I don't understand!!!

[TSB 1]

Everyone says that this is band is not magic and that you will need to do the work, but if we could of done the work then we would not have needed to get the band. I see so many people don't lose any weight. If we stuffed our face before why would we not stuff our face now. I really don't understand. If you don't have restriction then you can eat all you want and not lose weight or even gain weight, and if you have restriction then you feel sick all the time. If you get to much restriction then you can't even drink Water, I would really appreciate if someone who has lost some weight would let me know how things have gone for them. Sorry I sould a little fustrated, I just hope I didn't spend a bunch of money for nothing.

The band is not magic and you do have to work. From my experience. though, you don't have to work nearly as hard to lose and maintain with the band as opposed to without the band.

Finding your sweet spot can be frustrating, but once you get there you will be glad. I have restriction and I do not feel sick all of the time. If eat too fast, too much or don't chew my food enough I do feel uncomfortable.

For me that little bit of discomfort helps with the whole behavior modification part of weight loss. When I eat Pasta or bread I feel crappy. So then I must decide if eating these foods is worth the discomfort. For me it is not, so I avoid them.

My weight loss has not been as dramatic as some, but slow and steady. It took me about 5 months to really feel like I had "good" restriction. At 6 months I had another fill and I do believe I am now at my sweet spot. After pretty much just maintaining for several weeks, I have lost 3 lbs in this week since my fill.

The key, I think, is to be patient with yourself and your band :sad::wink2:

Edited February 19, 2010 by TSB

[Awkward customer 5]

It is explained a little more neatly on one page at Harris-Benedict equation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[TSB 1]

I am male and my doctor told me men do better on the band. Why should that be? Because they often don't have to prepare food for others?

Men do better with any kind of weight loss, as they typically have more muscle mass which results in a higher metabolism than women. Higher metabolism=burning more calories. burning more calories=more weight loss :sad:

[Amber6986 0]

Everyone says that this is band is not magic and that you will need to do the work, but if we could of done the work then we would not have needed to get the band. I see so many people don't lose any weight. If we stuffed our face before why would we not stuff our face now. I really don't understand. If you don't have restriction then you can eat all you want and not lose weight or even gain weight, and if you have restriction then you feel sick all the time. If you get to much restriction then you can't even drink Water, I would really appreciate if someone who has lost some weight would let me know how things have gone for them. Sorry I sould a little fustrated, I just hope I didn't spend a bunch of money for nothing.

I am in the SAME boat as you. I have like NO restriction at all! :sad:

[shannie83301 0]

Thanks Dr. W! Great post and really helpful info! Appreciate that!

[DizzyLizzy 21]

The question of whether you can lose 4lbs a week - I know a large man can maintain that pace for months on Weightwatchers - depends on how big you are. Let's use the Harris Benedict Equation (Harris Benedict Equation)

A man like me of 340 lbs, 6 foot, 40 years old, little exercise would require 3392 calories to maintain his weight. By reducing that to 1392 calories a day, he would lose 4 lbs a week (as 1 lb =3500 calories).

Clearly that pace of weight loss could not be sustained by everyone. Using the same formula:

A woman (like my sister) of 224 lbs, 5 foot 7 inches, 39 years old, little exercise would require 2102 calories to maintain her weight. Even a 1000 calorie a day diet would only save her 7700 calories a week, equivalent to 2 lb. It would not be possible for such a woman to lose 4lbs a week for a long period.

To experiment with these figures:

work out your BMR (basal metabolic rate) using BMR Calculator, and then multiply by your activity factor (Harris Benedict Equation). That gives you the daily calorie intake needed to maintain weight. Anything below that will lose weight, but 3500 calories are required to be lost to lose one lb.

This is just a calculation and doesn't always relate to real life. For instance my calculation is that I need 2887 to maintain my weight. And that was using the multiplier for light activity, when really I'm more on along the lines of moderate. I take in on average 1000 - 1100 calories a day. Even if I ate 1200 calories a day, I am supposed to lose over 3lbs a week based on the calculation. That would be nice, but that definitely has not happend for me!

[Humming Bird 275]

I agree with you Liz. At the tiny bit of calories I eat I should be dropping weight at a much faster rate. I do believe that women's bodies are much better at storing fat and hanging on to it. That may also explain the fact that there are more women in need of WLS than men.

Men also do not get the pleasure of pregnancy weight.

(I can't use the pregnancy one as an excuse though. My baby is 27 years old )

[btrieger 21]

That calculation has been right on with my weight loss for the past 5 months. So, there is some merit to it.

[Band_Groupie 3]

I'm almost 10 months out and almost 90 lbs. down, just 2 pounds from my goal range. The Band has been a MAGIC tool for me. I've yo-yoed up to 50 lbs. at a time dieting or gaining for over 20 years now. I'm no longer dieting...I'm eating like a normal person and eat the same dinner my family does (sometimes a little less of the starches, and YES, way less portions than before). I've got great restriction and I don't 'feel sick'. There is NO food I can't eat and there's NO food I don't eat (I try to make healthy choices). I do my part and get enough Protein first and enough Water. I'm never hungry between meals. I'm not doing anything now that I won't be doing to maintain. I can't tell you how freeing it is to no longer be DIETING!!! It was hard work to get my 'head band' and work through all my head hunger and food demons, but I'm finally in a place where I know I can lose it all and KEEP IT OFF...it's MAGIC to me.

I'm hearing some who seem to have the wrong expectations (not sure if your doc didn't inform you)...I didn't reach my sweet spot until my 4th fill at 4.5 months post op, and that was EARLIER than the expectations I had. I've lost slowly...averaging about 1.5 lbs. per week, but again, my expectation was that it could be as low as 1 lb. per week. I have no regrets or disapointments with my band...it's more than done it's part of what I expected! Setting realistic expectations is important in this process!

Edited February 20, 2010 by Band_Groupie

[Humming Bird 275]

That calculation has been right on with my weight loss for the past 5 months. So, there is some merit to it.

Dude, we were just saying it sometimes doesn't work the same for the females. And by the way, GREAT JOB !

[btrieger 21]

Dude, we were just saying it sometimes doesn't work the same for the females. And by the way, GREAT JOB !

Thanks!

I understand what you are saying but I don't think whether it works or not has anything to do with your gender. There are different calculations for men and women.

I suspect that most of the people that it is way off on may have altered their metabolism by a lot of yo-yo dieting.

I am still trying to make sense of the people saying that they are gaining weight on 500 calorie a day.

[Humming Bird 275]

I agree. I have been a yo-yo since the 5th grade. I probably screwed things up that way. I also probably have hormone issues.

[Humming Bird 275]

I did the math and used the Harris Benedict Equation .

Even with the lowest amount of little or no exercise and 1000 calories (I eat less) , it shows I should be dropping at least a pound every 3 or so days. The last couple weeks have been at a standstill. I think my body is doing some hoarding.

[Jachut 487]

By most of the calculations, I should be able to eat 2500 or even a bit more a day. I cant, there's no way.

I maintain on about 2000.

but I havent screwed my metabolism by years of yo yo dieting either. I've never lost significant weight before the band, lol. I never got REALLY fat either. I just was heavier than I should be.

I just think that many of us really dont burn what think we do. Some of us do and overeat and gain, some of us dont and overeat and gain, some of us dont and dont overeat and STILL gain.

So what, I cant eat what the charts say I should, but I sure eat more than most female bandsters AND I lost weight on about 1500 a day, never any less AND I eat carbs (oooh, shock, horror). People tell me constantly on here that I cant lose weight that way, without realising I already have.

The only thing that you can have faith in is what your body tells you works. What's true for one person isnt necessarily for another.

I think this "the band is only a tool, you really have to work it" is true but please people, NONE of us were successful in losing a lot and keeping it off without one, so there really IS some element to it that is automatic for most of us. It isnt necessarily perceivably easier, it may not FEEL easier, but it really is. And I find now, I do revert to bad decisions and choices and I dont gain, I cant eat enough to gain, but if I could, I would definitely have regained some by now. Although I have really cemented a very healthy exercise routine, I havent maintained the great eating habits quite so well, but with the Portion Control of the band, it hasnt mattered.

[Awkward customer 5]

The Wikipedia article says on the Harris-Benedict equation "The equation does not take into account calories burned by existing large amounts of muscle mass, nor does it account for the additional calories provided by excess body fat—so the equation is more effective for individuals at an ideal body weight or close to it".

That means the equation overestimates the amount of calories burned by very overweight people, and underestimates the amount of calories burned by very muscular people. So it is only a guide.