Not losing...

[abby824 0]

I am 13 days post-op and I feel like I am failing already. I lost 10 lbs during my pre-op and since my surgery have only lost 3-4lbs. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? My dr. has me on a "anything through a straw" diet and I feel like I have cut back tons. I am also back in the gym doing 45 minutes of cardio training at least 3 times a week just as I did pre-op. I can't figure out why I am not dropping at least a little bit more weight.

Also, I don't get the "full" feeling I secretly hoped for. And as every day goes by I find myself able to eat a larger amount of food. I thought my stomach could hold a little less than a cup. But I swear I can put down that much and not even feel full.

Is anyone else like this? Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong or things that would help me. I have a wound check appointment on Wednesday and I am afraid to face my surgeon without having lost more weight. I don't want to be that one person that can't even succeed after SURGERY!

[Iluvharleys 15]

Don't worry, this is a time for healing. You'll start losing when you start getting fills.

[Alsgyrl 0]

I am 13 days post-op and I feel like I am failing already. I lost 10 lbs during my pre-op and since my surgery have only lost 3-4lbs. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? My dr. has me on a "anything through a straw" diet and I feel like I have cut back tons. I am also back in the gym doing 45 minutes of cardio training at least 3 times a week just as I did pre-op. I can't figure out why I am not dropping at least a little bit more weight.

Also, I don't get the "full" feeling I secretly hoped for. And as every day goes by I find myself able to eat a larger amount of food. I thought my stomach could hold a little less than a cup. But I swear I can put down that much and not even feel full.

Is anyone else like this? Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong or things that would help me. I have a wound check appointment on Wednesday and I am afraid to face my surgeon without having lost more weight. I don't want to be that one person that can't even succeed after SURGERY!

Well its only been about 2 weeks since ur surgery so your body may be just getting adjusted to your new way of eating and excercising and sometimes it may take awhile for your body to adjust to your new lifestyle before you really start losing.

Regarding you still being hungry...I know that after the first 3 weeks I could tell I could eat more than I originally could soon as I had the band done, but I still couldnt eat half as what I could eat pre-surgery...so maybe u need a good saline fill to tighten u up to get that full feeling so you dont accidentally overeat.

Dont become discouraged tho. You have made it this far and just keep up the faith and dont give up on yourself. Remember its only been 2 weeks...NOT 2 months. The pounds will begin to shed soon enough!!!

[serenity 1]

I am almost 6 weeks out of surgery and had my first follow up. Initially I lost 16 lbs. but I am at a standstill. I have had personal difficulties following surgery and can't seem to get back in the rhythm of eating correctly. I am concerned that this may be interfering with my lost and want your feedback.

For Breakfast I may have a Protein drink, but usually just a cup of coffee until lunch. coffee seems to diminish my appetite. For lunch I get adventurous and will eat either Soup, Protein drinks or like today sushi. Sometimes when I eat semi solid, it feels stuck and I am bloated for hours and I know that I am not suppose to drink, but the food feels stuck. Then there I can graze and wonder where the food is going, while the other day I tried to eat scramble eggs and they got stuck, but the cheese sandwich went down....what gives.....

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Welcome to bandland. food getting stuck means you are not chewing enough. You need to take tiny little bites, and chew until it's liquid. I had to wait to get my third fill until I learned to chew enough. Having food get stuck is painful!

As far as not losing, if you stick to mainly Protein, and don't eat the carbs, that should help. I lost a lot during my first 4 weeks while I was on the liquid diet, but since then it's been slow going. I have a very slow metabolism, but most people start to lose as they have more fills.

[allwright 0]

Well it seems that alot of us go through the same situations after surgery. First of all, you have to heal!! Going back to the gym this early is probably not wise. You want your body to get use to the port. The swelling has to go down and the port settle. Be kind to yourself. Walking is good but you might want to re-think the strenuous stuff. Protein is number 1 to consume. Make sure you get the protein whether you get anything else or not. Chew, chew and chew some more. This does a coupl of things for you. First, it will go down as it is designed to do. Also, you will fill up faster by taking longer to eat. Drink lots of fluids between meals, stopping 30 minutes prior to meals and 30 minutes after meals to make yourself feel full. Last, but not least, go easy on yourself. It takes time for your body to adjust. Relax and think about your food before you take another bite. Ask yourself, do I need to eat anymore, or can I do without this next bite. If you can...great! If not, don't beat yourself up....you will get through this. Your dr. will give you a fill and advise!

[Alsgyrl 0]

Im still confused as to why so many of you on here who have been banded need Protein so much. To my understanding, I knew that gastric bypass patients need to consume lots of protein...but I dont know why we need to do it with the lap band. My doctor hasnt told me once that I needed to be drink protein, but I guess every person is different.

[travelgirl 3]

I am 13 days post-op and I feel like I am failing already. I lost 10 lbs during my pre-op and since my surgery have only lost 3-4lbs. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? My dr. has me on a "anything through a straw" diet and I feel like I have cut back tons. I am also back in the gym doing 45 minutes of cardio training at least 3 times a week just as I did pre-op. I can't figure out why I am not dropping at least a little bit more weight.

Also, I don't get the "full" feeling I secretly hoped for. And as every day goes by I find myself able to eat a larger amount of food. I thought my stomach could hold a little less than a cup. But I swear I can put down that much and not even feel full.

Is anyone else like this? Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong or things that would help me. I have a wound check appointment on Wednesday and I am afraid to face my surgeon without having lost more weight. I don't want to be that one person that can't even succeed after SURGERY!

It is way too early for you to be focusing on weight loss. You need to just be following your surgeon's post-op instructions as far as what you're eating and or drinking, and just focus on HEALING right now.

You may not actually have restriction until you go for your first fill. Talk to your doctor when you go in for your appointment. He really should have discussed all this with you already. AND be sure to ask about appropriate exercise right now, I don't think you should be in the gym just yet.

So many new bandsters think of this as a "magic pill" and it isn't. It's work, and it's sometimes a lot slower than we hope, but 1-2 lbs a week is HEALTHY, and that's what our surgeons WANT us to lose.

There are a couple of reasons for needing Protein....FIRST, it helps keep us feeling full longer. SECOND, many surgeons and nutritionists believe that it keeps us from losing our hair. There may be other reasons, but these are the two most talked about. My surgeon wants me getting a minimum of 60 grams of Protein every day.

I hope this helps!

[tanderson 3]

I am 13 days post-op and I feel like I am failing already. I lost 10 lbs during my pre-op and since my surgery have only lost 3-4lbs. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? My dr. has me on a "anything through a straw" diet and I feel like I have cut back tons. I am also back in the gym doing 45 minutes of cardio training at least 3 times a week just as I did pre-op. I can't figure out why I am not dropping at least a little bit more weight.

Also, I don't get the "full" feeling I secretly hoped for. And as every day goes by I find myself able to eat a larger amount of food. I thought my stomach could hold a little less than a cup. But I swear I can put down that much and not even feel full.

Is anyone else like this? Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong or things that would help me. I have a wound check appointment on Wednesday and I am afraid to face my surgeon without having lost more weight. I don't want to be that one person that can't even succeed after SURGERY!

Oh Abby, how I feel your pain,

I was banded 15 days ago. Six days after my surgery, I got on the scale to discover that I had gained 11 pounds since surgery! Don't you know I freaked out! But girl, I was sooooo swollen and bruised and I think that all of that damn broth I was drinking was causing me to retain Fluid from the sodium. So what did I do? I talked to my sweet friend I made here on Lap Band talk, and she calmed me down. You have to remember that now is NOT about losing weight, it is about healing. Your body has just been through the ringer, and you are asking it to do so much right now. Yes, I know that there are some that literally begin to melt after surgery, but then there are some like us, that need an adjustment period. If you are doing everything your surgeon has asked you to do, then you are on the right track. Remember, and I know it gets old when someone tells you this (but oh so true), that you DID NOT gain all of this weight over night! It took you a long time to gain it, right? So you have to allow yourself adequate time to lose it. This is NOT an instant fix...this is the rest of your new life with the lap band, a brand new learning and living experience! Your fullness will return when you begin fills and you are NOT a failure, you are doing good! Take it one day at a time and keep up the GREAT work!