gatorgal

I gained 10 pounds from Halloween through New Years, but I was allowing old habits to creep in prior to Halloween. So, after a good butt-kicking from my husband (with my permission) and my doctor (whom I pay to kick my butt!), I have written out menus and an exercise plan for the next few weeks. My doctor and I think I need to "detox" from too much sugar which I am now craving like mad. I have removed all sweets from my house and have given my kids permission (and money) to ride their bikes to Baskin-Robbins once a week when they want ice cream. I just can't have sweets in the house right now. Once I get over the intense craving for sugar, I think it will be easier to get back on track. Also, writing this out has been helpful. Sometimes putting to words my failures help me realize that this is only temporary and that I can get back on track!

I'm struggling with how much I should be eating at a normal meal. Sometimes I think that I have no idea of what I should be eathing. If I eat 1/2 cup to a cup of food, I feel like I'm not getting enough nutrients. I can eat much more than a cup of food (depending on the food, even if it's healthy food), and since the holidays, I have done just that. Getting back to small portions of dense foods has been a challenge, and the 10 pound weight gain since October is making me feel horrible. So, for a healthy meal, how much are you eating?

Sure it's easy to cheat or to "eat your way around the band." I quickly lost 75 pounds with the band, but recently, because I thought it would be OK to indulge in things like I used to, I have regained 10 pounds. With what have I cheated? All those slider foods that my doctor warned me against, mainly ice cream. I have had to take a hard look (and get a swift kick in the pants from my doctor) at my food choices. I will ALWAYS struggle with weight, and no tool is going to be the magic bullet. Fluffy above was right--weight loss is really in the mind rather than in any WLS. And ice cream will never give me the satiety that is the trick to making the band successful. I have to eat dense, healthy foods that will make me feel fuller longer. Someone else posted that one piece of chocolate leads to the urge for all kinds of sweets. Well, for me, that's true. My doctor and I have devised a plan so that I can "detox" myself from sweets much like I did for my pre-surgery diet and three-week post surgery diet when I ate no sugar. I am back to a no-sugar diet until I can get back on track. Is it easy? No, but it is what will work for me. We are all different, and your friend has to decide what will be the best thing for her.

Congratulations! It's a great feeling, isn't it? Thanks for sharing your struggles. I have recently regained 10 pounds (after losing 75 initially), and I came back to this discussion board tonight hoping for inspiration. Knowing that I'm not the only one struggling is very helpful; I was successful earlier, and like you said, sometimes we have to retrain ourselves to do what we know is right. Enjoy the journey to a healthier you, and keep motivating us all! Gatorgal

yep, I do feel food passing through my band, and I take it as a good sign that all is working well. If I was feeling more of the stuck feeling than the feeling of the food moving through, then I would worry. But that's just me.

I'm 14 months out and have had NO complications. Of course, that's not very long, but so far, so good. I plan to keep this thing a long, long time!

Congratulations on three years, and THANKS for posting! I needed some motivation today, and I do believe that you provided just what I needed. You look GREAT!

Wow! 91 days? That seems like a long time! As others have said, this is known as Bandster Hell, and for a reason! I'm eight months post op today and have had five fills. I don't know that I've hit my sweet spot as today I actually had to have a slight unfill. What I thought might have been my sweet spot was not. When you are able to tolerate solid foods well, start working on food density. In other words, more dense Proteins will take longer to digest so you will stay fuller longer. Rather than eating a scrambled egg, eat a boiled egg--it's more dense. Rather than eat ground beef, eat sirloin. Rather than eat fish, eat chicken or pork. Rather than tuna salad, eat a piece of tuna. Hard cheese is better than cottage cheese. Does that make sense? I found that when I consciously choose the denser proteins, I ate less and stayed fuller longer. Don't give up. It took me about four months to get over the feelings of hunger. I'm convinced that my weight loss those months was due to sheer willpower more than band restriction. However, after my third fill, I began feeling restriction. Know that stress and certain times of the month can also make you feel fuller. For you, that may be a good thing; for me, not so good! It's all perspective, I guess. Good luck!

I, too, would contact your doctor. I had some of the same symptoms recently and finally went to see my doctor today. He did a slight unfill (I was at 3.4/4 and am now at 3.1/4). I will be on liquids for two days until I slowly resume a normal diet. The doc said that sometimes the "newer, improved" bands can suddenly decide to be too restrictive. So, we'll see. I was at a standstill with my weight loss because I was not eating enough (or was eating slider foods in order not to throw up), so hopefully this will kick start my weight loss again. Just wanted you to know you're not alone, but I would call your doc tomorrow.

Persistence, persistence, persistence! I recently posted about the scale not moving, but I didn't throw in the towel or make any huge changes to what I know to be the right things: eating small portions of the right foods, chewing well, not drinking with meals, getting enough fluids, and moving more. The only thing I changed was my exercise routine--more strength training and a bit more cardio. Well, I went for a weigh-in yesterday, and I was down 7.5 pounds in three weeks. The nutritionist said she noticed it immediately in inches rather than pounds, and she pulled out my "before" photo as a reminder of how far I've come. Yesterday was my 7-month bandiversary, and I'm down 71 pounds. I'll take it!. I guess I'm posting this to encourage those who may be in a plateau. Keep doing what you're doing--you'll be doing it for life anyway--and you'll finally break through that plateau (which for me was nearly three months long). I love this board and being able to post. It helps keep me accountable!

I am in the same boat as you, so I have no advice. I just wanted you to know you're not alone. HOWEVER, I have found that instead of obsessing about the numbers on the scale, I should focus on other numbers. I began taking my measurements about 3 months ago, and on the weeks when the scale doesn't move, I find that many times, the tape measure does. I have my trainer do the measuring so I'm not purposely pulling the tape tighter. Also, I'm noticing it in my clothes, too. They are fitting much more loosely, and I'm down 10 dress sizes already! So, keep doing what you're doing without obsessing about the scale. My doc says that eventually I will have a breakthrough and end the plateau.

I have bit a plateau big time! For the past few months (since Thanksgiving, really), I have stayed virtually the same weight. I chalked up some of it to the holidays, but after New Years, I started back to the gym 3-4 days a week doing at least 30 min of cardio and 20-30 minutes of weight training. I also had my fifth fill on Jan. 5. I feel much more restriction during the daytime, but I night, I'm starving. I really thought the fill plus the exercise plus journaling EVERY bite would help me break the plateau, but it's not. Any suggestions? By the way, I'm not giving up by any means, but I really would like to lose 20-30 more pounds. Thanks, Bandster Friends!