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I never worry about the carbs in healthy vegetables. Vegetables with higher carbs like winter squash, potatoes, etc can be enjoyed but in much more careful moderation. It's rarely the vegetable carbs that will slow your weight loss, usually it's the "white" carbs such as potato, rice, pasta, sugar, flour etc. As for when you can add in raw vegetables after surgery....I think 3-4 months sounds right. I have to check though. I'm with ya on that one..I'm craving a salad!

Yep, you are doing fine. You will have starts and stops, but the inches continue to drop away even when the pounds are not. Your body needs adjustment times in between chunks of weight loss. Relax, and weigh once a week when you are in a stall, so you don't get stressed.

That is my exact goal weight as well!!!!! I feel like the weight loss stalls and then all of a sudden boom a couple pounds come off!!! I am really happy right now.. Good luck to you!!

Thanks so much for your information. You are completely right about expecting too much. I am only 22 years old and not very flexible when my mind is set on something. I definitely need to work on appreciating the opportunity for a new life and a great future rather then lamenting my past and being unhappy with what I have now. It is very helpful to hear your experience of unpredictable weight changes. I guess its only normal to lose some then gain some at times I can not wait to reach the right restriction, so that my weight loss journey continues to improve my health and confidence. I know this isn't cosmetic surgery but rather a lifestyle alteration.

Some of the people on the obesityhelp.com site recommend getting biotin. Nioxin Hair products are supposed to help too.

:scared0:Has anyone lost so much hair they had to resort to wearing a wig? I am losing gobs of hair, and I didn't have any to spare before surgery!

My reccomendation is to increase your cardio from 2 days a week to 4 or 5 days. That will really speed up weight loss. Also, are you working the same muscles on the total gym every night? If you are, I would stop that for sure. My trainer says muscles need at least 24 hours to recoop before you work them out again. Congrats on what you've done so far and good luck!

What a week! <A style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; CLEAR: right; cssfloat: right" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XY28b1Yte7Y/Tc7ls5jjiFI/AAAAAAAAALw/fV5JfT8plVw/s1600/treadmill.gif" imageanchor="1">Well I have had an exhausting week! I went back to work on Monday! OH BOY! I have so much catching up to do (Paperwork)! I must tell you how nice it is though; I went back to work and the folks (developmentally/intellectally challenged) were so happy to see me! They showered me with hugs and kisses! It made me feel so good to know I make that much of an impact on their lives! I am so happy to get back into routine and I missed work so much! It is just great to be back! So let's get to business! This pic over here on the left is me last week! I took this pic and was amazed at what I saw! I was looking at this pic and feeling proud of all the things I went through to get to this point! Going through everything I did... it was a HUGE eye opener! It really makes you cherish life for what it is worth! I went to the Lung Dr. this week! I have a major NON SCALE VICTORY (NSV)... I am no longer on my inhalers for Asthma! This is HUGE! HUGE!!! My numbers are excellent! My Dr. could tell I was exercising cause my pulse and blood pressure were much lower than they ever had been! I am so much HEALTHIER! That is all I wanted out of all this! To be Healthy! Guess what.... I AM! I must tell you how much I have missed "FOOD"! I am stickin to my healthy lifestyle though and making good choices! I am actually eating a meal! Not a few bites; A MEAL! I am still trying to stear clear of the Carbs!!! Those are my worst enemy! Cause I love them oh so much! I have been walking! EVERY DAY I walk! I am now up to 3 miles a day! It takes me about 45 minutes to walk! But boy it feels GREAT! I love the rush it gives me; the way I feel after! It really makes me proud to know I can walk 3 miles! Then I come home and do a bit of resistance bands for some toning! I am getting into a great workout routine! This week was my first week really doing this on my own again! Back to Weight Watchers! So I really thought I would have gained because of the amount of food I had been eating! I lost .6 this week! I keep thinking to myself it is better than NOTHING!!! But I guess because I was so used to the big weight losses every week, I was a bit bummed! I feel good though! I am proud of myself! A total of 89.4!! Wooo Hooo Well I hope everyone is doing well! I have been so busy I am really falling behind on blogging! I haven't read blogs in about a week! Shame on me! Well till next time! Take care and stay healthy! ~Mandy

The last time I went to GNC, the guy behind the counter was totally hopped up on something. I swear it was like talking to a crack head. I wouldn't worry about this sales person and her obvious lack of knowledge about the subject of weight loss surgery and what supplements would be helpful. Her journey is hers, your is yours - at least you aren't going to have to come down off some crazy supplements after your weight loss

Wow. I thought I was the only one! I am 5 months post op and I haven't lost one single pound! I've had 3 fills total so far. The first two, I was still able to eat just as I did before with no problems. This last fill was pretty aggressive. I'm at 6.5cc of a 10cc band and now, I can only eat soft foods. If I try to eat something dense, it gets stuck immediately unless I chew it into liquid form which only makes my jaw hurt and I get sick of eating. It takes me 30 min to eat half a burger. Is this what we're supposed to be doing to lose weight? I've never met anyone else who hasn't lost weight, only had minimal weight loss in their eyes, but to me it's significant weight loss. At 5 months post op, I really thought I'd be 25lbs lighter. I thought 5lbs a month was a realistic goal since I take medications and have health problems. But no. I was 217 the morning they rolled me back for surgery and I am 217 right now. And, I'm so depressed. Even more so than usual. It would be nice to have a lap band buddy to talk to. Especially since we are experiencing the same things. Feel free to email me at buffyclary@yahoo.com.

Wow, I hear you, I need a lapband buddy also lol. I am so depressed I went through the surgery 1 year ago as of October 18th and guess what I lost 2 pounds right after the surgery, but since then I have not lost a pound, not 1 pound I have actually gained weight. I think I am going to be the first person in lapband history who couldn't lose weight, I totally feel like a loser. I have had a songram, to make sure my band is on properly and there was no problem no leakage, its working properly. I have had it too tight were I couldn't even swallow liquids without throwing up, so I was like ok maybe this is good, maybe it will start working, now things get stuck sometimes, however I can still eat more than I should. I honestly don't understand why it's not working I am so disapointed and emarrased, I too have health problems and I can't exercise much so i didn't expect to lose as fast as most but not to lose anything WTH? A friend of a friend got the surgery 3 months ago and already lost 60ibs. What is wrong with me? i am so glad i found someone in the same situation, what do we do? I have scars, throw up sometimes and the fear of the band slipping or coroading since it's been 1 year now and I did not get any weight loss. Oh and I am @ 7.5cc as of Sept 23rd because on my last apt. Oct 26th the Doc said it was too tight since I threw up several times, so he did not want to tighten it anymore for now. I am half way as far as i can go i believe I can only go up to 14cc's.The doc tells me to be patient everyones different, come on its been 1 year now what the hell is going on? Sincerely, Your new Lapband Buddy, T.Bonz

Hi, I was going to ask about weight loss as well. I had the surgery on March 4 and lost 13 lbs the first week but then it stopped. Is yours same?

I am thankful to say that this is the first year I have NOT needed to put "Lose weight" on my New Year's Resolution list. As a matter of fact, I have very few things I want to change in the new year. It has been a blessed last few years and spiritual growth has taken me to a place of loving myself. So in the new year I feel that I need to use my life long experience with weight, weight loss, food issues, & banding to help others. So I vow to be an active advocate for obesity awareness. Oh, I'm not planning a campaign or anything, just helping a little here and there, starting with my own family. I think that if people here things over and over and from different sources, sometimes that sticks a little more than a full throttle campaign. That little voice saying 'proper portions', 'healthy choices', 'nutrition'....we've all heard those things for so long they are FINALLY starting to seep into popular culture. So I intend to be another one of those little voices that repeats those phrases and with the help of my band, lives the lifestyle, so that maybe, just maybe, the next generation doesn't have to suffer through the obesity epidemic as we are now. I notice in this past year that the general food service public seemed very confused when I ordered extra small portions of things or asked for less of something. I generally didn't go into detail about why I wanted less but on a few occasions when I did explain people seemed surprised, almost like a little light bulb went off over their heads, that less is ok. For example, every time my daughter and I stop at our local ice cream shop for a cone I have to literally yeall "STOP!" as they are scooping. I say "That's plenty." Inevitably, the kid says, "Are you sure." I have had to explain that their 8oz portion of ice cream (which the kid informed me was in reality a 9oz portion) was far to much for both myself & my 8 year old combined and that a 2 to 3 ounce portion was more realistic for a healthy lifestyle. The confused look on their faces speaks volumes to the obesity epidemic here in the U.S. Throughout this whole process I have tried to teach my 8 year old daughter that it's about health, not weight. She is a head taller than most kids her age and has a very sold frame (thanks to Eastern European genes). According to governemtn growth charts she would have to lose a whopping 20 pounds to be considered 'normal." 20 POUNDS!!, from where I ask? She isn't overweight. She is heavier than almost all the kids in her class except for one who is her height but she is most definately not fat and she's 5 feet tall. She has already voiced concerns about being fat based on the weight of her best friend who is of Asian decent & at age 8 is barely out of a size 6x. That worried me so I spoke to her about exercise, nutrition & the fact that we are all different body types & she was good with that. Admittedly I had to throw in the fact that she will probably grow to be 5'10" like my mother. That really perked her up. She loves her grandma. Proper portions, enjoying food for it's health benefits, & enjoying our favorite treats in the right portions. So I figure if I start with her an maybe catch a few unsuspecting people along the way I'll be helping the community. So, how will you help enlighten folks based on your weight loss experience? Good luck.

So i'll be 2 YEARS OUT July 2013 and i want to be under my all time low... !!! Wow!!!!!!! It's been a long time since i've been on here. I was sleeved July 2011. I've lost over 100 lbs and i feel great! I've been maintaining my loss through all my ups and downs (divorce, death in fam etc..). I'm booked and paid up to have a tummy tuck and some lipo. And if i still need it in a few months i'll have an arm lift and yes a thigh lift... since my weight has been stable for quite some time now ... Still hard to believe i was ever a size 22 and my waist measured 51 in... when i look back over my pictures from the past, at the time of the pic didn't think i was so big but now i see i was defiantly in need of some help. and i found it ( thanks sleeve and Dr Aceves) ... current info and measurements 5'3 149lbs bust 34 waist 32 and hip/but 36. I have lots of skin because i lost my weight super fast in about 7 months or so and i've been between 145-150 my heaviest weight since surgery was 158 but i was uncomfortable at that weight so i watched my portions and excercise to get back down.. i would love to reach 140 before my tuck. So i'm back at it again. Portioning and excersizing i pray i make my goal!!! I will post more pics soon. Bless you all and message me anytime i'm always around and drop by from time to time. 2 yr surgerivery coming july 2013... can hardly believe it.

Is it the lack of protein that causes the hair loss? My surgery is upcoming and I ppan to use dilute Isopure as part of my clear diet. Will this prevent hair loss?

I noticed the reason I was going into stalls was because I wasn't eating enough. I'd eat lightly for a week, go into a stall, eat more, get out of the stall, eat lightly... back into a stall!! So, I got fed up, and just started eating a little more than I was.. and well I haven't been in a stall since. Ive been losing about a pound a day, and i'm fine with that. Also weight training helps too. As far as protein goes, I only take it in after my work outs.. When I eat i'll try to reach for protein rich foods, but I know i'm not getting in the recommended amount... and I haven't lost all my hair yet- lets hope it stays this way, lol!!

Yea being stuck like that sucks. I didn't loose any weight for a good 6 months and then all of a sudden my weight loss picked back up and I have since lost 30 lbs. Just keep doing what you are doing. Make sure you are working out, staying on track with your eating. Maybe re-evaluated what you are eating and change it up. My doctor told me "there are times you loose and there are times you shrink". I didn't pay too much attention to that but it always stuck with me and how true it is!

I can hardly believe that its been only 3 1/2 weeks. i feel like its been forever. i kinda almost feel normal again. sorta...just wielding a smaller plate haha. I went back last week and have lost a total of 31 pounds since pre op and have had to do a little shopping. And I say a little, cuz i dont wanna buy too much, only to have to buy more again later. but it felt sooooo good going into surgery as a size 24, and sliding into a size 20 jeans last week. i was ecstatic. i cant believe that i am disappearing. i almost couldnt believe it. those 2 sizes made me feel invincible....and as silly as it sounds...i feel...sexy, cute, and dare i say...pretty. i walk with my head up, i slowly feel my confidence coming back. and its great. i cut and colored my hair, totally different than before. i probably sound like a loon lol. but i have zero regrets doing this. wait....maybe one...lol....my chest is disappearing HAHAHA. thats my only complaint. but i am hoping that once i am to my goal weight, it will all balance out. lol...told you guys, i am silly. but i have never been more proud to say I AM A LOSER!!!!

Crod; A few things come to mind. First, congrats on your success. MANY Band Patients do not make it to those last 15. You have done very, very well. First, you said you exercise, but you did not specify what KIND of exercise you do. In a later post you agreed that you should start doing cardio. If you have not been doing much or any cardio up to this point, then you really have not been working out. Cardio is KEY to losing weight. You should spend most of the hour you dedicate to exercise on cardio, with your pulse in the correct range. That might be all you need to shed those pounds. Also, you said that you ate correctly %99 percent of the time, but you did not specify what exactly that means. To many people on this forum, "eating correctly" means having only ONE Snickers instead of 3. I have stated many times on this forum that it is the constant, small decisions we make in what we eat that will determine whether or not we are totally successful. I seem to continually get into arguments here with people on the subject of alcohol. I won't open that debate here, but in fact those couple of glasses of wine that many people have at dinner or bedtime might be inhibiting their weight loss. I saw a post recently where one member (LeighaMason, I believe) had difficulty losing her last 10 or 15 pounds. When she cut out her glass of wine, the weight came off. It is NOT always a matter of Calories in/calories burned…..different types of food have different effects on your METABOLISM. Alcohol is one of them. I am not suggesting that this is your problem, but I would encourage you to take a serious look at what you are consuming. Culturally, we are very conditioned to think that certain things are "good" for us, when in fact they are ONLY good for the people who SELL them. Milk, for instance, is one of those foods. We are the only creatures on earth who continue to consume milk after we have been weaned from our Mothers, and with all of the hormones and drugs that the dairy animals are given to promote growth (and profits), there is a good possibility the Milk we consume can be, in fact be having a detrimental effect on us. Most of the positive nutrients in Milk are destroyed during the homogenization process, so you're not getting much nutrition from your Milk, but you ARE getting some fat, calories, and other things that are NOT desirable. You can get all the Calcium you need from a small serving of vegetables. So, I would encourage to you take a close look at what you are eating. There might be some things that you can change that will make a difference. You have done very well, so you must be eating fairly well. I suspect, though, that adding in as much cardio as possible in the exercise program will be of great benefit, in a number of ways. Cardio is tough to get going on, but after you have done it for a while, you will begin to look forward to it. Best of luck; keep us posted! S.

Its all relative. If you're losing weight whilst eating that, then you dont need a fill! It really is a misuse of what the band is meant to do, aiming to fill and fill and fill until you cant eat more than half a cup or cant eat a certain food. The band is actually meant to decrease your appetite and increase satiety - YOU have to do all the rest of it yourself. Which means avoiding bread if you dont want to eat it, not making yourself so tight that you cant eat it. However, it is common not to be able to eat bread. Look at it this way - I currently have no fill and can easily eat an entire two bread sandwhich full of salad fillings. I could also eat several Cookies after that - but I most of the time I choose not to. I have not gained any weight in 2 months unfilled and am currenly at a BMI of only 19. Do I need a fill? If you're losing weight on ten pieces of bread a day then dont sweat it. Weight loss is what matters, not choking yourself off until you cant eat. However if your loss is very slow, or has stopped and you're doing everything else right but not feeling that satiety where a meal lasts you a good couple of hours, then its fill time. But dont judge it on what foods you can or cant eat. I could eat bread with my band 3/4 fill, with no problem at all - but yogurt, ugh. Impossible. Its different for everyone.

I think everyone on here has probably had those feelings at some point during any weight loss journey. My thing is I know I am loosing weight I just can't picture myself smaller then I am now. It's been 5 almost 6 years of me being 100 or more lbs over weight. I am use to seeing myself in this body. I don't remember what it was like when I was smaller, but I'm trying to get myself to get past the whole "the weights won't come off" stage.. As long as we stay positive anything is possible. The goals we set for ourselves can be reached!!

I had my surgery March 25th I have lost 30lbs so far. A little scared about eating real food now and the weight loss slowing down.

Let me be the first to say.... YEY YOU!!! Ain't that a lovely feeling when you hear a compliment from the least expecte place... Congrats on a great NSV and a great weight loss to date... keep up the good work!

Haha! Flying Squirrel. Now THAT's funny! I'm so glad you mentioned making better food choices for your family. I have not yet had the surgery, but I'm hoping it will greatly effect the way I feed my kids and husband. Right now, they eat what I eat and if I crave something and eat it, they do too. Ugh. Congrats on your weight loss!!

Why couldn't he adjust it anymore?? Or did he just say he didn't want to adjust it more? 30 pounds in 2 months is a really good rate of loss If it's cravings, head hunger, I don't think fills will help. But if you're craving because you're truly hungry, then it seems a fill would help you.