Not losing weight - need advice

[Allformyson 0]

I am a little over 5 months post op, had 4 fills. I started at around 245 and am currently 209 and haven't lost any weight in about 2 months. It is all my fault, as I had pretty good restriction with my last fill. I could probably go for one more fill but I'm holding off for now because of what is happening.

I am very tight in the morning and afternoon. I usually eat 2 scrambled eggs in the morning and I can still get those down most of the time, but sometimes I have some pain (I think I'm eating too fast still). I was eating chicken or tuna for lunch and recently switched to Protein shakes because the solid Protein gets stuck more often and/or causes pain.

The problem is that by dinner I am very hungry and I can eat anything literally! The problems with Breakfast and lunch don't exist at dinner and I probably eat too much. I am also finding I snack more on foods that will go by the band easier without the pain (yogurts, cheese for example). Is that strange to be really tight in the morning and not so much in the evening?

I think I need to buckle down and figure out how many calories I can eat and still lose weight. I haven't done it before because I was relying on the band to do it all for me. How did you go about figuring it out?

Thanks.

[LollyMoe 1]

The band is not a magic weight lost wand. It's a TOOL for you to use in connection with good food management and exercise. You still have to work hard everyday, make appropriate food choices and burn up those calories with exercise.

I am somewhat of a rut eater, therefore I came up with a menu that I can live with everyday and still stay within the guidelines of what I am suppose to consume. On the weekends, I try to get in something different.

You have lost weight and you know how to do it. Why don't you try starting over as if you were just out of surgery a few days? Or go talk with your doctor and see where you can improve. Don't just give up! You can do it.

[Allformyson 0]

Oh, I'm not giving up!! I realize I need to do more work now (it was nice in the beginning when the weight just melted off) and I'm willing to do whatever I need to do.

[gatorgal 0]

Have you talked with your doc about this? Our doc has a comprehensive approach to the band. This involves regular weigh-ins with a nurse consultant (who has had the band surgery herself and lost and kept off +100 pounds). At those weigh-ins, I bring my food journal. She reviews it with me and makes suggestions about what to do. for example, I went in today and had lost only 2.5 pounds. When she looked at my food journal, she suggested I replace my sugar-free fudge pops with more dense Protein as a snack. This will hopefully help me not to overeat at dinner as I will have some of that dense Protein (hard cheese, almonds, etc.) in my pouch when dinner time hits. She also scheduled me for a fill in 1 1/2 weeks with the hope that eliminating the slider Snacks will prompt a larger weight loss prior to that fill.

The comprehensive approach also includes monthly support group meetings, online support through the doctor's office, and discounts at local gyms and local dietician's offices. I have found this approach invaluable as I know I can't do this on my own. None of this is required, but I know that those who take advantage of the resources do MUCH better than those who don't.

I'm down a total of 50 pounds (9 pounds pre-op and 41 pounds since surgery on 6/29), and I am sure that this comprehensive approach is what is going to get me to goal!

If your doctor's office doesn't offer anything like this, I'd ask him for his advice. He is your doctor, and you need to be getting what you paid for!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

[kiz 1]

You might be just a bit too tight, so you're compensating by eating easy to eat foods during the day, which leave you famished by dinner and snaking in between meals. Just a slight unfill of .2cc might make the difference, but then you're also going to have to work on eating more solid foods and fighting the urge to snack that you've re-established.

If feel like you have the right level of fill, and the tight daytime restriction is normal for you, it's going to be important for you to find foods that stick with you during the day, but aren't hard on the band. One soft food that works for me is Greek yogurt with all bran Cereal mixed into it. Adding the Cereal makes a world of difference on the level of satiety I get from that simple snack/meal.

(I found myself overdoing the Snacks..I mostly ate healthy Snacks, but the calories were adding up..when I wasn't quite at the right fill level. I had to make a point of turning off my head hunger and let the band do it's "magic". Once I was eating properly and at the right level of restriction, it wasn't hard to get back into the groove of three 1/2 cup meals/day + one healthy snack.)

Also, if you have several hours between lunch and dinner, a healthy Protein heavy snack might be in order at that time, only if a snack is included in your plan, since some doctors recommend larger meals and no snacks.

Edited September 28, 2009 by kiz

[TxMomof4 0]

I am wondering if you should try a Protein shake in the morning istead of eggs. I cannot eat eggs at all and know of others on here that cant' either. I am very tight first thing in the morning so I dont eat anything unless its Protein shakes. lunch maybe to much after the 2 eggs. Try something softer like cottage cheese. I have used a recipe someone posted here, cottage cheese topped with marinara and a little parm, heated in microwave. Its wonderful, tastes like lasagne. Maybe this way dinner wont be so bad. Also, if you are hungry between lunch and dinner have some cheese and lunch meat (if you can handle it). Yogurt is also a good snack. I am also wondering if you have irrated the stomach around the band and that is why you are so tight. Have you tried liquids for 2 or 3 days to see if that helps? Lost time I was to tight, my doc had me do that and it helped for a time. Ended up I was just too tight. Now a month later I am too loose! Time for a fill :tongue2:

Anyway, I hope some of this helps,

D

[janetsjourneytoslim 3]

Hi, I just banded on 7/29/09, and I have found the Lindora Lean for Life thread on LapBand.com. They have a great plan and I am following it. The first 20 weeks is Free with

the LapBand surgery! So try it! They get you on track, you log everything everyday, and help you with motivation. I lost 3.5 lbs in 3 days! Try It!:tongue2:

I am a little over 5 months post op, had 4 fills. I started at around 245 and am currently 209 and haven't lost any weight in about 2 months. It is all my fault, as I had pretty good restriction with my last fill. I could probably go for one more fill but I'm holding off for now because of what is happening.

I am very tight in the morning and afternoon. I usually eat 2 scrambled eggs in the morning and I can still get those down most of the time, but sometimes I have some pain (I think I'm eating too fast still). I was eating chicken or tuna for lunch and recently switched to Protein shakes because the solid Protein gets stuck more often and/or causes pain.

The problem is that by dinner I am very hungry and I can eat anything literally! The problems with Breakfast and lunch don't exist at dinner and I probably eat too much. I am also finding I snack more on foods that will go by the band easier without the pain (yogurts, cheese for example). Is that strange to be really tight in the morning and not so much in the evening?

I think I need to buckle down and figure out how many calories I can eat and still lose weight. I haven't done it before because I was relying on the band to do it all for me. How did you go about figuring it out?

Thanks.

[bevanfranks 0]

About the eggs-- my doctor actually recommends when you scramble an egg, to add about a spoonful of cottage cheese into it while you are cooking it. It somehow fluffs it out, which makes it easier to tolerate w/the band. It sounds weird, but it's really not much different than adding milk when scrambling eggs.

Also, he mentions not to cook the egg too firm, otherwise it tends to "stick" in the band. I usually just eat one egg w/the spoon of cottage cheese thrown in, and some onion!

Lisa

[jms462001 9]

I am a little over 5 months post op, had 4 fills. I started at around 245 and am currently 209 and haven't lost any weight in about 2 months. It is all my fault, as I had pretty good restriction with my last fill. I could probably go for one more fill but I'm holding off for now because of what is happening.

I am very tight in the morning and afternoon. I usually eat 2 scrambled eggs in the morning and I can still get those down most of the time, but sometimes I have some pain (I think I'm eating too fast still). I was eating chicken or tuna for lunch and recently switched to Protein shakes because the solid Protein gets stuck more often and/or causes pain.

The problem is that by dinner I am very hungry and I can eat anything literally! The problems with breakfast and lunch don't exist at dinner and I probably eat too much. I am also finding I snack more on foods that will go by the band easier without the pain (yogurts, cheese for example). Is that strange to be really tight in the morning and not so much in the evening?

I think I need to buckle down and figure out how many calories I can eat and still lose weight. I haven't done it before because I was relying on the band to do it all for me. How did you go about figuring it out?

Thanks.

It's very common to be tight in the morning and looser as the day goes on. My Dr recommends a shake for breakfast. I always have a skinny latte in the morning and a shake later. Sometimes I don't eat food until mid afternoon or early evening because I'm just not hungry. It's important to eat something before you get too hungry or you will either eat too much or too fast at your evening meal. I eat bean dishes often and tuna salad in the afternoon. I cannot eat eggs in the morning and I know I am not too tight!!

[bambam 0]

Another idea, if you are not already doing it, is to drink something hot or warm first thing in the morning - it really helps loosen my band up. My doc's office said if needed, to do it again before my next meal where I experienced tightness. When I skip the hot drink, I struggle getting pills down, eating, etc. I am still able to do solids, I don't do Protein Drinks.< /p>

Edited September 29, 2009 by bambam

[Meagan 25]

Yeah its def normal to be tighter in the morning i am a lil tighter in the am dso i have yogurt but im fine by lunch. maybe since your only doing shakes and yogurt almost the whole day your not getting enough calories. youshould be getting about a 1000 a day. and if your doing yogurt and a shakr that may only be like 300 calories for the day and then dinner youd have to consume 700 thats a lot in one meal. i would try to find a way to loosen you up in the afternoon. drink more Water b4 lunch. and try to eat solids just slow down and chew very well soo it ccan go down without a problem. and also if you havent lost any weight in 2 months u def hit a plateau. but if your working out a lot you could be justgaining muscle and getting toned, anyway good luck keep workin at it.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I think the weigh in’s and monthly one on one from your Bariatric Staff are such a great thing. I don’t get that and I for one am sure I’d be doing much better if I were…

Hang in there is all I can say. It takes time and lots of personal effort. The band is simply there to keep your portions down, and some lucky people (not myself) are able to keep hunger to a minimum. But that’s it. You still have to workout and eat the right things.

(((hugs to you))) I know it’s really hard!