Not Losing Weight

Dawn NH · January 31, 2006

Did anyone else not lose weight? I just had my first fill and still feel no different. I am getting frustrated. I know in time it will get better, but I was not prepaired for this. I have gained weight back that I originally lost. My Dr. is upset because I was told to eat until I got full. Now I don't know about any of you, but I am not good at telling when I am full. So I am going back to ask for very strict guidelines for my diet. So I am just wondering if others could let me know if this happened to them and let me know that once I find the right fill number that things will be better.:faint:

Jachut · January 31, 2006

Perhaps if you really cant tell you are full you need to actually "diet" in the old sense of the word. Until you do get proper restriction. If you can muster up the willpower for it, it will be the last time in your life you have to do it, ever.

I cant say a fill has made a lot of difference to me, I'm really finding it hard to sort out how much the band is actually doing and how much of it is mental - like I expect to succeed now, therefore I am. I just havent fallen back into old eating habits, because I know I shouldnt. I couldnt stick with it before the band though, so who knows?

Dawn NH · January 31, 2006

Jacqui,

I am good at following a diet, my body does not let go of the weight. Exercise is going to be key for me. I am eating three smaller meals a day, some days eating a snack at night if I am really hungry. I am eating protien first, hardly anything other than protien actually. I am not sure what I am doing "wrong".

vinesqueen · January 31, 2006

Hello Dawn, well, you had your first fill 5 days ago, I'm not sure what you are expecting.

Most people don't lose until after they've had their first fill, any wight lost before the fill is bonus, and not what the band is designed for.

Please be patient with yourself. If you continue to not lose weight after your fill, then you might want more answers.

Please be kind to yourself. I know that we all have expectations with the band, and it's hard to not compair with other people. Cheers, and it will get easier.

lovecats85 · January 31, 2006

When I first got banded I thought that b/c I couldn't eat as much I could eat whatever I wanted - that did NOT work. It took 3 fills, 3 months, eating healthy, and exersizing to lose, and even still I'm only losing at 1.2 lbs per week! You'll get there. I had hardly and restriction after my 1st fill. Just make sure you eat healthy, and exersize, and you'll get fills and you'll be fine. Plus, when you imagine what 7 lbs of fat looks like you'll realize that ANY loss is and achievement, and that the band just has to be fine tuned and that takes time. Keep your chin up!

jen-jen · January 31, 2006

I was just looking up how long I need to stay on the stage 2 diet and I read this...

" Keep in mind a positive attitude is key to the success of this surgery. The LAP BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding surgery is a tool to help you achieve your weight control goal. It does not guarantee you weight loss. You must be ready and committed to making and continuing the appropriate diet changes to achieve your goal of losing weight and keeping it off."

Rather depressing to think that I actually have to work at this,....that is where the positive attitude must come in.

j.s. · January 31, 2006

I also had to follow a meal plan and because I was a volume eater I found it extremely helpful to weigh and measure my meals out. Also my nutritionist had me eat 3 small meals per day and Snacks between the meals (i.e. 1 piece of string cheese, a small yogurt or a boiled egg, a single serving of fruit) so I didnt get too hungry between meals and overeat at a meal. I found it really helpful to do the weighing measuring to learn the portions that I should be eating rather than just trying to eyeball it. Also I wrote down everything so that I could keep an eye on where my Protein and liquids were. Your nutritionist can help you get something specific written down that is easy to follow and that you can do. Chin up, it will come!

rpaniagua77 · January 31, 2006

Yes maam it is not going to be easy. I was banded on Nov 7th and I lost 30 lbs the 1st month. I have been fluctuating between 32 and 38 lbs since then. I lose then I gain. I have to admit though I have been no angel I have eaten the bad stuff quite a few times. But the good thing is that every day can be a new beginning if you mess up. Of coure you don't want to start over everyday but it is an option if you just simply have to. It is not easy because for me unlike some others, the weight does not just fall off. I work out at least 3 days a week and I think that is the only reason I have not gained all the weight back. But this week I started over I cooked my meal tonight for the next 3 days and I have a personal trainer for an hour 5 days a week at the gym. Don't be discouraged you will lose weight but it may take a little longer than others. So good luck and god bless and don't give up. I couldnt have lost these 30 lbs without my band and I'd rather the scale go down slowly than go up.

Monica S · January 31, 2006

This is all going much slower for me than I expected it to. I lost 16 lbs in the first week then gained it all back. I've had 2 fills (my last was a week ago) so maybe it will kick in soon.

I did not feel much after my first fill of 2.2 ccs (4 cc band).

Kryssa · January 31, 2006

I lost 10 lbs the first week on the liquid diet and spent the next 5 gaining it all back. My total loss so far? 9 lbs in 16 weeks. Why? I do not have "good restriction" yet, after 4 fills. I was on a 1400 calorie diet with exercise 4 times a week for 6 months before banding and only lost 2 lbs. I am trying hard not to get depressed about slow weight loss too. Fifth fill in a week, maybe I'll get there this time.

Staci · January 31, 2006

Hi All,

I dont get this at all. Seems like everyone does lose about 30lbs plus or minus if they are not super heavy to start with THEN your either stuck there, or its really hard to lose from that point forward. I thought this was suppose to make this easier.

Whats even more confusing to me is the fact that most of us are eating much less than we were prior to the band but the weight loss stops. I personally am eating about one third of what I ate prior to banding and now exercising four days a week at the gym...and still not losing. OH, and I am now taking Phentermine! I am one year and one month out and stuck at 31lbs lost. Yes, my band is tight and I dont need a fill. HELP!

Staci

Orlando FL

banded in TJ 12/16/04

Dr Lopez

PhotoNut · January 31, 2006

Just curious here (and a bit concerned about my own future) are any of you who are not losing weight on the scales seeing a change in the way your clothes fit? I noticed many of you stating that you are working out four times a week. Muscle, while it takes up less room in your body, weighs more than fat. Is it possible that you are losing fat, but gaining muscle? In the past, I have seen myself gain weight when I started working out, but my clothes began to fall off of me. A 200 pound fat person looks a lot different than a 200 pound lean and muscular person.

Just a thought.

Staci · January 31, 2006

No. Not much.

Staci

Orlando FL

banded in TJ 12/16/04

Dr. Lopez

Kryssa · January 31, 2006

Since I started the diet and exercise program last March? One dress size. Since being banded? Nope, clothes fit the same.

Jachut · January 31, 2006

It would also seem highly likely to me, that given the trouble lots of people have losing after their band, that there are more reasons for their excess weight than just gluttony. Obviously many people's bodies, metabolically speaking, are just not functioning normally. I always thought this anyway, and judgement of overweight people as lazy or greedy really annoys me. Now I know that it IS true, some people are fat because their bodies just work that way.

It doesnt mean you cant lose it but it's not fair that it should be so hard for some.