I have had my LB for 4 months now approx. 18 weeks and I have lost 19lbs total. I am happy that I am losing about 1 pound a week but when I look online other patients are losing 3 to 4 times that amount in the same time frame. I'm I normal? Does anyone have any suggestions?

"Average" is supposed to be 1 to 2 lbs per month, so it seems that you are doing perfectly. Congratulations!

Well you do have "average" weight loss, but seems you are disappointed and would like to lose more.

Suggestions: Do you track your calories? Do you exercise? Do you eat Protein first? Have you had fills? Do you have restriction? Do you wait one hour after eating before drinking.

Those are the basic things to look at.

I have had my LB for 4 months now approx. 18 weeks and I have lost 19lbs total. I am happy that I am losing about 1 pound a week but when I look online other patients are losing 3 to 4 times that amount in the same time frame. I'm I normal? Does anyone have any suggestions?

You must be my twin.:blushing: I was banded on Dec 21, and have only lost 17 pounds from my start date on Dec 7. I consider myself a slow loser based on what most of the other posters lost in the first four months. However the last time I lost this much at one sitting was in 1995 when I was taking Phen Phen. And of course, I gained that all back once they took the drug off the market. (BooHoo)

So, since drugs are out, I am depending on the band to help me keep these 17 pounds gone forever. I would love to lose another 50, but I have a feeling it will take me at least a year to do so, if at all.

Check out the slow losers forum. THere are plenty of us out here who are grateful to see even .5 pounds loss a week. We WILL get there. As long as we stay away from crap food, WE WILL MAKE IT!!!!!

Hey -- I hope this helps. I just had my final consult with my surgeon (band May 23rd -- yeah) and he said b/c my starting weight / BMI was pretty low -- 215/37 -- that I should expect to lose slowly -- like 30-40lbs in the first year -- so less than the average 1-2lbs a week everyone talks about. At first I was really disappointed but then I thought about it -- 1) I won't be gaining (finally) and 2) it took me 10 years to get this big so a few years to get it off makes sense and maybe the upside is no plastic surgery after b/c if I lose slow enough hopefully my skin will snap back into place. Good luck -- and remember slow losing is still losing!!! :blushing:

Hi,

I lost really slowly at the beginning and still average about 7 pounds a month. Have you had a fill yet?? It took me 2 fills to get it right, and then recently after a year, I had to go back for 3 fills to get back to the place where I lose consistently. I had only lost about 18 pounds in my first 4 months. I am currently down 93 pounds after 14 months. It is slow, but steady and over time it all adds up. I had a alot to lose, I'm sure it will be a little slower with a lower BMI. I'm at 199 now, and I know it is getting harder.

Take care.

Thank you all for your support and the Tips. I am planning on increasing my exercise and doing a better job tracking my calories. And your right SkyGirl I didn't gain this weight overnight so I need to practice Patience!

someone recently told me....now I don't know if this is true just passing it along....if you are someone who gains weight very quickly like 5 or 6 pounds in a weekend then you will tend to lose quickly in the beginning before it levels off. People who gain quickly tend to have more fluid fluctuations early on so appear to lose more quickly. Like I say not sure if that is true or not. Actually I would look at it this way......how much would you have gained in that same time without the band? the scale going down is always positive!

You're normal and doing great. The pounds add up nicely over time. :blushing:

I always have to remind myself that it's not a race, and in the end it doesn't matter if it takes me 4 yrs to get to goal, as long as I get there in the end and stay there!

I feel your pain. i initially lost 10 lbs in 10 weeks only to gain it all back! yeah my first two fills were unsuccessful and I just yesterday got filled to 5cc's in a 10cc band, so I am now half full. 2 weeks ago i had been filled with 3cc's and he only filled me again because I gained half a pound. I can seriously feel restricted now. I am starting with a trainer tomorrow and see what happens in the next 30 days. I am also keeping a food journal now. It is true this is not a race, but it sure would be nice to see less of myself. good luck to all.

I was complaining about putting on 1lb this week, but have lost 62,now 61 since 18thsep2007.did no excercise this week, go on my 30 to 40min daily -well sort of daily walks, and i think diarise the calories makes a difference again. all the best to all keep on tracking those cals i think, and get those little walks in somehow, hard as been raining alot lately and gets dark before i get home.

I think you're doing great. Think about all the factors that make us different. Sex, age, body composition, metabolisms, etc. No wonder everybody loses at a different rate.

My tip - try to gradually fit some strengthening exercises into your schedule (if ok with your doc). Walking 30 mins /day will help burn fat, but resistance exercises help build lean muscle that will boost your basal metabolic rate (resting metabolism), which helps you burn calories in between exercises. Just don't get discouraged, sounds like you are right on track. Good luck