Hi Everyone,

I haven't been on this site in a while maily because I haven't been doing that great with my lap band. I know this band is a gift from God and I need to embrace it. I am crying while writing this because I really need support.

I see that everyone has been losing so much weight and I need some help knowing how.

Could you please share what you eat for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner and how much?

Along with your excercise routine?

I have had my lap band for a year and have lost 40lbs.. mainly because I'm not eating right. I want to get my life back on track.

I am getting married in 4 months and would like to lose 25-30lbs before the wedding.

Can you guys please help me out with how much weight on average you lose a month?

I really want to become a success story like you all, and I want the Lap Band forum to become my life.

I weigh 215 right now

My goal weight is 130.

Please help!

It's going to be a lot harder for you just because your weight is so much lower than a lot of us here. I weight train and use the elliptical everyday, sometimes twice a day. I'm usually exercising or about two hours a day. I usually have a Protein shake for breakfast, a lean cuisine for lunch, and a very small dinner followed by a shake after the workout.

It's definitely possible, you just have to want it enough. Even if you've done your exercising for the day, instead of watching tv for an hour at night, why not go out running? If you have the time, just keep exercising and the weight will come off.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help!

My exercise routine won't help you much, but you may want to see what I eat in a day...

when I get up- 2 cups of hot chai with splenda, take my vitamins/fiber/calcium

breakfast- 1 container of Greek yogurt (6. oz) with 1/4 cup of Kashi GoLean mixed in (high Protein, high fiber)

lunch- 3 oz. can of chicken mixed with 1 tbsp. low-fat mayo, and celery salt, on a low carb, high protein wrap/tortilla, usually with either a cheese stick or a serving of almonds on the side

"snack"- I drink more chai if I feel hungry or like I just want to put something in my mouth. If that doesn't help, a cheese stick does.

dinner- tonight I had 4 ounces of bbq brisket with sauce, maybe 1/2 cup coleslaw, and a bite of my husband's cornbread. If I'm cooking at home it'll be 4 ounces of whatever meat I cook for the family, and a side of veggies or salad.

dessert- I have Skinny Cow ice cream bars in my freezer that I tell myself I can have every night. Oddly enough, the fact that I can have them seems to keep me from eating them. I've only had 2 or 3 from the box in the past month.

I hope that helps...

I think it also depends on what your nutritionist/doctor advised you to eat on your calories. A lot of people on the forums consume 600-1000 calories. After doing the metabolism test, my doctor wants me to eat 1300 calories so everyone is different.

I do the elliptical for 45min-1 hour prob 6 days/week. Upon waking, I have hot tea. Breakfast is either an omelet or oatmeal with 1/2 scoop choc prot powder and 1 tbsp reduced fat Peanut Butter. Snack is 1/2 pure Protein bar. lunch is either tuna or chicken salad with a boiled egg & 5 whole wheat crackers or a baked potato with turkey chili and fat free cheese. Afternoon snack is 1/2 pure Protein Bar. dinner is 4 oz chicken with salad. If I need a dessert, it's a sugar free popsicle. Sometime during the day if I see my calories or protein are too low, I'll drink a Muscle Milk lite Protein shake. I drink about 80-100 oz Water a day.

When I'm having a bad day or feel as though the weight isn't coming off as fast as I'd like, I come to read other's posts here and it helps me know I'm not alone and that everyone's journey is individual.

Congrats on your upcoming nuptials and good luck on your journey!!

Hi Sweetbaker,

I'm sorry I don't know your name. Thank you so much for the advice. Everyone on here has been so inspiring and I wan't to start fresh with my band. I think that the fact that we can all come together and give support is awesome. I only hope that soon I can be giving weight loss advice to others.

I'm going to do everything I can to get the weight off.

Thank you again!

Alex

Hi Sweetbaker,

I'm sorry I don't know your name. Thank you so much for the advice. Everyone on here has been so inspiring and I wan't to start fresh with my band. I think that the fact that we can all come together and give support is awesome. I only hope that soon I can be giving weight loss advice to others.

I'm going to do everything I can to get the weight off.

Thank you again!

Alex

It's Stacey....I'm still trying to figure out my profile. Just joined last week. Looks like I need to do a signature. lol. You are welcome for the advice, just know you aren't alone and we can all start fresh after a bad morning, bad day, bad week or month. Keep your head up

For me, i enjoy eating a yogurt cup with either a 1/4 cup of granola or some special K strawberry Cereal mixed in for breakfast.

lunch is usually a salad with lots of goodies, like chicken, beef, almonds, strawberries, dried cranberries, that type of thing..

dinner is mostly red meat (since being banded, white meat is too dry and often gets 'stuck') with veggies.

I have had some complications with my band (port infection that required old port out and new port in) but have been able to overcome everything, and still lose. I am down 75lbs (7months post banding) and loving every second.

You can do this I wish i had done this before my wedding (i did it one month after with my husband) but am happy that we finally made the decision!

You just need to figure out what works for you, and that is often the hardest part.

I find for exercise, i like good ole walking, and even a few walking exercise videos called 'walk away the pounds' they are very easy to follow, and certainly get me sweating!

Good luck to you! have faith and work hard! IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT!!

Don't know how much I can help. I haven't been banded yet, and want to be SO badly. Maybe you can try to think back to before you were banded. All he struggles you faced , and all you issues.

Don't forget why you got banded. You can do it it. Everyone here is living proof that it can be done.

Hang in there.

I am a new bandster but I think I can help

I think it is absolutely reasonable to lose 25-30 lbs in the next 4 months. Start with a food journal and record exactly what you eat daily and focus on your Proteins and definitely go low carb. I am 3 weeks post op today and I've lost 21 lbs since my surgery (i lost 13 lbs during the pre op diet). I try to walk at least a half hour a day (I can't wait to get back to the gym and start to push myself more!) I eat about 1000 calories a day. Writing down everything will hold you accountable and will help a lot with making you realize what you are eating.

You can expect to lose 1-2 lbs a week (2 lbs a week for 16 weeks is 32 lbs...so I think that is pretty reasonable to have a goal at 25 and hope to lose a little more if possible!).

Breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs with shredded cheese

lunch - Protein shake (At least 24g protein) 100-150 calories

dinner - lean chicken breast, veggie burger (without the bun)...any lean meat about 4 oz. Add a veggie if you're still really hungry or cottage cheese. I add a little shredded cheese to each meat and LOVE a little side of cottage cheese.

I'm not supposed to snack - unless it's Jello or SF popsicles...so I don't have too many choices on that. My dr doesn't allow milk or any drinks with more than 10 calories. I can drink crystal light all day if I want, but look at your drinks and make sure you're not just drinking your calories.

Everyone's nut may do things a little different, so go through some ideas and see what works best for you. This is working well for me so I plan on sticking to it.

Hi Everyone,

I haven't been on this site in a while maily because I haven't been doing that great with my lap band. I know this band is a gift from God and I need to embrace it. I am crying while writing this because I really need support.

I see that everyone has been losing so much weight and I need some help knowing how.

Could you please share what you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and how much?

Along with your excercise routine?

I have had my lap band for a year and have lost 40lbs.. mainly because I'm not eating right. I want to get my life back on track.

I am getting married in 4 months and would like to lose 25-30lbs before the wedding.

Can you guys please help me out with how much weight on average you lose a month?

I really want to become a success story like you all, and I want the Lap Band forum to become my life.

I weigh 215 right now

My goal weight is 130.

Please help!

Thank you everyone,

This is all such great advice. I guess I just need a good kick in the pants to get moving. I really want to look beautiful on my wedding day. I should have been a lot stricter with myself knowing I was getting married soon. But I can't make excuses and just have to get moving.

Can someone tell me how to make one of those cute timelines you have at the botting of your post?

Before Surgery I was 260lb

Right now I weight 219lb

My goal before the wedding is 180lb

My goal for life is 130lb

I CAN DO THIS, and so can all of you. Congrats to the people who are getting banded and who are already banded.

Thank you all for the encourgment and I would love to keep holding hand throught our journeys.

Do anyone live in Minnesota?

-Alex

Oh Also, can someone give me the name of a good Protein shake you use and where to get it? I tried the "whey Protein" from walmart and it was like Water.

Thank you!!

Oh Also, can someone give me the name of a good Protein shake you use and where to get it? I tried the "Whey Protein" from walmart and it was like Water.

Thank you!!

For pre-mixed shakes I like Muscle Milk Lite (about 110 calories) and I've found that at Kroger when I'm out of town. (small town with only a Walmart for shopping for me) and I've ordered it online. For powder, I order Jay Robb whey Protein Powder. It tastes amazing with skim milk or water. Pina Colada flavor is my favorite but all flavors are good. You can find it at Whole Foods or from his website www.jayrobb.com. I've tried a lot of protein powders over the year that taste chalky or just terrible in general and his is super good! I usually need to add a few more calories in my day so I'll make it with skim milk and fruit (like chocolate powder with frozen strawberries or vanilla with frozen peaches) for a smoothie. Hope you find one that you love as well.

I personally love any of the EAS (makers of myoplex) shakes. They come pre-made and you can get a 4 pack at Target for $4.99. It sounds expensive, but that's the cheapest I've been able to find them. The EAS CardAdvantage shakes are 110 calories with 17g's of protein for the perfect small meal or snack. The Myoplex Light Shakes are good too, but are 170 cals with 20g's of protein, 2g fat, and 20g carbs. I love the strawberry the best. It's like drinking strawberry milk! I'm not a big chocolate person, so I've never tried it, but the vanilla is good too! I personally hate muscle milk light (sorry sweetbaker! lol). In my opinion they have an awful syrup-y taste that I can NOT get past.

I personally love any of the EAS (makers of myoplex) shakes. They come pre-made and you can get a 4 pack at Target for $4.99. It sounds expensive, but that's the cheapest I've been able to find them. The EAS CardAdvantage shakes are 110 calories with 17g's of Protein for the perfect small meal or snack. The Myoplex Light Shakes are good too, but are 170 cals with 20g's of protein, 2g fat, and 20g carbs. I love the strawberry the best. It's like drinking strawberry milk! I'm not a big chocolate person, so I've never tried it, but the vanilla is good too! I personally hate muscle milk light (sorry sweetbaker! lol). In my opinion they have an awful syrup-y taste that I can NOT get past.

hahaha...It's okay esch. We all have flavors we love the most. The only ones I drink and really like of the muscle milk lite is cafe Latte! It's like cold coffee

Thanks so much you guys! It's amazing to see all of your stories, you are so inspiring. I hope to stay on track and lose the last 88lbs I need to within the next year!