need success tips!

[bandedshopgirl 0]

I was banded Dec 2005 and have not lost much weight....many problems with pding and eating in general and haven't felt like exercising so my metabolism must be 0 because I don't eat much and am staying at 300 lbs. I need some motivation on what to eat and how to get my metabloism going...I'm bummed because I had such high hopes on where I would be 6 months down the road from banding!

Thanks in advance for all help!

[CCBSTX 0]

How about some more info...

1. Have you been filled?

2. How restricted are you? Can you eat solid Protein?

3. Have you lost any weight?

It is quite frustrating to eat hardly anything and not lose. The metabolism does play a part in our weight loss. I'm sorry for your frustration. Send us some info. and maybe we can give our "2 cents."

Shawn

[NewSho 20]

That's not enough info for us to help you BandedShopGirl.

The questions about your fills/restriction level will better determine our answers.

In my experience, people who want to lose, but aren't actively losing - are sometimes doing the following things (I've been guilty, so I'll use "we" on these):

• We aren't getting regular fills
  
• We are underfilled, and aren't experiencing enough restriction
  
• We aren't following up with our LapBand surgeon. Big one! If weight loss slows down or stops, we think we've failed, and stop going.
  
• We are taking in far too many calories (being under-restricted can lead to this) and not even Protein - which our bodies need to keep lean muscle and burn unneeded flab.

Remember, you have to pick up the phone and make that appointment. The surgeon is NOT going to call you, generally. :phanvan

So let us know more details, and maybe we can have suggestions.

Good Luck.

[vinesqueen 2]

Hmmm, I think the only tip I can offer for succes is this:

Don't have a brain tumor! :faint: (Stupid Petunia is causing real problems right now)

[matthew1 0]

I was banded july 22, and thought weight would magically fall off. After reading and researching, and a prod from my wife, I'm walking at the local high school track. It makes me tired, but I realize it'll be good for me. Life changes are difficult at best

[bandedshopgirl 0]

I have had 3 or 4 fills and each time the dr has had to do un-fills that day because of such pain just trying to drink Water. I STAY hungry and unfortunately can get down pop-corn etc but have real trouble setting down to a "healthy" meal and when I do, it can take me 3-4 hours to eat. I can never eat b4 lunch which sounds pretty normal but lunch is a struggle and then I snack alot at night because that is when I can eat. I go back to my surgeon next week but she is stumped too. I just seem not to be able to tolerate fills and we don't know why? BUt in the mean time I do not eat half what I did be banding and still not loosing???? I can eat solid Protein (usually drink Protein Shake for breakfast)but not real good with chicken...The problem is that carbs go down fine and I know that is a BIG problem but I am sooooo hungry! PLEASE. I am soooo frustrated!

[NewSho 20]

I guess I would ask what amounts the unfills were.

Glad to hear you're going to see your dov next week.

Hopefully you and she can get to the bottom of the mystery.

We do know that you don't get enough calories in early, it's easier to overeat later in the day and still not adequate nutrition.

Keep us posted on what your doc says next week.

[Wheetsin 714]

LOL VinesQueen.

bandedshopgirl, calculate your current BMR. You can use a site like this one to do it. Then count up your average daily caloric intake, and see where you're at in relation to your BMR. Your BMR is what you require just to exist in a completely sedintary state, so an intake lower than BMR puts you in a caloric deficit.

You could be eating half of what you did before banding, but still eating more calories than you burn in a day. Not saying it's happening, just that it's a possibility.

[MoOrLess 0]

Thanks for the site Wheetsin.....I was able to chart some goals for myself using BMR and BMI --

[cathgr8 1]

OK, I just calculated my BMR, I should be able to eat 2600 calories a day to maintain. I haven't ever had more than 1200 a day since I was banded June 9, yet I've only lost 1/2 pound in the last two weeks. I've seen people on the boards say they can predict their weight loss from this calculation to the ounce. Doesn't really seem to be working that way for me. Maybe I'm not getting enough calories...

[Jachut 487]

Probably not but then who knows. I need about 2600 to maintain too and I generally eat around 1800 but I'm not losing more than 2 or 3lb per month, so really, you cant predict anything. You just dont know what your body will do.

[the best me 6]

Okay, so my BMR is 1546.45 (based on 179 pounds, 5'5", F, age 41) so my calorie intake with light exercise (X1.375) is 2126 calories a day to maintain. If I deficit my calories by 1000 a day (more than that is not recommended) that has me eating 1126 calories a day, which is less than 1200 (again, not recommended) however, I'm averaging about 1250 calories a day for the last 2 weeks...with the exception of about 4 days where I had 1500-1600 calories in a day. Since I AM getting exercise (Curves 2-3 days a week and walking about 2 miles at least one day a week) then I should be losing, right? I feel stuck. Maybe I just need to keep plugging along and be patient? Geez, this is hard!

Also, according to sparkpeople, the percentages of fat, protien and carbs in my daily diet are almost spot on every day! Except that day I ate a whole avocado with dinner...then my fat was waaaay up...oops!

Any advice? Anyone? Bueller?

[Marimaru 7]

Maybe you need a slight unfill. If you can't eat a healthy meal, you are going to stay hungry and turn to crap that you can get down. If you can eat a piece of chicken or fish, you wont have room for that other stuff. popcorn isn't too bad if it's not the movie butter kind, lol. Air popped popcorn with just a sprinkle of some seasonings isn't bad at all.

So maybe get an unfill and see if you can eat some real food for a while?

[the best me 6]

Maybe you need a slight unfill. If you can't eat a healthy meal, you are going to stay hungry and turn to crap that you can get down. If you can eat a piece of chicken or fish, you wont have room for that other stuff. popcorn isn't too bad if it's not the movie butter kind, lol. Air popped popcorn with just a sprinkle of some seasonings isn't bad at all.

So maybe get an unfill and see if you can eat some real food for a while?

Geez, I got so lost in my own post I forget what this thread was about...oops! Sorry shopgirl! I agree with Marimaru. You should be able to eat "real" healthy foods, not just carbs. You need to look for a fill level that lets you eat with no discomfort, real foods, hard protiens first and plenty of fresh veggies. Restriction isn't about NOT being able to eat, it's about being satiated on less food. But GOOD food!

And...protien shakes are not solid protien. It's a liquid. chicken is a solid protien. If you are having trouble with chicken, you don't need a fill, rather, an unfill. Please keep us posted!

And thanks again for the link, Wheetsin.

[vinesqueen 2]

LOL VinesQueen.

Yeah, sorry Sometimes I MUST poke fun at my situation. When my asthma was really bad, the jokes about being a canary in a coal mine, or the hazmat jokes, the Darth Vader (puuuuhhh-piiihhhhh) resperator noises all helped me deal.