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You shouldn't be in negative territory between intake & exercise. Remember, just being alive burns calories. There are some great calculators on line that will tell you how many calories you should be eating based on your weight and overall lifestyle to lose a certain amount of weight each week. If you don't get enough food your body can go into starvation mode and stop losing weight because it's trying to preserve itself. On exercise I like the elliptical as well. In about 20 minutes I burn around 300 calories. But then I also follow that with about 20 minutes of weight machines (strength training is very important to prevent muscle loss) and then I swim laps for another 20 minutes or so. Swimming is great exercise if you have access to a pool. It's highly aerobic, low impact, works all parts of the body and is actually enjoyable compared to most exercises.

I had my 1st fill todaqy also. But i knew i had to go back on a liquid diet after the fill. Its so the swelling will go down. Look at the bring side. Being on a liquid diet will mean more weight loss this week.

I take the same thing. My hair is thick but has been shedding a lot lately. In the shower and after I comb out my hair I can pull like 10-20 strands out just from running my fingers through it...its freaking me out too. I'm 3 months post.

I called in November to make my surgery appointment for February 13th. Before I got to the pre op diet, I gained 10 pounds. I KNEW certain foods would haunt me if I didn't have it ONE more time. Krispy Kreme, a Mc D's double cheese (a few of those over that time), fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, Rio Grande Mud Pie from Flying Star (here in ABQ.) to name a few. I only have ONE thing haunting me. I saw a multi layered red velvet cake just OOOOZING with cream cheese frosting (one of my FAVORITES) sitting in the case at Flying Star, and I was going to go back and get some and never did. I still see it sitting there looking oozy and delicious. I think I made myself sick a couple of times during this sorta manic phase I went through. It was not the best thing I could have done, but i don't completely regret it because it made me see the need for change even more so. I don't even think about those foods anymore, really. (just that red velvet! Even that is not a big deal though) Talk about your food funerals. SHEESH. I really outdid myself!! I can't say "NO, DON'T do it!" Because you have to do what you have to do to make yourself ok with this. I lost 15 lbs on the pre op liquids, but only 5 was "new" loss. Oh well. I'm on the downhill now, and life is new again!

It's a way to jump start ur weight loss. Two days of liquids , one day of soft foods, one day firm proteins and one day of dense proteins... It's a back to basics test to reset ur sleeve

Merry Christmas to you and congrats on the weight loss!

Congrats on being banded and on your weight loss. I am scheduled to be banded an the 26th. Keep posting!

Hello...I have decided I need to talk to people in my same situation....I had my surgery on May 7th and have lost 42 pounds - which I am excited about - no loss in the past 2 weeks though. Little nervous, feel like I can eat more than I should be. Looking forward to hearing from others.....

We are the exact same height and starting weight! How are things for you now? Any more success? My goals have been smaller weight loss increments, I think its more encouraging to Celebrate smaller victories.

No, I take small pills with water. I still take the chewable vitamins and calcium but I also take Hair, Skin and Nails supplements that are 3 fairly large capsules, I do take them with hot tea so they go down easily but I don't split them.

I think your calf will be ok. The skin there stays tight most of the time and I don't think it will change with weight loss. I don't have any ink on my legs but with the weight I've lost so far all my work still looks the same.

I'm five months out and my mouth is bored. I'm slipping back into bad habits and my weight loss has slowed. Please help!

Happy New year to you all! I hope that 2012 see less of all of us! (weight wise that is!). My wish for 2012 is peace, love and weight loss. Bless you all and stay healthy and happy. Karen

Amazing transformation!! Congrats on the huge weight loss! Keep up the good work!

good post Nikki! that photo really brings it all to life! and you are right, Celebrate what you have accomplished. your weight loss is amazing!! congrats!!

great news!!! welcome to the loser's bench.....and enjoy your new journey to weight loss.

Hair loss...that's the first I have heard or read about that....hmmm...that's a downer. I am 60 and I don't want to look like 80.

I didn't notice a huge hair loss - nothing that concerned me too much anyway, although I did notice some in the shower. Don't worry about it too much as you will soon be on the other side and looking and feeling fab! Good luck x

Absolutely great! Keep up the good work! Every step and every day past surgery is a great day. Kev <a href="Weight Loss - Diet Ticker"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wx7dLLs/weight.png"></a>

Had my EGD today. No issues. I start my pre-op diet on July 5th. Reminds me of a regular weight loss diet. Two shakes and a sensible meal so no concerns with that. I'm ready!

So my questions: 1. How will the LAP-BAND® help me lose weight? There is something magical that once you hit your "sweet spot" you can only eat about a cup of food at a sitting - and your body stays satisfied with that - thinking it is full....I find I don't crave sweets or junk food...bread has NO pull at all as my body craves the Protein that it needs to function well. I would've NEVER believed that pre op - as i was a carbaholic! 2. What kind of diet needs to be kept after the LAP-BAND® is installed? Like she said - you first eat your protein - as I found if you aren't getting enough protein your hair will start to fall out...not cool! You will find that once you have eaten your protein you haven't room for much else! But if you want to eat a scoop of frozen yogurt or something as a treat you can, and it is no big deal...you just have to be careful at the "slider" foods that go through the band and don't leave you feeling satisfied. I shoot for more solid protein that will stay with me longer. 3. If I/We/anyone can’t maintain a diet regiment before the LAP-BAND®, how can we expect that it would be any different after the LAP-BAND®? You still have to work on WHY you overeat -or make the choices that you do...it isn't an easy fix, which folks seem to think it is. (common misconsception) If you are prone to turn to food when upset - you still will even with the band, and you can "eat around" the band by overeating with slider type foods that go right through....and thus circumventing the band. So it isn't a cure all - but it helps you control your portions of foods and you can still eat "real food" - it just takes a LOT less to satisfy your body. 4. Are there medications or supplements that need to be taken after the LAP-BAND® is installed? I just take my gummy Vitamin - some docs recommend a Calcium supplement, too.....your doctor will go over what they recommend. It isn't like the gastric bypass, though, where you have to take a lot of things for the rest of your life. (or so I am told by others...) 5. If insurance covers the procedure (I am investigating that with my insurance right now), and there is a problem with the device such as a leaky port, who covers the expense of fixing it? My mom's friend had to have her lapband replaced as it sprung a leak - her insurance covered it...I think typically if they cover putting it in, they would cover anything else that had to be done...but I would definately check with your insurance company. 6. Are there other manufacturing defect problems that can occur with the LAP-BAND®, and if so who absorbs the cost of repair? Haven't heard of anything on this either....... 7. I am noticing the number one side effect of the LAP-BAND® is nausea and vomiting. Is that a temporary problem or an ongoing problem? Can be ongoing depending on what you are trying to eat! If you are sticking to the right types of foods (protein - not breads and things that get stuck) then you won't have any trouble with PB'ing (which reminds me of a baby spitting up -just a burp) - but once you hit your sweet spot and have good restriction you will find that you have to eat slow and chew well ---- or else you can still struggle a lot with the "vomiting". I struggled the first 4 months or so...but then everything became habit and I haven't had any problems for a long time. 8. Is there any restriction on drinking alcohol when you have a LAP-BAND®? Not that I know of - course you wouldn't want to drink too much since it is empty calories.... Good luck! Kim

hi Gina, I also have pcos, my BMI was 34 on the day of my surgery and I lost about 26lbs before surgery. It took me almost 1 year to loose that because I have PCOS. I had my surgery on july 7th and I have lost 8lbs since then. I also had my first fill on august 5th. I am a nurse and mother of 3 small children(twins age 2 and a 4 year old). For me, I went with lap band because the statistics and complications of GB scared me. Traveling 2 hours for a fill sounds hard (I only travel about 25 minutes each way), keep in mind that you will probably only get the fills for about the first year or so. I will tell you that sweets do pass right through but you have to keep in mind that it is mind over matter. I personally would not put my self through surgery just to sabatoge my weight loss by eating sweets and other unhealthy foods. I also do not have anything like that in my house. Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

Good point on the establishment of your own approximate BMR showing how many calories you burn per hour in several states from sleep through vigorous exercise to arrive at a maintainence point for a health weight. This can be a daunting and expensive process and even at completion the results are only for that point in your life as your body fluxes by decreasing adiposal tissue, hopefully, plus the gain of lean muscle mass through exercise coupled with the more efficient use of your foods vs. just storage as fat. The Basal Metabolism Rate (really rates based on activity level) is a valuable tool used by both dedicated amature and professional athletes many of whom consume 7-10Kcal a day while training. Body builders are a whole other animal who swing between eating heavy for bulking out and near starvation for competitions. You have to admire that dedication to the sport and the attention to nutrition they express in order to excel it's really hard on a body though. For most of us though, i'm afraid we are just underestimating how many calories we take in and overvalueing our calorie expenditures through exercise and normal daily activities. I know through my own experience that a big part of my gain was through continueing to eat as a person involved in 3-4 hours of daily physical traing in body sculpting even after a sudden drop in that activity due to a back injury. I put on 15+ pounds a year doing that for over 10 years. I told myself that I had cut on my foods to relate to the reduced caloric expenditure brought on the injury to my back but I fell into that trap of self deception I mentioned at the head of this paragraph. (Knowing about the danger doesn't always save us from making the same mistakes as others) So I think we agree that equalibrium is possible but is variable due to a number of data sets that come into play and the possible wild card of denial. Weight loss still all comes down to the eat less and exercise more mantra and if I am reading you right there is no fixed number that you can plug into the equation to set a stable caloric value, we must be vigilent and adjust as needed. All of us are different we'er not one size fits all so that conclusion should be no suprise to anyone who thinks seriously about the issue. Thinking now that's the rub Thanks for presenting the well thought out points and laying them out in a logical order, it was a fun read and very informative, I really enjoy your post's.

This OTC diet pill has just been approved by the FDA and is expected to be in stores before the month is out. It will cost about $2.00 a day, and help users lose about 50% more weight, provided they follow a reduced fat diet and exercise regularly. Alli Diet Pill (pronounced all eye)Review SummaryIf you haven’t yet heard of the diet pill Alli, it’s likely that you soon will. Although at time of print, the FDA has yet to approve this new over-the-counter weight loss aid, its manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has already taken to the Internet to promote it. Alli actually uses the same active ingredient as another diet pill, Xenical, but it is a half dose. However, unlike Xenical, which is typically prescribed only to the dangerously obese, Alli would be available to anyone who wanted assistance losing weight. The shelves of health food stores and pharmacies are already incredibly crowded with product that promise to help dieters lose weight fast. We will carefully examine this product in order to determine whether or not it truly lives up to its promises. Ingredients at a GlanceAs discussed, Alli contains the same substance as Xenical, which is orlistat. Ingredients In FocusThe primary function of orlistat is to prevent the absorption of fats from the diet, thus reducing caloric intake. It works by inhibiting an enzyme in the pancreas that is responsible for breaking down tryglycerides in the intestine. Without the enzyme, fats are prevented from becoming absorbable and may then be excreted undigested. It is estimated that the drug blocks approximately 25% of all fat in the diet. While most of the oils are eliminated as waste in the normal way, some unpleasant side effects may include gas, incontinence, and oily spotting. These effects are obviously quite uncomfortable and inconvenient at times, and have caused some individuals to think twice about taking this drug. Diet LifestyleAlthough Alli is still awaiting FDA approval, there is already quite a storm of controversy surrounding it. Many individuals believe that even though Alli is half as strong as Xenical, that it should still only be used under the guidance of a physician because of the possible side effects. Others believe that it will simply enforce the “quick fix” mentality that many individuals already have about weight loss. Rather than enduring uncomfortable and possibly embarrassing side effects in order to eliminate some of the fat from one’s diet, many dieters may agree that it is far easier and safer to simply consumer less fat and fewer calories to begin with. An all-natural appetite suppressant like hoodia gordonii has been shown to help control cravings and reduce total calorie intake. Positives• When/if approved, it may be available over the counter • Half as strong as Xenical Negatives• May cause unpleasant side effects for some • Website does not post testimonials • No free trial sample available • As of this writing, still not approved by the FDA Final ThoughtsIt is easy to see why many people would be enthusiastic about a product that allows you to reduce your total calorie intake without actually eating less. Of course, the results would be much improved if you do make certain dietary changes. For this reason, many experts believe that Alli is still best used under the supervision of a doctor. Fortunately, supplements containing hoodia gordonii offer an excellent alternative to prescription drugs. In addition to controlling the appetite, they can also help to boost energy levels, helping you get more out of your visits to the gym or not.

BB, it's not so bad. You just have to commit to liquids only, and get on with it. It helps to know WHY you're on a liquid diet. Two reasons, basically: 1. When you eat solid food, your stomach gets stretched. If you're a hefty fellow, chances are you've been eating solid food for some years now, and your stomach is big and dilated. A few days on liquid diet will mean your stomach has time to get used to holding smaller volumes; it'll probably get a bit smaller before the surgery, making things a bit easier. 2. More importantly, the body stores a lot of fat in the liver, making the liver swell up in size. Since the liver sits on top of the stomach, the bigger the liver is, the harder it is to do the surgery: you want to make things as easy as possible for the surgeon, because that means less work for him, and less discomfort afterwards for you. Worse, a fatty, swollen liver is also more fragile and can be damaged during surgery. Finally, one of the fastest periods of weight loss is while we're on the liquid diet - you'll jumpstart your weight loss, and get a sense of how it feels to lose weight quickly. So, I guess, three reasons. Suddenly switching to liquids is a bit of a shock to the system - you may have hunger pangs, but if you do, just tell yourself that that feeling means your body is burning off fat. Good luck with your diet - come back and post often! You're among friends here.