Is it normal to plateau and lose restriction?

Zazzeloop · June 5, 2008

I seem to be noticing a pattern. I have had 3 fills and seem to lose 10 pounds fairly quickly (within 2 - 3 weeks after the fill) and have a lot of restriction and then plateau for about 6 weeks, going up and down a few pounds and then seem for no reason to almost completely lose restriction. Is that normal? Does the fill evaporate? I don't understand why this happens - it would make sense if it correlated to the weight loss but its not even close - its been over a month since I lost any weight at all. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Laurinda · June 5, 2008

Well I don't know about the "Belly Beasts" ( That would explain a lot) But I too have the same experience. After a fill I lose fast then it evens out.

xicacc2002 · June 5, 2008

I have been losing weight the same way. Immediately after a fill I lose about 4-5 lbs that first week. (I'm losing the weight b/c I'm consuming mainly liquids and soft foods) I will not lose any more weight the weeks after that. I'll gain about 2 lbs back. I have to go in for a fill to lose weight once again. I don't know if this is how I'm suppose to be losing the weight. I don't want to go every month for a fill in order to lose weight.

tmarie07 · June 5, 2008

Absolutely the same thing! I lose good right after a fill, and then play around with the same few pounds for weeks. My fill nurse said she thinks it's because of the high cal/low cal's that we're more conscious of right after a fill, giving your metabolism a kick start, but really I don't know. Either way, I eventually start losing again.

Tina

5dwebers · June 5, 2008

I had my surgery on May 7th and within the first 2 1/2 weeks I lost 20 lbs. Then I moved on to mushy foods, and gained 2 lbs. Now I've lost a total of 22 lbs. just short of 1 month since surgery. Thank God for this website because if I had not been reading about others who have had the same problem, I would be really discouraged. My doctor would not do a fill until the end of June. I'm hoping that will jump start me again. Also, other people have said that it's really important to exercise, but I'm just now feeling better. I still feel exhausted sometimes, but I also have RA. I'm going to try and make a commitment to at least take a walk around the neighborhood once a day.

samlaj · June 5, 2008

Wow, Reading this makes me feel a little better. I have been following the diet, walking, and everything else I was told to do. I lost 25 pounds from May 7th on my first visit, since then I haven't been able to lose ANYTHING. I even gained like five pounds, which I'm pretty sure is Water weight. This is extremley frustrating. I'm so scared I will go back to the doctors in two weeks and they are going to be like wow, that fat cow can't even lose weight right.

I feel full most of the time when I eat, but when I don't I stop myself. Please any ideas to help me. Do diet pills help aid this process. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining I only lost 25 pounds. I just need HELP. I want to at least be down the 5 pounds I gained. Does it help to go back to full liquids?

Zazzeloop · June 11, 2008

Wow, Reading this makes me feel a little better. I have been following the diet, walking, and everything else I was told to do. I lost 25 pounds from May 7th on my first visit, since then I haven't been able to lose ANYTHING. I even gained like five pounds, which I'm pretty sure is Water weight. This is extremley frustrating. I'm so scared I will go back to the doctors in two weeks and they are going to be like wow, that fat cow can't even lose weight right.
I feel full most of the time when I eat, but when I don't I stop myself. Please any ideas to help me. Do diet pills help aid this process. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining I only lost 25 pounds. I just need HELP. I want to at least be down the 5 pounds I gained. Does it help to go back to full liquids?

I am no expert but it sounds to me like you are doing excellent. 25 pounds is huge. If you are still hungry, you probably need another fill, which will do way more than any diet pill ever could. Trust me. I have tried it all, and diet pills are only as good as your self control and if its not excellent, then they are just an aid -- you may not be starving and have to have it when you take diet pills, but if you still want it mentally you can eat it. Not only that they can be so dangerous to your health - take this from a person who spent 6 weeks on life support in ICU back when I was 23 years old with the diet pills being named as a major contributing cause. The band is actually better than our self control, because if our self control is not good, you will be running for the ladies room -- and that can be awkward and annoying. Now don't get me wrong -- I too am a believer of the belly beasts, but I am also a huge believer that the band is a tool that can change my life albeit slowly, I have accepted this but still wonder about it.... One thing I must say is that it has been a year, and I have only lost 24 pounds but I have no regrets. I have gotten to this point before with gruelling starvation diets and then gained it all back over the course of 6 weeks. Plateauing SUCKS but gaining weight is 10 million times worse.

mediummike · June 11, 2008

You mention that you lose 10 lbs pretty quickly after the fill and then plateau - but then you go on to mention that you do not see a correlation between weight lose and restrcition ? I was told that as you lose weight (or even simply eat less, or mushier foods) your stomach will contract, even shrink. Thus, your band will need to be adjusted. Since the first meeting I ever went too, I was told this, and that I would need to follow up for adjustments monthly after surgery for the first year, and then quarterly the 2nd year, annually thereafter.

Zazzeloop · June 12, 2008

You mention that you lose 10 lbs pretty quickly after the fill and then plateau - but then you go on to mention that you do not see a correlation between weight lose and restrcition ? I was told that as you lose weight (or even simply eat less, or mushier foods) your stomach will contract, even shrink. Thus, your band will need to be adjusted. Since the first meeting I ever went too, I was told this, and that I would need to follow up for adjustments monthly after surgery for the first year, and then quarterly the 2nd year, annually thereafter.

You know what -- you make an excellent point! I have been trying to space fills until I almost completely lose restriction so didn't think a fill was a good idea yet, since I still have a fair bit, but maybe that is the problem. Maybe if I went back and got a slight fill once a month the weight loss would continue and plateaus would not. Making an appt tomorrow! Thanks for the advice! It seems so simple when I look at it this way, but for some reason I have been feeling like I shouldn't be going in too often.