BetsyB

I eat 800-900/day and have, since banding. I have had a couple of very brief plateaus, but loss has resumed quickly. I don't buy into the "starvation mode" theory; there isn't peer-reviewed evidence to back it up. Some people may, indeed, need more calories than I do. But most of us have ample fuel stored on our bodies in the form of fat--and our bodies simply are NOT ever in the position of "starving." As we get smaller, though, metabolism does decrease (smaller bodies need more fuel)---so loss tends to slow a bit. The common wisdom is to shake things up by eating more; for me, this is not a good approach---it causes gain. So I look over my journals, see whether things are creeping in that needn't, and if I'm doing well, I just tough the plateau out. If I need to make changes (and here, I usually try to do it with exercise so that I don't pare down calories further), I do that.

I am also in the weigh-and-measure camp. (I also am an advocate of journaling what you eat so you can evaluate what changes need to be made when you hit a wall.) Did your doctor provide guidelines to you? When I was at your stage, I was eating 3 ounces of Protein per meal. A bit farther along, I added 1/2 cup of nonstarchy veggies.

Your PCP is well-meaning, but is not a bariatric surgeon. The person with whom to discuss getting back on track is your surgeon. WELL before I considered a revision, I'd do whatever it took to get my behavior under control--because the same changes required to successfully lose with a band are required for successful loss with a bypass or sleeve. Can you identify the hows and whys of your regain? Do you have appropriate restriction? What changes can you make in your eating and exercise? I agree that exercise is CRITICAL---just absolutely critical to long-term success. Call your surgeon; ask for an adjustment. Then make the appropriate adjustments to your actions. You can do it! You've done it before---and you don't need another, more drastic surgery, to do it again :thumbup:

Sweet spot or no, I've pretty much eaten the same stuff all along--at first, it was a struggle, because I was, indeed, quite hungry. But now it's no biggie. What I'm about to type will seem incredibly restrictive--I actually get a good variety by choosing different foods within the parameters. I've also "technically" reached 75 percent of excess weight lost (I say "technically" because my goal is lower than my doctor's), so I'm allowed to add in grains and starches; because I want to lose more than my doctor has targeted for me, I do this very, very sparingly, and instead stick with the basic plan that's worked for me all along: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner: 2-5 ounces Protein (usually just short of 3 oz), 1/2 cup nonstarchy veg, sometimes a fruit Early morning, evening: a warm Protein shake (to help dissolve my Vitamin capsules and bump my protein level up) Between meals: veggies, occasionally cheese Before I hit my sweet spot, my protein portions were larger than they are now (usually right at 5 oz., whereas I can only hold about 2.6 oz. of dense protein at a go now), but otherwise, my basic plan of attack has been the same all along. Yes, it sounds tedious and monotonous, but I eat a wide variety of things prepared a wide variety of ways, and feel completely non-deprived and--even better--healthy.

Being stuck hurts--there is discomfort associated with the actual "plug" of food that obstructs the stoma, as well as discomfort from pressure that builds up because anything else introduced to the stomach can't go anywhere. It is a sensation I do anything to avoid---and by anything I mean I've given up foods that consistently cause me trouble. (I do tend to give things more than one try; some days I'm just tight, so it's worth giving things another shot or two before deciding they're troublemakers.) That means that many things I used to "love" are now things I really don't like at all. (So, I don't miss them.) Perspective has a funny way of shifting :thumbup: I have to add that my doctor's recommended eating plan leaves out most of the foods that seem to cause people trouble; I have not yet tried bread, for example. Or rice, or pasta, or other starchy things that many people have difficulty with. Oddly, I don't miss them, either.)

I think that "restriction" must mean different things to different people. I didn't have surgery with the idea that I would be restricted in what I eat. I did plan for restriction--physical narrowing of the stoma that slows the emptying of the upper portion of my stomach so that satiety with a smaller volume of food is achieved and maintained for a period of time. To assert that the band is not about this type of restriction is erroneous. That said, I lost a huge portion what I've lost before I achieved this restriction--because I measured my food and told myself NO a lot. I very quickly learned, simply by virtue of the fact that my stomach configuration had been vastly altered, that "full" means something completely different post-banding. And I listened to that. Never mind that the sensation only lasted a short time (because the upper portion of my stomach emptied rapidly)---I told myself NO when it wasn't mealtime. Nevertheless, achieving that restriction---the physical narrowing of the stoma that slows stomach emptying---is in fact a very important part of banding. Otherwise, why bother? Why have fills? Why be banded in the first place?

I'm a fan of fitday.com.

Mine wasn't around a whole lot--he was home with our son. When he was there, he was fine. But he didn't stay long---basically, he visited briefly after I came out of surgery, and fetched me when I called and told him I was being discharged.

An overweight body has plenty of fuel to sustain workouts. Instead of focusing on changing your food, I'd make sure you are well-hydrated. Your symptoms can be attributable to a need for extra Fluid or even electrolytes But odds are really, really slim that you require more food. Not that a Protein shake post-workout is a bad idea, if it fits in with your food plan. It's just that ...well, we're overweight. Our bodies DO have the fuel we need, right there, ready to be used. And that's the whole point--to use it.

I think you'll find, with time (and increased restriction) that the ability to control the compulsion will increase (or the compulsion will disappear altogether). As you gain mastery of the tool, you'll find that inner changes--emotional ones--take place. You will gain control.

Awesome job!

It depends on your insurance. My policy used my BEGINNING weight to determine surgical eligibility. They required 3 months of supervision, but my doctor's office determined the requirements for that. THEY required a 6-pound loss (to demonstrate compliance); my insurer did not require this loss. Ask your doctor's office insurance specialist to spell out what you need to do, specifically, to stay within the terms of your policy; there are so, so many variations.

Salt cravings very rarely have a biological basis. We crave things that we like. We crave them because we are accustomed to them. As someone who's given up sugar, caffeine, and all added salt (as well as almost all prepared foods high in sodium), I promise you that if you eliminate the foods, the cravings will vanish. Sometimes, you just have to tell yourself NO. If you're a sodium-sensitive hypertensive (and not all high blood pressure does respond to sodium restriction; your doctor will be able to identify if yours does), then it's not just a matter of craving--it's a matter of health.

I've been told I look younger. Not sure I believe it, but I'd prefer to cling to that notion!

The degree to which your skin will rebound depends on a number of things. They do not include how quickly you lose weight or anything you apply topically to your skin. (There are good lotions, however, that can temporarily affect the appearance/tightness; I really like C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi-Action Skin Lotion, especially in the lemon-sugar fragrance. Very light, very nice product.) It's influenced by age, genetics, how long you've been overweight, how much excess weight you have, how many times you've gained/lost in the past, how many pregnancies you've had, and so on. The latter two---number of times you've gained/lost and pregnancies---play in because each stretch and rebound reduces the skin's resilience. All that said, I'm 48, have had 3 pregnancies, have gained and lost a bazillion times, have lost 80 pounds, and am really pleased, for the most part, with the way my skin is responding. I still have weight to lose, and think that I will have problem areas (and in fact already have a plastics consult scheduled for May)---but overall, it's not nearly as bad as I feared. ETA: the lower BMI means that the excess skin doesn't remain filled with excess fat. If you look at most plastic surgeons' before and after galleries, you will see LOTS of patients who headed into the OR with far more than just excess skin--they had a good deal of excess body weight, as well. By getting down to a lower BMI, you are left with a far easier surgical repair, if you go that route, or simply less excess tissue to contend with. I'm aiming for a pretty rock-bottom BMI for my height because my frame is small, and I really want my only excess to be that which I cannot control. I'm still not sure I will have surgical intervention; I will, however, explore the options.

A couple of seasons ago, they had a "failed" gastric bypass on--and didn't dwell on it at all. It was mentioned at the beginning, but not much after. He did really well on the show. I'm looking forward to the new season.

What great news--awesome!

Congratulations! It was the best decision I ever made, too.

PURE unflavored whey protein isolate from Bariatric Eating is great in a variety of savory things---great in broths and soups, for example.

I know it's super-frustrating--but it takes time. Yes, that four-letter word, time. It's the rare bandster who achieves restriction with the first fill--most take at least 3. After my first, I was genuinely hungry. I was losing well (because I stuck with the recommended eating plan even though I was starving)---but it was really difficult. I ended up emailing the nurse coordinator. I told her what and how much I was eating, and how soon I got hungry---and they had me come in for my second fill several weeks early. (I kept my original second-fill appointment, and used it for my third fill.) Maybe your doctor's office would be willing to work with you, timing-wise, to get you to a place where you're comfortable a little more quickly than they customarily do if you explain what's going on to them.

Okay, wait. Some perspective is really, really needed here. 50 pounds in 5 months. 50 POUNDS IN FIVE MONTHS. C'mon--how is that disappointing? It's a rate that well exceeds the expected rate post-banding. And it's exceptional, if you've spent much of that time without adequate restriction.

When I'm really tight--like after a fill when I'm still swollen---I lean toward stuff like refried beans with cheese, chili, smoked salmon (it's very soft, but moister than tuna, which can cause trouble), protein shakes, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and soups to which I add unflavored protein. (Ordinarily, I avoid soups that aren't really substantial because they can be sliders, but when I'm tight, this isn't a problem.)

Yes. And even though my doctor is Catholic and operates from a VERY Catholic institution, they strongly suggest use of birth control for 2 years postop.

Holy moly---you are hard on yourself! You're losing...what? Around 10 pounds a month, right? That's a really good rate--really good! Yes, some people lose more in the same time frame. Some lose less. Lots of that has to do with body weight and fat mass---not with whether you're doing things right or wrong. Look, at the rate you're going, you'll be down over 100 pounds in a year. Please be gentle with yourself--there is no sense beating yourself up over SUCCESS. Please try to Celebrate it rather than compare.

Jen, that's an awesome accomplishment! Congratulations!