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Thanks!! I'm still new to all the lingo I'm so excited to see some clothing milestones myself...but I'll be thrilled if tomorrow (post op day 5) I'm back to my presurg weight

I REALLY like the responses from heartfire..CLASSIC! The bottom line for me is, NOBODY on this EARTH (except for my new life friends here on LPT) knows what I'm going through, what I've gone through, or what lies ahead for me. ONLY I know that. While some may be well meaning, I honestly just reply that this is a personal decision I made for many reasons that I don't need to discuss. I am SOOOOO happy with my band I cannot tell you. I was SO much like you in so many ways it's scary! I was 255, lost down to 163 (I'm 5'6 so 163 looks very good on me :rolleyes2:). Then people would see my "before" pics and say, OMG, that looks nothing like you (and it truly didn't). However, once I gained all that weight back + 10 (thank you to my 2 wonderful boys and overindulgent husband, and yeah, ok, I was lazy and ate like crap too :scared2:) no one said anything. They almost "helped" me live in my fantasy world of, "I still look good" (which trust me, I did not!). Suffice it to say that the people in our life we consider friends and even our family cannot possibly know what we've done and why. So I politely, yet firmly, ask them not to comment. Or if they do, I tell them why I found that remark offensive and it has opened more than an eye or two. Live by my motto..."Do what's best for you and screw the rest" :scared2:

I am down 18 lbs since my surgery date on March 12, 2009. its weird but I don't see it but MAN I can feel it, things are just feeling different all over my body. I am finally able to fit into some jeans that did not fit me for the last 6 months. I took out all of the "skinny" clothes that used to fit me when I had dropped 150 lbs and had to put away once I fell in love with my hubby and eating out at the same time. I am looking forward to 2 weddings this summer and a family trip to Orlando for 12 days with my kids and aunt and will look forward to wearing a bathing suit in public which I have not done in the last 3 years. My husband has lost 7 lbs in the last week or so just with the change of pace in the household, we both believe that this is a chance for the both of us to get healthy together. I do have one downturn to this, I have some people in my life that I would consider to be associates or people that I just know in general that are just so rude when it comes to the tact of my weight loss and gain over the last 3-4 years. ( Background ) I used to weight 350 back in 2001. Between 2001-2002 I lost a total of 150 lbs on my own ( called the I got left for a 20 yr old diet ) I was broke, paying a mortgage by myself with 2 small kids. I managed to keep the weight off for about 3 + years until I met my now husband. Over the course of 5 years I worked my way up to 290 then down to 240 then back up to 289 all over again. In all of that I was on a medically supervised diet for a period of 2 years where one med worked wonderfully but would have eventually caused me to have a heart attack so it was a NO go ... next was a placebo and then the real deal that did not work. I watched my hubby on the same study lose 50 lbs and he looked HOT ... then it stopped working for him and poof gained back 30 lbs ( and still looks hot ) all of that made me say STOP ... do something that will work. No more yo-yoing. I have a bad heart, I had at one point a 73% chance of a heart attack in the next few years or a possible stroke with my BP levels. But some people just don't get it. I am in some ways sick of the why did you, you dont need it, your fine the way you are ( whilst they are a size 3 ) commentary. I just wish that people could just look at is as yet another surgery in my book that will make my life easier to live in order to be able to see my kids grow up and have their own family. That above anything else was why I did my band. I am truly grateful for a site like this, I have met some of the nicest people that can really understand have it 50 lbs or 300 lbs to lose that its a huge part of our lives and its something that we can all do together with support and friendship and that's a wonderful thing. Sorry for the long rambling post ...

I started training pre-op to help with the weight loss and to get into a healthier lifestyle. Post-op, my surgeon cleared me for cardio about two weeks after surgery, then cleared me for strength training after a month. I took it very slow to compensate for the decreased calories and surgical recovery. Best of luck on your journey.

Yes I've has I've had eggs before, I've even had few bites of cheese omelette and was fine, fills me up real quick. I've never felt sick from them before surgery: April 24th~~~current weight loss 27 pounds

I was banded 8/26/09. Had my first doctor's visit on 9/9/09. He told me to eat anything that i can tolerate, but be really strict about no drinking during meals. He also said I am going to be hungry and able to eat almost normal portions because the band hasn't been filled yet. So, I have lost my weight pre-op, and 7 lbs. post-op, and now I am fluctuating up and down 2 lbs. I get really upset one day because I am up 2 pounds, then the next I am down those 2. My plans are to eat healthy, follow the drinking rules, eat till I am full, and wait for the fill on 9/28. Then I hope the weight starts to drop off. Still, I am down ~25 pounds since I began the whole process, which is 25 pounds better than I was 4 months ago! People are noticing and so are my clothes! :tongue2:

don't worry about gaining weight at this point. you're on liquids at first because your stomach was swollen from the surgery. as the swelling goes down, your stomach basically goes back to it's normal shape and size since you haven't had a fill. seriously... eat while you can because as you start getting fills, that WILL change. the hardest thing i've dealt with over the past 1.5 years since my surgery is the limited portion control. while my stomach is satisfied with 3-4 ounces of food at one meal, my head feels like i haven't had enough. so mine is more of a mental torture than a physical one. i WANT to eat more than a 1/2 slice of pizza. i WANT to be able to eat a bagel. i WANT to be able to eat a normal sized meal instead of 1/2 of a kids meal. good luck on your journey!

There can be a bit of a learning curve with the band. Some people learn faster than others. We must change habits, like eating slower and that can take awhile to retrain ourselves of habits we've had for many years. Getting fills is not an exact science. We sometimes end up with more than we need, become too tight and need to have it adjusted. some people also ask for agressive fills because that suits them better or because they believe they will lose weight faster or because a loved one or friend is expecting them to lose weight faster. I have had reasonable restriction and do not vomit ( so far), it could happen to me if I forget to eat slowly. I prefer to have a looser restriction and not have to worry about vomiting and so I can eat healthy foods that I enjoy, like apples. the band works by restricting our food, but sometimes we try to get down a food that we know we shouldn't and the band reminds us it's there and send the food back where it came. Lesson learned! This is why you'll hear people say it's only a tool and you have to do some of the work. so there are some personal choices that you can make to help some of these issues. You have less choice right after surgery as it might not be possible to control excess surgery swelling around the band that makes us tight and food gets stuck. That is a temporary thing. I wish you luck with your decision.

First of all I am proud to be a member of this site. It is wonderful to hear the stories of those who have been banded and those in pre-band status. It helps to read forums about the successes and the concerns, the achievements and the lessons learned. However, I wanted to reach out to those whose journey to Lap Band was slightly different. You see, My journey began at birth. I was born with a defect that was not treated until July 10th but caused me many issues throughout life. I was never an overweight child or teenager. I stayed active and in shape BUT I was sick. As a baby, I couldn't digest most formulas and I had a hard time with breast milk. Ended up with PET milk and karo syrup. As a young child, I had multiple stomach viruses. At the age of eight, I learned that falling asleep after I ate lead to choking in my sleep later on. This was chalked up to having a weak lid (whatever that means) and bad family history. During my college years, I began to develop ulcers. I was placed on a daily regiment of Protonix and sent home. By 30, I was experiencing fatigue, slight hair loss, and pain whenever I ate certain foods. At 31, I had enough and I requested to be sent to a specialist. I had an Upper GI which confirmed the presence of a hiatal hernia. One I was born with. Told that I could live with it and sent on my way. At 32, the list of foods I was unable to digest without pain was growing by leaps and bounds: NO fruit, no raw vegetables, no cakes, no desserts, nothing with tomato paste, no spicy foods, limited greasy foods, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol. I virtually had to watch almost everything I ate. I was in pain when I ate and pain when I wasn't eating. My vitamin levels where awful and my immune system not the best. I was exercising but not losing weight. I was surviving off of starch. I met with the specialist who performed and EGD - or scope on my stomach. Afterwards, He said he understood why I was in pain. The hernia had went from small to moderate size, Gastritis, GERD, reflux, and signs of Sleep Apnea. My stomach was a hot mess. All relating to the fact that my Hernia was never treated and 33 years later the damage was evident. My part in it all: Im sure I sped the process along with my awful College eating habits - aka eating when I had a chance and not getting anything remotely close to proper rest.) I remember sitting through my Pre Surgery Informational Class shaking my leg because I was in so much pain: I had just ate chicken and mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Yes I know: not the best - but anything I ate caused me pain. Well, the doctor sat down and discussed my options with me. LapBand seemed the best option. As of July 15th, I feel so much better. I actually rest when I sleep now. My thoughts are clearer. Outside of the pain of surgery, My stomach feels much better. I did start the protein shakes a month before my surgery. Two shakes and one meal for four weeks, which greatly helped with the abdominal pain and agitation. Two weeks before surgery, I had a protein shake every 3 hours and water in between. NO food. Yes I lose 24 lbs before surgery: though I was not very thrilled during the process. My doctor informed my loved ones that not only where things better than he anticipated during surgery, but my surgery went well and everything looked good. I wanted to share this story with those who are experiencing the same issues. Please note that your journey may be slightly different: It may not have started with the desire to lose weight or high blood pressure or diabetes or bad cholesterol, BUT I want you to know You are NOT alone. Many adults suffer from Hernias they know nothing about. They are not aware of the symptoms and just think they have stomach viruses and ulcers. If you are living on Maalox or Pepto or Mylanta: I am talking to you. If Nexium and Protonix are not working: I am talking to you. PLEASE get checked out. Have your children checked out. What seems like a small problem may lead to very bad complications later on in life. There is a better way of life available to you. I am and aim to continue being a witness to this fact. Thank you for reading this. Good luck on your Journey. Most importantly, Love yourself ALWAYS.

Dear Community, This is a brief account of my surgery experience and first weeks after. I am 54, need to lose about 100 pounds, and researched this procedure thoroughly beforehand. My surgery date was 5/9. I just want to say that overall, it was (surprisingly!) much easier than I expected. I did NOT have a great deal of pain or discomfort, nor am I finding the post-sleeve eating and other routines to be that difficult. I'm so happy to have done this. As with most people, having bariatric surgery certainly WAS NOT my first choice! In fact, I was a bit shocked and insulted when my PCP suggested it to me 4 years ago. But since then (2009), having lost about 50 pounds and regained it TWICE -- and having developed some serious health issues -- I realized this had to happen. It did take a while to get my family on board. Since I've already told my "pre" story, I won't go in to all that -- you can read my earlier post. But suffice to say, I went in to this with "eyes wide open." I prepared an advance directive and a living will, too. It was difficult for me to know how to respond when the nurse, nutritionist, or someone else would say, "Are you excited about your surgery?" Well, no. I'm actually pretty scared. This is a desperation move, not something I'm doing for "fun." The pre-op "liver shrinking diet" was difficult for me, but I followed it pretty closely and worked at being in the best possible shape. My heaviest weight was about 255. I lost around 12 pounds in the 3 months it took to get prepared and "approved" for the procedure -- about 4 of that the last week. By the time May 9 rolled around, I was very happy the wait was over. Here are a few things I'd like to share about my experience: 1 - The doctor fixed a hiatal hernia I didn't know I had, which made the surgery a bit longer. That was something nobody had prepared me for ahead of time. Luckily for me, I didn't have much pain or trouble as a result of that secondary (necessary) procedure. A little chest ache was all. 2 - I was DYING of thirst every moment from the time I woke up until about 9 days after the surgery. Sipping ice Water was no problem for me, whatsoever. I asked for water in the recovery room -- they gave me ice chips. I had no problem swallowing water the night of the surgery, and icy cold water felt best. 3 - The only really "bad" moment was when I first woke up from surgery. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Also, I was discombobulated -- the clock said 3:30! My surgery had been scheduled for 10 a.m. but started late. Still, it seemed really late when I woke up. 4 - I felt stupid having my own pajamas and all these toiletries in the hospital. I used NONE of it. I was in a gown, and they wouldn't let me change out of it. My bathrobe did come in handy though, for covering my hind quarters as I walked around the floor. They brought me to my room around 4:30 p.m. They got me up to walk at 3 a.m., and I was discharged at 3:30 p.m. the next day. I had an upper GI exam that morning and also needed to be able to urinate and drink before I could leave. No problem. Was VERY glad to get that JP drain pulled and IVs out. 5 - When I got home, I didn't know what to do with myself. I was pretty spaced out. I wandered around the house a bit. My stomach was very swollen. I looked like a pregnant woman who had been in a knife fight. Spent a lot of time the first couple days drinking water and taking short walks and napping. By the third day, I was able to take a 15-minute walk outside with my dog. 6 - Someone told me it's best not to weigh yourself for the first couple days. That's good advice. I couldn't resist and felt very glum when I noticed up was UP six pounds three days after the surgery. I said to my husband, "Do you think I'll really lose weight with this? Or will I just stay fat or even get fatter?" He said, "Well, if you get fatter, they'll be marketing you to third world countries, because that's just not logical." (I had taken in a total of about 500 calories in the first 3 days!) 7 - At my two-week checkup, I had lost 17 pounds. I think about 15 of it was post-surgical. I lost about a pound a day for the first 2 weeks. The third week (last week), I had lost another 4 pounds. My policy is, I weigh myself on Thursdays. 8 - I was incredibly happy to get off the "liquid diet" phase. Those Meal Replacement shakes were starting to make me ill. They get OLD. The best thing I had during the liquid phase was cream of chicken Soup jazzed with non-flavored Protein powder and mixed with some homemade chicken broth. I'm REALLY glad I made homemade chicken broth and froze it in 8-oz containers prior to the surgery. It came in really handy. 9 - My husband has been so supportive. He says I already look a lot better, and I think that's true, too. I'm even moving better (already!) -- more lively and energetic. I know I'm lucky to have time to adjust to this. I am a college teacher and don't teach during the summers. 10 - I didn't know I would have to inject myself with blood thinners for 14 days. That was unpleasant. I did get used to doing it, though. I found it easiest to do when I first woke up, and I would just lie on my bed and give myself the shot in my stomach. They also prescribed anti-nausea medicine and hydrocodone for pain. It was difficult to turn over or sleep on my side for the first 4 nights or so; but the pain wasn't bad. After about a week, I didn't feel like I needed any pain meds. (I stopped taking them during the day after about 3 days.) 11 - I bought a mortar and pestle yesterday to grind up the Calcium citrate tablets. It just seems ridiculous, to me, to spend up to 20 cents per pill for chewable calcium, when you have to take so much of it -- it was costing about $1.20 a day just for calcium chews. Now, I pulverize the hard tablets and put them in applesauce. 12 - I've eaten a couple things that made me instantly sick -- things with too much "texture." It's taught me that it's really best to follow the doctor's guidelines. Not fun throwing up. 13 - I drink about 6 oz. of coffee in the morning. My doctor's office says it's OK, and it makes my life happier! 14 - My next BIG GOAL is for the first digit of my weight to be a "1," which is something that happened briefly in 2008, during my "diet pill" attempt. I have about 20 pounds to go before that happens. 15 - This is weird and different for me. The thing I like best is not being very hungry, and also feeling full after eating about 3/4 cup of food. But it's a big adjustment, because prior to this, I was a bulk eater and a snacker. I know the new reality will have its challenges. 16 - My fear is that I'll eat small amounts too often and stretch my stomach or just take in too many calories. I have to be very vigilant in avoiding Snacks. Since this surgery cost me a LOT of money, I'm just going to think of that bill every time I'm tempted to snack. 18 - I am finding it difficult to get 60 grams of protein a day in and for now am simply doing the best I can. (40-50) I know I could add a Protein shake at around 4 p.m., but quite honestly, I'm so turned off now by the thought of those shakes (after almost 4 weeks of drinking Boost, Glucerna, and Ensure!) that it makes me nauseous even thinking about it. I do have unjury powder when I need it -- chocolate and unflavored. 19 - I've been going to bed kind of early and also napping/reading some in the afternoons. Maybe I'm lazy, but I feel like I need time to heal, and I tire a bit more easily than before. 20 - Overall, I'm THRILLED with the progress so far. It's hard to be patient sometimes -- you want everything to happen at once! But I had a lot of fears of the unknown, and my experience was really not bad at all. Most of my recovery and first weeks have been smooth sailing. Thanks for listening. I just wanted to share that it's been really good so far for me.

Try not to stress over family visiting. Let them come, but tell them you will be adhering to your doctor's orders regarding food and exercise and hope they will be supportive. And someone I know, who has been banded 12 years, says "progress, not perfection". If you should make a poor choice or two while family is visiting, it's not the end of the world or the end of weight loss. Just get back on track and try to do better. Congrats on your banding. P.S. Is there an error in the stats re preop diet & date of surgery weights?

The good ones are expensive, because they have real training. Anyone can get certified by spending like $400, so most of the ones at gyms are complete crap and they make $10 an hour. You can lose on your own without a trainer. Depending on your weight it would be better to get your weight down first before really trying strenuous training.

None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, take your Vitamins and supplements as directed, exercise, and stay off the scale. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Man I am tired of BCBS of NJ. All they do is tell me they have expedited my file but I know they haven't. Because when I call and get one guy he says, they shouldn't have told you that, but today I will expedite your file. They have had it over 30 days now and with the long weekend it will be like another whole week or so. My BMI is 37 and I have GERD, tt2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, pre-hypertension, IBS and if I probably went to take a sleep study I think I have mild sleep apnea... My diabetes is not well controlled but I am trying to do a better job for myself. I don't know what it takes. I can lose like 5 or so pounds and then my metabolism stalls and I get frustrated and I gain it back. Plus I am about hit that big change in my life and I know it is going to be much much harder to get it off. It already is!!!! COME ON NJ BCBS, please approve me, and all us other people that need to have this technology!!!!! Let me know what you do, and I let you know what happens with me ok Baby-Lyn! Edited to add... Baby-Lyn where I work we have several choices of health insurance, one girl wasn't big enough and she gained enough weight to get the surgery, you might consider that since you are almost there. She had United though.

Woohoo! It's official, Im just merely overweight, by 29 pounds!! I've lost 58 pounds in 3 months! My goal weight is 145!! 29 left to lose!!! Sent from my iPhone using VST

You're still in the healing process and shouldn't be concerned with weight loss yet. Once you get a fill that gives you restriction you will start losing. Plateaus are common for up to 3 months but usually only 2 weeks. Bandsters fall into the trap of thinking that if they lost 20-30 lbs immediatly after surgery, this rapid weight loss would continue on into infinity. Not true! The weight you have lost is 90% excess Fluid retention. Depending on how obese your were before surgery will determine how much you lost right after surgery. In reality, you probably lost 3-4 lbs of fat. From this point on you may lose 2-8 lbs a month depending on how many calories you consume and how many calories you burn. 2-4 week plateaus are very common. Until there's restriction....It's just another diet...B-52(forum member) tmf BTW-yes, you are doing awesome!

Happy Spring, Happy Easter, This year commit to weight Loss and don't be a Feast-er![emoji14][emoji106] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

It amazing how different doctors have you do all these different things. I basically went to one visit with the Dietician,one suppor mtg, one visit with the Pysch, one for the Barium swallow and my PCP. It was nothing to it. I think 5mths with a dietician and then on top of that some want you to lose weight first... I don't think they know it's a disease and if it were that easy, we wouldn't need to have the band.. Thank god for my Dr. Gorjala at Surgery South in Atlanta. As soon as I was approved they scheduled be 2wks out. I would think that after the approvals, Dr's would want to go ahead and schedule the surgery soon because insurance changes fast.... Just venting....

I'm on one of those plans where you have to lose as much as you can for 6 months before you can get approved and then start the real pre op stuff. Anyway I'm about 8 - 9 weeks in on the plan which is low carb high protein and I'm really struggling. Not with food, the food is fine but the weight is not melting off like it should on a low carb plan. My doctor made some tweaks to my diet last week and I'm trying that now and it did help stop the slow climb I was having but my body seems not to want to go beyond 10 pounds loss. Now here is my real fear... if I'm struggling this much on a pretty liberal diet where I still get to eat all the things I like with the exception of highly processed foods, sweets, grains, bread. Which honestly I really don't miss at all.... what is it going to be like when I get to the real highly restrictive diet I'm expected to follow pre and post op? I don't know, I'm beginning to have doubts that maybe surgery won't help and all sorts of crazy thoughts like maybe something is just wrong with me. I swear I have not been cheating at all! Yet I've only loss about 10 pounds???? what is wrong with my body... sigh... The fear that I might go through surgery and nothing changes wakes me up in the middle of the night in a panic.....

11/2/2007 I still continue to struggle with my weight. I am not getting that full filling like I think I should. I haven't had my first fill yet. I will be having that on November 15. I am just tired of being over weight. Not being able to look or feel comfortable shopping for clothes for myself. I looked at myself in the mirror and I can see why my husband doesn't want to have anything to do with me. My arms are just huge acutally every part of my body is. I hope soon that I won't have such a low self esteem. I am thankful that God allowed me to have the surgery. I just get really lonely and sad. But I just have to have aith in God the Father and know that He is there with me all the way.

From what I've heard from others, getting to the point post-op of "feeling great, full of energy" takes varying amounts of time for people -- depending on their starting health level, age, beginning weight, nutrition, exercise level, issues with depression and other mental health challenges, work/job stresses, etc. I felt noticeably better by the end of Month One, and my energy levels have just kept rising ever since. Interestingly, my goal weight was 150, which I reached about 8.5 months post-op. Over the last 5.5 months I've slowly lost another 10 pounds. I can't tell you how much difference this last 10 pounds has made in raising my energy level even more. It's been quite interesting.

Yeah... They told me that in the first weeks before the fill I shouldn't expect to loose any weight at all... My first fill just happened and I do not feel any different. I have a 10cc capacity band and he put 2cc at this first fill. I am already looking forward to my next one.

I quit taking daily naps about 2 weeks post-op; started feeling "normal" at about 6 weeks. There was quite a change when I started on real food. The weight loss slowed, until my intestines adjusted to working again, but my alertness and energy went up.

KarmaandKismet; You are very wise to consider this. Personally, I feel that counseling and ongoing therapy should be a REQUIREMENT for anyone who undergoes Weight Loss Surgery of any kind, and I am kind of surprised that insurance companies do not make this a KEY part of the process, other than the initial Psych consultation. I believe that it is a KEY component of success in this area. SO MUCH of the obesity enigma is that it is a “mind game”. The Lap Band and the other forms of WLS can very effectively deal with the Physical component of Obesity, BUT unless the “mind’ component is dealt with, a very large percentage of WLS patients will not be as successful as they would like to be. It is known that a certain percentage of Gastric Bypass patients will put the weight back on within a few years of losing it. This is not a result of any deficiency in the surgical mechanism, but it is a direct result of the “mind component” of weight loss not being addressed properly, or even addressed at ALL in so many cases. It is also known that in the case of the Lap Band, a large percentage of Patients never reach their intended goal, and, again, it is because (in many cases) the psychological and emotional issues that brought the patient to the point of needing surgery have never been addressed. So, yes…you ABSOLUTELY need to make Psychotherapy an integral part of your Weight Loss Surgery experience. In answer to your question about Therapists who specialize in Weight Issues, yes, there ARE those who maintain a Specialty Practice in that field. You need to hunt for them a bit, and I should warn you that MOST Psychotherapists will say that they deal with weight issues, but the fact is that most of them do not deal with it as a SPECIALTY. And, you really do want someone who is a specialist in this, someone who has been doing it for a number of years as a primary practice. Sometimes you will see them in the yellow pages, but as is most often the case, the BEST practitioners do NOT have to advertise. It is very possible that you can get a referral from your Surgeon’s office; they very often have good links to Professionals in this field. Also, if you contact your local chapter of Overeaters Anonymous, they often can refer you to Professionals as well. Again, I have to emphasize the importance of finding someone who is very well experienced and trained in Bariatric Psychology as a SPECIALTY, and not merely an incidental part of their practice. I think if you ask most Psychotherapists if they treat people with Obesity issues, they will all say yes. But, the vast majority of them will only have a couple of patients for whom it is a defining issue, and their experience in treating this problem is not very deep. So, take the time to find someone who really IS an expert in this….you will be well-served by having this kind of professional on your Team. Good Luck with your Surgery, and please keep everyone posted on how you are progressing! S.

I understand how you feel about getting an unfill and then feeling too loose. I had that happen this spring. I pushed through it by pushing extra Water and extra very low calorie fluids, popsicles and extra exercise. I know it's not easy, but it's doable. And if it's your TOM, it's likely not weight from fat you're seeing on the scale, but water retention. Pushing fluids will actually help that. When we're dehydrated our bodies retain Fluid ... if we taken in enough, the body can let the extra go. Take your measurements now and then again next month. When my weight loss is slow, sometimes I'm reshaping. As to exercise, what do you do? Find something that you enjoy doing so you will stick with it. It can be anything from walking to biking to swimming (indoor pool this time of year I hope..lol) to going to a gym to squaredancing to zumba, etc., etc., etc. Anything that gets you up and moving. I exercise pretty intensely almost daily, but I worked up to that. About a year ago all I was doing for exercise was walking my dogs.. Hang in there...