Week 6: When will I start loosing weight?

[Cloud_dance 5]

So has been six weeks and I am still floating at the same weight I was at surgery. I was 305, then 307, then 305 again this week. I usually weigh myself on the scale out in the hallway at my medical center.

Everthing seems to be working. I can barely eat anything in the morning w/o choking. If it is mushy I can eat 8-12 oz of it like oatmeal or Soup. If its chili consistency I can eat about 8 oz of it.

I've mostly been eating canned soup, tuna, homemade chicken chilli, suriami fish, homemade udon soup with lots of veggies chopped up small and cooked in. I eat carbs in the form of very crisp rusks or crisp wholegrain crackers. I have something sweet about once a week and I only buy a 1 serving size, like a box of Junior Mints. I tried toast but there is no time of the day that toast does not eventually choke me, so I gave up on that. I've also reduced my grocery shopping to one day a week AND my Jan. grocery budget spending was 1/2 of what it is normally too.

Once I passed the regular liquid stage, I stopped eating yogurt, soy milk, sugar free/no sugar added puddings, and veggie/unsweetened fruit smoothies. The sugar free stuff just wrecked me and made me constantly hungry for more pudding.< /p>

I'm also working on exercise. I don't like going out where people can see me. BUT I don't like walking alone in the woods or the park. I went swimming even but I tried to jump out of the pool like I used to 12 years ago, and banged up my knee, and pulled a muscle.

I just want to see some results like everyone here! Does anyone know when?

[jay22 4]

Hi there, I dropped a lot in the first week post surgery and I lost a lot in pre op diet as well but it has completely stopped for me in the last week (2 weeks post surgery) and I was doing a 2.3 km walk a day I have now upped it to 3.3km hoping for some results, it does say everywhere that this period of time is not about loosing weight but its hard to accept that when you are eating next to nothing!!

The only thing I can suggest is counting your calories? So u can see exactly what your eating is totalling, there is a great app called my fitness pal you should try it

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

The honest answer is, you'll lose weight when you're burning more calories than you consume. I hate to over simplify things, but it's the truth.

The best advice I can give you is to track your calories so you know you're staying within the daily allowance your nutritionist gave you, make sure your meals are never more than a cup of food, and start exercising regularly even if it's only walking.

Best wishes.

[kazjim98 618]

I agree with Missy, I track everything I put in my mouth on myfitnesspal..If you are staying within your portion/calorie limits and moving it will happen...we all lose at different rates, I know it's hard not to be discouraged, hang in there and Best Wishes

[2muchfun 8,927]

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then I saw my nutritionist. She gave me a lot of advice because I was eating some of the same food you're eating. Soups, crackers and oatmeal are slider foods and should be avoided if you want to avoid feeling hungry.

Set up an appointment with your nut and by all means, stop eating a box of junior mints? Maybe one or two mints, but never a box.

tmf

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i cant do alot exercise wise, and when i got banded, i could hardly walk..i wouldnt go to the store or anywhere but to work and back....so i had to be careful with what/how much i ate. sure i stop at 1 cup of food but that doesnt give me free reign to just eat...3500 calories is a pound..liquid or food..if you eat more than you burn off, you wont lose and will gain. ps--may need to rethink going back to sugar free..you got to have a new mental attitude to make this work.

[Instyle98 240]

Are you eating canned Soups that are creamy or contain carbs like Pasta, rice, potatoes, corn or peas? What are you putting in your Chili? Doesn't Udon Soup have a lot of noodles in it? By suriami fish do you mean the fake crab (Surimi) that has a lot of starch and sodium mixed in it? Toasts, rusks, whole grain crackers are carbs. It sounds like you may be eating a lot of sodium and carbs and the weight will not come off if you're doing that. Are you drinking Water or no sugar added beverages (not soda)? You need Protein, protein! Stop buying Junior Mints. The more you eat that stuff, the more you will want it. If you need something sweet, eat some cocoa roasted almonds or something. I hear you on the sweet stuff - I have a sweet tooth the size of the Grand Canyon! Right now for that I eat sugar free puddings, Jello, yogurt with fruit, fruit, etc. Start your mornings off with Protein. That will help.

As far as not wanting anyone to see you, you will have to get over that and go out and walk. Besides if they are people you see on a regular basis, pretty soon, they will be seeing a whole lot less of you! If I see someone walking, biking etc., I never think bad of them especially if they are large. I actually applaud them and think that I should be out there with them! Can you find a walking buddy? Wear headphones and listen to music or audio books and don't think about those other people.

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

See your doctor's psychologist and nutritionist, cause you need help. Unless you change your eating style you will not lose, even with the band.

[Cloud_dance 5]

I was trying to moderate/cycle my carbs. I don't eat very much than 2oz per meal of them in hopes by totally banning everything I won't be tempted to binge. I think the canned Soups and the fake crab are probably what is getting me. Everything else I make from organic ingredients and from scratch.

And I am trying to teach myself moderation and that comes with tiny bits in single servings only once, instead of large portions bought cheaper and in bulk.

Also exercise IS key. The dreary rainy weather is hard to get out into but I do need to be taking pictures for one of my courses, so I need to be out in nature. Have to get back with swimming and accept I have to use the ladder.

PS. I don't have a nutritionist. My insurance does not pay for any diet program or aftercare so I am doing this on my own. My doctor also hates Lap-Bands. I had to simply put my foot down to get him to stop telling me Gastric Bypass was the only option. So I don't trust him in some ways. I don't trust him when he says my band is fine, or when he set it, or the assessment of his staff PAs. I don't know what I should feel like or what I should do. I just know to eat low-carb, exercise, and keep taking my Metformin for my PCOS, or I will never loose weight.

[Instyle98 240]

Well now I'm confused. In your initial post you said you were eating 8-12 ounces of oatmeal or Soup and 8 oz of chili, but then in your next post you stated you are only eating 2 oz. Oatmeal is a carbohydrate, all 8 - 12 ounces of it. The carbohydrate load of Chili and soup will depend on how much of it is comprised of Beans, noodles, potatoes, carrots, peas, rice, etc. I only asked what you put in your homemade meals because while organic is good, home cooked can still be laden with calories depending on what you put in it.

You can still buy in bulk or make stuff yourself, just portion it out ahead of time and/or freeze stuff. I realized that the price of ready made Jello in those little containers was ridiculous at the rate I was going through them, so know I buy the box stuff and when I make it I simply put it in individual containers that I can conveniently grab. I still buy stuff at Sam's Club and I portion it out before I freeze or store it. I am also still learning to make smaller portions for myself and learning to live without having that very full feeling. It's tough - I know that, but there are books and websites that you can go to for help. I spend a lot more time reading nutrition information and figuring out how many calories I'm putting in my mouth. I like the website Skinnytaste for recipes.

Even though you have a lap-band, there are still some foods that you have to avoid if you want to lose weight. Later you can have them in moderation, but in my opinion at this point they just have to be on your no list. For me those foods are candy, most bread products, white potatoes (I occasionally eat a small spoonful of plain baked or roasted sweet potato), white rice, white Pasta (I don't eat any pasta), chips, sugary drinks, fruit juices, almost all fast food with the exception of salads and stuff like that, whole milk, products, ice cream, sweets, etc.

I empathize with you because I am one of the most undisciplined people there is. You just have to remember each and every time you put something in your mouth that it does add up. I'm not saying you can't eat something, you just have to remember that depending on what you choose, it just may take longer for you to reach your goal. I don't really have a nutritionist either. While the center where I had my surgery provided 2 nutrition appointments because my insurance required it, they didn't really give me that much information. It was pretty basic. My post op instructions were pretty basic to for once I got on regular food. They were 1 Protein shake in the morning, grilled chicken (or any turkey or fish), tossed or veggies for lunch and the same for dinner. Eat Protein first and then veggies. That's it! I don't quite follow that (for now I can't drink another Protein Shake, but will resume them later), but I am careful what I buy, prepare and eat.

[Cloud_dance 5]

Thanks you so much for that response, it really helped me.

I meant to write I only eat about 2oz of carbs per meal in the form of Beans or wholegrain crackers or buckwheat noodles. So i'll cut out the once a week box of candy, the sunflower seed oatmeal, the once a week baked potato, and no more canned Soup with noodles or Beans. I can just get a nice roast chicken instead which is probably more tasty.

I do find it funny that I basically still have to be on a diet. I thought limiting portions alone would be enough to break 300. So I just have to accept it all as a diet aid more than a cure all.

When do you know you need a fill? When you never get full anymore? Soup seems to go right through me as does oatmeal. What will stay in the pouch?

[leeshabeesh 13]

I don't know how it's going to turn out for me, I'm only 4 days post op, but I had to meet with the nutritionist for 6 months before my insurance would pay for it, so I got to talk about good choices a lot.

What she really pushed was getting in your Protein everyday. For me it's 40-60g for the rest if my life! And taking a chewable multi Vitamin and Calcium, and making your plate the right way; I.e. half protein ( lean meats and fish) the size of a deck of cards and then 1/4 veggies and 1/4 complex carbs. Eat meat first and after you have finished your plate and if you're still hungry, have more vegetables. There are many slider foods that won't keep you satisfied longer like Soup, crackers, deli meat, and others I'd have to look back over the paper she gave me but you get the idea. Hope that helps and if you have any questions, I'll ask my nutritionist for you if you won't be seeing one

Good luck!

[missybear 86]

On the exercise front, if your uncomfortable going out, I could suggest some apps like butt and thighs and the belly buster apple apps. The show you the correct technics and are self weight bearing exercises you can do in the privacy of your own home. Lunges and squats are also great large muscle exercises. A change in diet and the types of exercises your doing may help kick start the weight loss journey. Best of luck

[2muchfun 8,927]

Cloud, you have some misconceptions about how the band works. Take some time and watch these videos from a renowned bariatric surgeon.

Part 1

part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[cole&matt'smom 72]

I am a little disappointed in my journey right now. I am 12 days post op, I have been on mushies since day 7 & I am using Fitness Pal to count my calories. I am not going over 1000 calories per day & nothing is happening. As a matter of fact l have not gone over 800 calories since the surgery:( I am hoping its the whole body healing or not getting enough calories problem. I go for my follow up on Thurs & maybe my dr can give me some guidance. ???©