Hi Everyone,

I need help. First week I lost 7lbs. second week 4, 3rd week ZERO!!!!!

I am trying hard not to get depressed but losing the fight. I am eating ok, nothing that I feel guilty about. I have been listening to my body and as soon as I feel satisfied I stop (mainly because I hate to throw up).

I eat more than 1/2 cup so I don't know if that's the problem or not.

Has anyone else experienced this? For the women out there, do you notice a difference when you have your menstral cycle?

I can use all the support I can get.

Mary:(

Hi Mary -

The weeks prior to your first fill are about healing, not about losing. Most people have little if any restriction prior to the first fill.

Remember, this is not a "diet" - it is the rest of your life. The weight will come off, but it usually does not fall off. Also you will have many plateaus throughout your journey.

Average loss is 4 to 10 pounds a month. That does not mean you will lose 4 pounds every month! It means an average - sometimes you'll lose more, sometimes less, but when you add it all together and divide by the amount of time, you get the average.

So, you've lost 12 pounds. There's your average of 4 pounds a month for 3 months. The body can only lose weight so fast - how much weight do you expect to lose each month?!?! 12 pounds is STUPENDOUS!

Relax.

Thank you I feel better.

I had tried so many diets and failed that as soon as I saw the scale stop I thought "oh no now what am I going to do if this doesn't work either?"

Thanks for your first statement about "little restriction if any" I thought there was something wrong with me because I could eat more than 1 cup (not chewed) of food. I was worried that may be my band has slipped or ripped and that is why I don't feel fool after 1/2 cup of food.

Wow you have made me feel alot better.

Thanks again:D

I know it is really, really hard to change our mindsets about our weight, and getting rid of it.

In my dieting days, I would make huge, elaborate charts of weight and dates on multiple pieces of graphpaper, taped together. I used the really small squares so I could use more than one per pound! Then not only did I chart my actual loss, but in different colors I would chart my "dream" loss, a less drastic "dream" loss, a minimum "dream" loss. I had multiple milestones marked out - if I lost 1 pound a day, I would be at such and such weight by such and such day, but if I lost 2 pounds a day, I would be here, etc., etc.

I would spend HOURS obsessing and planning and charting and hoping and dreaming and being disappointed... I don't think I was ever able to keep it up for more than a month at a time, as it was just too frustrating to hit the plateaus and feel deprived and like I was trying SO hard and getting nowhere...

I am not completely over my obsession, but I spend less and less time thinking about my weight, and how much I am losing (or not losing, as was the case this week!). I weigh only once a week - I always get to "keep" my lowest weight, even if I've gained a pound or two - so if my support people ask how I'm doing, I always say the low weight. Weight is NOT a good indicator of how we're doing (particularly if we're female) - it flucuates throughout the day!

Eating healthily and being happy is much more important. Using averages for your weight gives a more realistic picture of how you're doing, as well. It removes those tremendous highs, true, but it also gets rid of those terrible lows.

Glad you're feeling reassured - hang in there!

Boy, I sure had the SAME question after I was first banded. I lost 17 pounds the first week, then things came to a screeching halt. If you read more posts, you'll find that until you get a fill (or two, or three.....), the weight might not come off very fast, if at all. In my case, I've had one fill and still not feeling restriction. I'm going for #2 soon and hopefully that will help. So what everyone says is true.....just concentrate on eating proper foods and healing the first few weeks and don't worry about losing weight until you get some decent restriction. Believe me, you are NOT alone!!!

Mary, yep, this happens to everyone. I've lost 11 lbs in my first week and since then, not an ounce. I'm still on mushy foods though and am not really worrying about calories at this point. Right now I'm trying just to keepo from getting famished!

Are you eating solid foods yet? I think it's premature to make any judgments about our diets or restrictions or anything until we're back on a regular-food diet. Right now it seems I have no restriction at all, but I'm not really testing it with anything solid so I just assume I don't know. I'll find out in two weeks.

Then I'll get upset about the scales not moving.

Hi Alexandra,

I was on liquids for the first 4 days. Then I started on mushy foods for about a week and after that it was solids. These are the instructions given by the maker of the band. The second week I would get full on only 1/2 cup but I guess that was because my stomach was still swollen. I eat very small pieces and chew the heck out of my food but I can pretty much eat anything (although I have not tried beef). Still I am eating about 1/3 or 1/4 of the food I use to eat before the band.

I don't know why the scale stopped, I'm just trying not to let it get me depressed. I figure I didn't gain the weight over night so I shouldn't expect to lose it over night either.

When did you have the procedure and how long are you supposed to be on mushy food?

Mary

I was banded two weeks ago tomorrow and my doctor recommends mushy foods through at least the third week. So far the scale hasn't budged for me in 6 days, but as long as it's not going *up* I'm a happy camper.

I must say I'm *really* looking forward to eating real food again...

I'd recommend getting used to the scale not budging. Happens to me all the time--I'll go a week, even two weeks, w/o losing a pound. And then all of a sudden, I'm down 4 or 5. It's just our bodies, reacting to the fact that we've changed our eating behavior so radically!

Think about it. Pre-op, most of us ate a lot. Post-op, you're most likely watching what you eat, and you're eating a lot less of it. The body gets confused and thinks it's starving, so it holds onto the calories, causing you not to lose an ounce. Then it realizes it's ok, and lets those calories go.

So don't sweat the numbers so much--if you can, weigh yourself once a month, instead of every week. If you're like me, and that is impossible, then just try to realize that it's all going to happen for you.

My weight loss has been slow and steady, and I'm at just about 80 pounds down--just .5 to go (I never put .5s in my stats, I always round up--don't want to tempt fate, I guess!). And that's at a rate of about 8 pounds a month. 1-2 pounds a week doesn't sound like a lot, I know! But 10 months later, I've got an 80 pound weight loss to feel great about. And you will too, just try to believe in yourself!

Good luck!

Janeen

10/18/02

Dr. Ren, NYU Medical Center

306/227/225mg/165g

Thank you. I know I shouldn't panic but I am eating more now than I was right after getting banded. Even though I am eating about 1/3 or 1/4 th of what I use to eat.

I think my worry is that I will fail once again. You're right it is impossible for me not to weigh myself every week. I use to weigh in everyday and I learned to wait 7 days. I guess now I have to learn to wait 30!

Thanks for your help. I read these feedbacks over and over again. They give me lots of strength during down times.

Mary:)

Janean/mary,

Thank you so much for your wonderful post. I have an obsession at looking at the scale everyday!!! SOmetimes even twice. I have been on a plateau for two weeks now, even after getting a fill last week where I actually have some restriction. My body does not want to let go of the pounds. I wish I had he willpower to NOT get on the scale everyday. I am going to try to stretch out the days between weigh ins until I am only doing this once every two weeks.!!!

Mary, I had the same situation in my first month and a half. 1st week, 12 pounds, second week 10 pounds, third week 3 pounds and then nothing for 3 weeks!!! You can imagine my dismay! A lot of this was Water retention and when I finally got to the weight loss it was slowwwww!!! Hang in there you can do it!

Babs in TX

334/296/180

6/23/03

Mary--That's perfectly normal that you're eating more. Actually, it is GOOD for your weight loss that you're eating more! Right after banding, you were on liquids, right? So you were probably getting in around 600 calories a day. This is fine for a little while, but your body needs the calories--it needs the energy in order to lose weight! So you will be fine--you might not lose any for a week--even two--but it WILL come off. And when you get the right level of fill, that is when it will really start coming off!

Babs--I hear ya about not staying away from the scale! Sometimes I have to put mine in the closet, it's too irresistable! But it's such a nice surprise when you don't weigh yourself for a few weeks, and then bam! 5 pounds are gone!

Anyways, don't beat yourselves up--give your body some time to get used to this. Good luck!

Janeen

I put my scale in the trunk of my car. If I REALLY need to check it, it's available. But, I'm not going to walk outside with my pajamas on to check. Just an idea :-). From what I've read from- especially new lapBanders- the scale is going to stay there if I have the surgery!

Keep the wonderful stories coming. It gives me hope that I'll join your ranks one day.

Megan

Originally posted by BEBBLY

I had tried so many diets and failed that as soon as I saw the scale stop I thought "oh no now what am I going to do if this doesn't work either?"

I think a lot of of us feel that way. How many time have we tried in the past, only to be let down and left feeling weak and even more desperate?

However, and I can only speak from my personal experience here, as soon as I hit the 50 pound mark, I discovered a new sense of calmness about this whole thing.

I know that if I continue to do the things I've been doing for the past 6½ months, the weight WILL come off.

It's a nice feeling and I hope you experience it soon.