MamaMichelle

Here's a fun way to look at your weight loss = 1 pound = a Guinea Pig 1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs 3 pounds = an average human brain 4 pounds = an ostrich egg 5 pounds = a Chihuahua 6 pounds = a human’s skin 7.5 pounds = an average newborn 8 pounds = a human head 10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year 11 pounds = an average housecat 12 pounds = a Bald Eagle 15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs 16 pounds = a sperm whale’s brain 20 pounds = an automobile tire 23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream 25 pounds = an average 2 year old 30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 33 pounds = a cinder block 36 pounds = a mid-size microwave 40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg 44 pounds = an elephant’s heart 50 pounds = a small bale of hay 55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 60 pounds = an elephant’s penis (yep, weights more than his heart!) 66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 pounds = an Irish Setter 77 pounds = a gold brick 80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape 90 pounds = a newborn calf 100 pounds = a 2 month old horse 111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year 117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she’s 5’11”) 118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month 130 pounds = a newborn giraffe 138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year 140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she’s 5’4”) 150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary 187 pounds = an average adult man 200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds 235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger 300 pounds = an average football lineman 400 pounds = a Welsh pony

So not having my house/kitchen fully set up has provided a nice excuse to keep eating out, ordering pizza and of course avoiding the gym other unbandster like habits... And belive me the scale is making me pay for it right now, I am back up 2lbs which is the first time I have gained anything in 6 months of being banded (other than a temp fluctuation of a pound or two during my time of the month)! My husband and I went out to lunch today and I ate a HUGE bowl of chicken cesar salad, I swear it was as much if not more than I would/could eat before being banded so I knew it was really time to book a fill! So when I got home I called my Las Vegas fill doc (he's the fill center usa branch for NV) and the first date I could get is Friday (a week from tomorrow) Sept 5th, hopefully I won't gain any more before then... I have been walking my son to and from school which is a mile roundtrip that I do twice a day so I am getting a little bit of a workout each day and I am seriously thinking of getting myself back on optifast or some form of a liquid diet to get all these bad habits out of my system over the next week before my fill to kind of reset my system!

Hey everyone, I'm finally all moved in and got my computer all set up! I've been doing some reading on my pda during the down times so I feel somewhat in the loop but still have a lot of catching up to do!! On my end not too much is new, I had my scale packed away since the 12th and got it out today for the first time and I had lost 2lbs... Not too shabby considering we ate nothing but fast food for almost 2 weeks during this move but I guess the exercise from lugging boxes was enough to counter act the bad diet. I have decided I REALLY need a fill because these last few days my eating has been more out of control than any other time since being banded... I think it's the not having all my good food in the house and again eating out so much, I really need to refocus and get that fill as soon as possible!! Hope everyone is ejoying their summer!!

Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories [/color] a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine/Alcohol (4) Some fruits and vegetables such as; oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (5) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. e. If your pain is severe (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

On a side note, my inlaws are in town who I hadn't seen since last Sept and of course this is the thinnest they have ever seen me... When they or anyone else I know asks what I have been doing to lose weight I totally down play it and say oh I've been eating less and working out more (both totally true) and then when they ask how much I've lost I always say oh maybe 25-30lbs since Christmas" like I'm not really tracking it.. lol Maybe I don't want them to do the math and figure out that I was almost 250lbs, or maybe I still feel somewhat ashamed that I had to turn to WLS to get my eating under control, I guess that is why I haven't told anyone but my husband ... I knew the risks and that it was the right choice and I am so glad I did but what the heck is wrong with me that I can't be as free with the people I know and love as I am with all of you (who I also feel like I know and love) it's a mystery!! I guess that's why I'm so open and happy to share my progress with you all, I am not an exhibitionist or desperate for attention I promise... lol I share my story because it's my only outlet (other than DH) where I can say, look at me I made a tough/drastic choice to improve my health and it's working for me!! I also know how hard it was to make the choice to get banded and that others are in my same shoes everyday and I hope that I can help those who are considering this major life change or who have already done it that it will work for you too!!

The Top Ten Reasons Why Weight Loss Surgery Is NOT "The Easy Way Out" by Glenn Goldberg Another post from a gastric bypass site, but I think that so many people have this notion that we did take the easy way out so here are some good responses!! 10. It's very expensive. Many health insurance companies don't pay for the surgery, and even when they do, co-payments and other costs add up quickly. Also, it can become very costly to constantly replenish wardrobes as the weight comes off. 9. Recovery can be very painful. Besides the pain from the surgery wound, patients may experience nausea or severe gastric distress. Patients with sleep apnea may become sleep-deprived, with all of the associated adverse affects, when they must discontinue use of their CPAP machines to avoid disturbing the staples creating their tiny new stomach pouch. (MM note- so glad I got the band and had minimal pain and no side effects from surgery) 8. Recuperation can take a long time. Patients may be “out of commission” and absent from work for a prolonged period of recovery time. In some cases, patients may not be able to return to work or normal pursuits for up to 10 – 12 weeks. (another MM note- so glad I got the band and was out and about shopping 24hrs after surgery) 7. It's hard work and a major time commitment. For optimal results, patients should engage in aerobic exercise for up to an hour daily. For bodies unaccustomed to vigorous exercise, this can be very hard. It's also a real challenge for WLS patients to learn all they must about nutrition so they can assure that their food and vitamins are sustaining their body. Finally, it can be exhausting to consciously, carefully and painstakingly chew every bit of food that enters your mouth. 6. Vomiting isn't fun. Nor is diarrhea. It may take patients many months (and frequent episodes of vomiting or diarrhea) to identify incompatible foods and to learn the practical limits of their newly reduced stomachs or digestive systems. 5. It takes extraordinary courage to consciously limit food choices for the rest of your life (and potentially limit social opportunities built around meals). For many patients, life after WLS means treating food as a fuel, not as a source of drama, excitement, comfort or a central life focus: i.e. eating to live rather than living to eat. While some procedures may be reversible, for most patients WLS is a lifetime commitment, requiring a lifetime of major lifestyle changes. 4. Weight loss surgery can be dangerous. As many as .5% of surgery patients may die from the procedure, and up to 5% may experience debilitating medical complications (especially if they listen to their peers' advice more carefully than their doctor's.) 3. It takes great bravery and strength to deflect other people's judgments and society's myths about obesity. Fat people are often blamed and shamed by family and friends with simplistic advice, unrealistic solutions, and uninformed prejudices. Whether it's for genetic or metabolic reasons, diet and exercise, willpower and discipline have never, by themselves, been enough. Our appetite regulators simply don't work. Without WLS, we don't know when we're full! 2. What gives anyone the right to judge which path is right for another? Is a person who runs a 10K taking a “better” or “tougher” route to wellness than the person who walks vigorously every day? Is working with weights better than water aerobics? Different strokes for different folks. Each of us finds our own right way, and how dare others judge our path to health and longevity! By their reckoning, the most courageous thing would be for us to suck it up and die young. 1. For many morbidly obese people, WLS may be the ONLY realistic alternative for achieving a long, healthy life. The newest research provides irrefutable evidence that body weight is largely a function of genes — just like height or a family propensity for cancer. These genes help regulate appetite and metabolism. People prone to obesity seem to gain excessive weight easily, while finding it difficult or impossible to lose it. That's why diets almost always fail and why WLS is currently the only viable weight loss option for many morbidly obese people, according to endocrinologist David Cummings of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System. Most people can lose no more than 5-10% off their "natural" body weight by exercising and eating wisely. Decades of diet studies show that more than 90% of people who lose weight by dieting gain it all back within 5 years. "There are exceptions, but when you are speaking of general rules, the only people who are able to lose more than 10 percent of their body weight and keep it off are people who have had gastric-bypass or other bariatric surgery," Cummings notes.

I am in the middle of moving, lol sneaking away for a fourm break right now so I have been super stressed and I haven't been able to eat much of anything over these past few days which is hard because my inlaws are here helping and they don't know I am banded so it makes it hard to cover up... I've just been ordering soup and such to keep my calories and carbs up so I can have some energy to get through this move!!

When I was losing fast I was eating about 1,000cal a day and burning about 300 in exercise but I bet my resting burn rate was about 1,700 then which gives me a negative calorie balance of -1,000calories each day, if you times that by 7days that is a total of negative 7,000cal per week.. If takes burning 3,500 calories to lose 1pound then that averages out to 2lbs per week and a total of 8lbs a month which was my monthly average loss... NOW at 176lbs it says I burn 1600 calories a day... and I am eating about 1,200 calories a day and haven't been burning any through exercise so that leaves me at a negative calorie balance of -400 per day, or 2,800 for the week which means that my monthly total for this month will be -3.2 lbs which seems pretty on target since I have only lost 2lbs so far and have 2weeks till the end of the month is over.. Clearly I need to rework my diet and get back to working out if I want the pounds to keep coming of the way they were before but I'm kind of ok with where I am now so I'm really not obsessing over it like I have in the past!

Actually last month was the first time there was a real noticeable shrinking of the boobs, when I was a size 22 I wore a 40DD and was maintaining a 38D for the past 3 months or so but I think I need to get remeasured because my bras are fitting weird and I don't know if I need to go down in band size or cup size (or both eek). Oh and believe me they only look good in a bra, going to need that lift/implant if I get much smaller, maybe for my 1 year bandiversary? Hey Hanna, I miss you so much babe... I know that grandbaby must be taking up so much of your time!! What do the little "aunts" think of the baby?? Let us know how your fill goes and keep checking in, we are here for you!! Oh and I am long way from a 6, I think I will stay an 8 for at least another 15lbs or so!! Good question Kim... When the other Kim posted to poll about ideal size I said 8 was pretty much my goal because when I was 150lbs(ish) in high school I was sometimes an 8 but mostly a 10, so I don't know if I've lost muscle mass since I was an athlete then or what but no one is more confused about that than me... maybe the clothing sizes are different since that was 8 years ago and those were Juniors sizes?? Honestly I would be totally fine not losing another pound, and while I'm still going to try to get another fill before the end of the month (so I can maintain and not gain) I really don't feel the pressure to keep losing since I am really happy with how I'm looking now... I do feel like I am entering a plateau stage right now, which again is fine but I think picking back up the exercise will help me tone up (which I need) and because I have kind of an athletic build already that usually causes me to look slimmer , but I don't know if my weight will go much lower since I'll be adding muscle weight... Of course you look at LisaL who's in a size 2/4 now and I'm sure she at one point wasn't sure if she'd get past an 8, I guess you never know. So stay tuned, we shall see what happens!!

Hey guys- Thanks for all the kind words it really helps keep me going and I'm glad that I can inspire some of you guys as well!! I would write more but it's 3 am and I've been up since 8am packing/moving, just needed a little break and my daily "fix" of reading the board, I love you all so much I am a total forum junkie... lol

Congrats on a good fill, I LOVE your new myspace pics, you look SO tiny already!! For everyone that doesn't know our Trina is a total HOTTIE!!

I can see the difference in your waist, you are so slim already everywhere else there's not alot they could do silly girl!! Looks great, glad we've got another brave bikini babe here!! Thanks Jenn, you're such a dear and I owe so much to you since it was your segment on Oprah that finalized my choice to get the band, and of course choose Dr. Ortiz!! It says that you can purchase a hard copy (to print out I assume) for $5 so they must make money that way, and by selling/advertising products geared towards heavy people who are the ones visiting their site. Great to see you in a pic other than your avatar!! I think they did slim your face down some, that's a hard thing to edit without looking distorted (body contouring is much easier) and those are some killer legs!

Some have tried this, from what I recall the results are mixed... It works for some and doesn't for others!!

That's totally was I was talking about, my arms aren't changing at all and Misty has the arms of a 16 year old (so jealous)

You look soooooooooooooooooo great Misty, you are totally shrinking all over (lucky duck) I can also see so much confidence and pride in your face, you deserve it!! P.S. I didn't realize you were at 174!!!!!!!!!!!!! You need to update that fitness pal thing so everyone can see how great you're doing!!

WAY TO GO KIMMIE! How exciting to experience such a drastic change so quickly!! The other's are right you won't be there for long, and when you get to a size 10 I'm sure I'll have a whole bunch of things to send your way!!

Thanks guys... I'm still going to be mostly wearing a size 10, I got a whole bunch of amazingly cute size 10 pants from LisaL in the mail last week that I haven't had a chance to wear out yet (it's been T-shirts and jeans while we are moving) but I will!! I always heard that the difference in "normal sizes" (That's fashion's opinion not mine) is so slight that lose 5 or 10lbs can move you down a size instantly but it takes 20lbs to go from a size 18 to a 16... I guess that is true, once you get over that size 12 hurdle it's all downhill from there...

It's is super fun, I loooooooooooooove the wedding idea I was heavy when we got married and I hate that our wedding pics show me looking that way... Not sure if I ever posted these before but here are some pages from our wedding album... I'll post a link to see the rest if anyone is bored and wants to check them out.

Been kind of bummed about my weight loss slowing down, I've only lost 2lbs so far this month and I REALLY need a fill... I haven't been working out because we are moving this weekend and there's just too much other stuff to do. So I came across a pair of size 8 capris and for the hell of it tried them on, and they zipped right up!! I was so excited I had to take some pics, even took one of the tag because it was such a milestone for me (my body carries most of my weight in my hips and legs)!!

It won't let me post the pic directly but here's me after my "Virtual 30 lb Weight Loss" To see the pics side by side or a cool transformation slideshow use this link: http://www.weightview.com/new/resultsshown...s=adeleBosch987

Glad to see you back Donna, I know it's been a harder road for you then most of us and it's SO great to see that you didn't give up on the band... You kept getting the fills untill you finally got it right, preseverence pays off and now you'll be in Onederland before you know it! So proud of you!!!

super easy the whole process took maybe 2 or 3 min!

Check out this site http://www.weightview.com/new/ Apparently you can upload a picture of yourself at your current weight and they will edit that picture of you looking as many lbs lighter as you choose. It is totally free so it's worth trying... You guys know I am up for anything so I submitted my most reecent bikini picture, and once they send it back (about 48hrs) I will post my edited picture for you guys... I thought some of you might want to try it and have some fun with it. Let us know what you think of the site, and if you submit your picture post the resuts here for us.

Nine Cold, Hard Weight Loss Truths By: Brie Cadman Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, chances are you’ve seen some ideas on how to do so: “Eat what you want and lose weight!” “Lose thirty pounds in thirty days!” “Finally, a diet that really works!” “Lose one jean size every seven days!” “Top three fat burners revealed” “Ten minutes to a tighter tummy!” But these claims are readily rebuked by anyone who’s tried to lose five, ten, or one hundred pounds. Losing weight ain’t that easy. It’s not in a pill, it doesn’t (usually) happen in thirty days, and judging from the myriad plans out there, there is no one diet that works for everyone. Looking past the outrageous claims, there are a few hard truths the diet/food industry isn’t going to tell you, but might just help you take a more realistic approach to sustained weight loss. 1. You have to exercise more than you think. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week; this includes things like shoveling snow and gardening. And while this is great for improving heart health and staying active, research indicates that those looking to lose weight or maintain weight loss have to do more—about twice as much. For instance, members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR)—a group of over 5,000 individuals who have lost an average of sixty-six pounds and kept it off for five and a half years—exercise for about an hour, every day. A study published in the July 28, 2008 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine supports this observational finding. The researchers enrolled 200 overweight and obese women on a diet and exercise regimen and followed them for two years. Compared with those that gained some of their weight back, the women who were able to sustain a weight loss of 10 percent of their initial weight for two years exercised consistently and regularly—about 275 minutes a week, or fifty-five minutes of exercise at least five days a week. In other words, things like taking the stairs, walking to the store, and gardening are great ways to boost activity level, but losing serious weight means exercising regularly for an hour or so. However, this doesn’t mean you have to start running or kickboxing—the most frequently reported form of activity in the NWCR group is walking. 2. A half-hour walk doesn’t equal a brownie. I remember going out to eat with some friends after a bike ride. Someone commented on how we deserved dessert because we had just spent the day exercising; in fact, we had taken a leisurely twenty-minute ride through the park. This probably burned the calories in a slice of our French bread, but definitely not those in the caramel fudge brownie dessert. Bummer. And while it’s easy to underestimate how many calories something has, it’s also easy to overestimate how many calories we burn while exercising. Double bummer. Even if you exercise a fair amount, it’s not carte blanche to eat whatever you want. (Unless you exercise a ton, have the metabolism of a sixteen-year-old boy, and really can eat whatever you want). A report investigating the commonly-held beliefs about exercising, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, concludes that although exercise does burn calories during and after exercise, for overweight persons, “excessive caloric expenditure has limited implications for substantially reducing body weight independent of nutritional modifications.” In other words, to lose weight, you have to cut calories and increase exercise. 3. You have time to exercise. If you have time to check email, watch a sitcom or two, surf the internet, have drinks/coffee/dinner with friends, go clothes shopping, and on and on, then you have time to exercise. Yes, sometimes you have to sacrifice sleep, TV, or leisure time to fit it in. Yes, sometimes you have to prioritize your exercise time over other things. But your health and the feeling you get after having worked out is well worth it. 4. Eating more of something won’t help you lose weight. The food industry is keen to latch onto weight loss research and spin it for their sales purposes. A prime example is the widespread claim that eating more dairy products will help you lose weight. However, a recent review of forty-nine clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 showed that “neither dairy nor calcium supplements helped people lose weight.” This idea—that eating more of a certain type of product will help you lose weight—is constantly regurgitated on supermarket shelves (think low-fat cake, low-carb crackers, high in whole grain cookies, and trans fat-free chips), but is in direct opposition to the basic idea behind weight loss—that we have to eat less, not more. 5. Calories in = calories out? There is a fair amount of controversy over the basic question of how people gain weight. Is it simply a matter of energy intake being greater than energy expenditure? Or is there more too it; do the type of calories we eat matter and can avoiding certain types help to lose or prevent weight? The low-fat, low-carb, and glycemic index advocates can’t seem to agree on which it is. However, most can agree, and logical sense would tell us, that drinking 500 calories of soda is not equal to eating 500 calories of chicken and broccoli. One is simply “empty” calories—those that provide no real nutritional benefit and don’t do much to combat hunger. Whether you ascribe to the simple idea of trying to burn more calories than you take in or focus on avoiding certain types of calories, you want to minimize intake of empty calories, and maximize nutrient-dense calories 6. Your body is working against you. Most people have noticed that it’s hard to lose weight, but easy to gain it. This is a relic of harder times, when food was not as abundant as it is today. Our genetic taste buds made energy-dense food desirable because it was necessary to pack away calories so we could make it through the thin times. We feasted when we could, in preparation for the famine. But now that we live in a time of abundance, that system predisposes many of us for weight gain and retention. And for obese dieters, this system is even harder to overcome; after weight loss, they become better at using fuel and storing fat, making it harder to keep weight off. However, this isn’t to say that many haven’t lost weight and kept it off successfully. It just means you have to be diligent. 7. Our cultural environment is also working against you. Let’s face it, American society does not make it easy on those trying to eat healthfully and exercise. According to Linda Bacon, associate professor of nutrition at UC Davis, “We get a tremendous amount of pressure to eat for reasons other than nurturing ourselves, and over time, people lose sensitivity to hunger/fullness/appetite signals meant to keep them healthy and well nourished. It’s hard for people to come to a healthy sense of themselves given the cultural climate, and nutritious and pleasurable options for healthy food are not as easily accessible as less nutritious.” That doesn’t mean this can’t be overcome, but it does require maybe putting other parts of your life on a “diet.” TV would be the biggest culprit, since many food advertisements, especially for children’s junk food, come during this time. Other areas to put on a “diet” are chain and fast food restaurants (where portion sizes are distorted), a bad-influence friend, or driving, which may help increase walking and biking. 8. Maybe you don’t need to lose weight. Some feel that the medical problems associated with excess weight are exaggerated. Gina Kolata, a New York Times science writer questions the notion that thin is a realistic or necessary objective for most. In her book, Rethinking Thin, she asserts that weight loss is an unachievable goal for many, and that losing weight isn’t so much about health as it is about money, trends, and impossible ideals. Recent research also challenges the idea that being overweight is bad. A study in JAMA found that being twenty-five pounds overweight did not increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, and may even help stave off infections. It’s true that people can be fit and healthy and not necessarily be thin, just as it’s true that thin people may not necessarily be healthy. Good health, rather than weight, should be our focus; too often, it’s not. Striving for an unhealthy level of thinness may be detrimental to our health, but understanding the health repercussions of obesity is also critical. 9. This is not a diet; this is your life. The diet industry would have us all think that we can lose weight fast, and that’s that. But most people who maintain their weight understand that eating and exercising are not temporary conditions, to be dumped once a pair of jeans fit. Instead, they are lifestyle choices, and ones to be made for the long haul.

Hey Carrie- How are you doing? Are you still maintaing or are you back on the losing track? You never said WHY you have yet to get a fill, the band was designed to work only when fills are added, that's why you get a total unfill if you get pregnant- so you can eat as if you aren't banded for the baby health...