ok, so here it is february. most of us are 4 months out or almost. Here i am, and according to my doctor's scales i have only lost 5 lbs. (according to mine, i am almost at 17)..i was retaining A LOT of Water they day i got weighed.

so, i am eating less, i have had 4 fills and i have 7.8 cc's in my band. i keep having people tell me that the "band does not work" and most people don't lose their weight, etc. i was feeling fine, but today, i'm kind of bummed.

i need some of my fellow tens to remind me that it is ok, and it just takes a while.

is anyone else in this month losing slowly too?

i am following band rules minus the exercise, but my doc says that i should start losing from just the surgery soon. he says i need to exercise for my health and appearance, but that should not be the only way that i lose weight. with that said, i'm going to start, i just haven't yet.

Have you been tracking your calories and protein daily? sometimes a week or two doing that will really open your eyes to what you're really eating!

Bandster, keep your chin up! Everyone loses at different rates. I had to up my water intake and cut out sodium because the water weight was a drag. The scale showed a 5 lb weight gain just last week. But as soon as I made those changes, the scaled moved in the right direction. Make sure you are following the band recommended foods, drink plenty of water and get into an exercise routine that you can stick with. Start slow if you have to and increase it when you can. Just make sure it is something you can live with. Talk to your Dr. about your restriction level. Good luck!

Ive been following your threads bandster because I am exactly where you are, including the weight. I had my 6th fill on friday and am now very tight. I've lost 5 pounds in the last week or so and am really grateful to see some movement on the scale. I have been waiting (on tenderhooks) to see 215 and this morning I almost went right by it! Scale read 214.8 then 215 is where it rested. So go get tight.

It kind of bothers me that I can't eat some of the delicious items that are parading through my mind (and have kept me from losing thus far). But the trade off is well worth it and I know that I won't always be this tight. It's really a head trip when you get to this point though. Sort of like if you had your jaws wired shut (remember that??). You know you can't really have those chewy things you love.

Yesterday I was attempting to have some baked potato Soup. I had about a quarter cup and still had to go real slow. It tasted so good. On my trip to get the second helping, I did what I should have done the first time: looked at the label :wink2:. "Put down the soup and step away slowly..." lol. 400 cal./cup. So I realized at that moment the truth in the 'soft calorie' syndrome.

So I'm finally living some of the bandster lifestyle and learning everyday.

Chin up! Look at my ticker and know I am so right with you in this journey.

Valerie :scared2:

i too, have a hard time, with that scale....after talking with a nutricionist, i realized, that i may NOT be eating enough calories (can you imagine?) and that my body, is going into starvation mode, thus hanging onto every pound that it can...after changing up things with my diet, the old scale starts moving down again...also excercize is a must.....swimming is my favorite!!!! many many larger people in the pools these days, rec centers, clubs, spas, everywhere...!

good luck,

j.

Ive been following your threads bandster because I am exactly where you are, including the weight. I had my 6th fill on friday and am now very tight. I've lost 5 pounds in the last week or so and am really grateful to see some movement on the scale. I have been waiting (on tenderhooks) to see 215 and this morning I almost went right by it! Scale read 214.8 then 215 is where it rested. So go get tight.

It kind of bothers me that I can't eat some of the delicious items that are parading through my mind (and have kept me from losing thus far). But the trade off is well worth it and I know that I won't always be this tight. It's really a head trip when you get to this point though. Sort of like if you had your jaws wired shut (remember that??). You know you can't really have those chewy things you love.

Yesterday I was attempting to have some baked potato soup. I had about a quarter cup and still had to go real slow. It tasted so good. On my trip to get the second helping, I did what I should have done the first time: looked at the label :tt2:. "Put down the soup and step away slowly..." lol. 400 cal./cup. So I realized at that moment the truth in the 'soft calorie' syndrome.

So I'm finally living some of the bandster lifestyle and learning everyday.

Chin up! Look at my ticker and know I am so right with you in this journey.

Valerie

thank you soooo much!!!! i needed to hear that. GUESS WHAT!! I got my 4th fill Saturday, and i'm down to 211!!!!!!! i've not seen 211 in over a year. I cna't believe it.

i went from thinking i'm tight (being able to eat 2 meatballs and some corn)..to pretty tight..one meatball. 3 bites of a salad and i'm full. some people don't like it here, but this is where i want to stay.

you know what..it is SOOO much easier to track your food when you are actually eating less. i have to try to avoid soft food syndrome too..but weirdly i have not been craving Protein, but boy oh boy do i love some carrots and cucumbers (in italian dressing). 6 months ago if i wanted a snack, it was definately not going to be cooked carrots or cucumbers. blech!!! it would have been potato chips all the way!!!

thank you all for your replies. i am feeling much better now. you are all right, i need to be tracking, and i have to start exercising, if not for anything else, just for the stress.

sometimes, it just seems so hard because i am so slow. but i'm starting to move again, so...i don't get another fill for a month, i hope that i will stay tight for this period of time. that is when i get in trouble, when i'm loose and my doc cannot fit me in.

A great place to track your calories is a FREE site that I love so much it is called sparkpeople.com Come and check it out. I track everyday and the best part I am motivated to exercise everyday as a result of the program. My friends and my husband joined they have all lost weight. I haven't weighed myself yet...but I sure am feeling better. It is the best weight loss site on the web-bar none.

If you decide to check it out-look me up. My user name is:acdane

Hi fellow October bandsters ...and hi bandster 1007, I have been having those discouragement blues, too. I have my 5th fill scheduled on Tuesday and feel strongly that it is going to put me where I need to be. I noticed a big difference after fill # 4 ( I was beginning to think that this 'restriction' thing was an urban myth!!!) but can still eat larger quantities than I think I should. I follow the rules closely and only eat dense foods and I work out and still have only lost 18 (14 according to my dr.) He assures me this is within normal range. I, too, keep looking at the scale and seeing that same number and I think if I ever stepped on the scale and saw a different one I would have a heart attack... but I am optimistic that that will happen! I'll be keeping close tabs on my fellow 10/07 bandsters and can't wait to see the numbers going down!