Hit A Wall

[MoMo'sMomma 1]

I am 2 1/2 months post op and have lost 25 lbs but, all of that weight was lost in the first 3 weeks. I know I eat less but I feel like at night from dinner on I can eat non-stop. I am starting to feel like this was a waste of time. Any advice?

[smalltown 15]

I'm right there with u but I'm 6months out and only lost 20lbs but there's no turning back for me I'm determined to figure it out good luck to u

[scorrea 95]

I am there too! I am not at a good restriction yet. I know this and I try my best to make good choices and keep my food intake to a minimum as much as I can. I am trying my best! I know once I get proper restriction it will be much easier!

Good luck to you!

[jen_1381 446]

Are you logging everything you eat? I found that REALLY helps.

Is your dinner high enough in Protein to keep you full? Or are you just used to grazing afterwards and that's what feels normal? Sometimes it's really hard to seperate hunger, thirst, boredom, and routine. If you feel like you really are actually hungry, try doing some exercise or something active to distract your mind.

I'm sorry you feel like it may be a waste of time. It's easy to get discouraged when the scale isn't moving. I'm working through a plateau right now, 14 days of absolutly no change. Try upping your exercise and logging everything you eat (myfitnesspal is amazing!) for a while and see where you can make changes.

[OnMyWay4 0]

Later in the day is when Im able to eat and food doesnt get stuck. What is your band at? I will say that it was a lot worse for me when my band wasn't full. Im at 8 today, and Its rare for me to have dinner and be hungry for a snack later. I say "hungry" for a snack because thats just it for me. I tend to snack because it sounds good.. not because im hungry :/

[AquarianCrab 8]

I'm a year and a half out, and here's what I've learned. If you eat until you "feel" restriction you've eaten too much too quickly, and you will encounter a problem. Some people say to stop eating when you encounter a soft sign like burping or hiccupping. I've found that if either of those occur, it's too late and I need to find the nearest bathroom, fast. I stop BEFORE my band tells me it's too much.

My band does seem to be tighter in the morning. I can't do anything other than a Protein shake until 2 hrs after I've woken up. I also notice that all day at work I'm really busy and rarely feel hungry. If I don't eat lunch, I'm too ravenous at dinner and will tend to overdo it because the band seems looser in the evening. Also, since I'm not as busy in the evening, I tend to want to snack. Without realizing it, I can snack all evening if I'm not careful. The truth is, you can eat around your band. If you eat slowly enough, you can easily plow through an entire bag of potato chips! The trick is to eat slowly enough so you don't get stuck or puke, but fast enough so that you only eat a small portion to feel full without having to run to the bathroom. In time you will learn where that line is.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I say this with all due respect and sincerity, if you are expecting the band to change your eating habits, you're going to be in for a big disappointment. The band is just a tool, not a magic cure. The work is yours to do not the band. The band is only there to assist.

A couple things, first, just because you can eat more than a cup of food per meal or well into the night doesn't mean you should. Band or not, we have to have restraint. We also have to learn to hear our body cues and differentiate between physical hunger and head hunger.

The band isn't supposed to make you feel stuffed full or unable to eat. It's job is to make you feel satisfied (aka not hungry) with less food for longer periods of time. This also falls into nighttime grazing. Ask yourself, am I physically hungry or do I just want to eat? More often than not, it's head hunger. Head hunger is very hard to battle but it's necessary to be successful in losing weight. (I still battle it every night, too)

If you are still physically hungry, be patient. You're only a couple months post surgery. Most people need multiple fills before they have good restriction so it's very possible you're simply not there yet. It's a slow, frustrating process but if you stick with it, you will find your band sweet spot eventually.

Finally, if you're not keeping your meal portions to a cup or less and logging calories, I would suggest you do both. Not only does it help to keep you eating healthy food in good portions, it also will help hold you accountable for what you do eat.

Best wishes. Don't give up.

[MoMo'sMomma 1]

Thank you for all the input and advice. My logical side knows it still early in the race but, my "other" side feels that I should be way farther by now. I think I just need to cut myself some slack and use some serious willpower. It is good to know that it takes time to find the right fill level.l just thought by now I should have already. Thanks again

[1970MaleJaxFL 7]

My tips would be to not take in any calories after 6pm, make yourself go 4 hours between meals-take in NO calories between those meals and cut carbs. Obviously you should workout for 20-45 minutes most days too if your doctor says you're healthy enough. If you're able to take in more than 2/3rds of a Lean Cousine, you probably need a fill.

[kll724 3,055]

Calm down,folks. This is not a race. I had a couple months of no weight loss, then a couple of 1-2 pounds. Make sure that you are getting your Protein. If you snack, have a healthy one. Don't have potato chips, because as the commercial says, bet you can't eat 1! Plateaus are a bugger, but you can get through them. Good luck. Karen