Hi Everyone,

I was banded May 9th. I lost 8 pounds prior to surgery and 7 pounds in the week after. Since then I've gained and lost the same 5 pounds, over and over, again. I'm eating between 800 and 1200 calories, most recently from a low carb diet. I drink 64-80 oz. of water, daily. I know that I should be happy with the 15 pound loss. I know that I don't have a fill, yet. I also know that eventually, the weight will lose the battle and will retreat. That is not my concern, at this point.

My question is...WHY is the weight not coming off without a fill? Scientifically, I don't understand. What has happened to the calories in vs. calories out theory? Surely the calories expended in having to keep my fat self alive would be more than what I'm consuming?

A fill only aids you with portion control? Right? Well, I'm controlling my own portions, as well as food choices. Can anyone give me some good explanations as to why I would not be losing weight? What is the deal, really?

Hey AT!

Congratulations on your path to better health! I was banded April 28. My doc states that until the first fill, healing, not weight loss is the objective. Some folks lose a lot a first and some don't. You are still in the very early stages. Hang on in there!

Tammygirl:thumbup:

i am in the same boat with you...i was banded may 7th...lost 12lbs the first 2 weeks then slowed right now to only losing 5lbs over the last 3 weeks...its very frustrating and i even had a meltdown yesterday thinking that i could lose weight easier before i was banded lol but then i thought to myself that im sure my body is freaking out and think what in the would is this girl doing and trying to store every calorie i give it lol so i decided that if i just work on maintaining the same amount of calories each day that eventually my body will realize that its not getting anymore and start to use what it has stored lol....i also increased my calories from 1000 to 1400 a day to see if will help...i like to log my food in on www.thedailyplate.com and it tells me exactly what i have ate by calories, fat, sugar, protein, carbs, and fiber plus it tells me how many calories i should be eating in order to lose a certain amount of lbs per week...so hopefully my stress level with fighting with the scale will go down and i will start to lose weight again lol.....so although i dont have the magic answer for you, know that you are not alone there are alot of us out here that are in what we call bander hell and it will pass

i had my surgery on 04/21/08. when i went in for my first fill 4 weeks later i had lost 14 pounds and was told that was unusal. most people don't lose much... if anything... during the first month.

try to remain patient! the lapband wasn't meant to be a quick weight-loss tool!!

I was banded on 5/29. I've lost 25 lbs as of today, without a fill.

I did start excersizing .I think excersizing makes a big difference in loosing weight.

Today they've put in a 2cc fill.

I don't know what is going to happen, but we'll see.

Hey AT!

Congratulations on your path to better health! I was banded April 28. My doc states that until the first fill, healing, not weight loss is the objective. Some folks lose a lot a first and some don't. You are still in the very early stages. Hang on in there!

Tammygirl:thumbup:

That's what they all seem to say, but I guess I just need to understand WHY that is the case. I analyze everything and I can't function without knowing WHY. It's eating me up, not knowing.

i am in the same boat with you...i was banded may 7th...lost 12lbs the first 2 weeks then slowed right now to only losing 5lbs over the last 3 weeks...its very frustrating and i even had a meltdown yesterday thinking that i could lose weight easier before i was banded lol but then i thought to myself that im sure my body is freaking out and think what in the would is this girl doing and trying to store every calorie i give it lol so i decided that if i just work on maintaining the same amount of calories each day that eventually my body will realize that its not getting anymore and start to use what it has stored lol....i also increased my calories from 1000 to 1400 a day to see if will help...i like to log my food in on www.thedailyplate.com and it tells me exactly what i have ate by calories, fat, sugar, Protein, carbs, and fiber plus it tells me how many calories i should be eating in order to lose a certain amount of lbs per week...so hopefully my stress level with fighting with the scale will go down and i will start to lose weight again lol.....so although i dont have the magic answer for you, know that you are not alone there are alot of us out here that are in what we call bander hell and it will pass

Jewel, the daily plate is awesome. I joined yesterday! Thanks!

i had my surgery on 04/21/08. when i went in for my first fill 4 weeks later i had lost 14 pounds and was told that was unusal. most people don't lose much... if anything... during the first month.

try to remain patient! the lapband wasn't meant to be a quick weight-loss tool!!

Thanks, Kalipso, but still, my not knowing the rational behind not losing weight during a month of light eating is killing me. I'm trying to be patient, but I am just a little aggravated with not having sound reasoning. I don't think for a second that the lapband was meant to be quick and easy. I just expected a consistent pattern of weight loss. Not 8 lbs in 8 days and nothing for 3 weeks except the constant up and down of the scale. If the surgery does something to throw off metabolism, digestion, hormones, blood supply, Water, cells, gravity, etc then that's what I want to know. I've accepted that I may not lose anything else before my fill 3 MORE weeks from now, but I just want to know why.:incazzato:

I was banded on 5/29. I've lost 25 lbs as of today, without a fill.

I did start excersizing .I think excersizing makes a big difference in loosing weight.

Today they've put in a 2cc fill.

I don't know what is going to happen, but we'll see.

I decided to begin walking, this morning. I will see how things progress! hopefully things will get moving! Thanks!

well maybe this will help you understand if it applies"

Weight loss experts say that cutting your calories down to, or under, 1,000 per day sets you up for inevitable failure. Why? Because when you whittle your caloric intake down this low, you are actually sending your body into "starvation mode" by eating far too little. You're sending a signal to your system that there's a famine... albeit a self-induced one.

Your body wants to maintain your weight when it "thinks" you are starving; therefore, your metabolism will actually slow down. This will inevitably cause you to not lose weight, defeating the purpose of why you cut your calories in the first place!"

Msnika,

Bamagal said it all, "...your body [goes] into "starvation mode" by eating far too little. You're sending a signal to your system that there's a famine... albeit a self-induced one."

I was told the very same thing. Can you imagine being told to eat more??!!??

Never in my entire life have I ever been told to eat more!!!!

I had cut my fats and carbs intake too much. I was eating between 800-950 calories a day. I increased my caloric intake by eating more of the good carbs and I allowed myself a little more fat. Well, it worked. I lost 2.8 pounds in 6 days.

Soooo, hang in there. This is one of the many good places to get good advice and learn a lot of great information about our bandland journey.

Congratulations and good luck on your journey.

Edited June 8, 200818 yr by Ms.Mel

well maybe this will help you understand if it applies"

Weight loss experts say that cutting your calories down to, or under, 1,000 per day sets you up for inevitable failure. Why? Because when you whittle your caloric intake down this low, you are actually sending your body into "starvation mode" by eating far too little. You're sending a signal to your system that there's a famine... albeit a self-induced one.

Your body wants to maintain your weight when it "thinks" you are starving; therefore, your metabolism will actually slow down. This will inevitably cause you to not lose weight, defeating the purpose of why you cut your calories in the first place!"

Well, that makes sense. Well, I guess I need to work on a calorie range that makes my body realize that it will be continuosly fed. Gosh, I wish it would just eat up all those delicious fat cells and be happy!:biggrin2:

Msnika,

Bamagal said it all, "...your body [goes] into "starvation mode" by eating far too little. You're sending a signal to your system that there's a famine... albeit a self-induced one."

I was told the very same thing. Can you imagine being told to eat more??!!??

Never in my entire life have I ever been told to eat more!!!!

I had cut my fats and carbs intake too much. I was eating between 800-950 calories a day. I increased my caloric intake by eating more of the good carbs and I allowed myself a little more fat. Well, it worked. I lost 2.8 pounds in 6 days.

Soooo, hang in there. This is one of the many good places to get good advice and learn a lot of great information about our bandland journey.

Congratulations and good luck on your journey.

Well, with more calories and some added exercise, I hope things get moving. I've got a goal I'm racing to.

Thank you both, i feel much better, now! Guess I won't ask my doc for a refund just yet!

After my second fill the weight starting coming off fast, trust me it gets better.

Starting 348 January 2008

1 week pre surgery 334 March 11, 2008

1 Week Post Surgery 317 March 27, 2008

1st fill 315 April 29, 2008

2nd fill 306 May 30, 2008

Currently 297 as of today 6/09/08

Hi Everyone,

I was banded May 9th. I lost 8 pounds prior to surgery and 7 pounds in the week after. Since then I've gained and lost the same 5 pounds, over and over, again. I'm eating between 800 and 1200 calories, most recently from a low carb diet. I drink 64-80 oz. of Water, daily. I know that I should be happy with the 15 pound loss. I know that I don't have a fill, yet. I also know that eventually, the weight will lose the battle and will retreat. That is not my concern, at this point.

My question is...WHY is the weight not coming off without a fill? Scientifically, I don't understand. What has happened to the calories in vs. calories out theory? Surely the calories expended in having to keep my fat self alive would be more than what I'm consuming?

A fill only aids you with portion control? Right? Well, I'm controlling my own portions, as well as food choices. Can anyone give me some good explanations as to why I would not be losing weight? What is the deal, really?:biggrin:

Are you exercising? Exercising does wonders for weight loss. I didn't start moving that scale until I exercised.

I complained about exactly the same situation when I went in for my first post-op appointment at 2.5 weeks out. My surgeon said exactly what others have said - at 1,000-ish calories per day, my body was in starvation mode, and hanging onto every calorie, being extremely efficient. He said, if you REALLY want to lose weight, keep your caloric intake at FOUR HUNDRED CALORIES PER DAY, all Protein, and the pounds will fall off. He said that your body can no longer be "tricked" at that rate of calories going in. I just laughed at him - I have very little restriction! I'm a food addict! Do you think I would weigh 250-something pounds if I could maintain a 400 calorie per day diet??? Ugh. Instead I cut out simple carbs and have been losing about a pound a week since. Haven't gotten my fat ass off the couch to start exercising yet, but I KNOW that would help a lot too.....

Good luck to you!

I was banded back in April and went through the exact same thing. I am still waiting for my first fill and struggle daily on my intake. Logging my food really helps. Three weeks ago I started walking 2-3 miles a day. After the first week, I went to weigh in and lost 6 pounds in a week. I was so thrilled. I had juggled the same 5 pounds back and forth for three weeks. It also helped when I moved from mushies to soft and progressed to regular foods. I was eating 800-1000 calories a day. I'm now eating around 1000-1200 and I'm steadily losing.

I know it is very frustrating, but can also tell you it will get better.

Edited June 10, 200818 yr by Leslie2Lose
mis-spelling (who'd guess?)

I complained about exactly the same situation when I went in for my first post-op appointment at 2.5 weeks out. My surgeon said exactly what others have said - at 1,000-ish calories per day, my body was in starvation mode, and hanging onto every calorie, being extremely efficient. He said, if you REALLY want to lose weight, keep your caloric intake at FOUR HUNDRED CALORIES PER DAY, all Protein, and the pounds will fall off. He said that your body can no longer be "tricked" at that rate of calories going in. I just laughed at him - I have very little restriction! I'm a food addict! Do you think I would weigh 250-something pounds if I could maintain a 400 calorie per day diet??? Ugh. Instead I cut out simple carbs and have been losing about a pound a week since. Haven't gotten my fat ass off the couch to start exercising yet, but I KNOW that would help a lot too.....

Good luck to you!

400 calories a day is ridiculous. Who can do that? If you're on Survivor maybe. Ever since I started eating more soft foods - getting some chicken and salad in me - I've steadily been losing weight. This starving ourselves routine is for the birds.

I'm still staying away from simple carbs and the weight is coming off. I haven't had Cereal, bread, Pasta or rice in about six weeks. The exercise I'm doing every day is really helping too.

It's all just common sense.