Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.

[Cat225 93]

I started this process on January 17th. From then to April, I lost 41 pounds. Since then, my weight has been up a few pounds and then back down. I'm at around 40 pounds gone, but I can't seem to start losing again. I've had 3 fills, my most recent one was 2 weeks ago. My band is filled to around 4.9-5.0 ccs. All I've noticed from the fills is that I must eat very slowly and chew well, which I have been doing, because after each fill more and more food is getting stuck, forcing me to have to spit it up. The full or satisfied sensation only lasts for a short time. I'm hungry again after most meals. The clinic suggested I try steel cuts oats in the morning for a change, because I am sick of eggs. This morning I had a small pre measured packet of steel cut oats sweetened with Truvia and fresh blueberries. I also had 3 pieces of chicken bacon and black coffee. My whole Breakfast was 320 calories. I was very satisfied afterwards, but not more than an hour later my stomach felt empty again.

I am trying so hard to eat small portions, because I know that is the key to losing weight. I thought the whole point of this lapband was that it would make eating small, sensible portions of good food satisfying. What am I doing wrong? I am near tears here feeling like a complete failure once again. This is the same pattern that has happened on any diet I have ever been on in my life. I lose a bunch of weight at first, and then stop losing, and can't start losing again. I have committed this is my new lifestyle, not a diet, but I'm just so afraid that It's not going to work anymore. I have read stories where people never lose weight with their lapband. I spent so much money on this thing and had so much hope just a couple months ago. What happened? I am choosing good foods, a couple sensible carbs and not eating any sugary or fatty junk foods. I'm also limiting my snacking to once a day.

I wanted to have energy this summer, but it's starting to get warm out and I'm already uncomfortable and sweaty again. I'm really miserable.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Cat225

[enjoythetime 1,457]

Take a deeep breath:-) You're doing fantastic!! 40lbs. in 5 months is amazing! My doctor always told me that an average 6-8lbs monthly loss was amazing! It's been 5 months since your surgery which means you're averaging an 8lb loss every month which is the highest end of the average.

This is all just my opinion but when I read your post, I almost feel like you're trying to prepare yourself for failure so that you wouldn't experience disappointment. Trust me, been there done that, but like you said this is a lifestyle change, not a diet where you do anything and everything to dump as much as you can as fast as you can. Everyone loses at a different rate, and your weight loss rate is great. I'm not sure but are you worrying so much about weight and food that you're dealing with head hunger vs. real hunger and are unable to tell the difference? If you're stressing out alot about it, that will also give you a hungry feeling, so try and relax and listen to your band, not your head:-)

Just because the scale isn't moving doesn't mean you're not losing weight, if your clothes are fitting better than you're losing inches vs. lbs. Your body goes through these cycles of lbs lost vs inches lost to keep up with itself so what seems to be a stall on the scale is acutally your body catching up and sheading inches, which to me is a hell of alot more important than the # on the scale!

Don't get down on yourself, you're not a failure. If you stay the course and communicate properly with your doctor, follow his or her instructions to the T, eat as healthy and as clean as you can, exercise and get your Protein and Water in, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT. There really isn't another option. Yes, there will be times when the scale stalls but during those times look for as many non-scale victories (NSV) as you can to keep yourself positive and motivated!!

You're going to be just fine!!

Edited May 16, 2014 by enjoythetime

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@Cat225 don't feel discouraged, give your doctor a call and make an appointment to go in and check on your fill level. It sounds like you need an adjustment to me. Your hungry again too soon after you have eaten a full meal.

You want to eat solid foods and Breakfast is always the hardest because we think that we have to eat things like Cereal or eggs, but you know you can have steak or chicken or just about anything any time of day.

In the mornings just because of the time crunch I usually have a Protein Bar, I get one that has some Fiber and nuts in it that I have to chew and swallow so it has some substance to it and stimulates my band enough to make feel satisfied until lunch time. Snacking is not a bad thing at all. I try to keep my meals to under 250 so if I need a snack I have calories for it.

You can do this, it's not a race it's a life time journey to be the best and healthiest you that you can be.

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there, sending best wishes and I know this can be a difficult time. The hoopla from prepping for the surgery itself is gone, the initial weight loss slows a bit and our bodies need to get used to a whole new mode. Re: fills, my surgeon was looking for two things -- satiety after a tennis-ball sized meal and 4-5 hours before being hungry again. I had the first one but not the second so we kept going. I'm so happy I proceeded with small fill after small fill until reaching the green zone. Of course every one is different but it took me six to get there and when the sixth appeared to wear off I went back for a seventh. And I am some one who is very paranoid about a too-tight band. I need to be able to glug my Water and feel like I am eating less not because of any kind of physical restriction, etc., but because my appetite is dimmed. That's the way the band is supposed to work. No sliders! Having that appetite turned down is a wonderful relief. Yes, I could still stress eat -- go back for more before the interval has elapsed, etc. -- but I am able to resist now and that is something of a miracle. You will get there! It's early days and I think this is the hardest time from all the posts I've read from the people who have gone before us.

[2muchfun 8,927]

I sure don't mean or want to be rude, but I was 4 months into my journey before I finally got the fill that gave me some kind of satiety and I only lost 12 lbs that first 4 months. You're only 3.5 months into this and FYI, stalls and plateaus will come and go.

I too suffered from hunger till I got the one fill that gave me some satiety for several hours. And then it took 3 more to find the green zone. I too got stuck but I suffered through the episode instead of spitting up. It took me 9 months before I figured out how to eat right but I still have stuck episodes. Had one at lunch today for about 15 minutes.

No reason to feel discouraged or disappointed. Losing 41 lbs in 3.5 months is enviable. If you expected this to be a cake walk, now you know better. Your journey will be marked with stalls, plateaus, gains and hopefully more losses. But, it won't be a cake walk. More like a MMA title fight.

[Cat225 93]

Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!

@@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?

[2muchfun 8,927]

Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!

@@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?

Enjoy can answer for her own success but I like braggin on her just cuz she's so awesome. There are others here who have found success too. CarolinaGIrl, Gowalking, catfish to name a few. Here's the link to her post about achieving her goal with pictures, recipes and how she did it. Enjoy(pun intended)

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/305070-i-cant-believe-it-is-this-reallty-happening-for-me/?p=3445432

[enjoythetime 1,457]

Thanks TMF!! Smiling from ear to ear. Thanks for your encouragement and support!!! YOU ROCK!!!!

Enjoy can answer for her own success but I like braggin on her just cuz she's so awesome. There are others here who have found success too. CarolinaGIrl, Gowalking, catfish to name a few. Here's the link to her post about achieving her goal with pictures, recipes and how she did it. Enjoy(pun intended)

Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!

@@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/305070-i-cant-believe-it-is-this-reallty-happening-for-me/?p=3445432

[enjoythetime 1,457]

@Cat225. The link TMF provided above his really how I live my new life. I will gladly send you over some additional recipes if you're interested?

There is one additional thing I should point out and I know everyone has different views regarding giving credit where credit is due and by that I mean giving credit to yourself. Some believe the band is responsible for 100% for their success and well I disagree. The band can only do it's job if WE'RE doing ours! The band doesn't make the proper food choices for us, WE do! It's been said many times the band doesn't go around your head so it's our responsibility to feed our minds with positivity which for me means recognizing my accomplishments everyday when I make the right food choices. Your mind can be your strongest assest or your worst enemy! If you aren't feeding yourself with positive reinforcement, surrounding yourself with positive people, you will grow tired and negative and give up, so you need to give yourself credit everyday for doing the very best you can to make the proper food choices. When you do that you begin feeling proud of yourself and when you feel proud of yourself you gain power and motivation to continue making the right choices. The band is just a tool not a fix all and yes without it I would fail (obviosuly that's why I got it:-)), but it's only responsible for a part of our success. If you think you can you will, if you recognize and give yourself credit for the food choices you make everyday it helps build that positive mindset which will drive you to success!

I'm a very strong minded-(stubborn) person. I remember telling myself I would never have this surgery but when I found this was my last option I told myself this was my LAST option, failure wasn't in my vocabulary. So when I was in bandster hell I would literally do anything and everything to keep myself busy. I didn't allow myself to sit around and think about food and how hungry I was and how miserable I was feeling and how sorry I was for myself that everyone around me was eating cheeseburgers and fries. Did this take away the hunger, NO, but when I would go in to see my doctor after a month and I had lost 20lbs, I no longer cared about all the things I couldn't have , I knew all the things I could have was much more rewarding and greater than that snickers.

I hope this makes sense and helps a little! If you have any questions or if I can help in anyway let me know, you can send me a message any time!!:-)

Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!

@@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?

Edited May 20, 2014 by enjoythetime

[Cat225 93]

Thanks @@enjoythetime! I just sent you a message!

[enjoythetime 1,457]

@@Cat225 I just responded!

Edited May 21, 2014 by enjoythetime

[Cat225 93]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. I will write you back later!!

[Cat225 93]

I weighed myself today, and I'm finally losing again! I was so relieved. I've been really careful, and lowered my carb consumption to just 1 or 2 pieces of whole grain toast a day, and focused on eating the bulk of my calories in Protein. I feel very good to be on an upswing again! Plus, I'm finally under 300. I NEVER EVER want to see that number again!!!

[enjoythetime 1,457]

I weighed myself today, and I'm finally losing again! I was so relieved. I've been really careful, and lowered my carb consumption to just 1 or 2 pieces of whole grain toast a day, and focused on eating the bulk of my calories in Protein. I feel very good to be on an upswing again! Plus, I'm finally under 300. I NEVER EVER want to see that number again!!!

@@Cat225 Yay girl, this is so awesome!!!! You're staying the course and you're getting the results you're working hard for! You've got this! I'm very happy for you!!

[nomorejellybelly 77]

Hang in there. You're doing great. I know it can be very tough. I was up and down the same roughly 6lbs for 3 1/2 years and I've only had the band since 09/2010. It wasn't until this last fill, about a month ago, that weight started moving in the right direction again. Although the last couple of days I have been hungrier than the whole time since that fill. But, I am totally sticking to this, because I have to.

Everyone is different, so my advice is just do the best you can with your food, Fluid intake and exercise. You can do it!