AirKuhl

Your skin may or may not shrink over time, it's a function of age and genetics. At 33yo, you still have a good chance that it will shrink some more. Aside from surgery, the other option is to fill that skin with some muscle so it's not so loose anymore. This works well for upper arms in particular.

There is no magic involved, it can only be one of three things: 1) You gained muscle. This happened to me when I started working out, over one 2 month stretch I lost zero pounds but lost 2" from my waist and chest. 2) You're kidding yourself on your calorie intake. Your metabolism is up so you eat and drink more and are somehow not accounting for that. 3) You were going through life dehydrated and now you are not since working out made you thirsty enough to drink more. This is actually pretty common for fat people, we often don't drink enough Water because we're busy inserting better stuff into our pie holes. :closedeyes:

Just keep losing weight. It's impossible to spot-lose fat, your body will just reduce fat wherever it wants to. Unfortunately, it's not always in the same places and amounts you wish it would.

+1, this above is very good advice. Once you get going, I might suggest hiring a trainer for one or two sessions. I did that and we went over my goals, he then wrote out an alternating A/B plan for me and showed me how to do each exercise properly, with a focus on whole body core training and cardio/strength combos. Very much worth it for me, I'm in the best shape of my life now, wish I was this fit at 20, lol.

Don't worry about the carbs in oatmeal. Oatmeal has a low glycemic index along with being high in fiber, so it's a "good" carb. On top of that, it tends to be filling and stays filling for a while. Just watch out for the flavored kind with lots of added sugar, I suggest getting plain and flavoring it yourself, I keep a shaker of cinnamon/Splenda blend just for oatmeal and greek yogurt.

Soft white bread is really hard for many of us, but that's a good thing as it's a pretty crappy food. I find that I can eat the hard crusted sourdough bread from the bakery no problem. It's even easier if I toast it. I'll typically toast one slice, spread on some Smart Balance butter and have it on the side. I'll take some ham or turkey slices, spread on some laughing cow light garlic herb cheese wedges, roll them up and I get a great tasting, filling, low calorie deconstructed sandwich.

Thanks for the ideas! I do a version of this with brussel sprouts. Everyone says they hate brussel sprouts, but anyone who's tried mine loves them. Buy them on the stalk if possible in the produce dept. Pop them off the stalk, trim the stem if needed, remove the loose out leaves if any and cut in half. Throw in a ziploc bag with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Leave it sitting out for at least an hour. Roast in the oven for at least 30-45 minutes at around 350. You want them browned on the outside and soft in the middle. While in the oven, get a non-stick pan going on the stove and put in a few tbs of butter. Just as the butter starts to brown, throw in some Panko bread crumbs. Find the Panko style, it comes out 100x better than the stuff in the cardboard tube. Brown in the butter until it smells like toast and set aside. Spoon over the sprouts when serving. Even my kids eat these. The vinegar cuts the bitterness, the roasting caramelizes the outside and adds sweetness, and the breadcrumbs give it some crunch and richness.

I like 'ritas too, just keep track of the calories. 4 oz. strawberry mix = 140 calories and 33g sugar, 1 oz tequila = 70 calories. So a strawberry margarita the same size as a beer will have around 600 calories and 100 grams of sugar. I realize that's a big 'rita, but if you think about it as having just 2 average sized ones, that's a lot of sugar and calories. :closedeyes: There are some sugar free mixes out there that have zero calories (not counting the alcohol), might be worth checking out.

OK that makes sense, I thought you were using 4tbs of mayo and my can of solid white tuna says 191 calories. I could definitely eat the whole thing. :thumbdown: Try the canola Hellman's, I'm a mayo snob and that's the only healthier one I ever tried that tasted OK.

No, and I don't believe that it's true in any case.

Sounds tasty. But be careful, assuming "several" means 4, I calculate your total calories at over 640 per serving. Try using 2 tbs of the Hellman's Canola mayo instead, you'll cut out 260 calories. Or try using Dijonaise instead of mayo and you'll knock another 100 off. Mix half as much onion with the same amount of celery and knock another 30 off. Capers instead of olives, 30 more off. :scared2:

I still drink beer. Beck's Light in only 60-ish calories per bottle. Guinness draught is about 120, less than most beers. I also enjoy a glass (or bottle!) of wine now and then.

Your post is completely unreadable. You might want to summarize your point.

Instead of milk, trying mixing your favorite cereal with some greek yogurt. Tastes great, stops it from being a slider food, and adds TONS of protein.

Aside from adding a bit of preserves, honey or cinnamon/Splenda, just use it as a sour cream substitute in any recipe. Works great.

I've never had a port issue. I work out, wrestle around with my kids, and generally ignore it completely. My band doc has done 3 active pro football players and 2 pro mixed martial arts fighters. They have no port problems. If a bit of nookie would hurt your port, you're probably doing it wrong. :frown:

Also keep in mind that the heavier you are the more weight you need to lose to see an appreciable difference. The last 10 lbs I lost were much more visible (and I got more comments) than the first 40 lbs.

My theory: A lot of fat people have psychological issues with food. I suspect some doctors tell their patients certain things in order to make sure they don't slip into old habits. Technically it makes no sense why you can't drink before a meal, or drink beer/wine/booze, or have to lose N pounds before surgery, or quit smoking, etc. But if this type of discipline is what you need to stay the course, more power to you. It's a valid technique.

Centrum Silver chewables. I use the Silver because it doesn't have Iron, which is important for me. If you need more calcium eat some Tums or the generic equivalent, cheapest way.

YES!!!! The Wii got me off the couch and to a point where I could walk into a gym and start working out. It was a GREAT "phase 1". Highly recommended.

My Doc thinks it's silly and has no idea why anyone would require it. I have to agree.

Yesterday marked one year for my band. I only have about 10-15 more pounds to lose. Some of that is probably excess skin. I still eat whatever food I want, just much less. pizza, ice cream, ribs, burgers, beer, coffee, bring it on (just on a small plate please) I just got my most recent blood work back today. Before banding I was seriously over the limits on pulse, blood pressure, cholesterol, AST/ALT, triglycerides, ferratin and glucose. I had bad liver function, diabetes and hemachromatosis. ALL of these values are now well within normal ranges. I was banded at 9:00AM Thursday, was home by 1:00, and drove to work Monday. I got pain meds but didn't bother using them past the first day. I had 3 fills total to find my sweet spot. I never had any pain or serious discomfort, despite eating "difficult" foods, exercising, roughhousing with my kids, etc. I no longer have sore knees, hips or feet. My lower back is much better. I sleep less hours, but better. I have MUCH more energy, both mentally and physically. The most dangerous and painful thing I ever did was wait too long before getting banded. Screw that idiot and the rest of the band alarmists and naysayers. Along with marrying the right person and having great kids, the band is the best thing I have ever done in my life.

Umm, you might want to check the date on her post, your advice may be a bit late.

An unfilled band is like it's not even there. Don't worry, a correct fill will make a HUGE difference.

When you were 400+lbs no one said anything because you were REALLY big and they kept it to themselves because they were scared to say anything to your face. They viewed you as someone with a disability. Now at a more "normal" looking ~300 lbs, people feel more comfortable saying something, right or wrong. When you hit 200 lbs, you'll probably get even more ribbing from people that don't know how much you lost. When you are only 20-30 lbs overweight, it will be merciless, but semi-good natured. I don't know why people are like this but many are. Ignore them, most people, unfortunately, are idiots. They have nothing to do with you or your health. Hitting your goals is the best revenge.