Has anyone else read the personal stories of all the people that lost hundreds of pounds in People Magazine? Truth is, they all counted calories one way or another. Some did pre-packaged/pre-counted meals (lNutrisystem or Medifast.) Others did Weight Watchers or measured portions.

They all stayed around 1200 calories a day, which is what I'm currently trying. It ain't easy. I've gone over by 200 calories a few times, which will make losing weight slower.

I've read about turtles & rabbits & seen too many unhappy people that wish they could lose faster. I can only eat 3 tiny meals a day if I want to be thin. If you want to lose a chunk this year, you must restrict your caloric intake drastically.

I'm currently debating with my lawyer friend who thinks he's smarter than me. He's 30 pounds overweight for the first time in his 40 year old life, and he's decided to read a diet book that uses food combinations so you can eat as much as you want. I explained to him that "a calorie is a calorie." It doesn't matter if you mix prunes with guava nectar or brown rice with string Beans. If you eat 3000 calories worth of anything, you won't lose weight unless you exercise enough to burn a couple thousand - good luck.

I've been allowing myself 5 ounces of Protein at lunche & dinner - what a pig! NOT. Five ounces leaves me satisfied, but 4 ounces will get me into the tight, sexy outfit that I bought for my March vacation. 1200 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week. Do I really want to struggle on 1500 calories just for 4-5 pounds a month? Hell no. I'd rather stick to 1200 and try for 8-10 pounds.

TO LOSE WEIGHT YOU HAVE TO EAT VERY LITTLE. I'm yelling at myself because it's too simple to register. And I'm hungry.

hey sorry to hijack, but I have some questions for you.

Do you regret having the surgery? Your story has really made me question if this is the right thing for me to do.

Have you tired body for life? Everyone that I know that have done it have had amazing results. And they were never hungry because of the balance of proteine and carbs.

thanks.

jen

Lisa I hear ya. I am doing Nutrisystem and man let me tell you, the calorie counting is crucial. I am averaging between 1200 and 1400 calories a day. On the low end days I treat myself to one of their yummy Desserts. On the high end days I don't have one. I have been counting everything that goes into my body down to the butter I put on my whole wheat bread. But it is working. I have lost 3 pounds since being on this diet. Dr. Billy would be so proud of us HUH? LOL!!!

I eat three meals, and one snack between lunch and dinner a day. I am eating tons of fruit and veggies. I manage to get in at least 60 to 80 g of Protein a day. It is important to count Protein as well.

Lisa when you get in that sexy outfit I want a pic. LOL!!

I would do the lapband all over again but wouldn't do it in Mexico.

Yes, I read that article as well! Those women are to be commended for their loss! As we ALL know, it not easy no matter how ya do it!!!!!!!! You're right Lisa, a calorie is a calorie, no matter what you eat. Like the women in People, they all lost on different diets.

You sound like you are doing great! Shawn

You have a GREAT point DeLarla... I needed this wake-up call from you!

I am brainwashed by carbs and do not ever look at calories!!! I just looked up how many calories are in the Sausage biscuit I had for breakfast!!!! OWWWWWWWW!!!! 410!!!!

It didn't list the calories for the French vanilla Capp, but I am SURE it was close to 1000!!!

So, I guess I had better not eat for the rest of the day

Someone please tell me what low calorie foods are??? I don't know. All I know is low carb!!!

Jen - I have been banded since 12-22 and would definitely do it again (but I'm new!). A few years ago I did Body for Life and absolutely loved it and I looked the best I have ever looked. But my problem has ALWAYS been keeping it off, so hence the decision to be banded. But I think the principles I still follow, the small meals throughout the day and the carbs/protein, portion size, etc. Still trying to get those workouts in, though...Kim

Heather, it's all about lean Proteins and lots of raw, steamed & broiled vegetables. 1200 calories divided by 3 meals is only 400 calories per each meal. I've been eating 4oz lowfat cottage cheese for Breakfast so I can save a couple hundred for dinner. I simply can't survive on a 400 calorie dinner, so I borrow breakfast and lunch calories.

People printed a chart of what each person eats. Below is an approximate average daily meal plan for someone serious about losing weight:

Breakfast: 4 oz cottage cheese

Tea or coffee with 1/2 cup skim milk

Lunch: 3.5 ounces chicken or fish or 1 oz cheese and 2.5 oz lean meat

Raw veggie salad with 1 tablespoon olive oil/vinegar dressing

Dinner: 3.5 ounces fish or chicken

Steamed vegetables

1/2 small baked tater, 1/2 cup Pasta or rice

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

Dessert: 1 cup pudding made with skim milk

Like Penni said, getting enough Protein in is very important, but it's hard to do on such limited calories, which is why I add milk.

As you can see, this isn't much food at all. But to lose weight, we have to change our way of thinking. We can't look forward to our favorite restaurants like we used to. There's no reason even looking at the menu cause your choice will always be vegetables and grilled or steamed lean protein.

Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig and Medifast are all similar programs that do the counting for you. It's expensive, but it takes the thinking out of dieting.

In addition to their stringent dietary intake, they are all on stringent exericise routines. I'm not talking walking with heavy hand weights, I'm talking an hour on the treadmill going uphill for an hour and sweating bullets 6 times a week.

Thanks DeLarla,

I am really going to start counting the calories and see what I can do to jump start some more weight loss.

Not sure if this will help you, but it has really helped me. I drink a low calorie protein shake in the morning & then some chili from Wendy's for lunch. The shake has 190 calories & the chili has 220. I am then WIDE OPEN for dinner & eat until I'm full. Sometimes I get hungry & will have a light snack, but it still doesn't ruin my calorie intake. This is also easy for me because I don't have to count breakfast or lunch, just dinner. I HATE counting calories, but I know I have to do it.

I don't regret being banded. I take my bad luck as it comes to me. Body for Life is just another fad diet that works if you follow the rules. But if you count the calories in the food you eat on Body for Life, it will still be few enough calories to lose weight.

All diets work: The South Beach Diet, the "Eat 2 bowls of Cereal a day," Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Richard Simmons... they ALL work if you follow them, and they all restrict calories in the end. You just have to pick a program that works for you.

Take Penni for example. She chose Nutrisystem, which limits her calories to 1200 - 1400 calories a day. She gets fancy packaged foods that make her life very easy! No counting, just pick the right package and eat. It's the same principal that I'm following, only I'm buying prepackaged cottage cheese so I don't have to weigh and measure. I keep a tablespoon at work to measure my dressing, and I have a scale at home to weigh my protein. All my puddings come in pre-packaged servings, as does my cheese and salmon. The easier you make it, the easier it is to stick.

Have you tired body for life? Everyone that I know that have done it have had amazing results. And they were never hungry because of the balance of proteine and carbs.

I've tried BFL several times -- and, yes, I had great results because my body responds well to weight-training. But I didn't keep the weight off. I couldn't stick to six tiny meals a day forever, and since I don't have room for a home gym, when my schedule got crazy I stopped going to the health club. (Still paying for the membership, though.) So even though I kept walking, I relapsed into my old eating habits, and gained everything back.

I think if someone is really disciplined and committed, BFL is a sensible program. I felt great. But if all diets worked long-term, I wouldn't have gotten the band -- and after reading lots of bandsters' weight-loss histories here, I suspect that applies to most of us. I don't mean the common-sense calorie-counting that DeLarla and Penni are doing, but the inflexible regimens (Optifast, Atkins, Medifast) that we know all too well.

I started WW last week and had my first weigh in Tues night and I'm down 4 lbs. I have been stalled in my weight loss for a very long time. Total Band loss was 62 pounds (pre WW) 54 of that was the first year and only 8 last year. Now I am on my way again and I'm thrilled! The points system is pretty easy and I've bought a lot of the frozen meals to make it easier. The good thing too is that you get 35 extra points per week so I save them for my weekends in case I go out to dinner or to a party. My husband and daughter are doing WW also so that even makes it easier.

Chris S.

Bravo, Diane. Another great program that works for one person. The think I like about Diane's plan is that she's not eating carbs for breakfast or lunch. Michelle has trained me (and I swear, it works) that if avoid carbs in the morning, your blood sugar doesn't crash and burn so you stay full without all the nasty cravings.

Another Bravo for Chris. Even though WW is based on a point system, WW has done all the calorie counting for you and has converted calories to points. So when she stays under his points, he stays under his allotted calories.

I was banded because I wasn't able to stick to a diet. My band did what statistics said it would do - it helped me take off 1/2 of my excess weight. But I still weigh 240 pounds, and even with the band I stopped losing. Now I'm using the tools I learned with the band, along with a good support system, to actually diet. I just want to wear that sexy outfit in March!

Penni, I should post a picture of what that outfit looks like on me now! It's cute on the hanger, but I look like a fat sausage with quadruple panty lines with my butt trying to burst out of it!

Lisa,

I'm not a guy. I'm an old woman (That's why I want to win the basket!)

PS I had an NSV yesterday and bought a size 16 jeans. I thought I would sh*t myself!