vickyd

I shoot for 1,000 calorie deficit per day and that did mean that I had to start eating more on the days I work out. Now I should also point out that the 1,000 daily deficit has not translated to an average 2 lb weekly loss...more like 1.5 lbs a week on average and I'm happy with that. As far as what to eat to get the additional calories...I try to keep it Protein based or a piece of fruit. I have gone from eating 3 meals a day to eating 3 meals and 2-3 Snacks (even if I'm not necessarily hungry). I reviewed what I'm doing with my nutritionist and she is fine with it.

I understand what you're saying...I have another question for you...you said that you don't feel like you have a band in there. What "feeling" are you looking for? I can only speak for myself, but I RARELY get a full feeling when I eat. I weigh and measure my food (4 oz Protein, 1/2 cup veggies) and then I stop when my plate is empty. I don't normally feel full, but rather I no longer feel hungry. If that's not enough to take away your hunger right now then try adding 1/2 cup of brown rice or whole wheat Pasta. I also found that eating "fairly" low carb (less than 50g per day) helps me not feel so hungry - I don't normally eat potatoes, white rice, pasta, bread (I could if I wanted to because I've only had 1 fill and I don't have a lot of restriction). If you need Snacks between your meals, go ahead and have them...just make them protein based (greek yogurt, cheese, slices of deli meat, etc). That should help hold off the hunger until you reach some restriction. For right now, it may seem like a diet until you get some restriction, but by changing the types of food you are eating you may find that your band is actually helping more than you think it is. The other thing you don't mention is exercise. Are you getting in some exercise? Even if it is a short walk 3-4 days a week or sitting in front of the TV peddling on a stationary bike (which is what I started out doing), exercise is important for your weight loss. During the past almost 10 months since I've been banded, I have been constantly evaluating what I am doing to see if there is something I can "tweak" in order to help my weight loss along and I guess that's my best suggestion...if something isn't working for you then don't be afraid to switch things up!

I know you're frustrated (and who could blame you) but don't give up yet! There are many people out here who have gone through what you are going through and then after MANY fills they finally get to the point where the band actually starts helping them. You say you have the big band...well depending on which one you have the big LapBand holds 10 ccs and the big Realize band holds 11 ccs...that means there is still a lot of room in there for more fills. I can't predict the future - and you're right, there are some people that the band just doesn't work for - but since you already have one I think you are giving up too early. Wouldn't it be better to keep getting fills (while saving up for a possible revision to the sleeve)? Who knows, it might just work. My other suggestion is...you say that you don't eat around your band...do you keep a food journal? If so, can you share your average calories, Protein, carbs, etc? If you don't, why don't you try keeping one for a few weeks? It can be very enlightening and can show you areas you can work on regarding your food choices. There are several free sites (some with smart phone apps) that can help you with this...I like myfitnesspal.com. There are a lot of us bansters on there who have our food journals set to share with our friends...maybe by joining the site and seeing what other bandsters are eating you will get some ideas. I know this is long, but there are many of us who are willing to help with suggestions, etc if you would like. Whatever you decide, I wish you good health!

That's awful! Please let us know how you're doing and what steps your surgeon suggests.

Oh no, Joan! I'm so sorry that this has happened! Please keep me informed about how you're doing.

My surgery was Dec 2nd, 2010 and didn't get my first (and only) fill until March. The only reason I had a fill was because I was getting hungry about an hour after eating and the fill took care of that. I have some restriction (and gave since surgery) but I still weigh and measure everything I eat. I've lost 101 lbs so I'm happy with the way things are going and have no plans for another fill.

I can finally add myself to this post!!! As of this morning, I have lost 101 lbs since starting my pre-op diet on Nov 18th, 2010 :success1:

Like you said, this is a place where people come to vent or get questions answered. There are some of us on here who have been successful and pop in from time to time to answer questions or give advice. One thing you might look into is the lapband blogs...there are many people (me included) who blog regularly about our journeys. If you want, you can start with mine (the link is in my signature) and I have links on my blog to the ones I follow. Good luck!

This morning I weighed in at 224.8 which means I have now lost 100.2 lbs!!! I am so happy and wanted to show all of ya'll a picture of me from this morning "wearing" the jeans that fit when I started this journey. I've posted some before and now pictures on my blog if you're interested.

I try to eat my protein first whenever possible. Breakfast is usually steel cut oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder and almond butter (33g protein). Lunch is either leftover protein and veggies or a salad (yes, I eat the protein first...even in the salad). Dinner is also protein and a veggie (again, protein eaten first). I aim for 80-120g of protein each day.

I had my surgery about 2 weeks before you (on Dec 2nd) and have been experiencing the same sort of stall/slow weight loss over the last 2 months but like others have said I can see a difference in my clothes so I know I am losing inches but it is still frustrating to not see the scale move much. I can't offer much advice (since I'm dealing with it too) but I can tell you what I have been trying to do...I've been "tweaking" my food choices (I have fallen into a rut of eating the same things over and over) and increased my exercise. This has helped the scale move a bit (although slowly). Also, there is a thread on the post-op page for people who were banded in December 2010 (you may have to look through a few pages to find it), but you might find it helpful to see what others who were banded around the same time as us are going through (and what suggestions they might have). You are doing great so far!!

Dave has a lot of good points. For me, the biggest one is that "full" for me means something different than it used to. Now, "full" means I am no longer hungry (it used to mean if I eat one more bite, I might explode ). You might want to try writing eveything you want to say down on a piece of paper and taking that paper with you to your appointment. That way, you have a "script" to go by so you don't get flustered when dealing with the PA. I also agree with Dave that you shouldn't be afraid to request another PA if the person you are dealing with isn't meeting your needs. This journey takes time and you need to be dealing with someone that you are comfortable with and who meets your needs as a healthcare provider. Good Luck!

I'm glad I: 1. Went to a therapist before surgery to help me deal with why I used to over eat. This helped me start off on the right foot. 2. Tested Protein shakes before starting my preop diet so I already knew which ones I like 3. Have used my surgeon/nutritionists info as a guide but took the time to figure out how to make it work for me 4. Took measurements and pictures so I have something to look back on to see how far I've come 5. Kept my largest pair of pants...I put them on from time to time to remind me of what I have accomplished. 6. Journal my food daily (I use myfitnesspal) I wish I had: 1. Started exercising earlier. 2. Purchased my Bodybugg earlier (love this tool) That's all I can think of right now...

Sometimes. If I make it at home then I've never had a problem but I have had issues ordering it out so I don't order it at restaurants anymore.

I start my day with steel cut oatmeal with 1scoop of Isopure Vanilla protein powder mixed it.

I was told 80-120g per day and that's what I shoot for everyday.

I just broke through a month long stall by increasing my calories a bit (because I am exercising more) and also by eating 5-6 small meals a day. The extra calories, I am getting from fruit and veggies (my Protein levels were always fine). Good luck!

I follow the 30 minute after rule but I have never followed the 30 minute before rule (not sure why, I just never did).

Vicky checking in at 228.2 (down 4.8 lbs)!!! I'm 3.2 lbs away from having lost 100 lbs...so close I can almost taste it!!!

I've had a lot of NSVs so far during my journey but nothing tops the one I had this morning... I got dressed while DH was in the shower - I'm working from home today so I put on a pair of jean capris and a form fitting racer back tank. When DH got out of the shower, his eyes got real big and he just looked me up and down and said "Damn"! I never knew one word could make me feel so good!

Definately trial and error. I haven't found any foods my band absolutely can't tolerate but I do know that when I eat chicken of any sort (fried without skin or grilled) from KFC or Popeye's I have to make sure not to take too large of bites and to thoroughly chew it because that is the only food I have gotten stuck on more than once. These sort of things you will learn as you go along but there are certain foods that you hear people having trouble with frequently (bread, Pasta, rice, steak) and my suggestion would be to try them carefully to see what you can and can't tolerate.

What about the post surgical comments are scaring you? Is it the potential for complications? You need to keep in mind that this is a support site so a lot of the posts are from people seeking advice about issues...there are many successful bandsters out here who don't post a lot or are not on the boards anymore because they are out living their life. My suggestion to you is to do a lot of research (including reading these boards to see the good, the bad and the ugly) and then you can make an informed decision. Personally, this is the absolute best decision I have ever made for myself and I don't regret it for a second...but I'm one of the lucky ones who haven't had any complications...

I also use myfitnesspal

Like Cindy said...we're here to help. Good luck to you!