Do you let your band do the work?

[LundyLane 0]

If you had your band 6 months or longer and you keep losing weight.....are you watching and counting calories??? Or you just letting the band be your guide?

I've heard some people on here say "Just let the band"

I've lost about 30lbs and I haven't gained anything...but I've stopped losing. I haven't been counting calories but I walk and do upper body weights almost everyday....kinda on the fence about getting my band a little tighter. I get stuff stuck now....but I eat to fast and don't chew like I should .....but I slow down or stop when I start to slim :eek:

Your Thoughts???????????????

[ceinman 1]

I have had my band 6 months and I have lost 35 lbs. I have been stuck at 35 lbs for about 2 1/2 months now. I am like you I haven't gained any but I haven't lost any either. I don't count calories or anything. I think maybe until now the band has done its job, but I think it is time for me to start working out, and start watching what I eat more to loose weight.

[jjsmiles 3]

I have never let the band do the work for me and "be my guide". The biggest transformation for me has been my ability to become conscious of myself and my body and what I was doing obliviously to it in the past. What the band does for me is it controls the ravenous hunger that I seemed to have 100 % of the time before. I still experience head hunger, but actual stomach hunger is very controlled.

In the 13 months since being banded, I have totally changed the way I eat. I eat all foods and all food groups, but when I am trying to lose weight, I still consciously measure portions of higher calorie and fat items and count calories so I can remain on top of what is going on. I also still document what I eat every single day in a little notebook, to keep myself honest to me. I don't measure vegetables and fruit, although I do document them and I count the sauces that I may use to flavor them.

I am still trying to figure out what my final weight should/ can be, but I am thinking that I will never be able to eat much more than 1500 calories on an average day in order to maintain my weight. The more I exercise, the more I will be able to eat.

If I just let my band be my guide, I find that I can "guide" my band (even if it is unconsciously) to eat more and more of the easy to eat foods. I still find my "problem" foods (sweets and fats) slide right on through and unfortunately I have not lost the taste for them either. What I have done is learn to control my portion sizes, so I can "have my cake and eat it too" .

This is my journey and the band is just a tool to help me. It isn't the boss - I am.

Good luck in your own journey.

[rodriguezequal 3]

I'm not out 6 months, but I have never let the band "do it's work". The band is just a tool...if you work for the band the band will work for you. As my surgeon said the band is in no way a qwuick fix and it's not easy...you have to work for it!!! Good luck!

[tapshoes 2]

At nine months (which is not that long), the band and I work together 95% of the time. I follow the chew chew chew and drink Water rules. I record what I eat but I do not necessarily measure them. Some things I know just because they come in containers of a certain size (eg individual yogurt, or cheese slices), but I don't measure if it is Soup, or salad or something. I do however record the items I eat on the "What did you eat today" thread on LBT.

I do not, and have not, counted calories - for some that works, but for me, that is a mindset that makes me think 'diet' - the worst of the 4 letter words!! And I am not dieting; I am embracing a lifestyle of smaller portions, and more exercise.

95% of the time this works, 5% - the band may provide reminders of what I am doing or should not be doing, but I'm in control of my mouth, not it!

[annieM 2]

I guess it depends on metabolism. The first 40 lbs came off and I give the band the credit. The next couple of years, no loss, and I take the blame. I need to count calories and exercise in order to lose now. (weell, I did lose when I had a slip and couldn't keep anything down for a month, but now that I am unfilled that weight is back with company...)

[kgloverii 0]

The band works for me. If I stop losing for over 3 weeks, I have a discussion with my doc. We evaluate my situation and decide if I need a fill, if I am on a plateau or if I am doing something to sabotage myself. Once you get to a 'sweet spot' you'll be less food obsessed (I no longer have any food obsessions whatsoever), and you'll have the ability to make smarter choices without an emotional 'tie' to the food. I eat what I like. I stop when I am full. And I keep slider foods out of the house, and don't drink while I eat. Works for me...

[HeatherO 7]

It is definitely a combination. Sometimes my band does the work . . . but that only lasts for so long. When I hit a plateau I have to reassess what I am eating, whether I am tracking it, how my exercise is going, etc.

To keep losing it is all give and take. When it is working without effort everything is great, but when it stops working I have to take the initiative to make it start moving again.

[Tink58 0]

If you had your band 6 months or longer and you keep losing weight.....are you watching and counting calories??? Or you just letting the band be your guide?

I've heard some people on here say "Just let the band"

I've lost about 30lbs and I haven't gained anything...but I've stopped losing. I haven't been counting calories but I walk and do upper body weights almost everyday....kinda on the fence about getting my band a little tighter. I get stuff stuck now....but I eat to fast and don't chew like I should .....but I slow down or stop when I start to slim :thumbup:

Your Thoughts???????????????

I have read that when you come to a stop on losing add more Protein to your diet and you will start to lose again.

[ladybug3 0]

As I am just a few days away from my one-year bandiversary, here's my two cents.

First, everyone is different. For some people, weight slides off no matter what they do. For others, they have to fight for every pound, even with the band.

But really, I can't imagine that anyone who has longterm success does it without work.

I have found that it's really easy to get lazy and stop paying attention to what I'm eating and how much. What's nice, though, is that now my discipline level is closer to my friends who watch their weight. And having good fills is super important!

Good luck!

[Jachut 487]

yes and no. I mean I made the healthy choices regarding what to eat and I make the decision to run regularly.

But portion wise, I let the band do it, that's what its for. I really dont believe in counting calories.

Although I've had pause to think about this recently, having had an unfill. With a band you continue to eat to satisfaction, you're not practicing deprivation. Remove that artificial barrier to eating a lot and you will simply eat more to achieve the same feeling.

Even so, I dont want to live my life being obsessed with counting calories and logging food. But you have to work on your eating choices and exercise behaviour. You cant really eat whatever you want and count on Portion Control to keep your weight in check. You can still be really unhealthy even if you lose weight that way.