I got my lap band April 23rd, 2010. So far I've had 1 fill, 4cc's, and I've lost 22lbs.

So far I've basically been eating most of the same foods that I ate before the lap band, except for breads and meats that aren't ground (such as steak or pork chops) because those things get stuck and hurt me!

I think that I'm losing weight simply because I'm eating far less than I did before, and what I'm wondering is if anyone has had long term success this way....or am I just kidding myself?

I'm waiting for the idea of a nutritional, structured diet to kick in with me, but so far it hasn't. Before I got the lap band, I thought eating a healthy diet would be easy because I wouldn't be hungry...but I am still hungry. It doesn't take much to fill me up, but the craving for the "old" food is still there in a much bigger way than I thought it would be.

Will this pass? Am I still just getting used to this? That's the excuse I give myself...but I need to hear from others, because I don't know what is normal.

As I read on this forum, it seems like everyone is SOOO into the nutrition part of it all, and they always eat the right things and do exactly what their doctors tell them..and I wonder if they were like that from day 1 or if it took a while for the lifestyle change to really kick in.

I would appreciate any input on this, I want to really know what everyone's experience was in the first 3-6 months..

Thanks,

Debora

This thread has convinced me to make an extra effort to exercise every day. I want to be one of the successful bandsters who lose all of their excess weight. Because of my situation, I can only walk. But I can walk for an hour, even with intense pain in my legs. That's a good start, right?

That is a great start and will give you up to 1/2 lb. a week. The person who said to increase your intensity is correct. You will burn far more calories walking very fast for an hour than strolling for 1.5 hours. You need to monitor your heart rate so you can accurately figure how many calories you are burning. And, remember that the standard exercise we do isn't going to contribute significantly to weight loss. It's good for keeping the metabolism up and and making you feel good. I've been working out very vigorously for a year. i exercise frequently at a high intensity and have seen zero increase in WL from when I wasn't working out. My greatest benefits have been being more toned and feeling better. I'm not so flabby and weak.

One thing I keep thinking about with this "lifestyle change" I'm supposed to have is that if this was a change I was capable of making and sticking to..then I really wouldn't have needed the lap band. My doctor wants me on a diet very close to the Atkins low carb diet, and I know that works because I lost 50lbs on it once. However, if I had been able to stick to it as a lifestyle, I would have lost more and kept it all off.

They keep saying the lap band is a tool...but it's only a physical tool, not an emotional one. I guess I was thinking the emotional part would kick in at some point..I'm just wondering where that point is, and where it kicked in for those further down this road...

Oh how I understand you.... I am having a hard time with the mental part of it. I thought it would kick in too...but i just cant seem to change my habits...if you have found anything that works I am all ears.

Oh how I understand you.... I am having a hard time with the mental part of it. I thought it would kick in too...but i just cant seem to change my habits...if you have found anything that works I am all ears.

..and im the same at this point. ive changed a bit but not enough with my mental approach to it all. I dont have a lot of weight to lose... i dont know how i would cope if i did have a lot to lose. Im just starting to realize how emotional hangups affect me. If someone had told me i would have called them a liar. Now i can see that for myself. I have reached over halfway on my weight loss... not to my credit though. i consider im very fortunate that in spite of my mental approach to it all, ive lost weight.

..and im the same at this point. ive changed a bit but not enough with my mental approach to it all. I dont have a lot of weight to lose... i dont know how i would cope if i did have a lot to lose. Im just starting to realize how emotional hangups affect me. If someone had told me i would have called them a liar. Now i can see that for myself. I have reached over halfway on my weight loss... not to my credit though. i consider im very fortunate that in spite of my mental approach to it all, ive lost weight.

You need to give your self some credit....when I told my friends that I had the lap band placed I had many different reactions, but the one I remember more than anything is a friend with fear in her eyes said oh please be careful. she continued to say I knew a lady that when she ate she would binge eat and then throw up, it started happening so frequently that she actually ate over the sink, she ended up tearing her stomach, having to have the band removed, and her stomach put back together. It was not at all fun. I know we are both struggling with what to eat, and how to eat, but obviously we have learned when to stop eating, at least most of the time, or we would not be where we are at. Give your self some credit or you wont be able to move forward in the future.

I hope for both of us we can learn to eat healthier, I usually go about 3-4 months of wonderful eating "dieting" and then I eat the crap again. I ended up doing that again, but am trying to stay on track, it is one of the worst habits to brake. I hope we read or see something that helps break this cycle.

You need to give your self some credit....when I told my friends that I had the lap band placed I had many different reactions, but the one I remember more than anything is a friend with fear in her eyes said oh please be careful. she continued to say I knew a lady that when she ate she would binge eat and then throw up, it started happening so frequently that she actually ate over the sink, she ended up tearing her stomach, having to have the band removed, and her stomach put back together. It was not at all fun. I know we are both struggling with what to eat, and how to eat, but obviously we have learned when to stop eating, at least most of the time, or we would not be where we are at. Give your self some credit or you wont be able to move forward in the future.

I hope for both of us we can learn to eat healthier, I usually go about 3-4 months of wonderful eating "dieting" and then I eat the crap again. I ended up doing that again, but am trying to stay on track, it is one of the worst habits to brake. I hope we read or see something that helps break this cycle.

..more thoughts on this one Sophia. this is why the forum is so valuable... as much as the band is at times. theres nothing like learning of the experiences that others have. I agree...yes, there have been a lot of good changes when i think about it all. most of all the binging with me has stopped. it had to. lol. also, im taking a lot longer to chew my mouthfuls now... so yes, as i start to think about the positives im more encouraged. I guess that in time the other issues will be dealt with as well. I may have wanted everything to fall perfectly in place immediately... lol.

ive open up some black olives... got some very small crackers...( Im having them instead of chocolate now) and had a small salad for lunch with a boiled egg. i think that even these small changes will help me. im about to google ''leptin levels and fat loss'' and see what it has to say. Ohh... another thing. im discovering that i need to eat about 1200 calories a day for gradual weight loss... that is, just under a pound a week. If i go over that i gain weight again. my metabolism is very touchy. very sluggish now. if i eat much less than 1200 i dont lose either.. so that gives me a narrow margin to work with. At least now im starting to understand my body a little more.

..more thoughts on this one Sophia. this is why the forum is so valuable... as much as the band is at times. theres nothing like learning of the experiences that others have. I agree...yes, there have been a lot of good changes when i think about it all. most of all the binging with me has stopped. it had to. lol. also, im taking a lot longer to chew my mouthfuls now... so yes, as i start to think about the positives im more encouraged. I guess that in time the other issues will be dealt with as well. I may have wanted everything to fall perfectly in place immediately... lol.

ive open up some black olives... got some very small crackers...( Im having them instead of chocolate now) and had a small salad for lunch with a boiled egg. i think that even these small changes will help me. im about to google ''leptin levels and fat loss'' and see what it has to say. Ohh... another thing. im discovering that i need to eat about 1200 calories a day for gradual weight loss... that is, just under a pound a week. If i go over that i gain weight again. my metabolism is very touchy. very sluggish now. if i eat much less than 1200 i dont lose either.. so that gives me a narrow margin to work with. At least now im starting to understand my body a little more.

I am so glad that you see a lot of the positive and it has motivated you!! that is a wonderful thing...and your right the chat boards and forums are very important considering I am to far from a support group. Have you thought about joining myfitnesspal.com? I use it from my phone it is amazing! It helps with the calories, since this is your main objective you may want to check it out....if you have a smart phone you can scan the bar code on what ever you are eating and it automatically looks it up for you...works about 95 percent of the time, i guess some items are just not imputed. if you do join look me up and check out my friends most are banded...I have found a lot of them use this and then my fitnesspal. Take care and have a great weekend. my screen name on myfitnesspal.com is snmtigger99. There is also a chat about this on this lapbandtalk which is where a lot of ppl are listing their screen names. good luck!

I prefer 4-6 days of cardio ... about 40 minutes a session' date=' while continually challenging yourself. As things get easier - up the intensity - but no need to increase the duration. If you're exercising hard enough then 40 minutes is plenty and your muscles need time for recovery. Add in 1-2 full body strength training sessions a week and you should be good... I highly recommend a heart rate monitor to be certain your exercise is of sufficient intensity and allows you to more accurately track calories burned.

Brad[/quote']

I have been exercising regularly since about a month post op. I have been increasing intensity and variety. I am a runner and I love that I can vary my workout through speed and hills. I also do strength training 2/3 days a week. I recently bought a heart rate monitor and was blown away by the difference in calories lost on the machine vs. my hr monitor.

I was wondering what heart rate I should stay in. I find that when I'm pushing my intensity (currently sprints to improve race pace) my monitor says I'm working too hard. if I don't push I will not improve. I still have about 55lbs to lose so I want to continue fat loss but I also want to improve overall fitness.

What do you think? It is so confusing!

The last time I posted in this thread was a long time ago and I had lost 60 something pounds. I am come a long way since then but I am still trying to eat 1000 calories and I am still losing.... however its a lot more slow now that I am 10 lbs from goal. I believe that the quanity is key.... but my limited math skills tells me there are more calories in a 1/2 c of french fries then 1/2 c of peas. But I would be lying if I told you I didnt have stuff over the past 22 months that I shouldnt have.... b ut I will tell you if I did it was never to excess. It might have been one cookie instead of 6. Or a dolup of sour cream instead of a cup full.... and yes... I can eat just one M&M and be happy! Its all about how bad you want success!

No, I guess it's more about what you eat. There are times that even if you don't eat much you still get fat. But there are some types of food that even if you consume large amounts of it, you don't get bigger.. Like what the dieticians always say, avoid fatty foods and eat fruits and vegetables instead. And it works well with the right attitude!online casino Australia

1. Eggs. Skip the bagel this morning. Eggs, which are full of protein, will help you feel fuller longer-a lot longer.

2. Beans. You've probably never heard of cholecystokinin, but it's one of your best weight-loss pals. This digestive hormone is a natural appetite suppressant.

3. Salad. Do you tend to stuff yourself at meals? Control that calorie intake by starting with a large salad (but hold the creamy dressing). In a study of 42 women at Penn State University, those who ate a big, low-cal salad consumed 12 percent less pasta afterward-even though they were offered as much as they wanted.

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WATER FILTER REVIEWS AND INFORMATION

I read what Brad had to say, and I agree. I am brand new to the band, still on soft foods. However the calorie content is down to about 800 a day. That said…this last week since moving over to soft foods and away from the liquids I have not lost weight and have gained a pound.

I know it's true and our bodies adapt to the deprivation to survive. Mine has and is now fighting off an infection, one of my incisions was brewing under the surface that erupted this Sunday. It was gross and painful and now healing starts again. It's in a bad spot right at the waist so movement there is unavoidable. Like a cut on your knuckle or you knee it takes time but it eventually heals.

I know my body pretty well and even in the past as I would eat right and cut down the calories and pump up the work outs my body would not only adapt but rebel and fight against me often attacking itself and starting and immune system response that holds on and causes inflammation. Ultimately bringing me down, and making me sick.

So what do you? What is your advice to someone newly banded on soft foods, to modify their diet and step up their weight loss while still trying to heal?

Eating less of the same foods will work for awhile but eventually you'll have to have to switch up what you eat to lose more and get to goal.

I read what Brad had to say, and I agree. I am brand new to the band, still on soft foods. However the calorie content is down to about 800 a day. That said…this last week since moving over to soft foods and away from the liquids I have not lost weight and have gained a pound.

I know it's true and our bodies adapt to the deprivation to survive. Mine has and is now fighting off an infection, one of my incisions was brewing under the surface that erupted this Sunday. It was gross and painful and now healing starts again. It's in a bad spot right at the waist so movement there is unavoidable. Like a cut on your knuckle or you knee it takes time but it eventually heals.

I know my body pretty well and even in the past as I would eat right and cut down the calories and pump up the work outs my body would not only adapt but rebel and fight against me often attacking itself and starting and immune system response that holds on and causes inflammation. Ultimately bringing me down, and making me sick.

So what do you? What is your advice to someone newly banded on soft foods, to modify their diet and step up their weight loss while still trying to heal?

I would discuss the best diet and exercise routine with your surgeon and follow that plan. However, to achieve your maximum potential you will have to get sufficient exercise. I just wouldn't want to push much while healing. Let your body focus on that first and foremost. Nonetheless, I'm wholeheartedly in the camp that low calorie diets are an awful way to treat your body and down right self destructive.

Brad

Brad,

Do you have any recommended reading material(s) to help one figure out their body/nutritional requirements? I'm guessing there was a lot of reading behind your opinion...

I was banded early in 2012. The first year was rather successful, losing 80 lbs but now the momentum and motivation has started to slide. I need to 'shake it up' a bit. I want to lose another 50 lbs.

There are a lot of good materials to learn about energy balance... I really prefer an ebook from Tom Venuto called "Burn the Fat... Feed the Muscle"... It's an easy read and very educational...