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You lost fairly quickly, which implies that you still have a relatively strong metabolism, so you have some work to do. As a very rough approximation of where you should be, take the average of your last couple months' loss; for every 5 lb (2.3-ish kg), that's about a 500 calorie per day deficit that you need to make up. For instance, I was losing at 10lb per month the last three months of serious weight loss, which works out to around 1000 calories per day deficit; I was averaging 1100 calories per day, and am now maintaining (for the past 6-7 years) in the 2100-2200 range. This will at least give you an idea of how large the steps up that you should be making to ease into your maintenance range. I started working toward maintenance at the six month mark when I was 10 lb from my goal (or about a month away) so I started increasing things then to slow things down; as this was early November, I in part just let the holidays happen and it took another two months to lose that final 10 lb, and I had minimal overshoot; I still needed to fine tune things from there, but I was pretty close by then.

Many work against the band or do unnecessry things. Exercise isn't required for weightloss...but it will make for a better life as in being more active, the brain stimulation, etc. Again, anyone can lose weight and not exercise. Dieting isn't required for weightloss. Didn't everyone who got the band already try numerous diets and they all failed? The lapband is to decrease quantity of food someone eats...that causes weightloss. And during the time someone is restricted, that's the time to relearn how to eat, move to more nutritous foods, etc. However, if someone only ate 1000 calories a day and a tiny amount of food pre-band...this may not work for them. Their quantity is already low. Just my 2 cents worth and another viewpoint. Don't flame me...I said it's another viewpoint.

wow, I'm a newbie but exercise will not make you lose weight. I'm trying to replace muscle with fat. I've found most are cheating on diet & grazing to gain weight. A lot of people drink excess calories. I think 95% of weight loss is in my own head. I'm fixing the main frame of my brain. hasta Pronto, George

Hi All, In Nov of 2009 I attended a lap band seminar and was able to sign up for an appointment in January of 2010. Due to several issues on both the office and my schedule the appointment got pushed back to March of 2010. After a 3 hour wait in the office I was finally seen by the surgeon, he looked at the forms I filled out and seemed to imply I had not tried enough dieting because I only had one listing in the form. The surgeon then proceeded in a very demeaning way to say that I was not a good candidate for lap band and that I would only loose 50 lbs and be stuck unable to get any further weight loss surgery. Now my BMI is over 65, and mostly has been and prior to a couple of years ago I was not unhappy with my weight. But recently I find I cannot move well, getting more and more tired. I have sleep apnea and a varicose issue in my lower legs. I have what I call permanent pregnant woman's back and my lungs are scarred from chronic bronchitis and a bought of pneumonia. I hate the thought of trying fad diets to only have my weight yoyo which even I know is not healthy. Needless to say I was very upset. Now I have spoke with other Lap Band patients who were as heavy or heavier than me and they have lost well over 150 lbs each. If I were to loose 150 lbs that would alleviate a great many of my issues. I have a couple of new Dr's names but due to the rejection I got the first time I tried I am hesitant about trying again. Has anyone been through this???

Hello my name is Jorge and I live in Queen Creek, Arizona. I am 32 years old and I weigh 499 lbs, thats if I havent gained all my weight back. I got my lap band surgery on May 12 2008 and I went down from 537 lbs to 499 the week before my surgery. Even after my surgery I was doing good with my preop and postop liquid and soft food diet stages, until about the 3rd or 4th week when I was able to eat regular foods now I am out of control. My food addiction has kicked in. I was supposed to go for my 1st fill on June 25 and I keep postponing because I am so embarrased to go and I feel like I have truly gained some of the weight back. Has this happened to anyone else??? I have alot of weight to loose...my doctor said that my ideal to loose would be 250-275 lbs...so I have a long way to go...and with this setback I am so embarrased to go to my doctors office and get weighed. I have even tried to do crash diets but they don't work!!! I am a carbs addict and I just feel like a total failure!!!...The whole reason for getting this surgery was to loose the weight and feel good physically and emotionally...right now I just feel crappy and emotionally like a total failure...Am I the only one that this happened to??? Is there anyone that has had this happen to as well??? Should I feel like this???

The group I use (Fielding, Ren, etc in NYU) do not at all believe in automatically unfilling all pregnant bandsters. They only do so if there's a reason to believe the baby is not getting enough nutrients/growing enough. I am 11 weeks pregnant and had gained nothing and was throwing up a lot so they took out 1 cc BUT promised me they would put half of it back in a month if I felt it was necessary (I guess if I suddenly gained an insane amount of weight). At this point I feel very little restriction but am thrilled to not be throwing up all day anymore. I gained about 2 lbs since the unfill (around 2 weeks ago) and at this point am leaning towards leaving things as is (if only the heartburn would go away. . . ) I think if you are gaining too much and are constantly hungry, a small fill is not out of order.

Well Welcome Stephanie U. Please,feel free to ask any questions you might have, Although your surgeon and his staff are you main resource people we have or are walking the Weight Loss Walk and we have a lot of practical experience, And we love to,meet new friends on here.

I tested out Protein drinks prior to surgery. I also discussed different types of Protein Drinks at support group meetings prior to surgery. To me most protein drinks taste terrible. I chose one that was the least terrible called Muscle Milk Light. I found that vanilla Creme was the flavor I liked the best. I would blend it with Water and throw in a half a banana. It had 25 grams of protein per shake. There are others that are super concentrated that are in the 40-50 gram range. To me these taste extremely bad. Right after surgery, I was lactose intolerant. This condition was temporary. A month or two later I could tolerate milk. Muscle Milk Light is lactose free. If you are not lactose intolerant, you might think about using milk. Once I reached my bottom weight, I switched completely off my Protein shakes. My protein drinks now consists of a large cup of hot cocoa (no sugar added) in the morning and a berry smoothie in the evening. At 11 months post-op, I also get a lot of protein from my meals. Since you are only a week out, this is probably too early to make this transition to berry smoothies. In order to achieve a great weight loss also focus on the calorie side of the daily minimum protein requirements. Too many calories in your daily protein drinks might stall your weight loss.

So I took you guys advise and I have been trying to see the positive to all this waiting : ) I have researched and started taking my pre surgery supplments. I have been testing out some protein powders. I have even practiced eating slower and chewing longer. (Need more practice) I am feeling better about things. I was able to speak with someone at my surgeons office and was told that Dec 3 rd I will be submitted for insurance approval. She said that my insurance is usually quick 2 weeks max for an answer. Then within 2 weeks of that I will get to see the Nut and the surgeon to schedule my surgery. In the meanwhile I will continue to work on my new lifestyle! I don't have to lose any weight before hand, but I decided that I want to lose 15 lbs before surgery. Since I have to do a preop diet anyway. Might as well make the best of it and choose to lose : )

During your first year that is the time to change your routines around and make your life proactive to weight loss and maintaining it for life. It is a tool to help you get the weight off and keep it off. You are the master behind the tool and it will only be as effective as the master wants it to be. I believe you have to purposely do things counterproductive that will cause weight gain. Such as drinking when eating to push the food through your sleeve so you can eat more or eat carbs etc until your full wait a little bit and then eat some more. If you are careful and eat accordingly you should be fine. Again the modifications that you make in your first year are going to make the difference. Hang in there!

It's really up to you. This will help immensely, but it is not a cure for obesity. However, success begets success, and once the weight starts coming off, you begin to learn what you have to do. Just keep doing it! Wishing you great success with your surgery and subsequent loss!

I'm almost 6 weeks out and my sleeve is on the tight side so I get about 600 calories a day. My doctor wants me to get in at least 800 but more like 1000 to help keep my energy up. Moving to soft foods is definitely harder because the bulk if the protein fills you up much faster then the liquids. At 600 cals a day, I feel like poop. So my advice would be to keep tracking and swap out a shake or two for your soft foods and keep cals around 800-1000. Hopefully you will feel fantastic AND keep losing weight! Good luck to you!!

It's been 2 weeks since my surgery. I should start on soft food today. I've been feeling ok for the past days, just had smal pain where I've got the scars and then around that area. So yesterday I played a bit with my nieces just by sitting on the floor with them. Then I went to the theater that evening. Today I feel so bad! I didn‘t want to go to work since my stomach is hurting all over. I should have listened to the small pain I had. It hurt a little when a was bending to talk to my nieces and then it was exhausting to sit for 3 hours at the theater. I was looking so much forward to have scrambled eggs to breakfast but I didn‘t feel up to it. I didn‘t want to put extra stress on my stomach. I had a fruit smoothie but at lunch I had a soup with some boiled red peppers (just a tiny amount) and I ate it really slowly. When I get home, I‘m going to try some soft foods. I didn‘t want to feel more sick while at work. So, if you are feeling any pain at all, be careful! You are not healed, you should still take good care of yourself. I‘m going to use the weekend to rest a lot! Almost like the 2-3 days after the surgery. Regarding my weight, turns out that I haven‘t gained any weight. But I haven‘t lost any either. I‘m very pleased about that. I should stop stepping on the scale every day and just step on it on Fridays, same day of the week as I had the surgery done. Then after a few days of calling my doctors office, I FINALLY got an appointment. I‘m going to have my fill (hopefully) on June 5th! I know some people don‘t get any fills 4 weeks after the surgery so I‘m prepared for that. But I would love for that to be the day for the journey to begin for real. That‘s it for now

OK, This will scare the bejeesus outta you....I have been persuing this lapband procedure for about 8 months and am still fulfilling the lastest hoop of fire that my insurance company requires, it looks like I will finally have a surgery date sometime in February. Heres the kicker...I had Breast Cancer in 2001 when I was 37 and then a metastisis to my lung in 2005. I had a lumpectomy and chemo and radiation for the breast and a lobectomy and chemo for the lung. Recently, my PCP and my oncologist are seriously discussing prophylactic mastectomy and a total hysterectomy because I am high risk for reoccurrance due to my history and my testing positive for the BRCA 2 gene mutation. All of my docs have given me the go ahead for the lapband though because I am cancer free and halthy right now. Soooooo I am planning to have the lapband in Feb 2007 and then in July of 2008 I plan to have a bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction... that means that they will remove excess skin and fat from my abdominal area and use some of it to recreate my breasts...they can donate the rest to a soap company for all I care!!! So whattya think...am I crazy? Does anyone else know someone who has had any of this stuff done...I am kinda scared of all the surgery...but I have a 97% chance of getting breast cancer again if I don't do it and I have a very good chance of ovarian cancer without that one too so I guess its a no brainer...but still scarry...I also wanted to know if you think that is a big enough time span to allow for alll or most of my weight to come off with the band...that is 17 months...I need to loose about 140 lbs and I know everyone is different but I'm just wondering because I do have to plan this stuff and also, I'd like to get the mastectomy sooner...like December of 2007 if possible but that would only leave 10 months after the lapband surgery for me to loose weight. I really don't want to jeapordize my health because of vanity and I wont but I just need advice. Thanks, Donna

Eat slowly and chew thoroughly Food can pass through the new stoma only of it has been into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well. Stop eating as soon as you feel full Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to eat you meal. Try to recognize the feeling the fullness - then stop eating at once. Do not drink while you are eating This operation can work only if you eat solid food. If you drink at mealtimes, the food you have eaten becomes liquid and the effectiveness of the LAP-BAND System is greatly reduced. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible. Do not eat between meals After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. Patients with proper "fill" levels do not feel hungry in between meals. If you are, this may be a sign that your band is too loose and you should tell your clinician. Eat only good quality food With the LAP-BAND System in place, you should be able to able to eat only a small amount so the the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your small stomach pouch with junk food that lacks vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in protein and vitamins. Fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and cereals are good foods to choose. Foods high in fat and sugar are not. You may eat apples and oranges, but try to avoid orange juice and and apple juice. Ask your doctor or dietician before you take any vitamin supplements. Avoid fibrous food Food such as asparagus that contains many fibers can block the stoma. That's because you can't chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can't break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then you must be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces and them chew them thoroughly. Drink enough fluids during the day If you lose weight, your fat content will drop. This results in waste products. You will need to drink large amounts of liquid every day in order to urinate more and excrete these waste products from your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Drink only low-calorie liquids. Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet created by the band. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you otherwise follow your diet. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day This rule is just as important as the other nine rules. Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is very important to successful weight loss. Exercise can help improve your general health. Your size may make it hard for you to exercise as much as you should. But get started, even if it is a little at first. The more weight you lose, the easier it should get. Start with simple exercises such as walking and swimming. Gradually expand you program to include more vigorous forms of exercise such as cycling, jogging and aerobics. Increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator, etc. Remember you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you. Food Choices Use this section to help you plan what you eat. you may choose what you would like from each of these food groups on a daily basis: Fruits and vegetable 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetable daily Bread and Cereals 1 small portion of corn flakes for breakfast 1 to 2 slices of whole wheat or rye bread each day Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs 1 oz. to 2 oz. of meat, fish or poultry or one egg each day (remove all visible fat from the meat. remove the ski from poultry. Grilling, steaming, microwaving or boiling are best ways to prepare them with low fat). Dairy Products Milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form. In theory, then, they should be avoided. But these types of food have calcium. That makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Choose a maximum of 2 cups of skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt and 1 oz. of cheese a day. Fats Restrict the use of fat to 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day. You can have low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise in moderation. Drink as many calorie-free liquids per day as you wish. Suitable drinks are: Tea or black coffee with low-calorie sweetener Water Non-carbonated beverages containing few or no calories Clear soup Note: Some doctors have reported that carbonated beverages may contribute to enlargement of the small pouch and should be avoided. Foods to Avoid Some foods have a concentrated supply of calories with little nutritional value and should be avoided as much as possible. They include: Sugar and foods containing large quantities of sugar, such as: High-calorie soft drinks Syrups Cakes Biscuits Sweets Jam Marmalade Honey High-fat foods including: Chocolate Pies Chips pastries Alcoholic drinks should also be consumed in moderation

yes...restriction to me when I wasn't hungry all the time and could be satisfied with a very small meal(bites sometimes) and stay full for hours. Restriction meant that I wasn't "dieting" anymore, more living. I can eat things that I wouldn't dare to eat when I was "dieting" and still lose weight and my blood sugar stays the same because I can't eat a lot of it, only a couple bites until I am forced to put the utensil away. Its the moderation diet without the willpower fight and the emotional feeling that I am missing out on something because now I either dont want it or my band says no, no, no. I have lost almost 60lbs in six months. I had no preop dieting. This has been eating right, portion control (thanks band) and Jillian (the elliptical at the Y)

You're right--before restriction, you're hungry. Depending on your doctor's recommended plan (and overall approach), the degree of hunger will vary. Some doctors approach the time before restriction as being a time to heal and not focus on loss. Others (like mine) recommending eating as though you have restriction--weighing and measuring foods, staying within certain parameters, and so on. I was encouraged to do this--and did it. It was hard---like any other stringent diet any of us has ever been on. But I told myself that it would be the last time I'd be hungry in the name of weight loss. I started approaching restriction about 4 months out, and have good restriction now (at 6 months). I'm really glad I was super-careful during those first few months, though, because it really did give me a good jumpstart--both on weight loss and on mastering habits that made it easier when I did get restriction (taking small servings, taking small bites, chewing carefully). But really, there's no one right way to tackle it. Either approach is reasonable, and you can choose which works better for your life.

Hi Sunshine, well, the dietitian asks you about your diet history and eating style. They will discuss with you the dietary changes required after surgery and give you some insight into the road ahead. The psychologist will ask you about your diet history and why you want to lose weight. They are trying to find out if you are mentally ready or suitable for the op. When I was asked, I was honest. I said I wanted to lose weight for health and flexibility, but I also wanted to be more sexy.

Hello Everyone!! I am a soon to be bandster!! Hopefully! Well, today was my last weight vist with true results. So now I'm just waiting to hear something from the insurance. Head is bowed and fingers are crossed!:sad:

I can see why you would feel frustrated. Have you been logging your food intake? I use www.thedailyplate.com and it's really allowed me to take control of what I put into my body. I'm only four weeks out so I obviously don't have all of the answers but I do know that I did a lot of lying to myself regarding the amount of food that i was consuming. I now log every ounce of food that I put in my mouth and it's done more than allowed me to lose weight, it has allowed me to control something that I was unable to control in the past.

Hi all, yep only 2 days to go!! i am getting really excited now, bags packed, unpacked, repacked, cleaned the house from top to bottom, did my washing, emptied the freezer, lol, yes you guessed it anything to keep busy, and my mind occupied. i have admit that i never thought this would really happen, you know you start the weight loss surgery process, and have all this wonderful thoughts about how great it will be, but , in my case, i had this doubt that anything like this could happen, especially here in the uk. in Wales last year the NHS only performed 4 procedures for the country!! so to finally be at this stage is fantastic, i am so happy right now:rolleyes:

The reason they say a cup or less of food per meal is because the pouch above your band isn't meant to hold more than a cup of food. So, it's really volume you need to worry about more than weight. When you can use a measuring cup, like with peas, definitely do. But if it's a bulky veggie or say meat, then a food scale is in order. Keep in mind there are 8oz in a cup. Another way to have portion control when you can't use a measuring cup is by portions the size of a deck of cards. Or the palm of your hand. Hope that helps.

Not sure the exact requirements. Some say 3 months weight management some say 6. Some say they just told them that they had previously been in weight watchers and a member of a gym and that was enough. I have Tricare. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Can I ask? With that quick of a weight loss, do you have much lose skin? I'm so worried about this and want to know as I am still preop