A Few Tips From A Slow Loser - Now Past Goal -

[speedyf 2]

I was banded on 23 April 2012 and for the next 4 months, I lost 50lbs, and then I went back to my old ways and started gaining weight, I noticed i wasn't drinking or eating as much Protein, somewhere along the line I fell off the wagon and I am now so confused. I read your post, which is very encouraging, I am going to try it. I need to restart somewhere.I hope this works for me.

[speedyf 2]

also gained back 10lbs, and was shocked.

[Sooverit! 1]

This totally makes sense I have cut back on my Protein by making lettuce wraps for lunch. I have been racking my brain for why I have been stuck and it is my reduction of protein....thanks for the tips....going to boil some eggs right now! You rock!

[Sooverit! 1]

I agree I lost track of protien too and startedto be tired all the time. Thinner but tired. I had a few unfills brcause Vitamins wouldn't stay down ir anything else for that matter. I gained 20 after a few months. Adding Protien now with shakes with slmond milk etc but have to also up exercise ..can't find yhe time i need ...interval training the best but I need disspline and time!

[Sooverit! 1]

Speedy....i've been banded almost 4 yrs. and lost 50 like you over 6 months. I gained back 20 after 2 unfills because I started getting bad gas suddenly and burping all the time. I had every test but nothing is unusual. Maybe age I'm 53 ... Getting back to focusing on Protein and upping exercise ...definately hive more energy. eggs don't agree with mu band anymore...my band is a vegan i think- difficult getting thr Protien but shakes helping. Hang in there...you're not alone..

[TammieV 2]

LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks' date=' so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up") <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.

This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.

Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit.

When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general:

I *added* Protein to every thing I ate.

This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING Protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modern/001_huh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':crying:' />

How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked.

With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do.

Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories? <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/MSN/thumbs_down.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':thumbup:' />

If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked.

And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.)

Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can.

How did I do it? Here were some tips.

[*']At Breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a Breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold Cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts Cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts.

[*]Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of Soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too!

[*]With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work!

See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me.

I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO!

Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...)

Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

[TammieV 2]

I must try this! Im so frustrated some days I dont want to get out of bed.

[aloudwhisper 176]

Speedy....i've been banded almost 4 yrs. and lost 50 like you over 6 months. I gained back 20 after 2 unfills because I started getting bad gas suddenly and burping all the time. I had every test but nothing is unusual. Maybe age I'm 53 ... Getting back to focusing on Protein and upping exercise ...definately hive more energy. eggs don't agree with mu band anymore...my band is a vegan i think- difficult getting thr Protien but shakes helping. Hang in there...you're not alone..

I love that comment. You can eat any meats?

[aloudwhisper 176]

Thsnks so much for this comment. It reaffirmed my belief. I'd done great on south beach, and it was all because of limited carbs and more Protein. I don't do well with the calorie counting. I do 2 egg whites and one whole egg with cheese most mornings, and when I do I'm full until lunch. I don't need the snack. I also enjoy my seafood. I honestly don't eat enough of it. I had some salmon out this week and it was like eating it for the first time in years (it hadn't been years, but it felt like it). I was banded 4 yrs ago. I was doing great into my 2nd years, but last year was an emotional roller coaster. I honestly don't count it. So I'm now getting back into my high Protein meals. I know that most times this way of eating cutsb the cravings, but what do you wat when the cravings come?

[Maddysgram 6,159]

Thsnks so much for this comment. It reaffirmed my belief. I'd done great on south beach, and it was all because of limited carbs and more Protein. I don't do well with the calorie counting. I do 2 egg whites and one whole egg with cheese most mornings, and when I do I'm full until lunch. I don't need the snack. I also enjoy my seafood. I honestly don't eat enough of it. I had some salmon out this week and it was like eating it for the first time in years (it hadn't been years, but it felt like it). I was banded 4 yrs ago. I was doing great into my 2nd years, but last year was an emotional roller coaster. I honestly don't count it. So I'm now getting back into my high protein meals. I know that most times this way of eating cutsb the cravings, but what do you wat when the cravings come?

I don't really crave anything, but sometimes I might get hungry between meals and at those times I have key lime greek yogurt with crushed pecans (8) mixed in,

omgosh it is so good. It really taste like I'm eating something sinful, but its not.

[aloudwhisper 176]

Mmmmm.... that sounds really good. I wi try that.

[mummajuju 77]

Definitely need to try this. Nearly 6months in lost 42lb but been stuck at that

For weeks

If anyone is on MYFITNESS PAL. add

Me mummajuju

Xxxx

[aloudwhisper 176]

I don't really crave anything' date=' but sometimes I might get hungry between meals and at those times I have key lime greek yogurt with crushed pecans (8) mixed in,

omgosh it is so good. It really taste like I'm eating something sinful, but its not.[/quote']

I have been eating my key lime greek yogurts. I don't have pecans, so I'm using my sliced almonds. The Bom diggity. Man, if I'm hungry I'm going to my yogurt with almonds. You should see me when its gone. I'm licking the inside of the container. Lol! So good! Thanks

[willowcat 93]

Newsho posted this a long time ago, but it's worth reviving. These are Newsho's words not mine--I just copied and pasted below.

LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up")

People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.

This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.

Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit.

When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general:

I *added* Protein to every thing I ate.

This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING Protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips.

How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked.

With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do.

Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories?

If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked.

And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.)

Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can.

How did I do it? Here were some tips.

At breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein Powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts.

Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too!

With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work!

See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me.

I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO!

Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...)

Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

[mummajuju 77]

Hi it's great advice - thanks x