John_Yeti

I say average of 1200 to 1600 because I might change it up & have an extra meal one day. Maybe hummus or an extra chicken breast. I've bumped up my calories before, but I can always try it again. I don't do the fat measurement, but do measure my waist daily. No movement. I've gained again, but no waist shrinkage. I'm hoping it is a gain due to boot camp & will eventually go down on the scale. We'll see. Ready for another week of boot camp. Thanks for the advice & encouragement.

I'd say I'm averaging between 1200 to 1600 calories. I'm pretty sure I'm not gaining muscle. Not sure what's going on though.

Thank you both for your confidence. I sure hope you are right. I guess only time will tell. If nothing has happened after a month of boot camp, I don't know what I'm going to do. lol

So, as some may know i've posted on here before about being on pretty much a year long plateau. My doctor says it's just my body getting used to my lifestyle, I just needed to bump up my exercise routine. I was told that my eating habits are great, and nothing wrong on that end. So, i decided to join a local "boot camp" for the next month. I felt like this would really help me out by motivating me, and also teaching me what i should be doing. So far I've been to 4 sessions, and it's kicked my butt. We've done all kinds of exercises including running stadiums and miles. We focus on core, legs, & upper body. I have really been pushing myself more than ever. So, i decided it's time to weigh myself this morning. So, I do. I'm up 5 lbs. now...... no change in clothing, no change in measurements...... how is this even possible? lol Is this a joke? I should be losing some weight, even if I am "building muscle," which i'm sure i'm not building that much muscle from these routines. Has anyone else had this problem? lol Am i just doomed?

Are Mung Bean Noodles a better alternative for pasta? There is 200 calories per serving, and 50 carbs. No fat, protein, sugar, or fiber.

I agree with Jackie, If i have a large bottle of Water, it almost intimidates me to drink so much. I usually drink 2 (16 oz) bottles of water as soon as i wake up. Then have more bottles of water as the day goes by. It seems the best way for me. I used to carry around a jug, and just looked at it like a mountain that was hard to climb. Also, try finding other things to add to the water to make it more pleasurable. I also do the sugar-free Kool-aid, but i also have a wheat grass mixture i add to water, caffeine free teas / coffees help also. Good Luck!

Hello everyone, From what i understand, the liquid diets after fills are only because our pouch/throat may become inflamed after fooling around with it during a fill/unfill. So, they put us on thin liquids at first, just in case it is sensitive. The last Fill i had actually bothered me, so it made sense, but before that, I see your point of why starve myself. So, if you can get a thin Protein drink down with clear liquids, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just to make sure you don't hurt/irritate your pouch area more. I usually stick to Water, coffee, broth for my liquid days. But, i understand when it comes to 7 days. Wooh! Good Luck!

Hello, I'm not sure what the qualifications really are, i think they vary from doctor to doctor. The first step is to find a local physician who performs the surgeries and they can tell you if you qualify or not. If you do, they will most likely: 1. Make you go on a diet before to lose a certain amount of weight, to help with the surgery and also show you have the commitment. 2. Put you on a diet that will closely resemble your lifestyle after the surgery 3. Start your consultations with a Nutritionist and other Lapbanders. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I did not have any major health issues. I only had high blood pressure. I was 470 lbs, and finally decided I needed to do something. I lost 60 lbs before surgery. Since then (2 years), i'm down to 325 lbs. It has been worth it! There is a lot of emotional work as well as physical work along with the Lapband. Exercise is a must. Eating properly is a must, the only thing the lapband does is control your portions at a time. Most people out there think this is a easy thing to do, and it instantly helps you lose... as if it's a fix. It's not a fix, it's a tool. This was the hardest thing for me to learn. A lot of problems i have are my friends. They don't understand what i'm going through emotionally with the eating / food. They are always telling me i'm not going to gain weight if i have 1 piece of candy or other things, and they don't understand what i was going through before the surgery. So, I would defiantly find a friend or family member who listens. Luckily my wife listens to me, and i am grateful how understanding she is with all my stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I guess I would start by talking with a physician you find. They can give you all kinds of literature & also tell you what you need to get started. Look for some books, i have a book about life after Gastric surgeries, and websites likes these help. Although, these websites have people who can scare someone... so don't think you will have the good/bad reactions to the band. Each of us have our own experience. Good luck!

I know everyone is giving the "go get a fill" advice, and it could help... but you said it yourself in your post "I pretty much eat what i want." That might be the problem. Getting back on track with eating the right foods and the right amounts will defiantly help. A Fill can help also, but the 1st is the most important rule i would think. Are you exercising? Eating slidable foods? Drinking a majority of calories? These are other things to think about.

I had the same exact problem. Here's what i did. At my local health food store there is something called "Cocao," which works great. Here is a link on some information: Cocoa solids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Here is the site for the product i get: Organic Cacao - Certified Organic, Raw, Kosher - Navitas Naturals We're talking 40 calories for 2.5 tablespoons. I usually just add 1 tablespoon. It's pretty much unsweetened cocoa powder, but added to a vanilla Protein shake, it makes it all good! Just something to think about. Good luck!

So, i've been taking smoothie King's Protein powder, "Gladiator," which is nice. It has only 180 calories per serving (two scoops), less than 1 carb, and 42 grams of protein i believe.. Anyway, i decided to pick up some Muscle Milk to start using both. I've been seeing a lot of negative reviews about using it with gaining muscle and especially weight loss because of the large amounts of calories it has. Muscle Milk has 300 calories per serving (2 scoops) with 12 fats, and 25 protein(?) . The fats are better than what everyone will think, but i don't feel like explaining the types of fats and stuff. I guess my question is, are the "large" amount of calories really a big problem if i'm either (A) using only 1 scoop for a drink, or (:eek: having the two scoop serving, giving me 300 calories for my meal. If i have a 300 calorie Breakfast and a 300 calorie lunch, and eat a sensible dinner, is that still what people would consider "Large amounts of calories?" OR Am are people not looking at the fact that it is Meal Replacement rather than a snack? Any thoughts would help, because i'm wanting to build up muscle, but mainly lose the weight.

Fiber will bulk you up when needed, and flush you out when needed. There are many different ways to get it. Foods (apples, oatmeal, wheat bread, etc), pills, or even drinks. Also, they make Splenda with Fiber, so maybe that's another choice. I use them since i drink a lot of coffee. I was banded in 2008, and when i started eating differently than I was previously, i could see a change in my bowel movements, so it's most likely nothing to worry about. BTW, If you go to places such as smoothie King or any other health smoothie place, they can actually add in a fiber enhancement, which makes it easy to get it down without tasting it. Good Luck!