Slow Losers - Unite!

[K@t 38]

well, I think it's time that I finally admitted I'm a slow loser as well. I've tried and tried and the weight just doesn't seem to be coming off. I'm sure it has something to do with family genes or something but here I am 10 months out and only 20lbs down.

Marimaru congrats on your weight loss, and loss is good no matter how fast it comes. I just hope I can be half down in time. BTW you are defined as a success because success is when a bansters loses half their weight in 2 years...so congrats on being a success!!

[K@t 38]

I am still able to eat much larger portion than I should be able to. I can pretty much eat a regular size meal. (not super size ) I know I shouldn't, I know its wrong, and I should be able to control my eating better. I do eat much less than I used to as I was ALWAYS a second and third helping person. I don't do this anymore.

I am working on all these things....smaller bites, chew more thoroughly, more Protein.

This is how I feel, I need to get a 3rd fill as well but I'm waiting for my port revision scar to heal better. But like you I eat much less then I use too, and it's a mystery to me that I haven't lost any more.

[Cheldex 0]

I've been banded for13 months. I had lost about 20 lbs the first 3 months then weightloss stopped. I can't get off the soft foods, like sweets and other high carb foods. It's a terrible addiction that I can't get control of. I am now back to my beginning weight and at a total loss as to what to do next. I have comfortable restriction, when I eat non-sweets foods. I just joined NutriSystem and ordered my first month of foods. I did Jenny Craig about 15 years ago and lost about 50 pounds so I'm hoping this NutriSystem gets me under control. I also have to get back to exercising. I'm just feeling very down and feel like I have blown my last chance to finally lose the weight. Anyone ever try JC or NS ?

[Turner24 0]

I tried JC once but since I am allergic to chicken and turkey I couldn't eat most of their meals.:hungry: The band restricts the portions, but does not make the food choices for you. That is why they call it a "tool" not a "cure". I too struggled w/ the fact that chocolate slid right down but a piece of low cal bread wouldn't budge! I finally learned after gaining before my 1st fill, that I had to change me too!! I know its not easy and I am far from perfect; but I am doing better. Having good restriction is a plus. When you are not hungry its easier to pass by the high calorie snack temptation!:biggrin1: Exercise is also good to start. I am walking on the treadmill in the gym at work at my afternoon snack time. I found that exercise followed by Water kills my craving for food. I hate to exercise so I think I just can't do that after I worked so hard on the treadmill!! Hang in there Cheldex! It will get better. Just take one day at a time and forgive yourself for mistakes.

Best of luck!!:eek:

Turner24

389/377post op/383 1st fill/ 384 2cnd fill

[MarcyD 0]

I have been stuck at minus 40 pounds for two or three months now. Part of the problem (I think) is that I am on a lot of insulin for my diabetes and insulin acts as a growth factor, promoting weight gain. I have also not been exercising as much as I should.

Cheldex, I lost 30 pounds on Nutrisystem before the band, but kept getting hungry. I am trying it again with some of the food I have left and find that the band makes me actually feel full with the small portions. Most of the food is okay, but a few things are nasty. You have to experiment. The message board a nutrisystem.com is very helpful. I still lurk over there sometimes for inspiration.

Good luck to all of us!

[tybalt 0]

I understand why people losing a pound a month might get upset, but why does anyone losing .5-1 pound a week feel like a failure??? Is my surgeon the only one who wants paitients to lose no more than a pound a week?? That and exercise is what will keep us from accumulating layers of skin. My niece lost over 50 pounds on a very restrictive diet over 4 months. She says she never felt happy about the weight loss because of the layers of skin covering her body. It put her in a depression and she's regained the weight. Now with the encouragement and support of her husband she's started on an exercise program and though she assures me she's back to her high weight she looks tighter and slimmer.

I've also lost 50 pounds since my surgery, but have been doing it slowly. I also aquasize for an hour a day four days a week and have no problems with loose skin. I weigh myself about every two to three weeks and as long as the scale is going down I'm happy. I just remember how awful it was pre-band when every trip to the scale showed a weight increase.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that many of the people in this group are not slow losers, you're just sensible losers. At least that's my opinion.

[MissyC 0]

I am ever grateful that the scales are finally going downward instead of steadily up which they had done for the past several years.

I am losing an average of 0.46 lbs per week. (for the past 6 months) That is less than 1/2 lb per week. At that rate it will take me nearly 6 years to reach my goal of 139 lbs. (at 139 lbs I think I wll feel fabulous, but according to bmi charts, I would still be obese...go figure)

I have very little restriction right now, am still able to eat a normal size meal.

I am hoping with a small fill, my restriction will be good, and a normal meal for me would be the "kiddie" size portion. This means I would feel comfortably full after a smaller meal.

Right now, I don't feel full with 4-6 oz meal...it just doesn't do it.

I don't think I'm greedy....I really, truly don't want the weight to just "drop off". I am hoping for 1/2 to 1 lb per week of steady weight loss. 4 lbs per month would be so perfect.

I am hoping the slower weight loss will battle some of the "saggy skin syndrome".

[32lyn 0]

i am 8 weeks post op n have not lost asingle pound, i had a fill 4 weeks ago but it made no dif. anyone in the same position?

[dpingl 0]

I am feeling like a slow user too. I have lost 22#s since surgery on NOV 8. I have had one fill, thinking FEB I may go get another! I do have restriction.... THIS WEEK more than normal.(PMS) I tend to graze too much! I am working on it but the week before I just want to eat constantly! I exercise almost everyday. Eliptical or walking. I have even started some simple weight training. My clothes are very lose my the scales have not moved for at least a week and 1/2. HELP..

[juliegeraci 7]

From the sounds of it you may be putting on muscle weight since you are weight training. Have you taken your measurements? That would be a tell tale sign for sure. Good luck.

[MarcyD 0]

For some reason, my band seems to be tighter the last week or so. This is odd, as I am scheduled for a fill in a couple of weeks (My doc routinely does a fill every two months until you reach the sweet spot.). I have lost three more pounds as of this morning and hope this means my plateau has broken.

Now I have to go update my ticker! Oops! Later, I guess. Gotta go back to work.

[katylady 0]

Hello all, I too, am a slow loser and really disappointed with my weight loss so far. I was banded on Oct 18th and have lost only 15 pounds. I haven't lost any weight in the last month, but I didn't gain any either.

I've been in for three fills already because I wasn't feeling any restriction at all. The last fill was a few weeks ago and I finally feel some restriction but not as much as I think I should because I can still eat more than I should.

I'm making much better food choices, and I eat about half of what I used to eat, but no weight loss in the last 4 - 6 weeks. What the heck is going on here? I'm not exercising as much as I should, but I am very active and usually get in some treadmill time at least 2 - three times a week. I just made another appointment for a 4th fill and will see my doctor at this appointment and talk with him, maybe he can give me some insight as to why I'm not feeling more restriction and why I'm not losing weight.

I am a self pay, so what's really bugging me it that I paid all that money and have not lost much weight, plus I really want to lose more before May because my son it getting married and mom wants to look good for the wedding pics!

What to do when you get discouraged?

[marys 2]

I have had no weight loss in over one year - I am back on the dieting, yo yo try every diet again and just so frustrated and sick. I'm having metabolic tests now but really feel just hopeless and depressed. I am a failure even with the band. I'm going to my parents 50th anniversary fat as ever with 150 friends of family etc that will see me. I never thought i would be one that wouldn't lose weight. I am so restricted I cant eat solids some days - I eat tons less - I eat like I'm suppossed to and I exercise 5 times a week. I don't know what to do when discouraged cuz i live it 24/7 - you just go on. My boyfriend says - the band is keeping me the same size - i probably would have been 50lbs heavier so there you go - that's something, right? I wish there was someone who could help us that have failed but I've found people don't want to hear about it or be around you when you are a failure. It's a bit lonesome.

[juliegeraci 7]

I'm finally breaking my plateau. I went to the doctor yesterday and I'm down another 5 lbs. Total WL 37 lbs since June. I lose a lb a week.

[robinem 0]

I'm a slow loser and proud of it. Last week I purchased my wedding dress, and I got into a size 22 (which in wedding dress size is about an 18 in regular people size. Why are wedding dresses cut so much smaller than real clothes?).

I go in for my first fitting in May and hope to have lost another 10 or 15 pounds.

I know that without this band, I would have had a bear of a time finding a dress that fit and was flattering.

I'm slow, but I don't care!