OldMomOf3

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I was fed up with not loosing any weight so I finally started to exercise. I exercised 4 times last week…40 minute walk, 30 minute jog/walk, 40 minute jog walk, 20 minute jog. Yes, I ate more than I had before – about 200 calories/day more, because I was miserably hungry after exercising. I was eating about 1400/day of healthy food, high Protein, no junk and went up to 1600 with the exercise (and by the way, I was still hungry often…tummy grumbling hungry, can't concentrate hungry). I drank my usual amount of Water. And for sure did NOT gain 5 pounds in muscle in a single week. WHAT GIVES!!!! I hate this. Yes, I'm ranting...my muscles hurt and what did it get for it...NADA! Oh, I take that back, I got fatter!

HI Frederic, Yes, I grumble all of the time too. Sometimes it’s just my banded body that gurgles more than it used to. But when I get hungry I can actually feel nauseous or get a gaggy feeling when I get too hungry.

First let me say I LOVE YOU GUYS! Everyone of you. To address some of your very helpful responses and questions: Dylan, Carolina girl, -I don’t know about the inches yet. I will measure and watch and wait. I forgot to do that before starting exercise. Excellent reminder, thank you! I doubt I’ve lost any inches yet, but will keep an eye on that so I don’t keep getting so discouraged, if I am indeed shrinking. Terry: BMI, BMR -I see what you are saying, makes perfect sense! I had my BMR tested last week, at my doctor’s apt. Resting I burn 1728 in a day + 516 for lifestyle and activity, not including exercise. According to the testing, I should be able to take in 1384-1728/day and loose weight slowly (without exercise). So, it seems like I should be able to take in 1600 and exercise, and loose weight. That would put me at burning 2400/day (when I exercise) according to this testing. According to the test (that one you breathe into for 12 minutes), my metabolism is between normal/high and high. Of course, all of this is assuming that the testing is accurate. Big IF, right! Catfish, -UGH the adjustments! I have had super struggles with this! I’ve been bouncing around in single CCs the last few visis. One time too tight, the next time too loose…fill, unfill, fill again…Here’s the thing….I get stuck easily, but I’m hungry all of the time. The band does what it is supposed to do – restrict my eating (I guess) but I’m so stinking hungry! Seroius tummy grumbling hungry – not just “I feel like eating” hungry. I try to not eat late, but I wake up, in the middle of the night, so hungry I can’t sleep. I’ve settled my stomach with Water, but I just feel like I’m always hungry. How can that be, especially on 1400 calories! I try to avoid the sliders and stick with real food, but I find that I need those Protein shakes to really satisfy the hunger. This has been an issue for about 6 months. Can’t get to the sweet spot where I don’t get stuck on everything (and tempted to eat sliders), yet, the band is restricting me so I don’t get hungry. Grown, -Yes, banded 10 months. I had lost 38 pounds. I lost the last 5 in March-April, but gained that 5 back last week. My doc gets me all confused. He says…eat 1000-1200 calories per day, eat when you are hungry, eat solid food. If I ate when I was hungry I would eat 2000 calories a day. So, I try to eat as little as I can, of healthy food, and not get so hungry. I’m crabby with everyone right now because of the hunger, and weight gain makes it worse! I’m starting to wonder if I have PMS? I never know. All I can think is that one of these 3 things may be true…. I may be miscounting my calories or forgetting to record things I eat. I will be more careful and track more meticulously. I may be destined to be this weight. Maybe I need to have a fill – but dang! I don’t’ think I’ll be able to eat much if I get any tighter…and then I slip into eating too many slider foods. Perhaps I’m doing that already. So see point 1, track better. Perhaps I need to eat less food, but eat more often (but I do feel like I eat often enough) Perhaps I need to tolerate the huger???? Ugh I will fail for sure if I try this route. I don’t know what else to say. I totally appreciate the help though, and have been encouraged by your input!! More is welcome!!

Pre-band, this was always the pattern with me….loose weight, get stressed because life is stressful, gain weight, get depressed, gain more weight. Even with the band, when life is really stressful, I simply cannot live and eat the way I need to in order to loose weight. That’s just a fact. THANKFULLY, with the band, I am not over eating and I’m not regaining weight during this stressful season. I’ve just stopped loosing weight. So, right now, I’m in the end of the not loosing weight phase. In 3 weeks, I go back to the hard work and focus on weight loss. But I’m a little nervous about it. I’m afraid I’ll fail. Would anyone like to give me some gentle encouragement? Some cheerleading? I don’t do so well with the boot camp lectures, but I love to be inspired by your stories of how you got back on the weight loss train. Anyone? Anyone? Stress, in my life, comes from being extremely busy. I mean, never sit down (except in the car), work day and night, no time for idol hands, just insane demands, kind of busy. That’s just my life, and for as long as I am a full time mom of 3 smart, talented, busy kids; part time employee, can’t say “no” person, this is the way life will be for me. And the truth is, I’m happy with a busy life. I have little time to waste and absolutely no time to get in trouble. I get a lot done and I like it this way. BUT, my heath can take the back seat… a sacrifice I’m willing to make, in spurts. I tend to have about 3 months of crazy, 3 months of not so crazy, 3 months of insain, and 3 months of slower. That means half the year I can focus on health. Half the year I just have to survive with out going bezerk. I got banded in June 2012 and have lost 35 of the 60 I need to loose. I have not lost anything since December – which I expected due to this being the craziest time of year for me. I’m about to enter the slightly less stressful time. I guess I’m kind of babbling,…mostly I’d just really like to hear your stories about getting back to the business of weight loss and what helped you succeed.

WoooHooo! Thank you for the inspiration! I lost a pound this week and ate very healthy. Next week is a big week for me because I am going to start exercising again and quit drinking coffee (again....). It will be a challenging week, but I know I'm consuming a lot of calories in fun coffee drinks, and I'm addicted. So, must kick that habit now. I'm also starting a diet that consists of food that you can "kill, plant or pick, or get directly from those foods (like eggs)." I'm excited about it. No more manufactured food - we will see how it goes, but I'm feeling pretty good and that's a good way to feel as I go into it. Thank you encouagers! You really helped me in a difficult time!

I got sick and vomited, just absolutely wreched and wreched. Yes, extremely painful. My doc sent me for an x-ray/swallow thing to check and see if the band had shifted. Fortunately, it had not! Since then he gave me a perscription for Zofran and told me to not throw up again, and to see him if I do. In the past I would have caught every cold and flu that passed by. At this point, 9 months post surgery, I have only been sick that one time. Not even a sniffle. I take B complex, B12 and D3, echenacha (sp?) daily, in liquid form since being banded.

This is a repost from something I wrote in February I just wanted to report that my hair IS growing back! Whew! I was banded June 2012 Started losing hair Sept 2012 A LOT of hair fell out from sept-Nov 2012 *When I say falling out I mean, cleaning hair brush every day, scooping out clumps of hair from shower every day, hair all over sink and bathroom floor, hair all over my clothes and pillow, hair on my car seat, hair on the floor all over the house, and 20-30 strands every time I ran my fingers through my hair. Just all kinds of hair everywhere. All of these things, every day. Normal hair loss would be a strand here and there, clean brush weekly, a tiny bit in the drain, maybe. For me, the WLS hairloss was easily 20 times the normal hair loss. 1've been having normal hair loss since Deccember. Feb 2013 I can see hundreds of new hairs, that stand about 1/2 to 1 inch high all over my head. Sometimes it looks funny, sometimes it acts like a root lifter by making my hair poof at the scalp. It is the same color as the rest of my hair. I started taking bioten in October, but I do not believe it has had any real effect in terms of how fast my hair is growing. Also, since the same thing happened after I gave birth to each of my kiddos, and I was not taking bioten then, I'm concluding that the hair loss/regrowth cycle has simply run it's course. I hope this encourages any of you who may be concerned about your own hair loss. I think it's somewhat common, it does eventually stop falling out and start growing back. Bioten probalby helps some, but not everyone, but appears to have no ill side effects (but don't rely on me for medical advice, ask your doctor).

I just wanted to report that my hair IS growing back! Whew! I was banded June 2012 Started losing hair Sept 2012 A LOT of hair fell out from sept-Nov 2012 *When I say falling out I mean, cleaning hair brush every day, scooping out clumps of hair from shower every day, hair all over sink and bathroom floor, hair all over my clothes and pillow, hair on my car seat, hair on the floor all over the house, and 20-30 strands every time I ran my fingers through my hair. Just all kinds of hair everywhere. All of these things, every day. Normal hair loss would be a strand here and there, clean brush weekly, a tiny bit in the drain, maybe. For me, the WLS hairloss was easily 20 times the normal hair loss. 1've been having normal hair loss since Deccember. Feb 2013 I can see hundreds of new hairs, that stand about 1/2 to 1 inch high all over my head. Sometimes it looks funny, sometimes it acts like a root lifter by making my hair poof at the scalp. It is the same color as the rest of my hair. I started taking bioten in October, but I do not believe it has had any real effect in terms of how fast my hair is growing. Also, since the same thing happened after I gave birth to each of my kiddos, and I was not taking bioten then, I'm concluding that the hair loss/regrowth cycle has simply run it's course. I hope this encourages any of you who may be concerned about your own hair loss. I think it's somewhat common, it does eventually stop falling out and start growing back. Bioten probalby helps some, but not everyone, but appears to have no ill side effects (but don't rely on me for medical advice, ask your doctor).

I like barriatric advantage - vanilla and chocolate. I buy on line. I make them with 1 scoop (rather than 2) and with FF milk (rather than water). Makes them creamy and not overly sweet. The vanilla is super yummy with either a cup of mixed frozen berries, or a table spoon of peanutbutter (for a dessert type thing). My kids even like it with the berries or peanutbutter. I realize the berries add carbs (but they are so good for you!), and the pb ads fat, so just take that into account in your daily count and you will be fine. The pb and berries make the shake stay with me longer. I like that.

I get nausiated very easily. Have thrown up 5 times since surgery (not realted to getting stuck - that's a different story all together). I had to go in for an ultrasound and barium swallow (x-ray video while drinking this stuff - watches it go through band, detects slips in action) to check and see if anything had slipped. Nothing had. Doc did a .2 unfill to make it less likely that I would slip if I vomit again. He said that if I have a major vomiting insident, where I have a virus or thow up 2x in 24 hours, then I need to see him and have the barium swallow again. He gave me a perscritption for Zofran, a medication that stops you from vomiting. It does not work for everyone, but does for me, if I take it right away. Makes me very sleepy right away though, so can't take it if I have to drive or function. Maybe ask your doctor about zofran that you can keep on hand for emergencies - but ask for the kind that disolves. It's super miserable to try and swallow a pil when you're already about to puke.

Hi All, I had 3.5cc in my 10 cc band and I was miserable - either hungry or stuck amost all of the time and not loosing weight. For example: 3 bites of food, chewed to a pulp, and I was stuck - could only eat sliders (which tend to be high in calorie and don't keep you full). Doc removed .2 ccs and now I can eat pretty much whatever I want (for example ate 2 grilled fish tacos, no problem). Though I'm exercising restraint, I'm eating too many calories (1300-1500 daily). I don't feeli like the band is doing much for me in terms of feeling full or satisfied. I'm hungry a lot. I don't get stuck anymore, so that's good, but I have lost just 1 pound since he removed the .2ccs (a month ago). Logic tells me that I should have .1cc put back in, but good grief!!!! That's tiny! I can't imagine that will make much of a difference. Of course, the .2ccs made a difference, but still seems odd to me. Anywho...bottom line....has anyone had just 1cc added or removed and found it made a noticable difference?? Please share your experience. Thanks!

These replies are sooooo helpful! Thank you so much. Happy to hear more! I'm actually encouraged, since I've been feeling discouraged with not getting it quite right with fills. I will follow the advice to take it slowly. Thank you!!

I had a .2cc un-fill today. I’d love to hear about your un-fill story too. Here’s my story: For 3 months (since my last fill) I had been getting stuck easily, struggling to eat most foods, except for soft foods. I was eating a lot of protein shakes, Greek yogurt, plain oatmeal, mashed potatoes, frozen yogurt, and lots of “bites” of just about anything – even very bad things – because after all, it was just a bite, right (problem, I know). Even though I wasn’t eating much at a single sitting, I guess I was eating too much because I did not loose one pound in 3 months. Most of the time I was stuck or afraid to get stuck. Thankfully, no other symptoms of being too tight (no cough, no reflux, etc). I was always 1 of 3 things: Starving, Stuck, or full on liquids/soft. I was never: Full of food (satisfied), and could not go very long without being hungry again. I thought that was normal. But I was not loosing weight and was frustrated! But, today, my doctor suggested removing .2cc from the band. NOT what I was expecting! He said I’m eating too much and not enough: Too much slippery food, with too many calories; not enough solid food. I was nervous, and still a little concerned about what this is going to be like. I’m also cautiously optimistic. I had the un-fill at 12pm, but had not eaten anything all day, so I was really hungry (I always go to the doctor on a “fast,” incase they need to draw blood, do an ultrasound, etc.). After the un-fill I headed to Chipotle and devoured 2/3 of a chicken bowl. I have not eaten like that in months! It was soooo satisfying. Bad news, I consumed ¾ of my daily calories. Good news, I have not been hungry since then (9 hours ago!!!). Wow! I ate! I really ate and loved it (though was slow and careful about chewing), I got full (not stuck) and stopped eating, then stayed full all day! Amazing. I’m not sure what to expect and I’m worried about eating too much or being too hungry. However, I’m going to track on My Fitness Pal, and hope to be back on track. Has anyone had an un-fill and started loosing weight again???

Daccop, I was banded in June and losing just fine (-30 in 3 months). Then I went into see the doctor and he was not there, so I saw a substitute doctor. He was an idiot and has since been fired. However, he told me to stop tracking my food (because that's real life and skinny people don't track their food) and get a fill. He filled me too tight and left me feeling miseralbe, but he convinced me that I was just fine and that is what banded life would be like. So, for the next 3 months I was getting stuck all of the time, not losing and thinking that was the way I would be for the rest of my life. I stopped going to the doctor for a few months because I was so embarased that I was not loosing weight. Then I went back in and they told me I just wasn't exercising enough. Which was true, but not the entire problem. Even with moderate exercise I was not losing weight because I was eating way too many sliders which were too high in calorie or carbs (frozen yogurt, oatmeal, extra mayo on tuna so it would go down, etc). So, I lost 30 pounds in the first 3 months and 3 pounds in the second 3 months. I kind of feel like a fat, fat, fat failure. But, I think things will get better. I'm tracking again and making much smarter choices. Also, with the holidays behind me, I feel ready to take on the next 3 months!

I have NEVER had high cholesterol in my life, EVER! I've always been between 160 and 180. Strange, but true. So I've lost 35 pounds, eating more healthy than I have in decades, and all of the sudden my cholesterol is 211, with LDL at 132! I already realize that it isn't terribly high, and I'm sure there are lots of people with much higher numbers. That isn't my concern. My concern is that I'm eating and living much healthier and now my cholsterol is high and suddenly my BP is too. My BP went from very high and had to go on meds (before band surgery), to totally normal off of meds, to NOW not on meds and high again. What gives!?!?!?!? I will ask my doctor, but can't get in until January. Anyone else have this kind of strangeness?

I track with My Fitness Pal and I'm usually at about 1/3 of the daily limit of cholesterol. My daily fat usually comes from avocados, peanutbutter, chicken, tuna, salmon. I also eat tortilla chips, which I'm sure are bad, but I don't eat much. I mostly avoid breds and Desserts and baked things. I do like cream cheese, and I add butter and mayo to things sometimes, but in all cases FAR less than I used to. Actally, this is so perplexing that I wonder if there is an error in the test. Next time I go in I will ask to be retested and also ask for some advice. But, if the results are correct, I'm totally at a loss for why or what to do. Any other thoughts from anyone???? How easlily does cholesterol go up and down? I could have been eating a lot that particular week, maybe....?

Actually, I didn't vomit, I dry heaved, A LOT! Fortunately, I had not eaten for nearly 8 hours so I didn't have anything in my stomach. This happend last night and I really ate very little today. I have noticed today that starting at about 4pm I have been very hungry and have not been able to feel the same "full" feeling I had before. That could be because 24 hours before that I had little or notihg to eat or drink. Of course I'm paraniod that my band isn't working now, but I'll give it a few days before I really freak out. I wonder if dry heaving has the same effect on the band as actualy throwing up would have? It was actually quite strange that this vomiting/dry heave spell came on instanly and I was fine after. Not hte flu, but definately not "stuck."

How often do you get stuck to the point of having to thow up? This happens to me quite easily. I get stuck and have to throw it up about 1-2 times a week. I would say that 50% of the time it is because I ate something too dry, or did not chew enough, or ate too quickly beacuse I got too hungry. However, the other 50% of the time I don't really know what causes the stuck insident. I appear to be somewhat sensitive. Things like tuna w/ff mayo, or very small bites of moist salmon get stuck). Yet, the next day I can eat an apple with peanutbutter (slowly and a lot of chewing, but I can do it). I can eat nuts, but can't eat mashed fish with mayo - strange? Fortunately, healthy shakes and Greek yogert, Water, Soup and mush foods do go down just fine. (I was banded in June, 2012) Any thoughts or similar experiences?

I was banded in late June and have lost 35 pounds - all between July and September. No weightloss in October or November. I suspect that is partly because my doctor told me to stop tracking my intake, insisting that it is not a "lifelong habit." So, I stopped, and so did the weightloss. Subsequently, a few snacking habits creeped in and so, here I am, stuck at -35. Thankfully, I have not gained weight, and I have gone from 42bmi, to 32 and I feel really good. Those are good things, but for some reason not motivating me. It's time to get back on that weightloss train, and I find myself unmotivated. I'm feeling balze. I think I need some kind encouragement and helpful motivation. Can you offer some, please? Thanks, in advance! Momof3inOC

Thanks everyone! Your comments, suggestions and encouragement have been very helpful. Just what I needed. I've worked out 4 times since my original post, have been eating healthy, and (this sucks!) gained 4 pounds! But I'm not going to let it get me down. It was probably from damage I did before getting my groove back. Thank you again!

I drink from a straw all of the time - at least once a day, I do not drink carbonated beverages, however. I have not ever had an issue, and I drank from a straw from the first day after surgery (in the hospital).

Totally gross, I know, but what does vomiting do to the band? Any advice?

Okay, I get EXTREMELY hungry about every 2 hours, but I also get stuck every easily. I can't eat much but I just feel like I'm always hungry. I don't want a fill because I already get stuck (often and easily). But I do want a fill beause I'n eating too much (1200-1400 a day). I eat healthy foods, no junk food, just too much healthy food....protein shakes, greek yogert, fish, chicken, etc. Has anyone else ever experienced this? What to do?

Thanks for that advice, Summerrian, and everyone else too! I googled the high Protein list! Why didi't I think of that? I think I've gotten in a rut. I just remembered a few foods I can eat, enjoy and be satisfied with (I think)! Today I'm going to the store and I'm going to buy: Sliced turkey, cottage cheese, peanutbutter, pinto Beans, and some tomatoes to add interest to my tuna (which I had become VERY sick of). I'm feeling better already! I was also discouraged because I'm at a welightloss standstill. I've been banded for 4 months, have lost just over 30 pounds, but have not lost anyting for almost 6 weeks. I have a feeling that mixing it up will help. I'd still love to have food ideas. I have the list, but would like to hear your spin on the protein foods, or the way you combine foods.