honk

Not in a MILLION years would I comment to a stranger about their weight! There are places in MA/NH where that could cost you your teeth. I have had people ask me at the gym how much weight I've lost. I tell them that I lost 80 pounds with diet and exercise and have lost an addition 22 since having LAP Band surgery. One woman at the gym commented that her friend had two LAP band surgeries and finally had bypass. She seemed to see LAP band intrinsicly being a failure. Yet she went on to say this woman after having bypass gets sick from eating to much fat or sweets. Hello! To me looks like this woman needs therapy. Food choices are emotional. So how much of the LAP band failure was from her eating badly? From the conversation it sounded like she went to my surgeon for the second surgery because he is probably the best in the area. In regards to inviting friends to exercise with you I think that's dicey. While I enjoy a outdoor walk on occastion. I am not an outdoorsey person. I know it irritates my sisters because they love doing outdoor stuff. I don't like the cold or the heat and they love to walk in the summer and fall. Long boring hikes that I don't know when we will finish. Usually in the woods and uphill. My very thin nephew tells my sister "You know I HATE walks". Just not his style. My mother's best friend say's I'll go to the pool with you. Buttt she wants to go at like 10:00 AM. My mother goes at 5:00 AM; so she says fine be there at 5:00 but I'm not waiting until 10:00.

Thanks. Do you have health insurance? Many policies will help pay for part of gym memberships as long as you can prove that you are actually going. Every January at my gym people start asking for a print out of all their visits from the previous year. Also If you have a YMCA/YWCA near by their prices are usually pretty good. When I lived in the Metro Boston area I went to the Quincy Y which was like $30 a month. When I changed to a private gym closer to home my monthly gym costs rose to $64.

I don't want to be a wet blanket but you need to do this for yourself. Hoping your mother will want to start excercising or eat better is setting your self up for disappointment. Dancing is a great way to excersise and burn calories! If you have knee issues that could be difficult. Definately make use of the treadmill. Staying motivated while exercising is BIG. If you have an MP3 player (or even portable CD player showing my age here) that will make the treadmill so much better! Could you put a Tv in front of the treadmill? Even an old school one from a thrift store would be better than nothing. Personally I swim. Once in the water no one can see me anyway! Last night I bought a regular swimsuit instead of one with a skirt. I'll see how that goes. Anyway. For lap swimming I use a snorkle and connect a water proof MP3 player to the goggles. I chose swimming becuase I have a bad knee problem and needed to loose weight. I lost 80 pounds presurgery from dieting and swimming.

I ask my doctor if I would have to do a presurgery liquid diet; he said "Well if you want to do one sure." That was'nt what I meant. Anyway he recommends this 500 cal liquid diet from HMR. Let me also point out that not all members of his staff (nurse and nutrionist) agree with this plan. I tried it for a week and felt like I was having alergic reactions to it (numbness in the back of my throat. My brother has life threatening food alergies so I know what to look for); and I was'nt loosing any weight. Someone who weighs 315 pounds and does an hour of cardio a day who only consumes 500 calories should be loosing weight. I met with the nurse and we agreed I would stop HMR and go back to my own diet; underwhich I had been loosing weight!

I am a slow loser. Right now make sure to take lots of short walks to prevent blood clots. At day four post surgery I was back at the gym. Even though before surgery I was doing an hour of cardio daily; I still needed to gradually work my way up. First day I did about 30 min. on the treadmill slow at no incline. Gradually worked my way up to doing an hour; which I did for two weeks until I could go back to swimming. Find an exercise you can commit to daily. The more committed you are to exercising the faster you will lose.

I weigh protein for lunch and dinner. I tend to have greek yoghurt with half scoop vanilla protein powder for breakfast. I try to only have snacks like hummus and baby carrots or grapes for snacks. I don't eat out that often but when I do I try to make very judious decisions.

I also was on clear liquids for one week (which included protein shakes), full liquids for another week. Every doctor is different. Mine did not allow mashed potato or yoghurt until the third week (mushies). Remember this is about allowing your stomach to heal as the stiches they place start below the band and reach up to connect to the stomach above the band. Sooo, you don't want the stomach to do much churning (ie digesting). What I did was have my broth and then a hour later have the protein shake. If that plan does'nt help I would add extra broth as it is only 15 calories a cup.

gotmyeyeontheprize,I have to hand it to you; if you can follow those rules you are much stronger than me. I do think 600 cal and total 15 carbs a day is nuts. Yes we have a lot of fat for our body to burn off; but the brain can't burn fat or protein. It needs carbs. Also, personally I do an hour of cardio a day. I know that I could'nt survive on that low of a calorie count and continue to 1)exercise 2)work.

I am not quite 4 months out. I am very strick about what I eat and do an hour of cardio a day and have lost 23 pounds as well. Every person is different in how they loose and gain weight. I think I am a slow loser because 1)I am still not at perfect restriction; 2) I had lost 80 pounds presurgery. From what I've read on this site I think people who went from their regular eating style and no exercise to starting the presurgery liquid diet and adding exercise lose a lot at the very begining. I think my body said "hey we know what your doing; and we'll cooperate at our own pace!"

I agree that they probably mean don't mix your Whey protein shakes with milk, yoghurt, or Ice Cream.

My doctor keeps everyone "overnight". As long as you are there 23 hours or less it is not considered a "day" by the insurance company.

FYI my docor requires 1 day of full liquids and one day of mushies after a fill. You might want to consider that route next time you have a fill.

I gurggle when I sit up or lay down so I'm not much help. I think it's because the lower stomache is empty. Don't know if as time goes by it just gets used to being empty and gives up asking for food.

I looked at the bariactriceating site and I think the question is will you have one or two deviled egg halfs or plan on it being your dinner. At 10 g fat for two that seem high to me esp if you are going to eat them for a meal. The Stroganoff Turkey meatballs seem okay though I would probably make them with reduced fat sour cream.

I am coming off Keppra which has fatigue as a side affect. I've noticed during this weaning stage that I am tire easily as well. I force myself to the gym every day I certainly don't feel like going some days. Yes, I have been doing blood labs and everything is fine. My weightloss even with a fill has stalled again; so I don't know if the change in medication is messing up my body.

Preworkout sometimes I have chobani non fat greek yoghurt/w fruit (with or without 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder) with Splendra. Fat Free Greek Yoghurt is sour so I think it needs some help. I usually have this for breakfast and add 10g of Kashi go Lean Crisp, which is high in protein cereal.

My doctor says to weigh food and not count calories. I actually ask the nurse if I was'nt eating enough calories to loose, was at like 800 cal. She disagreed and said that was impossible. I don't really agree with her on that.

Hummus and baby carrots, grapes, cut up veggies, mini quiche made with egg whites, chicken breast strips on a stick.

I read the replies to the CNN report on the FDA recommendations and they were 80% horrible as well. Some of the logic was really disturbing; they felt that if you are fat that you should receive no help and die from complications. We treat people for cancer, heart disease and infertility; but if your fat than you should not get help. Wonderful. The article I read did not really explain the after surgery effort that someone has to make. Most of the responders thought people could continue to eat badly but loose weight. Many of them said we should take the money spent on the operation and get a lifetime gym membership. What stikes me as funny is that I KNOW that I exercise more than most thin people. I go to the gym everyday Sundays, holidays most people don't do that. Some of them wanted to compare losing weight with drug addiction. Only problem is we don't tell alcoholics to have three small drinks a day then stop. I agree with a previous poster that many remarks regarding online articles are very disturbing. People are very bold online. Someone would never dare to say these things in person because in many cases they could be arrested for hate speech (religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity).

<br /><br /><br /> It is amazing how you can really enjoy foods you would'nt have eaten presurgery! During the "mushie" stage I made egg whites and added 1/8 cup of cottage cheese at the end. I used to hate cottage cheese. It made the egg whites sooo cheesey and yummy. I can't express how wonderful it tasted. Depending on your doctor you may be able to have suger free applesauce (I know it's fruit but if you at like 400 cal a day you have to live sometime). My doctor preferred sweet potatoes to white; I sprinkled it with cinnamon and splendra. Can you have canned tuna/chicken? Non fat laughing cow cheese is much better with tuna/chicken than mayo.

My work out of choice is swimming. After swimming I am Starving! My mother on the other hand does not get hungry from swimming. Soooo I exercise before dinner. I measure my meals out and that's what I have no seconds. I recently had my fourth fill which may be restriction (or close to it) but time will tell. You may want to find preplanned Snacks. When I don't have a plan and get hungry is when I'm in trouble. I like hummus and baby carrots, instant hot cider (non alcoholic) 15 cal., suger free hot chocolate about 60 cal., and hot coffee with splendra/and or suger free flavored syrup no calories. I'm in NE and it's starting to be winter. It can really calm me down to have a hot coffee.

My doctor had clear liquids for 7 days but I was allowed to have protein shakes. Though they were'nt clear. Shrug. As long as the shake is thin like liquid I think having it would be fine. My doctor said I should be having at least 60 g of protein a day. How would that happen with just broth? I sometimes wonder if Band doctors make really strigent diets because they worry if I give them an inch they'll take a mile (there are posters who talk about going out for KFC or McDonalds less then a week from surgery). That said I did a week of clears with protein shakes, 1 week full liquids with protein shakes, 1 week mushies (cottage/ricotta cheese, egg whites, applesauce), 1 week of mushies adding in canned tuna/chicken, THEN onto solids.

I think your daughter is old enought to make her own cookies. I will say however that for Thanksgiving I made my nephews their favorite cookies; but I did not eat any and sent them all home with them. I also plan on sending a final exams care package to the nephew in college.

I did'nt eat solids before what was on my doctors plan; but I probably could have. Remember Can does not equal should. I was still on full liquids 9 days out. I idd not move to mushies until day 15.

My port is just above my natural waist so much lower than yours. Mine is really deep so I have to really push around to find it.