Good evening, Feb. Banded. This is my first post. I've been trying to work with this band, but I'm getting very frustrated. I have had 2 fills and only feel restriction for about a week each time. I'm getting my next fill tomorrow morning. They say I'm right where I'm supposed to be, but I look at others, and they have lost FAR more than I have. I've only lost 15lbs. I know I've got to really eat better, but I thought I'd be farther along than this. Needless to say, I'm frustrated and venting. Does anyone relate?

I can see why you would feel frustrated. Have you been logging your food intake? I use www.thedailyplate.com and it's really allowed me to take control of what I put into my body. I'm only four weeks out so I obviously don't have all of the answers but I do know that I did a lot of lying to myself regarding the amount of food that i was consuming. I now log every ounce of food that I put in my mouth and it's done more than allowed me to lose weight, it has allowed me to control something that I was unable to control in the past.

Katie,

See my list of suggestions under the topic "Onederland". There may be some ideas there for you.

Katie - I definately relate to most of what you said. We really don't have a lot of restriction yet so the band isn't doing much for us. The weight you're losing is from that week of tightness and whatever willpower you can scavange up for yourself. Hang in there cause they will get you to your sweet spot soon. I too use Daily Plate to monitor my food intake. I try to keep it under 1000 calories a day, usually in the 700-900 range, though my nutritionist would like it in the 600-800 range. And definately exercise. It doesn't matter if it's walking, biking, strength training, sports, whatever you like to do. Not only does it burn calories and increase your metabolism rate but it also builds more muscle and muscle burns more calories that fat just by being there. I had to start really slow with the exercise but I've built up a lot in a fairly short time. I have COPD so I don't breathe real well sometimes. I started with just 10-15 minute walks around the block. Now I walk twice the distance at a much faster pace plus I'm able to do about 20 minutes of aerobic workouts.

Hang in there. Your sweet spot is coming. And congrats on losing 15 pounds though your own hard work.

katie, my heart hurts when i hear folks talk about how they don't lose as much as other people. you aren't competing with anyone else. i know--you already know this...but allow youself to simply CHERISH the 15 pounds that are gone. Celebrate each success, whether it's a pound, a dress size, or the new or re-newed ability to MOVE more easily.

comparing one's self to others is almost always a bad thing for us to do when we're trying to lose weight. there are too many reasons for you to be different from me and either of us from anyone else. concentrate your competitive spirit on being BETTER to yourself today than you were yesterday; moving more today than you did yesterday; eating better food today than you did yesterday; being KINDER to yourself today than you were yesterday.

in this game, you win when you don't quit. of course, you also lose when you don't quit. it's just too cool :frown:!

Hi Katie. I'm in the same place you are. I have lost 17 lbs since the week before my surgery and have played with the same 2 lbs over the last 4 weeks. I've tried everything I can to get past this plateau - added more workouts, watched what I'm eating more closely, etc, etc. I guess as long as I'm not really gaining more it's good but I want to loose.

I went for a fill last week but didn't actually get one. They wanted me to eat MORE. Said my 1000-1100 calories a day just wasn't enough. So I'm working on eating up to 1200-1300, increasing the protein intake and go back in 2 weeks to see where I am.

It's king of depressing to not lose at least 1 lb a week. We'll get there, we just have to keep trying different things to jump start out weight loss.

katie, my heart hurts when i hear folks talk about how they don't lose as much as other people. you aren't competing with anyone else. i know--you already know this...but allow youself to simply CHERISH the 15 pounds that are gone. CELEBRATE each success, whether it's a pound, a dress size, or the new or re-newed ability to MOVE more easily.

comparing one's self to others is almost always a bad thing for us to do when we're trying to lose weight. there are too many reasons for you to be different from me and either of us from anyone else. concentrate your competitive spirit on being BETTER to yourself today than you were yesterday; moving more today than you did yesterday; eating better food today than you did yesterday; being KINDER to yourself today than you were yesterday.

in this game, you win when you don't quit. of course, you also lose when you don't quit. it's just too cool :biggrin:!

I agree fully with ahooge, though I know I've done it before in the past as well.. Either been sad about my plateau's or a little frustrated that others had already lost in the 50's or 60's and I was in the 30's and 40's... but, what is said here is SO true.. 100%. We are all different with different metabolisms and 15 pounds is still realy good. I'm not sure which day you were banded, but it still comes to about 4 pounds a month, and that's really good.