Hello everyone!

I have had my surgery back in september...i was at 240lb....now 5 months later iam at 214...i have been stuck at that weight for the 3 months...i basically lost most of my weight the first 2 months...and then it just stopped....iam extremely worried ...even though my doctor keeps reassuring me that its normal.....but i barely eat and i work out ....and nothing... i have not been able to get past this weigh for over 3 years now...i thought the band would help me past this weight but its not happening...the good thing is iam not gaining anything back...but i was just wondering if some of you are experiencing the same thing. I know that not eating slows down your metabolism and you have to eat right to loose weight....but thing is most of the time i have no appetite for food and do not eat much... Iam just about to give up and start regreting having that band in me....because loosing 25lb in 6 months is not out of the ordinary......just desperate for a little advice and hope maybe....thank you

I'd try to stick with it! Take a good HARD look at your diet and count the calories and exercise and make sure you aren't causing the lack of weight loss (I'm only going by what you said.. but if you are really eating nothing you would lose weight. If you are taking in less calories than you are burning off you will lose weight). Or try to change things up. Try low carb.. try eating a little more, or a little less.. or different things. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut... Maybe do a liquid diet for a day or two.. do the 5 day pouch test.. See if anything can jumpstart your weight loss to get your motivation back.

Don't give up! You spend $15,000 and it's only been 6 months..

Sometimes we can still be eating too many calories...or too many carbs...even though we're eating much less than we were before surgery. If you aren't doing it already, I'd recommend tracking everything you eat in something like fitday.com so you have an actual record. Then you can tweak your diet until it starts working for you. Even then, then weight loss may be slow.

If your calories seem right (generally believed to be 1000-1200 for women), perhaps start tweaking your carbs. Many people who drop their carbs between 30-60gm per day start losing more rapidly.

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Make sure you are getting enough water, vitamins,and minerals. Water is critical. There is an article on live strong.com that explains why you need so much water to loose weight. As for the v&ms and protein for that matter, without these your body thinks you are trying to do it in and will hold on to fat at the expense of the rest of your body. You are really in a battle with your body at this point in some ways. If you are sticking to your diet and excercise plan you will eventually win. Don't give up! We are here for you!

When you say you barely eat, are you keeping a journal of everything you put in your mouth? How many calories a day are you eating? Are you eating 3 meals a day or all at once?

Also, has your doctor checked your band/restriction level? Are you hungry between meals? Is it time for another fill? Are you grazing?

I did not journal through the weight loss phase. I recently did for a few days. I thought I was consuming about 1200 calories a day and was shocked to discover I was eating 1700!

Does your surgeon have a nutritionist you can work with?

Thank you for all the replies...

i have been exercising 4 days a week, at first i was doing a mix of cardio and light weights, but recently i have stopped the weights, because i thought maybe iam building muscles and thats why the scale isnt going down...no i dnt eat 3 meals a day...i actually dnt eat throughout the day, if i do its like a snack but i do keep track of the calories , i dnt go over 1200 calories a day. i have work and school during the day. i dnt get home before 8pm most of the time and this is when i get hungry and eat, but still iam restricted and i cant eat much! i actually dnt even enjoy food anymore because of the whole eating extremely slow...chewing a million time and so on...also when i eat i feel heavy and i get sleepy!!! hehe thats why i try not to eat at work or school because i dont want to have to deal with that! iam also very bad at taking vitamins...i almost never do....i didnt think it mattered that much....oh and for the water i used to drink a lot more before the surgery but now with the whole thing about not mixing solid and liquid and only drinking prior to eating and like 30min after eating...iam drinking less andless...mostly drink when iam exercising..

i know that i have to eat 3 times a day, and not eat at night.,,,maybe thas what iam doing wrong and i know it is...maybe with the day getting longer now it will be easier ... the reason why iam so worried its because i have not been able to get past that weight for the past years and iam getting discouraged....thank you for all ur support and concern.....iam dying to get under 200lb...i just want to get pass that weight...then i will feel much better...

again thank you all

A few things come to mind. Skipping meals. Not a good idea. Even if just a snack as you call it, it IS a meal. That keeps you fueled through out the day. Keeping yourself hydrated. VERY important. And taking Vitamins. When we reduce our caloric intake, we MUST take vitamins. Ask to have your Vitamin levels checked. I turned up Vitamin D deficient and anemic. So now, in addition to my multi-vitamin, I take vitamin D and Iron supplements.

If your vitamin levels are low, you can feel horrible. Proper nutrition helps the body function properly. You are exercising, that is awesome! Keep up the good work.

Personally, I don't follow the wait 30 minutes after I eat rule for drinking Water. I have experimented with it and see no difference in how long it takes before i feel hungry again. But if you are only eating once a day, that is only one 30 minute period during which you cannot drink. There is lots of other times for drinking. TRY to get the water in. Keep a bottle with you and sip from it all day long.

Welcome to lap band talk!

Thank you for all the replies...

i have been exercising 4 days a week, at first i was doing a mix of cardio and light weights, but recently i have stopped the weights, because i thought maybe iam building muscles and thats why the scale isnt going down...no i dnt eat 3 meals a day...i actually dnt eat throughout the day, if i do its like a snack but i do keep track of the calories , i dnt go over 1200 calories a day. i have work and school during the day. i dnt get home before 8pm most of the time and this is when i get hungry and eat, but still iam restricted and i cant eat much! i actually dnt even enjoy food anymore because of the whole eating extremely slow...chewing a million time and so on...also when i eat i feel heavy and i get sleepy!!! hehe thats why i try not to eat at work or school because i dont want to have to deal with that! iam also very bad at taking Vitamins...i almost never do....i didnt think it mattered that much....oh and for the Water i used to drink a lot more before the surgery but now with the whole thing about not mixing solid and liquid and only drinking prior to eating and like 30min after eating...iam drinking less andless...mostly drink when iam exercising..

i know that i have to eat 3 times a day, and not eat at night.,,,maybe thas what iam doing wrong and i know it is...maybe with the day getting longer now it will be easier ... the reason why iam so worried its because i have not been able to get past that weight for the past years and iam getting discouraged....thank you for all ur support and concern.....iam dying to get under 200lb...i just want to get pass that weight...then i will feel much better...

again thank you all

If you are having trouble eating during the day, what about having a Protein drink to help you out during the day. I know that people tend to feel more satisfied when they eat, but this may help you get more in without making you tired. Just a suggestion!

Don't give up....IT WORKS!

When was your last fill?

When was your last fill?

My last fill was 12/17/10. It was REALLY tight and almost went back to have a slight unfill, but I gave it time (about 3 weeks) and it settled down. Only (2) pounds to go!

Then I need to figure out how to maintain???

Yes the protein shake are def a good idea! my last fill was yesterday......ya maybe its just take time. i should just be happy because iam not gaining anything back i guess...it will come off eventually....have to learn to be patient!!!

thank you again for the support