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My read of it is that they aren't specifically talking about weight loss diets, but general good health, so a 2000 calorie diet is the typical "standard" adult diet (that's what most of the RDA's are based upon - then you adjust those according to what calorie level is appropriate for your individual weight maintenance needs.) Their findings aren't really anything new, but merely a continuation of the evolution of nutrition science, which still holds that for optimum health we need a balance of various micro and macro nutrients, spread through the various food groups. One of the salient points they bring up, one that I have long followed, is that the quality of the food, whether they be carbs, fats or proteins, is a lot more important than the quantity. This is why these fad diets that hold to certain magical macro counts or ratios tend to be pretty silly - and we see that sometime in these forums. Some may hold to that magical 20, 30 or 40g carb count, and then skip the "carbs" in that apple or broccoli to save up for that Snickers bar in their carb budget. I never worried about carb or fat counts while I was losing (and still don't) as the restricted calories and protein minima in the early post op world took care of that; rather I just worked to maintain as healthy a balance of foods as I reasonably could within my calorie budget; on average I ran around 100g of carbohydrates per day, but I was still working to slow down the loss rate at the six month mark. I actually increased my average carb count selectively at around the 4 month mark to promote better exercise endurance, and my weight loss trends improved (they stayed steady rather than declined as is typical) as that probably helped promote a marginally better calorie burn rate. The other benefit of using a more "normal" diet during the weight loss phase is that the transition to maintenance was much easier, as my maintenance diet is fundamentally the same as the "loss" diet - just more calories from the non-protein side of the diet spectrum (as protein should already be at a maintenance level during the loss phase.) I didn't have to learn a new diet for maintenance, nor have to switch diets to lose again if needed - just adjust the calories as needed.

First I want to say Wow this has been quite a journey so far!!!! Everything that had to be done to get where I am at today is beyond being worth it!!! Second I want to thank my partner in crime Karen for telling me about this surgery to begin with. I would have never known about it or gone to have it done without her!!! Thank you Buttercup!!! Third I want to thank my husband for supporting my decision even though he thought I didn't need to have it done. He even stood up and said something to my family when they were being turds about me having it done. Thank you Pookie!!! So to finish up here, this is what has happened so far & what is not so far away!! Surgery date: 5/22/2013 Height : 5ft. 6" Age: 39 Start weight : 218 Current weight : 171 Only 3 pounds away from hitting 2 goals. 1st: hitting the 50 pound mark 2nd: hitting 168 ( the weight I was when I met my husband) I also am only 36 pounds away from hitting my goal weight of 135!!!!! Thank you everyone for being there even when I was whining & complaining!!!! XOXO

Hello! My name's Rebecca, I'll be 29 tomorrow - yay me! I can relate as well about having a lifetime of weight issues. I would suggest that you be very honest with yourself about what exactly you want from the surgery and what your fears are. Then rewrite them into constructive questions and bring them to your consult. Some examples: what is expected of the diet, how much weight does the average patient lose, or like I said - what your concerns are. I've seen many posts on here where people have said that the diet wasn't explained very well. In the beginning (until you train your mind otherwise) before you get restriction - you have to rely completely on sheer will - especially during pre-op and the post-op liquid phase. To be honest, even after you get restriction you still have to make healthy choices. The band doesn't fix your behavior it just helps you modify them and hopefully as you see more results and get healthier along the way, if and when you do have a not so good day or days, you can get back on track easier with the help of your band. All of that aside, I'm so happy I got the band - I know I wouldn't have been able to make this far without it. This is a great place for support! Always come back here when you need help or a good talkin to. God Bless- Rebecca

I'm so very tired of the options already. Hot cocoa for breakfast, chocolate pudding for lunch (yucky) and cream of chicken soup for dinner. I'm ready to lose the weight and be sleeved already. Thank you!

1. The sleeve can stretch, however, it could not stretch enough to be as big as your original stomach was. The stretchier part of the stomach is what is removed, however, there is still a little room for stretching. In theory, you start out being able to eat very tiny amounts and in about 18 months to a year you are eating a more 'normal' amount (normal for non overweight people, not your pre-normal). 2. You could eat whatever you want for the reason you said, however, the main thing you want to concentrate is getting enough protein and proper nutrition because you can eat so little. Anytime there is rapid weight loss there is danger of losing muscle mass, the emphasis on protein is so that you are able to keep as much of it as possible. I do not believe you have to deprive yourself of anything, just be aware of what foods you find you can eat too easily (I discovered I could eat an awful large amount of lifesavers, for example), someone had given me a bag of them and there I was munching away like my old self. I will avoid them now. Same would go for something like potato chips, you don't want to get into this mindset that, well, I was able to eat that little bag of chips, but I still need my protein and I am not full from them so I will have some protein now, no harm done. However, this could get out of control and you might find yourself having more 'slider' foods than are good for you. I think it is important to write down everything you eat (at least initially) and really look at your numbers as far as fat, calories, carbs, sugars, iron, vitamins, etc. Look for patterns and see if you are doing too much fat, not enough protein, etc. If you ate nothing but junk food or food that was not nutritionally dense but kept your intake to (for example) 600 calories, yes, you will lose weight, however, you might not be feeling or looking your best and you might be losing some muscle mass. In other words, eventually, you will not be doing so well, even if you are skinny. So emphasize nutrition, but do have your occasional indulgence (a taste or a bite) of something you really want. 3. I am actually looking at different 'diets' and trying to decide which diet is the best for me. Yes, with the sleeve, it is soooo much easier to 'diet'. You don't feel that massive hunger, and the times I have said "hmm, I'll get a small kid's hamburger or a bean burrito", I have found that after three bites, I really am done and you know how when you first want something, the first bite tastes really good, and they get progressively not as good as you get fuller? This happens only about 20 times faster than it would have in the presleeve days. I think for my particular health issues (metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol) I am going to try to stick to the DASH diet. 4. You can sip a little bit of a drink, or at least, I have been able to. I know there are some who are very sensitive to that and cannot eat/drink at all. The main reason you don't want to drink with your meal is that it will either push the food down or maybe overfill and make you feel like vomiting. I really don't think a sip of two will make much difference, it doesn't to me, but your mileage may vary.

I'm 51, nearly 52. Yes I am more productive and motivated. I know that for me my weight loss won't happen if I do not work out I don't lose. I make it a point to get to the gym regularly and I find that as I lose weight I have more energy. So the 2 go hand in hand for me.

It depends on your insurance. Some require several months of documented weights from your primary care doctor. Mine went off my weight from my first surgeon's visit and didn't look back at anything else.

I guess I just want to make certain it isn't going to be just another failed and expensive, not to mention invasive diet. My daughter calmed me a lot today telling me about a documentary she saw on it and how well they did, she is VERY supportive of me having it done. So is my son, so is my husband. My personal feeling right now is I need rapid weight loss due to health conditions and this seems to promise that.. I think I would be too scared to eat too much! The weight loss when I haven't lost anything significant for ages due to not being able to exercise at this weight would be a huge reward to me. I will NEVER EVER get this weight again.. I don't care what I have to do. I am attending a seminar next week with my husband and meeting the surgeon on Aug 18. With my insurance and the timeline they say I could be banded in 8 weeks.

I started walking the day after surgery and gradually increased the distance I wear a fitbit and try for 10000 steps a day. I started going to the gym after 3 weeks started with just cargo mostly stationary bike I worked up to 30 minutes on the bike 3 or 4 times a week. At 1 month out I started strength training stayed light and have worked my way up to about 45 minutes of strength. So at this point I go to the gym 3 or 4 days a week and do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio then I walk about 3 laps around the track which is a quarter mile,then I start on the weight machines and do 3 to 4 different machines then do another 3 laps around the track, then another 3 machines and another 3 laps then another 3 or 4 machine followed by another 3 laps and then on the scale and done.

i have a few... i have a six month diet and i was wondering does the weight that i started with count for my insurance. It was a first thing in the morning and was really low, my bp was higher. And the second one is for medicare what kind of pre op testing is there and how far out do they start it

Tuesday will be my 2 week anniversary of the surgery and it was one of the best decisions I ever made!! I was scared and even told my hubby the morning of that I couldn't do it and I wanted to cancel! This was after I was at the hospital in pre-op with my IV started and was almost ready to go. The anesthesiologist came in to chat about then and she was so calm and reassuring that I calmed down too. I am SO glad I had this done and I already feel so much better with just the weight I have lost. The future is only going to get better. Take care all of you having surgery this week...I will direct some healing thoughts your way and I look forward to hearing about your experiences afterwards!

I was the same. I tried to talk myself out of it as it got closer and was pretty nervous about the surgery as my extra weight had given me high blood pressure, etc. Anyway....it was a breeze. I am now 9 days Post Op and was actually surprised it was not as bad as expected and the doctor, nurses, etc. were amazing. Have faith -- you will be fine and will be feeling and moving better in no time. I am down 26 pounds since I started my preop diet, but still have a long way to go. Hang in there!

So far I've only pureed soup with chunks, and then the bean/cheese/milk concoction. I haven't gained courage to puree food that's not already pretty close to puree because I'm pretty sure it would gross me out.

I'm in the really big category, and like you my Doc did not prescribe a preop diet, not even to the point of liquids only on the day before, though I was so nervous I ended up only having liquids the last 48 hours prior to surgery. I had surgery on a Friday morning, was out Monday morning (no releases were processed on the weekend) and so far I'm happy with my ability to heal and weight loss...good luck to you!

Hello I have been referred by my pcp for weight loss surgery. I have a consultation with the surgeoun in about 2 weeks. I wanted to know if anyone had any experience with wait times and requirements dealing with California Medi-cal specifically Alameda alliance for health. Thank you

Congratulations on your weight loss! I was sleeved on 11/19. I just had my dietitian visit today and she told me that average weight loss the first 4 months was 40 % of the EXCESS body weight. So if you had 100 pounds to lose than 40 obs in 4 months would be average. That being said, I want to emphasize like others on this thread that each person is individual and not to expect specific numbers.

Hiya, I haven't been banded yet (scheduled for NYEve) but when I went for my preop visit with Dr Marsden he said some of his patients pour their diet soda over ice and let it sit for a couple of minutes. He said he doesn't have a problem with this of course no drinking through straws. He also suggested a glass of wine a week actually helps with weight loss. He didn't say become a whino LOL!! but he did say that is something he has learned along the way. He has done thousands of LapBands and I have yet to find someone who found any disappointment with him. but he did mention something interesting maybe you guys can help out....He said alot of his patients have a problem digesting lettuce. Other leafy greens are okay but lettuce gives them a problem. any opinions? I love reading these forums, I have learned so much. But sometimes things have to be taken with a grain of salt. Where my Dr says those things are okay, another Dr may disagree altogether. Anywho, that's my 2cents Cheryl

good luck! I am jealous. I am aiming for mine in April. soon as I lose the pre-op weight and get a psych eval.

I had started my lapband process a year ago this month. My insurance company required the 6 months of physician supervised diet, so I had to do that first. Fortunately, my doctor just had me come in and weigh once a month, and the first two months, he had me bring in a food journal, which he told me just to make up. I actually gained 5 lbs during that 6 months...but the insurance company approved the surgery and even paid at 100%. It may feel like a step back if you have to do that, but just remember that the band is for the rest of your life, so 6 months is nothing.

I have had an ultrasound of my abdominal area done, my blood and urine show me in perfect health. I have never had body pain from being overweight before last summer and I'm not sure what the pain feels like, I have been 238 and now down to 207 but I really think my body is beginning to feel the extra weight and its giving me pain. Just wondering what it would feel like, I'm so glad my surgery is coming up soon and hopefully this pain goes away.

I am 2 years post op. I've lost 100 lbs but recently(during the holidays) gained back 10 lbs. I am very afraid of gaining back the weight. I'm not really feeling the band and can eat almost anything. Once in awhile, if I eat bread too fast, I get that "full" feeling but that's it. After 2 years, is it possible that I need another fill? Does your stomach change over time so that you need the band adjusted again?

First you need to find out if you have WLS as a benefit thru your insurance (some employers do not include it so they can keep premiums down). I have BCBS MN and was told they require a 6-month supervised diet, psych eval, and 2-year weight history. I have sleep apnea so will be getting those records also. My surgeon's office said things are changing all the time with insurance companies covering the sleeve so to be patient Meanwhile I am moving forward with what is required and praying that with time BCBSMN will cover this "investigational" procedure by the end of the year. There was another member on here that was just approved by BCBSMN...so keep your fingers crossed. Good luck!

Hi Kaye, my doctor does fills 2 weeks apart. Maybe you could get in earlier than February for yours. Don't worry too much about the weight loss. You are still early out in the process. You will do fine.

Mommy, i'm trying to find some one sleeved not too far out like you, i was sleeved 12 days ago and i lost 9 lbs the first week, then gained three back and have lost one since, and i have stayed the same for several days, its hard to believe that the weight is not falling off since I'm not eating, just liquids which incl: v8, fruit juices and protien drinks. everyone one else i read about seems to lose so much the first couple weeks, how did you do and do you thing i am losing slow? thanks,vicki

Okay, I finally got all my medical records together. 4 states and 12 doctors - and not a damned one of them was consistant with putting my weight on there! I have weights entered for the following years: 1999, 2003 and 2006 - uuhhhh what about the other years?! Was I in some anti-gravity bubble in your office that made it so I had no weight?! I had a blood pressure and a height, but no freaking weight! And the kicker is, for most of these visits, I was going for WEIGHT RELATED ISSUES! And they wonder why its so hard to get approved! Insurance companies can't be blamed for this type of thing, but doctors' can certainly use my boot in their arses for this kind of crap.