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:clap2: Yesterday I went to my doctor's appt. It has been exactly 7 months and 3 weeks that I started my journey. I was 251 lbs and I am now 142 lbs. I can't believe I lost 109 lbs. This time went so fast for me and such a learning experience. I only hope that I will be able to maintain my weight for the rest of my life. Thank God I can always go to the doctor's office to get a fill that I still have never received. My problem is keeping it off and at least I am able to use this tool as my maintenance program. My journey really has only just begun. The scary part is ahead of me. I am trying to get a before and after picture on here and I am having difficulties. I have to wait in the morning to see if someone at work can help me out with this. I gotta go ! Josephine 251/142 I made it !!!! Surgery Nov. 10, 2005 No Fills

Hello VST gang!! Yay! I've been lurking between 2 and 5 pounds off goal for the last couple of months, and I'm thrilled to report that I'm finally there--and I'm sure about it, since I've been at this number for a few days now with no "bounce" back up! The last coupe of weeks, I've been trying hard to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and I think that has made a difference. As you may know from my numerous posts on the subject, I have a really picky sleeve--to this day, I feel like it's pretty tyrannical about what it will and will not allow me to eat, but most of the time, it works out well for my weight loss goals. I do wish I could tolerate certain healthy Proteins (fish and chicken, for instance!), but I now appreciate its inability to tolerate fried foods and sweets, so it all balances out. It was a huge challenge in the beginning to discover what would work--and I still find new foods that my sleeve will or won't tolerate, so I'm still learning. Next steps for me include getting my exercise on--I haven't really gotten into a habit of regular exercise yet, and I fully intend to do that. I am also still experimenting with getting my nutrition optimized and being sure I'm eating as wide a variety of foods as possible, including vegetarian sources of Protein. Now that I'm "at goal," I can see that I want to lose a bit more, although I'm not sure exactly how much; I still have a bit of flab around my middle and on the upper thighs that's not just loose skin--not sure how much of that will go away with exercise! Thanks to all posters on this board who continuously provide support, encouragement, and answers!! I seriously would never have done this if I hadn't been able to read all of your experiences beforehand, and I would have missed out. For me, the sleeve was 100% the right choice. I'm updating my ticker right this second!! Short story: Weight surgery morning 306. Weight today 190. (I'm 6'2", so while 190 looks really high, that's really normal weight.) Size surgery morning 3X-4X, tight 26/28. Size today L, comfortable 12 heading to 10--I pulled off my size 12 Eddie Bauers yesterday without unbuttoning--yay!! Biggest NSV: Being able to work as a conductor without getting all hot and sweaty!! I like that I can now wear elegant concert clothing, work like a fiend, and not end up drenched with sweat. I can hug people after concerts without feeling self-conscious and icky and unfeminine. Oh, and the shoes!!! I can wear cute shoes without my feet hurting!! Worst comment: From a lady at work: Oh, I see you've lost a lot of weight; me, too, but I did it the hard way (followed by me, startled, saying, "Well, congratulations on your success!" and moving quickly away). Best comment: From a female friend/colleague: I was sitting in the audience for your concert, and I was thinking, "Damn, her butt looks great!" (followed by me giving her a big ol' hug).

Hi Christy, I am down 50 lbs in slightly over three months. I have 100 more to go. I won't say that I am typical, but I work hard at the loss with consistent exercise and food modification, so I am averaging 3 lbs a week lost. I know that the weight will never come back and that is the important part. I have no doubt that I will be at goal in less than a year and a half at the pace I am going. This is a support board and you will find that although 99% of us are losing weight, we all want to lose faster and will complain a lot when it isn't happening. I have been known to do this on occasion. That is human nature. It took me 20 years to put it on but I want it gone in a day if that was possible! Also, lots of people on the boards are new and are learning how to use the tool they have been lucky enough to be given. Thanks to modern science!! Most of the lapbanders in my area have lost weight. SOme will lose 10-30% of excess weight and some will lose 100%. I havent seen anyone who hasn't lost any weight at all and it is extremely rare to see anyone gain weight with the band as long as there is proper restriction. The same could be said of any WLS surgery. At lot has to do with effort, exercise, proper restriction, food modification. You get what you put into it. My best advice is educate yourself about the band and understand that it is a slower and more healthy way to lose excess weight than other WLS surgeries. Babs in TX 334/284/180

Quick mention, I was at WW onthe day after Christmas and down another 3 pounds. I hit my 10% and got my keychain too. Small milestones! Another 10 or so pounds and I will be lower than I have been in about 10 years!!!! Happy New Year to me! I cannot believe I am starting this year without the dread of another "diet" looming ahead. I don't have that major "last supper" mentality that I would normally have now in preparation for the diet that would inevitably start tomorrow (and fail by Tuesday). This is going to be an amazing year. This year I will become the healthiest I have been in a long time AND I will finish school. What could be better? I am very excited at my prospects this year. Sadly, I am couch bound this eventful night. I could not handle another get together and another food event that I would have to suffer through. I have had 5 of them in the past week and I havehad enough!!! I will say, I have done very well. Christmas Eve, I didn't eat a thing, Christmas day I had about a half cup of very runny mashed potatoes, Friday I had 2 crackers and my soup at my aunt's house saying I had a sore throat (again-I am sick of that lie!), then yesterday at Dad's. I had about 6 wheat thins over the course of the day with some cheese spread and totally skipped the dinner. It was tough especially since I have to be sneaky. I made up a plate and fed it to my husband like scraps to a dogand no one noticed. Hubby has no problem eating 2 meals anyway. haha. Today was a liquid day because I am feeling guilty for having the crackers. I have no problem at all eating them, since I chew them to nothing before swallowing, but I technically am not supposed to be eating them. I took my scar pic today. Since then I showered and my last bandage came off. I will take another pic later. I think the scars will heal well. The big incision looks a little pink and scary but otherwise I look like I have scratches. I am pleased. Off to ring in the new year with DH!

Dude, if I had a nickel for every time I gain 10 pounds! Now you've acknowledged it, you can do something about it! Good luck!

Hiddy ho, everyone!!! Its been a bit since I have been here but I'm back. Not alot has changed but then again, everything has changed. I know, a contradiction in terms.... that would be me!! Well the first thing I want to talk about is frustration and lying scales!! Okay so maybe they don't lie but it sure feels like it. This is why I have purposely not gotten a scale for my house because I KNOW I would become wayyyyy to involved in weighing myself. So I have choosen to just weigh in when I go to a doctors appointment. I went Friday for a "sick" visit, which I will get to in a few. Anyhoo, I was actually very excited about this because it had been a few weeks since I last weighed in. I was feeling really good about it, especially with all the mucus I have blown out (I know TMI) and even excited, which if you are anything like me, is a very very weird feeling indeed!! My clothes have been getting bigger and bigger and I've had more energy (kinda) and I can walk without gasping for every breath. So I go in thinking I've lost at least 15 more pounds.... NOT! I had only lost 5lbs more but I got to thinking that is still an accomplishment. Also my body is acting more like 15lbs than 5lbs so who am I to complain?? I will but still lol.... I have lost exactly 50lbs since July 17 so that is really something to be happy about and don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy and proud, just wanting it to go faster. Never thought of myself as being impatient but I guess it is something I can add to my personal resume'. Okay, now about the "sick" visit. I got a cold about a month ago. Normally because of my major breathing issues, I would have missed a couple of days of work and kept my fingers crossed to keep pneumonia at bay. This time though, it was really no big deal even though I did feel like crap. My issue is that I got over the cold in about a week but have continued to sneeze my way through at least 10 boxes of tissues!! My nose hurts, my face is chapped and my eyes feel like they have lead weights in them!! I've never been prone to allergies but I've got a whopping case of them now. My friend/mentor at work said she also got bad allergies also after her surgery. Anyone else having the same issues? I got a huge shot of steroids in my posterior and was feeling fairly okay until today and I'm back to sneezing and blowing again!! Anyone heard of a nose transplant??? Jest askin' I have given away my first bag of clothes which is truly a blessing. One of the funny "side affects" is my pants are getting too long! Less booty and belly make for long pants lol.... Again, not that I'm complaining!! One thing I guess I didn't really think about is the deflation of my body and what would happen. I have been blessed with very good genes and have very little grey hair for someone almost 52 and very few wrinkles.... or had very few! I am now the relunctant owner of varying types of wrinkle / toner creams. I have mentioned in previous entries that I can be vain about some things... well this is the latest!! As my face is deflating, my wrinkles are increasing!! I also have discovered that I am developing bat wings!! arghhhhhh!!! I've always been very muscular so never really thought much about that but it is happening. Fortunately, I already have the rubber excercise thingymabobbers (okay so exercise equipment is not my fortay!) so I guess I'm going to have to make it a part of my routine (that does not yet exist) to recapture a forgotten youthful body that, honestly, I don't remember ever really having. I do have a picture from when I was 19 or so and I did look pretty hot but I just never got the confirmation of that fact. I just remember being told I was never thin enough or going to be loved if I didn't get skinny or thin or whatever so I had a poor body image even though it really wasn't so bad. Now I haven't told you this for sympathy or the po' me's... no, its just to point out that many of us have had the same experiences and journies, although each are unique. Its how you decide to steer the ship that decides your satisfaction with said journey. I have been very blessed to have had many many people truly love me for who I am and not for what I look like. Something that many of us have to deal with is the fear our mates may have that we will lose weight and then leave them (like my hubster!). My theory is that he loves me like I am and will love me as much or more later. He has stood by me through illness' and surgeries and my failing health so I believe he deserves and has earned the good times too. Besides, he's kinda cute for an old fart!! :wub: Which brings me to my other topic of discussion.... intimacy. Now I'm not going to get graphic because, for one thing, yuk, and another is some of my family members actually read my blog so I will spare them. It is, however, one of the perks of getting this weight off.... I can hug and cuddle with my husband. It is amazing how much better our interpersonal relations are now that we have both lost weight. And no, I'm not just talking about s.e.x...... I'm talking about being able to pass each other in the kitchen without doing acrobatic moves or now fitting in our bed together comfortably. This may not sound like a big deal to some but oh yeah, it is!! So I guess I will stop here for now. If anyone has any suggestions on the subject of allergies, please bring them on.... I hope everyone has a wonderful week and continue to enjoy your journey!!! Hugs!!

Are you working with a surgeon? They did most of the work for me. I did not have a constant BMI of 40 over the past 2 years, acutally I had lost and gained about 70 lbs over a 3 year period. I think that may have been the thing that sealed the deal. do you have any co morbidities? That is also important! If your bmi has ever been high in the past and you gained the weight back. Look back over your records. I actually paid to have all my records copied so I could look back about 10 years.

Telling me as I am preparing to go to bed Friday night that your ex, one of her daughters from a previous marriage, plus her (XSD) husband, and their 2 children are going to stop by 'sometime Saturday', is not the way to ensure I have a good night's sleep! Saturday's are grocery shopping, laundry, gardening day, not spit polish, whip together an impressive meal and dress in something other than sweats day! It is now 6pm, they stopped by for about 10 minutes, went for a tour of the town, just called to say they would be eating out (after I have the meal prepared including 2 desserts). I encouraged them to return here for coffee (if only to get the Desserts out of the house - DH has a sweet tooth), and they say, well we really don't drink coffee. But, we will see how the highway is and how we feel after dinner. DH says to me, "See, all the fuss for nothing". If it wasn't that I have a great sense of humor, I'd deck him!

I remember I was on Meformin 1000 MG twice a day, Glipi-Zide 10 MG twice a day, Januvia 100 MG twice a day, Invokana 200 MG, Gemfibrozil 600 MG twice a day, Valsartan/HCTX 320-25 MG, Lantus solostar, and insulin. Plus I have done Byetta & Victosa $100's of dollars in co-pays for doctor's visits and medication plus supplements.

Hi all. I'm a 34-year-old mom of 2, dd is 10 and ds is 7. I was banded in August of 2006. Immediately after my port flipped and needed to be repaired. THat should have been my first clue I made the wrong choice! I managed to lose almost 100 pounds with the band in the first 2 years, but it was s-l-o-w. At the end of 2008, my band surgeon said I should get a consult with a plastic surgeon about my huge apron of skin. It was horrible, hung down past my girlie bits, made me look a lot heavier than I was, my skin was constantly tearing and it gave me rashes. So, in Feb of 09 I had a tummy tuck and breast lift. Holy crap what a difference! He took off 16 pounds of extra skin and the surgery took 11 hours. The recovery was horrible. Because of the band, I've had problems with medication working right and it took a bit before we found an oral pain killer that actually worked. I was off work for 6 weeks and the recovery was horriblle. I managed to mess up my knee the day after surgery so it was always going numb and giving out on me. No one knew why. Then I got a stomach virus and puking after a tummy tuck, with a lapband, is it's own special kind of hell. Just as i was starting to feel human again I got scarlet fever. Which I thought went out of style with hoop skirts and mutton chops! Evidentally not though. My pcp said because my system was so screwed up due to the surgery, a strep infection just went haywire. That took another 2 weeks to recover from. I'd finally gotten to a weight that, while it wasn't as low as I wanted, I was happy with my body. I looked good, felt normal for the first time in my life and liked the way I looked in the mirror. I no longer walked into a room and got that horrible feeling of "Oh no, I'm the fattest person here". I felt like people noticed me and not my weight. A couple months ago I started having restriction problems, bouncing between too loose or too tight, and waking up at night with horrible reflux and choking on my stomach contents. Yuck! Had an upper gi done last week after an unfill didn't help matters and surgeon says the band needs to come out. It is extrememly tight, which he said makes no sense because it's empty and I don't feel like I have any restriction (which is why I've gained some weight back ). So, now we start the process of getting insurance approval for the band removal and revision to the sleeve. He said he'll push for the sleeve instead of bypass because bypass does not appeal to me. I'm already deficient in B12 and vit D and take injections and supplements for that. I'm afraid of what would happen if I had the malabsorption issues to deal with too. If insurance (Anthem Blue Cross) wil only cover the removal but not the sleeve, I'm hoping it will be cheap enough for me to self-pay for the sleeve. And I really want to get this done soon! The idea of being on a liquid diet over the holidays is not at all appealing. I've been reading all your stories since finding out I might lose my band and have gotten so much help from them! Thanks for sharing your stories. :001_smile:

I am now ten days post-op. So far so good. I start pureed foods next Wednesday. By doctor's last weigh in pre-op I am down 15 lbs. Per my personal weigh in day of surgery 10 days ago I am down 11 lbs. So I am averaging a loss of a lb a day. I am getting nervous starting the pureed foods next week, I plan to just eat baby food for convenience for most meals. I hope I lose at least 4 more lbs before starting them up. But I must say this has been going very smoothly and hope it continues, It took me a few years to decide to do this but I am sure I made the right decision. I can't wait to be released to work out with less poundage!

So April 13 I found out that I have to loose 10 pounds before my surgery on June 4th. I was really concerned because its so far away I am good at loosing weight but always gaining it back. Plus I am a sales rep that spends the majority of my week on the road. I have been doing liquids for 2 meals and on the 3rd meal I am doing something healthy, mainly fish and veggies. There are a few times like I cheated like all day mother's day. But I have worked really hard at making time to do at least 45 min of exercising at least 3 to 4 days a week. I have been weighing in at home and doing well, so I thought. I got on the scale at my YMCA and it said I only lost 3 pounds in a dang month!!!! WTH!!!!! So I remembered that my doc office said that I can come in anytime to weigh myself before the surgery to make sure I am staying on track. I weighed myself today. I lost 9 pounds!!!!! 1 more pound to go and I have 8 more days to go. I feel really good about it. I am starting straight liquids monday for all my meals.

My Nut finalized her part and forwarded it to insurance company. I received an approval letter within 10 calendar days from BCBS Fed employees. The surgeons office called and scheduled a pre-surgery appointment (for a surgery date & pre-op check-up) that was about 2 weeks later, earliest they had open. I had basically began my somewhat modified (about 90%) pre-op diet at that point. When I had pre-surgery appointment I found out that I could have surgery within about 9 days (normally a 2 week pre-op diet). Because I had started, somewhat, earlier that was an option. I didn't take it because it was not a first-in the OR timeframe. I ended up waiting about another week for a 'first-in' apt for the OR.

Wow, I didn't realize, but it's been 2 months today since sleeve surgery. Time flies. I'm down 25 pounds since surgery and 51 total from where I started. I'm now back in my size 16 pants instead of the 1X, so that feels good. Another 10 pounds off and should be in size 14, then 12 then 10 and then whatever. It takes time. We recently took a business trip to Washington DC (we live in Calif.) and ate all meals in restaurants. It was really hard for me to eat. You really start to notice the huge amounts of food that restaurants put on the plate. I'd take a few bites of a steak and was done. Luckily the people I was with know about my surgery and understand. I couldn't do my regular routine of protein shakes, bars, etc., so it threw my whole food thing off balance. I came home and weighed to see only a 1/2 pound loss in 3 days. Crap! That's what eating out did for me. I was losing 1/4 to 1/2 every day before the trip. Now getting readjusted. Last night our neighbors hosted a wedding for a friend of their daughters and had the DJ and music blaring until midnight. It sounded like they were in our house, that's how loud it was. I think the stress of that situation caused me to show a slight gain this morning. That's what stress does to you, so best to let it all roll off the back if you can do it. Going on a cruise at the end of the year and am hoping I can get down sufficiently to buy formal wear to wear on formal nights. I have 70 pounds more to lose, so am praying to have lost 20 of that by 12/31/09; we'll see.:cursing:

My eval was pretty basic I answered about 1000+ questions about depression,suicide, healthy eating, support and addiction. Then I talked to the Dr. For about 10 mins he asked my highest weight, where my husband worked, if I knew I would look and feel different after the surgery and that's about it. Good luck everyone

Hey Kim....sounds like you are doing great on your liquid diet. I don't have to do the liquid, but still have to lose 10 lbs. So far, so good on the cabbage soup diet. I am on day four as well and haven't cheated. I am down my 10 pounds.....Yay, but am still staying on my strict diet to try to lose a few more. I hope the more I lose pre-op the easier my surgery and recovery should be. I cannot believe in only 11 days we will be on our way to the loser's bench!!! I am so excited! So glad you are doing so well on the liquid diet, and I know you will do great!

Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. My surgery is next Wed. 10/19, here in Orange County, CA. I understand your feeling so grateful for all the comments on various topics. I've used them to compile a list of things to take with me to the hospital. It's given me something to focus on, and that's helped. I've lost 13# on the pre-op liquid diet and hope to have that a higher number by tomorrow and then again on Wed. I haven't figured out the process of attaching the weight loss ticker but I've copied the information and saved it. Congratulations on your decision. When your emotions are all over the chart, this is a good place to go!

I have been so hungry the past two days, and I don't feel full. I had baby food pears, two 8oz protien drinks, 1/2- 1 cup mashed potatoes a cup of Soup and some shredded slimey chicken yesterday, in addition to 3 16oz bottles of Water. It just seems like a lot to injest and still feel hungry and not feel that very full bloated feeling. I'm not having any pain, in fact I feel great. Any ideas or is this normal?

I had terrible gas pain for almost 10 days! The only thing that relieved it was walking or riding in the car. I also used the heating pad a lot. Also, I drank Isopure over crushed ice and just sipped on it all day. So I was getting the protein, but it has more of a watery consistency. I craved something hot, so I also sipped on broth quite a bit those first few days. Don't worry about caloric intake right now, just heal for a few days. And just know that it does get better. I've felt great since getting rid of the gas!

March 11 - Lapband seminar March 12 - Made decision to proceed - scheduled appt w/ surgeon March 18 - Consult w/ surgeon & begin pre-op diet March 31 - sleep study at hospital April 3 - Psych evaluation April 4 - Nutritionist evaluation April 18 - Diet progress evaluated by surgeon April 25 - Pre-op appointment w/ surgeon & hospital April 29 - Surgery My surgeon required that I lose 10% of my total body weight pre-surgery. I lost about 22 lbs. between March 18 and April 18. Because I lost so quickly, when I went in for my weight check appointment on April 18, he moved my surgery from May 13 to April 29 and didn't ultimately require that I lose the entire amount. I was excited to get to go two weeks early. I was self-pay so I didn't have the long delays that a lot of people experience. I scheduled all of my pre-op appointments as quickly as possible and pretty much just drank Protein shakes for a month (with the occasional treat every three or four days when I couldn't stand another liquid meal) to shed the weight. All in all, mine went pretty fast. Good luck!

Let me tell ya. My "best" friend is 5'3'' and weighs 110 pounds soaking wet. And I noticed that right after my surgery, she was starting to withdraw from me a little. Finally, last week, I confronted her and asked her what was wrong and to my shock, she told me that she had always really seen me as the fat person, and now that I'm losing she doesn't really know. Then, she said that she felt like being with me when I was (and still am, for a while, anyway) fat makes her feel better about herself. She told me this to my face. We have been friends for 10 years. I am hurt by this. I know part of me should tell her to shove it, but I am still a little bewildered. I'm also MAD. I havent spoken to her since this conversation, though she has called several times....WHAT SHOULD I DO??

Tomorrow marks 10 weeks out for me. I have had 1 fill, am due for one Wednesday, and eat 1/2 cup per meal. Most of the time, I make sure whatever I eat fits into a 1/2 C measuring cup, sometimes I "eyeball" it but I am getting pretty good at seeing the correct portion size. My hunger is controlled, and I go about 3.5-4 hrs between eating. Make sure you are drinking your Protein drinks too. shakes, smoothies, or concentrated drinks that you can get online. My dietician recommended that I get 75-80 grams of protein per day - and there's no way I'd come close if it weren't for the drinks!

My two cents....for what it is worth. Remember that you are worth this and you are not a failure because your weight loss journey is different from those around you. In my three years I have come to realize that everyone is different even with the band. For example, I have great restriction, but I can eat bread. I always have been able to and waiting around for bread to get stuck to let me know that I have restriction or can't eat anymore is not going to help me at all. I lost 10 -15 lbs in the first month and basically hit a plateau that lasted nearly a year. Then I gave up, was depressed avoided my doctor and gained a lot of that weight back. My doctor wanted me to have a gastric bypass, even encouraged me to run the new testing and thankfully my insurance company denied it. He basically wrote me off as a patient. New doctor gave me very different support and aftercare. Some things I have now learned: (1) I need a low-carb diet. I eat 45-55 gms of carbs a day. Thats it, and a lot of that comes from fruits and veggies. The funny thing is that with carbs, they are either slider foods (potatoes) foods that get stuck, (doughy foods, rice) or sweets/nuts (high calorie, high sugar, high fat) and they often trigger cravings for more carbs! (2) I eat at regular intervals, every 3 hrs. Some people say they don't get hungry for 4-5 hrs. Not me. I'm hungry. If I rely on just hunger, I eat too much, if I to wait for 4-5 hrs I am starving and again I eat too much, too fast or make bad choices. Seriously figure out how long it takes you to get hungry and set your meals around that. I had an alarm on my cell the first week to remind me to eat because I am not starving at that point and sometimes miss the hunger signals, but I know if I go past the 3 hrs pt bad things happen. I also know if I am hungry between then it is probably dehydration and I'm not getting my fluids in. 3. Eat slowly. If I eat my 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food in less than 15 or 20 minutes I am eating way too fast and likely to eat way too much. You'll find if you are only eating softer foods you eat them faster because they don't get stuck. I have to force myself to eat Proteins like chicken or steak and fresh veggies because I am afraid they will get stuck and they require me to be very careful with the chewing. The other day I ate carrots too fast and they were stuck! Ugh. The old me would have stopped eating raw carrots. The new me knows I ate them too fast, and didn't chew well enough. Also know that I will get full on a smaller amount of carrots than I will lunch meat, or yogurt. If I can eat it that fast it is probably not that good for me!! Time yourself. I've done it and having that external cue to keep you on pace helps. Note: If you follow this guideline with portion size, small chews and length it takes to finish a meal and are still getting food stuck you are too tight!!! I know it sounds counterproductive, but being too tight means your body thinks it is starving and you WILL NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!! Get the unfill, let your pouch heal and go back to the basics. My dr. does not like people relying solely upon Protein supplements for regular maintenance...so in his opinion you need to be able to eat lean meats without getting stuck.You can also be too tight and go over your calories because you tend to rely on soft mushy foods that are not going to keep you full and that are higher calorie for the volume. 4. Track your calories very very carefully. The've said it before and it is true. One of my biggest issues for me with this surgery was my slow metabolism. My body adjusts very quickly to a reduced caloric intake. You are not losing any weight because your body is adjusted to the amount of calories you are taking in. If i ate the amount of calories the calculators say I should to maintain weight (even without exercise I would be gaining 2-3 lbs a week! Trust me! I have tried.) I have to stay on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet. If I am around 1400 or 1600 I gain. And when you break it down that is not a ton of calories and one pudding cup, cookie, or yogurt can quickly throw me over my daily goal. I may be eating what I would call a healthy diet but now post lap band for me healthy means getting lots of protein, paying strict attention to carbs, and focusing on non-starchy veggies. Very different from my BFF. If the scale is not moving I have to take a very serious look at what I am eating, own what I ate and make adjustments. My guess, if you haven't lost weight you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you were before the surgery just in a decreased volume. Again, doesn't mean you're eating ice cream all the time, but you would be amazed at how many calories you can take in even with the band. Someone said he does 3000 calories on a calorie cycling regimine for his high cal day. I know its hard and I know you may feel like people assume you aren't following the rules or are doing something to sabotage your success. Please don't give up!! I have run into plenty of guys and gals who struggle and this journey is a mental and physical one! Don't judge yourself or your success based on what others have done on the boards it will only make you feel more depressed. Set your own goals and Celebrate them, no matter how small. I celebrate tracking all my calories (especially if I have missed a day or two!) Adjusting behavior patterns and breaking internal cues and triggers can be hard. Your body does not want to lose weight, it thinks of that as starvation. You've got to outsmart your body and for some of us it takes more work than others! Good luck!