Here is my new diet. Every morning I have one cup of coffee with two table spoons of half and half and 4 teaspoons of splenda. I eat one large scrambled egg with half a tablespoon of butter to cook them in. Plus 2 Oz of sausage. I also take 4 Bariatric vitamins throughout the day and emergen c everyday. For morning snack I have a protein shake. For lunch I have a protein shake and for dinner I have about 2-3 ounces of grilled chicken and about half a cup of veggies. If I'm still hungry before bed I have another protein shake. My carbs stay below 50 and my calories stay below 1300. I am starting a gym next month and also starting an aerobic swimming class 3 times a week. I will also get on the weight lose medication qsymia. How quickly do you think I'll lose weight successfully? Also I only drink water throughout the day. Help please. ...

We all lose at different speeds. What you are doing wouldn't work for me long term as you are not using the band as it is designed to be used. liquid calories like shakes, do not require movements of the oesophageal walls and it is those movements which signal satiety and so dim hunger.

Your calories are not that high (I always went under 1200) so you will lose but you will not learn life time habits. Banded people only need shakes immediately post-op, wee can get all our Protein from food.

When I was losing (I lost all my excess weight of 110lbs in 15 months) the following might have been a typical day.

Breakfast, I am not a breakfast person so this was my deviation from good band eating! Large skinny latte.

lunch. Obviously depended if I were at home or work. Maybe two slices of ham with one thin round of bread and lettuce, tomato. Maybe half a baked potato with tuna. Piece of fruit.

dinner. 3 or 4 oz of chicken or fish, couple of tablespoons of veg, couple of tiny potatoes.

Snacks, again depending on where I was. Apple, almonds, yoghurt, small banana, even a few fish sticks.

Every meal started with dense protein. I didn't drink any of my calories.

Edited May 1, 201511 yr by KateP

I agree with Kate try and eat yogurt and almonds instead of shakes as these will give you that full feeling.

Echoing what others are saying. Haven't had a Protein drink since I started mushies. I've lost more than 150 lbs. on dense protein, veggies and yes...small amounts of carbs.

Hi there, the links below in my signature are ones that helped me as I was trying to understand how the band works and how to work the band. I think people develop individual practices based on what their bodies are signalling -- and that is what it's all about, learning how to hear and then listen to your body. We are all different. I don't eat in the morning because I am not hungry yet. I wait until mid-day when my body says, Hey, food! And believe it or not I can now welcome that hunger after all those years of being terrified of it. Hunger is not the enemy. My body is not the enemy. Boy, does it feel great to be able to say that. I am not on a diet but I do make very careful choices. Protein is where it's at. I love yogurt but for me that would be a slider unless I add some mix-ins -- healthy ones, and I use the yogurt cup itself so I can't put in too much. I need the few seeds, nuts and flakes to chunk up the yogurt so I have to chew it -- to get those signals as mentioned above. We all have our favorite meals, the things we know we need to be able to eat to know that our bands are working well. Mine is salmon and broccoli. That is a good healthy meal for me. It's a small meal, which is the miracle of the band. I have to be a little careful of broccoli and chew everything like crazy, which is where the satiety signal comes from. You will get there -- and meanwhile it sounds like you're working hard to be on the job of knowing your band and getting healthy. Congratulations on choosing yourself and your healthy future. The band has changed my life and I am forever grateful. But on a day like today when I thought, "oh, an ice cream cone would be nice," I had to override that and remind myself that I don't do that anymore.