I am very depressed about this whole thing. My surgeon typically does three fills and then no more unless absoulutely necessary. I've had my third fill and I felt like it was it, but I'm still not losing the magical 1-2 pounds a week. Most weeks I go up but if I lose then its usually 0.5 lbs. The one thing I need to do that I don't is exercise. I had surgery in April and I've only lost about 15-20 lbs since surgery. All the weight I lost came off prior to surgery. I don't drink with my meals or for about an hour after. I drink mostly water and usually 2-3 cups of milk a day. I only get sick or have any signs of fullness when I eat to fast or obviously too much. I swore I wouldn't be a whiner. I really want this work. I even had a friend approach me about weight watchers. I thought the tool would help me find my zone of when to stop eating, identifying when I'm full, but so far that hasn't happened. I just need support, help, a swift kick in the rear, something. Please help me figure out what I'm doing wrong or not doing.

Don't feel bad, it can be very depressing at times. I had surgery in January and lost 70 pounds so far and the one thing that has helped is exercise. At first I didn't exercise but once I started it made a huge difference. I don't feel like I've lost very quickly but at least I haven't gained anything back. I have hit a plateau now and believe me I'm so frustrated I don't know what to do. All I know is that with this tool I have lost 70 pounds that I wouldn't have lost otherwise. Try exercising and journaling everything you eat and hopefully that will get the ball rolling. :thumbup:

You really have to get out and exercise. Your body needs that boost to lose the pounds. Just go walking if you don't live near a gym. I think that you will find that after a few days you will realize how much better your body feels.Take an ipod with some good music and use that as your zone out time. I use it as time to think of all the stuff I want without any distractions from my kids or husband.

Also, drop the milk to maybe 1 cup a day. You are drinking at least 300 calories a day. You should be filling your stomach with longer lasting foods instead.

Good luck!

Melissa

I had my surgery in August and am also still waiting for that magic place. I'm hungry all day, stomach growling and hungry an hour after a meal. I lost 12 pounds in the 10 days after surgery, and since then I've lost 2. So I feel for your frustration. I know I need to eat slower, really focus on waiting between bites. It's hard to not be in a rush for most meals. Have you talked to your doctor about this? It would seem that another fill may be necessary! I'm getting my 2nd fill in 2 weeks and I hope it helps.

As others have said, exercise. But on another note, have you tried jotting down what you eat every day? I started it about 2 wks ago with an app on my phone. I feel it's made a big difference. So much so, that I realized I wasn't eating enough during the day, and needed to bump up the calories & Protein.

I'd suggest even just walking 30 mins a day and keeping record of what you eat, and that you're drinking enough fluids.

Another food tracker is fitday.com.

I signed up for fit day today and my husband and I have been discussing ways I can incorporate exercise. I plan on implementing exercise. However, I still should be losing something instead of gaining or barely maintaining. This is what is so frustrating for me and so depressing. I really am trying and not eating crap. Anyways, thanks for the comments I appreciate it. I signed on here looking for support because I really need some and there are no local groups here.

Hey guess what :thumbup:

It's better to lose it slowly

I signed up for fit day today and my husband and I have been discussing ways I can incorporate exercise. I plan on implementing exercise. However, I still should be losing something instead of gaining or barely maintaining. This is what is so frustrating for me and so depressing. I really am trying and not eating crap. Anyways, thanks for the comments I appreciate it. I signed on here looking for support because I really need some and there are no local groups here.

Oh, I love fitday :-)

Do you ever look at your calorie intake and outake on fitday? If one is higher than the other then you can basically expect weightloss. It's easier when you have a visual of how they balance out.

I hateeee exercise. I do aqua aerobics and light walking (though it's for an hour, I still consider it to be light). I do this everyday!

Aqua aerobics is sooo much fun too. I think you'd really like it.

I'm 22 and I felt so embarassed to go in my swimmers, but I wear shorts and everyone else there is big like me, so I didn't feel as bad. :thumbup:

Well, there are a few things that jump out at me.

First is your surgeon's policy of limiting fills unless "absolutely necessary." In my book, if you're not comfortable for a reasonable period of time after meals, and are white-knuckling to lose (or not losing well), then it's absolutely necessary, and there should be no quibbling about whether a fill is in order. If my doctor did not take my subjective experience into account, I would switch doctors.

Secondly, exercise---it's CRUCIAL. I cannot lose without it, and wouldn't want to if I could. It has been instrumental in redefining my relationship with my body, and I would not trade that for anything.

Third, are you journaling your intake someplace like fitday.com? It can be really eye-opening to see how many calories you're taking in. The 2-3 cups of milk a day strike me as something you might find extraneous, if your nutrient needs are being met otherwise. That's where journaling comes in.

Re: Weight Watchers. I am a freak of nature, but WW involved too much food for me to lose weight. Strict adherence to the plan---really meticulous following--added the last 50 pounds to my body.

I couldn't begin to eat the amount of food required by WW at this point. Volume-wise, it just wouldn't work with the band. Calorie-wise, it would push me into rapid gain territory.

Everyone's body is different. You may lose efficiently with a plan like that. But the first step, really, is to honestly assess what you are now taking in. It might be that a few simple changes bump up your satiety and also rev up your loss.

Drinking milk between meals would rev up my appetite. It's a good food, rich in nutrients, but it also is relatively carb-rich, and causes a spike in blood sugar for me. It works far better for me in the context of a meal that also contains Protein and fat. Since we can't drink with our meals, that narrows possibilities down; I'd add a good-quality Protein powder to it to avoid that spike and resulting hunger.

You may not be similarly affected by carbs--as I said, everyone is different. But it's something to think about, when you are pondering changes to make.

I lose best when I limit my calories to 800-900 day, aim for 80+ grams of protein, limit carbs to <50 grams (net)/day (and get them only from veg, fruit, and legume sources), and EXERCISE EACH AND EVERY DAY AT LEAST ONCE, WITHOUT FAIL.

It's very frustrating when you're working toward restriction, and I imagine it's even more so when you are concerned that another adjustment might not be in the cards for you. But there are so many things you can do in the interim to boost your weight loss.

ETA: Once you start exercising (or even before), I'd recommend the BodyBugg. Fitday does a very good job of approximating your calorie output for various activities, but having actual feedback specific to YOU is so, so helpful.

Edited October 26, 201015 yr by BetsyB

Well, there are a few things that jump out at me.

First is your surgeon's policy of limiting fills unless "absolutely necessary." In my book, if you're not comfortable for a reasonable period of time after meals, and are white-knuckling to lose (or not losing well), then it's absolutely necessary, and there should be no quibbling about whether a fill is in order. If my doctor did not take my subjective experience into account, I would switch doctors.

Secondly, exercise---it's CRUCIAL. I cannot lose without it, and wouldn't want to if I could. It has been instrumental in redefining my relationship with my body, and I would not trade that for anything.

Third, are you journaling your intake someplace like fitday.com? It can be really eye-opening to see how many calories you're taking in. The 2-3 cups of milk a day strike me as something you might find extraneous, if your nutrient needs are being met otherwise. That's where journaling comes in.

Re: Weight Watchers. I am a freak of nature, but WW involved too much food for me to lose weight. Strict adherence to the plan---really meticulous following--added the last 50 pounds to my body.

I couldn't begin to eat the amount of food required by WW at this point. Volume-wise, it just wouldn't work with the band. Calorie-wise, it would push me into rapid gain territory.

Everyone's body is different. You may lose efficiently with a plan like that. But the first step, really, is to honestly assess what you are now taking in. It might be that a few simple changes bump up your satiety and also rev up your loss.

Drinking milk between meals would rev up my appetite. It's a good food, rich in nutrients, but it also is relatively carb-rich, and causes a spike in blood sugar for me. It works far better for me in the context of a meal that also contains protein and fat. Since we can't drink with our meals, that narrows possibilities down; I'd add a good-quality protein powder to it to avoid that spike and resulting hunger.

You may not be similarly affected by carbs--as I said, everyone is different. But it's something to think about, when you are pondering changes to make.

I lose best when I limit my calories to 800-900 day, aim for 80+ grams of protein, limit carbs to <50 grams (net)/day (and get them only from veg, fruit, and legume sources), and EXERCISE EACH AND EVERY DAY AT LEAST ONCE, WITHOUT FAIL.

It's very frustrating when you're working toward restriction, and I imagine it's even more so when you are concerned that another adjustment might not be in the cards for you. But there are so many things you can do in the interim to boost your weight loss.

ETA: Once you start exercising (or even before), I'd recommend the BodyBugg. Fitday does a very good job of approximating your calorie output for various activities, but having actual feedback specific to YOU is so, so helpful.

Wise words from a wise women! :thumbup:

Thanks everyone, I've been journaling on fit day and found some interesting things. For the past two days I've been forcefully restricting myself, just eating enough to make the hunger stop, not until I'm full or even have any kind of need to stop sensation, and I'm getting between 1100-1200 calories. I switched my morning eggs to egg substitute and dropped to 1 cup of milk since I get calcium from other sources. I also think I get too many carbs and not enough protein. My husband is going to help me set aside time to exercise while he watches the baby.

Great! You're on your way :sneaky:

I'll just ditto what Betsy said.

.

I think that I still might need a fill though, because I'm starving about 1 hour after I eat, but at least if I have tracked it on fit day then I can show my doctor proof.