Surgery was on April 1st and so far I have lost 51 pounds. I have had 1 fill and have 2cc in a 10cc band. I can eat anything with no issues, but choose not to eat bread, rice, pasta or bad carbs. I have really not lost anything in 4 weeks but can tell I am losing inches. I just started working out and get at least 40 minutes in 5 times a week. I eat around 1200 calories a day but it is broken down into 4 or 5 meals. I don't go 4 hours without eating. Any advice on if I should get a fill would be great. Thanks.

This is my menu for today:

Breakfast: coffee and then a light Greek yogurt with granola

Snack before gym: 1 oz of nuts

Lunch: 4oz grilled chicken with baby raw carrots and cantaloupe

Snack: apple slices with Peanut Butter

Dinner: Protein shake and a turkey P3 (because I am eating on the run. If I was at home would have 4oz protein and veggies)

Workout: 30 min elliptical and 20 min weights

Total calories 1135 with net calories of 731

The test is simple: If you can go 4 hours(give or take 1 hr) without being hungry, you're in the green zone and no fill is necessary.

If you feel hungry in 1-3 hours, you may need a fill. Depriving yourself those extra hours isn't necessary. At least for me, that's why I failed on diets. I'm not much for feeling deprived and hungry. Feeling hungry isn't what I would call painful, like a sprained ankle or child birth, but the discomfort causes us to eventually make poor choices nutritionally.

So, you just need to look inward for the answer. We all were banded so we didn't have to feel hungry and deprived. If you're denying yourself food when you're truly hungry, you're on a diet and we all know how well diets worked?

tmf

Thank you for the quick reply. No I can't go 4 hours without getting hungry. Was not sure if I was getting hungrier due to starting to workout or if it was really time to get another fill. Also if I cut out my snack and only eat three times I would only get in about 800 to 900 calories and net around 500 with exercise. Is that enough?

TMF has it pretty well nailed it down.

I'd that four hours of not being hungry may mean you may need to add a fourth meal later in the evening to tide you over. Us grazers can do a lot of damage in the later evening hours once the four mark since supper has past. It is too easy to start sneaking in some extra carbs; which only leads to more cravings.

Keep track of your calories and Protein, and allow for a small protein snack later in the evening--a Quest Protein Bar has 20 grams of protein, and is very low in calories and carbs.

If your plateau lasts too long, than you may need another fill--providing you are not having episodes of being stuck or sliming currently. I waited too long for my last fill, only after being on a plateau for five months and losing maybe only a few pounds, I had a fill and upped my gym routines. The results were dramatic. I suspect as the inches and pounds come off, the band needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Finding the green zone while losing weight is a moving target, from what I have learned in the past 1.5 years.

Good luck!

Why are you only eating 900 calories? Eat more each meal if you feel hungry? No need to not be satisfied? But if you're satisfied with just 900 calories, go with it.

Net calories aren't an important factor imo. This is why we were banded. Our bodies will turn on it's reserves(fat) if we don't feed it enough. Just be sure to feed yourself enough Protein so your body doesn't burn muscle for fuel. Keep the protein up around 70-100 if you're exercising as you say.

This is a good example of how *I* think the Band SHOULD work.

1) your intake while minimalistic, seems 'adequate' for the short term;

2) your activity level is incredibly high it makes the rest of us in the Couch Potato Union annoyed and surly;

3) your results are admirable and and can not be dismissed as erratic fluctuations of the scale.

Glad to hear of what can only be considered Grade A work!!!

Cheers on your journey.....now, just go out and continue being a Good Example

for myself, I wouldn't mess with what seems to be excellent program details.

@@RedStorm what everyone above said is right on target! I will add this, as you start to move more getting your heart rate up and building muscle you will find that you are more hungry and your body is going to initially start looking for that "quick fix" meaning the calories you put in.

The body would rather burn the carbs and food you are eating then dip into it's fat reserve, so for a few weeks you will see resistance in your body as you keep pressing it for more output and giving it less intake. It will balance out and start going for the fat stores, if you stay the course and don't give into that "hunger" it is real hunger but you want to try and stave it off. Hydrate, when you have that "hunger" feeling after a work out hydrate, give your body Water and let it dip into fat stores for the energy.

If you have a hard time staving off that hunger, follow the advice above and talk to you doc about a fill. We have the band as a tool to help us so use it and let it work for you and with you!

Best of luck to you, sounds like your doing amazing!

One last word of advice. shakes are a slider food and won't stay with you long. Having a shake for dinner is an invitation to late night snacking. If you must drink shakes, make sure you have some other high Protein options like deli meats, hard boiled eggs, and high protein leftovers for a late night small meal if you need it.

Thank you everyone for the replies, advice and encouragement. I truly appreciate it. I think I will call and make an appt for a fill, which will probably be a couple weeks out. So that gives me time to incorporate some of the suggestions given above. Thank you everyone!

I don't see my doc until I am 6 months out, so not till October. I go to a fill clinic and get my fills under floro, because my port is tilted and the doc could not get needle in. So all the advice is greatly appreciated.