marivan

Hi Bandfriend, It is good if you can get some inspiration. I'm pleased with my band, and it has helped me stick to some plan for a while, but it isn't as easy as I thought. But I think I am starting to lose again after a six month plateau. I'm starting with a personal trainer on Friday to see if I can get some ideas to change my work out. It's so easy to get into a rut, with exercise and eating. Maybe your clinic can offer support meetings? I'm a bit far away from my clinic so I am doing my best to keep motivated. Let us know how you get on. Mary

Hi Meena, I know, and I'm glad you took it in the spirit it was meant. I'm certainly far from perfect and I'm struggling. But it sounds like you are ready to get on that horse again! As long as we keep trying, we will get there in the end! Mary

Hi Bio teacher, you sound as frustrated as the rest of us Slow losers. I see from your earlier post that you've gained five pounds since last time. It is hard to stay motivated when you aren't getting any results. I was banded in November 07 and a year on I had lost 55 pounds, and like you I have been stuck since then. I've just signed up for a personal trainer once a week, even though I was exercising, I think we have to change things around from time to time, and I knew that my every day workout was getting boring to me, so my body was likely bored too! I'm also trying to fit in at least five fruits or veggies a day. Some days I don't think I am actually eating enough, and I actually sometimes just get so bored I open the fridge and then close it again. I start my training next week and if you want, I'll let you know how I get on. I am going to Scotland for a wedding in October and when I agreed to go last year I was sure that I would be wearing some great outfit, now I'll be lucky if I can lose another 20 pounds by then. But I'm not giving up yet! Write down and be honest, about every single thing that you eat, and make sure you are eating enough. I'm sure that if I could trust it, I should eat more. It seems counter productive, but if you believe all they say about your body going into starvation mode, then maybe that's what we are doing. Also, if you start writing down everything, you may be surprised the bite of something here, or nibble of something there. I try to write it down as soon as I can, because I often forget that I had a few nuts or tasted dinner before I sat down. And that's where it adds up. Meena, if you know that you aren't sticking to healthy eating, then maybe you should get some support from your clinic. I don't mean any offence but did you think that getting the band would require no work from you? Perhaps getting another fill and getting some help from your clinic would be a push you need to get you going. I'm very disappointed that I've only lost 55 pounds and at a year an a half, not at goal, but I do feel that I am doing what I can to achieve it, with the band as my helper when I'm tempted to eat more than I should. You were very honest to yourself and us that you know why you haven't succeeded, and that's a good first step. If anyone is interested, I'll let you know how I get on with my trainer and if it moves my loss after so long of just sitting here! And I've added Beans to my diet again!

Hi Crishell, I know too well how you feel. I'm not giving up but I wrote my message above yours in March and I had been at a plateau since November and I am still at the same weight. I'm getting stronger, and firmer, but have not lost any further weight. I really hoped that I would have lost all my weight by now, a year and a half after my surgery. I think the problem is, for all the research in obesity and books and doctors saying that they know the answer, no two people are alike and we don't fit in the conventional pegs they try to put us in. I was never someone who ate at fast food restaurants and my problem wasn't that I couldn't stop myself from eating, but rather I would diet for a couple of months, see no results and just start to eat regular food again. Which would see the weight go on nice and quickly! No fairness in that. I'm trying to find a personal trainer to see if I can change my routine in order to jump start this process. Do you have any weight lifting in your routine? I've found that while I still am not losing, I am feeling more able to do every day jobs because the new muscles and love the muscles in my arms. I have no answers as I am in the same boat as you. As I said, I bought that book "Crack the Fat loss Code" and then after that bought a book about clean eating called "Ultra Metabolism" by Mark Hyman. It's a great book too, but after two weeks when he said people often lost 10 pounds, I still hadn't budged. If I find something that works, I will certainly tell you, as I hear what I think in what you have said. I stopped looking at some of these forums because I was so tired reading about people who said "oh I went to party and ate a lot more than I should have, but when I got on the scale I still managed to lose 2 pounds this week". It just doesn't seem fair. Keep your chin up! Mary

After I went through the phase of mushy etc I got in the habit of drinking a shake for Breakfast each day, but when I showed my diet sheet to my clinic's nutritionist, she also said that I should start eating "real" food for breakfast instead of the shakes. It's so easy to just make a Protein shake but I have started to cut them down to mornings when I go to my pilates (so my food is out of my stomach) or I have to get up really early for a meeting. I'm finding that eating scrambled eggs for breakfast is making a difference. So I have to agree, that while I don't find them "evil" I do agree that we should all try to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens! All good tips!

I have found that after a while, I am able to eat more than I used to be able to. I read somewhere (maybe on another thread in this forum) that our stomach pouch stretches a bit and this is why. Also, we rely on shakes or other slider foods to having problems with real Protein and as a result end up eating a lot more. There is a site called the five day pouch test that gives you advice to get on track. I did it a few months ago and finally broke a plateau that I had been on for ages. It's worth a try. It helped me to shrink my little stomach and I started to feel full again. Plus I think I lost five pounds which was a nice breakthrough. It is meant for bypass patients, but is good for lap band people too as we have the same issues. I've thought about having another fill, but I still have issues if I'm not careful and eat a bit quickly and having a tight fill isn't really good for you. Hope that helps.

I agree Doddie, I bought a program too, called Diet Power, and I track all my water, food and exercise. It keeps me accountable, and I can see why I may have not lost anything one week or perhaps even gained another. I'm happy to have lost what I have and consider myself a lot better off than a year or so ago, so I'm still in it for the long haul! Keep your chin(s) up!

If you can still eat those large portions then you need to get back to your clinic and get another fill or two! I can only manage, if I'm lucky, to eat one piece of pizza. And then other times I will not keep it for long, it just doesn't agree with me. (and I do like it!) I'm so sorry that this isn't working. I am a really slow loser too, I was banded in November of 08 and I've lost 55 pounds. I have another 60 to go, but I feel much better already. I wish that I was losing faster, and the scale hasn't moved much in four months, but I am tracking everything I eat and exercising five days a week. I will not let this lack of a loss defeat me! I'm going to get there in the end. I'm going to Scotland for a wedding in October of this year and I'm going to lose another 20 pounds if it kills me! I want no hassles on that long flight from Canada. A reason that I haven't been on a plane since we moved from London, England in 2002! Go back for a fill. The band is just there to help you, but if you are truly hungry and can eat more than a small plate, then you aren't tight enough. Good luck!

Heather, I agree that this forum is gotten to be more of a downer. Lots of bitching and disagreeing and I've made a decision to stop looking at forums now and concentrate on my own progress. I also find I often get ignored when I ask a question and end up reading pages and pages of complaints. So I have to agree with you there. As for slimband's site. What section did you post that threat to? That's my issue with the site. Once I've read a threat, I can often not find it again because of all the categories. I design websites for a living but find that life's too short to spend half an hour looking! It would be nice if they had a search option (perhaps they do and I haven't found it yet). Thanks for your help and comments. Mary

I went to the slimband member's section the other day and after twenty minutes of looking at all the groups, I gave up because I couldn't find that post you had made Heather! And I don't get notifications about additions to that subject (if there are any). Next time you are there, if you could copy the address that may help. I find that site so annoying. It isn't at all like this forum or others I've been on. Oh well. Mary

Wow, for some reason I've stopped being notified when there is a new post on this thread (or site, I'm not sure) but wow, what a lot that has gone on! Thank you Heather for posting that information about the crashed party. I can't believe that people would behave that way! What a cut-throat world lap band is! And perhaps it is time to start to find another place to post that we can say our opinions without the post being removed. I am so glad you guys explained what was happening and then Heather managed to quote some of it again, as I wondered if I was going mad! I have to say that TLBC would have been much better off not saying anything about Jill when asked except a polite "she left to pursue other interests" and left her alone now. This has not done their reputation any good at all, as by their initial silence, and then that nasty comment about her being fired has only made them look bad, not her. I'm sure there is an expression but saying bad things about a person makes the teller look bad, not the subject. Something like that. I'm up for a monthly topic Heather. I replied to you in the Slimband site, but I'm not getting notifications on that either! Oh well. Thanks for all the info ladies! Mary

Hi Oregon Daisy, Yes, I get mine from the health food store. It comes in a re-sealable pack. You can just add it to your cereal. Almonds are great nuts, as are walnuts. You only want to eat something like ten or so a day as they are still fattening. And for seeds, sunflower seeds are really good too. Sorry, this thread is so long, I didn't read right to the beginning. Good luck! I really found that the pain from constipation from my pre-op diet was worse than the pain from the operation. I make sure now that I never get that again! Good luck! Mary Mary

Is your flax seed sprouted though? It's better than just ground up. I've never noticed gas with Benefiber. I wonder.... I'm not sure if you are talking to me about nuts, I didn't mention them. Mary

I've had the exact same problem but have added Benefibre (a white powder that is completely odourless, tasteless and colourless when mixed with liquids) which is a natural source of fibre. I put a big spoonful in my smoothie in the morning. I also add sprouted flax seed. You get Omega 3's as well as lots of other benefits (and fibre) when you get the sprouted kind. Hope that helps! Mary

Someone said that they were going to post details of what Jill is doing now? her new support and sales of metagenics? What is the title of that thread? Thanks, Mary

Hi Doddie, This is a good idea. Maybe you and I are the only turtles though! I am actually now seeing some Doctor in Toronto to see why my weight isn't coming off! Like you, I see people losing 70 pounds in six months and I am actually down for days. 55 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but I am now gaining and losing the same five pounds (I can gain five pounds in a week) and am getting very down about it. I have committed myself to going to Scotland in October as I figured that I would be under 200 by then (which is only 38 pounds away) but now I'm getting nervous that I won't be there and my old nemesis, the airline seat, will be an issue when I hoped that I would be sitting happily in a roomy seat! (no change in their seats, just my butt!) I'm going to make a big pledge for Lent this year (haven't figured out what I will give up that will help though) in the hope that it works, and hope that this Doctor in Toronto figures out why, even with this great tool, my weight is not coming off. My husband doesn't want me to get my hopes up, as he has seen me depressed too many times in the past. Mary

I have to agree, that while I have figured it out, that I don't think that the slimband site is user friendly either. I work with computers and websites all day and I've had to create a bookmark for the forum section and the main pages as I couldn't find a link from one to the other. They say they've made improvements and I hope that addresses that issue. It is a benefit to have the nutritionists chiming in from time to time though in the forums. And has anyone participated in the online chats? The one that I participated in with Jodi was billed as "Ask our nutritionist questions about your progress and anything about diet and nutrition" or something similar. I left in frustration after about twenty minutes after reading all the other "crap" about what movies people had seen etc. When I asked a question, someone asked me who I was addressing! I thought "I thought this was to ask the nutritionist a question!" Have other chats been more about what the topic is intended? Surely those people can have chats with their friends at other times? With all the other cross conversations going on, I never got an answer in the end. Maybe I'm more conscious of my time and don't have the patience but if the chats are hijacked as get togethers, I feel that defeats the purpose of them. Mary

I know what you mean, Me-Me. It is easier to stick to a strict regime of eating if you are seeing results. But if after a while the weight isn't coming off, it is much easier to eat inappropriately, as you wonder what the point is of "being good". I'm still working on it, because I so desperately want this to work, want to be thin, and want to stop thinking about this and my weight. Keep up your resolve. I've started to track every thing I eat to see if I am not eating as much vegetables or fruit as I think I am. I'm hoping it will make me choose better food (even if I am already eating quite healthily, there may be room for improvement) Mary

That's a good idea Marshall. I've decided to do a couple of things to help me break out of this slooooooowwwww loss (or non loss lately). 1. I'm going to find out how much Water I should drink each day and each morning pour it into a container and work my way through it. If I don't do this, I sometimes totally forget to drink any until I pee and it is dark yellow. 2. I'm going to log every single thing I eat on Sparks each day to see what the fat and Protein and calories add up to. Maybe I'm kidding myself that I'm eating enough/not eating too much etc. I can barely remember what I ate each day, so it may be easy to think I'm not eating that much. 3. I already exercise, but I'm going to write that down too and see what it adds up to. 4. I'm going to be happy that I am 55 pounds less than I was when I started and rejoice in that! This is the best I've done in years so I have to be happy with the victories and not beat up on myself for the times I don't lose. Finally I want to say that I had a plateau last year of about three or four months. I was so down, but people kept telling me how well I was looking, and how much weight they could see I'd lost. So I do believe that when we look at the scale and see no loss, it doesn't mean that our bodies haven't shifted somehow. I think that my body was gaining muscle (I am exercising) and losing weight and they were balancing each other out, but I was looking better because fat takes up more room! Let's keep our chins up! We'll get there! Mary

Hi tdosal, In the meantime, while you are waiting to get a de-fill (if you should decide to do that) you can have things like hummus, or a combination of rice and beans, milk, yogurt and eggs or egg whites if you can't handle whole eggs. I would see how you do over a couple of weeks, as sometimes adding food makes our body have to adjust and then it will realize you aren't starving yourself and use those extra calories. At least I'm certainly hoping so! And that's the theory I've heard. Mary

I can so totally relate! I've been told all my life that it was me and I must be lying about what I'm eating because (and this is the kicker) "no one came out of Belsen fat". I mean, how insensitive is that? The worst thing is, now I have the band and I'm so confused as to whether I'm eating too much, too little and what to do to speed it up. Every once in a while I go on that five day pouch test, in order to give myself a little weight loss boost, but I'm sure that isn't great either. And I'm sure you all have family who get sick and lose ten pounds in a couple of days. We get sick and don't lose a pound, even though we didn't eat either! I even bought a new diet book recently, which I had hoped never to have to do again once I was banded. It is called "Crack the Fat loss Code". It claims to get your metabolism all sorted so it doesn't ever go into starvation mode. Trouble is, it is so complicated that I managed the first really restrictive week and then totally fell off as I couldn't figure out what to eat! I didn't want to have to worry about this stuff once I got the band! My clinic isn't much help and neither is my own family doctor. I wanted to go for a metabolic rate test and neither of them will refer me! I don't know what the big deal is, but I thought it may help me to figure out how to raise my rate of weight loss. I'm already exercising and can't eat that much, but after fourteen months, I'm starting to get really discouraged. Anyone else get past this? Mary

Firstly, I'm glad that we have another thread, but with six different subjects in the same thread, it is hard to respond. Maybe we should have our own section so each subject can have it's own thread, or just start lots of different ones. This particular thread will be 17 pages again before we know it! Just an idea. I want to comment to mle. I know you are hungry, and I know you expected something quickly from your lapband, but you have to be patient. You went on a pre-op diet and likely managed to stick to it. Well, this is just another five weeks of sticking to this one. It is, as Heather pointed out, a time for your body to heal and pushing the limits of what you should eat isn't a good idea. You have no idea what is going on with your stomach etc and should just try to drink more Water, persevere with the Protein as best you can and enjoy the weight loss you gain from sticking to what you were recommended to eat. This time will go quickly. Mary

Peaches wrote the following in another (long) thread. "o.k. then, check my 'ticker' I am down those crummy 3 lbs that I gained over the holidays!!! SO now its on to the next MINI goal. 10 lbs gone by Jan 31st.. WHo's in with me to do a mini challenge, 10 lbs at a time???? Cammon' I know you wanna!!! You lurkers out there." I'm ready for that challenge! My next goal was 10 pounds less by January 31st. Thanks for the challenge Peaches! Mary p.s. I may have posted this before, but a great site I found to help get you back on track. 5daypouchtest.com I found it to be really helpful and I lost five pounds during the five days and it broke the plateau I was on. And it helped me kick a few habits that I was stuck in as well.

Hi Heather and Doddie, chocolate is my middle name, so giving it up is really hard! And I know what you mean about the headaches, but they usually go by the end of the third day. And the wisdom is, that if you stick to something for 30 days, it will start to become a habit. I started by doing a small weight lifting program that wasn't too hard or intense and I could advance at my own pace, and before I knew it I was enjoying it. Then I started with the treadmill and I do now miss it if I don't do my 30 minute speed walk every day. I'm back on track, but I am having the same issue as you Doddie, where I hoped I would take off at least a pound, but it is fluctuating at the moment. I'm hoping to just keep on track and the weight will follow! Mary

Yes please, you can start a new thread Heather. That would be a relief! Mary