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Consume Adequate Protein (Minimum: Women 80 to 100 grams / Men 100 to 120 grams) Eat and Don’t Drink your calories (Except Protein Shakes) Stay Hydrated (Minimum of 64 oz of Water) Cut out Sugar, Sweet N’ Low, Aspartame, and Splenda (Stevia is good or Eat Your Fruit and Veggies Consume Small Amounts of Good Fats Frequently Choose the Right Carbohydrates and Always Eat them Last (Protein then Veggies then Good Carbs if you aren’t 80% Full) Eat 3 Small High Protein Meals and 2 High Protein Snacks Daily (2 to 4 oz. per meal every 3 to 4 hours) Eat Slowly, Chew Food Thoroughly and Stop Eating at 80% Full Take all your Required Bariatric Advantage Vitamins/Minerals Daily Bariatric Advantage Multivitamin (Either 3 Capsules twice daily or 2 Chewable per day) Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrates Chewy Bites (1000 mg per day – Take 2 hours before or after any iron containing supplements. Can be divided into 500 mg doses) Bariatric Advantage Iron (Females 29 mg, Males 18 mg – take 2 hours before or after calcium supplements. Bariatric Advantage Sublingual B12 (Dissolve 1 tablet under the tongue daily) OR have Bariatric Dr write a prescription that you take once a week. Bariatric Advantage Vitamin D3 – 5000 units (Take 1 capsule daily) SPECIAL NOTE: They highly suggest Bariatric Advantage because they not only meet the requirements, but are one of the few companies to test that the product work correctly in your body). He also suggested that I take Krill Oil 1000 mg a day and Juice Plus if I can afford it. 1. Bariatric Advantage Vitamins/Minerals & Meal Replacements, KetogenX protein supplements (bars and crisps) and Nectar Protein Powder 2. Quest Protein Bars available at www.questnutrition.com/bariatricrd 3. Juice Plus® available at http://www.kylefjuiceplus.com/ 4. Vital Choice Krill Oil available at www.vitalchoice.com 5. Just Like Sugar™ (healthy sugar substitute) available at http://www.justlikesugarinc.com/

I just wanted to post about my experience last week. We decided to take my 2 year old daughter to the water park that is near my house. I have never been there because I have been extremely overweight for the past 4 years of my life. I always worried about climbing and things falling out and just being totally uncomfortable. Over the past 5 months I have lost 80 pounds and boy has it made a difference. I don't think it is just the weight loss, but my strength training as well. I lift weights 4x a week at a bare minimum and I really think that it has made a world of difference. I had it planned in my head that I could only make it for 3 hours because I would be tired and I ended up staying there for 6 hours!!! I had no problem with stairs, slides, swimming, climbing, and I even carried this massive tube up the mountain! All of this really hit me when I went down the lazy river. I hopped up on the tube and laid down in it and put my daughter on my belly. I didn't even give it a second thought...I just did it. As we started flowing down the river, I noticed this very large man behind me trying to climb in the tube like I did. Well, he tried over and over and over again. He didn't make it and eventually tried to stick his body in the donut hole part of the tube, but his body was too large. It made me sad that he was struggling. He eventually gave up and just walked the tube and himself down the river until the end. It was at that point that I realized that would have been me struggling, probably feeling embarrassed. I was very appreciative of my progress. I am very proud of my 80 pound loss! I even more proud of myself that I go to the gym 6 days a week and can do 90 minutes of straight intense cardio. I used to think to myself, "why is everyone losing faster? Why are those people who don't exercise losing faster than me? or those who are older or weigh less than me losing faster?" Now, I am truly at peace with my pace of loss. The scale does not reflect the muscle I have built. The scale does not show how much strength I have gained. The scale does not measure my progress. The scale is an instrument affected by so many factors! It is affected by the slant of the floor, my sodium intake, my time of month, inflammation, water intake, water loss, female hormones. I think it is funny that I depend on an instrument that is so unreliable.

Well I have broken the seal and am now down to 297. Never to see 300 again!! Thank you everyone who motivated me and commented. It helps a lot to keep me on track. I have continued walking and am working on 3 miles 5 days a week this week. I almost had it yesterday but I got down poured on and had to get a ride home. Boo!!! I am going to attempt it again today. I am having some doubts today about having surgery. I found myself thinking I can do this w/out surgery I am doing it now. But then I remember that I will do this for a few months drop weight and then BAM fall off . This is why I need this surgery!!! I need the sleeve to get over that hump and not fall. I am guessing that a lot of people have doubts before surgery. I am 27 days away from surgery and still can't believe how fast the time is going by.

I know that regain after surgery is possible. I am ready to follow Drs orders. I too think it's ridiculous to wait, go thru all the hoops, finally get the surgery - then a week out asking how soon they can have a beer and a hot dog. I have done the research, weighed the pros and cons, and am ready to be obsessed with food until the point that eating what i'm supposed to is second-nature. I'm with you pal, I just want to get it done!!

Your post made me smile. Congratulations and glad you shared your happiness with us!

Ok, i hear you. But no on should really come out and ask you that at work. It's inappropriate and it's protected under the HIPAA law. I told my HR person to get the my paperwork & FMLA approved thinking she would know what was going on when she received the paperwork from my doctor. Later found out I didn't have to tell here because my doctor only wrote "abdominal surgery." But oh well, the HR rep is sworn to secrecy.

I had considered the lap band before but shied away because I really wanted to have my second child close in age with my darling daughter. So I spent the past 8 months trying and found out two weeks ago I am not ovulating due to my size. GREAT!! So my options are the terrible hormones that will make a raging pain or peeing on sticks everyday and tracking things and temperature readings!!! What a nightmare and the stress from that would make it even harder... JOY! So my other option is a drastic change. I've been dieting and working out for a the past 3-4 years with little victories and even bigger loses. So now I am doing the lap band I have my first appointment in July along with my first classes. I am excited and terrified. I'm hoping to make changes in my life that will help my daughter grow up strong and proud of me and that will help me to live a longer healthier life. csal,ld;k