I had band surgery April 2007. My band is currently filled to 7.75 cc's. Despite not being able to manage much more food than a cup, I am not losing any weight. To date the only weight I have lost occurred prior to surgery. I am beyond discouraged. Has my metabolism slowed to a dead stop?

Soonsunny

The band is wonderful and I wouldn't change my decisioin under any circumstance. Just remeber the band is only a tool. You still have to watch what you eat, exercise and all that wonderful stuff. Only, you do not diet. You can eat most things just smaller amounts. After a short period of time, you will look at a restaurant meal and super huge and marvel and the huge portions people consume. Suggest you try one of two clinics SWLC or the TLBC. Both clinic have excellent after care for Ontario patients you just have to pick the doctor or clinic that fits you as a person. There are course other clinics but these are the only two I recommend. Good luck in your research

I've got an appointment with my GP next week to see if she'll do some tests that no one has ever done for me.

I watch what I eat, am exercising like mad and the weight is coming off at about 3 pounds a month. (well, the past two months I've stayed the same) I'm not eating chips and ice cream and crap. I've had lots of suggestions. Increase your exercise, don't exercise so much, you aren't eating enough, you are eating too much. I'm sorry but I'm not buying it.

I eat a very healthy, varied diet with no processed foods and the weight should be coming off. I don't blame the band in any way, it has finally proved to me that I am not a loser, I've been right when I've maintained that I have stuck to diets and lost nothing. However, no one ever believed me and I got frustrated and gave up. That's how I got fat. Failing diet after diet and then eating like mad trying to save it up for the next diet to come.

Now I'm not doing that. I haven't binged or fallen off of any eating plan. I'm hoping that my GP will believe me and at least do some tests. I'm at a good restriction, can't eat bread, but can eat a varied diet of solid food. Don't go up to 2500 calories when I don't pay attention. Stick to under 1500 calories.

I'll let those of you that are also losing slowly and know you are doing everything right, what happens.

And I've gone to my clinic and they say "you are doing everything right, we don't know what to say". So big help there.

M

I have been losing a steady 2 lbs per month now since banding. I was advised to keep a loose band. Someone I know, was told by her bariatric doctor to take fill out whe she wasn't losing. She is now losing weight. Maybe you are too tight.

If you had a defill and then slowly went back up that might work. Is it expensive for you to have defills/fills?

Hi Doddie,

Did you mean a steady 2 pounds a month, or a week? I've seen your weight loss and it looks faster than monthly.

Thanks for the idea, but my fill isn't too tight. I would think it was too tight if I couldn't eat real solid food without BPing and could only really have Soups or liquids. I can go for fills whenever I want, it is included, so that's not an issue. I feel that I'm at a good restriction. If I don't eat carefully, slowly or too much I BP. If I follow the rules there are not problems.

I read a post you made earlier in this thread about how you sometimes eat a whole bag or chips and then realize that you should cut down again and use that program to monitor your food to get down in calories. I can't afford to have any junk food at all, as even while being very careful with what I eat the weight is not coming off.

I just want to see if my Resting metabolic rate is low. There may be nothing that can be done except for me to continue to work out as hard as I have been and hope that I'll get to my goal by the time I'm 60! (I'm in my 40's now) But it is frustrating to hear people say they eat this treat and that treat and consistently lose 1 - 2 pounds while for me to be lucky to lose that in a whole month! It's a bit soul destroying. I don't know if it will paste well, but here is my chart for the past month. This is how it has gone since I started this journey in October last year.

13-Jun-08252.5040.520-Jun-082511.54227-Jun-08253-24004-Jul-08253.5-0.539.511-Jul-08255-1.53818-Jul-0825234125-Jul-08251142

I came back from a holiday of three weeks and stayed the same (I was really careful to eat healthy) and then you will see that for the following three weeks after my holiday I gained each week!

As I said, I will post what my Doctor says, and if she is willing to send me for any tests.

Take care,

M

Hi marivan,

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. I really sympathize with you. That sucks! You are working really hard!!! I hope your doctor will help you investigate what is going on with the tests you want to have done. In the meantime ...keep doing what you're doing and you never know ... you may suddenly see the scales tip in your favour!

Hugs,

E

Well, you are a mystery and I hope your doctor can figure it out. No I am not losing more than 2 lbs per month. My weight chart prints out for me my average loss plus projected loss.

My idea for less fill obviously is not a solution to you. I guess there comes a time when the professionals are going to have to earn their dollars.

The factoring in of junk food is the only way I can control my grazing which once out of control results in vomiting. Knowing I can have something seems to help me. Not for everyone I know but I hoped my suggestions may help.

Good luck with the doctors.

Thanks Doddie,

I'll let you know! I'm not hopeful that they'll even test me for anything because after all, we fat folk are fat just because we're always eatin'!

But I will do my best to see what's up.

You've done great though, I dream of the day I see a number like 73 pounds lost!

Talk soon,

M

Good luck with your doc. I hope you get the tests that you

request.

You may want to consider seeing a naturopathic doctor as well. The one i saw suggested a 21 day "detox cleanse" when I was on a plateau, and suggested some other herbal/vitamin combos.

My weight loss is not as fast as some, but I am thrilled to have lost over 70 pounds in less than a year.

You will lose the weight, hang in there !!

We are all here to support you

Thanks Michee for your thoughts and comments.

However, No thanks to any cleanses. The thing that I thought about when I decided to have the lap band was that I would not ever again spend hundreds or thousands of dollars going to alternative doctors promising that they knew the key to my weight problem. All I lost was dollars.

I have gone on these cleanses in the past and lost one or two pounds while on them for a couple of weeks. No fun.

Way to go on your great loss. Congratulations.

M

Hi all,

It's been some time since I started this question. At that time, I was so discouraged and feeling ripped off. Not losing weight when you've put all your eggs in one basket makes it feel as though there is one more failure to a long and painful list of other failures.

As it happens, I am now losing weight at a rate of about 1 pound per week. I think that coming to terms with the reasons I resort to food was the single biggest reason for the success I am now experiencing. It is amazing how afraid I was to be smaller.

• Who would recognize me?
  
• How would I dress?
  
• What would I do with all the attention?
  
• Would I still be me?
  
• How would I handle stress?
  
• What would I do with myself when bored?
  

Taking the time to deal with these questions, rather than turning to more food or food that is easy to eat but high in calories has been the key for me. Fortunately the band has acted as the little reminder I needed. Most often I wasn't aware that I was eating at all. The band allows me to be in touch with my body in a new way.

I think we all need to be easier on ourselves. Best wishes to all.

Soonsunny

As it happens, I am now losing weight at a rate of about 1 pound per week. I think that coming to terms with the reasons I resort to food was the single biggest reason for the success I am now experiencing. It is amazing how afraid I was to be smaller.

Taking the time to deal with these questions, rather than turning to more food or food that is easy to eat but high in calories has been the key for me. Fortunately the band has acted as the little reminder I needed. Most often I wasn't aware that I was eating at all. The band allows me to be in touch with my body in a new way.

i am so happy to see this post; I was wondering what had happened to you. I am so pleased for you. Congratulations on not only the weight loss but also the self-realization!

Marivan: What is happening since you saw the doctor. Are you losing weight now?

Congratulations Soonsony: So very happy you have analyzed yourself and come up with a solution to get you on the track again. Hope others can learn from you

Hi Doddie,

Thanks for asking. I have lost more weight, I don't know how long ago that was, but I am almost to the 50 pound mark. I decided to prove her wrong.

However, I seem to have a schedule with my body and it is lose nothing for two or three weeks, then lose 3 pounds, then gain 1.5, then stay the same then lose that same 1.5 then maybe one, and then nothing again and then 3 and so on. Very frustrating, as I feel like I'm in a dance called One step forward and two steps back. However, like you, I am getting there slowly.

I had hoped that I would reach the 50 pound mark by my birthday, but as that is the week after next, (and I now, after a gain for no reason went from 48 to 46.5) I'm not expecting miracles. But I am aiming for 60 by Christmas. I don't have any goal for my bandiversary in November as I don't want to get depressed.

I just looked it up. I saw my doctor the end of July, or beginning of August and I've lost four more pounds. So I say to her "In your face!":tt2:

I've added pilates to my busy exercise schedule this week and I ache all over. That should have been rewarded by a loss! But I'm used to it now.

Take care,

Mary

marivan. I also do the dance. On Saturday I was 225.4 and today I am 230 but I know on Saturday, I will be around 228. I seem to show a real low weight, the body responds by retaining water then it dumps it to another low and the cycle continues. I no longer get depressed because I record all weighins. I tried weighing only when I went to my doctors but I got depressed as he told me I gained then I lost. So by keeping track, I can see for myself how my body loses weight. One thing I do know, at the end of the month I am always a bit less. Keep on smiling because when you show weight gains I bet a bottom dollar that is an indication you have lost weight. LOL In time the loss will show up.