steph_co

I don't believe I said you have to do what I'm doing. Did I tell you how many calories I take in on a normal day? Did I tell you my BMR? Did I tell you how many calories I burn in a given week through exercise? No. Actually, I did none of those things. THAT would be trying to say that we are all the same. My post was pretty much for people to FIND exactly what works for them and not just starve the hell out of their body because that's what they were told to do. I AM recommending that people get out there and start researching to see what their body needs. But when you have people on 800 cal/day and NOT losing and can't figure out why - might be time for them to take a look at what they can do differently. That is what I was suggesting. :cursing: It's not a fluff term, unfortunately. I wish more people were aware of it. I'm not speaking of people that CONTINUE losing on low, low, low calories. If that works for you - go for it. I still say you're going to lose muscle. And strength test is not enough to measure that - body mass analysis can do that. But anyway...a few in the medical and scientific community that have mentioned it: Minnesota Starvation Experiment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (if you don't like wiki, then find another source, This is a well-known study and produced 1,385 pages of text called The Biology of Human Starvation) Why hasn't the study been reproduced? It's hard to find people willing to put up with all that these subjects went through. Especially when you take a look at the mental/emotional trauma that many of them suffered. Other quotes: Abdul Dulloo from the University of Geneva regarding the above-mentioned study: Adaptive reduction in basal metabolic rate in response to food deprivation in humans: a role for feedback signals from fat stores. Dulloo, Jaquet 1998. American journal of clinical nutrition. Quote: “It is well established from longitudinal studies of human starvation and semistarvation that weight loss is accompanied by a decrease in basal metabolicrate (BMR) greater than can be accounted for by the change in body weight or body composition” “the survival value of such an energy-regulatory process that limits tissue depletion during food scarcity is obvious.” Doucet, et al 2001. British journal of nutrition. “Evidence for the existence of adaptive thermogenesis during weight loss.” quote: “It should be expected that the decrease in resting energy expenditure that occurs during weightloss would be proportional to the decrease in body substance. However, in the case of underfeeding studies, acute energy restriction can also lead to reductions in resting energy expenditure which are not entirely explained by changes in body composition.” Handbook of Obesity Treatment, by wadden and stunkard (two of the top obesity scientists and researchers in the world ) quote: “The starvation response - which is an increase in food seeking behavior - is most likely mediated by the decrease in leptin associated with caloric deprivation.” Biochemical And Physiological Aspects of Human Nutrition by SM. Stipanauk, professor of nutritional sciences, Cornell University (WB Saunders company, 2000) Quote: “During food restriction, thermic effect of food and energy expenditure decrease, as would be expected from reduced food intake and a reduction in total body mass. Resting metabolic rate, however declines more rapidly than would be expected from the loss of body mass and from the decline in spontaneous physical activity due to general fatigue. This adaptive reduction in resting metabolic rate may be a defense against further loss of body energy stores.” American Journal clinical nutrition 1997. Dulloo “post starvation hyperphagia and body fat overshooting in humans.” American Journal Clin Nutrition 1989, Elliot et al. “Sustained depression of the resting metabolic rate after massive weight loss” quote: “Resting metabolic rate of our obese subjects remained depressed after massive weight loss despite increased caloric consumption to a level that allowed body weight stabilization.” and Dulloo 1998: “The reduction in thermogenesis during semistarvation persists after 12 weeks of restricted refeeding, with its size being inversely proportional to the degree of fat recovery but unrelated to the degree of fat free mass recovery.” Major and Doucet in the international journal of obesity called, “clinical significance of adaptive thermogenesis.” Here’s a quote from this latest (2007) study: “Adaptive thermogenesis is described as the decrease in energy expenditure beyond what could be predicted from the changes in fat mass or fat free mass under conditions of standardized physical activity in response to a decreased energy intake, and could represent in some individuals another factor that impedes weight loss and compromises the maintenance of a reduced body weight.” --------------------------------------------------- What is leptin, then? Leptin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The studies mentioned above: Dubuc G, Phinney S, Stern J, Havel P (1998). "Changes of serum leptin and endocrine and metabolic parameters after 7 days of energy restriction in men and women". Metab. Clin. Exp. 47 (4): 429–34. PMID 9550541. Pratley R, Nicolson M, Bogardus C, Ravussin E (1997). "Plasma leptin responses to fasting in Pima Indians". Am. J. Physiol. 273 (3 Pt 1): E644–9. PMID 9316457. Weigle D, Duell P, Connor W, Steiner R, Soules M, Kuijper J (1997). "Effect of fasting, refeeding, and dietary fat restriction on plasma leptin levels". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 82 (2): 561–5. doi:10.1210/jc.82.2.561. PMID 9024254. ---------------------------------------------------- Don't feed people the BS that it doesn't exist without doing your own research. I'm not even selling anything, so what do I have to gain by trying to ask people to RESEARCH this? Not a dang thing. I'm trying to help. If you don't like the info, then don't accept it. It makes no difference to me. But don't say it's not backed by the medical/scientific community - that is simply untrue. I did want to add - about the half-marathon. I didn't just hop on the road and get running. I put in a lot of work to get there, to include going through the C25K program like 3 times. It's not easy. Some days are a b*tch. I have bad running days and good running days. But anyway - I was running for about 6 months before deciding to try to work up to running one, then I followed a difficult 12-week program to build up to it. I wish I was one of these genetically-blessed people that doesn't have to train at all and can peg a personal record (yuck - one of my friends on FB...LOL). It's all baby steps.

Is this not something anybody is concerned about? Do most people realize that if you go SUPER low-cal, your body thinks it's starving and will fight for its life to hold onto every pound? I'm just curious. I totally forgot that I used to buy into the "eat as few calories as you possibly can" camp. It's very unhealthy. Perhaps I should "introduce" myself because I have not been around in awhile and I don't think I ever was that regular of a poster in this particular forum, anyway. I had LAP-BAND surgery in November of 2007. I lost 55 lbs in a 5-month period by eating VERY low calorie and low carb. I yo-yo'd back up by 13 lbs over the next 4 months due to stress from a dissolving marriage and also going back to school at the same time. I managed to get back down the 13 lbs, plus 5.5 more lbs over the next 3 months. Again - being VERY calorie-restrictive. I can't say I got a very healthy view of diet from my nutritionist or the class we had to go through. It felt like elementary all over again. "This is a portion size...." But nothing truly useful that STUCK. I have yo-yo'd around since November of 2008 with the same 10 lbs. I go down some, I go up some, I go down some, I go up some. Anyway - after doing some thorough research on what works...I discovered that very low calorie is NOT GOOD. Not only does it lower your metabolism (people get used to eating 800 calories a day and then "lose" their band...then what?), but if your body doesn't get what it needs through nutrition, it eats your muscle. Muscle also keeps your metabolism firing high. You lose lean body mass and you are left with what is often referred to as a "skinny fat person." Meaning your WEIGHT might be low, but your body fat % sucks. I'm just going to say - No, I have not been perfect. I have struggled to "get" this band thing. I have become major exercise monster. (It is IDEAL to exercise on top of eating better. Don't just rely on your band to get you there. Exercise ALSO fires up your metabolism.) Most recently, I ran a half marathon at the beginning of this month. There's NO WAY I would have the energy to run as much as I do if I was eating 800 calories. For instance - after this day is over, I will have logged 22 miles for the week, which included a 9-mile run yesterday. When I was doing super-low-cal before, I couldn't run that intensely for more than 3 miles at a time. I also have picked up strength-training 3 days a week to build up my lean body tissue. I have been running regularly since August of last year and I picked up the strength training in December. So why am I still at my 2008 weight? Because - I was eating very high cal. It's not easy to stay in super low-cal for life, nor is it realistic for most people. I feel like my body was trying to compensate for the "stealing" I did by keeping the calories so low. This is actually quite common for many people. I am now in a slight calorie deficit, calculated based on my basal metabolic rate (how many calories I use on a daily basis just living). The slight calorie deficit plus the huge amount of calories I burn through exercise (btw - it's MUCH better to burn the calories than to starve your body of them) is causing weight loss. And you know what? It's easy. I don't feel like I'm dieting at all. The band does make this tremendously easy because it's pretty much next to impossible to go over my calories for the day. I also have to add that losing weight at break-neck pace isn't good for anybody. It makes it hard for your body to adjust in many ways. But also, if you lose OVER a certain amount of weight per week, again, you're burning muscle to get that weight loss. It's not worth it to me. I'd rather keep the muscle and lose slower. So I have to agree with the thing I have read on this board MANY times: The band is a tool. Period. But it shouldn't be used as a tool for starvation if you want life-long, healthy results. I'm open to comment, discussion, insult (kidding). I am training for another race in October and probably December - lots of running. Still weight training, and keeping my calories at a slight deficit rather than a major one. I think I have about 6 lbs to go to get down to the lowest weight I have ever gotten with the band. But I plan to THIS TIME blow past that and keep going...losing the final 23 lbs below that to get to goal. I'm willing to admit I was wrong if I STILL can't get there. But I'm positive that this time I can because I don't feel deprived.

I was looking forward to you responding, Jacqui. :cool: I remember your posts from when I frequented here before and appreciate a lot of what you have to say. I just wanted to agree with you that I also cannot function to do as much exercise as I do without carbs. I tried low-carb back in November '09 while I was running 6 miles a day 3-4 times a week and could barely get out 3 miles without feeling like I was going to die. I have discovered the use of healthy carbs, though. That was always my downfall before. Now I go whole grain as much as possible, more veggies, more fruits. As far as processed, sugary carbs - I used to binge on them daily. This week I have had only two such items and I don't feel deprived at all and I'm STILL losing. Anyway - thanks for adding your words! :cursing:

I'm 2-1/2 years out and the band is still fantastic for me. Last fill I ever got was in 2008. Restriction has held, band seems to be doing its job. I have allowed myself at times to be lazy in eating the right things, and so am only down 63 lbs of my intended total of 93. But I am back on track, counting calories, getting the Protein in first, followed by veggies, then whole grains. It's amazing how hard it is to get in enough calories for the day when I actually eat right! Dropping like a rock, now. Thanks, Dr. Brown! I was a self-pay and had my surgery at Lowry.

I've wondered about this. With the new body, the lost marriage (ugh...he had it coming), new-found confidence, I was with a few partners. But nobody I was REALLY interested in - so telling them wasn't that big a deal, or I'd lie to them, straight up. But anyway...it looks like a new and VERY promising relationship is underway. I told him before that I lost a bunch of weight, so that's not really my worry about the lapband. I guess I realize that there is a lot of stigma attached sometimes to people losing with surgery rather than on their own (even though - truth be told, this has been a difficult journey and even 3 months shy of 2 years out, I'm still not at goal). I have to work my azz off to lose. The GREAT thing about LB, though, is that when I get lazy and my eating relaxes, I can't gain any more than 10 lbs at a time - period. I love that. So even when I hit rough Patches, I still don't balloon like I used to. Well, things are heating up and I'm pretty sure he could feel my port through my clothes because he kept going to that spot with his hand. But he didn't say anything...I kept distracting his hand away from there. LOL But WHEN do you tell somebody that's going to see you naked that you got Lapband done? One partner in particular (I lied about what the actual surgery was because I didn't care about the guy - it was FWB), I told him before I'd take my shirt off because I told him I have scars. He didn't end up caring, but that was kind of expected. I just wonder...when would you tell? Already before things started getting sexually-tense? Or right before you get naked? LOL I just can't decide. He has noticed that I eat strangely - very little and very slow. LOL So I was thinking maybe the next time we go out to eat just bringing it up...telling him that the reason I do that is because of LB surgery.

My frequency option was not available. A general "more than 30 mins most days a week" would have been good. I kickbox one hour once, I run 5.5 mph for one hour 3x a week, I bike once or twice a week - usually 3 hours (between 35-45 miles), and I try to fit in about 30 mins of swimming laps a couple times a week. I also hike - but that one's kind of sporadic. Did a 4-hour hike this past Sat, but last time hiking before that was a couple weeks prior. Exercise has become my drug. It keeps me feeling happy and also keeps me from wanting to eat junk food constantly - or undo all the hard work I've done. Used to hate exercise. Being smaller - it's more enjoyable and results are easier to see quicker. I have found that the key for me is variety. If I try to stick with any ONE type of exercise for too long, I get bored. I also like the kickboxing class - that was new for me - the peer pressure keeps me going to that one. :tongue2:

OK, so I'm not at goal, yet. I have some distance to go. But I've been working out a lot, lately, and my body is tightening up. I loved looking through this thread when I was getting ready to get my band, so felt I'd add newer B/A pics of myself. And here's an "ohmygodican'tbelievei'mpostingthisanditwon'tstayforlong!" :seeya::eek::blushing::eek: I'm good with the "after." The "before" is freaking scary and I won't be leaving this pic up forever...no f'in way. LOL But if I can help a person or two, I guess I have to bite the bullet.

Neveragain - It's frustration with the entire thread, my dear - not with you directly. To keep hearing "to build trust, you should," is getting a little old. *sigh* I was hoping for kind of a fun-type thread where people could share their stories, but not try and tell me how to do a relationship. Excuse my frustration. :seeya: (Genuinely - I'm not trying to be snide.)

OK...seriously...I'm starting to get just a *tad* irritated at the lack of reading comprehension. I didn't ask HOW should I tell him. I didn't ask IF I should tell him. I said WHEN. Please pay attention, people. I don't like it when I feel like I'm being judged for something I wasn't even contemplating (and didn't even hint that I was planning to do). WTF? Please read OP before responding, people. My question is WHEN do you tell a potential partner. Goodness.

I had weight issues in HS, dieted on Atkins, hit 128, stress hit, I started eating, I got heavy again. Then it yo-yo'd after that until the band. But I remember how GREAT I felt at 130. So that's the lb goal I'm aiming for. But honestly - I just want to be at least a size 8...on the low end of an 8. With the amount of working out I'm doing lately, gaining muscle, who knows - I may not BE exactly 130 and I don't really care. My size is what matters. :thumbdown: My surgeon never asked me what my goal was and I never brought up. He never set one for me, either.

I was 36.5BMI when I got approved for LAP-BAND (self-pay). I've lost 67% so far of what I WANT to lose - I'm 4.75 lbs overweight, would like to lose 33.75 lbs more. I'm ecstatic with what the band has helped me to lose so far, and it's great for maintenance. I'm getting back into losing hardcore and I appreciate the extra boost. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. I feel like a completely different person. I'm almost 2 years out from my surgery.

How far along are you, Linda? That's something I look forward to doing one day - getting pregnant. :thumbdown: I wasn't able to when I was heavier and I'm hoping it was just the weight in my way. Boy? Girl? Names? EDC? I'm excited for you!

LMAO! Who would've thought that would be a compliment. LOL - LOVE it. haha Another great thing I thought of with the band as opposed to other diet/exercise stuff I've tried in the past - I can't just "quit" it. The dang thing is ALWAYS there. LOL That has helped more than anything else. Thanks, Linda...trip will be much easier to enjoy now being smaller than I was when I started this journey!

Abbisgood.........53.............23%.............?? Aubrie............65.............%...............31 BandChick64.......104............34.67%..........31.6 Bandpal...........138............48.25%..........24.3 BarbBee...........154............51%.............25.0 Cherlita..........60.............20%.............55 Cindyg............62.............24.5%...........34.5 Close.............50.............20%.............33.1 Firebolt..........67.............27%.............30.2 Foofy.............50.5...........18.5%...........35.5 gabeekeeper.......101............30% ............40.2 Hajohnson1........49.8...........18.2%...........39.8 Hollyberries......113............31%.............36.2 HoppingToIt.......69.............19.7%...........49.1 Huskerette........54.............22%.............30.5 kandiceb..........63.............26%.............27.6 linda.............52.............23%.............29.9 lindseyann2u......100............N/A.............N/A Maincat...........141............46.5%...........22 Mariegabrieleee...86.............40%.............36.9 Melanie1972.......80.............30%.............29.7 MollyBrown........36.............12.5%...........36.5 Momto1plus1.......123............46.1%...........22.7 NYGirl1...........102............33%.............32.6 plump_princess....57.............22%.............36 QatarPhil.........55.............19%.............32.2 Rachel............63.............%...............28.3 Robin_Bird........132.2.........43.3%............26.3 Sades.............44.8...........19.5%...........33.7 scarecrow.........125............40%.............27.3 Shalee04..........70.............28%.............29.2 Shortgal..........44.5...........20.5%...........32.9 Skinny_Jill.......71.............32.4%...........28.5 Staysee...........70.............20%.............48.4 Stephanie.........67.5...........29%.............25.9 strangeratx.......63.............27%.............29.6 Teresajo..........93.............36%.............27.3 Tmusicmaker123....73.............19%.............48.7 TxArcher..........122............31.5%...........36.7 tyman311..........61.............31%.............28 want2lose.........91.8...........32%.............31 lisawach.........104.0...........29%.............??

^Make that, I have 6.5 lbs to go to "normal." :biggrin:

I remember. :smile2: I lurk around now again - generally don't have much interesting to say (unless you count my post in the 20's forum about getting naked with a new partner...LOL...that will probably be more TMI than what you said, Linda). I'm not where I imagined I would be by now, either. Around about the time I STOPPED my very quick downward slope on the weight-loss was because I filed for divorce. The emotional strain was just too much. I eat my emotions. Yep, still do. The times when I've gone overboard with it (eating past the point of fullness because I was trying to drown the feelings), I have PAID the price. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch...more ouch. Hopefully I remember the pain next time I think THAT was a good idea. Two more months to our 2nd Bandiversary, huh? Well, I'm bound and determined to be well within "normal" range for my height by then according to my BMI. I still want to lose 37 more lbs total, but I have 8 to go to be "normal." I got lazy with my weight loss over the past year. I'd eat well sometimes, others not so much. The band has ALWAYS been a Godsend, however. Whatever the lowest weight is that I get to, I cannot for the life of me gain more than 10 lbs over that. So that has been fantastic and I'm grateful everyday for that. The past couple of months, I started buckling down on my fitness. Not so much my diet. I didn't limit WHAT I ate, but I did my best to make "better" choices. But I didn't guilt myself if I wanted a piece of pie or some chocolate, or whatever. The key is - I've been working out like a maniac for two months. Got down to the lowest I had been (which is recorded on this board in the "list"), and then one lb further than that. And was stuck. So the past several days I've forced myself to low carb in addition to the working out...and I'm down another lb. My goal is to low-carb it for the next two weeks (until the 1st). I'm going on a vacation with the new (very hot!) boyfriend and I wanted to look my best. :smile2: I don't want to worry about carbs on a vacation, but will really do my best to not overdo it with sugar. When I get back, I'll probably get back on low carb for a bit...don't know how long. I've used low carb in the past to blast off the lbs, but I think the body starts to build a tolerance to it and an INtolerance to any kind of carbs, which is not good when you want to go back to eating like a normal person. So I basically plan to only use it for jumpstarts...kind of like getting me off the plateau I was on (it worked like a charm). All-in-all, I'm happy with my band. I'm coming to peace with the fact that I haven't lost ALL that I thought I would have lost by now. But I'm learning the value of hard work and determination when it comes to shaping my body. I bike 75 total miles a week, I run 15.8 total per week, swim about a mile and a half, and do a kickboxing class. I'm stoked about all the fitness things that I was NEVER able to attain when I was 66 lbs heavier than I am now. Sorry for the long post. Figured I'd give an update on one of your member lurkers and share some of the insights/experiences I've had over the past two years. You guys are great - I keep an eye on what you're doing. :biggrin:

Well, I've been blessed with "A's." I've never seen them as a blessing before, but the simple fact that they are exactly where they should be makes me happy. The skin getting wrinkly on my ass and tummy, on the other hand... :biggrin: I'm really not anxious to show that off to him. He's seen me semi-naked in the semi-dark and has felt all of what I just mentioned and still tells me I'm "hot." He wants me to strip naked in front of him so he can look at me. LMAO I'm not sure if he says stuff like that to torment me (he knows I am shy), or if he's hoping I'll really do it. Anyway...I probably will, I'm getting more comfortable with my body by the day with how much working out I do. As for how the "convo" about my band went down. We were in his truck driving to an outing and I said, "You know how you tease me about how I eat?" He chuckles, "Uh, yeah." I said, "We're going to have words about that." (in a joking tone) He laughs again. And I went into what I had and what it was. I had already told him about the weight loss, so it was just a matter of bringing up the band. He was just curious about what it was, didn't have judgment about it. Still asks me questions from time to time and said he was going to "research" it. LOL But at least he doesn't tease me about my eating habits anymore - that's refreshing. His most flattering response? "How did YOU qualify for that?" LOL He hasn't seen my heavier pics.

:blushing: I love your upbeat attitude. Well, this will not be the answer you wanted, but I'm going to say it anyway. It depends. On genetics. On how FAST you lose. On how reliable you are with exercise. On how well you have taken care of your skin in the past and how well you take care of it during loss (no sun damage, moisturize, etc). So on and so forth. That being said...I'm down a total of like 65 lbs so far, would like to lose another 35. The majority of my weight was gained in my thighs/butt/hip area. And yes...it's starting to look a lil droopy. I don't think it's realistic to think your skin is going to look the same as somebody that was never overweight. When I get down to size, I would adore a LBL. But you might get more of an idea of the skin changes by perusing the plastic surgery forum. :w00t: I was 27 when I got the surgery, btw...29, now. So I had a good 5 years on you.

I was 233 starting out. Lost 3 lbs prior to surgery (yuck...on the 3-day liquid diet). In the first 3 months after Lapbanding, I lost 42 lbs. That was with STRICT adherence to diet (the post-op regulations, but then also low-carbing after that) and also exercise. What YOU can lose is up to you. :blushing: Everybody is of course going to be different because of genetics and drive to lose. But I'm just giving you ONE idea of what's possible. :w00t:

I wanted to :blushing: this post, too. I have just started seeing a guy with freaking 6-pack abs :w00t:, I am not kidding. The most beautiful man I have ever had the pleasure to lay my hands on. :sneaky: LOL Intelligent, family-oriented, great career...etc. I have nowhere near a perfect body and he doesn't care. I still want to lose about 35 lbs (he doesn't know that number, just knows I'm working on it). I was locked into believing that EVERYBODY that had a body like this guy was shallow and narrow-minded. But I told him I used to be 65 lbs heavier...he didn't care. So it's absolutely true what they say - those who matter won't mind and those who mind don't matter!!! Hang in there. I KNOW it's hard. BTDT.

I hate to be one to admit this, but the dating pool is a shallow place. As you get thinner, you will naturally meet more guys. That has easily been my experience. I was ALWAYS shy (and still am), but they approach me, now. I hate that, but as I told the guy I'm seeing now, I don't necessarily consider it shallow to have a body-type preference when you work so hard on your own. So I'm readjusting the way I think, in general. Just be open. :blushing:

LOL...true, dat. Once I pushed him to 2nd base, the port was forgotten. :biggrin: