Slow Losers Unite!

[Band Chick 3]

yes, I am content that at least I am losing, even if it is averaging 1 pound a week. ...

I can so relate. I've decided to look at the up side of losing weight "slower". One to two lbs is the recommended healthy amount to lose. It takes less toll on organs, we are less likely to lose hair (though mine has been thinning a bit) and our skin will have less sagging and stretch marks. We are also more likely to keep it off long term. Slow and steady wins the race! :thumbup:

Hello Everyone!

I too am a slow loser. I had surgery in August 07 and have lost 33 pounds. I hate to even look at my fellow crazy ates weight loss. They are complaining about 50-80 pounds and here i am. I excerise and try to do what I am supposed to do....

Hi, fellow Crazy Ate! Nice to see your name again. I've had the same problem and am glad I found this section. You are not alone.

Hello- I am totally depressed and discouraged with myself :cool2:. I was banded in May 06 and I haven't lost ANYTHING!!! Mind you I haven't been a good girl and get filled as much as I should. I got back on track last Aug- got 2 fills (total of 4) and need to go back- but I am SO embarrassed that the doctor will call me a lost cause:blushing:. I do eat less than I used to- BUT I know I need to exercise too. It is just that getting motivated is my deal. Any tips, should I take caffenine pills? I work long hours 50-55 a week so when I get home, motivation is an issue. My husband likes to think that to motivate me is to complain and tell me that I got the surgery for a reason and now it looks like a waist of time.

I am a slow looser that needs a friend- so if anyone wants to give me some advice I WILL appreciate it.

Susan

Hi Susan, here are my tips for you (you asked. lol!):

1. Give yourself a break and ignore your husband. You aren't overweight because you want to be. It's because you have a problem. You didn't get this way overnight and you won't fix it overnight either. Getting the surgery alone can be traumatic, but it was the right step and you are on your way!

2. Do a little bit at a time. It's more effective when you make small changes gradually.

3. Make an easy and manageable plan. "For the month of March I will get a fill. In April I will exercise once a week." and so on...

4. Automate your Breakfast and lunch. I got this tip from Dr Oz and love it. I make one batch of chili or salmon patties and that's what I eat for lunch every day for a week. Pre-pack Snacks so you can go to the cupboard or fridge and grab it without hunting.

5. Don't worry about your Dr. He works for you, not the other way around. Do what you have to do to take care of YOU.

6. MOST IMPORTANTLY, come here for support, to vent, and help others. You made your first returning post, that's a big step.

I was on the Crazy Ates thread when you were. I am SOOOO glad to see you are back and posting again. I am also a slow loser. We are losing just not at the rate as those on the other thread. Welcome back!! I have thought about you often.

Any suggestions as to how to get the Protein down??

Hi, Jody! It's nice to see you again! I'm glad I found this section and am back to posting. Any time I went to post on the Crazy Ates section I felt like I wasn't doing enough and didn't want to show my measly weight loss. I also know that posting and staying connected makes a big difference so I came back looking for a place to post. It's nice to see familiar names :biggrin2:

I have had five fills, totaling 8.4 cc in my 14 cc band, and I know all about getting protein down when your band is tight. I eat things like chili (homemade high protein), salmon, cottage cheese, add unflavored Unjury powder to pudding (my nightly snack) and a Slimfast for breakfast. Be sure to post any new creative ways you come up with.

It's another beautiful day. I'm off to work!

[NJ_gal_in_VA 0]

I can so relate. I've decided to look at the up side of losing weight "slower". One to two lbs is the recommended healthy amount to lose. It takes less toll on organs, we are less likely to lose hair (though mine has been thinning a bit) and our skin will have less sagging and stretch marks. We are also more likely to keep it off long term. Slow and steady wins the race! :thumbup:

Hi, fellow Crazy Ate! Nice to see your name again. I've had the same problem and am glad I found this section. You are not alone.

Hi Susan, here are my tips for you (you asked. lol!):

1. Give yourself a break and ignore your husband. You aren't overweight because you want to be. It's because you have a problem. You didn't get this way overnight and you won't fix it overnight either. Getting the surgery alone can be traumatic, but it was the right step and you are on your way!

2. Do a little bit at a time. It's more effective when you make small changes gradually.

3. Make an easy and manageable plan. "For the month of March I will get a fill. In April I will exercise once a week." and so on...

4. Automate your breakfast and lunch. I got this tip from Dr Oz and love it. I make one batch of chili or salmon patties and that's what I eat for lunch every day for a week. Pre-pack Snacks so you can go to the cupboard or fridge and grab it without hunting.

5. Don't worry about your Dr. He works for you, not the other way around. Do what you have to do to take care of YOU.

6. MOST IMPORTANTLY, come here for support, to vent, and help others. You made your first returning post, that's a big step.

Hi, Jody! It's nice to see you again! I'm glad I found this section and am back to posting. Any time I went to post on the Crazy Ates section I felt like I wasn't doing enough and didn't want to show my measly weight loss. I also know that posting and staying connected makes a big difference so I came back looking for a place to post. It's nice to see familiar names :biggrin2:

I have had five fills, totaling 8.4 cc in my 14 cc band, and I know all about getting Protein down when your band is tight. I eat things like chili (homemade high protein), salmon, cottage cheese, add unflavored Unjury powder to pudding (my nightly snack) and a Slimfast for breakfast. Be sure to post any new creative ways you come up with.

It's another beautiful day. I'm off to work!

Do you have a good recipe for the chili you eat? I have almost NO protein intake and I am a VERY picky eater but I like chili!

Thanks!!

[Doddie63 6]

Hi: Just a word of caution on having too many liquid meals. The whole purpose of the band is to help us eat small but normal healthy meals. By chewing the food, we help ourselves feel full. Many people can't eat at breakfast, fair enough, but if you can't get down fish, chicken as Protein, you may have to tight a restriction. Sometimes having a small defill such as .25 cc allows more solid food to go thru the band to the stomach proper thus feeling full longer. Many posts seem to indicate that their weight loss started up again after a small defill. Just my observation if it helps anyone. Doddie

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Hi Denise, I just saw this thread and thought i'd join as i'm definitely qualified as a slow loser!! 33 lbs in the past 9 months!! I -like you- seem to go on long periods with no weight loss and then drop a few lbs at once, so seeing your success gives me hope and keeps me from getting discouraged. :thumbup:

Sorry I haven't answered you sooner. I am in Arizona getting my dad into an assisted living place. I have to come to the library when I can fit it in between all the stuff my dad wants me to do to use a computer.

Don't be discouraged. If you have the band, it will always be there to help you. I was really discouraged in the beginning too, but once I had the right fill, things got easier. I wasn't hungry anymore. Head hunger is my biggest

problem. Especially this past two weeks. When I am stressed chocolate calls my name. My dad has it everywhere, even though I have to force him to eat.

He will be 89 april 1st and has no appetite. Even sweets which he used to love don't even look good to him. I wish sweets didn't look so good to me.

I am afraid when I get home tomorrow I am going to see a gain on my scale. The nice thing about the band though is that I am not hungry, and since there is no junk in my house, I will be forced to just eat the right things and I can lose what I gained here. With all the stress of having to come back here and put get my dad's house ready to put on the market, I have no clue when

I will ever see the goal I have picked for myself.

It's sure been nice though to buy clothes here in smaller sizes. JC Penny's had a clearance sale where a bunch of nice stuff was 2.97. I was so happy not to go to the plus size department.

[LadyBugRed 2]

Hi: Just a word of caution on having too many liquid meals. The whole purpose of the band is to help us eat small but normal healthy meals. By chewing the food, we help ourselves feel full. Many people can't eat at breakfast, fair enough, but if you can't get down fish, chicken as Protein, you may have to tight a restriction. Sometimes having a small defill such as .25 cc allows more solid food to go thru the band to the stomach proper thus feeling full longer. Many posts seem to indicate that their weight loss started up again after a small defill. Just my observation if it helps anyone. Doddie

Doddie,

I agree. I am going to give this a go for another week to see if I am too tight. I get impatient when I eat so I just give up and don't finish my meal. Of course I am a fast eater who has to now pace herself. I'll get there but this is excellent advice for us all. Thanks!

[LadyBugRed 2]

Band Chick,

I know how you feel about posting our smaller losses to those who have managed 70 lbs in 6 months. That is also why I left. This thread is just fine for us to make new friends!

[candy8360 0]

it gets discouraging when people ask me how much weight I have lost and it hasn't been that much. I have gotten where I don't say, "I've lost xxx pounds", I will tell them that I'm eating a lot less now and can tell a big difference in my clothes.

and, I too am a fast eater and it has not been easy trying to SLOW IT DOWN.

[LadyBugRed 2]

I had my first sliming incident today also. I ate a Lean Pocket for breakfast which I always did before this last fill. Oh boy:eek::thumbup: what a nightmare. Must have been too doughy. I was "sick" for about an hour. Not violently ill but uncomfortable. I am going to start practicing some good chili recipes. Sounds like it is a good way to get some tasty Protein.< /p>

[Mischievous1 6]

Sorry I haven't answered you sooner. I am in Arizona getting my dad into an assisted living place. I have to come to the library when I can fit it in between all the stuff my dad wants me to do to use a computer.

Don't be discouraged. If you have the band, it will always be there to help you. I was really discouraged in the beginning too, but once I had the right fill, things got easier. I wasn't hungry anymore. Head hunger is my biggest

problem. Especially this past two weeks. When I am stressed chocolate calls my name. My dad has it everywhere, even though I have to force him to eat.

He will be 89 april 1st and has no appetite. Even sweets which he used to love don't even look good to him. I wish sweets didn't look so good to me.

I am afraid when I get home tomorrow I am going to see a gain on my scale. The nice thing about the band though is that I am not hungry, and since there is no junk in my house, I will be forced to just eat the right things and I can lose what I gained here. With all the stress of having to come back here and put get my dad's house ready to put on the market, I have no clue when

I will ever see the goal I have picked for myself.

It's sure been nice though to buy clothes here in smaller sizes. JC Penny's had a clearance sale where a bunch of nice stuff was 2.97. I was so happy not to go to the plus size department.

congrats Denise, i CAN'T wait to shop those smaller sizes...My first purchase - a new bra! I can't wait, but don't want to get it too soon as i'm seeing a little change in that area and want one that fits well as you know it can make you look 10 lbs slimmer if it fits well! LOL

I'm sorry to hear about your dad, I hope that all works out okay for everyone involved. Hang in there you can get back on track when you return home. :cursing:

[Mischievous1 6]

I had my first sliming incident today also. I ate a Lean Pocket for breakfast which I always did before this last fill. Oh boy:eek::cursing: what a nightmare. Must have been too doughy. I was "sick" for about an hour. Not violently ill but uncomfortable. I am going to start practicing some good chili recipes. Sounds like it is a good way to get some tasty Protein.< /div>

oooooh ouch! I'm soooo sorry, I can feel your discomfort. I haven't been able to eat anything doughy like that since banding (so don't even try) as the pain and discomfort it easily remembered...I hope you are feeling better!!

[Doddie63 6]

I can't think of anything more difficult than eating slowly, small bites. I try so hard but sometimes I get rushed and gulp it down and then have to gulp it back up again.

Since January, I am averaging .75 lbs per week. But what the hey, it is still a loss.

I will be up front and say "I dislike exercise with a passion but I do force my self on the treadmills a minium of 30 minutes 3 times a week.

My fear is what happens when I reach a lower weight when the exercise has to be upped in order to loose weight? Something I try to take my mind off with "I will worry about that tomorrow".

I think this thread is terrific for slow loosers as we all seem to have similar issues and the support and advice we give each other can't be duplicated by the fast loosers. Doddie

[Band Chick 3]

Do you have a good recipe for the chili you eat? I have almost NO Protein intake and I am a VERY picky eater but I like chili! Thanks!!

I don't use exact measurements when cooking most of the time. A bad habit that I need to change. When I get the portions figured out I will post it on my blog and let you know. In the mean time I'll just tell you what I do now.

I brown and season about 1.5 cups extra lean ground beef and 1.5 cups ground turkey, in a medium size pot. I drain and rinse a can of kidney Beans and a can of chili beans and add them to the meat. Then I add 1 can Tomato paste and Water (or V-8 if I have some) and a chili seasoning packet. Stir and heat.

After it cools, I scoop 1 cup servings into zip lock bags and freeze them. For a quick luck I put the frozen chili in a bowl, microwave, top with fat free sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese and four tortilla chips. Sometimes I can't even finish a whole bowl, it's so filling. I figure it's about 30g protein.

Hi: Just a word of caution on having too many liquid meals. The whole purpose of the band is to help us eat small but normal healthy meals. By chewing the food, we help ourselves feel full. Many people can't eat at breakfast, fair enough, but if you can't get down fish, chicken as protein, you may have to tight a restriction...Doddie

You're so right, Doddie. The thing is that I have been going in about every 3-4 weeks for a fill. So I spend the first week after that going gradually from liquids, to mushies, to solids-- about one week per month. I don't know why the Dr gave me such a huge band but it taking forever to get to my sweet spot. Though, I think I may be close with this latest fill.

...It's sure been nice though to buy clothes here in smaller sizes. JC Penny's had a clearance sale where a bunch of nice stuff was 2.97. I was so happy not to go to the plus size department.

Congratulations on shopping for smaller clothes! How fun!!!

I had my first sliming incident today also. I ate a Lean Pocket for breakfast which I always did before this last fill. Oh boy:eek::cursing: what a nightmare. Must have been too doughy. I was "sick" for about an hour. Not violently ill but uncomfortable. I am going to start practicing some good chili recipes. Sounds like it is a good way to get some tasty protein.

Oh, ick! Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Not fun at all. It's little moments like those that make me cautious about my eating and has made me curb some of my bad habits. I both hate and love my band for that. LOL!

I'm just glad you got it down and it didn't come up. It will probably get easier as time passes. It usually takes me a week or so to adjust to my fills.

I can't think of anything more difficult than eating slowly, small bites. I try so hard but sometimes I get rushed and gulp it down and then have to gulp it back up again...

Yep. Me too. Especially if it's something I really like. My band will "remind me" to slow down or else! I use toddler silverware to help me take smaller bites and that helps. I look at portions I used to eat and it just amazes me.

[Crazy4MyK9 0]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Anne, and I feel like a slow loser. I have three areas of weakness... sweets (which seems to be improving in the past couple of days), lack of exercise, and lack of Water. I just bought a cute 1/2-gallon water bottle. It looks like a 5-gallon water cooler bottle.

A friend of mine made some comments yesterday that really bothered me. She was speaking to me as if I don't give a damn, and as if I haven't made any progress. I came to the realization that she was comparing me to someone she knows who had gastric bypass. I had to remind her that weight loss with gastric bypass is more rapid. I've decided that maybe I shouldn't reach out to her any longer. Perhaps she was offering me "tough love," but it was unexpected.

I'm proud of myself for not having one drop of soda since two days before surgery. I do miss it, especially when I'm surrounded by others drinking it.

I feel like I've done a lot of worrying since being banded. I'm trying to relax and not worry so much. Some things are just out of my control, and I have to try to remember that. I have an excellent surgeon with an excellent track record, so I have no reason to worry about potential complications. I just hate when I read where someone required re-banding or a port revision. I also need to stop worrying about my skin. This has been an issue.

I would like to throw a question out there. Does anyone recommend anything for energy? I think some people suggest green tea. I've never been a tea or coffee drinker. I take a couple of medications that cause drowsiness, and I really need to find a way to boost my energy level.

Thanks for listening.

[LadyBugRed 2]

Hi Everyone,

A friend of mine made some comments yesterday that really bothered me. She was speaking to me as if I don't give a damn, and as if I haven't made any progress. I came to the realization that she was comparing me to someone she knows who had gastric bypass. I had to remind her that weight loss with gastric bypass is more rapid. I've decided that maybe I shouldn't reach out to her any longer. Perhaps she was offering me "tough love," but it was unexpected.

Thanks for listening.

Crazy4MyK9,

You have lost over 40 pounds since October. You are doing amazing!! I find when I have lost energy it is because I am not getting in all of my Protein grams. Keep up the good work!!

[shortgal 5]

When people want to compare you to GBP people it's because many of them just don't understand the band. I use it as an opportunity to educate them about the band and remind them that GBP people also have malabsorption which we don't. People that comment are so focused on what's visible, which is the weight loss and don't realize that GBP has these other issues.

I let them know I might lose slower, but I'm unlikely to suffer from anemia and other Vitamin deficiencies.