Bandster25

Thanks for such inspiring posts, everyone! I was wondering if you guys could say a little more about having bad eating days and getting right back on track. I'm still having problems with this because I'm still stuck in the all or nothing thinking. For now I am totally avoiding all white carbs/snack foods/slider foods because it is really difficult for me to eat them in moderation. I think I need to completely avoid these foods at least for a while, but I know it's not realistic to never eat them again. I still think about food a lot, especially when I start making food choices that are not so great. Any helpful thoughts or tips that you guys have for getting past this would be great. Sorry to ruin the positive vibe of this thread. The band is a really great tool, and I'm confident that I will get to my goal, but I guess I just need a little advice on how to think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet.

You have done well so far, especially since you didn't lose weight for a month. I also didn't lose any weight for a while. I was at 200 pounds for a few months because I was off track. To do well I find that I have to eat 3 times a day and really focus on protein. I generally try to eat about 1000 calories each day. I can include some carbs with meals like a sandwich with bread or meat with a carb, but I have to stay away from simple carbs and snack type foods. Now I completely avoid chips, ice cream, cookies, and other simple carb foods because if I eat them at all I just want more. I also try to get around 60 grams of protein each day, and I am finding that it really helps me stay full for longer. I recently started keeping track of my calories, protein, and exercise each day, and writing it down helps me stay accountable. It's hard work, and some days will be better than others, but the important thing is to get right back on track when you have a bad day. Have you found any helpful tricks so far?

Yeah, I choose the interval program for 60 minutes. It alternates between two intensities with two minutes at each one. I enter my age and weight when I start. I get pretty sweaty by the end of it. I was just reading that inexperienced exercisers usually burn about 4-5 calories a minute while you can burn about 10-12 calories per minute when you're really in shape. If this is true, and I'm burning like 5 calories per minute, that would only be 300 calories for 60 minutes.:crying:

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that since the machine doesn't take into account male vs. female, that it would tend to overestimate for females and possibly underestimate for males. Is this true? I guess it should be reasonably accurate, though, and even if I am not burning quite as many calories as it says, it's still very beneficial.

I think the more you can do without pushing yourself so hard that you won't stick with it, the better. I have heard that to really see a difference you should do at least 45 minutes. I try to do an hour a day, but I don't always do that much. You should increase the intensity as much as possible without sacrificing duration. People say that to burn more fat, you should stay at a lower heart rate, but I have recently been informed that this is a myth because the higher the intensity, the more calories you will burn. And the goal is to burn as many calories as possible. So basically, you should do as much as possible at the highest intensity you can consistently do!

It sounds like you are having a lot of success with it so far! That's great. How exactly does it work, and how much does it cost? Do you wear the device around your wrist and chest? I have been looking at some of the heart rate monitors on amazon, but I don't know too much about them at this point. What makes these more expensive devices like bodybugg better than the cheaper heart rate monitors? Also, how many calories do you burn each day, and what exercise do you do? Thanks for your help.

I have the same problem. I find that jeans with a little bit of stretch in the fabric fit the best, and I usually have to wear a belt to prevent them from sagging in the back. I'm sure your new pants are very cute!

I agree that if you are concerned you should check with your doctor. How long have you had the band, and could you be a little more specific about your symptoms? I'm not really sure about symptoms for the different complications, but maybe if you give a little more detail someone will recognize what you're going through.

If you just had a fill, it might loosen up a bit soon. It seems like many people feel a really tight pressure in the chest right after a fill, but it usually loosens up somewhat. As for the hunger, are you getting enough Protein in? You should probably drink a Protein shake for Breakfast and/or lunch. For me, it is usually tighter in the mornings, so if this is the case, a Protein Drink would be easiest to get down. Maybe try some softer Proteins like cottage or tuna. I like to mix sugar free jelly (10 calories per tbs) with 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese for 80 calories and 13 grams protein. Choosing protein rich foods should help with the real hunger, but it takes a while to stop wanting to eat "slider foods" all the time. If you're having cravings, try avoiding sugar for a while. I would stick with your current fill for a while before trying to get another one, because it sounds like you are already pretty tight. It should get easier soon.

Wow, congratulations on losing again! Has anyone else had this experience? I'm just wondering if I should go a little over 1000 a day. For people who usually eat 1200 calories a day, how much weight do you lose on average each week?

I have traveled with the band several times, and it hasn't been a problem at all. I don't see how pressure or weather changes would affect restriction, but I guess you never know for sure. It's probably a good idea not to eat too much during a flight, though, because it would be pretty inconvenient to have a bad reaction to something while flying.

Since you had surgery in June you should be completely back to normal by now. I haven't had a massage, but I can't imagine that it would do any damage to the port. You can put quite a lot of pressure on the port area without a problem (my surgeon presses pretty hard to find it during fills). I guess you could ask them to go easy on the port area if you're worried about it. Have fun!

How much of a fill do you have? It sounds like you're pretty tight, but I guess you have to figure out how tight you need to be to lose weight successfully. I have 7 cc in a 10 cc band, and I can still eat pretty big (probably over a cup) portions of anything. I'm still trying to figure out what good restriction is supposed to feel like, too. :laugh: Hope you had a good dinner. I like it how Olive Garden posts nutrition information on their website.

Does anyone have a good formula for calculating basal metabolic rate? I have seen so many different calculators online, and I don't know which one is the most accurate. Here is a link to the most conservative (and I am assuming the most accurate) estimate: Resting Metabolic Rate Calculator What do you guys think? Based on these numbers, if I eat about 1000 calories a day, I can only expect to lose about 1 pound a week based on diet alone at this point. What is the average weekly weight loss for people who are somewhat close to goal weight?