Can I lose 40lbs by November ???

[LookatmeNow34 25]

Goal 40lbs by November ...Can it be done?

[Dave_NW 92]

Why not? That's only ten pounds a month, or a shade over two pounds a week. I've lost over 100 pounds in seven months. That's a bit more than 14.25 pounds a month, on average. If you work your band consistently, eat right, stay focused, and exercise your butt off, there is no reason to think you can't do it.

Good luck!

Dave

[Cindy C 150]

Goal 40lbs by November ...Can it be done?

Hard to say. If you were newly banded, I would say absolutely. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to, but I see that you were banded last November. How much have you lost so far?

[LookatmeNow34 25]

Why not? That's only ten pounds a month, or a shade over two pounds a week. I've lost over 100 pounds in seven months. That's a bit more than 14.25 pounds a month, on average. If you work your band consistently, eat right, stay focused, and exercise your butt off, there is no reason to think you can't do it.

Good luck!

Dave

Dave I am in rethink mode...lol I have caused this on myself by not changing fully in my eating habits. My thought process was I can have little and it will be ok but I see their is not truth to that in my results. I really want to be sucessful in this and I think I want it more now than I did when I got the band. Congrats to you ..You have done Awesome!!

[BaileyRose 13]

I say set the goal! And if you don't make it, you'll come a lot closer than you would had you not set a goal! I think you can do it. Especially if you exercise. Good luck!

[vlp1968 83]

Yes, I think it can be done. I lost 107 in about 10 months. That's about 10 pounds a month, what you need to reach your goal. I highly reccomend 2 things. One is a lowcarb/lowfat/high protien diet. The idea of eggs for Breakfast and lean meat and veggies for lunch and dinner is right on. I have a snack or 2 a day, low fat cheese sticks and 1/4cup nuts. Also, you will need to excersise. I do cardio about 5 days a week, and weight training 4. I have a personal trainer, really keeps me on track. If you can afford it, I highly reccomend getting one. Even if it's just for a few weeks to learn some moves. Good luck! Keep us posted on how your doing.

[Jess55 97]

I can't. It really depends on you. I don't lose as fast as others. My sisters wedding is in November and my goal is to lose 25 lb by then. It depends how much you weigh, and how you lose. I lose an average of 1.5 per week.

[Dave_NW 92]

Dave I am in rethink mode...lol I have caused this on myself by not changing fully in my eating habits. My thought process was I can have little and it will be ok but I see their is not truth to that in my results. I really want to be sucessful in this and I think I want it more now than I did when I got the band. Congrats to you ..You have done Awesome!!

Thanks for the kind words. It's great feeling like I finally have control over my weight. Banding was the best decision I've ever made.

As others have suggested, set the goal, and give it your best shot. You have nothing to lose but excess weight, right?

Your comments about your eating habits are well taken - I've also had periods when I've gotten off track, and eaten a bit of this and that, only to find I stopped losing. For me, carbs are the enemy. If I eat too many of them, my weight loss stalls, and even stops. When I go back to eating my proper way, things resume within a day or two. So I allow myself occasional periods of not keeping track. (I took the July 4th weekend off, and I attended several parties. I ate what I wanted, without worrying about it. On July 5th I got back to my routine. No problem.)

I try to follow a high Protein, low glycemic carb kind of eating plan, patterned loosely after the South Beach Diet way of eating. Being banded, I can't eat as much as SBD would have me eat, so I've taken it down my own road, and figured out how it works for me. It's important for me to keep my blood sugar as stable as possible, not because I'm diabetic, (I'm not even pre-diabetic), but I have a hypoglycemia thing that causes crashes and shaking if I don't maintain steady nutrition. I try to get roughly 10% of my daily calories from Protein, and I try to limit my carbs to about half of that. So if I eat 1000 calories a day, I try to get in 100g of protein, and 50g of carbs. It's not exact, and isn't perfect, but it seems to be working well for me.

I don't cook much, because for me, it's more hassle to make something I'm only going to eat a small amount of, than it is to just grab something out that fits my eating plan. I work full time and am on-call after hours, so I'm on the go quite a bit, and am not always near my refrigerator. I've learned how to live and eat in the real world, rather than being super-vigilant about weighing or measuring things.

A typical work day for me starts with a ready-to-drink Protein shake in the car on my way to work. I like the Premier Nutrition brand, sold at costco and elsewhere, including their website, www.premiernutrition.com. 11 ounces, 30g protein, 5g carbs, 3g fat, and 160 calories. An hour or so later I'll eat something like a "naked" breakfast sandwich - a fried egg, sausage patty, and slice of cheese. (Think "breakfast sandwich" without any bread.) About 300 calories, 20g protein, 1g carb, 25g fat. For lunch, I might have a small cup of chili, like the one they serve at Wendy's. 220 calories, 17g protein, 23g carbs, 6g fat. For dinner, since I'm usually heading home from the gym, I'll often grab a salad, like the new berry Almond chicken salad they're serving at Wendy's. The half-sized serving they sell has 270 calories, 12g fat, 23g carbs, and 21g protein. I drink lots of Water, Lipton Pure Leaf Unsweetened iced tea (that I sweeten with Splenda), and a cup or two of coffee daily. If I need a snack, I'll eat part of a Premier Nutrion Protein Bar, or some trail mix, or a cheese stick. I don't graze, I don't eat junk food, I don't eat most Desserts, and I avoid fried and sugary foods. At the end of the day, based on the above numbers, I'm looking at roughly 950 calories, 88g protein, 52g carbs, and 45g fat. Some days are higher, some lower, but overall I try to get in as much protein as possible, and keep the carbs down. Everything else is relative.

Because I have a desk job, (IT computer support for a busy hospital and medical center), I try to move as much during the day as I can. Instead of the elevator, I take the stairs at work. I park on the far side of the parking lot. When I'm heading off to see someone at work, I take the long way around, so I walk further than necessary. It all adds up. At the end of my workday, I go to the gym on my way home, because I know if I don't make it part of the routine, there is no way I'll make it back once I've gotten home. SO I make things as easy on myself as possible. None of this is written in stone, and everything is flexible. I keep my eyes on the prize, and work daily toward getting there. Life goes on, and I want to be an active participant in mine.

Hope this info helps a bit. I'm not an expert, by any means, but it's working for me. I hope you reach your goal, and that come November, you'll be where you want to be. Good luck!

Dave

[lizzy2150 3]

Dave: I want to thank you for posting your typical day for us to read. I'm newly banded and reading about someone who is successful without being obsessive was exactly what I needed! Congratulations on your success!

Thanks for the kind words. [snip] Life goes on, and I want to be an active participant in mine.

Hope this info helps a bit. I'm not an expert, by any means, but it's working for me. I hope you reach your goal, and that come November, you'll be where you want to be. Good luck!

Dave

[Dave_NW 92]

Dave: I want to thank you for posting your typical day for us to read. I'm newly banded and reading about someone who is successful without being obsessive was exactly what I needed! Congratulations on your success!

Thanks, Lizzy. One thing I've learned is that there is no "perfect" way to be banded. What works great for one person may not work as well for someone else. So everyone needs to figure out how their body works with their band. I see you're off to a great start. Best of luck on your journey as well!

Dave

[roziecakes 20]

Dave, I have found your posts truly inspiring! I like to challenge myself, and I am hoping that my intensive exercise plan will continue to pay off over time to help me lose faster. Reading what you do each day gives me some great ideas!!

[Dave_NW 92]

Dave, I have found your posts truly inspiring! I like to challenge myself, and I am hoping that my intensive exercise plan will continue to pay off over time to help me lose faster. Reading what you do each day gives me some great ideas!!

Thank you very much! Glad to be able to help. I'm a "pay it forward" kind of guy, and willing to offer any and all help possible to those walking this path with me. There is a lot of surgeon-speak buzzwords and rhetoric tossed around before folks get banded, but not a lot of experienced support after the fact. My surgeon and his team are great folks, but none of them are band patients, so they can only tell me what it's supposed to be like, not how it IS. LBT and forums like it are a wealth of information for those who can use it, but it seems a lot of posts are about problems. Being able to share what "normal" is like for me may help others a bit, who may not be having problems, but who want some ideas of how to make the most of their banding experience. Once the parts are figured out, your day to day routine can be very easy and predictable.

One thing I don't talk about too much is the Bodymedia.com armband I wear. It's made by the same company that makes the BodyBugg worn by contestants on The Biggest Loser. This thing is amazing, and does all the hard work for me. Calories in and out, exercise, other activity levels, food eaten, steps taken, sleep quality, and weight gained or lost - it's keeping track so I don't have to. Highly recommend this gadget!

Wishing everyone good luck!

Dave

[vickyd 24]

Lots of good advice, Dave. My diet is very similar to yours in terms of Protein, carbs, calories, etc. I'm still working on the exercise part of that but I'm getting better . I just ordered a Bodybugg SP (it is supposed to be delivered today) and am looking forward to using it to further my weight loss...I saw that you said your tracks your sleep quality - how difficult is it to sleep with?

[sandy1 1]

Thanks for the kind words. It's great feeling like I finally have control over my weight. Banding was the best decision I've ever made.

As others have suggested, set the goal, and give it your best shot. You have nothing to lose but excess weight, right?

Your comments about your eating habits are well taken - I've also had periods when I've gotten off track, and eaten a bit of this and that, only to find I stopped losing. For me, carbs are the enemy. If I eat too many of them, my weight loss stalls, and even stops. When I go back to eating my proper way, things resume within a day or two. So I allow myself occasional periods of not keeping track. (I took the July 4th weekend off, and I attended several parties. I ate what I wanted, without worrying about it. On July 5th I got back to my routine. No problem.)

I try to follow a high Protein, low glycemic carb kind of eating plan, patterned loosely after the South Beach Diet way of eating. Being banded, I can't eat as much as SBD would have me eat, so I've taken it down my own road, and figured out how it works for me. It's important for me to keep my blood sugar as stable as possible, not because I'm diabetic, (I'm not even pre-diabetic), but I have a hypoglycemia thing that causes crashes and shaking if I don't maintain steady nutrition. I try to get roughly 10% of my daily calories from Protein, and I try to limit my carbs to about half of that. So if I eat 1000 calories a day, I try to get in 100g of protein, and 50g of carbs. It's not exact, and isn't perfect, but it seems to be working well for me.

I don't cook much, because for me, it's more hassle to make something I'm only going to eat a small amount of, than it is to just grab something out that fits my eating plan. I work full time and am on-call after hours, so I'm on the go quite a bit, and am not always near my refrigerator. I've learned how to live and eat in the real world, rather than being super-vigilant about weighing or measuring things.

A typical work day for me starts with a ready-to-drink Protein Shake in the car on my way to work. I like the Premier Nutrition brand, sold at costco and elsewhere, including their website, www.premiernutrition.com. 11 ounces, 30g protein, 5g carbs, 3g fat, and 160 calories. An hour or so later I'll eat something like a "naked" Breakfast sandwich - a fried egg, sausage patty, and slice of cheese. (Think "breakfast sandwich" without any bread.) About 300 calories, 20g protein, 1g carb, 25g fat. For lunch, I might have a small cup of chili, like the one they serve at Wendy's. 220 calories, 17g protein, 23g carbs, 6g fat. For dinner, since I'm usually heading home from the gym, I'll often grab a salad, like the new berry Almond chicken salad they're serving at Wendy's. The half-sized serving they sell has 270 calories, 12g fat, 23g carbs, and 21g protein. I drink lots of Water, Lipton Pure Leaf Unsweetened iced tea (that I sweeten with Splenda), and a cup or two of coffee daily. If I need a snack, I'll eat part of a Premier Nutrion Protein Bar, or some trail mix, or a cheese stick. I don't graze, I don't eat junk food, I don't eat most Desserts, and I avoid fried and sugary foods. At the end of the day, based on the above numbers, I'm looking at roughly 950 calories, 88g protein, 52g carbs, and 45g fat. Some days are higher, some lower, but overall I try to get in as much protein as possible, and keep the carbs down. Everything else is relative.

Because I have a desk job, (IT computer support for a busy hospital and medical center), I try to move as much during the day as I can. Instead of the elevator, I take the stairs at work. I park on the far side of the parking lot. When I'm heading off to see someone at work, I take the long way around, so I walk further than necessary. It all adds up. At the end of my workday, I go to the gym on my way home, because I know if I don't make it part of the routine, there is no way I'll make it back once I've gotten home. SO I make things as easy on myself as possible. None of this is written in stone, and everything is flexible. I keep my eyes on the prize, and work daily toward getting there. Life goes on, and I want to be an active participant in mine.

Hope this info helps a bit. I'm not an expert, by any means, but it's working for me. I hope you reach your goal, and that come November, you'll be where you want to be. Good luck!

Dave

Thanks Dave!!

[Dave_NW 92]

Lots of good advice, Dave. My diet is very similar to yours in terms of Protein, carbs, calories, etc. I'm still working on the exercise part of that but I'm getting better . I just ordered a Bodybugg SP (it is supposed to be delivered today) and am looking forward to using it to further my weight loss...I saw that you said your tracks your sleep quality - how difficult is it to sleep with?

Thanks, Vicky. I found the more weight I lose, the easier it is to exercise. And the hardest part was making it part of my daily routine. I go directly from work to the gym, so it's like an extension of my workday. When I'm done, THEN I can get on with my after work activities. It works really well for me. (I can't motivate myself to work out in the morning.)

I have the Bodymedia FIT bluetooth version, that syncs to my Droid phone. I usually just sync it with a USB cable to my PC instead. The bluetooth thing is cumbersome, although it does work well. I don't even notice the armband anymore. It hides under my shirt sleeve on my upper left arm, and is usually out of sight. It's very light, and the elastic band that holds it on is very comfortable. It's velcro-adjustable, so is never too tight. I often forget I'm wearing it, and have nearly climbed into the shower or hot tub while wearing it. Whoops! It's not waterproof... Good luck with yours. It's pretty cool.

Dave