Liveforit

So, I had my surgery back in 2008 and have lost 170 lbs. I've lost consistently throughout my journey and then once I got to a weight where I was comfortable, I've stayed there. I go up and down a few pounds, but as long as I stay within what I call my "safe range" then I'm good to go. Here's why I'm writing. Back on April 30th I went to see my surgeon. I had decided that I was going to ask to have a tad bit of Fluid removed, just to be a little more comfortable. I don't think I was too tight, but I figured I'd see what happened. My doctor took a little bit of fluid out and he did tell me that I might feel like he had taken out too much. I wasn't worried though. Boy was I wrong. Since I saw him, a little over a month ago, I've gained 10 lbs. I'm not eating any differently, but I am constantly hungry. I go back to my doctor on the 25th and am definitely asking to have that little bit of fluid put back in, but I never imagined that a small unfill would contributo to a 10 lb. weight gain. So, I was curious if anyone else has gone through this?? I'm very concerned because I've NEVER gained. I want to get as much of that weight gone before I go back to my doctor on the 25th. My clothes all fit, but I suddenly have a muffin top above my loose skin. Plus, I feel bloated and miserable all the time now. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to get this weight back off?? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!! Thanks so much :0) Liveforit

I am trying to work my way through a slight unfill and then a 10 lb. weight gain. So, it's nice to know that someone else started gaining afte a slight unfill as well. I am going back to the doctor on the 26th to have Fluid put back in my band, and I am hoping that this will get me back on track as well. I too was too thin and that was shy I decided to have the slight unfill. Now all of pants are a little bit more snug than usual and I feel so defeated. All I can do is try not to gain anymore until I can get back to the doctor. I hope that everything is back in line for you and that you're back to exercising and being comfortable once again. Have you lost the 12 lbs. that you gained?

Thanks. I've already started going back to the lower carb way of eating. For the most part I do eat low carb, but I started adding things back into my diet (good carbs) back in January. So, I started eliminating stuff again this morning thinking that the extra carbs may be what's doing it. I just can't get past that feeling of being hungry. I'm not used to it at all!! So, I'm focusing on Protein, veggies and good fats. Thats the diet I've followed since I had my surgery. I have PCOS so my body doesn't respond well when counting calories. Low carb is the way to go for me. I just wanted to know if anyone else had experienced a significant weight gain after an unfill? It's only really showing up around my waist. I mean, I have skin from my weight loss, but I suddenly have a muffin top & it's making my clothing SO uncomfortable. Anyone else out there have this happen?

kll724 - Thanks for your input!!! I've never gained before and I just seem to be yo-yo ing up and down around 4-5 lbs. So, for me, three weeks has seemed like FOREVER. I've read that a lot of people have been stalled and then suddenly drop 10 lbs. like that - without ever changing anything (as you mentioned). I'm hoping that I am in that same situation. It just kills me to get on the scale each morning and see that number going in the wrong direction!! As far as exercise goes, now that it's staying light out a little bit later I'm going to try to start doing more activities with my son when we get home each night. I also want to set up a workout routine on my Wii Fit. I love that thing, but I NEVER get to use it. Thanks again :0) Katie - You are correct, I don't eat many carbs because my doctor wants me on low carb high Protein. I used to eat more, but since this stall began I've cut back on them thinking that maybe I needed more protein and less carbs. It hasn't really affected the way that I feel - no headaches or anything from withdrawal. Do you think that maybe I'm being too restrictive and that I should try to add some back in to see what happens?? I've read that sometimes when you're too restrictive in your diet (with anything) sometimes your body holds onto as much of whatever you're restricting and that can affect your weight loss. I don't know if that is the case with carbs, but maybe. Does that make any sense? Maybe I will start adding some carbs back into my diet and see what happens. I just really don't want to go back to my doctor next month with no progress since my last visit. Plus, theres just something about seeing that number either staying the same or going down each day that makes the day start out better. Right now I'm starting my days off with an "UGH" and a sigh :0) Any thoughts?? Thanks again, Liz

Hi there. I was just wondering. I've lost a TON of weight, and still have another 20 - 30- lbs to go, but I've been stalled for over 3 weeks now. I thought that maybe if I focused primarily on Protein and eliminated my carbs a little more that it might kick start my weight loss again, but no such luck. Could it be possible that I've been eating too little. Here's my normal menu for the day: Breakfast 2 cups coffee w/ fat free milk or light vanilla soy milk (usually 1/2 coffee & 1/2 milk) 1 Protein shake - 1 scoop Protein powder, 1 container light yogurt & either fat free milk or light soy milk. (Sometimes I add a few teaspoons of sugar free Toriani/DaVinci flavored syrup when I use plain yogurt). lunch 2 slices oven roasted turkey breast and 2 slices Jarlsberg cheese rolled together with blue cheese to dip. or Leftover dinner from the night before which is always a vegetable & protein or just protein. or chicken Enchilada, Broccoli, Broccoli Cheese, Lentil or Split Pea Soup with ham. No broth based Soups. Dinner Steak, chicken or fish and a vegetable and sometimes a good carb like kidney Beans (when I make chili) or barley, but not much (maybe 1/4 c) Dessert (not every night) SF/FF pudding made with ff milk or 1/2 c no sugar added or Breyers Carb Smart Ice Cream or Low Carb PB Pie made with whipped PB (3 carbs per 2 Tbsp), Neufatchel cheese and light Cool Whip about 2 carbs per slice). All Day Water or Crystal Light - TONS!!!! Does anything look funky or like it could be making me stall?? I've never not lost and have never gained either. Could I be eating too few carbs?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance :0) Liz

Honk - Thanks for your input. I should have clarified a few things. I only use 80 cal. light yogurt and my Protein powder is 120 cal./scoop, 1 gm fat, 3 gms carbs and 24 gms protein. The cheese I use it Jarlsberg Light (50 cal./slice, 2 gm fat, 9 gms protein) or sometimes I do use the Laughing Cow Light and spread some on each slice of turkey. Dessert is usually on a Friday and/or Saturday/Sunday night, because I tend to eat less and drink more on the weekends when I'm running errands. Never more than 2 nights a week though. I also eat VERY small portions if I do have dessert. My doctor requires that I focus on protein and carbs and not so much on calories. I do buy lighter varieties of products if their carb count is not severely compromised. I'm VERY diligent about eating healthy foods. My husand and son get mad at me because I refuse allow them to live on junk food and am always looking at the nutrition info. on the products that I don't buy on a regular basis. Luckily, I've always been a healthy cook and eater and I want them to both have healthy habits as well!! I'll try and do a calorie breakdown on Fit day or something and see what my calories look like. I don't think they're very high though. I could be wrong, but I will do some calculations. Thank you for your thoughts!! I truly appreciate your response :0)

Hi there. I've had my band for just over 2 yrs. now and have consistently lost weight - A LOT of weight. Anyhow, I've not changed my diet or started /ended anything that I've been doing throughout this whole journey, but I've been in a holding pattern for about a month and a half now. Also (over the past few weeks) I've gained 5 - 7lbs. I know that's not a lot, but I've NEVER gained with my band. Anyway, I figured that if I added more Protein to my diet and decided to focus on that, then my loss would start back up, but so far it's been a no go. I'm fluctuating between 5 & 7 lbs. above where I was stalled. I'm worried because I know I've lost a ton of weight already, but I still have a long way to go and I'm starting to get discouraged. So, I'm wondering, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get past a stall/plateau??? I follow a low/good carb diet and do not eat rice, Pasta, potatoes or bread. Any advice would be greatly appreciated Thanks in advance. I know I'm gonna get some wonderful answers

Hi there everyone. I was just wondering if anyone has ever experienced a 5 lb. weight gain suddenly?? I have lost steadily since I had my surgery (almost 2 yrs. ago), but I have never gained weight. I'm was actually down 134 lbs. before this sudden gain. I did goto a holiday party this past Saturday and I did eat a few bites of a number of different foods, but nothing that made me PB or anything. I do follow a low carb diet and don't drink any carbonated beverages so I'm stumped. I can't imagine that one night would cause me to gain 5 lbs. in 2 days. I also ate 2 chocolate chip Cookies on Sunday, but I've always allowed myself to have a cookie or two every so often. Does it sound like this could be Water weight??? I'm thinking that maybe I should do all Protein and veggies for the next couple of days. I just can't imagine that I would gain 5 lbs. in 2 days from 2 cookies and tasting a few different foods over a period of 4 or 5 hrs!!! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. Thanks, Liz

Helo everyone. My 6 month bandiversary was on 6/29/09. I've lost a good amount of weight over 40 lbs., but have been bouncing back and forth between 243 and 247 since the end of April. I usually eat what I am supposed to eat and occasionally have a bite of something that I don't normally allow (I'm following a good carb diet due to my PCOS). For example, I had a quarter sized piece of a very moist corn bread at a cookout yesterday. However I seem to be stuck wiht my loss. I've tried eating nothing but Protein, or protein rich foods and I don't eat huge amounts, although I can eat more than 1 cup of food at a time. I was hoping that with my last fill I would be at my sweet spot (I have 6 cc's in a 14 cc band), but I don't really feel any change. Last month I got my very 1st period on my own since 2004. Then last week I got it again, which is a mini-victory for me, as I haven't had a period without the help of progesterone since 2003. I also spent the days that I did have my period in the bathroom PBing just about everything I tried to eat, with the exception of slider foods. I'm assuming my band was a little tighter due to the bloating that goes along with that time of the month. Anyhow, I go for a fill on Wednesday and am afraid to hear the doctor tell me that I'm not losing. I'm not quirte sure what to do to kick start my weight loss again. I'm sure that the bite of corn bread that I had yesterday didn't derail my diet, but I'm not sure what's causing me to be at a stand still. I'm thinking that I may need another fill, but maybe 1/2 of a cc instead of a full cc. I'm also worried that I'm not going to be able to tell when I finally am at my sweet spot. I thought I would be with this last fill, but since I haven't lost anything I don't think I'm quite there yet. Doea anyne have any advice. My normal daily menu looks like this. 8:00- 8:30 - Protein coffee (3/4 c light soymilk, 2 scoops chocolate Protein powder, 2 tsp. Splenda and 3/4 c coffee) 9:30 or 10:00 - 1 rome or gala apple sliced with Peter Pan whipped PB. Water, Water, & more water (or Crystal Light) 2:00 or 2:30 - Soup. Usually Split Pea, Lentil, Garden Broccoli or Butternut Squash and a piece or 2 of string cheese. Water, Water & more water (or Crystal Light) dinner Time (varies) - Usually a meat/chicken and veggies or a salad. Snack - No sugar added ice cream, high protein yogurt, sugar free popsicle, Jello with sugar free Cool Whip, smoothie (made with yogurt, light soy milk, fresh fruit & ice) etc... (not every night though). Is there anything on my menu that looks like it could be causing me to be at this plateau. I don't eat rice, bread, Pasta or flour. I occasionally cook with panko bread crumbs and maybe once I month I have a quesadilla when we're out somewhere. My favorte is shrimp, spinach, mozzarella & pesto. You'd think that I'd be losing - especially since I was pb'ing at almost every meal for 3 or 4 days over this past week/weekend. Does anyone have any advice because I'm extremely discouraged at this point and really don't know what to do. I'm also starting to have thoughts of bad foods by telling myself that I'm not losing anymore when I'm eating right. It's like I'm finding ways to justify eating foods that I don't eat as of now. I'm not giving into those cravings, but I did have 2 5 inch long salted pretzel sticks yesterday mid day. Again, I can't imagine that would have caused this plateau. Yesterday was a fluke and I don't EVER eat pretzels or anything else like that. I was just feeling down on myself. I'm at that point where I just want to scream. Especially since everyone keeps asking me how much weight I've lost now, or if I have lost anymore weight. I hate having to say that I haven't lost anything, but I haven't gained either. Especially since I have so far left to go. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions I'd love to hear them. I just need to know that I'm not failing even though I feel like I am right now. :tongue_smilie: Thanks in advance for your help!!

Hello and thank you to everyone for your replies/responses. I did go to my doctor for a fill last week. He put in 0.5 cc's instead of a full 1.0 cc this time and I am definitely feeling more restriction. He and I also agree that I'm not eating enough Protein as well as enough overall. So, I'm trying really hard to focus on protein now more than anything else!! The good thing was that I weighed EXACTLY the same amount that I did last month. SO, it could be worse, right. I could have gained!!!:biggrin: He also mentioned that I may not be drinking enough liquids, but I drink well over 64 oz. a day. In fact, if I fill my Water bottle at work twice (which I do EVERY DAY). Then I've already reached my 64 oz. because my bottle holds 33.8 oz. I'm also gonna try to stay away from the treadmill for awhile and switch to pilates. I've got my video at home and set to go tonight when I get home. I'm very limited in the time that I have to exercise, so I'm hoping that I try this video tonight and fall in love with it. Everyone is always telling me how much they LOVE pilates. Any thoughts from anybody who's done it or is currently doing it as their exercise???:thumbdown: Any more thoughts or insights are welcome. I'd also love to hear your suggestions for getting in more protein!!! Thanks in advance!

Hello and thank you to everyone for your replies/responses. I did go to my doctor for a fill last week. He put in 0.5 cc's instead of a full 1.0 cc this time and I am definitely feeling more restriction. He and I also agree that I'm not eating enough Protein as well as enough overall. So, I'm trying really hard to focus on protein now more than anything else!! The good thing was that I weighed EXACTLY the same amount that I did last month. SO, it could be worse, right. I could have gained!!!:biggrin: He also mentioned that I may not be drinking enough liquids, but I drink well over 64 oz. a day. In fact, if I fill my Water bottle at work twice (which I do EVERY DAY). Then I've already reached my 64 oz. because my bottle holds 33.8 oz. I'm also gonna try to stay away from the treadmill for awhile and switch to pilates. I've got my video at home and set to go tonight when I get home. I'm very limited in the time that I have to exercise, so I'm hoping that I try this video tonight and fall in love with it. Everyone is always telling me how much they LOVE pilates. Any thoughts from anybody who's done it or is currently doing it as their exercise???:thumbdown: Any more thoughts or insights are welcome. I'd also love to hear your suggestions for getting in more protein!!! Thanks in advance!

Wow. I'm so glad that I decided to post my situation. I love the support that everyone gives on this site. Sometimes you just need to know that you're not alone in what you're going through and that there are other people that are there or that have been there before you and have still managed to succeed! als74 - We seem to have much in common in addition to the similar surgery dates. I appreciate all of your input :0) To everyone else - thank you so much. I know that I need to go back to logging my foods and try to change up not only my menus, but also my workouts. My 4 yr. old just learned to ride his 2 wheeler this weekend so I'm hoping to be able to start taking walks at home at night now that he can ride his bike along with me. He's looking for any and every excuse to get out there and ride that sucker!!! Now, if we can just get my hubby to hop on board, everything will be great. I've also got to see if I can find the pilates video that my sister-in-law bought for me. She swears by pilates. I've also heard good things about the Leslie Sansone walking videos. In fact, I think I'm gonna check out the local library site to try and reserve some videos right now. Does anybody have any other suggestions for workout videos that I can do at home while dinner's cooking. Changing from a treadmill to a video might just be what my body needs right now!! Thanks again to everyone :0) Elizabeth

als74. Wow. it looks like we were banded right around the same time. Your loss is very impressive. Thanks for your input. I try to focus on leaner meats like chicken and fish or 93/7 lean ground beef, and shrimp has become a staple in my diet. However,we do have flank steak on occasion. I love venison and wish we could find it down herre in Florida, but so far I've only seen bison, which we love!!! I tried to make a roast in the crockpot last week and even though it was falling apart it still gave me problems, so I won't be making that again anytime soon. Then again, I really don't prefer that type of food much anyhow. It was just something cheap, lean and easy. Plus, I don't think the hubby enjoyed it without the carrots and potatoes either. I did try turnips for the first time ever last week. I really enjoyed them and am told that many banders fare very well with them. Now, they're not something I'd eat everyday, but occasionally I can't forsee their being a problem with them. In fact, I do have a sweet potato probably once a month. I simply slice it, spray it with Pam, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake it. Again, good carb, although still a carb. I should probably start logging my foods again. I'm very diligent about doing it (when I do), but I always end up getting away from it after awhile. I should also probably try to add a little more variety to my foods. I know your body gets used to the same foods when you eat them over and over again, so that might be some of my problem as well. I'm also glad that you mentioned salt. Most people don't think about it. I used to salt EVERYTHING, but for the past few years I've really gotten away from it. I do use it on certain

ParrotheadCathy: Hello and thank you for the reply :thumbdown: I appreciate your comments on the cream based soups, but None of the 4 soups that I eat contain any cream. The broccoli is simply broccoli, pureed broccoli, seasonings and chicken broth, the butternet squash is pureed squash, Water and seasonings and both the pea and lentil soups are comprised of Beans (peas/lentils), which are good carbs and full of Protein. In fact, most doctors recommend these two soups in particular based on the amount of protein that they provide. Add a little unflavored protein powder and they're even better for you :0) By the way, my split pea soup does not contain carrots or potatoes, simply peas and sometimes diced turkey ham. I do not use cream in ANY of my cooking. In fact, I would LOVE to be able to have a cream based soup. I used to love new egland clam chowder, but it's a no-no for me. I can't even imagine the chewy litle clams nowadays. Oh yeah, I do eat a broth based Maryland Crab soup as well as Egg Drop soup as well. I'm not a big milk person to begin with and the only real "milk" that I buy for myself if is my light soymilk, which has more protein, Fiber, etc... and less calories than fat free skim milk. I also do not eat ANY white potatoes, Pasta, or basically anything made with white flour. I was told at one point that I am possibly not eating enough calories in a day, but I haven't been logging them in online recently. I'm thinking I should add in another protein shake between lunch and dinner or after dinner, but I haven't made that change as of yet. As far as my recent tightness - I have only pb's in the past for the same reasons as you - mainly operator error (LOL). Oh yes, and of course when I was too tight and had to be totally unfilled. However, I'm thinking the problems that I was having recently were due to me having my period, because since it's been finished I've not had any additional problems. So, maybe if it comes again, I'll try to focus on softer foods if I run into any issues in that area. I'm also going to mention something to my doctor at my appt. on Wednesday. Anyhow, thank you so much for your input. I truly appreciate your time :tongue_smilie:

Hello there. I do 40 min. on the treadmill 3-4 days a week and then also ab work on the same days I do the treadmill. I only have and hour for lunch so that all I can fit in within that those time constraints. I do however change up my treadmill routine every couple of weeks. I either increade the mph or the program on the machine.

Hello. You are correct - signing up is all you have to do to get started. However, once you sign up your program is active. You can put it on hold 1 time during the entire 10 weeks and it cannot be on hold for more than 14 days. What I did was register and set everything up. Then I downloaded their book (chapter by chapter) and printed it out so I could read it before I actually started the program. Anyhew - I wasn't able to start when I had planned on it and am heading up north at the end of next week to visit family and attend a birthday party. SO, I have decided to not bother starting until I return on the 27th. In fact, it probably won't be until the following week so that I have some time to prepare. I'm also gonna try to get the hubby to join me, which may be interesting. Luckily, I'm not doing too bad food wise as it is. However, I do think that the Lindora program will really help me to kick my efforts up a notch. I've been exercising either 4 or 5 days a week at the gym (40 min. on the treadmill and some ab woke) and was excited because I thought I was getting healthier, etc... Then this past Saturday rolled around. OMG - the hubby & I got out our tennis stuff and headed to the courts. I thoght I was gonna die. It was so much more exhausting than I EVER remember it being. Then came Sunday....I was and still am sore in places thatI didn't even know I had muscles.!!! It's just insane. So, I think that once I get back from PA and get meals planned for at least one week - then I'll begin my 10 week trek (I'm thinking May 4th). In the meantime, if anyone has tried the program yet, please let me know as I'm anxious to hear people's experiences with it. Thanks again!

Hello everyone. On the Lap-Band website they are offering access to a program called Lean for Life by Lindora. It's part of their My Lap-Band TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Change) by Lindora area. Apparently, you get a free 10-week program including support through the Lap-Band site. Has anyone heard of this program and/or used it?? If so, what are your thoughts? Does it work? I e-mailed my surgeon's office this morning, but have yet to receive a reply. Any info. is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks

Hello there. I was banded back on 12/29 and am loving my band thus far. I lost 15 lbs. during my 1st month and another 15 during my second month. Unfortunately, I've been bouncing back and forth between a 26 - 30 lb. loss regardless of what I do. My meals are looking like this: I'm basically drinking a cup of decaf coffee coffee with lite vanilla soymilk in the morning. Then 1/2 hr. after my coffee I have a Protein shake (Protein powder, 1 lt container of yogurt & lite vanilla soymilk). lunch is usually turkey & cheese rolled up, ham & cheese rolled up, a boca burger with cheese & mustard, a salad with chicken or a leftover protein & from dinner the night before. Dinner has been a protein & a veggie and I sometimes have a sf fudgecicle, sf icepop, or a glass of strawberry milk (milk, fresh strawberries & Splenda) as a treat. I drink all of my Water and/or Crystal Light and I have been going to the gym 5 times a week and doing 40 min. of cardio for the past 3.5 weeks now, but that darn scale won't budge. I know I'm not that far out, but has anyone else had this problem. I just had my 3rd fill back on the 11th, and I still have very little restriction. Can someone tell me what it appears (if anything) that I am doing wrong?? I just feel so frustrated and it's making it so much harder for me to stay on track and confident that I can do this. Any advice would be wonderful!!! Thanks in advance :0)

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you that responded. I've been really down on myself lately because I know I'm following all of my surgeon's rules. In fact, when I went in for my fill last week I asked the bariatric coordinator the very same question. She told me that I may be in this situation because I'm not giving myself enough of a variety. So, I'm trying to add in a wider variety of Proteins and veggies, but I'm still frustrated. Anyhow, it really helps that I've got people here that agree that it appears that I'm eating the right things. I'm proud of myself for being able to control my portions - although I was never a huge portion person in the first place. Another reason that I think I'm getting frustrated is because I have PCOS, which can make weight loss even more difficult. I know I've been able to lose 20 lbs. (and gain it back) before my band and I don't want that same thing to happen now. At least when you see that number get smaller it keeps you motivated to keep on trudging along, right!!! Like I said before, thanks for the input & advice

Good morning. My name is Elizabeth and I'm from Naples, FL. I was banded back on December 29th by Dr. Thomas Bass and have lost 26 lbs. to date :hurray:. I'm loving my band, but am moving forward without any real restriction. I know that I can currently eat more than I do, but I don't. I think I have 6 cc's in a 14 cc band and will most likely get another fill at my appointment in March. I'm a little frustrated though because my scale hasn't budged since my Feb 11th appt. and fill :hurray:. I'm thinking that my PCOS may have something to do with that, which really stinks :hurray:. My doctor recommends a good carb diet similar to South Beach in addition to exercise, which I'm doing great with. I just wish I could see the scale go down a lb. or two. After all, there's no motivation like seeing that number shrink, right!!! I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself and I can't wait to meet everyone else that's going through the same things (or those who have gone through the same thing) as me. Best of luck to everyone on our new and exciting journey to a healthier lifestyle :hurray:!

olivia_99 - Thank you and good luck to you as well. I'll let you know when I hear back from my doctor regarding the Lean for Life stuff. IN the meantime, I'll check out the tower.com link. The book that you indicated sounds familiar to me. In fact, I think I may have requested it at my local library, but it was at another branch so I am awaiting a copy to be sent to me. Then again, maybe I'll just pick one up online. If you think it's pretty good I'll definitely check it out. Oh yeah, I subscribed to a magazine called OH (Obesity Helps), which is put together by the Obestiy Helps website. I got my first issue a few weeks back and although informative, it seems to be more tailored to bypass patients. My bariatric coordinator is supposed to be sending me some back issues of WLS Lifestyles Magazine. She says it's great, but I want to check out a few issues before I commit to another subscription. I'll let you know about that one as well. I have also requested a couple weight loss surgery books from the library and will let you know what I think as I get them. dlmyvette - Congratultions on your 16 lb. loss. I know exactly how you feel about not losing quicker. As I mentioned to olivia_99, I will let you know what my surgeon says once I get a response. Also, are you exercising? Also, are you following a specific type of diet?? Let us know and we'll see if you're doing something different than we are. We can do this. We will be successful, happy and healthy. Oh yeah, and skinny too!!!:thumbup:

Wow. I'm basically following the same plan as you except I'm allowed to have upto 40 carbs per day. I don't get anywhere that though! I don't eat bread, Pasta, flour, etc..., but I do get carbs from fruit, milk, Beans, etc... However, they're all good carbs. I also don't eat any sugar - except that found in yogurt & fruit. I use Splenda or buy sugar-free items if I need someething sweet. One thing I have noticed is that my tastes have definitely changed. It only takes a little bit of sweetener to satisfy me now, whereas in the past I would have needed a lot more. I'm definitely not complaining though. I have cheated once since my surgery and it was on Valentine's Day. I split a piece of cheesecake with my husband and son, so I didn't have much, but it was the only carb or sugar that I had eaten all day. I also noticed that it seemed extremely sweet to me. It was very satisfying though and I was very interested to see how it affected me. Surprisingly enough I was down 2 lbs. the next morning - go figure. Of course, I had planned on eating that and I plan on eating a piece of cake when I attend a wedding in mid May, but I know that one little cheat every few months is not going to destroy all of my efforts. I guess I might really have to crack down a bit more and try to focus on more Protein. I e-mailed my surgeon's wife this morning to see if she has any suggestions. She's his bariatric coordinator. So, I'm waiting to hear back from her. I had asked her about this new diet/eating plan that's available on the Lap Band website. It's called Lean for Life by Lindora. I want to know what she knows about it and what she thinks. I think I'll start a thread to see if anyone around here knows anything about it also. If you're interested I'll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, I'm gonna see what I can do to pump up my protein this week!!!

WorkingMom - Thanks for the well wishes. I am VERY satisfied with the amount of weight that I have currently lost, but I'm a little scared because in the past I've followed other diet plans and have always been able to lose at least 20 lbs., but then I stall and eventually give up. I'm really just hoping that the same thing is not happening this time!!! That's why I sai, even 2 lbs. would make a world of difference to me right now:wink_smile: Olivia_99 - I'm sorry to hear about your complications!!! What type of diet did your new doctor put you on?? Also, 15 lbs. since the end of January is tremendous. I don't expect to lose weight super fast or anything, but at least like 2 lbs. every week or so. I always assumed that type of loss was considered normal - ya know. I guess my main concern overall is that I'm gonna stall and then lose my motivation as in the past. I see all of these different people on the boards that have lost amazing amounts of weight and I just cross my fingers and hope that I can be as successful as them. I would be happy to be a friend to either of you, since we're all going through baiscally the same journey!!!