I am so frustrated. I was banded 1/10/08. Lost great at first (liquid diet who wouldn't?) but have been halted ever since. Just like everyone else, I have done many, many diets in the past with MUCH success. Keeping the weight off was impossible or I wouldn't be here. My body has always been really responsive to any diet I do and I would usually lose 1/2 pound a day pretty much with NO EXCEPTIONS so long as I stayed on the diet without cheating. My problem is, I am not losing weight on any of these diets right now. The best and easiest for me to stay on is either the atkins or the south beach diet. Both high Protein, low carb. Why would my body not respond to these now? The last time I was on these diets wasn't too long before surgery so I don't think getting older has anything to do with it. Also, even if my body did change I would think that I would still lose weight but not as quickly, but I have had no weight loss in over a month. What do you guys think this would be from?

Staying on a diet is hard, but seeing results keeps you going. I am finding myself wanting to cheat more and more since I am not seeing any results and God knows I don't want to fall back into that trap. PLEASE HELP! Thanks so much guys.

Believe me I understand!!!I was banded 1/30/08 and it is hard. I tried many things but what WORKS is exercising with the diet. I know its hard but i have been doing pretty good

Mindy,

I was banded 1/14/08 and I am having the same struggle. My last appt was 2/21/08 at which point I have lost 29lbs....However, in this last month, my scale has barely moved. I too try to cut back on carbs (although I love them) and I have been exercising 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes. I have done Weight Watchers several times, and just like you, as long as I stuck to the plan I always lost...so I am not sure what is going on...I am trying to stay positive and hoping that when I get my 2nd fill I will start to have some restriction.....Good Luck:)

Its very hard but if you exercise you will see results much sooner. Keep trying don't give up. I just received my first fill and i have NO restriction whatsoever, oh well its up to me to make this happen!! We have the tool the rest is up to us

It is SO interesting that you say this! Like you, I would lose 100 lbs in 5 months or less on one of my great diets but could never keep it off. I thought my age (45) was a factor since I've been banded (3.5 years) as to why I wasn't dropping weight super fast. I lift and do tons of cardio (at least 6 hours a week). Recently, tho, I really cut the calories, got to a good level of restriction, and the weight is coming off again...I"m averaging 4 lbs a week and am THRILLED! I have to say, the weight I have lost does NOT come back!!! To me, that is the BEST because if I gained again, I would just be devastated. I guess my point is to follow the band rules...get good restriction, eat your protein first, exercise, and it will work. You just got banded, so give yourself a chance!

Good luck ladies it will happen!!!

Okay, I know I need to start exercising and I have a plan for that, but I have always lost without it. Even with no restriction, I should still be losing just like before, right?

When you truly lose fat, and keep losing it it naturally gets harder and harder.

We all have an easy 30 or 40lb that will disappear time and time again, getting past that is the hard bit. Soudns like you've done that before. Pleateaus happen too, its a natural part of weight loss.

I just rejoined the gym, a ladies only. It was bizarre, very little in the way of goals, I just want to add strength training regularly back into my regime and feel ready for the gym again as an adjunct to my running. I told the lady I wanted to lose 3kg, and to be honest, I would be happy at this point to lose 1kg every month, that's 1/4lb per week! That's how hard it is to lose weight now as compared to before.

My first question would be---how much have you lost. You say you lost great at first---did you lose approximately the equivalent of what you were losing on these diets pre banding?

The less you weigh now, the less you can take it without exerting more.

If you are seriously watching the basic calories in and calories out--and still not losing, then it seems to me it is time to have a complete blood work up done, and examine things closer. There are health issues that interfere with weight loss---but I don't know anything about them suddenly appearing post banding---it is not something I have ever heard of.

If I don't do some exercise (and I am not a die hard, hours each day kind of person---I am talking a walk, or a trip to Curves) AND get my Water in, I am to a point I simply maintain, I will not lose if I do not do both, on a daily basis.

I don't care to cut my caloric intake any further, I feel I am at a good place to be healthy in the nutrients I am able to take in. So, my option is to work a little harder, or a little longer---and that is it in a nutshell---the rest is up to me!

I could go for another fill, and likely lose it much quicker, but at what cost??? If I cannot take in proper nutrition, then I have not gained what I was after in the first place---good health!!!

It seems like a stupid thing to ask, but have you seriously tracked your intake---on something like Fitday? It is often the little bites of this and that that knocks our calorie count way up during the day.

Hope you figure it out, I understand the frustration. I went through it not long back---a sudden and total stop to loss. Nothing I did changed it. So I did just as I suggested, and had some blood work done. Not only did my thyroid come back at a bad level, they discovered it had a mass on it. I ended up with a huge tumor removed, as well as most of my thyroid, and my weight loss will now rev up IF I do as I said above....otherwise, here I sit......

If you know you are not sabotaging yourself in anyway, have a check up!

Better safe than sorry!

Kat

Ooh, I can see why you are frustrated!

If you are not already doing it, can you experiment with writing down every single thing that goes into your mouth for a week? Even if it's just a bite of carrot while making dinner. Fitday.com is free and you can log it there. That'll give you an idea what your average calorie intake is per day as well as a breakdown of the fat/carbs/protein. Then maybe consider altering either the ratios of what your eating or the overal calorie intake -- i.e. if you find you're only eating 800 cals a day, bring it up to 1200 for a couple weeks to see if that does it. If you find you're eating 1500 cals a day, drop it to 1200 and see if that does the trick.

(wow, 1/2 lb a day comes to 3.5 lbs a week -- that's fast! Except for the first week or so of a new diet I've never been able to drop weight that fast. Mine is always 1-2 lbs a week even if I stick perfectly to a diet and exercise routine, and then I plateau every 20 lbs or so. Maybe your body is changing from all the ups & downs or just from aging)

High Protein, low carb is great but you must know the calorie count of what you're taking in. cheese is protein but high in calories and fat. Easting a lot of beef? Higher in calories and fat than chicken per oz.

So you have to track the calories, as well.

And it's true that once you've lost 30 to 50 pounds, you need even fewer calories to maintain that loss and even less to continue to lose at the same rate.

It is almost impossible to continue to lose 1/2 pound every day after some initial weight loss.

And if you don't have great restriction yet, then just maintaining your initial weight loss, should be considered a success.

Continue with your fills and track your calories and protein for one week.