Why is this happening to me? Can someone please help me?

I upped my calories, and re-arranged my workout routine.

I dropped 4.5 pounds in a week.

Another week has gone by and the scale has not moved an ounce. Not an ounce.

Successful Bandsters, who loose steadily - please tell me what I am doing wrong.

I eat 1100 to 1300 calories a day. 40% or more Protein. 40% Carbs. Less then 30% fat.

My doctor is still telling me no calories - down your calories....

My nutritionist is telling me to eat more calories and more carbs. To avoid fat, and not to worry about sugar. (I am still avoiding sugar as I know it is a sneaky devil on the lapband)

I did the crazy machine yesterday (Eliptic) and burned 500 calories. :heh:

I am eating right, I think.

I want to see a steady loss. What can I do?

I am approaching the crazies again, as I woke this morning thinking about the diet pills and to just start taking them.

I get 'stuck' when I eat something too fast. Otherwise I eat slowly and am fine. I was already being careful and therefore I stop eating when I feel full.

The 'stuck' hurts. So I know I have a band, and I know it has restriction.

I am tired of this whining, and really want to get on the progressive train and see some steady loss.

Up to now I have done all of this myself, and feel good about that.

Surely I have not hit a platue already?!?!

Any suggestions or ideas on how to kick off a steady weight loss?

On diet pills I saw a steady loss.

Thank you for any ideas or suggestions of what you think I am doing wrong.

MelAnne, you have lost 28 lbs in 2 months? You are doing fabulous! I dont think most of us lose a consistent amount EVERY week. I think it is normal to lose a few lbs one week and then nothing every once in a while. Your body plays catch-up to the loss and then you start losing again. The overall trend will still show a loss. Hang in there!

MelAnne,

You need to chill out a bit. We've been down this path before. I'm not trying to tell you to stop whining - I'm telling you to look at the big picture before you start the 'this-isn't-going-to-work-for-me' dance:

You've been banded for about 9 weeks now. You've lost 28 pounds. If you average it out, you're losing over 3 pounds per week - WELL OVER the 1 - 2 pounds per week which most lap band doctor's project for weight loss. Break it down further if you like, 28 pounds divided by the 62 days you've been banded comes out to just under a half a pound per day! .45 in fact.

The band is working. Stop freaking out. Maybe you should stop weighing yourself. Once a week is plenty. Once a month might be better for your mental health.

I'm REALLY not trying to be mean, but I think you should give yourself a rest.

I Havent Been Banded Yet, 4 More Days Till Then...but I Have Been Reading The Posts And Have Noticed That Its Not A Constant Weight Loss And That A Few Have Gone A Few Weeks With No Loss At All Then One Day Wake Up And Have Dropped Several Pounds Just Over Night...i Dont Believe That There Would Ever Be A Steady Loss...i Believe That I Would Be Aggrivated Too Tho, I Understand And Am Still Trying To Read Thru All The Posts For Helpful Information And Hints

But Even Still, Hey 28 Lbs Is Great!!

Hey MelAnne,

Maybe you have to look at the big picture over time. Twenty-eight pounds is a great accomplishment! I also get frrustrated by what my scale says weekly! I tend to have a pattern of wieght loss over a four week period that goes something like this :

Week after my period -4 to 5 pounds.

Week after that - 3 to 5 pounds.

Two weeks after period (after I ovulate) - 1 to 2 pounds if I'm lucky and work hard.

Week of my period + 3 to 5 pounds (no matter what I do).

This is a pattern I have had my whole dieting life. I would suggest you keep a spread sheet or some kind of chart to see if you have a pattern of your own.

Otherwise, you might want to get rid of your scale for a while and go weigh in once a month at the doctor's office. Let's see, you're down 28 pounds after two months. How exciting would it be if you had only weighed twice and you were down 16 pounds each time. It's all a matter of perspective! In fact, if you continue losing at even 10 pounds a month, that's 60 pounds in 6 months and 120 pounds in a year.

It sounds like you are doing everything right (exercising, and eating). And YOU ARE LOSING!!!!!!!! In fact, you are ahead of the Lap Band average of 1 to 2 pounds per week. In my book you are already a huge success. Don't let your scale sabbotage you or discourage you!!!!!!!!!!!!! :clap2:

I was banded just a few days after you, and have lost about the same weight, and yes I hit a plateau for 2 weeks (before my first fill a few days ago) that I lost and gained the same 2 pounds over and over and over!!! Now I don't know how this is possible, or why, but it is true...I saw it with my own eyes!! During the time I was not losing actual pounds, I continued to lose inches! I measure about every 2 weeks, and figured it was for naught, since I had not lost pounds, but wanted to keep my journal steady so measured anyway...and had lost an additional 5 1/2 inches overall! It helped me cope with the standstill in weight loss. Now I am losing a bit again, since I had my fill, likely due to the forced liquids again for awhile!! I know I should have upped my exercise, but, life has been chaotic lately, and I couldn't, it was nice to see something was still happening!! Good luck!!

Kat

Hi MelAnne, Please stop torturing yourself!

I don't think anyone "consistantly" loses weight, down, down, down, every week. I think, bases on what I've read from so many of our folks is that they lose for a while, then stop, then lose more. Sometimes it is a matter of letting the body catch up, some times it is a matter of the body needing to compact.

Plateous happen. It is part of the normal progression. I think in some ways they are a good thing because they give us a chance to let our heads catch up to the changes of the body.

Please step back and give yourself a breather. Get off the scales. Put it in the closet or under a bed, but give the scales a holiday. It isn't your friend.

As for worring that the band isn't going to work for you, good grief! You are so far ahead of the curve!. I know it is driving you crazy because you had such great inital loss, and now you've gone a few days without that loss you have come to expect.

Be kind to yourself. Get rid of the scales.

I want to see a steady loss. What can I do?

Keep wanting. You'll have amazingly little say in what your body does. Keep following the guidelines, doing what you believe to be the best you can do, and over time the weight will come off. Everyone on this board would love to see a steady weightloss. I'm going to guess that 5 - 10% actually do.

And just IMO - 40% of your intake as carbs is a little high.

You've lsot 28 lbs in 2 months. 14 lbs per month, that's 2 lbs per week on average. Sounds about right to me.

I agree with the others, you need to take a step back and stop concentrating so much on the scale. I noticed that you're taking in about 1300 calories a day and also that you said you exercise regularly. If you're burning 500 calories a day doing an exercise routine, your dietician is correct... up the calorie intake. Also, are you staying hydrated before and after the exercise? "Worked" muscles suck up water so you might have actually lost weight when you thought you stayed the same.

Weigh once a week and stop making yourself crazy.

Yeeesh Melanne.

I echo exactly what Donna said.

CHILL.

If you actually believe it isn't working and that an average of 3.5 lbs loss a week (28 divided by 8) (yes, I said AVERAGE....which can mean 0 some weeks and 6 in others)....then you have to SERIOUSLY re-think your definitions.

Everyone is telling you the same thing...it isn't just to make you feel better, it is FACTUAL.

FACT: your progress is GREATER than the average.

WHAT, pray tell, more do you want??? Sorry to be blunt...but c'mon...think about it!

BE POSITIVE......your weight WILL and IS coming off....Quit thinking about whether the band is working or not...There is no way you can fail if you let it work for you...You have been blessed to get a "tool" that many people would love to be able to have....Get on with LIVING....BE HAPPY and just let it happen....Find a pair of pants that you would love to be in to...That's what I'm doing...I'm wearing those shorts today..You have so much to look forward to...Look at your face...See the changes....Get up in the morning, fix your face and hair...and be happy that each day changes will happen...Get your fills when you need them...Love your life....

I think you're doing great! If I were you, I'd leave the calories exactly where they are but try to get in a little more Protein and a little less in carbs. Just a tweak. If you like track your progress (diet and weight) on fitday.com (or my personal favorite, sparkpeople.com) and you'll see that the overall curve is consistantly down. Remember that you chose the band (over other WLS options like the bypass) for a reason. Remember that reason and recognize that the weightloss is healthy, which means that you just have no choice but to lose slower than anyone on a crash diet or with other types of WLS going for them. You're a success story for the band and your numbers are far better than the norm!

Good luck on your continued journey. Fighting the head games like what you're experiencing is half the battle.

You seem to be right on track. I agree with the other posters...calories look good, carbs looks OK too...according to my doc the carbs should be roughly in balance with calories but protein should always be a little higher. Your weight loss is excellent too. If you are doing that much excersize then you are probably gaining muscle which weighs more than fat. This is a good thing although the numbers on the scale may not "appear" to be going down because of the muscle gain. My doc made me PROMISE not to weigh myself for the exact reason you are struggling with...so I agree with the other posters...don't weigh yourself daily. Try weekly but better yet, monthly. If you continually think you're failing then soon you will. Stay positive and see the accomplishments you've made because they're great!

Weight loss is definately like a stair case....loose, plateau, loose, plateau....I echo the above too -- if you are not losing pounds, but you are still working it, then you are probably loosing inches -- get out the tape measure, leave your scale alone and just think of how pumped you would be if you lost 28 pounds in this amount of time without the band -- that would be MAJOR....so celebrate your loss and keep doing what you're doing....the pounds will go......

Ok, I hear you all, loud and clear.

Put away the scales, and I have a significant weight loss.

But let's be realistic here.

The major weight loss came immediately after surgery. I have lost and regained the same few pounds through out the month of May.

June I dropped 4.5 pounds by changing things up per my nutrionist and trainer. Since then, nothing - not a budge. I have maintained.

I think I am getting tired of this dieting and no results. The up and down and craziness. This is why I went after surgery to begin with. Because I was tired of the yo yo crazy dieting, and here I am doing it all over again.

I am eating a strict diet, and then I read where someone else eats what they want, just smaller portions, and looses weight.

Then I read where someone eats smaller portions, and doesn't exercise, then looses weight.

All of our bodies are very different. Perhaps mine is tired of dieting and I have ruined it.

I post here because: 1. For lurkers/non lurkers considering this surgery. 2. In case others are going thru the same issues. 3. For ideas or suggestions to help me kick myself back into loosing. (there are ways to kick off a loss, upping calories/exercise etc.. who knows what else!?)

4. If I knew all the answers, I wouldn't be a fat pig.

Thank you for the advise and encouragement. I certainly hope and wish only the best for each and everyone.

This is a challenge, and for some well worth the experience, as they are able to turn their lives around and into something so much more then what they wanted for themselves.

For others, and myself being one of them; this is much harder. No matter how much you exercise or diet - your loss may or may not come.

I have journalized every bite of food I have put into my mouth since surgery. I have exercised religiously - daily - since the first week out of surgery.

Someone's body will respond to things so vastly differently then someone elses. Please bare that in mind when evaluating yourself for this surgery.

I feel deeply for the woman who posted the 'ugly' email from someone looking into having this surgery. On the other hand, I completely understand why the lurker/newbie wanted to know how not to become a 'failure'

We all want to succeed.

Well, there is no sure fire answer. There is no sure fire solution/surgery!!!

I am a failure on my own level. Why? Surely not because of a lack of trying.

28 pounds 9 weeks Monday morning. Hhmm... thats 3 pounds a week.

Too bad that is NOT accurate. (bright side to this? in another couple months of this, I guess I can join the Slow Looser's Club right?)

There were things that caused major drops, (right after surgery) and there is the month of May that I battled the same freaking 4 to 5 pounds the WHOLE month.

The month of June, I have dropped 4-5 pounds, and otherwise, I am not up and down like May was. I have learned how to maintain. (again, the change in upping calories and changing my work out routine is responsible for the quick loss)

So I apologize for being a little crazy, a little frustrated, a little hurt and a little dissappointed.

I am human.