Some great knowledge that I have learned and has helped me a lot:

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor... these are the things that have helped me, I suggest you talk to your doctor before you try some of these methods)

How to help control those cravings!!!

The clinic I go to calls this the 3-bite rule (It really does work!)

1. Take a bite of the food you were craving, but chew it slow, really think about how it tastes, how it smells, how it feels in your mouth.  Take it ALL in.  Really enjoy it.  Then think about how good it was (I'm sure it was GREAT!)

2. Take another bite and do the same thing, odds are it was good, but not quite as good as the first bite.

3. Now take another bite and do the same thing, was it as good as the first or second bite.  It probably wasn't.

The reason why this happens is because as you get hungry, your sense of smell and taste actually increases.  As you start to feed your hunger, those senses diminish (quite rapidly if you eat slowly enough) and food doesn't taste quite as good, and you no longer get the same satisfaction out of what you were eating.

This method should allow you to enjoy those foods your really want, but in moderation!

Get RID of the: It's the ALL or NOTHING mentality.

-Once you "cheat" a little, you think to yourself... well I've already ruined today, might as well go all the way.  This is a negative behavior you need to get away from.  Just because you cheated a little doesn't meat you ruined ANYTHING.  Think about how you used to eat.  Have you made an improvement on that?

THAT is the key.  Making improvement.  Say you have a sweet tooth for... Licorice.  You know you are supposed to have 0, but are eating 10 pieces a day.  If you were able to cut back to say 5, that's an improvement in your eating habits, and something to be proud of.

Same works for exercise.  Say you are supposed to work out 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, and right now you are doing 0.  If you work out 2 days for 30 minutes, you didn't fail.  You have improved!  Be proud that you worked out 2 days instead of 0!

Any improvement is that... IMPROVEMENT!  Be proud off all IMPROVEMENTS NO MATTER HOW SMALL!

Water water everywhere... so drink up!

I have seen a lot of debate on how much water to drink, after looking around for quite some time, I have a simple explanation on why and how much to drink when loosing weight.
 
Why water is important while loosing weight:
Water is needed to help filter out all the toxins that are created in the fat burning process.  Water is used by your kidneys to filter all of these toxins out of your body and is passed out in your urine.  If you aren't getting enough water, your liver has to work on filtering out the toxins that the kidneys can't handle. Since your liver has to work more on filtering out the toxins, it now has less ability to do what is essential to your weight-loss... metabolize fat.  That's right, your liver is the chief organ that is needed to metabolize fat. So drink up and let your liver work!

How much water should I drink?
I have found the following formula to work for me, and it I know it has worked for others.
Base: 64 ounces of water a day + 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you want to loose.
Example: A 250lb person wanting to weigh 125 pounds should be getting 104 ounces of water a day. (64oz + (8oz*5)) = 104oz.  (The number 5 came from 125lbs/25lbs).
I have found that this is a good place to start. 

How do you know you are at the right amount? 
Your urine should be a very pale yellow color.

How do I drink that water?
I know this sounds like an odd question, but it's not. You should not be gulping down water.  Instead you should be drinking it all day long.  Over the course of 30 minutes the most water you should drink is 20 ounces (from what I have read).

How I lost my pre-surgery weight:

Plate Method:

Take a 10" plate and divide it in half, then divide one of the halves in half.

1/4 (approx 3oz) should be lean meat (chicken, fish, egg)
1/4 (approx 1/2c) should be starch (rice, 1 slice of bread, starchy vegetables)
1/2 (approx 1c or more) should be vegetables (or fruit in the morning)

This should be done for all 3 meals of the day. Snacks include low-fat cheese, yogurt, and fruit.

Below is a couple of days of what I eat:

Day 1:

Breakfast:
-3/4 cup mixed frozen mixed frozen pepper mix (Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Onions)
-1/4 cup peas
-All scrambled together with an egg

Snack:
-Low Fat String Cheese

Lunch:
-3 oz of marinated grilled teriyaki chicken
-1 cup vegetable steamer packer (snap peas and mushrooms)
-1/2 cup rice

Snack:
-Dannon Activia Light Yogurt (Strawberry 4 oz)

Dinner:
-3oz canned chicken
-2 tbl spicy mustard
-1/2 cup lettuce
-1 low carb wrap

Day 2:

Breakfast:
-1 slice of French toast (1 beaten egg, and 1 slice of bread, no butter, no syrup)
-Fruit (apple, orange or grapes)

Snack:
-Low Fat String Cheese

Lunch:
-3 oz tuna packet
-1 cup romaine lettuce
-1/4 cup grated carrots
-3 Tablespoons Kraft Fat Free Caesar Italian dressing

Snack:
-Dannon Activia Light Yogurt (Strawberry 4 oz)

Dinner:
-3 oz of marinated grilled garlic chicken
-1 cup Broccoli
-1/2 of a sweet potato

This worked for me.  It is not easy and definitely feels like a diet.  I know that in the short run it works, but in the long run, I don't know if I could stay on it without WLS (the reason why I chose the restriction method).

How to get your ticker to work.

The board won't support typing in the code.  All you need to do is right click on your ticker (on the screen that contains the code) and click copy.  Then go to your signature line and paste it in.  Trust me, that is all you need to do, and it will auto update as you update the ticker on the other website.

Transfer Addictions.

I am not a mental health expert, but would share my knowledge on the subject:

WLS patients can suffer what is called "transfer addiction".

Your previous addiction was probably food.  Now that food is no longer there you may look for another addiction without knowing it.  This may be many things including alcohol, gambling, sex, drugs, exercise, and/or risky behavior. 

There can be many reasons why transfer addiction happens. One of the most common reasons for an addiction to cover up a deeper emotional problem.

If you start to realize this is happening to you I strongly suggest visiting a mental health specialist before it gets out of control.  Don't be embarrassed or think you are "crazy" you are not!  There are lots of people that visit mental health specialists (Including myself).

So, please get the help you need before it gets out of hand!

My Post Surgery Vitimans

Flintstones Chewable Complete (with Iron)
Reason: A good multivitamin is a MUST when we are eating less

Ironlab Calcium Citrate with magnesium and Vitamin D (1000mg total daily) 4 chewables
Reason: To digest protein you need to have calcium.  If you don't get enough in your diet your body will take the calcium from you bones which is not good!

Nature's Made B complex: I have to split it in two but am able to swallow no problem (it ends up being the size of a pencil eraser)
Reason: Mainly because of Thiamine 15mg.  It is less likely that a person with a band will get a B deficiency, but it can happen.  My nutritionist told me to check the label and make sure it has 15mg of Thiamine.

How I take my vitamins:

Morning: Flintstones Chewable
Mid-Morning: B-Complex
Mid afternoon (at least 4 hours after taking B-Complex): 500mg of my calcium
Nighttime (at least 2-3 hours after taking my first calcium): The other 500mg of my calcium

Reason why I allow time between B-complex and Calcium:  "Calcium containing products reduce acidity in the stomach, though there may be a rebound phenomenon which causes a greater than normal amount of acid to be produced after the initial acid-reducing effects of the calcium wear off. The reduction of acid decreases the absorption of iron from the intestine. Therefore, doses of calcium and iron should be separated by a several hours."

Reason why I don't take my Calcium all at once: "Calcium, whether from diet or supplements, is best absorbed when taken in amounts of 500 – 600 mg or less."