lucy b

I have notice as I'm shredding my weight I'm shredding my past... I've done things to overcome and find closure in past problems. Though I must admit. I failed at 1 point. I failed because I expected my band to do it all. I expected to wake up skinny and that was that. When I saw the scale staying the same I became discouraged and got an attitude like "this isn't working so I mine as well eat" it wasn't until I got more support from here, support groups, doctors and counselors when I realized this is just a tool. A tool that I have control of working. So I've started my "2nd" journey with a whole new approach !

I have notice as I'm shredding my weight I'm shredding my past... I've done things to overcome and find closure in past problems. Though I must admit. I failed at 1 point. I failed because I expected my band to do it all. I expected to wake up skinny and that was that. When I saw the scale staying the same I became discouraged and got an attitude like "this isn't working so I mine as well eat" it wasn't until I got more support from here, support groups, doctors and counselors when I realized this is just a tool. A tool that I have control of working. So I've started my "2nd" journey with a whole new approach !

I am my fathers twin! We look alike and act alike! My mom calls us a pair of bookends! He got the lap band done about 3 and a half years ago and he's down 180 pounds! He is just becoming more of an inspiration to me. I looked up to him as he was on his journey. Still do! And it wasn't until a year ago that I decided to get mine. And having his support only made it 10x better! Your doing a great thing! And I honor you for your braveness!!

17 pounds in a couple of weeks is wonderful. Don't count on fills to lose the weight.... you have to eat the right foods, in the right amounts, and chew, chew chew. I did not get a fill until I was 6 weeks out, only had 4 total in 13 months. You will be fine! Look at the positives and don't be a slave to the scales!

My two cents....for what it is worth.
Remember that you are worth this and you are not a failure because your weight loss journey is different from those around you. In my three years I have come to realize that everyone is different even with the band. For example, I have great restriction, but I can eat bread. I always have been able to and waiting around for bread to get stuck to let me know that I have restriction or can't eat anymore is not going to help me at all.
I lost 10 -15 lbs in the first month and basically hit a plateau that lasted nearly a year. Then I gave up, was depressed avoided my doctor and gained a lot of that weight back. My doctor wanted me to have a gastric bypass, even encouraged me to run the new testing and thankfully my insurance company denied it. He basically wrote me off as a patient.
New doctor gave me very different support and aftercare. Some things I have now learned:
(1) I need a low-carb diet. I eat 45-55 gms of carbs a day. Thats it, and a lot of that comes from fruits and veggies. The funny thing is that with carbs, they are either slider foods (potatoes) foods that get stuck, (doughy foods, rice) or sweets/nuts (high calorie, high sugar, high fat) and they often trigger cravings for more carbs!
(2) I eat at regular intervals, every 3 hrs. Some people say they don't get hungry for 4-5 hrs. Not me. I'm hungry. If I rely on just hunger, I eat too much, if I to wait for 4-5 hrs I am starving and again I eat too much, too fast or make bad choices. Seriously figure out how long it takes you to get hungry and set your meals around that. I had an alarm on my cell the first week to remind me to eat because I am not starving at that point and sometimes miss the hunger signals, but I know if I go past the 3 hrs pt bad things happen. I also know if I am hungry between then it is probably dehydration and I'm not getting my fluids in.
3. Eat slowly. If I eat my 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food in less than 15 or 20 minutes I am eating way too fast and likely to eat way too much. You'll find if you are only eating softer foods you eat them faster because they don't get stuck. I have to force myself to eat Proteins like chicken or steak and fresh veggies because I am afraid they will get stuck and they require me to be very careful with the chewing. The other day I ate carrots too fast and they were stuck! Ugh. The old me would have stopped eating raw carrots. The new me knows I ate them too fast, and didn't chew well enough. Also know that I will get full on a smaller amount of carrots than I will lunch meat, or yogurt. If I can eat it that fast it is probably not that good for me!! Time yourself. I've done it and having that external cue to keep you on pace helps. Note: If you follow this guideline with portion size, small chews and length it takes to finish a meal and are still getting food stuck you are too tight!!! I know it sounds counterproductive, but being too tight means your body thinks it is starving and you WILL NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!! Get the unfill, let your pouch heal and go back to the basics. My dr. does not like people relying solely upon Protein supplements for regular maintenance...so in his opinion you need to be able to eat lean meats without getting stuck.You can also be too tight and go over your calories because you tend to rely on soft mushy foods that are not going to keep you full and that are higher calorie for the volume.
4. Track your calories very very carefully. The've said it before and it is true. One of my biggest issues for me with this surgery was my slow metabolism. My body adjusts very quickly to a reduced caloric intake. You are not losing any weight because your body is adjusted to the amount of calories you are taking in. If i ate the amount of calories the calculators say I should to maintain weight (even without exercise I would be gaining 2-3 lbs a week! Trust me! I have tried.) I have to stay on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet. If I am around 1400 or 1600 I gain. And when you break it down that is not a ton of calories and one pudding cup, cookie, or yogurt can quickly throw me over my daily goal. I may be eating what I would call a healthy diet but now post lap band for me healthy means getting lots of Protein, paying strict attention to carbs, and focusing on non-starchy veggies. Very different from my BFF. If the scale is not moving I have to take a very serious look at what I am eating, own what I ate and make adjustments. My guess, if you haven't lost weight you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you were before the surgery just in a decreased volume. Again, doesn't mean you're eating ice cream all the time, but you would be amazed at how many calories you can take in even with the band. Someone said he does 3000 calories on a calorie cycling regimine for his high cal day.
I know its hard and I know you may feel like people assume you aren't following the rules or are doing something to sabotage your success. Please don't give up!! I have run into plenty of guys and gals who struggle and this journey is a mental and physical one! Don't judge yourself or your success based on what others have done on the boards it will only make you feel more depressed. Set your own goals and Celebrate them, no matter how small. I Celebrate tracking all my calories (especially if I have missed a day or two!) Adjusting behavior patterns and breaking internal cues and triggers can be hard. Your body does not want to lose weight, it thinks of that as starvation. You've got to outsmart your body and for some of us it takes more work than others!
Good luck!

I am 23 years old. In oct of 2011 I got my band put in. Over the course of the year I slipped 4 times. Sept of 2012 I got a whole reconstructive revision of my band. I wasn't ready to give up on the band yet. They offered me the sleeve and I declined. I am trying so hard to really succeed this time around... Yesterday was my 3rd tightening since surgery. I now have 8.5cc's in me. And I feel like this 1 did it. As I drink I'm getting full but what effects me is that empty feeling in my stomach. I am doing all support groups and trying my very best this time. I hope this is a new journey!! Just sharing my story for support

I am 23 years old. In oct of 2011 I got my band put in. Over the course of the year I slipped 4 times. Sept of 2012 I got a whole reconstructive revision of my band. I wasn't ready to give up on the band yet. They offered me the sleeve and I declined. I am trying so hard to really succeed this time around... Yesterday was my 3rd tightening since surgery. I now have 8.5cc's in me. And I feel like this 1 did it. As I drink I'm getting full but what effects me is that empty feeling in my stomach. I am doing all support groups and trying my very best this time. I hope this is a new journey!! Just sharing my story for support