L12

I usually eat between 3/4 and 1.5 cups at a time. Sometimes more or less, depending on what time of day, what I'm eating, etc. Your instructions sound more like they're for gastric bypass to me... With lapband the stomach size doesn't change, the band just creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach, and the passageway to the lower part of the stomach is narrowed or widened by fills/unfills--the stomach is not changed to the size of a golf ball (do they mean the pouch is the size of a golf ball?). Of course doctors all have their own set of instructions and ways of describing things, so who knows. But most people on LBT seem to eat and lose on more than what you're eating!

A 30lb. weight loss in that time period is about 1.5lbs. a week on average that you have lost--THAT is not doing anything wrong! But I agree with other posters, what are you eating? Also, what is your weight/height (to get a ballpark of your calories needed to maintain and lose), and how many calories are you burning during your workout?

Couch to 5K is great! I was a runner before I gained weight, but after my weight loss I used C25K to start again. After finishing up that program, I trained for and ran a half marathon in January, and am registered to run the Chicago Marathon in October. However, I was very consistent in the training runs for C25K; regularly running/walking is key to building yourself up to continuously running three to four miles. Plus, I didn't start the program until I had exceeded my initial goal (150lbs) as I didn't want to risk bringing back previous foot/ankle/knee pain. However, I know many people who begin running when they are overweight and even obese, and some even run marathons at their weight. Pay attention to your body and how it feels; some muscle pain and soreness is to be expected with training, but running through an injury, especially with a lot of extra weight, can cause a lot of damage. Starting out slowly with something like C25K is a great way to acclimate your body to running!

It probably depends on what caused the seizure, which could be any number of things. I hope you find some answers and are able to go forward with surgery soon!

I had kidney stones about a year after surgery--I never had them before. I'm not on a low carb plan, but I was taking extra biotin, which the doctor told me to stop immediately as that can apparently contribute to kidney stones. I haven't had any problems since, and I hope I never do again--that was PAINFUL!

I've never had a problem with flying, but my band does sometimes tighten up when I'm stressed or dehydrated, both of which can happen when I'm really busy! If yours happens to tighten up before, during, or after the flight, maybe try some hot tea or coffee; warm liquids can help loosen things up a bit.

Between the time of surgery until I reached optimal restriction, my weight loss was about one pound a week, and it took about six months to reach my sweet spot. After that, the weight loss picked up substantially as I had more help with hunger and portion control from better restriction.

I probably would have argued or tried to persuade him earlier in my journey, but I care much less about what people think about it now. I'm healthier, more active, and look better (plus I'm MUCH less lazy ) than the majority of people who happen to express obnoxious or ignorant criticisms about weight loss surgery (it amazes me how many of these "experts" are overweight or even obese themselves). I usually speak up if I hear anything like that, and it usually shuts them up quickly except for questions about my experience and the general impression I get that many of them start to rethink their position on obesity and surgery. I don't argue, I just tell the facts of my experience. Most people that spout off about these things understand very little about obesity in general, and even less about the details and different types of weight loss surgery. Prove them wrong, change your life and lose the weight, and they really won't have much to say to you about it anymore. Most people won't want to bring up anything that shows how completely wrong they were.

I eat a variety of protein and energy bars--not all the time, but they're good if I'm really busy and need to take something with me. I don't like most protein drinks, and they don't fill me up anyway, which the bars do (often only half a bar), plus they don't slide right through like shakes do. And many of them have about the same calories and nutrition as shakes do anyway with considerable better flavor, so I don't know why anyone has a problem with them...

I used to have a pair of MBTs. They helped a lot with foot pain, but I couldn't tell a difference with them in any other way. I'm not sure how much the Sketchers are, but my MBTs cost over $250.

I went from a 46F to a 34DD. Even though that's only a couple of cup sizes, it really is quite a bit lost in volume because of the cup size/band size ratio. I cannot even fathom what my cup size would be if only my band size shrunk--a P?

I was on Metformin for PCOS and though it kept some of my hormone levels under control, it did NOT help me lose weight--I actually gained about 80 pounds during the time I was taking it. Any weight loss can help with insulin resistance--it may not cure it, depending on why you have it, but it will most definitely help. Additionally, IR is basically pre-diabetes; following something that resembles a low to lower carb diabetic diet will help your body and its reaction to food, even if it doesn't result in a lot of weight loss.

I'm a little confused...it looks like you've been a member here for a while, and it is frequently emphasized on here that it could take months to reach proper restriction. Sometimes the doctors don't talk about that as much, but there's plenty of info on LBT (if you've been reading as much as you've been posting) that what you're going through shouldn't be unexpected if you were realistic going into it. It's fairly normal--just be patient, get your fills, try to eat and live well in the meantime, and you will get there. And try to be positive--it will make this time much more pleasant for you!

I've been banded a little over two years. I get both hunger suppression and restriction when I'm at my sweet spot--they seem to go hand-in-hand for me. I can tell I need a fill when I'm starving day and night AND can eat a great deal, like 2+ cups of food at a time. A slight fill gets both of those under control for me, though I'm pretty much in maintenance mode and am not really needing fills now. My normal amount of food is 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups at a time, depending on what time of day, how tight I am, what I'm eating, etc. My band does prevent me from overeating by causing discomfort or a PB IF I'm not paying attention to how much I've had, but I'm just used to the limitations now so I rarely have that problem. I don't really have "head hunger" anymore either, other than the occasional craving, but I do get a little hungry at what I would say are appropriate, normal times (meals, if I haven't eaten, when I'm PMSingm etc.).

Keep an eye on your hydration; in my experience being dehydrated makes my band much tighter! I exercise a lot, and often drink a gallon a day of liquids. Days when I exercise but don't drink much, my band tightens up and solids can be difficult for me to get down. Pre-band I didn't drink much; now when I drink, I usually drink two or three glasses in a row, and always have a drink near me. I drink at least two glasses in the AM when I get up, two to three before and after any exercise, one right before bed, and several throughout the day.

You're not a slow loser; you've lost about 1.3 pounds per week on average, which is an ideal rate. Plus, if you didn't lose much right away AND had plateaus, you must have lost more than that per week when you did lose! And if you're still at your sweet spot, your weight loss probably won't stop; I actually lost a bit more in the second year than I did in the first, exceeding my goal. Keep going, and keep focusing on the positive!

I'm one of those who has turned into an exercise freak with my running...but the good news is that I had already surpassed my goal before I even started running (at 145 lbs.), or even exercising regularly for that matter...but I do have an active job, so that probably helped a lot with the weight loss even without additional exercise. I've started to really like exercise, it makes me feel good and I get the "runner's high" now. However, I also find that setting goals (marathons, etc.) keeps me motivated to exercise every single week--there's no way of running 13.1 or 26.2 miles succesfully without running at least three times a week. Without a goal I'm working towards, I tend to burn out or get lazy. Just keep in mind that for many of us, its not what we NEED to do, but what we WANT to do now! And its thrilling to be physically able to do these things when at one time, I couldn't even walk without being winded or in pain.

I eat soup frequently--it's my favorite food! Maybe it's because I'm just used to smaller portions now, but it usually fills me up as well as any other meal, though it's probably because I prefer creamy or chunky soups to broths.

I didn't mind Nutrisystem, and actually liked some of the foods. I lost about 25 lbs. or so and probably could have lost more if I'd stuck with it (it gets expensive, and like any other diet requires constant willpower for results), but as in all of my other weight loss efforts pre-band, I couldn't keep it off. That seems to be the story with so many of us...

I'm sometimes a little disgusted--I do try not to judge, as I could eat with the best of them pre-band. Without the band, I'd probably still be right there with them! I actually work as a server, so I see it a lot. One thing that bugs me is that everyone I wait on assumes I eat at the restaurant all the time, and know how each and every item on the menu tastes. While I guess that would be ideal for my position, it makes me want to ask "Do I look like I eat here all the time?" Not only that, but with the small portions I eat, each entree would equal three or for meals for me--it would take years for me to get through the entire menu!

I still get the munchies every month while I'm PMSing; I usually allow myself to indulge a little, as my periods are pure torture and life pretty much sucks around that time. Of course, I still have to be aware of what I eat; luckily, most cravings go away after that, and don't have a permanent effect on the scale. I'm sure it's not the same for everyone, but that's how I deal with it.

I just got new panties in the mail today! This is a BIG NSV for me, since before I went into maintenance mode I just bought plain, cheap ones as I shrank. But now that I'm right where I want to be, I got some really cute ones! Also got two nice new bras, and a bikini that I look dang hot in! I've never been the materialistic or superficial type, but just this once I'm enjoying having some nice (SMALL!) things to wear that I look good in! Yet again my band journey has amazed me...

It often takes several fills to reach your sweet spot and make a big difference in how you eat--for me it was five or six fills, which took about six months to reach, in which time I only lost 20-25 pounds. Once I reached that sweet spot, I went on to lose 100 more pounds pretty easily. Just be patient and try to be positive while you're working your way up to your optimal fill level--no need to be depressed for what is actually pretty normal!

I agree with IndioGirl55--remove the word "cheat" from your vocabulary! It sounds like you didn't get out of control, and made a conscious decision to enjoy a few treats for a special occasion. In my opinion, that's a good way to handle the rest of your life--using awareness and control, but not banning all treats forever.