Losing hope :-(

[mumof2 0]

I've had my band for 3 months now and I have only lost 27.5 lbs. I have only lost 2 lbs in the last two months. All that loss is from my first post op month.

I know it is my own fault cause i am the one eating the food but I am finding it very hard to keep my will power going, that is why I am in this situation to begin with hahaha.

I have had two fills but NO restriction. I have 6.5mls in a 10 ml band. The only difference since my last fill is that i have trouble digesting some foods and have had a few sliming incidents where i didn't chew enough. But no restriction. I can eat and eat and not get full so I just stop myself when i feel I have had enough.

I am getting a fill on Wednesday, I really dont want to go back to the Dr again with no weight loss, he must think I am such a waste of his time as I am not losing anything.

I am not giving up though. I need this, I need to lose this weight for me and my children. I am just looking for some encouragement or words fo wisdom, tips or hints to get me back on the right path.

[hpegg 0]

Here is my experience. The part in your post where you talk about having trouble digesting your food and have the slimy stuff come back up? That is your restriction. You have a hard time digesting because that is where your band is and it is restricted. It is really hard for some of us to figure this out because we are expecting to be able to eat a certain amount of food but at the beginning we are only supposed to be eating about 2 ounces of food. As we get used to our restrictions and bands, we can increase our intake because we are getting used to eating smaller portions and we are chewing really well. It takes me at least 15 minutes now to eat 6 ounces of food where before my surgery, I can eat 6 ounces in 3 - 4 minutes. I hope this info helps.

Helen

[bambam31 168]

First off it's good that you recognize the need to continue and are not going to give up. You only fail when you quit. You must admit at 27.5 pounds in 3 months, you've had meaningful weight loss!

I just had my fourth fill last week and I noticed a huge difference. In fact, I never had any meaningful restriction until the third fill. Hopefully this approaching fill will make it easier for you. Explain what you are experiencing to your doctor.

And now for the bold fact - Just because you can eat and eat and eat doesn't mean you should allow yourself to do so. :laugh: The band is just a tool it's not magic. Only put what you should be eating on your plate and eat slowly. When it's gone - your'e done. The band still takes will power.

Are you exercising? That really helps me a lot. Not only does it burn calories, but it is a natural appetite suppressant. I've also found it builds a lot of confidence. When you've completed your workout you accomplished something. And to see your fitness level increase each time you exercise is very motivating. Exercise will also cause you to back away from bad food choices because you won't want to jeapordize your hard work.

Good luck and stay with it! You have already been successful - you've just got to navigate the bumps in the road. :laugh:

Brad

[GaryB 0]

Don't lose faith... The positive is you did lose 27.5lbs.. In agree with Brad that the band isn't a cure, it is a tool.

We all need to have will power and if we eat more, eat the right things... eat more Protein, count calories when you eat more .

Stay away from sugar and carbs as much as possible. We all binge at times, but it is the food choices me make that can make a big difference.

Exercise helps soooo much. Walking is great... Stay positive and make the band work for you.

[krtork 0]

Stick with it! You can do this. It does take will power, an unbelievable amount when you are not getting restriction. I just had my third fill and I am feeling some restriction and hoping number 4 will put me closer to that full feeling.

I would suggets planning and measuring out your food. What you put on your plate is your meal and you have to stick to it. I always use a salad plate for my meals and a small 6-8 oz bowl for Soups or chili. It really does help.

Make sure you eat slowly - that is a big challenge for me. I try to use small utensils, take a bit and put down my utensil until I have chewed well and swallowed the food. If I don't put down my utensil, the food seems to disappear off my plate and I find that I am less full feeling.

Hope this helps! Make sure you go to your appt and talk to the dr, they want you to be successful too!

[mumof2 0]

hpegg, I am so confused. i didn't know that the fact I have trouble digesting bread ment I had restriction. I thought restriction ment I would feel full after eating a smaller amount of food.

I understand the band is a tool, but I can't figure out what kind of tool it is if the only difference between now and when I didn't have a band is that I have to chew bread until its mega small. I am still hungrey all the time, I am still hungry for food after eating a small amount, I still get hungry an hour after eating. So am does this mean I have restriction?

So if I have restriction then I am really disappointed. I thought the band would help me feel full.

I am due for a fill tomorrow, I will discuss it with the Dr but if this is it, I think I will just have to join weight watchers. I am so mega dissappointed that this is restriction. I dont feel any different than before the band :-(

[krtork 0]

When you have true restriction you should feel full for at least 3 hours after eating; you should not be hungry all the time. I am starting to get that feeling, almost there. I hear you with the hunger!

There are days when I could eat a horse! But I also have other days when I can hardly eat anything and feel full. It is frustrating figuring this band out. I think it is all a learning curve right now. We each have to figure out what works for us and wait until we hit that sweet spot!

My big thing has been planning, if I plan I do much better. But on that note, I notice that I eat more on the weekends when it is easier to grab something and just pop it in my mouth. When I am at work and super busy during the day I don't seem to have the problem. So mind over matter in that instance, and believe me the matter wins 90% of the time!

[mumof2 0]

Thanks, that was really helpful. I am having an emotional day with my weight today hahaha.

so I guess I must not have restriction yet, maybe a little as I have had a couple of sliming incidents (I was so hungry I forgot to chew chew chew), maybe after my fill tomorrow, I must be so close to it now, I have 6.5mls in 10ml band.

fingers crossed tomorrow is the day and I am going to wake up to a new attitude to my weight loss and a new determination and really go for it.

[Lanette71 0]

I feel ya! I'm down 16 pounds, but when I read the weekly weigh-in thread, and people have lost SO MUCH, it makes me depressed. Can those SUPERSTARS share their tips? I'd appreciate it.

[msjessy 0]

I feel ya! I'm down 16 pounds, but when I read the weekly weigh-in thread, and people have lost SO MUCH, it makes me depressed.

My advice....stop reading those threads then. I had to stop reading them for a while because I found I was easily getting dissappointed with myself, and that is not the way I want to feel.

We dont know if they are eating less, but have no restriction so they feel like they are starving all day long. You dont know if they have become gym rats and are working out 2 hours a day, everday. Maybe their surgeon is aggressive with fills. There are so many variables, and every person is different.

If you can use them as MOTIVATION for yourself then go ahead, take a look at that thread. When I need motivation that's the first place I go to when I log on to LBT. But if you are using it to compare yourself, and ultimately feel dissappointed when you read them then stay away.

[Shamrockgirl60 1]

Did you have seminars and talks with nutritionists about just what the band is and does? That helps a lot, I refer back to my paperwork and my "bible" those are the eating instructions I got after the band. Keep in mind that you are in control of the band and your eating.

The band is only as good as you make it. I know that's hard. I get hungry a lot, have had 2 fills, a few slimming episodes, ugg. And I have to continue to make good food choices. You can "eat around" the band and then you won't lose weight or lose very little and even gain wieght. Who wants that, noone, after all the work and pain you went through to get the band

I make sure that when I do go a bit overboard. I take the next few days and restrict my eating to my Protein shakes and one small meal. Calories around 1000 for a few days. Then I go back to my normal 1200-1500 calories a day.

I now weight myself once a week. That prevents me from getting depressed when I don't lose or gain a pound.

You still are thinner than when you started. I hope to get really good restriction when I get my next fill December 11th. My goals are about 8 to 10 lbs. a month.

So far I am doing well.

I will take my time and hope to lose the rest before next summer.

Good luck and don't beat yourself up over this, just keep trying.

Pati

[Lanette71 0]

msjessy: what you said makes total sense. Thank you for sharing your insight. You're right ... I get to choose what affects me. Have a great Tksgiving!

[AgencyMom 0]

Took until third fill to feel restricted at all. Before that I made a pact to exercise every day which I have been doing and my husband has helped with kid/house to make it happen. That made a difference I'm sure. Try counting calories or WW or some other "diet" plan. The band will help you to do this easier... I'm counting calories and not feeling hungry now. Good luck.

[bambam31 168]

I totally agree with Jessenia. These boards are to share experiences - not to compare ourselves to one another or see who's winning a race.

Rule #1... There is no race....

Rule #2... There is no true comparison - even though we all share many things in common - no 2 of us is completely the same or in the same situation.

You'll know good restriction when you get it - there's no mistaking it. Just eat slowly so you have a chance to recognize it before you overstuff yourself and puke.

My surgeon is aggressive with fills. I got my first fill three weeks post op. His philosophy is to control the hunger. Many other surgeon's don't think this way and treat the patient by looking at their scale performance. Fortunatley, they're not my doctor.

On my third fill I began getting some restriction but it was inconsistent. One day it was great and the next day it stunk - while eating the exact same food. I was leaning against a 4th fill because I didn't want it to be too tight on those days that the restriction was already good. Surgeon insisted I needed a fill anyway. I followed his advice and now I am consistently well restricted. It feels great!

Before the 4th fill my weight loss had slowed drastically. I started exercising at home - doing what I thought to be moderate to heavy exercise for an hour or more - most days of the week. I still was not getting very good results.

Then, in combination with the 4th fill, I became a gym rat. That's when I learned that my idea of intense exercise was not their idea of intense exercise. Now the metabolism is BURNING and the weight is melting off faster than it ever has. I'm doing a fair amount of strength training to maintain muscle and not end up looking like a flab monster.

Keep fighting the good fight. Do the best you can until you get good restriction - and pour on the exercise - and make sure it's intense. You shouldn't exercise to the point of pain, but it should be quite uncomfortable. If you stop at the point it first becomes uncomfortable you're defeating your purpose. Each time you push yourself beyond uncomfortable, you increase your fitness level. Then the next time you exercise you will advance further before it becomes uncomfortable again. And trust me, that process builds confidence and motivation. For me, exercise promotes your mental well being just as much as your physical well being.

Fight... fight... fight... sweat... sweat... sweat....

You will be successful. Period.

Brad

[mumof2 0]

Brad, that was really really helpful. I definitely dont have restriction. I think after my last fill i had a little restriction as that first week I had some sliming after eating a sandwich and also after eating some chicken, but for the last 3 weeks that has gone and I can eat those things without problems. I recon i must be close to restriction.

I was due to see my Dr on Wednesday but unfortunitely my baby is sick so I had to cancel, seeing him next week instead.

That really was a very helpful post, thanks.