I have a friend who had lost atleast 50lbs by the time 4 months rolled around. I am still stuck at an 18lb loss in 4 months. I walk or jog when i can, not on a schedule or anything, and i do weight watchers. I am restricted somewhat but my friend says i shouldnt be able to finish a lean cuisine or 6oz of grilled chicken and a cup of broccoli, that i should have 3 bites and be satisfied. Im wondering if i need another fill, which would bring me close to maxing out. any advice would be helpful

Melly-

It sounds like you are getting a lot of food in one meal, but I don't agree with the three bites and being satisfied thing at all. We all lose weight at different paces, but it sounds like you need to get in and talk to your Dr. or NUT regarding how much you are able to eat. Maybe you need another adjustment. Good luck.

I think the best piece of advice I can give is this: stop comparing yourself to your friend.

I think it's only going to be a source of disappointment, and I'm not sure that her experience is going to be a close enough match to yours to make her comments helpful. If there is one thing I've realized in the last 6 months, it is that no two banded experiences are alike.

Here's what I think: some people are slower losers than others and short of making themselves completely miserable with overfills and self-induced starvation, there isn't much they can do about it. If you are slowly but steadily seeing the scale go down, then you're doing fine.

Certainly take a look at WHAT you are eating, and if it makes sense, experiment with calories or carbs or whatever. Be honest with yourself no matter what. And if you are honest and eating healthfully, then the odds are highly in favor of the weight coming off. It might take 3 years. But in the end, it will be gone and you will be healthier for it.

I agree with stateofzen...stop comparing yourself to your friend!!! I know it is hard but, seriously, your experience is your own and if you are comparing yourself to others you are only setting yourself up for disappointment - there are always people out there who are losing at a faster rate than you are.

Another suggestion I can offer is that just because you can eat 6 oz of chicken at a sitting doesn't mean you should. Try weighing and measuring your food for a while - I do 3-4 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies (some people also add 1/4 cup carbs). Put that on your plate and eat only that...I am finding that although I don't feel the sensation of being full, I don't feel hungry anymore and I can go 3-4 hours or so without being hungry. It wasn't easy at first but I had to wrap my head around the fact that satisfied and full are different things and it is ok to just be satisfied. If you can't go 3-4 hours between meals using this method, then I do think you should see your doctor about a fill.

Good luck!!

Stop comparing yourself to your friend. I am a slow loser. I am very strict about my food consumption and do an hour of cardio every day. Averaging 1 lb a week.

That said I highly recommend buying a food scale and measuring out 3 oz of Protein (that's what my doctor orders). To me 6 oz sounds like way to much. You will not be full on 3 bites. Period! Sounds like your friends band is too tight. How on earth could someone eat 3 oz of meat in three bites? Never mind having some veggies.

Second I think you need to make more of a conserted effort regarding exercise. You might call me a gym rat because I go 7 days a week. If I don't give that as my goal instead of going 7 days with a very rare 6 days in one week; I could easily talk myself into 1-2 days.

Ditto on stopping comparisons between you and your friend. Personally, I find the idea of even expecting to be full on 3 bites a bit ludicrous since our adult bodies still need nutrition to function properly and 3 bites isn't going to do it. I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on how much you should be eating, but a lean cuisine is about the right amount of food. My doctor's plan called for 3 oz of Protein and 1/2-1 c. of vegies and start with the protein.

Too many people are told the band should physically restrict how much they eat and, while that may be true for some, read these boards long enough and you'll find that it's not true for the vast majority of us. What it *should* do is get rid of your hunger after a reasonable meal (and 3 bites is not reasonable) so you can go 4 hours or so to your next meal.

Until you reach your sweet spot, expect to be hungry.

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I don't eat 3 bites of food. That's crazy.. 1 cup to 1 cup and a half of food, you should be full. If you aren't satisfied, then you aren't... but you gotta train yourself to stop eating. If you aren't super restricted, you just have to watch what goes in. I can eat anything I want (steak, cupcakes, bread, Pasta...whatever), and I can eat fairly big portions. So I have to watch what I eat and how much. I don't think even if I got more in my band I would be restricted. But I'm NEVER hungry. So the band is working.

What is your calorie intake? If you are 900-1200 a day no reason you shouldn't be losing, exercise or not... be honest with yourself!! know I try to rationalize things, and put blame on something other than myself, but at the end of the day, if I eat bad it's my fault.

If you can go 4 hours without eating you are filled enough. Make sure the mental hunger isn't getting in the way, train your brain.

I don't eat 3 bites of food. That's crazy.. 1 cup to 1 cup and a half of food, you should be full. If you aren't satisfied, then you aren't... but you gotta train yourself to stop eating. If you aren't super restricted, you just have to watch what goes in. I can eat anything I want (steak, cupcakes, bread, Pasta...whatever), and I can eat fairly big portions. So I have to watch what I eat and how much. I don't think even if I got more in my band I would be restricted. But I'm NEVER hungry. So the band is working.

What is your calorie intake? If you are 900-1200 a day no reason you shouldn't be losing, exercise or not... be honest with yourself!! know I try to rationalize things, and put blame on something other than myself, but at the end of the day, if I eat bad it's my fault.

If you can go 4 hours without eating you are filled enough. Make sure the mental hunger isn't getting in the way, train your brain.

I dont have problems with any type of meat or bread like you, and i almost wish i did, because those are what get me in trouble! so i have found other ways thru weight watchers with the 100 calorie mini cupcakes and i am satisfied. i usually try and wait until my stomach is growling to eat, even if my head is telling me different. Since i am on weight watchers the new program is carb based, so im really not sure the calorie amount i am getting since its the point system. i just wish it would come off a little faster so i can see results and get motivated, thats all. and working full time and school full time and being a single mom is exhausting!! it leaves little time for exercise

Okay, now I have some questions and some concerns. I know very little about weight watchers. You mentioned being on a new programm that is carb based. Already that seems like a problem. I am not a carb hater and there are people on this forum who would faint at the idea of having yoghurt for Breakfast like I do. If WW is truely carb based then it needs to go. I find it odd that it is however; unless you are confusing their theory that veggies are almost a non food and are'nt considered calories at all (I'm simplifying I know) with being carb based. You mentioned having frozen diet meals. Again, not intrinsicly bad but yes they are high in carbs usually potato, Pasta, rice.

You must focus on 3-4 Oz of Protein and then eat have say 3/4 cup of veggies.

You mentioned meat being trigger for weight gain for you. Meat is not a intrinsically bad either (not looking to discuss the ethics of eating meat). 3 oz of grilled chicken no skin is a world away from boneless Buffalo chicken wings (fried, and the sauce's main ingredient is butter).

It also sounds like you need to stop the 100 pack stuff. It's called the halo effect "It's only 100 calories so I can have dessert", or "It's 100 calories so I can have 2". If you have 1 a day for 35 days and don't burn off those calories it's still a 1 pound gain.