I have been banded for 2 1/2 months and realize that is not a long time but I can't help butnotice that everyone seems to loose alot at the first I followed everything and I even started a high energy exercise program for 30 a day everyday. I have only lost about 15 pounds and I also have a 2cc fill has anyone else had this happen.. I have alot to loose 150 lbs please help! If you are wondering about the ticker it was a 3 month goal I set when I had the surgery!

Hey Klynn!

Me too, kinda. I have lost 25 since mid Jan. NOTHING since the end of Feb. I am going for a fill tomorrow. As happy as I am for the people losing 30 and 50 pounds in a 2 month span, it feels like being the fat kid on the team all over again. Left out. Sorry you are discouraged, but happy that I am not the only newbie in the Turtle club. I hope the numbers start changing soon for both of us!

Thanks I was banded one week before you and I am happy to hear that I am not the only one to be slow coach.

Please don't get caught up in number comparisons. When very fat people come off sugar and salt, you can see dramatic initial loss on the scale. Remeber, 1lb of fat is approx 3500 calories. If you eat 1000 per day and your body burns 1500 per day, then it takes 7 days to loose 1 lb. Period.

Anything else is Water. Just plug in your numbers to this equation:

3500 / (Calories in - calories out) = days to loose 1 lb

I think is absurd when people brag about loosing 10 lbs in 1 week. For sure, it isn't fat they are loosing.

Please be sure to check the slow losers thread on the support forum. Please do a search for Turtle titles for more support.

Unfortunately, for some of us, the 3500 calories in/out equation doesn't work for some of us. It doesn't make any sense on any level, but it is our reality. It is my reality.

The other thing to keep in mind is the addition of your exercise program. Miscle is denser (heavier) than fat. If you're working out, it's entirely possible to lose fat but gain weight.

When very fat people come off sugar and salt, you can see dramatic initial loss on the scale.

Umm... when most people come off sugars they can see a dramatic initial loss on the scale. Doesn't have to be "very fat" people. DH has maybe 30 ls to lose and lost over half of that (and 2 pants sizes) within his first week of ketosis. The cells don't have to be in someone of any paticular weight. 30 lbs isn't very fat IMO!

vinesqueen,

Contrary to what you want to think, if you are human, the basic rule I stated applies to you. Drop the denial. I only ate 200 calories today and gained 3 pounds and I don't know why doesn't cut it here.

Also, I said the 3500 is an approximate. We all vary slightly, but the theory is sound. Calories in - calories out always determines whether we gain/maintain/loose. Protein doesn't change this either, btw.

Wheetsin,

The point is not to pick a fight with you, apparently you have a clue. However, my point was that someone that is 150 lbs overweight carries a significant more Water than someone who is 5 lbs over. Hence the ability to see a 30 lbs drop in 30 days. Plus, the reason most of us are in this situation is that we beinge on sugar and salt more than a person who eats healthy. Just common sense, not a dig at my brothers and sisters.

Not looking to pick a fight. Not my style. Just clarifying. Too many people take what they read on the Internet as the truth.

Might want to read around a bit before you jump to "denial" in Vinesqueen's case.

vinesqueen,

Contrary to what you want to think, if you are human, the basic rule I stated applies to you. Drop the denial. I only ate 200 calories today and gained 3 pounds and I don't know why doesn't cut it here.

Also, I said the 3500 is an approximate. We all vary slightly, but the theory is sound. Calories in - calories out always determines whether we gain/maintain/loose. Protein doesn't change this either, btw.

It makes a huge difference if the person has been a yo-yo dieter most of their life.... each time they lose and gain it's harder to lose because the metabolism slows down. The 3500-calorie rule is not the same for every person since the body becomes more and more efficient requiring fewer calories and more exercise then someone who was not a yo-yo dieter.

Also, no one said that protein changes how fast you lose but protein does help curb hunger unlike simple sugars, which metabolize faster.

For someone who feels like it's so easy to lose and such a simple formula then I doubt you need a lot of support from a forum like this.

someone that is 150 lbs overweight carries a significant more Water than someone who is 5 lbs over. Hence the ability to see a 30 lbs drop in 30 days.

The 30 pound loss is not just water. It's fat and muscle as well. I heard somewhere once that if you're losing more than 2.5 pounds a week consistently you're losing muscle along with water and fat, which lowers your metabolism. It's inevitable, however, that we'll lose some muscle along with our fat. Vines problem may be that she's lost some muscle and maybe some other problems (my office mate has severe hormonal problems that keep her from losing fat) that may, indeed, be keeping her from losing weight, even if she's eating well. We don't really know what's going on with her body.

I had my metabolism tested a few weeks ago and it was VERY enlightening. I learned how much muscle/glucose/fat I'm burning in addition to how many calories I burn sitting on my fat butt all day. I'd really recommend it to people who are wondering what the heck their bodies are burning all day. You can get this tested at some doctor's offices or gyms. I went to the university that I work for and had it done. It was only $30 - not a bad price for peace of mind or at least more info about what you should be doing.

It makes a huge difference if the person has been a yo-yo dieter most of their life.... each time they lose and gain it's harder to lose because the metabolism slows down. The 3500-calorie rule is not the same for every person since the body becomes more and more efficient requiring fewer calories and more exercise then someone who was not a yo-yo dieter.

Also, no one said that Protein changes how fast you lose but protein does help curb hunger unlike simple sugars, which metabolize faster.

Protein also feeds your muscles so you're less likely to lose it.

The 3500 calorie rule applies to EVERYONE. It's universal. The difference is how fast we're metabolizing all those calories we take in. That metabolism test I just took said my resting metabolism was 2,027. So if I eat 1,527 calories a day and I didn't move a muscle once during that day, I'd be in a 500 calorie defecit. That means it'd take me 7 days to lose a full pound if I didn't move once during those days. Your body has to take that energy defecit from somewhere, whether it be from your muscles or from your fat.

It's the metabolism I meant isn't the same for everyone... KT_199 implyed that Vinesqueen required the same about of calories as everyone else and that's not true.... everyone is different so the calorie defecit could be extremely small or non-existant for some people with slow metabolisms.

True that it takes a 3500 calorie defecit to lose one pound but obtaining that isn't the same for everyone. - My point!

BMR (basal metabloic rate) is an important factor, fer sure! Basically - how many calories do you need, in a day, to lay in bed and do nothing other than exist. Calorie intake matters. You can diet and exercise, but if you're still not urning more calories than you consume, you'll ge hungry all day at not lose any weight. (Hmm... I wonder why so many diets fail...)

It's actually easier for the body to break down & metabolize muscle than fat. That's why you have to exercise/move when you restrict your food intake. You want your body to surrender its fat reserves, but if you don't do anything to maintain or improve your muscle mass, it will be the first to go. And puddin is right. Muscle burns calories like nothing else. That's why body builders can eat 4,000 calorie diets and have 5% body fat.

It's so damn complicated. Can't we all just get thin?

If it was such a simple science then the obesity rate wouldn't be so high. 3500/ Calories In-Calories Out doesn't always equal a one pound lose. If that was the case people who stick to a plan and exercise and keep track of their BMR wouldn't stall... wouldn't have weight loss spurts... or weight gains. The fact is there are people who have hormone issues, slow metabolisms, yo-yo'ed dieted... lose at different rates.