 hours 4. Try to get some form of exercise or activity everyday (I use exercise t.v. and videos at night) I also look for opportunities to exercise. For example, I took my kiddos to the park and I walked around the playground while they played. 5. Use MFP or another food tracking method for accountability 6. Go to therapy (This has been helpful to me and it's something I never did while banded) 7. If you can, find a support group that you like and go! 8. Enlist help from family and friends (Only my DH and 1 good friend know I had the sleeve. A few friends know I had my band removed. This has been a bit difficult for me but I feel that's the best decision for me, right now) 9. Measure food, especially in the beginning. I don't have a food scale yet but I put everything in cups or dishes that have measurements on them. 10. So far, I seem to lose better with a bit higher calories (around 500-600), a bit higher carbs (around 40-50) and more exercise. When I was "eating" lower calories (around 300-400) I would plateau, even if I exercised. This, so far, seems to be what my body likes - that may change later. 11. Recovery was easier than I thought but the mental part is WAY more difficult!! 12. Enjoy the journey. This is my journey and while I think it's important to learn from others and listen to my doctors, I don't intend to follow someone else's idea of what my journey should be. This is probably the first time in my life that I've felt like that!! Although I've only been sleeved for 3 weeks, I've had WLS for 12 years so hopefully, some of those years weren't all wasted and I learned from them! Thanks for reading. Sorry for rambling!

Has anyone experienced daily headaches after surgery? I'm 4.5 months post op. I take a Flintstones chewable Vitamin, VitronC Iron supplement, actigal (can't remember the exact name), protonix, D3, allegra, and zyrtec. I also get my Protein and fluids daily and around 1K calories. I had my surgery in another state so I can't see my surgeon but I do have an appointment with a new doc 4/13. Went ahead and set up that appointment because I know I'm due for blood work by 6 months post op. My blood work at 6 weeks post op was fine with D & Iron being low, which is normal for me. Just curious if anyone else has any experience or insight? I do exercise on average about 5 times a week varying between intense cardio and strength training. Not sure if all this info is relevant but better safe than sorry. Seems like every day for the last 2-3 weeks my head hurts. I think it's probably allergies because it's in the forehead/temple area and I have a history of chronic sinus issues and allergies but I'm worried it could be something with a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Any thoughts?

I read many posts here from day to day...and every so often I feel I need to get my story out there...if anything, a declaration for my own edification... Before this WLS, I literally had one foot in the grave, there were so many medical issues and my prognosis was very bad...I'll not get ino it now, but I have in the past...in the 3-5 years prior, I had to bury my Sister, and my Brother...both who died too young from complications from being Obese...and I was walking right in their footsteps... My PCP seriously talked to me, more as a friend, to be sure I had some funeral plans in the way of expenses, and also asked me if my family would be Ok and taken care of.... ANY type of WLS, (in my case it was Lap band), was a LAST RESORT....DO OR DIE (maybe that explains my aggressiveness...no fooling around, dam the torpedoes) That was 3 years ago, I am now 100% successful with my body determining what my weight should be....very low body fat %, in the "Athletic" range...I simply have no more excess weight of fat to loose...any more would be unhealthy...a true starvation mode not unlike the psuedo one everyone talks about. ALL my medical conditions have completely reversed, (other than the permanent damage to my heart muscle from a heart attack), no more Med's, all bloodwork #'s perfect right down the middle.... I am a Poster Child at my Bariatric center, often asked to talk at support and first time introduction meetings...(I'm careful to explain ALL people are different and choose their different weight loss paths) I'm 61 soon to be 62, run 5 miles a day...go to the gym 5 days a week...I feel like I am 30 years younger... I have NEVER had a single complication....I DO NOT consider this a "TOOL"...I consider this corrective surgery...I cannot over eat no matter how hard I may try...I am never hungry 24 hrs a day with no cravings and actually, have very little interest in food altogether....It's a mental thing for me because of the placement of the band.... A "TOOL" is something I can control...I cannot control this, it has complete control of me....If I was in control, and can "Use" this as a tool, I would surely screw it up and fail.... I DO NOT count calories, measure portions, keep logs, etc...in other words, I have been set free from DIETS!! I now live a Normal LIfestyle, I eat, work and play the way a person is supposed to do, not the abnormal gluttonous lifestyle I once used to live that made me sick and fat... But now, I find this the easiest thing there is..absolutely No work or struggle.... of course, during the first post-op phase, which took me 4-6 months of adjusting, was pure hell and frustrating to say the least...but I did not back down, and fought through it...it was that important to me......it has now become day to day, a way of life I do not think about that much anymore...as if I had my gall Bladder taken out 3 years ago... Of course there are things I need to know and certain rules I must follow...but they are new habits...no longer a list....I don't have to think about what foods I can or cannot eat...I just know...I don't have to remind myself how to chew and take my time...I just know..and if I should forget, the band is there to immediately warn and remind me... IF I should ever encounter any complications, I will deal with them when and if they come.....better than being dead! One thing I have noticed to be a truth...the lap band is adjustable, and it seems all people have different levels as to where they want to be with this...for me, nothing less than maximum "Green Zone" life will do...and my Dr. understands....IMO that does not mean one person is right or wrong...as long as you're successful in your path, that's all that matters....I HATE IT when someone says the way they are doing it is the ONLY WAY, then goes and instructs people just starting out...doing more harm than good...no matter there are so many confused people....all anyone should ever do is give their own personal experience in any given situation...if they have none, then keep quiet and let someone who has experience speak...I love it when someone who has been banded for 6 weeks is going to tell me how I should be doing things... Anyway, It's 5am, I'm off to the gym soon when they open at 6 on Saturdays. ALL THIS because I chose to have the Lap Band Surgery....it could have been one of the other procedures, I don't know...this is he only one I have any experience with....so this is the only procedure I can talk about....

Talk to your nutritionist. You may need some additional, healthy carbs as you go through your pregnancy. You also likely do need some additional calories for pregnancy. Check with your OB or NUT, but I think it's something like 100 calories a day early on, and 300 towards the end. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well, yes and no. My focus is on getting 60 grams of Protein a day and on my plan I eat four times a day. I shoot for not exceeding 200 calories per meal. On average I end up eating about 600 - 700 calories a day. The protein is filling and satisfying so as long as you focus on lean Proteins and getting those as well as your fluids consumption in, you should do fine. Good luck!

Just know that when you have alot to lose like I did, and people notice that you have lost a considerable amount of weight, they may very well assume you had WLS. I've dropped basically a whole other person in terms of the amount of weight I've lost and I know the women in my department are likely assuming I had WSL. The guys only notice I'm smaller...they don't wonder how I did it.. But these days, WLS is so prevalent that I think most folks make that assumption. I've had a few people ask me outright what I did and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are asking because they see I've been successful, and not just because they are nosy. I tell them I went on a strict food plan and am staying around 1,000 calories daily. Most people I work with knew I had severe joint issues as I've been on a cane for more than two years and once they found out I had bilateral hip replacement, they are satisfied with my answer that I needed to lose weight to prepare for the surgery. It's all true and the only thing I leave out is the lapband part. And I do that because I'm not comfortable talking about it, not because I fear any negative response.

At 5 months I still have problems. I've learned to be very careful. At 2 months I got out of bed to go to the bathroom, passed out and banged my head of the floor hard enough to have a headache for two days. I get a lot of calories so I think it's low blood pressure. I've read that when you lose weight the vessels are still dilated to support the weight and it can make you dizzy. Drinking LOTs of Water and taking B12 has helped the most. For me it wasn't a blood sugar issue. Be careful. Always get up slowly.

Nope - you didn't make a mistake. You will feel like you did for the next few weeks though. What you did do was embark on an incredible difficult journey, which is going to be both terrible and absolutely amazing. When you come out the other side in 6, 12, 18 months or whenever you'll look back on it and it'll be one of the best decisions you ever made in your life. Focus on the day to day right now. Follow the plan as closely as you can, keep on top of the pain, call the DR if something isn't right. It took me weeks to get to the liquid goal and my calories were like ~300 per day for the first month, it got much easier after that. Once you start seeing weight loss (a few weeks) it'll be more motivating. For now keep busy, sip constantly (try watering your shakes down) and try to walk a lot gently as that helps with the pain.

it's pretty common after any major surgery, and especially this one since your calorie intake is so low. It'll probably last a few weeks, but will get gradually get better and better....

I have hit a plateau and would like to know if any other banders have lost after hitting a significant plateau.. if so how did you do it? I am only eating between 500-700 calories per day and I am trying to excercize at least 30 minutes every day. I appreciate your help!

I'm usually all about the homemade stuff, but cooking with real food just makes me want to eat solids right now. I'm drinking a lot of Isopure, grape flavor. It is 20 ounces of liquid with 40 grams of Protein, 160 calories, no carbs or fat. It doesn't taste great, but it isn't bad, either. I ordered mine off Amazon Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

My surgery was on May 9th and let me start by saying that all the pain that I went through and the discomfort I am going through right now, is well worth it! I have lost 21 pounds from my HW of 258 bs. Looking forward to many more! Bad news first: I have super tiny veins, very hard to find. Before surgery, the nurse could not find one so the Anesthesiologist came to try to start an IV. The stupid doctor inserted the IV inside of my left wrist. Within minutes, it had infiltrated and had started to swell up. Another Anesthesiologist came with an ultrasound machine and found one vein in my right arm where the IV went. During my stay, the blood draws were a nightmare since many techs poked me several times to find a vein. As a result, my whole arm is black and blue. I could live with that but since yesterday, there is bad tingling in my left hand and my range of motion is almost negligible. it feels like I am holding a live electric wire in my hand, Every time I extend my foreman, an electric shock runs through it. The more I researched this, I found out that this is caused by nerve injury and that the IV in wrist is a no-no. I went to my surgeon today who was shocked to hear that the other doctor tried to put an IV there. So, tomorrow I am going to an ortho hand surgeon for a consult. I am so upset at that stupid doctor and hoping that is just an inflammation that pinched a nerve. I don't want another surgery. Now to a couple of questions: How long before the incisions healed and the pain got better? I cannot sleep on either one of my sides. How long before you were able to eat more than 200 calories? I have found ways to sneek in Protein and had around 30 grams today. I know I need a lot more but that is a start. I am trying to stay hydrated too. Sipping Water all day, drinking some gatorade and even had a sugar free popsicles but calories were not enough to survive. Thank you for all your support during this process! This website rocks!

I went right up to 800 calories almost immediately after surgery and I'm currently eating 800-1050 calories a day (usually closer to 800) The difference between 800 calories and 600 calories a day, represents less than two pounds of additional weight loss in a month. Yeah, I'd like to have those two pounds, but I just feel better at around 800 calories so that's where I'm going to stick!

I was hoping to get some input from those of you further out than I. As of yesterday, I've been sleeved for 3 weeks. I've had some problems with pretty severe nausea, but it's under control with medication. As long as I take my prilosec and zofran (an anti nausea med) every 8 hours, I feel great! I had a follow up with my surgeon this afternoon, and he wants to see me increase my calories from 400ish to 800 - 1000 as soon as possible. My primary care doc (who happens to be a weight management specialist) thinks the calorie increase will also help me not be dependent on the zofran. Does this seem a little high for just 3 weeks out? It seems like a lot of people aren't even on soft foods at this point, and are struggling to eat. I don't have a problem with eating more, since I could use the extra calories to fuel my walks and the yoga class I've signed up for, but I want to make the most of my "honeymoon period". Do 800 calories seem reasonable at this point?

My doctor has me on a 1200 calories a day.. I wonder if this has anything to do with my weight loss being soooo slow...

I was under the impression you lse slower if your calories are too low- that your metabolism slows down to compensate for such low calorie intakes (self preservation). I am 4 weeks out and at 800-1000 a day and am ok if my progress s slower (and hopefully I will have less loose skin or flab but I have nothing to ack this up)

I think that the answer from the more experianced bandsters will be that you havent found the 'sweet spot' yet. I know that it is different for everyone where they get that restriction. Some people tighten up a week or so after a fill so it may still kick in a bit more. I would ring the docs though and tell them that you can still eat pizza and see what they say. Dont let it spoil your holiday! Just try to be aware of the whole calories in and out thing,and enjoy youself! Nina xx

Because each one of us is unique, I am certain that some will disagree with me. The first thing I always dos when encountering a stall was to review my food log from the past couple of weeks, then do an honesty check. Was I really logging everything? I have a weakness for lifesaver wint-o-green mints, I wasn't logging them and they are 20 calories a piece. Then I work on eating slowly. My doctor insists that if you eat small (marble sized) bites, slowly over a 25 minute period, you will stay full for 5 1/2 hours. He says it takes that long for your stomach to tell your brain you are full. It really works. My doctor also does not believe in drinking your calories and that all Protein should come from food, not drinks. This is very controversial among WLS patients, but it has worked for me. I haven't had a Protein Drink since week 2 post-op. Then exercise, try to increase your exercise even if only by a few minutes. i don't know how often you weigh, but give yourself a couple of days between weigh-ins to help you avoid frustration! Good luck and keep us posted!