Hi everyone. I had my surgery on 2/25 and for the first 8-9 days I lost 20 lbs. However, since then I haven't lost anything. I know this is normal but how long will it take? I am only eating 1/2 C of food at each sitting and I feel like I have given up so much and have nothing to show for it. Any words of encouragment would be great!!!

Minock,

I have my post op on March 26th. I have to have my GI, meet the dietician and the Doctor. My friend had her surgery 2 months ago with the same doctor and on her post op visit she was given her 1st fill. I hope I get one on the 26th. That will make it one month and one day past surgery.

I have no restriction except the post op diet that I am on. If I weren't on this diet I would eat just like I did before band. I am doing okay because I know that my stomach must heal in order for the band to work. I don't want to screw this up. I am hungry alot though.

I started weighing my self on Mondays and Fridays only. I lived the 1st half of my life obsessed over my weight, I don't want to live the next half obsessed over my weight too. This at least limits my obsession....heheh.

I wish you much success on your journey!

can'tweighttogo; hope you get your fill on the 26th. I'm still not losing; actually gaining small amounts. Trying to stay off the scale but it's so hard when you know your doing so good eating; I just keep hoping it will go down.

Good luck to all of you!

I am experiencing the exact same thing....lost 15 pds...banded on 2/22/08. So it really must be our bodies needing to re-coup & heal... :wink2:

Please don't feel bad..... I'm at a stand still too. I just look at it as at least I'm not gaining, LOL :wink2:

this part of the process is for healing.

when you start getting fills (may take more than 1-5???) it will get easier until you hit your sweet spot, then it'll be great!!!

You guys are making me feel better. I thought I was the only one. It's hard to pay 10k for a surgery and then start to think that it won't work for you. I was pretty upset about it but now I'm feeling much better. When I'm upset I tend to eat so, again, thank you guys!

Hi everyone. I had my surgery on 2/25 and for the first 8-9 days I lost 20 lbs. However, since then I haven't lost anything. I know this is normal but how long will it take? I am only eating 1/2 C of food at each sitting and I feel like I have given up so much and have nothing to show for it. Any words of encouragment would be great!!!

You are doing great!! Remember this surgery is not a magic pill. At the same time, we are always questioning ourselves about whether we are doing the right things. Our nutritionist gives us wonderful suggestions, and mostly, if we follow them we will be successful. On the other hand, we are human and some days we just need to eat what we really enjoy within some limits. That's ok too, as long as we do not make it a habit.

Then again, we might be doing all the right things and our bodies respond in its unique ways. For example, I notice my weight loss is gain, lose, gain, lose, then stabilize on a set point. Then again gain, lose, gain, lose, then stabilize on a set point. Therefore, its better for me to get on the scale about once a week. If I should get on it more often, then I need to keep in mind of my losing pattern and accept it and not get depressed over it. If I become disappointed, then that tells me stay off the scale for a while.

I have so many friends coming to me now saying that I am getting smaller. But my scale doesn't reflect it. So, therefore, the scale and the inches are two entirely different things and we need to become more knowledgeable about this and accept it.

But I do know that there is a direct correlation between when I exercise and my losing of inches. That is something I can control even more than my eating and the resulting scale. So, maybe you and I should focus more on exercise, and eating reasonably (not becoming obsessed of course) and let our bodies to its thing!

Also, have reasonable expectations. I was hoping to reach my goal weight within one year. I need to extend that to 1 1/2 to 2 years. I'm not in a race, why be so hard on myself! My body tends to resist weight loss, so I need to work with it, not against it. Let our bodies adjust gradually, gracefully in its unique way.

Take care,

Age 49

Before surgery 242

During surgery 236

After surgery and current weight 211 to 213 (fluctuates)

Goal weight 150

(Banded Nov 15, 2007 4 months ago) currently lost about 31 lbs.

lst fill 2cc in January 2008 some restriction, not much

2nd fill 1cc in March 2008 feeling more restriction, but still need to make more consistent good choices to make a difference

i am in the same situation......... i am eating way less than a cup of day, walking a mile atleast 4 times a week, and i am 4 weeks post op. I lost 20 lbs. initially, but in the last 3 weeks, NOTHING. I am hardly eating at all and am not losing, i am getting frustrated! I could go have a fill, but i am eating less than a cup, so i am not sure if that's what i need. I don't know if my body is in shock or what's going on, but i am definately discouraged! do you think i need a fill or what?

La38,

I think the problem is you are hardly eating at all. Your body thinks you are starving to death so it automatically slows down the metabolism. How many calories are you eating per day? If you are eating below 700-800 calories per day, you should try to bring the calories back up to 800 calories per day and see if the scale will move again.

If you are not able to eat a cup of food at each meal, my suggestion is not to get a fill. But do give your doctor a call and hear what he has to say.

Congratulations on your 20 lbs. weight loss!

Some of you may not being eating enough and therefore your body is going into stravation mode. If this is the case it's going to hold on to every ounce and you won't see any progress. Talk to your Dr or nutrionist, you may need to add some calories to your daily meal plans, just make sure they are from healthy foods and not junk.

Good luck to you all and keep smiling, it won't be long before the scales catch up to you.

I have been gone from here for a long time. This surgery did not work for me. Why? I've wondered about that for so long. However, I've known for a long time that it was not the quantity nor quality of food that was keeping me from losing. There had to be something else. I've spoken to numerous doctors over the years. No one was really interested. Even the clinic that supported me through the surgery really took me seriously. I felt like I was totally alone. BUT, I finally found a new gynecologist who listened to me. She sat for what seamed like hours listening to me tell her about all my efforts I had made over the years and finally ended with failed surgery.

After listening to my symptoms, she said I was not crazy and that there are medical reasons why some people just can not lose weight. Unless you have been in my shoes, you will never understand. I know that there are several of you who are living like me and are hoping for a resolution.

As it turns out, she diagnosed me as insulin resistant. It is not diabetes and has nothing to do with blood sugars. Look it up on the internet. It is a real medical problem and can be fixed. I started on a medication called metformin which is used to treat diabetes. It's a hard medicine to take at first but then it becomes easy.

Since then, I am losing weight! It's amazing! I eat less and exercise and I lose weight! It has nothing to do with the lap band right now since I need a fill. I was so down on myself... couldn't believe this surgery failed me. But, as it turns out, it wasn't the surgery... it was just that my body couldn't utilize the insulin.

I am so excited. It has only been 2 weeks but I have lost over 10 lbs. I couldn't lose 10 lbs at all before the medicine. I'm not selling anything... I just wanted you guys to know that there are other reasons that the surgery doesn't work. It's just not that your impatient or you are weak!

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be glad to help!

Cindy

Cindy,

I'm sooo happy to hear that you and your doctor have found the obstical that's been blocking your way!! You know the right way to eat and it sounds like now that you have finally discovered the real problem you are well on your way to a healthier you!!

Best wishes!!

it's so great for me to read these thoughts from everyone, because i've stopped losing too. Banded on 5 march, lost 8 lbs in a few days, and nothing more for the last 6 days. I'm able to eat just about anything and quite a lot of it, so now i'm back to relying on willpower, which was never my strong suit. I'm glad i'm not the only one waiting for the healing and first fill to come. It's just hard when you see people reporting big weight losses from day 1 on!

this is my first message.i was banded aug.2007 and have only lost 38pounds. My band fill is 4.2 in a5cc and i am still looking for food.. My dr. Says the band just dont work for every one . Any adviese?

I was banded 4/1/08.

I was filled and filled and filled on schedule, but I only felt minor restricition. Sometime during last summer I stopped losing weight. Over the winter I started to gain it back.

Like many of you have said, not losing was triggering my ability to eat when I am not happy, which caused me to not lose, whick caused me to eat the wrong things, which made me decide that exercising was a waste of time.... blah, blah, blah. I think most of us know how that goes.

In March 09, my dr. gave me a fill that, if his calculations are right, puts my band almost at the limit that this band can take.

I am finally feeling restriction like I read about before surgery. Pain, have to stop eating, or it's going to come back, mostly breads and chicken and things like that.

I'm not gaining anymore, but I'm still making less than perfect choices. I feel like the band is finally working the way I expected it to when I started out.

I'm OK with it, because the slow fill process will be different for every person. It will be different depending on how your doctor proceeds. It will be different depending on your eating habits before surgery.

I'm actually getting past the fear that I might fail at this, too. It's just a work in process, that will be what I want it to be. If I keep making bad choices, I will get bad results. As soon as I smarten up, and stay consistent, it will show. I won't have a choice, because my stomach can't handle that much.

Thanks for listening.