TamifromAL

Thanks, Julie. That's what I *want* to believe, but it seems to be a pretty widely accepted belief that if you consistently eat under 1000 calories your metabolism will slow to adapt to that level, making it harder to lose additional pounds. :wave: Howdy, ex-neighbor! Tami

Yes! As a matter of fact, I just came on here to ask about that. I've read that it's best to stay between 1000-1200 calories, but I have a hard time getting in even 1000. I'm not trying to limit myself to that, but just trying to eat according to the "bandster rules". I'm not overly hungry, as long as I drink plenty of Water between meals. But, I kinda worry that I'm setting myself up for a struggle later, because I still have a lot of weight to lose. Should I *try* to get in more calories, or not worry about it? Tami

I lost 15 lbs. my first week, *but* my doc did not require a pre-op diet, other than liquids only the day before surgery. I'm sure it makes a huge difference if you were on a highly restrictive diet prior to surgery. Tami

B: 1 pkt. instant oatmeal, 1/2 grated apple L: 3 oz. tuna, 2 T. tartar sauce 1/4 c. cottage cheese w/ 2 T. crushed pineapple S: Fruit pop (no sugar) D: (planned) Turkey chili w/beans Tami

Hi Bama folks...I'm from Birmingham, and had lap-band surgery by Dr. Miles on 9/5/06. Everything so far has gone just great. It was outpatient surgery, very little pain, quick recovery, and I've already lost 25 lbs. bhamguy31, feel free to contact me if you'd like some more info! Tami Miles, 9/5/06

I like to keep a journal of what I eat for a couple of reasons. First, it helps me with my grocery list...I glance back and say, "Oh, yeah, *that* was really good...I'll pick up some more." But also, if I stall out, I can glance back and think about what I might want to change or limit. Although I'm still on mushies, I think it will be helpful later to jog my memory of what foods didn't work...if I PB a certain food, and note whether I really chewed that bite well. If I really chewed it well, then I'll probably just have to avoid that food. If I didn't really think it was well-chewed, then I'll know to try again with caution! And, out of curiousity, I also have started checking the calories and protein grams of the foods I'm eating. So far, it's been staying around 800-1000 calories a day and 30-40 gr. protein. But, I don't really see this as "calorie counting", because I'm not shooting for a specific calorie level, as I did when "counting calories" for dieting in the past. I'm simply limiting myself on the *quantity* of food I'm eating, and sticking with low-fat and low-sugar foods. Somehow that makes it much easier for me. Tami Birmingham, AL 273/249/150ish

My doc recommended simply avoiding saturated fats and sugar. That, plus daily exercise and following the basic "lap band" eating style and quantity. (3 meals/day of about 1 c. each with tiny, well-chewed bites.) I'm still in the mushie stage, but once I'm on solids, I'm going to follow the South Beach diet eating guidelines, at least until I get some restriction. It's high Protein and low-carb, but still allows plenty of veggies and Beans. Unlike Atkins, it does limit the saturated fats, but allows the healthier oils like olive and canola. So, it's basically low-fat meat, poultry and fish, beans, low starch veggies, low-fat dairy, limited nuts, and olive/canola oil. Tami Birmingham, AL 273/249/150ish

Hi everyone! I'm another September bandster. I was banded on September 5, 2006, by Dr. Les Miles in Birmingham, AL. I've lost about 22 lbs. in my first 2-1/2 weeks, and I've been pleased at how easy it's been (knock on wood!). I know I'm really just entering "bandster hell", but I'm going to try my best to stick with the band rules and portions. Tami 273/251/150ish

Our local (Birmingham, AL) weight loss support group has an annual yard sale. I'm going to save my better items and see if I can sell them. But, another option for those who don't want to go to the trouble of selling clothes is to give them away on Freecycle. The nice thing about Freecycle is that it's a direct exchange between the giver and the receiver, rather than going through a 3rd party, like Goodwill. Freecycle is not a charity, per se, and anyone can give or ask for items regardless of their financial status. So, it's also a good way to look for clothes that might only fit for a few months! There are Freecycle lists all over the world, just check for a local group at Freecycle dot org. Tami