I need some advice. I've only lost 21 pounds since being banded in Feb.2006. I keep looking at how much so many of you have lost in just a few weeks or months and I'm getting so discouraged. I've been walking about 30 min on my treadmill 4 or 5 times a week. I know I could be exercising more, but considering how much more it is than I was doing a few months ago I'm surprised that the weight isn't falling off.

I haven't lost any weight in the past 2 months.

As far as eating, I'm eating a little less that I used to but I really don't notice a huge difference. My band is either too tight to eat or I can eat a regular size meal without any problem.

I really need to know how the fast losers are eating. Are you following a certain diet, counting calories, etc...? Are you making sure to drink the water? What's your secret? I've been trying to just eat smaller portions of what I normally cook for my family. Last night we had steak and baked potatoes. The night before we had spaghetti, salad & garlic bread. We always have some kind of carb at dinner. I normally don't eat bread but I do eat potatoes, pasta and rice but less that I used to.

I don't enjoy cooking so I opt for easy meals. Breakfast is usually just a protein drink. Lunch might be soup, frozen meal, sandwich, piece of pizza...whatever I'm fixing for the kids.

I thought the band was going to make me eat so little that weight was going to just fall off. That's not what's happening. I didn't want to have to "diet". I didn't want to have to count calories or count Weight Watcher points. Well, my way isn't working so now what? Please help.

Angie,

The band is a tool. Its also about choices we make. For instance, if we drink milk shakes all day we are going to gain weight. The same is true with the solid food choices you make. Even though you are eating them in smaller quantities if they are high in calories, weight loss will be less. Some of your food choices are on my Never list from the doctor. Pasta, rice, pizza to name some are not good for the band and not good for weight loss. I agree that we shouldn't have to cook all day to get our meals. Just look at the choices. Maybe a baked sweet potatoe instead of rice or pasta. Try fixing just the spaghetti sauce with some cottage cheese and eliminate the pasta. You get the idea.

I know they say in the promos we never have to diet again. That's simply not true. With the smaller intake of food we must make good choices. I am struggling with this myself.

Good luck to you.

Hi Angie,

I think you are eating too many carbs......try more fruits and veggies (just beware of carrots...they are extremely high in sugar. You should be more into the protein anyway because its around the time that you might be experiencing hair loss. (21 lbs is still a good weight loss---better lost than found right??) Best wishes!

Thanks for your quick response. I probably just need a kick in the butt. I want the band to be a magical tool and I know it's not. My jaw drops open when I see people who've been banded less than 2 or 3 months and have already lost 30-50 pounds. How do they do that??

Would you mind sharing your "never eat" list with me? I'm sure that logically I know these things, but I'd love to see your doctor's list.

Bettina....you're probably right, as much as I don't want to admit it. I need to get my act together.

Thanks,

Angie

What I'm being told about about diet after healing from surgery is that I should focus on eating good Protein, lower fat and such. Along with veggies and fruits. A few carbs here and there, but not many. And whole-grain if possible. I'm also told no liquid calories.

So, from that I wonder if the problem is that you are eating higher fat, carb foods like pizza and spagetti, along with the Protein shake that doesn't stay with you as long as solid food?

I've been told that along with eating less, making good and healthy food choices is important.

You're right about the food choices. If I'm honest with myself, I know that I'm not trying hard enough. I'm expecting the band to do it for me. I've had to do some soul searching today and I haven't liked what I've discovered. If I really want to lose the weight, I'm going to have to try harder. I appreciate the responses I've gotten reminding me that I need to change my food choices.

I'd still love to hear from some of you that have been banded in 2006 and have already lost 30 or more pounds. What are you doing or not doing to help you be successful? I am blown away at how fast some of you are losing weight.

Angie

Hi,

I was banded March 20th and am down 61lbs and I beleive this has to do with many factors all acting together. First I had a high starting weight....375lbs and I think this has something to do with intial weightloss at least.

2nd When I came home from the hospital I wasn't hungry and so the liquid/mushy phase was easy for me and the scale started to drop.

3. I began from the first day to train myself into new habits..not easy always but I do it. I eat small bites...not tiny but smaller than what I used to cram into my mouth. I chew the food to mush so I'm not afraid of it getting stuck. And then when I swallow the food I sit and wait...45seconds to a minute before I eat again. This last point has an extra advantage...takes ages to eat a small meal and you feel full just 'cos you seem to have been eating forever!!!

4. I upped my exercise level from couch potato to movement!!! I walk on my treadmill everyday or I swim and I keep changing the levels and lengths of time etc.

5. I don't have complete restriction after two fills. I sometimes get food stuck if I eat too big a bite, too quick or don't chew right, so I know the band is there. There are no foods I can't eat and I like it like that...BUT I am so much more careful about what I eat. I do allow myself my beloved bread but once a week at most and often once a fortnight. Mostly I eat fish, meat, eggs, cheese and salads and veg and that's it. My calories vary from 700 to 1200 depending on my menu for a particular day.

6. I drink water all day...at least 2litres

7. I am full for such long periods from what I eat.

This is something I still can't quite believe sometimes but if I only ate when I truely felt hungry these days..somedays I wouldnt eat! Don't get me wrong, I'm no angel- I have eaten chips and fries etc but I try real hard not to overdo it and to eat more wisely after I have succumbed- mainly 'cos I like seeing the scale going down.

The weightloss has slowed down but is still going in the right direction. My body seems to lose 4-6lbs and then nothing for one to two weeks and no matter what I do I can't change this so I'm learning to accept it.

The only thing I can think is that your body is still taking in too many calories? Try and cut back on the carbs and up your water and see if that does the trick. The band shouldn't mean denial of anything (my opinion) but it can only help you if you help it too and so you do have to think about what it is your eating.

Sounds like your calories are not consistant...meaning...your eating very little on restricted days and then eating alot on non restricted days. Thats exactly what happens to me. On days I can eat I think OMG, I better make up for the days I couldn't... WRONG! I also need to keep a close eye on calories, if I go over 1400 I will not lose.

Also remember, persistance not perfection wins the race... we are not going to be perfect every day but we must keep trying :confused:

:eek:

I have had to do alot more "tinkering" with myself than I think most people have had to to get the weight loss to start.

After ALOT of experimenting (weight watchers, nutritionist, modified south beach) all since banding, I have learned that I do not lose if I eat over 1000 calories a day. I also have to have a solid workout 6 days a week (aerobics / treadmill).

I am also a single momma to 4 kids. I eat what they eat, BUT I am cooking alot healthier than before with no complaints from my motley crew. Alot of the changes they don't even notice.

BTW... My NEVER list of foods is: Pizza, Bread in any form, Pasta (except multigrain), pop, liquid calories (except protein shakes), regular cheeses ( I stick with either 2% or FF), candy, chocolate, junk food, and Ice cream.

Hi,

I'm interested in everything you all have to say. I'm hoping to get banded sometime soon. I'm in the middle of an appeal with my insurance company but somehow I think it might come through.

My surgeon requires all of his patients to have nutritional counseling before surgery and I thought I would share the sample plan I was given. This is the regular diet, about 4-6 weeks post-op:

Breakfast - egg white omelet, 1/4 c sauteed veggies, 1 slice melon

lunch - 2 oz turkey, 1/2 c. green salad with 1 tsp vinagrette

and 3 whole grain crackers

dinner - 3 oz broiled salmon, 1/4 c cooked spinach, 1/4 c sweet potato

Also, you can add two Snacks through the day and they recommed eating a small serving of fruit with 1 oz lo-fat cheese or a Protein shake or bar.

I hope the band can help me stick with this plan. I could never do it on my own!

Good luck.

Mags

I'd still love to hear from some of you that have been banded in 2006 and have already lost 30 or more pounds. What are you doing or not doing to help you be successful? I am blown away at how fast some of you are losing weight.

Angie

Hi Angie. This is just MY plan that I'm doing with my doctor but...

*Protein, Protein, Protein then veggies then complex carbs with each meal.

*I take a Centrum chewable Vitamin every day.

*I eat 6 balanced meals a day with no snacking in between. (But eating six times a day doesn't give much time to snack any how!)

*My doctor makes me promise not to count calories. He truly believes that if the food is healthy then it's up to you and your band to know when to stop and there's no need to count calories.

*I also have to drink at least 64 oz. of Water every day. Only water...or other zero calorie beverages. (Except for Protein shakes which I use as one of my meals.)

*Get excersize, but it sounds like you have this covered. I try for at least 30 mins a day.

I just talked to my doc the other day about plateaus and he said that to break out of a plateau you need to "switch things up". Change to a different excersize or intensity level and many times that can spark your weight loss. But he said NOT to "diet" as a way to break a plateau.

I hope this info helps. I wish you lots of success and I know you'll get past this hump!

Breakfast - egg white omelet, 1/4 c sauteed veggies, 1 slice melon

lunch - 2 oz turkey, 1/2 c. green salad with 1 tsp vinagrette

and 3 whole grain crackers

dinner - 3 oz broiled salmon, 1/4 c cooked spinach, 1/4 c sweet potato

Also, you can add two Snacks through the day and they recommed eating a small serving of fruit with 1 oz lo-fat cheese or a Protein shake or bar.

Mags

That sounds like a great menu. It's well balanced and seems like a good bandster diet! You're gonna do great!

I'd still love to hear from some of you that have been banded in 2006 and have already lost 30 or more pounds. What are you doing or not doing to help you be successful? I am blown away at how fast some of you are losing weight.

Angie

My consultant has emphasized walking and calorie counting. He reckons that 10,000 steps a day (= 5 miles) will maintain your weight but for consistent weight loss to aim for 15,000 steps a day. I've found that 10-12,000 steps will produce consistent weight loss. And the beauty of it is that you don't have to bust a gut doing it. For me it's not about the speed but the distance.

The other thing is calories. If I stick to 850-1,000 kcal per day I'm guaranteed weight loss. Check out the energy expenditure formula (you'll need your BMR). I can predict within 0.5lb how much weight I will lose that week.

What they don't tell you though is it takes tremendous discipline. I didn't realise just how much the band would force me to change my lifestyle - getting up earlier to exercise!, swapping coffee for Water (yuk), eating when not hungry (a foreign concept) and remembering to drink before I eat (socially something that is very difficult to explain away).

The band is a great tool that we have to work with, otherwise it's just a pain in the stomach

I need some advice. I've only lost 21 pounds since being banded in Feb.2006. I keep looking at how much so many of you have lost in just a few weeks or months and I'm getting so discouraged. I've been walking about 30 min on my treadmill 4 or 5 times a week. I know I could be exercising more, but considering how much more it is than I was doing a few months ago I'm surprised that the weight isn't falling off.

I haven't lost any weight in the past 2 months.

As far as eating, I'm eating a little less that I used to but I really don't notice a huge difference. My band is either too tight to eat or I can eat a regular size meal without any problem.

I really need to know how the fast losers are eating. Are you following a certain diet, counting calories, etc...? Are you making sure to drink the Water? What's your secret? I've been trying to just eat smaller portions of what I normally cook for my family. Last night we had steak and baked potatoes. The night before we had spaghetti, salad & garlic bread. We always have some kind of carb at dinner. I normally don't eat bread but I do eat potatoes, Pasta and rice but less that I used to.

I don't enjoy cooking so I opt for easy meals. Breakfast is usually just a Protein drink. lunch might be Soup, frozen meal, sandwich, piece of pizza...whatever I'm fixing for the kids.

I thought the band was going to make me eat so little that weight was going to just fall off. That's not what's happening. I didn't want to have to "diet". I didn't want to have to count calories or count Weight Watcher points. Well, my way isn't working so now what? Please help.

Better quality food and real exercise.

30 minutes on a treadmill at a flat incline and moderately leisure pace is a good way to start...but you won't lose weight quickly this way. Walking will take weight off...but you need to continually push to go further and do it faster to increase your load otherwise your body will simply adapt.

I'd also try eating 5 small meals instead of 3 larger ones.

Thanks for your quick response. I probably just need a kick in the butt. I want the band to be a magical tool and I know it's not. My jaw drops open when I see people who've been banded less than 2 or 3 months and have already lost 30-50 pounds. How do they do that??

Would you mind sharing your "never eat" list with me? I'm sure that logically I know these things, but I'd love to see your doctor's list.

No scientific poll here but it seems to me the really fast losers....either start at a much heavier weight than most OR they are hardcore exercisers.

It doesn't just happen....at least that has been my observation.