Atkins??

One more thing ----- you have to realize that the medical field considers 'healthy weight loss' to be between 1/2 to 2 pounds per week.

You are within that range if you have lost 2 pounds in 3 weeks

It is probably that after 2 years of adjusting your band and your lifestyle, that your body is not going to lose faster than that.

This is no longer a 'diet' -- but it is your new life-style ------- so, if you can eat healthily and lose 1/2 pound a week, that is real success -- and you will eventually 'get there'

You say that you don't mind eating this way, and can envision yourself doing it long term, so try to give up the 'diet' mentality - and keep plugging along.  When your body gets to its 'base' weight, you will stop losing.

After you re-coup from your surgery and you get the go ahead to start exercising you really need to start.  You might be like me.  Before I started exercising no matter what I did or how little I ate (short of starving myself) I just couldn't lose weight.  As soon as I started moving the pounds just melted off me.  At first it wasn't much because I was near 300 lbs back then.  I was on a treadmill going 2 mph and only able to go 20 minutes at a time.  And believe me I was sweating.  But after a month I was going faster and longer.  Within 6 weeks I was going 3.5 mph or about 35 minutes.  I also was strength training too.   I lost 16 lbs in that first 6 weeks!!!!  No kidding!!!  I mean I was dropping weight like crazy after that.  I think I might have lost 75 lbs in 6 months...after not losing nothing for 1 1/2. years!!!  But I was logging some serious time in the gym.  Although, my weight loss has slowed I am still losing after almost 4 years and 175 lbs. lost.  I just had a dry spell where I only lost 5 lbs in 2 months...and then all of the sudden last week I lost 3 lbs!!!  So I'm still surprising myself!!!   

But for you at first because of your foot...you can go on the bike.  No weight baring at all.  You can go to the treadmill after that.  I then went to the elliptical.  To me the elliptical is harder than the treadmill.  It's a tougher and harder workout but easier on the joints than the treadmill...so worth trading up to the elliptical. 

I also want to say a lot of obese people (myself included) are so intimidated about going to a gym.  They think everyone is staring  and judging them.  Well I can tell you I got nothing but positive feedback and wonderful compliments.  The first time I had someone approach me at the gym....was after I had lost about 50 lbs.  It was this big muscle bound guy.  He looked like one of those power lifter guys.  I was walking to the locker room and I was all sweaty.  And he came up to me and asked me how much weight I had lost.  I told him...and he said, good job.  You're working really hard, you look great.  And he walked away.  I got feedback like that every once in awhile and it felt great.  In general I found that most of the athletic people think you're awesome if they see you're serious about your workout.  They will respect you.  I will get random tips from people.  Hey if you do this instead of this you will get better definition in your biceps.  So really no one is there to judge you.  You just have to make up your mind to go and to Hell with what other people are thinking and doing.   

One more thing about exercising.  My metabolism is shot to hell.  After years of these stupid diets and gaining weight.  I just look at food and I regain.  With exercise and weigh training I am going to do my best to stop the cycle of regain.  How???  Well your muscles are the power house of metabolism.  It's what makes metabolism.  If you have lots of lean muscle mass...you will have a good metabolism..hence why men and athletes and thin fit people can eat and not gain weight.  When you lose weight and not workout you are losing water, fat AND MUSCLE MASS.  So each time you lose weight you are losing just a little more muscle mass...that is why it seems like it's easier and easier to regain your weight!!!!  If you workout while you are losing weight you won't lose muscle mass, but build muscle mass.  Now that is a good thing.  Because you will be able to eat more and not gain weight!!!  This is the main reason why people that workout don't tend to regain...

Atkins is the only long term eating way of life that I was able to lose long term.  I even discussed it with my surgeon.  He even admitted that the post WLS surgery diet is Atkins in sheep clothing and that the band is not conducent for that way of eating.  But, I ate whole food and only used the packaged goods as a last resort when on the run.  Also are you including salad dressing on the salad?  I know when I do it goes from 250 to 1200-1500 for a Creaser salad.

I have used Atkins induction phase to jump start weight loss only I only eat protein with as few carbs of any type as possible. However, I only do it for 2-3 weeks, 4 at the outside. After that I try to limit my carbs to good ones but yet some days my log looks like I am on a high carb diet!

Are you getting 70-80 oz. of liquids? If you skimp on that you will stall weight loss too. Your weight loss is very good, right now, but I know how frustrating that can be. Another thing to try would to add about 150 calories a day to your diet, protein or good quality carbs. Some times it helps even though it seems to be at odds with what we would normally do. You only do this for 1-2 weeks, I average 10 days. The last suggestion I have is to change out your exercise. If you have been concentrating on cardio switch to weights or the other way around. My nut gave me these two things and they have worked well for me.

I too live the Atkins WOE.  It is the only time I do well.  I try to avoid the shakes/bars unless on the go or traveling.  I try to get the protein from whole foods.  I wasn't able to do Atkins for a long time with the band.  I was always hungry and turned to slidder foods.  Once I gould get back to Atkins,  (unfilling the band until it was totally unfilled and than removed)  Now I am doing high protein low carbs, protein 70-120 and carbs under 20-30.  When I hit 40 carbs I don't lose or gain.

I am down to 10 pounds less than I reached with the band as I can now eat high protein low carb.