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Breakfast for me is quite varied - often about a half cup serve of oatmeal (I dont use packet stuff), good granola, or a high fibre cereal like Allbran (but I prefer the lower GI cereals like granola with nuts and stuff in them). I *sometimes* have a piece of toast with Peanut Butter. This morning I had half an avocado and some macadamia nuts. I get full quickly at breakfast but usually half an hour after my cereal I'll slice up an apple and try to get that down while I do stuff like dry my hair - just to get the fruit in. lunch is often a sandwich - I can eat a sandwich if I use thin sliced wholegrain bread and cut the crusts off - which makes it quite small. I will use fillings like tuna, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and cucumber, or ham and salad vegies. I also like Soup for lunch - usually homemade Soups of lentil/veg varieties. On the weekends we might break out a few gourmet cheeses, some chilli jam and crackers. Very very occasionally I have something naughty like a meat pie (aussie thing). dinner again is way varied - last night we had roast pork - here pork is a lean cut of meat if you buy the right one - baked in the oven with mashed sweet potato, steamed corn and broccoli, tonight I'm using up the leftovers in a casserole, we eat stirfries and a lot of asian style food, I always cook dinner from scratch from fresh ingredients, never rely on packet, convenience foods for dinner and I always try to serve 3 veg with it. I love my slow cooker and am a bit of a gourmet so I go to quite a lot of effort. I like a glass of wine at night, just one and in between meals I might eat some fruit and usually once a day I'll have a cookie or a small bit of chocolate or somethink like that. I drink Water and instant coffee or tea with a dash of milk. I think its usually about 1500 to 1800 calories a day which maintains my weight nicely and I lost well on 1500. I run for 40 minutes to an hour a day.

My surgery date is this friday, and boy is the mental warfare raging. I've never been of normal size...(okay, I was from birth until age 5). So I have a very deep rooted attachment to those foods which give me positive affirmation, feel good hormones bring me pleasure via my tongue, etc. Counseling didn't help, because it's truely an addiction, and I just wonder is this really going to work for me. I keep trying to imagine what it will be like when I wake up after surgery and the deed is done, and I have my first "mental hunger" for the "feel good" response needed from something sweet. I know there is going to be a lot of tears, a lot of shouting at my husband that I did this for him (which is only half true...I am doing it for me too), a lot of regrets and remorse. But in the end, as the weight drops, I hope to be excited about where my life/body is going. Sadly I have not fully embraced what is about to happen to me because I'm fearful. Fearful that life without food (large quanities of unhealthy food) won't be as "sweet" as life has been with food. But let me say that right there is a lie that my subconscious believes, because the more I eat, the worse I feel. The more my body hurts, the lazier I feel, the less I want to do the things that do bring me "feel good" hormones, that last and leave me in a better place than when I started...like the 11 mile bike ride I took this weekend. Hiking to the top of mountains (real ones..ha!) in the Smoky Mtns. Kayaking. So, for now, I'm clinging to the hope that losing this weight will replace what is currently bringing me pleasure (but leaving me heavier and unhealthier), with something that is lasting and that will help me to live a long, healthy, and most important to me, active life. And I'm so tired of the yo-yo dieting, of the struggle to lose 10 lbs and have one weekend of "fun" and gain it all back...the endless dieting cycles. I do know I am down to 2 options...the surgery, or "let myself go" and ballooning back up to my highest (320) or higher which means giving up the activities I do enjoy. I don't have one single more "just try this diet" in me. Only radical change such as this is going to help me. Ready or not... here comes the sleeve. I will embrace it...but first it will embrace me

Try adding some fruit or healthier carbs and see how you feel...and how your weight loss is. I also read an article that said that drinking low-fat chocolate milk after a weight training workout led to more muscle gains than by drinking sport drinks. Very few physicians have any training in nutrition. They do what the other guy does. I venture to say that those who propose a low-carb diet have no idea if it works better than higher or moderate carb diets for weight loss in bariatric patients--why? There are no studies showing which diet is best for bariatric patients. Read this article, it's very enlightening FINDINGS; Diet and Fat: A Severe Case Of Mistaken Consensus - New York Times

It is true. You do have to do your part. But it is difficult when you are not feeling the restriction. I can understand that. It is frustrating. I was in a similar situation for weeks. I felt there was nothing I couldn't eat. That period feel over the holidays which made it worse. I was grateful that I didn't gain weight. Sometime in January it was like I woke up and decided that I had not been putting weight loss on the top of my priority list. Whether I felt the restriction or not, I knew I had to step back on the band wagon and get in the game. I went back to the basics, started exercising, and forcing others to work around my schedule instead of the other way around. That was the beginning of taking charge again and losing weight. Add to that another fill and I'm back in the ball game again. I know it is a difficult thing to accept, but sometimes we have to admit that we are our own worst enemy. Our choices daily represent the importance we place on our goals. At 7 cc in your band, I suspect that although you can eat a lot of things, you are limited in the quantity you can eat. Compare what you can eat now with what you could eat before your birthday. Is there a difference? If there is a difference then something is working. Be grateful that you can eat a wide variety of things. I can eat a hamburger too and I enjoy treating myself to a small hamburger once a week. I can still lose weight if the hamburger is in my rules. Find another tool to work with your band. I personally use Weight Watchers which works great with the band because it encourages you to keep track of what you eat. If not already doing so, make time each day to exercise. I love to walk and take a 3-mile walk daily or I'll go to the gym for an hour if the weather is bad. Find the right exercise for you. But I believe I'm talking to the choir here. You know what to do. You already have inside you what you need to make it happen, and I'm not just talking about the band. God Bless!

5 months out from tummytuck. Its recommended to weight at least a year after you reach goal before you get cosmetic surgery.

Hi ttiwh. Sure, teens have Lap-Band. Scroll down on the main page and you will find Forums by age... there is a teen one there where you can find info and support. I am 48 and have been over weight since I was a child too. So far I am very happy with my progress. It is a huge life style change but very do-able. Make sure you get well informed of the proceedure and life afterwards. I wish you all the best!

I did pretty well. I cooked everything just as fattening as always, I figured it was a special meal, no need to give up things we have once a year. Difference was I only took a few bites of each thing. I still took in more calories than I should have, but it was probably a third of what I would have eaten before so I consider it a victory. It was really nice to enjoy the meal without the food coma wasn't it! I've kind of let my plan slide a little this week with the kids home and the holiday and all and had a couple of ups and downs on the scale but came out with no gain or loss overall so I consider that a victory also.

I lost weight and now I seem to have gained 4 pounds back. I am so mad at myself.

Looks as thought your post got doubled...here is my response from the other: Thank you for having the courage to post here. It must have been hard to do so. YOU are not a failure. You have been through some things. It is time to make yourself a priority again. You did NOT gain all the weight back, that is GREAT. I am sorry to read of the loss of your baby. Depression is a horrible disease, but there is help for it. Seek out medical attention for it. That can help you with your band jorney as well. Then get to your band surgeon and get it all checked out. Get a fill if needed. Go back to band rules eating. Best wishes to you.

JULY 11, 07 ONE MORE FULL DAY ON FULL LIQUIDS. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT STARTING ON SOFT FOODS. A LITTLE SCARED AS WELL. I GUESS I WILL FIND OUT JUST HOW MUCH IF ANY RESTRICTION I HAVE. I FELT A LITTLE HUNGER THIS EVENING, BUT AM DETERMINED TO STAY ON TRACK. I AM PROUD OF MYSELF SO FAR. I WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW DOCS ADVICE. AFTER THIS WEEK OF SOFT FOODS I WILL START ON SOLIDS. I AM TAKING THINGS ONE DAY AT A TIME. I HAVE DECIDED TO START WALKING ON MONDAY. NOT SURE WHY I HAVE WAITED, BUT AM OKAY WITH MY DECISION. I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO LOSE BEFORE MY FIRST FILL. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE GAIN WEIGHT ON MUSHIES, BUT I HOPE I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. I LOOK FORWARD TO LIVING HEALTHLY.

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been on here. I'm 3 months post op and feeling great. I have my appointment tomorrow. I'm realizing I can pretty much eat anything I want, but I am dying for a salad!!! I don't know why, but salad and roughage scare me. They are off limits for now, but so are many other things I eat. I probably shouldn't eat anything I want, and I'm surprised at how well my stomach handles things. Since I started this journey a year ago with my first (of many) pre-op appointments, I've lost 70 pounds. I lost 35 before surgery and 35 since surgery. I'm loving shopping for new clothes (although spending way too much money), and I love having more energy. I should be happy, but my weight loss has slowed down tremendously! I'm used to seeing the scale drop almost every day, and now a week or two will go by without one pound dropping off. Am I done? This seems to have happened so fast!!! Was my weight melting off that quick and now I'm stuck? Am I just stalling? Hope you are all enjoying the holidays and are having success in eating at all the get togethers.

i needed too but then i did lose a significant amaount of weight, i was also 58 yrs old, my skin was never going to recover, nothing is written in stone, some young people will get loose skin most not, some older ones will get loose skin some not, age, genetics and amount of weight lost has significant impact on loose skin, but not always

As already said, you may or may not have excess skin. It depends on many factors such as age, genetics, pregnancy, weight flucuations through your life et... I strongly advice keeping the weight off for a year before getting surgery. I just couldn't wait and am sorry. I gained back about 40 pounds since my tt. I got too thin, so I am hopeing if I loose 25 ish I won't have sagging skin again. I also got a face lift, which I am not sure I would have needed if I was just a bit heavier. good luck!

Hi, @@mlecompte @shelbys mom and @isda418. I had my surgery on August 11, so exactly three weeks ago. I'm so happy I did it. I've lost just over 15 pounds, an average of 5 lbs a week for now. I expect this average to go down soon, but it's been an encouraging way to start. @@mlecompte, I think at your height/weight you may lose much faster in the beginning than I have. Everyone's body is different of course, and you'll see that all over the forums, but at my starting height and weight I'm THRILLED with this rate of loss in the early weeks, whereas in other parts of the forums you'll see much more dramatic numbers in the beginning. Wherever you start, and whatever rate you lose at first, WOW does it feel exciting and motivating to see a number that is definitively, clearly lower than last week's! And of course it's not even remotely all about the numbers. It's about the very beginnings of feeling like my body is mine again. One thing I didn't really understand or focus on before I had the surgery was how much the beginning of the post-op experience is really in (at least) two phases. I am not a doctor! This is just my experience, and opinion based on that experience. In the first month what you're really doing is allowing that new stomach to HEAL. Yes, you want to be healthy, and you want to walk daily if you possibly can. But to simplify all those post op instructions (I am not a doctor!!!), in the beginning you are: keeping yourself alive and your organs healthy by staying hydrated and getting your vitamins; increasing your chances of keeping muscle mass while losing fat mass by getting your Protein in; moving your body to keep circulation up and, yes, aid in losing fat, and basically letting your sleeve heal so that you won't have complications and so that it will be the tool you need it to be for your long term effective weight loss. The second phase is the one where you are really using the sleeve as a tool for long term nutrition and weight loss. It's not an overnight switch from one mode to the other of course. I just mean that generally, the focus initially is on healing, and if you get frustrated or confused about your surgeon's post op instructions, it might be because some of them have less to do with what you can handle than on what is likely to aid or impede healing. All a long way of saying that in some ways, the struggle changes many times, and for the first time --a different point for everyone, but I'm using one month as a placeholder -- around the time you are basically healed and the sleeve won't be compromised by trying regular, nonpureed foods. I'm not at that stage yet. I'm looking forward to it for social reasons. For example this week we were in a vacation house with friends, and it would have been nice to sit at dinner and have small portions of some of the regular foods cooked each night, or to taste some of the foods this area is known for. On the other hand, it is easy just to keep eating/drinking my fake foods and small portions of cottage cheese and the like. So when I say I feel like I haven't really started "full life" with the sleeve, that's what I'm talking about. I'm not having to make many choices or take many risks....but I'm also not getting to make many choices or take many risks either Anyway, a very long way of saying that even in these first weeks/months this journey changes! I'm so thrilled I took this step -- worth all the pre-op worry, all the (brief) post-op pain, and all the money. It's funny. I HATED seeing these numbers on the scale when I was gaining, just hated them and was so angry at and disappointed in myself. But I sure do love seeing them when I'm on the way down.

I am 5'1. Got sleeved may 13 this year. Heaviest weight was 202. Surgery day weight was 193. Current weight 3 months out 150. Best choice I ever made! Everything went smoothly for me. Wish you the best on your journeys! Isda

Hawaii was amazing. Sun, sand, surf and great friends. Lots of pictures. These will be my last summer pics being the current pre-op me. So my "before" photos will have a nice landscape! Actually it was a very informative vacation as I went with my friend who had the surgery over a year ago. We were able to honestly talk about the ups and downs of the road she has travelled as well as what to expect. It also allowed my hubby a chance to talk with hers to see how we felt...typical guy talk over beers right! But what I really enjoyed was being able to see how she lives now with the weight gone. I watched her eat off the kids meno or the appetizer menu. She still had treats - she admits she gained on the trip but was right back on track after. That's what we are supposed to do....enjoy in moderation. I start my pre-op diet next Thursday which means I'm just over 3 weeks away from this. Ironically my diet and nutrition appointment is the week after when I see my surgeon so I was feeling a bit lost however that same wonderful friend is pulling her stuff and sending it to me- I love that girl! So this weekend I am having my last BBQ for a while with all e trimmings. I am going to celebrate my up coming last "diet" (when did you ever think you would say that). I am going to revel in where I've been, where I am, and where I am going! Stay tuned.....the grumbling you hear will be my stomach!

I am counting the shakes as part of my liquid. But my last meeting with my Dr he said I should be losing 3-5 lbs a week. That was 2 weeks ago. I've lost 2 lbs since then. Again I was losing more weight on the pre-op diet than I am now, I'm eating less, I could have one lean cuisine dinner at night. The only difference between now and then is getting enough fluid in. I just don't understand. Sent from my Alcatel 6055U using BariatricPal mobile app

Abeaher.....you should print out Jachut's response and show it to your hubby!!! Cheers to you, Jachut!!!! Fortunately, my DH is not the band police. I enjoy a few glasses of wine on Saturday's and it hasn't slowed my weight loss at all. Hope you can get your hubby to back off a bit!!

I had my surgery on December 26th 2007 and have lost 85 lbs. Good luck and enjoy your journey. The best advise I can give you is to journal everything you eat with the calories (or use weight watchers points) and exercise 6 days per week. Get moving, the more you move the better you will be able to move.

Yes, formerly obese people absolutely do have to work harder to stay skinny than naturally skinny people have to work to stay skinny. For example, you may have heard recently about a study looking at contestants on the show "The Biggest Loser". This article explains how that study showed that when an obese person loses weight, their body fights hard against the loss. A formerly obese person's metabolism slows down in an effort to try to pack on weight: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html That's why most of us had the experience that no matter how hard we tried to lose weight before surgery, eventually we put the weight back on. It's not your fault. It's just natural that our bodies try to protect us from "starvation". If we lived in caveman times that would be a good way to survive harsh conditions. Unfortunately, trying to protect us from starvation doesn't work well in modern society where fattening food is so plentiful.

I would say that it doesn't seem to matter much what I eat as long as I avoid sugars. My weight stays the same. That said, I'm afraid to eat much more than my 1500 calories/day.

Yes! Bc calorie intake & burn is confusing & varying.... First it's lower your calories to lose weight. Then it's don't lower em too low or ur body will starve &you won't lose weight.... All i know is im planet-fitness-ing my ass off & staying below 900 calories (bc i cant stuff any more food in there) & my weightloss has slowed to 1lb a week &im 9wks out.... Frustrated! But still thankful as all for the help this sleeve IS giving...

Well I had been dreading telling my boss that I needed off to go to a consult for the lapband. I am the office manager in a small office and have been for 10 years so, yes, I needed to tell him why I would be off. We are good friens so I don't have a problem with him knowing but...... He kinda shook his head, and I told him that I didn't want his opinion. He said ok but then said well have you tried losing it on your own with diet and exercise. Well yes for about 20 years. He said no I mean really try and stick to it, all you have to do is burn more calories than you eat. So there is the answer, boys and girls, just exercise and diet, lol . I told him I could lose 20 pounds pretty easy but then get comfortable and after awhile I gain 25 back. I need to really get it all off. Oh, well I didn't expect him to understand but it did make me feel like a failure

Starting weight was 265. Surgery weight was 224. 6 months later I'm 162. I can only tolerate chicken and certain soups. What else can I try?

Hey Karen, You know I lost my weight and my back disc injury is worse. I hope things chill for you soon because you need some time to relax. I'm off to see the specialist friday to find out if I need to see a surgeon. I hope they can fix me quickly. this is interfering with my wls.