weight loss advise?

[gregt 0]

i had my lap band on 2/15/11. I have lost onley 4 pounds so far in the month of march. It is kinda frustrating, I am eating just what i am supossed to. I have not cheated once since i started. I have lost a total of 30 pounds but it was mostly in the first month. Sure could use some advise....

thanks

[KimberlyB 0]

Hello. Are you watching your salt intake and walking every day for at least 30 min? Your weight loss though seems right on schedule for the period of time over all, that you are talking about. I lose about 2 to 4 oz every 2 days myself. Good luck to you.

i had my lap band on 2/15/11. I have lost onley 4 pounds so far in the month of march. It is kinda frustrating, I am eating just what i am supossed to. I have not cheated once since i started. I have lost a total of 30 pounds but it was mostly in the first month. Sure could use some advise....

thanks

[Dave_NW 92]

Hi Greg. It can certainly be frustrating till you figure out how your body responds to having the band, and what your system does with the nutrition you give it. After the rush of weight lost in the time before and right after surgery, to have things slow down can really frustrate most people. So you're in good company.

For starters, losing four pounds so far this month is actually pretty good. The rule of thumb is 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week. If you've lost 4 pounds in 19 days, you're right on schedule. The first six weeks or so after surgery are mainly about healing anyway, so you may be getting slightly ahead of yourself, since you were just banded about a month ago.

Having said that, I can say you may want to take a look at the combination of how much nutrition you're getting, how much exercise you're getting, and how much you're sleeping. If your nutrition is too low, your body can go into a "starvation mode" and your weight loss can slow down or even stop. If your exercise isn't active enough, you won't burn any calories. (The combinaiton of not enough nutrition and improper exercise can really frustrate you, since it's a double whammy.) And not sleeping enough can reduce your weight loss too. You should aim for 8 hours a night, if you can do it.

My nutritionist said 800 to 1000 calories a day. When I do that, I don't lose weight. If I bump my nutrition up to 1200 to 1500 calories a day, with between 80 and 100 grams of Protein and carbs at 60 or less, I start losing again. So I try to stay in that range.

And then there's the mathematics of weight loss: My body needs about 3100 calories a day to maintain my current weight. If I eat and burn only 2100 calories a day, I have a daily deficit of 1000 calories. Since it takes 3500 calories burned to lose one pound of weight, after seven days I have accumulated a 7000 calorie deficit. And that equals a two pound weight loss. Working with numbers like that, I can plan how things go, and basically predict how my weight loss will proceed. I am by no means an expert, but what I'm doing is working for me pretty well.

I have the armband by Bodymedia (the same people who make the Bodybugg armband worn by the contestants on The Biggest Loser.) My armband tracks my activity, calories burned, even my sleep patterns. I log my food intake through their website. I can track my day as it's going along, and it makes it SO easy to follow my own routine. The armband costs a couple hundred dollars, but I justified the expense based on the money I'm saving by not overeating anymore. I cannot say enough good things about it, and I most highly recommend it. Bodymedia.com is their website. If you decide to buy one, shop around. Best Buy had them for $30 off awhile back.

I hope this gives you some ideas. I'm sure others will offer their tips as well. My biggest lesson after getting my band was finding out everyone is different, and what works on paper sometimes takes more work in real life. You have to do what works best for you.

Good luck!

Dave

[Joleen 3]

I hope you soon find your problem solved!!! It's no fun working hard and having it not pay off. I am going to be banded 3/28/11, and have lost over 20 lbs. since Christmas with just getting really serious recently and finishing up a week of liquids. I also just meet with my nutritionist and psychologist so it's all fresh.

I agree that at times you have to up your caloric intake but that is usually when you hit a plateau because you have been eating well for quiet a while and your body is used to that lifestyle. I haven't heard of it happening early on in the program so I would cautiously up those calories. Do you journal your daily intake? I use an application on my phone, that is easy to use and keeps me honest! I think writing down what you eat is a must!!! For instance I had to make a birthday cake for my grand daughter and before I even thought about it I brought the knife up to my lips to taste the frosting!!!! Yikes, I stopped but as I went through out the day I had to stop myself several times before I condition myself not to "taste test" batter, cake, icing, decorations. I could have easily consumed 300+ empty calories while I was "baking".

On my visit this week it was stressed, eat Protein first and don't eat 30 minutes prior or 45 minutes after a meal and make sure you exercise. We should also chew are food throughly and enjoy each bite. I would call your MD and ask for a f/u appt. with the dietician to go over your food plan, if you still have questions.

Good Luck,

Joleen

PS I am sure there is more advice that ppl can offer!