Balancing Diet and Exercise

[notateechanow 7]

I'm hoping for some help and some suggestions, please....

Quick reference--surgery was Dec.12, 2007 at 294#

First fill 1/29/08 282.5

I rescheduled my second fill for a week later because I haven't lost but 2-3 pounds since my first fill and am too embarassed to go just yet. I don't want to be accused of not working at this....I am the first to accept responsibility for not working hard enough to lose weight, and I know the band only works when I work with it. With that said, I am working really hard with few indiscretions--a piece of chocolate on Valentine's Day, etc. My "cheating" is measured and calculated if and when I do it.

I am seriously struggling with losing weight. I usually workout at Curves (around 450-500 calories) and do my treadmill, with intervals of walking (now up to 3.8 or 3.9!) and jogging (5.6-5.7) for about 45 minutes. The treadmill shows it's about 750 calories, but for argument's sake, let's say I burn around 900-1000 calories a day. I have been very carefully following my 1200 calorie post-op diet. The issue? I'm not losing weight. I'm not hungry, though I do definitely need a fill. I'm just not losing weight. I wondered if maybe I'm not eating enough to fuel my body, but haven't any idea as to how much to add to my current diet or what types of food would be best. I have e-mailed the dietician from my progam, but she seriously recommended a book for me to read. :tt2: I paid to be in the program because I wanted the help from people who were educated in this type of thing. She told me she isn't familiar with people who do this much exercise at this point in my weight loss journey. (I should mention that I was a scholarship athlete in college and was also a power lifter...so my body is not unaccustomed to hard work.)

I'm busting my a$$ and just not losing more than a pound or two in the past 3 weeks. (I have lost inches, but for me--at this weight--it should be far better and more evident!) Can anyone give me suggestions for really ramping up and moving this along?! I'm not expecting miracles, but I lost weight faster 5 years ago with Weight Watchers and no exercise. If that was going to be my best ticket to losing weight, I wouldn't have had surgery. Any advice or websites you can suggest would be truly appreciated.

Thanks in advance. :smile:

[make33 2]

First of all, I'm afraid that we all reach a level from which we simply cannot budge for a few weeks! It's frustrating, I know (because it's been happening with me) but I don't vary from my routine because I know it's just a matter of time until it kicks in again.

How many days a week are you working out? The biggest thing, and I'm not telling you to back off if you're exercising more than five, is that you do NOT want to burn yourself out and end up making mental excuses why you can't work out. Your body does need to rest--by the way, great job on the treadmill mph!! I've been working out since 1983 and I find 3.2 great for me! (And I'm sorry to say, the old knees won't allow me to jog!)

Secondly, I didn't read about your Protein intake. Are you getting in enough Protein daily--and I know that 1200 calories a day isn't much (especially in comparison to what we USED to eat, but you may want to cut it back by 100-200 calories). I find when I have a whey protein isolate (powder) shake made with Water during the day, it satiates me for so-o-o long.

The bottom line is from what you have said, you really are doing great--don't worry, because it HAS to come off. We just get impatient because we aren't losing as fast as we want--but wow! We couldn't lose even a pound before, so we just have to have patience with our band now... :tt2:

[notateechanow 7]

Thanks for your quick answer! I'm working out at least 5, but usually 6 days a week. I'm 5'10" and weigh around 278-280 most days. I understand and agree that good and permanent weight loss takes time, but at my current weight?! I would expect this to happen when my body reaches 200, not at this weight.

[juliegeraci 7]

Keep in mind that the average bandster eats 800-1k calories a day. You may want to play with your caloric intake a bit and see if you add or subtract that will help. 2-3 lbs per month is quite average so don't be ashamed. If you need a fill I would definitely get one. Good luck and great job on the exercise. Wish I was doing as well as you!

[notateechanow 7]

Wow..color me clueless! My nutritionist gave me a packet of information when I was released from the hospital and it has 2 diets in it--1200 and 1500 calories!! It never occurred to me that people would be on 800 calories so long after surgery. I still only have about 100-200 calories more than I'm burning working out, and I thought I should at least lose some weight with that...

[juliegeraci 7]

1500 sounds like way too much to me. If you can lose on 1200 that is great. If you are comfortable at 2-3 lbs per month on 1200 then stay there. It is very typical for a bandster to only eat 1k a day. My doctor says 800-1k a day is more typical. You can get there with good restriction easily. How much at one time can you eat? 1 cup, 1/2 cup?

[notateechanow 7]

Oh, I haven't barely any restriction yet. I can eat a good 4 oz. piece of chicken along with some veggies during a sitting..no issue. I am going back for a fill a week from Monday, but wanted to be down a few more pounds before going.

[Jess30 1]

Maybe if your doc sees that you have only lost a little bit of weight he may give you a really good fill! Sometimes you just need to find your sweet spot, and have good restriction to help your weightloss!! Don't give up!! Without the right fill, your loosing weight on your own, and the band isn't doing it's part, however it is good practice to eat the smaller meals and consume less calories!! Take care!

[make33 2]

Julie is right about the calories--and there is a thread poll here that asks how many calories a person is taking in daily.

When my weight increased 2#, I panicked and went back onto my food Log for three weeks; (hadn't done one since being banded) and I was quite shocked that even with a Protein shake (100 calories) a day added, I was only eating 600-850 calories a day.

However, I'm only 5 foot tall too--read a thread today and someone was talking about the body going into starvation mode with too few calories--but sorry, my brain simply will not let me add more calories to lose weight!!

Your exercise seems appropriate (if not a day too much) but perhaps try going down to 1000 calories for two weeks and see if that makes a difference. And get a Protein Shake in now and then...

[Jachut 487]

Firstly, dont be embarrassed to go back, that's what your doctor is for.

That's a great workout schedule but at a guess, I think you're probaby significantly overstating the amount of calories your burning - there's no way that 45 minutes of walking/jogging will burn 750 calories - you'd only cover what, 4 to 5 miles, and generally, the burn is more like 80 to 100 calories per mile. And I dont know about Curves but I'd be surprised if a half hour circuit burned that many calories too.

Not that that ought to make much difference, its heaps of exercise and it will pay you rich rewards in the end.

Are you sure its not just a pleateau? Have you lost well enough until now? Its unfortunate, but our bodies WILL do this from time to time and there's not a lot to be done about it. I really wouldnt eat any less than 1200 on that sort of a schedule, you just shouldnt have to.

[notateechanow 7]

Jacqui,

Thanks for your response. I'm going to try playing with my diet a little more and seeing what I can do. I will also ask my dr. next week for some advice.

[cashley 0]

I've been stuck at the same weight for a year and half.... it's because I'm not willing to go down to 600-800 calories. I've discovered that I will only lose if I eat only 600-800 calories a day. If I eat "normal" I stay the same or even gain.

I also ride the elliptical 30 - 45 minutes 5-6 X Week and it makes me sad and fustrated that I have to do this for the rest of my life just to maintain. I also get sad when I see people make fun of "overweight" people saying they aren't trying hard enough. I'd like to see some of them live on 600 calories a day. They would say we didn't have to go to that extreme but I know it's true.

I think once you get overweight your body really changes and we do have to work hard, try harder and live on less then someone who has never had a weight problem or who hasn't yo-yo'ed all their lives.

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself but I try to put the negative thoughts out of my head but I paid $17500 of my own money for this and still it's a daily struggle not to gain my weight back.

[whosyadaddy 0]

My gosh...

Very interesting.

I am soooo struggling with the same thing maybe.

I exersise 6-7 times a week...eat 1200-1600 cals maybe.

In the first 6 months i lost 120lbs. Now for the last 4 weeks i didnt really change anything but im STUCK. Its so discouarging. im really working hard at looking at my diet again. Im going for a fill in 2 weeks as i get really hungry at night (too hungry) But i can SOOO sympathize with you guys now!

It scare the crap outa me to think ive lost 50% of my excess and i might not ever move again.

Gotta keep at it.

[Jess30 1]

I know, I am struggling myself too! But we will move...I am sure it has a lot to do with our fills. My doc said that the saline we have in our band does still seem to dissipate a little bit, so they never get the same amount out that they put in. She wasn't really sure why, so if you have the same amount of say 6cc's in for over a long period of time and some of it dissipates, not to mention as we loose weight are bands get a little looser. Together those two things could equal maintenance fills, always..

Everyone have faith, I know how your all feeling as I am still 9 pounds away from hitting 100, and I still have almost 99lbs left to go....This can't be it!! We just can't give up!!!! Don't loose the faith you all!

[stacy73 2]

I have been struggling too- for three weeks no loss-I realized I was not taking in enough calories-my dr recommends 800 calories plus what you consume in Protein Shakes so total should be around 1100-1250 or so. I have been consuming around 1100 calories for the last week and have dropped three pounds plus I upped my exercise to 5 times a week-60 min sessions-sometimes a change in the routine is what is needed.