Feeling Discouraged

[blueeyejerseygirl 0]

Hi all!!

I was recently banded on April 18, 2012. My band is currently empty. My first follow up appointment with my doctor was on May 1, 2012 and he indicated that I should come back in four weeks and we will discuss then whether I need an adjustment. He indicated that some people don't need any adjustments and that the band itself gives enough restriction. Although, I have lost 10 pounds, my problem is that I feel hungry quite a bit. I am only eating twice a day, but at this point I moved onto solids and I am not having any difficulties at all. Sometimes I am still hungry after and think that my portions are more than they should be (ie 1.5-2 cups). I know that I am not getting in enough fluids and I have had virtually no Protein Drinks at all because no matter what I do I just don't like the smell or the texture of them which is why I am trying to get Protein in during the two meals I eat. I did discuss the Protein drinks with my doctor and he said that I need protein so try to find something I like and that was it. I meet with my nutritionist next week. I am pretty sluggish and tired and wonder if it is normal. I also get gas pains everytime I eat but not enough to discourage the eating! Did anyone have similar problems? Should I have lost more weight then 10 pounds? Thank you! So excited to have this forum available to me!

[lizzy2150 3]

Ten pounds since April 18 is excellent progress! I think that telling you that many patients don't need adjustments was a tactical error on your doctor's part--it set your expectations way too high! Most of us do need adjustments. I got banded on July 6, 2011, and I didn't get perfect restriction until about three months ago. I've lost weight slowly but steadily, but I've had to adjust my expectations to match my reality; I'm a slow loser. It's going to tak a while to lose all the weight I want to lose, and it's going to take work, but it can (and will!) happen. I think that you should read the forums on this site to get an idea of the variety of experiences people have with the band. You are doing just fine.

Good luck!

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Wow, you've got a lot going on here! I'll try to tackle each issue...

> Should have lost more than 10 lbs in 2 weeks? Are you kidding? Average weight loss with the band is 1-2 lbs/week, and you've lost 5/week! You're doing fabulous!

> Do you need a fill? Most surgeons wait 4-6 weeks after surgery before doing a fill, to allow surgical swelling to subside and for your band to settle into place. You say you think your portions are more than you think they should be, but what amount did your surgeon or nutritionist tell you to eat at one sitting? If you're physically hungry, eat. Just don't eat a Thanksgiving dinner, OK? Why are you only eating twice a day? If I ate only twice a day, I'd be in a dead faint.

> If you're on solid food, why are you relying on Protein shakes for your Protein? You can keep experimenting with brands and flavors, and maybe try putting the shake in a covered beverage container (so you can't smell it) or serve it icy cold (my preference), but you can also get good-quailty protein from Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, moist animal protein & fish, eggs, etc. etc.

>If you get gas pains every time you eat, you may be eating too fast and swallowing extra air. And if you're starving hungry by the time you eat (because you're only eating twice a day), it's very hard to practice good band eating skills (take tiny bites, chew very well, eat slowly, don't drink while you eat). Also, you may be experiencing some lactose intolerance,especially if your Protein Shakes are made with whey protein and/or you mix the protein with milk. Try a different protein (based on soy, for example) and different liquids, like almond milk, soy milk, rice milk.

[2muchfun 8,927]

This is the 2nd similar post today where people have lost a lot of weight the first two weeks and are disappointed?

You need to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. Do the math. If you consume 1500 calories a day and use 2000 calories through various activities like exercising, walking, sitting etc. You will burn 3500 calories more(1 wk) than you take in = 1 lb/wk lost. So, you really need to ramp up the exercising and take in fewer calories to lose more than 1 lb.

Jean and Lizzy are right, you might want to lower your expectatons to 4-8 lbs/mo. And you haven't even hit bandster hell yet? Let's hope you're one of the lucky ones and get to skip BH.

tmf