funky_monkey800

I had a plateau that felt like forever....I would start a routine, then get discouraged because I felt like there were never any results..what worked for me was adding weights into my routine....I also did a month of insanity. While the scale didn't move a whole lot, I started seeing muscle definition. And as weird as this sounds, seeing my body change to being stronger and not necessarily skinner by the pound did something for me...while I am not where society thinks I should be to be labeled "skinny" I love how my body is changing......while the scale doesn't move, body fat % does and the way my clothes fit is different.....I have also added jogging into the mix.....so long story short, I would try some weights!

Well I have seen so much negativity on the band lately....and it kinda brings me down. so for those of you who are against or on the fence about the lap band, or struggling with your weight loss, I just want to say.
The lap band is working for me!
100 lbs down!
Yup....crazy. 11 months with the band.
Has it been easy? Hell no.
Burps, puke, reflux, too tight, not tight enough, stalls, ect..
Was it the "easy road"? Definitely not.
Changing the way I eat, the way I exercise, the way i think about food, learning what I can and can't eat so I don't get sick in public or with friends and family. Learning to enjoy meals with the family with band friendly food.
And even if it was the easy way, my hubby still forked out over $12k, sooooo...i know it wasn't easy working for that money.
Have I learned alot? You bet.
I still struggle. What if I fail? Am I really hungry? Why do I weigh myself every dang day? What do I say when I am with people and can't or don't want to eat? And I have to really be honest about what I eat...
And I still haven't found the idea of exercising "fun". But I know I have to do it. And I never regret it when I am finished. I like barely being able to walk because I totally crushed my workout.
So is it going to last forever...my weight loss? I sure hope so. I've worked hard for this. I've followed all the rules, and in the process i have learned so much about myself. I have come way too far to fail. This relationship between me and the band is a tricky one. But this IS the new me..so for now I am going to enjoy this victory....and have a pumpkin latte. ..cheers!

Got my band Nov 2014....started at 250. Today I am down to 171

Just an update! Banded Nov 2014... Start weight 250.. Today weighed in at 145

AWESOME!! Whatever you did differently, worked!

Just an update to those who may be interested. 4lbs down! There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Wow! I would love to be able to go for 3 miles! And congrats on the 14"!!Starting a body pump class tonight! Good luck to you! Just being able to run that far is a great inspiration!

@funky_monkey,
Congratulations on your weight loss so far! I know it’s frustrating to stall before goal, though.
Regarding workouts, I try not to think of them as something that will make a big difference in weight loss. I just try to focus on the immediate benefits – make me feel better – and the health benefits.
For weight loss, are you still eating exactly as you’ve been told? Are you still hitting your calories, and measuring and logging every bite? If you are, the scale will go down when it’s ready, and unfortunately not a second before. Good luck!

I definitely understand. I have been stalled for over a month now. I run 3-5 miles 3 mornings a week, walk 3 miles 3 mornings a week, do zumba one night a week, and do a class called body pump 2 nights a week. I eat about 800 to 1100 calories a day. Not sure what else I can do to lose weight. I just started the running right before Christmas. I work out about 10 hours a week so working out more is not an option for me. The cardio helped me to lose the pounds (at first) the body pump (weight lifting...think lighter weights of 5 to 40 pounds depending on the exercise and muscle group) and lots of reps (over 1000 reps in an hour) helped me slim the bulges. There would be months that I only lost 5 pounds, but lost 14 inches! I know the scale will eventually move, but it is so frustrating!
Good luck.

Thx! That's what I want to do mainly is firm up!

Eating several small meals is not grazing it actually keeps your metabolism up by keeping your blood sugar level. Maybe plan what you would eat for the day, and divide that into 4-6 servings. It is still the same amount of food, but this way you are not eating more than you can handle at one sitting.

I had the same problem, a lot of swelling inside made it difficult to consume more than a few bites/sips of anything. My NUT instructed me to avoid anything not a high protein source. No veggies, fruits and of course no sugar, Pasta, rice, potatoes or flour, until I could get all my protein. This took me a year and a half! I missed salad more than anything! Now I eat salad DAILY, lol! I was in constant contact with her & she told me just to keep taking my Vitamins. I still avoid all simple carbs & starchy veggies/fruits, except for an occasional bite as they do cause a day or two of hunger & cravings.

I used to power lift--heavy compound movements. The idea is strength. Anyway, despite squatting over my body weight and benching a little under it, I only firmed up, never bulked. Don't be afraid to lift. Think about how heavy your purse or books or toddler is!

First of all...my problem was I could not control my appetie and eating...diets failed everytime because I had no self-control...as a last resort, my PCP recommended surgery...to do what I was incapable of doing myself....
THAT's why I had surgery...I expected a difference.
Since then, I've never felt full in the classic sense....I simply do not want to eat anymore...and have no desire to eat. My tastes have totally changed, I do not get turned on by the smells/aromas of food. The sight of it does absolutely nothing.
The only way I can explain it is like this......remember when you ate more than you should, say at Thanksgiving...so much you had to unbuckle your pants. If someone put another slice of pie in front of you, you would wave your hands and say "You got to be kidding, take it away....I cannot possibly eat one more thing...I don't ever want to look at food again!"
Well, I feel that way all the time..but not as drastic. Not a physical feeling, but purey a mental thing...subtle thoughts, feelings......my brain is telling me I'm not hungry, I don't need to eat, I am more than full, I am satisfied !
Yet! I haven't eaten anything yet. I may not have eaten all day...
I believe the presence of the band, adjusted, is sending my brain these signals.
I can go to the grocery store and wander...not seeing anything that interests me...My tastes have changed dramatically, sometimes none at all...
And this is coming from a guy who could not stop eating...all day long, like a machine!
I could devour a large pizza all by myself..then go looking for a snack an hour later.
When we go out to eat (which is often because both my wife and I work ridiculous long hours)..I try to order something nutritious, what I know I should be eating.....and after eating about a tenth, I put the fork down...I'm done, have no desire to continue....it's like a child playing with his vegetables....I bring home more than I eat.
THIS to me...is the Green Zone.....First, No hunger, no cravings...completely under control. Second, portion control...it is impossible for me to overeat, and if for some strange reason I wanted to, I would get sick.
So hunger control + Portion Control, = weight loss....weight loss until I reached what my body felt was a good place to be...then it leveled out and stayed.
I know from years experience, everyone experiences things differently with the band...some are hungry and crave food all the time...some for hours between meals....and some, like me, 24/7
When I am busy, occupied in some endeavor like an outing, travel, etc...I can go forever without eating....it usually takes the people around me to start complaining about stopping to eat.
But I am always diligent to get my daily Protein in, and always drinking Water.

Ok so here we go. Just got off the phone and it seems as though I'm not a lone wolf when it comes to having a hard time constantly eating. Or getting in all recommended servings. For lap banders she says it usually varys by day. While technically I should be eating more, my numbers in every aspect are fine. While I'm not losing weight body fat has decreased by 5% so I am obviously getting leaner and building muscle. And at over a year out a slowdown is expected. So we will meet tomorrow to make a meal plan...which is tough because 3 meals a day is tough, I'm gonna try...lol. then meeting with a trainer first thing monday. After talking to them on the phone looks like I will be able to do a few days of strength training one on one after my insanity. Ugh! In a good way

I understand Protein is a goal lol...however the difference between surgeries generally calls for different diets right? I don't know about the others so it was merely a question. Though protein intake is based primarily on weight? Along with other factors say someone at 200 lbs 45 and 6' would have different protein needs than me at 5'5 150lbs and 34? At least that was my understanding.
I left a message for a call back and I will keep ya posted

Also I have tried to eat...mornings are generally a no go which is why I go for Protein Bars as soon as I can. Dr has told me all of this is normal due to the settling of fluids in my band.
And since what I was doing isn't working which is why I am sticking with insanity...tried it once b4 but dropped out..I feel like I ha e tons of energy now that I am 100lbs down...

Ok so here we go. Just got off the phone and it seems as though I'm not a lone wolf when it comes to having a hard time constantly eating. Or getting in all recommended servings. For lap banders she says it usually varys by day. While technically I should be eating more, my numbers in every aspect are fine. While I'm not losing weight body fat has decreased by 5% so I am obviously getting leaner and building muscle. And at over a year out a slowdown is expected. So we will meet tomorrow to make a meal plan...which is tough because 3 meals a day is tough, I'm gonna try...lol. then meeting with a trainer first thing monday. After talking to them on the phone looks like I will be able to do a few days of strength training one on one after my insanity. Ugh! In a good way

I will have to call her today...thx 4 the advice..I will let you know what she says!
I honestly don't k ow how I could eat anymore and not explode....:/

I saw a previous post of yours where you were talking about only eating a couple of meals a day, Nutrition is so important.
I can't stress enough that you can work out all day, every day, but it won't matter if you don't get adequate nutrition.
Please talk to a good NUT.
You just may have to suck it up and eat even if you aren't hungry.
The bottom line: if what you are doing isn't working for you then you need to do something else.

I second all the advice to start some strength training. If you work out at at gym (which I'm guessing you do with Insanity... which is an INSANE program!), then I strongly recommend hooking up with a personal training. It can be expensive, but SO worth it. Also, see what strength classes your gym has. Mine has Body Pump, which I absolutely adore. I do it 3x/week and have muscle definition like I never thought I'd see. It's not the only program out there and it's not for everyone, so test the waters until you find something you like.

Ok so the past two days I didn't change anything with my diet, and tracked everything. This is pretty much what my days look like....985 one day and 570 another :/

Wow!! Gonna try this tonght!! thx!!

Quite a variety of tastes for sure!!
Hint: A dash of gravy Master to ground turkey makes it taste like hamburger meat

Agreed!! They just aren't fans of my turkey obsession everyday. They definitely eat way more fruits and veggies than I do. My youngest is a vegetarian, my oldest will only eat meat 90% of the time and my hubby is a salad before the meat and sides are served type of guy...lol.