any suggestions from long time banders?? Please

[luzin susan 0]

I have had my band since End of April of 07. I Started at 221 and now weight 162. I am a female and am 48 years old.

I have 4.75cc in my 10cc realize band.

So, on 11-19 I weighted 169. I now weigh 162 but in the last 6 weeks have not lost any weight. I upped my drinking of Water and my exercise but still on a plateau. I thought maybe I needed a fill so I got one but had to have it removed bc I couldn't even swallow a teaspoon of cottage cheese without pbing. I now PB at least 4 times a week and get a quick stuck feeling at least daily. I eat about 1000-1100 calories a day on average. I walk 90 minutes on a trail that goes up and down hill. I am so frustrated b/c I don't know if I should get another fill even though I choke or if I need to try something else. Have you ever heard of a plateau lasting this long? How do I know if I am at the right fill level? I eat an average of 50 grms of Protein a day. I do eat carbs often b/c they are easy to get down but my understanding is calories in, calories out so if this is true then I am doing ok. I wonder if my body is just comfortable at this weight and I am not going to lose any more or ? Any comments or like experiences you share with me would be so wonderful!

I am so frustrated about what to do!

thanks,

Susan

[luzin susan 0]

Jack,

Thank you so much for your very positive input. I actually do not have a nutritionist as I got the band in Mexico but I do get the point. I am so grateful that you spent so much time responding. I have printed the info you sent me and I am going to evaluate each one. I feel more positive just reading your reply. It upped my spirits and made me think,,,my husband even read it and said , "see, maybe you are right where you should be for now". Congratulations on your success. It is good to see that someone who has had the band so long can still lose. I cannot imagine an 18 month plateau but hearing it from your prospective, albeit difficult to deal with, still looking at it from a successful viewpoint,,,that is amazing. I thank you for your help and positive way of thinking.

Sincerely

Susan

[LapBandit 5]

OK...how tall are you? Maybe 162 is a good weight for you to settle? I could only dream to be 162!!

Secondly, plateaus are a real pain. When I hit one I selectively shake things up. I will stop my normal exercise routine and start doing something different. I will also up my calories for a day or two. I do believe our bodies become accustomed to what we're doing and starts becoming less efficient at losing weight. The same exercise routine over and over just trains our bodies to adapt. You probably notice that your 90 cross-country walk is no where near as challenging as it was when you started, right? Yes, that's success...better fitness. But it also means your body doesn't have to work as hard to do it. So, try some new exercises or even just try a new walking route. Using some fresh muscles in a new exercise will shock your body and it will wake up again. Also, I know some people might blast me for suggesting upping the calories but for me, at least, a day or two of eating more can also wake up my body again.

Also, sometimes I switch Vitamin brands too. It probably has no scientific benefits but I feel like I get a little metabolism spark if I try a different Multi-Vitamin once in a while.

This is just MY ideas for helping you. I feel badly that you've been stuck for 6 weeks...I'm ready to freak after two! So, I'm tossing out anything I can think of for you to consider!

[luzin susan 0]

Thank you for your suggestions. I will try them all!!! I am 5ft 5 inches and I am really needing to be around 145. What an amazing weight loss you have. 175lbs,,,,,,,,,,,wowowow People like you remind me that given time, the band will/does work! I appreciate your input and will put it to the test tomorrow,,it can't hurt and probably will help! At this point, I have nothing to lose trying all suggestions. I wonder sometimes if I should be eating more but then I read about others eating 800 cals or less and I think wow, I don't know if I could live on that amount! I don't even know if I should cause then I read about others eating 1500 to 1800 and losing. It sure is a guessing game even with the band, the difference being that we now lose and keep it off!

Appreciate your input so much!

Susan

[JaxBandster 11]

Hi! I don't have my band yet but I would suggest taking down the carbs. My doctor has me on a low carb diet pre-op and I will continue the same diet once I am able to resume solid foods after surgery. I have lost nine lbs in one and a half weeks and it was mostly all fat and very little Water weight. I know that you and I are at opposite spectrums of the journey but like one person said, sometimes it helps to change up your eating patterns as your body gets set in its ways. I keep my carbs around 30 gms a day so it isn't as strict as the induction phase of Atkins but I still really have to watch what I'm eating. Absolutely no bread, rice, Pasta, potatoes or anything sugary. Try it for two weeks and see if it helps.

Good luck in reaching your goal!!!!

[luzin susan 0]

Thank you Karen,,,you are right, my carbs are too high. The loss came easy in the beginning so I guess i didn't feel like I had to do the high Protein thing but in truth it is something I should try. Now if I can just do it!

Good luck with your banding and new life journey and thanks for taking the time to respond.

susan

[GayleTX 1]

If you are exercising that much, you need to up your Protein to 80-100 grams/day (even if you exercise less, our bodies need that much!). It's hard to get that much protein just from food in our little pouches so find a good supplement you like....nice warm ones are great this time of year. As for carbs....try cutting out all the white carbs (potatoes, Pasta, rice, corn, etc). That will make a big difference. Right now I'm stuck after losing 160 lbs but those plateau's are just part of the process so I'm remaining complaint. I've lost 160 lbs, 50 more to go! Good luck to ya!!

[juliegeraci 7]

HI Susan, I spoke to my surgeon at great lengths about this. He did say that with bariatric surgery it is quite common to not get to your goal weight and to stay at 60-65% weight reduction. The only thing that helped me was to follow a program like Weight Watchers. I eat 1k calories a day and 200 optional calories. I seem to be losing 1-2 lbs a week on that. You may want to reduce your caloric intake slightly to see if that will help.

[TracyK 3]

I agree with LapBandit-up your calories for a couple of days and it will kinda shock your system. I have done it and it works for me (so far).

Congrats on the great work!

[luzin susan 0]

thanks to all for responding. I will try each thing one at a time and see which one works. Thanks for all the suggestions. They are all great and helpful! Sometimes you just run out of action when you get stuck in a plateau. I hope the surgeons are wrong and i can lose the rest!

Susan