loser2014

I was able to "shop" in my closet for a smaller pair of jeans for the first time. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery and have not lost a single ounce over the past 3 weeks which is getting mighty frustrating. BUT, I must be getting smaller if my jeans are getting looser. Plus I feel better. 15 lbs = almost 2 gallon milk jugs. So I actually feel less weighed down.

I am also 2 months and a week out from surgery (Oct 8) and have lost 21 lbs so we are at a similar pace. I agree it is frustrating at times, but hopefully by this time next year we will have some amazing before/after pics. Good luck!

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

OMG @loser2014. I feel like you were telling my story lol.
I was banded in September too and had exactly the same problem, 14 pounds down straight away and then nothing absolutely nothing until I reached 8 weeks. I am also 20 pounds down as of this morning.
Also your points 1-4 are so me too.
Looks like we are on this road together, good luck with the rest of your journey

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

I was banded 10/8/14. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds in the first few weeks from the presurgery diet and the initial post-surgery liquid diet. Then nothing, For weeks and weeks. I got my first fill at five weeks, experienced a huge reduction in what I could eat, and still, no movement. I went over a month without losing any scale weight. My clothes were getting looser, but not drastically. Not a single person noticed or commented that I had lost weight.
Finally, this week, 8 weeks out from surgery, the scale is slowly and steadily creeping down. I'm down 20 pounds as of today.
Here are some things I have learned:
1. Losing weight with a lap band can be a very slow process. Patience is key. I am very bad at being patient.
2. I am a very slow learner. I get stuck almost every day from eating too quickly. Undoing a 40 year habit of wolfing down food is not easy.
3. When I exercise, I am more likely to lose weight. Plain and simple.
4. Preparation is key. It is not easy to grab food when you are out with the band. Keeping Protein Bars on hand and not going too long between meals is important.
Almost 2 months later, I finally am starting to feel good about my choice to get a lap band and feeling like I can make a success of this.

I was slim all my life, ate whatever I wanted, stayed around a slim 125 lbs. Then late 20's my metabolism started slowing down, got married at 29 weighing a still comfy 143. After having my son 18 months later my metabolism just died. ( He's 26 now). So I gained 100 lbs over the years, tried Weight Watchers, lost 12 whole lbs, Ive been almost 3 yrs banded, now Im at a very happy 160 !

PROCESS. As in, 'this is a process' and 'trust the process', both of which I tell myself multiple times per day. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery, losing super slowly and trying to learn this new way of eating and making mistakes every day.

I am scheduled for 10/7. Looking for a lap band buddy.

PROCESS. As in, 'this is a process' and 'trust the process', both of which I tell myself multiple times per day. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery, losing super slowly and trying to learn this new way of eating and making mistakes every day.

PROCESS. As in, 'this is a process' and 'trust the process', both of which I tell myself multiple times per day. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery, losing super slowly and trying to learn this new way of eating and making mistakes every day.

I've landed on "process".

I was banded 8 months ago. I didn't see most of these scary band stories on here until after surgery. I didn't have anyone in real life to talk to who had WLS. This forum, books, YouTube, my surgical team, and real life WLS support groups from three different hospitals were and have been my research and resources.
I am 53 years old. I once lost 130 pounds at age 28 without surgery and gained it all back.
In February I started at 302. I now weigh 198. I have gone off the following medicines: one of two blood pressure meds, Prevacid, prescription NSAID for arthritis, cholesterol medicine, prescription pain medication, a diuretic, Fiber supplements.
I couldn't walk one block without back and knee pain before. Now I walk daily and enjoy watching the miles (MILES!) accumulate on my FitBit every day. My dog loves it too.
I have reduced the frequency of my cortisone knee injections. My knee pain is controlled with Tylenol and most days I now forget to take even that.
I have had four fills and am at my green zone. For me the green means I eat moderately and on a schedule three times a day. In between I have coffee or Water or tea. In between I am not hungry at all. I become mildly hungry about a half hour before my meal.
If I am ravenous or thinking about food, it is almost always a sign that I am stressed. I've learned to recognize this sign and to NOT feed it with food because food will NOT make that restless feeling go away.
I have learned to substitute self care by food with self care by: walking, music, 12-step meetings, foot massages, socializing with people, praying, counseling, going to the movies.
Head hunger is real. Head hunger wasn't cured for me by WLS but it became easier to recognize, because I now feel and recognize real hunger three times a day.
I am still a newbie but the thing I had to give up when I got banded that maybe some people are not ready to give up is this: I can never binge for comfort again.
I got WLS to make that happen and yet it is the saddest thing to let go of. If you are ready to do that then you are ready for WLS.
Knowing it and doing it are two different things. I was ready. I was motivated. I decided. Then I got banded.
And still, after surgery, when it hit me months later during the most stressful time of my life that I couldn't turn to binging on food for comfort, I hurt so bad. I cried. I was simultaneously glad for the band and scared to death because my go-to coping mechanism was gone.
I knew and expected that to hit me at some point. Still, it's a shock when it does.
I survived the feelings. I developed an inner resolve that no matter what, I was not going to cope the old way anymore. I am a new woman and I am teaching myself new ways to cope and a new way to live.
I get stuck on certain foods and I'm still training myself to eat slowly. Yes, 8 months post op I still am in training. It's okay. I have the rest of my life to get better at it.
When you are ready, you are ready. And nothing will stop you.

Sounds too iffy to me. I would take the date a few weeks later because you cannot predict how you will feel after being cut open. Three days later an 80 mile car ride and a stressful mock trial? No way. You put this surgery a couple weeks later and you have no unnecessary stress. I cannot emphasize this enough: this is major surgery. It sounds minor. It is not. Good luck and take care of your body.

Greetings, all!
I had my surgery 4 months ago today! I have had 2 fills, and as of today I have lost 29 pounds! I have reached a mini goal of hitting 180 by my birthday!
After the adjustment, I can eat about a cup of food, and am learning when to not eat one bite too many. I am so happy!

Congrats! Glad you are recovering well.

Lentil Soup for Breakfast. Easy and no issues. Whew!

I was able to "shop" in my closet for a smaller pair of jeans for the first time. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery and have not lost a single ounce over the past 3 weeks which is getting mighty frustrating. BUT, I must be getting smaller if my jeans are getting looser. Plus I feel better. 15 lbs = almost 2 gallon milk jugs. So I actually feel less weighed down.

I was able to "shop" in my closet for a smaller pair of jeans for the first time. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery and have not lost a single ounce over the past 3 weeks which is getting mighty frustrating. BUT, I must be getting smaller if my jeans are getting looser. Plus I feel better. 15 lbs = almost 2 gallon milk jugs. So I actually feel less weighed down.

Me too briefs. I'm in the same boat. My first fill is tomorrow and I can't wait. I am ravenous and the only thing keeping me from overeating is me. I need some help from this band!

I was able to "shop" in my closet for a smaller pair of jeans for the first time. I am 5 weeks out from lap-band surgery and have not lost a single ounce over the past 3 weeks which is getting mighty frustrating. BUT, I must be getting smaller if my jeans are getting looser. Plus I feel better. 15 lbs = almost 2 gallon milk jugs. So I actually feel less weighed down.