DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

That's so awesome, congratulations!

I'm extremely sensitive to fills. The biggest fill I ever got was my first one, 3cc, and he immediately had to take 1cc back out because I was gurgling up Water. Since then my fills are all VERY small. The smallest being .1cc. The fill I just got on Tuesday was only .3cc (and that was the first one I've had since September). Have you tried really small fills? Like .1cc or .2cc? People balk at the tiny fill amounts but you'd be shocked what a huge difference it can make. Btw, if I would've got a .5cc the last couple times, I'd have been miserable too! Hang in there. You've come so far and are doing so well!

That is too cool!!

I asked my nutritionist about this, and this is what she told me: "Starvation mode" isn't really starvation at all. It's a bad name for what really is a type of self-induced metabolic syndrome. Essentially, when you don't eat enough calories your metabolism slows down. You will still lose inevitably but slower. This is why very often people only 800-900 calories a day see a weight loss increase when jumping as little as to 1000 calories a day. MFP, Lose It, all those are geared towards non-bariatric patients. I set my Lose It so my calorie maximum is 1200 daily. Every time I adjust it (because it self adjusts as my weight declines) I get the warning you're talking about. Just ignore it, especially while you're on the pre-op diet. Do as your doctor and nutritionist recommend. After you're post surgery and back on normal foods, you can always play with your calorie intake to see what works best for you. Best wishes!

I agree with the other ladies. It's all dependent on how much weight you have to lose and how long you've been carrying it, genetics, and skin elasticity. I have a lot of loose skin and will be having a tummy tuck this spring, however I can honestly say I'll take the excess skin over the excess fat any day. I can hide the skin, I couldn't hide the fat.

I also weigh myself twice a day, morning and night. Little fluctuations are normal and don't bother me but this way I know immediately if there's a major fluctuation.

You really need to call your doctor and get much more clear instructions. Unfortunately we're not doctors and we can't answer your questions. Call your doctor.

This is exactly right. You can get too much protein, in fact years ago I had it happen. I had a raging kidney infection because of a build up of protein when I was on the Atkins diet. This is rare, mind you, but it is possible. More so if you have a history of kidney problems. It's also possible to see a spike in your cholesterol if you're eating a lot of fatty animal protein.

I was told the same thing exactly

You need to call your surgeon immediately. If you can't reach him, go to the ER. Either way, you need to get an anti-nausea med immediately. Your stomach has been sutured and vomiting this soon after surgery is extremely dangerous.

Don't feel bad about them not using your number. You know how much you weighed and how much you lost and that is what matters. Keep using your number and claim those 18 pounds with pride! Btw, my surgeon's office shows me as weighing 5 pounds less than I did on surgery day, too. They are also going from the initial consultation but I gained 5 pounds between then and surgery. It may only be a 5 pound difference, but that's still 5 more pounds I lost and I'm claiming!

You will get a different response from everyone. Every nutritionist, surgeon, and band patient seem to have their own idea what works best. Some swear by low carb, others don't count carbs. At the end of the day, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. It's all about what works for you and your body. Talk to your nutritionist and find out what's best specifically for you. (btw, I don't restrict carbs, just calories)

Congratulations! You look great!

That is just too cool!! You should totally do it!!

I don't know for how long it's on sale or there's a Meijer near you, but I just bought Atkins products at Meijer for buy one get one half off. It was for all their Atkins products including shakes. I bought the coffee flavored one and it's really good!

ROFL....just wow. Apparently there's no IQ check to be a troll.

You'll have to read the ingredients of the Shake and Bake. Calories, fat, etc. See if it fits in your daily calorie budget.

I personally did Atkins many years ago and lost about 40 pounds. The problem I ran into was a raging kidney infection from a build up of Protein. Here's my take on Atkins or any so-called diet: You do what works for YOU. Everyone's metabolism is different and just because something works for one person doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Likewise, just because I didn't do well on Atkins doesn't mean you won't do beautifully on it. The only way we learn how our body and metabolism work most efficiently is by experimenting with it. Don't be afraid to try something new! I say give Atkins a try for a couple weeks, if you hate it, you can always go back to the way you were eating before.

Mine was pretty similar. Stick between 1000-1200 calories a day, at least 60g of protein, and all meals should be 1 cup or less total.

Yes, let's face it, you're not sustaining on very much right now. I remember when I was on liquids post op and I had a lot of dizziness, headaches, crankiness, and fatigue. I know you're sick of the Protein shakes but right now you really need them. They're your best source of protein and protein really helps keep your strength up. One you're onto real foods again you never have to have another protein shake again, but right now, you do need them. Hang in there, you're doing great and it'll get a lot easier.

When someone's very first line in their post is "I beleive it is truly an evil contraption and I expect to see it pulled from the market in a few years. I think the number of patients with problems from it is higher than the 40 something %, base on the forums on the web where people talk about it."...no, I have no compassion. Anyone spouting that much pure ignorance is a waste of my time. That opening line screams "I'm an attention seeking troll" and I don't make it a habit of feeding trolls. No one said all the complications are patient caused. They're not, especially when you speak of the older model 4cc bands. There are a lot of problems with them and we're seeing more and more daily. But the sad truth is, only 8-12% of band complications (excluding the 4cc band) are by no fault of the patient. Heck even when the complication is patient caused they have my compassion so long as they're not ignorant about it. I've met many who admit to chronically over-eating or not following up with their surgeons who ultimately had slips. I've met many who had slips due to walking around with their bands way too tight for months and even years. I feel for these people and I always offer my support- so long as they don't come in here blaming everyone else for their mistakes and spewing nothing but completely false information for the single purpose of scaring others and causing drama.

When someone comes in here out of nowhere just to bash the band and spew completely false information, yes, we immediately think troll. It happens on all message boards and forums, not just ones for WLS. Like or not, it's the society we live in. Had this person been an active member here that we all knew, perhaps the response would be different. There's plenty of people on here who started off wonderfully with their band and we've seen their complications gradually arise over time through their journey. We are nothing but supportive and encouraging of them. But a total stranger wanders in spouting complete rubbish? Sorry but it's most likely someone just trying to stir the pot and cause drama. As for OH and failed Lap Band Facebook pages, again, not surprising. There's a scary amount of people walking around with the band that are completely ignorant to what the band is supposed to do, let alone what they should (and shouldn't) be doing. To make things worse, there's also a scary amount of surgeons pushing patients through surgery without an ounce of education- or worse yet giving them bad information. The bottom line is, we are responsible for our own bodies and what goes into it. If you're going to get something like WLS, it is YOUR responsible to fully educate yourself ahead of time. Not your doctor's, not your friends, and not some forum. Too many people just sit back in ignorant bliss taking no responsibility for their choices- until that ignorance isn't so blissful because of self caused complications. So, if people want a place to all collectively whine about their problems like OH, let them. But just because there's many of them doesn't mean it's a good thing or even correct thing. It means misery loves company, even if it is self induced.

I couldn't agree with you more! Another thing I'm realizing is the massive quantities I used to eat, not because of hunger, but simply because it was there to eat. I still battle with "my eyes are bigger than my stomach". In fact, my kids will laugh at me because I'll measure out a cup of food but it's something filling and bulky. I'll sit down and my daughter will say "there's no way you can eat all that". Sure enough, she's right. But in my warped mind, I go "well I want a whole cup! that's what I get per meal!" when the reality is- I don't even need that much sometimes and often aren't actually hungry enough to eat it all.

That's not a small victory, I think that's a HUGE victory!! Congratulations!!!