I have stayed the same weight for 3 weeks now. I can barely eat. I throw up a lot because I get hungry and eat too fast. I'm depressed about it. I would give anything just to lose two pounds. But no. Is there some sort of plateau that a person hits? If so, how long does it last? Today my friend hugged me because it was cold and said that the bigger they are the warmer they are. That was depressing. He didn't mean to insult me, but he did. It seems that however hard I try, nothing happens. I have 4.5 cc in my band and I just don't lose any weight, but I'm afraid to add more because I throw up too much now. I take care of my 86 year old mother who isn't doing too well and my dog has mange, but he's getting better. I'm getting a lot poorer. Could stress affect this? I just don't know but I had really hoped to lose more by now. I have lost about 35 pounds, but I need to lose another 35 pounds. I want to be pretty again even though I'm too old to really be pretty. But I had such hopes and I'm depressed now about it. No one has to answer this. I just wanted to purge the old feelings. Thanks for letting me vent.:cry

I think you would have stopped losing because you ar enot eating enough or you may have plateaued.

From your post I honestly think it would be the "I can barely eat". Your body will go into starvation mode if it doesnt get enough nutrients to survive. It will hold onto everything for dear life.

As for throwing up, everytime you do this, you are risking your band. It is not a healthy way to survive, barely eating and throwing up.

What I suggest is an unfill and you will be able to eat more without throwing up. You will probably then start to lose weight again too because your body will be getting the calories it needs.

Please dont let this go on, you will end up losing your band.

Good Luck

I feel for you. The weight slows down and it does not seem to correlate to how much or what you are eating. This is not easy. What I have resigned myself to doing is to make believe that every day is my first with the band. I too am throwing up and it is disgusting. Perhaps you can talk to your surgeon or someone in his office. A support group? Although easy to say, try to hang in there. Try to get some protein in your system to jump start it. Be well. Fran

Do you exercise?

Hi Bitter, frequently people plateau. And usually when they are doing this their body is busy "re-packing."

Right now, you are under a lot of stress, and yes, stress has a huge impact on your weight loss as well. Stress releases cortisol, and cortiosl is the "fight or flight" hormone, and it's one of your body's denfense in times of famine.

Try to not stress about it. I know, easier said than done.

Are you tracking your inches or just your pounds? What about your NSVs? are you tracking them as well? Sometimes when the scale doesn't move the NSVs just come in droves, and the inches fall off.

I believe plateaus are an opportunity for us to get used to our new shape and adjust to the changes in our lives. I have been banded for 18 months now and have had plateaus that lasted up to 3 months. Then, my body will kick in and start losing again.

I also track inches and it is amazing how sometimes they just drop off. But the NSV can be the best. Good luck. Celeste

What is an NSV? I suspect I may be secreting cortisol since Mother has been in the hospital twice in one week and the dog still has mange and people in my department are seriously upset about the unwonted changes to the M.A. program so now I have to have a meeting where everyone will be irritated. My clothes do seem to be bigger. In fact, I'm going to the clothes sales this week to get some in a smaller size. I got a size 18 Leslie Fay knit suit and it fits perfectly. Size 20 is way too big and I used to wear a 22. So I'm gaining on the weight, but I would like to see some improvement now. I don't exercise enough because I'm nearly 60 and it hurts. I suspect if I was 35, it would be easier to exercise. But I walk at school since I have to hike to my building and hike back up a hill. I still am trying to dance a little, but the last time I did it, I ended up sitting on a heating pad for days. Maybe if I know what an NSV is, it will help me psychologically. Thanks for the help.

I feel your pain. I am stuck too for now. Four months now. But I have been stuck many times before. 202,183,176,167,163 and now 157. Change some things. Exercise more, eat more veggies,change some bad habits that may be trying to resurface(and they will if you let them). Do not give up.It was slow to put on and it is slow to come off.

Hi, Bit....I'm one of the 'older girls,' myself. The exercise has been the hardest part of this...arthritis, gout, etc. I was banded end of March and I've been happy with my weight loss, but I have had a plateau about every four weeks for the whole 7 months. Right now I just came off a 12 day plateau....then I suddenly lost 3 lbs in 2 days. It's been that way all along so I try not to get discouraged.

Stress will definitely tighten your band. I was dealing with some things a couple of months ago and had trouble with sticking and gagging the whole time. As soon as things settled down, I could miraculously swallow again. I also take care of my 89 yr old mother (lives with us) and never know what a day is going to bring! I'm also a retired school person (counselor). Seems like most of us spend so much of our time taking care of others that we can't take care of ourselves....part of how we got in this mess to begin with, isn't it.

Hope life gets better for you, my friend.

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8943 is the list of my NSVs.

You might want to go get a cup of tea, it's a long read. But I track all of them, and notice them.

Bitter, your NSVs, your Non-scale Victories are all the wins you have in life that have nothing to do with the scale. The large and small triumphs that you perhaps would not have even considered doing/attemping before banding. Or simply not even noticed.

The pounds lost only tell part of your story. Your NSVs tell the rest. If you think of it like a drawing, the pounds are the outline of the landscape, but your NSVs are what bring your painting to life, they add texture and color, contrast and defininiton to your story.

My NSV list is litterally the only thing that has sustained me here. I have no weight loss, and I will not lose any weight until this damned brain tumor is removed. That is just my cold and hard reality. But I will always have my complete list of NSVs.

Hi, Bit....I'm one of the 'older girls,' myself. The exercise has been the hardest part of this...arthritis, gout, etc. I was banded end of March and I've been happy with my weight loss, but I have had a plateau about every four weeks for the whole 7 months. Right now I just came off a 12 day plateau....then I suddenly lost 3 lbs in 2 days. It's been that way all along so I try not to get discouraged.

Stress will definitely tighten your band. I was dealing with some things a couple of months ago and had trouble with sticking and gagging the whole time. As soon as things settled down, I could miraculously swallow again. I also take care of my 89 yr old mother (lives with us) and never know what a day is going to bring! I'm also a retired school person (counselor). Seems like most of us spend so much of our time taking care of others that we can't take care of ourselves....part of how we got in this mess to begin with, isn't it.

Hope life gets better for you, my friend.

I'm glad someone else has the same problems I have. Today I was terribly upset because the doctor thinks mother should go into the nursing home though not because she's so ill. She's starting to have Alzheimer's and that is upsetting because my aunt had it for 10 long years before she died. We will be financially devastated because, while mother has nursing home insurance and her retirement income, the nursing home uses their own medicine and I suspect it's very expensive. My brother is not very reliable regarding money, so I suspect I'll end up paying though my friend suggested I just have a certain amount debited from his bank account every month. I think Mother needs to go, but it's very difficult to admit defeat. So I'm having all sorts of problems with the band. I don't think it's the band, but sheer stress. I certainly am thankful that someone else has these problems, though I handle mother by myself. I don't have any help except home health. An aide comes twice a week to bathe mother and cheer her up. A nurse comes on occasion and I do the rest. Thanks for your compassion. People who haven't had to take care of old people don't have any idea what it is like.

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8943 is the list of my NSVs.

You might want to go get a cup of tea, it's a long read. But I track all of them, and notice them.

Bitter, your NSVs, your Non-scale Victories are all the wins you have in life that have nothing to do with the scale. The large and small triumphs that you perhaps would not have even considered doing/attemping before banding. Or simply not even noticed.

The pounds lost only tell part of your story. Your NSVs tell the rest. If you think of it like a drawing, the pounds are the outline of the landscape, but your NSVs are what bring your painting to life, they add texture and color, contrast and defininiton to your story.

My NSV list is litterally the only thing that has sustained me here. I have no weight loss, and I will not lose any weight until this damned brain tumor is removed. That is just my cold and hard reality. But I will always have my complete list of NSVs.

God, when I think I have it bad, someone always has it worse. I do hope the brain tumor can be removed soon. I haven't had many NSVs lately. In fact, my M.A. program has been the subject of much criticism so work doesn't help much. But I'm going to quit running that program. If Mother goes to the nursing home, maybe I can calm down but I'm seriously worried about getting her settled there and the cost of the place. I will check your NSV list. I really appreciate people like you.

I am new to this website. A friend of mine who had the lap band done a year and a half ago told me to check this website out. I have not had the lapband surgery yet, but I am hoping to have the surgery after the first of the year when insurance will cover it. Is there anything that I should know before having the surgery?

I am new to this website. A friend of mine who had the lap band done a year and a half ago told me to check this website out. I have not had the lapband surgery yet, but I am hoping to have the surgery after the first of the year when insurance will cover it. Is there anything that I should know before having the surgery?

Yes............