vlp1968

1-2 pounds a week is what I was told to expect. Like Betsy, I lost and average of 2.5 or so pounds a week. I also followed a very low carb and low fat diet. About 4 months post op I started working out. Try not to weigh yourself every day, it's just bound to frustrate you. When I was loosing, I weighed in once a week and recorded it. Your weight will naturally flucuate from day to day. Good luck!

You probably have some swelling from the fill. It should subside in a few days. If it doesn't, I would call your doc. and let them know what's going on. Best wishes

If your doctor is a good one he will understand. Some people to gain weight until they have restriction. It will get better once you get there. It took me 3, so maybe this will be the one. You are right, when you have restriction, you can only eat so much. Good luck!

That's great! Your off to a good start!

You have a great attitude. Keep up the good work, and the scale will move. Best wishes!

I have read on here that the band actually holds more fluid than what it is labled at. I am not sure if this is true. I would talk to your doc. about it. Hope you find restriction soon!

I assume you had surgery recently and are refering to your post-op diet. This is a time for healing. I wouldn't worry too much about not eating enough. You will get your appetite back once swelling from surgery goes down. Be sure to get in your fluids, at least 64 oz a day. Good luck on your journey!

You should be drinking more than 4oz for sure- my doc. says at least 64 oz. a day. I have read on here that many are told 4oz of food at a meal, or 1/2 c of food. I have always eaten more than that and lost weight very successfully. I would eat 4oz of lean meat and about 1/2 c veggies for most lunches and dinners. A protien shake for breakfast. Good luck!

Alchohol has lots of calories as well as decreasing your inhibitions. You may be more likely to eat something you shouldn't. You will need to get used to taking very small bites and chewing really well. It takes a little practice. When loosing, it is reccomended by lots of doctors to eat low fat and low carb. Lots of lean protien. Hope this helps and good luck!

I was hungry 3 days or so post op. If your gettig in 3 shakes and some water you are probably doing fine. It's a time to let your body heal. Good luck on your journey!

I have bipolar, so I know how debilitating deppression is. 3 weeks is a long time, I would go in and see your doctor for sure. He may want to up your dose or try a different med. Hope you feel better soon!

I am glad you are not having any problems. You don't say how your hunger is. If your feeling pretty hungry, hang in there. The first fill usually doesn't do the trick. It took me 3. If your not hungry great, you are one of the lucky ones.

Your on your way! Try not to be obssessed with the scale. When I was loosing, I only weighed in once a week (well cheated a few times) and recorded it. Now that I am maintaining I weigh in every day. Think about things like how your clothes fit. It's about shrinking, not getting lighter. Best wishes!

Glad you are doing so well.

You could be a little tight. A slight unfill may make you feel much better. I hesitated every time I needed an unfill and suffered longer than I should have. Best wishes!

Glad you are feeling better. I think it's smart to wait until your back from Disney to think about a fill. Have a great time, I love it there.

I did medifast a while back ( with limited success, I just couldn't stick to it). The hot chocolate was one of the better hot drinks. I made it with water, I imagine with skim milk it would taste better. I think the suggestion to buy one box and try it is a good one. You may be able to find it on ebay.

I suffer from on again off again deppression. When I am in a deppressed mode I am very unexcited about my weight loss. Infact I start questioning why I am depriving myself. Are you taking medication? Does it need to be adjusted? I have found excersise really helps my mood. Hang in there, I know how tough a deppression is. Best wishes!

I wonder if you need to increase the intensity/duration and or frequency of your workouts. Are you breaking a sweat? You should be. It's fine to start off slow, but you want to keep increasing a bit at a time. Journaling on paper or into a computer program is also great advice. I did it for about the first 4 months after surgery. I stopped when it became second nature to me. Good luck! Try to be patient, that scale will move for sure if you are doing the right things (eating low fat/low carb. and working out).

I agree the feeling is much more "not hungry" rather than "full". It takes a little time, but you'll learn when to stop.

I am very short (4'11") and can now shop in the petite section. What a great feeling. You are doing great, keep up the good work!

You want to have those stiches hanging out removed. I had one and it led to a minor infection- it wasn't a huge deal. As far as low-carb, I did it while I was loosing. I ate about 20 carbs a day-mostly from veggies and berries (berries are low in carbs compared to other fruit). My protein shakes and bars also had a few carbs. I also watched my fat intake very closely. I ate lots of lean protien (still do for maintanance) like chicken and fish. I also like marinated pork loin and bocca burgers. Turkey would also be a good option. I eat nuts (almonds), lowfat cheese sticks, beef jerky for snacks. Good luck to you!

I use Ragu sugar free sauce.

My surgery was very uneventfull. I was sore for a few days, especially when I moved around a lot. There are a few things I wish I had known. One is the hunger you feel until you get a few fills. There is also some hunger inbetween fills as you work your way to your sweet spot. Another thing to know, is that the feeling of fullness is very different. For me it is sometimes an uncomfortable feeling, mostly in my chest (probably when I've eaten too fast). Mostly it's a feeling of not being hungry, rather than "full". I miss the feeling of satisfaction after a fairly large meal, but not so large you feel sick. However, I am thrilled with my band and would do it over in a hearbeat. I lost 107 pounds in about 10 months. I am now working on maintaining. It's normal to feel nervous about any surgery, even a minor one like the band is a serious thing. Good luck to you!

I like hormell chili. If you are doing extremely low carb it won't work. I added it back in once I reached goal. 1C has 20 gms of carb.