Hello! I am trying to figure out this forum and how it all works so bear with me! I was banded Friday, Dec. 3rd and have about 85 lbs. to lose. Diabetes runs in my family and I felt like a time bomb and have never been able to keep the weight off. It just crept up and up. I am very active and want to be able to exercise without the aches and pains. I am 5' 10" and 55 years old. I would like to stay in touch with those of a similar situation.

I had a great experience so far and had my band done as an out pt. procedure. I was out at SAM's the very next morning and haven't had alot of pain. Today I did laundry and walked at the mall. I plan to return towork for awhile on Monday. I was fortunate to also have had it done laproscopically and had a great surgeon, Dr. David Provost. All I can say is so far so good!

Congratulations~~~

It feels great doesn't it??

I just have to say... Today I moved to Onederland! I can't believe it!

Congradulations to everyone and their success thus far. I was banded on December 9, 2010 and have lost around 30 pounds. At this point, I am pretty frustrated with the band, conscience eating, constant exercising and zero weight loss. I have been stuck at this point with no weight loss for about 6 weeks now. I'm to the point where I want to pretty much stop eating altogether to see if that will make the scale go down. When someone has struggled with their weight since the age of 7, diet rollercoasters and fluctuating weight is the norm; I don't want it to be the norm anymore. Is there anything that I could be doing to speed up this process? I'm currently intaking on average 1000 calories per day with excercise 3-5 days out of the week for at least 45 minutes. I have a 14cc band and I am currently around 8.4cc I believe. HELP!!!

Here's a couple things that I have done to nudge my way out of a plateau...1) Try raising your calories slightly - if you are currently eating 1,000, raise it to 1,100 or 1,200 (since you are exercising a lot you may not be taking in enough calories) or 2) Try lowering your carb intake for a week or so (I was staying around 75-100 carbs per day and lowered mine to 20-30 per day and that really pushed me off of my plateau..it worked so well that I have tried to stay between 30-50 per day since that time)..

Good Luck!

Thanks for the encouragment and the advice. I'll try to probably eat less and excercise more. This change of life is becoming more and more like a diet to me. I cut carbs completely about 2 weeks ago and still no significant change. I will try to be more patient and work harder at it. I had no idea this was going to be so difficult for me.

I agree with Heather and Vicky but also recommend you journal what you are eating and measure for a few days. Most of us eat a lot more than we think. Are you drinking empty calories?

When is your next follow up appt?

Do you have good/adequate restriction?

I think you are losing at an appropriate rate myself. I have lost slower than many yet faster than I have in the past pre-band.

I think what we all have to remember is that the goal is to not only to lose weight, which most of us have done MANY times, but to maintain the loss. That is the key.

At this point I have good restriction and I think the only way I wouldn't be losing 1-2# a week would be if I was having empty liquid calories, ie juice, cream and sugared coffee, alcohol, milk shakes, smoothies.

Hang in there and know that we can all reach AND maintain our goals!

Joan

God, I love you guys. I'm so thank ful for this site. My Doc. was a great surgern but no after care. I was banded on 12/17 and have lost 41 lbs. I know that sounds great. I'm eating around 1000 cal. a day and walking a mile. The weight should be rolling off, but no. It hasn't changed in 3 weeks. It's really frustrating. I don't see the Doc until the end of the month. By that time I will have wasted a whole month with no weight loss. This sucks. I want this TOOL to help me. Sometimes I do get hungry, Maybe he will fill it some more, I hope. I'm thinking the key to sucess here is NO SNAKING. Just 3 meals a days. If any of this is my fault it is my old habits surfacing . I'm in this this for the long hawl. I will win this time. Good luck to all of you.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

I'm cheering you all on every day too!

I have a lapband victory this week haha (not a NSV I guess). Random.. but I went to American Idol on Thursday. I had breakfast around 9, then i had a banana at around 12. Then I didn't eat anything till about 9pm (from waiting inline, and the taping and all that) and I wasn't hungry. it's so weird! I even said to my friend in the car, it's the strangest thing, I should be hungry!

I agree with Heather and Vicky but also recommend you journal what you are eating and measure for a few days. Most of us eat a lot more than we think. Are you drinking empty calories?

When is your next follow up appt?

Do you have good/adequate restriction?

I think you are losing at an appropriate rate myself. I have lost slower than many yet faster than I have in the past pre-band.

I think what we all have to remember is that the goal is to not only to lose weight, which most of us have done MANY times, but to maintain the loss. That is the key.

At this point I have good restriction and I think the only way I wouldn't be losing 1-2# a week would be if I was having empty liquid calories, ie juice, cream and sugared coffee, alcohol, milk shakes, smoothies.

Hang in there and know that we can all reach AND maintain our goals!

Joan

Oh yea I know mentally I think I'm eating this perfect diet. But I know I'm not. I know sometimes I go over my calories but I justify it. If the scale doesn't move I go back to journaling to see where I miss stepped..

God, I love you guys. I'm so thank ful for this site. My Doc. was a great surgern but no after care. I was banded on 12/17 and have lost 41 lbs. I know that sounds great. I'm eating around 1000 cal. a day and walking a mile. The weight should be rolling off, but no. It hasn't changed in 3 weeks. It's really frustrating. I don't see the Doc until the end of the month. By that time I will have wasted a whole month with no weight loss. This sucks. I want this TOOL to help me. Sometimes I do get hungry, Maybe he will fill it some more, I hope. I'm thinking the key to sucess here is NO SNAKING. Just 3 meals a days. If any of this is my fault it is my old habits surfacing . I'm in this this for the long hawl. I will win this time. Good luck to all of you.

Yea, I haven't had after care either. I could bother them.. haha but I don't feel the need. I really don't need another fill. 41 pounds is perfect! I'm at 48lbs. 1-2lbs is totally normal (if you average it out, that's 10lbs a month!). Maybe just check up on your diet and make sure you are eating 1000 calories and not you "think" you are eating 1000 calories... up the exercise.. vary your diet, eat a little more.. or a little less.. sometimes I think the body just gets stuck in a rut.

I have a lapband victory this week haha (not a NSV I guess). Random.. but I went to American Idol on Thursday. I had breakfast around 9, then i had a banana at around 12. Then I didn't eat anything till about 9pm (from waiting inline, and the taping and all that) and I wasn't hungry. it's so weird! I even said to my friend in the car, it's the strangest thing, I should be hungry!

I think it happens after you go so long without eating. Tuesdays I work in surgery and I couple if weeks ago , we were very busy and I was in the OR all day. I had breakfast at about 7:30 am, went directly to work, I managed to take a sip of water at maybe 11 ish. Then non stop til 8:30pm. By that time my hunger had come and gone. I did have dinner just because I know it isn't good for you not to eat at all. But I'm sure I could've just not eaten.

Yea it's so strange!! I mean normally I get hungry, but if I'm busy doing things I don't notice I should be eating. It changes day to day. But some days my hunger is zero.

I just love unexpected NSVs!! I found out yesterday that I have to go out of town for business on Sunday. Now, my daily work wardrobe is jeans (we are very casual) but obviously I can't wear jeans on a business trip...I bought some new pants at the end of February for my last trip and I was thinking that I could just have the waist taken up and they would be fine...umm, not so much...they were so big on me that I had to rush out this afternoon and buy new pants and rush them to the tailor to be altered (I am a classic pear shape and ALWAYS have to have the waist taken up in my pants). It was all a giant pain because I really didn't have time to go shopping but it was a great feeling to see how big those pants were!

Same Vicky !I I have to buy pants for every job interview I have. It's crazy.. I'm a pear too, hard to find any that fit properly! I've given up on lane bryant's pants hopefully I won't have to shop there anymore soon!

Congratulations Vicky and Heather!

I went through my closet this PM and found 4 pairs of capris to give away that are too big.

I have smaller pants and capris from 5 years ago so I don't need to buy any until I am about a 12. I do want some new tops, though.

Joan

I just hate my jeans. They are fine when they come out of the dryer, but wear them for a few hours and they feel like they are falling down. They are size 20, but I have one pair of 18's that I can put on and button but they are uncomfortable

I really hope I'm not losing my restriction. I've been hungry this week shortly after eating. I'm getting TOM very soon and I hope it is just that. I only have whatever fill was put in during surgery (still haven't asked what that is). I just started birth control today actually because I've been getting really sick on my first day. Does anyone know if that helps with getting hungry the week before?

Sorry guys if thats to much for you...lol

I am a December 2010 Bandster.. I have NOT LOST ANY WEIGHT?? IN fact, I gained 5 lbs. I have had 2 fills and NOTHING.. My eating is NOT restricted. I have not gagged or vomited. I can eat a buffet or anything... I am feeling depressed. I work out 3-4 days per week and still Nothing. I need help with the eating.. I need restricting.. why is this band not working?????