tonya66

I hated to see Bryant leave, I wonder what will happen now to Kim? She keeps talking about "Bryant is her last chance", "if he goes, I go". I'm curious to see what happens now. Who do you think is gonna win? "B" looked good when they showed him at the end of the show.

Can't say I've experienced this. I know nicotine supposedly controls appetitie (Research studies show the reason why so many do not want to quit smoking because they are afraid of gaining weight.) So the nicotine patches could be the reason. Interesting.

Anorexia is a serious problem. It requires much counseling to overcome it. Please seek help. Not eating can jeporadize your health and that is not what the band is about. The band is to help you NOT binge, however, it is not intended to keep you for eating. Eating healthy portions and the right food choices will help you lose weight. I urge you to talk to your doctor about this, perhaps he can guide you with a dietician and counseling sessions.

I tried to find a story about the death but I couldn't find anything. I googled it but didn't find anything. Yes, 33 yrs old is such a young age to lose your life. It just goes to show you how serious any type of surgery is.

Thank Gawd its Friday!!!!!!!!! I love Friday and today is even Payday, its my year end at work, I made my goal which means I get a 10% of my yearly salary bonus!! Yehaw!!!! I won't get it until February 22nd, but thats okay, I am spending it on our next cruise that leaves June 29th, 2008 to the Virgin Islands. I'm hoping to be at goal by then. Wt this morning 168.6 - starting to drop the water weight!

Yes, I have used the patches twice now. I didn't start using them until Monday, I was so sick last week that I didn't take anything - couldn't swollow anything anyhow. I tried 1 on Monday and did another one on Wednesday night. Where do you order them from? I didn't see them on your website? Are they the same price as the pills? It's so weird, I'm not losing weight, but I swear I'm smaller! But I'm kinda a one week weight loser. What I usually do is go for about 3 weeks and not lose anything, then I will drop 3 to 5 lbs overnight. I've always been that way. So I'm expecting to lose really soon.

How is everything going? Did you have your upper GI? What was the outcome? Hope your doing okay.

Here is the link Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG) - Home

I do not know much about it, but you might try obesityhelp.com, there is all kinds of different weightloss surgeries on there. Best wishes!

I think its great if you can lose the weight and keep it off. Lets face it, most of us have tried everything "before surgery", I had lost a lot of weight in the past, I just could never keep it off. I like any kind of success story, whether its surgery related or not. Losing weight is hard work period no matter which way you lose it! I wish them all the success in the world. But for me, long term success losing thru diet & exercise alone didn't work. I love my band and am happy with my decision!

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS When you're trying to lose weight, the question isn't whether or not you'll hit a plateau, it's when. Plateaus are like bad weather on a long hike: it's inevitable that you'll run into it, but knowing that in advance won't make it one bit less frustrating or annoying when it happens. Cheer up! Since plateaus are as common as rain, we have a pretty good idea what to do about them. At least one of the following techniques should help you break through a plateau and start losing again. 1. Be a Calorie Detective When clients tell me they've stopped losing weight, the first thing I ask is this: how many calories a day are you eating? Calories have a way of creeping up while we're not paying attention. Be brutally honest with yourself: how much are you eating? Using a food diary for a while is a great way to monitor this. And yes, sodas and alcoholic beverages count! A good calorie goal for dieters is your target weight times 10. 2. Change It Up When you're not making gains in an exercise program you change your routine. Same holds true with your eating plan. Low-carbers could go higher carb for a few days, high-carbers might switch to a plan like Atkins or South Beach. Varying calorie intake may have a positive effect: If you're averaging 1,500 calories daily, try dropping to 1,200, going up to 2,000 and then dropping back to 1,500. You get the idea. Your body's gotten comfortable, so it's time to shake things up. 3. Try a Temporary Ban Food sensitivities can cause weight gain and bloat, and the frustrating thing is that most of us don't always know which foods are the culprits. So play the odds. Highest on the list of "usual suspects" are grains (wheat in particular), dairy and sugar. Temporarily ban all three and see what happens. 4. Take Your Workout Up a Notch Forget the "fat burning zone." High intensity intervals -- 30 to 60 seconds -- are the wave of the future. If you're accustomed to level three on your cardio machine, ramp it up to level 6 for a minute then slow down, catch your breath and repeat. Ever see a sprinter with love handles? Training like a sprinter will lower your body fat faster than any technique I know of, plus it'll boost your metabolism and lower your weight. 5. Strength Training If you're not strength training, start now. And if you are, ramp it up a notch. Muscle is your greatest ally in breaking a plateau. Unfortunately many women train with weights too light to produce the metabolic boost they need. Don't be afraid of heavier weights. They should be heavy enough that you can only do between 8 and 12 reps. 6. Up Your Protein Studies show that higher protein diets make it easier to lose fat. Protein boosts the metabolism (in one study as much as 100 percent for 24 hours), and increases satiety, making it more likely that you won't overeat. A higher protein diet could be just what you need to break that plateau. 7. Try a Detox Unsupervised fasting is a really bad idea, but the idea of giving your system a rest makes sense. Try a "smart fast" of nothing but fruits and vegetables for a couple of days. The added fiber is always helpful, and the massive amount of nutrients and phytochemicals is like "spring cleaning" for your metabolism. 8. Take Inventory Other things besides diet and exercise could be stalling your weight loss, such as stress, lack of sleep or medication. Take a look at what else is going on in your life that might need attention. Sometimes when you clean up the problems in one area of your life, problems in other areas just naturally take care of themselves.

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS When you're trying to lose weight, the question isn't whether or not you'll hit a plateau, it's when. Plateaus are like bad weather on a long hike: it's inevitable that you'll run into it, but knowing that in advance won't make it one bit less frustrating or annoying when it happens. Cheer up! Since plateaus are as common as rain, we have a pretty good idea what to do about them. At least one of the following techniques should help you break through a plateau and start losing again. 1. Be a Calorie Detective When clients tell me they've stopped losing weight, the first thing I ask is this: how many calories a day are you eating? Calories have a way of creeping up while we're not paying attention. Be brutally honest with yourself: how much are you eating? Using a food diary for a while is a great way to monitor this. And yes, sodas and alcoholic beverages count! A good calorie goal for dieters is your target weight times 10. 2. Change It Up When you're not making gains in an exercise program you change your routine. Same holds true with your eating plan. Low-carbers could go higher carb for a few days, high-carbers might switch to a plan like Atkins or South Beach. Varying calorie intake may have a positive effect: If you're averaging 1,500 calories daily, try dropping to 1,200, going up to 2,000 and then dropping back to 1,500. You get the idea. Your body's gotten comfortable, so it's time to shake things up. 3. Try a Temporary Ban Food sensitivities can cause weight gain and bloat, and the frustrating thing is that most of us don't always know which foods are the culprits. So play the odds. Highest on the list of "usual suspects" are grains (wheat in particular), dairy and sugar. Temporarily ban all three and see what happens. 4. Take Your Workout Up a Notch Forget the "fat burning zone." High intensity intervals -- 30 to 60 seconds -- are the wave of the future. If you're accustomed to level three on your cardio machine, ramp it up to level 6 for a minute then slow down, catch your breath and repeat. Ever see a sprinter with love handles? Training like a sprinter will lower your body fat faster than any technique I know of, plus it'll boost your metabolism and lower your weight. 5. Strength Training If you're not strength training, start now. And if you are, ramp it up a notch. Muscle is your greatest ally in breaking a plateau. Unfortunately many women train with weights too light to produce the metabolic boost they need. Don't be afraid of heavier weights. They should be heavy enough that you can only do between 8 and 12 reps. 6. Up Your Protein Studies show that higher protein diets make it easier to lose fat. Protein boosts the metabolism (in one study as much as 100 percent for 24 hours), and increases satiety, making it more likely that you won't overeat. A higher protein diet could be just what you need to break that plateau. 7. Try a Detox Unsupervised fasting is a really bad idea, but the idea of giving your system a rest makes sense. Try a "smart fast" of nothing but fruits and vegetables for a couple of days. The added fiber is always helpful, and the massive amount of nutrients and phytochemicals is like "spring cleaning" for your metabolism. 8. Take Inventory Other things besides diet and exercise could be stalling your weight loss, such as stress, lack of sleep or medication. Take a look at what else is going on in your life that might need attention. Sometimes when you clean up the problems in one area of your life, problems in other areas just naturally take care of themselves.

I was working out 6 days a week until August, had to have knee surgery because I got hurt - long story. I know working out works, my weightloss was going so fast, not only that, inches were melting off. I was addicted to exercise. I just got the docs okay to get back into it, however, I'm limited until another 3 to 6 months on what I can do. So I'm headed to the gym right now, I can't wait to get started again! Next week I'm going to try and start getting back up at 5 am and doing it in the am, it just works better for me to workout in the am. Although its hard to get back into routine, I know the outcome will be good. Before I got the band I asked the question on this forum "What would you change if you had to do it over again" - most of the replies all said they would have started exercising sooner. I decided I wanted to learn from their regrets, so I made sure I started exercises right away.

Well, eating does not mean the same to me as it used to. I used to live to eat, now I just eat to live. Although, sometimes the bad habits have crept back, like when I'm feeling down and need some comfort food. You are right, there is much to the band, it is such a learning process and everyone is different. What some experiences, others dont and visa versa. Congratulations on your band.....The first 6 months is all about learning, the 2nd 6 months is about applying it. lol. At least that is how it has been for me.

I totally 100% agree! Although, I haven't been as honest with people about my WLS, I've kept it a secret. I just tell them I eat less, which is true. However, I do feel guilty about it because I have a little helper. I'm just not ready to share it with others, mainly because I work in a freaken gossip pool and I don't want the cady ladies bringing me up in their gossip luncheons. So I can relate with Star Jones keeping it a secret. But she is such a public figure and people want to follow her every move, (some people), so I am glad she came clean.

I really wanted to see the show, I am so mad that I missed it! Here is my opinion, people just should focus on how wonderful it is that someont lost weight, not the fact "did they have surgery, or did they not". It doesn't matter, I get so mad when people think "oh, they took the easy way out, they had surgery". Like having surgery discounts the fact they lost weight. grrrr. To me, I really don't care if the lady lost 530 lbs having surgery or not having surgery. I want to know, what did you eat, did you exercise? What type of exercise, how many times a week? Etc. That to me is what is important. I wish the shows that promote weightloss would leave out the fact "they did it without WLS". They make it sound like it is so much better now because they didn't have WLS. I admire people who lose weight, I truly do, whether they have WLS or not, its all a personal decision, and people need to be better educated on WLS as a tool, not a cure. I don't hear people saying "they lowered their blood pressure, and they did it without medicine". I hope they replay the show.

I was taking CLA when I was doing the BFL challenge (while banded) and I didn't have any problems taking them, I just took the entire pill, one at a time. However, I usually mixed my flax seed oil with cottage cheese (the milk or something absorbs the oil), so you could try that. I think I'm going to go back to taking the CLA myself. I saw some good results with it too while working out.

Oh, I love the show, but I totally agree with you about the statements! For one thing, they are being trained 6 - 8 hours a day, in the "real world" you can't have that. Their job is working out, in the "real world" you have to work at a real job. So they get one on one attention and cannot say that others aren't a success because "they had surgery", etc. I just think so many people have been trained and taught that "surgery" is the easy way out. Total BS! Anyhow, I'm a huge fan of the show, but I wish they would focus more on nutrition for Long term Weight loss, they do show some but I wish they went more indeph about it. Also, most do keep their weight off after the show, HOWEVER, they do gain some back, but not all. The reason is they are no longer able to workout 8 hours a day. And for the show,to win, they lose as much as they can when they go home - and I'm sure they are "starving themselves" too in order to win that prize. So after the prize is given, they go back to eating healthy and usually put on a few pounds. I saw a bunch of former contestants on Larry King Live, they were saying this. I remember seeing a former contestant Andrea come back and visit some of the new Biggest Loser contestants and she had gained weight, but still looked good, just heavier then she was. One of the reasons I did not tell people about my WLS is because of the "idea" that I was taking the easy road. I just didn't want to hear it or have to argue my decision with people. Having the WLS is not easy, its actually hard, but I love it and am so happy with my decision and have absolutely no regrets!

Try and really watch your bite sizes. Are they bigger than a dime? One thing you might do is cut your food up in really small pieces and wait a minute between every bite. If you still are getting stuck, then you might be too tight. Also, it could be the type of food you are eating. Try different types of food/protein. Some people can't eat chicken/fish, some can. The band is such a learing tool and everyone is so different with it.

I made it 1/2 day thru the fast yesterday - I did good until last night. We had our book study, it was "goody night", and I caved. I ended up eating cookies, meatballs, chips, dip. You name it, I ate it. Okay, so today is back to the fast! Wt - 170.7 50 more days to reach my "mini goal" of 155. That means I need to lose 2.2 lbs per week in order to get to that goal by 1/18/07. Just to type 150's is almost unbelievable to me. I haven't weighed in the 150's in 20+ years. I would be soooo happy to get to 159! I'm ready NEVER to see the 170's again. I'm ready to be done with the 160's, I'm ready to move to the wonderful 150's! I was at 167 last month, but I bounced back up to the 170's for some reason, I think a lot has to do with the amount of water I'm holding because of my hospital stay, I'm hoping my fast will "flush" it out!

I made it 1/2 day thru the fast yesterday - I did good until last night. We had our book study, it was "goody night", and I caved. I ended up eating cookies, meatballs, chips, dip. You name it, I ate it. Okay, so today is back to the fast! Wt - 170.7 50 more days to reach my "mini goal" of 155. That means I need to lose 2.2 lbs per week in order to get to that goal by 1/18/07. Just to type 150's is almost unbelievable to me. I haven't weighed in the 150's in 20+ years. I would be soooo happy to get to 159! I'm ready NEVER to see the 170's again. I'm ready to be done with the 160's, I'm ready to move to the wonderful 150's! I was at 167 last month, but I bounced back up to the 170's for some reason, I think a lot has to do with the amount of water I'm holding because of my hospital stay, I'm hoping my fast will "flush" it out!

I'm staying on plan today because I want to!

Tulip - bend over and I'll give you a kick - lol. This is the time of the year we all kinda get into a slump, its cold outside, there is food everywhere, we've been doing good for so long, etc etc etc. Now, the good news is, YOU STAYED THE SAME! Think about the previous years, how much did you gain? If you were like me, I would gain 20 lbs during the holiday season. Sometimes more thru the winter. How many New Years resolutions have you made that "This year I'm really going to lose weight". The commitment you made for yourself with the lapband is for life, so what if you haven't lost in awhile or going thru a slump. You've got a helper so just jump back in and start making better choices. The good news is, you don't have to lose the additional weight that most people gain during the holidays. This was something that really hit me big time when I was in my slump. Here I was eating whatever I wanted for 3 entire months! I was shocked that I didn't gain 20 to 40 lbs because in the past I always did! It is so great to know when we "don't try", that we still don't Gain huge amounts. This was such a big revolution for me. It made me feel for the first time that I would never ever be morbidly obese again! Tulip, you have lost 50 lbs! You are only 24 lbs from goal!! Think of your slump as time to let your body "catch up". Sometimes I think a stall is just that. Now, get back to the gym. lol. (I am saying this to myself too - I really need to do this). That is so horrible about the lady in Houston! I hadn't heard about that. I'm sure the media will take it and start saying "Lady died after Lap-Band surgery". The fact of the matter is, sounds like ANY surgery she would have had she would have died. That is so sad, I feel so sorry for her family. Thanks for sharing. Okay, gotta get to work, Hope all is going well with everyone else.

Dr. Luis Gorospe Tulsa, OKlahoma

PS - my strip came off at about 5 days. But its always best to call your doc with questions like these regarding the strip coming off. He might want it to stay on longer.