LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up")

People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.

This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.

Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit.

When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general:

I *added* Protein to every thing I ate.

This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips. :crying:

How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked.

With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do.

Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories? :thumbup:

If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked.

And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.)

Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can.

How did I do it? Here were some tips.

• At Breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold Cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts.
  
• Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too!
  
• With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work!
  
  

See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me.

I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO!

Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...)

Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

I haven't been doing so great the last few days as I (do other's experience this much?) just feel like it's tooooo much work (or bother) to eat and so just take a bite of this or that throughout the day, but I KNOW i'm not eating enough...the down side is that I crave sugar in the eves, so I need to get back on track to lose these last two pounds so that I can enter Onderland.

On the plus side, I had a great self confidence booster NSV this am. I took my car in for service and as soon as i'm out of the van two very young handsome service men are right at my door to help me. I can't tell you how many times I was just invisible and they just let me wait for the young man I made the appointment with, later after one of the "hotties" helped me the guy who I was supposed to wait for tracked me down in the waiting area to "check in" with me....the expressions on their faces were the ones I remember from my skinnier days and if any of you know what i'm talking about (it's an appreciative look) there's no mistaking it for just plain good customer service. I'm seeing that happen more and more the places I go, customer service is improving!! I think it is just that I am NOT invisible anymore! I really like it. :wub:

My pants are looser, my band is looser but I still have not seen any movement on the darn scale! Another NSV, when I thru my daughters birthday EVERYONE commented on how "skinny" I am now...How can that be and I still am not losing? Hm...

congratulations.

it sounds like you are getting the feedback you need to keep rolling with it.

I am stuck in a kind of paralysis without being able to see my doc or getting a fill. just happy to be maintaing the 12 pound loss and trying hard not to revert to snacking on bad stuff. I don't eat much quantity, but the quality sometimes stinks, because I too don't find much motivation to prepare good meals. Too much trouble to shop, store, prepare, clean up.

Keep us posted, and enjoy all that "customer service!"

You go girl...Can you say Hot Mama LOL

This is a great forum! I am embarrassed sometimes to post on the other places because my results are depressing. but its my own fault, I accept that. I stupidly told friends when I got the lap band so now they are asking what's up. It does take discipline and commitment, willpower, etc. All those things a traditional diet requires. The good thing; however, is with the lap band, you really should not be physically hungry and I'm not! I fight head hunger. It is a struggle to exercise regularly. For what ever reason, my weight has always and will continue to be a battle. So I will take your advice on the protein. I will celebrate every fraction of a pound that I lose even if it is not comparable to others. I will ignore the short term reactions from my friends and look forward to the long term rewards. And I will recognize all of the NSV and keep my chin up. thanks guys. I need a good slapping around sometimes.

Fluffy - from all these forums and experiences, I have learned one thing if nothing else. The lapband is not the "easy way out" - it is not a slam-dunk. Lots of people think it is, so if friends are asking, let them know it is not easy. I can't begin to understand just what everyone is going through for a few more weeks, but I do know it will not be easy to lose the weight. My belief is that this tool will help me get there - and help me stay there. Take baby steps if you have to - add in the extra Protein and set your interim goal at 20 - (just 3 more pounds!) and reward yourself with something you want when you reach it (obviously NOT food! heehee). A new CD? New walking shoes? A facial? something just for you. Set another goal of 20 lbs and another reward. You are going to get there. It doesn't matter how long it takes, the band will still be there to help you. You are going to get there! and you are going to stay there!

Good luck!

Fluffy

I really like the term, Head Hunger. I suffer from that, too. Mostly at night. I quell Head Hunger by drinking a nice chocolate protein drink, thereby killing two birds with one stone.

Because of travel, I haven't had my first fill (in over two months!) so I too am a slow loser, and will suffer under the expectations of those I told before I left on my travels. You can always quote statistics to those who doubt you, because they are not al wine and roses. Check them out! It will let you off the hook.

Na slapping around, just realize that this is a PROCESS, and you need encouragement. Chin up! Keep going!

ww

What an eye opener. thanks for the tips. My biggest problem is not enough protein. I'm definitely going to try this, starting TODAY. Congrats on your success and thank you for taking the time to share with everyone else what finally worked for you.

I'm someone who got this information a while ago. And it helped me for a bit but then I think I started to eat less again.

I've found that my resolve is weakening because I'm just not losing. If you saw my weight loss chart, you'd see that I lose nothing for a couple of weeks, then one pound then four then gain 3 and then nothing and so on. On November 8th it will be my bandiversary and so far I've lost 45 pounds.

I'm exercising five days a week and feel much better and people say I'm looking great, but I'm getting so discouraged. And I am noticing that my eating is now suffering. It is like if I am training for a marathon for months and months and never see my fitness or times improve. After a while you feel that you are doing all this effort for nothing.

My clinic is no help at all. I'm going for another fill this Friday, because I can definitely eat more than I could, but if I lament on my slow weight loss you can see in their eyes that I must be pigging out and they say either "you are eating too much" or "you aren't eating enough!". I can't be doing both!

I'm going to try to remember the Protein thing. But honestly, I can't and haven't been eating as much as you slow mo. Soup and then a meal? I can only manage the soup. And like someone else on this forum, it is the fish that causes me to be sick the worst. I had two bites of salmon (which I love)the other day and I was in the toilet for a half an hour. Didn't get to keep that protein. But I will give it another concerted try!

Thanks for tip and it would be great to hear from everyone if it worked for them.

Mary

Hi NewSho, what a great message you have passed on, i am going to give this a try, i have tried everything else and 15month down the line i have only lost 12lbs, i am on my 3rd fill but haven't obviously got the hang of things yet, fingers crossed.

Many thanks . JC.

It's funny I keep seeing these post about getting fills and maybe thats the cause for slow losing. I' m the opposite I'v had many fills- although my dr. calls them adjustments I prefer fills, anyway I have great restriction and I still only lost about fifty lbs. and 11/27 marks a year since my surgery. As frustrating as being a slow loser is I will say this what is the alternative? At the rate I was going I would have gained fifty lbs. instead of losing them. When I first joined this site I really didn't know if the WLS was worth it. I no longer feel that way because as slow as the lbs. come off I'm still getting healtier ever day. I exercise more and I haven't gained anything back. Before WLS I'd lose some weight- which was so much easier when I was younger( I do think age is a factor)- anyway I'd lose some and as soon as I stopped dieting it went right back on plus some. At least now I am keeping off what I have lost. It's hard to hear about people losing in a months what has taken me a year but hey we all have different experiences.

I have been over weight since I was a child and I'm not going to change anything overnight. It took time to create this mess it's going to take time to undo it. Reading everyones stories is such a great help, to know that other people are going through the same problems puts things in perspective.Good Luck to all of us slow losers WE WILL PREVAIL!!!

Thanks NewSho! I had read your advice before, but just read it again as a refresher. Couple things, tho: I HATE yogurt and cottage cheese. I do like eggs and other cheeses. Did/Do you eat regular cheese or low or no fat? Also, what kinds of "seeds and nuts" do you eat? One more thing - I read a lot on here about "protein bullets" - did you ever use them to help get in protein? My surgeons dietician says they don't recommend them because they're not easily digestible. I'm so stuck right now. There's so many things I think I should try - I figure not a lot can make me do worse than I already am. Please respond and thanks so much for your help. It really is beneficial to hear from someone who was also a slow loser. Stephanie

Hi Fatme, another great post, thanks for your reply, i am trying really hard this week to get back on track,I hope i start to loose soon as this whole thing is starting to really get to me, i feel very embarrassed when i hear all of the other women loosing lbs and lbs,i know we aren't all the same but some seem to loose faster than others, i to have been overweight since i was 25, i have been very poorly over the last six months at one stage it was touch and go for me in hospital i had a problem when the surgeon removed my Gall bladder, i am now trying to loose more weight but i haven't found the correct way of doing this yet,reading the post this week has helped me.

look forward to reading more.

JC.

All this talk about hunger pains. I used to think I could manage those hunger pains back in my old dieting days. How painful could they be--that gnawing sensation in the belly? That pain defeats me every time. I can't stand that feeling. Do I still get that gnawing feeling with the lapband? Absolutely! But it is so much more manageable. I can eat a much smaller amount and it goes away--for a while. Just eat those small amounts of protein whenever those hunger pains rear their ugly growls. Slow & steady will win the race. The rest of the struggle is all in the head. I haven't figured out how to control that yet. Discipline, commitment & perseverence.

Thank you so much for posting these tips. They are an encouragement to me. I was banded on 5/30/8 and a couple of weeks ago recieved my 5th fill. I have only lost 13 lbs. I finally felt like I have the right amount of restriction, so I have just been outdone when the scale hasn't moved at all in the last couple of weeks. I have been eating the right foods and I was feeling disgusted with this whole Lapband thing. I went searching on this forum looking for answers and came across your post. I believe that your post may be the answer to my prayer. I have alway lost the most weight (even prior to Lapband) by doing hi protein diets. I think I have been eating way too little food and have caused my metabolism to just sit there and look at me like I'm crazy. :huh2: LOL! I will definitely give your tips a try and will post my results. Thanks again.

thanks this is great info...i also found protein is key as well as exercise for me almost every day for 30 mins or so....I felt like I was eating like i always was but slowly but steadily lost! !