Hi everyone,

I'm feeling frustrated!! I was banded on January 19th,2011. To date I've lost 10 pounds. Is this normal? Should I be feeling discourged? I have already gotten 3 fills and most upsetting is the fact that my food intake is very, very little and I walk for an hour four times per week. Could my band be faulty?

Help please.

How much is very very little? You can be eating to little and you won't lose

anewme, i totally understand your frustration. the fact of the matter is that for some people it takes a while for the band to work it's magic. many are slow losers (like me). you need to spend some time adjusting to the band lifestyle or higher amounts of lean protein, then veggies, and the carbs. your band is NOT faulty, and nor are you. The band is a tool, and like any tool you need to tweak it to get the most out of it. I highly recommend reading more experienced bandster posts and being patient with the process... it's only been a couple months!

Like Jess said...if you eat too few calories your body will go into starvation mode and you won't lose. Try tracking your calories for a few days, if you don't already. If you are less than 1,000 try slowly increasing your calories and you should start losing again. A lot of people need to have about 1,200 per day, I lose best when I'm between 1,000-1,100 per day. You will have to work to figure out the right level for you...

Good luck!

I'm not a believer in starvation mode but anyhow try playing around with your calories. Just because you're eating less doesn't mean you're eating the right foods. I could eat less but be eating junk food and sliders. Maybe try upping your exercise as well. Incorporate some weights on some days, cardio on other days.

Start tracking everything you eat if you aren't already.

I was eating under 1000 cals a day and exercising for over an hour a day and either staying the same or not losing. I was mostly doing lean proteins and very little carbs....I lost nothing. I decided to up my calories to 1200 a day and more carbs and I am losing better. I think we do have to find was works individually. I know my body shuts down the weight loss at less than 1000...so I will have to work on that when I get more restricted.

I am not a believer in the starvation mode thing either. When we are overweight, we have fuel to burn and spare and when our body is working properly, the fewer calories we take in the more fat we should burn. In the studies I have read starvation mode doesn’t seem to be something that should happen to an overweight person who has more than enough fuel to burn. With all of my metabolic problems, at times I was eating 800 calories per day and exercising during my weight loss phase, others in my support group were too and other than the typical plateaus, the weight kept coming off with no sign of the starvation mode.

Did you lose 10lbs overall (including pre-op diet) or 10lbs. since being banded? The first four weeks or so are for healing and no weight loss is expected. Then you have to work your way up to the right restriction. Once you start seeing restriction you should expect to see at least 2lb a week loss. There will be weeks where you lose more and weeks where you hit a plateau but on average 2lbs per week is good.

“I eat very little” is not enough information to decide where the problem is. How many calories are you eating per meal? How many meals per day? Any Snacks?

At this stage, Ideally you should be eating around a cup of food or less, three times per day. I am sure your doctor gave you a calorie goal and you should be meeting that. The food should be lean Protein and high Fiber fruits and veggies and whole grains in that order and for weight loss avoiding the butters, salts, sugars and fatty/fried foods. It should be solid food that will fill you up and keep you full.

If you are eating all the right foods in the right amounts and getting some cardio in then you should speak to your doctor to make sure there is no underlying metabolic condition. If you are eating more than the amount mentioned and/or are getting hungry between meals then you are not at your sweet spot and could use another fill.

You are losing about a pound and a quarter or so per week. That is a good loss rate. Bandsters only have restriction of calories and not malabsorption to create a caloric deficit, so we can expect a loss of 1-2 pounds per week. You are right on track. Not at the high end, but doing fine. Especially when most surgeons say to not worry so much about losing until you are 1-2 fills into the process.

We want it faster, and sometimes it happens, but not always.

My average during the losing phase was 3/4 of a pound per week, but it added up.

At your current rate you'll be down about 65 pounds in a year, that's nothing to sneeze at!

Track your calories, it may surprise you! That is the only reason I can think that you wouldn't be losing weight.

But yea if you are really eating like nothing.. then I'd maybe up your food a little bit.

many useful information

Thank you. That certainly helped. I do eat more veggies than Protein. I will try to be more paitent.

anewme, i totally understand your frustration. the fact of the matter is that for some people it takes a while for the band to work it's magic. many are slow losers (like me). you need to spend some time adjusting to the band lifestyle or higher amounts of lean protein, then veggies, and the carbs. your band is NOT faulty, and nor are you. The band is a tool, and like any tool you need to tweak it to get the most out of it. I highly recommend reading more experienced bandster posts and being patient with the process... it's only been a couple months!

I am not a believer in the starvation mode thing either. When we are overweight, we have fuel to burn and spare and when our body is working properly, the fewer calories we take in the more fat we should burn. In the studies I have read starvation mode doesn't seem to be something that should happen to an overweight person who has more than enough fuel to burn. With all of my metabolic problems, at times I was eating 800 calories per day and exercising during my weight loss phase, others in my support group were too and other than the typical plateaus, the weight kept coming off with no sign of the starvation mode.

Did you lose 10lbs overall (including pre-op diet) or 10lbs. since being banded? The first four weeks or so are for healing and no weight loss is expected. Then you have to work your way up to the right restriction. Once you start seeing restriction you should expect to see at least 2lb a week loss. There will be weeks where you lose more and weeks where you hit a plateau but on average 2lbs per week is good.

"I eat very little" is not enough information to decide where the problem is. How many calories are you eating per meal? How many meals per day? Any Snacks?

At this stage, Ideally you should be eating around a cup of food or less, three times per day. I am sure your doctor gave you a calorie goal and you should be meeting that. The food should be lean Protein and high Fiber fruits and veggies and whole grains in that order and for weight loss avoiding the butters, salts, sugars and fatty/fried foods. It should be solid food that will fill you up and keep you full.

If you are eating all the right foods in the right amounts and getting some cardio in then you should speak to your doctor to make sure there is no underlying metabolic condition. If you are eating more than the amount mentioned and/or are getting hungry between meals then you are not at your sweet spot and could use another fill.

Thank you!

I eat roughly about 600calories per day, however I eat more veggies than protein. During the preop I lost 14 pounds. and 10 after surgery. Thanks for the info I will add more proteins.