Not Losing Weight

[BandAid 3]

Originally posted by postingnut

I'm not losing any weight! I lost about 10 pounds within 2 weeks of the surgery and haven't lost any since. I eat a bowl of Cereal with milk for bfast, tuna or chicken salad for lunch, fish or meat for dinner with salad. In between I'll have a piece of fruit and a few crackers. I'm drinking lots of Water. I should be losing - I'm eating a lot less than pre-band. But no weightloss after 2 fills. I'm getting pretty scared. I can't believe I've spent all this money and have gone through this whole process not to have it work. Anyone else in this predicament?

My guess is that you aren't eating quite enough. Yes, I know it goes against all logic, but I'm speaking from experience here. I was eating about the same number of calories that you currently are and went through 2 2 week stalls in weight loss. As soon as I bumped my caloric intake up to about 1200 calories a day, the scale started moving again.

Bottom line, you have to feed your body before it will let go of the excess. If it feels threatened, it will burn every calorie you eat and not TOUCH the reserves (fat).

I would suggest using www.fitday.com to track your intake for a little while. Shoot for right at 1200 calories a day. Your Protein sources look good (milk, fish, etc.), so keep that up, but make sure you're eating a big enough serving/or eating mini-meals in order to make sure the amount of Protein is adequate!

Please keep us posted!

Tonia

[quakergirl 2]

I'm too new at this to have much advice to give, but if you haven't already seen it, I think Jessie's "How to Tell If You're Perfectly Adjusted" handout gives some good advice about what you need to look at if you are not losing weight. There's a copy of it at this url:

http://home.gci.net/~ram/LapBand/fills.htm

[postingnut 0]

For others who are experiencing not losing weight, there is a group on yahoo, strugglingbandsters, that will help us address our issues. Thank you BandAid for your suggestions. I received several responses from people who said that they experienced what you are describing.

[Mary M. Riley 0]

To Postingnut:

You have received some great replies to your concern about "not losing weight fast enough" since your surgery at the end of June, and I agree with all of them. I will just add my story for your information, maybe that will help reinforce the message that we are all so different in the way our bodies lose weight and adjust to the band. I was banded on 12/10/02. To date, I have lost 44 lbs., and I have about 45 lbs. more to lose to get to my goal weight.

I lost the first 20 lbs. from the liquid diet I followed for 2 weeks after surgery. It has taken me since January to lose the other 24 lbs. I have had 6 fills, and have not had really good restriction until my last fill, which was about a month ago. I have lost 14 lbs. since that last fill, and it was painless (the weight loss, I mean!) It makes a HUGE difference when your band is at the right tightness. You will not be hungry, will eat very little and be satisfied, and will lose weight well. Most people do not need as many fills as I did to get good restriction, but some do. The key is PATIENCE, enjoy the ride! You have this band for life, you do not have to "diet", let the band tell you when you are hungry and when you are full, and don't jump on the scale every day. Focus on making good food choices, drinking a lot of Water, and exercise, and keep getting fills monthly until you are properly restricted. You will know when you are, believe me!

I have kept a positive attitude throughout my banded journey, what really helped was reading inspiring websites of banded people, reading the Bandsters boards, and joining a support group of banded people who meet monthly in my area. If you do these things, you will succeed!

Mary in Sacramento

[Alexandra 55]

Mary, what an inspiring story! You really must have been frustrated during the long plateaus, but you proved in the end that it works.

Being banded is a lifelong commitment and the loss of a major amount of weight isn't something that needs to be rushed. Expecting too much of ourselves and the world could be one reason we've failed in the past. This is a long-distance race, not a sprint. Congratulations, and thank you for sharing your story!!

[postingnut 0]

Mary,

Thank you for responding to my post. It's comforting to hear your message. I'm making sure that everyone that sent me a pm about this thread reads it.

Thanks.

[GeezerSue 7]

postingnut...

Let's talk for a minute about your "fills." Some doctors--mostly outside the U.S.--fill rather aggressively and the patients tend to lose rather quickly, with substantial restriction.

Then, at the other end of the spectrum, are the U.S. doctors who--for reasons known only to themselves--have developed a "fill schedule." They seem to think that everybody needs 0.5cc of saline a month or six weeks post op, and then they need to bring it up to 1.0 at eight or ten weeks post op, etc. The techinique of not getting to the individual patient's proper level of adjustment was a major reason (IMHO) that, in clinical trials, the U.S. doctors had such horrible results compared to the rest of the planet. They doctors think that titrating everyone up on a standard "fill schedule" will keep the patient from suffering damage. But, of course, that's silly...because let's say a patient's "sweet spot" is at 1.7 cc's. Post-op, and through months of fills, right up to 1.5 cc's the restriction is insufficient. Then the patient goes in for the next fill and 2.0 is too much. So time and money were spent, months of frustration were felt by the patient and nothing was avoided, because the when the patient goes home with anything over 1.7 cc's the problems the doctor was trying to avoid are there anyway.

So, what kind of fill are you getting? Are your adjustments done under flouroscopy? Are you upright or flat on your back when you try to swallow the barium? Have you logged into fitday and kept track of your meals so that you have something to print out and take with you?

Don't stop looking for the answer,

Sue

[leo 4]

I was banded in Tijuana and at the time of the surgery they put in 2 cc already.

I have lost 31lbs in 55days. And I am still loosing. But I am scheduled for a fill on the 4th of September for another 2 cc.

So I do agree with the post above, surgeons in other countries do fill more agressivly and that might be the reason why the results tend to be better and the loss faster then the people banded in the usa.

[meswede 1]

I have something new to add to this topic that I learned from my little sister who used to be a competition body builder for years. And now after having babies, she just works out at her gym at home.

When I was stuck on my plateau, she asked me a series of questions ... similiar to the questions everyone has asked here: What are you eating, when are you eating, what are you doing for exercise, etc. Then she explained to me that OUR BODIES ADJUST VERY QUICKLY TO A ROUTINE! The body sort of says, "Oh hum drum ... here we go again ... same old thing ... this for Breakfast, this much Water, back to Curves, etc." She said it's very important to shock the body AWAKE and KEEP IT ADJUSTING so it doesn't "settle in" to a pattern and fall asleep. She said that my body had ajusted to my workout at Curves and it was reading my workout as no more uncommon than my walk to the kitchen in the morning to get a cup of coffee! Even though it made since to me, I couldn't help but think, "HOW HORRIBLE IS THAT???" She said it doesn't take too much adjusting of your routine to keep the body guessing. She also said drinking LOTS of Water was vital, at least 3 liters and no less ... more is better! (I am challenged here!) She suggested with an exercise routine to rotate it too. She has three routines and rotates to a new one each week. So I gave her suggestions a try ... and guess what??? It works! I go to Curves 4 times a week (I might add at 5:30 in the morning!) and since Curves is VERY ROUTINE ... I had to get creative! I now do the first rotation as my warm up, the 2nd roatation as a good cardo, the third rotation I go only to the machines and do 2 sets on each machine, and then the 4th rotation I cool down. Then there are days I just do the normal 3 rotations and call it good. I also kept a food journal for a week because sometimes we take in more than we THINK we are consuming. And ... I have to watch that I'm not doing the "soft foods" menu since I tend to eat like that naturally. So ... everyone who's feeling STUCK ... WAKE YOUR BODIES UP and give this a try! You might be plesantly surprised like I was. Three days later, I weighed in and smiled ... the scale finally changed!!!

Lori in Oregon

[Guest robinb3371]

I was banded by Dr Sanchez in Monterrey on August 17th. I was starving from the get go. About 5 hours after the surgery I was starving begging for some liquids and Jello. I remained hungery for weeks. I did start eating mushy foods earlier than I was supposed to due to hunger. I hope and pray I did not do any damage to my band....Has any one every had their band slip or come unattached???????????? I can eat anything now with out any problems I am scheduled for my first fill Monday 9/15. I am starting to get alittle worried since I have spent all this $$$$$ :sick . So just wondering how everyone else has done??? and Did everyone follow the rules???? I guess you can say I cheated (I mean eating foods to soon).

Thanks,

Robin

Prairieville, Louisiana

[springirl 0]

Don't worry about starting soft foods too soon. I'm pretty sure I started soft foods before I was supposed to. Remember, you are not restricted now until you have your first fill. You should start to see the band do what it is supposed to do and fill you up sooner and as a result you will eat less quantity. If your band had slipped you would know it.

I have made some mistakes along the way. I am 7 months out an down about 45lbs. I am very happy with my weight loss, but just wish it was more. I think one of the reasons it has been slow for me is that it has taken 5 fills to get me at the right level of restriction, American doctors are usually more conservative with fills than the Mexican doctors, so you shouldn't worry about that. Also, I kind of stayed in the soft food stage for months and months, when I should have been eating more solid foods and chewing, chewing, chewing. My doctor recently told me that was very important. I also learned I ate a lot faster than I realized. Slowing down has been a difficult behavior adjustment for me. I know that will change with time.

Also, Water is so important. I am now starting to drink more water. Everyone says it makes a big difference. Of course the hard part is that we have to wait at least 1/2 hr. to 1 hour before we can drink liquids after eating.

I hope some of these tips will help you along the way.

Good luck with your fill.

Spring

[Tickety Boo 0]

Was worried my slow weight loss was unique to me. Been banded since 15 May 2003, lost 14lbs within first 2/3 weeks and have not lost anything since. Due for 3rd fill this Thursday and really hoping this is going to change things drastically.

[Guest robinb3371]

Thanks Springirl,

I quess I wasn't sure what would have if the band slipped or became unattached. I go get my first fill tomorrow. I hope it state the weight loss. I want to be down 30 by Christmas. My biggest problem is the food I like to eat. I have to start eating more low fat and low carb foods......

[aussieokey 3]

I was banded August 5th, and I lost 17lb in 3 weeks following surgery while on fluids and mushies - and have lost the same 2lb ever since! The scales go up to 217, down to 216, then 215, then up again, down again, etc, and it's very frustrating. I had one fill on 9/11, and while I initially felt restriction, it all disappeared in about 4 days. I have an appointment for a second fill next Tuesday, Oct 7, and I am hoping for restriction from this one. I know I can eat too much. Less than pre-band, yes, but still too much. I have the 11cc band, so I am going to let my fill doctor know (he did not do the surgery) that it can take 6 to 8 cc's to get it right, and not to 'play around' with these 1cc fills!

I know that the band can only work when it finally gets the right restriction, so I am not discouraged about my choice to be banded, but I can't deny I'm a little disappointed in not getting the right fill level yet!

But, we are all in this for the long haul, and I know I will be a successful statistic too

[springirl 0]

I am posting becaue I want to encourage the slow losers, like myself. I think I finally have the right level of restriction, after 5 fills and it makes a huge difference!

I got another fill almost 2 weeks ago and I am down about 5 pounds. I really notice a big change in how much I can eat, even in the evening when my previous fills did not work as well.

So just hang in there and be diligent about getting the fills. They are the key to success.

Spring

1/10/03 278/230/165