You ever have one of those days when you wonder what the heck you spent $15,000 for??? I did everything right!! Recorded every single thing I put in my mouth and counted ever stupid calorie, gram or protein, fat and fibre and still gained a *&%#$ pound!! I have been struggling with the same 5 stupid pounds for a month!! I just had my surgery in November!! I shouldn't be plateauing AGAIN (already did that around 30 pounds of loss)!! I need some encouragement!! Anyone??:tt2:

I feel you pain, :tt2: as I too have been doing everything you have been doing, and have been battling the same 3 pounds for a month. I know I don't drink enough water, but come on! The only words of encouragement I have right now is, without the band we would not have lost what we have so far, and with the band's help, we will lose more once we are over this speedbump.:smile:

Hang in there and we will compare soon.

Thanks. It's just been one of those weeks. I had my 5th fill on Wednesday and I'm at 9 ccs in a 10cc band and I still want to eat everything in sight almost all the time. There is no way I am even close to the 1cup level. Last night I had half a chicken breast and 1/2 cup of steamed cabbage. That didn't come anywhere close to filling me. So I behaved and went back for another 2 oz. of chicken and still nothing. I had 2 1/2 cups more cabbage which FINALLY made me fill full. The only difference is that I can feel the food going through the band, but it isn't sitting in any "pouch" before it passes. I only have 1 cc left available for a fill. If that doesn't work I am going to scream!!

I have been told that a 10cc band actually holds more, AND... it sometimes takes a few days for the fill to have an effect on your eating. I don't know why. My band is so tight in the morning I cannot eat until at least 10:00, but at dinner and during the evening, I can eat almost anything I want with no restriction. So I know the band is working, just not all day. Our bodies are all different and react differently to the band, I just wish my body would get it together and be happy all day with the band. You are doing very good with your weight lost since November. It will go slow some weeks and fast on other weeks. There is a thread for slow losers that I find very intersting to read other's experiences.

Good to know about the band actually holding more. Thanks.

I am really tight in the morning as well, or if I try to drink something cold, it won't go down. After I have some hot tea in the morning I lose that restriction. So it seems to never be at the right spot. It's just one of those days that you feel like you're going nowhere and its very easy to forget the success that you've already had when you keep seeing that same number on the scale (or when it goes up with no apparent explanation). I have resisted SO much temptation this week and I just feel like I got kicked in the teeth when I see that number go up after how good I have been. I want my reward!!! If I can't reward myself with Lay's then I want to be rewarded with smaller numbers dammit!!!! :tt2: Thanks for listening to my bitchfest. I will check out that slow losers thread.

My plateaus were extremely frequent in the first 6 months. I went 1 month with 0lb loss (and 0lb gain), 1 month with 8-16lb loss, then another 0lb month.

I keep thinking I'm hitting another plateau, and then whamo the scale moves. Plateus are a lot less frequent for me now-- I would have thought it was the other way around. But it's not, so maybe your plateaus are getting out of your system now!

Wow, looking at your weight loss, you are doing great even with plateaus! We just need to hang in there and work the band. Thanks for the encouragement. Looks like you should hit 100 for your bandiversary....

It's not easy, hang in there. I think you need to really think about where your physical hunger ends and your mental hunger takes over. I'm an emotional eater and I've learned to tell the difference between actual hunger and my desire to eat. Doesn't mean I always do the right thing, but as least I'm aware of what I'm doing. Try and take a step back when you're looking for more food. Walk away from the table and concentrate on what your body's telling you over what your mind (and old habits) are saying.

The other suggestions I have are to drink a large glass of Water before deciding to get more food. If it is physical hunger, this may help.

Also, keep an eye on your sodium. A lot of people swear by lean cuisines and weight watchers frozen foods, for example, and they're loaded with sodium. I never lose if I eat that stuff. Stay with home prepared as opposed to frozen foods.

Good luck and don't worry, you'll get over the hurdle.

I rarely to never eat frozen dinners. I make grilled chicken breast most of the time and load up on my veggies. I will eat my Protein and then eat the veg until I'm full. I start with a small amount and it feels like I have eaten nothing. I can't drink after I eat because it makes me PB. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking that I'm not still hungry and then I can go an hour and my stomach is growling again. It's so frustrating. I hear all these people saying they are full on a tiny bit of food and I'm eating massive amounts of veggies just to keep myself from eating anything bad. Well needless to say, since veggies are mostly Water, the feeling of being full doesn't last too long. I don't want to eat a whole whack of meat because it has more calories and fat. I eat my daily required amount of protein if not more, but I don't want to get into the habit of eating a whole chicken breast again. I'm going to the health food store tonight to get some of the taste free Protein powder and start drinking a shake before I eat. We'll see if that helps.

And thanks for all your replies everyone. :tt2:

I rarely to never eat frozen dinners. I make grilled chicken breast most of the time and load up on my veggies. I will eat my Protein and then eat the veg until I'm full. I start with a small amount and it feels like I have eaten nothing. I can't drink after I eat because it makes me PB. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking that I'm not still hungry and then I can go an hour and my stomach is growling again. It's so frustrating. I hear all these people saying they are full on a tiny bit of food and I'm eating massive amounts of veggies just to keep myself from eating anything bad. Well needless to say, since veggies are mostly Water, the feeling of being full doesn't last too long. I don't want to eat a whole whack of meat because it has more calories and fat. I eat my daily required amount of protein if not more, but I don't want to get into the habit of eating a whole chicken breast again. I'm going to the health food store tonight to get some of the taste free protein powder and start drinking a shake before I eat. We'll see if that helps.

And thanks for all your replies everyone. :tt2:

Like, Ditto! Chicken. chicken. veggies. H20. Tasteless protein powder in my skim milk kefir. I am still hungry too. And a slow looser. So glad I found this forum because at least I know I am not alone. :glare:

I've not counted a single calorie or carb or fat gram.

when I get to a point where I wasn't loosing, I'd eat a Krispy Kreme and drink a coke.

Hey...it worked.

Andrea: I remember this happening to me after investing 2 months everyday at the gym for 2 hours a day and only eating health foods, I went on the scale for the first time there (I don't own one) and only saw 1 lb. down...I remember the frustration you are feeling and I immediately stopped going to the gym and then my weight really got out of hand. Thinking back I shouldn't have trusted the scale because in honestly my clothes were fitting better and I felt better.