Is it what you eat or how much?

[loserbob 11]

Actually if your concerned or not sure you might want to consult with a nutritionist. Since thats their area of expertise I would think they know better than a dr or surgeon.

Good luck. The good thing is this is a long learning process and the mistakes you make now arent as serious as before being banded. You can adjust your band, see dr. see nutritionist. We all have that at our fingertips now.

[bambam31 168]

I follow the meaning of this post, but seem to be the exception so far. I eat 800-1000 cal/day, with 80-100 Protein. In the last month I have lost nothing. I walk on the treadmill 40min 4/week at a 2.5-3mile average. And yet I still an not losing weight.

I had the same problem in the past when I worked out in a personal training group. We rotated cardio and weight training and read our food every day so there was no room to cheat. I lost 35lbs at first and then it stopped. I continued with this plan for another 4 months and finally gave up.

I am beginning to fear the lap band hasnt done anything except give me a vacation from work. As you can see I am very frustrated.

Good advice from Bob. No two people are the same. Everyone's activity level (calorie export) is different. No two people doing the exact same activity for the exact same amount of time are going to burn the exact same number of calories. They are ballpark figures... Add to that the fact that everyone's body chemistry is different. Let's say two people eat 50 grams of white potato. The body chemistry response will not be exactly the same. However, that being said, the basic principles are the same. And it's those principles that we need to learn. Once we determine how our individual body reacts to input, we make adjustments to manipulate the results. It can take a fair amount of trial and error and almost always garners an equal or larger amount of frustration. But once you learn your body and it's energy balance - the light bulb will come on - and the fat will come off...

Stay focused! Brad

[no_average_woman 1]

I do not know how you can eat 3000 calories with a band that is adjusted tight. I could not eat that many calories if I tried. I would be throwing up. My Dr. is totally against Protien Shakes...He says anything you put in your Mouth should come off of the table and be eaten with a fork. He also said not to drink fruit or Vegitable Juices. He says to eat the Vegitables or Fruit...Do not make them into juice. I do vary my Caloric intake from day to day. I have a friend that has had her Band for 5 years and has been at Goal weight for 4 of them. She told me she basically eats what she wants...Making sure she gets enough Protein. She said she has always eaten that way since her band. Her theory is people make it harder than it needs to be. I have followed her advice and I am not losing all my weight over night...But, have lost 40lbs in 3 1/2 Mos. My Dr. told me that was really good. He said the average weight loss with a lapband is about 2lbs a week. I cannot eat more than 4 oz @ a time and I usually eat 2 meals a day and one snack...sometimes I only eat one meal and one snack. I eat when I am hungry...eat very slowly and stop when I get full. There are times I cannot eat more than 2 oz. Until I started reading everyone on heres post...No one else I have talked to eats as much as You guys do. Yes your body does adapt...that is why bands are adjustable...so you can tighten them up as you go. My friend that is 5 yrs out...just got another adjustment about 6 mos. ago...her band was no longer tight enough.

[bambam31 168]

I do not know how you can eat 3000 calories with a band that is adjusted tight. I could not eat that many calories if I tried. I would be throwing up. My Dr. is totally against Protien shakes...He says anything you put in your Mouth should come off of the table and be eaten with a fork. He also said not to drink fruit or Vegitable Juices. He says to eat the Vegitables or Fruit...Do not make them into juice. I do vary my Caloric intake from day to day. I have a friend that has had her Band for 5 years and has been at Goal weight for 4 of them. She told me she basically eats what she wants...Making sure she gets enough Protein. She said she has always eaten that way since her band. Her theory is people make it harder than it needs to be. I have followed her advice and I am not losing all my weight over night...But, have lost 40lbs in 3 1/2 Mos. My Dr. told me that was really good. He said the average weight loss with a lapband is about 2lbs a week. I cannot eat more than 4 oz @ a time and I usually eat 2 meals a day and one snack...sometimes I only eat one meal and one snack. I eat when I am hungry...eat very slowly and stop when I get full. There are times I cannot eat more than 2 oz. Until I started reading everyone on heres post...No one else I have talked to eats as much as You guys do. Yes your body does adapt...that is why bands are adjustable...so you can tighten them up as you go. My friend that is 5 yrs out...just got another adjustment about 6 mos. ago...her band was no longer tight enough.

My approach is to eat as much as you possibly can while still achieving your fat loss goals. After all, why would anyone choose to unnecessarily deprive themself? Any bandster with decent restriction - who has religiously journaled all of their micro and macronutrients - knows how difficult it is to meet your daily nutrition needs. Trying to do so on a couple of itty bitty meals day after day will without question leave you essential nutrient deficient. Vitamin deficiency can cause a whole host of long term problems - even though the person has the ability to lose the weight they want. Most doctors will also suggest you steer clear of processed foods - and you should. But they don't hesitate to recommend mulit Vitamins. Multi Vitamins are just processed micronutrients. There is so much conflicting information regarding multi Vitamins along with their absorbtion and bioavailability.

Personally, I try to keep liquid nutrition to a minimum, but it has it's place - even in a well planned nutrition program. What you're missing out on with liquid food choices is the thermodynamics of the solid food. Your body has to work and expend calories to break down and convert the solid food to fuel. Likewise with juices. When you consume juice instead of the whole product you miss out on valuable Fiber and phytonutrients - yet usually end up consuming most of the sugars.

Finally, I completely agree that most people make it a harder process than it needs to be. Learn your energy balance (which must include sufficient exercise) while ensuring you are providing your body with adequate nutrition is really all there is to it. Problem is, most of us had no idea what any of that was going into the process - or the ranks of the banded would be drastically reduced to begin with....

Brad

[HeatherinCA 10]

I follow the meaning of this post, but seem to be the exception so far. I eat 800-1000 cal/day, with 80-100 Protein. In the last month I have lost nothing. I walk on the treadmill 40min 4/week at a 2.5-3mile average. And yet I still an not losing weight.

I had the same problem in the past when I worked out in a personal training group. We rotated cardio and weight training and read our food every day so there was no room to cheat. I lost 35lbs at first and then it stopped. I continued with this plan for another 4 months and finally gave up.

I am beginning to fear the lap band hasnt done anything except give me a vacation from work. As you can see I am very frustrated.

I had a personal trainer for a few years, she told me you have to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound. For me an hour on the treadmill with incline or an hour long hike would burn maybe 600 calories. Maybe you gotta exercise a bit more? 40min 4x a week, wouldn't be 3500 calories. I always was astonished at how much exercise I had to do. You always hear, yea 20 minutes on the treadmill! Pshh always have to do an hour to get anywhere. Obviously i don't know, but maybe try it and see if that works out?

brad, how do you learn your energy balance? The right mix of foods and exercise?

[bambam31 168]

brad, how do you learn your energy balance? The right mix of foods and exercise?

What I mean by learning your energy balance is effectively determining how many calories you are burning in a given period of time (Basal rate, exercise, lifestyle choices, etc combined) vs. your calorie intake over the same period of time. For example, look at a week at a time, rather than every individual day. Over the course of 7 days try to have some low calorie days and a high calorie day. You want a long term calorie deficit but not a set number day after day. Try cycling calories as well as carbs and see what you get for results. Tweak the numbers to achieve optimal results.

Brad

[maple1950 0]

Brad what an awesome post!! You hit the nail on the head with that one. I hope everyone on this site has the chance to read this.

This is the exact routine I am doing this time around. I have noticed my scale is going down ever so slowly but the inches are flying off. I'm looking more fit than ever and I'm only 3 weeks in.

Blessings!

PS, I'm going to sticky this thread. I think it has some wonderful information attached.

How do you sticky a thread? I found this thread very interesting. Thanks.

Viola

[sparkplug 106]

One thing I keep thinking about with this "lifestyle change" I'm supposed to have is that if this was a change I was capable of making and sticking to..then I really wouldn't have needed the lap band. My doctor wants me on a diet very close to the Atkins low carb diet, and I know that works because I lost 50lbs on it once. However, if I had been able to stick to it as a lifestyle, I would have lost more and kept it all off.

They keep saying the lap band is a tool...but it's only a physical tool, not an emotional one. I guess I was thinking the emotional part would kick in at some point..I'm just wondering where that point is, and where it kicked in for those further down this road...

I do agree with everybody that it is still a matter of calories in and calories out. BUT... I have found for me that I do not burn carbohydrates like normal people and this is why I had to be banded to begin with. After 40 years of dieting I have found through this forum and listening to people struggling like me to lose and yet again keep it off and low carb seems to get me down and keep me down. I do cheat with a piece of pie or a cookie occasionally and I will taste anything I like but everything is in a small small amount and just keeps the urge away to overdo any one food and ruin this way of lifestyle too. I NEVER tell myself that I cannot have any food, I make it my choice to not have it or just have a bite. You can do this, I did and something will click inside of you and say "oh yeah" that is what it is all about. Good luck and keep the faith.

[dacer123 0]

So Brad I need to clarify something I read earlier. Out of seven days of the week, you eat low calories for six of them and then have one high calorie day? I'm curious, what do you consider high and low calorie amounts for you? This is intriguing to me and something I'm considering trying. I'm thinking if that a one high calorie day may be just what I need to not feel deprived so much.

[Formerly Fluffy 5]

I think it should be both. We all need to change our diets to eat healthier, but obviously we got the band to eat less.

[nomorejellybelly 77]

Debora Y - I'm sortof in the same boat. I've been able to eat pretty much anything. I really don't like to eat salad any longer. I try to eat healthy, but I do eat carbs: rice, but not much bread and rarely any potatoes. I try to limit the amount of carbs (rice), but it is hard sometimes. I eat a cup of food at a meal, no matter what kind of food it is. The lady at the center where I get fills, says I should start doing the 3/4 cup of food. I struggle with that. 3/4 cup of food. It barely seems like anything and you want to be able to enjoy what you are eating and if you can only have that amount of food, it is hard. I do way better with a full cup of food. Maybe I need more fill, in order to be comfortable with 3/4 cup of food.

Anyhow, it is something I am working on. I struggle with my idea of wanting more food. It is tough, but I didn't get the band for nothing, so I'm sticking with it. Good luck to you all.

[bigtom1948 8]

I also agree with Brad you have to increase muscle mass to up the metabolism rate I do not want to lose too much muscle mass while on this journey so the idea of a super low cal, low carb diet that would leave me thinner but weak and flabby is unapealing to say the least. I used to train in the gym 5 days a week (Wife wouldn't let me on weekend's ) I do 3 times a week now and have scaled back my weight lifting to 10 exercises of 3 sets of 15 with no more than 150# and don't rest more than 1 min. between sets. I alternate 1/2 hour on Track or Stationary bike for cardio. Thats enough for a 62 year old man with a bad back caused by nearly 200 pounds I have been hauling around. As I lose weight I don't plan on upping the weight training (except if the weights get too easy to lift ) but I would like to up the cardio by walking around my home on non gym days.

I was eating well over 3500 calories a day and am shooting for 1500 non gym & 2000 on gym days This may sound like a lot but I am 6'5" tall and my goal weight is 200-220 and at age 62 my doctor says that this is a reasonable expectation. Heck I'll be 63 soon and the older we get the less calories we need. I just cannot picture myself as a tall old skinny but flabby dude, Yuk!

Brad, thanks for the great advice and I think you are spot on about mixing it up but we can't have a feast day wo/ a work day attached to it, everythings gotta be paid for somehow.

Cheers,

Tom

[mominoc 11]

I think what you are experiencing is normal. It took me about 6 months for my mentality to change about desiring food, even if I wasn't truly hungry. Desiring to chew, taste, swallow and feel full the old way. The lap band changes your relationship with food in my experience. That change does take some time and you will "challenge" the band and not be able to keep it down. Eventually, you will tire of this and learn to live with your band, physically and psychologically. I had my band put in March 2009. I lost 115lbs the first year and have since maintained that loss (I'm 145lbs, 5'7".) Currently, I can eat just about anything if I eat a bite or two and then wait 15 minutes to eat another bite. That's ok for the taste and act of eating, but I feel it's hard for me to get my nutrition that way. I bought a vitmix blender...IT'S GREAT!! For me, my strategy is to make sure I get my fluids, protien and Vitamins in first, then I dabble with eating bites at a time. I feel so much better and more energetic since I've began using my vitmix blender. It will liquify ANYTHING. I really missed my veggies with the lapband. I can't tolerate the skins of veggies. In this blender I can put in any mixture of veggies, skin, stalk and all and always a bit of kale, to make a liquid veggie drink. I add a good quality chicken bullion for taste and my powdered protien and I have a Vitamin, Fiber, Fluid, protien packed tasty drink. I've done yogurt and blueberries as a smoothie and can tolerate that too. I thank GOD for this machine. These drinks don't replace all other foods, but they are the base to my nutrition. Everything else is extra and for the act of eating, chewing, and enjoying a few bites of regular food. For me, this works and it quite satisfying and certainly health boosting. Of course, I still enjoy a dilly bar whenever I want one and haven't had any weight gain what so ever.

I remember the dietitian saying you shouldn't have to puree foods to be able to eat, that you were too tight if you had to do that. But they tell you to stew, or slow cook things until they are mush....whats the difference? The difference is cooking out all the nutrients is not good. The vitamix blender liquifies raw veggies, retaining all vitamins and fiber. I don't have stock in this company, I am truly just very excited to have come across this. It's very expensive 350-400 bucks, so I thought about it for 6 months before I broke down and got one. Best investment I've made since I got the lap band. I love the lap band!! Us bandsters just have to figure out how to have optimal health with the restriction that has allowed us to achieve our healthier weights.

Wow, I love this! I also have a Vitamix and make fruit/yogurt smoothies so far. I will try the vegetable drink now too. I'm only 5 weeks out from surgery and eating vegetables seems impossible. I haven't had a fill yet (next week) and still get restriction. I get full/too full easily. Vitamix @ least gives me a smoothie vegie option. Thanks for reminding me of all the machine can do. I make milkshakes for my kids. Soup.......lots of options. I need the energy. Thanks.

[ehlersk 0]

I got my lap band April 23rd, 2010. So far I've had 1 fill, 4cc's, and I've lost 22lbs.

So far I've basically been eating most of the same foods that I ate before the lap band, except for breads and meats that aren't ground (such as steak or pork chops) because those things get stuck and hurt me!

I think that I'm losing weight simply because I'm eating far less than I did before, and what I'm wondering is if anyone has had long term success this way....or am I just kidding myself?

I'm waiting for the idea of a nutritional, structured diet to kick in with me, but so far it hasn't. Before I got the lap band, I thought eating a healthy diet would be easy because I wouldn't be hungry...but I am still hungry. It doesn't take much to fill me up, but the craving for the "old" food is still there in a much bigger way than I thought it would be.

Will this pass? Am I still just getting used to this? That's the excuse I give myself...but I need to hear from others, because I don't know what is normal.

As I read on this forum, it seems like everyone is SOOO into the nutrition part of it all, and they always eat the right things and do exactly what their doctors tell them..and I wonder if they were like that from day 1 or if it took a while for the lifestyle change to really kick in.

I would appreciate any input on this, I want to really know what everyone's experience was in the first 3-6 months..

Thanks,

Debora

[FLORIDAYS 3,040]

I would appreciate any input on this, I want to really know what everyone's experience was in the first 3-6 months..

I am on month 3 so I am very new to the lifestyle change. But already I am seeing changes in my habits obviously for the better since my weight is down 67 lbs and my BMI has dropped nicely.

Since going off mushies and eating regular food starting with week 4... I eat less than I did obviously but basically I count calories. I track everything I eat...including ketsup and my calclium chews and eat as close as I can to 1000 calories per day. That number works for me but you should check with your doctor to see what your number is. I use an app on my phone called calorie counter and live by it!

I stay away from fried foods and carbonation and make sure I drink lots of Water. I dont get too carried away with the nutrition part other than to eat healthly eating typically 4 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/4 cup of starch at every meal.

I dont track carbs as many do but I know its a popular idea. I may start doing that in the future but for now 1000 calories in a well balanced diet eaten 3 x per day is working fine.