I am very frustrated.I was banded in October and have only lost about 20 lbs. I have to admit I do eat more potatoes and ice cream than I should but was under the impression when I inquired about the band before being banded that it would limit my intake. I am not hungry and do not eat much and most times nothing at all for breakfast but coffee, lunch I eat moderately and dinner I can eat a plate full of a small size plate (try not to do). Is this normal?

sounds to me like you need a fill and sorry but the ice cream and potatoes need to go too

Try this: keep a food diary for a week and write down every morsel that passes your lips in a day. You might be surprised that you are eating more (or less) calories than you think. Either way it will slow your weight loss. Also make sure you are drinking enough water and getting plenty of exercise. And yes the band will limit your intake but you still have to make the right choices. Good luck!

First of all, you should never skip breakfast. It actually starts your metabolism off right for the day. I know that bands are tighter in the morning, but at least try to get some calories in late morning; ditch the ice cream and potatoes!

I also agree with other posters that you should keep a food diary. That is honestly the best thing I've ever done for myself. If I didn't do it, I don't think I would have gotten anywhere yet. My biggest problem was portion control. I have always liked healthy food, but WAY WAY too much of it, and way too many carbs was my other problem. So yes, write it ALL down! Even write down little things, like what you put in your coffee, what you use to cook your food with; is it butter? Is it Olive Oil?

Also, how much do you exercise?

Start logging your food. Exercise if you are not. We tend to eat more and move less than we imagine. There is no problem with potatoes and ice cream, in moderation. If you're overindulging in them then that's another story. If you don't have a digital food scale, definitely invest in one. The true serving size of 1/2 cup of ice cream will probably shock you.

Also, no need to eat breakfast if you don't care to. It has no effect on your metabolism.

The band will limit your intake, but ice cream, Soups, mashed potatoes are all slider foods... The band doesn't do magic with out a magician... Good luck!

Thank you all for your responses. New day starting tomorrow. I will get rid of the ice cream and potatoes and start using my food diary again. Big question....if a band is adjusted just right how much should a person be able to eat at a meal?

Thank you all for your responses. New day starting tomorrow. I will get rid of the ice cream and potatoes and start using my food diary again. Big question....if a band is adjusted just right how much should a person be able to eat at a meal?

You have incomplete, and slightly incorrect information. Your band will NOT stop you from overeating, nor from eating badly. You have to make proper choices, and manage how your band responds to how you conduct your day to day life. Read this link for the rest of the story: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

You need to evaluate exactly what you're doing (or not doing) and focus on making the right choices. The weight loss WILL happen, if you do things right.

Good luck!

Dave

Welp, Reverie and I are going to disagree again.

I think breakfast is important. (and no, Rev. I don't have any sites to back my opinion up.. I don't feel like debating). Bkfst doesn't have to be a big deal. It can be a Protein drink, a glass of skim milk, greek yogurt & fresh fruit, oatmeal. It could even be leftovers from the night before. I was never a breakfast eater in my pre-banded life. Now I am.

The thing is, OP, you're not happy with your current results and you're not eating breakfast. Why not try eating something in the first hour or two after getting up and see if it makes a difference?

The other suggestions (hydrating, journaling food, moving more and reading Dr. Simpson's "Not about restriction" post) are excellent ideas too.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you all for your responses. New day starting tomorrow. I will get rid of the ice cream and potatoes and start using my food diary again. Big question....if a band is adjusted just right how much should a person be able to eat at a meal?

My surgeon suggested 3 to 4oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of low carb veggies per meal.. 3x a day, when I was banded 2 years ago. Now he tells new bandsters about 1 cup of food per meal.

This will really vary from person to person. Perhaps give your surgeon a call and see what they suggest?

Band will not stop you from eating ice cream an potato chips. I would recommend cutting out those foods except for "special occations" like family birthdays etc. Don't keep them in your house you will eat more than you should.

Dave_NW - Thanks for posting that link! Very informative...I was under a different impression of how the band works but this makes so much more sense to me. I couldn't wrap my head around how something could get stuck immediately if our previous food was "sitting" on top of the band, this information helps me make sense of that now!

Welp, Reverie and I are going to disagree again.

I think Breakfast is important. (and no, Rev. I don't have any sites to back my opinion up.. I don't feel like debating). Bkfst doesn't have to be a big deal. It can be a Protein drink, a glass of skim milk, greek yogurt & fresh fruit, oatmeal. It could even be leftovers from the night before. I was never a breakfast eater in my pre-banded life. Now I am.

The thing is, OP, you're not happy with your current results and you're not eating breakfast. Why not try eating something in the first hour or two after getting up and see if it makes a difference?

The other suggestions (hydrating, journaling food, moving more and reading Dr. Simpson's "Not about restriction" post) are excellent ideas too.

Best of luck to you.

No problem Was just merely pointing out the fact that breakfast has nothing to do with one's metabolism. I never said it wasn't important but there is no set time to eat breakfast. That's all

No problem Was just merely pointing out the fact that breakfast has nothing to do with one's metabolism. I never said it wasn't important but there is no set time to eat breakfast. That's all

I'd like to see the evidence to back it up that there isn't any effect on metabolism. I saw studies that my nutritionist provided me that say otherwise, and it's something I've lived religiously with for a while. I suppose I could look the studies up on line, but I have them on paper.

I'm not trying to be oppositional, I'm just curious, because it's important to me to know the right answer.

I'd like to see the evidence to back it up that there isn't any effect on metabolism. I saw studies that my nutritionist provided me that say otherwise, and it's something I've lived religiously with for a while. I suppose I could look the studies up on line, but I have them on paper.

I'm not trying to be oppositional, I'm just curious, because it's important to me to know the right answer.

No problem:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

Study shows there was no difference in weight loss between subjects with high/low meal frequencies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494

Evidence supports that meal frequency has nothing to do with subjects' energy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656

No difference in energy in the subjects compared to 2 meals a day to 6 meals a day.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1905998

Eur J Clin Nutr. 1991 Mar;45(3):161-9.Links

Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilization in man: consequences for energy metabolism.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Apr;25(4):519-28.Links

Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimeter.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053311

Br J Nutr. 2008 Jun;99(6):1316-21. Epub 2007 Dec 6. Links

Acute effects on metabolism and appetite profile of one meal difference in the lower range of meal frequency.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1905998

Eur J Clin Nutr. 1991 Mar;45(3):161-9.Links

Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilization in man: consequences for energy metabolism.

Again, I am not against breakfast but people should know that the timing of breakfast (when you break your eating fast from sleeping) does not matter.