Sometimes I can eat a lot other times I cannot. Just had my 1st fill last thursday, so it s almost been a week. And After a few bites of something, I'm done, I feel satified. But throughout the whole day, a few bites doesn't keep my calories up, it's like nothing. So I feel like sometimes I'm keeping by body in starvation mode, what can I do? I mean COOL, I can only eat a few bites, but sometimes I want more and I can't, OR I"m really paying attention and feelinglike I'm done, HOWEVER, I am a bit hungry a few hours later and this is where I'm confused on how this is supposed to work. Any help?

My doctor suggest eating something preferably protein every 2 hours. I find this really helpful as far as never really being hungry. I love protein bars packs in chocolate and protein so I feel like it's a treat.

Yes I was told that I actually have to eat to lose weight. Limiting your calorie intake to less than 1000 a day can actually impede your weight loss. Doctor said that if I am tight all day and can't get solids down, have yogurt, cottage cheese or Protein shakes. I should be around 1200-1400 a day to stay balanced. Your body goes into starvation mode and you burn muscles for fuel before your body goes after the fat.

I was not eating at all two weeks after my last fill, and had to see my PCP. When he weighed me, I had gained 2 pounds since the fill and said that to him, and thats when he told me the above.

I think I am at the same spot... so, I cant find information how long it takes to get out of starvation mode. I fully have realized I dont take in enough calories eating right, but somehow I dont think this is meant to be an ok for me to eat bad... started protien shakes yesterday.

I had an unfill 2 weeks ago (prior I could only keep liquids down), now I keep down 80% of what I eat... and excerise 5 days a week for a couple of hours and have not lost anything in 2 weeks. It is depressing.

I need to get my body out of this mode... and it to weight loss mode... Help.

Janet

I have a 14 cc band that was filled to 7cc with no weightloss, just had a fill today of 3cc and I can't even keep down spit. do I need a unfill or should I wait for it to settle in?

fire~sounds like you are too tight, if you can't keep spit down. I would at least call your doc and go from there. good luck and let us know how your doing.

My doctor actually told me to expect to plateau off when I get a fill and then to start losing again slowly right before the next fill....

Then when we get the right restriction I will start to see the steady weight loss ... He just wanted me to be preppared ahead of time so I would not get frustrated

I'm only 3 weeks post op, so I haven't had a fill yet. But I was wondering the same thing. The "stage III" diet I'm on now through Kaiser has me eating very little, just enough Protein, but very little calories. I actually gained a half pound last week! (and I'm hungry all the time!)

I was thinking it had to be too little calories, as I'm drinking all of my Water throughout the day and walking 45-60 minutes daily same as before.

You could always supplement with something like a SlimFast or Atkins shake to help get a couple extra hundred calories in between meals without affecting how much solid food you're able to eat?

According to the bariactric nurse on another site there is no such thing as "starvation mode". Who do I believe? I don't know because it's hard to pit one professional against another. But she has a point because if there were a starvation mode then anorexics (sp?) and people with bolimea (again sp?) would not be able to loose weight. Hmmmm.

Your body is going to move up and down on the scale no matter how good you are. You will also reach periods where your body is adjusting and will pause in the weight loss. Some call these plateaus some just say it's a short pause.

My best friend during my weight loss journey was fitday.com because I could look back and check out my weight loss. Whenever I would go into one of these pause modes I could go back and really see how long it was or if there was a pattern. Those pauses always seemed so long and usually weren't that long. For instance, I stop loosing weight one week out of the month. I've had a hysterectomy and it kind of surprised me that I would have this just around the time my period used to hit. Oh yeah, I mean my TOM (I want to be politically correct here). Also, I could go back and check out things like sodium levels and stuff and pretty much see what caused the delay in weight loss.

Now I expect the pause and know that following this brief intermission I will drop 2 - 4 pounds. All I have to do is hang in there.

As far as only being able to eat a few bites and then you get hungry - eat solid Proteins. This will help with the hungry part of it. Eat it slowly because if you're tight it could be hard to get down. Also, don't be afraid of a well planned snack. This is an individual journey and we must figure out what works for each one of us.

Fire - If you are having those kinds of trouble, get a small unfill quick before more problems are caused which could result in a total unfill or worse. Don't wait it out. You can always get more of a fill when you need it. People don't realize that they can not only get dehydrated but they can cause the lining of their esophagus to get damaged by stomach acid (heartburn/reflux) and it is one of the major causes of esophagial cancer. My dad died of this and I remember him drinking Maylox straight from the bottle all day long. Do not mess around with this. You could also loose your band. That sweet spot will happen soon enough if you're patient.

This will happen for all of you, just take care of yourselves and work on eating less than 1200 calories and making sure that what you is is quality.

Good luck.

Vicki

I am in a funk...banded on 4/1/08 and have lost 25 lbs total. Most of that honestly was right after the surgery. I have had 2 fills, 1st one was 3 cc's (14 cc band) and second fill was 1 cc. I definitely have restriction from some foods but still do not have that "full" feeling after eating only 4 ounces of food. I have also joined a gym and am exercising at least 2 or 3 times each week. Thought that the weight would be falling off by now and I am kind of depressed. Thoughts?

The full feeling of days gone by will probably not be felt again. The feeling you will get now is something more like satisfied. I don't know what you're eating in your 4 oz but you need to make sure 2 - 3 of them are dense Protein. This will help a lot. Other things to look for are sodium content & making sure you're drinking your Water.

At 25 pounds in 12 weeks you're right in the range that should be expected in loosing weight. Matter of fact you're on the high side. I know that you have been at a stall but that is probably your body adjusting and the muscle replacing fat. I realize this is not what you want to hear but it's a fact.

One thing that a friend of mine had me do when I got frustrated during a stall is to make sure you've taken your measurements. Believe it or not you are probably loosing inches during this time. When I did that I discovered that she was right.

The weight will come off but remember this is a healthier way of loosing. The slower weight loss that we get with the band keeps our body from being shocked and we don't have the issues that someother WLS have.

Keep your chin up and you'll be amazed. Also, keep track of your weight loss and intake of food on something like fitday.com. When I feel like I've been stalled out FOREVER I go into my fitday and discover it really hasn't been that long since I've lost. Also, if I am having a problem, I can go back and usually find out the cause. For instance, even though I've had a hysterectomy I still stall once a month sometimes for a couple of weeks. It's a fact and I've learned to expect it and live with it. Of course, I pout effectively the whole time. :thumbup:

Good luck on your journey. This time next year you'll be beaming at your success.

Vicki

How many hours do you expect to go before you are hungry again?

You should be able to go 3 - 4 hours in between meals. It is suggested that if for some reason you have to go longer to have an oz of Protein or some other snack. Some days you may not be able to make it quite that long and it's ok to have a snack. Some doctors tell their patients to have a planned snack once or twice a day all the time. The main thing is to keep the calories between 1000 - 1200 calories. This is pretty easy to do if you pay attention to what you're eating.

This is an individual journey and so trying to do exactly what the next person is doing might not work. Taylor it to you. Keep in mind it's also not a race. The more you relax and just chart out your course the better off you'll be.

Another thing to keep in mind is it helps to be the one in control. For instance, when I know I'm going to a special event I plan for that special item. I make the decision on whether or not I'm going to have something I normally wouldn't have or not. When I do this I'm satisfied with my small amount, happy I participated and I'm right back on track because I'm not beating myself to death for "failing". You can't fail if you've made a choice and controlled the situation.

Sorry for the "more information than requested thing". :thumbup:

According to the bariactric nurse on another site there is no such thing as "starvation mode". Who do I believe? I don't know because it's hard to pit one professional against another. But she has a point because if there were a starvation mode then anorexics (sp?) and people with bolimea (again sp?) :biggrin: would not be able to loose weight. Hmmmm.

Good luck.

Vicki

Vicki,

Sounds like someone is trying to practice medicine without the proper training. We nurses like to think we all have all the answers and in some instances we do know more than some Docs, at least, in patient experiences because in some settings we deal with them more, but the best advice is your physicians advice.

People with Anorexia and Bulimia don't just lose weight from not eating, they lose it from excessive exercising, vomiting, and diuretic/ laxative use, etc.... It is not usually just refusal to eat. Plus they lose muscle and bone tissue. They get so use to living this way and their bodies eventually fail an they are unable to eat, even if they want to, that is why treatment is so hard for these individuals and not to mention the mental aspects of this disorder.

When I was a teenager, I lost about 35 lbs in a month due to not eating and execessive exercise and if I was forced to eat, I would make myself throw it up. I had muscle cramps all the time and hid my paleness with make up.

Starvation mode is real and is similar to a bear's hibernation mode. A person can stay big and even gain weight on next to nothing. The body learns to function on less making it more efficient at burning fuel. The bad thing is, the body will get it's fuel regardless of your intake. It will breakdown your bone and muscle tissue to get the nutrients it needs. In turn the body will retain Fluid to make up for the tissue lost to keep your body at its set point for awhile. Along with the breakdown of muscle tissue, you may lose weight, but will still end up looking flabby, not to mention without good muscular support, you don't have good skeletal support causing more injuries and aches/pains.

Well enough on that. Just follow the advice of your doc and everything will be fine. Good nutrition is one of the keys to weight loss.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Stephanie - As I said before, I don't know. I am not in the medical field and I am not an expert. I do know that when I get to a stalled point I often feel like I've been there FOREVER. God, it's bad. But if I keep track I not only see that it hasn't been forever but in a lot of cases there is a pattern. That's just me though. I usually can find out why (if it's not a normal stall) by looking at what I'm eating.

I agree with you that the weight loss due to not eating is NOT a healthy loss and effects all of your body. My statement was never directed at promoting that method of loosing. Hopefully with the band and other WLS available we'll see more people loosing in a more healthy manner. But even as a bear looses weight during hibernation so will people loose weight when they don't eat. Our systems do not slow down in the same manner as a bear's does. This is just MHO. Again, I'm NOT an expert. I am just humbly expressing an opinion.