Hello everyone. I need expert, bandster help!!! I was banded in October 2009. I can't believe it has been almost 4 years. I started at 255 and am now....drumroll please....165lbs. The it has been a real journey. This is a lot of work. I still have difficulty eating in the mornings. It's like the band needs time to relax, open up and prepare to accept food. As a result, I have fallen into a bad pattern. I am addicted to Starbucks Double Tall Carmel Macchiato's. Daily, it accounts for approx. 200calories. I tend to eat late afternoon and into the evening. I have very little appetite at all. I have to remind myself to eat or mentally check to see if I'm hungry. I can not help it. I feel ill and unable to swallow proteins early in the day. I resort to sliders daily. I love soups and salads. Many times it's what I have to eat in order to get the food down. I eat very little bread and few carbs. I need advice on changing my pattern and getting more protein in. If this makes any sense at all...I feel like I have lost muscle mass. My skin feels different. My muscles feel loose and week. How can I rebuild muscle mass? Has anyone lost too much weight? Is anyone having issues getting things stuck? How can I stop losing and work towards maintaining??? Needing your best help....

Heh! Monique, I had my lapband done on Oct 30, 2009. You have done marvelously. We have basiaclly the same weightlosses. I know that I had to move away from those Starbucks Double Tall Carmel Macchiato. I was drinking them iced. I am dairy free at this point, so I drink my own iced coffee with non-dairy creamer. Not the same, but it wil have to do! Best wishes, I hope that you get your answer. Karen

Morning tightness seemingly stays with us no matter how big or small we get lol. Plan on liquids for the morning to get you through, but liquids or mushies like Protein shakes, smoothie with protein mixed in, or yogurt are better than Starbucks coffees because it provides nutrition.

I think us 'oldies' get lax in our rules and it's a natural process to want to revert to easy/lazy food choices like sliders etc. I recommend getting your early literature on the band diet, write out a diet that ensures adequate protein and give it a whirl for a few weeks. I think anything you commit to over a week is easier to adopt longterm and hopefully this will reset your brain into identifying and consuming foods that are ideal for min. nutritional needs.

As for muscle mass, if you do not exercise and you are not eating sufficient protein, you will lose muscle mass. There's only 2 ways to get it back and build it up 1) increase protein intake and 2) strength training (lifting weights) simultaneously. This is a great way to fill in space if there's slack skin, increase overall strength and offset undesirable weight loss.

Remember, slider foods will not give us sufficient nutrients and you will see the results in muscle loss, skin integrity, increase in infections (or longer standing colds for instance). Be sure to get minimum protein and take your Calcium and Vitamin supplements (I also recommend vit b and biotin).

I went through the same thing. Lost a heap of weight (got down to 118lbs) and got to be what I term to be 'skinny fat' in that I had nearly no muscle mass, and my BFP was around 22%. I had no real strength, lots of stamina, sure, but I was weak as a kitten. Couldn't even open a cap off a bottle!

Now my BMI is higher, I'm sitting on 138lbs because I am strength training, and to do that I need to eat well. My band is not so tight right now that I can't eat Breakfast, nor will I have it that tight from now on. My aim now is to build muscle and reduce my BFP (which is currently 19%).

And for being 20lbs heavier than I used to be, strangely enough I'm only one size bigger in clothes, and my waist (thanks to lipo and many crunches) is smaller. So at this point, it's not about what the scales says as the rest of my body composition.

Thank you all for the replies. I am going to try to record my intake for the next week and definitely increase my protein intake. I have avoided Starbucks for the past 2 days. I need to focus on my am consumption. Karen, I am going to try to make my own coffee too. You are so right. It is not the same. Hazelsbliss, you are so right. I need to do everything you mentioned. I have located my binder and a really good after weightloss surgery do's/don'ts book I purchased some time ago. I need to get on it asap. I do not want to keep losing. I plan to get to the gym this week. lellow, weak as a kitten....LOL. I understand. I need help doing things I never needed help doing as a fluffier woman. I need to increase my protein and vitamins asap. I plan to go to my health food store and purchase some protein powder to add to my smoothies. Yes, that's the plan.... I'm on it!

Hello everyone. I need expert' date=' bandster help!!! I was banded in October 2009. I can't believe it has been almost 4 years. I started at 255 and am now....drumroll please....165lbs. The it has been a real journey. This is a lot of work. I still have difficulty eating in the mornings. It's like the band needs time to relax, open up and prepare to accept food. As a result, I have fallen into a bad pattern. I am addicted to Starbucks Double Tall Carmel Macchiato's. Daily, it accounts for approx. 200calories. I tend to eat late afternoon and into the evening. I have very little appetite at all. I have to remind myself to eat or mentally check to see if I'm hungry. I can not help it. I feel ill and unable to swallow Proteins early in the day. I resort to sliders daily. I love soups and salads. Many times it's what I have to eat in order to get the food down. I eat very little bread and few carbs. I need advice on changing my pattern and getting more Protein in. If this makes any sense at all...I feel like I have lost muscle mass. My skin feels different. My muscles feel loose and week. How can I rebuild muscle mass? Has anyone lost too much weight? Is anyone having issues getting things stuck? How can I stop losing and work towards maintaining??? Needing your best help....[/quote']

Don't ever give up & know GOD is always there for each & everyone who reaches out to HIM !

I agree with Pasteur o, God is on your side and don't ever, ever give up. If I gave up way back in 1980, I wouldn't be walking or talking today. I was told I would never walk again and to resign myself to a wheelchair. Well, I knew better than t listen to that and I put all my faith in God and I'm walking (with a cane but still walking) and talking. I was told I would never talk right again. Well, I give motivational speeches now. I feel the same about the band. I'm keeping the faith and leaving it all in the hands of a higher power. God bless you in all your endeavors.