Jenn1214

I started exercising regularly only recently after a two month stall. I was getting frustrated because the scale wasn't budging, but my trainer measured me and sure enough, I was losing inches. The scale took a few weeks to catch up, but now it's going down steadily. How many calories are you burning in a session? If you aren't eating enough and you're burning a lot, your metabolism will slow down. I eat around 1200 calories a day and burn anywhere from 400-600 when I work out. It seems counterintuitive, but eating a little more can help. Keep it up!

Wow that is amazing...you must feel so proud! Can't wait til I reach the 100 lb mark!

My surgeon says to stop drinking 15 minutes before eating and wait an hour after. I rarely follow the 15 minute rule but I always wait at least 45 minutes to an hour after eating to drink fluids again. My fiance's surgeon says 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after. The nutritionist in the hospital explained to him that no one has really figured out the "magic number" so every surgeon has a different estimate. Mine works for me so I stick with it. Now to answer your question, any time you have eating anything solid, whether a meal or snack, I would still wait the 1 hour. I know it's torture waiting when you're so thirsty! I usually wait about 45 minutes after I eat before working out so I can drink and also I seem to feel short of breath if I have a lot of food in my pouch during a workout.

I'm sure no doctor will recommend this, but my morning coffee seems to be the main thing that helps keep me regular. I also try to get in as much water as possible to keep my bowels happy! I don't take fiber supplements because frankly they make me gassy and don't help me much anyway.

I've been having the same problem, except I don't "see" the weight loss anywhere. I've lost 74 pounds and all I see is the same chubby face, big belly, flabby arms, and thunder thighs. The only time I see a difference is when I look at old pictures of myself, but it's still hard for me to grasp the concept of how much thinner I am. Everyone keeps telling me how great I look, but my brain hasn't caught up to my new body yet.

When I first started exercising, I had no weight loss either and was starting to get frustrated. Luckily my trainer was keeping track of my measurements. I was losing inches, but not pounds, and it took a few weeks for my body to catch up. Now my weight loss is slow and steady, and yours will be too. I would recommend eating a little bit more though if you are exercising so frequently. An hour on the elliptical burns around 500 calories, so make sure you have enough fuel in your tank to keep your metabolism burning. Good luck and keep it up...the results will come!

My full signal is usually a hiccup or a sigh, I guess maybe it's SOB when the band tightens. It's near my TOM, but usually the opposite happens...it's like I don't have a band at all! If it doesn't go away by Monday I'll go see the surgeon.

For the past few days I have been noticing that I feel short of breath while eating, like I have to yawn really deeply to get enough air. This has happened in the past but it went away, so I thought nothing of it. My band has also been feeling tighter, especially in the morning, so I wonder if that has something to do with it? It's a little disconcerting but I don't feel lightheaded or dizzy or anything. It's also annoying because if I eat less than an hour before going to the gym, I have trouble catching my breath while doing cardio. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I be running to my surgeon's office?

I couldn't feel my port after surgery but I had a gigantic bruise in the area since my pre op nurse thought it would be a good idea to give me my Lovenox in my lower abdomen... Anyhoo, 72 pounds later I can easily feel my port under the skin. When I touch it I feel pressure, not necessarily pain or tenderness. Since you're only 3 weeks out from surgery, your port site is still healing, so I wouldn't worry too much.

I am an emotional eater in the truest sense of the word. A few days after I was banded, I was pretty depressed and said things like "I made a huge mistake, get this thing out of me now!" I missed food and was just miserable. I cried a lot and without food to comfort me, everything seemed very dark and depressing. I felt like I was in detox or something. When I finally got to solid foods again, I wasn't depressed anymore, but something a little odd was happening. I would lie in bed at night and remember painful or uncomfortable memories from my childhood and teenage years, and I realized these were all things that I had buried in food that I never truly dealt with. I talked about the most difficult ones with my therapist, and the others, well...I just allowed myself to feel the emotions attached to the memory and was able to let it go. It was actually a big relief to release all of the negativity I had been keeping inside all those years. Food was definitely the crutch I used to deal with a lot of negativity in my life, and when that was taken away it was very stressful for me. This may be why you're feeling a little down, or it could be that the lifestyle change is sinking in. Either way, it gets better and you will be just fine. If I can do it, anyone can!

Hey all! My fiance was banded about a week ago. His surgeon keeps him on full liquids and thin purees for up to four weeks, so naturally he's thinking about what he'll be able to have when the soft food stage rolls around. For some inexplicable reason he's been craving chopped liver (I'm not a fan, but to each his own). I'm not sure of the consistency since I don't eat it, but would it be considered a soft food or something he would have to wait for solids to eat?

I have a protein shake every morning (my band is kinda tight until the afternoon). My other main sources of protein are Boca burgers, tuna, almonds, lean ground turkey, white meat chicken, and occasionally low fat cheese. I'm a big fish fan (especially salmon) but I don't make it at home too often because I haven't found a good fishmonger around where I live.

Setbacks definitely suck, but once you recover from surgery you'll be on track again. Be proud of what you have accomplished so far! Hope your recovery goes well, and feel better soon!

I have been banded for 11 months and I have been stuck MAYBE about 4-5 times total. Each time it was because I wasn't paying enough attention to how I was chewing...it was always my fault, never the band. Being stuck is definitely a wake up call...once it happens you don't want it to happen again, so you tend to be more careful. My episodes have never lasted more than a few minutes at a time, but it was enough to make me pay more attention at mealtimes. Don't let it deter you from getting a band!

I was never a big fan of exercise...I have been banded almost a year and only just joined a gym two months ago :-( My fiance was just banded this week and his surgeon said no heavy lifting for 8 weeks and no ab exercises for 6 months. As soon as he's feeling up to it, I'm dragging him to the gym with me! It's really the best way to keep your weight loss steady and consistent.

I have never kept my band a secret. Millions of people in this country struggle with obesity, so I don't think it's something to be ashamed of, although there will always be people who feel I took the easy way out. I didn't want to be a statistic anymore, and I knew I needed a little help. Anyone who compliments me and asks how I did it will know I have a lap band, and that's fine with me.

I am down 72 pounds in 11 months. My rate has been slower because I haven't been exercising regularly until recently and I wasn't careful about my food, but I'm still chugging along at the rate of about 5-6 pounds per month. Slow and steady wins the race, after all!

Great job!

I was starting to get very frustrated because I was on a plateau for about two months where my weight and size really didn't change much. I almost started to fall back into my old mindset of "Screw it, I'm not losing weight so I might as well eat whatever I want.". I knew I had to do things differently, so I joined a gym, increased my protein and water, and kept careful track of my calories. Even then the scale was going down very slowly. I was getting even more frustrated, but I stuck with it anyway. Today, I hit a number on the scale that I haven't seen in years...180 lbs! I also tried on a pair of size 12 jeans that I got for Christmas that didn't fit...those zipped up! My wedding dress, which I bought a size too small on purpose two months ago and I was starting to panic because it didn't zip up... now it fits! So what's the point of sharing all this, besides being super excited? Plateaus aren't forever. Don't get frustrated and give up...you WILL reach your goals if you stick with it!

I've been going to the gym regularly for about 6 weeks now. 3 days a week I do an hour of cardio and the other 3 days I do cardio and then weights with a trainer. My tolerance and endurance have been steadily improving...until today. I did my cardio with no problems, then met with the trainer. From the get go I knew something was off. I was getting winded way too easily and sweating more than usual. Finally about half an hour in, I was doing some leg extensions with a cable and I felt nauseous and dizzy and the lights started to dim, so I sat down immediately. I have never passed out before, but I assume that's what almost happened. I never want to feel that way again. My trainer said I need to eat more on training days, because by the time my cardio is done I've already burned off most of the calories I consumed for the day and my body has no fuel left. Makes sense, but I'm afraid that my weight loss will slow down or stop. Am I right to be worried? Anyone else have a similar experience? I'm sure having my TOM isn't helping either but my body's reaction still seemed pretty extreme.

I was so excited when I started soft foods...if I had to drink one more protein shake I was gonna scream! Congrats on your progress so far!

I didn't do a last meal but in the weeks leading up to surgery I was in the mindset of allowing myself to eat what I wanted in unlimited quantities. I regret it because I ended up gaining a lot of weight and it just set me further back from my goal. I honestly thought after the band I would never enjoy food again, so I figured I'd better eat what I wanted beforehand. Big mistake, I wish I'd never done it.

Everyone has a different experience with the band...unfortunately, not all are positive. Me? I've lost 70 pounds in 11 months. My back and legs don't hurt anymore. My reflux is gone. My cholesterol and triglycerides are normal. My PCOS is under control. I can look at pictures of myself without crying from shame and embarrassment. I'm starting to finally feel comfortable in my own skin. All of that is worth giving up certain foods, having fills, and occasionally getting stuck. I would have the surgery all over again. Tomorrow, if I had to. Nothing tastes as good as getting your health and self-esteem back feels. Good luck on your journey!

I use Unjury in the mornings to make my breakfast smoothie, and I drink Muscle Milk light after I work out (it comes in ready mixed containers and they're 100 calories each with 15g of protein).

I had SILS, so mine is a couple of inches below my belly button. Don't worry, pretty soon you'll miss not being able to feel it (but not the weight!).