Nutrition Question

hi! i need to loose 50 lbs before my insurance will cover lap band. i'm looking for the quickest healthy way i can do this. (lemme just say in advance i cannot do atkins. tried it in the past and it didn't work for me plus it tore my stomach up) i am 5'4" and currently weigh 344lbs. i am not exercising a whole lot atm because of real physical limitations. i am trying to walk at least once a day down about a half mile strip tho. i hope to increase that as i go. what kind of calorie intake should i have with this lifestyle that will give me the best/fastest results? and what % of that should be protein, carbs, fat? i use fitday.com to track what i'm eating. for today i have 1128 calories with 29% being protein, 29% fat, and 42% carbs. i know the carbs are high..... also, i know alot of empty calories in drinks are bad. i drink light lemonade alot now. i used to be a real carbonation junkie and i've been trying to find something to replace that to drink that will satisfy me. just plain water doesn't do it for me. the light lemonade has only 5 calories per can. i probably drink about 4 a day. is that bad?

I think you should talk to a dietitian who can design an individualized weight loss plan that  1. You can live with. 2. You will stick to. Designing a weight loss plan needs to take many factors into consideration, not the least of which is your past medical history and other private information.  This is not the forum for an individualized nutrition assessment and plan.  As far as exercise - you want to move major muscle groups.  If you are walking, that's great - but any movement is good.  You can sit in a chair and do leg lifts, sit in the same chair and wave your arms over your head. A combination of diet and exercise is your best bet. Also check out the non-surgical board here on OH. good luck! Danielle Halewijn RD eNutritioncare.com

Hi there!  I also use Drs. Bauman and Pirrello.  i had to lose 40 lbs prior to surgery (I had lap RNY).  Dr. Pirrello had me go on a 800-1000 cal per day diet.  I used that time to work on getting at least 60 g of protein each day (tried to get more like 80-100), made sure to drink 100 oz or so of non caf fluids, worked to stay under 40 g carbs.  That worked for me.  Send me a private message if I can help more.

thanks robin. that helps to give me some basic general guidelines. i am planning on making an apt with a nutritionist as soon as i can, but insurance coverage will play a part in how soon that will happen. i know they cover the required visits for the surgery, but don't know if they will cover visits before that.

I am surprised that your insurance company is saying that you must lose 50 lbs prior to them authorizing a lap band.  It has been my understanding throughout dealing with my insurance company that the ONLY way they would pay for my gastric bypass was if i did a supervised diet with my doctor and could NOT lose weight THEN they would pay for the procedure.  I wonder if they are pulling a fast one on you??????