geology rocks

I am 2 months out and have only lost 9 pounds. It sounds pretty good, but I didn't lose the "1 pound per week" that it appears. I lost a few right after surgery on the liquid diet and the rest in the last 2 weeks after having my 3rd fill! I didn't think the scale was ever going to move. Look at it this way, if your hernia has caused some problems, then your doctor has probably been conservative with the fills. Once you heal a little more (some of us just take longer than others) you can have more fills and gradually move into restriction/satiety and start to lose. Slow losing is better than no losing (or even gaining), so you ARE successful right now......even though it may not feel that way! Hang in there!

Hang in there! It will get better. I have been struggling to not gain, as well. I lost most of my weight on the pre-op diet, too. I have had 2 fills now and it is getting a little better each time.

If I make it to 130 (ultimate goal), I'm gonna get plastic surgery to fix all the sagging bits. If I don't make it to 130...... But I still manage to lose a decent amount...... I'm just going to take myself shopping for some new cloths. However, I am finding that I will probably end up doing that all along the way! I have already had to get a few new shirts and can see that pants will be next. Maybe I will have to come up with a better reward than shopping...... ;-P

Is this the main reason why they suggest not drinking after meals? Vomiting? :-)

Glad I found this thread. I had surgery on May 25th. I had my first fill at 4 weeks. Lost a total of 6 pounds since my surgery. I don't seem to have any restriction to speak of. I do notice that I am eating less, but I have a way to go before I start losing, I think. I am trying very hard to stick to a 1200 calorie diet. Most days are good, but I wish I had better restriction!!! Can't wait to get a second fill. My doctor does really small fills. About .5 cc per fill.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I would love for someone to explain it to me as well! How DO you know if you have stretched your pouch??

I also end up feeling "full". If I eat too much, then I get the sensation that there is a lump in the back of my throat. There isn't much space between "full" and "too full", mind you! If I eat too fast I will blow right past "full" and right into that lump in the throat feeling. I have noticed that if I slow WAY down towards the end of a meal that I can actually feel the full feeling starting to happen.....very slowly. It is so weird, but I totally understand why they say to stop when you feel satisfied. For me, it seems that the satisfied feeling is shortly followed by the full feeling. The full feeling is more of a "wait for it" kind of sensation. It is SO weird, but it is so nice! I could not eat more than about a cup and a half before feeling full if I wanted to!! Unfortunately, now I have to still work on what goes into that cup and some change! One step at a time, I suppose...

If you had 100 pounds to lose and you lost 80 of those 100 pounds, then you would have lost 80% of your excess weight. In short, take the weight you have lost and divide that number by the total amount of weight that you have/ had to lose. If you have lost more than what you set out to lose, then you have lost more than 100% of your excess weight. Does this help? ;-P

I have read in "the literature" that "they" don't really know for sure why people have hair loss with weight loss surgery (and even low carb diets). I was a hard core low carb, high protein dieter for years and can remember losing hair like crazy during a big jump in my weight loss. I could never keep with those low carb diets for more than about 8 months. I just kept losing the same 40 pounds over and over, but that is another story. In short, I was really not surprised that my hair started falling out like crazy during the pre-op liquid diet. I lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks!! I was getting about 70 grams of protein per day during this phase, too. My weight loss has slowed down now and the hair is growing back. I am spending a lot less money on drain cleaner.... That's a joke! I have only had one fill, but I bet that I lose more hair when I get to the green zone!! That just seems to be a part of weight loss for me; regardless of the diet I am following. I wish someone knew "why", but at least the stuff grows back! Just remember that it is not permanent!

Cocoabean, I would think that the value should be a percentage of your excess weight rather than your total weight. I came up with my value by dividing what I have lost by the total amount that I needed to lose in the first place. You have really done well, by the way!

I hear you! I also have a fear of chocking in public. I was that way before the band, however! I feel that my sweet tooth has been just CRAZY since the surgery! It is a daily battle to not go looking for sugar. I have been trying to eat fruit or yogurt to get the sugar monkey off my back. The other day I just ?hAD to have a blizzard from DQ.....I got one of those mini sized ones instead. It was about 1/3 the size of a regular small sized one. Keeping the portion size down sure does help if you feel you have to be "bad", so to speak. How's the fill? Is it helping?

I was banded on May 25th and have only lost 7 pounds post- op so far. I am also starting to worry that I am doing something wrong. I have had one fill so far. It helped a lot with restriction, but I am still hungry between meals (3-3.5 hrs btw meals). I can also eat a little more than I want to ( 1.5 cups) at a meal. I have been walking to work and counting calories. I don't want to be a REALLY slow loser. I realize that I am close to the 2 lbs per week ideal, but I have the feeling it will slow way down. I have lost weight super slow in the past......

I had surgery 5/24 and have only lost 3 pounds so far (post-op). I had the same weird moment where all of a suden the scale moved.....3 pounds all at once. That was around 3.5 weeks post-op. I have not lost a thing since then. I am eating tiny portions, walking to work and counting calories. I bet the next loss will also be a few pounds all at once... Out of the blue! Congratulations on losing some weight!!!

16% for me, as well!

Another thing to keep in mind... Many of us decided to have this surgery because, despite diet and exercise, we could not lose weight AND keep it off! At least you are not gaining. That is a victory! For me, I have always been pretty good about exercising regularly (usually just walking) and generally make decent food choices, but the quantity of food has been the killer for me. I am one of these folks that won't lose unless they are taking in very low calories (sub 1200) each day. I am looking forward to being able to stick with the smaller portions because that is what has been the hard part. Let the band do its job. Go and get your fill!

Kaye1229... You sound just like me. I have been lucky enough to be able to do just about anything despite my weight. I am a lower BMI individual, as well. I also had the surgery for back problems. I have mild arthritis at my s5 vertebra and know that getting theweight off will help lessen episodes of pinched nerves. I am an apple shape, so all of my extra weight is in my torso. That is a lot of weight bearing down onto my lower back. In short, I really look forward to less back pain. I also look forward to having breast reduction surgery ( Dr. Says I am too heavy right now). Once I have the reduction.... I look forward to buying a " normal" bra and being able to buy shirts with buttons and shirts made of fabric that doesn't stretch ( I.e. not t- shirt fabric). Sounds sort of stupid, doesn't it?

Sounds like you might benefit from an unfill...