well i have done really well in the first month i followed the rules and lost 20lbs then week 4 i got really nauseas and only could eat about 500-600 calories a day and didnt lose a pound, it was hard to get anything in because i had no appetite. now i am on week 5 and am eating reg foods. i havent gained anything but im not losing anymore. i have to admit something, each day i have cheated and had something sweet for example a handful of m+m or a piece of chocolate from a box of chocolates, i am so mad at myself because ive done so well and now that i can eat reg food ive slipped back into my old habits. i do realize what i am doing wrong i only hope that i can get a grip on it. i have thought about going to a weight loss counselor that they offer here for weight issues but i dont have insurance right now so i have to wait. i am going to try to stay focused and eat more protein and no sweets and exercise more i just need to vent and see if anyone else had this problem

andrea

Andrea, my nutritionist told me that if you consume below 800 calories a day your body thinks it is being starved and "holds on" to fat. You can eat too much AND you can eat too little - I suggest you do some calorie tracking to make sure you are in that 1000 to 1200 a day range and the pounds will start melting again.

This is true.

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Andrea, I am a big advocate of going back to your surgeon and getting their advice when things aren't trotting along. I learned it the hard way by holding out for four months when things did not feel quite right. I ended up going back out to Colorado from Florida, having an unfill then fill with spanky fresh liquid and getting perfect restriction.

I posted something in Dr. Kirshenbaum's first thread (there are two) that talks about the three levels of restriction: not enough, right there, need a fill. I got this from Natalie at Dr. K's office. I carry this card with me.

Having that perfect balance really is important. My suggestion is to go see your doctor.

seeming how i just got my first fill today how long should i wait if i still get hungry soon? i am starving right now only eating 1/2 cup of food with each meal. i think that i will give it a week or two trying to eat what they recommend and if i am still hungry maybe call my doctor. since ive been banded i hardly have times that i am starving so it has worked for the most part so i cant complain about being hungry. today is the first time that i can say that i am still hungry. maybe i havent been hungry lately is because ive been eating more per meal more than recommended.

andrea

I think if you are not losing, your body may think you are starving it. I am having the same problem, forgetting to eat all day and then realizing it and trying to get something in. I'm just not hungry at all. So get it as much as you can with protein drinks, etc. And it will probably move past that point. I hope anyway. I have to do the same.

What I noticed the very first time I ate any mushy food vs. liquids, the next morning I was hungry. It really does help to get the Protein in.

Also, my nutritionist gave me a formula to calculate the ratio of calories to protein. He said try to only eat foods where the ratio is 10 and under. For example, you divide the calories by the protein grams. Like V8 juice is not very good (you would think it was) because it has 50 calories and only 2 protein gms. The ratio number for that is 25. But cottage cheese has like (I can't remember exactly) but I think it has like 9 gms of protein for 50-60 calories. That calculates out to approximately 5.55 so it is good. He said it is all about the ratio.

Hope this helps.

Andrea, one thing is taking vitamins. I have the Juice Plus which are all natural and made from fruits and veges. This way I get all my veges and fruits in without having to eat them. Then I can focus on the protein, protein and protein with some other veges thrown in. It's been a learning experience for me and I'm still trying to figure out what is good to eat. I am using that formala of calories divided by protein grams. The nutritionist said to try and only eat foods where the ratio ends of being 10 or under. Of couse, that is not always possible. Hope i'll get this anyway.