gatorgal

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?

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!

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!

I actually went on a cruise two weeks post op and I did fine. My doctor is perhaps a bit more aggressive with allowing us to progress to mushies, so I was already able to eat mushies and "soft" meat like fish. I did fine on the cruise. I did take my stash of some things like protein shakes, but all in all, I had no trouble. I found that I could order scrambled eggs or made-to-order omelets, and if I couldn't eat something off of the dinner menu, I was fine with soups. Planning is the key. Beer, however, is another story. The carbonation at 11 days post op will not be a good idea.

I'm losing hair rapidly, too. I'm 7 months post-op and have been losing hair for the past 4 months. My husband complains not about the fact that I have less hair but because he is constantly having to clear the hair out of the tub drain! My doctor said it will slow down, so I'm trusting him on that. I too take a multi-Vitamin and try to get as much Protein as possible, but I don't think I'm getting in all my protein. However, unlike some people, I'd take being bald over being fat! That being said, my kids have noticed my hair loss, and that sometimes has me worried. I feel so great, generally, that I try not to let the hair loss bother me.

Congrats on being in Onederland! It is a great feeling. You will do well on the cruise--I got back from one recently and managed to lose 3 pounds. I stayed away from the buffet line and the soft serve ice cream machine, declined bread with my meals, and followed my rule of protein first. I was so glad that I wasn't consumed by thoughts of food. Instead, I focused on the time with family. You will do well I'm sure!

I need more motivation, too! I've been on a LONG plateau since Thanksgiving but just ramped things up at the gym and am hoping that will kick start the weight loss. I don't think I can do 30 pounds by Easter; I'd be happy with 10-15.

Surely they can connect you with dieticians and gyms in your area that will suffice?

Have you found a surgeon? If so, I would ask his/her office. The girl in my surgeon's office who handled insurance made sure I did EXACTLY what was required of my insurance plan, and because of her diligence in helping, I was approved within hours of her faxing the info to the insurance company. I did not have Aetna, but I was required to complete a 6-month pre-op program that included meetings with a nutritionist, 3-4 days a week in a gym (and I had to prove that I was going via a print out of all the times that I signed in to the gym), a meeting with a psychologist, and a pre-op education course regarding the band. It was intense, but again, I was approved within hours of her submitting my paperwork. I will say that I'm glad I did the 6 months. It prepared me mentally for making the changes necessary to live with the band. Sooooo, ask at your surgeon's office. Someone there will be able to guide you through the requirements.

I survived the holidays with no gain and with no loss, and I'm so OK with that! When I went for my fifth fill early this week (I should be at my sweet spot now), the doctor congratulated me for staying the same. I said, "What?" I expected him to be disappointed as I've been a model patient posting losses every time I've gone to his office. However, he said that many people gain over the holidays. I was really pleased with his reaction, and was glad that I could enjoy my holidays. By enjoy, I don't mean a total slip into old habits. However, between traveling and eating foods that others prepared, I was able to maintain without feeling like I was depriving myself of some holiday traditions. Now that I have this fill (and am still on liquids through today), I'll see if this is truly my sweet spot (3.4 cc in a 4 cc band), and I'll see if I can't get the rest of the weight off in the coming months. The doc did ask, for the first time, what my goal weight was, and he thinks I'm being realistic. He "signed off" on my goal weight. Feeling fine, and looking forward to more victories in 2010!

How very interesting that your doctor would give you permission to do that. I was supposed to have a fill the week before Thanksgiving, but when the doctor and the nutritionist learned that I would be going out of town for the holiday, they opted NOT to do a fill. This was not because they wanted me to enjoy myself but because they wanted me to be close to the office if I had any issues with the fill (I'm very close to my sweet spot). I finally had that fill early this week, and I have struggled with the restriction. I'm glad the doc advised no fill before the holidays, because had I gotten into trouble out of town, I would have been pretty scared. However, I cannot imagine that he would have done an unfill simply for the purpose of "enjoying" a meal. Having said that, I think you have gotten some really good advice already. Don't think of this journey as one of deprivation; if you do, you'll always have regrets about what you "can't" do rather than on what you can do. Rather than bemoan that you can't eat a plate full of stuffing, rejoice that you can eat a small piece of turkey while wearing that killer pair of jeans in a size that you never imagined you'd be wearing. For me, it's all about reframing my thoughts. At Christmas (my first Christmas since surgery), I thought I would be sad at all the foods I would not be able to enjoy. However, when I was buying a new outfit for a work party and was able to shop at stores like Talbots and Ann Taylor, the thought of what I might miss food-wise was instantly replaced with a new size 12 outfit. That non-scale victory was much more fulfilling than not eating some of the Christmas treats that I really didn't need anyway. (I did take small bites of a few just to satisfy my taste buds, and it was just as good as eating the whole thing.) YOU CAN BEAT THIS ATTITUDE!

It could be a combination of high sodium in the soup and not enough water. Sometime sodium in our bodies makes us hold on to water, and if we're not drinking enough water to flush out the sodium, it will show up on the scale. I would focus on getting better right now. A small gain should easily come off once you're back to your normal routine.

My kids have never said anything about my weight. They are great. However, Tuesday night I was doing some pre-Thanksgiving cooking and my niece had my kids. When she brought them home, I went to the door (I had an apron on over my clothes), and my oldest shouted, "Mom! You're skinny!" It was completely spontaneous and so honest in that kid sort of way. I'll admit to shedding a few tears of joy when she then ran up to me and put her arms all the way around me. I know my kids don't love me for what I weigh, but the spontaneity of her comment left me speechless and helped me know that I'm doing this for all the right reasons--so that I'll one day be able to watch my girls grow into beautiful young ladies who become wonderful mothers, and I can be there to enjoy it all!

I am 5 months post op today, and my weight loss has slowed dramatically. I don't go back to the doctor until Dec. 11, so I will make sure to talk with him about why he thinks I've slowed down. Some days I'm so tight I can barely eat anything, yet on other days, I'm so hungry I want to eat everything! Just saying that I'm in the same boat as you! I'm not discouraged, just a bit puzzled!

When my kids told me I looked frumpy, I decided I had to give away the baggy clothes and get some new ones. My husband has a coworker whose wife is not working right now. She cried when I gave her BAGS of clothes, many of which were barely worn. She wanted to pay me something, but I told her to pay it forward some day when she has something that someone else will need. I love the idea of a clothing exchange at your support group. Sadly, I can never make it to my support group as it's always on a night when I teach!

You really will get through it. This truly is the hardest part. In an earlier post about Bandster Hell, I posted that this really will be a distant memory once you're a few months out. You may need to make choices about who you're with and what they're doing right now, but soon, you will have no problem being about people and their food. Really, I promise! If I got through this, anyone can. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!