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The problem that people experience even losing weight on their own is your body gets to a certain point and doesn't matter what you do the weight is hard to get off. I think most people that have the band lose and then gain some and then can not lose the weight they gained. The band in statistics usually accommodates 50% of your total weight. Some have more some less. There just comes a time when your body is happy where it is. It doesn't mean your band is not working and you can get all the fills you want but making changes in your diet are probably going to be the things that will help you. Excessive working out is not going to make you lose weight because now all you are doing is making muscle. I would say just try to go with a thousand calories of more protein and see if that helps.

Im down about that much overall too. We might just have to push each other a little now and again. I need to make myself walk too, or my weight loss will slow down as my metabolism changes. Im impatient like you, I want the weight to just slide on off and be gone .... dont I wish!!! I think you have to not lose for a couple of weeks to call it a stall. Maybe change up the calories and anything with a higher sugar level too. Im using Boost (el yucko I know) and it has some sugar, so I could have a lower sugar Protein Drink tomorrow etc. Just dont let your eating get into a total rut. Its hard when we cant grab a piece of meat to hold off the hunger already for me. I want some munchies. So maybe we can push each other once in a while?

I am 4 days post op and just yesterday started to feel nauseated. Every time I am on my feet. Can't tell if I'm hungry or if I'm nausea or if it's gas. Has anyone took meds for their nausea. Just thinking of having another protein shake turns my stomach. I'm also afraid I'm not having enough of anything; protein, calories. Any suggestions? N how long will I have this nausea feeling n bloated feeling??

Next week I will be 6months post op. I have so far lost 76pounds- yayyyyy me!!! BUT lately I find myself picking up my old habits (junk food, cookies and etc). I'm terrified of gaining the weight back but I can't stop wanting these damn sweets. What do I do? Also, what's my calorie intake suppose to be 800 or 1000 calories a day? I could really use some encouragement and ideas of what to eat. Please feel free to add me on fitness pal: aslimme85

I am on the preop diet right now. My Dr. said I didnt need to do the pre op diet. But I have decided to do it, to see if I can handle less food. So far I have lost 5 pounds in 3 days. I've been eating 2 EAS Advant low carb drink a day (1 for breakfast and 1 for dinner), along with 1 low calorie salad, or any type of baked meat with steamed green veggies (lunch). Only drinking water or crystal light. I hope this helps.

Tracking/Journaling your food intake is always a good idea IMO. I use the one at The Daily Plate on LIVESTRONG.COM - Calorie Counter, Weight Loss, Food Calorie Counter, Nutrition Facts | LIVESTRONG.COM. It also has a fitness/exercise logging function. I have found though, that calorie burn calculators are by and large extremely optimistic. If you have the funds available, I would advise investing in a HR monitor or some other device that helps determine YOUR individual workout calorie burn. Some good options are a fitbit, bodybugg (and it's clone GoWear), hr monitor watches (several models out there.. Garmin, Omron, Polar. I have a Polar). Before I got my HR monitor, I would chart my workout time at 1/2 of what I actually did. 60 minute workout I would claim 30 minutes.. this was to offset any over estimation that exercise calculators are notorious for making. I was very surprised to find after getting my watch that even cutting the time in half, sometimes the calorie burn that the site estimated was still too high. Perhaps this is just a problem with the dailyplate site. I haven't had the time or inclination to check with other sites. Just a heads up and giving my experience. One other thing that has helped me as the loss via scale has slowed down is to start keeping track of my measurements monthly. I also have clothes that I check ever so often to see if they fit again..

Thanks. The Dotocor's tell me that I am not eating enough food to lose weight like I want. I am tracking my daily calories on Fit Day.Com. The reason, I think I need a fill is that I am hungry a lot. Also, my body size a dropped a lot since December 2010. I have no pants that fit properly. Okay, I am a big time gym rat too. I must learn to control that. Again, thanks.

I stay right around 1200 calories a day now. I find that along with walking 2 miles, 5 nights a week, it works.

Call instead of email...I agree with the others. I'm now 7 months post, down 88 lbs....My NUT and Dr's rules were very simple for me. No counting calories for me. Its the 64 rule....minimum 64 oz Water and minimum 64 oz Protein. Keep food intake at less than 10 grams of fat and carbs per serving. Other suggestions eat protein first, then veggies, then fruit, then carbs. After the protein, there is only a little room left for anything else though...but I am able to squeeze some veggies in. I eat Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner every day...it's working well for me.

Tapioca pudding In the Crock pot 2 qts. Milk (skim) 1 c. sugar (or splenda measure) 1 c. small pearl tapioca (not the minute box kind) Mix in crockpot and turn on high .. cook for 3 hrs (stir once about ½ way thru cooking) Beat 4 eggs and add 2 t. vanilla (I use pure vanilla) Take a small amount of tapioca from crockpot and stir into the beaten eggs (so they won’t curdle when added to hot mixture) and mix well. (I use a wire whisk). Cover and cook on high for another 20 mins. I take the lid off the crockpot, and take the liner out, setting it on hot pads to let cool. Then chill in fridge. This is really good .. here is the nutritional information as I typed it in to food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate. It makes a 3.5 qt crock pot full so you will have to determine how many calories per serving. You may cut it down if you like and not make as much. Cals 621, Fat 18g, Cholestral 870mg, Sodium 495mg, Carbs 71g, Sugars 33g,Fiber 0g, Protein 41g.

I am thinking maybe your band is too tight? I have never pb'd, ever. My problem is that at this point I am doing all the work without any real help from the band. I think maybe I am eating too little, and that might be your issue too. Especially if you are not getting any protein. Your metabolism shuts down if it's not getting enough to keep it going. How many calories a day are you taking in? I started to vary my caloric intake every day, some days just 100 to 200 more than usual. It seems to be working a little. I think I have seen the scale move a little, but have learned to pay attention to how the clothes are fitting. Not too long ago, I got some cheap pants to make up for all of the pants could no longer wear. They were slightly tight when I bought them, so I put them into the closet and thought, a month from now they will be fine. Well a month passed, and they are too loose! That is great, but there was no change on the scale in that month. My body must be adjusting. In the meantime I am saving up for another fill... they are $250 a pop, so I will probably get one for me for my birthday next month. Oh, I also have decided that I can only weigh on one day a week, and if I (for some strange reason) forget to, then I can't until the next week. I found myself really obsessing about the scale, and that is not good for anyone. Keep in touch, let me know how you are doing. Do you attend any support groups? I find the ones I go to to be extremely helpful.

yes i am on my way to where ever i am heading and whether yo are just out of the gate as you say or 6 years out like someone else, it boils down to eating good foods, in the allotted amounts and exercising.....3500 calories is a pound, ate or drank.....healthy foods or not so healthy....food is food.....to deprive is not the way to go. i am very strict and have been since i have been blessed to get the band/plication....i was well on my way to an early grave...i had to be strict and serious..anyone who knows me i am this way for a reason....but i do not do without...if i want something i eat a bit......eat it, enjoy it and move on... PS, jim, missy or myself did not advise not to listen to the dr.....i am a zillion percent in def listen to your dr.....i do all the way......how i got to where i am right now.

My Protein shakes are about 240 calories each with 52 grams of protein. My daughter is lactose intolerant and vegan. She drinks shakes made with 2 scoops of soy protein and uses brewer's yeast as an additive to soft foods to add protein. I have heard others complain of the weakness from lack of calories at this stage. I think you should listen to your body and do what seems right to you. Good luck!

No problem guys. I'm trying to reach 700 calories today lol its funny I have to try, I just have to get out of my stall. I hope you all are doing excellent )

definitely find out how many calories to maintain. I think it is 1500. regular is 2000 but that's for women that doesn't have weight issues

I just had an apple and rhubarb yogurt - full fat, I hate low fat yogurt, so I dont eat tons of yogurt, as the saturated fat is not that great. That was breakfast. I was planning on a sandwich for lunch - probably ham and salad dinner tonight is a barbecue, got some nice lamb loin chops which we'll have with salad. Might have a small glass of wine with dinner. I try not to eat between meals at all. I do better on a 3 meal per day, no Snacks kind of routine, once I start eating at 4pm I cant stop kind of thing, so I just dont start. Thats an average day for me. I dont diet, I dont count calories at all and I most definitely dont do low carb. I just eat what I ate before in smaller portions minus all the snacks and crap in between. And whilst I dont do low carb, we have far far fewer Pasta dinners and much more plain meat and 3 veg type dinners now.

What Protein shakes have you tried? In those first few weeks I hated Protein Shakes, I could not find any that I liked. I ended up not getting enough protein in and in the long term that is a huge problem. You should get a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every inch you are tall as a minimum. I ended up trying Premier Protein ready made shakes. The chocolate flavor is the best. There are 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories. It is an excellent choice for a supplement. You can buy at Sam's or costco. Recently I had surgery on my neck where they went through my throat. It has caused me real issues and basically put me back on soft foods. From what my doctor said, this could go on for months. I went to my Bariatric team for help. They gave me a whole bag of Protein shake samples to try. Syntax nectar - fuzzy naval is excellent, I also loved the Caribbean cooler and vanilla bean torte. They don't have that horrid protein taste. I use Water for the fuzzy navel and milk for the other two. I ended up order a box of each of these flavors in the grab and go packets I purchased these on line via Amazon.. I have been eating a lot of cottage cheese which has great protein, pudding - I eat the real thing not sf, yogurt, cream of wheat, homemade Soups, cooked vegetables cooked very soft, I am struggling with most meats because of the swallow issue right now but most fish will work. I am surprised your doctor has you focus on calories vs. protein. I am able to get between 900 and 1100 calories a day and easily hitting my protein goals. If you cannot get your protein through food, which I still cannot you have to supplement or you will get sick. I wish you the best of luck!

This is what my Dietician set up for me: Daily Nutrition Goals Edit Calories 800 Carbohydrates 70 g 35 % Fat 22 g 25 % Protein 80 g 40 % With carbs, my average is 40 g, some days it is 30g, some days 59. 800 calories for me for weight loss, I am often under, 600 or 700 My average Protein is 66-70 I am still in weight-loss phase, and stick to my 1/2 cup meal portions.

My program doesn't specify any numbers beyond the basic 60-80g of protein that's common to all of the programs, and the general instruction to avoid simple carbs and otherwise empty calories. I'm typically running in the 1000-1100 cal per day range, and have been for much of the post-op period and the weight has been, and is continuing, to come off at a quite reasonable rate that should be hitting goal weight around month seven; the 6-800 cal levels in some programs may be more appropriate for the ladies who should end up in the 120-130lb range and have an RMR to match, or those with hundreds to lose and need to maximize their caloric deficit to reach their goals. I don't control to carbs, fat or any of the other trendy indicators - our bodies really don't care what form the calories take as it will rearrange those resources to meet its need; it does care about getting all the amino acids that make up the proteins, and the other essential nutrients that come along with the carbs and fats that we consume, so it's better to concentrate on getting as nutrient dense and energy (calorie) light foods that we can since we are so restricted on the volume we can get in. Cutting out major food groups can have some value short term for special cases but is a long term nutritional loser.

Sleeve of Steel! It's exciting to see a post from you! Your posts were a big boost to my willpower and confidence when I first had the surgery. I was always on the forum when I started out, and have only recently come back to see what is new. I'm currently 16 months out. I was given a healthy weight range from 115-125 (for my height), and have managed to stay within that so far. Just like you, I have some days where I can eat loads, and other days where I really feel the restriction. I still weigh my foods, and limit meals to 4 or 5 ounces, depending on the food. I don't count calories as much, but I make sure to get in a minimum of 60 Proteins, and aim for 1000-1500 calories a day. I stopped tracking on fatsecret, and mostly track everything in my head. It's like second-nature now. I've recently started introducing more healthy fats and carbs into my diet, and have found a new love for non-processed, natural foods. I feel much more normal with the surgery than I did without, interestingly enough. Ms. Skinniness, I've found myself grazing and taking in more sugar, as well!! I have to catch myself every so often, and remind myself to keep busy if I'm bored, or eat a proper meal if my body is telling me it's hungry. I eat every 2.5 to 3 hours, to keep from grazing. This sleeve has not only helped me stay healthy, but also everyone around me! They try to follow my habits, and ask me for nutrition ideas. It's so surreal. I feel blessed! I was asked to write a patient testimonial for my doctor's website, which was super exciting! http://www.oliakcenter.com/sleeve-gastrectomy/testimonials/ (I'm at the very bottom)

You're on the right track! I started back with zumba and zumba toning at 4 weeks when I was released. Absolutely love it! I even started spinning to burn more calories and hopefully tone my legs some more. I walk or ride bike outside the other days. My son just turned 14 so it's a little easier for me but stick with it! Your kids will love having an active and fit mama to keep up w them!!

That's a nice thought and thank you for your care but no. My symptoms are starvation related. Sweating and hot flashes was from being overweight. I'm constantly cold now because I'm not eating enough to warm my body. When you reduce calories for this long your metabolism slows down conserve energy and your body temperature is lower. Your heart also slows down resulting in poor circulation. I also have very low body fat! Racing heart is a symptom of dumping. Hair loss, cold, low heart rate, weight loss : anorexia. Also my legs went numb from the knees down last year but that went away thank goodness. Last year I only ate 100-500 calories per day. Now I'm eating 1000-2000. It varies a lot. As you can see I'm quite thin. No body fat left at this point. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

For as along as I can remember, I've been overweight. I joke that I was an obese embryo, that's not true. I was a normal weight until age 5, then slowly started gaining weight. I never could play sports, I winded so easily. My parents were factory workers and they worked long hours. I was a latch key kid. Since I couldn't play sports I became really good at video games and school work. At 12 I had to have a tonsillectomy, during surgery they could not lower my blood pressure. Later I was sent to a childrens hospital to be evaluated and they found I had a congenital heart defect called coarctation of the aorta. At the time I was 6'0 and 235lbs. I had open heart surgery (posterior) a couple of months. I had some difficulties after surgery was my recovery ended up being short. Post-op I was 185lbs. After surgery I was cleared for exercise with the exception of contact sports. I exercised for a few years and tried to eat a little better but old habits die hard. By the time I was in 11th grade my weight started to rise again. I graduated high school around 250lbs. I went to college for business and never could find any area I really wanted to work in. I had my first child at 22. After having her I finally focused on what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a nurse. I stayed in the school for the next eight years, moving from LPN, to associate, to bachelors and last I graduated with my masters in Family Nurse Practitioner. Along the way I had two more children. Within a couple of weeks I was offered my dream job in the pediatric clinic I went to for my entire childhood. At this point I had struggled with my weight for the majority of my life. I had tried every diet; Atkins, south beach, paleo, low calorie, hi energy supplements, weight watchers, etc. On two previous occasions I went to the same surgeons weight loss seminar in attempts to get the lap band. During my required pre-op diet I would lose 30-50lbs. I would get this false sense of hope and think to myself I didn't need this surgery I could do it on my own. A couple of months later I would be off my diet and the weight would creep back up. I always had excuses along the way. Being married with 3 children (4th and final one the way now) consumed alot of my time. I also worked full time as a nurse while going to grad school full time in addition to our photography studio. There was always an excuse, I'm too busy, I don't have time, when things slow down I'll lose the weight. Long story short, I never learned good eating or exercise habits. I tend to not eat during the day then gorge at night. I'm up to 325lbs now, the biggest I'v ever been. Now with my 4th child on the way I worry about being around for them. I have a great wife and family that I have to be around for. Back in January when I started at the clinic I had no excuses. I was out of school, things had slowed down, the gym is only a mile from my clinic and I had a 1.5 hour lunch nearly every day. I started out on a great diet and exercise plan, I lost nearly 30lbs in a couple of months, then old habits returned. I became somewhat depressed about my poor willpower. Working in pediatrics I see a lot of overweight children and it saddens me. My entire obese life came to head with one patient. One day my nurse told me that my next patient wanted to discuss weight loss. During our discussion the patient went to the bathroom and the mother caught me in the hallway and said, "Look I really need you to talk to her about her weight and how bad it is." I was taken aback, what was I suppose to say her her? Eat good and exercise or you'll turn out like me? Don't live your life like I lived mine? After that day I to admit defeat and that I needed help. It was that time I contacted a local surgeons office and started working on my packet for approval. Over the summer I completed everything, met with my doctor and was fortunate enough to have my surgery approved. My date is set for October the 7th and I feel somewhat melancholy. I'm excited for the life change but sad I couldn't do it on my own . Knowing that part of my life will be over is sad. My habits and priorities in life have changed so much over the years. Food is an integral part of my family and friends interactions. 9 days and counting!

Yes - I do need to track my food. I think that is the largest hurdle for me. I will start that up again. I think the reason why I stopped is I know I am over 1200 calories and it bothers me. I need someone to come to NY and Kick my A**! In regards to a fill, they book out 8 weeks in advance so it is sometimes hard to get in earlier than that. They like to make sure that the fill is actually working. I will be calling them today to see if I can get in earlier. I will organize everything up so I have a good day!

Please tell me this feeling goes away... I am 16 days post-op and when i eat no matter how much or how little, I feel like I have a lump in my throat that the food can't get past. I'm on mostly mushy food now and it's uncomfortable for me to eat. Does this have to do with my hiatal hernia repair? Does it go away? Anyone else have this problem? Also the scale hasn't moved in a week!! I'm only getting about 800 calories a day! Shouldn't I still be losing something?