2muchfun

To answer your question about .2 CC fills, yes, a very small amount can take you into the green zone if you're already feeling some restriction/satiety. What does a daily meal plan look like for you?

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Not till I got my 3rd fill did I start to lose more weight. It's difficult when your band isn't adjusted yet. Just keep getting fills till you feel satiety enough to eat much less food. Remember, this is just another diet till you have restriction. tmf

How much is "Not drop very much weight yet"?

I had to stop about 10 Soups in they look so dang good. Almost makes me want to have surgery again just so I could eat so many of these. But, they're slider foods now but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy one on a football Sunday? I pinned the site.

Many doctors don't want us using straws. Something about swallowing too much air. I don't use a straw but when I do I don't notice any difference in trapped air? My daughter is a germ-a-phobe and refuses to drink without a straw unless it's bottled Water.

Many WLS patients walked in your footsteps before you. We all use carbohydrates for energy and limiting your carbohydrates as much as we're asked, can create some low energy concerns. I was listening to a couple of doctors discussing insulin and glucose levels and one of them mentioned that insulin is still a fairly new hormone that is still misunderstood in many ways. He said that many obese people's bodies have relied on a constant stream of energy(carbs) for so long that their bodies are very bad with burning fat for fuel since there's been no need for this with so many carbs entering the bloodstream? We all live in this world of constant grazing and compared to our ancestors we virtually live in a supermarket of processed foods. In other words, your energy is low because you're not getting enough fuel(carbs) and your body has not adapted to burning fat as fuel. Therefore you can or will be sluggish till your body accepts this new way of living? jmo tmf

I'm sure your surgeon is very good but he's just dead wrong on this. It's virtually impossible for most of us to lose more than 8 lbs a month with the band. You have to burn 3500 more calories than you consume to lose 1 lb. So, that's 7000/wk. A lot of extra calories you must burn to lose more than you are. Here's another thought about your journey. Watch this very short video. It sounds like you imo. Are your clothes fitting looser? New muscle takes up less body space than fat. You could be firming up and replacing fat with muscle and that's a good thing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJziqgrQgk

Try not to make this a diet! On non-fast days you should eat normally but by normal I mean healthy and no deep fried or highly processed foods. Use your tool(band) to reduce your hunger. That's why I love this way of eating. Even on non-fast days I find it easy to eat 1400-1600 calories. I think we all have to find our way on those fasting days. What works for me may not work for you. Sandy suggested eating several small meals and I read last night of some folks who did their fast this way. I shoot for one mid day shake(150 cals) and a follow-up dinner around 6 pm of about 500 cals. It's really hard to stop eating after that shake I gotta tell you. I've found it easy to carry on the fasting later in the day with very little discomfort. It only gets uncomfortable after I have that first calorie filled shake or meal. Be malleable and willing to make changes as you progress with this new way of eating. The comforting knowledge that we can go back to eating normal on non-fasting days is the key for me. tmf

40 lbs in less than 5 months is better than average. Why would you think you're a slow loser? It's more than 8 lbs a month? Very few banders lose more than you're losing. People who are very high in BMI will lose a lot of weight in the early going but it's mostly Water weight they lose. We've seen some people lose 60 lbs in one month but it's mostly water trapped in their fat cells. tmf

I was banded on 11/28/11. That's the Monday following Thanksgiving. I only had a pre-op dietary restriction from noon on Sunday so about 21 hours before surgery. I went nuts over the Thanksgiving, Friday and Saturday. Prime rib, mashed potatoes/gravy, crème Brule, hashbrowns, sausage and eggs for Breakfast. Wow! Those were the fat old days eh? But you know, I can still eat all that stuff, just not nearly in the volume I once did. I was like Jack, fear of becoming hungry after surgery. Once I got that 3rd my bingeing and hunger days were behind me.

Bandista, you in a stall too?

You keep your stomach? Uh, better check those X-Rays Marie? And malabsorption is a possibility even though it's a remote one, just like slips and erosions are rare. Do you have fillings? Ever have any kind of mesh implant? How about if your organs fail, no heart valves or stints for you? ACL reconstructions? No cadaver ligaments and no plates or screws for broken bones? How about silicone? Tattoos? Piercings? Total knee and hip replacemenets? This infatuation with not having a foreign object in one's body is so silly it's laughable. Virtually no one escapes this world without some kind of foreign body on or in our bodies. But the fear of having 85% of a major body organ cut out is understandable.imo There's no turning back after 85% extraction. And I believe that some people need this form(sleeve) of WLS simply because they can't control their eating habits. Likewise for the band. But there's a % of patients who are in control and only need a little help with curbing their appetite to make it over that hump. That's where the band comes in. tmf

I allow myself one microwave popcorn mini a month. Before surgery, every night and twice on Sundays

Let me interject a slightly different point of view? I went with the band for many of the same reasons you prefer the band. But I know myself, I know I'm in control and I understand how this all works. Maybe your physician has some insight into your own personality and feels you may not be true to the band? The band will require much more attention than the other WLS techniques. No grazing, no bingeing, following the eating very slow and chewing chewing chewing is a must. Follow up and aftercare is so important with the band. Can't tell you how many posts we've seen from people who are 8 years out and haven't been back to see their doctor for 6 years, mostly due to loss of insurance and lack of funds. There are some patients who should not be Lap Band patients. The Lap Band was the marquee WLS 4-10 years ago, but many surgeons didn't understand how much follow up would be required and many surgeons suck at communication and follow up. Many patients were given maintenance instructions that were counter intuitive to what the best surgeons communicate today. So, are you a good candidate? Get a 2nd opinion and be very honest with your surgeon so they can recommend the best surgery for you. tmf

Sandy, it wouldn't be called a fast if you're allowed to eat all day, even if it's 500 cals over the day. There are scientific reasons why Mosley suggests we fast through the day till dinner. Here's Mosley addressing when to eat about 45 seconds in and goes to 2:20 mins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r8OpT11RjE&index=2&list=PLNJV9yr8AXU4Nt41D6kZ2x1_CylRMAQCL And this one 3:55 in explains the fast: 5:2 Diet Partner For people too lazy to read the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Aj6hRYg4A I'm sure we could lose weight if we stretched it out as you say but you won't get the healing effects of the fast. And I agree with you, speaking from my own personal experience, once I start eating, the eating demons can take over your mind and I end up grazing from noon to dinner if I try to spread the 600 cals over the entire day.

Here's a real simplified video or two. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq1jwtFeGvk Nutritionist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pa_ywQV_Pc This is Dr Mosley the author with Mercola, a natural food geek.

Just an FYI Justwatch. The 5:2 diet as it's set up is you miss your lunch meal? The idea is to fast for about 12 hours a day and that would include any calorie containing food or liquid from 7 am - 6-7 pm. Maybe you've modified it to fit your own lifestyle? The basis of the fast is based upon a Paleo type lifestyle. I watched a video with the author, Mike Mosley, and he said you could also just miss your Breakfast meal and end the fast around noon. That would give you nearly 17 hours of fasting.

Our Kaiser support group met in July with an endocrinologist and it turns out he knows Dr Varady from the 2nd video and is actually pier reviewing some of her most recent studies right now. If you don't know, endocrinologists are hormone doctors and many work in the diabetes field. This Endo recommended Varady's work and approves of fasting like this. He was a little afraid that some patients don't get enough Protein on those fasting days but sounds like you've got that handled with the shakes? I think adhering strictly to the plan definitely works but the plan is so malleable it makes it a great way to modify for our own lifestyles. Wish I would have known about this before surgery, although I don't believe it would have benefited me enough to avoid surgery. It's just that having the band makes the fasting so much easier since the band gives us long term satiety. tmf

There are many resistance training videos on youtube. Pick up some resistance bands and/or use your own body weight for resistance. It's easy and can be done in just a few short minutes once or twice a week. There are also very short once or twice a week programs for gaining strength and maybe building some muscle tone? They're called Hiit, Hist or Hit. High intensity interval training or High intensity strength training. Find one that fits your own lifestyle and modify it if you have to? Feeling thin and fit is a wonderful feeling.

You've lost a 63 lb ball and chain. Must feel great to be free again? I've lost 2/3 of my ball and chain and I know the other 1/3 will be a lifetime project and I'm just fine with that. Congrats to you.

I'm on the 5:2 protocol too. Except, I'm on it Mon, Wed, and Fri. So I guess it's the 4:3 for me. I've been doing this since early June. It helped me break my 3 month long plateau. I've dropped 18 lbs since that time but it has slowed down for me lately but the scale is still showing progress. My protocol is a little different than what the book suggests. I stop eating around 7 pm the night before and I don't consume anything with calories until about 2 pm the following day. So, my fast lasts at least 18 hours. I break my fast with one Protein shake around 2 pm and then I have dinner around 6 pm. I try to exercise during the fast days before noon so that I'm burning fat since I've depleted any carbs leftover from the previous day. What I like about this way of eating(I don't want to call it a diet since it's so easy to maintain) is once I want to go on a maintenance program all I have to do is cut it back to 2 days a week and increase my calorie consumption by 400-500 calories. Very workable. For anyone interested in this type of eating here are two videos that explain how it works and why it works. 5:2 Diet Partner For people too lazy to read the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Aj6hRYg4A And here's the video I based my own program from. I modified it to fit my own personal lifestyle and schedule. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzkVmXe9NMU

Go back to your doctor and get advice from your surgeon and nutritionist. There's no substitute for professional one on one consultation when you've been away for so long?

Go back to your doctor and get advice from your surgeon and nutritionist. There's no substitute for professional one on one consultation.

Deli meats like mesquite smoked turkey or chicken was my go to along with the refried Beans. Also, egg drop Soup was a staple. It's wise to look for high Protein foods during this phase so you're burning fat and not muscle. tmf

First, this isn't a diet. it's a lifestyle change. COMPLETELY!! No need to diet and rely heavily on low calorie foods and recipes. If your band is adjusted properly it will help you feel satisfied with less food. We eat normal foods like chicken, beef, seafood, vegetable and rice along with most other natural foods. We stay away from processed foods and slider foods like candy, pop and high calorie Soups. I mean this in the most supportive way, but have you had a psych eval yet? Most insurance companies will require this to be approved for surgery? I find it hard to believe you got to 330 lbs eating once or twice a day? I guess it depends on how much you eat at every sit down meal but you say it's always on the go and it's not much? Did your surgeon suggest the band? You seem more like a bypass or sleeve patient. Banders rely heavily on sit down meals where we have time to eat with few distractions? Eating on the run or eating after 10 pm is a recipe for failure with the band. One last thing? What kind of insurance do you have? Will it allow you long term access to free or nearly free aftercare and fills? One of the main reasons we see people fail and have complications is due to losing insurance and not following up with their doctor for the very needed support we need post surgery. jmo tmf